《Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World》 Arc 1: Chapter 1. Second chance in another world Arc 1: A First Day Filled with Anarchy Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 1: Second chance in another world Standing on the street with his eyes closed stands a boy shaking with fear. He feels a nice cool breeze wash over his body and the warm sun shining on his skin. Then, his mind starts racing. {Am I dead? Did I die? Am I in Hell? Or Heaven? Oh please don''t be some void afterlife!} He wipes his glasses as his eyes adjust to the sun and looks around him. { Wa What the. WHAT THE HELL!} The boy panics when he gets a look at his surroundings. He stands on the cracked, dirty street surrounded by abandoned and condemned buildings. A vast difference from where he just was ten seconds ago. He runs around panicking for about a minute, trying to find anybody to talk to, but theres no hope. The street looks to be abandoned, with no life in sight, other than the shrubs and overgrown grass on the road and sidewalks. He calms down, wipes the sweat off his face, and sits on a dirty bench to collect himself. The boy{ so... I dont seem to be dreaming this has to be real no doubt about it. With the medieval-style architecture, and getting sent here by way of truck-kun this has to be... Yeah definitely.} The boy: I GOT ISEKAI''D!" The boy checks his body, looking in his jacket and pants pockets for anything he may have been transported with. The boy { Wait... I .. no way, I GOT NOTHING! I left my phone and wallet on my desk at home! I got no sword, goddess, or kingdom to greet me. Unless I got some undiscovered power, I GOT NOTHING! Zilch, nada. Goddammit, just my luck} The boy hears voices in the distance and stands up, ecstatic and overjoyed to know there is somebody to talk to. He rushes over to them while continuing to think to himself. The boy { Wait, so if I stayed the same way before that truck hit me, does that mean I didnt die? I didnt feel any pain from the truck hitting me. So unless this is some terrible limbo or some joke of an afterlife, I might have been teleported right before death. Damn, that means my parents probably think I just ran away... What a legacy to leave behind am I right?} You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. He gets to the origin of the voices and looks to his side. Down an alleyway, and there they are. The happiness and excitement he had in his eyes disappeared, leaving only fear and anxiety behind as he looked at the people talking. The boy { N No way youre kidding me, right? This is some isekai world! } His mind starts to race as he looks at a small, human-like Ogre, a young disheveled man, and an elf. The boy {If what I''ve read and watched in TV shows is right...then that dudes is a demi-human! pretty weak-looking one at that...} The young elf is pointing a small sword at the two men, with a smirk on her face. Elf girl: You have some balls trying to rob me of all people! Do you even know who I am? The half Ogre: Yeah we know who you are, Soku The Elfvin Thief! Thats why we''re here.! If we take you out we might get a name of our own! The dirty man: YEAH WHAT HE SAID! The wind starts to rush around the girl pushing and pulling around her body, making her long green hair flow through the air, as a glowing green tint forms around her. The magical air starts to wrap around the sword, like a whirlwind. The boy { No way, thats impossible! MAGIC, IT''S MAGIC!} No longer scared, the boy looks on in disbelief as he sees the events occurring in front of him. The elf swings the sword, throwing the wind blade at the Ogre. it hits his skin, but seems to do little to no damage! The elf girl looks down in disbelief as the Ogre smiles at her. The disheveled man goes to pull out a rusty kitchen knife and they approach her, backing her into a corner. The half Ogre: Whats wrong? Ogres have thick skin, that helps me resist cuts and mana-infused attacks! Never heard? Even if I''m not a full Ogre I still get some of their traits, you should do more research! The boy { What? No, they''re about to kill that girl! Should I step in? No this isnt any of my business. But then, if I just walk away, that small girl will die! But If I try and help I''m probably gonna die as well THINK DAMMIT THINK!} The Ogre swings at the girl, and right before she can be crushed, the boy swoops in, pushing the girl out of the way. The boy {WHY DID I DO THAT!? I WAS SAFE, OUT OF THE WAY, BUT NOOOO I HAD TO GET IN THE MIDDLE OF IT!} The half Ogre: What the hell are you doing kid! The dirty man: Yeah what he said! The boy takes a deep breath, points at himself, and proceeds to shout at the top of his lungs. The boy: MY NAME IS GRAY KYOJIN, THE STRONGEST KNIGHT, HERO FROM ANOTHER -" He pauses mid-sentence, feeling a surge of power wave over every part of his body. His muscles and bones feel as if they are about to burst, his blood boiling, and his eyes tearing up. Even so, the dirty man moves in to try and stab Gray. Gray with a sudden burst of strength and speed dodges the assailant, then counter-attacking by punching the man in the face which causes him to drop his knife. Gray quickly picks up the knife and then thrusts it into the man''s arm. Gray {THE HELL!? HOW DID I DO THAT? THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!} This surprises the Ogre, as he has just seen his friend stabbed, and he moves to attack Gray. Gray freezes in fear, then he feels a large amount of wind being pulled behind him. it all rushes back on him, pushing him out of the way causing the Ogre to miss his punch, leaving the Ogre open. The Elf girl sees the opening and jolts forward stabbing the Ogre in his eye. The Elf Girl: What''s wrong, your tough skin doesnt protect you from that?! Gonna cry?" She continues to laugh and mock him, while the Ogre grabs his friend and begins to run away. Gray takes a sigh of relief, falling to the ground from exhaustion. The elf girl exhales, exhausted from the battle. Thus ending Gray''s first battle in another world. END OF CHAPTER ONE Arc 1: Chapter 2. The Thiefs den Arc 1: A first day filled with anarchy Road to a hero Three chances in another world Chapter 2: The Thief''s den Gray collects himself and stands up. Gray:" Hey, Soku, right? Soku: Yeah, thats my name, don''t wear it out, Gray." Gray: Man they have that elementary school type insults here too. Soku: Elementary school, what? Why are you so weird dude? Your dumb-looking clothes, and that annoying way you talk. Gray: You call my clothes weird when youre wearing a dirty coat thats way too big for you. It doesn''t feel right being insulted by a child. Soku: HEY! Im not a kid, I''m fourteen years old! I don''t look much younger than you! Gray: Being fourteen doesn''t make you a kid? And hey, Im seventeen, Im almost an adult! Look, Im going to be the more mature one and not stay on the level of a child, so stop the bickering, please. Thanks for the save back there I almost got squashed heh. Soku: Well you saved me first, and Ill give credit where credit is due. Im surprised you went out of your way to help me, you dont seem to be from here, and you dont have rough, dirty, hands or a strong body. You look more like a girl than a boy with that hair and eyes of yours. Are you a Nobleman? Only Nobles wear eyeglasses like those. Gray: "My hair isn''t that long. It only covers my ears, and Im gonna take the eye comment as a compliment. And wearing glasses is out of my control, its not my fault I cant see! Soku: Well why did you help me anyway? Do you want something? Because if you want to rob me or get my body Ill cut your arms off! Gray: Can''t a guy do a nice thing without being questioned? Look, I dont know why I saved you. I just kinda did it to do it ya know? Soku: Ok so what do you want? I dont got any money on me right now. Though, you can come with me to my shop. Me and my friends could give you a sword or something. Gray: Oh really? Cool! Yeah, Ill take that offer if its not any trouble. They begin walking, and Gray realizes that he doesn''t know anything about this world, other than it might be similar to the basic medieval fantasies that he has read. Gray: So this is gonna sound weird, but can I tell you something? Soku: As long as you aren''t gonna try and do something gross, go ahead. Gray: HEY! Im not some pedo! But seriously, Im not really from around here. To be honest, Im from an entirely different And once again, like in the alley, he surges with power for just a second, which halts his speech. He falls to the ground with tears in his eyes and begins to feel nauseous. Soku reacts by pulling out her sword in front of him. Gray: BLEGH!! HEY HOLD UP I I blah... Ugh, what the hell was that? Soku: Yeah, I would like to know the same thing dude. If you wouldve done anything else, I may have sliced your throat! Now, whats with you stopping mid-sentence and shooting out all that mana? And you seem to have a lot of it as well? Gray: So that''s what that power is! Okay, so I guess thats the skill I got. Might have liked some op power, or an Excalibur sword instead of a bunch of mana. But if I stay hopeful maybe Ill luck out and still get good power! So wait if I have a bunch of mana does that mean I can do magic? And also can you explain how to use it? Also tell me where I am, and how money and the economy works, things like that would be useful as well! Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Soku: Man, you dont know anything huh? Damn you''re in a bad situation... Where did you come from anyway? Gray: Well I come from Ano I was walking around my village and I was about to get run over by a wagon when I just warped here in the middle of the street... And my village also doesn''t use any of the money here or the language I assume. I also dont have any knowledge about mana hahaha .. h. Ug Soku: Well damn... Um, you''re in the capital city of the Walgonian Kingdom. And I can tell you if you can use any spells when we get to my place because I have a friend there who can WAIT HOLD ON! Gray: YEAH! Whats up? The mood changes with Soku getting hostile again. Gray freezes in fear, locking up and standing stiff. Soku: So you see my pointy ears right? Gray: Yeah and what of it? Youre just an elf, right? You also seem to be able to do magic, which is AWESOME! Soku: Well You dont hate demi-humans right? Gray: Are you asking me if Im racist to animal people? Because if you are Gray looked at Soku with the most serious look he could muster like he was trying to stare into her soul. Gray: I would be caught dead, impaled by a million men before I disrespect a cat girl! Soku: Um Gray: No, Im not racist. Soku: Good, because my friend who will be telling you your affinity is a demi-human... if you even have one... if thats okay. Gray: YES! FINALLY, MAGIC! I HAVE WAITED MY ENTIRE LIFE FOR SOMEBODY TO TELL ME I GET TO LEARN MAGIC! They continue to walk as Soku informs Gray of the basics, like how money works, and things going on in the world. Then, they finally arrive at the house. Her house was an old run-down two-story brick building with a smaller wooden building attached to it. It wasn''t the nicest looking house but it wasn''t in the nicest looking area either so it fits nicely. Soku: So there it is! Home sweet home. Gray: Looks nice compared to the rest of the buildings. Oh, can I uh, ask you why we havent seen anybody around? Soku: Well, with all these cult maniacs running around, especially in this area, nobody comes outside after six or so. Gray: Wait, cultists? Like, dress up in robes and burn people while worshiping some super duper evil god? Soku: Well, thats what propaganda will tell you. To be honest, they aren''t the bad guys. At least in their ideals. They go against the ideals of consumerism, the way the kingdoms do things, and they usually go around the slums and more run-down areas of cities and villages where people hurt by the world usually are. Gray They dont seem all bad then. Why are the people inside? Soku: Well, their main ideals arent bad, but its what they do and the people involved in the Sect act like that''s bad. They wish to destroy society and social norms, they kill and burn the people surrounded by it. At least they dont kill randomly; they mainly attack knights or people who go against them. Gray: Well maybe you should have started with that? Gray {If this follows norms in the media, this cult is probably the bad guy Im gonna have to face. If I am like the main character of this world or something, heh I wonder if thats true like I have some grand destiny, I wonder if I could be breaking the fourth wall right now.} Finally, they approach the small building attached to the house, open the door and walk inside. Inside the building, there was a bar table with some chairs with things like shields, swords, chests, and pieces of armor sitting on a shelf behind the table. Gray: So this is the loot house? More like a loot room. Seems to have less stuff than I thought Soku: It''s hard to snag good stuff with all these knights walking around alright? HEY OPHELIA, WERE HERE!! Gray gets spooked hearing Soku scream so suddenly, and then BOOM! The door opens behind them, and there stands another small girl. Gray''s face goes blank looking at her. Ophelia gets scared by the look in his eyes. Soku gets agitated, thinking Gray is going to do something to her. Then out of nowhere, Gray begins to shout. Gray: NO WAY ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW BRO?!?! The young girl has dark black hair, whiskers, and purple eyes. And the biggest thing drawing Gray''s eyes is her cat-like ears. Gray: LET''S GO! ITS A GODDAMN CAT GIRL!" Gray scares the two girls with his mindless wails, though strangely Ophelia doesn''t seem to pay much attention to it, and just continues. Ophelia: This guys strange! But hes really kinda funny hehe, wait, why are you here mister? Are you Sokus first boyfriend? Soku''s face goes bright red, blowing wind in Gray''s face, knocking his glasses off. Soku goes to explain who Gray is while Gray goes to pick up his glasses, but notices something very strange His eyesight seemingly has been fixed. Gray: NO WAY! Ophelia and Soku: WHAT? Gray: I CAN SEE WITHOUT THESE STUPID GLASSES! Wait, why can I see without these stupid glasses? Soku: Wait, Ophelia, do you think he may have a spirit arts affinity? Gray: Spirit arts? Soku: Oh yeah! Ophelia, can you use your mana to tell him what mana affinity he has? Gray: Wait, before you do that, what are the possible ones I could get? Is it just the basics like fire, water, earth, and wind, oh, and something to do with spirit arts? Ophelia: Well yes, those are possibilities there is also the chance you have more than an affinity and you get an absolute affinity, which just lets you use that element without having to do spells or a form of spirit magic. Soku: Alright, just tell him, damn As Ophelia goes to touch Gray, he gets enveloped in a purple aura and Gray looks in amazement. Gray: COME ON, PAPA NEEDS A BRAND NEW PAIR OF SHOES! Ophelia: OK AND IT IS! Oh, he does have one! Gray: Wait what? Has what? TELL ME! Ophelia: Well you have a high affinity for the spirit arts, Though thats strange since usually, demi-humans have stronger connections than normal humans. Gray: So I can do summonings or incantations? Thats cool I guess. Ophelia: No dummy! That would be spirit magic. Having an affinity for the spiritual arts means you have a great connection to the spirits, allowing your natural mana to be able to access things made by spirits with much more ease than most people. It also increases your natural healing and mana regeneration. Soku: It''s kinda like the spirits are just more friendly to you. Gray: So I cant do any spells or anything? Ophelia: There are a small few, but they are kinda hard. There is a basic spell called Cenic though. Gray: Cenic huh? What does it do? Ophelia: Cenic translates to blinding spell in the spirit language. And it does just that, you use mana, and the spirits release mana, and they mix to become a black cloud of smoke to blind your enemy. It doesn''t discriminate between opponents so itll blind you too sadly So just focus mana around you and scream CENIC! END OF CHAPTER TWO Arc 1: Chapter 3. Golden hair Arc 1: A first day filled with anarchy Road to a hero Three chances in another world Chapter 3: Golden hair Gray: Ok, so I focus mana around me and say Cenic, got it. Ophelia: YOU GOT THIS! Ophelia gives Gray a thumbs up and Gray tries using magic for the first time. Gray: CENIC! Soku: WAIT NOT IN THE - Soku gets cut off as the spell activates. Gray quickly becomes confused as a small cloud of black mist forms on his face, causing him to cough. Gray: Bleh!, man what the hell was that? All that happened was me getting smoke in my eyes. That''s the spell? Why is my luck this bad! Ophelia: So why didnt you put any mana into your spell? Soku: Yeah, maybe your spell would have gone off if you used mana genius! Well, Im glad you didnt, because YOU TRIED TO DO IT IN THE ROOM! Gray: Sorry, but I tried to use my mana. I thought you just had to focus to use mana. That''s how it works in shows and books. Ophelia: Shows? You speak funny Gray. Soku: Well, you weren''t lying about not knowing anything Usually, you learn how to use mana as you grow up, while your OD becomes stronger. Gray: What''s an OD? Ophelia: Your OD is like a door or gate that holds your mana for you. Your OD is having trouble using mana, almost like its not yours, same with the mana itself. Gray: Sorry for all the questions, but is mana just mystical energy? Ophelia: Kinda. Spirits are made of spiritual energy which release mana. Then there are elemental spirits that give off elemental mana, and people can be born with the ability to use the elements by either using spells or being born with the ability to move the element freely without the need for spells, which is called an absolute affinity instead of a normal affinity. Gray: So then spirit magic lets me use spiritual energy and the spirit arts just means the spirits like me and I can use them for my assistance? like buffing me or debuffing my enemy? Ophelia: Yeah, actually, thats exactly right! Youre a fast learner. To be honest, learning how to use it this late in your life is gonna be incredibly difficult, so be prepared. Gray: So its like learning a new language, you can do it easier when youre younger compared to when youre older. Well damn, I guess having all this mana had to come with some sort of nerf. But if I didnt use any mana, why did some smoke show up when I used Cenic? Ophelia: Well, when I checked your affinity I had to put my mana into your OD and it did have some stress put on it, as it was leaking a small bit of mana. That''s probably why your eyes healed since you were pushing out some mana. Gray: Why was my mana leaking out? Soku: It was probably when you kept saying, Im from another-, and would just stop talking when you surged with mana. Gray: Oh. I guess that would make sense. While they are all talking, Gray notices something outside the window, gold strands of hair waving in the wind. Then Gray sees her. His face goes blank as he looks at her. He has had crushes before, but this woman was breathtaking. Gray { She Shes hot No, thats not the word... Shes breathtaking. Her long golden hair, glistening aqua eyes, and an aura that feels kind and caring, like a role model or a parental figure.} She wasn''t some amazing-looking figure, though, she was not ugly. Gray thought of her as a hometown crush or beautiful classmate, a bit odd since he''s just met her, but he simply felt comfortable. All this happened in only a couple of seconds. Though the second the girl saw Gray her face turned blank, and she ran through the door. Soku: ROSEMARY THIS GUY IS NOT A RANDOM DUDE, HES CHILL, ITS OKAY! Gray, still standing there frozen as she slowly stepped back into the room. Now, he could see that she was holding something. It''s a picnic basket. Rosemary: Sorry about that sir, I um Soku: Its okay Rose. He kinda got teleported here from some random village, so he doesn''t have any knowledge of basically anything. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Rosemary: Oh Im so sorry sir, that was rude of me. You must be really frightened right now, but why are you with Soku and Ophelia? Gray finally regained his composure then began to speak to Rosemary. The entire time he was with these people he had seemed to be putting on a front, almost internally acting stupid, even going so far as to use a voice to change his dialect to push this. Though Soku doesn''t seem to care, and Ophelia cant seem to notice. Though Rosemary looks to be able to see through it almost immediately. Gray was able to notice this by just looking into her eyes. Gray: Oh my name''s Gray! Gray Kyojin! I saved Soku from getting beaten up by some thugs. She brought me here so I could get some stuff, so Ill head off on my own after that! Ill get out of your guys hair now! Ophelia: You''re leaving so soon? Its about to be dark out, at least spend the night here then you can leave in the morning. Here, Rose has some food for all of us that we can eat for dinner. Gray: You guys have been so nice to me, I dont want to take advantage of your guys'' great hospitality. So thanks, but I dont want to be a burden. Soku: Dont be a baby, just chill here till tomorrow, its all good. Although Soku is more serious than all the people in this room, she looks to be about the same age as Ophelia. Fourteen years old, yet, she talks in a very adult, rude, and abrasive manner, unlike Ophelias more light-headed personality, and Grays blunt, loud, and intentionally stupid attitude, all bouncing off each other very well. They all walk outside, then into the main house. The inside is a lot cleaner than the outside, it has a cobblestone floor, a kitchen in the back, and stairs on the side, which lead to an upstairs with one room and what looks to be a bathroom. They all go to the kitchen and sit down, planning to eat out of the picnic basket. The food is simple sandwiches, but Gray seems happy. He stands there zoned out, while Soku and Ophelia mess with each other, with Rosemary just sitting there, quietly eating. Gray: So are you guys like a family? Or are you just friends? Because Rosemary just looks like a normal person even though youre an elf and cat girl. Soku: Well obviously we aren''t related. I met Ophelia when I was younger. She took me in, and we met Rosemary a couple of weeks ago, she helped us out with some of those cult guys and we let her live here. Gray: You fought them off? Do you have some power? Or are you a knight? Rosemary: You really aren''t from here. I was born into a big group of knights, a big group . I dont like fighting and I know its dishonorable but... I I ran away... I understand if you dont like me because of this and I apologize if it offends you! Gray: Why are you apologizing? You got born into something you didnt agree with and ran away... I think most people dont like fighting or killing other people. I think like you''re the normal one in this. This was the first time Gray spoke in a normal and serious tone. The shift in his tone, and words most people would never say, shook her down to her core. Gray: So you guys have a cult running around? Whats that about? Rosemary: They are called The Sect of Anarchy. They dress in dark robes and go from town to town getting people to join them and try to take over the area. Gray: The Sect of anarchy huh? That''s a strange name, it''s like an oxymoron, contradicting the title... The Idea of anarchy, breaking down the system whilst using a system to do it. Soku: Its more like you join them so you dont get in the way of their plans, so it makes you safe. You get to join something bigger making you feel like you''re one of the greats. If you have a strong spirit affinity they will go after you and want you to join. Rosemary: The bigger affinity you have, the bigger chance their rituals will work. You will be granted some sort of otherworldly power, and the chance of getting this and being stronger than others is also a big reason some people join them, so I recommend watching out for them. Every army in the world is out to stop the Sect, so its almost like the hate to stop these people is bringing all these cultures together. Gray: So these guys are the bad guys, yet you''re a child soldier... so I guess this world is more realistic, having a really good guy as far as I know seems to be unlikely, heh Im used to stuff like this being some weird power fantasy and some wish fulfillment. Soku: You talk strangely? You speak as if you come from some other realm or something.. Every island and content has been discovered or conquered and yet you never heard about any of this? How can we be sure youre not lying? You may be here to call the knights and imprison us. This changes the attitude in the room, with all eyes on Gray he has one chance, he needs a perfect way of words to solve this fear in their hearts. Gray: If I could say where I''m from, I would. But I seem to get cut off mid-sentence every time I try. I know it sucks that I cant just tell you and fix the view you may have of me. But please, put your trust in me, I know thats a lot to ask though its all I can ask. Gray walks up to the window as Soku and Ophelia get a couple of blankets and pillows for Gray to sleep on. Gray { Damn, I didnt get any gear? I saw some swords and stuff, though I cant use them. All I have in fighting skills are just some quick thinking, If I think about it Im not that strong I have a basic amount of strength so I guess Ill worry about it when I get to it.} Gray: The moon is so bright, its beautiful. Rosemary: Yeah it is very pretty tonight, alright um I kinda didnt explain the sleeping situation. Gray: What is the problem? Are there not enough blankets? Because Im good with sleeping on the floor without one. Soku: Well yeah we only have a bed and a couple of blankets that Rose uses, just share some or something. Rosemary starts blushing, while Gray seems to be very happy about the news that they will be sleeping beside each other They lie down still not speaking as Gray''s mind is racing as he thinks that he wont be able to fall asleep, the same thing is happening with Rosemary. Rosemary: If you dont mind me asking, why do you act like such a.. a goof? And dont play dumb Im quite good at putting on a mask though a different one than yours. Gray: What are you evil or something? Rosemary: No, Im not evil! Im just used to having to put on a confident and aware face since you cant have a knight scared and confused. Gray: Well its not that I want to hide but, to be honest, it''s just that you dont want to put your faith in somebody stupid, as well as a confident goofball, I hate the idea of people having to worry about me, and have faith in me. I know its selfish but Its just how I lived my life, though now I have this second chance here I can start to be confident! Rosemary: I can understand that, thank you for being so open, I dont want to be a burden and keep you up. Gray: Oh its all good, but yeah we should probably get some rest, Im still sore from that fight in the alley, so goodnight I guess. Rosemary: Goodnight Gray. Gray feels the ground he was sleeping on feel a lot more comfortable, almost like a soft bed, as well as the blankets beginning to feel softer, then grays eyes start to focus. Gray: What the hell? This bed, that computer, those posters, and these sheets! Gray hears a voice speaking to him. The voice: Gray get up already! We made some lunch for you, you cant just sleep the day away silly Gray: MOM!? End of chapter Three Arc 1: Chapter 4. A happy nightmare Arc 1: A first day filled with anarchy Road to a Hero Three chances in another world Chapter 4: A happy nightmare Gray: Wa? How is this Mom: What''s the matter? Come downstairs and eat lunch you cant sleep in all day. Gray: Okay Im coming? Gray {What the hell? Did I just wake up from a bad dream? It felt so real though, guess it was one of those types of dreams then, I have a better imagination than I thought} Gray gets his glasses, and some clothes and heads downstairs to go eat food with his Parents. Mom: You look upset... Did I wake you up from a good dream or are you sad that you have to go back to school tomorrow Gray: "Oh yeah I forgot I have school tomorrow, and I guess it was a cool dream..." Mom: That''s nice. Dad: Let''s stop talking about dreams and talk about real life. Did you do anything at school, Girls you like, or plans with friends!?" Gray: Nah if there was one I liked she probably wouldnt like me back and my friends were gonna hang out on Halloween in a week. Dad: "You gotta be more confident in yourself man! Cant act like a loser, shoot your shot! Its how I got your mom." Mom: You got me because I asked you out, I thought youd never ask me but you can tell the story how you like it I guess. Dad: Oh yeah my bad, but still, you cant keep walking around all lonely and depressed get something more productive to do." Gray: All I do is play games, and watch TV while I talk to my friends online, basically what you do all day just without the friend part.. Dad: Cheeky little Well fine just stop looking all sad and stuff, look youre smiling right now Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Mom: Leave him alone, hes fine, hes not overconfident and hes funny Gray: Got my number one supporter and my number one hater in one room! Mom: You do seem to be in a happier state than yesterday when you went on that walk." Gray: Walk..? Gray goes into a bit of a panic, getting flashes of the truck hitting him. Dad: Yeah when you killed yourself for no reason leaving us to deal with it, you couldn''t even bother to leave a note or anything. Gray: WHAT THE HELL? What are you talking about? Mom: Dont play dumb you little selfish bastard! The parent''s voices and tone started to go deeper and darker as their appearance started to get foggier like a cloud, and before Gray could notice the whole room was a misty black except for a woman-looking figure standing in front of him. Gray: Waa... WHAT THE HELL! Woman in black: Ugg you got a visitor you should wake up now. Gray jolts awake, noticing Rosemary trying to wake him up Rosemary: *Whispers* Gray wake up." Gray: *Whispers * what whats wrong. Gray is confused when Rosemary begins to talk with a voice filled with fear, only fear. Rosemary: I dont know how but its the Sect, they are here outside, Soku is getting a weapon upstairs you need to run outside through the back door quickly with Ophelia. Gray: The sect? THE SECT OF ANARCHY? THOSE CULTISTS DUDES! Hell no Im not leaving you guys to battle them! I can fight too! Rosemary: I dont care if you" She gets interrupted by the front door opening to show a figure coated in the shadows. The figure walks in as Rosemary and Gray are frozen in fear, though he looks small like a child or a pre-teen wearing a black cloak bigger than his body being dragged behind him, the only thing on his face is a plain white mask with the eye holes blacked out like sunglasses. Gray: . Um hey can you leave please... The boy in the cloak: Leave? No, no, no, no not without you, my superior has informed me to pick you up and take you home!" Gray assumes the child is male because of the tone of his voice. The boy in the cloak: MY NAME''S JEREMIAH, NICE TO MEET YOU SIR... I apologize if Im wrong but that golden hair are you perhaps a part of the Golden Knights faction? Rosemary: And what if I Gray cuts her off. Gray: NO! Shes not with them, she''s with me I knew you guys were coming so I was just chilling here! The boy in the cloak: OH REALLY THATS Wonderful! Now come on, let us leave them. Gray walks up to the boy sweating and panicking due to fear. He bows to the boy and bends his leg back into the air. The boy in the cloak: Um what are you While the boy is speaking, Gray swings his leg forward putting all his strength into a kick! The boy in the cloak is surprised, but from under his cloak, a black claw-looking appendage grabs Gray and swings up into the wall! Gray: BEHIND YOU! ROSEMARY MOVE! Rosemary sees a taller member of the Sect trying to stab her with a dagger! Rosemary dodges, then from the upstairs balcony a blast of wind strikes down hitting the cultist. Then Rosemary pulls mana from her chest, her OD sends a bright gold aura around her body like a flame. There is a noise that is heard after the flame has fully coated her body sounding like a click and she hits the cultist sending him flying backward and knocking him out. Soku drops down to the first floor beside Rosemary with a small thick sword ready to attack Jeremiah. Then with everybody ready to fight other than Gray who is still being held against the wall unable to get the arm off of him. Rosemary flows more mana around her making a second click noise and Soku flows mana around her pulling in the wind. Jeremiah lets nine more arms flow out of his cloak, though they aren''t very long. They start to combine, eight short, thin arms become four big and strong ones. He has one of them go under him lifting him into the air only slightly. With everybody ready, this BEGINS GRAYS SECOND FIGHT IN ANOTHER WORLD! END OF CHAPTER 4 Arc 1: Chapter 5. Meeting the Sect of Anarchy Arc 1: A first day filled with anarchy Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 5: Meeting the Sect of Anarchy Rosemary rushes towards Jeremiah, with his mana arms rushing towards her as well. She curves between them just rushing to hit him. Gray {What the hell? She just got fast and strong all of a sudden! Does she have some sort of awakening or strength buff?} The mana arms turn around to go and grab Rosemary, Jeremiah uses the arm behind him to move around splitting the four arms into six, using the other two to move around the walls like a spider. Soku uses some wind magic to cut Gray free, breaking one of the arms and seemingly causing Jeremiah some pain, letting Rosemary get close enough to land a head-on strike! Gray: Thanks for the save, wheres Ophelia? Soku: She slipped out the back. Shes hiding outside right now. I dont know if we can beat this guy, and there might be more cultists around. Gray: "Dammit this is bad like really really bad! Rosemary seems to be doing well LOOK SHES ABOUT TO HIT HIM!" The mana arms grab Rosemary right before shes able to hit him and squeeze her body as she struggles to break free from his grasp. Soku charges up another wind blast to free her but Jeremiah reforms all his arms into one big arm, throwing Rosemary into the air and punching her down to the ground! Then the giant arm splits into five arms which all rush them toward the trio! Gray {Dammit what can I do? I dont have a special power or skill. I can''t do anything but watch them get beat up! Why, why am I so useless, THINK, THINK, THINK DAMMIT THINK!} Soku embeds wind mana around her blade, slashing at the arms but only grazing them. Allowing Jeremiah to grab them all and hold them in that air. Jeremiah: Look, just surrender, so we can be on our way. I don''t want to hurt you guys! Lets just be friends and stop this useless fighting! Soku: YOU CAN GO TO HELL IM NOT JOINING YOU, CULT BASTARDS! Rosemary struggles to speak with her injured body. Rosemary: Yeah .. ugh... I would rather die than join you, people, youre all insane! Jeremiah: I think the more insane people would rather die than understand someone! Gray: {Dammit, why can''t I muster up any mana!? Please, please, PLEASE!} Jeremiah: What about you sir? You dont seem very talkative, you seemed quite arrogant and confident before what happened to that confidence?" Gray: Sorry about that. Does it make you sad having to wait for me to speak, gonna cry? Jeremiah tightens his grip on Gray, hurting him. Gray {OH WAIT I GOT IT!} Soku tries to muster up more mana around her but before she can do that Gray takes a deep breath and starts to shout! Gray: HEY BUDDY DID YOU KNOW THAT IM FROM - Mana surges through Gray''s body, causing the arm to pop, freeing him. Soku flows a massive amount of wind mana around her body, breaking free. She goes to free Rosemary so Jeremiah decides to take Gray out of the fight. He combines two of his arms and punches Gray into the wall, which he hits so hard that he goes through it l. Gray gets knocked back into the loot room and lands behind the counter. Gray: GAH OW, DAMMIT UG! Soku flows as much mana around her as she can and starts rushing toward Jeremiah. The wind mana cuts through the mana''s arms, causing Jeremiah to combine them while dodging her attacks. He uses his arms to jump but being in midair hinders his ability to dodge allowing Soku to throw a large amount of wind mana at him He tries to block with the mana arms but the sharp gust of wind slashes through the mana arms giving him deep cuts in his flesh. Soku tries not to fall to the ground due to exhaustion. Rosemary on the other hand stands back up, ready to fight. Gray struggles to get up, looking around for anything to allow him to fight back. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Gray: What the hell!? Rusty sword, rusty sword, a broken shield, random armor, anything good is too heavy for me to carry. Here we got some swords that dont suck! What''s this crate?" Rosemary flows mana from her body once again hearing the two clicks. Even with all the strain on her body, she rushes towards Jeremiah! He summons ten arms, combines them into two, and starts to attack her with them. They get hit off on each other though Rosemary cant hit Jeremiah''s body and cant break the arms! But with him bleeding out and her about to break its anybody''s game. Gray wipes dust off the front of the crate, revealing a label. Gray: It kind of looks like English. Though the letters look sharper and longer if Im right this may translate to "flame crystals" Oh please be right! He looks inside and just like it said he sees a couple of red crystals and picks up the crate. Gray: HEY SOKU HOW DO YOU USE THESE!? Soku struggles to respond and is surprised by Gray''s idea. Soku: FOCUS MANA INTO THEM AND THROW THEM, THEY LIGHT ON FIRE! Gray still cant get any mana out of his OD and has to resort to using the now-named mana surge again. Gray: Im from! - Feeling the surge of mana come from his chest, he feels his OD crack, like it''s about to burst open. With the surge of mana, he tries to focus it into the crate and they all light up looking as if they are about to explode! Soku: What the GRAY THOUGH THE DAMN CRATE!!! Gray: HEAVE OH!!! Throwing the crate through the hole in the wall, right beside Jeremiah, Soku grabs Rosemary and uses her last bit of strength left to use her wind mana and leap out of the house. Gray: DAMMIT ALL!" Gray grabs a shield off the wall to protect himself from the blast and then . BOOM! An explosion erupts! Destroying a good portion of the house and lighting it on fire! Gray lifts the shield off of himself, it has protected him from debris, and waits for his eyes to focus and his ears to stop ringing before he does anything. Gray: Did .. Did it get him? In the burning debris, Jeremiah creates arms to lift himself, and due to his proximity to the explosion his mask and cloak were destroyed and burned to cinders. Revealing his long black hair, and some light armor. With burns on his body and the gashes on his shoulders still bleeding he looks like he''s about to die, he almost looks like a zombie. He uses his arms to sprint at Rosemary and Soku, both lying on the ground outside the house. Gray sees this, grabs a sword, and runs to the door of the loot room but its blocked by debris, forcing him to move through it slowly. As Jeremiah is about to kill the two girls he gets hit with a brick! He looks over to see Ophelia who is waiting outside hiding. Jeremiah flings his arms towards her, and they almost reach her head before a loud voice is heard. Gray: I AM GRAY KYOJIN! An I''m gonna kill you, right here, right now!" Unlike the last time, he announced his voice like this in the ally way where he sounded more idiotic and goofy now he seems prettier and much, much more serious. Gray: {If Im right his ability allows him to summon ten short weak arms made out of mana, he can then combine them into stronger and longer arms taking quality over quantity.} Jeremiah: Y... You.. dare!! YOU DARE!" Gray: I dare. Gray smirks at him and Jeremiah turns his attention to him making his two arms separate, becoming four arms that he shoots towards Gray! Gray stands there scared but doesn''t move an inch Gray: IM FROM!!!!- This last surge of mana breaks through the crack in his OD EXPLODING OUT OF HIS BODY, the pain which used to only last a second and is now on a continuous flow, Gray feels his muscles ache, and bones begin to crack. And even with tears flowing from his eyes due to the pain, he remains standing. Gray {IT WORKED!} The arms come blasting towards Gray, but he stares them down, waiting. Gray: NOW . CENIC! A cloud of black mana erupts around them consuming them both in a fog of darkness. Gray {"Baby spell" my ass, I may be blinded but hes still right in front of me!} Jeremiah: WHAT IS THIS! Jeremiah combines all his arms into Goliath''s arm, and it comes barreling towards Gray. With the mana coming off Gray''s body the sword starts to be consumed within it as well, causing its attack power to rise, allowing him to slash through the Giant mana''s arm. The arm explodes giving Gray an opening. Gray grits his teeth, jumping towards Jeremiah! The sword was overwhelmed by the power of the mana turning it to dust. so he plans on hitting Jeremiah with his bare FiST! Gray: Huh? Before Gray could hit Jeremiah, five men dressed in black robes all holding daggers stop Gray in his tracks. Ophelia: GRAY THERES MORE RUN! Gray tries to put his arms back up to fight but the mana dissipates along with the adrenaline, unlike before with the smaller surges, instead of receiving some small amounts of pain, Gray''s muscles have torn and shredded along with his arm with leg bones breaking from the presser, causing him to drop to the ground. Ophelia: GRAY NO! She cries out as one of the Sect members starts to speak. Sect member one: Hello young sir we mean no harm, you have taken out the group leader, unlike him, we don''t have any strong abilities, all we want to do is talk." Gray: UG Just leave or kill me! Dont hurt them AND WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ATTACKING US! Sect member one: You attacked first with that kick, we only want you to join us, as that is the mission we have been given, and your friends alone are not good people. Gray: "What are you talking about..? Sect member two: That elf girl shes a thief, a well-known one at that, and that girl with the golden hair belongs to the Golden Knights, a group of people that live to kill... Though they all died out so its strange that she is here at all.. Gray: I.. Dont care, just kidnap me or just kill me. I don''t give a shit .. just dont kill them, please..." Then out of nowhere, a cold fog starts to roll in only covering the group of people. Sect member 1: No, IT CANT BE ITS THE RONIN''S FOG, WE MUST LEAVE AT ON-! An abundance of cold mist flows around them, with all Gray can hear is five sword slashes as blood splashes on his motionless body. The Ronin: You are interesting. Jeremiah: NO PLEASE DO- A smack is heard as Jerimiah''s body tumbles to the ground. Gray tries to speak, but alas, he finally loses his battle for consciousness, passing out, ending his first day in another world. END OF CHAPTER 5 Arc 2: Chapter 1. Second day in another world Arc 2: A vigorous first month Road to a Hero Three chances in another world Chapter 1: Second day in another world Gray feels himself waking up with a soft sensation under his body as well as one behind his head. Groaning and opening his eyes he feels sore as a dim white light hurts his eyes, waiting for them to adjust. Gray: I dont know this ceiling, where am I? He sees that hes in a queen-sized bed, wearing a soft robe over a cloth shirt and the pants he was transported in with bandages on his arms and legs. He looks around the room hes in and all thats in it is some paintings, a couple of wardrobes, and a balcony. Gray slowly walks over to the balcony doors opens them and feels the cold wind blowing on his body, he looks around the outside and sees where he is. He is in a large house too small to be a mansion, with a somewhat large yard with a fence going around the estate. Gray: Woah this place is nice! \The city outside is HUGE! Those large white houses go on for miles!" Outside the gate, he sees a road with a big area of people, houses, and shops just outside the gate Gray {I guess I got patched up, then got brought here by that WAIT! Who the hell brought me here, wheres Rosemary and the others?} Gray runs out of the doors of his room running down the hallway and he turns to see a staircase which he promptly runs down. Gray: ROSEMARY, SOKU!, OPHELIA! ARE YOU HERE, ANYBODY! He runs around the house when he hears people speaking behind some big doors. He opens them to see a large table with everybody sitting down, eating breakfast. At the table, there are ten seats with Rosemary, Soku, and Ophelia sitting with each other. A man with black combed-back hair and a muscular build sitting across from them. At the end of the table, there is an elderly man with long white hair as well as a feeling of power coming off of him. The Old man: You run around screaming and burst into my dining room! Quite the balls you have been rude to me of all people, I like that! His attitude changed from angry to calm very quickly, shocking Gray Ophelia: GRAY! Youre ok! Come on, sit down and eat! Gray sits down beside Rosemary. And across from the younger-looking man with black hair. Gray: So I''m just saying this now um. I know nothing about history, class systems, or customs, so Im in the dark about all this. The Old man: Yeah your friends told me this when they woke up, my name is Musashi! Musashi Van Helsing and this is my nephew Edward Van Helsing Edward: Hello everyone its nice to meet such interesting people! Musashi: Look Im going to get straight to the point, You all can do three things for me. I healed and saved you from those sect members so you can either work here around the house, leave and go on your way or I can allow you to join the Walgonian knights! Rosemary: Wait seriously! Just the normal knights, or the Leviathan army? Musashi: Normally I would have just said the standard knights but all of you except Ophelia, have great potential! Soku, with her absolute wind affinity, Rosemary with her connections with the long-dead Golden Knights faction, then theres your Intense amount of mana Gray. Soku: This seems a little too good to be true, whats the catch? Musashi: No catch, though if you want to join the Leviathan army you must put in a lot of work! Gray: Sorry to interrupt but what the hell is the Leviathan army Also did you say the Golden Knight dudes are all dead? Edward: The Leviathan army is just a more powerful league of warriors who are usually people that were born into a family who are in the army! We, the Van Helsings, are the main leaders as well as the founders of the Army. Musashi: Yes the Golden Knight faction members were long thought to have been slaughtered by some higher-up members of the Sect of Anarchy for about a year until I saw you guys last night." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Edward: Yeah uncle you were telling me about how Gray beat one of the lower Sect leaders! Gray, even though they are on the weaker side they still have powers, I''m surprised that you were able to win against him while being a commoner! Gray: Well uh. I guess, but to be honest I just finished the fight, Soku and especially Rosemary did most of the fighting. I just punched him. Soku: Ohh so humble Ophelia: Hey dont downplay yourself! I saw you beat that guy good! You bobbed him in the face! And you had so much mana and power coming off of you It was AWESOME! Musashi: Shes right I did see your battle, even though you aren''t very skilled, with your mana overpowering your body you must have been in a lot of pain and yet you still kept moving and were able to outthink your opponent while being frightened. In my opinion, you have a big chance at being a strong warrior if you join the Leviathan Army. Musashi: OK now to get to the point, Ill go in a line and you will pick what you want to do. So pick! Ophelia: Well I dont like fighting and I cant use a demi- transformation so I wanna work here until they leave! Soku: Well I hate the justice system and all the knight shit, but it pays good money so Ima try the Knight stuff until I quit it. Rosemary: I left the Golden Knight faction and .. and now theyre gone and I want to join something that I agree with, something I can get behind! I wanna join the Leviathan Army! Gray: Well I dont like doin'' chores and I have always loved the idea of being a cool-ass knight, so yeah of course imma join the Leviathan army! Musashi: Ok then that settles it, Al! Come in here and help Ophelia, He will help you learn the area, so I hope youre a good maid. Soku you, Rosemary, Gray, and Edward come with and Ill show you to the Training area. An elderly man comes into the dining room and leaves with Ophelia while Soku, Rosemary, and Gray go with Musashi with Edward following close behind. They leave the room and start walking through the house toward where they keep the swords and Armor. Edward starts talking to Rosemary to Gray''s Annoyance which leaves Gray and Soku to talk to each other while they walk. Soku: You want to join the Leviathan Army because Rosemary wants to. Soku looks at Gray with a smug face while saying this trying to egg him on for some reason Gray: Possibly, But I do want to join the cooler group of Knights. I don''t have anything better to do anyway. Soku: Well we did get dealt a, really, REALLY good hand with this bunch of luck. If any other knights caught us we would probably be dead, me and Ophelia are thieves Rosemary is a deserter, and you have a similar mana to A sect member. Gray: Yeah you make a good point, hopefully, knock on wood, but I hope we keep this good luck train coming. While Gray and Soku talk, Rosemary and Edward talk to each other. Rosemary: So who are you? Musashi said you were his nephew? Edward: Yeah thats right, hes my uncle, I used to live with my mother but she passed away a couple of years ago so I started living with Musashi. Rosemary: Oh Im sorry for your loss. Edward: Oh thank you, no youre fine I have been able to come to an understanding with her passing, I started learning the way of the sword and joining the Van Hellsing way of doing things, I hope joining the Army will give you the same ability to cope with what happened to the Golden Knights faction as it did with my mother. Rosemary: Why thank you! I hope it does as well, Im glad youre nice and not one of those jerky knights Im used to. Edward: Im glad to hear that. Gray and Soku are both listening to their conversation, Gray is not having it, looking very jealous with them conversing so nicely. Soku: Jealous? Gray: Possibly. Musashi: Ok everyone we are at the training area! They all enter the room and see punching bags, weights, and a variety of weapons and armor, with the Walgonian flag hanging up on the walls, the symbol looking like a very sharp W. Musashi: Okay pick out some weapons and armor that fit walk through that door and come outside and Ill be waiting there for you. Gray looks at some light armor that he can wear, with some boots and arm guards, dawning a slightly long-looking cloak, Grabs one of the various medium-sized swords lying on stands, and walks outside. Soku struggles to find armor that fits her but finds a blocky short sword which is all she seems to want and goes outside, Rosemary takes some slightly heavy armor, and arm and leg guards then leaves to go outside. Leaving Edward to walk and get his things, he grabs his custom-made armor and weapon. With everybody outside except Edward, Musashi starts to talk, Musashi: "Okay! I saw Rosemary and Soku fight, and I can see that they have some skill, but you Gray, you are the outlier. I want you to try and get a good hit on me and I wont let you stop until you give up or I feel as if you are ready to be taught by me. Now I ask you if you want to be taught the Water Sword style. Gray: The water sword style? Musashi: There are four sword styles in the world, Fire is basic and easy but is the best overall not being good at one thing and being kinda good at everything, Wind style is normally used with a spear or staff using blunt and hard-hitting attacks that knockback, The earth sword style is normally used by demi- humans because it uses clubs and greatswords and you need a large amount of physical strength to use it. And then lastly the sword style I have personally mastered, the water sword style. It is the hardest to learn and uses techniques from all the other 3 sword styles but mainly focuses on counterattacks and flowing combat being able to counter and flow attacks together and keep up your momentum and stop your opponents. Now pick. Gray: Well since you said you have mastered the water sword style, I guess I want you to teach me that one. Musashi: Okay then, that sword youre holding, what looks different about it? Gray: "It''s thin, long, kinda looks like a katana and a broad sword had a baby." Musashi: Good eye, its so you can move your sword between enemies and slide it off of weapons and spells, you need a fine mana control to perfectly do it though, and with all your mana you could become a very serious threat if you get good at it. Before anything major happens Edward walks outside and is wearing some heavy armor but the most notable thing is the sword on his back, Its what only can be described as a great sword, bigger than a normal person and thicker than ten swords; it looked like a large rectangle of iron with a hilt on it. Gray: You use a greatsword? You dont have any issues swinging it around? Edward: Well my father used a sword like this and he was a normal person so I figured I would learn to use something similar in length. It was hard to use at first but it has strengthened my body to a level I could not have achieved without it, so it all worked out in the end. Gray: Okay then Gray {with his muscles the black hair and the greatsword he has the build of a rival character or the main character, weird} Musashi: Okay enough with the talking you guys sit down over there and Gray when I say go you come at me and Ill see if youre worth it. Ill be using this wooden practice sword. Gray: Okay Im ready Gray plants his feet on the ground confident and ready, with his short dark cloak flowing in the wind, his sword out and he starts to think of a plan of attack. Musashi: Three Musashi: Two Musashi: One Musashi: GO! END OF CHAPTER 1 Arc 2: Chapter 2. Truly worthy Arc 2: A vigorous first month Road to a Hero Three chances in another world Chapter 2: Truly worthy Gray launches himself at Musashi, trying his hardest to focus mana around his body. Gray swings his sword at Musashi. Though faster than Gray can react he gets hit with the wooden sword that Musashi is using. Gray: OH, Dammit! Gray gets flung back, hitting the ground. Gray gets back up and this time before he leaps at Musashi, he uses his mana surge technique. Gray: IM FR- Before Gray can finish his sentence to activate the mana surge, he gets hit again, though this time a lot harder than the first. Musashi: No, no , no. You have to use your mana yourself. If you think youre worth my time youll have to use it on command. So I will not allow you to summon it! Gray {Dammit! I cant seem to be able to use it on command though. However, he probably wont let me join unless I do it manually. I just have to get lucky and figure it out fast!} Gray rubs the dirt off his face and begins to stand up again. Holding his sword, pointing it at Musashi, he takes a deep breath and forms a smile on his face. Gray: I will join the Leviathan army! I may have won that fight against Jerimiah by pure luck, but this time I will win on my own, I WILL PROVE THAT IM WORTH IT! Musashi: Then do it, prove it to me, and if you cant you walk and leave my home! Gray grunts his teeth, biting his lip as his mind begins to rush, trying his hardest to think of a plan of attack. Gray {OK just calm down. Take a deep breath, focus, just focus. Find my OD, then try to focus my mana around my body} Gray rushes towards Musashi over and over again, each time getting set back. Each time he does this he gets a new bruise or wound on his body. Just like every other time he gets back up, spitting the blood out of his mouth, then wiping the sweat off his face. Gray {Please, just get a small amount out. Just a bit! I need to, DAMMIT GRAY YOURE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS! HELP ME!} Musashi: Are you just going to keep doing this until failure? Thats useless, in a real fight I would have already killed you, be aware of the fact that Im holding back A LOT! Who are you? Ask yourself that question. You need to understand yourself before you can use your mana. The mask you use, hiding your emotions, trying to force the winner you want to be will only hold you BACK! Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Gray: I CANT DAMMIT! YOU EXPECT ME TO BE ABLE TO USE MANA SO EASILY!? I HAVE ONLY HAD IT FOR A DAY!? HOW DUMB CAN YOU BE!? IM NOT SOME PRODIGY, SOME GENIUS, OR SOME SUPERHUMAN! I AM A NORMAL GODDAMN PERSON! Of course, I would use a mask, nobody cares about me, because they dont know me yet. So even if Im not this confident or fearless person It doesn''t matter because Im just a guy. Im prideful, Im blunt, annoying, stupid, scared, weak, and pitiful. I KNOW IM ALL THESE THINGS AND I DONT WANT TO BE THEM! I AM CONNER GRAY KYOJIN! AND I WILL BE WORTHY DAMMIT! Musashi smiles at Gray, then Gray once again leaps at Musashi. Though, unlike all the other times he has done this, even with the wounds on his body, he seemed to move faster than even his first leap. More serious and driven than ever before he goes to swing at Musashi. Musashi goes to attack him, thinking nothing of the boost in strength, he swings at Gray, Though Gray could predict the strike, not trying to dodge it normally, he had moved away from where Musashi was going to strike. Aiming for his legs, though Musashi was able to dodge easily. Gray curves his sword into the ground, stabbing into the ground and swinging dirt at Musashi. Musashi blocks the dirt, then Musashi rushes towards Gray swinging at his face and throwing him back. Rosemary, Soku, and Edward watched in awe as that was Gray''s best attempt yet Rosemary: No way! He was able to make Musashi move! Soku: Yeah Ill give him that, it is surprising, I never expected him to be able to swing his sword at him, what about you Edward, what do you think about it? Edward stares on, with his attention fully focused on the battle. Edward: Amazing. For Gray.. for Gray to be able to call the legendary swordsmen dumb, and even get close to him. His drive is .. is Rosemary: Mesmerizing. Edward: Exactly. Soku: Eh I guess. This time, instead of just collapsing to the ground when getting hit, Gray lands on his feet, with his mind blank, running on instinct, and launches himself at Musashi. Even stronger than before, with one leap, he closes the distance swinging his sword at Musashi. Musashi is surprised by this, swinging his sword at Grays. Gray plants his feet on the ground as their swords clash! Musashi doesn''t need to put much effort into his swing, though Gray puts all he has into it. He grits his teeth and wipes the blood from under his nose off his face. Gray: COME ON! COME ON, COME ON, COME ON! Gray starts to regain his composure and feels his OD pounding. Since that first big leap, Gray has been passively pouring mana into his body. Which explains his enhanced strength, speed, and reaction time. Gray pushes and pushes trying to move Musashi''s sword back. His entire body begins to ache as all the pain that has been dealt to him hits him at once, causing him to feel as if he''s about to collapse. Gray {NO! I WILL NOT FALTER, I WILL NOT LOSE!} Gray curves his sword, making Musashi swing down allowing Gray to slip out of the clash. Gray {PLEASE WORK!} Gray: CENIC! A black cloud erupts around them blinding the two. Gray {HERE IT IS MY CHANCE! AS CLEAR AS DAY!} Gray bolts towards Musashi, putting all his strength into the sword swing. But Musashi stomps his foot, pushing all of the mist away leaving Gray open to an attack. Musashi: Hmph Gray: "DAMMIT DONT LOSE! PUSH! His OD erupts like his fight against Jerimiah, and Gray''s body explodes in power. His bones crack, and his muscles tear, but even with all of this, his focus is still on Musashi, its like everything else is dark and all he can see is a blinding light, his target. Their swords clash once more. But unlike before, Gray''s sword completes a full slash. Gray: Did I.. Did I do it? Gray looks at his sword. Before when he fought Jerimiah, once he exploded in mana before the sword he was holding crumbled, but and again the he found the same result. But even with it splinterd and broken he finds himself happy. He looks at Musashi and Musashi just stands there, stunned. The top of Musashi''s wooden sword falls off, having been cut straight through. Soku: NO WAY! Rosemary: YES! YOU DID IT GRAY! Edward: Amazing Gray smirks, standing up, wiping the blood off his face. He stands there confident. Not fake confidence, its real, no mask, just him. Gray: So, am I worth it now? Musashi: I guesss I can try and teach you something. If you can learn it Gray begins smirking before very abruptly, he collapses passing out and falling to the ground. All Gray can hear is a faint voice getting closer. Its Rosemary''s voice trying to wake Gray up Gray {Hey is that Rosemary..y, she cares enough to run over to... Me... S..eet} Gray fully loses consciousness, now a student of Musashi, meaning he is truly worthy. END OF CHAPTER 2 Arc 2: Chapter 3. Unraveling mysteries Arc 2: A vigorous first month Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 3: Unraveling mysteries Gray: Uhg Gray sits up, sore while once again being dressed in a nice soft robe. Gray: {Hey I know this room.} He''s spooked when he hears a sudden knock at the door, but yells back anyway. Gray: COME IN! The elderly butler from earlier walks into the room, holding Gray''s clothes he was transported in. Gray: Oh hey. Your name is Al, right? Oh, those are my clothes! Al: Yes, my name is Alon, but you may call me Al. Ophelia and I have cleaned and repaired the clothes you arrived in. Gray: How long was I out, an hour or so? Al: "Ophelia and I carried you inside, then we healed you, clothed you, then laid you here about an hour and a half ago. Gray: Thanks man, so um what do I do? Just sit here or Al: Put these on and walk into the hall please. Gray: Uh ok, gotcha. Gray {I wonder what I gotta do now?} Gray put his clothes on, fixed his hair in the mirror, and then proceeded to walk outside into the hall. He sees Musashi and Edward waiting for him. Musashi: Come with us will yah . Gray: Okay then, wait did you finish what we were doing outside? Edward: Well Musashi was testing them as well. Though his daughter, my cousin Kioshi, showed up earlier than expected, she started practicing with them instead. Gray: Okay cool, so where are we going. Musashi: You''ll see. Gray: Alright then. Gray: So Edward, whats with the great sword? Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Edward: My father fought with one so its like hes with me. Gray: Oh thats nice, cool I guess. They proceed to walk down the hall, into Musashi''s study. Musashi opens a secret door in the wall, and they walk down a stone staircase. Gray: THIS IS SICK! Some cool ass secret staircase. Edward: Yeah it is pretty cool Ill give you that. They get to the end of the stairs, and the hallway is lit up by glowing red crystals, making the dark room look even creepier, especially with the hall''s wooden cell doors on the walls. Gray: Spooky. They walk up to one of the doors. Musashi opens it allowing Gray to see the prisoner. Gray: No way, you got a prisoner down here?" The prisoner has his eyes, mouth, and ears covered. His arms and legs were bound by chains. While a necklace with a purple crystal is around his neck. Musashi uncovers the prisoner''s face revealing who it is. Gray: Jeremiah! Wait, doesn''t he have those arms he can fight us with!? Musashi: You see that purple crystal, it grounds your mana to your body, and he cant use any spells so we just had to bound his arms and legs. Gray: Ok I guess I get it. Jeremiah: Oh, its you boy You seem different. Gray: And you seem to be imprisoned, those wounds I gave you still hurt? Jeremiah: How''s that house that girl lived in doing? Still burned down. How did they feel about that by the way, such a nice gesture to people that gave you a place to sleep? Gray: Nice dig at me, and it wasnt an insult either, an A for effort and all that. Musashi: Can you idiots shut up, please! Thank you, I assume you know what Im gonna ask you, Anarchist. Jeremiah: I continue to ask you to use my real name sir, You dehumanize me to this degree yet cant use my name? Edward: Jeremiah please, the faster you answer us the sooner we will deal with your release okay? Jeremiah: See there you go, thank you, sir. I have already informed you of everything I know. Musashi kicks Jeremiah, stepping on his shoulder. Musashi: Say it again for us now will yah! Jeremiah: OKAY! My superior informed me that somebody with mana similar to Azalea was around. So I waited, and then as my superior said, somebody did appear. That being the boy standing right there. I went to collect him when I saw an Elf as well as a Golden Knight! I never thought I would see an Elf outside of Alfheilm, followed up by A member of a fallen faction. So I went to collect them and they attacked me. That is all. Gray: HEY! We attacked in self-defense! You just walked into their house with dudes wearing scary clothes and holding swords! Jeremiah: Those scary clothes are things we have to wear. The black cloak hides our mana presence, then the white mask shows that we are all the same at heart. My fellow followers are my friends, my family, we are all just trying to make the world better. Gray: Yeah one murder and break-in at a time huh. Musashi: Alright then, I believe you. I will be back in a while to speak to you more for some one-on-one time. Jeremiah: Youre going to torture me then? Well if it has to be done. Musashi: Ug, I hate you, Anarchists. Jeremiah: Well goodbye then, Ill be awaiting your arrival. Musashi recovers Jeremiah''s face. Then they all leave the room. Gray: Hey what did he mean by me having the same mana as whoever Azalea is. Musashi: We were going to ask you the same thing. Though I wanted to see your reaction to hearing it for yourself. Gray: Who is Azalea anyway? And on top of that, why were you in the slums? Edward: Azalea is, or should I sas was, A very powerful woman in the Sect of Anarchy. She used one of the cursed charms of Alfheim, a cloak that could be stretched and moved to her will. She had a god-like amount of mana as well as a very strong connection to the spirits. Musashi: Yesterday around six PM, A group of Anarchists led by her attacked and killed The king of Walgonia. The ruler and the lords were in the middle of passing the torch of who was going to rule the Country of Walgonia since the King had no children and lacked the ability to. They were in a meeting with my daughter and the strongest Leader in Valatrocitus when it happened, so it was almost like a death wish with no chance of winning. And at the same time she sensed a large amount of mana pulse somewhere in the slums and I went to investigate Gray: Which would be me? So I was teleported from my home right as she died, and I possess her mana on top of that so I assume you thought I was an anarchist? Musashi: You would assume correct. Though when I found you fighting them I thought you may be in the middle of one of their plans. So I saved your lives and brought you all here. If they do have plans for you I hope to make sure they aren''t fulfilled. Gray {Okay, with this knowledge I might be able to figure out what happened to me. When I got hit by that truck I might have died! Then I got summoned or reincarnated because Azelea''s soul or mana pulled me in since we died at the same time! And now the Sect of Anarchy is trying to get me. It doesn''t make much sense but whatever, it''s the life I''m living I guess.} Musashi: I will train you and your friends to be prepared to protect yourselves from these cultists. And there''s somethin'' comming up soon I want you guys to go to, Edward was gonna go alone or tag along with some random knights but you guys showin'' up fills the slots. And for the two young girls, possibly start a life that doesn''t involve stealing to survive If thats ok with you. Gray: Of course its ok with me! I''ll show you that I''m worthy, I promise." Gray {This really could be it! The start of my real journey. I got A real second chance. Something a lot of people would kill for. I cant waste it, not like I wasted my first chance! I promise I will be better, this is like my starting line, Walking down my path or road to becoming A hero or warrior in another world!} END OF CHAPTER 3 Arc 2: Chapter 4. Days at the mansion Arc 2: A vigorous first month Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 4: Days at the Mansion Rosemary is walking to her room about to end the group''s first day at the mansion, she says goodnight to Soku and Ophelia, then she goes to say goodnight to Gray. Rosemary: Can I come in? Gray: Oh Yeah, come in! Rosemary: I just I just came to say goodnight. Gray: Oh yeah. A lot of stuff happened today. Rosemary: Yeah, you did get beat up pretty bad. Gray: Yeah that did suck. What about you? What happened after I passed out? Rosemary: Well Musashi had Soku and I spared as a team, though we didnt do very well, he still accepted us. Gray: Thats nice What about Ophelia, did she have a good day? Rosemary: Yeah she said she had fun, she also said that Al is pretty nice. Okay then I hope you sleep well, I dont want to keep you up. Rosemary goes to leave but before she can close the door Gray pulls the covers down and pats at a spot in the bed. Gray: We kinda got interrupted yesterday didnt we? If you wanna, you can sleep in here tonight. Rosemary blushes, and walks into the room, closing the door, then turning off the light. She walks over to the bed and then lies down beside Gray. Gray: So, what is your power exactly? Rosemary: Oh my power MY POWER, my OD mana works in stages, when I use my mana there is a click where the mana shifts in power. The limit is ten stages, though my body can only handle three at the moment, and thats only for a few seconds. Gray: I think I would know something about mana hurting your body, heh, we can work on our bodies together, while we live here then. Rosemary: I would like that. Rosemary smiles as she falls asleep. Ophelia: HEY YOU TWO WAKE UP! I AND AL MADE BREAKFAST! Rosemary slowly wakes up, noticing that she is the big spoon to Gray''s little spoon. Rosemary blushes getting out of bed and waking Gray up. Gray: Hey quiet would yah! Soku: Dont mind him, Ophelia, hes spending quality time with Rose. Soku smirks at Gray. Gray getting frustrated, leaps at Soku. Gray: YOU THINK YOU''RE FUNNY! Soku runs out of the room, with Gray running after her. Soku summons a blast of wind sending Gray flying out of the open window at the end of the hallway. Gray: HEY WHAT THE HELL! AH! Rosemary: GRAY! Soku: Oops Gray freezes, preparing himself for a three-story fall. Rosemary, without thinking twice, jumped out of the window, catching Gray mid-air, then proceeding to land. Gray: You came to my rescue! Rosemary: You''re welcome. They are about to walk inside when Gray notices a Woman, she seems to have such a strong presence that Both Gray and Rosemary freeze in place. Though she doesn''t dress or look like she has any bit of malice in her heart. She has long white hair, short bangs, white armor with black cloth underneath, and a long piece of purple cloth that stretches from her waist band to her legs being held on by a belt that also holds her katana. She also on light red lips stick, and a hair clip that looks like a flower with pink petals and a yellow pistil. The strongest and most otherworldly part about her is her golden eyes which have pupils that spiral continuously. Gray: {This woman Shes an enigma, she feels otherworldly or should I say other, otherworldly} Gray: Um who are you? Kioshi: Me..? My name''s Kioshi! Im Musashi''s one and only daughter! Gray: Cool. Gray and Kioshi begin to walk inside the mansion. Kioshi: Im used to people being scared or super excited when they meet me, this is a nice change of pace. Gray: What do you mean? Because youre a strong guy daughter? Kioshi: I feel like a strong guy is an understatement, hes the most skilled swordsman in the world. Gray: WAIT WHAT!? I thought he was just really strong not THAT strong! Wait, how strong are you then? Kioshi: Oh me, man they were right, you dont know anything. Im one of the Seven Gods of War. Oh yeah, and Im the strongest one. Gray: Wait, wait, wait are... ARE YOU THE STRONGEST IN THE WORLD! Kioshi: Some would say yeah I am heh. Gray: So what makes you so strong? Do you just have a bunch of mana or? Kioshi: Well kinda, I just have a couple of marks of providence. Gray: Marks of providence... I have heard of them but what are they? Kioshi: Well to put it simply, babies with really strong connections to spirits, get blessed by those spirits, granting them an ability outside of the usual magic type. With a mark somewhere on their skin. Sometimes it just makes you stronger, or sometimes it can go as far as making you invincible to physical attacks. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Gray: Thats Thats BROKEN! AND YOU HAVE MULTIPLE! Kioshi: Well, I dont have anything that strong. I only have three of them though even having two is unheard of. Mana flows into my body from the air, so I dont use any of my own. Anything with mana filled in flowing in it will dissipate if struck at me with ill intent. And the more damage my body takes the stronger I get. Gray: So youre unbeatable, got it. Kioshi: Well marks of providence come with disadvantages. I dont have much mana on my own, so if there is not that much mana in the area I dont have much to work with. And I will automatically take the mana from my teammates even if I dont want to. Gray: Not much of a debuff. Kioshi: I guess not, more of an annoyance hehe. They start to walk inside while Rosemary stands still, still frozen, Gray leaving this unnoticed continues walking inside. Rosemary { They just left? They didnt even speak to meI dont Well, I guess I would get sucked in by her as well. Shes better looking than me, more powerful, and known throughout the world. I dont even compare.} Gray: ROSEMARY! COME ON DONT JUST STAND THERE! Rosemary { He..hes calling!} Rosemary: I''m COMING! Rosemary ran to catch up to them as they conversed in the dining room. They make it to the dining room and they sit down to wait for Al and Ophelia to bring them their breakfast. Edward: You okay Gray? You look stressed, same with you Rosemary, did you not sleep enough? Soku: Hehe Gray: I guess you could say that. Ophelia: BREAKFAST IS READY! Gray: Nice! Gray: Meat again? They dont seem to have very breakfast-type foods here. Gray: Hey Ophelia, wake me up tomorrow and Ill help you make breakfast that I ate back home. Ophelia: Wait really! That would be awesome! Can he help AL? Al: Why not? I hope to see what you come up with. Musashi: Alright enough for breakfast talk, just eat, and then Gray youll come with me, Edward you help Rosemary and Soku with their practice. Edward: Got it. Gray {Of course he goes with Rose, Ugh and I get to get my ass beat again.} After they finished eating breakfast, Ophelia cleaned up while Rosemary left with Soku and Edward. Edward: Soku Im surprised youre still wearing that coat, it seems old and its way too big for you. Soku: Well, I have had it for so long Im just used to wearing it. Edward: Al could sow it up for you if you want. Soku: Ill think about it. Edward: Does Gray not like me? Soku: What do you mean? Rosemary: I dont think he dislikes you. Edward: Well sometimes he just looks at me with such an aggravated face. Soku: Oh that? Hes just jel-... Um hes just weird. Rosemary: Yeah I dont know, sorry. Edward: Oh its okay. Rosemary: What do you think about him? Edward: Well his tenacity, or drive to get what he wants, its almost inspiring. Though hes not very strong he doesn''t step down. Soku: I guess thats true. Rosemary: I agree, hes very kind to me, and his personality is flamboyant. I think he would be happy to know were talking about him. Rosemary begins to do basic workouts with them. Rosemary spends most of her time at the mansion exercising, and though she doesn''t put as much effort as Gray or Edward, she still tries to grow. On the other hand, Soku hardly trains. Soku practices for about an hour or two a day, then she goes and relaxes outside as she watches Gray get beat up by Musashi. The next day Ophelia starts to wake Gray up early to make breakfast. Ophelia: *whispers* Gray Gray get up Gray: What... Oh yeah hold up let me get dressed. Gray gets dressed, then he begins to walk to the kitchen. Gray {I think this is the right way.} Ophelia: Finally youre here! Okay, so what are you going to make? Gray: Youll see, okay if I remember the ingredients correctly, we need some eggs, flour, milk, and some oil. Oh if you have any syrup that would be greatly appreciated! Ophelia: Got IT! Al: You seem to be having fun. Gray: Oh hey Al, yeah she seems to be really into it. Al: How has your training been going? Gray: Pretty good, since I have a small healing factor I can take a lot of punishment, and then my muscles and bones heal, getting stronger in just a few hours. Its like Im speeding. Al: I see, that is very useful. Ophelia informed me that you have a strong affinity for the spiritual arts. Gray: Oh yeah I do, I only know the spell Cenic, since its really easy to use. Al: Once you master Cenic, I can inform you how to use a spell on a higher level. Gray: Really! Thanks, man! Ophelia: OK GRAY I GOT IT! Now, what''s next! Gray: Okay young chef! Pour the oil, and milk into a bowl and mix it with the egg! Ophelia: Understood head chef Kyojin! They begin making the breakfast, Then once the mixing is finished they begin to cook the meal. Gray: Alright so.. How do I use this stove? Ophelia: Just turn this knob to the temp you need, then the Fire crystals inside will automatically heat the top or bottom. Gray: OK now pour the mix into the pan, and when I say so, flip it. Ophelia: Got it! Al: How do you feel about living here Mr. Kyojin, has it been a nice few days? Gray: Well Ive spent the last three days getting my ass beat by the best swordsman in the world So PRETTY DAMN COOL! Im learning how to be a DAMN KNIGHT! And learn magic, what more could I want!? Its only been three days but I already feel stronger, and this mansion feels homier every day." Al: Im glad to hear that. Gray: OH SHIT FLIP! FLIP NOW! Ophelia: OH! FLIP! Gray: Okay nice, let it sit there for a sec, then youre done Ophelia: Is it done? Gray: Yep! Now if you feel ready, you and the other maids can make more for everyone else, and Ill try and go back to sleep. Ophelia: Youre so lazy, but okay. So what is it? Gray: That right there is the greatest breakfast food of all time. A PANCAKE! Ophelia: Pancake, COOl! Gray goes back to sleep, waking up later to eat the pancakes with everyone else. They are all happy with how it turned out. They spend days doing the same thing. Over the weeks they all get more accustomed to living at a mansion with everyone. Gray spars with Musashi, Learning the basics of mana training and the sword. Soku relaxes, getting more used to living like a spoiled high-class daughter as she would put it. Ophelia practices making more food from Gray''s home world. Cleaning, cooking, and doing everything else a maid would do. Rosemary slowly prepares her body to withhold the higher stages of her power, getting closer to Gray by the day, and making sleeping in the same bed with him normal. Edward wakes up early and then proceeds to walk to Gray''s room to wake him up. Edward: *whispers* Gray let me speak to you outside. Gray: Fine whatever. Edward: Get your armor and your sword. Gray gets his things, meeting Edward outside. Gray: Dude *yawn* its like 6 in the morning why are we out here, Oh hey its snowing? Edward: I want to spar with you. You dont seem to like me very much, so this might clear the air. Swinging my sword is how I relieve stress. Gray: I dont hate you, dude. Edward: But you dont like me. Gray: Why do you think this? Edward: I can sense it. And I see how you look at me, aggravated and possibly jealous. Gray: What are you talking about, Im not jealous. Edward: I can tell when youre lying. I dont have any intentions with Rosemary if thats what you''re on about. Gray {Where does this dude get off, trying to be the bigger man ugh I guess Ill spar with him} Gray: Fine Ill fight you, I didnt spend what, almost a month of training to not use it. Edward: OK then, Do you want me to put full effort in? Gray: Go all out. They both pull out their swords. Gray''s straight sword and Edward''s Great sword leave their sheath. Gray smirks as Edward looks on, focused and serious. They step back, ready. Gray, as usual, leaps forward, with his time spent training with Musashi he has grown in power. With better mana control and a stronger body, its almost like this is a test. To draw a new line in the sand to compare to his last real battle. Edward blocked Gray''s swing with his sword, pushing Gray back, and allowing for an opening. Before Gray would have been hit here, though surprisingly Gray was able to swiftly move out of the way Gray { Hes using that big ass sword like a shield, and on top of that hes swinging that sword like its just a normal weapon! theres no way a normal person could swing anything like that, let alone pick it up. I need to use my slight speed advantage, get behind him, then strike!} Gray releases as much mana as his body can handle, struggling to keep it flowing smoothly. Edward continues to play defense, planning on wearing Gray out. Even with the large skill gap, Gray is putting up an actual fight, swinging his sword, continuing the momentum with each swing being stronger and more focused. Even if this is just the basics of sword fighting, it still puts him up way higher above an average swordsman. For a while they continue swinging at each other, Gray tries to use small surges of mana to boost his speed but with no luck, Edward''s defense and offense are greater than Gray can handle. Gray {COME ON, FOCUS DAMMIT, I KNOW I CANT WIN BUT GET A HIT IN AT LEAST} Gray bites his lip, causing it to bleed. Using this pain to keep his focus, he then overflows his body with mana, the same amount of mana that would break and tear at his muscles before is now just a small power-up, though it still hurts a lot. Gray uses this surge in mana to lunge at Edward, using a faint sword swing, he curves around Edward, and instead of going for an attack on his body, he aims for his hands. Gray { I cant risk using this shot on some armor, I need to hit the skin, and he wont expect me to aim at his hands!} Edward goes to block the strike, having to try, since he was surprised by the faint, he almost got his hands sliced. Before he can block it though Gray grunts his teeth, taking a deep breath. Gray: I''M FROM -! Edward gets surprised by the surge in mana, allowing Gray to slice at the top of Edward''s arm, Edward goes to grab the sword, catching it in his hands, holding it with such a grip that Gray can''t get it free or cut him. Gray lets go of the sword, jumps, and lands on the hilt of the blade, surging a good amount of mana to his arm, more than it can handle, causing him to tear up. However, he doesn''t falter, going straight for a punch to the head. Edward catches his hand, though now Edward doesn''t have any open hands, letting Gray surge mana to his leg, kicking Edward in the side of the head, freeing his sword and arms. But then Gray jumps back and takes a deep breath. Gray: CENIC! Gray cast Cenic launching himself toward Edward going for a head-on strike! Edward pauses, staring in disbelief. Edward { I will not lose, even if I lose myself to it. I WILL NOT BE BESTED!} Edward loses focus on everything other than Gray. Gray { what the hell, no.. somethings wrong I can feel-} Gray halts his thoughts as Edward rushes out of the smoke, like a tornado of force, before Gray can react, he feels the blunt side of the Great sword smash into his chest. Feeling his ribs crack and break, getting the air out of his lungs, from one strike Gray was about to be knocked unconscious. Edward jumps into the air, about to bring the greatsword down on Gray. Gray {HES LIKE A WILD ANIMAL!} Gray grips his sword and then explodes with mana, With his adrenaline rushing he can bypass the pain, they both are prepared to clash swords with their full strength! Both looking like wild animals, Gray uses another faint, rolling to the side, dodging Edward''s swing, which slams into the ground. Then he leaps forward, going in for another swing. Gray: CENIC, CENIC, CENIC! The entire area gets filled with black clouds, Edward tries to swing his sword, to push the smoke away but to no avail. Edward { EVEN IF I CANT SEE HIM, HE STILL RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!} Edward prepares to block the coming attack, but surprisingly Gray runs in a circle, coming in from behind. He throws his sword at Edward which stabs into Edward''s shoulder, and while hes open Gray focuses all his mana on his arm, ready to destroy it if it means victory! Edward forces himself through the pain, putting the force he can into swinging his sword Whichever one connects first will most likely die, with both fighters being completely enveloped in the art of battle, and they continue to complete the final clash. Thankfully, before either attack can land, faster than either of them can react, they get pushed away, and the force of them being moved pushes all the smoke away. Edward: What just Musashi: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING! Gray: SORRY, UGH! We.. we JUST! Musashi: If you''re going to fight this seriously, invite me to watch first! Dickheads I missed a lot of the fight! Gray: Um.. okay...blah Gray slowly loses consciousness, while Edward wipes the sweat off his face. He then quickly apologizes to Musashi. Musashi: Hope you get well rested! You got a big day today! Gray: Damn..it End of Chapter 4 Arc 2: Chapter 5. The Red Dragon is coming to town. Arc 2: A vigorous first month Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 5: The Red Dragon is coming to town. Al bandages Gray and Edward up, then he proceeds to take Gray''s measurements. Gray: So why are you doing this? Edward: I would like to know the same thing. Al: We have a very important visitor coming in a few hours, so we need to make you a nice suit, as well as for your armor. Gray: Why are you bouncing around the visitor, who is it? Al: Well Its the Head commander of the Dragon army, Arthur Willams, The Red Dragon. He is coming to talk with Kioshi, since the king died, they need a replacement and since Walgonia was founded on the idea of bringing the countries together, every country can pick somebody to run. Gray: Thanks. Edward: Gray I would like to apologize about earlier. Gray: If you apologize one more time Im gonna fight you again. Edward: Sorry I understand. Gray: You moved like an animal dude, shit was scary, and you went berserk. Edward: I could say the same thing for you. Al: Berserk huh, you may be a Van Helsing yourself, Gray. Gray: What do you mean? Edward: Oh yeah you dont know about the Warrior''s spirit. Gray: Please inform me! Al: It is just a name for an intense focus. When you focus on something a lot, your mana will push you into overdrive when you try hard to do that thing. But The Helsing family pushes themselves so hard, that their black hair turns white, and they push their emotions so far down that they go berserk as you say when their adrenaline starts to rush. Hence the name Warriors Spirit. Gray: Wait, Edward, your hair isnt white though? Edward: Well I haven''t really pushed myself that hard, I do train, but I dont do it as much as I should. Gray: That explains why I could get the upper hand for a second. I think you might be selling yourself short though, you must be a damn animal if you can hold that big-ass sword! How much does that thing weigh? Edward: About a hundred. More or less." Gray: DAMN! Edward: I mean thats not that impressive, not as impressive as you. You were able to get on my level in a month. Gray: Well its kinda like I cheated, I can regain my strength and go back to training faster than a normal person, and most of my wins are just me overusing my body to win. You have a normal amount of mana and no affinity, and you still beat my ass. Al: I think you are both very impressive, Alright then Gray I finished taking your measurements, Your suit will be ready later, now I must get the other''s measurements. I say go rest until then. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Gray: Thats the best thing Ive heard all day. Edward: I agree. They both walk back to their rooms, sore, and tired. Gray lays next to Rosemary, preparing to go back to sleep. Rosemary: Gr...ay? Why are you up? Gray: Dont mind it, just go back to sleep. Rosemary: Ok. They both fall back asleep, the snow continuing to fall outside, Gray ends his first month in the mansion, stronger, faster, happier, and wounded with another recurring nightmare. The sunshine coming through the blinds starts to wake Gray up. He slowly rolls over, seeing Rosemary''s face right in front of him. Rosemary: Good morning. Gray sees Rosemary smile, almost instantly waking him up. Gray: Morning, what time is it? You are usually downstairs by now. Rosemary: Well I got up for a bit, then I asked why you have bandages on your body, next Al measured me for a dress, and then I just felt like going back to bed. Gray: Oh these bandages small mistake on my part. Rosemary: Well I was told Edward had just as much input on the fight, actually I heard he started it. Gray: Well I accepted it, its a little on both of us. They continue to talk, then suddenly they hear a knock at their door. Rosemary: Come in! The door opens, revealing Musashi, as well as Al, holding their outfits. Al: Ill leave these in here for you to dress into. Gray: Okay thanks! Gray: These are nice, hope they fit well. Rosemary and Gray begin to undress, getting ready to put on the suit, and dress Gray {Wait IS SHE UNDRESSING BESIDE ME?} Gray struggles to not look at her, using the mirror to look, without turning around Rosemary {Um} Rosemary notices that she was undressing with Gray right beside her, she looks at Gray who is in nothing other than his underwear, with her dressed the same. Rosemary: I''m SORRY!, I DIDNT REALIZE! Gray: No! Its fine unless you dont feel comfortable, then I can go right now if you want! Rosemary: Its fine I didnt know if you would be mad, or embarrassed. Gray: Na, I''m chill if you are. Rosemary: Yeah Im ok with this. They continue to get dressed, then hear another knock at the door. Gray: Come in! Soku and Ophelia walk in this time, They both have already gotten dressed, Soku wearing a tuxedo instead of a dress, though Ophelia is wearing a long black dress. Ophelia: ARE YOU GETTING DRESSED TOGETHER! Rosemary freezes up, struggling to find any words as her mind begins to shut down. Gray: Dont know why, but I always assumed that you would be the type of girl to wear a tux, looks nice on you. Soku: "Wish I could say the same for you." Gray: "Love how nice you are." Ophelia goes to help Rosemary put on her dress while Soku and Gray leave to walk downstairs. Gray: YOH! Musashi, I figured that Arthur would show up around dinner, its like one or two pm. Musashi: Well actually its Three-thirty, and hes a busy man, hell be here in about an hour or two. Gray: Whats he like? Musashi: Well In my humble opinion, hes one of if not THE most annoying people I have ever met in my 56 years of being alive. Gray: Well okay then, good answer I guess. Musashi: I suggest that you just have fun until he gets here, just dont ruin your clothes. Try to heal yourself for a bit, also take those badges off your face. Gray: Alright I hear you loud and clear. Gray goes outside with Soku to just relax, taking the jackets off to lay in the snow. Ophelia is currently in the kitchen helping the other maids make food, while Rosemary helps set up the table with Edward. Gray: Its nice out here. Soku: Yeah, its kinda warm even though its snowing, I would be suffering if I was still living in that old house in the slums. Gray: Wait, what month is it? The time is the same as where Im from, I wonder if its the same for the months. Soku: Its November 24. Gray: {What the hell? The months have the same names, as well as the time, and the language is like a modified English. What the hell is going on here?} Gray: Wait, it''s Thanksgiving? Soku: Yeah. Gray: How the explain it to me? Soku: Some random knight talked about it to one of our kings a few hundred years ago and the dumb king thought it sounded cool. Gray: Oh." Gray {Yeah that guy was definitely isekaid.} Musashi: GRAY, SOKU GET IN HERE! Gray: Oh shit! Let''s go! They run into the dining room, sit down, and await Arthurs''s entrance. Gray: I wonder what he looks like. Soku: I heard hes got bright red hair, and hes also pretty tall Gray: Seems about what a powerful leader would look like. Ophelia: Get ready! The doors to the dining room open. Three men walk in, all dressed in nice suits. Gray { That dude with the light pink hair... Is he elegant or beautiful? And then theres the other two, messy black hair and a bad bowl cut, which makes the pink guy stand out even more} Then, walking beside Musashi, is a tall, muscular, man with bold red hair. They all sit down, all on the other side of the table from Gray''s group. The red-haired man stands up, holding his glass, tapping it, and taking a deep breath. Arthur: Okay everybody! If you dont know me, my name is Arthur, Head commander of the Valatrocitus army, The next ruler of Walgonia, no offense Kioshi, I would like to make a toast, so come on everyone, hold up your glasses. Everyone holds up their glasses. Arthur: To everyone who helped us get here today! Everyone: To everyone who helped us get here today! Arthur: NOW! Let us eat! END OF CHAPTER 5 Arc 2: Chapter 6. An announcement best made over dinner Arc 2: A vigorous first month Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 6: An announcement best had over dinner Arthur: Come on everybody, why the long faces? Come on this is supposed to be the icebreaker before we do the real debate. Kioshi: I would have rather waited till then. Arthur: Oh dont be such a downer, SO are these the people you chose to fight my guys? Soku: Whats he talking about? Musashi: You all will be going into a tournament. We chose the soldiers with the best potential, and thats where you guys come in. Gray: Why didnt you tell us this sooner? Musashi: I forgot. Gray: Great. Edward: So I heard that you slayed the Witch of Darkness! If you dont mind me asking, how was the battle. Arthur: Nah, I dont mind at all! So there I was talking to the king, when out of nowhere *BOOM* A group of Anarchists led by the witch burst into the room. Before anybody could react, the king had been swallowed up by her cloak! Though he did die, Kioshi was able to overpower the witch, killing her. IT WAS SO COOL! Gray and Soku {So boring.} Edward: So cool! Musashi: Yeah, yeah. So was there anything you wanted to talk about? Arthur: Well I wanted to talk to your team! You have an Elf, A Golden Knight, and that boy there, I can tell he has a ton of mana! Oh, then there''s your nephew. So come on, don''t be shy, tell me about yourselves! Soku: My names Soku. Rosemary: My names Rosemary, nice to meet you, sir! Gray: Names Gray Kyojin. Edward: And I am Edward Van Helsing, Its a pleasure to be in your presence. Gray {Could you get off his dick, come on bro.} The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Arthur: Well nice to meet you all. Is there anything youre good at? Any powers? Gray: If we have to go into a tournament, then shouldnt we avoid telling you anything about us? So you know you cant exploit it. Soku: He makes a good point. Arthur: Come on, its all in good faith. Soku: Sure. Kioshi: Oh I understand, You came here to get information on them, smart though Gray figured it out very quickly, so sorry to burst your bubble. Arthur: Julius, what could you tell from that. Julius: Well, Gray seems quick to judge, almost arrogant with a bit of ego. Rosemary enjoys pleasing people, not wanting to make anybody think ill of her. Soku is blunt, she also seems bored. Then lastly theres Edward, making sure his words make him seem sure of himself, trying to seem calm and collected, though he seems to be trying to force himself to do these things, while very obviously trying to hide his real goals and ambitions. Is that a good response Commander Arthur? Arthur: Why yes it does. Gray {Pink-haired pretty boy has a brain on him, got to watch out for him Julius} The room goes silent, Arthur smirking, Soku aggravated, Rosemary, as well as Edward, sitting in their chairs embarrassed, and then there''s Gray, dumbfounded and in awe. Musashi: Nice job with the read, Now please would you get the hell out of my house, That would be much obliged. Arthur: But of course, though some of the lords wanted to speak to us today, So would you and Kioshi come with me. Kioshi: Are you serious? Musashi: Got dammit, fine. Arthur: Alright, Julius, Roy, and Lloyd come with me. Musashi: Edward and the rest of you, just stay here and do whatever. Edward: Okay, Have a good night. They all leave the dining room, while Ophelia and Al clean up. They all get into their casual clothes, getting ready for bed. Rosemary: For how much work Al put in on those clothes, we didnt get to use them much. Gray: Yeah *YAWN* Slept through most of the day, and yet Im still tired. Rosemary: Well you did overexert yourself when you fought Edward. Gray: Yeah, cant believe Im on his level, I have only been training for a month. Rosemary: Um Do you think youre on his level? Gray: Well not fully though I did good, at least I thought so. Rosemary: Well Musashi watched your fight and he told us that Edward could have laid you out if he tried, he even got mad that Edward went easy on you. Gray: WAIT! Are you serious man? Dammit I thought I did well. Rosemary: Well Edward said he shouldnt have underestimated you, He said he had to get serious at the end, He also said that he almost cut your arm off. Gray: DAMN! Oh well, I figured as much. Well, Im tired. Night night. Rosemary: Yeah, same. Gray falls asleep, but continues to fall into his very soul, or at least the shell holding it. A shivering cold foggy black room with a woman in black standing in the middle is what the confused boy is met with, however with his quick wit he puts it together before she even speaks. Gray: I assume youre Azalea. Azalea: You would assume correctly. She had a long black dress that connected to the gooey floor with shoulder length black hair to match. Her purple eyes and her white skin didn''t however, but Gray couldn''t care any less. Gray: So what''s the deal with this whole isekai thing? And could you stop with all these nightmares. Azalea: Look all I know is that I died then I saw a black void with a bunch of white glowing things, I went towards the biggest light, and got sucked into it. Then I became like a second conciseness in your head. Gray: So I assume its because I was gonna die or that I wanted to die, then when your mana got into my body I got warped here. Azalea: Okay, I think that makes sense. Gray: Youre not evil are you? Azalea: I would hope you joined the Sect, so if you see me as evil then do as you will. You seem to have a lot of nightmares, one about your parents every night. Gray: Oh, I thought you were doin'' that...guess I''m more messed up than I thought. Yeah, to be honest, Ive been struggling to keep it together, I mean I was already depressed, but now I got a goal yah know. Azalea: I would much rather you give me control of the body throughOh shit! Gray: WHAT! Azalea: You got three people with cursed mana near you, SO WHEN I WAKE YOU UP RUN LIKE HELL! Gray Jolts awake, and in the corner of his room, A woman in a black robe with a white mask on. Gray, shakes Rosemary, Just looking at the woman frozen in fear as she takes a step towards him. END OF CHAPTER 6 Arc 2: Chapter 7. Silent night, deadly night Arc 2: A vigorous first month Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 7: Silent night, deadly night Rosemary wakes up before the woman in black can move and Gray quickly grabs onto Rosemary, forces mana into his legs, then leaps through the door of their room. This stuns the woman, leaving her staring off down the hall, watching as both Gray and Rosemary tumble over and struggle to stand, licking her lips in return. Gray: SOKU, OPHELIA, AL, EDWARD GET UP, WE GOT AN ASSASIN! Rosemary: Gray go! Ill hold her off, you run away! Gray: To hell with that shit! Im not useless! Rosemary: I know I just dont want you to get hurt! Gray: I can say the same thing! Rosemary: Alright then, we dont know how many of them are here so dont break your body, use as much as you can handle, so no going overboard. Gray: Got yah! The woman left the room, dropping the cloak and removing the mask. Carla: "MY NAMES CARLA! YOU HAVE MY FRIEND SOMEWHERE IN THIS HOUSE! AND I HAVE ALSO BEEN SENT HERE TO KILL THAT GIRL RIGHT THERE, WHILE ALSO CAPTURING YOU! SO COME NICELY AND YOU JUST DIE FAST OKAY! Carla continues to ramble, still licking her lips seductively. But suddenly dark mana wraps around her arm, turning solid while shaping itself into a crescent-shaped blade. Gray: Nice, you were made to be a killer then huh. Carla: Why thank you for the compliment. Now for the cute girl, DIE! She rushes towards them both, aiming towards Rosemary. Rosemary activates stage three, allowing her to dodge Carla''s quick strikes through, only slightly, with each strike getting closer and closer. Gray observes, waiting for an opening. However, even with Gray''s trained body, his strength and speed are outmatched by theirs. Gray { Dammit, think! She cant keep this going forever, I cant use cenic because it will blind Rose, I dont have a sword or armor, damn this sucks!} The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Gray: ROSE DO A FOURTH STAGE FLICK! Rosemary {What? What does that mean?...OH! WAIT I GET IT!} Rosemary forces mana to just her finger, making only that small amount go into the fourth stage. Releasing the finger, flicking a blast of wind pressure launching Rosemary and Carla back. Rosemary: UGH that hurt Good plan though didnt hurt my whole body. Gray: Yeah, saw it in a show once, Okay now RUN! They run as fast as they can, though before they can get near the stairs, Carla has caught right back up to them, Now with two arm blades, she stands more serious fully focused, licking her lips and going to strike again. Gray {Got to let Rose recharge} Gray takes a moment, slowly layering mana around his body like a veil before rushing into the fray. Gray: CENIC! The hallway fills with black smoke, Gray prepares a punch, though before it can connect, Carla swings her blade, pushing all the smoke away and leaving Gray open, She kicks Gray in the face sending him back, though he recovers, just fast enough to dodge her swing, then she heads for Rosemary. Before anything can happen, A blade of wind rushes toward Carla, though she can block it, it still cuts her arms. Rosemary: SOKU! Gray: IS OPHELIA OKAY! Soku: YEAH ALS GOT HER! Carla licks the blood off her hands, launching towards Rosemary. But Gray swiftly pushes her out of the way. Gray {IF SHE WANTS TO CAPSURE ME SHE WONT KILL ME!} Carla misses her swing, slashing above Gray''s eye before kicking him down another hallway, separating the group. But Gray luckily rolls right beside a worried and thinking Al. Gray: You guys gotta get out of here Al: You act as if Im not the servant of the most skilled swordsmen; I''ve got some training under my belt as well as some experience to boot. Gray: Wheres Edward? Al: I apologize, I dont know. I think there are more here. The one you met, another near Edwards''s room, then I think there is one outside. Gray: Damn! While Gray sits up frustrated quivering and crying Ophelia grips his jacket, holding him as tightly as she can. Gray doesn''t know how to react as he''s just as scared if not more, but he pats her head and gives her a large grin. Gray: Look its okay, dont cry we are gonna get out of this. Now Al, take Ophelia to the holding cells in the secret basement. Ill get everyone else down there, and then we will escape through the exit!. Al: "I can hold the three of them off but you''ll need something to do it." Gray: "You got a plan?" Al: "I didn''t spend most of my life as Walgonia''s best straightest for nothing. I think I have just the thing, and your spiritual affinity is so high that I think you''ll manage." Meanwhile, Near Edward''s room, Edward was looking to find a way to get to the others after hearing Grays scream at him, though he was stopped when he saw a man dressed in the Sects outfit, holding a sword at Edward. Edward: Who are you? What is your business with us!? Conroy: My name is Conroy, though we are here for multiple reasons, the only reason I have come here is that I heard a Helsing in training was here, and I want to see what the so-called warrior''s spirit is like in person! Edward: So you wish to duel then? Conroy: To the death if you will. Edward: I must pass, so I will. Conroy: Its late at night yet you have your armor and your sword, quite a big one at that, it resembles Gotsu''s sword in the legends. WAIT ARE YOU PERHAPS THE SON OF GOTSU VAN HELSING! Edward: I have my armor because I was practicing, and yes that is my late father''s name. Conroy: To be the son of a legend yet, not have the white hair, a shame though. I will be able to fight a legend''s son so it will suffice. Edward: OK then, Im ready. Conroy: I am ready as well. Edward unsheathes his sword, and puts his feet down, putting on a serious face awaiting Conroy''s swing. Then Conroy quickly swings his sword, being blocked by Edwards''. And with this first swing, they started their duel. END OF CHAPTER 7 Arc 2: Chapter 8. Cold Snow on Hot wounds Arc 2: A vigorous first month Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 8: Cold Snow on Hot Wounds Gray tries to run back to the fight, though with the wound over his eye blood keeps dripping into his bruised eye. He takes the arm of his ripped jacket, tearing it off, then wrapping it around his wound as well as his eye. Wiping the blood off his face, he then proceeds to run back to the fight. Gray {OK hopefully this patched-together plan works, cause were gonna die if it doesn''t} Carla is easily fighting Soku and Rosemary at once, just having to dodge both of them. Though Carla''s hands are bleeding, she is still able to overpower Rosemary, who continues to get weaker as she goes on. Finally making it back to the fight, Gray immediately rushes to attack Carla. Moving like a snake, she moves around him slicing at his body over and over. Kicking Rosemary to the side, then rushing to attack Soku. Soku: GET THE HELL AWAY! Soku charges up a powerful wind blast, forcing Carla back. Rosemary goes to attack her, though, with all the strain that was put on her body, she wasnt able to dodge the swing, getting her stomach slashed, though only lightly. Gray: ROSEMARY!" In a rage, he continued to run. Gray: "I''LL KILL YOU!" Carla: Oh please do try! Gray explodes with mana, launching himself at Carla. Since hes only moving in a straight line, she dodges, kicking him through the window, causing him to fall 3-stories, landing in the cold white snow, slowly turning red with all the blood flowing out of the cuts on his skin. Gray tries to stand, falling to his knees, struggling to breathe. His eyes start to tear up, and grabbing the snow, his internal rage turns to unease and a feeling of dread. Gray: WhyWHY DAMMIT! Gray starts to sob, unable to stand or do much of anything, falling into the snow. Gray { I WAS DOING SO WELL! WHY, WHY, WHY!? We were living just fine. I I WAS FINALLY PROGRESSING. NOW THIS, WHY DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS SHIT. I had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with my life, and they are all I have...I won''t lose them...Rosemary, I promise I''ll save you.} Gray tries to push himself up, his muscles tearing, his blood is pouring, and his head starts screaming at him. Gray: Please PLEASE, I WILL NOT SIT HERE, I WILL NOT WASTE THIS! COME ON! IF ITS THE LAST THING YOU DO GET UP, AT LEAST BE A GODDAMN SHIELD FOR THEM! Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Gray hears what sounds like a bird whistling in the air, swinging over and over. Gray turns his head fully enraged, to see a woman wrapped in bandages, like a mummy. However, it seemed to be her skin that was wrapped around her, standing there staring at him. Gray: Is that a damn mummy? Anibys: I am Anibys, leader of the low pillars of justice, a member of the Sect of Anarchy, and you are my goal. I also want you to inform me of the location of Jeremiah before we leave together. Gray: Hes not here and I''m not goin''. Anibys: Look, I know hes here. So tell me and we will be on our way. Gray: Mind if I strike a deal with you then? Anibys: Go on. While this is going on, Edward and Conroy are currently exchanging sword strikes. Conroy: Come on! Show me your true power, the warrior''s spirit, youre a Helsing! A berserker, a demi-god! I can see it, feel it behind your eyes, restrained by chains! LET IT OUT SO THE REAL FIGHT CAN BEGIN! Edward plays defense, blocking the strikes waiting for an opening, Conroy moving like a snake, bouncing around the walls, and ceiling. Edward {This is it, a real fight. Hes much stronger than the normal soldier, much, much stronger! Hes flowing around the hallway jumping and striking mid-air like a super soldier, and this is just how the baseline swordsmen should fight!} Edward starts taking steps, grits his teeth, and then starts to finally swing back. Even though the sword is so heavy, he can still keep up and put Conroy on the defense. Conroy: COME ON SHOW ME, SHOW ME A FUTURE GOD OF WAR! Edward: SHUT UP! Conroy: COME ON LET IT OUT! Edward starts to lose focus, getting slightly slashed multiple times across his face as well as his body. Starting to move off impulse, the swings of the greatsword picking up in speed. Conroy moves to the side, planning on striking Edward''s side. Then Edward swings his sword, cleaving through the wall, like a hot knife through butter. Conroy barely dodges the debris, leaving him open. Conroy blocks Edward''s swing, though blocking this heavy blow puts a lot of pressure on Conroy''s blade, causing it to crack and sending him flying backward. Conroy: There it is! Your fury, to die to a Helsing is an honor. That sword, what is its name? Edward: Its name is Bj?rn, after my late stepfather. Conroy: Wonderful. Conroy smiles before extending his arm. Conroy: IGNUM! A ball of fire is sent from his hand, being blocked by Bj?rn, Edward''s sword. The heat of this attack burns Edwards''s body. Conroy uses this as an opening, dashing towards Edward. Curving around Edward, then slashing Edwards back. Edward grunts in pain, then once more Conroy extends his hand. Conroy: IGNUM! This blast of fire lands on Edward, burning his skin, and then blasting him down the hallway. Conroy: A shame you couldnt kill me. Conroy rushes towards Edward, right about to stab him in the head. Then surprising Conroy, Edward grabs the sword, and it begins to crack under the pressure. Though it slices his hand causing it to bleed. Conroy: Nice, your grip is so strong I cant slice through your fingers. Still, a shame you didnt go berserk. It was nice knowing you. Before anything can happen, a device in Conroy''s pocket starts to glow while making a faint ringing sound. Conroy: Oh wait sorry, I must take this. Conroy reaches into his pocket and opens the device allowing voices to be heard coming out of the device. Carla: WHAT IM BUSY! Conroy: Yeah what is it Anibys. Anibys: Stop your fighting! Bring them outside to me. We are making a trade. The safety of their lives for Gray to accompany us and Jeremiah''s location. Conroy: Oh, alright then. Edward: I need proof this is real before I come with you! Conroy: Anibys, they need proof. Anibys: Okay then, Gray tell them. Gray: ITS ME GUYS! JUST COME OUT HERE ITS ALL GOOD! Conroy: Is that good enough? Edward: Either I die or I die, so I guess I have no choice. Conroy: Great! Now come on, dont want to keep Gray and the others waitin''. END OF CHAPTER 8 Arc 2: Chapter 9. A dreadful morning Arc 2: A vigorous first month Road to a Hero Three chances in another world Chapter 9: A dreadful morning Gray sits in the snow, with Anibys'' chain around his neck. Everyone who was inside the mansion other than Al and Ophelia walked out of the mansion. Gray: Are you guys okay? Soku: Been better! Rosemary: Gray! Are you okay? Gray: Other than all the injuries, and this WIP on my neck, Im just dandy. Edward: So do we go with you or? Anibys: Wheres Jerimiah, inform us of the location so we can leave. Gray: Hold on, any moment now. Carla: COME ON IM TIRED! Gray looks at the top of the mansion. A man cloaked in darkness, standing on a balcony on the second floor. He jumps down, rushing towards the group. Carla: ANOTHER ONE! Gray {AL, THIS BETTER WORK!} Gray: SATIC! In an instant, Gray and all of the other''s heads feel as if its about to explode, overstimulated with feeling, sound, smell, sight, touch, and hearing, all of their senses pushed to their limit. All Sect members scream in pain, while Gray tries to fight through it. This spell wasn''t one Gray should be using, resulting in the heavy toll it''s taking on Gray for using it, but that pain didn''t matter. Gray: GUG! FU RUN! The man rushes towards the Sect members, revealing himself in the light to be Al. He was holding a sword, prepared to fight. Al: Our plan worked, now you must go. Gray: Alright, thanks. Edward: You cant fight those guys by yourself! You need help! Al: I may be an old man, but I was on the battlefield. I might not win this fight, but I can keep them busy while you escape. Edward: NO! YOURE INSANE I WONT Al: Please, I promised your mother I would protect you, I must do this. Soku: WE GOTTA GO! This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The sect members rush towards the group, with Al fighting them all off, barely being able to keep up with all of them. Rosemary: THANK YOU! FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE GIVEN US! Anibys: NO WE WILL NOT BE FOOLED, GET OUT OF OUR WAY OLD MAN! With Al keeping the Sect busy, Gray, Edward, Soku, and Rosemary run back into the mansion. Soku: Where are we going! Rosemary: Could we have not left through the gate? Gray: No, there might be more Anarchists'' outside the gate waiting for us. In Musashi''s study, behind a wall there is a secret staircase leading to holding cells, there is an exit down there. Edward: Thats a good idea. Gray: Jeremiah''s down there, So we might have to kill him, just in case. Soku: Good idea, though it might make them angrier than they already are, spilling blood and all. Gray: We will deal with that when we get there I guess. Rosemary: It still doesn''t feel right, leaving Al to fight like that. Edward: I agree, I could help, at least on my own. Gray: None of us are in any shape to fight and I Gray falls to the ground, unable to stand, overwelled with the stress on his body. Rosemary: GRAY! Edward lifts Gray, helping him stand. Gray: Sorry, I just need to regain my strength. Edward: Its ok, I got you. They finally get to the study, opening the wall. Walking down the long staircase making it to the basement. Soku: Wooh this place iscreepy, awesome. Rosemary: Yeah creepy is right. Gray: Okay we gotta go check on Jeremiah. They get to the door where Jeremiah is supposed to be held. Gray: No way Looking in Jeremiah''s cell. The only thing in Ophelia is sitting beside the chains that were supposed to be holding Jeremiah. Gray: Ophelia WHERE IS JEREMIAH! Ophelia: YOURE HERE!... you guys are hurt *sob*. Edward: Its okay, calm down. We got hurt but we are fine now. Now when you got down here was there somebody in this cell? Its okay take your time. Youre safe. Ophelia: Nobody was here when me and Al got hereWHERES AL! Soku: Calm down, Al is helping us escape. Edward: All right You guys can leave through that door, itll lead to a stable that holds horses you can ride to get to safety. Rosemary: What are you gonna do? Edward: Im gonna go help Al. Gray: No NO, YOURE NOT. WE AREN''T LEAVING WITHOUT YOU. Edward: I will not let him get killed, Gray! Gray: Hes risking his life to save us, so going back will be against his wishes, and if you do go you might just get in his way! Edward: I have lost too much to let him die. He''s family, no matter how much it hurts, I will save him. Gray: If you wanna get yourself killed then go ahead, I wont stop you. Edward: I wish you luck. Gray: Yeah. Edward leaves, walking back up the staircase while the others leave through the exit. Rosemary: Youre just gonna let him leave? Gray: Its his choice, so I let him be. Soku: Letting him be might have been the best thing to do as well, I was not gonna go back, I like Al and all but Ophelia being safe is all that matters. Ophelia: Is Edward gonna be okay? Gray: Keep hope. They get out of the tunnels, enter the stable, the look at the animals around them. Gray: Wooh, Horses, Big wolves, and some velociraptor-looking things. Soku: Whats that in the back? Rosemary: Is that A: Gray: No way Edward made it out of the study, running as fast as he could to get back to Al. Edward {COME ON, COME ON! MAKE IT!} Al struggles to keep fighting, with cuts and wounds all over his body, his clothes torn to shreds, and his stamina running out. He accepts his approaching death. Conroy: You were a good fight old man. Whats your name? Al: My name is Alon, nothing more nothing less, the Ronin of the mists assistant. Caral: OH SHUT UP WITH THIS HONOR SHIT, KILL EM ALREADY! Edward makes it back outside. Watching from the front door, about to enter the fight he watches the repulsive sight in front of him. Edward: No Al braces for his last stand. The bandages on Anibyss body grab onto Al, holding him down, and then Conroy''s sword plunges through his body. Al looks into the sky as his spirit leaves his body, smiling. Al: Ah the suns rising I have to make breakfast soon Als body collapses into the snow. Conroy wipes the blood off his blade, placing the sword beside Als corpse. Conroy: Rest now. You fought well Alon, of Walgonia. Carla: "So lame. He wasn''t fun at all." Al had held them off, but his skills as a fighter was low. And as an old man, fighting three skilled fighters, he was marked for death at the start. Edward looks on, emotionless. Pondering to himself about what had just happened. Edward {When did it all go wrong?} END OF CHAPTER 9 Arc 2: Chapter 10. Flame filled memories Arc 2: A vigorous first month Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 10: Flame filled memories On a small island, visible from the shore of Walgonia is a small village. This village holds about four hundred to five hundred people. A boy with dark black hair plays with his mother in their backyard. STOP IM NOT TICKLISH! Mom: Oh sure? *pfft* Dad: Ok! HONEY, EDWARD COME ON INSIDE DINNERS FINISHED! Both the boy and the mother yell, ALRIGHT!, and dash off inside. They then sit down in their cozy kitchen and prepare to eat dinner. Dad: So, how was your guys day? Mom: Oh we had fun, Im glad to get the day off! Edward: Im glad too." They finish their food. The mother and father walk with Edward to his bedroom. Edward: Uhgth. Do I have to go to bed? Mom: Yeah we dont want you to be tired now do we? Edward: But I''m not tired!" Dad: Hey calm down, if you sleep now you can get up early tomorrow with me." Edward: "I guess..." Mom: Here why dont I tell you a story. Edward: Arent I too old for it?" Mom: "That doesn''t matter, here I''ll make it about dad okay?" The mother looks at the father, almost like she feels awkward. Dad: Look I know Im not his real dad, but dont let it detract from him learning about his real father, he was a hero! And a friend. Mom: Alright then. Ill tell you about his first mission. When he got his white hair he was only fifteen years old. That''s only three years older than you! He was really scared, though Musashi was excited! He had already gotten his white hair and was pumped for his first big mission! Now when they got there your father stayed near the back, holding his sword close to himself. His brother was at the very front, mowing through his opponents, though unbeknownst to any of the Leviathon army soldiers a group of the Demi-human army had snuck around them! Your father was frozen in fear, though he swung with all his might! The demi-human he was fighting had a big sword bigger than your father! Though the demi-human wasnt expecting your father to swing, he knocked him down. Though the demi-human got back up, about to finish your father off! Your father, filled with adrenaline, roared like a beast ramming into the monster pushing him down the hill they were standing on! Once they got to the ground the demi-human was stunned, Your father looked more like a monster than the real monster! The man swung the big sword at your father, though your father blocked it! Though the strike broke his blade, he was able to get up to the man, punching him so hard is flung him back, the demi-human dropped his sword, and your father filled with rage and adrenaline somehow picked up the giant sword, he put so much strain on his body, his hair turned white from the stress, RAAAH he said as he swung the giant sword at the monster, killing him in one swing! He looked around and saw that everyone was watching him friend or foe. Then he looked back at the monster and realized that the MONSTER WAS THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITE TEAM, everyone on their team surrendered, making your father the MVP of the battle, and after that, he earned his title as Gotsu the Monster hunter. Edward: Cool! You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Mom: Alright, good night sweety. Dad: Good night champ. The mom kisses Edward goodnight before she leaves his room. Edward fell asleep, though he jolted awake after hearing people screaming. He runs to his window looking out to see dead bodies everywhere, houses burning and pirates running around killing the villagers. Then his parents rush into his room, pick Edward up trying to run to the basement. Edward: "Mom!? Dad!? What''s happening?" Mom: "It''s okay sweety, there are bad people here and we need to get to the basement." Edward: "What? Why? If there are bad guys you can fight then right?" Mom: "I''m a proficient swordsmen and your step-father, Bj?rn, he''s a master martial artist...he can - She gets cut off mid sentence by an explosion, one that consumes the front of the house and sends all three of them out the side. The mother had protected Edward, but in the process had suffered massive injuries. Broken legs, a broken wrist, and horrible burn marks on her back, prohibiting any further movements. Edward is speechless as he looks around frantically for any semblance of hope. The sounds of screaming villagers fill the air, thicker than the black smoke already doing so. Edward feels his mother grabs his leg, trying to speak to her son. Mom: "Honey...you need to run... Mommy is fine, we''re going to go to the basement okay?" Once again she''s cut off, but this time it''s by her husband. Bj?rn is thrown beside the two, destroyed. His tears flood the blood off of his face, and the gruesome sight of his legs snapped in half, just like his arms. His skin is far worse though, bubbling from the fire currently blazing on him. Then a large figure walks out of the smoke of their destroyed home, smoking a cigar. The large Demi-human with blue fur, a nose ring, a black coat with a fur collar, and a large Fu Manchu mustache to boot. He picks up a barely alive Bj?rn, chuckling to himself as he watches him struggle. Moro: "Names Moro, and we''re the Gravestone Pirates. I thought you''d be a difficult fight, you fought with Musashi, Alon, Jasmine, Jong, and Gotsu, yet you fell before a fight." Bj?rn tries to get out a word, but with his body being closer to a crisp than an actual human, it''s simply impossible. Moro understands this, simply throwing his body onto the grass so hard that it explodes in a pile of ash, covering Jasmine and Edward. Jasmine tries to swat Moro away, but without a sword, hand, or legs, it means nothing. Moro: "Wife of Iron Fist Bj?rn, mother of Gotsu Van Helsing''s child, and you''re this weak?" Jasmine spits on Moro''s face, causing him to drop his cigar. Moro of course is angered by this, and right in front of Edward''s already horrified face, uses his large razor-sharp teeth to rip through his mother''s neck, tearing her head clean off. The area sprays with even more blood, getting in Edward''s dead eyes. Moro: "Nothin personal." With that horrific display, Moro simply walks away. And without a thought in the young boy''s head, he crawls to the secret basement Sitting there for hours, completely still and quiet. He hears more people walk into his house. An old man opens the hatch Edward was hiding in. The old man looks at the child in horror. Edward looks at the other man recognizing him. Edward: Uncle Musashi? And who are you? Al: My name is Al and you must be young Edward I am deeply sorry for what has happened. Would you like to come to live with Your uncle and me? Edward: Al Now the current Edward is currently looking at Al lying dead on the ground. He turns around to see the mansion he has called his home for eight years, starting to burn due to the fire magic Conroy had used to fight Edward earlier. Edward feels something pounding at the back of his head, like a beast about to go berserk. He starts taking steps towards the Anarchists, though before he can fully devolve himself into a pure rage he hears something in the distance. Gray: EDWARD REACH OUT YOUR HAND! Flying through the air on what looks to be a winged drake, is Gray and the others riding atop it. Conroy: WHAT THE FU- Edward grabs Gray''s hand just before the anarchists can reach him. Anibys tries to use her chain, but its no luck, they are going fast enough to get away from them, flying through the air to safety. Gray: WOOOOOOH! Edward: You got Musashi''s earth-bound dragon! Nice! Gray: I KNOW RIGHT! Soku: WAIT WHAT ABOUT AL? Opheilia: YEAH WHERES HE AT? Edward: He he Rosemary: Its okayWe get itnow Gray get it to land us down near the main street! Gray: I DONT KNOW HOW TO MOVE THIS THING! IT JUST DID ALL THIS ON ITS OWN, UM GO DOWN OVER- WOOOOH! The drake flies down, landing safely on the street. Edward: Im glad you came back I was probably gonna die there. Thank you, Gray. Gray: Yeah you were gonna die, though we got lucky there was this dragon. Like a deus ex machina. Edward: Well its Musashi''s, so its well-trained. Ophelia: The mansion, its burning Soku: So what do we do now? Rosemary: Just wait I guess. Gray: Rose your stomach, its still bleeding, you good? Rosemary: Im fine, but youre bashed up. Gray: Im good, Im just gonna take a long nap. So whats this Drake thing name? Edward: Actually I dont think she has one? Gray: Oh, Ima call herum. Dema. for deus ex machina animal. Soku: So clever. Opheilia: Whats a deus ex machina? They all sit there for a while, waiting for something to happen. Gray sleeping on Rosemary''s lap, Soku, and Ophelia sleeping on each other while Edward watches the mansion burn to the ground. Musashi: MY HOUSE! Edward: HEY WERE DOWN HERE! Musashi: WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED. Arthur: We go out for drinks for one evening and come back to this. Thats some bad luck huh. Musashi: Damit! Oh well, you guys come with me, explain on the way. Edward: Why? What''s happening? Musashi: The Lord selection is happening sooner than we thought, so you guys have to preform in the knight exam in two days. We are gonna head to the Royal Castle and will stay there until then. Gray: UHG! Come on let me sleep! And I hate tournament arcs. END OF CHAPTER 10 Arc 3: Chapter 1. The Knights exam begins Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 1: The Knight''s exam begins After the events at the mansion, the group goes to an inn for knights outside the Royal Castle. They spend the night there, awaiting the next day for the Knight exams the begin. After their month of training, they''ve tagged along with Edward to the Knight exam. The Knight exam is only held when there is no air to the throne of Walgonia and one needs to be decided, so by gathering the continent''s best leaders in one place they hold an election with other nobles and knights voting. But just before the main event, the Knight exam is held to showcase the country''s best yet-to be knights to decide who seems more capable, and as a bit of fun as well. But for the participants, if they make it past the first two challenges and make it to the third, then they''re automatically made knights once the ruler has been decided. Gray: Edward, youre up early. Edward: Could say the same thing for you, I was getting ready for tomorrow so I dont have to do it later. Gray: Can you explain the whole exam thing for me, I know everyone else knows about it but Im still in the dark. Edward: Yeah, of course, Walgonia was founded on the coming together of people, so when the ruler dies, every kingdom gets a chance to be voted ruler. Walgonia, Valatrocitus, Ravoria, and Athens. Though Athens is currently having issues with a civil war, they didnt want to become a candidate. The candidates will choose three to five people whom they see as worthy of showing to the Lords. Though the rules say they cant be over eighteen and cannot be a knight already. Usually, you become a knight by taking a physical and physiological exam, though this one is special and only held when a new lord is chosen. Since Kioshi was the one who killed Azalea, she got to pick four fighters. Valatrocitus had to pick three and Ravoria had to pick one." Gray: Yeah it did, thanks. Are you doing okay? I know Al was close to you and now hes gone Edward: He was an old man so I knew he would pass soon, though that doesn''t help it. But I will be fine, you should get some more sleep, so you can be fully healed and rested. Gray: Okay make sure you do the same. Edward: I will. Gray: Oh, before I do thatIm sorry for arguing with you yesterday I know you wanted to help him I was just injured and scared I should have come with you. Edward: Well you were making the right decision, I was going off emotion which a Knight should not doI was in the wrong, and if you didnt leave me, you would have not foundWhat did you name her? Oh yeah, you would not have found Dema and flown to save me. Thank you for that. So go to sleep Ill do the same soon. Gray: Alright thennight. Edward: Night. Gray walks back to his room, noticing Soku standing in the hallway. Gray: What are you doin'' up? Soku: Hes lying yah know. Gray: What? Soku: Edward, I can tell by the sound of his voice and that look in his eyes. I had to get good at telling if somebody was lying with all the trading I had to do, and he was not taking Al''s death well. Hes suppressing it, hes gonna explode with all that emotion if something goes wrong. Gray: Lookjust go to bed, if he needs to let that emotion out then hell do it. Stolen story; please report. Soku: Alright. They go to sleep, wake up the next day to get dressed, then walk to the castle, and it''s grand in scale. It''s a bright clean white with massive doors in front, though they went in a back entrance. The halls are filled with people in knights'' armor and suits, but the others push through without care, though Rosemary is a bit embarrassed. Gray: So this is the inside of a castleAWESOME! Soku: Yeah I never expected to be inside the castle, I always assumed I would just have gotten caught stealing and executed shortly after. Opheilia: Its so pretty! Rosemary: Wheres Edward, I didnt see him when I woke up. Gray: Well Musashi told us to just walk in here, so I guess hes with Edward. Soku: He seems to be taking Al''s death poorly. Rosemary: Well I dont know about that. Gray: Yeah Soku thinks he''s just holding it in, might not be the best thing to do in the long term. Ophelia: I hope hes doing okay. Rosemary: Me too. They walk into the main hall seeing multiple factions of Knights, all dressed in different attire. The generic silver with blue cloth for Walgonia, dark and spikey armor for Valatrosituc, and long silver glossy armor for Ravoria. At the end of the room sits Kioshi, Arthur, and the last candidate Elisabeth atop some stands, all head commanders of their kingdoms. Gray: Itsindescribable. Soku: Took the words right out of my mouth. Rosemary: I was here once when I was a girl, and yetits even more beautiful than I remember. Ophelia: Ooooh. Everyone chatting hears explode when a brash man they can''t seem to see begins screaming over them. Announcer: OK, NOW THAT MUSASHI''S AND KIOSHIS CHOICE OF CONTENDERS HAS FINALLY ARRIVED, NOW BEFORE WE BEGIN, ALL OF THE EXAMINES MUST GO INTO THAT ROOM OVER THERE, WHERE THEIR ARMOR, WEAPONS, AND OTHER THINGS THEY MIGHT NEED WILL BE HELD! EVERYONE ELSE WHO WILL BE WATCHING, WALK UP THOSE STAIRS, WHERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH THE FIRST TRIAL! Gray: I hate public spaces. Rosemary: You can say that again. Soku: I hate the whole knight thing, Im only here so I can get some clout, Im tired of living like a homeless person. Musashi: Opheilia come with me, youre coming to watch right? Ophelia: Oh yeah! Let''s go. Gray: Oh hey Musashi, where''s Edward? Musashi: He was getting your armor and weapons Al had made for you. Edward should just be in the room with them over there; Gray: Alright, gotcha! See yah later. Musashi: Good luck to you all. Rosemary: Thank you! Soku: Yeah, thanks. They enter the room, seeing the other examinees that the other candidates picked There they see Julius, Roy, and Lloyd whom they had met at the dinner before the attack on the mansion. Then in the corner stands one woman by herself. Gray: That girl back there, shes all alone? Soku: Yeah the Ravorian Imperial army Is known for being full of themselves and overly confident, putting all their faith in their god. Gray: Ravorian Imperial army? Rosemary: Theyre like Ravoria''s version of the Levitation army, then theres Valatrocitus'' Dragon army. Gray: So wheres our armor? Edward: GUYS OVER HERE! Edward pulls out three boxes containing their things. Edward: When Al took your measurements, he had Musashi ask a blacksmith to make armor most fitted to your fighting style. Gray: Nice! Edward: For Gray, Some grey medium-weight armor, a red hooded cloak, and a regular sized sword sword. For Soku, some light armor you can wear under your coat, then a short sword. And for Rosemary, the Golden Knight armor." Her armor was a light blue, a chest piece and shoulder armor along with some vambraces and leg armor atop some black clothing. They put on the gear, with Gray grabbing some throwing knives and some flame crystals, stuffing them in his pockets. He had some simple armor placed like Rosemarys atop his casual clothing. Wearing his grey jacket since the arm of it was recently stictched back on by Rosemary. Once they were done everyone in the room walked into another hall to see the three candidates in front of a big door. Arthur, the older queen of Ravoria Elizabeth, and Kioshi. Kioshi: "Hey guys!" Arthur: All right everyone, You all will go in the room group by group. After one group finishes the trial the next one will go in. Elizabeth: Alright for the first group. Walgonia! Please enter through the door! AND HURRY IT UP! Gray: Of course, were first, the manner of things I guess. Rosemary: Yeah, it does seem to be our luck as of late. Soku: What do you think it will be? Edward: Most likely something unfair. Gray: Yeah seems so. The big doors open, revealing an arena, where all the others who were in the main hall, are currently sitting in the stands watching. They walk in, with the doors closing behind them. Gray: UmI dont do well when Im being watched. Rosemary: Yeah Announcer: NOW REALISE IT! The crowd shouts when another door opens, revealing an Ogre with a chain attached to its neck, though not like before when it was a demi-human, this is a real Ogre. It roars, pounding it''s chest with anger. Gray: Dammit, well it is nostalgic, right Soku? Soku: Yeah I guess. Announcer: NOW BEGIN! END OF CHAPTER 1 Arc 3: Chapter 2. TEAMWORK! Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 2: TEAMWORK! Gray: THIS GUYS BIG! WE NEED A PLAN! Soku: Im OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS! The Ogre swings at them wildly, though luckily its easy to dodge. Still, they wont be able to do it forever. Gray {THINK, THINK! I GOT IT} Gray: DONT USE MANA, OGRES HAVE THICK SKIN THAT IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE MANA! Soku: Oh yeah that guy in the alley told us that. Rosemary: THEN WHAT DO WE DO! Rosemary struggles to stay calm, with Edward standing still, focused. Gray: IM GONNA DISTRACT IT, ROSE, EDWARD KNOCK IT DOWN, THEN SOKU, YOU GO FOR THE EYES LIKE BEFORE, MOST THINGS ARE WEAK TO THE EYES! Edward {A plan that fast, and it isnt bad, excellent.} Gray starts waving his arms, getting the Ogre''s attention, Rosemary charges up, rushing towards the left leg while Edward swings Bj?rn at the right leg, causing the Ogre to fall. Then Soku uses wind magic to speed toward the Ogre''s eye, slashing through it. Soku {Even though I didnt do much training, my mana control still got a lot better, and this sword is amazing! Like a hot knife through butter.} Edward jumps into the air, slamming Bj?rn into the Ogre''s skull, crushing it, and killing the monster. Gray: DAMN! Nice Edward, gross though, really, really gross. Announcer: THE WALGONIAN GROUP HAS FINISHED THE FIRST TRIAL, IN FORTY-FIVE SECONDS! Rosemary: That plan worked perfectly! Gray: Well you guys did everything, and I just did what Soku did when I first met her. Soku: Ill take all the credit. Edward: Alright, now we gotta go wait up there with everybody else, Let''s go. They all walk up into the stands, sitting down beside Musashi. Announcer: NOW FOR THE NEXT GROUP! MAY THE VALATROCITICE GROUP PLEASE ENTER THE ARENA! Musashi: Good job, quick work. Gray: Thanks, I mainly just swung my arms around though, if this tournament works as it does in the things Ive seen, theyre gonna make us fight so I dont want to use my strength too soon. Musashi: Nice for you to think ahead. Julius, Roy, and Lloyd enter the arena. The doors shut while the other door opens. Reveling A big Serpent, about the same size as the Ogre. it hisses at the group, with the chain still attached to its neck. Announcer: NOW BEGIN! Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The Serpent joints towards the group. Roy: DIGES A wall of earth pops up from the ground, guarding them against the strike. Then Julius pulls out his Rapier, jumping onto the Serpent''s head. Lloyd takes his staff out of its holster, aiming it at the serpent. Gray: NOWAY, THESE GUYS ARE PROS, AND THEY ARNT EVEN KNIGHTS! Edward: Yeah, moving without speaking, with full trust in one another. Gray: AndLloyd, I thinkhas a magic staff hes a damn mage! Lloyd: IGNUS! A stream of fire shoots out of the staff, hitting the Serpent in the face. Allowing Julius to stab his blade into the neck of the monster. He pulls the blade around the head of the Serpent, slicing through all of the scales with ease, blood spraying all over the place. The head of the Serpent falls to the Ground, dead within seconds. Soku: Damn! That was nice! Rosemary: Yeah, especially Julius, that swordwork, speed accuracy, and force with such a thin blade. Musashi: I dont know what it is, but Julius monocle it looks familiar Edward: It does look strange. Gray: Why does he have his eyes barely open? Musashi: Its a dumb training thing. It helps you maintain your composure, while also teaching you to be able to understand your surroundings quickly. Gray: So who are those guys? Just randoms or something else? Musashi: They all are the sons of the King of Valatrocitus, from Oldest to youngest they are Roy, Lloyd, and Julius Cromwell. Gray: Wait is Arthur not a son of the king? Musashi: No its a weird story, nobody knows where Arthur is from, he joined the Dragon army about twenty years ago, and he climbed the ranks with his spirit art. It has the same mana signature as the Sect members who possess powers. Though he seems to be natural compared to the Sect, which has their mana mutated, then spirits form the ability they have gained. Arthurs is similar to yours, your mana is so grand because of the spirit art you have. Though it didnt give you an ability it just seemed to grant you more mana. But its fused with your body, unlike it being fused to your OD. Gray: I wish people would tell me these things instead of revealing them to me randomly. Musashi: Ill keep that in mind. Announcer: THE VALATROCITUS GROUP HAS COMPLETED THERE FIRST TRIAL, IN TWENTY-SEVEN SECONDS! Gray: Darn they did it faster than us. Rosemary: Well they do seem to be stronger than us. Soku: And better teamwork. Edward: And more experience. Musashi: And theyre QUIETER SHUT UP, DAMN! Gray: "meh, meh, meh, meh. Soku: How mature. The crowd cheers for the Valatrositice group. They walk up to the stands, sitting down beside Arthur, across the room from Gray and his group. Announcer: NOW, FOR THE FINAL FIGHTER FOR THE FIRST TRIAL, THE RAVORIAN CONTESTANT, SINCE THEY COULD ONLY PICK ONE PERSON TO REPRESENT THEM. SO LETS HOPE SHES UP TO THE TASK! The crowd cheers while the woman enters the room. The doors shut while the other doors open Reviling a Lycan. Gray: Is that a Lycan? Seems easier than what we had to do. Edward: Well Ogres aren''t like Dragons, they arent smart. Though Lycans are pretty intelligent, for just being a monster. Rosemary: Yeah though its weird, Lycan''s are seen as taboo right? Gray: Why would they be? Musashi: Ill make it short. You can get a mana sickness that if not treated, you will decompose, and then turn into a ghoul. Then you can spread the disease. If its spread to a demi-human, it will mutate the disease turning anything into a wolf-like ghoul or Lycan. Gray: Thanks. Rosine: I am Rosine, a future member of the Ravorian imperial army, and I will slay this Lycan to further that goal. So please watch me do so now. Soku: Well shes soft-spoken. Announcer: NOW BEGIN! Like the other monsters, the Lycan gets some slack for the chain to move. Though it seems to not lunge at her. Gray: Itsthinking. Rosine runs to the Lycan, pulling out her Bo staff, and fighting the Lycan. The Lycandodges all of her strikes. Soku: Whats with the weird necklace shes wearing? Gray: Yeh looks like a Beherit, like an egg-shaped bird face. Musashi: No way Gray: What? Edward: In legend, A long time ago in Alfheilm, multiple weapons were made for a king. However, it was figured out by the elves and dwarves that he was going to use them to take over the domain. So they cursed them. A ring that lets you change domains, a scythe that damages the soul of the person you hurt with it, an armor that grows around you. A cloak that can be moved and stretched to the will of the user, and an egg-shaped jewel that can wrap you within it, granting you great strength! Gray: Doesn''t seem like much of a curse. Musashi: I didnt say them yet. The ring will alter your mind, separating your soul between the domains and making you immortal. Each time the scythe is used, your body will become more skeleton-like until you become an undead monster. The Armor will pull out your worst tendencies, the cloak will try and make you depressed, and overcome with darkness in your heart. And the egg-shaped charm will overwhelm you with sin, basically making you evil. Gray: So why is she using it? Edward: Its said in legend that you can control it if your mind is sound. My father used the Mad King Armor and he could control it for a time, but it was too much for him, taking his life. After that one of the nicknames given to the Armor is "Helsing Armor"." Gray: Ohsorry for your loss. Edward: Its fineSo out of the five improvidences of the world. The ring of domains, The mad king''s armor, the cloak of darkness, and the Egg of sin, which Rosine down there has, and the reaper scythe." Rosine continues to battle the Lycan, finally getting the upper hand on the beast, hitting it with the Bo staff, and killing the beast from the brain trauma. Announcer: AND SO YOU HAVE IT, EVERYONE! WITH THE LAST MONSTER SLAIN IN EXACTLY ONE MINUTE, WHICH BRINGS AN END TO THE FIRST TRIAL! SINCE IT FINISHED QUICKLY THE NEXT TRIAL WILL START SHORTLY, SO GO THE THE RESTROOM, BUY YOUR FOOD, AND GET BACK QUICKLY, THE NEXT TRIAL WILL BE HELD IN THIRTY MINUTES! Edward: Alright then let''s go back downstairs. END OF CHAPTER 2 Arc 3 Chapter 3. A God of War Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 3: A God of War Announcer: OK! NOW THAT THE BREAK IS OVER WE BEGIN THE SECOND TRIAL! EVERY GROUP COME DOWN TO THE ARENA! The crowd cheers in anticipation, while all the examinees walk down to the arena. Gray: So we''re doing this as a group. Edward: Yeah, I assumed we would just be in a group the whole time. Soku: The crowd needs something to watch I guess. Rosemary: I think its to show that we can have good teamwork with the other nations. Julius: Yes, I do concur. You are very observant. Gray: AHH! Julius: Are you alright? Did I alarm you by chance? Gray: NO! Wait yeah you did. Dont sneak up on people bro. Edward: Do think were gonna fight another spirit monster? Gray: Eh might bore the crowd. Announcer: OKAY, WE HAVE RANDOMIZED THE SELECTION, AND WE HAVE CHOSEN BETWEEN THE WAR GODS WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN THE ROOM! AND KIOSHI ONE OF OUR CANDIDATES HAS BEEN CHOSEN! ALL OF YOU DOWN IN THE ARENA MUST WORK TOGETHER AND TRY AND GET ON HIT ON KIOSHI TO PROGRESS FORWARD! Gray: WHAT! Soku: Dammit. Rosemary: Is that even possible? Edward: Shit. Julius: Interesting. Roy: NICE! Lloyd: Unprecedented. Rosine: If the gods ask of us I may. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Gray: CAN EVERYONE STOP HAVING THEIR OWN CHARACTERIZED REACTIONS AND THINK OF A PLAN! Announcer: NOW KIOSHI GET DOWN THERE! THE SECOND TRIAL BEGINS NOW! Kioshi jumps into the arena, losing the nice and friendly attitude she has had the entire time Gray has known her. Replacing it with malice. Her presence induced such fear that its indescribable, Gray could not even panic, just frozen, and thoughtless. She''s dressed in her knightly attire, white armor on top of black cloth, a purple piece of cloth that stretches from her waist to the back of her thigh, her katana in its'' white sheath, and a mengu mask, which is black on the right side, and white on the left side. Gray watched on in horror as Roy rushed in. Roy: DIGNUM Dirt from the air forms into a ball, launching itself towards a nonmoving Kioshi. It''s about to hit her face before all the mana in the ball gets absorbed into Kioshis body. Gray {No way it''s her mark of providence, no spells will work. Just pure force} Julius rushes in, trying to use a quick flurry of strikes, but alas it is no luck, being easily dodged by Kioshi. She punches Julius in the stomach, sending him flying into the wall of the arena. He passes out instantly, slumping down to the floor. Kioshi: Any more? Gray {Instantly he was taken out instantlyinsane.} Roy: DONT JUST STAND THERE! MOVE, FIGHT, DO ANYTHING TO HIT HER! Roy rushes to Kioshi, seemingly blinded by fear. Lloyd followed by his side. Roy takes out a sword, while Lloyd gets his staff out, both planning on swinging as fast as they can. Though faster than anyone in the room can see, Kioshi disappears in the blink of an eye. Then just as fast as she vanished Roy and Lloyd were launched into the air, slamming into the ground. Gray: OH SHIT! Edward braces himself before he sees a flash of Kioshis body, he tries to block with Bj?rn. Though it does nothing, the wind from Kioshis dash causes him to be hit in the face by Bj?rn, causing him to collapse to the ground. Gray: EDWARD! BRACE! Rosine tries to stand away from the slaughter, though Kioshi swings her arm, flinging a gust of wind towards her, knocking her into the wall of the arena. Kioshi then moves to attack the last remaining contestants. The crowd is stunned, seeing Kioshi''s sheer power, making Arthur jealous. Kioshi sees the look on his face, smirking at him before she rushes towards Rosemary. Soku: ROSEMARY, WATCH OUT! Soku throws multiple wind blades, faster than she was able to form one before her time at the mansion. But of course, the wind magic is absorbed by Kioshi. Kioshi kicks up her foot, the wind presser hitting Soku, knocking her to the ground. She once again turns her attention to Rosemary. Rosemary tries to activate her stages, though Kioshi absorbs the mana, then hits Rosemary, knocking her out. Kioshi goes to finish off the last fighter, Gray looks on in horror, unable to move this whole time. Gray: SSTAY BACKSATIC! Kioshi: Satic? If you use it wrong you can put a lot of stress on your mind, affecting both you and your enemy. Which you just seemed to do. Gray almost falls to the ground from the stress put on his body. Gray: I knowIT WAS SUPPOSED TO WAKE ME UP! Kioshi {So he used it to make his fear go awaynice} Gray gets up, leaping towards Kioshi. Pulling his sword out preparing for a useless swing. Gray: YAAAAAAAH! Kioshi: Really? Kioshi dodges the swing, grabbing Gray by the throat. However instead of passing out, the spell is still active on Gray''s body not letting him fall unconscious. He grabs her arm, struggling to speak. Kioshi: Nice plan, though it was a waste. I like you guys, but it would be unfair to go easy on you. Now Ill hold you here till the spell wears off, then youll pass out. Gray taps her hand, getting her attention. Kioshi: Need something? Gray: IUghII HIT YOU! Kioshi drops Gray in confusion. Kioshi: What? No, you didnt. Gray: Ijust didwhen I touched your handI just hit you with all my strength. Kioshi: What? You didnt hit me you just tapped me. Gray: Nope! I hit you with all my strength just then, you have no proof to prove otherwise. Kioshi: That does- Announcer: NOW THE SECOND TRIAL HAS ENDED, CONNER GRAY KYOJIN WAS ABLE TO HIT KIOSHI WITH ALL HIS STRENGTH! WALGONIA SEEMS TO HAVE A GREAT STRATEGIST ON THEIR SIDE! Kioshi: WHAT? NO WAY! The crowd roars, screaming and shouting, some people sitting in their seats dumbfounded, while others are impressed with Gray''s plan. Announcer: NOW BEFORE THE THIRD AND FINAL TRIAL CAN START, ANOTHER BREAK THEN, WE WILL START THE FINAL TRIAL, SO GET DONE QUICK AND BE BACK IN THIRTY MINUTES! Gray: Tooeasy END OF CHAPTER 3 Arc 3: Chapter 4. Climb to the top Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 4: Climb to the top Ophelia: YOU WON THE SECOND TRIAL! Musashi: Not bad. Rosemary: YOU GOT US THE WIN! Edward: Yeah, we couldnt have done it without you! Soku: Yeah though you won in kinda a bullshit way. Julius: Reading between the lines, finding a way out of an unbeatable situation, I like to think that that was the purpose of the second trial. Roy: YeahI guess you helped us. Loyd: Come on Roy, be nicer. Thank you, Gray. Rosine: Twas god''s divine intervention for you to be placed here to help me move forward! Gray: Look can we stop with the over-showering of glory, I love getting complimented but I didnt do much, I got lucky that I didnt get knocked out instantly. But I guess its all in a day''s work for me. Soku: Oooooh so humble. Gray: Yeah I know Gray sits down, placing his feet on the top of the chair below him, putting his arms behind his head, smirking with a sense of self-complacency. Edward: I say we just rest until the next trial starts. Gray: Way ahead of yah, quick twenty-minute power nap. Soku: Yeah, Im with *YAWN* you on this one. Rosemary: Ill go bring us some water. Edward: Oh, I can do that if you want. Or I can come with you. Gray: HEY ROSE! Im all rested, so I can go get the water with yah. Rosemary: OK, Umif you want thats fine. Edward: Guess Ill stay here then. Soku: L-O-S-E-R! Gray: Shut up elf baby. Ophelia: I WANNA GO TOO! Rosemary and Gray leave to go grab water for everyone, while Soku and Edward sit with each other awaiting their return. Edward: Has Gray seemed a little off to you? Soku: What do you mean acting full of himself and overall just stupid? Because thats how hes acted ever since I''ve known him. Edward: Im being serious. Soku: I dont get why you care about these types of things, just go with the flow man. Edward: SOKU. Soku: Alright damnI mean yeah he has acted like this the whole time but he has seemed to grow a bigger ego. Edward: Can you go into further detail please? Soku: LookWhen I met him he acted loud and goofy, for what seemed to be a front. Like putting on airs. But ever since he beat Jeremiah he has had this ego growing. It fell for a bit when we were under attack at the mansion, but after he saved you it came back a lot bigger. Now that mask he seemed to be putting onseems to be his real self. Edward: If what you say is correct then his plan of working against the Ogre and winning the second trial for everyone his ego is only going to get bigger. If he keeps going down this path of self-righteousness hes gonna break, and crumble when he loses. Soku: Youre one to talk. I can see it, I can tell if people are lying, and your eyes hold too much pain. And After Al passed you seem to be even more talkativelook I know Im not the first person you would come to and I would be happier if you chose someone else but if you need to talk Edward: Look I get it. Ill get over it in my own time. Soku: Well dont crumble. Edward: I won''t, I promise. Julius looks on at Edward and Soku from across the room, mainly putting his attention on Edward. As if hes looking into his soul, looking at something. Something scary, rageful, something that should be feared. Gray: Alright! Got water. Edward: That was fast. Soku: You have fun, Ophelia? Gray didnt do anything to yah did he? Rosemary: Stop teasing him. Be nice Soku. Soku: Bleh! They rest, waiting for the Third Trial to begin. The crowd re-enters the room, with the announcer walking up to his stand. Announcer: OK, NOW FOR THE MAIN EVENT! THE KNIGHTS TOURNAMENT WILL BEGIN, FIRST YOU WILL FIGHT YOUR TEAMMATES, THEN MOVE ON TO FIGHTING THE WINNERS OF THOSE FIGHTS UNTIL THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON LEFT! THE RULES ARE SIMPLE, WE ARE GOING BY DUEL RULES, YOU EITHER GIVE UP, PASS OUT, OR DIE! NOW FOR OUR FIRST MATCH! Gray {Wonder whos it gonna be} Rosemary {Come onnot me} Soku {UghPlease be fair} Announcer: NOW! OUR MVP OF THE LAST ROUND, CONNER GRAY KYOJIN! Gray {DAMMIT!} Announcer: AND THE GREEN-HAIRED ELF, SOKU! Soku: SHIT! Announcer: Now please will the fighters enter the arena! Gray and Soku Drop down into the arena, walking to opposite sides of the room. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Announcer: NOW ANY WORDS FROM OUR OPPONENTS? Gray: YEAH! Thanks for the easy first round. Soku: Thanks for the opportunity to break this clown''s ego. Gray: Hehfunny, sorry but youre gonna have to wait in the stands for a bit to watch everyone else finish their matches, sucks being the first one out, couldnt be me though. Gray looks at Soku, his bravado lifted and a large smirk on his face. They both pull out their swords, ready to fight. Announcer: AND WITH THAT, BEING THE DUEL! The third trial begins. Gray formed a cloak around him out of mana, with Soku doing the same. Soku plans to use her wind magic to outspeed Gray. Gray {Gotta watch out for her slashes, and her speed is better controlled than mine. Where I win is in strategy, pure strength, and durability.} Soku {Hes gonna do something when I get near himI need to end this fast} Gray {I cant use Satic well and her wind will blow Cenic away. No magic, just pure skill!} Soku speeds towards Gray. Gray stands firmly awaiting her to close the distance, though surprising Gray right before Soku gets in a swinging distance of Gray, she focuses all of her mana that was once around her right to her sword. Making a large blade of wind, slashing at Gray. Gray slashes the wind blade, stopping the attack, then preparing to counter-attack, keeping the momentum from his first sword swing, hitting Sokus''s short sword, and knocking her light body back. Soku {SHIT!} Gray {Now for a game combo.} Instead of letting Soku fly backward, Gray grabs her leg in mid-air. Soku tries to use wind mana to cut Grays arm, But Gray outspends her, flings her through the air, and slams her into the ground. Pushing the back of his sword onto her back, holding her down. Ophelia: NowaySoku Rosemary: Ohshes not gonna like this. Edward: That fast huh, damn. Musashi talks with the Candidates while watching the battle. Arthur: That Gray boy is your student right? Youve only been training him for a month and hes that proficient. Elizabeth: I expect nothing less from a student of the Ronin of the Mist. Musashi: Don''t talk him up that much. Kioshi: Hes been in a lot of fights recently, he knows that if you make one mistake itll get you killed. Soku should have made a short strong wind blade, not a large weak one. Soku tries and tries to escape Gray''s grasp, trying to use wind mana to push him off but with no effect. Gray overpowers the wind mana with his mana, keeping her on the ground. Gray: See, told ya. Soku: Damm..it Gray: Soku Soku begins to tear up, struggling to keep her emotions in check. Soku: II GIVE UP! Gray lets Soku go, trying to console her, though its not luck. Soku runs out of the arena, crying, defeated, and embarrassed. Beaten in one motion, completely and utterly defeated. Announcer: ONCE AGAIN CONNOR WINS, YOUNG LAD MOVE ONTO THE NEXT STAGE OF THE TOURNAMENT, NOW WE MOVE STRAIGHT ON TO THE NEXT BATTLE! ROSEMARY GOLDEN WIND AND EDWARD VAN HELSING. Ophelia runs after Soku, leaving the arena. Rosemary: So now we battle Edward: I guess so. Rosemary: I know I Edward: I hope you try your hardest because I will be. It wont be right to hold back. Rosemary: Yeyeah, okay got it! Gray moves up to the stands, with Edward and Rosemary walking to the arena. Gray: HeyRosedid I mess up? Rosemary: Thats up to you to decide. Gray {Damn} Announcer: NOW! WE WILL BEGIN THE SECOND MATCH! Rosemary immediately powers up, going all the way to the third stage. Edward takes a deep breath, pulls out his sword, and stands ready. Edward awaits Rosemary''s charge. Elizabeth: So thats Gotsu, the monster slayer''s son. His hair isnt white, how strange. Musashi: He is ready I promise. Hes a defense-style fighter. Arthur: Yeah, I got trust in him. Gray {Come on RoseI know she cant win this but} Gray: COME ON ROSEMARY, YOU GOT THIS! Rosemary uses Gray''s shouting as motivation, throwing away her fear and heading toward Edward. She makes it to him fairly quickly, trying her hardest to get past Bj?rn. Her strikes are hard, enough for Edward to feel a small amount of pain even with Bj?rns dense iron. Rosemary {This shouldn''t be impossible! I have experience, and the training I''ve done at Musashi''s has risen my strength even further!} Rosemary forces only her leg to go into the fourth stage, jumping to the side, and mid-jump she makes her finger go into the fourth stage, shooting the wind pressure at an opening in Edward''s defense. Gray {NICE! JUST LIKE WHAT I TOLD HER TO DO IN THE MANSION!} Elizabeth: Guess she really is the Last Golden Knight. You''ve gotten quite the group here, Musashi. Edward releases his grip on Bj?rn, ducking from the wind blast, and lunging towards Rosemary. Since Rosemary is still mid-air she cant dodge the lunge. Edward grabs onto Bj?rn with his left hand, while grabbing Rosemary with his right hand. He pulls her close to him, hitting her with Bj?rn, knocking her to the ground. He places Bj?rn on top of her, holding her down. Edward: You would struggle to lift my sword normally, though with me holding it on you, there is no way you will be able to move it. Rosemary: I''m not gonna give up that easy!" Rosemary uses a burst of the fourth stage around her body to momentarily push Edward away. Her punch, even if blocked by his sword, slamned against him and shook the arena along with it. Causing the dusty floor to kick up. But then the strain of the fight at the mansion, along with the other trials hit her the moment she used the fourth stage. Edward {She''s open!} Rosemary {No!} Rosemary forces herself to punch forward, but Edward had already rushed around her, slamming the sword against her and pushing her into the ground. Edward: "How about now?" Rosemary: "Alright, I surrender." Announcer: AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! THE FIRST HALF OF THE FIRST SET OF MATCHES IS OVER. EDWARD VAN HELSING HAS BEATEN ROSEMARY GOLDWIND. PLEASE SWAP PLACES WITH THE NEXT FIGHTERS. MAY JULIUS AND ROY CROMWELL PLEASE ENTER THE STADIUM! Rosemary and Edward walk back up to the stands. Rosemary: Im sorry, I disappoint Gray: YOU DID GREAT! You almost got the drop on em''! I couldn''t even get that far! Im lucky I didnt get matched up with ya, you would have beaten my ass! Rosemary is stunned and speechless, but manly embarrassed, sitting beside Gray, smiling and content. But his sudden out burst after her match, his upcoming one, and the previous interaction with Soku. It reminded her of what he was doing at the mansion, but she didn''t think she knew enough to ask or think to help. Just hoping he''s going to be okay. Gray: Oh hey Edward, that Julius guy is like watching you hard. Almost like hes studying you. Edward: Well this is a tournament, so it would make sense since he wants to study an opponent. Gray: No I mean he is eyeballing you. Like hes enamored with ya. Edward: Ill watch out for him then. Gray: Youll have to go through me first, and Im on a winning streak. Our last fight was just a test, and I think I''ve made somethin'' strong enough to stop you." Edward: I hope you keep that attitude when youre giving up! Gray: Ohhhwho''s this guy? Wheres Edward and what did you do with his face? The two were being playful but also very distracting to everyone else in the crowd, as well as Rosemary beside them. Rosemary: Come on, watch the match. Gray: Should I check up on Soku? I feel bad and I didn''t mean to over do it and I just, sorry sorry. Rosemary: I wouldntlet her get herself together. And it''s okay." Gray: Alright, if you say so. Announcer: NOW FOR THE THIRD MATCH, FIGHTERS READY, BEGIN! Roy pulls out his short sword and then begins to run toward Julius. Julius turns around, no longer facing Roy, looking directly at Edward. Julius smiles before his monocle starts to give off a faint glow. Without even looking at Roy, Julius can dodge him flawlessly, with ease Julius continues to dodge Roy, with both his eyes closed and his back turned. Roy: STOP IT DAMMIT, THATS CHEATING! Julius: All is fair in war. Julius grows a large grin on his face. Turning his body, then quicker Roy can react, Julius pulls out his Rapier, hitting Roy on the forehead with the hilt of the blade. Roy collapses to the ground, shocking the crowd. Gray: Dang! I''m not beatin that! Edward: "He must be extremely strong!" Rosemary: "It''s kinda spooky." But further up in the room, Musashi thought the real answer. Musashi {He''s good but he''s not that good. He''s showing off, but how the hell did heNo way! That monocle it can''t be! I remember nowvery peculiar.} Arthur: Yep, thats Julius for yah, he might be the youngest out of the siblings but hes the strongest by far. Announcer: U..m... WELL THERE YOU HAVE IT, JULIUS CROMWELL HAS TAKEN THE ABSOLUTE WIN! NOW FOR THE LAST MATCH OF THE FIRST ROUND! MAY THE LAST TWO FIGHTERS WALK DOWN TO THE ARENA, LLOYD CROMWELL, AND ROSINE RAVORIA PLEASE GO DOWN NOW! A few knights walk down into the arena and pick Roy up, moving him to the infirmary, while Julius walks up to the stands. Julius: I hope to battle you in the finals. Edward: Yeah, I guess Gray: He has to make it past me first. Julius: I do not doubt that he can take a buffoon like you out fairly easily, no offense. Gray: None tookHEY! YOU PICK-HAIRED DUDE! WHO CARRIED YOU THROUGH THE SECOND ROUND AGAIN? OH YEAH! ME! Julius: Do you need me to take you out here before you can make it to your match? I do not know if I can take your squeaky voice any longer. Gray: MY VOICE IS NOT SQUEAKY! AND I''VE BEEN TRAININ FOR A MONTH!" Gray pushes forward, getting right in his face, staring his wide open eyes filled with rage at Julius'' closed lids. Gray: "AND I''M STANDING IN THE SAME ARENA AS YOU! I''d think twice about where you and I stand, with me and my friends. Even if you beat me, give me another month and you''re gonna be nothin but an outpowered background character." Julius: Oh, alright then. Gray: UG...WHA? Okay then. Gray slumps down in his chair, aggravated, while Rosemary stares a bit cautiously. Surprised by Grays rapid switching between modes and how quickly his rage can fire out. Lloyd and Rosine make it down to the arena. Starting the last match in the first round. Announcer: OKAY NOW BEING THE LAST MATCH! Rosine: Dear god, I pray to the spirits that I progress through this round. Lloyd: You should be praying to your gods that I dont lay you out right here. Rosine: I heard you Cromwells had an attitude, but this is just arrogance. Lloyd: WHAT DID YOU SAY? IGNUS! Lloyd shoots a stream of fire out of his staff, and Rosine spins her Bo Staff, causing the flames to diverge off the path. She grabs her necklace, praying before she moves forward. Gray: I don''t know much about trinkets and religion here, but what''s with the black bird egg thing? Edward: Yeah it is kinda weird. Musashi {Weird Ravorian people.} Gray: How did he use that fire blast? He used a water one earlier? Rosemary: Hes a spirit mage, using his affinity to talk to elemental spirits and using the crystals as a conduit." Gray: I feel like I should be learnin more of this. I am supposed to be a super spirit dude or whatever." Rosemary: "I wouldn''t worry about it." Rosine closes the distance between them, closing any opening for Lloyd to be able to use a spell. Causing Lloyd to have to use his staff to combat Rosine. Rosemary: Unlucky, mages usually sit near the back of fights, and go up against a Ravorian imperial army soldier. Even if shes in training they have hand-to-hand fighting skills close to if not better than Athens. Gray: Coool They trade blows, though Rosine quickly overpowers Lloyd, Hitting him on the top of the head with her bo staff. Knocking him unconscious. Announcer: AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! ROSINE RAVORIA IS THE VICTOR OF THE FINAL MATCH OF THE FIRST ROUND! THOSE FIRST MATCHES WERE SHORT AND SWEET, THESE NEWBIES ARE GOOD! THOUGH VERY OBVIOUSLY SOME ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS, NOW FOR THE SECOND TO LAST INTERMISSION BEFORE THE EXAM IS OVER!. Gray: Damn finally, get a break after this long ass trial. Gonna get some water and take another nap. END OF CHAPTER 4 Arc 3: Chapter 5. Rematch Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 5: Rematch Announcer: NOW IS EVERYONE READY! The crown roars, awaiting the next match. Gray sits in anticipation awaiting the announcer to call him down. Announcer: OKAY! CAN CONNER GRAY KYOJIN AND EDWARD VAN HELSING PLEASE WALK DOWN TO THE ARENA! Arthur: Your two prized pupils. Who you got money on. Musashi: Edward is the more skilled fighter, but as fighters, they are the opposite. Elizabeth: Please go into further detail. Musashi: Edward stands still, playing defense. He also likes to make sure all his emotions are under perfect control, while Gray wants to lose himself in his feelings, and rushes into the fight wholeheartedly. Arthur: I get what you mean, I mean look how they were fighting in their matches. Down below they were ready. With Gray a bit more on edge than usual. Gray: So ready for our rematch? Edward: Dont over-exert yourself. Gray: "I got more experience fighting than I did before. So it wont end the same as last time. Edward: Ill hold you to your word then. Announcer: OKAY AND WITH THAT, BEGIN THE FIRST MATCH OF THE SECOND ROUND! Gray and Edward take out their swords, looking into eyes of each other like they were looking into each other''s souls. If they were to be described, Grays would be cracked dolls, with a faint flame on the inside. While Edwards is like a small child, trying to hold down a monster wrapped in chains. Gray smirks at Edward, leaping toward him. Gray: CENIC! As the arena is filled with black smoke Edward blows the smoke away by swinging his sword. The last time he tried this on Edward, he ran behind him. This time he remained in front of Edward. Catching Edward off guard. In that time he tries to overwhelm Edward with strikes. Bj?rn can easily withstand the blows, remaining still. Edward lifts Bj?rn, pushing Gray back. Edward goes to hit Gray, trying to swing as fast as he can. The smirk on Gray''s face drops, he dodges the swing, and then lets go of his sword, preparing to hit Edward''s body. Gray {Just boost a small part of your body''s power, just like Rosemary! NOW, MANA OVERDRIVE! A burst of power mana mana emerges out of Gray''s arm, surprising the knights in the stands. At awe of his raw mana output. Edward blocks it with his hand before his punch can land. His arm was protected by the gauntlets, though the punch heavily dented the armor, with it stabbing into Edward''s arm. After trying to push him back with a wild swing he pushes Gray to duck. Gray gets down, then props himself up on his hands, preparing to kick Edward in the chest. Arthur: WOAH! Hes quick, and thats nice thinking, just overwhelm him to victory. Kioshi: "His pain tolerance is off the charts! And he''s still able to pull of such pristine and unpredictable movements on a whim!" Musashi: "But there are limits for a fighting style consisting at grabbing at straws." Grays kick is about to land, though Edward swings Bj?rn down about to crush Gray. Gray turns his legs, making himself turn completely upside down, kicking Bj?rn with his legs. The kick lands pushing Bj?rn back, so Edward lets go of Bj?rn and grabs Grays legs, picking him up into the air and planning to slam him to the ground. Gray: SATIC! The spell overwhelms both their senses, causing Edward to lose his grip on Gray. Gray takes advantage of this, kicking Edward in the face, launching himself back, and landing on the ground away from Edward. Gray: That spell hurts doesnt it? I''ve used it enough that I dont care how much it hurts me anymore. Cant say the same for you though! Arthur: No wayI thought he had mastered those spells, or at least gotten his body used to them. Hes just powering through them! Sure this dudes not a Helsing? Elizabeth: Well Satic is a powerful spell for a lesser-skilled spirit mage. He does seem to be able to use Cenic correctly though, at least to an acceptable degree. But how is he using both spells with such different classifications for both? Musashi: "Well I wouldn''t say it''s going well when he tries." This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Arthur: And Edward it''s strong as shit, being able to lift that sword. Its super dense, if the legends are a little exaggerated, then that sword might weigh more than the Gotsus, and he was a God of war. Musashi: More or less. Musashi chuckled under his breath, knowing that Gotsu wasn''t a God of War. It was a standard piece of history Arthur had either forgotten or tried to makeup, and Musashi didn''t correct it to try and be polite, for Kioshi''s sake, not his own. Gray: You gonna give me the silent treatment? Come on man, don''t be like that. Gray and Edward''s swords are across the Area from them. Edward removes the dented armor, dropping it to the ground. Gray puts the red hood of his cloak over his head, covering the unease on his face. Edward just stands there, composed, and emotionless, lost in his mind. Gray {I need to get my sword back. But if I go for mine hes gonna go for his. My physical strength is worse than his, though if I overuse my mana to overwhelm his strength, Ill break my body. If I want to make it to the next round I cant do that.} Edward takes a deep breath, then proceeds to start taking steps toward Gray. Gray goes into the pockets of his belt, reaching for something. Gray {I wanted to save these for when I needed themSO THIS SEEMS APPROPRIATE!} Gray pulls out a throwing knife, and coats it in mana, so that when Gray throws it it''ll easily push past any resistance in the air, moving in a straight shot toward Edward. Edward barely moves his head out of the way, being so close that the knife cuts Edward''s cheek. Edward rushes towards Gray as fast as he can, causing Gray to freeze up. And to Gray, Edward closes the distance seemingly instantly. Gray {Hes going for hand-to-hand combat!} Edward sends out hard blow after blow, forcing Gray to either block or get hit. Gray cant seem to get a clean hit on Edward, due to Edward dodging and weaving all his attempts. Gray {SHIT, SHIT SHIT! MANA OVERDRiVE} Gray''s arm once again bursts with mana, delivering a clean and heavy blow to Edward''s shoulder, pushing him back. The bones in Edward''s arm shake under pressure. Somehow he doesn''t even react to the pain, as if hes somewhere else entirely. Edward picks up Gray''s sword, tossing it to him, then picks up Bj?rn. Edward: I KNOW ALL OF YOU ARE WAITING TO WATCH A HELSING LET LOOSE! Edward starts speaking to the crowd, with an angry tone in his voice. And as it surprises everyone, he finally lets out the anger he''s held in this entire time. Edward: I DONT UNDERSTAND THE WANT TO FIGHT, OR WHY PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THE NEED TO! SO GRAY IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT ME RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW! DO YOU WISH TO SEE WHAT EVERYONE IS WAITING FOR! Gray {Whatthe hell why is he ranting? Maybe Als death affected him more than I thought. If he becomes sporadic then he''ll mess up, and I can take advantage of that.} Gray: YEAH! WHATS THE POINT IN FIGHTING IF YOU AREN''T GONNA TRY! Edward plants Bj?rn down on the ground. Gray stares into Edward''s eyes as if the chains on the monster are coming undone. Julius: There it is. I hope he uses this on our match as well. Arthur: Well what do we have here. Musashi {What are you doing?} Gray leans down and stretches'' his legs, taking a quick breath. Edward stands straight up while letting his sword rest within his hands, huffing in a fit of anger. In a flash Edward leaps towards Gray, preparing his strongest swing yet. Gray {Theres no way I win this. And if I do I cant win the next rounds. DO I HAVE TO USE ALL MY STRENGTH RIGHT HERE!? RIGHT NOW!?} Rosemary {Graywhat are you gonna-} Gray screams as his left arm explodes with mana before it quickly travels toward his blade. His muscles begin tearing, his bones cracking, and his blood boiling. Like two monsters about to clash, Gray swings his sword at Edward, with both swords heading right toward each other. Bj?rn goes right through Gray''s sword. As it breaks in half, with no effort at all, Gray truly realized the gap in strength there was between them. Gray {DODGE! FOCUS AND DODGE!} So just as Edwards sword continues to close in on Gray, Gray bursts mana to his legs so he can lean forward and leap past him. Using the last of it''s power, he finds himself sliding around Edward before jumping away, turning his body around mid-air throwing three knives. Edward swings his sword before the knives can reach him, smashing his sword against them. Gray {HES A MONSTER!} Edward''s face turns from angry to even angrier, like hes letting out all his emotions at once. Looking more like a monster than the real monsters they fought earlier. Everything thats coming from Edward is grunts and growls like hes forgotten everything other than how to survive. Edward leaps across the arena, cracking the ground from his pure jumping strength. Gray pulls out all of the flame crystals in his pouch. Arthur: He took advantage of the weapons locker. Those are just fire crystals, but they don''t do much. Rosemary {Is he gonnaLike he did to Jeremiah in Soku''s old house!} Gray "THERE''S A REASON I WASN''T USING MANA AROUND MY WHOLE BODY! SO THEY WOULDN''T ACTIVATE!" Gray charges up the crystals, throwing them at Edward. Edward once again tries to just hit them away, but they explode on contact with his blade. The blast isn''t too extreme but the dust from the blast covered the them. Rosemary {That might give Gray some time to recuperate, but theres no way he can beat Edward, especially with how Edward is acting now. Before, Edward was stronger than the average soldier, but nowhes looking more and more like the Helsings from the legends. Monsters in the form of people.} The crowd sees a faint black figure running around in the smoke like a ghost running around, while Edward''s presence in the arena draws attention from the audience. Edward feels something banging at his psyche, his mind turns back to the raging inferno, swinging Bj?rn all around him with no thought behind it, moving like a surrounded animal. Gray {I''m about to reach my limit on my mana, so I need to use the rest in this last move! I need to pull out a shounen power up and surpass my limitsand I know just how to do it!} With an idea stolen from a story he read back home as well as his own skill, he puts a makeshift plan into focus. Gray: "I''M FROM - " In a flash of power his OD explodes, cracking it on purpose. Edward feels the power, rushing towards it. Behind the rest of the dust, Gray''s broken sword is flung at Edward. Edward swings Bj?rn hitting the sword away, though it leaves him open. He sees Gray, like a demonic figure, completely covered in his blackish purple mana, with his black cloak flowing from the wind giving in from his mana. Gray has successfully cracked in his OD, blasting out mana and surpassing the limit that Gray''s body would allow. Rosemary: GRAY WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? Her screams break past the rest of the crowed. However they''re still to quiet to break past the vigor screaming in his mind. Musashi {THAT IDIOTS GONNA KILL HIMSELF!} Arthur: SO COOL! THESE GUYS ARE REALLY GETTING INTO IT! Gray uses this last-ditch effort, rushing toward Edward and delivers multiple blows to his body. Edward swings Bj?rn to hit Gray back, but Gray uses this to his advantage, flipping and hitting the wall of the arena, jumping off it, and flying toward Edward. Gray focuses all the mana onto the palm of his hand. Everyone in the crowd is surprised and amazed at his ability to cultivate so much power. It''s to the point even Julius chimes in. Julius: {A grand use of mana on something like this? If he had any control it''d seem endless.} It was something only a person like Gray would be able to due. With mana one hundred times the average person, his massive amount of mana allowed him to even weaponize it. Whilst he flies toward Edward, his mana starts building up on itself and turning a bright blue, making a flowing sphere-like shape. Gray: TITANS IMPACT! Edward {DAMNMIT!} Gray had moved so quickly after Edwards swing that it left him wide open. So Gray hits Edward in the face, pushing him to the ground. The Titans Impact explodes forcing Edward further into the floor and cracking the ground. Gray stands still with a smirk on his face, with the crowd thinking hes victorious. Rosemary: Did he..do it? Arthur: Why is the announcer not calling the match? Elizabeth: Was that all you had Edward Van Helsing? Are you finished here? Musashi: Here it comes. Edward flings up from the ground, staying couscous. He drags his fist through the air, hitting Gray in the side of the face, and forcing Gray''s head into the ground with his fist. Edward: "One good punch, that''s all I needed." Announcer: AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, THE MATCH IS OVER! EDWARD VAN HELSING IS VICTORIOUS! END OF CHAPTER 5 Arc 3: Chapter 6. An unstoppable force and an immovable object Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 6: An unstoppable force and an immovable object Gray comes to, waking up in a soft bed, bandaged up. He struggles to move his body, unable to move at all without feeling like hes going to die from the pain. Gray: GAH! Rosemary: Youre awake. Gray: HowUglong was I out? Rosemary: They took a break after your match to repair the arena, Juliuss match is going on right now with Rosine. Gray: So I lost huh Rosemary: Yeah that move you did against Edward, that swirling ball of mana, what was that? Gray: Oh my Titans impact? I just focused a bunch of mana into the palm of my hand, then swirled it around. Saw something similar in a show I saw once. Rosemary: Titans impact? And that is something that should take a lot of training to do, to say it like it was nothing is amazing! Gray: Oh the name is just my mom''s family name, its Japanese for Titan, so I just used that as the route of the name. And if you have a lot of something its easy to do more stuff with it, and it destroyed my arm so I cant just use it willy-nilly. Rosemary: That makes sensealso whats Japanese? And what''s English? Gray: Long story... Is Sokualright by chance? Rosemary: I talked with Ophelia, and she said that Soku was overwhelmedby.um..her. Gray: Ohgross..yeah I get it, I still feel kind of bad though. Rosemary starts to sob, trying not to let Gray notice. Gray: What what''s wrong? Did I do something, are you okay? Rosemary: Yoyou could have died! They wouldnt have stopped the match until you either passed out, died, or gave up! Your body was torn to shreds! Your bones are broken and your OD almost crumbled! Since your mana is like your soul''s energy, you almost killed yourself. Gray: OhIm sorry I didnt think that far ahead. III was terrified, Edward was moving like a monster, I dont understand what set him off, Im just lost. Rosemary: I think I know what it wasI understand what its like for everyone to hold you to a standard just because of your family. He told me he hates fighting. He said hes never really had friends before and he felt embarrassed from just talking about it. He didnt go into much detail but, with Als death and all the pressure hes being put under, I think he just wanted to be what they wanted him to be, A monster in the body of a man. Gray: Sorry for sounding so pitiful, it seems like its the only thing I can do recently. Rosemary: You have gotten this far with hardly any work I think thats something. Rosemary kisses Gray on the forehead, leaving through the medical room door. Gray: Umdamn. Gray''s happy and surprised face turns to annoyance when he sees the wounds on his body. Gray {To hell with this, Im gonna see that match!} Gray struggles to move, reaching for his clothes and sitting on the dresser next to him. Gray {Shebrought my jacket. Get up, GET UP, DAMMIT COME ON, NOW, NOW, NOW!} Gray: I am so damn tired of losing. Gray stands, his leg bones about to collapse from the pressure. Gray almost passes out, falling to the ground. He crawls to some crutches near his bed. He grabs them, using them to stand up. Slouching on the wall, putting his clothes on. While this is happening Rosemary is walking back to the stands. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Rosemary {DidI DID IT! Ive been thinking about it for weeks and I FINALLY DID IT!} Ophelia: You seem happy. Rosemary: AH! HEY! OPHELIA!. Ophelia: Whats wrong? Did somethingoh...OH, YOU DID IT! Rosemary: NO! No, no, no, no! Ophelia: Its fine I wont spoil your moment. Rosemary: Is Soku doing okay? Ophelia: I was coming over here to come to find yah while Soku watched the match. Rosemary: Sorry for making you miss the match. Opheilia: Well I dont like fighting, I think its scary. Rosemary: Oh, well then yeah youre right. Fighting is scary. Ophelia: Do you like Gray? Rosemary: WHAT! Where did that come from I dont like him. Um, its just that, hes different than anyone I have ever met. He reminds me of myself, I dont know if that makes me selfish but hes scared, just like me. But he still prevails pushing himself to the brink of collapse to get what he wants, so I want to be like him in that way. Ophelia: Umso you like Gray? Rosemary: I like Gray. Gray falls out of the room, failing to catch himself from falling. Before he can hit the ground Rosemary catches him, saving him from an undiscernible amount of pain. Rosemary: WHAT ARE YOU DOING? You need to stay put. Gray: Nah I wanna watch the match. Ophelia: SO LETS GO ALREADY, Julius finished his match! Edwards is about to start. Gray: Come on lets go then! I wanna see the end of this thing. They all walk to the stands, sitting near Soku. Soku: You healed up fast. Gray: More like woke up fast, Im trying not to cry from the pain right now. Announcer: AND NOW FOR THE MOMENT, YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! A BATTLE BETWEEN A HELSING AND A CROMWELL, TO FINISH THIS EVENT BEFORE THE ELECTION OF THE THREE ROYAL CANDIDATES IS A BATTLE BETWEEN A HELSING AND WALGONIA AGAINST VALATROCITUS AND EDWARD VAN HELSING AGAINST JULIUS CROMWELL! NOW FIGHTERS! READY, SET, BEGIN! Instead of immediately rushing toward one another, Julius and Edward both just look into the eyes of each other. Soku: That guy JuliusIm usually good a reading people, but that guy I cant read him, I have no idea what hes thinking. Edward: You seem to be very curious about me. Why is that? Julius: I utterly hate people who lie to themselves. People who do things to make people happy even if they dont want to. That friend of yours, Kyojin. He lies to himself, acting like a big shot compared to his actual attitude. But you are true to yourself. You know what you want though you do things you might not like, though you still stay true to yourself. Now please show me the animal you were when you fought Kyojin. Edward: It seems Im only useful if I give in to the warrior''s spirit. Julius: The world just wants what it needs from us. Not what we want. Julius starts walking toward Edward, delivering multiple quick strikes to the front of Bj?rn. However, Edward fails to react to Julius''s strike to his side. Edward {OW! Damn! It was too fast to fully stab me but a bunch of small cuts sting!} Juliuss speed and dexterity are vastly above Edwards and due to this Edward fails to react or move out of the way of every one of Juliuss strikes. Gray: Hes getting his ass beat. Rosemary: Yeah I dont see him winning this one. Ophelia: COME ON EDDY YOU GOT THIS! Soku: Julius Isnt even out speeding him, its like hes predicting his moves like he knows when Edward is about to strike. Musashi: Its because he can. Gray: AHH! Dont sneak up on people, god damn. Rosemary: What do you mean he can? Musashi: I figured out why I recognized that monocle. Its because of the metal it was made with, that fine craftsmanship is only found in Alfheilm. So its enchanted, and usually, anything like that gives you a small foresight ability. Gray: THATS BUSTED. Soku: Thats gotta be cheating. Musashi: Wellalls fair in war. Edward tries to grab Julius''s rapier, though with no luck. Julius lets go of his blade, readily striking Edward''s chest, performing a flip kick to Edward''s chin, before grabbing his rapier and moving backward. Gray: DAMN! Arthur: Hes getting his ass beat. GO JULIUS! Elizabeth: This is embarrassing. Kioshi: Come on Edward Edward''s mind slips back, his eyes turning blank. The warrior''s spirit is taking over, about to run on pure instinct. Gray: HERE IS COMES! Julius looks Edward in the eyes with such malice, that it brings only fear into Edward''s heart. It brings Edward''s mind back into his body, making the warrior spirit leave his mind entirely. Julius moves forward once more, jumping over and evading Edward with such ease it makes Edward look like a child fighting an adult. Slashing his legs, arms, back, and face Edward to stunned to be able to react, Julius lands on the ground, pushing his left leg into the ground, crushing and moving the stone floor back, putting his left arm forward, and pulling his right arm back. Elizabeth: Is he going to.Unthinkable. Kioshi: For a knight in training to be able to perform such a high-level attack. Gray: Whats he doing? Soku: Thats a move from Legends! Rosemary: This may be the end of Edward''s match. Gray: Come on tell me! Musashi: That right there boyis the dragons fist, an attack that uses your internal strength and pushes it to the max. the man who made that attack used it to hit a dragon and was able to damage it. Julius swings his right arm, hits Edward''s chest, and completely crushes his armor. The wind pressure from the attack rushes past Edward, crushing the wall behind him Gray: HOLY SHIT! Rosemary: Just like in the legends. Soku: Thatwas overkill. Musashi: UhIll go get Edward. Edward falls to the ground. Utterly defeated. Edward {Ididnt even land one blow} Julius: Thank you for the match. I now know my limits. Julius''s arm falls out of the socket, crushed due to the force of the attack. Announcer: AND THATS IT! JULIUS CROMWELL, THE THIRD SON OF CORNELIUS CROMWELL KING OF VALATROCITUS, AND WINNER OF THE KNIGHTS EXAM! They all leave the stadium, entering the main hall. Which is now filled with chairs, and three large podiums with all the country''s flags behind them. Everyone else picks a seat, though before Gray sits down he walks up to Soku. Gray: We good right? Soku: Whatever just sit down. They sit down, with everybody awaiting the candidates to enter. The candidates enter the room, then they get up to the podiums. Standing awaiting the room to get quiet, a room filled with knights from other kingdoms and lords of their smaller domains. Arthur: ALRIGHT! HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED THAT LITTLE EXAM FOR OUR FUTURE KNIGHTS! Kioshi: Also, you all that participated will be evaluated after the election. Elizabeth: Which will start now. We will be asked questions about what we would like to do with Walgonia if we are elected, and then you all will vote. Arthur: BEFORE YOU ALL LEAVE THE ROOM ONE OF US UP HERE WILL BE THE NEW KING! NOW THE SELECTION WILL START! END OF CHAPTER 6 Arc 3: Chapter 7. Election day Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 7: Election Day Musashi: I have been chosen to ask the candidates some questions. Arthur: Come on, dont keep the people waiting! Ask away! Musashi: What is your main plan, why do you want to be the ruler of Walgonia. Arthur: Valatrocitus is a great country. With the second-best Army in the world! If I can use the tactics and techniques that we use in our own country that are already great here in Walgonia we will be unbeatable! Dont you want to be the most powerful country in the world! Musashi: Next! Kioshi: I was born here. I spent my life training to protect this country. Walgonia is accepting of all people, demi-humans, humans, and elves. I want to use my great power to help our communities come together! I know that the relationship between humans and others is not good. Wars, slavery, and a variety of other atrocities committed by us. I want to make sure that that is all behind us. Elizabeth: I want to bring Ravoria''s great culture that I have crafted here to Walgonia. I turned that poor nation into a prosperous country, with art, music, and literature. And our religion will bring everyone together, and boost our morale in all the people! Musashi: Alright. Elizabeth, Arthur, how will you deal with the conflict concerning the Demi-humans currently building up in Walgnoia? Elizabeth: Im going to be blunt! Demi-humans are more monsters than people, some even can transform fully into monsters. They are only good for causing conflict and wars. We went to war with them for over seventy years, and it only ended twenty or so years ago, yet you let them become your neighbor? How many family members have they killed for just the people in this room? They should be cast into war, as cannon fodder. Its all they are! Gray {What the hell? This bitch is just a full-blown racist, Ophelia is just like a normal kid, with no malice or hatred in her heart. And This old hag is just going to hate her for no reason?} Kioshi: WHAT! Demi-humans only fought us because they were enslaved! Forcing them to act like animals, when they have thoughts and emotions. Of course, they would fight back. And yet they helped bring an end to that god-awful war! Elizabeth: So you would take those murderous monsters over your people? My brothers, uncles, and my friends were all killed, and butchered by those... freaks! Some of them still have factions around, just murdering people at random. Have you ever heard of the Gravestone Pirates? They slaughter an entire village right when the war ended. Kioshi: That was a disaster, but if we had treated them like people from the beginning that never would have happened! Arthur: Hey I just say divide the city, make the middle portion for people who dont care about the wars, and then give other portions their place to do whatever they want with their people. Rosemary {That is only temporary. It would just increase conflict.} Gray {Segregation never works.} Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Soku {These assholes no nothing about what theyre talking about. They are a bunch of humans talking down to demi-humans.} Musashi: STOP ARGUING! Now for the next question. What do you think about the other countries? What do you think about their choices and the examines we saw battle? Kioshi: I think they are all amazing fighters, they are so great and confident in their abilities, trying their hardest. Even if some of them were weaker than others, it is still commendable they tried. Elizabeth: I find it terrible that my daughter had to go in alone, with no team, and yet she was able to make it to the second round of the tournament section. I had to be in the same room with that disgusting elf as well. I dont understand how you can let a demi-human and people who are friends with them in your army. Soku {What the hell? I didnt even do anything.} Soku sits there, saddened and annoyed by Elizabeth''s words. Gray sits in anger, trying to remain calm after his friend was insulted and embarrassed in a room full of very important people. Arthur: Hey dont be mean. But I mean I can agree that the Walgonian group was pitiful. Though your choice of a warrior was even sadder! You pick your daughter, you had one pick and you pick your weak daughter. EVERYONE! I think that shows what kind of leader she is. Throwing out good and strong people to pick her family. SHOULDNT A GOOD RULER SEE ALL OF HER PEOPLE AS HER FAMILY? AND FOR WALGINA, THEY WANT TO PICK RANDOM PEOPLE OFF THE STREET! THAT BOY GRAY KYOJIN HAS ONLY BEEN TRAINING FOR A MONTH! A MONTH AND THEY PICK HIM and lets not forget Edward''s sad showing of skill. Hes back there isnt he? By the door. Son of Gotsu and a Helsing and he can barely stand to fight against a novice. Swinging that big sword, ruining his father''s name! And to have a child fight? That girl ran out of her match crying and you want her to be a warrior! Gray {DAMMIT! WHAT IS THIS SHIT? A SMEAR CAMPAIGN? WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?} Rosemary leans over to Gray, whispering in his ear. Rosemary: "Calm down Gray, just let it happen, it''ll all blow over soon...I know it sucks...but we''ll get over it. Gray struggles to keep in his anger, trying not to embarrass himself. Arthur: THAT ELF GIRL MIND YOU, IS A THEIF, YEAH A THIEF, THAT DEMI-HUMAN BESIDE HER IS ONE AS WELL! I cant believe they would let such filth inside the royal capital. The notorious thief, Soku the Wind Elf. And the worst of all, sitting right in the front, with the golden hair. Gray {NO, DONT YOU DARE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!} Arthur: ROSEMARY GOLDEN WIND IS A DESERTER! The last of the Golden Knights, and she sits right there. They all fought their hearts out, basically ending the Demi-human war single-handedly, though they all died trying. And the last of those famous knights sits right there, she could have helped their legacy, their history, but she ran away, leaving them all to die in a pointless battle! Rosemary struggles to keep her emotions in check, her biggest failure and the most important choice in her life story is being stomped on in front of some of the most important people on the continent. Then it happens, a decision that will echo through his life for as long as he lives. With his massive ego, which was just stomped on with his loss to Edward, and now this. Everyone important to him is being slandered right in front of all these important people. Filled with rage, arrogance, embarrassment, and egotism, Gray opens his mouth to speak. Rosemary: NO- Gray: SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE YOU JUST BAD-MOUTHED, WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? BECAUSE YOU MUST BE A MAN-CHILD WHO DOESN''T UNDERSTAND HOW TO TAKE OTHERS INTO ACCOUNT! Arthur: Who do you think you are? Talking to me like youre some grand person when you are just a sad, injured man. Musashi: GRAY STOP THIS! Gray: TO HELL WITH THAT! I THINK THE FACT THAT IM A INJURED AND SAD MAN MAKES YOU LOOK MORE LIKE A PEACE OF SHIT! SITTING THERE ON YOUR HIGH HORSE INSULTING PEOPLE YOU DONT KNOW! AND THAT WHOLE SEGREGATION IDEA!? YOU''RE JUST SOME TIRANT RACIST! ALL IT WILL DO IS INCREASE TENSION THAT''S YOU IDIOT! THAT"S LIKE THE MOST BASIC THING EVER! HAVE YOU HEARD OF THINKING SHIT THROUGH OR IS THIS A FIRST TIME!?" Arthur: I would like to ask you the same question. Talking to the commander of the Dragon Army as well as the Valatrocitus'' Knights like you''re better than me? What a joke. You talk with such a big bravado and blatant arrogance, that you know nothing about the basics of having friends, let alone a country. So what gives you the right to talk down to me like youre better than me? Are you possibly a member of the Sect? You share the same type of mana as them, even the same views, even the fact they follow you around. Why would anyone take your side with all these facts against you? Gray: I CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, IM TALKING ABOUT YOUR CHOICES NOT THE THINGS YOURE BORN WITH! Arthur: Still doesn''t dispute the facts. Get this imbecile out of here. Gray: Whats wrong? Did I hit a nerve, whats next, you gonna cry if I call you a pea-brain? Arthur jumps down from his podium, landing in front of Gray. Gray grows a big smirk, knowing hes made Arthur mad. Though before Gray can do anything Arthur slaps Gray in the face, hitting him across the room. With Gray''s already destroyed body, he lies immobile on the ground, passing out. Gray wakes up, back in the Inn laying on a bed. Gray: Ughwhat happened. Rosemary: Youre up Gray: I assume I missed the election Rosemary: Yeah you were out for a bit. Gray: Who won the election? Rosemary: ...Arthur Gray: ...DAMMIT!...Oh, whats wrong? Rosemary: We need to talk. END OF CHAPTER 7 Arc 3: Chapter 8. End of the road Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 8: End of the Road Gray: What do we need to talk about? Rosemary: Whatare we? This statement causes Rosemary to blush, but Gray stares off into space, thinking of something else entirely. Gray: What do you want to be? Rosemary: Weve lived togetherWeve slept in the same bed together for a while now Gray, still not caring, seems to conclude his inner thoughts, Gray: Before you say anything elseIve gotta say something important. Rosemary: Yeahwhat is it? Gray: Im leaving. Once I see everyone Im going. Rosemary: WhatWHAT? Rosemary''s face is frozen, no tears, no sweat, just confusion and disbelief. Gray: Arthurhes rightall Ive done is hurt, you guys. Rosemary: Whatwhat are you talking about? Gray: The attacks by the cultist, then me losing my temper in the castle and embarrassing you making you look worse by being affiliated with me. Rosemary: Why WHY ARE YOU SAYING THIS? you you got my life moving againI WAS WONDERING FOR SO LONG UNTIL YOU SHOWED UP KICKING MY LIFE INTO MOTION AGAIN! Rosemary tries her hardest to try and tell Gray why he shouldn''t leave, what he means to her, from the bottom of her heart, even if he hasn''t been in her life for that long, his being there has had a great effect. Gray: Im happy to hear that. Rosemary: Then..then WHY? Gray gets up. Already dressed, he leaves the room, with Rosemary following him, franticly pulling on his shirt, trying to get a satisfying answer out of him. Gray: LookI know this is sudden sudden, but if I can make sure you guys are safe, then I''ll do what sucks to keep it that way. Rosemary: I...WE DONT CARE IF THEYRE AFTER YOUthe Sectthey took my familymy people, now theyre going to drive you away Gray: Its not just thatbut I dont wantI dont want to talk about it. Rosemary: Why not? Why, why, why WHAT HAPPENED? Rosemary screams her heart out, but Gray acts as if he doesn''t care. Gray walks downstairs, about to exit the inn when the rest of the group sees him leaving. Ophelia: Where are you going? Gray: Ifound a way home Rosemary: WHAT? Edward: Really? Thats awesome! Ophelia: Aw, youre leaving? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Soku: Mph Gray: Sosee you guys I guess. Gray leaves the inn, walking down the road and going to leave the castle grounds. Rosemary walks outside, watching him leave. She stands frozen, with tears streaming down her face, trying her best to force her feelings away. Soku tugs at her arm, trying to take her attention away. Rosemary: Uh? Soku, with a whispery voice, tried to bottle her emotions up as well. Soku: Hes lying. Rosemary: WHAT? Soku: Wait- Soku gets cut off by Rosemary running down the road to Gray. She then wraps her arms around him, hugging him from behind. Rosemary: Gray? Gray stands still, with tears streaming down his face, he stands silently. Gray: Igotta go..home Rosemary: Whywhy now..why do you have to leave now? Gray: I dont know why youre making such a big deal aboutthis. Weve only known each other for a month, yet you care this much about me leaving. Rosemary: I DONT BELIEVE YOU! Gray: What...WHATS NOT TO BELIEVE! Rosemary: This isnt like you at allyouve never acted like thisnever looked sad about being away from homenever talked about itI''ve never even seen or heard you cry! Gray: Youknow nothing about me Rosemary: What? Gray: YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME! WHO I AM, WHERE IM FROM, MY HOBBIES, MY FAVORITE FOOD, NOTHING! Rosemary: I do know youYou like to make others happyyour favorite food is pancakesI know youre a good personand I want to know more about youI want you to know more about me, and all of usso why? WHY LEAVE! Gray shoves Rosemary away from himself. Wiping the tears off his face, he continues to drive the point home, trying to get her to just walk away. Gray: Yeah like I said. You Know nothing about me. And I do miss my home, my family. There hasnt been a day Ive been here where I havent thought about them. Im haunted by them every night. Every single day I have nightmares, them screaming at me, calling me useless, and worthless. A bad son. So I just wanna leaveleave it all behindthis life and the last one. Rosemary: Why? Gray: BECAUSE IM TIRED! Rosemary: OF WHAT? Gray: OfOF OF MYSELF DAMMIT! Rosemary: Huh? Gray: DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO I AM? WHY IM EVEN HERE? BECAUSE IF YOU DO I''LL SAY IT...I''LL SAY ALL OF IT!" Rosemary: "THEN DO IT! SPIT IT OUT, AT LEAST GIVE ME AN ANSWER!" Gray: "It''s because... because...Because I gave up, that''s why. I wake up every day with this weak, pitiful body, with annoying hair and a bad personality, with nothing to show for my existence. I wasted my first chance at life, sitting in my room doing nothing of importance. Not studying for school, barely talking to friends, and thinking of anything else but my future." Gray''s tone immediately drops, he just rambles on while staring at his feet. Gray: "I did this all my life and now Im here, with no goals, no dreams or ambitions, just a lonely meaningless existence with no drive to do anything. All I did was hide behind a mask, a person who wasnt me so I could fit in. Its all I ever wanted to truly do and I didnt do it. I was a loud, goofy, and annoying ass to everyone in my life. I didnt even have a bad life dammit, I had great parents who made good money, and nice grandparents, nice friends, a good school. I had no illness or disability, just bad social anxiety making me seem like a loser, or made people see the loser I was." Rosemary is left in a position where she can''t do anything other than listen, leaving her just standing silent while Gray''s words hit her like a truck. Gray: Gray Kyojin what a joke. So I ended that life, that pitiful existence. Or at least I tried to, heh you wouldnt understand the happiness and joy I had in my heart when I saw what had happened to me, thrust into a storybook. With abilities to help me get that fantasy life that any person who has ever been alive has dreamed of once in their life... And whats the first thing I do? I see a girl fighting for her life. And not to save her or be the good person Ive been trying to force myself to be my entire life. I help her with the intent of getting something out of her." Every emotion Gray has been feeling, every thought he''s been thinking, forms into these words. His character, Gray Kyojin, is incarnate. Gray: "Gray Kyojin is supposed to be A good person, a hero even, A nickname I gave myself, a name that grew bigger than myself. The funny, energetic, loud, happy man with so much drive he would never be able to stay down, always work on himself. And nothing, thats what Ive been trying to be this WHOLE DAMN TIME! That entire time at the mansion I was that person, forcing my body to its limits every day, being as loud and as goofy as possible. Being the person anyone would like to see. No matter what happens in your life, may it be something small like hurting yourself, or something big like dying a hundred times, nobody likes a crybaby." Gray bites his lip, so hard he causes it to bleed, tightens his fist, and lets everything out. Gray: "All Ive done is use people. Your guys nice hospitality at Sokus house, and what do I do? I blew it up trying to save people from a bad guy I brought to the house. Then in the mansion, I get the best piece of luck Ive ever gotten in my life. The greatest swordsman, and the strongest person in the world, took me to their home. And I get it burnt to the ground, and get A nice old man killed! And then still walk around thinking so highly of myself. Because I won a couple of fights. I would have died if I didnt get helped the whole time and I still think Im the shit. What a joke, a hopeless lie. Then I think Im so cool, that I scream at the new leader of the country, acting like Im better than him. I blew up a poor girl''s home, got one of a man''s only remaining family members murdered right in front of him, and got his house brunt down on top of that, and I think Im the good guy. HAHAHAHA! LOOK AT ME!, standing here ranting about my life as it sucks, like all the people Ive met haven''t had the worst lives imaginable, getting your parents killed right in front of you, being born a child soldier, living on the streets your whole life never knowing your family. I stand here complaining about my life. I am Conner Kyojin. A useless, weak, worthless, piece of trash, lying to himself about everything, trying to make it seem like Im less of a loser than I already am. That is who I am, a crybaby, a man childI''m so worthlessso now Ill leave. Now you guys wont have the target of an evil cult sleeping in the same house as you, So you can finally sleep soundly. I threw my second chance away the second I called myself Gray Kyojin, with no intent to be Gray Kyojin. Strangely enough through that entire conversation, Gray was smiling from start to finish, as if he let an unliftable weight off his shoulders. Gray leaves Rosemary standing in the road, with Soku and the others watching from the window of the inn. Ophelia runs back upstairs crying with Soku running after her. Edward just stares, not knowing how to react. Gray walks to the end of the road, exiting through the gate, allowing him onto the path leading back to the capital city. Since hes a while away he walks into the forest, following a stream, leaving the empty main road, to nothing but trees and sitting down on the ground staring at his reflection in the water. Gray: So much for my second chance in another world. Before Gray can continue, somebody walks up behind him. Gray: Ohitsyou.. whatWHAT! Theres no wayno way in hell Gray looks at the man, dressed in a dirty, stitched-up black and red tracksuit. He smiles at Gray before the man hits him on the head. Gray collapses to the ground, with the man staring at him. Arthur: Oh Im not done with you yet. END OF CHAPTER 8 Arc 3: Chapter 9. Lost hope Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 9: lost hope Gray wakes up, opening his eyes to find himself in dark room. His hands, legs, and neck bound by chains, a mana-dampening crystal hanging from his neck, and the most important thing is the man sitting right in front of him. Gray: Where am I, might I ask? Arthur: In a dungeon, in a similar one that you held Jeremiah in. Gray: So youre the one that freed him then. Arthur: Yeah, when we had dinner I had somebody track him down and release him, then I just wanted to kill your friends so I got Kioshi and Musashi out of the house. Gray: Good plan. Arthur: Youre taking this pretty well. I expected you to get mad, and start calling me names. That outburst wasn''t in character for you either, what was with that anyway? Gray: Look if youre going to kill me, then kill me I dont care. And that outburst youre talking about was just me getting a load off my chest. Arthur: So where ya from? Gray: Uh...AmericaOh, I can say it now, I guess its because youre from Earth huh. Arthur: Yeah, Im from America too, what state? Im from Oregon. Gray: Oregon...Im from who gives a damn, guess the location doesn''t matter with the isekai. Arthur: Weird that this place has thanksgiving right? And the same weekdays, as well as the months. Im pretty sure people have leaked here for hundreds and thousands of years, crazy right? Gray: What do you want? Arthur: Just join the Sect already man. Gray: Shit, really youre an anarchist too, youre from Earth, shouldnt you know that this stuff is batshit crazy. Arthur: Look Ill get back to that topic later. I want to ask you, how did you get here? Gray: I got hitI killed myself. Arthur: Same. I think we got saved right before we died, getting filled with mana, then warping here. Gray: Yeah I assumed the same thing. We were like husks of people. The souls of the people that brought us here went into our bodies. Getting their powers, with our body. Arthur: You still got the soul in your head? I got rid of mine a long time ago. Gray: Yeah, shes probably watching me through my eyes right now. How long have you been here? Arthur: Bout twentytwenty-five years. Gray: DamnIve only been here for a month. What year was it when you got transported? Arthur: Nineteen Ninety Six? Gray:: Nineteen Ninety Six!? I''ve been here for a month and I got transported in twenty-twenty one. And still Im not gonna join you clowns yah know. Arthur: Yeah, yeah. Gray: Waityoure a member of the Sect and now youre THE KING OF WALGONIA! Arthur: Yeahbeen playing for two sides since I got here. Gray: What are you gonna do? Arthur: Youll see if you come to your senses and join us. If you don''t, who knows, your friends are probably gonna die. Gray: So I ran away for nothing Arthur: Hey if it means anything to yah, I think you leaving them to make sure theyre safe was noble. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Gray: Shut up, dont you have king stuff to do? Arthur: Nope, not until tomorrow, so I wanna sit here. Gray: Dammit. Arthur: Alright, unless you kill yourself, youre not leaving until you join us. So Ima tell you a story about what happened when I got here. Gray: Fine, Ill listen. Make it short though, my body still hurts from my match with Edward. Arthur: Okay, if you make it through without being a dick Ill give you a gift, deal? Gray: Whats the gift, I hate surprises. Arthur: Man, youre no fun. Ill tell you then, Azalea used the cloak of darkness, So since youre here because of her, Ill give it to ya, its sitting back there near the door. Gray: Fine, tell the damn story. Arthur: Alright thank you Mr depression. Gray: Im dying of laugher right now. Arthur: Okay shut up, Ima start my story. The tail of the Red Dragon. I dont want to make it some sob story, but I have to stick to the details. Both my parents died in a car crash, I used most of my money to pay for the funeral, then my girlfriend broke up with me a couple of days later, then I go to work only to be told that I got fired. So I went to my parent''s house, sat in my childhood room, then put the barrel of a gun in my mouth, though right as I pulled the trigger, I felt the air around me shift, I heard screaming, fighting, and heat all around me. I opened my eyes to see a battlefield, dead bodies on the ground, And before I could get my thoughts together, I saw a giant wolfman jumping towards me to bite my head off. Gray: Damn, rough start. Arthur: Tell me about it, though before that beast could kill me, an old man with pale white skin, and makeup similar to a jester, kinda looking like a zombie, poked the demi-human with his long fingernail, then in an instant, the demi-human exploded, covering the both of us in his blood. I fell to the ground, thinking back on it I think I was about to lose my mind, or what little left of it I had. Then the old man looked me in my eyes, smiling with his crooked and nasty teeth. You would think this would make me even more scared than I already was, but Nah, it reassured me, then he asked me a question Ive wanted to hear my entire life. He asked me if I wanted to be a part of a family, something bigger than myself, to be his tool that would bring on a new world. And I said yes. I was truly excited about my future for the first time in my life. Gray: So you got roped into something while you were losing your mind. So you couldnt think properly leading to you going to a cult that likes to kill, destroy, and take over anything they want. Arthur: You have no idea what youre talking about. Have you never wanted to hear someone ask you that? Have you ever wanted to be a part of something bigger than yourself? You must have since you wanted to be a knight. Gray: No actually, the main thing that made me depressed was the fact that I didnt have anything I wanted to do, and in a way, I still dont. I just want my friends to be safe, though I didnt want to lie to them, so I didnt. The only thing I have ever wanted in my life is a purpose. Arthur: So wouldnt you joining the Sect give you that purpose? You have the power and the drive to be a strong fighter, one of the strongest in the world! Gray: Possibly, but I dont want to. I just want to make sure everyone in my life is happy, that is my purpose. Arthur: So leaving your friends to cry, and wonder about your safety? Thats keeping them happy. They were happier when you were with them. Gray: At some point, I was gonna break. My ego was building, to a destructive degree, and I almost killed myself to win a simple fight, just because I didnt want to lose to somebody stronger than me. They only knew me for a short time, theyll get over it. Arthur: So what were you going to do when you left then huh? Walk around, live in the woods, kill yourself? Gray: Dont know, I didnt even have the idea of leaving until I woke up. I just had the idea and acted on it. Arthur: You are the most impulsive person Ive ever met. Gray: Alright then, Ill take that as a compliment. Arthur: I heard you talking of a maskso is this the real you, Gray? Gray: There''s no point in trying to act like somebody I''m not anymore. Arthur: But wouldnt you rather be that guy whos always joking and training. Gray: Of course,I would, but now theres no point. If I had the drive to keep going, to continue to push myself every day as I did before then I would continue to call myself Gray Kyojin. But until then, if it even happens, Im just Conner, the loser who doesn''t care about anything other than himself. Its easier that way. Arthur: So you know its bad to act this way, though you dont care because you dont have a reason to. Gray: Yep. Arthur: So what will you do if you wont do anything? Gray: I dont knowkill myself I guess. Arthur: You say that so easilyOh well, I guess it cant be helped. By the way, The Sect is going to attack to castle later today, with most of the knights gone, along with the other candidates, Its just a few knights, Kioshi, your friends, and some randoms. They will all die, and you can do nothing to stop it. Gray: If there is nothing that I can do, then thats it. Arthur: You let the people you cared so much about die like that? Gray: I have no reason to care. Gray cared about them, I dont think its that simple. Arthur: So you chose try to think of yourself as two different people to shift all your mental stress away from yourself. Youre insane. Gray: I should be dead, so I just have to end my story and I wont care anymore. Its that simple. Arthur: Well. heres your present! Arthur Grabs a necklace with a moon-shaped charm on the front and places the necklace around Gray''s neck. Arthur: There ya go, thatll activate when I take this crystal off of your neck. Now, that charm is yours forever, well goodbye then, Ill see you. Arthur leaves the cell, leaving Gray all alone. Gray {So thats it. I tried hard to make it, to use my second chance, but alas It was useless. Dammit, Im sorry mom, dad, Rose, Soku, Opheilia, and Edward too, sorta. I made Musashi waste his time with me, and now he might die and I cant do anything about it. Thats it then. The end of my road, In a dark, wet, dirty cell. Fitting for me huh. Welp thats it then I guess the next time I open my eyes Ill be nowhere or in hell. I hope its hell, then Ill have something to do.} Then without hesitation, Gray sticks his tongue out, closing his eyes, he goes to bite his tongue. He feels his body enveloped with mana, similar to the mana surge. This is much more powerful, overwhelming his mind, and collapsing to the ground. He feels his mind be forced in on itself. Gray opens his eyes looking at a black foggy area, with a beautiful woman standing in front of him, dressed in black. Gray: This isnt hellAZALEA! Gray jumps at Azalea, his limbs are grabbed by black tendrils, holding him in the air. Azalea smiles at Gray like shes happy about his anger. Gray head-butts her, causing Azalea to let him go. Azalea: So thats it huh, youre just gonna give up. Gray: Yeah, thats bout it. Azalea: I can strike a deal with you. Gray: What? Azalea: Ill let you live in a world of dreams, with no memory of this world, or the fact youre in a dream. Gray: And youre part? Azalea: I want your body, I want you to give me control of your mind, so I can resurrect myself and you can just be Conner Kyojin, leaving this Gray name and life behind. Gray: Okay. Azalea: WaitREALLY! OKAY SHAKE MY HAND! Gray: Just dont kill Rosemary for me. Azalea: I promise! They shake hands, enveloping Gray in a black mist, he sees a faint image of all his friends fade away in the smoke, with a man smiling at him, a man that resembles Gray, like a mirror image. Then nothing, absolutely nothing, then a noise, a ringing sound. Conner: Ugh Conner wakes up in his room, answering the phone call. Conner: What? Man on the phone: GET ON! JOIN THE CALL DAMMIT! IT''S UPDATED! Conner: OH FOR REAL? GOT IT IMA JOIN HOLD UP! Conner sits down in his chair, turns his computer on, joins a group call, then plays his game for hours, doing nothing but having fun with his friends. Without a worry in the world. END OF CHAPTER 9 Arc 3: Chapter 10. Party in the castle Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 10: Party in the castle Rosemary and the rest of the group walk back to the castle. Soku: Do we gotta go to this party? Rosemary: You can stay behind if you want to. Edward: Just think of it like, this is a reward for all the things weve done so far. Rosemary: Thats a nice way to put it. Soku: Ugh. Rosemary: Weird that they wanted us to wear armor, even bring our weapons. Edward: I think it is because we might be knighted at the end of the party, so they want us in highly dressed attire. Ophelia walks behind the group, sulking and wiping her tears away. Edward: She''s not taking this well. Rosemary: It was Gray''s choice to leave, so Im not going to get angry, but it still sucks that hes gone. Soku: Yeah its whatever, pretty abrupt though, wish he could have warned us. Rosemary: Well he seemed surprised too, I didnt know he was suffering so much. I wish I could have helped him. Edward: If he wanted help I think he wouldve asked, suffering in silence can make you feel lonely though, I knew he was playing a character to some degree, but not that much. Soku: How much do you think it was ? Rosemary: I dont think hes a completely different person than we knew, just an exaggerated version of his real self. Sounds weird talking about him in this way. Soku: Really sucks for you though, you liked him didnt you? Bad luck. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Rosemary: Its fine, I expected as much, usually I dont know if I had a good thing until I left it or it left me. Edward: A shame, he was talented. To put all that hard work to waste. Soku: Im gonna go talk to Ophelia, Ill just be a bit behind. Rosemary: Im kinda nervous about this whole party thing. Edward: Well most of the others are gone, only a few knights around, and just anybody who was in the exam. Even the other candidates left, though I think Kioshi will be there. Rosemary: Do you think Arthur will be fit for the title of king? Edward: He wasnt my first choice, though hes better than Elizabeth. Rosemary: Yeah thats fair. They enter the castle''s ballroom, with all the examinees talking with each other. Rosemary: Its beautiful. Edward: Really flashy. Soku: Bleh. Julius: Ah, you have arrived. Edward: Oh hey Julius, yeah we had to deal with some stuff before this. Julius: Where is Kyojin? Soku: He dipped out on us. Julius: Oh, Im sorry to hear that, well let us not be held back by that and let it stop us from having a good time now. Rosemary: Yeah I agree, I can use this to get my mind off of it. They all spend time talking to each other, eating nice food, having nice drinks, and just reliving a lot of stress they had. Soku: This royal grub still isnt as good as a home-cooked meal. Rosemary: Its better than what we had in the slums, a big shift in a short amount of time. Ophelia: I miss our old house. Edward: Yeah we all did lose homes huh. Soku: Cus of those anarchists following Gray, maybe he should be gone. Edward: Well I think were on their radar now, who knows they might be after us as well. Arthur walks up to the middle of the room, clanking his glass preparing himself to make an announcement. Soku: Its our new king. Arthur: OK EVERYONE I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A TOAST! I hope I am as good a ruler as I hope to be. I want to make this country happy and make the people of the county love each other no matter what they look like. SO ALL OF YOU, LIVE STRONG AND LIVE WELL! Right as his speech is finished, the roof breaks open, with a small army of anarchists falling from the sky, everyone reacts terrified and surprised. Soku: SHIT! Edward: RUN NOW! The small number of knights try to fight the anarchists, though, with no hope. They are quickly out numbered and dealt with in a quick and bloody fashion. Rosemary and the rest of the group try and run out of the castle, though blocking the main door is a man giving off an aura that can only be described as fear in carnet. The pale man looks at the group, he then smiles at them with his cracked and crooked teeth. Soku: IsIs that a jester or somthing? Whats with the makeup? Edward: NO TIME FOR THAT! Edward takes out his sword, swinging at the floor, opening a hole for them to escape into a lower floor. They jump into the hole, only to see four familiar foes. Carla: LOOK WHO IT IS! Jeremiah: Wheres Gray? I wanted to rematch him. Conroy: Oh hey Edward, wanna have a rematch? Anibis: Dammit, finish these people off by yourselves, I need to do other things. Conroy: Got it! Edward: If you wanna have a rematch, then lets have a one-on-one duel, and then Soku and Rosemary can fight you, your name is Carla right? Carla: WOOO! I LIKE THIS PLAN, COME ON GIRLS LETS GO! LEAVE THE CAT GIRL BEHIND AND LETS FIGHT! Soku: OPHELIA GETS OUT OF HER RUN! Rosemary: Ifif you wanna find Gray, hes not on this floor go find him. Jeremiah: Uhgfine you guys finish this here. Rosemary {IT WORKED!} Edward and Conroy leave to another hallway, holding their swords at each other, while Soku fights Carla with Rosemary, then theres Ophelia hiding in a corner. Conroy: COME ON LETS FINISH THIS ALREADY! END OF CHAPTER 10 Arc 3: Chapter 11. Conner Kyojin Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 11: Conner Kyojin Mom: I made dinner, come on! Conner: Alright Im coming. Mom: Wherere your glasses? Conner: Oh oops forgot about them, alright Im coming! Conner: What did ya make!? Mom: Breakfast for dinner, you have school tomorrow so I figured I would end your break with an easy meal. Conner: Cool! Alright, can I eat in my room? Dad: You dont wanna eat in here? Conner: Nah, Im waiting for something to spawn in my game, my friends are waiting for me..wait they can wait, Ill eat with you guys. Mom: Really! Okay, I''ll sit down on the couch, Ill bring everyone their food. Conner sits down on the couch, with his father turning on the TV. Conner {Weirdwhy did I change my mind? I usually just sit and eat in my room, It feels like I havent seen my Mom and Dad in forever, oh well wont hurt to eat with them.} Dad: So, how are you doing at school? Conner: I have the same answer every time you ask me this. Mom: Dont be a pain, we just wanna know what youre doing. Conner: I dont do much, just the normal grunt work, nothing else. Dad: You know when you wanna get a job so you can start working towards a car. Conner: Been looking, haven''t found anything. Mom: You hardly look, I can help you look sometime this week. Conner: Na Im good. Dad: Man you gotta start trying to figure out what you wanna do, you cant do nothing forever no matter how good that sounds. Conner {If only, I remember why I dont eat with them.} Conner: Okay I finished my food, Im going back to my room. Mom: Alright, dont stay up late, its a school night! Conner: Yeah, Yeah I know. Conner walks to the bathroom to wash his hands. He looks in the mirror and he sees something very strange. He sees somebody wearing the same clothes, has the same face, and has the same eyes. But this man has a stronger-looking body, hes missing his glasses, and his hair is longer, then the most important detail. He looks happy. Conner: WHAT THE HELL! Conner falls backward, surprised by who he saw in the mirror. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Dad: YOU OKAY!? Conner: YEAH IM GOOD! Conner {Gotta get my prescription changed or something god damn.} Conner walks back to his room, he tells his friends hes going to sleep, then lays on his bed, scrolling through his phone. Conner: Whats my password? Conner: Nonot thatoh yeah I remember. Weird I forgot it, welp I should at least try and fall asleep.early. Conner falls asleep, he dreams of four people, two young girls, one man, and one beautiful woman, all just out of his reach. He tries to run to them, but the road hes running on just seems to get longer and longer, unable to hear, speak or feel, hes like a ghost flying toward lost souls. Conner hears a ringing noise, causing him to wake up. Conner: AAH! He looks over, seeing his phone''s alarm going off for school. Conner calms himself, then gets ready for school. He takes a shower, though seemingly avoiding the mirror. He stands in the shower, letting the burning hot water hit his skin for about 20-25 minutes. He gets out of the shower, still avoiding the mirror. He dries his body off, scrubbing all the water off as fast as he can. He gets dressed, grabbing a hair tie to play with while he waits for his mom to wake up. Conner {Just gotta make it through the week, just another Monday, another week in the endless whole I gotta crawl out through one day at a time} Mom: Conner, are you awake!? Conner: Yeah Im up! Mom: Alright your backpacks in the car come on. Conner: Im coming! Conner walks to his mom''s car, getting in on the passenger side. Mom: You wanna drive yourself? Conner: I would have a panic attack and kill us both in a car accident. Mom: Conner! Just do it or youre not going to school. Conner: Im cool with not going. Mom: Im gonna take away all your electronics. Conner: Ill drive! Conner gets in the driver''s seat, starts the car, and proceeds to start driving to school. Mom: See youre doing good. Conner: Yeah whatever. Conner looks in the mirror seeing the same reflection he saw yesterday, scaring him though he remains focused on the road. Mom: You okay? You seem more stressed than usual. Conner: Feels like forever since I''ve been to school, same with driving. Mom: Tomorrow, dont bring that hair tie, try and make it through the day without messing with it. Conner: No thank you. Conner arrives at his school''s parking lot, gets out of the car, and begins to walk into the school. Conner {Alright calm down, just focus on messing with the hair tie, deep breath in, deep breath out.} Conner makes it to his first class, he sits beside his friend while getting his history notes out. Conner: Hey you got the notes, I forgot to take them last Friday? Friend 1: Yeah I got ''em, here. Conner: Thanks, bro. Conner falls asleep after copying the notes, missing the lesson, and forgetting to do his online work. Friend 1: You gotta start doing your work man. Conner: I just do it when I get home. Friend 1: Yeah but if you paid attention you would get better grades. Conner: That works for anything. Friend 1: I guess its whatever, see you in 4th period. Conner: Yeah see yah. Conner''s eyes go blank, his happy expression sinking into itself. He starts messing with his hair tie, mumbling while walking to his next class. The same thing happens throughout the day, Conner sees his friend, falls asleep, misses the lesson, then distracts himself from any social interaction by messing with something. The same thing he does every single school day. Trying to pass the time while not doing anything. He gets out of school and walks to his mom''s car. Mom: Did you have a good day at school? Conner: Just as good as any other day. Mom: Oh. Conner gets home, then he prepares to take a nap, resetting his energy. Conner {It was weird I didnt actually learn anything, either there was a substitute teacher or we were just going over the material I already learned.} He hears his phone start to ring, he answers the call only to hear a loud familiar sounding voice. Conner: Hello? Unknown caller: WAKE UP! Conner hangs up the phone, puts it on silent, then goes to take his nap. Conner {Fourmore daystill the weekend} Connor repeats the same actions all week, doing nothing, while the teachers teach him nothing that he already doesn''t know. Dad: HEY CONNER CAN YOU GRAB US A TWO-LITER FROM THE STORE! Conner: YEAH SURE! Conner gets his jacket, then walks out of his house and to the covenant store. Conner: Blehat least Im getting some exercise. Before he can get to the store, rain starts to fall rapidly. Conner has found himself in a thunderstorm and plans on just walking to the store and waiting out the storm. Conner {Dammit, this hood isnt helping from the rain. Kinda feels like I''ve done this before, walking in the rain, going to the store, in the same clothes as Im wearing right now. But I cant remember if I did it or not.} Before he can get to the store, he hears tires screeching on the ground. Conner turns his head to see a Semi-truck out of control from the rain, unable to break or keep any traction. Conner''s mind goes blank, as he starts taking steps toward the truck, with the only thing he can think of being freedom. Before he can get in front of the truck, the rain suddenly stops freezing in place. Conner: Whatthehell Everything that Conner could see was frozen in place. Conner fell to the ground, panicking and about to tear up when he heard a familiar voice again. Conner turns his head to see the man in the mirror, the altered version of himself. Almost like hes the better version, stronger, happy, and overall just better looking as well. Conner: Who the hell are you!? Gray: Names Gray Kyojin, and I''ve come to talk to yah about Isekais and whatnot. Conner: What the heck. END OF CHAPTER 11 Arc 3: Chapter 12. "A so called third chance in another world" Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 12: A So called "third chance in another world" Conner: ImIm having a nightmareyeah thats it, that has to be it. Gray: Nope sorry, this is a nightmare though, not the kind youre thinking of. Conner: What are you? And what do you mean by Isekai stuff? Gray: To put it simply, We are split into two parts. You only have memories of Earth while I have memories of the other world and earth. Conner: What...the hell! Gray: Yeah its kinda weird, its like we are our subconscious, we chose to give up you represent that choice. Conner: Further detail please, I dont even know whats real Gray: You killed yourself by walking in front of that truck a day before you were supposed to go to school. You got teleported to another world and you lived there for a month. Then you gave your body up to the thing that transported you, though it didnt go through since your subconscious didnt want to give up. Conner: Sounds like me, but how can I trust you? Gray: Have you not noticed anything weird about this place, like gaps not being filled in or things being out of place? Conner: Well now that you say that, things have seemed weird, like teachers not teaching me anything, people giving me basic responses, and not being able to answer questions I ask them damn it is fake. So does that mean my existence is a lieor? Gray: We are split, so either you fully give in, losing all possible memories and will never be able to figure out this is a dream, or you walk in front of that truck and embrace this new chance you have. Conner: But If I gave up once already, whats stopping me from doing it again if I get overwhelmed? I assume thats what happened is it not? Gray: We made friends, good friends, even kinda got a girlfriend though its not very sound if we were together, though cultists were attacking us, and after getting our ego blown up in our faces, we faced reality and left. Conner: Seems like we made the better decision. Gray: But they just attacked again, as we speak your friends are fighting for their lives. Conner: And what can I do? I already abandoned them, coming back would make that effort seem useless. Gray: If you wanna think that way then yeah, the way I see it is that our life here sucked. I missed it, but now that I see it againa second chance in another world was divine intervention. So let them die and stay in an endless dream, or try your best to save them and leave this world behind, choose now. Conner: II dontleave my parents, my friends Gray: This is a dream, its not even really them. Conner: But I broke down, what if I go back and I just run away again? Gray: Then thats just what happens. Conner: I want you to know I hate you. Gray: Yeah I know, Im you. I hate myself just as much as you do. Conner: And yet after all our history with that title you still chose to be called Gray Kyojin? Gray: Gray Kyojin is confident, happy, a hero, and somebody who never gives up. Conner: Everything Im not Gray: Then go back to where we are that person, and save our friends, get the girl, and talk to them. Let your friends, your real friends help youhelp us through this roadblock. Conner: This is our starting line then Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Gray: So what do you say? Conner looks at Gray, then he slowly walks in front of the truck. A single tear rolls down Conner''s eye before he makes the most crucial choice in his entire life so far. Conner: SO THIS IS WHERE I DIE HUH, NO MORE CONNER GRAY KYOJIN! Gray: Goodbye Conner. You were the building blocks for me. Conner: See ya. With these last words spoken, time unfreezes causing Conner to be hit by the truck. Then suddenly everything hits him at once. The fight in the ally, his first meeting with Rosemary, his fight with Jeremiah, his time at the mansion, and the knight exams. All playing in his mind like a TV show on fast forward, a compilation of life. Then he rematerializes back in his house right in front of his bedroom door. Gray: Im ready. Gray opens the door to see Azalea sitting on his bed, her face red with anger. Gray: Hey mind witch lady. Azalea: WE MADE A DEAL! Gray: Conner Kyojin made a deal so Im all good. Azalea: You idiot, youre the same person. Gray: Yeah but before I was just trying to act like a cool guy, now I am one. Azalea: Yeah cool guy, youre taking everything less seriously than before. Better than being an egotistical douchebag, now youre just a joke. Gray: Ill take that as a compliment. Azalea: How do you go from being understanding with your new life in another world to being overwhelmed and ranting to some girl you just met, and now you wanna go back? Gray: I was pretending to a certain level the entire time, just trying to bury my internal thoughts. Then I got my ego blown in my face and all those emotions that drove me towell to kill myself, but I wanted to leave, I didnt expect Rose to like me. My relationship with her isstrange and yet I just met her and yet I feel like I would do anything to help hersounds like Im white-knighting but its just what I believe. Azalea: So do you want anything before you leave? Gray: Cancan I say bye to my parents? Azalea: Of course, but you know they aren''t your real parents right? They are just the versions of them you have in your head. Gray: Yeah I know, its just the spirit of it ya know. Gray leaves his room and walks to the living room seeing his parents sitting together watching TV on the couch. Dad: Are you leaving? Gray: Yeah actually Mom: Were too? Gray: Its hard to explaincould say Im running off with a girl. Dad: Like youre going to see your girl or whatever? Gray: Kindabut I''m gonna be gone for a while...I dont Gray starts to sob, his mother gets up to console him. She hugs him, filling him with something that can only be described as motherly love. Mom: Its okay honeyyou have to do things on your ownI''m just glad that you found something you wanna doand Ill never stop you from following your dreams Dad: Hell if youre happy then Im happy, just dont get yourself killed okay? Mom: Remember to brush your teethoh and wash yourself every day! And eat all the good food you can! Dad: And treat this girl with as much care as you can okay? Also dont wimp out on working out anymore, get a job, and get ripped! No more sobbing about bullshit, gotta be a man ok? But the kinda man that cares about the people around him, the kinda man that shows emotion when its right." Gray: Yeah I got itand I do work out you know? Dad: Yeah sure. Mom: Just know we will always love you Gray: II dont think Ill be able to talk to you guys againIts pretty far awayand I wont be able to text or writebut I will always be thinking of you guys! Dad: Promise? Gray: I promise. Gray walks over to his dad, hugging him before he heads back to his room. Mom: Dont fall over yourself, if you feel stuck like you cant talk to anybody, remember you can. Your friends and your family exist for that reason. Dad: The same goes for you as well. Dont let them suffer in silence or anything. Mom: Just do what makes you happy, do as much as you can to keep the things that make you happy around as well! Your well-being is the most important thing in the world to usremember that. Gray: So do whatever makes me the best me that I can be. Well, I gotta go get packedI love you and I wont ever stop loving you." Dad: You better not! Mom: Have fun! Gray re-enters his room, closing the door behind him. Gray: So this is where we part then, will I ever see you again? Azalea: Maybe, but you''re starting to interest me. Before you leave I want to make sure I understandso you just want to apologize for your sins and make your life worth it. I can understand that, but why do you want to go back? It still confuses me Gray: I did waste my lifeIm not asking for sympathy or exaggerating it. I did nothing with my life, didnt try to get a girlfriend, didnt try to make a lot of friends, and didnt even try to find a job or hobby. And I got so in my head about itI just felt like I was drowning. Then I see this ten thousand pound opportunity beside me, and I take it. So I get this second chance at life, I try to be me. I wanted to be me so bad, and I was doing fine for a while. I wasnt lying to myselfI was just actually doing it, I had friends I like, and I have an almost girlfriend that I love with all my heart. I wasI still am building this family and life that I just love. But I let it get to my head, let that nice guy that I was trying to be overflow with ego and I got this terrible attitude. I know using these different names or referring to myself as different people probably does make me sound crazybut these names are people, it helps me escape from my issues but that just doesn''t work. I am Conner Gray Kyojin, Im a blunt, goofy, loud, smart ass, and thats not a bad thing. I just cant let it get out of hand as I did before. Even if Arthur was being a dick to me and my friends I shouldnt have lost my composer as I did, and Rosemary didnt even get mad at me for it. Im such a dick for dropping all those issues on her like that and I feel so bad about it, and I want to apologize to herto all of them for leaving like that. And they are fighting for their lives right now, my perfect chance to make that dashing entrance to help them. I want to be a good person, and this is my starting line, this is where I start walking down the biggest road in my life which I can do with this second chanceno this is the third chance I''ll continue on this path, I''ll be a hero, with three chances in another world. Azalea: That sounds pretentious. Gray: Eh kinda, it''s like when the MC says the title of the show inside of the show, so it''s dumb but intended to be funny. But that''s besides the point. So thank you, thank you for giving me these chances to live my life. The bedroom door opens, showing an infinite space, with a shining white light at the bottom, a beautiful sight. Azalea: You''re welcome. Gray smiles, giving Azalea a thumbs up, winks at her, and looks down at the shining light. He takes one last deep breath, putting one foot over the door way, about to fall into space. Gray: This better be worth it." With that Gray falls backward into the void, falling with tears of joy flowing from his eyes. Gray {I will save my new familyI will give everything I have to make sure they dont get hurtIf I play my cards right Ill get two younger sisters, a beautiful girlfriend, and a loser older brother. Here is my vow No matter what happens to me, no matter how much pain I feel, how deep the pit of despair gets, I will do everything in my power to make sure I make sure theyre safe. And if they die Ill do nothing but try and avenge them. I will be the man I have always wanted to be my entire life. I will be a good person, I swear.} Gray reaches the bottom of the void, the white light blinding Gray. He feels himself back on the ground, opening his eyes he sees the mana-damping crystal turned to dust, with his hands freed from the chains that he was once bound by. Gray: Thanks Mom, and DadAzaleafor everything. But now, it''s time to started''! END OF CHAPTER 12 Arc 3: Chapter 13. Starting line Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 13: Starting line Gray gets up, and the necklace around his neck glows leaking mana which materializes into a dark hooded cloak. Gray: Oooooh, cloak of darkness. Not very creative. Wish I had asked how to use it. Gray puts the hood over his head, generating a small amount of mana on his arm, and breaks the lock on the cell door. Then he exits the dungeon, looking around for any anarchists. He hears two people talking near him, so he gets down and slowly approaches them. Gray {AnarchistsI need to get to Rose and the others as fast as I canI need to beat these guys and loot them without being foundGO!} Gray jumps out of his hiding spot, using a Mana Overdrive '''' to the back of one of the Anarchist''s heads, knocking him out. The other Anarchist tries to swing his tanto and cut Gray, but Gray reacts faster, jumping over the Anarchist, and then using both his feet to kick the man in the face knocking him out on impact. Gray {Ive been fighting such strong foes I forgot that a lot of people in this world are just normal dudes, If I go overboard I''ll kill them on impact. I should loot them and get going.} Gray loots the bodies, taking the tanto as well as some throwing knives off of the other Anarchists. Then he leaves heading toward some stairs at the end of the tunnel. Gray runs up the stairs as fast as he can. Gray {I''ve had to run up two or three floors at leastI can hear fighting all over the place but I can hear a lot of it about one or more floors up. If my luck plays out then theyre up there!} Before Gray can get up to the last two floors, he senses a good sum of mana rushing toward him. It feels familiar to him like hes met this person before. Four arms made out of mana break through the walls of the hidden staircase. Gray can dodge the initial attack, though one of the arms grabs onto Gray''s leg, pulling him out of the stairwell. Gray uses the tanto to slice through the arm, setting him free. Gray: NO WAY! NOT THE BEST TIME FOR A REMATCH, BUT ILL TAKE IT I GUESS! Hey, you got your mask back too! Jeremiah: What are you blabbering about boy? I knew I could sense your mana, and here you are right in front of me Unlike before, your friends arent here to help you, and neither is a box of explosives to throw at meso what will you do to win this time? Gray: Ill just have to drop the whole castle on you. Jeremiah: YOU IDIOT! I WILL KILL YOU! Jeremiah releases a bombardment of arms all rushing toward Gray. The arms tear through the floor, ceiling, and walls to get to him. Gray flows the maximum amount of mana his body can handle. Then he slashes through all the arms, flowing between strikes and carrying all the momentum towards Jeremiah. Jeremiah uses more arms to push himself backward, trying to dodge Gray. Gray: YOUR ARMS WERE WEAKER BEFORE! YOU GOT BETTER! Jeremiah: You also have seemed to grow in strength! Making it even better when I beat you! Damned brat!'''' Gray: "Me!? The brat!? You''re like ten!" Gray pours mana into the tanto before throwing it at Jeremiah, cutting through multiple arms and allowing him to leap at Jeremiah to get a direct hit on him. Gray {MANA OVERDRIVE!} Mana surges from Gray''s arm, scaring Jeremiah, though instead of risking an overabundance of damage to his arm, he focuses it on his finger. He flicks Jeremiah in the face and causes a good amount of pressure to send Jeremiah flying back. Jeremiah struggles to stand back up using his mana arms to do so for him. Jeremiah: HowNO, NO, NO! IN A MONTH YOUVE GROWN THIS MUCH? LEAVE ME ALONE! Jeremiah uses his arms to break through the castle walls, climbing up the side of the outside of the wall. Gray: DONT RUN NOW! Gray picks up the tanto and jumps outside stabbing the tanto into the wall to give him leverage. Jeremiah: YOU IDIOT! Jeremiah uses his arms to break the wall Gray''s hanging off of, causing him to fall off the castle. Gray {SHIT!} Gray reaches out his arm, trying to grab onto the wall. With the wall just out of reach, Gray begins to try and think of a way to get back onto the wall. Though before he could do anything the cloak stretched out like a goo attaching itself to the wall. Gray sees this, grabbing onto the cloak with his left hand and yanking himself back onto the wall. Jeremiah: HOW!? THE CLOAK OF DARKNESS IS IN YOUR HANDS? THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE! Gray: Yeah, that was awesome! Gray {Its like a grappling hook or something, one I can controlif I only knew how to though} Jeremiah climbs up the wall, placing himself on a side roof of the castle. Gray jumps up the wall, planting his feet into the side of it to continue his way up, landing on the same part of the roof as Jeremiah. Gray {I JUST WALL JUMPED IN REAL LIFE!} Jeremiah: just leave me alone now and I wont come after you, okay? Gray: Nope sorryI will give you props though, you are the whole reason I made it this far. If you hadnt attacked the house back in the slums I might have been selling stolen goods or something right now. Jeremiah: So does that make you less ready to kill me? Gray: I dont want to kill youbut I know youre gonna come back and I wont let that happen. The smile on Gray''s face fades away, leaving only a look of contentment. Gray throws the three knives he stole at Jeremiah. Jeremiah leans backward, barely dodging the knives. They get close enough to leave three straight lines going up the mouth part of the mask causing it to look like a skull a child would draw. Gray {I dont wanna do thisbut I have to} Gray uses the opening the knives created to jump toward Jeremiah. Jeremiah tries to use the Goliath arm as a last-ditch effort but to no avail. Gray summons a clump of mana on his hand, forming it into a sphere of powerful mana. Gray: TITANS IMPACT! The ball of mana explodes, destroying the arm and leaving Jeremiah open for the last time. Gray stabs the tanto into Jeremiahs stomach pinning him to the ground. Jeremiah: PlPleasedont do this Gray: You started this fightthis is on you. Gray takes the mask off Jeremiah and then places it on himself. Gray: Im using this as a trophy if you dont mind. Jeremiah: I hate you... Gray: I need that communicator you guys got. Jeremiah: If only...I had my mother....my siblings... Gray {Hes losing it, man this sucks...he''s just a kid....but it''s too late now.} Gray checks Jeremiah''s pockets, taking out his communicator. Gray: If you are on the other end of this line there is a big chance youre a part of the Sect of Anarchy. And if you are, know, we''re coming for you. And stop messin'' with Gray Kyojin if you could, he''s the Grim Reaper after all." Gray looks down at the crying and bleeding Jeremiah, and his heart sinks for just a moment. A young boy was born into this life, bleeding out because of his actions. But with a shake of his face, it wears off. Jeremiah: Areyouthe...reaper? This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Gray: Yeah, and I''ve come for your soul. With Jeremiah''s last dying breath, he lets out a cry of fear before Gray removes the tanto from his stomach, then slashes his head off to end the boys pain. Gray takes a moment of silnce, feeling the pain of his actions. To kill a kid, that was something he never thought he''d do. But with regret filling his mind, he just couldn''t, he couldn''t stop when he''s gone this far to come back. Gray: "This is just a small bit of my punishment. I don''t deserve to feel bad, I gotta go find the others." Gray crushes the communicator tosses it aside, and then breaks back into the castle through the roof. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While Gray was facing Jeremiah, Edward, and the others were still struggling with their fights. Rosemary: Why do you have to do this? What do you get out of this! Carla: I JUST DO WHAT IM TOLD! Soku: Great system you got going on there then, a real team. Rosemary leads the fight with Carla, with Soku helping from afar. Rosemary uses her third stage, which is barely able to keep up with Carla using both her hand blades. All of Rosemary''s hits caused Carla''s bones to crack as well as her muscles tearing from the force. With Sokus'' cover, it prevents Rosemary from being sliced by Carla''s hand blades. Back at the mansion, the main reason they were losing so badly was that they were surprised and didn''t have a plan of attack. However, with Rosemary''s intense strength whittling down Carla with each punch and Souk''s wind slashing forward Carla focuses on defending against them and not Rosemary, she is trapped within their attacks. If Carla turned around Rosemary could attack her back, if she continued fighting like this she''d slowly lose, so it seemed, Carla wasn''t going to be victorious this time. Meanwhile, Conroy and Edward are having a much closer battle. Conroy: COME ON! SHOW ME THAT WARRIORS SPIRIT! Edward: Is that all Im good for? Everybody who interacts with me just wants me to lose myself to a mental illness. Conroy: Thats just how the world works, people take what they want no matter how much the person cares. Edward {Hes rightno matter how bad it soundsthe fight is even but if I give inI canno, I will winso sink deepersee nothingwant nothingbecome nothing but an animal the world wants me to be.} While they were trading blows with quick succession, Edward made the move to shift victory to his side. Edward releases his mind from his body, seeping deep into his want to fight, the once-heavy sword becomes as light as a feather, and all the emotions flowing through his body turn into the want to win. Conroy goes for a quick thrust into Edward''s neck, but like some sort of animal Edward opens his mouth, growling like a monster, he bites into the Conroy blade, shattering the sword into pieces. This act of viciousness evokes an infinite fear in Conroy as his death which seemed impossible was the only clear future he could see. Edward enveloped in his rage, swings Bj?rn rapidly throughout the hallway, carving through the walls like a hot knife through butter. Conroy pulls out an extra sword but all chances for his victory are instantly turned to zero, Edward builds up momentum, then swings Bj?rn against Conroy''s blocking blade, going straight through Conroy''s sword, then proceeding to smash Conroy''s skull in, killing him and ending their duel once and for all. Edward: Its over Edward, after a few breaths, starts to head over to Rosemary and Soku. Carla: JUST DIE ALREADY! HOW ARE YOU THIS GOOD AT DODGING!? Rosemary pulls back her arm, pushing it into the fourth stage. Even with the distance small between the two, the wind pressure pushes Carla back. Meanwhile, Soku stands patiently, focusing and refining her mana into a sharp edge. When Carla was pushed back, Soku threw the wind blade at Carla. Carla tries to turn her body to block the blade, though it slices her arms, allowing Rosemary to get a clean hit to her head with a fourth-stage punch, killing her in an instant. Soku: Did we win? Rosemary: I think so..ugh Soku: Your arms are all messed up...you went hard. Rosemary: Im finehow much mana do you have left? Soku: Like half. OPHELIA COME OUT! Ophelia leaves her hiding place, walking up to Rosemary and Soku. But right when they get a moment to rest, cloth bandages attack and grab onto the young girl. And so the attacker stood, with Ophelia up in the air. Soku: OPHELIA! Ophelia: HELP! PLEASE PWEAS! As Ophelia cried Rosemary turned her focus to the attacker. Soku went to slash at the magical bindings but Rosemary put her hand out to stop her, not knowing what these wrappings could do to her dear sister. Rosemary: COME OUT! WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK THIS OUT! A cloaked and bandaged woman walks out of a guest room, those same bandages holding up Ophelia leave her arms open. And on her arms, nothing but muscle, as it seems these bandages were her skin. And the wrappings pulled Ophelia in with a sudden grasping pull, holding her up by her throat. Rosemary: Waityou were at the mansion right? Anibis: That is correct. I have been sent to retrieve you all and bring you back to the ballroom. Kioshi is currently fighting all of the future pillars of justice, and theyre waiting for an audience so for the sake of your friend come with me. Rosemary: And if we - Soku: WELL GO! Anibis: See, you came around. Ophelia: NO SOKU DONT! Soku: Ill do whatever I need to make sure youre safe, even if it means my life. Suddenly what can only be described as a ball of destruction bursts through a wall, cleaving through the bandages with its sword, then swinging at Anibis, breaking her arm and collar bone. Soku: EDWARD CALM DOWN! Edward: II knowI gotta breatheOk, anarchist, explain what youre doing here and Ill let you livedo you understand? Anibis: I dont knowand even if I did I wouldnt tell youyou royal brat. Ophelia runs to Soku, hiding behind her. Rosemary stands guard looking for any other anarchist. Before any more communication could begin, Anibis communicator activated receiving a voice call "If you are on the other end of this line there is a big chance youre a part of the Sect of Anarchy. And if you are, know, we''re coming for you. And stop messin'' with Gray Kyojin if you could, he''s the Grim Reaper after all." A cry is heard on the communicator before turning off, ending the message. Rosemary: Grayhes still here Soku: I thought that guy left. Ophelia: GRAYS HERE! WHERE, WHERE? Anibis: That idiotwait that crythat was Jeremiah, JEREMIAHS HURT! IS HE DEAD!? IF MY BROTHER WAS SLAIN BY YOU.... NO! ....THAT THATS IMPOSSIBLE! YOU CAN''T TAKE THEM AND MY DEAR SIMBLINGS HERE WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT FIRST!" But Anibis couldn''t stand up to fight with a Helsing in front of her. Fear held her down, pain caused her to remain still, and death looked down upon her like it did for her siblings. Edward: Youre taking the pain well, and now that we know Grays here you guys got some pain coming. A rush of steps is heard, and twenty anarchists enter the hall all ready to attack. Soku: ShitI cant beat those guys, not all at once at least. Rosemary: My body is damagedbut I can still fight. It shouldn''t be impossible Edward: READY!? Then a figure cloaked in black bursts through the window behind the Anarchists. Only holding a bloodied tanto, the man slaughters Anarchist after Anarchist, and Edward assists the man in cleaving through the ofront of the forces. Soku: No waythat guys insane, killing guy after guy with no time to breathe. Rosemary: It cant be They finish killing the Anarchists, leading Edward to hold his sword at the man. Edward: That manathe black cloak and white mask, I have reason to not trust you. So give me one to. Gray: Cant tell its me? Thats mean! Edward: Gray? Rosemary: Gray. Gray pats Edward shoulder while running to Rosemary. Gray removes his mask and gives an awkward smile, sweating and panting from his fights. Rosemary stands shocked, not knowing what to do, shaking. Rosemary: "But you left...you...you said all of those things, said you had to leave...and you''re back? Why?" Gray is left speechless. After seeing that his past life is something he can''t survive in, finding his purpose in his friends, he ran all the way here. But the way he left was bad, disruptive, and left Gray in a bad position. Gray: "...You guys have helped me through everything. Without you, I don''t have a purpose. I don''t feel complete. It took losing it to realize it...but..." In that moment, Rosemary hugs him. After losing him and facing the Sects attack, she''s both worn out and ready to run. Gray was and still is a beacon of safety to her. So she forgives him. Soku: EW! Ophelia: NO WAY ROSEMARY HAS A BOYFRIEND! Edward: "You say that after a hug? They''ve slept in the same room for a month?" Ophelia: "Yeah but they did that because they felt scared to be alone! This is love!" Both Gray and Rosemary''s face went red, leaving all care for the current situation to scream out at the same time. Gray & Rosemary: "WE WERE NOT SCARED TO BE ALONE!" Gray: "I just uh, liked her being around!" Rosemary: "And if the Sect were coming after him, somebody had to be there!" Gray: "Wait really? That''s why?" Rosemary: "Well...um...yeah, kinda, like half." Gray: "Okay that''s not bad." Soku: "WHAT ARE WE DOING! KIOSHI IS FIGHTING THE SECT, MUSASHI IS DOIN'' WHATEVER, AND THERE ARE DUDES EVERYWHERE!" Gray: "Oh! About that. Arthur, he''s uhhhh" Edward: What is it? Soku: "Yeah spit it out!" Gray: ArthurArthur Willams, the new king of Walgona is a member of the Sect of Anarchy. Soku: WHAT!? Edward: Butit cant be Rosemary: The new king isan anarchist Anibis: You how do you know this? Gray: Man you got a good pain threshold! Also yeah he told me. So where is he? Edward: Hes upstairs with Kioshi and the three Cromwell brothers. Soku: Look I like Kioshi and allbut we gotta pull a Gray and get the hell out of here. Gray: Pull a Graythat will not become a saying. Soku: Nope just did it. Edward: We dont even know if we can trust Julius and his brothers now but Kioshi is up there fighting the leaders of the Sect. Rosemary: I think we should just run as welleven though it seems immoral. She''s the strongest, so she can win right? Edward: "Knowing her she''ll hold back to make sure she doesn''t destroy the castle. But she should have been able to win already anyway...so why is it taking so long?" Soku: We need to get Ophelia out of here if anythingshe cant fight back." Gray: Yeah we might have to pull a Gray then. Anibis: You allare just the sameleaving your comrades to diejust like what you did with that butleryou know the one my dead family killed. In an instant Edward slams Bj?rn against Anibis head, killing her. Soku: WOAH SHIT! Gray: EWim gonna pukeuhg Rosemary: EDWARD! We might have been able to use her. Edward: Im going to do anything I can to help Kioshi. Soku: Not this again. Gray: Dont do thisKioshi is strong so can''t lose! if anything well get in the way, and we are all beat upIm sore, Rosemary is injured, and Sokus almost out of mana. Edward: Leave then, II know Im making a bad decisionbut Kioshi and Mushashi are all the family I have leftand I dont want to just do nothing. Gray: Okay thenI''ll go with you. Rosemary: WHAT! The hell you are!come on! Soku {Woah didnt know Rosemary could be so assertive.} Gray: I made a vowa vow that means Ill do anything to save my friendsrisking my life and dying if I have to. Rosemary: How HOW SELFISH ARE YOU!? Rosemary punches Gray clean in the face, holding back tears she starts to go off on Gray. Rosemary: You leaveyou talk of all this trauma and dont let me even try to reason with younow you come back thinking there would be no repercussions!? You just come in, kiss me, and then expect us to fall back in line!? I like you, I really like you, and I''m glad you''re back. BUT YOU CAN''T KEEP ACTING LIKE THIS!" And so Gray froze for a moment, because he agreed, and he let out a sigh. Gray: Im sorry butKioshi is my friendand if we have to go to war with these Anarchists we need all the help we can get. We can''t just let the worlds strongest person die after all. Soku: As long as Ophelia is safe Im Ophelia: I DONT WANT HER TO DIE! Ophelia blindly runs off, heading toward the stairs to the ballroom. Soku: OPHELIA! COME BACK DAMMIT! Soku uses her wind magic to rush forward, trying to stop Ophelia from getting herself killed, though she gets stopped by a stray Anarchist trying to stab her. She almost gets sliced, using wind mana to push the Anarchist back, then releasing a sharp wind blade, slashing their throats. Rosemary: OPHELIA! DONT! They all start running after Ophelia, but she makes it up the stairs, and with the ballroom doors open everyone sees the horror. The people are fighting faster than any of them can perceive. They had all heard small rumblings before, but the air pressure coming from the fight almost knocked them all back. With big slashes on the ceiling as well as the floor, the beautiful ballroom turned into a war-torn battlefield. Gray: Damn..so this is a God of War. Edward: No, something''s wrong, she should been moving a lot faster and hitting a lot Something holding her back." Soku: Ophelia come herewe need to leave. Then a figure coated in a black and bird-like armor swoops down, sprouting wings from her underarms and snatching the group. For some reason they were all unable to use their mana and also froze up, for some reason allowing themselves to get carried away from within her extended wings as she''d grabed them up with her hands, feet, and beak. Gray: LET US GO NASTY HAG! Here you goa perfect viewing area. She lets them go, leaving them on one of the ballroom balconies overlooking the battle. Arthur: Hey there you guys are. Any unnecessary movements and you die. Now all of you walk back here and sit on the chairs with Julius, Roy, and Lloyd. They go to walk to the chairs, but then suddenly Arthur Grabs Ophelia by the neck, using his spirit flames to lightly burn her neck. She cries out in pain screaming to be let go. Soku LET HER GO! Arthur: If you try anything you die firstnow let''s watch the strongest God of War fight the future pillars of justice. END OF CHAPTER 13 Arc 3: Chapter 14. Fallen Gods Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 14: Fallen Gods Hundreds of Anarchists walk onto the other balconies all watching the events unfold in front of them. Arthur: Its like watching a dance isnt itcome on guys add some enthusiasm, that''ll be the last time you see her. Gray: Shes supposed to be the strongest in the worldthats what she told meso how is she losing? Arthur: We got lucky and one of our Anarchists has a power that can turn off marks of providence." Soku: THATS INSANE! Arthur: Yep. Roy: HOW COULD YOU BETRAY US! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS!? Lloyd: Youwe spent all that time together, you spent over fifteen years in the Dragon armyand you abandoned us. Julius: I would assume you were never with Valatrositice, to begin with. Arthur: Bingo! Since the power of Kioshi''s marks of providence has nullified, she has to use only physical strength to win. But shes on the back foot, fighting a walking skeleton, a man with snake-like skin, the blackbird, and an old jester. All are different in appearance but all give off scenes of utter fear and confidence. But even with their unorthodox abilities, the only reason they''re still alive is because of everyone else in the room. If Kioshi were to fight at full strength, even without her marks of providence, Gray and the others would be killed in the crossfire. Gray: Whos the old guy with the make-up, and that dark blue hairlooks like a clown. Arthur: That right there boy, that is our leader, the man who started our factionthe man that will help start a new world. Prometheus. They move like forces of nature, the Skeleton continues to swing his scythe, leading the charge in their battle, the bird uses her wings to fly away from all of Kioshi''s returning attacks before opening up her helmet, blasting out a sonic screech. It blasts echos of purple sound waves, pushing her back. Kioshis {I can''t land a hit on her! They''re all protecting her, and anytime I get close she flies away or screams!} The Snake-like man stretches out his arms to fight at a range, healing and regrowing them if they get cut off or injured. Soku: You can let go of Ophelia now Arthur: Nah just wait a sec, this fight will be over soon. Kioshi might be all powerful or whatever, but that''s just some propaganda. Anybody can be taken out by a good plan or a simple mistake, even Musashi! All in time." Kioshi looks up to see her friends all in peril, unable to accept the fact she can''t save them, and decides to end this. By throwing away her life right now to save the future instead of hoping she doesn''t make a mistake she''ll be able to win one way or another. But this is that mistake, the mistake she''s been worrying about and the Sect has been hoping for. Kioshi {I cant take much more of thisI dont know who is shutting off my marks of providence. The skeleton and that jester can kill me if they hit me once and they don''t go down no matter how hard I hit them! And that snake man is doing the same! If it weren''t from my enchanted body that mans venom would have killed me a long time ago. And something''s giving me a really bad head ache on top of all of it...I can''t win this...I''m sorry father, but I need to leave myself open so I can try and kill them with...WITH A FINAL ATTACK!} In a flash she put all of the strength she could into a volley of movements. She slashed the air with such strength that it sent blades of wind to every attacker in the room, and they all hit. The Bird-like anarchist was saved by the snake-like man extending his arms, strengthen their scales, and blocking for her. That same man healed through her attack. And the skeletal figure seems durable enough to barley live, but he still stood ready. And luckily for Arthur, he was able to react. He put as much power into his sword as he could, allowing his flames to consume it, and after it was ready, he slashed against her attack. it didn''t fully counteract it, as his muscles exploded and his sword crumbled, but he was able to live, barley. Arthur: HEY THATS CHEATING! But through the commotion she failed to feel Prometheus'' body heal itself in an instant after being eviscerated, and he touched her. Kioshi felt a finger sunk into her spine, and she suddenly lost all feeling in her body, collapsing to the ground. Every bit of stress and adrenaline from the battle was made void because all she could do was feel her failure. Everything seemed out of place, unfair. The skeleton''s durability was immense, the jester along with the snake could heal from seemingly everything, and the bird''s flight kept it safe from the battle. That, along with her marks of providence and her mana being held into her body, unable to be used, caused her unbeatable strength to be overcome. Prometheus: One touch is all it took to make your so called God fall to their knees. A shame. Utterly." Eve though Arthur almost died from Kioshis slash he''s still strong enough to rein an unstoppable presence over the group. So they all get up slowly walking to The Sects'' leaders. They sit down on the floor across from Kioshi as she starts to cry. But Prometheus speaks over her silent cries to begin to make his confirmation. Prometheus: We are the Sect of Anarchy incarnate. We are all different people, some were born with powers, into royalty, and some were born with nothing to their name. But what makes us similar, is our beliefs. The world is corrupted, and controlled by people who dont know what the world could be. We all made a vow that states that we will all help our fellow brothers and sisters, humans, demi-humans, and elves. By standing together we all strive to make a new world, without prejudice, without fear, we will all be together. We are the future pillars of justice and this is just one of our thousands of acts of justice." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Gray: You make it sound so nice, but to achieve the goal you lie, destroy, and slaughter whenever you feel necessary. Doesn''t sound so nice when you add all of the facts in there. Rosemary: Your people killed the entire Golden Knight factionhow does that seem fair! Prometheus: Well Im sorry but we are busy people, Pandora would you please inform them of what we are going to do? The blackbird, now revealed to be Pandora, begins speaking with a righteous tone in her voice. Pandora: Of course. Your friend here, Kioshi, is a big factor in any possible loss at mass war, so today, November twenty-seventh, Kioshi Van Helsing dies. Any last words? What about you Severus, and Lazurus as well? Lazarus: I know the feeling of death well, you fought a lot better than I could have ever expected, just like the legends. Severus: The fact I got to fight against a god of war and win! Its unprecedented, its amazing, its absolutely lovely! Prometheus: With that, YOUR LIFE COMES TO AN END! Prometheus sticks his fingernail in Kioshis neck. At that moment she was frozen in a storm of failure, her role as the strongest, failed. She was able to withstand everything even after losing her powers and her mind, but she paniced when her new friends fell into harms way. She''d attacked Arthur fearing they would be killed; she made a mistake, and in an instant, her body explodes, coating everyone in her blood. So in that moment, Kioshi Van Helsing, the strongest being to ever exist, was killed. She was trapped in a perfect storm that halted every bit of her strength and is now nothing more than a pile of blood and guts. Edward and Rosemary shut down from shock, while Gray struggled to keep his cool. Arthur: Now for you guys, Roy youre first. Roy: NO, NO, WE FOUGHT TOGETHER MAN!, WE TRAINED, I - Arthur blasts Roy with his black flames, burning him alive. His skin boils, his face melts, and his screams fill the room until his soul leaves his body. Gray: WHAT THE HELL!? Soku: Just let Ophelia goIll let you do anything to me, please! Soku starts to break down, squirming and crying before Arthur holds out his hand again. Lloyd: NO PLEASE, ILL JOIN THE SECT I SWEAR ILL STAY FIGHTING WITH YO- And once more Arthur blasts a wave of flames over Lloyd''s body. The black flames surround him, instantly turning him to ash. Julius: You burned my only brothers. Arthur: Now for this damn annoying cat girl, always hated em''. Soku: NO! STOP PLEASE! PLEASE I BEG OF YOU! PLEASE I''LL DO ANYTHING!" At the last possible second, before the flames can fully muster, the back wall of the ballroom gets destroyed, releasing fog throughout the room. Arthur then feels his arm about to be cut off, then right before he is about to be cut down, The pillars attack the savior, causing the fog to be blown away, revealing a ronin dressed in old armor, a straw hat, and an old cloak. Edward: MUSASHI GET OUT! RUN NOW! Gray: NICE TIMING! NOW RUN LIKE HELL! The same drake that saved the group from the mansion, arrives behind them allowing them to get on her back. Gray: DEMA, YOURE A HERO ONCE AGAIN! They begin to get on Dema while Musashi battles the pillars. However, something seems wrong. As the world''s strongest swordsman that should be able to deal with these devious beings with ease. Unlike Kioshi, Musashi has more skill and control, even with his mana take. So he shouldn''t accidentally harm anyone else and be able to keep up, but something is still off. Musashi {Dema cant fly with all of us on it, at least no fast enough to allow for escape. I need to do something to push them off, but if I do I''m stuck...} As he smashed through Serverus arms and blocked Lazarus swings and carved through Prometheus the battle field continued to move around them. Edward: Julius get on! Julius: You will let me escape with you? I have no relationship with you thoughhow strange. Gray: JUST GET ON DAMMIT! They all get on, with Ophelia walking up to Dema. Soku: Come on Ophelia runs faster! Fire. It burns away homes, burns people, and continues to grow until put out. Anger, drive, and wrath are all emotions tied to fire, which are the emotions going through the group''s body. This is because right as Ophelia was going to get on Dema, reaching out her hand, a rush of black flames hit her back. Lighting her body on fire, scorching her. Soku: ...no... Ophelia breaks down, crying from the ongoing fire, trying her hardest to put it out, but sadly with no luck. Soku goes to use her wind magic to blow the fire away but shes too late. Ophelia is a kind, caring, whimsical, loud, blunt, happy, young girl. A girl that got roped into something she had no want in, was taken from her home and had to adapt to her new life as fast as she could. That same girl is taken over by the flames, she reaches out to Soku, screaming in pain. Then she turns to ash, blowing away from the wind of the Musashi''s battle. Soku: ...What Soku leans in close to the fire that had scorched her sister. The flames even spread to her long hair. Soku shuts down, her body exploding with mana. All of it rushing to the left of her chest. A rush of light explodes from her left shoulder, revealing a mark. She holds out her hand, blasting all the mana in her body at Arthur. The blast carves through the floor, looking like a backward vortex. With all that effort, Arthur swings his sword while blasting out flames. The force canceling out her attack. The wind from her attack puts out the fire burning her hair. Soku sadly falls to the ground unconscious, her arm broken and bleeding. She''s then s grabbed by a panicking Gray, pulling her back on Dema. Prometheus: Amazing, to watch a Mark of Providence awaken right in front of me. Truly beautiful." Gray: NO! GOD DAMNIT WHAT THE HELL!? WHAT IS WRONG With THIS WORLD!? UGH! DEMA GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! As everyone set into panic, aside from Julius, the hell they were trapped in got even hotter. Soku is handed to a now shattered Rosemary. She holds her dearly while tears stream from her face. But she had to be strong; Soku was just a kid indeed of help. Dema then rushes out of the ballroom, flying through the air. Musashi struggles to keep up with the Pillars. Edward: MUSASHI GET OUT OF THERE NOW! Musashi {This is it. I spent all my life fighting battles, fighting with my brother, and my father, Becoming a monster, a god of war, and achieving the name Ronin of the mist just to end it here. Fitting for an old man, to save the new generation. The Truth never lies, but I can at least push a bit further.} All he was doing was buying time. No matter how many times he hit Lazarus and Prometheus away they always came back. No matter how many times he attempted to take down Pandora or Serverus they were always saved. It was either run and have a case or stand his ground to keep going. Musashi smiles at Edward, then puts all of the power he can muster up into one sword swing, slashing at Prometheus. It carries so much power that it seemingly pulls down the sky, cleaving through the roof of the ballroom, hitting Prometheus''s body, and creating a shock wave so great that it pushes everyone back, destroying the vampires body. He then feels Lazurus scythe slash his back, sealing his soul in an instant. In his last seconds of life, he sees Prometheus body parts glow, recreating his body with no physical damage to be seen. Prometheus spreads his arms laughing hysterically before Musashi falls dead on the ground. It was an impossible scenario brought into the world by devils. Prometheus: RUN! FLY! HIDE FOREVER! WE WILL LIVE ON FOR THE REST OF THE TIME! THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING, A SMALL PART IN THE PLAN OF FREEDOM, THESE MEANINGLESS DEATHS, THIS POINTLESS DESTRUCTION, ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT HAVE JUST HAPPENED WAS PURE AND UTTER ANARCHY! THE OLD PILLARS THAT MUST BE REMOVED FOR A NEW SOCIETY TO FORM! AND OUR NEW WORLD IS EVER CLOSER! WE ARE THE INEVITABLE INCARNATE! All of the Anarchists scream and roar, chanting with an overwhelming sense of victory. Prometheus looks at Gray, staring him in the eyes. The vampires body began to break and splinter to dust in the wind as Gray''s adrenaline finally begins to subside. The deaths, the fear, the shock of so much in do little time finally overwhelms his heart. Leaving him unconscious. Rosemary holds onto Gray as Dema starts flying as fast as she can. Rosemary: WHERE ARE WE GOING! Edward: GREENVALE, ILL FLY US THERE!! Rosemary: GREENVALE!? END OF CHAPTER 14 Arc 3: Chapter 15. To you, myself, Gray Kyojin Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 30: To you, myself, Gray Kyojin Gray: Ughits cold Rosemary: Youre finally awake! Gray: Loudtoo loud Gray opens his eyes, finding himself laying in a bed, in a cozy cold room. He notices that Rosemary had cut her hair as well. Gray: Youcut your hair? Rosemary: Sokus hair got burned by fireso I thought Id cut my hair to make her feel better. Gray: Thats nice of you Rosemary: Its just a gesture. Gray: These blankets are nice Rosemary: Dema flew us to a place called Greenvale. Its a hidden village, and its snowing outside. Gray: That explains the freezing roomso is Soku okay? Rosemary: She hasnt spoken to anybody Gray: And Edward? Rosemary: He has been swinging his sword around outside since we got here. Gray: Im sorry. Rosemary: For what? Gray starts to break down, trying to hide his face from Rosemary. Gray: If I hadnt left.if I had just stayedwe might have been able to leave. Rosemary: That was your choiceit looks that way in hindsight but we cant do anything about that. Gray: Yeahbut I just left you guyswith no reason or prior notice. Rosemary: I know what it feels like to leavethen it just blows back in your face. You can talk to me about it if you want Gray: I had a relapseI wasn''t in a good place mentally before thisI tried to hide it from myself but I just fell back into the same problems I had beforeso instead of making everybody else''s life worse I figuredya knowjust give up. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Rosemary: I understand more than you think Gray: We utterly lostOpheliaMusashiKioshiall gone Rosemary: But, we got awayif we break down and become only focused on our losswhat we did wrong instead of growing and moving onitll just bring worthlessness. Gray: II understand Rosemary: You said you wanted to talk about something back in the castle Gray blushes, trying to find the words he wants to speak. Gray: II LIKE YOU AND I DONT KNOW HOW THIS STUFF WORKS AND I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU LIKE ME OR SOMETHING! Rosemary: II have been wanting to ask you the same thing for a while Gray: Wait Rosemary: Why do you think I was sleeping in the same bed as you. Gray: Thats a good pointI just never thought somebody would like me Rosemary: I would be a liar if I said I didnt feel the same way. Gray: So are weya knowa thing? Rosemary: If you want to bebecause I want to Gray: This is cringy. Rosemary: Cringy? Gray: Nothing...if we are together I want to say somethingyou are like a bright light to me, youre scared, youre mocked for not wanting to die which makes no sense, and you act like it doesn''t affect you. If you werent with us, we would have died in every scenario, in Sokus house, the mansion, and even the castle. You have carried us the entire way and have no ego, youre not super pridefulall this strength, and yet you act like a normally shy person. Itsits inspiring. Rosemary: III love you Gray blushes and Rosemary leans in to kiss him, climbing into his bed they begin to embrace each other for the first time. With all the events that occurred in a short time, these people broke down by the worlds they were placed in, and crawled to safety. Not flawless though, with all the deaths that occurred on the path the surviving it could be said it wasnt worth it. Strugglers survive together, using their strength and drive to hold up everyone else. They aren''t good people, but they aren''t bad people either, they are normal people. With struggles, worries, fear, and rage, holding it in to achieve the things they want. Even in another world, with a different history, and a completely different way of doing things, the human spirit stays the same, never changing no matter what you look or feel like. They are truly human, every last one of them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Every problem, fear, sadness, anger, I have had you. From a nickname to a part of me that is more than me, I hate you. The real me, the guy I am, the person that sits alone doing nothing. Thinking about what I should do, what I cant do, and what I want to do. I study and I feel like I do worse at school, I work out and I never gain muscle. I eat more and I dont gain any weight, I try to be funny but I''m not funny. I am stuck in a dumb, weak, pitiful body. At the core of my heart, I am a selfish, hateful, prideful, egotistical douchebag that thinks everybody likes him while thinking nobody could ever like him, at least never like me. For any issue I got into, all I had to do was look stupid and happy; everyone would like it, and everyone would laugh. If I stay the ego, prideful person I am at the core of my being I will fail and fall so I used being pitiful as a joke. I know I suck and I know Im weak so I use it to make others happy or at least try to. The only thing I love to do, the only thing I want to do is make others safe and happy. And thats the worst part about myself. Saying all that doesn''t make me a good person. It only shows how self-centered and toxic I am. I want their best memories to have me in them. I want to be the person anybody thinks about when they think of someone they enjoy being around. I want this because I cant imagine myself doing this with myself. I dont do anything in every happy memory I have ever had. I do nothing but complain and do nothing about it and then there is you. You are a mask: a middle name, a voice, a nickname. You are Gray Kyojin, you are funny, you are confident, you are happy, and make other people happy. But you aren''t me, youre everything I want to be but in the end, I use you to get past my anxiety issues. I want to do so much but cant even muster up the courage to try. Cant ask for help, get a job, get a girlfriend, cant do anything. I want to be a helper. A teacher or somebody who sticks out in your mind. I want to be remembered and I wasted my life worrying about how I will get by day to day and never figured out about my future. In the end, I was going to be a retail 9-5 worker for the rest of my life with no partner, no kids, and who hated every second of being alive. Then my chance, my chance to leave it all behind in the form of a simple semi-truck. I took the chance of being able to escape it. Now I have friends and powers in another world and they dont know me. They know you, Gray Kyojin the man who wants to be a hero. The idiot, the guy who gets back up, you stick out in everybody''s mind, you are what I want to be and you took it from me. The only time they ever saw me was when I was angry or pouting and they hated me for it, and I hate you for it. I am in another world and I am still the same petty, angry, prideful, scared, weak, worthless baby who complains and cries about anything and everything. I dont want to be here anymore, so you take it, you take full control of the wheel. No more lying, no more masks or personas. Be who I wanted to be. You fix my mistake of leaving them and helping your friends, while also making a name for yourself. Continue to shine like gold in their memories as you do in mine. Dont be a lonely person like I was. Be better, be a good man. I trust my life to you. To you, myself I love you -Conner Kyojin END OF CHAPTER 15 Arc 4: Chapter 1. Greenvale Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 1. Greenvale After all the events at the capital and his time with Rosemary last night you would think he would sleep in, but Gray wakes up early, gets dressed, and starts to walk downstairs. Gray {Mmmmthat smellpancakes!} Gray enters the kitchen to see Edward cooking breakfast. Edward: You weren''t supposed to wake up this early. Gray: I''ve been sleeping a lot latelywho told you how to make pancakes? Edward: OpOphelia showed me Gray: Have umhave you talked to Soku? Edward: Noshes been sleeping since yesterday. Gray: When Ophelia diedSoku awakened. Edward: A Mark of Providence one awakened on her chest. She will know what it does when she wakes up. Gray: So where are we? Edward: GreenvaleA village in the mountains where the leviathan army goes to train. Gray: For a place called Greenvale its cold as hell! Its even snowing outside. Edward: I guess the name is misleadingwant some coffee? Gray: Yeah sure. Edward: So are you and Rosemary a thing now? Gray: OH! Umyeah I guess Rosemary: You guess! Gray: AH! Damn, dont sneak up on me like that! Edward: Man everybody''s woken up early, wanted to surprise everyone with the food. Rosemary: Well Im glad you made it, thank you. Gray: Yeah thanks for the food and junk. Edward: Well eat up, we gotta go talk to the captain. Gray: Captain? Edward: His names Gordan Hill, the best archer in the world, can be a secondary head captain to the Leviathan armybut now that Musashi haswell now hes the head captain. Rosemary: Should we let Soku sleepor? Gray: She needs to rest, now let''s go talk to Hill. They hear a crack behind them, and they all look to see Soku standing in the doorway dressed in winter attire ready to leave. Edward: Ohhey Rosemary: SokuIm so sorry Gray: FINALLY SLEEPY HEAD! We gotta go and youre the first one dressed in the right clothes, wait for us here because Im not walking out in that snow with just a jacket. I''m terrible in any kind of rough weather. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Soku: Alright Ill wait for lazy asses. They all walk back to their rooms. Rosemary: Shouldnt we console Soku? Gray: In my experienceholding in emotion means its gonna all come rushing out at some pointand well all be there for her, ready to take on her pain with her. Edward: Seems a little hopeful. Gray: Well with that giant ass L we just took, hope is all we got. Edward: I agree with you there. Gray: Wait where the hell''s Julius? Julius: Right here. Gray, Edward, and Rosemary: AHHH! Gray: Dont sneak up on us like that! Julius: ButI was here the whole time. Edward: Uhhhyeah now that I think about it youre rightsorry bout that. Rosemary: Come on now let us get dressed! Soku: I have been waiting for like ten minutes, GET OUT HERE! They all stumble out of the cottage, dressed in winter clothes. Julius: There you are! Once again they all scream in unison. Julius: Why are you screaming miss Soku? I was out here the whole time you were waiting Soku: Ohuhh thats on me my bad. The village is warm, filled with homes covered in snow. Kids playing with their parents in the snow, and others training. Gray: Pretty chill for a war village, no pun intended. Soku: Im gonna swing at you. Gray: Did you ever figure out what your Mark of Providence did? Or how did you even get it in the first place? Soku: Its weirdafter I awakened itit felt like I always had itlike I always knew how to use it and what it did. Then it just happened, all the mana I could spare without dying funneled into the mark and then blasted its way out at full force. Its either it takes all the mana I got or none of it, I cant decide. Gray: Gale force. Soku: What? Gray: Call it something like thatI suck at names. Soku: Whatever. Edward: I saw him when we got here but that was a shit show. We were all injured so we just got a house to stay in, but if my memory serves correctly then his training facility should be around hereoh there it is up that hill! Gray: Damn its cold! And that''s when Gray sees the home. It looked like a Japanese in with red wood, decorated pillars, and a style of roof exotically the same to what Gray is used to. Whether that be a coincidences or not is left to be decided, although, it''s interesting either way. Rosemary: It looks warm up there though. Soku: So is this guy nice or. Edward: Welluhh Edward knocks on the sliding door, then slams it open and an old man stands uneasy. Gray {This guy got one of those top not things, and you can see a few white hairs in his beard. This dude gotta be around his forties or fifties then. And is he wearing a kimono!? What the hell''s that about?} Edward: Hill. Gordon: Helsing. Gray {Uh oh.} Gordon: Nice to see you again boy. Edward: You as well! Gordon: Come on inside now, and tell me anything you learned from that horrific encounter." Edward: We did learn about the Pillars'' abilities. Gordon: Can you state them for me? Gray: I think Prometheus is the leaderand he popped Kioshi like a damn tomatohe overhauled her body. Rosemary: And that Litch Lazurushis scythe stole Musashi''s soul Soku: That snake man Severus didnt do muchhe could stretch his limbs and heal them too. Edward: And that girl in the bird-like black armor. I think she was the one removing Kioshis Marks of providencethe bird of sinthats what she resembles. Rosemary: That Rosine girlshe wore a necklace that looks like the one the bird of sin wears. Soku: And that same girl wasnt at the ballroom when we got attacked. Gordon: So the daughter of the Ravorian queen is a traitoror Ravoria is on the side of the Sect. Edward: It is a possibility. Gordon: Alright we gotta talk about what were gonna do. The Sect cant stay in control of an entire country. Gray: Right on the nose there. They walk inside and sit down on floor mats. Gray {These mats and this table reminds me of Japanese-style furniture.} Gordon: We need to come to an answer. Julius, you arent a spy are you? Julius: No I am not. Soku: I cant read him. Gordon: Me neitherokay, well come back to that. Does anybody have any ideas? Rosemary: We cant go on an all-out war Edward: And if we doValatrositice might think we turned against themunless they planned this. Gray: That girl Rosineyou said that necklace she was wearing is rumored to be the bird of sinthe same one that helped kill Kioshi and Musashi. So Ravoria might be against us too. Soku: So we need to be able to take out the Sect without drawing attention Rosemary: I assume those Future pillar guys wont always be there though. They seemed to like it wasnt all that important to them. Like they were proving a point, that they could do it so they did do it. Gray: Waitwhat about AthensI was told they were in a civil warand they werent at the candidate''s selection. So in my opinion they aren''t compromised and if we help end their war we might be able to get their help in taking back Walgonia. Edward: Its a shot in the dark but its all we got. Gordon: I agreeit might not be sound but what else can we do. Soku: So do we leave immediatelyor? Edward: I say we stay here for a bit,a month or sothen we go out. Gray: You guys are fine in strength but Soku and I are lacking. Soku: Yeah we are kinda behind. Gordon: Look I can help Soku but Im not a master swordsman, so I cant do much for you Gray other than hammering in the basics. But on the top of this mountainA god of war named Ryo, a master of the spiritual arts, thats more your forte for what I''ve been told. Edward: I just need to keep trainingsame with Rosemary, in terms of strength it would go, Julius, then me, Rosemary, Gray, and lastly Soku. Gordon: Musashi sent me letters talking about you, and how you would lose too much stamina too quickly. You damage your body without thinking of what might happen after. From what I''ve heard your body can only handle about thirteen or so percent of your mana if one hundred is the limit. Gray: Only thirteen!? Damn Gordon: I see it as a good thing, in a month your body has grown fast as well as your skill. Wait until the new year, thats when youll go. So spend your time getting over what happened back in that nightmare of a castle. Gray: Well get on that. End of Chapter One. Arc 4: Chapter 2. Christmas Who? Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 2. Happy holidays Four weeks had passed since they arrived at Greenvale, and everyone sat in the cottage, drinking tea and playing cards. Gray: This is just war. Rosemary: No its called battle! Gray: Very funny Isekai gods. Soku: What? In these four weeks they''ve all continued pushing themselves with Gordon. While everybody has been simply getting better at what they can do, Gray has focusing on pushing mana all around his body continuously whilst fighting. This has left him constantly exhausted, and now, covered in some bandages. Gray: Forget itso is there like a Christmas or.? Rosemary: Whats Christmas? Gray: Wait you guys have Thanksgiving, the same months, hell the same language, and not Christmas? Well most people know about it as just giving gifts to people and stuff, there is more to it but that wouldn''t make sense in another world unless you got Jesus. Soku: We just give gifts on New years eve. Rosemary: Also who or what is Jesus? Gray: Just forget that part. Soku: Ophelia wanted to have a big dinner and have lots of presentsbut I could never get that done. But now we have money and stuffbut now shes gone Gray: Well we can just have a feast in her honor then! Edward enters the home, dirty and sweaty. Soku: You were out there longer than usual. Edward: I had to take care of Demas'' pen. Gray: I could have done that if you asked. Rosemary: I feel like we should be trying a little harderwe all train with Gordon but we are usually spent after, you just swing that sword outside for hours after. Edward: Im just trying to get my white hair alreadyIm just training as much as I can...I just need to work myself to the brink of collapse and then itll happen. Gray: RIght of passage and all that right? Julius: The white hair symbolizes strength and maturity, growth and passion. Then you are given a title to last throughout history. But usually, it is achieved by surpassing your limits, not by just training. Soku: AHH! Wait dammit! Gray: YES! Alright, then overall Julius jumpscares go to thirty-seven, and Sokus''s score moves to eleven! And Edward in first place.with six Julius: Forgive me for alarming you miss Soku. Soku: Just call me Soku dude. Julius: I apologize- Soku: AND STOP APOLOGIZING! Julius: Im sor alright then. Soku: Thank you, damn Edward: Only twelve days until New years. Gray: How am I gonna buy presents if I dont get any money I dont know how the money works on top of that Soku: Ill just help you later. Gray: Thanks! Rosemary: KEEP FOCUS ON THE GAME! Gray: Hey Rose. Rosemary: Yeah? Gray: Wanna go on a date tomorrow? Rosemary: Uhhhhh Rosemary''s face starts to turn red as she struggles to answer Gray. Her heart starts beating faster and faster before she can get her to answer. Rosemary: OK! Gray: Cool, all right lets get back to war. Soku: Its called battle. Rosemary struggles to fall asleep, anxious for her date tomorrow, while Gray sleeps soundly beside her. Rosemary {I should go get some air, maybe Ill fall asleep faster.} Rosemary walks down the stairs quietly, trying to not wake anyone up. Once she makes it down the stairs she hears movement in the kitchen. She approaches the kitchen to see Soku drinking some milk. Rosemary: What are you doing up? Its four in the morning, shouldn''t you be asleep? Soku: Shouldnt you be sleeping for your date? Stop acting like my mom. Rosemary: SorryI just cant sleep, I''m just too anxiouswhat about you? Soku: I just dont get that tired anymore. Rosemary: Do you need to talk about anything? You haven''t said much about Opheliaand I know you- The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Soku: ALRIGHT! Im fineyou know what, I am tired so Im gonna go to my room now. And by the way you didnt have to cut your hair Rosemary: I know I justnevermind, I hope you sleep well. Soku: Yeah thanksyou should get some sleep toodont want to be tired on your date. Rosemary: Thank you. They both walked upstairs, trying to fall asleep. Eventually they both doze off, sleeping peacefully. Rosemary wakes up, extends her arms and yawns. Usually Gray sleeps in so Rosemary assumes that she would be able to get ready before he woke up. But today she notices Gray isnt sleeping beside her. Rosemary panics, assuming that she had overslept. She quickly grabs her clothes and rushes to the bathroom to get ready. Rosemary {NO, NO, NO! OF ALL DAYS? SHOWER, SHOWER, SHOWER!} She quickly washes, then goes to grab a towel, but she notices that she hadnt grabbed one. Once again she begins to panic. Rosemary {WHY!? THINK! THINK! I dont want to walk out nakedbut I might be able to run out before anyone noticesI GOT IT!} Rosemary flows mana throughout her body, using the mana to heat up and dry her body. While doing this, she tries to brush her hair as fast as possible, trying to make sure it doesn''t dry wrong. Rosemary {IT WORKED!} She puts on her clothes as fast as she can. Looking in the drawer for her makeup, rummaging around only to find nothing. She collapses to the floor, wiping tears from her eyes. She struggles to get back up, slouching around the house. She makes it outside to see Gray waiting in the snow with flowers in hand. Rosemary: IM SORRY FOR BEING LATE! I couldnt sleepand then I forgot to get my toweland I didn''t have any make makeup Before she can finish her thought, Gray interrupts her. Gray: You look beautiful. Rosemary freezes, struggling to respond. Gray: Oh yeah sorryI got up early to buy these flowersyoure up about an hour early. Rosemary: Really? Gray: Yeah but thats okay! It means we can spend more time together today! Rosemary runs up to Gray, kissing him on the cheek then running ahead to the end of their sidewalk waving at Gray. Rosemary: COME ON! Gray: IM COMING! Gray catches up with Rosemary, walking down the street. Spending the entire day with each other. A day filled with bliss, happiness, and snowball fights. The next day Soku waits for Gray outside the cottage, shaking from the cold. Soku: GET OUT HERE! Gray stumbles out of the cottage, falling into the snow. Gray: SoRrYbleh Soku: You''re still wearing that dumbass necklace. Gray: It holds the cloak of darkness bozoI have been trying to make it come out but it wont do it, damned thing. Soku: Oh well, come on now. They begin to walk into the shopping district, looking for stores to buy something. Gray: Youve known her longer, what should I get? Soku: Shes your girlfriend, you should know these things. Gray: I know she enjoys sewing and crocheting I do it with her sometimes. Soku: There you go, buy some yarn and make her something. Gray: I can do that! I hope. Soku: Rose used to be pretty insecure and quiet before you showed up, now shes being more loud and abrasive. Gray: Y..eah? Soku: You ruined her. Gray: WHAT!? Soku leaves Gray standing shocked, his face looking like an eastern island head. Gray {Wonder if I had a good effect thenor did I make her worse Nah that was her choiceme thinking I could change somebody''s whole personality is too self-centered. If shes growing more comfortable then thats great.} Gray: Time to go to the store! Gray {SHIT I DONT KNOW HOW MONEY WORKS SOKU YOU LEFT ME!.} Soku: GRAY GET OVER HERE DUMMY! Gray: Though you left mephew. They enter the store, looking at all the yarn available. Gray: She wears a lot of baby blue, and its the color of her eyes so it matches well with her. Just so happens to be my favorite color Soku: Wooooooooow thaaaaaaats crazy. Gray: So how does this buying thing work? Soku: Alright what does that say? Gray: Ten copper pieces. Soku: And what do you have? Gray: Umlet me check Gray reaches into his pocket, pulling out ten silver coins. Gray: I got ten silver. Soku: Okay so one silver is equal to ten copper, while one gold coin is equal to one hundred copper. Gray {So copper is like a dollar, silver is like a ten-dollar bill, and gold is a hundred-dollar bill.} Gray: Alright got it. Soku: Now lets swindle this old guy, dont let him see your money. Gray: But he looks nice and this is cheap. Soku: Look you wait outside then Gray: Dammitwhatever, have fun I guess. Gray sits on the stoop outside, then eventually Soku walks out of the shop. Soku: I played the poor little girl act and got em down to five copper. Gray: Whatever makes you sleep better at night. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Across the town Edward and Rosemary both train with Gordon at his dojo. Gordon: Im telling you to get a lighter sword! Edward: My dad used one this big so Im going to as well. Gordon: Swallow your damn pride. Rosemary: Enough bickeringIm spent, I ran around all day can I go home now? Gordon: Sure fine, just tell Gray to start working harder! He has been dozing off, hes barely better than a newbie! You know what Edward you take the day off as well. All of you take time off until New Year''s. Still exercise, but spend your holiday happy and rested. Edward: Thank you! Rosemary: REALLY! Heck yeah! Ill go tell them now, THANK YOU! Gordon: She seems excited. Edward: She really wants to finish her present to Gray. Gordon: Young love Do you get them any presents? Edward: Yeah, some simple things like a ring or a book. Gordon: Man you''re boringoh well get out of here. Edward: Will do! Julius: Thank you again, sir. Gordon and Edward: AHH! Julius: My apologies. Edward: Ill tell Gray to add it to the countnow Im at sevena couple more and Rosemary will be winning. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Four days later Gray stands in the backyard practicing with his sword swings whilst flowing mana through it. The snow fell on his shirtless body, feeling colder because of the freezing wind hitting the sweat falling off of his body. Gray {ANDONE HUNDRED!} Rosemary watches from the kitchen window, brewing tea. Soku: Perv. Rosemary: AHHH! Good lord doesnt sneak up on me like thathas Julius been teaching you his ways? Julius: How rude. Soku: SHIT! Julius: Your score goes up to thirteen. Rosemary: I dont understand how you guys dont notice him, he was the drinking tea I made him. Julius: And I give you a thousand thanks for that, it is delicious. Rosemary: Your welcome Soku: Oh Grays coming inside. The door opens, letting in a smell of sweat and musk along with a breeze of fresh cold air. Soku: Gross, take a shower. Rosemary: Its not gross! You should try putting this much effort in Soku: Alright chill out damn, also go take a shower youre gross. Gray: Oh nice you made tea. Rosemary: Oh here you goI hope its good, its hot so- Gray gulps down the tea, setting the cup down and wiping his lip. Gray: OOOOOOOOOO WWWWWWWWWW! ITS HOOOOOOT! Edward walks through the front door, seeing the confusion and goofiness that is Gray Kyojin. Or what is also known in whatever world youre in as being stupid. Rosemary: Oh I need to take a bathIll go after you. Gray: Youcould take one with me nowif you want that is Rosemary: Wha ummmm. Rosemary covers her face from embarrassment. She then grabs Gray''s arm and they walk to the shower, leaving everyone else in the kitchen. Edward: Theyre moving fastin their relationship that is. Soku: She has had a crush on him since she met him, Now shes finally with himyet I dont get how she likes him that much. Edward: I thought she hid it wellI thought they were just friends. Soku: Ugh its so gross. Soku: You got presents for everyone? Edward: I do actually...you? Soku: Yepand you Julius? Julius: Yes I do actually. Edward: Oh thats nice of you. Julius: The only reason I am here right now is that you kindly rescued me so I feel as if I owe it to you to give you gifts. Soku: Makes sense. Edward: We didnt help you out to get anythingwe just didnt want to leave anyone behind. Soku''s face goes white, proceeding too quickly to walk to her room. Julius: Did I say something wrong? Edward: NoI didI should apologize. Julius: She is in the right to be angry at me. I took her sisters'' place in life, and; she has no knowledge of who I am, a mix of selflessness and selfishness. You all are truly interesting. Either it is what drives you all or your personalities, they all seem fake though real at the same time. Rosemary might be the loudest out of all of you while remaining the quietest, Soku has a bit of an attitude and likes to make fun of people yet she seems the most emotional about her self-worth. Then theres Gray, a loud man lying to himself about who he is yet he doesnt even know it, truly comedic. Edward: Youre good at reading people, you did something similar at the mansion when we first met you. Julius: I am an observer. Quiet and learning, it is just what I like to do. You Edward, you are my favorite. Edward: Waa? Julius stands up, putting his finger over Edward''s lips. Julius: You do not even like fighting yet you were born into a family known for it. Known for being a monster and yet you hate it. You go against your bloodline yet it flows through your veins, rushing and it boils over when you battle. The warrior''s spirit is strong in you, yet you make it harder for yourself. A snake eating its tail. A walking character study I struggle to understand. Now please continue to grow as a person, will l go buy some groceries for dinner. I will be the one cooking by the way. Julius leaves the cottage, walking into the cold snow with his eyes still closed and a smirk on his face. Edward: What the hell? End of Chapter Two. Arc 4 Chapter 3. Happy New Years Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 3. Happy New Years A few days pass, then after over a month of waiting New Year''s eve is finally among the world. The village is lit up by lights, with sounds of cheer flowing through the streets. Then in the cozy cottage near the outskirts of the village, a makeshift family celebrates the new year. Gray: SO! While Julius finishes getting the plates ready, we decide on the order of presents. Since we decided to group and get one person a present from everyone this should go pretty fast. Rosemary: I think we should go one by one. Soku: Same. Edward: I agree as well. Gray: Alright Oldest to youngest GO!. Rosemary: Wait shouldnt we wait for Julius. Julius: I will be done soon you guys celebrate. Gray: AND WITH THAT! Edward, youre first. Rosemary: Here open it! Edward opens his gift revealing a book about the history of The Helsing family Edward: Oh nice! Thank you, everyone. Gray: Its the most recent copy, so it even has stuff about you in there! Soku: Alright now for Rosemary. Rosemary: Oh its pretty! Rosemary opens her gift to find a well-crocheted sweater. Baby blue, the same color as her eyes. Those same eyes tear up, using the sweater to cover her tears. Gray: WOOOH, not the reaction I was expecting! Are you okay? Rosemary: Itits justI spent a long time on my ownand when I met Soku and.Ophelia, I thought I had gotten my familyI was never expecting this Gray: WellIm glad youre happy. Now for ME! Gray grabs his gift, like a child on Christmas morning. He opens it revealing a light orange scarf. Gray: SWEET! Mary, did you make this? Rosemary: Mary? Oh yeah, I did, and I assume you made mine? Gray: Right on the money. Gray kisses Rosemary while Soku reaches for her gift. She looks to find a small box. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Soku: Pretty small. Gray: Hey I''d say it''s quite large, just open it please. Soku: Please? Who are you and what did you do with Gray Kyojin? Rosemary: Sokuplease. Soku opens the box, and she tears up once she sees the interior. She lifts a pink hair clip out of the box. One of Ophelia''s extras. Soku: Howhow did youetdis? Gray: When I got knocked out in my fight with EdwardI think she stopped to see me and put that in one of my inner jacket pockets. I didnt know it was there until I checked a week or two after we got here. Soku hugs Gray, squeezing him tight and wiping her tears with his newly put-on scarf. Gray gets down on one knee, putting the hair clip in Sokus''s hair, holding back her newly burned short hair to revile her elf ear. Rosemary starts to tear up at the wholesome sight. Then in the corner, Julius watches while he begins to give everyone their food. Julius: I will pass out my presents to all of you now. Edward: Wait you didnt need to get us all one? Julius: Its quite alright its thanks for bringing me here. Julius hands each of them three golden coins. Gray: NICE MONEY! Soku: I do love money. LIKE LOVE IT! Rosemary: Oh you dont need to pay us. Edward: Yeah we dont need it. Julius: Please take it, I would not want you to give back my gift. Rosemary: Alright thenwell we got you a gift as well! Gray: Yeah here ya go! Gray hands him a small box. Julius opens it to see a ring with the Walgonian crest on it. Julius: What isthis? Edward: If you want to stay with us until we get Walgonia backyou can wear that to be one of us. But understand you can leave whenever you want. Youre not a hostage. Julius: I thank you. I thank all of you for the opportunity of life I have been given. They all hear pops outside. They walk outside to see fireworks celebrating the new year. Rosemary: WOOOAH. Gray: Isekai fireworkscool! Soku: They are cool. Edward: I hope this year is better than the last. Gray: What year is it? Julius: Fourteen ninety-seven, or Fourteen ninety-eight now. Gray: Almost a new centennial. Soku: You know big words? Gray: You know you got snot on your face from crying earlier? Soku blasts wind in Gray''s face. Everyone laughs and they spend the rest of the night eating and having fun. They all fall asleep ending their month of rest. When they awake they will be heading toward their mission to save Walgonia. Rosemary: Youre packing Jeremiah''s mask? Why not take a normal helmet or something? Gray: Its like a trophy yknowalso it looks cool. Soku: GET OUT HERE GORDONS WAITING! Gray: COMING! Gordon greets the Group outside their cottage. With a carriage with him. Gordon: The horses are wearing crystals that will drive any spirit animals away so dont be worried about that. Edward: Are you coming with us? Gordon: I need to finish getting everyone ready here. Take this note and go greet Lincoln . Edward: Lincoln...But nobody knows where he ishe hasnt been seen since the previous ruler of Athens was assassinated. I cant find a man that has been missing for four years! Gray: Lincoln? Julius: Lincoln was the lead commander for Athens in the demi-human war. Though due to unknown reasons he left his country and his children. About four years ago their king was murdered by an unknown figure, but he didnt leave Athens to anyone. So now it is undergoing a civil war between both of Linchon''s children. Soku: Rumor on the street is that the Gravestone pirates may be there. Edwards face goes blank, his mind overflows with memories of his village. Rosemary: How exactly are we going to try and end the war? Gordon: Thats for you to decide. Either take out both sides or pick the one you want to win. Gray: So thats it then. Ill go up the mountain and talk with Ryo, and you guys are gonna head over to Athens. We have very different jobs huh, I want you guys to write to me when you have a place to stay so Ill know where to go when I get there. And write me if anything goes wrong as well. Gordon: Juliusyou are in charge, I want to put my trust in you. Edward, you are the second in command. Julius: Yes, understood sir. Edward: Alright let''s go. Gray hugs Rosemary. They kiss and enter the carriage. Rosemary: Are you just going to walk up the mountain or will you get a ride as well? Gray: You think Im walking up that damn mountain? To hell with that, Im getting on Dema and flying up there. Soku: That is smarter. Rosemary: And you have everything you need? Are you sure? clothes, toothbrush, a blanket Gray: YES MOM! Im goodnow Ill be missing you until you get back. Gordon: Good luck to you all. With that, they part ways on the path. Gray walks to the stables and unties Dema. She squawks and rubs her head on Gray''s face. He gasps in pain since her scales are scratching his skin. Gray: Alright Demaup the mountain. Ryo Hollis, the Spirit Knight, I will be your student. I will be a Spirit Knight and save Walgonia from those psychopaths. End of Chapter Three. Arc 4: Chapter 4. On the road and in the air Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 4. On the road and in the air Gray soars through the sky atop Dema, looking back at snow-coated Greenvale. Gray: Small from up here isnt it Dema? Dema: SQUAK! Gray: Good Drake. Gray {Gordon told me the reason Dema likes me so much is because of my high spiritual affinity, other than not being able to use mana crystals without them blowing up in my face, I seemed to have lucked out!} Gray: I used to be deathly afraid of heights! Now it doesnt even bother me! But Im still scared of fallinghehe. While Gray soars through the sky, Edward and his group are currently being driven by Julius to Athens inside a nice carriage, sitting on soft cushions. Soku: Athens is an Island right? So what do we do when we get there? Edward: We cross the great bridge of Athens. Rosemary: Ive always wanted to cross it! Julius: Sad that such a strong country has fallen to itself. Edward: The smallest country of the eastern continent but one of if not the strongestor was. Rosemary: They are known for their child soldiers thoughIn my opinion, they deserve to fall. Julius: Not an uncommon opinion, thats one of the main reasons that no other country has tried to help stop it. Soku: Honestly they only got so far in the wars because of Orm. The greatest leader in history, and were going to meet him. Rosemary: It doesnt feel real Edward: Gray helped me think of the planWhen we get there were going to try and get to the leaders Leo and Toll. Toll agrees with the old days the side that wanted to keep the demi-humans as slaves along with the elves and dark elves. And then theres Leo, he thinks that they should be treated and have the same rights as humans. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Soku: You know whatto hell with ending their warI say we just help Leo win the war and get control of Athens! Rosemary: EhI agree that Leo is right, but we cant just help them like that. We are a part of the Leviathan army and joining will put us in the spotlight of Walgoinia. Then the Sect might come after us. Soku: Then just dont tell themwe arent famous or anything. Edward: Actually that might be the way to go.! Julius: Youre strong black hairSouks green hairRosemarys golden hairand my pink hair make us stand out. It may be hard to keep our secret safe. Edward: We dont have to be on the front lineshelping from the shadows. Julius: It may work. Soku: Youre the leader you decide. Julius: Then my first decision isto make Edward leader. Edward: Areyou serious? Julius: Yep, well prepare for a long ride. Well ride until I feel tired. Since that will take a while I suggest you sleep as much as you can. Gray sees the top of the mountain, above a forest coated in snow. Gray: THERE IT IS! THE TOP, FINALLY! Dema: Squawk! Gray focuses his eyes seeing a smoke trail coming out of a cabin in the forest. Gray: Could it be? A wooden two-story cabin near the top of the mountain. Dema lands in front of the cabin, letting Gray off. Gray walks to the front door, then right before he can knock the door opens. Then in front of Gray stands a powerful man. A beautiful man with long, soft silver hair flowing in the wind. His attire is very similar to an accent Japanese warrior. The geta shoes, kimono, and duel katanas. Gray: NiceKimono and those are pretty swordsare those katanas? Man: Yes they areI dont get many visitors up here, so please boy what is your name? Gray gets down on one knee, bowing his head. Gray: My name is Connor Gray Kyojin, but please call me Gray!. Man: Well nice to meet you, Graynow what are you doing up here, thats a nice winged drake, what is her name? Gray: I was sent here by Gordon Hill. Walgonia has been taken over by the Sect of Anarchyand I would like you to train me in the spiritual arts. Oh and her name is Dema Ryo: So you know who I am then? Ryo Hollis, but you may call me Ryo. And I would be glad to teach you. Ryo: Gordon told me you were comingbut I wanted to make sure you were the real deal. Would you come inside now? Its cold out here. Gray: Of course. Ryo: Dema would you please sit in the stable over there? Dema walks to the stable as Gray and Ryo enter the cabin, with the door closing behind them. Ryo: Sit down at the table with me if you will. Gray: Oh yeah sure. Ryo: Would you please better explain yourself to me? I would like to understand how you got here. Gray: Like my origin? Sure I guess. Gray explains how he got to where he is now, his friends, his experience with Musashi, and how his training has progressed. Gray: I assume Gordon told you about Walgonia and what Im doing here then? Ryo: You would assume correctly. Gray: Sohow is this training gonna go? Ryo: I would like to train you in the sword art of the katana, while also teaching you about the spirit arts. Gray: But I can already use a sword? Ryo: The katana is loved by spirits. They like how it flows and looks. The metal I made mine absorbs mana better than most swords, so they wont be overwhelmed with mana. No cracks or breaking, it just seeps into the blade flawlessly. However I know that our time together will be short, so we can skip the katana I guess. Gray: "I''m good with that." Ryo: Now take all your clothes off except for your underwear and meet me outside. Gray: WAH? Youre serious? Its cold though Ryo: Yep, we need to strengthen your body. Gray: Then you do the same Ill be embarrassed Ryo: Youre crazy, it''s cold out there. Gray: Really. Ryo: Now let''s go punch some rocks! Gray: Bleh. END OF : Chapter Four. Arc 4: Chapter 5. The mission to save Walgonia begins Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 5: The mission to save Walgonia begins. Ryo: Alright walk with me. Gray: I need to learn how to get strongerfast. Ryo: I know. Gray: I heal fast by the way. Ryo: Understood. Gray: Where are we going? Ryo: To this boulder over here, just waiting to be punched! Gray: With my full poweror just normal? Ryo: No mana, so normal. They walk off the path seeing the boulder. Gray: So just punch it? Ryo: Before you do that I must ask you to do something for me. To make a vow. Gray: What kinda vow? Ryo: I want you never to use a magic spell again. Gray: WHAT!? Ryo: Using magic can kill spirits if your spell is too powerful. And because of your high affinity, using anything more than the basic level of spells can be harmful or kill spirits, and I will have no such thing." Gray: MAN! I didnt even get to learn all of themCan I keep Cenic? Ryo: Cenic doesnt do damage to Spirits since it''s the most basic of defensive spells." Gray: "Defensive spells? I didn''t know that''s what I was using. Then what about offensive?" Ryo: "Unlike me, you do not possess an offensive affinity. So trying to use offensive spells will be ineffective and dangerous so if you must but I ask you to please better your mana control before you do so. There are a few more types of spells you can learn but for now using them will also kill spirits, so using Cenic is the best bet for now." Gray: "What about Satic? That''s a spell I can use." Ryo: "You can use Satic? That is an offensive spell. And if you''ve been using it then you''ve already killed a few spirits...but since it seems you didn''t know that I won''t subject you to any rath." Gray: "Well damn, one spell down then. Whatever I''ll get over it. AlrightI vow to never use a high-power or medium spell again, or an offensive spell. Do I punch it now? Ryo: One last thing. Gray: *Sigh* ok what is it now? Ryo: Take that cursed charm off. Gray: This necklace? Ryo: Yes please. Gray: I dont want to Ryo: But you must, why dont you want to? Gray: Idont know! Ryo goes to remove the necklace with force. Gray tries to fight Ryo off but with no effect. Gray is shoved into the snow in a flash as the charm is removed from his body. Gray: HEY DON''Twaitwhy was I Ryo: Now let us see the cloak''s effect on your mind. Gray throws up in the snow, rolling over and trying to comfort himself. Tears stream from his eyes, muttering to himself and trying his hardest not to reach for the charm. Gray: Whywhy, why, why Ryo: A cursed charm affects the mind. And the cloak of darkness is known for causing the wearer to be depressed, easily aggravated, and somewhat bipolar. But for you, it seemed to cause you to hold in all of your emotioninteresting. Gray''s mind seeps down, with all the feelings he has held in rushing out at once. Gray: OpheliaKioshiMusashiALL DEAD! ALL DEAD BECAUSE OF ME! II thought I was going crazyI was so confused why I couldnt even cry I thought I was just as bad as I was beforebut its due to that damn charm. Ryo: A sound mind can handle the cursed charmsI would like you to try using it when I see fit. Until then Ill keep it with me. Gray: Thankyou. Ryo: Now please punch the rock that all your human body can! The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Gray stands up, shivering from the cold. He takes a deep breath, calming his mind and blocking out all distractions. Then he punches the boulder with all his might. Gray: HuhAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Gray falls to the ground once more, his knuckles crushed. Ryo: Huhnothing happenednot even a scratch to the boulder. Gray: AHHH SHIT! THIS FUCKING HURTS! Ryo: Okay, well go back to the cabin and Ill wrap up your hand, does that sound good? Gray: Yeahyeah it does. Gray grabs a handful of snow and puts it on top of his injured hand, acting like a makeshift ice pack. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After three days of travel, the group finally sees the beach. The waves crashed against the shore, pushing and pulling along the hot sand. Rosemary: Its so pretty! Edward: I used to live on an Islandnow that I think about it I havent played in the water since I got to Walgonia. Soku: This is what all the hype is aboutnot worth it. Julius: Since we have reached the shore I say we have about two or three hours left of travel. If we take a break here for an hour or so we will be able to reach Athens by nightfall. Edward: It would be easier to hide our identities in the dark Rosemary: Come on Soku! Have fun, live a little! Soku: Ugh! Rosemary: P..LEASE! Soku: FineBut if I drown Im haunting you! Rosemary: YEAH! LETS GO! They leave their clothes on, taking off any coats or shoes, and begin running in the sand. Julius: Do you now wish to have fun with them? Edward: No Im goodthey lived together for a while before I knew themand since Ive known them they have just been training, occupied with something, or waiting on something. I just want to let them have fun. Julius: It was never explained to me how they met. Do you know and if so could you tell me? Edward: I think they mentioned it once in passing back when we lived at the mansionsomething about Soku getting into some trouble with a member of the Sect and Rosemary saw this while walking by and helped her. Then I think Ophelia asked for her to live with them and the rest is history. Julius: I seeI am surprised Gray didnt ask at some point. Edward: Believe it or not Gray doesn''t like to pry into people''s lives. He sees how you are and goes with it. Julius: He is very casual for how flamboyant he acts. It is strange to say that but I feel like it makes sense when Gray is the subject. Edward: Funny enough I feel the same way. It has been a lot less quiet without him here. Like were missing a piece. Julius: I see what you mean. Now if you dont mind I would like to take a small nap. Edward: I mean youve been awake for three days, you may need more than a small nap. Julius: Ill manageI dont sleep much. Edward: AlrightIll see you later I guess. Julius: Yes indeed. Julius lies down inside the carriage and Edward sits back looking into the sky. Rosemary and Soku walk to the sea. Soku: Isit gonna be cold? Rosemary: I dont know. Soku: Do youum Rosemary: Come on, spit it out. Soku: Do you like Gray? Rosemary: Of course I love him, why do you ask? Soku: It''s just thathe has had such a weird effect on all of us Rosemary: Is that bad? Soku: I hadnt cried in so longand then after we met himI cried like two times Rosemary: Youre youngand youre becoming a woman. Soku: HEY! Im already a woman and I dont wanna talk about THAT! Rosemary: Okay, okay calm down its normal. Soku: And you act so differentlyyoure loud and chipperits weird. Rosemary: Well to be honest Gray has made me more confident in myselfI have a goal nowand somebody to tell me nice things about me. Soku: Everybody acts like their life is better now when all we have done is lose!. Rosemary: I know it feels that way it is that way butwe just need to keep moving forward and hope for the best. Soku: You sound just like Gray Rosemary: Is that a bad thing? Soku: Nonot really. Rosemary: Alright then if you ever feel like there is something you need to talk about then dont forget to talk to me about it. Soku: Are you happy? Rosemary: KindaI get sad sometimes but sometimes I feel fineand recently I havent felt sad. Soku: Do you ever feelsad all the time? Rosemary: Are you okay? Soku: I just dont feel right Rosemary: If it makes you feel any betterOphelia is in a better place now. Shes not in the slumsor in hiding from the Sect. She died terribly but now she can play and have fun forever. Soku: And if there isnt an afterlife? Rosemary: I dont know how to answer that...Im sorry. Soku: I just..miss her so muchI was supposed toI WAS HER PROTECTORif I let her get on Dema firstlike I should haveshe would be aliveDAMMIT! Soku starts to sob, struggling to continue speaking. To break the tension Rosemary splashes ocean water on Sokus face. Soku: UGH! ITS COLD AND SALTY BLEH! Rosemary: Come on distract your mind and play! They run and play in the sea while Edward sits in the sand. They do this for about an hour before Julius wakes back up. Julius: OKAY LET''S GO! Edward brushes all the sand he can off of himself while Soku and Rosemary dry themselves. Edward: When we get there I want to get a room at an Inn so we can send Gray the letter. Rosemary: Sounds good. Julius: Now let us embark on the last bit of our journey. Edward: Well said. Then they leave the beach and continue on the trail to Athens. After a while, they see the bridge that connects Athens and the mainland in the distance and quickly approach it. Rosemary: There it is! Soku: So do we tell them we are a part of the Levitan army or not? Edward: This carriage is unmarked, put these hats on the cover of your hair and ears. We will be hidden as simple commoners. Soku: Weird saying that like I wasnt a commoner two months ago. Rosemary: I agree, funny how far weve come in just a small amount of time. Edward: Alright I placed all our armor and weapons in a hidden compartment in the carriage. Soku: And if they check it? Edward: Well just hope they dont do that. They pull up to the guarded outpost right outside of the bridge. Guard 1: Hey state your business. Julius: We are moving into Athen, its just me and my family. Along with my belongings. Guard 2: So you dont mind if we check your carriage do yah? Julius: Not at all sir. They rummage through the carriage, checking for compartments on the outside and inside. Going through all the baskets and chests only to find nothing. One of the guards checks under a rug to find a small opening on the floor. Guard 2: Hey I found something! Guard 1: So what do we get here? They open it and find Edwards sword. Guard 2: The hell is this thing? A damn sword this big. Guard 1: How much do you think it weighs? Julius: Approximately one hundred fifty pounds. Guard 1: Holy shit! You can hardly lift that thing let alone swing it!" Guard: That bigger guy in the back might be able to. Guard 1: What the hells going on here? Edward: We- Julius cuts Edward off, speaking over him. Julius: That is a family heirloom of ours, it belonged to our grandfather before he passed. We put it down there so they might not have found it if we got robbed. Guard 2: Alright were gonna check your guys and then if youre clear you can be on your way. The guards pat down each of them, finding nothing. The guards wave to the other guards opening the way to the bridge. Then they cross it. Soku: How the hell did they not find our stuff? Edward: I hid all of our armor under a separate lair. I put my sword on top so they couldnt lift it out of the way. Rosemary: Thats genius! Edward: Well I didnt have a planned out story but Julius came up with one on the spot, nice work! Julius: Youre too kind. Soku: Yeah youre a really good liar. I couldnt even tell you were lying even though I knew you were. Youre scary good at it. Julius: I was trained to be good at it, just in case I was captured by an enemy in battle. Soku: Yeah whatever. They finally cross the bridge, entering the island known as Athens. Rosemary: We made it! Edward: Thats it then, with Gray training and our arrival to Athensthe mission to save Walgonia begins today. END OF Vol 2: Chapter Five. Arc 4: Chapter 6. Atop the snowy mountain Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 6. Atop the snowy mountain Ryo wraps Gray''s injured fist with bandages while Gray sips on tea. Gray: Yknow I was never a tea guy until now. Its like the only sugary drink here. Ryo: I am quite a fan of sugary snacks, same with my tea." Gray: I can tell this tea is super sweet. Ryo: There ya go, all bandaged up! Gray: This is gonna hurt for a bit. Can I put my clothes back on now? Ryo: LaterWe are going back outside. Gray: Please dont tell me Im gonna punch more boulders. Ryo: No, we are going to go hunt. Gray: I was never a fan of hunting yknow, watching an animal dieit hurts more than watching a person die. Ryo: Thank youthat answer was perfect. But theyre animals in the forest that are a danger to people. Gray: Alright thenlets go. Ryo: Here take this. Ryo tosses Gray a bow and a quiver full of arrows. Gray: I dont know how to use this Ryo: Then Ill teach yah, surprising Gordon didnt teach you. Gray: I just didnt ask. Ryo: Well Ill do it for yah then, itll teach you to focus and control. Perfect for you. If you do well in the cold then Ill let you put shorts and a shirt on. Gray: You better not be a creep or anythingbut Ill take you up on your offer. Im gonna get frostbite at this rate. They enter the snow-filled forest. Gray struggles to continue in the cold being unable to push through the thick snow. Gray {I wonder} Gray flows a small amount of mana throughout his body, warming it up. Gray: Hey it worked! Ryo: I wondered when you would try that. Gray: Its not much*shiver*...but it works so Ill take it. Gray spots big tracks in the snow that lead further down the mountain. Gray: Hey Ryo I found something. Ryo: Nice good eye, now what do you notice about the tracks. Gray: They feel warm so theyre recent. And theyre big so the beast might be strong. Ryo: Now what? Gray: We track it? Ryo: If thats what you want to do. Is it what you want to do? Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Gray: Yesand Ill try and kill it if its dangerous. Ryo: Alright then, lead on. They continue to walk in the snow, Gray no longer struggling from the cold due to the heat of the mana. Gray {I vowed to protect my friendsand theyre doing the dangerous part of this mission while Im safe training. What a jokeno, no Im not gonna sit here and bitch about myselfIm gonna finish my part, I have faith they can finish their job. They are strong, they are smart, and they are my friends. And I need to stand up to those facts myself. This is how Ill be better.} They hear grunts near them, crushes of tree branches, and wounded animal cries. Gray: *whispers* Over there. Ryo: __ Gray sees a big Gray monster about to eat a wounded boar. Gray: A troll freaky. Ryo: Do you feel like you should kill this animal? Gray: Its going to kill that boarso yeah. Ryo: But we can not eat Troll meat, though we can eat boar meat. Gray: Stillwe need to kill that troll Ryo: For doing the same thing that were doing? Gray: Should I kill him or not then!? Ryo: Its up to you. Gray takes a deep breath and then pulls an arrow out of his quiver. He aims the bow at the two animals. He exhales, putting mana onto the arrow to heighten its strength and then releases the bow string. The arrow whistles through the air landing in its target. Ryo: Surprising choice. The arrow killed the boar instantly, saving it from a terrible death the troll. The troll looks over to see the two standing behind a tree. The monster roars and then proceeds to run after the two. Gray strands are strong and fearless while Ryo stands and watches. Gray {Im not good enough with a bow to be able to fire this quickly! NoGray, you can do itI CAN DO IT!} Gray shouts at the troll before quickly firing an arrow right into the troll''s neck slowing it down. It gives Gray an opening that he takes advantage of properly. Gray {Common focus mana throughout the body} Gray leaps up the tree, using the height average to shoot another arrow right into the troll''s head stunning the beast. Gray {Alright now againif my math is right, mana overdrive takes around half or a third of my mana, so I can handle it. OVERDRIVE SHOT!} Gray shoots the overly enhanced arrow straight through the head of the troll killing the beast. Gray proceeds to hop out of the tree and land on the troll''s dead body. Ryo: That was very impressive Gray. Your level of mana control is far better than I expected, and you have excellent reflexes. I expected you to try and fight it head-on, but you used your surroundings and resources accordingly. Well done. Gray: I understand my lack of skillevery big fight Ive been inits like Im cannon fodderor rushing in at the last second to beat the bad guy. But the one time Im emotionlesswhen I lose myself I win. The first person I ever killedI only won because I was fast and decisive, I didnt think and I just did. Ryo: That is an excellent trait to have. A useful soldier will stand strong in the face of an enemy no matter how weak he is. So the fact that you can push your fears away and act already makes you a good fighter. I have a questiondid you feel bad when you killed the man you speak of? Gray: I meannot reallybut he was a kid so I should feel kinda badbut I just dont. I have no idea why Ryo: You will have to figure that out on your ownsome people just arent affected by the act of taking a life. That might just be the line you fall under. Gray: Okaythank you. Gray reassures himself, he then takes back the arrows he can before walking over to the boar. Ryo: Why did you decide to kill the boar too? Gray: We aren''t saintswe need it to survive and it was going to die a worse death if I didnt intervene. Now we can use its carcass for whatever we need. Whether it is food or a blanket. Ryo hands Gray a small sharp knife. Ryo: Here you take what you think you need. Gray: I think it would be easier to do this back at the houseso I wont have to carry individual parts. Ryo: Good thinking. You have earned your clothes privileges. Gray: Man thats creepy. Ryo: "Actually, I agree. I''m not the best or experienced of teachers, my apologies." Gray picks up the boar''s body and they walk back to the cabin. Ryo: You seem to have some skill with that bow. Gray: I learned with some throwing knives that if you enhance the power of something enough you dont need to have much skill with it. I dont know how to use a bowlike the wind messing with the arrow or how high I should aim it up to think of it falling. Since its so strong it just flies straight. Ryo: Smart, I think you downplay yourself when you talk of your skill. Gray: Im not some prodigy or something I just got lucky with my mana. Ryo: Dont say luck is the reason for your ability. You made it work, and you just got a little help from the spirits. Id say you used their blessings as intended, so you earned your power in the end. Gray: Thanks for thatit means a lot. Ryo: Of course. They finally arrive back at the cabin. Gray takes the boar into the cabin, then enters a side room meant for preparing animals. He sets the animal on the cutting table, he then prepares himself to skin it. Ryo: Do you feel that you can do it? I would understand if you cant. Gray: Can you do it for me? Ryo: I can not. Gray: Can you tell me what to do? Ryo: I can tell you the way I do it. First, cut the head off and put it on a hook, then let the blood flow out of the body. We can then come back when it has let all its blood out and finish skinning it. Gray takes a breath before cutting into the boar''s neck. Almost throwing up, he struggles to keep going, but Ryo stands still and focued, giving Gray the motivation to keep going. He focuses mana onto the blade for a finer cut almost instinctively, cutting through the skin and bone effortlessly. And in an instant, the head is removed. Gray: I did it. Ryo: That you did. Now place the head over there and hang the body up on those hooks. Gray follows Ryo''s orders, even if it makes his stomach jump into his throat before he walks back into the cabin''s main room. Ryo: There is a hot spring in the small cave opening behind the cabin. Its the reason I built this cabin here so use it to your heart''s content. Ill supply you with towels and a place to rest. Gray: REALLY! I meansure, thank you. Gray walks out of the cabin and enters the entrance to the hot spring. Removing the bandages on his hand along with his underwear. The hot steam causes all pain from Grays body to dissipate. Gray sighs, closing his eyes and losing himself in thought. Gray {Ryo is strangehe doesn''t come off as strong or hostilecompletely different from Gordon, Musashi, or Kioshi. Hes nice, hes calm. But something''s off so far. He asks so many questionsand never gives a straight answer. Im going to be up here for a whilewith this guy, this is gonna be an experience. RosemaryI hope youre safeSoku I hope youre having funEdward, I hope you find Lincolnand Julius, I hope you scare them more. I''m on a losing streak so far.} Gray: II will use all the time given to me to make sure Im useful. I promise you all that. And if you''re watching meOpheliaMusashi Ill make you proud. End of Chapter Six. Arc 4: Chapter 7. Bar trouble Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 7. Bar trouble The group enters the outskirts of Athens, driving through the forest. Soku: We crossed the bridge! Rosemary: We made it! Edward: Alright we should look for an inn outside the central city. Julius: Should we rest and go into the city in the morning? Soku: If we wanna learn stuff we need to be out at night, asking around. Mainly in bars and such, Im used to things like this; it''s what Im good at. Rosemary: Alright thenso you and Edward will go out then? Edward: Why me? Rosemary: They wouldnt take me seriously and Im a bad liar, then theres Julius.they wont like his personality to put it likely. Edward: Didnt you do this kinda stuff when you lived with Soku? Rosemary: I just cleaned around the house. I also helped Ophelia sell stuff but Soku helped us with that as well. Julius: I agree with your thought process. We will act on your plan, but let us get to the inn first anyway. Rosemary: Alright then. They drive for a bit longer until they spot an inn down the road. They pull the carriage and animals into a stable outside, then enter the inn. Erin: Hi! My name is Erin and Im the owner of this inn! Would you like a couple of rooms? Julius: Two rooms for two please. Erin: Of course sir, how long do you plan on staying? Julius: That is undetermined so we will pay by the week. Erin: Alright then thatll be one hundred silver in all. Soku: Ouchthe rooms n food better be good. Erin: I assure you all of it is nice! They get their room keys and walk to the upper floor. They enter their rooms and get their things settled. Rosemary: Are you going to be okay out there? Soku: Ill be fine Rosemary: Can I ask you something? Soku: Yeah I guess. Rosemary: Are you sleeping well? Soku: Yeah Im sleeping fine Rosemary: Sokuplease dont lie to me. Soku: WellI have nightmares sometimes. Rosemary: How often is it sometimes? Soku: Everyday. Rosemary: WHAT! You need to calm downdo we need to talk? The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Soku: I told you Im FINE! Soku leaves the room slamming the door behind her. She notices Edward standing in the hall waiting for her. Edward: Do you wanna talk about whatever that was? Soku: NO! Edward: Alright then lets go into town. They walk back downstairs, getting a wave goodbye from Erin. Edward: Oh, by the way, Erin do you know any popular bars with the armies? Erin: The Drunken Serpent is pretty popular with the Red Arrows. Edward: Alright thanks again! Erin: No problem, have a good day! They exit the inn, stepping onto the short path into town. Edward: Shes nice. Soku: Do you like her or somethin? Edward: What? I just met her. How would I get a crush that fast? Soku: I dunno ask Gray and Rosemary, Im just teasing. Edward: Yeah.youve been teasing more and more lately. Soku: Got a problem? Edward: Nope, just saying. Soku: Can we just not talk thenIve been talking all day, my throat is sore. Edward: If you wish. With that said They walk into town without saying a single word to each other. The only audible thing was the rustling of leaves in the wind. They arrive in the main town and see groups of people walking around. The buildings look very different compared to Walgonias. The buildings are almost all made of dark stone bricks, with everything being dark, disheveled, and moist. Soku: Looks a little better than the slums Im used to. Edward: Is that so? Alright, we need to ask around, and see if theyll tell us where that bar is. Edward walks up to a group of drunken men walking down the street. Edward: Sir do you know where the Drunken Serpent bar is by any chance. Drunken man: HehOh yeah, its over yonder its thefirst on the left The drunken man throws up, barely missing Edward. Edward: Umhave a nice night sir. Drunken man: Tanksyou too Soku: First try huh. Edward: Seems so, a bit of good luck there. Soku: Alright, when we get in there Ill do the question-asking. Edward: What? Im bigger than you, I dont think theyd give you a straight answer. Soku: These types of people are good at finding their people. Youll see, you just gotta trust me. Edward: Alright thenI trust you. They walk over to the Drunken Serpent. They hear yelling, laughing, and talking on the inside. Edward: You ready? Soku: As Ill ever be They enter the bar, the smell makes Edward nauseous. Puke, beer, blood, and piss. Edward: Never understood bars, now this just makes my view of them worse. Soku: Yeah but scamming drunk guys is easy. Now let me talk to the barkeep. Edward: Yeah sure, Ill act as a bodyguard. Soku sits at the bar, trying to get the attention of the barkeeper. Soku: Hey. HEY!. HEY BARKEEPER! Barkeeper: What!? Damn, kid gets out of here. Soku removes the hat covering her head, her ears and green hair catch the attention of the man drawing him into the conversation. Soku: Names Soku the wind thief! Heard of me? Barkeeper: I have actually. And call me Horace instead of the barkeeper. Horace refills his customer''s drinks by conversing with Soku. Soku: Im looking for a way to talk with the leader of the Red Arrows. Can you help me with that? Horace: Possiblyfor a price, my memories are a little shaky right now. Soku: Do I need to make this guy here knock your head back into place then? Horace looks at Edward, his cocky attitude turns to fear as he notices Edward''s battle aura. A feeling of power, confidence, and bloodlust all at once. Edward sits down beside Soku. Edward: Can I have a drink? Horace: Umwhat do youI mean what would you like sir? Edward: Your recommendation please Horace pours Edward a glass of bourbon, trying his hardest to establish a sense of friendship. Edward: Lookjust tell us what we want and well get out of your hairis that alright? Horace: YeahHEY GUYS THESE NICE CUSTOMERS WANNA KNOW IF THEY CAN MEET THE RED ARROWS! Edward feels a hand touch his shoulder. Before he says anything hes thrown to the ground, surrounded by drunken hostiles. A man walks through the crowd, a tall muscular man. Big man: YeAhWeRe*hiccup* ThE ReD ArRoWs. Edward: Some how I dont believe you. The big man fully walks out of the crowd, revealing himself to be a demi-human. He is what looks to be a simple wolf type, but with his big stature, it would be criminal to look past him as a weak foe. Another drunk man attempts to grab Soku''s body, but he is stopped by her uncovering her blade. Soku pulls the blade out from the cover of her cloak and holds it in front of herself. Edward {Shitthis isnt goodI dont have my sword or armorand all these guys might try and kill us. I just need to winlike every other timelose focus and.AND WIN!} A man hears the action from outside the bar. Then suddenly a man is thrown through the wall of the bar. Crashing to the ground, he looks at the assailant. Edward stares him down before jumping out of the hole in the wall of the bar. The Demi-human man stands up, brushing the rubble off his body before attempting to punch Edward. Edward weaves the punch, grabbing the man''s arm and breaking it. Everyone walks out of the bar, surrounding Edward and the wolf man watching in awe. Crowd member: Woohno way these humans gonna beat ''em. Crowd member: I GOT TWO SILVER ON EM! The crowd goes crazy, screaming in anticipation. The wolfman tries to ram into Edward, and to everyone''s surprise, Edward grabs onto The wolf man''s head and flips him onto his back, the force knocking him out. Edward: ANYONE ELSE!? A man goes to shank Edward in the back, but hes stopped by a gust of wind pushing him to the ground. The crowd looks at Soku, in awe of the fact that they are seeing an elf, a wind magic user in their country. The crowd quickly turns hostile, an all-out battle is about to occur before a sound similar to thunder is heard. Before anyone can react, a spear is thrown into the ground, a little shocking everyone that isn''t Edward and Soku. Then they all notice a man standing atop the spear, with bright yellow hair, and a headband with the Red Arrows flag on it. Crowd member: Holy shitITS LEO! Leo: I heard you were looking for the Red Arrowswell here I am, leader of the Red Arrows. AND EVERYONE HERE IS NOT A PART OF THE RED ARROWS, SO UNLESS YOU WANNA BE HARSHLY REPRIMANDED, I SUGGEST YOU GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE WOULD YAH? The crowd flees, leaving Edward and Soku alone with the leader of the Red Arrows. Leo: Sorry about those guys, theyre pirates parading as us. You guys are strong! Whatre your names? Soku: Soku, just Soku. Edward: My name is Edward Van Helsing. Leo: WaitYOURE A VAN HELSING! Edward: Yeahand I would like your help to take back Walgonia. END OF: Chapter Seven. Arc 4: Chapter 8. Offer accepted Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 8. Offer accepted Leo: I would love to help yah, but I got an army to lead. Edward: We understand that and want to help you win your war. Leo: Seriously! Did you bring your army of somethin? Soku: Nah. Edward: Think of us as extra manpowerhehe Leo: Well Im glad about it! Edward: If you give us a location I can meet with you and your people if you want. Leo: Gotcha alright if you give me an address Ill come by tomorrow. Edward: Okaywere staying at an Inn just out of town that way. Thank you for your cooperation! Leo: Heh I should be thanking you! Alright, Ill see ya tomorrow! Edward and Soku walk back to the inn, out of breath due to the bar fight. Edward: You didnt get hurt did you? Soku: Nah, Im good. You? Edward: Nothing but a little sore. Soku: I say we dont talk about the bar trouble Edward: YeahRosemary will freak out about it. Soku: Do you think well be able to help them? Like, help them win, not just assist them. Edward: Its a gamblewe need to be able to lastno matter how long it takes I want to help them. Soku: Alright thenif you feel confident then I think we all can. Edward: Just stay optimistic but realisticits all we can do. Soku: Will do. They return to the inn, noticing Rosemary has fallen asleep. Soku: Goodnight then. Edward: To you as well. Soku: Waitbefore we partdo you have nightmares? Edward: When I was younger I had them all the timebut after a while they justwell they just stopped. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Soku: How long did it take for them to stop? Edward: Well I dont know the exact timeovertime I just forgot about them. Soku: Alrightthanks now Im going to sleep. Soku sighs before entering her room, leaving Edward alone in the hallway. Edward {Poor kidgoing through so much so youngand she feels like she cant talk about it. Living this type of lifebeing around these types of people is dangerous. But as long as we remain strong we will be able to cope with it because its all we can do.} Edward walks into his room, noticing Julius isnt there. Edward {He must be out somewhere. Oh well.} Edward lies in his bed, falling asleep shortly after. Unlike Edward, Soku stays awake unable to sleep. Soku {Ive been laying here for what feels like hoursIm just gonna go downstairs and get some coffee.} Soku leaves her room and enters the common room. Surprisingly see she''s Julius sitting at one of the few tables sipping coffee and cleaning his shoes. Julius: What are you doing up so late? Soku: Cant sleep, you? Julius: I dont sleep much. Soku: Oh yeah forgot about that. Julius: Would you like some coffee? Soku: Yeah sure. Julius: You seem tired. Julius continues to talk with Soku while making her coffee. Soku: Im fine. Julius: I agree that you are mentally sound, but I dont think the others would agree. Soku: Yeah Rosemary has been up my ass about it Julius: You went through something horrible and didnt want to talk about it. Its not an uncommon thing to do. Soku: See, at least somebody understands it. Julius: I dont understand why you wont talk to your friends about it. If it interferes with the mission it is a problem. You being tired and quick to anger will be a complication. Soku: Look dude Im not gonna pull a Gray and shout all my problems at the top of my lungs. Im just gonna deal with it until it all blows over. Julius: If that is what you wish to do. Would you like milk and sugar? Soku: Yeah I would. Julius: Alright thenwell here you go. Soku: Me and Edward met the leader of the Red Arrows by the way. Julius: Thats greatI figured it would take a lot longer to get this far. Soku: Yeah we might be here for a lot less time than I thought. Julius: The sooner we leave the sooner we take Walgonia back. Soku: Now what do we do while we wait? Julius: I recommend that you train your body outside, I can assist you in doing so if you want? Soku: Sure I guessI need to pass the time with something. They walk outside, stepping onto the wet grass, and the two combatants pull out their swords. Julius: Your wind magic is a strong asset to our team. If you better yourself at combat you could be a deciding factor in our victory. Speed, range, and pressure are all things you could be excellent at. Soku: I have been working on it, I''m just Julius: You are lazy, that is obvious, and if you are the main support in our team dynamic you must put a stop to your laziness. We can not win if you dont fit the mold I need. So come at me with everything you have. Try to impress me. Soku {Who the hell does this guy think he is? He talks like hes so powerful but at the same time he doesn''t I cant read him at all!} Julius approaches Soku slowly. Soku takes a deep breath, surrounding herself in a thick layer of wind. Like a backup source of wind just in case she cant summon some when needed. She propels herself forward with the wind, then flows the mana around her sword attempting to just attack head-on. Julius sighs before simply moving out of the way, looking unimpressed. Soku: No fair! You can perceive my movements! Julius: That tool can only be used if I wish it to. And right now Im not using it. Soku: Then what should I do?! Julius: Use your small stature to your advantage. Make your opponent go to you because you have range and area of effect attacks. Control the battlefield instead of letting your opponent control it. Soku {Thinkwhat would Gray do right nowdammit, Im acting like Rosemary right now} Julius continues to approach Soku, though this time instead of approaching Julius, Soku stands her ground. Soku crosses her arms, makes a thick wall of wind, and blasts it toward Julius. Julius slices his repair through the wall cutting through it causing it to lose its shape and explode. Julius quickly moves you out of the way dodging the blasts of wind. Soku then throws a dense wind blade at him. Again Julius simply swings at the attack, destroying the construct of wind. Julius: Good job, see when you try you can be creative with your attacks. Soku: Cant tell if that was a compliment Julius: To put it bluntly you lost to Gray in the tournament due to overconfidence, low creativity, and overall lack of skill. I would like to spend our free time making sure you overcome those faults. And if you come to a better understanding with your Mark of Providence that will be greatly appreciated. Soku: Okayand I cant really use my Mark on commandat least not all the time.? Julius: Well if you accept my offer we can work on that. So do you accept my offer? Soku: Yeah I do. Now let us get back to you beating me up. Julius: That was a very Gray of putting it. Soku: Dont ever say that to me again please. Julius: Ill remember not to. END OF : Chapter Eight. Arc 4: Chapter 9. Meeting at the Inn Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 9. Meeting at the Inn Soku: UHHH! Weve been waiting here for hours! Julius: Well hes the leader of an army, you must be cautious at times like this. Rosemary: Youre sure this is the right guy? Edward: He looks like how other knights describe him. And his spear looks like its made of the same metal that Julius monocle is made of. Julius: God''s alloy, metal only found in Alfheim. Soku: Ive heard the story about the charms and weapons made from itbut I thought those were just stories, yknow fake. Julius: Well they are authentic indeed. Gray possesses one of the six cursed charms so that should have been grounds for you to believe that they are real. Soku: Well Gray couldnt even use it. Rosemary: Gotsu the monster stayer is described to have had one of the cursed charmsat least I think so Edward: Yeahhe did actually use it Julius: Wait Edward, isnt that your father? Edward: Yeahhe is. Rosemary: Really!? Soku: Wait yeahthat makes sense now that I think about it. With Musashi and Gotsu killedyoure the last Helsing Edward: I knowand its stressful. Soku: Just go date Erin back there. Erin: WHAT DID YA SAY I CANT HERE YAH!? Edward: NOTHING! ITS NOTHING! Rosemary: Soku stop teasing him, now he might be here soonso is everyone ready? Edward: I think we have on all our armor Julius: I dont see anyone missing a piece of armor or their weapon. Soku: Got all my stuff. Julius: Soku, wouldnt you want to wear some better armor? That coat is old and worn out. I assume you could get a better one. Soku: Its important to me. Erin: I think somebody''s outside!? Edward: Here it comes! The door slams open, and the bright light of the sun blinds the group. The man in the doorway walks towards them, taking a seat at their table. Soku: Ummmwhos this kid? The man that walked through the door was a young boy, looking about Sokus age. With his elf-like ears, black hair, and dark skin it was obvious what he was. Julius: You are a dark elf. Boy: Yep! Soku: Whats with the cape? Boy: Cause capes are awesome? This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Rosemary: That headbandare you a member of the Red Arrows? Boy: Right on the money! Names Peter! AND IM THE SECOND-HAND MAN! Soku: Umma kid as a second-hand man? Peter: Im fourteen! And Im just that good I guess. Edward: So why are you here and not Leo? Peter: Had to check if you guys were legitTHEYRE CLEAR! Soku leans over to Rosemary, whispering in her ear. Soku: He reminds me of Graybut cooler since hes a dark elf. Rosemary: Shhh! Stop being mean, focus quickly! Leo walks through the open door, with multiple men following behind him walking to different corners of the room. Erin: Ummare these friends of yours? Edward: Um Erin you might want to go into a back room. Erin: YeahIll be on that Leo pulls out a chair and flips it around, sitting on it backward. Leo: Sorry it took so long to get here, I had to get some backup just in case you guys are against us. Edward: What we told you yesterday was the truth, we want your help and will help you to get it. Leo: Who is the leader of your mini group may I ask? Julius: I am sir. What my colleagues have stated to you is the truth. Walgonia is lost, as far as we know Valatrositce is not trustworthy, and the same goes for Ravoria. We met the leaders of the Sect, all being power full in their own right. They were able to kill Musashi and Kioshi Van Helsing, and though they did struggle they were able to do it. That alone proves their strength, and being able to take over a country legally shows their intelligence. Leo: But since being with the Sect of Anarchy is illegal, Arthur Willams is not rightfully king. Julius: But in the eyes of the masses he is just a great commander. We must make it look like we are saving the country, and hide the fact we let the Sect of Anarchy make it far enough to take over a country. Leo: But your hair and that outfitare you - Julius: I am the third son of King Cornelius Cromwell. My older brothers were killed by Arthur and the acts of the Sect. I do not know if my own country is against meI have sworn allegiance to the Leviathan army to help save Walgonia. Leo: Peterwhat do you think about this? Peter: Walgonia has been silent since the crowing of the new kingand from what theyre saying there arent any blanks in their statements. I dont like this Julius guy thoughbut thats just me. Julius: Well Peter I like your forwardness, its respectable to be able to talk to people much stronger than you with such confidence. Leo: Okay lets stop talking about whos weird or whos betterif you want us to help you, you do need to help us. I know that youve said youll do this, so we need to talk about how you will do this. Julius: From what we know about the civil war going on, your mother the queen of Athens passed away leaving the country to your older brother Beauregard Valentine. He changed various laws and committed acts against the demi-humans and all the people who disagreed started a cue against him. Being led by his younger brother Leo Valentine. Leo: That was great! So you know what we need help with then Julius: You need extra manpower to defeat your brother, a man with the backing of the Athens army, one of the most powerful armies in the world. It will be difficultbut with a well-thought-out plan we can defeat them. Leo: We dont need to kill off them or anythingwe just need to stop my brother and then the army will be under our lead. Julius: Are you prepared to take the life of your brother? Leo: II think I am Julius: Well ok then, do you have a plan already? Peter: Not a perfect onebut give me a bit with the new info we have and I might be able to think of one Julius: Well I have faith in your abilities. Leo: I would like to know more about you all, what are your abilities, and your names as well. Rosemary: I am RosemaryGolden Wind and I have Light mana Leo: YOURE A GOLDEN WIND! That meansyoure the last one arent you? Rosemary: That is correct Soku: Names Soku, Im an elf and I got wind mana. Edward: I am Edward Van HelsingI dont have great abilityI just have my strength and this sword. Leo: That sword is kinda big, you sure you dont want a smaller one? Edward: Nothis one is fine. Leo: Well if you can swing that thing I think youre good. Julius: And I am Julius Cromwell, I have a weapon of Alfheim that lets me possess a weak form of foresight, I also possess the ability to use the Dragons fist. Leo: Hey I got a weapon from Alfheim too! And the Dragons fistmy father made that fighting styleto think that his reach made it that far Edward: Waitthe way your father is Orm right? Leo: Yeah why? Edward: The way you speak of himis he dead? Leo: I dont knowbut as far as I know he is. Edward: Damnwe were hoping to find himor at least try. Peter starts eating a piece of food, quite loudly interrupting the conversation. Leo: Hey could you stop that? Peter: Mpfwh..yIm hungrymmmm. Soku {This guys an idiot.} Leo: I have good news, I have been talkin with a couple of other peoplepeople also trying to take down my brother, and I got them all to meet with me. Julius: Might I ask who they would be? Leo: The Leader of the Gravestone piratesand a man a part of a group called the Spartans. The name Gravestone pirates strike anger into Edward, his face going frozen, and his mind filled with dreadful memories of his past. His mother is being eaten, and his stepfather is being struck down. His childhood home was burned down. Only to be brought out of this trance by Rosemary, she pulls on his arm to get his mind back to the conversation. Rosemary: What are or are Spartans? Leo: No Idea, but word on the street is that hes pretty strong. Julius: When and where will this meeting be held? Leo: We havent decided on the meeting place yet and we wouldnt be able to have a date without a meeting spot. Erin stumbles back into the common room, her face lit up with joy. Erin: OH YOU CAN HAVE IT HERE! To think of my inn being the meeting place of a cue against that awful kingit would be AMAZING! Leo: REALLY! That''s great! Ill see if I can contact them and well have it here! Julius: Well then there we have it, I think our meeting is adjourned is it not? Leo: I guess so yeah, hey Ill contact you guys when the date is decided, and if we feel like you guys are really, REALLY trustworthy, Ill tell ya where our hideout is. Julius: Very well then, I hope you all have a nice day. Leo: You too! Nice to meet all of yah, and I hope we stop my brother fast so we can get to help yah! Edward: I wish you luck. Leo and the other Red Arrows exit the Inn, with Peter stumbling his way out shouting for them to wait for him. Rosemary: So that wentwell, I think. Soku: Were moving through this pretty quick, we might not need Gray to even show up, he can just keep training with Ryo till we get back. Edward: We should write to Gray about the info we just got. Rosemary: Ill do it for you. END OF : Chapter Nine. Arc 4: Chapter 10. Spirits Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 10. Spirits Gray slumps out of his bed, holding his blankets onto his body due to the cold. He makes his way down the stairs and makes a cup of coffee. Gray {Not how Im used to coffee tasting this wayor making it this way but I have to get used to it I guess.} Ryo: Youre awake, eat the food I cooked and well head outside. Gray: Same thing as normal? Ryo: Nope, keep your hopes up because today is the day we learn what youre here for. Gray: REALLY! YES! Going to get some moves. Ryo: Its nice to see you energetic. Gray: The faster I get done here I can get back to Rosemary and the rest of my friends! I went down to Greenvale yesterday and got a letter from them. They already had a meeting planned with all the different factions in Athens. But there is a weird part. Ryo: Thats great! But what is the weird part? Gray: Theres a group called the Spartansand as far as I know that word has no history or meaning here. Ryo: Yesat least I know nothing of it. Gray: Where Im froma place far away, as far as I knowthat name belongs to a group of people that lived hundreds of years ago. They were all strong warriors that lived near a place called Athensso I think that the leader might be from the same place Im from. Ryo: Well that is strange isnt it? Gray: Well I might need to get to Athens faster now, depending if that guy is on our side or not. Ryo: Well I hope that it works out for you. Come outside when you finish waking up, Ill be waiting for you. Gray finishes his breakfast and then proceeds to walk outside, still shivering. Gray: Gets less cold by the daybrrrr Ryo: Your body gets used to it. Gray: Yeahso what are we out here for? Roy: Here I laid out a campfire pit over there. You kindle fire and then we will begin. Gray: Okay! Gray walks over to the fire pit. He grabs two sticks and begins to try and kindle a fire. Gray {Oh TV shows dont fail me now!} The fire starts to appear, exiting Gray. But it should be expected as during the last few days of training Ryo has put something physical into it, and yesterday was this very lesson. Gray tries to keep the snow off the fire before Ryo appears with a tent he sets up around them and the fire, with a whole at the top. It was reminiscent of a Tipi, made from some of the skin of the boar Gray had slain a few days earlier. Ryo: Here this will cover us as well as the fire. Gray: Good thinking. Ryo holds a pot of tea over the fire, heating it. Gray: Wont that hurt your hand? Ryo: No. Gray: Alright then Ryo hands Gray a cup of freshly made tea. Gray: That was fast. Ryo: I just needed to heat it up, now take a sip. Gray takes a sip, with the bitterness immediately hitting him. His face curls up, trying to get through the nasty taste. Gray: Its...reallybitter Ryo: Yes, now what do you feel? Gray: Nothing why? Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Gray''s vision starts to get blurry, he also starts to lose his senses scaring him. Gray: DID YOU DRUG ME!? I WOULD HAVE SIPPED IT IF YOU TOLD ME FIRST! I THINK! Gray stands up but immediately falls to the ground, landing in the snow. Gray: Why? Ryo: Now brace yourself. Ryo sits Gray up, he then takes a step back and thrusts his palm into Grays chest, hitting his OD. The blurry vision fades out, and his sense of touch is removed in an instant, it was almost as if he died. Gray {WHAT HAPPENED!? I CANT SEE, I CANT FEEL, DAMMIT I CANT DO ANYTHING!} Gray tries to open his eyes, only seeing a bright blue mist. Gray starts to regain a few of his senses. He hears inaudible voices and feels the atmosphere around him, similar to being underwater. Gray {Did that guy just kill me?} Ryo {I didnt kill you, this is your astral form.} Gray {CAN YOU READ MY MIND!?} Ryo {I have also entered my astral form. You just need to calm down and focus on my voice.} Gray {But its too loudI cant} Ryo {You said you need to get strong fast, this is how we do it.} Gray {Yeah I knowbut its just TOO MUCH!} Ryo {FOCUS GRAY! DO IT NOW!} Gray tries his hardest to focus, but his mind is repeatedly being screamed at. Like thousands of people inside his mind. Ryo {Think of my face, my voice, your body, anything but the spirits.} Gray {Okayokay} The fog in Gray''s mind starts to clean. He feels air blowing on his body, his hair flowing through the cold winter wind. He opens his eyes to see his body slumped down in the snow. Gray: Is that my body? Ryo floats up to Gray. Gray looks at himself seeing that he''s a blue and transparent version of the man lying in the snow. Gray: So is this like my astral form? Ryo: Precisely. The tea quickly relaxed your mind and I pushed you the rest of the way out. Gray: COULD HAVE WARNED ME FIRST! Ryo: I guess but youre doing okay now arent you? Gray: I feel a little sickand my thoughts are so loud it hurtsand I can hear mumbling all around me Ryo: Those are spirits, the better you get adjusted to your spiritual self the stronger your connection will be. I have already mastered the stateand to be able to float around with the spirits isis a blessing. The best blessing anyone could be givenother than life itself that is Gray: You said you don''t want me to use spells because they can hurt spirits...if you feel so strongly about hurting spirits...what about hurting people?...killing people? I''ve killed a few people...some that didn''t even attack me. Am I a bad person?" Ryo: Nobody is a good person...I care for the spirits so much because they give life to everything. People use that life and choose what they want to do with it. You used your life to take another...something that I have done as well. If you don''t want to take a life then don''t it. Just be you." Gray: Just bemenow how do I get back to my body? Ryo: Focus on something you like that makes you happy or calm, then close your eyes and seep back into your body. Gray: Okayjust calm down Gray {RosemaryI hope youre doing okayI hope all of you are doing okay} Gray opens his eyes, he slowly gets up and finds himself in his bed back in Ryo''s home. Hopping out of his bed he''s a bit wobbly and notices through the kitchen window that by the sunlight it may be noon. Gray: How long was I out? Ryo: A couple of hours. You did great, you have promise, now come with me. Gray: About the sword stuffMusashi wanted to train me in the water sword stylecan you do that for me now? Ryo: The water sword style? Gray: Yeah water sword style, yknow like one of the four sword styles. Ryo: Oooh, yeah thats totally fake. Simply put it''s just a personality test. Those sword styles havent been around since the early days of mana. Musashi just asked you which one you wanted to train in to see if you were the type of person he would teach. Gray: REALL!? I wish he told me that Ryo: Its an old trick, now I will teach you the next level of the Spirit Arts. Gray: Whats it called? Ryo: It''s just a use of mana, but I don''t think it has an official name. Gray: You gotta name ''em or they dont feel as cool to use. Ryo takes Gray to a clearing in the forest. Ryo: Now watch me. Pull out your sword, then focus mana onto the blade and allow the spirits to do the same. Then once its powered up you swing the sword as so. Ryo pulls out his katana, the sword starts to give off a faint glow, with small white lights surrounding it. He swings the sword and the mana gets flung off the blade still keeping its shape, as if its being held in place by the spirits. The attack hit a tree, destroying the outer layer of bark. Gray: AWESOME! Ryo: So explain what you thought I just did. Gray: UmmYou got the spirits to hold the shape of your mana, so when you swung they kept the mana in the blade shape, allowing for a ranged, fast, pinpoint attack. Ryo: Good job, thats a perfect explanation! Gray: Well I''ve done something similar I thinkand Im not that smart, I just kinda guessed. Ryo: Youve done something similar? Gray: Oh yeah I haven''t shown youI did it when I was fighting in the knights'' exam, I summoned a bunch of mana then I spun it into a sphere shape. I call it ``TItans Impact. Ryo: TItans Impactcan you show it to me? Gray: Yeah sure. Gray summons the orb of mana, the sight impresses Ryo. However Ryo also notices the strain it puts on both Grays body and mind to keep it going, show casing an obvious flaw. Ryo: "Mh, to think using such a large amount of mana in such a simple way. Most would stray from this as it would be a waste, however, they would be wrong. You should be proud you''ve done something like this!" Gray: "Really? It seems pretty simple and I''m not good at using it." Ryo: Something being simple doesn''t matter. To you it was simple, that''s all. Now can you hit that tree with it over there? Gray runs over to the tree, slamming the attack into it. It destroys the front of the trunk and causes large surges of pain to Gray''s hand. Ryo: And you just did this without any practice? Gray: Kinda, I practiced my mana control but I never made the entire thingthe idea wasnt mine though, I saw something similar in a popular manga back home. Ryo: Manga? Gray: Doesn''t matter. Ryo: Well, to pull off an attack so quickly and under stressful circumstancesthat requires amazing skill. You are one of if not the most talented knights I have ever seen, you just need more confidence in yourself. Your Titans Impact keeps its shape because of you spinning itto think you have such strong mana that you can make small constructs with it. Gray: You flatter me but I think you''re pushing it on all the prodigy stuffand TItans Impact hurts my hand so its not all good Ryo: You just need to strengthen your body, as well as using spirits to help keep the shape, so you do not have to think as much. Gray: That would be helpful. Ryo: Now you try to do it. Ryo tosses Gray his sword. Gray plants his feet takes a deep breath and composes himself. Ryo: Feel the spirits come towards you, slowlybuild that connection. Gray {Connectioncome on I have to do this! I can do this} Gray exhales and flows mana onto the sword. He can feel something getting closer to him, hearing mumbles in his head. Other thoughts, those same thoughts travel to the blade causing it to start to glow. And with his own mana feeding into it, he pushes even more, creating a large amount of glowing mana around the blade. Gray swings the sword, throwing the mana blade. However it quickly dissipates, leaving Gray somber. Gray: I threw itbut it didnt go very far Ryo: Amazingthe fact you were able to do itfirst tryyou truly are worthy of this blessing. Gray: You think so!? Sorry, sorry I gotta learn to keep my composure. Ryo: Its quite alright, now this starts the second step in your training. We will strengthen your control of the spirits and strengthen your body. You will learn the things you need to call yourself a spirit knight. So do you understand, it will be hard and it will hurt a lot, and because you want to go with your friends quickly it''ll be a lot in a very short amount of time. But it is meant for you? Are you prepared to take on the burden of a true knight? Gray: I''ve done somethin'' similar with Musashi and Gordon, so I acceptand I want to be worthy of calling myself a knight. Ryo: Well thenlet us get started. End of Chapter Ten. Arc 4: Chapter 11. Tension Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 11. Tension A week passes, with no information given to the group about the date and time of the faction''s meeting until this morning. Julius stands outside awaiting any message, he notices Peter sneaking through the trees to get to the Inn. Peter drops down to the ground, slowly approaching Julius. Peter: Hey JuliusI gotta be sneaky just in case theyre any guards walking around. Julius: Well for any normal person, they would have not noticed you. So you did a good job hiding. The guards did show up a few days ago, checking if we were enemies. Peter: They also searched for Leo after he showed up at that bar. Julius: Beauregard is making sure nothing is left untouchedhe is intelligent. Peter: Yeah thats why we move at nightoh well the meeting will be after today. All the leaders will show up but only want themselves and one member of their faction in the room. Julius: Who will Leo be choosing? Peter: Well since they wanted an important person from each group in the room Leo chose me. At first, we were going to pick a random person so that the other groups wouldnt know the stronger people in our ranksbut they thought that through. Julius: Well I dont think they would expect a person as young as yourself to be very useful. We can use that to our advantage. Peter: Yeah and to make sure we could have as many people in the room we said your group isnt with ours. But we left out that youre a part of the Salvation Army, so youll have to think of something. Julius: That was an intelligent decision, one that I assume is yours? Peter: You would assume correctlyLeo says Im the smartest person in the Red Arrows. Julius: Well I have high hope for you then. I will inform the others of the information you have given me. Now be on your way quickly, Ill see you later today. Peter: Yeah right on, see yah and tell Soku I said hi! Julius: Alright then. Peter starts to leave, with Julius entering the Inn. Julius prepares tea for everyone, then he knocks on each of the groups'' rooms, waking them all up. He then walks back down to the common room. Soku: Ughits too early for you to be awake Rosemary: Did you get any information Julius: I did in fact, Peter just came by and told me about the meeting. He also wanted to say hi to Soku. Soku blushes, hiding her face in her coat. Rosemary: Ooooh Sokuuuu. Soku blasts wind in Rosemary''s face, messing her hair up. Rosemary: HEY! Edward: FOCUS! Rosemary and Soku freeze up, scared by Edward''s stern voice. Edward: Sorry, sorry but this is serious, Julius what did he say? Julius: They are all coming here tonight, they have been told that we are our group. And we must pick the leader and one important person in our group. Edward: I assume that youll be the leader thenand Ill be the other person. Rosemary: Makes sense. Julius: Actually I want Soku to be the second person. Soku chokes on her tea in reaction to Julius statement. Edward''s stern face moves to shock and shows a small amount of anger. Edward: WHAT!? WHY!? FOR WHAT REASON!? Julius: See, you reacting like that proves my point. I dont know the details, but when Leo brought up the Gravestones you reacted strangely. I feel that I am correct to assume that you have a bad relationship with either Moro Gravestone, the leader of the Gravestone pirates, the Gravestone pirates themselves, or something related to them. Edward: Ughas usual your assumptions would be correct. Julius: Well then my decision will stay the same, Soku your ability to read people and see if they are lying is very useful in this type of situation. Soku: UG! Fine I guess Ill do it. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Julius: Excellent, now prepare yourselves for the coming conversation between leaders. Depending on how this turns out, it will either be the end of our hopes to free Walgonia, speed up the time it will take to free it, or make it take longer. Soku: No stress right Julius: Your fighting ability has grown a lot since I started sparring with you, so dont downplay yourself. But do not be overconfident as well. You must be confident, and content with your ability and importance to this mission. Soku: Thanks I guess Edward: Alright then.., if Im not gonna help Im just gonna swing this sword around outside. Rosemary: Ill join youI need to stop slacking on working out. Soku: Actually if you guys are gonna train or whatever Ill join ya. Julius: Im going to take a nap, to make sure Im ready. Edward: Alright, well sleep well then. Julius: Thank you. Julius walks upstairs, while the rest of them go outside to exercise and train. The day quickly passes, leaving everyone to await the arrival of the separate factions. Soku sits in her room, anxious and paranoid, with Julius sitting at the table. Soku sighs, slapping her cheeks, and enters the common room. Soku: They should be here soon. Julius: Is Edward doing okay? Soku: I think he''s just gonna wait in his room and come out just in case he hears something go bad, same with Rosemary. Julius: Alright, be prepared. Just outside of the Inn, are three different factions. All about to enter at once. Julius: Theyre here. Soku takes a deep breath, then the door opens. Leo enters the Inn, sitting down at one end of the table with Peter by his side. Another man enters the room, a demi-human smoking a cigar. He finishes the cigar and takes another out of his jacket pocket. He then sits down at one end of the table, with a fish demi-human by his side. The leader of the Spartans enters the room, with nobody by his side. His unclean appearance causes the room to feel nasty. His greasy hair brushes back and forth on his shoulders, and his dirty yellow, cracked, and crooked teeth gross out the room. Leo: Is everyone accounted for? Peter: "Ohumhey Soku Soku: HEYumI mean hey. Moro: It seems we got out guys but this nasty ass dude doesnt seem to have anyone with them. Caesar: This nasty ass dude''s name is Caesar, and I just got beaten up by some of those guards. That''s why Im all greasy. Moro: Whateverall you humans are disgusting anyway. Julius: Alright, we are all here to discuss our wants. I have already talked with the Red Arrows about helping each other to defeat Beauregard Valentine. Moro: And what if I just go help Beauregard, hes got a whole army on his side. You guys just got a couple of men. Leo: I have three hundred men under my command. Caesar: And out of all your men you pick the kid? Moro: Youre one to talk. I aint ever heard of yah till a week ago. And you dont even get a member of your crew with yah. Which was one of my demands. Caesar: They just help me out, I do all the important work. Soku, Peter, and Moros crew members all stand behind their respective leaders. All looking at each other, all also trying to read the room for any lies or clues. Moro: Look, all I want is the resources this island has. Its rumored its got a mine of Dragon stone. And that shit goes for hundreds of gold coins on the market. Leo: If you assist me, I can guarantee mining rights to the Dragon stone. Moro: The chances of us taking out Beauregard are hella low. Better odds of me just trying to get his help. Caesar: Dont you hate humans, Ive heard all Gravestone pirates hate em. Moro: We DO! But we know when to put differences aside for victory. Leo: Look, all we need to do is come up with a plan. And we have more in common with each other than you do with my brother, I mean look at our mustaches, theyre the same style. Moro: Stop with the flattery, I just want my money. And my mustache is way longer than yours, mine hangs down to my chest! You''re just touching your face. The smoke of Moro''s cigar blows into everyone''s faces in the room, annoying all of them. Caesar: Could ya stop smoking? Moro: Could you brush your teeth? Caesar: I do brush my teeth asshole! Theyre just stained! Moro: I dont give a damn you gross fuck! Tension quickly rises in the room with Moro''s guard slowly reaching for the sword on his side, and Soku doing the same. With the possibility of a fight about to break out, Leo snaps his fingers summoning his spear from the ground. This shocks the room, causing them to pull their hands away from their weapons. Moro: So its realyou fucken do have a weapon of Alfheim. Leo: And I dont wanna use it. Caesar, I dont know what you bring to the table, or if you would be any help to any of us. Is there even a point to you being here? Caesar: Look I know I look shabby, my pants are ripped and my coat is all messed up but Im telling you Im worth it! I got hella manpower, and I myself am pretty strong if I do say so myself. Beauregard is smart, isnt he? He already knows you guys are here and he has backup plans upon backup plans. But he doesnt know me! So hes got nothing. Moro: What about the pretty boy with the pink hair over there? You havent said anything, all youve done is sit there with that smile on your face, it''s creepy CUT IT OUT! Julius: I apologize if I offended you. I am in control of a small group from Walgonia. If I take down Beauregard I will get the assistance of the Red Arrows. That is why I am here. You have extra strength due to all of your crew being experienced demi-humans. Though I dont know much about Caesar I do know that he isnt lying about his statements. Wouldnt you agree with Soku? Soku: Umyeah Moro: Whats up with you guys having kids in your ranks!? Leo: Peter here is my best strategist. And I know that makes my army look stupid but I assure you Peter''s plans and reasoning are the entire reason the Red Arrows are still around. Moro: Cant tell if thats impressive or really sad. Leo: Look its just a yes or no question. Moro your help would be a deciding factor in our victory. I dont know much about you Caesar but I trust Julius judgment. So what will it be? Caesar: Look Ill help ya out, and Moro you do know that Beauregard is hella racist right? I wouldnt join up with ''em y''know. He would probably just turn against ya. Moro: Finecome by Solon bay in two days youll see some of my men in the harbor. Come around the mountainside so you wont be seen and Ill meet up with ya so we can talk about battle plansis that good? Leo: I think thats finebut I have another way of getting there. Julius: Soku? Soku: UM! Ithink Moro is telling the truth there is something off in the way hes speaking but I see more truth than lies. Moro: Thank ya, I know I can count on a fella demi-human. Julius: Then I will be there. Caesar: HELL YEAH! Lets take down that racist son of a bitch! Leo: Well putI guess. Moro stands up, putting his cigar out by pushing it on the table and leaving it there. He waves goodbye and exits the Inn. Caesar: Man that guys scaryoh well SEE YA! Caesar also exits the Inn, giving a big smile on his way out. Leo: HEY YOU GUYS CAN COME DOWN HERE! Edward and Rosemary come out of their rooms, walking down the stairs into the common room. Erin also comes out of hiding, walking out of a hidden room in the floorboards holding drinks for everyone. Edward: I didnt know you were down there! Are you okay? Erin: Aw you dont gotta care about me! Im all good, here I have some drinks. Peter: Did you see the scars on that guy''s face? Soku: Yeah, the slits on his lips and the xs on his eyesit looked like a skull. Julius: Similar to Gray''s mask, though Gray''s mask doesnt have the crosses on the eyes. Edward walks over to where Moro was sitting, staring at the cigar on the table looking as if hes in a trance. Leo: That went really well. Soku: Yeah but Moro seems a little untrustworthy. Rosemary: Well have to be prepared for something to happen when we go to the docks. Leo: The mountain way down is hiddenbut its open to the docks so we would be open to fire from ships. Edward: But if we go another way well have to worry about guards. Rosemary: We might just have to bite the bullet and risk it. Leo: Bite the bullet? Whats a bullet? Rosemary: Actually I dont knowmy partner says it sometimesbut he has never explained it to me. Peter: Well we should be on our way I guess Leo: Wait, we were gonna show you our hideout! Come on, follow us there. youll have a place to rest so you wont have to walk back early in the morning. Julius: Sure why not, come on let us go with him. Edward: Alright lead away. They all exit the Inn, following Leo down the main road, back into town. END OF Chapter Eleven. Arc 4: Chapter 12. Know yourself Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 12. Know yourself Gray sits atop the mountain practicing his control over the spirits as he''s been doing day after day and hour after hour. Staring out at the clouds, looking at Greenvale below him. A small village, filled with people training to be protectors. Gray: I see what you mean by this six-sense thing. I just kinda felt that you were near me. Ryo walks up behind Gray, handing him his jacket. The same jacket he was brought to this world in. Roy: Its because I have such a strong connection to the spirits. They see us as one of them, so if you can sense them you can sense me. Get better at it and you can track, and sense people who arent connected. Gray: Why are you handing me my jacket? Ryo: I see you staring at it a lot. Yet you never wear it. Why is that? Gray: Ive had this thing for a whileI havent worn it since I made it out of the castle. It means a lot to me but I just dont wanna touch it. Ryo: Tell me about yourself. We need to connect if Im going to teach you right? Gray: Only if you tell me about yourself. Ryo: Deal. Gray: What do you want me to tell you? My childhood? My issues? What do you want? Ryo: Tell mea mix of both. Gray: AlrightI didnt have a bad childhood or anything. I lived in a nice houseI didnt have that many friends but the few did have were nice." Ryo: Thats nice, were you in any kind of schooling? Gray: Yeahwhere Im from its requiredbut I didnt do very well. I had trouble focusing and I had issues learning how to spell. But I can read pretty welland writing is one of the few hobbies I have. Ryo: Did you write any stories? Gray: A coupleI preferred to think about them and rarely did I write them. I think they were okayIm not some profit or anything. HeheIm just a normal average guy. I was pretty tall though but Im not super attractive which sucks to realize when youre like six. Ryo: If all you do is downplay yourself you might turn into that person with enough time. Gray: Where were you when I needed you huh? Might have liked to hear those words back home. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Ryo: You talk about Rosemary a lot. Is she your partner? Gray: That was a big question shift. Um yeah shes my partner or girlfriend whichever you wanna say. We got together kinda fast, like really, REALLY fast. But I think it''s going as well as it can. Ryo: Do you love her? Gray: Of course. Ryo: Does she know you? Gray: I thinka while ago I went on a big rant to her about who I thought was the real meor who I was. But Im trying to changeI let Soku and the others suffer in silenceOphelia''s passingas well as Kioshis and Musashi''s hit them all hard. I was never an emotional guy or at least a crying kinda guy. The whole be a man thing yknowbut recently I have been crying a lot but their deaths just didnt hit me that hard. Ryo: Well you didnt know them for that long so it makes since your connection to them isn''t that strong. But I understand the struggle of forming emotional connections, and I''m sorry you have had trouble with it. Gray: Okay now youwhat was it like for you? How old are you? All that stuff. Ryo: I''m forty-one I was born in Ravoria to a common family, but Ravoria took me in when I was pretty young. Then when I joined the fight against the demi-humans I figured out what I was really fighting and I turned against my people, as sad as that sounds. Gray: Thats not sad, you just went against what you thought was wrong. Thats just a part of being a person. Ryo: Well putwhen I found my love and strong connection to the spirits I found my love for the world. So I want to help the people of this world, and sometimes you have to put down the people trying to destroy it. When I was sixteen, in the battle of God''s Fall, I was still deciding if I was going to leave my army or not I met Musashi. I found him wounded on the battlefield, with his brother Gotsu carrying him through the woods. I was going to strike them down when Musashi told his brother to kill me, but Gotsu denied it. Instead of attacking, I helped them back to their camp and joined the Leviathan army. Then the rest is history. Gray: To think he died so quicklyand without much of a fight. Ryo: I heard about some knights attacking their own people. Their bodies had their souls removed and they fought without a mind. Gray: Like necromancy? Ryo: That is just in the story booksbut this was temporaryand the stronger the soul the longer it lives. If Musashi got his soul removedthen- Gray: Then he might be alive!? Ryo: They might be holding himkeeping him until they need him. Gray: So youre sayingthat if we have a war with the Sectthen we might have to fight him Ryo: And if we do, I''ll be there to try and help him. But be preparedin a mission like this one you need to know yourself, your teammates, and your battlefield. Gray: YeahI hope theyre safe in Athens. Ryo: I agree, now lets get back to work. Gray: Now thats a good idea. Gray puts his jacket on and follows Ryo back down the mountain. Gray: Can I use the astral stuff offensively? Ryo: Yes you can but probably not in the way you think. Gray: Well I know that I need to make it into a passive affect. I use the spirits to control my mana better, but can I get any attacks with it? Ryo stops walking. He turns to Gray, and his eyes turn instantly clouded with darkness, literally. His eyes have become black, except for his pupils, which are a blinding white. Gray: "THE HELL IS UP WITH YOUR EYES!?" Ryo: You need to calm down, dont instantly scream. And yes this is me, now focus on your astral body. Remember the feeling you felt in your astral form and try to replicate it. Gray: Okayokay Gray starts to breathe slowly, trying to concentrate. He feels himself get lighter, his senses grow and he starts to hear the same noises he felt in the astral world. Ryo: "Now, instead of flowing outwardly with your mind in tact, pull it in. Focus and slowly absorb the spirit mana into your own body. This is why I''ve been focusing on you feeling and controlling the spirits around you. Pull to much in and you''ll break, don''t pull enough in and it''s not worth the unneeded stress. This is the starting line to call yourself a spirit knight." Ryos words meant a lot to Gray, even if they didn''t know each other for that long. But just as Musashi tought Gray basic mana control and the way of the blade, Ryo has furthered that while pushing Gray to fight in a way almost nobody else can. So Gray uses the weight of this new burden to force out the knight he wants to be. And that he does, with long deep breaths. His eyes turn black, his pupils turning a strong white, looking like snake-like slits. Ryo: Good job, now keep that going like an aura. If you can do this while fighting it will help your mana be more controllable, as well as heighten your battle senses. Gray: Tell me if Im wrong but I think I get the gist of my whole mana situation. Ryo: Alright, tell me what you think. Gray: So if I can control, lets say ten percent of my mana without feeling much pain. And if I use any more than that then it really hurts. However, if I try to use it even more my OD shuts down and I can''t use it anymore." Ryo: Correct. Gray: Thanks, just wanted to clarify. Ryo: "Okay, now lets try moving while keeping it going!" END OF: Chapter Twelve. Arc 4: Chapter 13. Land down under Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 13. Land down under The Athens group walks through the woods, entering the small town outside the central city. Rosemary: So thats a weapon of Alfheim right? Leo: Yep! Gifted to me by my dad when I wastwelve! Rosemary: How does it work? Leo: My dad made it just for me, so my mark of providence can enter the act with it. It is strong by itself and enchanted, so when I snap my fingers it comes back to me. Rosemary: A spear that returns to you if you throw it useful indeed! Soku: You got a mark of providence? Peter: YEAH! He can generate mana through it and create lightning! Or something similar to lightningso it isnt as fast. Leo: Umyeah thats right. Peter: Sorry Edward: If Im rightyou were said to be a god of war in training while the demi-human war was going on. Leo: Right again! Rosemary: Wait, are you classified as one? Leo: EhI might have been but Im just not strong enough. Edward: So now that Musashi and Kioshi have passedand Lincoln is nowhere to be foundRyo, Vergil, Elizabeth, and King Cornelius are the only Gods of war left. Peter: And Kioshis the strongest one and she is the only one that wasnt in the demi-human war, she is so strong that she was able to be named one without a war! WAIT DID YOU SAY THEY PASSED? Leo: Oh Musashi passed? And Kioshi too? Peter: Howd they die? Edward: When we lost Walgoniathe Sect killed them. Leo: Manthey are a big problem then. Soku: Wasnt Arthur a god of war or something? Edward: Kinda he isnt strong enough and hasnt done much to get the title. He isnt weak though. Rosemary: Weirdly, Elizebeth wanted to be the leader of Walgonia even though shes Queen of Raivoria. Soku: Those Ravorine people are weirdos so it doesnt surprise me that they are that ignorant of their power. Peter: HERE WE ARE! The main city! They enter the path with the main city. A place protected by giant walls surrounding the entire city, massive in scale, with sections of it destroyed, burnt, and overall crumbling with age. And instead of it bustling with life and grand buildings, its broken down and destroyed. Damaged walls in the buildings, impact holes in the ground, and guards are walking around. Edward: Wowthe city isbroken. Leo: *Whispers* hey back here the guards might see us. They quickly walk to an area right outside the gates to the main city. Leo leads them to a tree with a fake patch of grass beside it. Leo lifts the patch of grass, revealing a hidden tunnel underneath the ground, obviously haven been roughly dug out and secured. Leo: Come onget down here were almost at the place. They enter the long dark tunnel and begin to start walking through it. Rosemary: Is it a bad time to mention that Im scared of enclosed spaces? Leo: Come on youll be fineits just a little further. Soku: Ugh its dirty. Peter pulls out a device from his pocket. Its a red crystal inside of a metal funnel. He focuses some mana into the crystal and It glows a bright red light. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Edward: Whats that? Peter: I dont know what to call itbut I made it! Leo: Peter here is our little inventor. We give him junk and he makes stuff like this! Soku: You could sell this for a ton of coins! Rosemary: Gray would have a field day with thisIll write to him and ask him what you should call it. Peter: Thatd be great! Leo: Watch out! There is a small staircase up front! They all slowly make their way down the small but steep staircase. To approach a wooden door with sounds coming from the other side. Leo: ReadyGO! Leo opens the door to reveal a big open area. Built with bricks and stones. With multiple floors having rooms and supplies. And the most attention-grabbing part is the number of people. A couple of hundred people all talking and moving. The loud sounds overwhelm Peter, who quickly runs off to another room. Rosemary: WOAH! Edward: You build your hideout right under the enemy''s main place of operation. Leo: YEP! And were soundproof down here. Soku: Is this stable? Leo: Yepthis place has stood for hundreds of years. It was made during the warring states period. To hide from the enemy, but it was forgotten. This is just the main area but there are many exits to catacombs all around the island. Edward: How did you find it? Leo: When I was a boy I was running and playing outside the castle. While I was running the ground collapsed and I fell into a hole that led me to a part of the catacombs. I called for my dad and he helped me out, and ever since I just snuck back down here. When I knew my brother was going to be the downfall of this great country I led a cue and used this place as my main headquarters. Soku: Its really smartyou can get all over the island without being found and get resources back and forth with ease. Edward: It explains why the war has lasted this long. Leo: I got luckybut I used that luck to our advantage. Edward: For a place thats supposed to be war-tornthe island isnt that bad. Leo: My brother and I understand that we dont want the people to suffer. We dont attack farms or people''s homes. We only attack each other''s people. My brother is not a bad personbut his values and prejudice are what has caused him to fall down the path he has. Edward: Im lucky to say I was raised by what I can say is good peoplenot that you werent but my mothermy stepfatherMusashi and my pseudo-grandfather all taught me to do the right thing. Treat people with respect and care, no matter what they look like. And Im glad that you feel the same way even though it isnt taught much here. Leo: My fatherLincoln as you know him forced Athens to join sides with Walgonia in the demi-human war because he believed that all people were equal in rights. Most of Athens went against my father but he is strong. My mother and father taught me to be strong warriors and good people. But my brother wanted to be acceptedso even if he knows its wronghe doesnt believe all are equaland I dont know if hell ever change. Soku: I know from experience that some people just come to that conclusionbeing raised a certain way affects your beliefs, but a lot of the time people come to their conclusions. Even if I was born in Walgonia a lot of people still believe that demi-humans are lesser humans. The only difference between me and humans is that my ears are longer. And yet they hate me for itand they hate my sisterhated my sister just because of her appearance. A child berated and hated just because of things she cant changethe world is awfulbut there are exceptions. Rosemary: The Golden Knights were in the middlethey didnt care about forcing children into war but they didnt have their own opinions on politicsand they reprimanded you if you did. Because if they are bought to fight against people you dont want to fight because of beliefs then you will be in the way. Money-grubbing peoplewho died out because of such beliefsI agree that the world can and may be awfulbut sometimes you just cant hate people just because of the things they thinkyou have to find them, and who they are. And if you hate them then, then you cant do anything about it. Julius: Its wonderful to hear all your various opinionsfrom completely different origins to yet come to the same answer. Valatrositice is not a good place for such things. They all want power, and need itso they only care about demi-humans because they are stronger than normal people. They arent peoplethey are like a forceand it is an eye-opener to see all these different viewswants and fearsIm glad you saved me in the castleor I would have never been able to do any of this. Edward: Ohyour welcome Rosemary: Im glad you feel so happy about itGray talks about second and third chances at lifeI think when he gets back that you should talk with him about ithe may give you a viewpoint that you also find interesting. Julius: I will keep that in mind Soku: Alright enough with all this sad sack talk I wanna have some fun! Leo: Alright thenPETER COME OUT HERE! Peter runs out of his room rushing right to Leo. Peter: SIR YES SIR! Leo: Show them somewhere that they can have FUN! Edward: ActuallyI was gonna go get our stuff from the innif we can stay here that is? Leo: I would be honored if you stayed here with us. So go ahead. Rosemary: Ill go with you and help you, Julius do you want to come? Julius: Sorry, I would like to talk to Leo about his brothers'' forces and how they operate. Rosemary: Ohokay then have fun with thatcome on Edward it would be best to do this while its still night out. Edward: Yeah youre right lets move quickly. Edward and Rosemary exit the hideout, walking back through the quiet, dark tunnel. Edward: I agreeclosed spaces arent my forte. Rosemary: Hehdo you think we will be able to get the win as Gray would say. Edward: We have the upper hand with our ability to get aroundbut we have fewer resources and peopleits probably a forty or thirty percent chancebut depending on Ceasar''s help, and if Moro does help usthat might go up to fifty or sixty percent. Rosemary: Its funnyI ran away from my peoplebecause I didnt want to fightonly to have joined another battle Edward: The feeling of just existingnot knowing what you want to dois a feeling I know quite well. Rosemary: GraySokuwe all seem to just existnot understand what to do Edward: I didnt hear all of itbut when Gray was screaming at you before he left back at the castleI heard him talk about things I can understand quite wellthe feeling of not knowing what to domasks and faking who you are to who you want to be Rosemary: When he left I honestly thought he wasnt gonna come backwhen he did I didnt know how to react. He seemed like a completely different personin tone at least actually even the way he carries himself is different. I knew something was wrong with himthen he overflowed with emotion and just left. Im supposed to be with himhis partner and yet I havent talked with him about it. Edward: Gray is a strange caseHe is almost a prodigyand Im jealous of it. But he doesnt seem to understand that he is good at what he doesor doesnt want to understand. But now I think he doesto a certain level. I think he found himselfnow he just has to walk down his path to get to himself. Rosemary: Dont we allhehe Rosemary and Edward walk through the forest, making it back to the inn. Rosemary: ERIN! ARE YOU HERE!? Erin: Oh youre back! Rosemary: We are taking our leave now, I just wanted to say bye. Erin: Oh, okay. Well, I hope your meeting with Moro goes welland I hope you stay safe, all of youespecially you Edward. Edward: Umwa..? Thanks Edward blushes, struggling to respond. Erin: Because you seem to be concerned with working with the pirates'' Edward: Oh! Yeah, its a whole other thingwell, Im gonna go get our stuff. Rosemary: Do you have a pen and paper? Erin: Yeah here you go! Rosemary: If Gray comes by and something bad happens to us, give himthis. Erin: What is it? Rosemary: Directions to the Red Arrows hideout. Make sure to give it to him when he gets here. Erin: When should I expect him? Rosemary: UmI dont know sorry. Erin: Oh well thats okaywell, I hope you stay safe. Rosemary: I hope you stay safe too. With that, the day ends with Rosemary and Edward gathering their things. Soku plays cards with some of the Red arrows, and Julius plans with Leo. END OF : Chapter Thirteen. Arc 4: Chapter 14. Tragedy by Solon bay Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 14. Tragedy by Solon Bay The heavy rain falls outside of an opening of a cave. The loud booms of thunder echo throughout the land. The waves crash against the shore, with a big ship moving back and forth in the tide. Sounds of talking come from inside the cave. Soku: You''re sure this is the right way? Leo: Look I know these tunnels like the back of my hand, and this one leads to a cave right outside of Solon Bay! Edward: These tunnels are as useful as I thought, we could sneak past all the guards unnoticed! Rosemary: LOOK I CAN SEE LIGHT! They exit the cave, seeing the ships of the Gravestone pirates. Soku pushes wind mana atop the group, keeping the rain off of them. Julius: Youre getting good at the precise control of your wind mana. Soku: Thanks Edward: Youre sure we dont need extra men with us? Leo: Look we have fifteen extra Red Arrows with us and that should be fine, AM I, RIGHT BOYS!? The Red Arrows: YEAH! Soku: I dont knowI dont trust these damn pirates. Edward: Whats that? They hear a rumbling atop one of the ships, Moro emerges from the biggest ship''s hull. Moro: IM GLAD YOU SHOWED UP! Moro takes a puff of his cigar, then suddenly all of the cannons on the ship turn at the group. Then in an instant they all fire. Leo: SHIT! Rosemary instantly uses her stages, grabbing Soku, and throwing her back into the cave. The cannonballs kill some of the Red Arrows, with the Athens group successfully dodging or destroying any cannonballs. One cannonball hits the cave entrance, causing it to collapse onto itself, blocking escape from the pirates and any possible help from Soku, who is trapped on the inside. Soku: NO, NO, ARE YOU OKAY!? ANYTHING!? This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Soku tries her hardest to blast the rubble away but with no luck. Tears start falling from her face causing her to collapse to the ground. Utterly useless. Back on the bay, pirates jump off the ship planning on killing the group. Leo: GET DOWN! RUN NOW! WE CANT FIGHT THIS MANY PEOPLE AT ONCE! Rosemary struggles to keep her composure, panicking and about to break down from the sudden attack. On the other hand, Edward is overcome with rage. The same people that killed his family and destroyed his island are about to kill him and his friends. Leo grabs Julius and Rosemary, trying to get them out of the fight. He runs up the shore only to see a group of guards, led by Leo''s brother Beauregard. Leo: Beauregard !? YOURE WORKING WITH PIRATES!? Beauregard: Werent you going to work with them? Julius: Beauregard Valentine! I am Julius Cromwell, son of king Cornelius! Prince and next in line to the Valatrocitus thrown! Beauregard: Are you now? Julius: LET US GO AND YOU WONT SUFFER THE WRATH OF WALGONNIA AND VALATROCITUS! Beauregard: Youre bluffing? Julius: Am I? Beauregard: Fine I wont strike you down, but you must come with me. Do you understand? Julius: I do. Beauregard: Now come on so called prince, and you miss. Guards cuff them! The Athens guards restrain Rosemary and Julius. Then put them in a carriage, and leave Solon bay. Leo: WHAT NOT GONNA CUFF ME!? Beauregard: I want you to know you lost. You can fight back if you want but I wouldnt advise it. Now go home and tell the Red Arrows of your loss. Leo: Iwill win this Beauregard: If you wanna keep lying to yourself then do it, I dont care. Now lets leave. Leo slumps down in the wet muddy grass, watching his nelly find friends to be taken in by his mad brother. A small group of pirates rushes Edward, who is quickly cut down by him. In a fit of rage, Edward swings his sword at the ground, using the force to swing himself in the air. To the shock of Moro, Edward successfully lands on his ship. Moro: Great day for rain isnt it? But the damn water keeps putting out my smoke! Edward: Why? Moro: WHAT DID YAH SAY? Edward: WHY DID YOU DO THIS!? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!? YOU DAMN DIRTY PIRATES! Moro: WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!? Edward: You killed my mothera fatherDESTROYED MY HOME AND YOU ASK ME WHO I AM!? Moro: Do you know how little that narrows it down kid? A group of pirates circles around Edward, about to attack. Moro: Those eyesBOYS LET ME THROUGH! The pirates move out of the way letting Moro through as he laughs to himself Edward: II AM EDWARD VAN HELING! THE LAST VAN HELSING! AND I WILL TAKE YOUR HEAD! Moro: OH! Thats you, I haven''t seen you since you were a boy, and didnt I say it wasnt personal? Oh well, you cant kill me with that sword, its way too big for a small fry. Edward blindly rushes towards Moro, swinging his sword with all his might. But alas, Moro catches Edwards blade, stopping him in his tracks. He then throws his fist through the air sndy strikes Edward down effortlessly. Edward''s body hits the ground so hard that it bounces back up, being hit again and again until his body lays on the wooden, damp floor of the ship. Moro: HAHAHA! DID YOU SEE HOW HE BOUNCED!? All the pirates laugh at Edward, his body broken and useless. Edward {Nonot like thisI cant die this waythe Helsing namedie with meI cant} Moro: LOOK AT HIM, HES FUCKING CRYING HAHAHAHA! Edward: Youare animals Moro: Were demi-humans, what do you expect? I just want to win and if you guys had lost this hard when I joined you, I would have been a laughing stock. I play for the winning side. Edward struggles to stand back up, most of the bones in his body are cracked or broken, and his nose and mouth are bleeding. Unable to seep into the blind wrath of the warriors'' spirit, all he can do is struggle and keep his honor. Drenched in the rain, he tries to lift Bjorn, the weight causing his muscles to rip and tear. Still, he screams, lifting Bjorn, swinging it down, and hitting Moro on the chest. Nothing, not a tear in Moro''s clothes, not a single drop of blood, not even a reaction. Moro grabs Bjorn, striking the blade with his hand and breaking it in two. Moro: Hitting this damn sword hurt more than that weak ass swing! Edward falls back to the ground, watching as Moro takes the lit cigar out of his mouth, then puts it out in his eye. Edward screams and struggles as his eye boils and blisters. Black, is what describes the sight his right eye sees. With his left sees Moro chuckle, before he stomps on Edward''s body until he loses consciousness. A sense of nothingness. The once-planned meeting, a meeting that would have ended a four-year-long war, has turned into a tragedy, an utter and complete loss. END OF : Chapter Fourteen. Arc 4: Chapter 15. Losing sucks Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 15. Losing sucks Leo runs back to the beach, trying to look for Soku. Soku tries her hardest to blow the rubble back inside the collapsed cave. Soku {COME ON, COME ON!} She takes a deep breath, plants her feet, and gets into a stance similar to the stance of the dragon''s fist attack. She steps forward using her mark of providence to boost her power and blasts a great gust of wind at the entrance of the collapsed cave, the wind pushes through the ground, hitting the ruble and pushing the small gaps in the ruble open, she then follows up the blast of wind with another. This fully blasts the rubble away, opening the cave to her escape. Soku {I DID IT! Took a lot out of mebut I did IT!} Soku runs out of the cave to see smoke clouds arising from the sand, due to the cannon fire. The Bodies of pirates and Red Arrows played on the ground covering the sand in blood. A horrifying sight to be seen by a mature child but still a child. Soku: ROSEMARY, EDWARD, LEO WHERE ARE YOU!? Leo runs up to Soku, hugging her from behind. This reassures them both, but still, Edward is nowhere to be found. Atop the ship, Moro stands holding Edward''s unconscious and injured body. Leo: GIVE HIM BACK, OR ILL KILL ALL OF YOU! Moro: AREN''T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE KIND!? THIS BOY HERE IS DEAD! YOU LOST HERE TODAY AND I WON, SO I GUESS I PICKED THE RIGHT SIDE HAHAHA! Leo hits the spear on the ground repeatedly, using his mark of providence he laid his body and spear in strong yellow lightning. He starts to chant, scaring the pirates but Moro strands proud, throwing Edward''s unconscious body back on the ship. Leo throws the spear at the ship, and it carves through it creating a large hole in the hull. Water starts to flow into the ship, and the waves push and pull the ship back into the sea. Pirate: THEY BUSTED THE SHIP CAPTAIN! WERE GONNA SINK! Moro: DONT YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!? REPAIR IT FAST AND HEAD OUT TO ANOTHER SHORE! Oh, what do you want, Ju''stone ? A giant fish man, the same one that was with Moro at the Inn, approaches Moro. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Ju''stone: *Whispers* He sir arent you gonna sell this guy, why did you tell them hes dead? Moro: Because they wont try and stop us from selling him. Ju''stone: Are we gonna head to the southern Islands and get a good deal? Moro: No that would take too long and we aren''t desperate for any coin, you go and grab some crew members and try and sell him at the Walgonia outpost. Ju''stone: Got ya, sir. I''ll send them out tomorrow. Moro: Alright, go patch him up so he doesn''t die. Soku: Leo, are you gonna fight all of them? Leo: I might be able to win but if I do, all of the Gravestone pirates may show up and try to kill us and I dont want thatit would end the war in a landslide. Soku: Then lets run back to the tunnel in the cavewere gonna have to close it so they cant use it to get to the hideout later. Leo: Yeah youre rightnow lets go! They walk back to the tunnel''s entrance, walking for a bit before Leo uses the spear to collapse the tunnel. Once the tunnel is unusable they walk back to the hideout to inform the other Red Arrows of the loss. Leo: Sokuare you gonna be okay. Soku: IHeHELL NO! WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED GOD DAMMIT! I KNEW ITI FUCKING TOLD YOU, IDIOTS, THAT HE WAS UNTRUSTWORTHY AND WHAT HAPPENED? OH YEAH, WE FUCKING LOST! Leo: It was either we lose or we win and we losewe HAD to. Soku: WhyWHY DO YOU EVEN NEED TO DO THIS, YOUR BROTHER IS DOING FINE RUNNING THE COUNTRY, WHO CARES IF HE DOESN''T LIKE DEMI-HUMANS NOBODY CARES! YOU COULD HAVE JUST LEFT WITH US BUT NO! YOU HAVE TO FIGHT YOUR BROTHER WHO IS MORE QUALIFIED THAN YOU! Leo: Look dont go thereyou wanted to help ME! Not the other way around, I didnt come to you YOU came to me! Soku: II DONT EVEN CARE ABOUT WALGONIA! I JUST WANT TO MAKE MY FRIENDS HAPPY AND THEY WANT TO DO THISWALGONIA AND THE PEOPLE THERE AREN''T MY FRIENDS I DONT LIKE THEM! Leo: Then tell them, why do you feel the need to try and help it? Soku: BECAUSEI NEED TOIts the only thing I can doif I dont do something then Ill just existdoing nothingAnd I just want to make the Sect hurtTHEY TOOK ME HOME AND MY SISTERNOW I HAVE NOTHINGNO ONE! Leo: Then make my brother hurthe took your friends..my friendsnot dont sleepdont just existTRAIN YOUR ASS OFF EVERY DAY UNTIL YOU WIN! Soku: Iits the only thing I can doso Ill do itbut one more loss and Im done Leo: Then lets goI have to tell all those people that we lostthat I lost, and our friends died because of it. Soku: Okay thenlets go. They make it back through the tunnels, reentering the hideout. Once the Red Arrows see that they have returned everyone goes quiet. Leo: Welostthe pirates turned against us. And some of our men have been captured and others have been killed. The room''s normally happy and fun tone has turned into a mix of anger and sadness. Red Arrow: Sowhat do we do now? Leo: YOU ALL HAVE COME HERE BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT! THIS WAS A SETBACK BUT WE DID NOT LOSE HERE, NOW WE HAVE MEN ON THE INSIDE, AND THEYRE GUARANTEED NOT TO BE KILLED! THIS IS THE BEST NEWS WE HAVE HAD! DONT GET SAD, DONT GET SCARED, MORN YOUR FRIENDS BY ENDING THIS WAR! The Red Arrows scream and roar with excitement, some grab their weapons and start to walk into various tunnels to train themselves, while others drink, and continue to have fun, raising morale. Soku wanders into Peter''s workshop. She walks in to see tables stacked with random scrap. Magic crystals were everywhere, along with open books laid everywhere. Soku {This place is a mess.} Peter walks in behind her, scaring her. Peter: What ya doing in my workshop? Soku: Looking arounddid ya hear? Peter: Of our lossyeahbut I believe in Leo! Soku: Why? What makes him so great? I know hes strong, along with his familybut is that all you need to put trust in him? Peter: For most people? Probablybut for me? It took me a bitbut since he picked me up Ive just END OF: Chapter Fifteen. Arc 4: Chapter 16. Had Better days Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 16. Had Better days Gray repeatedly unsheaths, slashes, and resheaths his sword whilst keeping his spiritual senses active. Gray slumps to the ground, slouching down in the snow. Gray: Samethingevery day Ryo walks up to Gray, handing him a cup of tea. Ryo: With discipline and repetition comes accuracy. Gray: WellIm getting better at it. I''ve been practicing every day, and I can keep the spirit sense going for a bit. But after I stop, it gives me a monster headache Ryo: Well its all to help your friends. Gray: Yeahdepending on what the next letter says is what Ill use to decide if I want to go. Ryo: Do you think they are doing okay? Gray: I hope so. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rosemary paces around in a cell, walking to the bars to look around. Rosemary {DammitI didnt even get a chance to fight backthey just put me in this cell and told me to waitI hope She''s okay.} up on the castle''s top floor, Julius sits across from Beauregard sipping tea. Julius: Why didnt you take Leo with you? Beauregard: Because if I did, all of the Red Arrows would try and get him back. And I dont want that to happen. Julius: I see, now can you release my friend? Beauregard: That girl? Not until I know I cant get anything out of her. Julius: I would like to strike a deal with you. Beauregard: Alright then, Im interested. Julius: Do you believe me then? That Im the prince of Valatrositice. Beauregard: I can see it in your eyes. I would say that telling if people are lying is one of the few things that I excel at. Now, whats this deal youre talking about? Julius: I need assistance regaining Walgonia. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Beauregard: What do you mean? Didnt you win the election? Julius: We were infiltrated by the Sect of anarchy, they are in control. Beauregard: Really? They might not be as much of a joke as I thought they were. But what do you want me to do about it? Julius: Ill help you take out the Red Arrows if you assist my friends and me with recovering Walgonia. Beauregard: MmmmOkay, Ill take you up on that. I can use it to make the other rulers take me seriously. Julius: So do we have a deal then? Beauregard stares Julius down, almost like hes trying to stare into his soul, only to find nothing. A blank response giving no information. From what Beauregard can tell, Julius is completely serious. Beauregard: Alright we have a deal. They shake hands, affirming their deal. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edward comes to, slowly regaining consciousness. Edward: Headhurtscantbreath Edward struggles to open his eyes, the pain of even thinking it too much, let alone moving. He then sees a man with fur on his body, most likely meaning he''s a demi-human. Demi-human: Hey youre finally awake. Edward: Wheream? Edward feels the ground rocking and moving underneath him, with the force of the wind hitting his face, and the sound of wheels turning. He assumes he is most likely on a wagon of some kind. Demi-human: HEY LUNNY, THIS GUYS AWAKE! Lunny: Fuck really!? I assumed hed just die. Jonny tells ''em about what we had to go through to get ''em here! Jonny: Dude! Edward: Loudtooloud Jonny: Yeah, anyway Moro beat your ASS! I aint never seen a man hit the floor so hard HE FUCKING BOUNCES! He was gonna kill ya but he said if he sold a Helsing, damn the LAST Helsing, he would get a fuck ton of coin! Edward: Imnotdead? Jonny: YO THIS GUY MIGHT GOT BRAIN DAMAGE OR SOMETHING! Lunny: NA, HE JUST GOT FUCKED UP HAHA! HES PROBABLY HURTIN HARDER THAN WE EVER HAVE. Jonny: WELL DAMN YOU GOT THAT RIGHT! Edward: Wherewegoing? Jonny: Oh were gonna sell your ass for the highest bidder! We aren''t even out of Athens yet, so itll be a long ride. Edward looks around, finding his hands bound by chains, as well as his legs. Edward {Im boundcant fight with injuriesmyright eye...gone.gotta move nowstill inAthens} Lunny: This guys eyes oh wait for EYE! HAHA! Hes fucking psycho! Hes zoned out. Jonny: REALLY!? Thats calledoh yeah the warriors'' spirit! That shits not real though right. Lunny: Well if its realthen this is it. What is the warriors'' spirit though, yknow just to see if its this. Jonny: Lets hope its notUm, I think the stories say that its when Helsings'' eyes turn blank and their faces go emotionlessumand they get hella strong! Lunny: Umthat kinda describes what this guy''s face looks OH SHIT! Edward pushes through the pain, wrapping the chains around Lunny''s neck and snapping it as fast as he can. Jonny: FUCK LUNNY! I KILL YOU, DAMN BASTARD! Edward feels around for anything. He finds the hilt of something, throwing it at Jonny before anything can happen. A blade pierces Jonny''s head, killing him and instantly losing control of the wingless drakes pulling the wagon. They end up shaking and running as fast as they can, throwing Edward off balance and tumbling out of the wagon, falling onto the dirt road below. Edward: UGH DAMMIT THAT HURTS! Edward squirms and quivers in pain, trying to move and inch his way toward his friends. Edward {Shit! Did they dieno they couldnt haveright?} Edward: HOW DID IT GO SO BADLY!? Hours pass as Edward just lies on the ground unable to do anything. Night falls, and Edward hears something approaching behind him. Edward {Isthis where I die} A middle-aged man sits down in front of Edward. Even with the wrinkles and old skin, the man''s body was strong, a mix of the lean fighter and the bulky bodybuilder. He takes a sip of some alcohol before nudging Edwards body. Edward''s eye is drawn to the strangest part of the man, which is the cloth covering the left side of his face. Edward: Owwho areyou? Man: God your throat is dry, here take a sip of this water. The man pulls out a canteen, pouring the water into Edward''s mouth. Edward: Thank*cough*...you. Man: Damn, all those injuries I dont know how your ass is still alive. Here let me take these chains off. The man effortlessly breaks the chains, picks Edward up, and proceeds to walk into the forest. Edward: HEY! Where are you taking me!? Man: To my house up in the mountain, Ill patch you up in return for you telling me why youre looking for me. Edward: "May I ask your name?" Lincoln: Names Lincoln, Lincoln Valentine. End of Chapter Sixteen. Arc 4: Chapter 17. The past and possibly a future. Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 17. The past and possibly the future. Soku wanders into Peter''s workshop. She walks in to see tables stacked with random scrap and gizmos. Magic crystals are everywhere, along with open books laid everywhere. Soku {This place is a mess.} Peter walks in behind her, scaring her. Peter: What ya doing in my workshop? Soku: Looking arounddid ya hear? Peter: Of our lossyeahbut I believe in Leo! Soku: Why? What makes him so great? I know hes strong, along with his familybut is that all you need to put trust in him? Peter: For most people? Probablybut for me? It took me a bitbut I have faith. Soku: But WHYI dont understand the want to protect all thiswhat makes you love your land so muchwhy go through all this when you can leave. Soku walks over to Peter''s bed, lying face up. Peter: Lookyou explain your past to me and Ill explain my past to you seem fair?. Soku: I havent told anyone anything about my pastnot Rosemary, Edwardnone of them. AND I ASKED FIRST! Peter: Mehdont care. Soku: UGH! Finebut you wont think less of my promise? Peter: Whats so bad its gonna make me not like you? Soku: I was a street rata thief. Peter: Well thenI think we have more in common than you think. Pete walks over to Soku, sitting on the bed right by her feet. Soku: FineIll go ahead. Peter: Alright then. Soku: To be honest I dont remember muchI was told I had memory lossI remember waking up in a house with my eye bandaged up, lying in a soft bed. I was all sore and sickugh this is so cringy. Peter: Whats a cringy? And keep going. Soku: Cringy is just a word I picked up from my friendit means you feel awkward. Peter: Ohhkeep going. Soku: Well a nice demi-human woman came into the room and gave me some soup. I asked her what happened and she told me she found me all wounded laying on the street with nothing but this coat Im wearing right now. She asked me for my age and I was able to tell her. I was about seven I think. She brought me downstairs and I met a young girl named Ophelia. She asked me if I knew my nameand I think that was the only thing I could remember I told her my name was Sokudo and she started calling me Sokuonce they explained that they were thieves I knew I had to stay and help them with things to repay the debt for saving me. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Peter: So you woke up nice? Soku: Dont interrupt or Im leaving. I was helping around the house until one day I was reaching for a plate and wind blasted from my hand. It scared me at first but when mom told me about magic and the world around me I was excited! All I did was play with Ophelia and just mess around with my magic. I did that for a few years until one day mom got sickand she didnt make it. Peter: OhIm so sorry. Soku: Its whatever...after I tried to get a job, they either said no because I was an elf or a girl. After a while, I figured if Mom got by stealing, I could. I used her sailor''s sword that I still have actuallyand started pickpocketing. And if I had to fight or run I used my magic. I did that until I met Rosemary, and then my friend Gray. Then a whole bunch happened, I found the Sect, I met Musashi and Kioshi Van HelsingI was in the knights exam and I was almost killed by the leaders of the Sect. Alright, now its your turn. Peter: Alrightyou went pretty fast with your story so Ima uses more detail. Soku: Look, beggars cant be choosers. Peter: I knowIm a Dark elfbut I didnt live in the eastern continent with the rest of the elves or demi-humans. I was born right here in Athens fourteen years ago, to newly freed Dark elves. Athens was the second country to allow demi-humans and elves rights equal to humans so I got to live a normal life. My parents didnt have any magic abilities so I didntwhich sucks but they gave me different abilities. Soku: And those were? Peter: My dad was a master blacksmith and he taught me how to smith. He was the Athens army''s best blacksmith! My mom didnt have that grand of a job thoughshe was a librarian and because of that I got a bunch of books right in my hands! Soku: Sounds nice. Peter: Well it wasuntil the queen got ill and died. When that happened Beauregard took charge and changed a bunch of the laws. I and a bunch of demi-humans lost most of our rightsmy parents were the first to fight back they and a bunch of other demi-humans fought backthey were the original Red Arrows. But they were killed by the guardsand this is when Leo took charge. He was loudly eminent about his hatred towards his brother''s actions and when he heard the freedom fighters were struck down he took charge. I wanted nothing to do with it thoughbut without the ability to get a job legally due to the law changes, I had to resort to stealing and selling the stolen goods. Eventually, I used an old blacksmith shop and started making weaponsand once the Red Arrows got news of how good they were they shot after me and my skills. I told them no but they were so adamant that Leo showed upand he told me of my parents'' bravery, he gave me hope that I could help outand I wanted to helpI still do! Peter looks at Soku, to find her sleeping soundly. Peter sighs, he puts a blanket on her and lays down on the floor trying to fall asleep as well. Peter: Actually now that I think about it we didnt have that much in common! Oh well. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Meanwhile, Gray walks back to the cabin to get a snack. Gray: Hey Ryo you in here? Ryo: Right here, I see you wanted a snack so I had one prepared. Gray: NICE! Ryo: I want to talk about your training with the cloak of darkness. Gray: Do you think Im ready? Ryo: At the speed, you''re progressing, you will be able to use it in no time. Gray: Alright lets get on it! Gray grabs the cursed charm, putting it around his neck. He feels his spirit is drained as if his emotions are being suppressed. Gray: I didnt feel that the first time? Ryo: Its because you are becoming more in tune with your spirit. If you feel the change, you will be able to stop its effects. Gray: Do you know how to use it? Ryo: It should be as simple as moving your spirit. Gray: Okaycalm down and focus. Gray activates his spiritual senses, his eyes go black leaving only his pupil to glow white. Ryo: Maybe we should go outside first. Gray: Good point! They exist to the outside, the cold wind helping Gray concentrate. Gray feels the power inside of the charm, almost as if its alive. He finds it and keeps it in his mind, flowing the power outside of the charm. Ryo: Wonderful The dark mana fades out of the charm, taking the form of the stretchy cloak. Gray: I did itI got it out of its charm! Ryo: Nowmove it as you move your astral body. Gray: Alrightmove itlike flowing water The cloak stretches and bends to Gray''s will, slowly but surely. Ryo: We will work on this. We will now include practicing with the cloak in your routine. Gray: Training my bodymy sensesnow the charm. It all flowed perfectly into each other as you planned. Ryo: I learned from my time fighting that a warrior''s best ability is focus. You cant do anything without it. Gray: Powercontentemotionthe necessities. All my friends might need thisother than Edward. Ryo: Edward Van Helsing? Gray: YeahI dont know how he learned that from Musashi. All Musashi taught me is how to use rage. By beating me until I got mad enough to not feel the pain of my attacks. Ryo: The warriors'' spirita gift given to people meant for battle. I was not given such an ability to soak in myself until I felt nothing but the want to win. I was blessed with feelingthe ability to feel the world around me better than most. I think you may have been gifted with both. Gray: I dont know about all thatIm glad Ive been up here with youI''ve learned more about myself I feel as if Ive calmed down in a waygotten more down to earth.to life. I think I know what I want to do when this is all donefor the first time in my life I know what I want. Ryo: And what is that? Gray: To be with my loved onesback at Greenvale and live my lifefarm maybe. Ryo: That sounds wonderful. END OF: Chapter Seventeen. Arc 4: Chapter 18. Bonds Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 18. Bonds Soku wakes up, yawning. She looks to her side to see Peter sleeping on the floor. Soku {He looks sopeaceful} Peter wakes up, quickly jumping up to get ready. Peter turns to see Soku awake in his bed, and they both go quiet. Soku blushes, she then blasts wind in Peter''s face knocking him down. Peter: I DIDNT DO ANYTHING! Soku: Wha.WHATEVER! Leo bursts into the room, scaring the two. Leo: GET UP! We got training to DO! Peter: UGH! Soku: Finally something to do. Leo leads them to another large room in the catacombs. Soku: Why does this place even exist? Peter: Athens isnt huge so we dont have much power. But thanks to the land and the volcano giving us metal, we could sell it to gain trust and power. So these catacombs were originally mines that went unused. Soku: Alright then, you explained that pretty well. Peter: Oh really? Thanks. Leo: ENOUGH FLIRTING! We gotta prepare for future battles and you, Soku, maybe our best chance. Peter told me he wanted to tell you something so PETER explained it. Peter: Well I gotta grab the book, but I have been researching the elves'' culture. And I found how the elves use their wind magic, and training for it as well as fighting styles! Soku: Really? I tried and tried to find anything on it back home but I just couldnt. Peter: I got it from my parents. It took a bit to translate since I dont speak the language fluently but I was able to make most of it out. Leo: Alright well you go get the book, tell her some stuff first so I can start teaching! Peter: Alright here. Wind magic requires a bunch of stances. So I need it to get the flow and power from the strikes to work. Soku: Actually that makes more sense. I have always had a problem getting my wind to flow right, as well as the speed of collecting the wind. If I do this it would increase the power, and decrease the time to gather wind. Peter moves Sokus'' arms and legs into the right positions. Her arms and legs were spread out, with one arm tucked back and the other stretching forward. Peter: Now focus your mana, move with the wind. Its your friend, it wants to help you. It isnt some mystical power you need to summon, its a tool to use. Now shift forward, move your feet fluidly and use the tucked arm to blast the wind. Soku: Okay Leo: Fighting it like a dance. You have to move fluidly and shift your body accordingly. Dont think about it, you just DO it. Soku summons the wind around her. She leans and flows her body accordingly, flowing the wind through and around her body. It pushes and blasts forward, like an unstoppable force. The power from the attack throws Soku and Peter back, being caught by Leo. Soku: Idid itbut that took a lot out of me. Peter: Damnthat was SICK! Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Leo: Amazinglike a blessing from the gods. Soku: The power was similar to me using my markI wonder how much stronger it will be if I use my mark now? Peter: Well Ima go get the book you rest or keep going. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Not too far from the hideout, Julius communicates with an imprisoned Rosemary below the main castle. Dark, wet, and overall gross. Julius: It has almost been a day since we have arrived here. Rosemary: Finally someone to talk to. They put me down here and just didnt interact with me or tell me anything. So whats happening? Are we leaving or are we stuck here? Julius: I have been communicating with Beauregard and he trusts me. I think we shall stay here for the time being. He has allowed us to write to Soku and the others but I do not think we should inform them of much. I want Beauregard to trust us, but I do not want him to win. Rosemary: FewI thought you joined the Athens army Julius: I have put us in a situation where we can join them flawlessly if we have to. Rosemary: You want to betray Leo and the Red ArrowsI wont do thatI wont run away. Julius: I assumed you would say that. But if the time comes I will make the decision that saves Walgonia, so I hope you keep that in mind. Rosemary: I will. A well-built man enters the dungeon. His face was covered by a knights helmet, and his body was covered in Athens armor. Rosemary: Who are you? Calgary: Names Calgary, and I have been sent to retrieve you miss Rosemary. Sir Bearueguard has asked for you to meet with him. Rosemary: Alrightat least I get to leave this nasty dungeon. Calgary: Heheyes this place is really nasty. Calgary pulls out a key, unlocking the cell that is holding Rosemary. He then leads her to a staircase leading to the castle''s top. Rosemary: This castle is really different compared to Walgonias. Calgary: How so? Rosemary: Well this one seems to be constructed with ahow do I put thisa purpose. The hallways all lead into another, each room that I''ve seen does the same thing. Calgary: Athens was made to protect the people. The founders knew they weren''t strong and didnt have much land or people. So when they found the Dragons alloy, along with other metals they started trading and such. But just in case of a war they made most of the buildings and roads to help in the war. With each working like a grid, allowing for escape and attacks. Rosemary: It is smartRavoria focuses on Religion and architecture, Walgonia on agriculture, and Valatositice withwell war. Athens seems to be good with all of it other than Religion. Calgary: it isnt all fun and rainbows, Athens forces children that show any form of strength to train till their adults then force them to join the army. Most of the guards dont even know what to do here. Ravoria tells you youre fighting for your god. Walgonia teaches you about protecting what you think is right, and most of the people in Valatrositce just want to gain somethingbut Athens just makes you do it. Rosemary: What about you? Were you born here? Calgary: NoI can talk more about it later but were here. They exit the long spiral staircase, walking into the long hallway with a big metal door at the end. Calgary approaches the door, knocking three times one on the top, one on the side, and one kick to the bottom. The door then opens, Beauregard pulling a lever that opens the door from the inside. Rosemary {Secret knocktop, left, bottomgot it.} Beauregard: Oh nice you have made it to my office. They enter the office, the room filled with bookshelves and paper stacked on tables. With a well-built table in the center, and behind Beauregard''s seat at the table is a large window. Calgary: Nice isnt it? Rosemary: Yeahyou can see the whole capital outside that window Beauregard: Please, sit down. I hope that the chairs are comfortable, I want to make it clear that I go to great lengths to make my guests happy. Rosemary sits down, uneasy being surrounded by possible enemies. Rosemary: It''s comfortable, what do you want to talk to me about. Beauregard: Look, dont be too hasty. Im sorry for putting you in that uncomfortable situation but I had to make sure you wouldnt try and kill me or my friends. Rosemary: Ohits fine. Beauregard: Glad to hear thatI want to ask you if you think Im evil. Rosemary: Whatwhy? Beauregard: I know you think Im evilfor going against my brotherfor my opinions onDeMi-HuMaNs. Rosemary: Well yesI dont agree with your opinion on demi-humans. Beauregard: Well take into account my history with them. I have watched them slaughter villages, my friends, and myself. When my father joined Walgonia and the demi-humans in the war I wassurprised, to say the least. Rosemary: And your treatment of Elves? Beauregard: I just have to make sure that my people are safe. When I know that they are, I will treat them as one of us. Beauregard stares intently at Rosemary, his snake-like eyes with the way they angle and move. Even though he should be in his mid-thirties at the most, his light brown hair is receding, and his wrinkles stand out. All those things along with his brown dress suit make him look like some sort of an evil mastermind. Untrustworthy and overall just evil-looking. Rosemary: Why fight with your brotherwhy not just change the rules and end this? Beauregard: Because I need to make it apparent to the other countries that I wont just change my opinions to win. I will make sure that I represent myself as a calm and composed leader, with pride and confidence. I will make Leo join me instead of the other way around. Rosemary: So even if you agree with your opponent you wont go back on your wordseems like an overabundance of pridefulness. Beauregard: I just want to make sure I do not go back on my word and make myself look easy, as well as avoid mistakes I have made in my past. I think you feel the same way, dont you? I think you look at possible mistakes in your past very intently. Rosemary: Whatare you talking about? Beauregard: I think you know exactly what Im talking about. Calgary, would you please remove your helmet now. Calgary: Of course sir. Calgary removes his helmet, his face covered in scars, his eyes tired and worn out. And the biggest eye drawer, his golden hair and light blue eyes. Rosemary: Nowayare you? Calgary: Im what I thought to be the last living member of the Golden knights. but when I heard of yousomebody leftand the daughter of the Golden knights'' leaders no doubt Rosemary: I thought you all died outhow are you alive!? Calgary: I was in the attackthe Sect jumped usI was able to live but if you look at all the scars on my face its obvious I didnt make it out unscathed. Rosemary: What family are you a part of? Calgary: The second familythe Golden Leaf. Beauregard: So you arent related then? Rosemary: Nothe Golden knights we made of two families that intermingled. The Golden win and Golden Leaf. Beauregard: Well I must attend to my dutiesyou converse with one another for as long as you want. Rosemary: Thank you END OF Chapter Eighteen. Arc 4: Chapter 19. Forms of training. Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 19. Forms of training. Edward {Where am I? What day is it?} Edward wakes up, groaning in pain. His eye takes a bit to focus, the sun blinding him. Edward: Ashed? Edward figures that he is in a shed, due to the small wooden structure he finds himself in. He looks at his body to find it wrapped in bandages. He gets up, slowly and painfully making his way out of the shed. Edward {Im in the woods? Am I still in Athens?} Edward walks to the small cabin next to him and knocks on the door. Edward: Hello!? Anybody home? The door flies open, and Edward looks at a living legend. Lincoln Valentine. Lincoln towers over Edward, his power making Edward feel small and weaker than he already is. Lincoln takes a swig out of his sake bottle, before burping in Edward''s face. Edward: No way Lincoln: You gonna come inside or you gonna sit here and let all of my hot air out!? Edward: Sorry sir. Edward walks into the cabin, to find dirty dishes a disgusting smell, clothes all over the floor, and dirt everywhere. Lincoln: SIT DOWN DAMMIT! So why are you looking for me? Edward: I would like your help with ending the civil war. At the rate its going Leo is gonna lose Lincoln: AND SO WHAT!? Those idiots started their fight and they''re gonna end it! I know your eyeswhats the son of Gotsu Van Helsing doin here? Edward: My friends and I want to help Leo win the war and get his help with retrieving Walgonia from the Sect of Anarchy. Lincoln: So its selfish reasons youre hereand how the hell did the Sect take over a country as strong as Walgonia? Edward: Arthur Willamshead commander of the Valatrositce army won the electionbut turns out hes part of the Sect. Lincoln: So he won an election and you wanna take him out because of it? Edward: Well its illegal to Lincoln: SHUT THE HELL UP! I hate your damn prestigious time talkin all about how you wanna save people and do the RIGHT thing. Just do what you wanna dodo you want to take him out because hes EVIL as you say? Edward: Of coursebut Lincoln: SPIT IT OUT! I saw you fucked up and half dead. I was gonna leave for dead but then I saw you kill those men fast and without a thought. Youre taught but you dont wanna show it. Edward: I dont knowI just Lincoln: FOLLOW ME NOW! Edward jolts up from his seat, ready to follow Lincoln. Lincoln: Damn youre well trained. Oh well, follow me. They exit the mansion and embark on a walk up the mountain. Edward: That smellit smells like Lincoln: SUT! Cause were on the path up the biggest Volcano on the mountain. The reason Athens has all the resources we used to sell our way to power. I want you to see something up here. Edward: Alright They make their way up the mountain, Edward struggling to make it up. Lincoln: Come ON! Were here, I didnt want to take you up the volcano I just wanted to show you this opening in the mountain. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Edward walks into the small opening to see a big hole dug into the ground. Before Edward can say anything he feels a hand on his back, pushing him into the hole. He falls to the bottom, hurting his leg in the fall. Edward: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!? Lincoln: IM GONNA WAIT UP HERE TILL YOUR DUMB ASS TELLS ME WHAT YOU WANT TO DO! Edward: WHAT!? I WANT TO STOP THIS CIVIL WAR! Lincoln: Yeah yeah! Ill go get you some water and some food. Lincoln leaves Edward to himself, himself, and a twenty-five feet deep whole. Edward {Its flatI cant climb outand the walls are too far apart for me to push myself out. UghthinkTHINK!} Edward: DAMMIT! Edward punches the wall, injuring his hand. He groans in pain before seeing a small impact mark on the wall from the punch. Edward: Barley a dentbut I did somethingmy entire body''s achingand Im nowhere near my normal strengthI probably couldnt even lift myoh wait my swords goneas well as my eye. Edward slumps down, staring at the top of the hole. He feels his eye, wincing in pain. The blood-stained cloth coats his finger in old blood. Edward: Everything isgoneits only been TWO AND A HALF WEEKS DAMMIT! I have faith Gray will be able to achieve a lot in a short amount of timebut what for meI dont have a strong healing factorin a month he was able to get good enough to presser meeven for a secondin another month or two he might surpass me indefinitelyIll be uselessa human shield Edward regains his composure, standing up. He starts to punch the wall, over and over, cracking a foothold in the wall. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gray and Ryo sit by a fire in a clearing in the snow-covered trees. Gray: Its about to be my seventeenth day here. Ryo: Yes almost half the month, and you have progressed better than I expected. Your healing factor is helping your body''s growth. Gray: You say that a lotbut Im not some prodigyIm just good at focusingbut I dont know how good I will be in a fight. Ryo: Well thats what I want to spend the rest of your time here working on. Your focus in a fight. Gray: That would be helpfulI need to get good at using this katana since Ive only fought with a broadsword. Ryo: Spiritual combat. Gray: What? Is that like fighting with spirits? Ryo: Kinda. Palm strikes, blunt blows, using your opponents force against them, and constantly scanning and using the environment. Normal punches and kicks are one thing. But focused pinpoint blows are another. Break your opponent down until they cant fight, read them faster than they can read themselves! Gray: How are palm strikes better than punches? Ryo: The spirits with the flow of your hand better that way, and its blunt so it wont dig into your opponent. Like getting hit with a brick wall instead of the tip of a sword." Gray: Somercy fighting? Ryo: Yesit is to make sure you dont make any more mistakes. I mean you did say you feel bad about blindly killing. Gray: Thanks. Ryo: Now let us get started. Gray feels a hand press on his chest in a flash, flinging himself back. Gray {SHIT, THAT HURT! MY GOD DAMN RIBS!} Ryo: Do not lose focus. You have been training your control, so, control it. Gray {Hes rightI just need to} Once again Gray gets hit, over and over reminding him of his time with Musashi. But this time it hurts less, and its colder. Gray {COME ON, DAMMIT! I CANT CATCH MY DAMN BREATH!} Gray overwhelmed with anger, flows a massive amount of mana throughout his body, charging at Ryo. Ryo: Calm down Gray, that is more mana than your body can handle. Without focus, Gray tries to punch Ryo, though Ryo effortlessly dodges. Each of Gray''s punches carries enough power to blow the snow away. Ryo pushes Gray''s chest, forcing him into the air, then pushing him back down, slamming him into the ground. Ryo: STOP! Ryo raising his voice scares Gray into submission. The pain from the mana overload hit like a truck, causing Gray to be overcome with great pain. Gray: AHHH DAMMIT! THE MANA HAS NEVER HURT THIS BAD BEFORE! Ryo: Its because your body''s ability to handle it has gone up. But that means to overpower your body you must use a lot more than youre used to. When you arrived here you were only able to handle using about ten percent of your mana and the max your OD would let you use was about fifteen. But now I would say your body can handle using about fifteen while your max is at twently! You''re progressing extremely quickly and you need to keep control of that. Only use low amounts of mana at once, especially when you''re outputting it around you''re entire body." Gray: Why did my max go up so much? Was it just because of that small healing factor? Ryo: Yes, and because your body has been using it so much. Your OD has adapted and it understands your needs. But you need to stop using zero or one hundred of what your body can handle. You need to use lower amounts of mana at a time around you''re entire body to prevent breaking down and destroying yourself. Control, focus, understanding your self. That is what you need. Gray: Oh...And...Sorrythat I lost my temper. Ryo: To be honest I got carried awayand I thought a bit too much of you. Gray: What do you mean think too much? Ryo: At the rate, you were progressing I thought this would go more smoothly. I hadnt seen any of your flaws, but now that I understand I will be able to fix my original training structure. That is my own fault and not your own. You''re a person after all. Gray: How will you change it? Ryo: By fighting with you until you learn how to multitask. Now get up and gently focus mana around your entire body, use the spirit sense, and begin! Gray: Ughalright Ryo: Now let us begin. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Over at Athens, the sun begins to set. Edward still punching at the wall, at a stop much higher than the first dent he made. Trying to make a second foothold. His knuckles are broken, bleeding all over the walls, but Edward continues trying and hitting repeatedly. He hears something approaching the top of the hole. Edward: LINCOLN!? Lincoln: Got your foodWHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!? Edward: MAKINGMYWAYOUT! Lincoln: Good. Now stop, I got some food and water for yah. Lincoln tosses down some jerky and a canteen of water to Edward. Edward catches the things, though he struggles to hold them due to his broken hands. Lincoln: Youre stupid you know. If you dont get your hands healed theyll be broken and possibly unusable forever. Edward: WellI WOULD LOVE TO GET THEM HEALED BUT YOU PUSH ME DOWN HERE! Lincoln: Raising your voice to meGREAT! Ill get more stuff for you and make it quick! Edward: Thank you...wait before you go..I never asked you, what''s with the cloth covering your face?" Lincoln removes the cloth, showing that the side of his face had been aged and wrinkled to the point that there is almost no muscle on it. Only skin and bones, not even an eye to see out of. Edward gaps so Lincoln quickly puts the covering back on. Edward: "What happend?" Lincoln: "Some times, you have to go through great lengths to get the win, even if it means the cost of your body. Edward slumps down, takes a breath, and starts eating and drinking his supplies. He removes the bandages around his eye, staring at his reflection in the canteen. Edward: Theyscared me as well. Edward sees that they branded his eye with the Gravestone pirate''s flag. The three slashes of the flag are now three burn scars going up his eyelids. Edward: Now Ive forever markedfirst my parents and my villagenow my eye and my swordthey keep taking and takingdamn this water is good. END OF Chapter Nineteen. Arc 4: Chapter 20. Various issues Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 20. Various issues Edward is still stuck in the hole and continues to make hit footholds. Edward {I have made enough to get me about ten or eleven feet upits almost been two days} Edward: CAN YOU JUST LET ME OUT ALREADY!? THIS IS WASTING TOO MUCH TIME! Lincoln: I like the fact that you''re yelling at me butIm gonna let you out. Edward: REALLY!? Lincoln: Nope. Im still gonna watch you struggle to climb up. Edward: DAMMIT! MY HANDS ARE BROKEN, IM BLEEDING EVERYWHERE AND IM HUNGRY! Lincoln: Look I already went down there yesterday and used some of my mana to heal yah. Edward: Yeah you didAFTER YOU KNOCKED ME OUT! Lincoln: Didnt want you trying anything. Edward climbs his foot holds, bashing another one with his hand. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the Athens castle, Rosemary converses with Calgary about their time with the Golden knights. Rosemary: So how did you survive again? Calgary: You keep asking me that. But Ill tell you again anyway. Rosemary: Sorry..its just too hard to believe Calgary: Yeah it doesnt matter. So there I was listening to Judge''s speech right as we were about to sneak up on a Sect base camp! But then an explosion erupts beneath us, killing a lot of the Golden knightsbut your father Judge saved me! We stood our ground and fought back. But a few of them had powersstrong powers BUT we were winning! Sadly when we were beating the odds a big black bird flew down from the sky and swooped the last of us up. But heroically your father grabbed me and used the last of his strength to get me out. I fell unconscious due to my woundsbut I woke up HERE! Beauregard explained what happened and I''ve worked here ever since. Rosemary: WoahI didnt like my fatherbut at least he was selfless in his last moments. Calgary: My time growing up was toughbut it made meit made us strong. Rosemary: Well saidbut I dont want to sound rude but when can I leave? Calgary: Look I said it beforeI know you dont like it but you have to stay here until Bearugard and Julius come to an agreement. Rosemary: Can I at least write to them? Calgary: Unless you want us to have to read it first. And if its coded we cant let you do it. Rosemary: Last night we just talked but what do you do for fun? Stolen novel; please report. Calgary: We have a nice yard outside, we can walk around if you want. Rosemary: Oh that sounds nicelets go for it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soku blasts wind over and over down in the tunnels while Leo and Peter watch. Soku: I can do a total of five gale blasts before Im tired. Peter: I GOT IT! Leo: Got what? Peter: More like I made it. Soku: Whats that staff? Peter holds up a wooden staff, he then presses a button on the side which releases glider-like wings on the sides. Soku: Woah its like bat wings. Peter: Its a glider! I learned that elves that use wind magic use things like this to fly and glide through the wind! Since you have wind magic I figured that you could use it to glide! Soku: Is it bad to mention I hate heights? Leo: Well its another form of training and I love training so lets get outta these crummy tunnels and GET TO WORK! They emerge from the catacombs, leaving through a small opening in the ground leading to a small group of houses in the woods. Leo grabs Soku, jumping onto one of the homes. Soku: WOOH DONT DO THAT PLEASE! Leo: PETER! Explain how to use this. Peter: *Yawn* Its way too early for thisOKAY SOKU YOU HAVE TO PRESS THE BUTTON ON THE SIDE OF THE STAFF! Soku: WHERE!? ITS ALL MADE OUT OF WOOD! Soku feels for a button, pressing a small indent on the staff which causes the wings to emerge, spooking Soku and almost causing her to fall off the two-story roof. Soku: OKAYNOW, WHAT!? Peter: JUST GRAB ONTO THE METAL HANDLES AT THE TOP AND PLACE YOUR FEET ON THE SMALL FOOT HOLDS! Soku gusts her body, getting into place to glide. Soku: OKAY! WHAT NEXT!? Peter: Just jump off and use your mana to glide you! Soku: WHAT!? I CANT DO THAT! Leo pushes Soku off the roof, causing her to panic and use too much wind mana sending her spiraling to the ground. Just before she can hit the ground Leo catches Soku saving her from the fall. Soku: YOU DICK! Leo: You gotta work under pressure! Peter: Yeah dont do that again. Leo laughs while Peter and Soku stare at him angrily. The mood changes when an old lady walks out of the home, throwing a plate at Leo''s head. Old woman: AND DONT JUMP OFF MY ROOF AGAIN! Leo rubs his head with Soku and Peter laughs at him, lightening the once sour mood. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gray continues to fail with multitasking. Getting hit down over and over. Gray: I can''t, I CAN''T! Ryo: Calm down, you said you wanted to help your friends right? So you must do this. Gray: I knowbut I justcant. Ryo: Look, you go look after Dema, spend the rest of the day calm. Gray: Okayand thanks Gray walks to the stables, watching Dema sleep. Gray { Shes been sleeping all day every day since I got here. I think shes hibernatingDema really has been helping since I met herShe saved me at the mansion, then again at the castleand she saved me the time of climbing this damn mountain.} Gray: She lookswonderfulshe doesnt really look like a drake thoughshes about the size of two trucks maybe a bit smaller and slimmerher face is angular and those horns make her look like a demon. The dark scales make her look like a small Dragon, not a Winged Drake. Ryo: Oh thats because she isnt a winged Drake! She seems to be an Earthbound Dragon. Gray: AHHH! Damn, dont sneak up on me like that Ryo: Sorry but Im correct. She is Earth Dragon, and only a year or two years old so she isnt that strong yet. Gray: Whats an Earthbound Dragon? Ryo: Dragons are smart and powerful creatures. But they live in Alfheim, and they arent born here. But Earth dragons are. They arent as smart or powerful as a Dragon but they are a good substitute. It makes her especially rare, and her liking you this much is even more rare. You need to be curious about this relationship you have with her. Gray: Will do ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hours pass and the sun begins on the sixteenth day of the group being in Athens. All are separated and dealing with various issues. Though most likely the most dangerous issue being faced is Edward''s entrapment. Edward tries to climb up, almost able to reach the top. Lincoln: Edward, youve almost made it upbut you haven''t told me what you want to do. Edward: I told youI need to saveWalgonia and end this war. Lincoln: Nope! Lincoln stomps on the ground, collapsing the wall with the footholds causing Edward to fall. Edward looks up to see the crumbled rocks, so he uses them to slowly climb up finally making out of the hole Edward leaps out of the hole, pushing Lincoln to the ground and placing his hand on Lincoln''s neck. Lincoln: Hey nice you made it out. Edward: Yeah I guess I didtook forever though. Lincoln stands up and begins to walk toward his home. Edward takes a step, then immediately falls to the ground, worn out and broken. Edward: Cantmove Lincoln: Yeah figured as much, you ripped every muscle and tendon in your legs as well as destroying the bones. Edward: WHAT!? Lincoln slaps Edward, causing him to pass out. Lincoln then picks up Edward and begins to bring him to his home. END OF Chapter Twenty. Arc 4: Chapter 21. Two questions Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Vol 2: Chapter 21. Two questions For a week nothing happens. Julius and Bearugard continue to plot and talk, achieving nothing. Rosemary spends her days talking with Calgary and testing out her stages, overall bored. Gray tries to use his spiritual senses and summon his mana instantly with no luck. Soku tries to use her glider, and Edward rests in Lincoln''s home. The mission is at a standstill. But during that week Edward had only slept for a day. Edward jumps upward and wakes up, slowly opening his eyes. He looks around seeing that his wounds have been tended to. Edward: UghLincoln!? Edward {My whole body hurtsand my hands are all bandaged upI wonder how long I was out.} Edward struggles to stand, grabbing a walking stick placed by his bed. He walks around the house checking the area out. Edward: One roomand a bed in the living roomwhich is in the same room as the kitchenyeah its pretty small. And dirty. Lincoln burst through the door, drunk and holding food. Lincoln: Oh Hey! You''re finally up. Edward: I wonder if my friends are doing okay...BUT WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? YOU PUT ME THROUGH THAT DUMB TEST Lincoln: Look theyre fine. And I want to ask you something. Edward: Spit it out. Lincoln: Do you want my help or not. Edward: Of course, I want your help. I need it to grow stronger! Lincoln: Alright, Ill help you out if you do me one thing. Edward: What? Lincoln: Or two things. Edward: Just say it!" Lincoln: First I want you to tell me what you want to do. But you can answer that later. The second one is a question I want you to answer now. Edward: Alright then. Lincoln: Do you want me to teach you the Dragons fist? Edward''s face turns to shock and happiness. But it then turns to unease. Lincoln: What is the long face? Edward: I trained with Musashithe greatest swordsman and Im still weakI dont want to waste your - Lincoln slaps Edward in the face, surprising him. Lincoln: YES OR NO SPIT IT OUT YOU SAD LOSER! Edward: YES! PLEASETEACH ME AS FAST AS YOU CAN! Lincoln: Alright good! go outside. Edward: But Im stillokay, Im coming. Lincoln: Goodnow take a sip of this. Edward: Ugh it smells awful.. Lincoln: Dont be a wimp, take a sip. Edward takes a sip, immediately realizing its alcohol. Strong alcohol at that. Instead of spitting it out he just makes a frozen face and swallows. Lincoln: "I heard Helsings can''t drink but that was pitiful!" Edward: I dont drink! And that was gross. Lincoln: You will get a buzz so itll ease the pain. Now let''s go! This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. They walk outside, onto the wet grass and under some stormy skys. Edward: Hows this gonna work? Are you going to be my master or are you gonna tell me how to do the attack and just leave it at that? Lincoln: I guess bothI only taught my oldest son how to do the dragon''s fist. But they couldn''t get past the first move. I think the whole process is pretty easy but almost everybody struggles to even get close to the first stage! Edward: Its crazy to believe that Im being taught the most powerful technique by the man that made itMy friend Julius learned the Dragons fist so I have experience with the attack. Lincoln: Wait somebody learned the move without me teaching them!? That kid must be some crazg prodigy or something! Edward: Well you would be right about that. Why do you want to teach me anyway? Lincoln: Because youre a golden opportunity. And I new your family. Dont worry Im not some loser and only want to teach ya because youre a prodigy or a Helsing I want to teach you because you were able to make that eighteen-foot jump while you were all messed up! With no room to jump between them or anything to do it, you pushed yourself for a round about option. You''re smart and pretty strong. So I think you got this. Edward was surprised, almost unable to take the words. All of the unease he felt vanished, and his morning of his family felt a little easier for the moment. But he remains serious and continues. Edward: Thats good to hear. Lincoln: Okay then. The first lesson is learning how to fight. Edward: What? Lincoln: Put pressure on all your joints. Use the mana in your bones and your muscles. Edward: But I dont have a lot of mana. I have as much as a normal person. Lincoln: Same. Now shut up and do it. Edward: Then how do I have mana in them? Lincoln: Because of your bodys strength. But to make it strong you need to tear your muscles and they grow back stronger. To do that they heal and when they do they use some of your ODs mana to do so. So that mana is in your body forever. Now become one with your body, gather that mana and force it into one spot in whatever limb you want and, HIT ME! Edward {Well they dont call Lincoln the unstoppable for nothingokay find my inner manafind it. Lincoln: Look this might take a bit but I need you to do this yourself. So no matter how long it takes you must find it. This is one of if not the hardest thing to do in the world so don''t pout if you can''t do it, but all you have to do is find your inner strenght. With anger, sadness, or whatever you figure out, grab onto your efforts and awaken! Then you can learn the Dragon''s fist. Edward takes a stance. Trying to find his body''s eternal mana. Seconds, minutes, and hours pass as he waits still and silent. Barley eating or taking breaths, he simply waits and focuses. Lincoln: UGH! So boring. Edward: Stop talking...Im finding it Lincoln: Oh well. I didn''t find it until I got pushed to do it, and it didn''t take me until a few years Edward: WAIT YEARS! I MIGHT HAVE TO WAIT HERE FOR YEARS!? Lincoln: Hey dont break your concentration! Edward: I was raised by a monk, a retired one but still one at that. I grew up finding my peace. Then Musashi taught me to use my emotionshold them downcontrol them and when I feel anger, build up to use it. The warriors'' spiritI became reliant on itit blinded me from reason, put me here without an eye, and separated me from my friends. I need to stop fighting my emotionsstop using them to winand find myselfwhy I wantyou keep asking me what I want and the real answer isI dont know. But I think, from the bottom of my heart...I need to free myself from Moro to free myself from my past. Lincoln: Good job. You answered the first question. Edward: Nowto find me. Edward {Contentmyselfwhat do I wantwhat makes meme? The driving force for my life has been to existI dont want to existI want to truly liveso no matter how long it takes, how much it hurtsI will LIVE!} With the rage toward Edward in his mind, the sadness toward Al, Musashi, Kioshi, his mother, Bjorn, and even a faint shadow of his father. Edward''s body begins to give off a faint power. His muscles start to squeeze and move, the tendons start to stress as Edward starts to open his eye. Lincoln: Edwardwhat do you feel? Edward: TIGHT! WHAT DO I DO!? Lincoln: Hold ithold ithold it Edward begins to feel light-headed, constantly sweating and staying overwelmed. For a moment, he grabbed hold. But Edward isn''t a God of War. And so he''s seen eventually passing out from the stress. He wakes up with the sun in his eyes and his body feeling lighter. Edward: LINCOLN! HOW LONG WAS I OUT!? My bodyfeels lighterand Im not in as much pain as I was before Lincoln stumbles out of his room, drunk. Lincoln: Hey you''reawake. Edward: So how long was I out? Lincoln: Only a few hoursor maybe daysno definitely hours! Edward: Did you heal me? Lincoln: Nope, you found your internal or inner mana, if only for a few seconds. Edward: I felt like I couldnt movebut I felt light. Lincoln: Yep thats how it goes. Now let us eat and then go outside and see if you can achieve the same thing from yesterdayonly faster Lincoln grabs some cooked meat and booze, placing it on a messy table. Edward: I can clean this place up if you want. And I dont drink. Lincoln: Look I find it easy to find one internal mana while drunk but to each, their own I guesshere have some tea I brewed a bit ago. Edward: Thanks Edward eats and drinks the meal, he then stands up and begins to stretch, popping bones and relieving stress. Edward: Im still so soreeven my wounds that Moro gave me are acting up Lincoln: I mean I would think so, he beat you half to death. Edward: And he broke my swordand stole my armor. Lincoln: Hey you know whatif you can achieve the Dragons spirit in a few months I will craft your armor and a blade out of Dragons ore. Edward: REALLY! Thats great! But I want to say now that I like to use big swords. Lincoln: Like your dad? Edward: Wellyeah my last sword was about one hundred pounds. Lincoln: DAMN! OH HELL NO IM NOT MAKING THAT! Ill make you a big sword but Im not making it that heavy. If you can swing that thing then you can swing a normal sword faster. Edward: But my father used one. Lincoln: Look I met your father and no he did not use a sword that big. Wasn''t small though. Edward: But the legends said - Lincoln: Legends are bull shit. Don''t trust your government kid. I can tell you from experience that he used a hundred or so-pound great sword. Edward: DangI''ve been wasting my time with that then. Lincoln: Oh welljust do your own thing and dont be like the dead guys. Just be you. Edward: Yeahyoure rightalright, Ive finished my food lets go outside. Lincoln: Alright. Edward walks outside, immediately getting into a stance. He begins to focus, and an hour passes before he begins to feel the mana. Edward: Hey...I gotit! Lincoln: OH SHIT!? Okay now slowly put your feet at shoulder length, then put your arms by your side and try and focus the power on your arm, and then PUNCH! Edward slowly moves his body into position. He prepares himself to punch, and like clockwork, he does it. He had been facing a tree this entire time, just for this moment. So when he punches it, it moves like a hot knife through butter, cleaving through it and causing it to topple over. Edward: I did itOW! Lincoln: YOU DID IT! Oh and yeah the recoil sucks. Edward feels the muscles in his arms shift and contort. He feels the bones in his arm crack, making him collapse due to the pain. Laying on the ground holding his broken hand, he looked up. Lincoln: Damnyou did it. Edward: Whatsnext? End of Chapter Twenty-one. Arc 4: Chapter 22 . Convoy Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 22. Convoy Julius sits in Beauregard''s chamber, drinking tea with him. Beauregard: You have spent a week-and-a-half here and we havent said anything. Julius: It proves that you are good at conversing without giving any information away, not even with small facial expressions. Beauregard: I could say the same thing about you. Look, you know your friend would like to leave, and Ill help take you to Leo''s camp if you want. You just have to tell me the directions. Julius: I do not think I would fall for that dont you think? Beauregard: Worth a trybetter than sitting here doing nothing. I want to stop this endless fighting, so just make it easier. Julius: Ive heard that you avoid fighting in residential areas as well as avoiding farmland. So this war is hardly affecting the mass of people. Beauregard: But Have you seen the damage done to the central city? Houses and stress broken, morale is down and we are losing food due to thefts. Julius: Then call an end to the war, like an agreement. Beauregard: You keep saying that but it wouldnt work, my brother, and we have very different viewswe wouldnt be able to agree. Julius: And I also keep saying that I could help. My father King Cornelius, a god of war himself, taught me how to keep my composure, stay unbiased, and get the victory. I would be a great mediator. Beauregard: Yeah son of the Mad King. Julius: The Mad king has control of one of if not the strongest armies in the western continent. Beauregard: If you get me a meeting with the madwith King Cornelius at some point I will try to get a meeting with Leo. Julius: A meeting with Leo and then Cornelius. And I will throw in a meeting with King Arthur. Beauregard: But didnt you say Arthur is a part of the Sect? How would you get a meeting with him? Julius: I have my ways of doing things. Julius gives a big smirk, irritating Beauregard. Beauregard: Fine! Get me a meeting by the end of this month and I will try my best to end this war. Julius: Great to hear, it took a bit but Im glad we agreed. Beauregard: But Rosemary must stay here. To make sure you dont just run away. Julius: Understandable. Julius walks away, content with the new agreement. An agreement that Julius proposed again and again, so it stuck. Julius walks to Rosemary''s quarters, finding her pacing around her room. Julius: May I come in? Rosemary: Yeah sure, what do you want? Julius: I have gotten Bearugard to agree to a meeting with Leo. Rosemary: REALLY! Thats great! Julius: But it will most likely be at the end of the month. Rosemary: Okaygives us time to prepare. Julius: Yes, but you must stay here. Its in our agreement. Rosemary: Ughof course. Julius: Im glad youre accepting. Rosemary: When you get outcan you send a message to GrayI sent a letter a while ago but he hasnt come yet Julius: I will keep that in mind. Rosemary: By the waywhat do you think we should do about Edwardsyou knowdeath? Julius: I do not know, but I do know that the Gravestone pirates will be an issue. Moro was able to take Edward out with no issue fairly quickly as well. Rosemary: The Helsing familyit''s over Julius: It is a shame. But we must move forwardand continue on our mission. I will see you when I get back. Rosemary: Alrightwell Ill see you then. Safe travels. Julius: Thank you. Across the land, Soku is also gliding using the wind to keep her balance. She stops herself and lands on top of the taller buildings in the capital city, staring at the castle. She sits down on the angled roof, staring at the stars of the dark sky. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Soku: It took all week but I can kinda glide now. Its way better than walkingbut its hella hardgotta thank Peter again for itTHANK HIM!? Whats wrong with me? She looked down to see an expensive carriage moving quite fast in the direction the Inn was in. Soku: Where are yougoing? Soku jumps between buildings, tracking the carriage. Soku {Maybe theyre rightthis old jacketI might need to discard itfor actual armor other than some simple padding.} Soku sees that there isnt enough room to wind leap between buildings, so she sighs and jumps off, gliding through the wind and tracking the carriage. She lands on every other building to make sure she doesn''t mess up her gliding or get spotted by guards below. Soku {The city is all bustedits a big city but its emptyWalgonias capital is always loud and alivebut this is just sad. Broken and dirtyits a little better looking than the slums that Im used tojust a little. Hey, the carriage is stopping by the exit of the walls!} Soku glides to the top of the walls, watching as the Athens army guards stop the horses, then the carriage comes to a halt and the cabin door opens. And out walks Julius with cuffs on his hand. Soku {JULIUS!? HES BEEN CAPTURED!} Soku jumps off of the walls, gliding straight toward the guards. She flips mid-air, bending her legs, and launches a gust of wind at the ground stopping her descent and pushing the five guards back. Guard 1: HEY ABOVE US! Soku lands, retracting the glider''s wings and she swings the glider like a staff carrying the wind and pushing it toward the oncoming guards. Guard 2: STAND YOUR GROUND, WE DIDNT TRAIN FOR YEARS TO LOSE TO THIS LITTLE GIRL! The guards get up and pull out their pikes. Soku: {These guys are well trainedI might not be able to beat themI can do it!} Soku takes a deep breath, puts the staff in a holster, and performs the stances she learned while training. She blasts a powerful blast of wind toward one of the guards, knocking off his balance. She follows up with another, sending him flying. The remaining four guards rush at her, so she surrounds herself with a rotating sphere of wind, waiting for the guards to approach her. They swing at her, giving her an opening to blast the wind knocking them all back but one. He swings his pike at her, so she uses her small stature to duck the swing, tucking her arm by her side, then punching forward carrying a lot of wind with it. The close-range blast sends the guard flying back. She hears the other three run up behind her, so she pulls her short sword out of the holster on her back. She quickly creates three wind blades that push the guards back, though due to a quick reaction time, the guards block the blades with their pikes. Soku: You guys are good! But I guess Im a little better! Guard 3: Youre rightyou are better than usbut youre not better than him! A man exits the carriage, wearing heavy armor and a helmet. Calgary: Names Calgaryand you must be Soku, Rosemary has told me a lot about you! Soku: WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HER!? Soku uses her mark of providence and her stances to blast as strong of a blast as she can. Calgary emits a golden glow, with five big ticks being heard. Soku {That looks like Rosemary''s power I used up most of my strength to use that blast so it has to -} Calgary punches the blast, stopping it before it can hit him. He then closes the distance instantly, holding Soku down. Calgary: Hey, Im trying to stop this damn war, and Im bringing your friend Julius back to your Inn! Soku: YOU LIE! HES IN SHACKLES! Julius: Actually hes telling the truth. I said to put me in cuffs to assure them I wont attack them. Soku: Youcould have said that! Julius: I wanted to see how you have come along with your training. And you have progressed swimmingly. Soku: UghI hate youLET ME GO PLEASE! Calgary releases his grip on Soku, allowing her to stand. Calgary: Sorry about that but you attack first. I was letting Julius walk the rest of the way home. Soku: Okay thenI guessI hope to end the war. Calgary: Me tooand does Rosemary have a boyfriend? Soku: Alright Julius lets GOOOO! Julius: Alright then, thanks again for the hospitality. Calgary slowly walks back into the carriage with the guards collecting themselves, while Soku and Julius walk back to the catacombs forest entrance. Soku: So how bad was it? Julius: It was nice. Rosemary was bored though. Soku: Sooo no torture and no prison cells? Julius: There were prison cells but we didnt stay in them the entire time. Soku: Okay so there were cells. Julius: Cells and a nice bed. Soku: AlsoWHY DID YOU LET ME FIGHT THOSE GUYS!? Julius: I said it already. I wanted to see your progress, and your power has increased greatly. Soku: I just learned some stancesand Leo is a better trainer than you. Julius: Good, Im glad you found a good teacher. Soku: Hey never mind. Julius: What is the matter? Soku: Nothingugh I miss Grayhe would respond to my insults. Julius: Well I hope he shows up shortly, Im going to send a letter. Soku: Good, we need all the help we can get. Julius: Now you go home. Ill go to Erin''s Inn and ask her to send the letter. Soku makes her way back to the catacombs, entering through the forest tunnel. Once Soku gets back to the Red Arrows camp she explains to Leo and the others that Julius will be returning to them. And they wait in the main room until then. After an hour or two Julius finally enters the camp being treated to a coming-home party. Leo: YOU MADE IT BACK! A bunch of Red Arrows cheers and shout, with some running over to him and welcoming him back. With drinks and food everywhere the night ends with the first bit of actual fun in a while. In Leo''s quarters, small and pact with boxes full of plans and a flag behind him, Julius and Leo share drinks while going over Julius plan with Peter and Soku watching from the sidelines. Leo: Whats wrong with not gonna drink? Julius: No, sorry I do not drink alcohol. Leo: Whatever, anyway Soku explained you agreed with my brother. What did you agree to exactly? Julius: You will meet him somewhere and partake in a conversation that will hopefully help the two warring sides come to an agreement and end this civil war. Leo: I couldnt get my brother to agree on what was for dinner let alone end this war. Julius: In the eyes of the people, Beauregard is a king with the same ideals as all the other rulers you have had. Where you seem like an anarchist similar to the Sect, trying to break down set rules and going as far to start a war. Leo: What are you saying? Julius: I am saying you need to make sure you are the one that seems the most humble, sorry, and understanding, because if you are not you will make your brother look even better in the public eye. Leo: Ughyou make a good point. From the sidelines Leo''s right-hand man jumps out to defend his leader, with a no-found look of sorrow on his face he''d never seen before. Peter: JULIUS! I want to make sure youre not playing us. I know Soku cant tell if youre lying but I can tell something''s off. Whose side are you on!? Soku: Peter chill out. Julius: No, no, Soku he has a point. I seem to be on Beaurgards side more than I seem to be on Leos side. Its because I respect Beauregard more than I do Leo. Leo: WHAT!? Explain yourself! Julius: You make Beauregard sound like hes evil but he is one of if not the most understanding ruler in recent history. He knows his biases and understands that they are bad but he wants to take his time to adjust to the new ideals, which most rulers would die before doing. Leo: YOU DONT UNDERSTAND! Beauregard betrayed memy mothermy fatherand the previous king! Julius: Your previous king, King Froid was similar to Walgonias'' previous king, King Buford in the fact that they are unremarkable. They existed but Beauregard is calculated, and understanding, and hes doing something for his country even if its not right. Leo: Look, you never met Froid So dont talk shit about him. Julius: Oh, my apologies I forgot that since you like somebody that takes away any problems they make. Leo: Are you trying to start something? Julius: I highly recommend you do not do anything stupid. Leo: Oh, why do you really think youre that good? Julius: I just think you would not like the idea of the mad king bringing your once proud city to the ground. Julius normally closed eyes and stagnant smile change, with his eyes opening and his smile fading. Soku: Uh ohIve never seen him like this before. Peter: HEY CHILL OUT! And Julius, dont start something you dont want to see the end of. Julius: Look, don''t hurt the messenger. So do you want to talk with your brother or not? Leo: Yeah I dowhere do we meet? Peter: Hey last time we let somebody else pick the meeting spot we lost a lot of peopleyou should pick it this time. Leo: OkayJulius tell Beauregard to meet me at the in castle, now how long until then. Julius: In two weeks. So prepare yourselves. I will return to the castle to confirm his answer and inform him of yours. Leo: Goodand make it fast. Julius: Will do. Julius face returns to its normal state, with closed eyes, and a small smile. He then leaves the room and exits the camp without saying a word. END OF: Chapter twenty-two Arc 4: Chapter 23. Interference Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 23. Interference The Red Arrows watch Julius leave the base camp as Leo leaves his room. He walks into the middle of the party and slams his spear on the ground, the loud sound catching the attention of the Red Arrows and stopping the partying in its tracks. Leo: LOOK! In two weeks I will be meeting Beauregard. If he attacks us I want you all to fight back. I NEED YOUR HELP! I WOULDNT HAVE GOTTEN THIS FAR WITHOUT YOU AND I WONT BE ABLE TO FINISH IT WITHOUT YOU EITHER! ARE YOU WITH ME!? The Red Arrows shout, the sound echoing throughout the tunnels. Julius hears this on his way out, entering a carriage right outside the tunnel''s entrance. Calgary: So, you with us? Julius: I am not with anyone. But the best chance of me winning is me staying with Beauregard. But I want my fellow teammates with me. Calgary: That elf girl? Want me to do anything? Julius: I have an idea in mind. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deep in the snowy forests of Greenvale mountain, something is soaring around in the trees. Swinging off of them, and jumping between them. Its chasing a snow rabbit, barely visible to the naked eye, and right as its about to run out of the forest, it gets grabbed by something black and stretchy near a cliff. It gets pulled to a man cloaked in all black, with a mask carved to look like a skull. The rabbit squeals in fear before the man starts to pet it. The man takes off the mask, his brown hair blowing in the wind. Gray: Got yah little guy. My hair has gotten a lot longer since I got into this world. The back of it is touching my, well my back. This mask is really well made too. The Sect doesn''t slack, good work. After so much time practicing with his mana, control with the spirits, and time multitasking various abilites, using the cloak was seemingly to be a cake walk. Just by using his own mana and will it moves to his will, and even if it doesn''t seem that strong, it''s just another tool in his belt. Gray stands up, but the snow underneath his feet gives way, causing Gray to fall off the cliff. But luckily the rabbit jumps out of his hands to safety. Gray: RABBIT DONT ABANDON ME! Gray {Waitdont panicfocus and execute the move.} Gray takes a deep breath, stretching out his hand, trying to shoot the cloak out and save himself. But it doesn''t stick to the snow, so Gray continues to fall thousands of feet through the air. Gray: TIME TO PANIC SHIT! IM GONNA DIE! THINK! THINK! TRAINING? SPIRITS? SHOWS? VIDEO GAMES? I GOT IT! This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Gray flips his body, spreads his arms, and lets the cloak spread throughout the air. It starts to pick up the wind, so Gray sticks the cloak to his back letting the rest of it act like a glider. Gray: YES IT WORKED NOW I GOTTA PULL UP! Gray falls further and further, he tries to pull up but the wind stops it from happening. Gray: SHIT BACK TO PANICKING! WaitspiritsWIND SPRITS! WIND SPIRITS HELP! Gray {No that wont work, I''m only connected to normal spirits!Im about to diespirit sensefocus on the spirits around meand try to move them with me} Gray starts to pull up, right about to splat on the ground beneath. Then suddenly, he pulls up gliding straight up. He then starts to glide through the air. Gray: Im glidingIM GLIDING! Gray loses focus and glides directly into a tree. He stumps down, planting his face into the snow. Gray: OhhhI was glidingow. Ryo walks up behind him, helping him up. Ryo: Thats one way to get to Greenvale village. Gray: Well it was fastalmost died though. Ryo: I would have caught youI think. Gray: Well I need to make it back fastI should be getting letters today Ryo: Well pick up the pace! Gray runs through the forest, making it to the outside of the wooden gates that protect Greenvale. Gray runs inside right to Gordons house, repeatedly knocking on his door. Gray: HEY COME ON! LAST LETTER I GOT SAID THAT IF I DIDNT GET ANOTHER ONE GO TO ATHENS IMMEDIATELY! Gordon opens the door, catching Gray''s hand. Gray: So I got one? Gordon: Yes but there is an issue, walk with me to the training grounds. Gray: Cool, I get to see them training. WAIT WHAT ISSUE!? Gordon: The letter said everything is fine and to wait on coming. Gray: So whats the issue? Gordon: Well the first problem is that more and more guards from Walgonia are looking for this place, and a lot of the previous guards, before Arthur''s crowning, have been fired. Gray: So the Sect is making its way into the Walgonian armybut they dont know were this place is? Gordon: Nope, this is a secret village. Thats why you were brought here, so the Sect couldnt find you. Gray: Makes senseand the other issues? Gordon: That means any of the previous letters could have been found and tampered with. Gray: What gives you that Idea? Gordon: Here, look. Gordon hands Gray a letter. Gray opens it and it looks different from Rosemary''s handwriting, reading it aloud. Gray: We had to postpone the meeting with the Gravestone pirates. So you dont need to travel here. Love Rosemary. Gordon: Seems weird doesnt it? Gray: Yeah and she said, '''' Love Rosemary. Gordon: Thats the weird part? I thought the weird part was the grammar. The way of speaking was different from Rosemarys. Gray: Yeah that toobut she normally says hugs and kissesnot love. Rosemary didnt write this, someone else did. Gordon: Thats the same conclusion I came to. Gray: Then something''s really wrong. Gordon: Ryo should already be at the training grounds. I want to make you some armor before you head out and thatll take a bit so until then Ill train you as much as I can, with Ryos help of course. Gray: Makes sense. They make it to the training grounds, the big wooden house with a giant yard behind it where different warriors train. The home was similar to classic Japanese architecture, which caught Gray''s eye weeks prior when he originally saw it, but after seeing Ryo''s kimono and katanas, he''s finally made the mental note that someone of Japanese origin had gotten transported to this world. Gordon: Usually a member of the Leviathan army will train for years before even being allowed into the main army, but you have to push through that. Ryo said the katana wasnt a fit for you, he also said you couldnt multitask. Gray: He would be right. Gordon: Also, whats that mask on your side? Gray: Oh thisa trophy. Gordon: Whatever, okay lets get started. Gordon opens the house door to a wondrous house, warm and cozy with paintings of Musashi, Gotsu, and all the other Van Helsings hanging on the wall. Gordon: Alright, lets go to the training grounds. END OF : Chapter twenty-two Arc 4: Chapter 24. History lesson Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Vol 2: Chapter 24. History lesson Gray runs up to a set of Musashi''s Armor placed under a portrait of his face. Gray: Dark blue and black armorwhats with the mouth guards? They look like something a samurai would wear. Gordon: It is a symbolic peace. All Leviathion soldiers get a design made for them by their trainersand its a pain in the ass. Gray: HehHey, can I ask you a question? Gordon: Sure. Gray: Can you tell me about the Demi-human war?" Gordon: Um, why?" Gray: "I keep hearing people mention it and I''m tired of being left out of the loop." Gordon: "Oh, well then, of course.. Gray: Really? Gordon: Yes, but Ill tell you more whilst we train. Now pick up a sword and grab some training armor from over there, Ill be waiting outside with Ryo. So Gray does as Gordon explains, and he walks outside to see soldier after soldier training in the cold snow. With Ryo there waiting, standing out as always. Gordon: Now Im not the best swordsman men but neither is Ryo. Unlike Ryo, I''m not a prodigy, and I learned from past Leviathan army soldiers, so I might be a better teacher. Ryo: You both made it! now what will we be teaching? Gordon: I want to get the basics down first. Gray: Basics? I need to get to Athens FAST! I learned the basics with Musashi and again with Ryo! I dont need them again! This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Gordon: "Okay, if you say so. START NOW!" Gordon and Gray quickly jump into action and start to practice while Gordon begins his story. Gordon: Around seventy years ago a group of Demi-humans in Valatrocitus escaped from their enslavement and led a continent-wide war. They freed other demi-humans to grow their army, so by the time other countries stepped in the demi-humans had a sizable army. Walgonia and Athens wanted to give demi-humans the rights they wanted, while Ravoria and Valatrocitus wanted to kill them all. After a while Valatrocitus left the war, leaving Ravoria and forcing them to leave the war as well. And then Musashi and Gotsu killed the rebellions leader, ending the physical side of the conflict, and in the eyes of the masses it ended the war entirely." Gray: Finally that gets clarified!" Gordon: That was just a quick overview, I didnt go into the details, especially with Valatrocitus, but thats not what matters right now. What does matter is you getting ready to head to Athens and help end that damn civil war. Gray: And you cant help me out with that? Gordon: I have to prepare these damn soldiers. After the war ended twenty years ago, the Leviathan army became softand I became soft too. I have faith in you. Ryo: Gray, would you show Gordon what youve been learning. Gordon: Yeah show me. Gray takes a deep breath, activating his spirit sense, and gets into stance. Gordon: You taught him the proper stance and the techniquelets see if you taught him proper technique too. Gray: Musashi taught me most of these things. Ryo just hammered it to me. Gordon: AlrightGO! Gray {He isnt a sword masterand hes old so I can use that.} Gray flows mana throughout his body and starts to move forward. Gordon {Hes fast!} Gray performs a flurry of fast strikes, all blocked or dodged by Gordon. But Gray is fast enough to block any of Gordons counter attacks. Gordon (Good, he''s keeping up._ Gray jumps back and then right toward Gordon, which Gordon promptly blocks, but Gray wants this and he uses Gordon''s sword to flip himself into the air. Whilst in the air he sends the cloak into two pieces and grabs onto the ground, stretching like a slingshot. He flings himself towards Gordon''s back while spinning like a wheel, but Gordon swiftly moves out of the way. This allows Gray to land and prepare a special move. Gordon: THAT WAS A GOOD SHOWING OF HOW CREATIVE YOU CAN BE! Gray: THANKS! BUT WATCH THIS! Gray slides one foot back and one foot forward raises his sword in the air and flows the maximum amount of mana he can handle throughout his body. He flows the spirits around the wooden sword and swings it down as hard as he can, launching a spiritual blade at Gordon. Gray: BREAKER! Gordon: You named your move? Funny. Gordon swings how sword at the attack, barely being able to stop it, being pushed back into the snow. Gray: See? Strong right? Gordon: That was good, but I waited for you to charge up that move. A real enemy wouldnt let that happen. Gray: Yeahyoure rightIll get back to that, and can you make my amourplease. Gordon: "I''ve already had it prepared, so it should be ready shortly. Ryo: Ill go take care of that. You need light, dark armor that fits your fighting style. Will you be wearing that mask? Gray: I think so. It hides my mana sense so it has actual use other than a personal meaning. And I think the cloak does that as well...so it''s like a double boost! Ryo: I can make you a metal one for headgear if you would like? Gray: Im goodI would rather use this one. Ill take you up on that offer if this one breaks though. Gordon: Alright already! Ryo, you travel to Ricks place and grab the armor. Ill stay with Gray here. Gray: AlrightTIME TO GET STARTED!...again! And so they began, with Gray continuing to push himself even though he''s going to leave in just a short time. Gray {I was able to fight Gordon, push myself, and keep up! I didn''t break myself trying or run out of gas instantly either! I know Gordon isn''t a super strong dude, but he''s on par with advanced soldiers! If I can be on par with them, then I''ll be a real knight! Better even!" END OF : Chapter twenty-four Arc 4: Chapter 25. On the way Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 25. On the way, A few days pass and Gray''s armor is finally done, so he retrieves it. Gordon: You can just sit in your house, Ill just grab it for you. Gray: Na. I wanna get it and go as fast as I can. Gordon: Well then lets pick up the pace. Gray jogs down the smithing shop, entering to see an old dwarf smoothing out some armor. Gordon walks in behind Gray and gets the old man''s attention. Gordon: Rick, you got Gray''s armor? Rick: Yeah I got it, old on its in the back. Gray: Whos this guy? Gordon: Rick here is our best blacksmith and the best in the country. Rick: Ten times better than my brotherGET BACK HERE ALREADY! Gray walks into the back room to see swords and random pieces of armor on the walls. And in the middle, put up on a stand is white armor. Rick: Here it is! Chest piece, shoulder piece, arm guards, and leg guards. Oh and the mouth guard with those three black lines on it. Gray: Nice actually I got a mask already. Rick: Whatever your sword is back up there. Gordon reaches up and grabs two swords, a broad sword, and a short sword. Gray: Nice, two swords. Rick: What are you gonna name the broad sword? Gray: UmChime! Rick: Chime huhoriginal. Gordon: Alright, Ryo is getting Dema for you. Put on the armor. Rick places the armor on Gray, fitting perfectly. Gray: Nice! The last gear I got made was kinda bland, this just fits me more. And its light and dense. Gray walks outside to see Ryo leading Dema to the shop. Gray pets Dema and then reaches for his mask attached to her saddle. He places the mask on his head, and at the same time flows the dark hooded cloak out of the cursed charm necklace. Gordon: You look like a wraith. Gray: Cool. Gray removes the mask, placing it back on Demas''s saddle. Ryo: I packed your clothes, food, and water. Also if you need me you can contact me through your astral form. Since I helped you connect to the astral realm we are always connected. Gordon: If you fly full speed you should get to Athens in a day or two. Gray: Nice, thats a lot faster than Edwards group. Ryo: Well they had to take a lot more things with them. Gray gets on Demas saddle, her wings spreading and preparing to take flight. Gray: Dema, FLY! Gordon: STICK NEAR THE COAST AND MOVE NORTHWEST! I ALSO PACKED YOU A MAP! Dema launches off the ground, flying around sixty or seventy miles an hour. Gray holds on as tight as he can, attaching his cloak to Demas''s body to hold on tighter. Gray: ATHENS HERE I COME! This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Gray flies for hours looking at the land below. The vast flat land, with randomly placed houses and villages, streams of water, frozen ponds, and snow coating all of it like a soft white blanket. Gray: Lotta farmland, I guess thats how they got their resources. Walgonia with land and strong fighters, Athens with their abundance of resources on their island, Ravoria and their connection to the spirits, and Valatrositce withactually, I dont know what made Valatrositce so great. I heard that they have a big army, and its behind a mountain rangeso power in numbers and location. I should ask Julius about it. Gray gets into a meditation position, taking deep breaths, soothing his mind. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grunts and stomps can be heard in the Athens forest, and sweat drops off Edward''s face as he carries a box of rocks above his head. And on top of the barrel of rocks sits Lincoln sipping on sale. Edward: HOWMUCHFARTHER!? Lincoln: UMone thousand more steps. Edward: UGH! Lincoln: You need to harden your body, your BONES! Now stop walking and do one hundred squats. Edward: I spent most of my time with Musashi training my senses and focus, then my body. This is just mainly my bodyI hate it. Lincoln: Good, be more open with your opinions, be abrasive, don''t hold in your emotions you gotta let it all out, and to do that you must do ONE HUNDRED SQUATS! Edward: Onetwothree ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the Athens castle yard, a group of guards rushes at Rosemary all holding iron pikes with Calgary watching from the side. Rosemary activates her stages going all the way to stage three and rushes at the guards. Even if they are all skilled Rosemary is in another class, being able to dodge and weave them without issue. One of them tries to stab her from behind but she ducks and jumps back into the man knocking him down, flipping mid-air, and boosting her legs to the four-stage to kick the air into the man''s stomach. Calgary: NICE ONE! I NEVER THOUGHT OF BOOSTING MY LIMBS LIKE THAT! Rosemary: THANKS! I LEARNED IT FROM A FRIEND! Rosemary lands, boosting her entire body to the fourth stage, and bulldozes through the many armed men. Calgary: Alright! Rosemary wanna go eat lunch by the garden? Rosemary: Oh, sure I guess. Let me go get a bath and get dressed. Calgary: You dont have to do that, I already got the food ready. Rosemary: Okay then. Calgary leads Rosemary to an area with dozens of different colorful flowers and trees Rosemary: Woah, all these flowers in winter. Calgary: Athens doesn''t get snow nor does it get that cold so most of these Bloom all year. Here I made a salad, a pie, and some pork. Rosemary: Smells nice. Calgary: It tastes good here too. Calgary feeds Rosemary a pick of the pork, and she awkwardly gives a thumbs up and backs off. Calgary: Your hair is the brightest gold Ive ever seen, you are the daughter of the great Judge and Iris!. Rosemary: YeahI am Calgary: Oh sorryI forget you didnt like your time with the Golden knights. Rosemary: Its not that I didnt like itits just like I didnt agree with it. Calgary: YeahOH! I saw your elf friend while I was out. Rosemary: Really!? Was she doing okay? Calgary: Okay would be a disservice, she beat some Athens guard asses. And she glided in on the coolwell on this cool glider. Rosemary: A glider huhshe is progressing quickly. Calgary: Yeahis the food nice? Rosemary: Yeah its good. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The day nears its end with cold winds blowing through the night sky. Gray wakes up hearing booms from beneath him. Gray looks down to see a ball of fire heading straight for him. Gray: Wah? AHH! Gray reaches for his sword but Dema turns to block the fireball, letting it hit her chest as well as things that look like bullets piercing her wings causing her to start to nosedive into the ground. Gray: SHIT, DEMA GET UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP! Gray rummages through his bag, grabs the cursed charm, and flows the cloak of darkness out of it, creating a pseudo parachute. He grabs onto Dema as well, trying his best to slow her fall, but his cloak gives way, causing them to fall a few feet off the ground. He looks at the assailants, dressed in the Walgnian knight''s armor, standing in the middle of a small town. Gray: HEY IM ON YOUR SIDE! Guard: IGNUM! The biggest knight shoots another fireball at Gray, which he barley dodges. He gets low enough to jump off Dema and pounces on one of the five knights. Gray: WHATS THE DEAL! They hold up their swords at Gray, but he pays no attention to them and runs to Dema, feeling for her heartbeat. He feels a faint beat but his anger is intense. He feels his heart beating quickly, his mind begins to fade, and then all his emotions; all his feelings hit like a truck. He feels the same sense he felt in the astral world but this time in the physical realm. All the guards back up in fear as they see Gray''s eyes start to flicker white over and over before they enter an intense white glow. The biggest guard cast another fireball. But right before it hits Gray the flame dissipates. Whatever is flowing into Grays'' body is disturbing the area, causing the elemental spirits within the fire ball to get confused, and do to how weak a base level fire ball is, it simply gives way. Gray looks at the guards in anger before he speeds toward them, and blitzes four of them in one fast quick motion, hitting them all with a palm strike to the chest. The biggest guard pulls out a sword, but before he could swing it Gray had him on the ground. Guard: DO IT! KILL ME! I LIVED MY PART, I WAS USEFUL IN CREATING A NEW WORLD! Gray starts to choke him out, but Dema squawks at him, snapping him out of the state and causing him to fall back. He begins to have a panic attack, pulling his hair and struggling to breathe. One of the guards gets back up, grabs something that looks similar to a musket, and aims it at Gray, getting his attention. Gray: CENIC! The black smoke of Cenic blinds the man, letting Gray charge him and take him down. Gray: WHY!? WHAT DID I DO!? Gray walks up to the big guard holding him down. Gray: WHY DID YOU SHOOT ME DOWN!? Guard: Becausewe were orderedto shoot anyoneriding a flying animal Gray: WHY!? AND BY WHO!? Guard: BykingArthur! You have a bounty on your head Kyojin! Gray: Dammit Gray hears footsteps behind him, looking to see a villager running up behind him. Man: Hey sir! Your animal here is badly hurt, and you took out those damn guards. Ill help you out if you want, my wife''s a healer! Gray: Waitreally!? Man: Yeah, come on help me get the earth-bound dragon to my barn. Gray gives the guards the stink eye, grabs one of the muskets and crushes the other one. He then starts running up to Dema, placing the gun and cloak in his satchel. Then he lifts her left side with the man lifting her right. Then Gray starts to walk with the man. Gray: So whats your name? Chris: Names Chris. Gray: SoChriswhy are you helping me? Chris: Those damn new guards attacked an Earth-bound dragon, and you stood up to them, and the fact youre wearing Leviathan armor so I had to do something. You might need to stay at my place for the night. Gray: Really? Thanks! Chris: Alright were here. Gray looks to see a two-story wooden house with a small barn beside it. Gray: This village is pretty small, what do you do here? Chris: This is a farming village. Theyre crops all around the village. Gray: NiceI might be able to heal Dema here. Ill come inside after. Chris: Alright then, Ill get my wife to make us some tea. Gray: Oh you have a family in there, I dont wanna intrude. Chris: I told you its fine. And I want to tell you about something very, very important when you get in. END OF CHAPTER: Twenty-five. Arc 4: Chapter 26. Uncovered path Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 26. Uncovered path Gray leads Dema into the barn and sets her down. He rubs her head, leaving her to rest. Gray: Alright, you rest here. Gray grabs the prototype gun to get a better look at it. He sees that it looks more like a musket than a normal rifle. Its raged and not very well put together, but it gets the job done. Gray: Dammitthey didnt have these before as far as I knew. Arthur has gotta have something to do with this. Gray removes his armor, and puts on some of his casual clothes, wearing the same clothes he got transported in. They are the same clothes, but the difference in Gray''s body is staggering. His hair is longer and healthier, his body physically stronger and his face visibly older even though hes only been here for around three months. It just goes to show the level of stress and growth he has been through in just a short amount of time. He walks into Chris house, noticing how simple it is compared to what hes been staying in for the past few months, first an old crummy house, then a mansion, a cottage, a cabin in the snowy woods, and now the house of a simple family man. Chris waves Gray over, so Gray walks over and sits down on a floor mat with a short table blocking the two. Chris: Honey, could you bring us some tea! Wife: Im coming! The wife walks into the living room and sits down with two cups of tea. Chris: Thanks hun, oh, and can you heal the boy''s Earth-bound Dragon? Oh and Gray, it might be a little bitter so keep that in mind. The wife quickly leaves the house, entering Dema''s stable to use healing magic on her. So while she''s doing that, Gray and Chris continue to talk about the issues within the country. Gray: Its all good, My mom was a tea addict and always made it super bitter so Im used to it. Chris: Well its all good then. Gray: So whats this very important thing you wanted to tell me. Chris: I assumed you noticed that those knights were weird right? Gray: Definitely. Chris: Well its because all of the knights that were working with Walgonia before king Bufords murder have been fired. I would know because Im one of them. Gray: So they are members of the SECT! Chris: THE SECT!? We figured that something was up with themwe thought they were soldiers of Valatrositce but them being with the Sect makes sense Gray: Its a guessis there a way to tell if somebody is with the sect? Chris: Usually the Sects soldiers have bald heads or black hair. And Im pretty sure those guys were bald. Gray: Well thentheyre taking over the damn country. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chris: There is hope though, Jong, the lead commander of the knights is getting us all together for a coup. I think Arthur is suspecting something, he''s been sending knights to villages mainly filled with the old knights to make sure nothing is up. Gray: But me showing up here is gonna make this place look suspicious. Chris: If you hide, or leave before they do house checks they might not do much. Gray: The leviathan army is preparing an attack as wellif I get in contact with Jong Ill be able to give him directions to Greenvale village and send the rest of the old knights there! Chris: Really! Thats great! Gray: Ill have to let Dema rest before I head outbut I can leave tomorrow. She will be fine thenI hopeif I rush there, then back here, when do you think Ill make it to Athens? Chris: You should make it by the twenty-ninth or the thirtiethso before the month''s end. Well have to leave early tomorrow, so lets hit the hay now and you can head for Buggy village tomorrow. A little girl tumbles out of a closet, running up and hugging her dad. Little girl: DONT LEAVE! You were gonefor so longwhen you were a stupid knightyou cant go again. Gray''s face goes from surprised to somber, then to acceptance. Gray: Give me directions and Ill go by myself. You have a family, you need to attend to your life and Ill do this. Ive been slacking for a bit in the whole main mission thing. Ill do this to warm up, and get my groove back on. And at the same time, Im gonna get a whole army on our side! Chris: Wellokay then. Gray: Im gonna sleep with Dema, gotta make sure she doesn''t feel lonely. Little girl: Whos Dema? Chris: You can meet her if you want? Little girl: REALLY! I WANNA, I WANNA! They all walk outside, and into the barn. The little girl springs up to see a dragon sleeping in her barn, her eyes filled with excitement. Chris: There she is - Little girl: SHH! Shes sleeping! Chris'' Wife: Yeah, youre right, daddy''s being dumb. Alright, lets leave Gray alone. Chris: "Hey, I''m an educated man! I''m no dummy. Though I got a dummy right beside me." Little girl: UGG! Okay Gray: Sleep well. They walk back inside, leaving Gray alone. His facial expression drops to a saddened look. He lays in some hay, wrapping himself in a blanket he brought with him. Half an hour passes with no lick of sleep. All Gray can do is think of the similarities between the little girl and Ophelia. Gray {Ive seen what happens when little girls get brought into this damn battlefieldand its horribleand what the hell was with that weird feeling back when I fought those Sect knights. I think one of my eyes glowed but I dont really remember muchI was just really angry.} Gray moves into a meditation position. He focuses on Ryos energy, slowly transitioning into his astral state. He feels himself become lighter, enchanted, and smooth. He opens his eyes to see Ryos'' astral form in front of him. He looks around to find himself still in the barn, and not in his astral form. Gray: Ryo? Ryo: You successfully called me, Im impressed. Gray: I didnt wake you did I? Ryo: This is more of a dream for me. Gray: Why aren''t I in my astral form? Ryo: You called my spirit, it just goes to show your connection. So what did you need? Gray: Two things, first I learned that Arthur has transformed the Walgonian knights into Sect members. And that all the original knights got firedIm going to go off my path to Athens and meet up with Commander Jong, and Ill tell him the location of Greenvale and take the knights there. Ryo: AlrightThat will help in the coming battleand the knowledge of the Sect joining the knights is good information to have. And the second question? Gray: Dema and I got shot down shes alive but I got madlike furious. And I felt the same feeling I get when I use my spiritual sense..but times ten and uncontrollableand then I just lost consciousnessor I forgot what happened. Ryo: Reallyto think thatthat is whats known as your spiritual state. It can be controlled but as of now, it will activate if you feel overwhelmed. It is what happens when you coat yourself in spirits, your mind, body, and soul become connectedand will give you great power. Gray: So as of nowits like a defense mechanism? Ryo: Yesbut long uses of it will cause fatigue, enough to kill you. Gray: Ouchso a power and sensory buffis that it? Ryo: Any attack that uses spirits will leave its form and either empower you or dissipate entirely. And, depending on your mastery, you can disturb or disrupt elemental spells. Gray: So thats why that fireballjust vanishedthat really is a strong powerwell thats all. Ryo: Im glad you contacted me, and I hope you have a safe journey. Ryo''s spirit vanishes, leaving Gray alone once again. Gray slowly drifts off to sleep, and at the crack of dawn, Gray rolls around trying to wake himself up. He sits up, yawns, and starts to stretch before finally standing up. He turns to see Dema up, looking around. Gray: Hey youre up. We gotta get moving so I hope youre all rested up. She squeaks at him, rolling back over. Gray: Guess not. Gray walks outside to see Chris ready for him, sitting on the ground outside the barn with a Drake beside him. Chris: Youre up. Gray: I see you got up early. Chris: Wanted to see you off. Gray: I dont think Demas up for the tripI can still go but I dont think Ill be able to ride her. Chris: I figured as much, thats why I got our friend here. Gray: Oh, good call. So how far is it? Chris: About a day trip. All you have to do is stick to the straight path and then youll see a pretty well-off village. Then go to the biggest house and youll find Jong. Gray: Alright then, let me go get my stuff. Gray walks into the barn, taking a few pairs of clothes, his armor, and his weapons. He then walks back outside and gets on the Drake. He waves Chris and Dema goodbye before embracing on another journey. END OF : Chapter Twenty-six. Arc 4: Chapter 27. “Nice guys” Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 27. Nice guys Edward and Lincoln walk up the volcanic mountain, slowly feeling the air getting hotter and hotter. As theyre walking, Edward pulls a cart filled with heavy rocks to make the journey more difficult. Edward: Its hot... is this volcano active? Lincoln: You tell me, you feel this heat? Hell yeah, its active. Edward: You need to tell the people! This could kill thousands! Lincoln: Yeah I know. Edward: Well have you? Lincoln: Nope. Edward: WHY NOT!? Lincoln: Because I figured it out like yesterday. Edward: Should we evacuate!? This is a serious issue! Lincoln: I say its a couple of months or so before it erupts. If you tell everyone, your pirate friends will leave, so do you want to lose your chance to take them out or not. Edward: Who told you about my issues with those pirates? Lincoln: I can tell. So which is it? Edward: Obviously I want to help the peoplebut I do think getting rid of those pirates will do a service for the world Lincoln: DO YOU OR DO YOU NOT!? Edward: Ineed to thinkbut morally I need to do it now. Lincoln: I think Ive shown you enough to stand a good chance against the pirates. But Moro will be an issue. Edward: I need to be able to beat himbefore I just rushed him with no planI need to be smart about it. I need to slowly break down the piratesand then take him down. Lincoln: And the civil war? This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Edward: The volcano will end thatBeauregard might be forced to work with Leo then. Lincoln: Well lets hope so. They make it to the top of the volcanic mountain, peering over to see the magma slowly gaining pressure, and the sure heat is overwhelming. Edward: I think I know what I have to do. Lincoln: Alright, spit it out. Edward: I want to wait till the end of the monthso just a week, and Ill tell Leo about the volcano. Well get the people out slowly through the tunnels and confront Beauregard and his group without them knowing about the whole thing. Lincoln: That is a good ideaor a good work in progress. NOW RUN DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND IF YOU FALL OR MESS UP AT ALL IM GONNA BEAT YA TILL YOU CRY! Edward: Yayyy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rosemary wrestles with Calgary in a training hall in the castle. Rosemary continues to try and boost her body into the fourth stage over and over, with all the effort going towards the hope of strengthening her body. Calgary easily dodges and blocks her attacks, though even with the strength difference any hit she can land causes noticeable damage. Calgary: Alright, alright. The suns starting to set. The stars look great this time of the month. Rosemary: Umsure I guess. Calgary leads Rosemary outside, the stars lighting up the night sky. The cold wind and the cloudless sky set the mood. Rosemary watches the sky with a smile on her face before she sees Calgary. He sits down beside her, making her feel as if she needs to sit as well. Calgary: Nice isnt it? Rosemary: Well, yeah it is. Calgary: You seem uncomfortable. Are you okay? Rosemary: Im fine, Its just that in a week Leo and Bearugard are going to be meetinghere in fact. Calgary: I know what can take the edgeoff. Calgary leans in quickly, kissing her. She pushes him back and then slaps him. Calgary: WHAT THE HELL! Rosemary: WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT THE HELL!? WHY THEWHY THE FUCK DID YOU KISS ME!? Calgary: Because I thought that you liked me! Rosemary: WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT! Calgary: Because Im a part of the Golden Knights! Your people! Rosemary: I LEFT THOSE PEOPLE FOR A REASON! ANDAND NOW THIS! Calgary: What Im the dick for you leading me on? Rosemary: WHAT DO YOU MEAN LEADING YOU ON!? I WAS BEING NICE, CAN YOU NOT TELL WHEN PEOPLE ARE UNCOMFORTABLE!? Calgary: What, you got a boyfriend or somethin? Rosemary: WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING!? ANDyes I do butBUT THATS NOT THE PROBLEM! Calgary: So youre away from your boyfriend and want something from another dude, and dont like it when somebody tells you youre easy. Rosemary tries to slap Calgary but he catches her hand and he pushes her back. Calgary: How long did it take for you to get with him? A month, a week? Rosemary: Alittle over a month Calgary: Damn so you are easy. Rosemary: NOshut upSHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! Rosemary, in a fit of rage, activates her stages. But instead of attacking him, she shrugs her arms, deactivating them. A tear starts to form on her face, so she wipes it away, looking at Calgary with anger, displeasure, and disappointment. She walks by him, intentionally bumping into his shoulder, and walks back into the castle. She starts to pick up speed, starting to sprint right for the exit. Right as she gets to the giant iron door which would lead to her freedom but shes halted by various guards. Then a rush of wind blows by her, caused by Calgary speeding in front of her. Calgary: You cant leave you to know. Rosemary: Okay, and? Calgary: Guards! Send her to the dungeon. Rosemary: WHAT!? Im not gonna just let that happen! Calgary: You dont want to end Leo and Beaurgards meeting do you? It will cause even more bad blood. Rosemary: ButIfine Rosemary slumps to the ground. Sitting on her knees and holding her arms forward to be cuffed. They bound her and placed a mana-dampening crystal on her. lead her to the dungeon where she is promptly put in and heads down until the crystal sets in. After ten minutes the crystal sets in, and the guards leave the cell. The dungeon is quiet and empty, wet and sad. And Rosemary all alone. She begins to cry, as all the things that had just accrued set in. END OF : Chapter Twenty-seven Arc 4: Chapter 28. Drinking buddy Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 28. Drinking buddy Gray travels for many hours, passing multiple villages and small cities and looking at all the farmland. He takes nap after nap trying to get to Jongs village as fast as possible which seems to have paid off since Grays coming up to Buggy Village. Gray: Finally. Gray removes his armor and puts casual clothes on. He leads the Drake throughout the village asking where Jong lives. Eventually, he gets his location and starts to walk toward his house. He finds a crummy brick building with sounds of talking and screaming inside. Gray: They said this was a bar, guess hes a regular patron. Gray walks in to be surprised by everyone holding a weapon in the bar. Gray: UMIS JONG HERE!? They all start to charge Gray, forcing him to protect himself. Gray jumps back outside, trying his best to dodge and only use palm strikes to stun them. Gray: IM APART OF THE LEVIATHAN ARMY! IVE COME HERE TO LOOK FOR JONG''S HELP! They all stop and move around Gray in a wide circle. He paces around in small circles to observe every possible opponent. At the side, with the bar, they all walk away to make a path for an old man with claw marks scaring his face to walk through. He walks up to Gray, dressed in rough attire, and scratching his gray scruffy beard. He spits on the ground, looking at Gray with a confused tone. Gray: My name is Gray Kyojin, I''ve been sent here by Chris of the Walgonian knights and I am A member of the Leviathan army. Are you Jong? The man gives Gray the stink eye, leaning right up to him. He looks hostile, but he surprises Gray by hugging him tightly. Jong: HELLO GRAY! YEP, IM JONG LONG! THE LAST COMMANDER AND CHIEF! So why aren''t you wearing any armor, you dont get any weapons on ya eitherand YOU STILL SURVIVED FIGHTING MY FRIENDS HERE! Jong gives Gray a noogie, then he leads him back to the inside of the bar, finding the inside pretty clean and well-kept. Jong: HERE! Have a drink with me. Gray: Umokay. The bartender gives Gray a glass of bourbon, then he walks away to tend to the other patrons who are walking back into the bar. Jong: So why did Chris send you here? Gray: He said that youre planning on infiltrating the Walgonian capital and gonna take back Walgonia. And were already planning the same thing. Jong: REALLY! Ive spent the last two months getting my men back together after we all got fired. We got replaced by those freaks. Gray: They are a part of the Sect of Anarchy, as well as Arthur. Jong: No way actually that makes more sensekinda. So whats your plan? Gray: A group of my friends are in Athens right now, trying to end the civil war and get their help with taking back Walgonia. Hopefully, when I get there theyll have progressedbut I think theyre in danger. Jong: Want me to help? Gray: I want you to keep doing what youre doing. But if you go to Greenvale mountain youll be able to meet up with the Leviathan army. I dont know how long itll takebut it''s only shot and we need as many fighters as we can get. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Jong: Got yah. Rest downstairs in the barracks and well head out tomorrow. Gray: You sure, we need to get as much time as possible. Jong: Itll be okay. You look tired and worn out so get as much rest as you can. Gray: Alrightthanks for the help. Jong: HELL I should be thanking you. Now drink your drink! Gray gulps down his drink, shaking his face in disgust. Jong: What too strong? Gray: NoIm good with bitternessbut Im not a fan. Jong: You lightweight? Gray: Nope, just not used to the taste. Jong: WELL LETS GET YOU USED TO IT! Gray spends the rest of the night drinking with Jong and the other knights. After a few hours of fun, everyone slowly leaves to go downstairs and Gray follows them, gets into one of the many sleeping mats, and falls into a deep sleep. Jong shakes Gray quickly trying to wake him up. Gray gets up to see Jong shushing him, and pointing upstairs. Gray: *Whispers* What is it? Jong: Guards are upstairs, Im waking the others up. Gray: Why, are we gonna fight? Jong: If we have to. Dont put your armor onjust grab a sword and walk upwe dont want them to know youre a part of the Leviathan army. Gray: Does this happen normally? Jong: Sometimesbut its only a free guybut one of them is stronger than the rest by far. Gray: You go up there solo, I can get a look of the area without even leaving. Jong: Nice, okay Im going up. Gray gets up, grabs his stuff, and slowly walks to the staircase which leads to the bar. Gray: How strong are you? Jong: A bit stronger than the average Leviathan warriorI have this sword which I can use pretty welland I can use medium-level water magic. Gray: Okay goodId say Im above average as well, but all I really have is super strength and speed. Jong: Got itwe go up together and leave meour men have done here just in case. Gray: Alright. Gray {DamnI got a headacheis this what a hangover is?...damn it''s not a good time to be aching} Jong, with only a sword, walks up the stairs right into a possible fight with no fear at all to help his men. A true leader. He walks up the stairs and opens the door to the bar to see two men dressed in cloaks, wearing white masks, and one dressed differently than the others is in the middle holding the dead body of the bartender. Jong: Sowhat are you doing with my friend there? Man: He is harboring terrorists. Weve been sent here to fix that. Jong: And may I ask who Im talking to? Charlie: You can call me Charlie, and you must be Jong. Jong: Yep Im Jong Long! Beneath the bar, Gray gets ready to fight. Gets his armor and weapons ready, and once he has finished preparing, he gets into a meditation position and begins to access his astral form. Deep breath after a deep breath, feeling all the spirits around him and once he''s ready he leaves his physical body, entering the astral plane. Gray {Before all I could see was bluebut now if I can focus I can see whats around mebut all the mumbling is still a bit overwhelming.} Gray''s astral form floats up through the floorboards and watches the men converse unnoticed. Gray {Two of the dudes are just dressed in normal Sect clothesBut that guy''s cloak is cut and tornand hes not wearing a mask. Its all kinda messed up, its buttoned at least but his belt is hardly hanging onhis hair looks okay I guessslick back black hair, similar to Edwards. Gray flies close to Charlie''s face, looking at his strange eyes. Gray {His eyes areSPLIT INTO FOUR!? He has normal-sized eyes but each of them is split into four squares on the insideno pupil or irisjust pure white divided by black lines.} Charlie: I see you have a sword there. Are you planning on attacking us? Because if you do Ill have to fight back. Jong: Well if you have tocan we take this outside? Charlie: Why? Got anything downstairs you dont want me to know about? Gray {This guy is a cheeky bastard.} Jong: Okay..but if you want me to show you whats down there without having to fight I can do that too. Charlie: Alright I can do that. Jong: Alright come on. Gray {WHATS HE DOING!} Gray loses focus and is forcefully pulled back into his body. He looks around panicking before realizing that all of the knights had left. Everything was gone, along with any more evidence that they were down there. Gray: Nice.. The door opens, and Charlie looks right at Gray. Charlie''s right eye squares begin to turn black one by one and very slowly. Gray puts his mask on and jumps at Charlie, trying to hit him with a palm strike. Charlie ducks, places his hand on Gray''s stomach, winks, and releases a powerful force out of his right arm, sending Gray into the air and causing him to slam into the ceiling. Jong quickly strikes down the Sect members, then immediately rushes to stab Charlie. Charlie charges up another attack, and blasts a great force out of his right leg, sending him flying past Jong and out the door of the bar. Gray falls to the ground, and along with Jong, they both rush out of the bar. Charlie turns around to face them, he swings his arms up, and various different members of the Sect drop from rooves. Charlie: DON! GET DOWN HERE! A man walks out of an alleyway, wearing a cloak similar to the Sects but smaller and easier to move in. He pulls out a spear and points it at Gray. Gray: So you must be Don, cool spear. Don: And you must be Gray Kyojin. We heard your message back at the castle, actually, everyone heard it. Jeremiah called you the reaper. Charlie: You killed are brothers and sisters. Anibis, Carla, Conroyand JeremiahTHEYRE DEAD NOW BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS! Gray: You shouldnt have messed with us, so its not my problem. Charlie: KILL THEM! Before anything drastic happens, all the fired knights appear from around the bar, dressed in shawty armor and holding rust or cracked swords. But in numbers, Gray''s team outnumbers the Sect and hopefully in power too. They all stand facing each other, ready for their possible ends. END OF : Chapter twenty eight Arc 4: Chapter 29. Mercy Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 29. Mercy Jong: EVERYONE FOCUS YOUR ENERGY ON THE GOONS! I AND MY FRIEND GRAY HERE WILL TAKE ON THE CLOWNS WITHOUT THE MASKS! Charlie: Youre gonna regret that Jong: Then make me. Charlie takes out a short sword, then runs straight at Jong and begins to attack him. This causes everyone to start fighting. Left and right people die, Anarchists and knights taking their last breath. Gray tries to use his spirit sense, but he can''t manage to do it due to all the noise and people around him. Don: I guess that leaves us then. Gray: I dont want to kill you. Don: You should have gotten your morals back before you killed my brothers and sisters. Don thrust his spear at Gray, which he blocked but the pure power of the strike pushed Gray back, sending him flying into the fighting behind him. Gray runs through the crowd, trying to get to safety using palm strikes on any Anarchists that try to hurt him. Once he gets out of the crowd, he jumps onto the bar''s roof to get a better look at the battle. Jong battles against Charlie, overpowering him in sword skill and physical strength but Charlie has his trump card. Jong: "HAHAHA! This is great! Even as an old man I can have some fun! And a sword isn''t even my favorite weapon! Who says retirement is boring!" Charlie: "You ain''t seen nothin yet old man!" Charlie backs off for a second, focusing on another charge, then blasting it at Jong. The force is light but its enough to push Jong back allowing Charlie an opening to thrust his sword at him. Jong blocks the thrust with his sword and pushes Charlie back. Gray watches Don jump onto the roof of the bar, he then puts his hands together and creates a sphere of mana.The sphere erupts and creates a dome around the bar''s roof. Don: Its better that you dont run away. Gray: Now we can have a better fight. Don: Exactly what I was thinking. Don charges at Gray trying to stab him with the spear. Gray dodges each strike, he then grabs the spear and pushes it down with his foot down while he attempts to punch him. Don dodges and kicks Gray, he then tries to strike again but Gray hits the spear with a powerful palm strike, sending the spear flying into the air, and stabbing into the dome''s roof. Gray delivers a flurry of quick strikes to Don. Don blocks a few of them but two get through, allowing Gray to kick him on the side of the face and send him tumbling back. Don: Youare goodI see why Jeremiah lost to you. But stop holding backand hit me normally dammit! Gray: LookI dont want to have to kill you. Just take your brother and your friends down there and leave. Don: I would rather die than give up my mission. Gray: You said my not ours. Does the rest of the Sect know about this? Don: Yes they do. Gray: Yknow for some reason, I just dont believe that. Arthur would be pissed if he figured out that you lead a mission behind his back. Don: You will tell him nothing! Gray: Then, LEAVE! Don: Like I saidI WOULD RATHER DIE! Don begins to charge at Gray, sweating and panting. Gray takes a deep breath, successfully activating his spiritual sense, and focuses his mana all around his body, to the max it can go. Don swings at Gray but Gray ducks the attack and delivers a devastating blow to Dons chest, sending him tumbling back once more. Gray: Stand down. Gray flows the cloak of darkness around Don''s body, pulling him towards himself. Don: Are yougoing to kill me now? Gray: No. The domain dissipates, allowing Gray to pull Don back off the bar''s roof. Once he gets down he sees that the fighting has stopped with the knights victorious. But Jong is still battling Charlie, and with no clear winner in sight, Gray runs to help. Gray: HEY CHARLIE I GOT YOUR BROTHER! Charlie: WHAT!? Charlie''s anger heightens his powers, one, two, then three squares turn black in his right eye. Jong: EVERYONE BACK UP! A great blast of power is sent from Charlie''s right hand, destroying the ground beneath it. Jong tries to block with his sword but its obvious that its just a desperate ploy. Gray releases Don and uses the cloak to pull Jong out of the way, successfully saving him. Charlie: YOU WILL RUE THE DAY YOU EMBARRASSED ME! Gray: Hahahayou said rue. Don: That maskmakes you look scarier thanyou really are. IT''S JUST A PLOY TO COVER UP THAT SCARED FACE OF YOURS. Gray: Yeah, yeah. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Jong: All your men are dead. And your brother here is in our grasp. You have nothing. Charlie: Dont I? How do you think I knew you were here Gray? Chris and his family would like to greet you. Gray: WHAT DID YOU DO!? Charlie: Nothing, we dont hurt civilians. BRING HER OUT! A few Anarchists walk out of an alley, holding a cage with Chris daughter inside crying. One of them is also holding a leash, pulling a chained Dema Charlie: Chris is a good liar but in the end, he will do anything for his family. We found your earth-bound dragon as well. He tried to hide it in a hidden space in his barnbut in time we found that too. Gray: Look, dont hurt themwhat do you want? Charlie: What I want is for you to suffer. And I could kill them but that would be boring. What I want to doIS KILL YOU MYSELF! Gray: Yeah, Don said the same thing, and look at where we''re standing now. Charlie charges another attack, his left eye slowly turning black. Gray readies himself, pulling out his broadsword and shielding himself with it. Charlie extends his left arm and releases the charged power but instead of pushing anything, it pulls Don towards Charlie, surprising Gray. The speed at which it pulls Don is too fast for Gray or Jong to grab onto, so it reunites the two brothers. Charlie: Get up Don, youre supposed to be stronger than me, according to Arthur. Don: Smarter, not stronger. Charlie: Same thing, doesnt matter. Don: I guess Im a better listener as well. Gray: Jong, you go help the girl and my dragon. I got these buffoons Jong: Look, Im no super soldier but Charlie''s is not one to underestimate. Gray: Got it. Jong runs towards the Anarchist holding Chris daughter. He should be able to kill the three men, but they understand this so they call another man. A bigger, stronger man who is a demi-human wielding a sledgehammer walks up. Jong: Youre a big guy, eight or nine feet tall, and yet they still got you wearing that goofy robe. The white mask does look kinda cool though. Demi-human: You will not speak ill of our culture. AND IF ANY OF YOU KNIGHTS INTERFERE, THE DRAGON AND LITTLE GIRL WILL BE SLAIN! Jong begins to fight the man, trying his best to dodge each swing because he will be finished if one lands. On the other hand, Grays match can go either way, Don stands back up and picks up one of the dead Anarchists'' swords. Gray: A two v one. Seems fair, you guys do seem underpowered for Sect dudes with superpowers. Don: We are higher-ups. We proved that the pillars mutated our devotion and mana, giving us these abilities. They''re our birth right afterall Gray: Well then, lets see why youre higher-ups! Gray activates his spiritual sense and stands his ground. Don creates another sphere of power more powerful than the last. Don: DOMAIN! The domain surrounds the fighters, stopping any possible assistants from the knights. Don rushes Gray, giving Charlie time to focus on another attack. Gray tosses throwing knives from within his belt, they stab into Don''s legs halting his movement. Gray charges at Don but is forced to move due to Charlie''s attack. Gray begins to run at Charlie, throwing more knives. Charlie blocks the knives with force created by his right hand. He then pulls Gray''s leg with force from his left, causing Gray to fall. Charlie charges up both of his eyes, creating a great force of power, which pulls and pushes against the air. Gray {His right eye shows the charge for the pushand his left shows the pull. But hes using both!? What the hells gonna happen?} Charlie blasts a ball of mana, which pulses in and out looking as if its about to explode from the force. At the speed it flies, Gray would be unable to dodge, so he swings his sword at it. The power within both attacks creates a deadlock, Gray loses focus causing his spiritual senses to turn off which makes him lose his balance. Still struggling, Gray emits as much mana as he can but gets pushed to the ground. He sits on one knee, pushing and pushing himself. His vision starts to go faint, his muscles aching but still, he keeps trying. Charlie: HowI put my all into that AND YOURE STILL GOING! Charlie runs up to Gray and tries to swing at him. Gray pulls his sword back, letting the orb of power explode and knocking everyone back. They all smack the dome so hard that it breaks. Gray passes out for a second, quickly getting up. Across the street, Jong struggles against the demi-human. In the heat of battle, the demi-human swings the sledgehammer down, almost killing Jong right there. Jong: EL-WIGAL! A big water shield forms right above Jong''s head, it turns to ice quickly enough to block the hammer. The demi-human breaks the ice shield but is surprised to see Jong aiming his hand right at him. Jong: El-WIGNUM. Jong smiles at the demi-human, then water from the atmosphere swirls around his hand, shooting straight at the man''s face and sending him flying. Jong quickly takes the opportunity to thrust his sword into the man''s chest, killing him. Charlie: NO, KILL THE GIRL! The Anarchist holding the cage drops it and then pulls out two short swords preparing to take the young girl''s life. She screams in fear and Gray freezes, his eyes blasting a bright white light, he then reaches for two throwing knives and throws them as hard as he can. Right before they stab their swords into her, the knives pierce through the air, right into their heads. Gray stands up, his black cloak wraps around him, and with his eyes glowing behind his mask, his presence strikes fear into Charlie. Charlie: GetGET AWAY! Charlie struggles to stand, spitting blood. He tries to charge up an attack as Gray watches. Gray {Cantmovecant think} Charlie: Whatare you fucking possessed!? Charlie aims his hand at Gray, but Gray grabs his arm and breaks it. Gray then slams Charlie''s head onto the ground, then picks him up by his hair and stares him in the eyes. Charlie: KILL ME! Gray balls his fist, straining himself trying not to kill him. He almost regains his composure, but Charlie spits on his mask making Gray get angry again and he punches Charlie in the head killing him. Don: BROTHER! Don gets up, running at Gray. Everything seems to be going Gray''s way until they hear a roar in the distance. Everyone stops, but Gray listens and turns his head trying to find the origin of the roar. Jong: GRAY I FREED THE GIRL AND YOUR DRAGON! I DONT KNOW WHATS GOING ON WITH YOU, BUT I THINK WE WON! Grays cloak stands on end as if it knows whats coming. He then quickly turns around, grabbing his sword and using it to block an incoming attack. Suddenly, from within an alleyway a squarish blade attached to a chain is flung at Gray at a high speed. Gray blocks it, but he gets sent flying. He gets up quickly awaiting the entrance of the attacker. The blade goes to pull itself in, but Gray throws knives into openings in the chain, stopping it from moving. Gray runs to the halted blade, swinging his sword on the chain, breaking it. But Gray is kicked back by something he could not perceive, landing on his back. He tries to stand but is stopped by a sickle on his neck. The Anarchist pulls the sickle causing the chain attached to it to pull in the rest of the broken chain. "You have a great attunement with the spiritsthat is a blessing at its finest. Gray stares longingly at the man, thoughtless. His body movement is based only on reflexes and impulses. The Anarchist continues to look Gray in the eye until an extreme blast of water is sent at him. He swings his sickle, slicing the stream of water in two causing it to flow back into the atmosphere. He removes his mask to revive an older man, in his fifties or forties with black and gray hair almost touching his shoulders, and a gray wispy beard. Like a dog''s or wolf''s, his eyes pierced into Gray''s soul. The man removes Gray''s mask to get a closer look and slices his lip with the sickle. Jong runs up to the Anarchist, but the man raises his hand and shakes his finger at him. Gray''s eyes flicker off and on before returning to their normal straight, no longer glowing. Gray catches his breath and begins to cough. Gray: Whothe hell are you? You don''t know me? That''s a first in a while. Names Zhao, and these people here have created a great sin on our people. Gray: Youre ademi-human? Zhao: Yes, I am. Gray: Dont see many demi-humans in the higher-ups. Zhao: Demi-humans like myself dont have the same flow of mana that humans do. Due to this our mana cannot mutate and create powers like our friends here. Gray: Ikilled himIm sorry. Zhao: But you showed Don mercy, so I will do the same. Jong: You said your name was Zhao, so you must be Crimson Zhao then. You''re a big name." Zhao: That I am. Jong: To think a bounty hunterthe big bad wolf yourself would be a part of the Sect. Zhao: People change. Jong: Not criminals like you. Gray: Dont anger the strong man JONG! Zhao: Its quite alright. I wont hurt you, not now, not today. This boy here made a plot to kill you. They know the Pillars would like for you to be alive, thats why your wanted poster only says alive. But it''s far too low for any body to care to come after it so I wouldn''t worry about it. All the people who are with the Sect that came here are dead, all but Don here. Gray: If he interrogated Christhen they would know of our plan. Zhao: And Ill make him forget it. Your friend Chris is safe and sound, I will return his daughter. Gray: Maybe Sect guys arent all bad. Zhao: We aren''t supposed to bewe are supposed to unite, to bring world peace. But all they have been doing is searching for power. Run along, go to Athens. Ive been with the Sect for a few years nowand Im thinking it might be time for a little change Gray, I heard you talking about being the reaper on the communication device they are right to call you a phantom. And with that Zhao picks Don up, and walks back into the alleyway, disappearing. Jong: I freed the girl by the way. Gray: Good, good They look to see the girl gone, and Dema asleep. Gray: SoI guess this is where we part. Jong: I guess it is. Gray and Jong walk over to Dema, and Gray grabs a map for Greenvale, handing it to Jong. Jong: Ill send my men there, and Ill go gather more of us. Gray: Alright then, Ill see you when our mission begins. Gray shakes Jong''s hand, gets his things, and wakes up Dema. He waves goodbye and Dema takes flight, heading straight forward to Athens. END OF Chapter twenty-nine Arc 4: Chapter 30. Reunion Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 30. Reunion After hours of flying Gray makes it close enough to see the bridge which leads to Athens. Gray rubs the newly formed scar on his lip, sighing. Gray: Amazingflying is terrifying. Ugh, Ryo was right, using that spirit state takes a lot out of you. I was barely in it, and I hardly fought but Im still aching. The night sky should make it so Im not seenthen Ill head towards that inn they told me about. Gray: {Thinking about itI think I should have checked on Chrisoh well too late now.} Gray flies high above the bridge, looking at the small island. Gray: I can see the whole island from up here. A bit of woods in the front, a small town, then big walls that protect the inner city. A big castle at the end of the island, that castle kinda looks like a big pillar... weird. And near the northwest sideIS THAT A VOLCANO!? IT IS, thats awesome. Now the Inn should be near the frontI think I see it. Gray flies towards the Inn, curving through the wind, and lands neatly in front of it. But he hears yelling from the inside and walks closer to hear. Just inside the Inn, unknown to Gray sits Erin at her desk talking to guards. Erin: I told you they arent here. You come here every week and I give you the same answer. Guard: We just need to make sure that Gray Kyojin hasnt shown up yet. Erin: Well he hasnt Guard: Alright then we believe you, lets leave. Erin: Good day. Gray watches from atop a tree as the guards leave her Inn. One of them knocks on a tree three times before leaving. Gray {The hell was that?} Gray goes to jump down, but he hears more people. He looks down to see what looks like five pirates walking toward the inn. Gray {Shaggy clothes...eye patchpeg leghookPIRATES!} They walk in to confront Erin, and this time Gray moves in closer to get a better look. Erin: Oh more guests, how may I help you today? Pirate one: Oh shes a looker. Pirate two: You can do that later, now missy wont you be a doll and tell us if youve seen Gray Kyojin around herecause he should be here today. Erin: No, Mr. Kyojin is not here today. One of the bigger pirates walks up and smashes Erin''s desk. The other pirates flinch, but Erin remains still and content. Erin: I would have to ask you to leave now. Erin stands up, but before she can do anything one of the smaller pirates gets grabbed by a black tendril and is pulled out of the Inn. Suddenly all the crystal-lit lamps in the room go out, setting the tone. All the pirates jump up, one of them grabbing Erin by the side and placing a knife to her neck. Pirate one: HEY! WHATWHO ARE YOU!? The room is flooded with a cloud of thick black smoke. Pirate four: I GOT THE GIRL BY THE NECK! They all see two faint white lights amidst the black smoke, like the eyes of a ghost. All the mist is pushed aside quickly when the unseen man enters the common room. One pirate, then another gets hit to the ground. The biggest man swings a club at the ghost, looking at his now visible face. One sees the white mask with the three lines carved into it, realizing that its Gray. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Gray moves back, dodging the club. He then stands on the club, so when the man picks it up hell be at face level. The pirate flinches once he sees Gray''s masked face, allowing Gray to punch him in the face, promptly knocking him out. The last pirate squirms in fear, shaking in his boots. Pirate four: ILL DO IT!... I PROMISE! Gray gives the man the side eye, his blade eyes striking even more fear into the dirty pirate. Before Gray can assist, Erin frees herself by flipping the man to his side and holding his knife to his face. Erin: Say good bye - Gray: Stop. let him talk. Pirate four: Iaintgot nothing to tell you! Erin stabs the knife into the pirate''s leg, turning it as he screams in pain. Pirate four: FINE! FINE! Wewere sent here to askthis nicescary lady where you wereand now I found ya Gray: Is that all? Pirate four: YES! Erin digs the knife into the man''s leg, making him cry and scream even more. Pirate four: I PROMISE, PLEASE NO MORE! Gray: Miss, would you stop. Erin backs off, letting the man wake his friends and run off. Before he leaves he stands at the door. Pirate four: Theyre right to call you The Phantom He then runs off, holding his leg tightly as he does it. Gray: Whats this about a Phantom? Erin: It''s what they''re calling you on your wanted poster. That thing''s everywhere, Wallonia''s traders. Gray: Oh, well that sucks. And I havent explained why Im heremy friend Rosemary told me to come here and ask you for directions a few weeks ago? Erin: OH! Yes, I know her, she and her friends stayed with her just a bit ago. I was to show you the location of the Red Arrows. Gray: Niceum could you show me? Sorry, Im kinda in a hurry Gray removes his mask, his eyes returning to their normal state. Gray takes a deep breath, and then he also removes his cloak to calm down. Erin: Are you okay? Gray: SorryIm finejust tired and a little worn outor a lot worn out. They walk outside, and Gray greets a hidden Dema with a hug. Erin: Wonderful an earth-bound dragonthe hideout is undergroundyou may have an issue getting her down there. Gray: Since those pirates gotta go, they might come back with more dudes. Erin: Ill have to gather my things Gray: I can go back and help you if you want. Erin: No thats quite alright Ill do it later. I dont have that much stuff that I care about. Gray: Ugokay then, lets get on Dema and get to the hideout or whatever faster. Erin: Good Idea, I can lead her there for us. They sit on Dema, and Erin picks up the reins to lead her there. Dema tucks her wings and takes off, dashing through the woods. Gray struggles to hold on but in only a minute or two Erin stops Dema right at the entrance of the tunnel. Gray: Nice! Is that a fake panel? Erin: Yep. Gray: What about Dema, I dont think she can fit down there. Erin: Miss Dema, may you hide until we call for you? Dema squawks spread her wings and took off into the trees. Gray: Neat trick. Erin: Alright, lets be on our way. Erin leads Gray through the dark tunnel, Gray groans, and moans until they finally get to the wooden door at the end. Gray: Here we goRosemary, Soku, Edward, and Juliusjust behind this door. Gray walks in front of Erin and quickly opens the door, the bright lights blinding him. Gray is amazed to see a few hundred people running back and forth through different tunnels, walking into the giant main room Gray finds himself in and walking out of the many doors. They all hold bits of armor, ore, and weapons as if theyre preparing for something big, and unbeknownst to Gray they are. But once they notice Gray they all stop in their tracks. Gray sees a man with light yellow hair and a styled mustache similar to a Chinese mustache. Leo walks up, spear in hand, and points it at Gray. Leo: And who might you be!? Gray: IM GRAY KYOJIN! AND IVE BEEN TOLD YOUVE BEEN LOOKING FOR ME!? Leo: OH! YOURE FINALLY HERE! AND YOUVE BROUGHT A FRIEND! Erin: HI, IM ERIN! Erin waves her hand excitedly, and Gray jumps to the bottom floor and approaches Leo. Gray: So, are my friends here? Leo About that Gray turns to see an elf girl with green hair touching her shoulders running at him at a high speed. He moves back but is surprised to be hugged by her, and very tightly at that. Gray: Soku? Soku: ...You made it Soku quickly backs off and brushes her clothes off. Soku: Youre filthy. Gray: And youre muscular, and your hairs growing pretty fast. Soku: You do look oddly a bit older, and you''re growing out pretty well at that. Gray: And wheres Rosemary? I was really looking forward to seeing her. Edward too I wouldnt mind looking at that hulking dude. Oh yeah, and Julius too I guess. Soku: About that Gray: Hey, calm down nowwhat happened? Are they asleep? Soku: Rosemary and Julius have been taken captiveby Bearugard Gray: WHAT!? Grays overcome with anger, his eyes flicker white but he composes himself taking a deep breath after breath. Soku: The hell was that? Gray: NothingIll explain later, so what about Edward. Soku: Hesgone. Gray''s eyes blast a pure white glow causing all the Red Arrows to think hostilely. Gray punches the ground, cracking the stone. Gray stands up and breathes out, once again regaining himself. Soku: That is creepy Gray: Whodidit? Leo grabs Gray''s shoulder, staring him in the eyes. Leo: Moro, one of the captains of the Gravestone pirates. And hes still here, hes working with my brother. Tomorrow morning the leader of the Spartans will bring his forces here. And we will meet my brother at his castleand try to talk it out. Gray: Got it, Im in. Leo: Good, Soku showed him where he can rest. We will get up early tomorrow. Erin: UMWE GOT A EARTH-BOUND DRAGON OUTSIDE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO GET SOMEWHERE SAFE! Leo: OH, HEY I KNOW YOU! UM, CAN SOMEBODY HELP HER!? Soku: OH HEY ERIN! Erin: HEY SOKU! END OF Chapter Thirty Arc 4: Chapter 31. The sole spartan warrior Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 31. The sole spartan warrior After a few hours of fun Gray and the rest of the Red Arrows fall asleep. Gray, sleeping in one of the many small rooms gets woken up by a loud knock. Gray stumbles out of bed, puts on his casual clothes, and answers the door. Gray: Hello, Im up. Leo: You got some bed head, oh well we leave in five hours so get ready. Gray: Couldnt I have slept anymore? Leo: You could but Ceasar will be here in a few minutes. Gray: Should have led with that. Leo: Noted, now come on. Gray walks into the common room, noticing only Peter and Soku are in the room both yawning and barely awake. Peter: Hey Gray. Soku: Sup. Gray: Very lively. Peter: its like like seven in the morningtoo tired. Gray: Should try going to school. Peter: You went to a school! Gray: Yeah where I come from its pretty common. its mandatory. Soku: Im waiting to see your face when you look at Ceasar, his teeth are all nasty and his hair is not well kept at all. Gray: What is he a druggie? Soku: Maybe probably. Gray: Oh, Peter did you look at that musket I showed you? Leo told me you were good with this kinda stuff. Peter: OhI did but I kinda fell asleep Gray: Whatever. They heard steps coming from a bottom corridor, quickly approaching steps at that. They see one man enter the room, Caesar still dressed in raggy attire. Gray {THIS IS THE GUY!? No shoes, ripped black pants, and an old light blue coat withno way he cut the sleeves offthis guys a joke. Are those scars on his eyes? And on his mouth. It looks like it might be there to make his face look like a skull or something, man thats edgy. Cool haircut though, almost elbow-length black hair with sharp bangs, it fits ''em.} Caesar: This place is nice, well hidden too. Oh new guy, nice armor whats your name? Gray: Gray, Gray Kyojin nice to meet you. Gray {Dont ask about his scars, dont you do itI HAVE TO DO IT, NO I DONT! SELF-CONTROL DAMMIT!) Peter: So whats with the scars? Gray {THANK GOD!} Caesar: Its a little hard to explain. Gray {DAMMIT!} Peter: Is it really though? Caesar: All Ill say is dont do drugs. Gray {Unsatisfying answer, explains the teeth though, as well as the meth head skin he''s got going on.} Leo: Enough about scars, wheres the rest of the Spartans? Caesar: Wellabout thatyeah theyre gone. Everyone: WHAT!? Leo: Nono,no,no,no,noNO! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME! SHIT, SHIT, DAMMIT, SHIT! Peter: That..was our only shot Soku: Were the hell did they go!? This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Caesar: WellIm not the LEADERper seIm or was more like a higher-up in the lower ranks so I had some men at my disposaland my higher-up took ''em from mehe told me he could do it better. Gray: Sowhat do we do? Caesar: I mean Im pretty strongso I can still be of some help. Leo: DAMMIT! FineI wanted a bigger force butI think Beauregard might need to just end this rebellionwell have to give in to him Gray: If we do thatcan we guarantee help taking back Walgonia? Leo: Possibly Caesar: Ill do whatever makes anybody happy at this point. Soku: Sowe just give up? Peter: NO! WE DONT JUST GIVE UP! SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE FOUGHT AN DIED FOR CHANGEANY DAMN FORM OF IT AND WE COME THIS FAR WITH SO LITTLE TO JUST GIVE UP!? FUCK THAT! I WOULD RATHER DIE AT THE HANDS OF A RANDOM GUARD THAN JUST GIVE UP! Leo: Peterjust think clearlyresonably, relisticaly Peter: Reasonably? REASONABLY!? WE SHOULD HAVE ALL DIEDBEEN FOUND OUT A LONG TIME AGO IF WE WERE WORKING OFF REASONABLY! Leo: I know thatbut. Peter: BUT NOTHING! EITHER DO OR DONT! Gray: LookI would like to win butIm in I say we do. Soku: WhateverIll join. Leo turns around to see all the Red Arrows watching, awaiting his answer, an answer to decide their futures. All that power is in his hand, so much that he can almost feel it. Leo: WE WILL GO OUT FIGHTING FOR OUR LAND, OUR BELIEF, OUR HOME! All the Red Arrows cheer and shout, and the sound echoes throughout the halls, shaking the ground. Leo: NOW! ALL OF YOU NEED TO AWAIT COMMAND! YOU WILL HIDE OUTSIDE THE CASTLEAND DO NOT BE SEEN NO MATTER WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND! IF FIGHTING BREAKS OUT AND I DAMN WELL KNOW IT WILLWE WILL HAVE TO BE READY! Gray: Alright then, five hours and we talk to some royalty. Soku: Oh yeahall this hype I forgot we gotta wait a bit. Peter: Kinda sours the mood dosnt it. Leo: EVERYONE REST! All the Red Arrows shout in excitement, they then quiet down and walk back to their quarters Gray included. Caesar: Yo wait, Gray, I wanna talk to you about something. Gray: Umokay follow me I guess. So Gray leads Caesar to his quarters and shuts the door behind them. Gray: You needed something? Caesar: Yeah, the M on the jacketis that the Mason Works brand? Gray: Theyeah it isI KNEW IT YOURE FROM EARTH! Caesar: Caught me. Gray: Hey did you know that Arthur Willams, the new king of Walgonia is from Earth too? Caesar: WAIT REALLY! NAH I DIDNT KNOW THAT! Howd he get here? Gray: His story is pretty dark, his parents died, his girlfriend left him, he went brokeso he just killed himself and he appeared here. Caesar: Damn that is darkwhat about you? Gray: I was being a bitchI was whining so much that I convinced myself that my life suckedand I got hella depressedso I walked in front of a truck. Caesar: Ouchthats dark too. Gray: What about you? Caesar: I think mines the worst, I got bullied really hard in school and I kinda, sorta became a drug addict. Gray: Damn that is rough. Caesar: Then I think I had an overdose, but then I just appeared herethe rough part is that I kept dying. Gray: What? How are you alive right now then? Caesar: I gotta healing factor! It took a bit, but finally, my body worked it off and I was able to stand. At first, I thought it was hellbut then I figured out about itand I knew it was some fantasy-type bullshit. So I spent these last four years chilling and figuring out what I needed to do. Gray: Coolthat is rough. Ive only been here forthree months now. Caesar: Youve been here three months and youre invalid with this shit? Gray: YeahIve been tumbling through it with this infinite luck that I didnt even know I had, some luck that I wished I had back home. Caesar: WellIm gonna let you restand I need some too. Ill see you later! Gray: Yeah Ill see ya later bro! Caesar walks out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Gray lays down in his bed, focusing on the spirits around him making him fall asleep instantly. Gray {Best partofthespiritstuff..} Gray wakes up to another knock at the door. He gets up and opens the door to find Soku blowing wind in his face. Unlike the time in the mansion where he was flung across the room, this time he unconsciously activates a small mana burst around his body to block the weak blast of wind. Soku: Good block, you slept in you gotta get ready quick. Gray: Gotcha, waking up early isnt really my thing Im more of a wake up five minutes before I gotta leave guy. Soku: Well then be the ready-at-the-door guy when we need youin five minutes. Gray: Hey you continued my bit, I never thought this beautiful day would come. Soku: Shut up, just get ready. Soku leaves Gray to put on his armor. Unlike the rest of the armor of the countries, Walgonias is the most flexible. Ravorias is intricate and more style than useful, Valatrositces is heavy and dark, and Athens is light and reveling similar to actual armor worn in the Earth version of Athens. But Walgonias is almost perfect, A light chest piece, well-fitting shoulder guards, arm guards that go on like gloves, leg guards that go on like shoes, and lastly the flexible black material you put on before you even wear the armor which is burned resistant, sweat resistant and comfortable. The only thing on this or that isnt really useful is the pure white color since it stands out and a mouth guard that is designed for the wearer. But Gray does not wear this, he wears a less protective face mask, setting him apart from the rest of the warriors. Gray walks into the hallway ready to walk into the filled common room, but he is pulled by Peter to a different hallway. Gray: Its like a maze down here. Peter: Yeah, lucky me I got a photographic memory. I got this place mapped in my head. Gray: Useful. Peter leads Gray to a room with a grassy floor. He feels cold air and looks up to find a big hole in the ceiling. He looks in front of him to find Dema with a new saddle, and a face covering similar to Gray''s mask. Erin waves at him, calling him over. Gray: Hey Erin, whats with Demas new look? Erin: Well the black saddle and the face cover match you. And she seems to like it. Gray: Well if shes cool with it Im cool with it. Peter: AN EARTH-BOUND DRAGON! HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES SHE HOLD? HOW FAST DOES SHE DO? IS SHE NICE!? Gray: Two people comfortably, five people uncomfortably, pretty fast, yes. Peter: COOL! Gray: Weird its called an Eath-bound dragon and that it can flyit should have been named Midgard-bound dragon, or a demi-dragon. Soku: Well you should have been there when they named it. Gray: Oh, youre here. I guess Leos going with Ceasar, and the Red Arrows are going to hide? Peter: Yep, But Leo didnt want me to goso Im going with you. Gray: Thats way too dangerous. Peter: What? I thought you of all people would understandat least thats how you come off Soku: I think he should go, I trust him. Erin: Im staying here, no way am I going there. Gray: Can you fight? Peter: Leo trained me in a few weaponsand I got this short sword and this pouch full of goodies! Gray looks at Peter, his short red cape, his many pouches, his arm brace, and a glove that looks as if it has a piece of metal on the inside. Gray: Whats with the glove? Peter: I made it with junk, I focus some mana into a certain part of itand BOOM! A sharp blade stabs out of the top of the glove. He swings his arm around, the blade not heavy enough nor long enough to halter movement. Gray: Niceyou got one for me? Peter: You sure? Nobody trusts my weaponswhat about you Soku you want one? Soku: Na Im good. Peter rummages through a bag on the floor, throwing Gray another hidden blade glove. Gray: So what do you call this thing, a hidden blade? Peter: I call itA Wrist Talon. Gray: Nice, good name. Soku: Alright, we gotta GO! Erin helps them all on Dema, and just like that they take off, flying out of the tunnel and heading straight toward the castle. END OF Chapter thirty-one. Arc 4: Chapter 32. A Civil war’s attempt at peace. Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 32. A Civil Wars attempt at peace. The sky fills with storm clouds, blocking the sunlight and making everything a somber gray. Leo travels in an old carriage, barely holding itself together. Once they get to the Castle, Leo looks up to see a figure in the top window of the castle. Leo walks with a few Red Arrows to the main castle door. He knocks and is greeted by Calgary, who bows to him. Leo: Show me to my brother please. Calgary: Will do sirwhere are your other friends? Leo: Didnt need them. I can solve this issue myself...and these fellows here. Calgary: Well let''s hope we can solve this difference in ideals and end this war. Leo: Don''t we all. They walk up to the top floor. The big iron door opens, and for the first time since before the war, Leo and Bearugard look at each other with peace in mind. Beauregard sits on one of the four couches laid out in the room. He points to a couch right across from him, so Leo obliges and sits down. Beauregard: Brother, did you have a nice ride here? Leo: Yeah, it was fine. Caesar tumbles into the room and sits down on one of the other couches. He looks around the room attentively, then he drops the act and starts laughing. Beauregard: Whats so funny might I ask? Caesar: Nothing, just thought of something funny. Julius walks out of a side room and stands beside a seated Beauregard. Leo: JULIUS!? Are you okay? Julius: I am quite alright, now we only have to wait for one more guest. Leo {I assume its Moro right?} Deep in the sky, Dema sours through the air and flies down near the top of the castle. Peter: AHHHH! Gray: I know its freaky, but you gotta be quiet! Soku: What are we gonna do? Gray: Ill seep through the ceiling and peer in. Dema lands softly on the roof, letting Gray, Peter, and Soku get off. Gray: Soku, I see you haven''t changed your coat or your sword, but whats with the staff? Soku: Its a glider, I can use itkinda. Gray: A glider? That shouldnt work at allmagic physics I guess. Peter: SHHHH If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Gray: Sorry, sorry. Gray puts on his cloak as well as his mask. He then gets into a meditation position and takes a deep breath after a breath. And his astral body falls out of his physical body. He seeps into Beauregard''s room, and he floats in the air watching the conversation play out. Leo: Wheres Rosemary? Beauregard: She attacked Calgaryand we put her here in a cell down in the dungeon. We were gonna wait till you got here and give her to you, to celebrate the ending of the war. Leo: Okay Gray {WHAT! ROSEMARY''S IN A DAMN CELL!} Gray focuses and speaks out on his physical body. Gray: SokuRosemaryin a cellin a dungeon They all sip tea in silence, except for Leo, weary of anything given to him. Then more steps are heard and in walks the last guest. Leo: Who is In walks a familiar man, a man with messy hot red hair, a scruffy red beard, and a newly made burn scar around his eye. Gray {ARTHUR!?} The sudden sight shocks Gray back to his physical form, which Arthur seems to notice, or at least he feels something off in the room. Gray tumbles back into his body, shocking Peter and Soku. Peter: What happened? Gray: Soku Soku: What? What happened? Gray: Arthur is down there Soku: WHAT! Gray: Calm downIm going back injust dont alert him. So Gray once again seeps his mind back into the astral plane and floats into the room. Beauregard: Oh good you made it. Arthur: Yeah sorry I was running a bit late. Leo: Wait, I thought Moro was coming? Beauregard: Oh no, he works for me. He is not in a position to attend these meetings. Leo: Im surprised you hired a demi-human with the fact you hate them and all. Beauregard: My hate for them will not falter my work. Julius: It seems were off track. Arthur: Oh Julius, strange to see you herethe last time I saw you it was when we were attacked by the Sect of AnarchyI thought you had perishedIm glad to see youre still alive! Julius: Yes I did make it out alive, I went back to my father to tell him everything and he told me to come here and try to mend things in Athens. Arthur: Yknow I never got why you wear what you wear. Julius: What do you mean? Arthur: All of the countries have their color schemes, Walgonia is white, black, and light blue. Ravoria is a strong purple, Athens with brown, and funny enough Beauregard is wearing a nice brown suit. And Valatrositce has red, black, and gold. The robes Im wearing are all the Valatrositce colors, see. Black robes, red roses, gold cuffs on the pant legs, and armholes. Julius: So whats the issue? Arthur: No issueyour black pants and shoes, your white coat with the light purple fluff on the cuffs, and color. It just doesn''t fit. Julius: I''m surprised you do not know, white and purple represent coming together." Beauregard: Now then, that thats all settled we need to move on to the reason we are all here. Leo wants to end this war and give up. Leo: I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP! Julius: Settle down. Beauregard: Well what do you want then? Leo: What does Arthur want? Arthur: I just want to make good with the ruler, thats all. I mean, shouldnt I? I mean Im the new king of Walgonia. What about thishow do I say itbum here. Caesar: I am no bumIm here for the same thing you are, Im just on Leo''s side more than Beauregard here. Arthur: Alright then Beauregard: What are your terms brother? Leo: You have no right to call me thatnot after what youve done to this once great countryno wonder our father left. Beauregard: Leoplease stick to the point. Leo: THAT IS THE GOD DAMN POINT! YOUyou did all this fucked up shit and you just wanna brush it under the rug? I wont let that happen NO GODDAMN WAY! Beauregard: Well Im sorry for trying to mend thingswhat are your terms? Leo: MY TERMS!... My terms are ours, one I want you to change the rules back to what they were before you became king. Second, I want you to publicly apologize and mourn every fallen soldier, no matter what side. And last I want you to give up the place as king. Beauregard: IIm sorry I can not meet your terms, brother. Would you like to change your terms? Leo: Nothey are what they are and wont change. Arthur: Alright thenthis wasnt a waste of time was it? Beauregard: NOno it was notthis war will end. Leo: And why do you say that? Beauregard stares at Leo with his sharp, scary eyes digging into his spirit. Gray watches as tension builds in the room, Leo slowly moves his hand toward his spear, Beauregard stands up, Arthur starts to heat up his hand, and Calgary slowly pours mana throughout his body all while Caesar picks his nose thoughtlessly. Gray {SHIT!} Gray rushes back to his body which is being pulled onto Dema. Before any words could be spoken loud quakes erupt from the room below. Gray: DAMMIT! Soku: WHAT DO WE DO? Peter: WE HAVE TO SAVE HIM! Gray: NO! We cantSoku and I cant show our faces to Arthurand Leo can hold his own. Peter: And Julius!? Or Caesar? Gray: I trust them, they can handle themselves for a bithow strong is Beauregard? Peter: Strong enough, but even you could beat himand he''s nowhere near as strong as Leo. Gray: Good, now I have something better to do, wouldn''t you say Soku? Soku: You got it. Peter: What are you talking about!? Gray: Were going to rescue Rosemary. Peter: "Ohhhh, alright." END OF Chapter Thirty-two. Arc 4: Chapter 33. Don’t you love Iron doors? Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 33. Dont you love Iron doors? Inside the meeting room, Leo stands his ground. Arthur stands still waiting, and Julius stands with Calgary doing the same thing. Beauregard on the other hand stands ready for battle, taking off his jacket and smirks at Leo. Even with all this commotion, Caesar sits still on the floor watching it like a movie. Beauregard: Leo, as your older brother I must say that you are stronger than me. I have enough pride to say that. But as a leader, politics and being able to keep calm is where I strive. I must be the king, I am the rightful air and I am good at it. Leo: If you know I''m stronger, then I greatly advise you to give up right here and don''t start a fight with me. Calgary: Sir, do you want me to step in? Beauregard: No, If Leo is ready to fight I want you to go check on our prisoner. You may have some company. Arthur: I don''t wanna intrude but it would be disrespectful for me to just let you two fight like this. I''ll just have to help my fellow king. Beauregard: If you have to, sorry Leo that''s just how it is. Now for the first time in over twenty years, two kings will fight together. The Red Dragon and the son of Lincoln the unstoppable, against Leo the lighting caller. Julius looks around to see Casual walking out of the room, obviously following Calgary. So Julius does the same, leaving Leo on his own. Leo {I don''t know if I can win thisbut I know I can''t die here eitherall I have to do is hold them off to make a point.} Leo surges lighting around his body, and joints toward Beauregard. Beauregard braces knowing he can''t dodge it, but Arthur moves in the way, extends both his arms, makes two fists, and blasts a vortex of black flames. Leo uses the lighting as a shield, but he''s pushed back into the doorway. Beauregard picks up a vase and throws it at the iron door''s lever. It hits and the door comes flying down about to crush Leo. Leo jumps back, but Arthur forces himself forward with flames, flying straight into Leo. Right before the door closes Leo snaps his fingers calling back his spear. Arthur laughs at Leo, but Leo catches his spear and delivers a rapid barrage of thrusts, all of which Arthur struggles to dodge. Once Leo powers himself up with his lightning he pulls back his spear and thrusts with full power. Arthur pushes fire out the side of his body, dodging the thrust last second, being cut on the check. Leo: You have great control over your abilities, I see why the mad king respects you. Arthur: More like respected, this burn mark on my eye is from him. I tried to join forces and untie the countriesbut he called me a fool who only wanted warand burned me. Leo: So he gave you a similar scar to his own, but he has one on both his eyes so I''d count you lucky. Arthur: Whatever. Leo {I can''t talk about the Secthe?l know I''m in contact with Gray and the othersI have to play dumb for now} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Outside the castle, Dema flies down to the bottom floor. Once they''re there they get off and quickly run up to a window, Once they get to a window Soku blows it open with a blast of wind. Gray: You''re a lot faster with that now. Soku: Thanks, it took a bit of practice. Peter: JUST GET INSIDE! They sneak inside to find a few guards walking around. Gray coats the cloak of darkness around him, making his whole body a dark black. He crawls on the wall, gets above the guards, and drops down like a predator capturing its prey. Gray: You mind telling me where the dungeon is? Guard: Go to hell! Gray knocks the men out and they all start to sneak through the castle, trying to find any leads. Gray: Glad there arent many guards walking aroundweird though. Soku: Yeah, there should be a lot more people Peter: BEHIND US! Gray: SHHHuh oh. A small group of guards spots them. But before any more guards can be called Peter reaches into his pockets and throws small balls right in their faces. It explodes, knocking them back, and giving Gray and Soku enough time to take them out. Guard one: WAIT! Gray: Look we won''t kill you guys, but you gotta promise me something. Guard two: Look, all of us here don''t even like Beauregard we do what you want alright? Guard three: Just don''t tell Beauregard please. Gray: Oh really? Nice that actually works out great! Can you show us to the dungeon please? Guard one: Yeah, sure. Follow us. Soku: If youre lying youll regret it, I guarantee it. Soku puts her sword to the leader''s throat and they walk like that until they get to the dungeon. Gray {So closeI let it get this badI have to fix itI wont falter and I will make sure everyone gets out of this castle alive. I swear it.} After a few minutes, they finally make it to the staircase that leads to the dungeon. Gray: Where are the rest of the guards? Guard three: Bearugard sent them out, he said he wanted his guest to feel safe. Gray: How many soldiers are there? Guard two: A few thousand. Gray: Small army. Guard one: Well Athens is more of a city-state for Walgonia than anything else, we are just seen as our own place. Gray: Also Peter, what were those things you threw at them? Peter: Oh my poppers? Its gunpowder and bashed up with flame crystals. Focus a little mana on them and once they hit something they blow up. Soku: If you threw one of those Gray they might hit like a cannon, due to your spiritual connection. Gray: Probably, but if I focus mana throughout my body it would activate on me. Soku: Good point. Gray: Is this it? They walk down the staircase, which leads to a closed metal door. Guard two: We dont have a key that opens it. Soku: Its all good, Im good with locks. Soku rummages through her coat pockets, pulling out a hairpin which she uses to attempt at picking the lock. Gray: You being a thief has never paid off as well as it has until we needed to save Athens. We got lucky there. Soku: Stillhaven''t decided if it was lucky meeting you though, I could have just given you the sword I stole and been done with it. Gray: Well that wouldnt have been very fun now would it. Soku: Be a lot safer..got it! Soku opens the door, and inside are three square floors of prisoners. Peter: Woohare all these criminals? Guard three: No, only a few of them are criminalsmost of them are Red Arrows. Soku: It would take forever to free all of them Peter: Yeahwe gotta find Rosemary. Gray: Already on it. Gray reaches in behind him and pulls an orange scarf out of the cloak. He then gets into position and starts to focus on Rosemary''s energy. Soku: Where did you have that? And is that the scarf Rosemary made for you? Gray: I stuck it to the cloak, and yes its the one Rosemary made for me. Gray''s eyes start to focus, he sees the blue energy of the astral plain but it fades out and he sees a blurry figure with golden hair in a cramped cell with an iron door blocking the entrance to the room. He tries to fly out but its slow. After a while, he sticks his head through the door, seeing his own body. Gray: Third...floordoorin themiddleright in front of us Soku pushes herself up with the wind, landing right in front of the door, and begins to try and pick the lock. Before they can finally be reunited with Rosemary, Gray looks behind him to see Calgary standing in the doorway. Calgary: The Phantom Knighthere for the taking. Gray: Who are you? And whats with the goofy knight helmet? Are you ugly or something? END OF Chapter Thirty-three Arc 4: Chapter 34. Dragons spirit Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 34. Dragons spirit Miles away from the castle, on an active volcanic mountain, a dirty withered man trains a dirty sore boy. Edward''s greasy black hair waves back and forth in front of his face while he swings a newly made black sword. Lincoln throws rock after rock at Edward while he smashes every one of them into a cloud of faint dust. Once Lincoln runs out of rocks Edward drops his sword on the wet dirty grass and brushes his hair back with his hand. He then walks over to Lincoln while wiping the sweat off his face and bare muscly chest. Lincoln: Your hair is getting long. Edward: Yeah it is, and its getting kinda spiky. I used to just keep my hair short and it spiked a little in the backbut since I left the capital of Walgonia Ive just been letting it grow. Lincoln: Well keep letting it grow, dont keep conforming to your damn knightly duties or whatever. Edward: Is the armor cooling down? Lincoln: Well let''s go check why dont we. Edward: I havent been here very longthree weeks or so, yet I feel a lot stronger. Lincoln: Good, it means its working. Your body was well done, but your mind and skills needed to be sharpened. And unlocking your internal mana will be your biggest step in becoming a man. Edward: Im twenty I think I''m man enough. Lincoln: Whatever you say, you can barely grow a beard. Edward: Its coming in. They walk past Lincoln''s cabin and start to go towards a hole in the mountainside. Once inside the area, Lincoln moves past smithing equipment and picks up dark black armor. Lincoln: Put it on, it better fit. Edward puts the armor on, and it fits perfectly. It is almost like a shell, built with individual plates that connect. Due to this, its very flexible but its also heavy. First the chest plate, the arm guards, the leg pieces, and the boots. All very angled, the handpieces and boots fitting over the arm and leg pieces with a sharp point. Then the last piece, a part of the armor shocks Edward. Edward: Whats with the skull helmet? Lincoln: You said your friend wears one. So I made you one instead of a lazy-looking helmet. Edward: Yeah but he was made by accidentand he doesn''t look like a skull, its just white and has three black lines on it. The one you made is accurate, the cheekbones, each tooth made out of ironeven a nose holeHEY! Lincoln: What? I made it accurate, you never said your friend was some goofy mask! Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Edward: God dammit, the right eye holethats not funny. The three small slashesjust like the brand on my eyethe gravestone pirates flag. Lincoln: Well put it on already. Edward places the helmet on his head, causing his whole body to look black, sharp, and angry, like a monster. The way the outline of the left eye looks, it makes Edward seem always angry and the right eye looks like the carvings of a beast. Lincoln: Alright, you actually look like your name on the wanted poster now. Edward: What wanted poster? Lincoln: The one Walgonia has out for you and your friends. Soku the wind elf, Rosemary the golden knight, Gray Kyojin the Phantom knight, and Edward Van Helsing, the End Bringer. Edward: The End BringerI finally got my title Lincoln: I want to teach you one more thing before you go. Edward: Im going? Lincoln: A storm is comingnow follow meIm going to give you a trump card. Edward: Alright then. Lincoln leads Edward to a patch in the grass. Lincoln: I taught you the dragon''s fistbut do you know the origin of the attack? How it got its name. Edward: I thinkthey tell it like a fantasy story. For some reasonnear the end of the Demi-human war, a dragon had come from Alfheim and showed up right near one of your camps. The noble, intelligent, god-like beast approached your camp wanting to kill everyone there. But you stood up to it, it started you in the eyes and you didnt falteryou stood your ground, found your inner strength, and hit the beast. You cracked its scales, pushed the beast back, and made it grunt. It bowed its head and evaporated into a cloud of mana and traveled back to Alfheim. Lincoln: Good, but in reality, the story is much different. I was told a group of my men had abandoned our cause and fled to a lesser-known group of people at the timethe Sect of Anarchy. They burned down one of my campsand I went to find themand I did. They had strange abilitiesbut I killed them anyway. But for some reason when I tried to leavean injured, mutated, and angry dragon landed in front of me. To this day I dont know why it was there or how it got like thatbut when it tried to strike me I freaked outI had never been so scaredbut in my time of need, I found inner strengththe Dragon tried to burn me but I punched it right in its aching wound. But when it fell back it burned its woundburned it right off like a tick. and the dragon healed right in front of me. Then it told me something Ill never forgetit told me I was worthyand vanished. Edward: I didnt know thatbut what was the point of this story? Lincoln: The point is that I didnt only learn the dragon''s fist. I learned about the dragon''s spirit as well. Edward: Whats the dragons spirit? Lincoln: It was me pulling everything out. If internal mana was a web of everything you''ve fought and trained for, then I connected it all. It hurt like hell but it boosted me further than I''d ever been. It empowered me awakened memade me a new man. Edward: So why did you wait so long to teach me? Lincoln: Because right after the dragon left I fell to the ground broken. My bones, my muscles, were destroyed. I would have died if the dragon didn''t fly off." Edward: So you wanted me to strengthen my body, then teach me a trump card. Lincoln: Exactly, but Im going to tell you how to use it. I don''t want you to use it, at least not for now. You don''t wanna break yourself training, and I don''t want you killing yourself trying to use it in a fight. But like you said, trump card. Edward: Makes sensenow tell me. Lincoln: You need to find all your internal mana, and push it out. It''s just like the Dragons fist, but instead of just that one spot, you do it everywhere all at once." Edward: "So how come everyone can''t do this? And is this what makes you and Musashi so strong?" Lincoln: "We''ve awakened it permanently. This technique pushes it further than that at the cost of your body, but you have to achieve the perfect state yourself. You just have to find your dragon." Edward: I understand. Edward gets up and begins to walk towards a cliffside that looks right at the castle. Lincoln: Where you goin''? Edward: Somethings offsomething bad is happening. Lincoln: Something bad is always happening there. Edward: NoI feel it in my bones. Edward focuses on the top room, seeing bright yellow lights flickering in the window. And then a rush of black flames burst out of the window. Edward: Arthur Lincoln: My sonsthis isnt good. Edward: We need to go down there! Lincoln: You need tothis is your mission now mine. Edward: WHAT!? Lincoln: LISTEN TO ME! This is for you, meant for you. I will help you after you end this war,but you have to figure out what you really want to do, do you understand me? Edward: YesI do. Edward goes to grab his sword, and Lincoln runs up holding a shoulder-back sheath, a supply belt with a small knife on it, a black curtain made into a hooded cloak, and a bottle of sake. Edward: Alright thenIll be back eventually. Lincoln: Ill see you then. Edward equips all of the things that Lincoln gave him, takes a swig of sake, and begins to jog to the castle. END OF Chapter thirty-four Arc 4: Chapter 35 Golden Spirit Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Vol 2: Chapter 35. A Golden Sight Calgary: MY NAME IS CALGARY, AND MY MASK IS NOT GOOFY!...whatever why am I feeding into thisyoure not getting her out of that cell. Gray: I dunnooooo, I feel like I am. Calgary: You there boy, wearing a bandana with the Red Arrows symbolI guess I know why youre here. Calgary flows his golden mana around his body, clicking three times. Calgary: Im gonna make this hurt. Gray: Shit. Gray: {Calm down Gray, that looks like Rosemary''s powerthree clicks, so third stageand he can go higher.} Gray activates his spiritual sense and flows mana throughout his body. Calgary runs towards Gray while Gray grabs his short sword and stands his ground. Gray {Cant use a broadsword, it would be too slowneed to be fast and accurate.} Calgary tries to hit Gray, but Gray dodges with a unique flow of ducks and turns. Gray attempts to swing his blade at Calgary but Calgary catches it. Gray: Doesn''t this hurt? Calgary: The bigger the stage, the stronger the defense. Gray: WellI think you greatly underestimate me. Gray surges mana throughout his body, breaking Calgary''s defense and forcing him back. Gray dives with a forward thrust but Calgary jumps over him, but Calgary feels something wrong, and he looks down to see his foot wrapped in the cloak of darkness. Gray flips his body, flinging Calgary onto the stone floor. Calgary: Youre right, I did underestimate you let''s see how far you can go. With all the fighting going on, Soku is trying to pick the difficult lock as best she can. Gray gets ready for another attack, knowing he might not be able to keep up. Right as Calgary is about to strike, the three Athens guards run at him. Calgary: You traders. Gray {THEYRE GONNA DIE! Cenicno it''ll blind the guardsSatic?I promised not to use thatanything!?} Calgary flashes between the guards, striking them down before they can hit him. But he turns to Gray to see a few knives heading right for his head. He ducks only to be met with a volley of explosions. Calgary gets knocked back, struggling to understand what happened. Gray: NICE PETER! Calgary bolts out of the smoke and tries to kill Peter. Gray grabs Peter with the cloak and throws him to a higher floor. Soku hears a crack and looks at her hairpin. Soku: It brokeI dont have another one She feels a hand on her shoulder and turns to see Peter. Peter: I got one. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Soku looks at Peter with great joy, she grabs the pin and punches Peter''s arm before getting back to the lock. Calgary: Fine, Ill just kill you first. Calgary clicks into the fourth stage, blowing wind around him as he does so. Gray {Rosemary''s fourth stage can bend the airthis is gonna hurt like hell.} Calgary moves so fast that Gray can barely register, but he can perceive it just well enough to try and block. Calgary hits Gray right in his arms, the pure force cracks his arm guards and forces him back right into a wall. Gray gets back up only to be met with a flurry of strikes in the legs, arms, and chest. Calgary throws his arm up, causing the pack of explosives that Peter had just dropped to detonate. Calgary is unaffected but Gray uses the opportunity to force his mana into overdrive and strikes Calgary. Calgary gets pushed back, and Gray continues to fight him. Calgary: YOU CANT HANDLE THAT CAN YOU!? YOULL BREAK EVENTUALLY! Gray tries to use the wrist blade that Peter gave him, but due to Calgary''s first punch, the mechanism gets stuck. Gray strikes the tool and forces the blade to stick out. Calgary and Gray trade blows, but Gray causes Calgary to step back because of the blade. Gray thrusts his arm into the air and swings it down, putting all his mana into it. Gray: BREAKER! A mana blade forms from the attack and slices through Calgary''s golden cloak of mana, cutting his arms. Calgary: SHIT! Gray takes a step back, falling to his knees. He takes his mask off to spit blood out of his mouth and drops the mask on the floor. Gray looks at the Wrist Talon to find it broken, so he takes it off. He wraps the cloak of darkness around his newly broken hand like a cast and stands back up. Calgary: This is where you die, do you understand? Gray: If I diethen I dieand If I dontthen I dontto behonestI couldn''t care less Calgary activates his fifth stage and starts slowly walking toward Gray. Peter climbs down and throws explosives after explosives while tears fall from his face. Peter: DIE, DIE, DIE! The explosives fly toward Calgary but to no effect. The pure power the fifth stage produces is blowing so much wind with each step that it throws the explosives to the side. Calgary: Boy, you should use your time wisely because youre next. Calgary walks right up to Gray, right about to strike him. But Gray''s eyes turn a pure white, and he somehow punches right through Calgary''s defense, cracking multiple ribs and throwing him back. Calgary coughs and stands confused. Gray''s possessed body is about to start fighting, and so is Calgary. Calgary moves so fast that the ground beneath him cracks and breaks, and the wind knocks Peter back and Gray, even when in his spiritual state activated, cannot move fast enough to do anything. So Gray is hit with another barrage of punches to his chest, causing immense pain and shock to fill his body. Even with the resistance of the spirit stage he''s still pummeled, his armor broken, his body crumbling. But In the darkest time, the brightest light shines. A brighter gold color shines harder than Calgary''s. Gray watches as a gold blur hits Calgary right in the face forcing him back. Gray tumbles over, and his eyes return to their normal state. His ears stop ringing, his vision starts to focus, and he regains feeling in his body. Soku lifts him and he finally gets to see who saved his life. Gray: Rosemary He finally sees Rosemary and is also met with a strong hug. Rosemary: This time, I guess I''ll save you. Gray: Iloveyou Rosemary: "Love you too." With that Gray falls unconscious, and seeps into a deep sleep. Gray sees glimpses of his parents, his old room, and his old face. Then black, he starts to walk around in a black foggy area. He seems to be wearing the same outfit he got summoned in, glasses and all. Gray: Azalea? A woman dressed in all black walks out of the fog and looks Gray right in the eyes. Azalea: Hello Gray Kyojin. Gray: I thought you left my mind. Azalea: I didbut Im still a part of your soul. Gray: Am Idead? Azalea: Noyoure just sleeping. But youre not out of the woods yet. Gray: Have I donegood so far? Azalea: You said that you wanted to livethat you would stop at nothingthat do anything to save your friends no matter the cost and you have stuck to it. Gray: Are you madI didnt join the Sect? Azalea: My husband, Prometheus Yagari, saved my life hundreds of years ago with dark magiche preserved my body for over a thousand years and stopped at nothing to save meso I joined him in his hope of a new worldI was even gifted a cursed charm and a great source of manaI died serving himand when I first met you I was driven to get back Gray: Yeah? Azalea: But I have seen what youve seen thought what youve thoughtfelt what youve feltheard what youve heard, I concludethat my husband what wrongmy life was a curse on the worldand me bringing your life into this world was the best thing Ive ever done. Thank you for fixing my mistakes. Gray watches Azalea''s body get forced back into the dark fog with the fog going with her. Then in nothing but a white void, he looks to see his body in new clothes. His white armor, his dark cloak, and his mask. He can even feel the scar on his lip. Then nothing, he hears a sweet, calming voice in his heart, a voice hes longed for. All the senses rush back to his body, and he looks to see Rosemary running, carrying him piggyback style. Gray: Rosewhats happening? Rosemary: I HIT CALGARY, AND NOW WERE RUNNING! Gray looks behind him to see Soku running cloaked in the wind while holding Peter. Gray: Where are we going? Rosemary: Calgarys right behind us, and the main door was locked, so were running up to Leo! Gray: Alright, we could just jump out of a window or something. Peter: THATS WHAT IM SAYING! Rosemary: I want to make sure Leo gets out with us. Gray: And if hes gone, or if hes dead? Rosemary: Then we jump! Gray: Man, were gonna die. Soku: PROBABLY! END OF Vol 2: Chapter thirty-five Arc 4: Chapter 36. Not haven a good time Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 36. Not haven a good time The group runs up the stairs, and barely evades Calgary, who is chasing them. Soku: RUN, RUN, RIGHT UPSTAIRS! Rosemary: I KNOW, I REMEMBER THE LAYOUT! Gray: Were gonna get killed Rosemary: STOP WHINING! WE GOTTA FINISH THIS! Gray: Sorry, sorrysovery loud. Peter: Are we sure Calgary isnt gonna catch up!? ALSO BEING PULLED LIKE THIS IS GONNA KILL ME! Soku: SORRY, WE GOTTA RUN! Gray: He makes a good point, how are we sure Calgary wont get us? Rosemary: Umwe aren''this body doesn''t seem to be able to handle the fifth stageand the higher the stage the higher the damage. And when I hit him it knocked the wind out of him. Soku: But Im pretty sure hes a couple of floors down. They finally make it to the top floor, finding it burned and broken. Rosemary: What the hell happened? Gray: SHHHget down...Arthur is here. They stop moving and get down low, hiding on the staircase. Rosemary pokes her head to see Arthur and Leo fighting. Random blasts of fire and lighting going off. Arthur turns around, looking at the staircase to see nothing. The group slowly moves down the staircase but they hear Calgary coming. Gray: We break our cover and tell the Sect our whole plan. Or we die. Soku: I dont think dying seems that bad right now. Peter: JUMP OUT THE WINDOW! Gray: Yeah, JUMP OUT OF A WINDOW! Rosemary: FINE! BUT WE GOTTA GO DOWN THE STAIRS! IM NOT JUMPING OUT OF A THIRTY-STORY CASTLE! Soku: IM GLIDING! OUT, I THINK I CAN HOLD PETER! Gray: I think I can hold Rosemary and glideor fall gracefully. They hear rumbling in the stairwell, so they start to run down the hall. They get halfway down the hall until Calgary finally catches up. Calgary: Rosemary, nice to see your pretty face again. Rosemary: Ugh Gray: Let me down, I wanna kill this guy. Soku: So do I jump? Peter: JUMP, JUMP, JUMP! Calgary goes to stage four and kicks the air. Soku drops Peter, runs in front of the group, and swings her glider, picking up a great gust of wind to nullify the blast. Rosemary sets Gray down, and he tries reaching for a blade. Gray {SHIT! I DROPPED MY SHORT SWORD!} Gray pulls out his broadsword, undoing his makeshift cast to use his cloak, and tries to access his spiritual sense. Peter throws Gray his mask while Rosemary walks in front of the group and goes into the third stage. Calgary: The gangs all here huh? So this is your boyfriend Rosemary? Hes a whiney one isn''t he. Rosemary: At least hes not a creep!" Gray: WHAT!? DID THIS GUY TOUCH YOU!? Rosemary: No, but he kissed me without my consent. Gray: So we got a sexual assaulter on our hands. YOU SIR ARE AN ENEMY TO ALL WOMEN EVERYWHERE! Calgary: SHUT UP! Calgary runs down the hallway, jumping between the walls, making aiming at him difficult. Rosemary goes into the fourth stage herself and punches the air, knocking Calgary back. She runs up to fight him herself, trading blow after blow. She ducks, letting Peter throw his poppers at him. Calgary tanks the explosives but is unable to avoid a punch to the stomach from Rosemary. He grabs her hand and goes into the fifth stage, twisting her arm and kicking her back. The wind force pushes them all back, and he punches the air with all his might destroying the hallway. Soku jumps in front of the group and creates as much wind as she can to counter the attack. But before it can go off she gets hit with the worst of the attack, knocking her out and sending her flying toward the back wall. The rest of the group gets pushed back as well, and Calgary hits the air again to finish the job. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. They get blown out of the side of the caste, all except Peter. Peter runs up to Calgary with tears in his eyes swinging wildly. Calgary lets Peter hit him, and picks him up by his cape. Calgary: This is all the war achieves, nothing personal. Peter: Go to hell. Peter spits in Calgary''s face, and Calgary responds by throwing him on the ground, promptly knocking him out. Calgary then starts to drag Peter down the hall. On the side of the castle, with no windows in sight, hang Soku, Rosemary, and Gray. When they got blasted out of the castle Gray stuck his broadsword in the castle wall and grabbed onto Rosemary. While Rosemary grabbed onto an unconscious Soku. Gray struggles to hold onto the wall, and the added weight of Rosemary and Soku is too much. Rosemary: Is that your broken hand? Gray: Its busted upbut its not that broken Rosemary: SOKU! SOKU!...its uselessand she dropped her glider thingcan you use the cloak of darkness to pull us up? Gray: I would love tobut we fell too farand I dont have enough strengthto make it big enough to reachand I cant glide with both of youcan you go into your stages? Rosemary: Were barelyhanging ononly the fourth stage could get us out of thisbut the force would knock us off the wallwere stuck. Gray: I canteven get my OD to push any more mana outIve used too muchI probably couldnt fightlike five Sect goons Rosemary: Sois thisit? Gray: DEMA! DEMA! COME ON GIRL! Rosemary: She probably flew offmy arms are giving wayand Sokus coat is slipping Gray: I dont know how longI can hold onto the sword eitherRosemary. Rosemary: Yeah? Gray: I have a planbut you gotta promise to make it out no matter what Rosemary: Gray? What are you gonna do!? Gray: PROMISE ME! Rosemary: I PROMISE! Gray: Ilove youIM FROM! Grays triggers the verbal lock, forcing his OD to surge. He uses the last bit of strength to throw Rosemary back into the castle. This movement causes the walls stone to crack even more, knocking the sword loose and sending Gray into a free fall. He tries to attach the cloak to the wall but it wont even stretch, so he continues to fall. Rosemary: GRAY! Gray {Mybody wont budgethe cloak wont moveand I got no more manaIm dead} Gray''s eyes turn white, sending out a great wave of spirit mana. Right before he hits the ground, a boom can be heard and Dema flies right under him, catching him. She flies back up and lands in the castle. Gray: Thecallworked Rosemary: GRAY! Rosemary kisses Gray and gets on Demas''s saddle, placing Soku in front of her and holding her in place. Gray lays himself on Dema and gets her to fly out of the castle. Soku: Where''sPeter? Rosemary: Shitwe cant get himCalgary''s got em. Gray: Shitwhat do we do? Rosemary: Calgary will kill us if we try and get himor- They hear a loud screaming voice running down the hallway. They prepare themselves for anything, but they see Peter running down the hall screaming for help. Soku: PETER! Peter: RUN, GET ON DEMA, AND FLY FAST! Peter jumps on Demand, and Rosemary flies her out of the castle. She guides Dema up to the top floor and goes to the side Leo was fighting on. Once they get there, they see cracked and broken walls which are burned and hard. Peter: LEO! LEO VALENTINE DO YOU HEAR ME! Inside the castle, Leo struggles against Arthur. His armor and body burned and worn out, but the same thing can be said for Arthur. Arthur: Youdone yet? Your brotheris safe and sound inside his room. Leo: My brotherwill come aftereither I dieor you die. Arthur: Youre kinda cool yknowbut youre in my way. Leo {The hells that sound?} Leo looks to see Dema perched on the wall upside down looking at him. Leo bolts right through the wall and starts to go into a free fall until they catch him. Gray looks behind him to see Arthur, staring right into his eyes. Arthur is surprised, then excited, then ready. He takes a deep breath and roars a great black flame right at the group. Soku aims her arm back and blocks a stream of wind, stopping the flames and allowing safe passage. Gray: SHIT, WHERE''S JULIUS!? Soku: God dammit. Peter: DOWN THERE! Leo: YEAH WHAT IS THAT? They look down to see Calgary holding Julius by the throat. Leo: We cant go down thereIm way too sore to fightwe need to go home now. Peter: So we have to leave him? Rosemary: No, we cant. Gray: I have an idea, drop me off. Im gonna make a deal. Rosemary: Hell no! I almost lost you a few minutes ago! Im not going to just hand you over! Gray: Look, I got this. Soku: GrayIll go with you. Gray: NO! You can''t, I won''t lose another person. Soku: Me neither... Gray: Rosemaryon my signal you fly out of here no matter what you understand? Rosemary: Yeah. Dema lands on the ground, right in front of the castle doors. Gray gets off with Soku beside him. Julius: Oh, hello Gray I didnt know you made it into town. Gray: Sup Julius. Calgary: SHUT UP! ILL KILL HIM! Gray: I knowme for him. Calgary: Oh really? Is that easy? Okay. Come on. Calgary walks over to Gray, dragging Julius. Calgary throws Julius and grabs Gray by the neck. Calgary: That mask is stupid. Gray: You might need to put that old one back on, those scars are gross. Alright thenSIGNAL! Soku uses her mark of providence to blast Calgary back. Soku and Julius jump back on Dema, But Gray stands still. He flows the cloak onto his legs and takes a deep breath. Calgary gets up, goes into the fifth stage, and goes to kick at Dema. Gray {Pleaseberight dammit.} Gray: LEO, LIGHTING ON THE GROUND NOW! Leo places his hand on the ground a unleashes a stream of lightning onto it, electrocuting Calgary and stopping his attack, and knocking him out. And the cloak stops Gray from being shocked. Gray: YES! I THOUGHT IT FELT LIKE RUBBER! ITS AN INSULATOR! Gray walks over to Calgary''s unconscious body and places it on Dema. Rosemary: GET ON! Gray goes to get back on Dema when they are met with another gust of black flames. Soku stops it again but it uses the last of her strength and they watch as Arthur falls from the sky and stops his descent with a blast of fire from his feet. Gray: GO, GO, GO! Gray tries to get on Dema but he''s hit with a weak blast of fire. Gray: ROSEMARY LEAVE NOW! Rosemary sheds a tear, and Dema flies off leaving Gray behind. They all watch as Arthur approaches Gray. Arthur: Hey Gray! Seems like your friends are gone. Wheres Edward by the way? Gray: Edwards deadand I assume youre gonna kill me too? Arthur: Manthe boss wants to see youdamn this is annoying. You know its funny we both havent met the main bodies, only their apostlesbut when I give you to them Ill finally see themthe people Ive been working with all this time. Gray: So Im not dead? Arthur: Sadly no." Gray takes a deep breath and screams at the top of his lungs. Gray: CENIC! Arthur: Useless. Cenic''s dark smoke cloud surrounds the area, so Arthur goes to blow it away. Gray feels his foot being touched in the smoke, and he looks down to see a hand poking out of the ground. Gray gets pulled into one of the various tunnels around the island. He gets picked up by the mysterious man, and when he looks at him he sees him dressed in a thick-plated dark armor. Gray struggles to retain his train of thought, his adrenaline starts to ooze off and after all the commotion, Gray finally loses consciousness. END OF Chapter thirty-six Arc 4: Chapter 37. Usefulness of tunnels Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 37. Usefulness of tunnels Edward runs as fast as he can to the capital. Once he gets to one of the entrances he sees a mass of Red Arrows coming out of a tunnel entrance. They are exiting through a fake part of the sidewalk, and start marching toward multiple houses. So Edward runs to talk to one of them. Edward: Im Edward Van Helsing! Whats happing!? Red Arrow: OH SHIT YOURE ALIVE!? Leo told us that a lot of the Athens guards would be in their homes! So were going to capture them. Edward: Why are they home? Red Arrow: Leos meeting Beauregard today and for some reason Beauregard sent them home. Edward: Weirdbut I see fighting on the top floor!? Is he alright? Red Arrow: We thought they might fightHEY IF YOU RUN OVER THERE YOU CAN SAVE HIM! Edward: I need to get over there first! Red Arrow: There is a path in the tunnel that goes straight towards the castle. Run down there and head in the direction of the castle, there should be a sign that tells you where youre going! Edward: Thank you so much! Edward runs through the Red Arrows, shoving his way into the tunnels, and starts to run toward the castle. He reads all the signs that lead him there, and after a while, he makes it to an exit right under the castle. He climbs out and finds himself behind the castle in a small garden. Edward ducks down once he hears some guards near him. With his black cloak apposed to the green grass and bushes, he sticks out like a sore thumb. A few of the guards run over to check what he is Edward quickly swings the face of the sword at their heads, knocking them out. A few guards run over to stop Edward, so hes forced into an all-out battle. Fifteen men circle Edward, all holding spears. They close in on Edward and once they get close enough to strike Edward spins in a circle, spinning his sword and forcing them to back up. The second they back up he slams his foot in the dirt to stop his spinning and dives into one of the sides of the circle. He drives his sword through them, cutting six men down. The rest of them rush in to kill him and Edward is forced to fight them all. With his new lighter sword, Edward can react and swing his sword faster than ever. But even so, a few of the well-trained guards thrust their spears into Edward''s back, but the armor is so strong and Edward''s body is so sturdy that the spear isnt able to pierce him. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Edward takes a deep breath and seeps into his warriors'' spirit, and once he regains himself he finds himself in a pool of blood with all the guards butchered. Edward takes a second to breathe, and then he runs back to the castle. He finds the metal back door locked. Since he cant break it he looks to see multiple windows only a few stories up. Edward: {I wonder if I can do it} Edward takes multiple deep breathes and leaps up driving his sword into the stone walls of the castle. He drove the sword into the wall on its flat side, so he was able to stand on it. He is right under a window, so he breaks it and climbs in. He then reaches out the window and grabs his sword. He starts sneaking around the castle until he hears a big blast of wind above him. He begins to run up the staircase until he hears Peter screaming. So he seeps into one of the various rooms to get the drop on his captor. Peter: LET ME GO! Calgary: Hell NO! You, friends, are dead, so who are you gonna run back to!? Peter: I DONT CARE! Edward {Peter!? I gotta help him!} Edward is about to break from his cover when he hears Julius and Caesar walk up. Julius: Calgary, can you please let my friend here go. Calgary: Look Julius, I dont hate you but if you get in my way I will have to act. Julius: I dont know if you could, you seem really beaten up. Caesar: HEY CALM DOWN! Look just agree. Im just trying to get some info and leave alright? Alright. Calgary: The nasty fuck has a point. What do you want? Peter: HELP! Julius: Take me instead. Julius starts to raise his voice, getting Edward''s attention to it. Calgary: Okay then. Run along, kid. Calgary lets Peter go and grabs Julius. He then starts to drag Julius by the collar and starts to walk outside. Edward takes a moment to think before doing anything. Edward {If I follow behind Ill be caught for sure, and Julius might die. If hes going out the front doorOH! There was a sign down in the tunnels saying castle door! If I go back down there I should be able to sneak underground!} Edward backtracks his way toward the tunnel he existed in. Once he gets back to the garden he climbs into the tunnel and starts to run toward the castle''s front door. After a bit, he can hear the mumbles of Julius voice and follow it. Once he gets right under Julius, he plans to act but hears a wind boom. He sits and waits for the perfect moment, and then he hears Gray''s voice above him. Edward {Wait for itwait for it} Fighting begins to start above him, rumbling the tunnels. He hears Gray and his friends win the battle, with Leo surging lighting through the ground. Edward is about to just go home when he feels the ground above him getting hot, and the sounds of flames roaring above him. Edward begins to break the support hold in the tunnel so that when he can act he will be able to cover his tracks and not leave an opening to the tunnels. Gray gets left behind and screams Cenic. Edward {THIS IS IT, THE BLACK SMOKE WILL WORK AS COVER!} Edward thrusts his hand through the ground above him, grabbing Gray''s foot and pulling him into the tunnels. Gray almost immediately passes out, and Edward collapses the tunnel behind him as he runs. Edward {Should I bring him back to the Red Arrowsno I cant face themnot nowIll bring Gray back to Lincolns.} Edwards runs for a while until he finally leaves the tunnels and gets back to Lincoln''s cabin. Once he gets there he lays Gray on a bed and leaves him to rest. Lincoln: That your friend? Edward: Yeah, I guess. Lincoln: Why not go to Leos? Edward: I cantnot yet. Lincoln: Oh well, dont let him stay too long. Im gonna go hunt some food. Edward: AlrightIll see you when you get back. END OF Chapter thirty-seven Arc 4: Chapter 38. Two sides of the same coin Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 38. Two sides of the same coin Gray wakes up in a soft bed, he quickly gets up to find himself in a dirty crummy cabin. He looks over to see a tall manly man washing the dishes. Gray: Umhello? The man: Hey Gray. Gray {That voiceno way} The man turns around, and Gray gets a good look at his rough face. The stubble on his face, messy black hair, the terrible brand scar on his eye, and the heavy bags on his eyes distract from Gray''s thoughts. But the man''s eyes, his stern, serious, and angry eyes. Gray: Edward? Edward: Yeah Gray: Youre alive? Edward: Yep. Gray: And youre living in a crummy shack? Edward: Right again. Gray: DamnSHIT WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? Edward: I was running towards the castle and I saw some Red Arrows coming out of a secret entrance in the sidewalk. They told me about tunnels under the castle so I went in the tunnels to get to the castle faster. Walking around down thereI found something important. Gray: What? Edward: I found a false wall that leads into the castle. I was sneaking around when I heard Caesar, Julius, and some guy with golden hair talkingand I think the man was holding Peter. Gray: OH SHIT! I FORGOT ABOUT CAESAR! Edward: Well I think he just walked out of the castle. Gray: Oh. Edward: I was going to save Peter but I think Julius knew I was thereand started talking about trading his life for Peters. He told the man to take him to the front gate and wait for you and the rest of our friends to get there. So I snuck back into the tunnels, Julius kept talking so I could find his voice, and I waited. I waited until the perfect momentI heard you scream Cenic so I grabbed you and collapsed a part of the tunnels so they couldnt follow. Gray: That''s pretty smart of Julius, like really smart. And you too I guess. Edward: Yeahso I guess youll be going now? Gray: Youre not coming? Edward: NoI got stuff to do here with the pirates. Gray: Look, I dont wanna sound insensitive but you gotta do that later. We need your help now. Edward: I knowbut I cant. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Gray: Why!? Edward: BECAUSE I HAVE TO OKAYand If I do Lincoln will come help you guys. Gray: Lincoln? As in, THE Lincoln Valentine? World''s Strongest man? Edward: Yeah the one and only. Gray: So where is he? Edward: Outand also I need you to tell Leo something. Gray: You can tell him when you get to the base. Edward: NO! I saidno Gray: Look I dont care, we dont have enough power to win the coming battle. Edward: You dont have to win this anymorein a few months the volcano is gonna blow and destroy Athens. Gray: WHAT!? Edward: Yeahand I cant scare away the pirates or I might not ever find them again. This could be my only chance to get vengeance, you have to understand that Gray: LOOK EDWARD! If you know this we have to get everyone out of Athens! Edward: I KNOW THAT! But we have a while so Gray: SO NOTHING! WE GOTTA GO NOW! Edward: Look Gray, I dont know how many times I have to say itwe cantI cant and you cant. Gray: EDWARD I GET THAT YOURE SAD AND ALL BUT YOU GOTTA SHUT UP AND MOVE, THIS IS LIFE OR DEATH SO NO PERSONAL SHIT! Edward: What the hell is wrong with you? Gray: What are you getting at? Edward: I said what the hell is wrong with you? Gray: Nothingwhat the hell is wrong with you? Edward: Why do you treat me like shit? Gray: Dude shut up, I don''t have time for this. The mission is more important, you of all people should know this. Mr. Helsing. Edward: WHY DO YOU TREAT ME LIKE SHIT!? ALL IVE DONE IS HELP YOU! AND YOU TREAT ME LIKE AN OUTSIDER! LIKE I DONT BELONG! WHY, WHY, WHY!? Gray: I DONT KNOW! Edward: Even nowyou thought I was dead and when you figure out I was alive you dont even flinchYou only use me to get further with what you wantyou go out of your way for everyone else but me? No, let him die. Gray: Okay what about in the mansion? I came back for you. Edward: Because Rosemary talked you into it. Ive known you as long as youve known Soku and Rosemarywith only a few hours difference. And yet when I first met you, you stood back obviously jealous. Gray: Jealous? Of you? Im laughing. Edward: No, no youre not gonna do that. You were standoffish back at the mansion and only talked to me if you had to. Same at Greenvale, and now here. Gray: BecauseIF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW ITS BECAUSE YOURE STUCK UP! Edward: The hell do you mean stuck up? Gray: You this big strong guy, the black hair, the big sword, even your personalityyou seemI dont knowfake, untrustworthyexpendableBut thats what I thoughtbecause I was jealous but then I learned about youI dont have those feelings anymore. Edward: Oh, because youve changed? You haven''t changed, you act the same way you always have. Loud, obnoxious, whiny, and like a child. You got lucky, you were gifted with immense mana, a great spiritual connection, and a you''re damn prodigy at that. Then your giant ego gets stomped on, you bitch about ityou screamed at Rosemary and acted like some broken manbut youre justa loser. Your life was boring so you gave up, and then of course you got blessed. Get chance after chance, and waste it. Gray: OHHHHH! YOURE JEALOUS! Your life sucks so much youre mad that Im better than you. You get born into a rich and famous family, you get gifted with wondrous strength and a great future. But you wasted it, and thats not on me. Edward: You know nothing about meMY LIFE IS HORRIBLE; I HAVE NOTHING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I was raised without ever meeting my father, then I watched my stepfather and mother get murderedI saw my mother''s head get eaten off watched my island burn to the ground, and then I trained and trained until I dropped with no luckthen I saw my grandpa get murdered, my home burn down, my cousin get turned into a pool of blood by a madman, and my last family member get his soul ripped outthen I see the man that set me on this endless pathand he tosses me out like trashI mean nothing to a man that means everything to me. I have talked to other kids born into high wealth and they all talk of wanting exciting lives, lives like story booksall Ive ever wanted was a calm, boring, no-stakes existence something you had and gave up. Gray: DONT YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!? I gave up because I was stuck, I had no hope, no want, I had nothingbut in hindsight, I abandoned everything I neededI LEFT THEM! AT LEAST YOU KNOW YOUR FAMILY IS DEAD, ILL NEVER SEE MINE AGAIN! MY MOTHER, MY FATHER, MY HOUSE, MY WHOLE GODDAMN WORLD WAS TAKEN FROM ME! I WILL NEVER GET THAT BACK DAMMIT!" And for a moment, they were quiet. What they had said, true or not, was everything they had held in until now. The stress, anger, sadness, regret. The question Gray had kept asking himself, "What should I do now?", continued to be answered by, "Follow the mission". The problems he had faced all resulted from his eternal struggle, so if he did all of the things people told him to do then he could never mess it up by being himself. A solider, instead of a person. But Edward''s lived this life, but Moro, that man that took everything, it was a source of rage and pain he had held as his goal for so long. But being a solider meant to push that down, however, he just couldn''t. So with Edward and Gray standing at opposite sides of the line constant they just seemed to need to meet in the middle, and they did this by screaming at each other until they and absolutely nothing left to say. Gray: "We both lost everything, but you gotta keep your worldthis isnt even my homeand my family in my real home just think I took all they gave me for grantedand left them alone forevertheyll never hear from me againworrying about me, missing me, hatting meI dont know but I do know that I have to use all they gave me to live. Edward: THEN MAKE IT! STOP TAKING THINGS FOR GRANTED, STOP OVERTHINKING, STOP GOD DAMN WHINING! Gray: IM TRYING! I AM A DIFFERENT PERSON THAN I WAS! HE WAS A FAKE, A LIAR, USELESS AND BOREDIM HAPPY NOW! I HAVE A PURPOSE, A FAMILY I BUILT! IM HAPPY! Ihave to beI love Rosemary more than Ive ever loved someoneand Sokus my best damn friendIll make sure that theyre safe. If you really want me to think of you as familyas a brotherthen you have to do the same. Youwell have to act as a familywe both have all lost so muchand were still here, wanting, and trying to move forward. Edward: I agreeand Im sorryI want to be a part of this family thats been buildingwe will be brothers in warbut we need to win this damn war first. Gray: Yet...you''re right. And I''m sorry. Edward: Illcome with you. Because you''re right, the mission is more important Gray: Then we better get moving, and I promise, you''ll get your revenge someday." Edward: Thanks. Oh, I gotta leave a note, would be rude if I didnt. End of Chapter thirty-eight Arc 4: Chapter 39. Gotta build a brand Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 39. Gotta build a brand Gray and Edward walk quietly through the forest. Everything is silent until they hear thunder in the sky, and rain starts to fall. Gray: Dammit, good thing I started wearing a cloak huh. Edward: Yeah, I got one too. I get why you always wore one now. Gray: Yeah, and they look cool. Your armor is really cool by the way. And that sword, its smaller than your last onebut sharper and more like a big sword compared to a great sword. Edward: Its just more reasonable, I see you got your Leviathan armor. It fits you. Gray: Thanks, its really light. And I like how its in parts and not some uncomfortable thing. Edward: Did you get your mouthguard? Gray: I did but I didnt want it. You got a mask right? That skull-looking thing you got attached to your belt. Edward: Oh it is. Gray: Are you stealing my style? Edward: Umgotta build a brand or whatever you said. Gray: Good point. Edward: Do youthink well be able to take back Walgonia? Gray: I dont know...if we kill Arthurwell be freeing Walgonia from tyrannybut if we tell the world about Arthur''s true nature and how we saved them from it they should believe in us. But what he should do is give the people the right to choose. Before only officials could vote and thats just stupid. Edward: But we arent rightfully the king, they wouldnt just let us do that. Gray: If we take Arthur and his army out theyll have to listen. Because they know what will happen if they dont. Edward: So well force a government to do what we want by threatening them? Isn''t that just like the Sect? Gray: The Sects'' ideals aren''t outright evil, they just go about it wrong. We will give people choices, and the government will have to follow. If we were like the Sect we would just take over the country in our name, and say its for the people. Edward: If you say sobut who would we want to rule if the officials are wrong? Gray: I dont knowI like Leo but I dont think he would be a good leader. Lincoln might be a good choice but what if he runs away again? Ryo isn''t decisive enough, so that really leaves Gordon for the choice. Edward: Actually I agree; Gordon might be the best choice. Hes been leading for years, he knows the system and is content with continuing to be within the system. So I think hes trustworthy. Gray: Were almost at the hideout, so I think we should ask them. They continue to speak to each other without break, stepping through the muddy forest while rain continues to drench them both. But Gray, who''d usually complain about something like this, seems to be quiet and accepting of it for once. Because, for what ever reason, he seems to finally be relaxed after so much stressful thinking. Edward: Since Arthur knows were herewe have to act fast so he doesn''t come with an army. But if we leave Arthur will gain Beauregard''s resources making him unbeatable. And even if we win well have to act fast since that volcano will erupt. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Gray: We lose every single timeits almost impossible. But if we take Beauregard out of power fast enough, Arthur cant get Athens'' resources. Edward: OH! And if he starts a war, the other countries will step in due to the ACT act. Gray: ACT? Edward: All countries together. It was established after the Demi-human war to keep countries from starting another war by getting the other three to ban together and put a stop to it." Gray: So the only way to stop Arthur and the Sect from getting the resources is to stop Beauregard in a few days. And if we do that, the ACT act will be inplace and we''ll be able to worn Valatrocitus and Ravoria and they''ll come it to free Walgonia." Edward: It''s a possibility, but sense we''d be attacking Beauregard they might turn against us, and we don''t even know if they aren''t compromised as well. So we''ll keep in on the down low for now, Oh, were here. They step into the tunnel and walk to the main room. And once they do they open the door and see all the Red Arrows running around gathering things, restraining Athen guards, and talking. Gray: What the hell? Edward: Lets go to Leo''s room. Gray and Edward force themselves through the mass of people and make it to Leo''s room. When they get in, they see Rosemary, Soku, Leo, Julius, and Peter struggling to make sense of their goal. Rosemary: GRAY!...waitEDWARD!? Edward: Hey guys Rosemary hugs Edward and kisses Gray, while Peter and Soku freeze in disbelief. Soku: How are youalive? Edward: Moro lied about killing me and I broke free. Oh and LeoI found Lincoln. Leo grabs Edward out of shock, getting into his face and getting spit in Edwards only eye. Leo: WHAT!? You found my father!? Edward: Yesand he told me thatthe volcano is going to erupt. And then nothing. For a moment, if only brief, the always cerotic and ecstatic man known as Leo Valentine had to stop. He slummed onto the floor, grabbing his knee''s, completely removed of the will to fight. Leo: Mount Solonis going to eruptmy home, my country will be destroyed. So all of this is for nothing, maybe we should just quit and tell Beauregard, wave the white flag and all that. Gray: But we have timekinda. Arthur will probably bring an army to stop us. So we have to act fast. Probably within the week. Edward: "And that volcano shouldn''t be erupting for another few months. Giving us time to react." Peter: Is that even possible? Rosemary: It should be. Gray: Also why are the Red Arrows moving captured Athen guards? Gray looks to the lower floors below, watching as Athens guards are being striped of their things and are being tide up to be placed within the deeper tunnles. Leo: Because I knew Beauregard would send his men home. So I sent the Red Arrows to attack and capture them. Gray: Damn Leo: Surprisingly, many of them already want to help us. Soku: So were getting their help. Gray: And wheres Caesar? Rosemary: He said he got information on the Gravestone pirates. Edward: WHAT!? WHEN!? Soku: A little bit agowe were going to attack them and get them out. Edward: Im in. Ive been training for a while now and Im ready. Ive been watching themI went back to the bay and I found their main camp. Leo: Lucky, I can beat Beauregard by myselfand I assume Arthur left so I dont have to worry about that again. Rosemary: Calgary is an issuebut he took a lot of damage yesterday. If I go in with some help Ill be able to beat him Im sure of it. Leo: Athens isnt known for their healers, so he should be in rough shape for a while. Julius: If I, Rosemary, and Gray attack Calgary you should be able to win. Soku: What about me? Julius: Moros right-hand man, Justone is a problem. Ive done my research and I learned that he is strong but not nearly as strong as Moro. He is a fish demi-human and I assume hes staying on the main ship, so hell have the power. Soku: Yeah, hes in his natural domainIll get killed! Julius: Your natural domain is the sky, you will have the power. Move in with Red Arrows for assistance and win. Get them out of this country. Peter: We got a lot of explosives! The old one got one or two ships so if we sink them theyll be STUCK! Edward: Give me twenty men. Ill attack the camp and kill all of them. Then Ill move on to Moro. Peter: Gray, Ive been looking at the gun you showed me and I think I can make it shoot my poppers! Gray: Give them some of the explosives. Wait for them to get on the ship and shoot itnuke the ship. Leo: That might workit has to work. Julius: So its settled. Ill explain this to Caesar when he gets here. Caesar burst through the door, extremely excited. Caesar: I HEARD ALL OF IT! Gray: Good, we dont gotta explain then. Caesar: Well need about one or two tons of crystals to bomb the ship. Send out some Athen guards dressed in Red Arrow outfits to lose the shipment. Peter: What if they die? Caesar: Ill go with them and make sure that doesn''t happen. Edward: And what if they dont put it on the ship? Rosemary: Then blow it up in their camp. Edward: Alright thenthat was easy I guess. Gray: If we move fast it should take like a day or two to get it set up. Leo: Okay, Caesar, tell the guards to move the flame crystals. Gray, Soku, Rosemary, and Edward you go warm up and rest. You need to be in tip-top shape. Peter, you go set up your boom-boom weapon. Gray: This is going a lot faster than before. Leo: Well we didnt have this big of a lead. We have my brother''s men, his resources, cover, and a plan. All he has is time. Rosemary: And If he leaves, well have control of the castle! Gray: Alright then, let''s get started. END OF Chapter thirty-nine Arc 4: Chapter 40. BOMBS! GOTTA USE EM’ Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 40. BOMBS! GOTTA USE EM On the west side of the island, almost out of the forest, Caesar walks with Peter and a few Athens guards moving a carriage of flame crystal boxes toward the Pirate camp. Peter: I swear I packed more crystalslike a lot more. Caesar: We didnt need that much. You used almost all of it. Peter: Yeah, this is like a fourth of it. Caesar: Its all we need, now drop it. Peter: Whatever. Caesar: Alright, since you guys are cooperating Ill let you leave once were done. Athens guard one: Really? We''re talking and we want to fight for the winning side. Your father is the reason most of us joined the army in the first place and Beauregard isnt like Lincoln, but Leo is. Caesar: Wait really? All the guards say yes in unison, all telling the truth. Peter: Alright, were almost there. Caesar: Im going to talk to whoever picks it up, to drive home the point that they should get in on their ship. Peter: But what if they dont wanna do that? How will we know for sure? Caesar: I have an idea, its pretty gruesome but trust me. When I go down, and I mean Im going to go down hard you gotta make sure you dont interfere. Peter: OkayI promise. They stop and leave, letting Caesar approach the camp with the crystals by himself. Once he gets too close a few pirates walk up to see whats up. Pirate one: THE HELL YOU DOING WITH ALL THAT LOOT!? Caesar: A GIFT! CAN I TALK TO MORO!? Pirate two: NO! Caesar: YOU SURE!? Pirate two: UMlet me thinkIM SURE! Caesar: Damn Caesar kicks some rocks on the ground. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Caesar: SOWHAT DO I DO WITH ALL THIS STUFF!? Pirate one: WE GONNA STEAL THAT! GUYS COME ROB THIS GUY! Caesar: OH PLEASE DONT SELL ME! Pirate two: Hey thats a good idea, we should sell him. Pirate one: HEY GO GET THE GUY TOO! WE GONNA SELL HIM! Caesar falls flat on the ground and puts his hands behind his back. A group of Pirates take the crates and restrain Caesar, taking him into the quickly built camp. The camp is composed of tents, mats, boxes, and about sixty people. They drag him to the biggest tent, throwing him inside. Moro''s right-hand man, the blueish-gray, eight-foot tall, muscular, and bald fish-like Demi-human Just One gets out of a chair and walks over to them. Justone: Whats going on here!? Pirate one: We kidnapped this guy, he was moving all these crystals outside the camp. Justone: Let me look at himOh shit, this Is Caesar! Justone quickly jogs out of his tent and runs to the big ship parked on the shore of the beach. He runs into the hull of the ship, entering Moro''s room. Swords, skulls, and tapestries laid out on the walls match Moro''s personality perfectly. Moro: What do ya want!? Justone: Its Caesar, he has been captured. And he has a lot of supplies with him. Moro grabs his long black coat, a cigar, and brushes his mustache, and pulls his long soul patch down. He looks in the mirror and picks food out of his large, sharp, yellow teeth, and rubs his sternal piercing. After all that Moro finally walks off the ship and steps over to Caesar who is still lying on the ground. Moro picks Caesar up and places him down on a chair. Caesar: Hey buddy. Moro: What are you doing here, clown? Caesar: I was trying to give you a gift and I was rudely stolen by your men. Moro: Gift huh, what are you getting at? Caesar: LookLEO HAS LOST IT! I was talking with him and he was losing his SHIT! ALL THAT DAMN STRESS GOT TO EM AND ITS FUCKING SCARY, HE GONNA KILL ME! Moro: HAHAHAHA! You joined the wrong side buddy! Caesar: But I hear that Beauregard lost a lot of his men. So Leos probably planning an attack. Moro: Okay? Caesar: If his attack works youll be out of a lot of material. Moro: Then Ill just steal it, Ive already done a lot of that. Justone: Hey Im gonna put a good amount of the crystals on the ship Moro. Moro: Yeah, whatever. Alright Caesar Im gonna lay this out for you. Ive gotten too much to move, so Im gonna take these crystals and probably leave this time tomorrow. I suggest you get out of here by that time. Caesar: Soyoure gonna let me go? Moro: Um actually no youll give too much info away. Caesar: WHAT!? Moro picks Caesar up by his head and starts carrying him out of the camp. Moro: TAKE HIS BODY BACK! SHOW YOUR FRIENDS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FUCK WITH US! Caesar: WAIT! Moro rips Caesar''s head off and throws his body into the woods. Moro spits Caesars'' blood out of his mouth and starts to walk back to his camp. Peter watches from afar and panics. He stumbles, slips, and falls multiple times trying to get to where Caesar''s body landed. Before he gets to it hes stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Peter looks to see Caesar smiling at him, with gross teeth and all. Peter: Im going crazy. Caesar: Chill out dude, I heal fast, now lets go. Peter, confused, follows along. Peter: Sodid it work? Caesar: Wonders. But we gotta move sometime tonight. Peter: So well have to attack Beauregard and Moro at the same timewell have to split power. Caesar: I believe Edward can defeat Moro with some helpbut the pirates will be an issue. If we use some of the leftover crystals we should be able to whip up some bombs. Justone lives in the camp so Soku will need to attack there. So we wont need to worry about her fighting in the water. Peter: And if Justone is on one of the smaller ships? Caesar: There are two other ships, just gotta pick the right one. And hopefully, he isnt but if he is BOMBS! Peter: Alright I get ithope, hope, hope. They walk back to the catacombs, seeing that the Athens guards have returned. Peter waves at them and then walks to Leo and the others. Edward: Did it work? Caesar: Like a charm. Soku, are you sure you can beat Just One? Because if you arent Edward cant take Moro out and well lose the pirates and their stuff. Soku: Lookif I cant kill him I can at least do some damage. Caesar: But can you do it? Soku: Yes I can. Leo: And he put the explosives? Caesar: Leo, and I heard him talk about putting it on the ship. And hopefully, he puts a little more on the two smaller ships. Gray: How small are they? And how big is the big ship!? Caesar: The big ship is about the size of a normal pirate ship. And the smaller pirate ship that''s bout the size of a speed boat, a few cannons, and a place to rest in the back. Big enough for Soku to fight on at least. Peter: She could also glide up to the mast and wait it out. Gray: Oh..not that bad then." Rosemary: Hey whats a speedbo-...never mind I just gotta accept it. END OF Chapter forty Arc 4: Chapter 41. Calm before the storm Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 41. Calm before the storm In the common room of the Red Arrows hideout Gray and Caesar sit and drink together. Gray: Last guy from earth I met is like super evil, happy youre not trying to capture me. Caesar: Yeah, dont bet on it. Gray: Uhhh. Caesar: Geez take a joke. My life here has been pretty eventful. I''ve met a lot of people, and fought in a lot of battles, hell due to my power they call me "Caesar the Immortal". Gray: How much have you trained?. Caesar: Well Im also kinda lazy, so I haven''t really trained much. Im impressed youre still movin''. Hell, my body can hardly use my mana. Gray: You said you have a healing factor right? I have a small one but is yours like a power? Caesar: Yeah, it just heals me passively. But it kinda resets my body, so I keep my teeth, hair, and any issue with my body. But if I want it to change I can. Gray: You got a pretty useful one then, and Arthur got this black flame stuff. Ive got a lot of mana and a great spiritual connection, so I guess it doesn''t suck. But it would have been cool if I had a superpower and not a giant AP bar. Caesar: Well what can you do with it? Can you use magic or something? Gray: I can use like one spell. I could use more but I promised not to and I''m not good enough to use the few I can use, and if I break that and use any more spells it would make the spirits dislike me. And I cant use elemental mana at all. Caesar: Why would they dislike you? Gray: Spirit magic forces spirits to do what you want, I use the spirit arts which just gives me a voice to speak with them. My spells ask them to do something for me and they do it. But most of them can take all the mana from the spirits and kill them. And I will not kill them. The only one I can use for right now is Cenic since it''s the lowest level spell I got." Caesar: So you''ve got a self-limiter? Hell I''d probably just use all of em'' anyway. Spirits never did nothin'' good for me." Gray: YeahI know it sounds stupidbut I think because of that limiter made my spiritual connection stronger. In a way, I didnt lose much because I never had it in the first place. But me having all this mana has saved my ass more than once. The extra strength, healing factor, and not having to worry about running out of it is a big help. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Caesar: Look, it seems youre more confused than content. If you dont wanna use spells then dont. The way you describe them makes them seem like spells are taking control over a living being, which is kinda evil. You didnt get a cool power, but you got a long-term thing. Just live your life man, I''ve already made the mistake of living for others too long. Gray: Mm...Would you kill things to get what you want though? Caesar: Honestlyyes I would and have done so. Gray: I dont know for meI have killed blindly and I dont know how to feel about it. I did it because I had tobut I also kinda didnt. I dunnoI just gotta get used to it. But I think, if I have to, I''ll kill if it means my life. Caesar: Look dude, some people arent met for it. What are you like twenty-two twenty-three? Gray: Im seventeenI turn eighteen on April eighteenth though. Caesar: YOURE SEVENTEEN!? DAMN! Im almost twenty-seven. And I think Arthur is somewhere in his mid to late thirties. Gray: YeahI guess I am kinda young for all this. My friend isn''t that much older than me, Rosemary''s eighteen, Edwards twenty, and Sokus fourteenI think. Caesar: Shit that girl is like a kidI feel bad for her. They both go quiet for a second until Rosemary and the others walk up to drink with them. Soku reaches for a glass of alcohol before Rosemary slaps her hand and takes it from her, which she promptly drinks. Gray: Oh hey guys. Caesar: Wait, if youre all underage shouldnt you not be drinking? Edward: Underage? The drinking age is sixteen so were good. Except for Soku. Soku: Blah, blah. Gray: Oh I never ask what your birthdays were. Rosemary: My birthdays March ninth. Gray: Oh, your birthday is pretty close then. Edward: Mines November eleventh. Rosemary: What! We missed your birthday! We stayed at the mansion that whole time and you never said anything! Edward: I didnt think it was very important. Gray: Well, mention it next time. Caesar: What about you Soku?" Soku: June ninth. Gray: Alright then, oh whats youre Caesar? Caesar: September twentiethwhat would you say your guys'' spirit animal is? Before anyone can respond Leo walks up and gets their attention. Leo: Alright, its getting late and I want to get up early tomorrow. Gray: Well I guess thats it then. Im gonna go check on Peter before I hit the hay. Rosemary: Well Ill be in our room until then. Gray: Goodnight everybody! Everyone: Goodnight! Gray stumbles his way to Peter''s workshop, walking in to find scrap and random doo-hickeys everywhere and a newly built bunk bed. Peter: Hey Gray. Gray: Hey Peter, I wanted to see what you were doing. And whats with the bunk bed? Peter: I have been threatened not to tell you about the bunk bed. Gray: OhOHHH! NO WAY! SOKU YOU SLY DOG! Peter: SHHH! Gray: Sorry, sorry. Peter: Im fixing up the musket gun thing. Gray rummages through Peter''s things while he talks. Peter: Oh also I made another Wrist Talon for you. Two in fact and they shouldnt jam this time. Gray: Nice, back in the castle I had an issue of just losing my swords. Having two always on me is super useful. I see you made a scope for the gun. Peter: I made the butt of the gun a little thicker, made the barrel easier to clean, the powder not as messy, and overall just fixed it. Gray: And you did all this in like two days! Nice. Peter: Well Im gonna go to bed now, you should too. Gray: I know, I know Im just a little on edge. Ill get out of your hair now. Gray walks out of Peter''s room and sees Soku waiting outside. Soku blushes and blasts a small amount of wind in Gray''s face before running into Peter''s room. Gray: Lets hope shes not an abusive partner. Gray walks into his room to find Rosemary already fast asleep. Gray lays down beside her and tries to fall asleep. He keeps his mind on the astral plane to force himself to sleep. Gray: {Thecalm before the storm.} END OF Chapter forty-one Arc 4: Chapter 42. The storm Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 42. The storm Once everyone is woken up at about six thirty in the morning they all start getting ready. In the armory, everyone in the group puts their equipment on. Gray: Hey Peter, can you get me a new broadsword as well as a short sword? Peter: Oh sure Ill be right back. Rosemary: Sucks you lost yours in the castle. Gray: Yeah and I just had them made too. Edward: Soku? Youre still gonna wear that coat? Why not put some better armor on? Soku: I got some light armor under it. And Im fine without it. Julius walks in with Caesar and Peter getting everyone''s attention. Peter hands Gray some weapons. Julius: Alright let''s run it down one last time. Group one will consist of Gray, Rosemary, Leo, and myself. Group two will be Edward, Soku, Peter, and Caesar. Peter will stay back and sit up on the small mountainside and will shoot the explosives when ready. Leo and I will head the charge against Beauregard, and Gray and Rosemary will fight Calgary. Edward, you will face Moro with a group of Red Arrows, and Soku will fight Justone. Gray: Alright, I think its time to move out. Everyone walks out of the armory, except Rosemary and Soku. Rosemary: Are you okay? Soku: Im fine. Rosemary: Soku. Soku: ALRIGHT! IM SCARED OKAY! Im way weaktoo slowtoo scaredIM NOT READY! Soku starts to cry and hugs Rosemary tightly. Rosemary rubs her head and plays with her hair trying to calm her down. Rosemary: Youare the strongest person I have ever met. Youve gone through so much at such a young ageand youre still yourself. Ophelia would be proud to see where you are. Soku: Areyou*sniff*...sure? Rosemary: Im sure. Soku: DoyouthinkPeter knows Im a bad person. Rosemary: I think Peter really likes you. And youre not a bad person Soku. Soku: ImIM A THEIF, A LIAR, A MURDERof course Im a bad person Rosemary: Look, to be blunt we are all going to hell. So we gotta use the short time we have left. Soku wipes her nose and brushes her tears away. Rosemary kisses her head and leads her out of the armory. Soku walks a little behind Rosemary while playing with Ophelia''s red hairclip, which hasnt left her hair since Gray gave it to her at New Year. Leo stands on a higher floor than everyone else. And everyone waits to hear what he has to say. The Athens guard turned Red Arrows, the original Red Arrows, all the people who have spent their lives fighting for their country awaiting the call to action. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Leo: EVERYONE! THIS IS IT, THE CALL TO ACTION, OUR TIME! WE ARE FAMILY, EVERYONE ON THIS ISLAND IS OUR FAMILY, AND OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN BROKEN AND FORCED AGAINST EACH OTHER FOR TOO LONG! WE ARE THE RED ARROWS, WE WILL STRIVE TOWARD VICTORY, AFTER EVERY LOSS, AND EVERY DEATH WE HAVE LEARNED AND FOUGHT HARDER! THIS IS IT! WHAT EVERYTHING HAS LED UP TO! THIS IS THE STORM! Everyone screams in excitement, tears are shed, emotions run wild, and everyone knows what they are met to do. They split up between the two groups and started to march out of the tunnels. Grays group waits for them to leave so they can walk out together. Before they leave Erin walks up to them. Edward: Erin!? Erin: Im packing my bags. I got all my stuff and I wanted to say goodbye. Gray: Where are you gonna go? Erin: I know some people up near Valatrositce, so Im gonna go up there. Edward: Thats pretty far, are you gonna be okay? Erin: Ill be fine. Rosemary: Well have a good trip then. Erin: Thanks, and I hope you win this thing. They all say goodbye and Edward sadly watches Erin walk away and Gray pats him on the back to console him. Gray: Dont worry bro, youll find another hot tomboy. And if you dontthen there''s something wrong with this world. Edward: Yeahwhatever you say. Soku: What did you say? Gray: Something from the bottom of my heart. Soku: STOP SPEAKING LIKE THAT! Rosemary: We gotta go! They run out of the tunnels and meet up with the Red Arrows on the streets of the capital. Leo: My home is dirty and broken because of me. I will be the one to fix it. Caesar: GRAY! Gray: WHAT, WHAT!? Caesar: CHANGE OF PLANS YOU GOTTA COME WITH ME!? Rosemary: Hold on! Whats happening!? Caesar: NO TIME TO EXPLAIN, ALL I NEED IS GRAY! Gray: UMOKAY! YOU GUYS TAKE DEMA WITH YOU! Rosemary: WHAT ABOUT CALGARY!? Gray: YOU GOT THIS! Gray runs off with Caesar, and the rest of the groups move as planned. Rosemary, Leo, and Julis fly to the Pillar-like castle on Dema. Soku, Edward, and Peter get on a carriage and go to the pirate camp. All the other Red Arrows follow, some in carriages, and the others walk and run to their destination. On Edwards'' carriage, they all sit silently, stressing about their upcoming mission. Soku stares off into the distance, watching, waiting impatiently. Edward on the other hand is ready, he wants to see Moro, he wants to see fear, anger, or some type of emotion. He wants Moro to remember him. Edward sees flashes of his childhood village burning, his mother''s dead decapitated body. His stepfathers'' mangled corpses, the burned bodies on the ground. He touches his scared, branded eye and winces in pain. Soku: EdwardI noticed you shaved your face. Peter: You gotta get that hair fixed if you wanna seem tidy though, its getting kinda long. Edward: Ill get my hair cut when I feel like I''m ready. I haven''t cut it since the mansion incident. Peter: Were about to be there. Soku: Can we do this? Edward: Should be able to, we have to be able to. Soku: Peter you better not miss your shot. Peter: But the explosives have to be out in the opening. Edward: Once we get there I wanna head right towards the ship. I wanna be face to face with Moro one last time, all alone. Peter: What is he again? Like a blue-haired boar? I think he can use a demi-transformation. Soku: I think he can, same with Justone. And Ill be fighting him in his natural habitat. Soaring through the sky mid-air, peering and bursting through the clouds, Dema flies as fast as she can. Leo: WERE ALMOST THERE! Julius: WHEN WE GET THERE ROSEMARY AND I WILL DIVERGE FROM YOU AND FIND CALGARY! Rosemary: YOU SURE WE CAN BEAT HIM? Julius: POSITIVE! Leo: HERE IT IS! Dema crashes through the window of Beauregard''s room. They get off to see Bearuguard sitting in his chair, facing the window, clapping his hands. Leo: I thought you might be smart enough to leave. Beauregard: Im not one to run away, unlike you. Oh and you two there, Calgary is waiting outside this room. He still hasnt recovered but he is sure hell win. Julius: Thank you sir, but I assume this will be your last time seeing face to face. Beauregard: Most likely. Julius leads Rosemary out of the room, leaving Leo and Beauregard to themselves. Beauregard: Here we are, all alone. Leo: You spit in the names of our parents, our mothers especially. Beauregard: Her passing was tragic, along with our uncle Fring. Our father left on his own. Leo: Are mother passes naturally yes, but Fringyou wanted him dead. And I have gotten information that the Sect was who did it. Fring wasnt strong enough to kill his attacker though, so he got help from our father. But in the end, Fring and the attacker both diedleaving you the king. Beauregard: It just so happens that it ended that way. I was meant for this. I am the firstborn son of Lincoln, the unstoppable, smart, calculating king of Athens. You are the second born, the strong, blessed, and second in line for the throne. Our roles were given to us at birth and you need to accept that. Leo: Athens is gone, in a few months itll be gone. Right now were stopping Athens from falling in the name of Beauregard, the hateful, racist, bigoted man. You sold out to the pirates, made plans for a war, and teamed up with terrorists. That is the name you hold. Beauregard: And you are? You are the prodigy, the one born with everything. Our father liked you more, and our mother too. You even have her yellow hair and her soft eyes. I got our father''s intuition and his stern firm eyes. I AM WORTHY, I WORKED FOR IT, AND STUDIED FOR IT! I AM THE KING! Leo: Im not gonna be king, I''m gonna be the man that killed him. END OF Chapter forty-two Arc 4: Chapter 43. Boomstick. Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 43. Boomstick. The carriages finally pull up to the Pirate camp. All the pirates wake up and get out of their tents to find themselves surrounded. Edward: Peter, runoff. Soku comes with me. Edward walks to the center of the camp. All the pirates hold their weapons, pointing them at the Red Arrows. Edward: Where is Justone!? Pirate one: You idiots really think you can beat him!? Edward grabs the pirate by the throat and stares into his eyes. Pirate one: Hesin his shiphe was packing upearly. Soku: Okay, guess its my time. Soku runs off heading towards the second biggest ship. Edward: WILL YOU FIGHT OR WILL YOU RUN, BECAUSE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT YOUR LEADERS WILL DIE! All the pirates scream with vigor and start running toward the Red Arrows. The Red Arrows return the favor by charging in themselves. Instead of staying to fight Edward charges through the pirates, gunning for Moros'' ship. Death after death behind him, yells of anger, pain, and want for victory. Edward makes it to the ship and sees Moro puffing on his cigar with his coat flowing in the wind. They stare at each other, and a drop of rain falls on them, then another and another. Then before they know it the rain starts pouring and the sky begins thundering. Moro backs up, letting Edward leap onto the ship. Moro: I like the skull helmet. That metalthats dragon stone, right? Edward: Something like that. Moro: And the left eyeyou put our flag on it. Now it will look even better on my mantel. Edward: I wasnt ready last timebut now I am. Take another puff of that cigar, because thatll your last. Moro takes the cigar out of his mouth and puts it out of his coat. He messes with the light brown fluff on the collar, laughing hysterically. Moro: Its been less than a month since I beat your ass and now youre back? This has gotta be a joke. Or do you just wanna die? Edward: What are those boxes in front of the mass there? Moro: Some loot we stole from Caesar. He tucked his tail between his legs and came running. So I killed him. Edward: So you don''t know? Moro stares longingly at the crates then like a light bulb he finally gets it. Edward puts his armored hand in the air, the sign Peters has been waiting for. Perched on a small cliff, aiming his rifle at the crates, his finger on the trigger. He exhales and pulls it. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Moro: Shit. Barreling through the air, a small pellet of gunpowder and flame crystals, a small explosive heading right toward the wooden boxes. Once it hits a fiery explosion erupts, Moro tries to brace himself but hes thrown back. The ship has a newly made hole in the back end while the flames quickly spread around them. Edward rushes towards Moro, swinging his large sword right at his head. Moro moves his big body out of the way and throws a powerful kick at Edward. Edward blocks it with his sword and pushes Moro''s leg up, getting him off balance. He then spins in a circle cutting the side of Moro''s other leg. Edward {I need to focus, use control. The reason I lost before was because I wasn''t using any of those things. But now, I CAN DO THIS!" Moro is shocked and bursting with anger. He wipes some of the blood off and licks it, punching the floor, and runs at Edward on all fours. Moro crushes Edward, forcing him onto the ground. Moro tries to bite Edward''s head off but Edward grabs Moro''s long sharp teeth and holds his jaw in position. A little bit away in the same sea rocks Justones boat. He walks outside because of the loud boom he heard. Hes about to jump in the water when he gets hit with a strong gust of wind. He looks up to see Soku standing atop the ship''s mast drenched in the rain. He had a humanoid shark like body; his skin was a light blue, he had a hundred small teeth, he had a fin at the end of his flat, bald head, and a flat nose to boot. He quickly became immersed in the conflict has he''s somewhat of a brute, but he begins talking just like his captain. Ju''stone: "Why don''t yah just join us? The laws treat Demi-humans the same as Elves, so should you want to fight against It? Don''t you hate the world you love in for how it treats us?" Soku: "This world sucks and it''s unfair. But that doesn''t mean I''m gonna go make it worse for other people. All the Gravestone pirates do is make Demi-humans look bad, nothing more than criminals. And that you are." Ju''stone: "You have a bounty on your head just like any other big name criminal, and it''s been issued by the King of Walgonia himself. And didn''t you used to be a thief? What makes you different, how have you changed?" Soku looks down at her feet, and then up to her sword to mumble "I don''t know how to put it into words..." But she stands proud, staring at Ju''stone with conviction and pride. He strokes his suspenders, pulls up his baggy pants, scratches his foot with his other foot, and lastly rips off his black tank top to reveal his muscular form as well a large tattoo of their flag on his chest. Soku: "I''ll show you my passion, by beatin'' your ass " Ju''stone: "Spoken like a true thief, nice." He cracks his neck, shakes his body, and opens his mouth to drink the rain. He then brushes the water out of his eyes and punches the mast of the ship over and over until it breaks. And just as it snaps it begins falling forwards, about to crush the Soku. Soku {SHIT, THIS GUYS CRAZYno Sokucalm downIm okay, I can do this.} Soku runs forward, jumps into the air, leaps backward off the falling mast before she opens her gliders. She then begins to coast and soar over and around the ship before landing on a railing above and behind Justone. Justone: Can''t belove they sent a little girl to kill me? Soku: I may be little, and I may be a girl, but I''m still gonna beat you. Because I have to. Justone: And I have to get to my captain but youre standing in my way. Ill give you one chance to move. Soku: You knowall my friends have been waiting for their battles and they have a connection to them. Whether it be brothers, childhood friends, or a personal villain. But youre just a guy that I have to get rid of. And youll be the first, youre the first obstacle I have to remove. And I will finish my mission. Justone: Then do it already.. Justone runs at Soku, with each step shaking the boat. Soku waits and listens, right as he jumps up and is about to bite her head, rolling backward. He tries to swipe at her with his large hands and massive arms but she uses her small stature to blast herself under his legs. She flips her body, her feet aiming at his crotch, and she kicks up blasting a powerful gust of wind at him. The blast sends him flying up, and his rough landing causes him to break into the ship. She takes a second to breathe before he launches himself out of the ship''s hull, scratching her face. He lands behind her and jumps at her, winding up a powerful punch. She forces a big amount of wind out of her side, dodging the punch. He quickly turns his body and tries to grab Soku, so she flows wind to her legs and jumps backward, launching herself off the boat. And right before she falls into the water she circles the wind around herself and glides up. Soku {Close one! Shit, this is terrifying! At least I have safety in the air. I just have to bide my time.} Soku glides straight toward Justone, flipping her body around and kicking the air, shooting more wind out of her feet. He brushes it aside and goes to grab her. Soku panics and tries to glide away but this time he grabs her glider and breaks it over his leg. So Soku immediately takes her short sword out and throws a powerful wind blade. Justone dodges it and tries to bite her head off again, so she slices the air rapidly, throwing wind blade after wind blade. Eventually, they trip him up, letting Soku charge her wind blade up and hurl it at him. He blocks it with his hands and it slices deep into his skin. Justone walks to his side and begins to strike the mast again, breaking the support beam entirely. He pushes it so the giant wooden beam is going to fall right onto Soku. She barely jumps out of the way and it crashes into the ship breaking through the hull and the bottom. Water starts to fill the inside of the hull, flooding the ship. Soku flows wind all around her body, making it tight and firm. A cloak of wind was all around her body. She begins to run much faster than ever before, blitzing past Justone. She runs around him, swinging her sword rapidly, slowly cutting him. Back and forth again and again, like a pattern. This is a pattern that Justone realizes, so he waits, withstands the pain, and bides his time. Once there is an opening he swings his arm, smacking Soku overboard. She flows the cloak of mana into her feet, about to launch herself up but Justone jumps off the ship and pulls her into the water, about to feast on his young opponent without remorse. END OF Chapter forty-three Arc 4: Chapter 44. Childhood connections Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 44. Childhood connections Outside Beauregard''s room, Julius and Rosemary find themselves face-to-face with Calgary. Calgary: So this is it huh? Rosemary: It seems so. Calgary: You can stop this you know, give up, stay with me in the castle. Rosemary: I already have a plan, and somebody I want to spend the rest of my life with. Calgary: Thats a shamewhat about you Julius? Julius: I am on the winning side, which is the same side as my comrades. You are not on our side so you must be dealt with, its as simple as that. Calgary: I guess you have toDIE! Calgary''s damaged and bandaged body surges with bright gold mana. He enters the fifth stage immediately and bolts toward Rosemary. Julius quickly moves in front of her, thrusting his sword at Calgary. Calgary narrowly avoids the strike, flipping over him, and winds up a powerful punch. The pure force and power coming off Calgary''s hand would scare any soldier, but not Julius. Julius looks right at Calgary before he swiftly moves out of the way. Resulting in Rosemary going into the fourth stage and punch Calgary right in the face. Calgary gets sent back, but hes quick to recover. He starts punching at the air, randomly sending a blast of wind after blast. Julius monocle gives off a faint glow, and then he moves into the barrage of attacks. He ducks, dodges, flips, turns, and runs around all of them, perfectly making it to Calgary without being hit. Julius stabs Calgary in the shoulder, but Calgary swings his leg up, breaking the sword in two. Julius ducks down to let Rosemary leap at Calgary. Calgary catches her hands, leaving themselves in a clash mid-air. Calgary: Youreholding the fourth stage throughout your body. Nice job. Rosemary: IT HURTS LIKE HELL, BUT ITS WORTH IT! The wind, the force, overwhelming her. But just like the others she''s been training and training to raise her bodies control. So no matter how much it hurts, her mind or body, she''d insure she did what she had to. So playing her part, Rosemary twists her body, freeing herself and letting Julius throw his broken rapier at Calgary. Calgary dodges but is struck on the side of the head by a punch from Rosemary. He bursts into the fifth stage and punches her in the stomach, launching her down the hallway. Calgary starts to laugh but is stopped by Julius, who starts to fight him with only his fists. With Calgary''s enhanced strength and speed, he easily overpowers Julius. Hitting his sides over and over again. Julius feels his bones cracking, and his muscles tearing, but he remains content and stable as if he doesn''t even feel the pain. What Julius does know is that Calgary''s punches are a lot weaker than they should be. With each one feeling weaker and weaker, he knows his body is going to fail him; he just needs to hold out. Calgary goes for a headshot, but its slow enough for Julius to duck. Julius, in a flash, extends his leg back, pulls his arm back, feels all the mana in his body erupt, and jabs his arm into Calgary''s chest. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Calgary: THE DRAGONS FIST!? Calgary gets hit, his bones breaking on impact. The force sends him barreling back, tumbling backward. Julius feels the broken bones in his hand, cracked and crushed with the force of the dragon''s fist. He feels Rosemary''s hand on his shoulder, signaling that she will take him on for a bit. Rosemary: YOUR PUNCH BACK THERE WAS WEAK! Last time you almost killed me in a few hits, even being near you in the fifth stage was scary. You really can''t handle pain at all can you? Calgary: SHUT UP YOU STUPID BITCH! Luckily for them, they hadn''t taken as much damage in their fight against Calagary as he had done to himself. So while Rosemary wasn''t in the best of shapes, she was better than Calgary. Calgary tries to force himself into the fifth stage but his body wont let him. He strains himself to get anything out, having to go into the fourth stage to compensate. Even if Rosemary can barely handle the fourth stage, his body will fail long before hers does. Inside Beauregard''s room, Leo thrusts his spear at his brother. Beauregard tries to dodge but the difference in strength between the two is vast. Beauregard backs up, trying to keep his distance. Leo: YOU CANT RUN BROTHER! Beauregard: THIS IS JUST LIKE YOU! ALWAYS RESORTING TO VIOLENCE, EVER SINCE WE WERE KIDS THAT''S ALL YOU DID! Crying to Mom and dad because you''re failing in school. Always needing their help, you NEVER DID ANYTHING FOR YOURSELF! I HAD TO! I RELIED ON ONLY MYSELF. Leo: THATS NOT ON ME YOU IDIOT! YOU ALWAYS ACT AS IF THE WORLD IS AGAINST YOU! YOU WERE BORN INTO A RICH AND POWERFUL FAMILY, WITH AN OKAY DAD AND A GREAT MOTHER! YOURE JUST WHINING! Beauregard: SHUT UP! YOU KNOW NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I TRIED OKAY! I TRIED! I TRAINED MY BODY, TRIED TO LEARN THE DRAGON FISTSBUT I COULDNT DO IT! DAYS, MONTHS, AND YEARS OF EFFORT FOR NOTHING! THEN YOU LEARN IT IN THE FIRST WEEK!? WHATS THAT BULLSHIT! Leo: BECAUSE YOURE NOT INTUNE WITH YOUR OWN BODY! I HAD TO BE, I was born with this damn mark, a mark that I could barely control. Shocking people, or myself. Burning my skin off, dammit I have a huge scar on my shoulder from when it awakened! I had to force myself from the time I was five years old to be in tune with my bodyI HAVE PROBLEMS TOO, ALWAYS BEING THE DUMB ONE! EVERYONE TREATED ME LIKE A MUSCLE HEAD, LIKE I WAS TOO DUMB TO EVEN THINK FOR MYSELF! Beauregard: Oh boohoo, you just didnt study. I didnt get everything the first time either, but you just gave up and cried about it. NOW LOOK AT ME, I MADE MYSELF KINGFINALLY! AND YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BY MY SIDE, MY RIGHT-HAND MAN! BUT NO! YOU JUST SPAT IN MY FACE! Leo: BECAUSE OF YOUR DAMN RULES! ARE MOTHER TAUGHT US TO BE ACCEPTING, AND TO LOVE! BUT YOU HAVE ONE BAD EXPERIENCE WITH DEMI-HUMANS AND YOU HATE THEM FOREVER! Beauregard: WE SPENT SEVENTY YEARS FIGHTING THEM! THEY WANTED TO EAT US, AND THEY DID, I SAW THEM EATING BABIES DAMMIT! I WAS TEN YEARS OLD WHEN SAW A HALF-DEVIL EATING DAMN BABY AND TOLD ME I WAS NEXT! I HAVE A RIGHT TO HATE THEM, TO BE SCARED OF THEM, BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO! Leo: THEY WERE DOING THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE ENSLAVED FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, OF COURSE, THEY WOULD BE ANGRY! WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS, WHY HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS! WHY COULDN''T YOU BE A TRUE KING, A TRUE SOILDER! WHY COULDN''T YOU BE THE MAN YOU WANT TO BE!" Beauregard: Why couldnt you just be my brother! END OF Chapter forty-four Arc 4: Chapter 45. The Valentines Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 45. The Valentines The Valentine family is a family of luck, perseverance, and triumph. Lincoln was born to commoners and grew up wanting to join the Athens army and help the war effort. He joined the army when he was just ten years old, and that ten-year-old boy went through a brutal, sick, cruel training regimen. But he didnt see it this way, for as long as he can remember he wanted to be the strongest. He didnt want fame, fortune, women, land, or anything like that. He wanted to be the strongest, not to be the best but to make himself feel safe. He wanted to make his family proud, Lincoln wasn''t the smartest, and he didnt have any other skill, so he knew he had to be the strongest. And he lived a lot of his life thinking this. Everyone else believed that he could do it, somehow a commoner with no magical power, not even an affinity, just pure effort. Once he became the leader of his group in the demi-human war, he met Lilith. When she first met him she yelled at him and told him he couldnt do it. Lincoln had been told this before here or there but he knew he could still do it. But Lilith wasnt just some girl, she was the daughter of the King and Queen of Athens. Lilith was a beautiful woman who grew up wealthy, very, very wealthy. To be born into a great family, to be smart, strong, and beautiful, and to know it would make most people arrogant. And Lilith did not escape this hole, she knew she was all those things and expected everyone else to know this. But Lincoln yelled back, and she was appalled. She went to her parents and they forced him out of his role as leader. He lost everything he had worked for because of a selfish, stuck-up, and prideful girl. When he was going to leave his camp they were attacked by a Dragon. Dragons are mythical, intelligent, and insanely strong creatures. But for some reason, this dragon was not any of these things. It looked possessed and infected like it was about to fall over dead. But it still attacked the camp, and Lincoln stepped up. He found his inner strength and punched the dragon and hurt it. The dragon snapped out of its dead-like state and left the camp. Lilith watched in awe and was amazed by the feat. After that day she fell in love with him, the commoner, the man with all the strength in the world. On the other hand, Lincoln had no interest in her because he saw her as a spoiled brat. He thought this until the faithful day that all the gods of war met and fought. It made her realize his true strength, and she pleaded with her father to fully join Walgonia and want to help the demi-humans, not just kill them off. After a while her parents obliged and joined Walgonia, the incident making Lincoln think of her as more of a person and not just an obstacle. A few years passed and she finally confronted him about her feelings, and he proclaimed he felt the same thing. And fifteen years before the demi-human war ended, they had their first child, Beauregard Orm Valentine. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Beauregard was a smart boy, always learning and wanting to learn more. His dream in life was to become king, and he knew it was possible. Lilith''s brother Fring became the current king after their parents died of a blood disease. And for most of Beauregard''s life, he led Athens as king. Then once Beauregard turned six, Lincoln and Lilith had their second child Leo. He was more flamboyant and happy than the stern and serious Beauregard. He had also been born with having more mana, a stronger body, his mother''s yellow hair and eyes instead of his father''s brown hair and stern eyes, and most important his mark of providence allowing him to create energy similar to lighting. Beauregard was jealous of his brother and spent his childhood trying to get close to him in strength, but alas he never caught up. At one point during the war, Beauregard found himself near a crazed demi-human man. A man who killed and ate multiple children in front of him. He was saved by his father, but the incident set a fear in him that would never leave his body. Their mother died from the same diseases that their father had, so that meant if Fring died Bearugard would become king. While their grandmother had died from old age, the diseases had flown from their grandfather to their mother and uncle and now, most likely at least, to them. So a clock has been set. Then years after his mother''s death, Fring finally died for unknown reasons and Beauregard became king. His lifelong dream had become a possibility, one that he achieved. Beauregard was born the most unlucky of all the children of the gods of war. Leo had his strength, Kioshi was born with god-like power, Cornelius adopted three strong children, and Vergil never had any kids. Elizabeth''s daughter, Rosine Voria is more of an unknown case so she cant be officially ranked. That leaves Bearugard at the bottom, a man that spent his entire life trying to get power, and once he got it all his loved ones left him. No father, no mother, no brother. Even the people of Athens dislike him enough to start a revolt. In the eyes of many he is seen as a failure, and he sees himself like this as well. Somebody who wasted their chances, their life. But in his mind as long as he continues to fight and strive towards something his life hasnt been wasted yet. So thats what hell do to the very end until it eventually kills him. On the other hand, his brother Leo is less prideful. Leo wants to save his country from falling, he wants to keep his men and his people safe from destruction. The spirits blessed him and he wants to use those blessings to help his home life. He doesn''t want to end up like his brother, a man with no one by his side. END OF Chapter forty-six Arc 4: Chapter 46. 3/4 Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 46. 3/4 Gray and Caesar run through the rainy city as fast as they can. Gray: EVERYONES INSIDE! Caesar: THEY MUST HAVE BEEN SCARED BY ALL THE COMMOTION LEO WAS CAUSING! Gray: SO CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHERE WERE RUNNING!? Caesar: I GOTTA SHOW YOU SOMETHING! Gray: THATS COOL, BUT AT THIS POINT EVERYONES ALREADY FIGHTING, HELL THEY COULD BE DEAD! Caesar: HAVE FAITH! LOOK WERE ALMOST THERE! Gray looks to see that they ran all the way to the western part of the city. He looks up to see the big walls surrounding the capital right in front of him. Gray: Now what? Caesar: We gotta get up there. There''s a big path up there that you can walk on, its similar to the Great Wall of China! Gray: I can get us up, I can use the cloak. Gray grabs Caesar and shoots the cloak onto the wall, pulling them up. Over and over, Gray pulls them up the wall. And after a few seconds, Gray gets them up the wall and they land to look over the city. Compared to Walgonia''s capital, it''s strange. Because of the sea and constant rain it''s always damp and salty, causing the mainly white and small buildings to decay and worsen in quality. The roads have followed a similar path, and because of the miles of tunnels beneath them, they aren''t very sturdy, and while the surrounding forest that takes up the rest of the island is thick, the many small villages fill them up to the brim. Gray can even see the lights emenating from them on the other side of the wall. Gray: And now? Caesar: Over there. Caesar points at the volcano with a big smile on his face. The sight of the city, the wonderous feeling of being so high up in the air and looking down on everything else, and the provocative feeling of war course through his veins, empowering his already pounding heart. Caesar: Gonna take your mask off? Gray: No, why? Caesar: I dunnoOh here we goright about...NOW! Gray drops his mask on the ground as he watches in awe as he sees it. The ground rumbles, the sky shakes, and Caesar steps onto the edge of the wall with his arms extented. And then it happens; Mount Solon erupts, and the rest has yet to happen. Lava spews and drools down the mountain at an insane pace while it also launches into the rain clouds, smoke and smog coming out of the top. It pours down the mountain and starts destroying the woods, covering any town in the way. The people are submerged instantly while their homes and history combust into flames before they''re also drowned by the molten rock. Havoc erupts in the streets below, people running and screaming trying to get off the island. Packing their bags, grabbing their families and anything they could carry. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Gray slowly turns to Caesar with a star-struck look in his eye to see Caesar''s big smile. His broken, yellow, rotten teeth shape his terrible, disgusting grin. He feels a sharp pain in his chest, looking down to see Gray''s hand piercing through his chest, heart in hand. Caesar looks at Gray, with his mouth full of blood. Gray pulls his hand back and falls to the ground. Gray starts struggling to breathe, and he begins pulling his hair as he sets into panic. Gray looks up to see the hole in Caesar''s chest heal, the muscles reforming, and blood flowing back into his body. Caesar spits blood onto the ground and wipes his mouth, never even flinching. Caesar: Told you, I heal. Gray''s eyes burn into that pure white once more, and his consciousness fades to black. Everyone watches the volcano erupt, Rosemary, Julius, and Calgary watch from the holes in the castle wall. Edward, Moro, the Red Arrows, and the Pirates watch from the bay. Soku sees something while being pulled underwater. And the most distraught of all, Beauregard and Leo stop all that they are doing to watch the coming chaos. Leo: Ourfather was on the mountain Beauregard: Are homeits going to burn to the ground! While Leo was just starting to accept their homes fate, it happening so suddenly causes him to freeze up. However, Beauregard begins to be engulfed with despair. Everything he had worked on is going to be destroyed; his childhood is going to be destroyed; his lively hood will be burned away; who he is will be caught abalze. Leo: We need to leave, now! Beauregard: This is itIve lost everythingIllI WILL KILL YOU! In an instant, Beauregard breaks his limits and punches Leo in the shoulder. The force, form, and backlash put onto Beauregard make it clear that after all the time he spent training, wanting to be strong, he finally achieved it, and broken Leo''s shoulder in the process. Leo: Thedragon''s fist? Beauregard: I diditI DID IT, I DID IT, I FUCKING DID IT! HAHAHA! Beauregard''s seemingly permanent sternness in his eyes fades for a second. Happiness, he feels real happiness for the first time in a long time. And, ironically, he archives something hes wanted his entire life while losing something hes wanted his entire life. Beauregard: Nowneither of us is kingwere barbarians. Leo snaps, calls his spear, and thrusts it at Beauregard. Beauregard catches it and tries to take it from him while he also begins to break down. Leo tries to get his spear back, so he snaps his fingers and waits for it to return, causing it to pull against Beauregard, but he remains still. Flashes of Beauregard''s childhood flash in his eyes. The moment Leo was born, the moment Leo got his spear, and the moment his mother died. The moment he became king. Leo looks out the window to see that the lava has already flown into the walls and begun to flow into the capital. Tears start to stream from Leo''s face as he finally does it. He snaps his fingers, causing the spear to release his call. So Beauregard, still pulling on it, trusts it into himself. Beauregard looks up to see Leo crying, and while drowning in disbelief Beauregard slowly backs up to the giant broken window. He turns around to see his city burning. He takes a step backward, placing one foot over the edge. Leo nods his head and snaps to call back his spear. It repels from Bearugard''s body and causes him to fall over the edge. Leo runs to the edge to see Beauregard lost in the smoke and fire. Leo falls to his knees and begins to cry. All he can think about is his childhood. His life before all the fighting, the pain, the deaths. All he wants is to return to that life, a life of luxury, happiness, and a seemingly endless future and a living loving family. But Leo stands up and grabs his spear. He looks at the blood on the spears tip, his brothers'' blood. Leo takes his headband off and uses it to wipe off the blood. The headband becomes more of a rag, a blood-stained and soaked rag. And he stands there, looking in the red reflection while the sounds of constant horror and bubbiling destruction echos below, reaching him at the top of his empty tower. The room of a king, and now he is such king. But he''s now the ruler to a country soon to be wiped off of the map, and so he stops. This is until Leo hears Rosemary and Calgary fighting, and on top of that, he feels a hand on his shoulder. He looks up to see Julius smiling. This pulls Leo back into his right mind, snapping him back into place. Julius: Is it done? Leo: Its done. Julius: Athens is gone, the volcano is much too powerful to deal with. The best thing to do is evacuate with all of the civilians down below. Leo: Alright...but those people. Where do you think theyll go? Julius: I do not know, but some may wait for you. Others will retreat into Walgonia and try to build a new life. But there will be refugees, a lot of them. And they will need you. Leo: Yeahwe need to get to Rosemary. Julius: Agreed. Leo and Julius run off the help Rosemary, leaving Beauregard''s room for the last time. End of Chapter forty-six Arc 4: Chapter 47. Vengeance Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 47. The End bringer The sight of the volcano distracts Moro, allowing Edward to free himself from his grasp by kicking him in the stomach. Moro gets up and brushes his legs, he looks to see Edward still and ready so Moro moves in once more, and they trade blows for a while. On the other hand, Soku begins to panic as she has just been pulled into the water by Justone. She blasts herself up and is in awe of the volcano''s eruption. She tries to get out of the water but is pulled back under. She looks to see Justone fully transformed and playing with his prey. His giant teeth, discussing gills, and slimy skin strike fear into Soku. He drags her deeper and deeper into the sea, dragging her into the middle of the bay. He leaves her stranded, but she creates another cloak of wind and uses it to bolt to the surface. She takes long deep breaths before seeing the bay in the distance. Soku: Runninglowon manaand Im bout to die to this fish dudenot doing well. Soku gets pulled back under, and she uses her mark of providence to burst wind from her foot, cutting his hand. She watches him move into the darkness of the sea until he moves like a torpedo behind her. His jaw extends open, his sharp teeth right about to chomp into her. And in an impulse of fear she gets into a similar position that Gray gets into when he uses his astral form; she plants her fists together and swirls a great force of wind around her. It swirls the water around her making a whirlpool that Justone gets pulled into. He gets pulled right to the center, where the wind is strongest, and she uses her mark of providence to greatly increase the power of the wind sphere. She releases all of it in one quick explosion. The wind slices into Justons body, making great gashes in his skin. The water rushes back to the center, where Soku is and it creates a geyser blasting her into the air. It does the same for Justone and sends him flying right beside her. While sideways she spirals in a circle, twisting so fast that Justone doesnt have time to block and swings her sword right down his body, cutting him in two. She falls back into the sea and uses the last bit of her strength to create one last wind cloak and sores back to the bay. After she gets close to the shore, she runs out of mana, and all the water she pushes in front of her slams back into her. This little mess-up almost drowns her but she floats back up to the surface, floating back to sore. Soku: I DID IT! I cant feel my arms, my legs, are pretty much anythingBUT I FUCKING DID IT! HELL YAH! Soku stares at the moon, awaiting victory. But she hears the volcano continuing to flow, letting fear set in. Soku: I still can''t believe. We''re winning, but Athensis over. On top of the blown-up and burning pirate ship, Edward stands proud. Moro: Ill give it to you, youre doing pretty good. Edward: My friend finished your friend, and my Red Arrows are almost done killing your dirty pirates. But Im just getting started. The weeks of brutal training had paid off massively. Edward was faster, more in tuned with every part of his body. That, along with a incredibly sharp blade and dense armor, brought Edward up to his massive beast; he truly was a Helsing. Moros hands begin to grow, then his legs, his arms, his head, and his body. He gets a bit taller and his teeth get a bit bigger. Then his blue fur gets thicker, making him look like a monster in human clothing. Moro''s roars shake the night sky. Even with a giant monster standing before him, all Edward does is point his sword at Moro. Edward: COME AT ME YOU BEAST! KILL ME RIGHT HERE! Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Moro charges Edward on all fours, shaking the broken burning ship. Moro swings his giant arm, an arm the size of Edward''s entire body at him with full force. Edward tries to block with his sword, but he struggles and is hit so hard it pushes him through the wooden floor, right into the ship''s hull. He gets up, finding himself in a blazing fire, igniting his cloak and forcing him to remove it. Moro grabs him and pulls him out of the flames, burning his hand. Moro tries to bite Edward''s head off but is stopped by his helmet which is too hard to pierce. But if hes able to chomp with full force, his head will be eaten. Edward swings his sword before Moro can take another bite, dragging it through the heavy, dusty, flaming, raining air and leaving a large gash in the side of Moro''s neck, crushing his collar bone. Moro drops Edward, and his helmet gets stuck to his teeth, leaving Edward helpless to another attack to the head. Moro spits the helmet out and struggles to lift his arms. Through sheer effort alone Moro tries to punch Edward again. Edward pulls back his hand, extends his foot back, and clashes fists with Moro. Moro: NO WAY! Edward uses the dragon''s fist, and the resulting crash sends out a wave of power. But Moros arm begins to wain while Edwards almost shatters. But his will prevails, sending Moro barreling back, while cracking all the bones in his left arm. Edward''s arm slumps down, heavily injured due to the backlash of the technique. Moro stands back up, straining himself to keep his form. Steam starts to come off his body as he starts to run towards Edward, growling the whole way there. Edward tosses his sword into the air, using the dragon''s fist to hit the hilt of the sword, which sends the blade piercing through the air like a cannon. It hits Moros shoulder so hard that it goes all the way through, bursting through his shoulder like it''d been hit with a cannon ball before stabbing into the mast of the ship. Almost blasting right through it. Moro stumps to the ground, trying to move his arm but to no avail. Moro: SHIT! HAHA! YOU TOOK OUT MY SHOULDER! DAMNED BRAT! Edward almost falls over, the backlash from using two dragon''s fists is heavy. Edward {Istill have one lasttrump cardI know he told me not to use itbut I have toif I use another dragon''s fist Ill destroy my armsand even bones in my bodyI have to use it.} Edward seeps into his mind, letting all the rage and pain he has held in his body these past twenty-one years he has been alive burn through, like a raging flame of hate. Breaking past the pain that once held him down to instead use it as strength. Edward: "MORO GRAVESTONE, COMMANDER OF THE GRAVE STONE PIRATES! BLACK BEARDS SECONDARY FLEET! YOU TOOK MY MOTHER! MY FATHER! MY HOME! MY LIFE! FOR THAT, I WILL GET RETREBUTION! YOU WILL FEEL THE HATE I''VE HELD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE PASS THROUGH YOU AS YOU DIE A PAINFUL DEATH BY MAN HAND! I SWEAR I WILL HAVE VENAGNCE! YOU WILL PARAISH RIGHT HERE! Moro: THEY CALL YOU EDWARD VAN HELSING, THE END BRINGER! BUT YOU WILL NOT BE MY END!... I WILL NOT DIE HERE! NOT NOW! NOT LIKE THIS! NOT TO YOU! TO A NOBODY WHO I SHOULDA KILLED YEARS AGO! Edward and Moro scream at each other, and this time Edward starts running toward Moro. Sweat, tears, and blood come off Edward''s face. His shaggy black hair waves in his eyes, and his scared eye starts to bleed. He activates all his internal mana and awakens his OD. The increase in power lets Edward close the distance almost instantly, delivering multiple powerful strikes to Moro''s chest. Each punch breaks bone after bone in both of their bodies, almost killing them. Edward then dives to grab his sword but Moro stomps on Edward''s leg, crushing it. Edward pays no mind to this grabs his sword, and turns his body, stabbing his sword into Moro''s knee. It easily cleaves through, giving Edward the chance to cut Moros''s chest open and return the force to do the same thing once more. Moro, now with his guts about to fall out of his body, cannot do anything more. It was a gamble, taking the rest of Edward''s seemingly endless stamina, but it worked. Moro backs off, letting Edward get up. They both struggle to stand, taking heavy breaths as the rain drenches them. As Edward stands in disbelief Moro shrinks down into his base form, his bones breaking and stabbing into each other. Moro takes out his cigar from earlier and tries to light it, but its no use due to the rain. He drops the cigar and falls to his knees as Edward drags his sword across the sinking, burning ship. Moro: Canyoulightthe cigar? Edward picks up the cigar and the flame crystal, lighting it. He puts the cigar in his mouth and inhales a large amount of smoke, before letting Moro do the same. Edward begins to cough and Moro struggles to laugh at him for it. Moro: Itold youit wasntpersonal Edward slams his sword down onto Edward''s head, crushing it. Edward: "Dammit...DAMMIT! GOD DAMMIT!" Then he does it again and again turning his head into a pool of blood with the floor beneath it destroyed. Edward takes Moro''s jacket and puts it on, but it is much too big for him. He tears some of the bottoms off and wraps the sleeves together so he can wear them like a cloak. He then steps off the ship, and once he does it gets pulled into the ocean and begins to sink. His senses go blank, he hears nothing, sees nothing, feels nothing. Screams of his mother fill his head, and flashes of his mother''s head being bitten off consume his mind. His stepfather''s skull getting crushed. His entire village was consumed by raging flames and horrid screams. And in an instant, it all fades away and a large weight is lifted all over Edward''s body, finally being free. But he still didn''t get his white hair, but he doesn''t care. He walks over and sits beside Soku, lying down with her in the soot covered and wet sand. Soku: Shits rough. Edward: Yougotthat right..no to wait for a healer... End of Chapter Forty-seven Arc 4: Chapter 48. Cracking Arc 4: What families entail Road to a hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 48. Cracking Up on the westernmost part of the wall, looking perfectly upon the currently erupting volcano stands Gray and Caesar. Caesar looks longingly at Gray''s glowing white eyes. Pure rage and confusion transformed into a desire to win. The cloak of darknesss charm starts to swirl with a bit of pure spiritual mana and it absorbs it. Gray sends the newly empowered cloak spreading farther than ever before, and gets much thicker. The cloak shoots at Caesar and grabs his arm, by wrapping around it. And with no input from Gray, the cloak rips Caesar''s arm off. Caesar screams in pain, those same screams slowly turning into a hysterical laugh. Caesar: HAHAHAHA! GRAY DONT LET SOME SPIRITS TAKE YOU AWAY!! I dont want to hurt yah, since I was told to do this! SO KILL ME IF YOU CAN! DO IT!" Gray''s body pays no attention to Caesar''s claims and begins to blindly attack. Slicing, breaking, biting, and tearing Caesar''s body to bits. Every time it heals Gray just tries to kill him again. Again and again, destroying Caesar''s body over and over, and yet he doesn''t seem to feel any pain. Caesar: IM IMMORTAL! BUT YOURE SUPPOSED TO BE CREATIVE, SO FIGURE IT OUT! DO WHAT I COULDNT! FREE ME DAMMIT!" Gray''s mind is faint as if its no longer his for the time being. Gray feels something for a brief second, and then his mind flickers on and off over and over. But since its so faint he cant seem to get a hang of anything. So he forces his body into the astral state. Gray {Isthatmybody?} Gray feels faint, barely being able to remain conscious. He focuses and sees his body fighting Caesar and the gory mess that its leaving behind while floating around in the air. Gray {The volcano erupted...so that means Athensis over. We lost.} Caesar: GRAY YOU IN THERE!? I know this looks bad but you gotta let me explain! Gray {The hells he talking about?} Gray feels a sharp pain in his body, watching bits of his spirit fade. Gray {ShitRyo said the longer Im in the spirit state the closer I am to running out of energy and Ill die. Wait is that spirit mana? The longer Gray stays in his astral form the more he sees, and hes able to see the spirits surrounding his body. Swirling into it and empowering him. With every physical punch landed on Caesar''s body, a bit of spirit mana passes through Caesar''s body. Gray {Im on a time limitof like fifteen or twenty minutesI gotta thinkTHINK!} Gray flies toward his body and tries to force himself into it. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Gray {What the hells going on with the cloak? I could never make it do this no matter how hard I pushed it. NOW GET IN!} Gray gets inside his body, fighting off the spirits. Caesar backs off, watching Gray''s eyes flicker white, normal, and white again. Caesar walks up to Gray and tries to console him, but Gray throws a punch right in the middle of Caesar''s chest, sending all the spirit mana through its body. Gray then falls back and holds his hand tightly. Caesar: Ouchfelt something crack. Gray {Crack? Shouldnt it have just healed? Am I thinking too deeply about this?} Gray: WHAT THE HELL CAESAR! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS!? HOW DID YOU DO THISWHAT WOULD PROVOKE YOU LIKE THIS!? While Gray controlled his anger, pushing the mana around him as he tried to grasp it''s power, Caesar began to talk. Caesar: I never told you the whole story of how I got here. Before I diedI was with a girlthe most beautiful, funny, and important woman in the world. Her name was Bethand we were going to grow old togetherbut we were both struggling. We were poor, sucked at school, and could barely hold a jobso we both got super high, cut our faces, and were going to die together. Gray: And you got here and she didnt right? Caesar: Yepit took me days before I could movemy brain had to healmy heartI died over and over on the groundthen I was found by a strange-looking woman. She looked like a snake womanand she had these sunken black eyes with bright white pupils. Similar to what happens to yours when you do whatever that thing is you do. They gave me a life, a place to live. A PURPOSE! You got here because you didnt wanna live either. So why the hell are you so confused about joining? Gray: Because Im not a terrorist. Just because it would give me a path doesn''t mean I would take it! Caesar: YOU GOT LUCKY, YOU FOUND FRIENDS AND YOUR PURPOSE! Arthur told me about you and your journeyhow you should have died a long time ago. And Im not mad or jealous, I just want to come with US! JOIN US! Gray: WHY ATHENS!? WE WERE GOING TO SAVE IT TOGETHER! Caesar: I was going tothen Arthur said he wanted to wait. He met with Beauregard and when he saw you guys were herehe wanted it gone. When Peter told me about the explosives I stored some of it for myself and I sent some of my men to plant it. Gray: So the Spartans are really just the Sect then Huh? Caesar: Yeahpretty much Gray: UGhDAMMIT ALL! Caesar: Look, Edward and Soku are super far away. And Rosemary, Julius, and Leo are high up in the air with Dema! Theyre fine! I MADE SURE THEY WERE SAFE! Gray: THATS NOT THE POINT! HOMES, PEOPLE, HISTORY ALL BURNED! Caesar: THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN ANYWAY! Gray: YEAH BUT WE WERE GONNA PREPARE, MAKE SURE EVERYONE GOT OUT! NOT THIS! Caesar: WELL...Well...Yknow they really talked you up. I hope you''re as good as they say, I hope you can free me. Gray flows the enhanced cloak around his body, feeling the intensity. Gray {This is so much stronger, and its moving like its a part of my bodyand not just a weapon. I think the powers are fading though so I need to act fast.} Gray grabs his mask with the cloak, putting it on. Caesar: Youre the man who without any training, was able to beat an empowered member of the Sect. You''re a boy with god-like amounts of mana. You''re the only man to be sought out for and trained by Musashi Van Helsing. You''re the so-called personal grim reaper of the Sect and the now-named Phantom Knight. And I wanna see if you live up to the hype, SO KILL ME! BE THE ONE TO FINALLY DO IT! Gray stands still, focusing on his spiritual sense, trying to hold back the spirit state. The white glow peeks through as the black shell coats over it but cracks while trying. He releases the wrist talons, flows the cloak around him, and stares at Caesar with his black eyes cracking, showing the pure white light. Gray runs at Caesar and tries his hardest to summon the pure spirit mana. And with each hit he lands he focuses on Caesar''s chest, Caesar tries to hit Gray, but the difference in both power and skill is staggering, leaving him unable to hit Gray. Every time he tries to do it Gray either moves out of the way, catches it, or the cloak does it for him. Caesar: COME ON! DO IT! Gray stabs Caesar in the throat to stop him from talking, at least for a second. Gray {I can feel ithis OD crackingall the way back to my first day in this world, when I was fighting Jeremiah the same thing happened to me. I overworked my OD to such a degree that it broke and I almost died. I was lucky Musashi got to me immediately. But nobody is coming for Caesar, and thatll be his downfall. I''ll kill him up here, and I''ll work him to his limit. I''ll forcibly break his OD, and take out the immortal solider. } So Gray will use all of the stamina and mana he''s built up control of to take out this lazy fighter. Because he didn''t train himself or his abilities, his OD is just as strong, no, weaker than the average persons since his soul has yet to fully connect to his OD, similar to Grays current predicament. So only using his strength and his weapons Gray will use every bit of his power to kill Caesar and avenge the burning city. End of chapter Forty-eight Arc 4: Chapter 49. Penguin Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 49. Penguin On top of the mountain, a few minutes before the volcano erupted Lincoln was just sitting on a chair outside drinking. Lincoln: Somethings off, I dont know what but I can feel it. You know what, Im done with this shit. Im gonna go to Greenvale early. My old ship should work, I dont feel like going across the bridge so itll work. Lincoln packs his things and walks to the bottom of the mountain. He gets to the back of the mountain and enters a cove on the side of the mountain. He looks upon his crusty, dirty ship and jumps on. He puts his stuff up, and sets sail. As soon as he gets out he feels the rain hitting his face, and lets his fall on him for a while. Lincoln: Mmm this is nice. But still, something seems off, but what could it- The volcano erupts, putting a horrified look on Lincoln''s face. Lincoln slumps down, takes a swig of his booze and does a little shake before he gets right back on the wheel. Lincoln: Oh no, old person senses. I really am getting old. Dammit, the lavas gonna block the faster way out. I gotta go the other way now. Lincoln sets sail to go around the other side of the island. Edward and Soku lay on the beach, listening to the fighting slowly stopping behind them. Soku: You think they won yet? Edward: I hope so. How do you think were gonna get out of this? Soku: Something usually comes up.LIKE THAT! Lincoln pulls out in front of the bay, waving at Edward. Lincoln stops the ship and lets them on. Edward: Hey thanks for the lift. Soku: So youre Lincoln Valentineyoure a bigger drunk than I figured. Lincoln: Edward, how come your friends are cooler than you? Edward: Thanks for that. What about the Red Arrows? Lincoln: Look, theirs another ship right over thereoh they finished. Soku: Really!? Lincoln: HEY YOU GUYS! GET ON THAT BOAT AND FOLLOW ME! The Red Arrows left after the fight are taken aback at the sight of seeing Lincoln. But they all run onto the other ship and follow behind Lincoln. Lincoln: You need to pick anybody else up? Edward: I have faith the others can manage, just head around the island and maybe they''ll hitch a ride. Lincoln: eye-eye. Across the island, atop Athens walls while the Volcano continues to erupt and destroy the city around them, Gray aims all his punches toward Caesar''s chest, focusing all the remaining spirit mana through his OD, putting pressure on it. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Gray {i just have to keep at it, but I dont have an infinite supply of spirit mana. I can only use a bit of it with high focus, but I need an almost pure form of it. I gotta use the leftover pure spirit mana in my body from the astral state and Im gonna run out of itI need to think of a way to get it back and also retain control.} Caesar: THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!? AND WHAT THE HELL IS CRACKING!?... Oh shitthats my mana orb thingI GET IT! GOOD JOB, THATS PRETTY SMART! COMMON BREAK IT! KILL ME! RELEASE ME, FINALLY, LET ME DIE! Gray: DAMMIT SHUT UP! IF YOU WANTED TO DIE THIS BAD YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST MADE YOURSELF RUN OUT OF MANA! Caesar: Actually I never thought about that. Gray: You idiot. The black shell in Gray''s eyes starts to crack even more, letting the spirit state power out bit by bit. But a bit of control is lost along with it. And the angrier and more emotional Gray gets the more fierce the cloak of darkness gets. Curving and stretching around like tendrils, tendrils that shoot out at Caesar, grab him by his limbs, and rip them off. His body heals instantly, and the cloak keeps coming. Grabbing him and slamming him into the ground over and over. Gray {CALM DOWN DAMMIT! I CANT GET THE CLOAK TO DO WHAT I WANT! DamnI can feel the cracks in his ODits about to breakbut if I go for any longer, Im going to run out of gas. Focus all of it on one attack, a finishing move.} Gray struggles to keep the cloak back, he tries to pull it back but it feeds off his anger, wanting to kill and only kill. Gray {UGH! COULDNT YOU DO THIS SOME OTHER TIME YOU DAMN CURSED CLOAK, I NEED TO CONSERVE MANA!} Caesar spreads his arms and awaits Grays move. Gray flows all of the pure spirit mana into his arm and it swirls around like an aura. Gray {I cant get it into a finer shape than this, so it has to workTHIS IS IT!} Caesar: HIT ME! Gray runs at Caesar and punches his chest with full force. It funnels out of his arm, into Caesars OD, and bursts through it. Gray falls back and watches Caesar erupt with mana. His skin boils, his bones break, blood vessels burst and he falls down on his back. Gray walks over to Caesar, takes his mask off, and lays down beside him. Gray starts to ease down and retracts the cloak into the crescent-shaped charm on his necklace. Gray: Whyd you do it? Whats the point? Caesar: I dunnowe know life sucksand I wanted to make it not suck. I made a mistake. Im sorry. Gray: Youcould have just not done it yknow? Caesar: I had toI couldnt let these people down. Gray: What makes these people so special? Why them and not you? Caesar: They are the reason I got to come back to lifethey sent that assassin that killed the old king, that assassin died and I got to come here and try again. Gray: But you just did what they wanted. Not what you wanted. Caesar: I dont know what I want. I met so many people and grew a name for myself. I got to be special in a way. Gray: But why be the bad guy? You dontyou didnt have to be one. Caesar: I was just born that way..always falling and failing, failing in every single way. I had to make sure some people believed in me. Gray: You wanted to make people like Arthur and those Sect loonies believe in you? Caesar: I just..dont know Caesar starts coughing up blood while his body continues to deteriorate, slurring his speech. Caesar: You love Rosemary dont you? Gray: Yeah I do, why do you ask? Caesar: I met my soulmateand I was supposed to be with her foreverand I lost herIm finally going back to her. Live your life, and if you really love Rosemarylike you would die with or for herdo anything to keep her around. Gray: But what if she feels differently? Like she loses feelings and gets an ick, our relationship started unusually quickly. So it would make sense if it just fell apart. Caesar: If she broke up with you would you stop loving her? Gray: No. Caesar: Then there you have it. Gray: So this is it for youdo you think youre gonna reincarnate? Caesar: I dont knowbut if I get a choice Im not gonna. Gray: This world basically has a confirmed Heaven and Hell ya know. Caesar: Really? Gray: Positive spirits go to Alfheim and negative spirits go to Eclis. Caesar: Eclis? Gray: I read a story about it, they call it that because there''s an eternal eclipse down there. Caesar: Well Im going to hell then. Do you think people from Earth go there too? Or do you think its separate? Gray: I dunno, could be either or. Caesar starts coughing up even more blood blood and struggles to keep breathing. Caesar: Back when we were all drinking a few hours ago I was gonna ask you guys what you thought your spirit animals were. I think I could be a gerbil, what about you? Gray: Im definitely a penguin. Caesar: Ccoolhehegetit? Caesar takes his last breath, and his heart stops. His body sits on top of the walls of a burning city, lifeless and unfulfilled. As his mana reaches its end, his physical body rapidly deteriorates and wilts away, flowing into the ashy air with the wind like a flower losing its petals. And Gray, with not much stamina left, just has to wait for something to save him. END OF Chapter Forty-nine Arc 4: Chapter 50. So long and thanks for all the trauma Arc 4: What families entail Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 50. So long and thanks for all the trauma The city burns a bright orange. The smoke covers the city making it difficult to breathe and the soot falling from the sky doesn''t help. Rosemary battles Calgary by herself and is currently doing pretty well. Calgary: YOU CANT BEAT ME! I WONT LET THAT HAPPEN! Rosemary: Really? You cant even go into the fourth stage now. And you can barelystay in the third. As far as Im concerned you lost the second the fight started. Calgary: DAMMIT, DONT YOU FUCK WITH ME! I WILL KILL YOU RIGHT HERE! Rosemary wipes sweat off her brow and shakes her body. Calgary tries to enter the third stage but to no avail, so hes forced to go into the second. Rosemary was barley hanging on within the third, swinging her fist faster than his. He takes a step back. However, due to the pressure his body is under his ankle crumbles. He screams out in pain and tries to crawl away from Rosemary after being knocked away. He tries and tries and crawls and crawls. She slowly walks behind him, and once she gets up to him she grabs him by his collar and throws him into a wall. She puts her hand on his throat and grips tightly. Rosemary: What really happened the day the Golden Knights died!? Calgary: I told youwe got attacked and Judge - Rosemary punches Calgary in the face, breaking his nose. Rosemary: TELL THE TRUTH! Calgary: OKAY, DAMN!...it was the Sects leaders I thinkJudge sold us outand four scary guys started walking up. The leaderhis gray slim wrinkled bodyand that flat pale facewhis nose looked like bats... his teeth were all crooked and crackedand he had a sharp tooth on each side of his mouth similar to a vampire from the fantasy booksand he was also baldhis image will be forever burned into my mind Rosemary: Thats so strangethat sounds like Prometheus and I think hes the leaderbut when I saw him he looked like a boney jesternow that you mention the teeth I think he had teeth similar, I should have been able to put that together. But vampires are fantasy, something in folklore and horror stories. Calgary: Thats not allThey were all fucking terrifyingthe skeleton had like a deer skullwith glowing green pupils inside a black eye hole. He had this auralike he was death incarnate. And one of them looked like he had somewhat of a snake look. The snake-like teeth, his sunken eyes, white hair, and scaly skin. Rosemary: I saw a guy similar to the snakehis name was Severus. But I didnt see the deer skull oneI did see a human skeleton thoughwith similar eyes to what youre describing. Calgary: Oh and there was one more, a big slender bird-looking thing. It was normal armor but it had bat wings wrapped around it and this curved beak on the helmet. Rosemary: I''ve seen that one. Prometheus, Lazarus, Severus, and Pandora. From your descriptions theyre similar but your version sounds more otherworldly. Like our versions were fake. Calgary: Thats all I knowI swear. Rosemary: I believe youand now I really will be the last Golden Knight. Calgary: WAIT, WAIT! Rosemary pushes her arm into the fourth stage and hits Calgary''s face so hard that it caves in. She falls back, breathing heavily looking at her broken, blood-stained hand. And with a heavy sigh, a massive weight finally leaves Rosemary''s body. Leo and Julius then walk up to her and nod. They begin to lead her back to Beauregard''s room and walk back to the broken window. Rosemary: DEMA COME ON! Dema flies around and lands inside the castle, so they get on her. Rosemary: Shitwere we going? Leo: Edward is near the shore so he should be fine for a bit. But we still need to help him. Julius: And we dont know where Gray is. Caesar led him off somewhere. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Rosemary: Graywe need to go to Gray. If Edwards'' group lost then it would be a waste to go there, but if they won I''d assume they''re safe since they''re near the sea and not in the city. Dema should be able to track Graytheyre connected in a way. Leo: Good call, I respect it. Now lets go. Rosemary: Dema! Go find Gray okay? Dema squeaks and dives out of the castle, flying over the burning capital. Its a horrible sight, screaming panicking people trying to run left. Lava seeps into every part of the city, permanently destroying it. Leo: Athensis gone Dema leads them toward the western side of the Athens wall. Rosemary looks around and notices Gray sitting beside Caesar''s deceased body. Rosemary: GRAY! Rosemary jumps off Dema and runs up to Gray. She hugs him but hes unresponsive, showing no emotion. He gets up, shakes his face, and slaps his cheeks. Suddenly his eyes brighten up and a smile forms on his face. Gray: I''m glad to see you''re safe." Rosemary: "What happened!?" Gray: "Caesars responsible for all this, or the Sect as a whole is. And I...I took him out. We gotta go. Leo: Get on. Gray: What about Edward and Soku? Julius: Well just have to go get them. Then a boom in the distance, a cannonball that fires right into the side of the wall, getting all of their attention. Gray runs to go see whats going on, leaning over the wall to see two ships in the water. He looks even closer and notices Edward, Soku, and Peter waving them on. Leo: Who the hells driving theDAD!? They all get on Dema and fly towards the ships, landing on the main ship. Leo walks up to the captain of the ship whos sitting by the wheel drinking. Leo: Dad? Lincoln: Oh hey Leo, reunion later we gotta get out of here! Leo: The hell happened to your face, whats with the covering? Lincoln: New technique, had to use it to kill that assassin that killed your uncle Froid. Leo: Oh, HEY! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!? While they catch up Gray and the others run up to a recovering Edward and Soku. Gray: YOU GUYS MADE IT! Edward: Yeah, all thanks to Lincoln. Rosemary: So thats the great Lincoln Valentine, I cant believe hes right therenevermind that, SOKU YOU BEAT HIM! Rosemary hugs Soku, squeezing her broken bones. Soku: YeahOW, OW! STOP! Peter: Lincoln told us he thought something was up, so he was gonna leave on his ship. Because of the volcano''s lava, he had to pull around the other side of the island and he saw us on the bay! Gray: Lucky, and the other ship? Soku: One we stole from the pirates. Most of the Red Arrows are on that one. Julius: We cannot sail to Greenvale. We will have to get off the boats back on the mainland. Leo pushes his father, smacking the booze out of his hand. Leo: YOU LEFT US! WE NEEDED YOU! You could have stopped BeauregardAND NOW HES DEAD! Lincoln: Oh nice you killed him. Guess you won the war. Leo: Won theWON THE WAR!? MY BROTHER IS DEAD, YOUR SON FELL TO HIS DEATH! Or he survived the fall and bled out, or he burned to deathit was terribleAND YOU DONT CARE!? ATHENS IS GONE, THOUSANDS BURNED ALIVE, AND MORE ARE LEFT WITHOUT HOMES! Lincoln: Its what comes with war. Oh, and I made a promise to Edward down there that I would help you guys in the Sect thing or whatever. Leo: I DONT CARE ABOUT THAT! I - Lincoln conks Leo on the head and begins to sail the ship back to Walgonias shore. Gray: There''s gonna be a lot of people on the other side of this bridge. Edward: Ughyou know I might have to rest, Im in a lot of pain. Rosemary: I agree. Soku, Edward you need to lie down. Gray: HEY! THEYRE TRYING TO GET OUT OF HELPING! Soku: Ooooh Rosemary, heeeeelp Rosemary: Gray!, dont be so abrasive. Gray: Bleh. Lincoln: LAND HO! They park the ships on the beach and all walk off of them. They get to the other side and find a bunch of covered wagons. Gray: The hells happening? Gray runs up the beach to see whats going on. Hundreds of refugees were covered in ash as well as luggage, bodies laying on the ground, and dead burnt bodies. Most of the people are getting in the wagon, being helped by men wearing knight uniforms. Gray: ShitSect knights. One of the knights walks up to Gray, and Gray readies himself. Gray: Look dude I dont want any trouble. The knight takes off his helmet revealing himself to be Jong, back in uniform. Gray: JONG! Jong: GRAY! Jong gives Gray a big hug, squeezing his back. Gray: What are you doing here? Jong: Well I got a bunch of my men and we''re gonna help you with the civil war! But when we got here we found a bunch of people in need of help and the damn volcano erupting! Gray: Can you give us a ride? Jong: Yeah sure, we were sending some fired knights to Greenvale so you can hitch a ride with them. Two already left but the last one is about to leave. Its the one with the red top. Gray: Nice, thanks man! GUYS COME ON FOLLOW ME! The Red Arrows converse with the knights while Gray''s group gets into a wagon, ending their time in Athens and finally going back to Walgonia. A few hours pass and the flames of Athens die down. Crawling on the ground, with more broken bones than solid ones. Burnt skin and a gash in his side crawls a lost and broken man. Breathe in, Breath out. Coughing again and again, crawling inch after inch, covered in soot. The disheveled woman looks up to see a figure clouded in dark smoke. The woman waves the smoke away revealing his form. The woman is dressed in the robes of the Sect, white mask and all. The woman takes his mask off, and she looks pretty normal, with purple eyeliner and navy blue lipstick. She looks into the sky and starts to laugh, then her skin starts to peel and blister, turning a pale white. Her body gets slimmer, becoming very boney, her eyes turn a sunken black, and her teeth turn yellow and curve. She starts to chuckle, reaching her hand to the burned man''s face and touching him. He feels his burnt skin heal, but the damage has taken its toll, permanently scarring his body. He feels the gash on his side has also turned into a jagged scar. The woman reaches into her pocket, takes something similar to their communicator out, and holds it in the air, still touching the burnt man. Then the communicator begins to glow a dark red. The ground beneath them gets a big version of the Sects symbol burned into it, and it erupts in bright light. Then the woman begins to speak with a familiar voice. Prometheus: Come on Beauregard, I want to show you my home. Their bodies get enveloped and dispersed into the bright light, which gets sucked back down into the ground. With the only evidence of anything happening being the Sects symbol still left in the ground, which begins to get covered in soot and ash. End of Chapter Fifty Arc 5: Chapter 1. Not off to a good start Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 1. Not off to a good start The covered wagon carrying Gray, Rosemary, Soku, Edward, Peter, and Julius drives down the dirt path toward Greenvale village. Julius drives the carriage, sitting in the front quietly. On the inside lays two benches where the others sit. Gray laying down on Rosemary''s lap, Edwards staring off into space, and Peters chatting with Soku. Soku: Gray, did you have to put those weird clothes on? Gray: Do not insult my fit, this jacket, these pants, and these shows are top-of-the-line branded clothes! Good thing I kept them in Demas saddle or it would have burned in all that fire. Dont make fun of me for being comfy. Soku: Whatever. Gray: How come we dont run into any monsters!? Fantasy world my ass. Rosemary: Most spirit monsters stay near the the Ever-forsest, Ever-bog, Ever-Lagoon, and the Ever-desert if theyre walking about, they usually dont try to attack humans unless provoked. Peter leans out of the wagon and points to the mountain on which Greenvale is built. Peter: LOOK! Wooh, it is on the biggest mountain range in Walgonia. And were like two or three days away, to think we can see it! Gray turns his head towards Peter to respond. Gray: I was lucky enough to be able to ride Dema to Athens, it only took like a day. Soku: And why cant we ride on Dema? Rosemary: Dema''s is tired, so we left her with Leo back at the Athens bridge. Peter: Do you think Leo and his dad are catching up? Gray: Lincoln seems like he didnt wanna talk to em, so probably not. Rosemary: How did you come in contact with the knights by the way? Gray: I got attacked by some members of the Sect and had to land near a village. I got lucky that an ex-knight gave me a place to rest, and he told me what had been going on. He told me where to find Jong and I traveled there. I drank with him, fought with him, and got him to collect the rest of the fired knights. Rosemary: You fought with him? Gray: Yeah, some random Sect dudes showed up and we dealt with them. Some guy namedZhao cut me with this sickle chain blade thing too, its how I got this scar on my lip. Peter: ZHAU!? LIKE CRIMSON ZHAO!? Gray: Yeah I think, why? Soku: Crimson Zhau is one of the most notorious bounty hunters in the WORLD! How the hell did he let you live? Gray: I dunno, I was merciful to one of the Sect guys and he let me go. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Rosemary: Crimson Zhao is with the Sect!? Gray: Ehh, it seemed like more of a temporary thing. Soku: Lets hope so, if we meet him were dead. Gray turns back over, but something falls out of Gray''s jacket pocket, getting everyone''s attention. Peter: Whats that? It looks like the Sects symbol. Gray: Oh, I forgot about that. I rummaged through Caesar''s pockets after I killed him and found one of their communicators. Peter: Woah, how does it work? Gray: I dont know, I used it once but it was already connected or whateverwait how come we dont use communicators!? Rosemary: We dont have any to what I know of. Gray: Have the Sects have never been stolen then? Rosemary: They have but our mana doesn''t work for them. If we try to use it, it will just disintegrate. Gray: Then how did I use it? Soku: Your mana is similar to the Sects. You may be able to use this one then. Gray: This symbol is one of all of their clothes, does this weird-looking M thing mean anything? Rosemary: Julius do you know what it means!? Julius: Oh that, it is what people believe dark magic runes looked like. Gray: Dark magic? Soku: Thats not real, its just superstition. Edward: It may be superstition, but we live in a world full of impossibilities. Whats one more? Soku: Dont tell me you think its real. Edward: I dont know if its real, but I know that Musashi talked about it. So there must be something similar. Peter: Either way, it seems like it just connects mana. Sound crystals can transfer sound, and the way the mana is webbed inside this thing links them together. So if we use the same mana web with some good crystals and link the sounds, we could transfer voices between each other. Gray: You could tell all that just by looking at the thing? Peter: I like tinkering with stuff all the time. I learned a lot by messing around with Leo''s spear, whose mana signature is linked with his, so Im familiar with stuff like this. But to replicate it you need great control of mana and the spirits. Gray: I know a guy who would be great with that type of thing. Peter: GREAT! I think I just cracked communication! Peter shouts with great excitement, unable to control himself. Julius: We seem to have an issue. Soku: What? Soku gets out of her seat and looks out the wagon to see the other carriages ahead of them destroyed and a blaze. Smoke comes off the carriages, obscuring their vision of the area. Soku blasts some wind through the smoke, revealing pools of blood coming from the mountain of burning bodies. Soku throws up, and the others get out of the wagon to see what happened. Gray rummages through his things while everyone else goes to check on the situation. Gray {This is the part in the horror movie where everyone dies, or I die because Im still in the car. We should just leave, but noooo, we gotta check who killed all these trained knights with ease.} They walk around and see a feeble old man walking up the road. Everyone backs off and waits for something to happen. The old man: My soulaches Rosemary: What did you say, sir!? What happened here!? The old man: MY SOUL ACHES! The old man holds his arms forward and they launch at the group. They all dodge, letting their arms hit the ground, creating a great cloud of dust. Soku: PETER RUN! Peter begins to run towards the carriage, but the wagon is cut down in the middle by a great blast of wind, sending it flying into the air. Another blast of wind is sent toward Peter but Gray sends the cloak of darkness to Peter and pulls him out of the way. Peter: WHAT THE HELL!? Gray: I KNOW RIGHT! I ALMOST DIED! They see another person walking from the direction the wind slashes came from. A ghastly woman with pure white skin, black spiraled eyebrows, black lipstick, and pointed ears slowly walked towards them. With each step she takes it''s like a bell is rung through hell, a devilish force coming straight to them, dressed in an all-black Kimono. Gray looks at her with pure fear in his eyes, which she feels deep within her. She glares at him with her shut eyes and permanent smile as she slowly tucks her white Shirasaya blade into its pure black sheath. Everyone groups up, standing in a circle with Peter in the middle. Gray: SHIT! WHAT DO WE DO!? Soku: Can WE FIGHT THIS Edward: That womanshes Shioreta the Black flashwe cant beat herwere gonna die. Rosemary: And that man''s voiceits the same as Severus, and his skin has scales! Severus: YOU HAVE SOMETHING WE WANT BACK! GIVE IT TO ME AND I WONT HURT YOU! NOW GIVE, GIVE, GIVE! Gray: HELL NO, YOUR FRIEND HERE IS JUST GONNA KILL US! Shioreta: Youre far too loud, boy. Gray {WHAT DO WE DO! WERE DEAD, THIS IS IT THIS IS THE END!} Gray''s eyes light up, and he grabs the communicator out of Peter''s hand and rases into the air. Gray: DO SOMETHING! Gray embeds loads of mana into the magical device and begins to glow a bright red. Severus: TAKE THEM! Gray: DO SOMETHING, I JUST WANNA GO HOME DAMMIT! Severus and Shioreta strike the group, but the ground beneath the group glows in the shape of the Sects crest. It ignites and envelops them in a flash of light, and in a flash, theyre gone. End of Chapter One Arc 5: Chapter 2. Close calls Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 2. Close calls Back at Greenvale village, the floor of the cottage the group was living in begins to glow in the shape of the Sects'' main symbol. The symbol releases a flash of red light and the group rematerializes in their living room. They all stumble onto the floor, having lost all of their stamina. Gray, who is the only one standing upright, is still holding what they think is a communicator in the air. Gray: What the hell. With everyone distraught, covered in sweat and drenched in the taste of imminent death, they all try to get back into their right minds as fast as possible. Peter: WE WARPED!..where are we? Rosemary: Wereback home? Peter: Like your house in Greenvale? Soku: I think so. Edward: We need to go to Gordons'' home immediately. Gray: Yeah we need to get right on that. Edward runs out of the front door and begins to run to Gordon''s house. Soku: Shit, we lost most of our stuff. Everything got burned in the Athens fire, and now that last bit is still in that carriage. Gray: Good thing I grabbed the cloak, and my mask. Soku: Instead of grabbing a bit of armor, or a sword you get your mask? Gray: Look! I was scared and I had to act fast! Peter: Good thing you did act fast, not only did you save my life you teleported us out of that shit show. Gray: Yeahnot really sure how I did that. Peter snatches the Sects device out of Gray''s hand and begins to feel and look for something to tell him more about it. Rosemary: That was Shioretathe damn Black flashif she and Zhao are working with the Sect then that is a big disadvantage on our side. Gray: Umwho is that? Soku: A super, SUPER strong sword master. Shes one of the three legands, her, Zhau, and Toren. Her sword skills are on par with the Devils Shogun." Gray: And Severus was there toowe almost fucking died. Soku: Yeah what''s with the old man''s body? He didnt look nearly that old last time we saw him. Rosemary: I got some info from Calgary and when he described Sererus he said it was a woman. So either there is more of him, he can shapeshift, or hes changing bodies. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Gray: A body hopper, guess thats why his soul aches huh. Peter: Oh, Edwards back! Edward walks through the door with Gordon by his side. Gordon greets the group and Gray notices Ryo walking in behind them. Gray excitedly runs up to Ryo, having wanted to tell him the way he defeated Caesar since he did it. Ryo: Gray! Edward told us what happened, are you alright? Gray: Oh Im fine, but I wanted to tell you something. Gordon: Gray can it wait? Gray: Yeah but - Gordon: Alright good, we gotta break down what the hell happened in Athens! Edward: This may take some time to break down. They all sit down in the kitchen, which Gray begins to clean out of boredom. The kitchen had been left unclean; it was bugging Gray, and the fact that he just wanted to do something and not listen to a boring recap was a good factor in his cleaning spree as well. After a bit of explanation, Gordon decides they need to make a plan of action. Gordon: Gray, you came up with the idea of helping Athens and because of that the Red Arrows, Leo Valentine, and a third of the Athens guards are with us. Do you have any other ideas? Gray: Ummmall the capitals are surrounded by walls right? Gordon: Yeah. Gray: So split up groups of our army into three or six-something teams and move in on the castle. Driving them in so we can group up and stop them. Soku: But how would we even get in? Im sure they would ensure we didnt get in since theyre looking for us. Rosemary: The walls near the slums are hardly guarded! We get in through one of the many holes and slowly move throughout the capital. Gordon: Communication would be an issue though, what if we just lose a side or we get found out? Peter: Im working on something that might solve that issue. Edward: What if the rest of the army doesn''t make it here? Gray: What do you mean? Edward: Theyre going down the same path we did. Severus and Shioreta might still be on the road. Gordon: Theyre helping refugees, so hopefully the Sect leaves and Jong will come a little late. Ryo: Itll take a few days for them to get here, and with the refugees, it will possibly take a week or so until their arrival. Gordon: Spend the time getting ready, Ill spend my time refining the plan into a battle strategy. And when Lincoln, Leo, and Jong get here Ill be able to finalize it. Gray: Alright then, Ryo can we talk about something? Ryo: Of course. Gray leads Ryo outside and shrugs his shoulders as if hes letting a heavy weight off of them. Ryo: Im very impressed with your development. And even if Athens was lost it wasnt on you so in my eyes you won. Gray: Thanksbut I did lose. I trusted someone I shouldnt have too quicklyand he was working under my nose. And almost let my emotions get me killed. Ryo: Having issues with the spiritual state? Gray: Yes! Damn I lost itbut I regained a little control. I flew out of my body and forced my way in. Then I trapped the pure spirit mana with the spiritual sense, and I used it like a battery. Ryo: Really? That is something I never triedI had to master it but you found a loop. Gray: Not a complete one, I was running on fumes. But I did something weird to beat Caesar. Ryo: What did you do? Gray: Somehow I was funneling the mana through Caesars OD and forcibly broke it. Ryo: Oh, that is a good skill to have down with weaker does. His OD must have been weak because it would take hours if you tried that on somebody strong. Gray: I got lucky, but Im not strong enoughCalgary almost killed me. I can hardly control my connections with normal spirit mana, but I cant even fathom being able to use pure spirit mana. Ryo: This pure spirit mana you talk of, you mean using the spirit itself right? Gray: What do you mean? Ryo: You see, spells work by mixing your mana with mana in the air produced by my spirits. Spirit mana is a finer form of mana, which you can use to create stronger attacks. Pure spirit mana as you call it, is just using the spirit. You take the spirit and absorb its mana into a fine power, but its difficult to use. It took me years to be able to do it on command, and it still gives me a headache after a whileI could even think of how much pain youre in. Gray: It hurts like hell but I gotta do what I gotta doI promised to stop using spells because you said I would hurt them. Ryo: Yes, you can use them if you want but your connection would suffer if you did. Making spirits lose their mana to perform the spirit magic can kill them, other than Cenic of course. Which uses more of your mana than theirs. Gray: I know I get that, but is there anything else I can learn? Or a stronger form of Cenic? Ryo: There is. There are three spells that you could learn, but Cenic has two advanced versions. Gray: I can use more magic! And is there a difference between the two Cenics? Ryo: Only in strength. El-Cenic. El is a prefix that strengthens spells and it makes Cenics'' effects much more potent. Thicker smoke, better sense nullification, and you gain more control of it overall. Gray: Is there a catch? Ryo: It will take more mana to use and itll take a bit for your body to be able to adjust. Have you mastered the base form of Cenic? Gray: UmI can use it I guess but I dont know how well I can use it. Ryo: Well then well have to fix that. Your connections to the spirits will grow, you strengthen your senses, and your mana control will get much, much better. Gray: What about the other two spells? Ryo: Theyre a little complicated so Ill teach you a bit later. Gray: So a spiritual boot camp. Ryo: Yes, a spiritual boot camp. End of Chapter two Arc 5: Chapter 3. Shoulder length Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 3. Shoulder length As the day passes, Gray sluggishly moves around in his bed, annoying Rosemary. Rosemary: Graygetupor go backto sleep Gray: I would love to go back to sleep. Gray lets out a long and aggressive yawn, causing Rosemary to do the same. Rosemary: UGG! Now Im awake. Gray: You smell food? Rosemary: I wonder if somebody made food. Gray: PANCAKES! Gray jumps out of bed, swaps his shorts for his joggers, grabs a clean shirt, and quickly brushes his hair in front of the mirror in their room. Rosemary takes a bit longer, slowly forcing herself out of bed, and grabs her hairbrush from Gray''s hand. She starts brushing her hair when Gray heads to the bathroom. Rosemary continues to wear the same oversized clothes shes currently wearing but decides to wear Gray''s jacket to keep herself warm. Due to the height of the mountain air is a bit thin and the weather is cold, and being in February the temperature likes to stay around twenty to thirty degrees. Rosemary prefers the warmth of spring and summer but Gray loves to be cold. The chance for snow or colorful leaves stands out for him. Gray brushes his teeth smiles, grabs a fork, and stabs it into one of the sausages, taking a bite. Gray: This is really good! Rosemary: Yeah, not too chewy and not too bland. Its perfect! Soku: Alright calm down with that. Gray: Where is Peter? Soku: Still asleep Gray: I would wake him up, but you told me not to go to your room. Soku choked on her food and looked as Gray formed a smirk on his face. She thinks about blasting the wind in his face but she calms down and decides not to. Gray: We went to bed pretty early last night, what happened once I left? If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Soku: Gordon, Julius, and Edward went to make sure that the army gets here safely, and Peter went on and on about how nice our house is. Gray: Our house is nice, it feels like a grandma''s house. A front door opens into a small dining room, which is connected to an open living room as well as an open kitchen with nicely placed windows. The upstairs rooms are nicely sized, with a bathroom in the middle of the hall and two rooms on the other side. Its all well laid out. Soku: Now youre rambling about it. Rosemary: Kinda wish we picked the room by the stairs, its about the same size as our room but we dont have to walk down the stairs. Gray: I told you I dont wanna walk up the stairs to go to the bathroom, and our rooms are the biggest. Soku: So what are we gonna do while we wait? Gray: SPIRIT BOOT CAMP! Gray finishes his food and jumps up, running into the kitchen to wash his dishes. Soku: He seems more active than usual. Reminds me of how he was back at the mansion. Rosemary: I dont know if thats a good thing. The last time he was like this he was suffering in silence. He went through all that stuff with Caesar so I assume that messed with him. Soku: Look, don''t pay too much attention to it. Rosemary: Be more considerate! Rosemary looks at Soku with a disappointed face, and Soku feels a little embarrassed. Gray walks in behind her and puts his hand on her head. Gray: Yeah hows Peter gonna like ya if youre mean to him? And what were you talking about Rosemary? Rosemary: Oh nothing. Gray: Alright, SPIRIT BOOT CAMP! They all get dressed and walk out of the cottage into the cold weather, and onto the snowy ground. Gray extends his arms and lets the fluffy snowfall on his face, letting his tongue out to catch it. Gray: Ahhhh, I miss this. Athens was just wet and salty, this is so much better. Soku: Athens'' weather sucked, the humidity was messing with my hair. Rosemary: Where are we going Gray: Ryo wanted to meet at Gordon''s training grounds. Soku: I get hes strong but we dont have strong spirit connections, whats he gonna teach us? Gray: Hes a god of war so he should be able to teach you something. And not having a strong connection doesn''t mean you cant connect to them, its just harder. Soku buttons up a jacket she picked up off a coat rack as they walked. Ever since Soku lost her cloak shes been uneasy. Shes been anxious and worried and Gray seems to notice this. Gray: Soku, you wanna go buy a new cloak later? Soku: Im fine. Gray: You sure? Rosemary: Come on Soku, its cold and youll need one. Soku: Grays not wearing a coat and hes in the snow! Gray: I learned how to withstand the temperature, you on the other hand have not. Soku shrugs her shoulders and nods her head in agreement. Gray puts his hands behind his head and walks forward, heading toward their destination. Gray gets to the training grounds and enters through the fence. They walk up to Ryo, who is meditating in the snow. He begins to hum and Gray joins him, sitting down in front of him and humming along with Ryo. Soku looks on in confusion, not being able to think of something to say. On the other hand, Rosemary understands whats going on perfectly, the relationship between master and student obvious. And with that understanding of their relationship, she can only smile. Ryo stops humming and puts his hand on Gray''s shoulder, smiling at him. Gray smiles back and stands up, brushing the snow off his body. Ryo: Is it time for the Spirit boot camp you were speaking of? Gray: Yeah, I wanna focus on our mana control. Sokus strong but she runs out of stamina too quickly. Rosemary is fine with her stamina but if she wants to get stronger a lot faster, shell need better mana control. And I wanna learn the new spellor get the spell upgrade. Soku: He could have worded it better but yeah, I need to use a lot of mana to do some damage. And I usually just run out by the time Im done. Rosemary: And I struggle with focusing on my stages, multitasking mixed with the pain is pretty difficult. Ryo: Well I would love to help you both. Im glad to see people this secure with these types of flaws. I hope to help you as much as I can. Soku is aback by Ryos''s kind attitude, being more used to Musashi''s and Lincoln''s harsh, rude, and blunt attitudes. Gray: Alright, lets get started! End of Chapter Three Arc 5: Chapter 4. Spirit Bootcamp Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three Chances in another world Chapter 4. Spirit Bootcamp Ryo floats mana around the group, the light blue and white specs lighting up the area. Leviathan soldiers look in awe at the sight, the pure beauty. For all the problems this world has, the monsters trying to kill people, a terrorist group taking down governments, and the pure destruction and madness that Gray has experienced in the three months he has been here. But he''s also seen the calm and kind nature of the forces in this world, the gears that make the world go round. People take this beauty and wonder and make it a weapon for whatever they want, as people do. And Ryo intends to push this message, that with all the pain youve gone through if you just rest, focus, and calm down youll be connected. Ryo: I want you to collect yourself, feel the cold air around you, the freezing wind on your skin.nature itself. Close your eyes, and listen. And they all listen to him, and after a while, they hear the muttering of the spirits. Childlike voices rambling to their friends. They feel themselves sinking into their mind, becoming conscious in their consciousness. Grays the first to open his eyes and see something similar to what he sees when he talks to Azalea. Black fog on the ground, in a pitch-black dark room but somehow with no light you could still see perfectly. Gold and green spirits start to light up around him, forming into Soku and Rosemary. Rosemary notices that shes in her golden knight armor, looking at the gold-colored plating and the black cloth under it. Soku feels the warmth and loving embrace of her brown coat and her once-long hair returning to her. Soku: What is this? Gray: I dunno what to call ita shadow garden, or void of thoughts. Its like youre in your OD or your mind. Rosemary: The OD is like a gateway to the soul. An invisible black orb flows your mana in it, Alfheilm flows mana out of its plain of existence, through domains into your body. So this could mean were at that gateway. Gray: Wait the ODs your body then? Cause I was able to break Caesar''s OD. Soku: Its not that complicated, the gateway or mana trail is the OD You broke his connection and stopped his flow of mana. Gray: Ohhhh! I get it now. Rosemary: Have you been here before? Gray: Ive been herethree, no four times. Its how I was talking to Azalea. More spirits appear, glowing red and blue. They form Ryo, his red hair, kimono, and all. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Gray: Oh wait how did I never ask you this! Ryo: What is it Gray? Gray struggles to remember the woman''s name, and then it shoots into his memory. Gray: Shioreta! She wore a kimono! But hers was more detailed compared to your light blue one. Whats with that? Ryo: Its a robe from the north in Oni-Mas, I traveled there once and bought a few. Gray: Whats Oni-Mas? Soku, looking annoyed, abruptly stops the conversation. Soku: Oni-Mas is the Northern continent, and most people just call it the North. Gray: Waithow many continents are there? Rosemary: Should just be three, and then the Southern Islands. Soku: Yeah, Oni-Mas, Gaia, and Saga. Gray: Gaia as in the earth spiritOni-Mas, kinda like an Oni-mask if you stretch it, and Saga as in a Saga in a story? Ryo: Yes, and youre currently in Saga. Rosemary: And most people agree that Shioreta is from the north. Ryo: I connected your ODs, and let the spirits force you down into them. I want you to know what it feels like, to be within this force that gives you your power. Gray: Wait! Is my spiritual connection so strong because I have so much mana? Because if I have a lot, more room has to be made in my gateway so it can pass into me. So the gateway is bigger, giving me a stronger connection to the spirits! Ryo: Umyes actually that is why. Very clever. Rosemary: So what do you want us to do? Ryo: Remember this feeling, this area. Know yourself and be okay with it. Ryo snaps his fingers and the entire area pulls away, the group''s clothes turning to smoke and returning to their regular state. Leaving the shadow gateway and returning to their bodies. Rosemary and Soku are taken aback by the experience, barely being able to stand up straight. But Gray stands tall, ready for more. Gray: Now what? Ryo: Moving dynamically. Soku shrugs her shoulders in dismay while Rosemary stands with more of a whatever feeling. Ryo: Do what I do. Ryo starts to do dynamic stretches, which the group copies. Gray {Havent done this since tenth-grade gym class.} Ryo pats his legs and stops stretching. Soku: Gray, you spent a month doing this? Gray: Eh, kinda. Youve seen it pay off, I would destroy my old self in a fight. Soku: You just didnt know how to fight. Gray: Eh whatever, still beat you in the knight exam. Soku: EHHH! Ill fight you right now! Soku gets right in Gray''s face, and Gray starts laughing in her face. Ryo: Calm down now, just flow your mana around your body and let it react. Use as much mana as your body can handle, but make it firm and stiff. Dont just follow your mana, but harden it. They all separate and sit down, Gray being the first one to do it. Suddenly a massive amount of mana flows around his body. At first, its like a raging flame, but it settles and turns into a light aura. Rosemary watches as Gray strains himself and decides to join him. She enters the fourth stage and suffers through the pain. Soku is the last to join in, she generates a vortex around her and makes it into a wind cloak. Ryo: Good, now for the fun part. Soku: Andwhatmightthatbe!? Ryo: Youre going to sit here for a while. Soku: OhhhHOW FUN! Rosemary: ButIT HURTS! Ryo: Yeah its going to, but without pain, there isnt going to be any gaining of strength. Gray: So no pain no gainhehe. Soku: YOU SEEM TO BE HAVING FUN! Soku, Rosemary, and Gray struggle to keep their composure, constantly squirming and shaking due to the pain. Gray: OH I am, it hurts like hell but thats spirit boot camp for you! End of Chapter Four Arc 5: Chapter 5. Recovering lost things Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 5. Recovering lost things After traveling for a little over a day in a Conestoga wagon, Edward, Gordon, and Julius are finally getting close to the destroyed wagons. Edward: At this point, we should have met up with Jong and the army already. Edward seems to be panicking a little, constantly shaking his leg. Gordon: They have to do a lot before coming to Greenvale. It would make sense, it''s taking a bit. Julius: I agree, but a bigger issue is the possibility of Severus and Shioreta being there. Gordon: Hopeful they left, because if not were dead. The drakes pulling the wagon start to freak out, panicking about something, and Julius struggles to keep them under control. Edward: Whats wrong? Were almost there, of course, something has to go wrong now. Gordon: MOVE! Gordon swiftly moves to the front of the wagon grabs Julius by the collar, and yanks him into the back of the wagon. Edward: Whats going on! They hear something land on top of the wagon, crushing the roof. A growl is heard, and a sharp scorpion-like tail stabs through the heads of the drakes, causing the wagon to flip. Edward, Julius, and Gordon jump out of the wagon before it fully flips, landing on the dirt road. On top of the flipped wagon, a spirit monster stands on all fours, looking at them with all six of its red eyes. Gordon: STAY CALM! Julius: Red scaly skin, four legs protected by a hard shell, six eyes, two horns facing backward, a strong jaw, and openings on the neck and side. All those character traits are home to the Regile, a high-class spirit beast. Gordon: What the hell is that thing doing out of an Ever biome? And being on a main roadthe hells going on!? Edward: Ive never seen one of these beforeis it strong!? Gordon: Dont breathe in its poison, and dont get stung! The Regile looks at them with killer intent, leaping into the woods beside them. It crawls and swings around in the trees and leaps out at Edward. It swings its long hooked stinger at his face, so he blocks it with his sword. Gordon checks his body, realizing he left his bow and arrows in the wagon. The Regile jumps back, landing a little down the road. The openings in its sides realize a poison gas that comes flooding towards the group. Gordon moves towards the wagon while Edward swings down his large sword as hard as he can, the great force pushing back the poison. Julius swiftly moves past Edward and sprints toward the monster. The monster lets out a great roar and charges at Julius. Julius takes out his slim rapier and delivers multiple swift slashes at the Regile. The creature blocks with its armored tail and goes in for a bite to the face. Julius golden molecule glows and he quickly dodges each attempted attack, bending around the monster with great precision, like a dance. Gordon picks up his things and pulls back his longbow, aiming it at the monster. Strangely, the wooden bow is covered with runes, runes that glow a light green, coating the arrow in mystical energy. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Gordon: MOVE! Julius strikes the monster on the head, using the momentum to flip himself over it, giving Gordon an open shot on it. Gordon lets the string go, releasing the arrow. which barrels toward the monster at a great speed. It pierces the wind like a bullet and hits the monster almost instantly. The Regile tries to block with its armor tail but it goes right through with ease, stabbing into the monster''s face and going right through its body. And with its great power, the arrow causes the monster to explode like a stomped-on cherry. They take a long breath of relief, wiping the sweat off their brows Gordon checks on the wagon, finding it unusable. Gordon: Gather your things, well walk for about thirty minutes and arrive at our destination. Edward: That beast shouldnt have been hereand it was targeting us. Julius: It is very strangeI assume the Sect sent it to halt us. Gordon: But high-level spirit beasts like the Regile are smarter than your normal Orc or troll. So they wouldnt just run out here and attack a strong opponent. They must have somebody with the ability to control these beasts. Edward: I dont think they would have all their hopes on this thing. Either they just wanna mess with us or theyre more monsters around. Gordon: I dont sense anything watching us at the moment, but stay aware. Now lets get going. Edward: Oh by the way, what was with your arrow? That didnt look like normal mana. Gordon: Dont worry about it, its just some magic, thats it. Edward accepts the answer, but Julius smirks as if he knows more than hes leading onto. They walk out of the woodland area and make it to the clearing in the forest where the burned bodies and the destroyed wagons lay only to find about thirty or so small green goblins destroying the area. Edward: This is gonna be time-consuming. Gordon: Wait, look! Gordon points down the road, and one wagon comes over the hill, then another, and another. Though not all of them, the Athen guards and Red Arrows have made their way to Edward''s group. Lincoln stops his wagon and jumps right in the middle of the goblins. They look at him, then at each other, then back at him. The goblins'' feisty and hungry faces slump down, turning into pure fear as they have just met something much, MUCH, stronger than them, preceding them running off. Edward, Gordon, and Julius run down the armies, while Lincoln and the soldiers look on in horror at their burned and ravaged friends. Lincoln takes a swig of his booze and walks up to his burned men. Leo comes running from one of the wagons further back, and once he gets to the burned bodies he breaks down, and clutches his bandana, which has been stained from the blood of his brother Beauregard. Edward walks up to Leo and consoles him, but Leo hadnt noticed Edward so he squeals. Lincoln starts laughing at the embarrassed Leo, which makes him mad. Edward sighs as he has to watch Leo start arguing with Lincoln. Gordon interrupts their argument and gets Lincoln''s attention. Lincoln: What dya want!? Gordon: We came to make sure you weren''t having issues with the Sect. Lincoln: Nah, we aint seen nobody. We had some random monsters attack but nothing too bad. Leo: So the Sect did this? Haven''t they burned enough of my people Edward: Wheres Jong? Lincoln: Hes a bit behind us, he wanted to make sure all those refugees got somewhere to stay. A lot of the men want to join the rebellion so hes sending them. Gordon: DamnI dont know if Greenvale can hold all these peopleits only able to hold the two hundred soldiers, not this many people. Lincoln: I didnt plan on taking all of ''em there, Im not stupid. Julius: Where are they going to stay then? Lincoln: Im planning on having them stay in nearby towns. But I want to take a few of my men up there. Gordon: That should be fine. As long as you, Leo, and Jong are up there we should be fine. Edward: So I guess we should start heading back now right? Lincoln: I guess so, oh whole up. Lincoln burps in Edward''s face and waves the other wagons off, so they begin heading to some nearby towns. Lincoln grabs Edward by the collar of his armor and jumps back into his wagon. Lincoln: I assume your wagon broke. Edward: Umyeah it did. Lincoln: GET ON SLOW POKES! Julius and Gordon get in the back of the wagon, and Lincoln directs the drakes to Greenvale. END OF: Chapter five Arc 5: Chapter 6. Tree carving Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 6. Tree carving After spending all day at Ryos boring boot camp, Gray Soku and Rosemary walk home through the snow. Gray: What do you think Peters been up to? Soku: Either he slept all day or hes working in that shed outside the house. Rosemary: I forgot we even have one of those, we never use it. Gray: I think its where Edward keeps a lot of extra stuff, like metal, crystals extra. Soku: I told him he could use it last night. Rosemary: ActuallyGray, can I walk with you for a bit? Gray stops walking and takes a second to answer. Normally Rosemary has a kind and hopeful feeling surrounding her, but her tone changed so suddenly it made him worry. Gray: Yeah sure, you walk the last bit home I guesswait can I walk Dema while we do it. Rosemary: Yeah sure, go get her. Rosemary seems to be saddened by Gray seemingly prolonging the conversation, which Gray notices. He puts his hands together and he becomes surrounded by spirits. Rosemary and Soku look in awe as he is seemingly communicating with them. The spirits pulse a ring around them and suddenly vanish. They hear something in the distance, something barreling through the air. They look up and see Dema heading towards them, landing right in front of Gray. She nudges the hard, sharp scales on his face, and he gives her a great big hug. Gray: And they say a dogs man''s best friend. Soku: How the hell did you do that? Gray: Its how I called Dema way back when we were fighting Calgary. I pulse my mana and have her in mind, and she can sense it. Rosemary: Shes gotten a bit bigger since the first time we met her at the mansion. Soku: I mean shes pretty young, and the stuff at the mansion happened likewhat was it, oh yeah that was almost three months ago. Gray: Shes growing pretty fast though. Alright, where do you wanna walk? Rosemary: Ohup the hill over there, by that tree. Gray: Alright, NOW WE EMBARK! Soku sighs and walks off, leaving Rosemary, Gray, and Dema to do the same. They start to move through the frozen village, oddly silent. Dema looks at all the houses and shops like an animal would, but Grays just staring at his feet. Gray {What do I say? IS SHE GONNA BREAK UP WITH ME!? OH GOD DAMMIT! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!} Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Rosemary interrupts his thoughts by tugging on his arm. He looks up to see her sad face, almost like shes trying to speak but just cant. Gray goes in to hug her but she pushes him back. He stands confused and worrisome that he did something wrong. Rosemary slowly goes in to hold Gray''s hand and leads him up the hill. The entire time Gray and Rosemary have been back together since they departed back on New Year''s Eve she has been distant. Theyve kissed each other but nothing more than that, nothing like how much they were all over each other when they first got together. Ever since her time with Calgary, something has been off. Gray knows how Calgary kissed her, but he doesnt know how much it affected her. When Gray first got to this world, he was best described as a man-child. Overreacting, not listening, and being rude to Edward for no reason. His persona of being this main character-like person was a big issue, especially with his ego. But it broke and he pieced it back together. But Rosemary is better at reading people than Gray, and she can tell hes falling back into his past way of acting. Having trouble sleeping, and acting more eccentric than normal. The only difference is his ego, which seems to have stayed dead. They finally reach the top of the hill and lay by the single, naked tree. Gray lies against Dema and waits patiently for Rosemary to start speaking. Gray: Is everything okay? Areare we okay? Rosemary: Are you okay? Gray: What do you mean? Nothing happened to me. But youve had to deal with Calgary and all this nonsense about the golden knightsand Ive done nothing Rosemary: Thats not true! You being nice and not treating me any different after Calgary kisses me is enough Gray: Ohso thats what this is about. Rosemary: You didnt know!? Gray: IM SORRY! Its justI could never look at you with mean intentespecially if you didnt have any say in the kiss. He assaulted you and broke your trust. I am so, SO sorry that happened to you. Rosemary: I didnt wanna talk about me thoughback at the mansion I was ignorant. I knew you had something going on, you were tired and struggling and I just accepted it. But then you got hurtand gave up. Gray: And I am SO sorry. I screamed at you for no reasonand I just left. Rosemary: STOP APOLOGIZING! I WANNA SAY IM SORRY FOR BEING A BAD PARTNER! Rosemary stands up and starts breaking down, and all Gray can do is watch. Rosemary: When I first saw youI knew you were important. Without you even speaking I knew the type of guy you were. Nice, warm, and brave. And I feel for you immediatelymy entire life all the people in my life wanted something from meespecially from the men. I am the daughter of the Golden Knight''s leader. So everyone wanted something from mea childa child forced into war. The endless streams of tears coming off of her face are killing Gray, but he knows due to his own experience, to let it flow out, whether he likes it or not. Rosemary: I killed my first person when I was six years oldand I didnt feel anythingI just killed Calgaryone of my own and the last member of my familyAND I FEEL NOTHING! I DONT UNDERSTAND! I didnt feel anything until I met Soku and OpheliaI took advantage of their hospitality and just stayed with them. And then I meet youthe first man to just look longingly at me, not wanting something.just thinking. And then when you saved Soku, and then from Jeremiahwith all that manaI knew you were special. I know that sounds weirdand its gonna get weirderbut when you jokingly asked me to sleep in your room back at the mansionI wish I could have said yes faster than I did. I took advantage of your goofy nature and used it for myself. I could tell you were having nightmaresthat you were overworking yourselfthat you were putting on a maskand I did nothing about it. I just didnt wanna accept it. Then you said you were gonna leave and I tried so hard to make you stay, I was so scared that you were gonna leave me at some pointand then you did. Every word Rosemary speaks stabs into Gray, he would love to think he can understand her, but it would be impossible. Seeing somebody hurting, and youre physically unable to do anything, the exact feeling Gray had put on Rosemary back when he left them, right before Kioshi and Musashis death. Rosemary: You told me I knew nothing about youand youre right. Then you tell me everything about youand you leavebut then you come back! You saved us and acted like it was normalbut Ophelia died in the process. Soku watched her sister die and now shes just sufferingshe doesn''t wanna tell me about her feelings about it and Im just stuck. You went through all that pain and I just accepted itand now Im doing the same thing to Sokuand I dont know how to help her. Then you find another friend, after ArthurI could tell you didnt wanna interfere with stuff from wherever youre frombut Caesar shows up and befriends you. You were so happybut then he also turned out to be eviland youre just doing nothing about it. But I can tell youre building up again like youre gonna break AND I WONT LET THAT HAPPEN! So please tell me whats wrong. Rosemary slouches her back onto the tree and slowly slides down. And Gray seems to understand what had just happened. He broke, all that pressure got to him, and he screamed all his issues at her, and now shes doing the same thing. He knows what can happen when you feel that low, and all he wants to do is help. Gray: RosemaryI love you. And I wanna tell you all the ways you could help Soku, and how Im suffering in silencebut I cant. Rosemary: WHY!? Gray: Because its not possible. All you can do is talk to her. And with meIm not sufferingbut I have been thinking a lot. Caesar is my failureI knew how he got here and I just figured he made it out of that hole of despair just like me. But he didnt and he fell even furtherand he broke. But he took an entire country with him. I didnt make him do that but if I could have done anything differentit would have been to ask him what happened when he got hereand just continue to talk to him until he felt a little better. Rosemary: Sowhat should we do? Gray: Im not in the relationship for the physical stuffI just wanna be with you. So take all the time you need, because Im not gonna ask and I''m gonna be mad. Gray gets up and focuses mana on his finger. He slowly carves something into the tree, and when he backs up Rosemary sees what he did. A heart with their names in the middle, now forever carved into the tree. End of Chapter Six Arc 5: Chapter 7. English Class Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 7. English Class Gray wakes up a little early and begins to get ready for the spirit boot camp. He puts on his jacket, shoes, jogger, and ties his hair into a neat bun at the back of his head before he walks out of the house. And not forgetting to kiss Rosemary on the forehead before he does so. Gray {Thatwas roughI need to make sure shes okay, but she needs to rest and I need to get as strong as I can before we take back Walgonia.wow I never thought I would say something like that.} He thinks and mutters to himself while walking in the snow. Though, he stops for a second to see his breath in the air, and releases it. Gray {I should see if I can get more clothes made out of similar materials. Because the clothes here suck.} After reassuring himself for a moment he continues walking to Gordons'' training grounds and sees all the Leviathan soldiers practicing. He then walks up to a meditating Ryo and sits down beside him. Ryo: Are you ready to learn your spells? Gray: Yep, you said I was gonna learn and practice with... El-Cenic, and two other spells right? Ryo: Exactly right. Gray has always loved the idea of magic and superpowers. The idea of doing something impossible. And he can perform those impossible acts due to the extraordinary circumstances he currently finds himself in. But with some bad luck, he cannot do most types of magic. But with Ryo''s guidance Gray can at least learn spells that he can comfortably use, without hurting or killing spirits. Ryo: The first spell that I want to teach you is the most dangerous. Gray: Is it an attack? Ryo: It is a power increase, which you can give to yourself or your allies. Gray: Oh, so a buff. What makes it so dangerous? Ryo: First of all, it isnt a proper spell. I spent a lot of time researching spells, until I crafted this. And before I tell you how to do it, tell me the basics of magic." It was a hefty question that a lot of people would struggle to answer. Not because it was difficult to find knowledge on but completely the opposite; there was so much to know that forgetting something about it far transcends not knowing it at all. However Gray Kyojin was not only born in an entirely different realm but also hasn''t been informed of such things in high detail, or in much detail at all. So he pulls in ever situation he''s been in and heard of and allows it to fall out of his mouth. Gray: Uhhhhhh, I dont have a finite answer but with some inferences and experience. Every body has mana, the stronger the connection. You can then be born with an elemental ability, absolute affinity, or a mark of providence, but if you''re not, you''re outta luck. I''m pretty sure that fire magic is Ig spells, water is Wig spells, and earth is Dig spells. Then things like Num are balls Ignum is a fireball and so on. And I think Al is like a shield or wall. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Ryo: Excellent. Now, do you know what Ic means? Gray: UmI know Cenic and Satic both have it at the endbut I dont know what Ic means. Ryo: Essentially Ic means spirits make the mana go around. So I made a spell called Knightic, which uses the "ic" suffix." Gray: Okay, so the prefix depends the type of power and the suffix changes the application of such." Ryo: Great! You know more than you let on. Now, when you use Knightic on yourself, spirits will strengthen your body for some time. But when its over your stamina, mana, and physical strength will drop drastically. You can also use it on your teammates who suffer from the after-effects. Gray: Thats gonna be useful in the raid. And the other one? Ryo: This one is a pretty simple spell that I didnt make. Its called Walnic. To put it simply, its just a shield made out of mana. Gray: What kinda shield? Like it looks like a normal shield, or its like a half dome or something? Ryo: Its better if you use it yourself. Gray: Didnt you want me to use Knightic first? Ryo: I want you to practice with Knightic the most, but it doesn''t matter which one you use first. Gray stands up and shakes the snow building up on him off of his body. Gray: Now what do I do to use Walnic? Ryo: Put your hand out, focus mana into it, and cast it. Gray: Alright! Gray stretches his hand out, focuses his mana, and shouts. Gray: WALNIC! A solid, clear, curved, light blue shield forms in front of him. He notices the shield is connected to his hand, feeding mana from Gray into the shield. Gray: Looks like the normal magic shield. But I cant move my arm. Ryo: That is due to the strength of the shield. The more mana, the stronger the connetion. And the stronger the connection, the stronger the shield. And since it needs more mana it needs to connect to you. Gray: And I assume with better control the easier it will be to make a strong shield, and Ill be able to move? Ryo: Pretty much. Gray stops the flow of mana and the shield disappears. He shakes his head and readies himself to use another spell. Ryo: Are you ready? Gray: Hope soKNIGHTIC! Gray becomes overwhelmed by a sudden influx of power. He gets coated in an aura of golden spirits and throws a punch. The punch picks up a bit of wind, blowing the snow away. He feels something dangerous approaching his head, so he ducks. He moves forward so he can get a good look behind him to see Ryo sheathing his sword. Gray: HEY! What the hell! Ryo: Sorry, just testing. And I would have stopped my strike if you weren''t gonna move. I see your reflexes have gotten better. Gray: Yeah I guessbut this power increase helped a lot. How long does this last? Because I like this feeling, its like Im made of iron, and yet Im lighter than air. Ryo: Because I made the spell, and not the spirits, it forcibly uses half of your current mana amount. Though because you''re not an expert with mana control, it may not pay off in the way it should. So if you used it while you had almost no mana, the strength it gives you would be the same if you used it if you had all of your mana. Gray: So I just wasted a bunch of my mana? All of the spirits quickly exit Gray''s body, leaving him writhing in pain. It takes him a few seconds for the pain to wear off and he can stand. He immediately falls on his back and sighs happily as the cold snow acts like ice on his wounds. Ryo: Now for the final spell. Gray: Yepgimme a sec first Gray jumps up on his feet and casts the last spell. Gray: El-Cenic! A massive amount of black smoke swirls around the two, completely taking all of Gray''s senses away. Gray {Whatthe hellcantseecantthink.cant do.anything. Gray begins to feel light-headed and almost falls unconscious. But he bites his lip, overloads himself with mana, and proceeds to try and punch the smoke away. But to no effect, the smoke continues to swirl around him, keeping him consumed until it suddenly stops moving and fades away. He then falls on his back again and gets a sudden headache due to the return of his senses. He tilts his head up to see Ryo sitting down, completely fine. Gray: What the hell was that!? Ryo: That was the enhanced Cenic. You haven''t mastered the base form of Cenic, so I dont see you being able to handle El-Cenic for a while. Gray: Normally people just strike the air and make all the smoke go away. But the smoke just kept on moving so it just returned. So the sense nullification, the constant movement of the smoke, and just the pure amount of smoke is a heavy upgrade. Its almost a completely different spell. Ryo: Im glad you like it. End of Chapter Seven Arc 5: Chapter 8. A powerful meetup Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 8. A powerful meetup A few days pass after Edward''s departure and the group bides their time until he returns. While the others train their abilities, Peter repeatedly tries to recreate the Sects'' communication device without success. Lincoln, Leo, and Jong send their soldiers out to live in close-by towns until theyre needed. After the grueling ride, Edward finally makes it back to Greenvale, dealing with Leo and Lincoln''s bickering. The only saving grace was either begging the few amounts of times Lincoln knocked Leo out and they got some peace and quiet. Their wagon finally makes it up the great mountain, entering through the main gate. Gordon stops the wagon and Edward begins to walk home. Edward: {Its pretty late, I wonder if anybody is awake.} Edward hears something in the backyard, so he walks to see what it is. He sees candlelight coming out of the shed, as well as the sounds of tools. Edward pears in to see Peter trying to make something. Edward walks in and scares Peter, making him drop what hes working on. Edward: You okay? Peter: OH! Hey Edward, youre back! Edward: Yeah, I just got back. What are you makin? Peter: Its supposed to be a communicator. I need to make something the size of a hand and somehow get the sound crystal to work. It needs to be able to connect to another one, but if its this small it wont be strong enough to workDAMMIT! Edward: Calm down, look I know youll get it. Ask Gray, hes good at stuff like this. Peter: Gray knows how to make stuff like this? Edward: Wellno he cant do that to my knowledge, but hes a good problem solver. And get some sleep, you look really tired. Peter: But I NEED to be able to do this! I messed up in AthensIm supposed to be the build guy, the smart guy. This is my contribution to the raid. I cant sleep until its done. Edward sits down on the wooden floor and looks up at Peter with a somber look in his eye. Edward: Look, I know what it feels like to be stuck on something. It took me a while before I solved it, and a lot of sleepless nightsbut eventually, I just sat down, took a deep breath, and asked for help. Our exact situation might differ greatly, but the process is the same. Peter: Butfine whatever. Edward: Youre starting to sound like Soku. Edward and Peter go inside, Peter walks upstairs to Sokus'' room and Edward walks into his room by the staircase. Edward takes his armor off and lays down in his soft bed. And he sits there quietly for quite a bit, only thinking. He gets up and lays down on the hard floor, finally falling asleep. Edward gets up due to noises being made in the kitchen. He gets dressed, wearing a black tank top and some pants to see whats up. Edward pears into the kitchen from his room and spots Gray talking to somebody pretty loudly. Edward walks into the kitchen to find Gray and Jong cooking breakfast together. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Gray: Edward, youve awakened! Jong: DAMN! You got some muscles on you! Edward {Oh godthere''s two of them!} Soku walks in behind Edward, rubbing her eyes in disbelief. Soku: OH GOD! THERES TWO OF THEM! Gray: Oh god youre rightwho knew you couldnt have enough of a good thing! Jong: I WILL NOT BE DISRESPECTED BY YOOOOOOOU CHILDREN! So you guys want some breakfast? Soku: Yeah whatever. Wheres Rosemary? Gray: Shes with Ryo I think. Shes boosted her abilities and shes starting to learn how to fight in the fifth stage. Edward: That fast? She can barely maintain the fourth stage. Soku: Yeah, shes gonna be worn out by the time we get to the raid! Gray: Were all training pretty hard. Hell, I just learned three new spells, and I just started learning how to use pure spirits! We gotta get all we can. Peter walks in, with drooping eye bags. After all the time he''s spent working on the communication devise, he seems to have forgotten something as simple as sleeping, which is obvious to everyone. Peter: Sowhats goin on? Jong: I was making some food before we met up with Gordon, Leo, Ryo, and Lincoln. Edward: All these powerful people in one placeits insane. The last time a god of war fought in a war was over twenty years ago, and now both are gonna be in the same place! Jong: Look, the bacon''s cookin. By the way, were running late, so let''s eat on the way. Gray: WERE LATE!? Gray grabs a handful of bacon, shoves it in his mouth, and speeds out of the door while coating mana around his body to boost his speed. Soku and Peter watch with stunned faces and proceed to do the same thing. Edward: Sorry about this butWERE LATE! Edward takes the rest of the bacon and runs out of the door. Jong: Damn these guys are weirdand they took all my baconWAIT IM LATE! Jong sprints out of the door, shouting for them to wait up. Jong gets to Gordon''s house last, panting and wheezing. He walks in to find everyone sitting down on floor mats. Lincoln takes a swing of his booze, rubs his face, and yawns. Lincoln: SIT DOWN ALREADY! WEVE BEEN WAITIN FOR LIKE AN HOUR! Jong: SORRY, I WAS HUNGRY! Jong hops over to a floor mat and sits down between Gray and Gordon. Jong looks at Gray with a smile on his face only to be met with an angry look, causing Jong to quickly turn his head. Gordon: Now that we are all here I would like to go over the plan for the raid. Gray: Are we just gonna do the original plan? Raid the capital in groups. Leo: Thats what were planning on. But Ive been talking to Ryo about how Arthurs flames work and he has decided that hes going to kill Arthur. Soku: Figured out what about his flames? Ryo: Leo informed me that when he fought Arthur he felt like the mana in the atmosphere was being taken. And since we know Arthur is a part of the Sect, his black flames are most likely from a mana mutation. And mana mutations use mana in the body and the air to perform the ability. Gray: Oooh! And Ryo can manipulate those spirits so he can make sure Arthur''s power doesn''t work! Youre his counter. Peter: SO ITS A FREE WIN! Lincoln: Its not gonna be that easy. There may be a chance the Pillars will show up and attack us. Gordon: Which one of us will be the leader of one of the four groups? So if they send out one of the four members we will have people defend it. Edward: But we aren''t even sure that theyre four of them. And what if they attack group by group? Then well just lose. Lincoln: I agree with him. If the Tartarus group is with the Sect then thats at least six strong people. And Edwards'' friends here are not strong enough to take on a member of either group. Ryos expression turns dark, he disappears from his floor mat and reappears in the middle of the circle, with the Sects device in his hand. And the device seems to be glowing. Gray: Damn youre fast! Peter: Hey that was in my pocket, was something gonna happen!? Ryo: I do not know, but I felt something off. A voice begins to speak out of the device. The voice is raspy and deep like the man''s throat is damaged or burned. Unknown voice: Gray Kyojin must be the one to defeat Arthur. End of Chapter Eight Arc 5: Chapter 9. Slamming doors Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 9. Slamming doors Unknown voice: We know your plans to attack our capital and we will not attack. Arthur doesnt know your plans and we will not inform him. Gordon: Why wont you!? Unknown voice: He has disgraced our values. He only wants power. Gray: And what if I dont fight him!? Unknown voice: Then hell will break loose. The four pillars were able to kill Kioshi, the strongest human alive. And then they killed Musashi, the world''s greatest swordsman, on the same day. So what will happen to all the people who cant fight? And what will happen to you, weaklings? Julius stands up and walks over to Ryo, talking right to the man behind the communication. Julius: You said they so I can assume you aren''t one of the pillars then. How can we confirm what you are saying is the truth? Unknown voice: Ill let you speak with the leader himself. Rosemary: Were going to speak with Prometheus right? Edward: If hes the leader, then yeah it should be that monster. They hear another voice begin to speak. But its not the same voice they heard back at the castle in Walgonia, its the voice of an old man. Its deep and sounds as if the mans struggling to speak, or even breathe at all. Gordon: Is this Prometheus? Prometheus: Thisishim Gray: THe hell happened to you, you sound like youre dying. Prometheus: That is not of concernbutwhat my friendhere is saying.is trueGray Kyojin and hisclosest friends mustbe the ones to slayArthur.because.they must takerevenge on the manthat.killed.Opheliaand Julius brothers right? Soku: I would love to get the son of a bitch killed. Prometheus: AndI knewyou wouldchildso I will allow for you totry and take backyour countrybut we will resistand youwill seesomebody very close to you The communicator vanishes right in front of their eyes. Peter: NOOO! WE NEEDED THAT! Jong: Whos this person very close to you? Gray: I dont know. Ryo: I might have an ideabut its far-fetched. Jong: SPIT IT OUT, MAN! Gordon: If you know anything, you have to say something. Ryo takes a deep breath and proclaims his idea. Ryo: It could be Musashi. Edward grabs Ryo by the collar. Screaming with anger right in the face of a god of war. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Edward: THE HELL ARE YOU GETTING AT!? IF ITS HIMIF ITS HIM WE HAVE TO SAVE HIM! Lincoln slaps Edward in the face, knocking him to the ground. Leo walks up and tries to hit Lincoln, but Lincoln catches his hand and flips him over. Leo: HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO OVER REACT! Lincoln: Shut upSHUT UP GOD DAMMIT! ALL YOUVE DONE FOR DAYS IS SCREAM, WHINE AND CRY IN MY GODDAMN EAR! AND IM TIRED OF IT! I KNOW MUSASHI IS IMPORTANT TO HIM, BUT IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE, A ONE PERCENT CHANCE HES THERE ITLL TAKE A LOT TO KILL HIM! I CANT BEAT HIM, RYO CANT, AND THE ONLY CHANCE WE HAVE IS IF RYO AND I ATTACK HIM TOGETHER! BUT THAT LEAVES OUR TROPES OPEN! I KNOW YOU HAVE A CONNECTION TO HIM EDWARD BUT YOU GOTTA MAN UP AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO! Edward gets up and goes to walk outside, but before he leaves he tells Lincoln something. Edward: Do what you gotta do, but I want nothing to do with it. Ill fight Arthur, but Im not gonna help kill the last family member I have. And if hes there, you better kill him. Edward slams the door behind him and everyone lets him leave to be by himself. Gordon: Dammitwell let him cool off, he usually doesn''t act like this. Leo: Hes lost a lot in a short amount of time. If I tell him that a man who is his father is alive, and hes going to take part in killing himits gotta hurt. But some people dont seem to be able to understand that. Lincoln: You leave RIGHT NOW! Leo: YOU DONT TELL ME WHAT TO DO GOD DAMMIT! Lincoln: IM YOUR FATHER, YOU DO WHAT I SAY! Leo: IF YOU WERE MY FATHER, YOU WOULD ACT LIKE IT! Leo storms off, leaving the tension in the room sour. Gordon: DAMMIT! CAN YOU STOP MESSING THINGS UP! Lincoln: THEYRE THE ONES ACTIN LIKE KIDS! Gray: GOD DAMMIT SHUT THE FUCK UP, HOLY SHIT! Rosemary {Uh oh} Rosemary grabs Soku and Peter''s hands and leads them out of the room, only staying there herself to make sure Gray doesn''t get hurt. Gray: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP ARGUING! LINCOLN, YOU NEED TO STOP THIS SHIT WITH LEO RIGHT NOW! Lincoln: WHO DO YOU THINK YOURE TALKING TO!? Gray: I DONT GIVE A SHIT WHO YOU ARE! WE HAVE GOT COUNTRY TO SAVE! I DONT CARE IF YOUR SON IS MAD AT YOU FOR, Oh wait what did you do again? OH YEAH, YOU LEFT HIM AND HIS BROTHER TO FIGHT FOR YEARS WHILE YOU GOT DRUNK! YOU HAVE YOUR RIGHT TO TALK TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU DO! Lincoln goes to take another swing of his booze but Gray uses the cloak of darkness to grab the booze out of Lincoln''s hand. Lincoln begins to walk up to Gray with a murderous look on his face. Gray: What wanna sink into your sorrows again? Lincoln: Im going to give you three seconds. Gray: 3, 2gonna say it? Lincoln raises his hand and goes to hit Gray, but is stopped by Ryo, who grabs his hand. Lincoln: Now you wanna get in on this? Ryo: If you wanted to keep your alcohol you would have easily moved your bottle, and yet you didnt. I suggest you go and cool off. Lincoln: Fine, whatever. Once we raid the capital, itll be my last battle. After that, Im leaving forever. Lincoln walks out of the house, leaving the rest of them to deal with what has just gone down. Gray: Oh god damn it! Gray shakes his head and slumps to the ground. Soku walks up to Gray and punches him on the head. Gray: I deserved that Soku: YEAH YOU DO! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT! Jong: YEAH! You stood up to a god of war! Soku: THIS ISNT A GOOD THING! Gray: Sorryhes an ass hole. Gordon: An ass hole that is our best hope at beating one of the pillarsif they show up that is. Ryo: I assume at least one of them will appear. But Gray, I think standing up to Lincoln was a brave move. May not have been the best move, but a brave one. Gordon: The Sect has so much over usits a fever dream to get ahead of themthis raid may be a death with now. Rosemary: If only we had somethinga person with some great connection, or knowledge. Gray: I GOT IT! Soku: Ughwhat now. Peter: I trust ''em. So what do you got? Gray gets into a mediation position and seeps into his mind. Rosemary: Whats he doing? Ryo: Ingenious! Gray seeps into his mind, all the way into his OD. It takes him a bit but once he feels that he has arrived he opens his eyes to find himself in the shadow garden. He stumbles around the black and foggy area, trying to find Azalea. He feels a hand on his shoulder, and he turns around to see Azalea Smiling at him. Gray: Your black hairits got brown stands in it? Azalea: Its beginning to revert to its normal color, great right! Gray: Yeah, its cool. Azalea: Usually I call out for you, why are you here? Gray: Can you take over my body? Azalea is taken aback by the request, giving Gray a rather confused look. Azalea: Really? Why? Gray: So you can tell my friends anything that they could use against the Sect. Azalea: Why dont I just tell you and you tell them? Gray: I guess I could but it would take longer, and I might mess it up. Azalea: And you trust me enough to give you your body back? Gray: Yep. Azalea: REALLY!? Gray: You gonna do it or not? Azalea: YES ILL DO IT! Shake my hand! Gray shakes Azalea''s hand and watches as she disappears in front of him. His mind begins to rush in all directions as his body is forced to another location. He finds himself watching through his eyes back in Gordon''s house like its a TV screen. Gray''s physical body begins to alter slightly, and everyone watches as his eyes begin to turn completely black except for his pupils, which turn white. His voice changes as well, sounding almost completely like Azaleas. Rosemary: Gray? Azalea: No, not quite. End of Chapter Nine Arc 5: Chapter 10. Puzzle pieces Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 10. Puzzle pieces Gordon: Youre Azalea!? Azalea: Yes, I am. Im currently speaking through Gray''s body. Peter: THATS AWESOME! Rosemary: Why did he ask you to talk to us? And hes coming back right!? Azalea: We have an agreement, so yes hes coming back. Gordon: And I assume Gray asked you to tell us all you know? Azalea: Welltheres a problemI dont remember much. Soku: Of course. Peter: Then how were you on such a high rank!? Azalea: I can tell you a few things I remember. Gordon: Any bit of information will be useful, so please tell us everything. Azalea: In the missing two hundred yearsaround the year nine-hundred eightyI was born into the Yagari empire. Rosemary: The Yagari empire! Thats supposed to be a legend right? Just like Godrick Walgonia. A placeholder story. Gordon: Well its just speculation, and nobody knows anything about the missing two hundred years. Gray {The hell is the missing two hundred years? I wish I had some popcorn because this is getting interesting.} Azalea: Most of the lost history is real. It intentionally forgot to make sure nobody went peeking around. Peter: Wait what dont you remember? Azalea: A bit of my life before I was frozenand a little later. But I knew nothing about Arthur or the Sects'' plan with him. But I know how their powers work. But I only know how and what their apostle can do, not their real bodies due to the fact I''ve never seen them." Gray: {Real bodies} Azalea: For a bit of contextPrometheus Yagaribetter known as Prometheus was the king of the Yagari empirean empire led by Vampires. Peter: VAMPIRES ARE REAL!? The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Gordon: Icant believe it. Gray {This place has dragons, magic, trolls, and spirits, and yet they think Vampires are legends, weird.} Azalea: Well when the original three great leaders put a stop to the Prometheus'' rain of power my husband used dark magic to curse Godrick the Great. Rosemary: Did you say dark magic? Azalea: Indeed I did. Soku: This is crazydark magic AND Vampires. Gordon: Dark magic is speculated to have been realbut is it not supposed to kill you, or take your life span? Azalea: It does in a sense. It takes a portion of your life force in return for the power of the spell.And Prometheus used a spell that cursed himself and Godrick. In doing so, all of the charms of improvidence were created. Godrick had made it to Alfheim and had his charms created. Armor that increases the wearer''s power and repairs itself, a cloak that can bend and stretch at the user''s will, an egg-shaped gem that locks a person''s mana to their body, making magic unusable, and a ring that absorbs power. Peter: THE CRAZED KING IS GODRICK!? HES THE ONE THAT BROUGHT THE CURSED CHARMS INTO OUR WORLD! Julius: The name of the king that supposedly did was lost to history and suspected to have been done in the lost period. I guess that man was Prometheus. Gordon: Hundreds of years, the thousands of puzzle pieces which make our history all coming together. Azalea: The curse that was placed upon Prometheus sent his physical body to Eclis, the underworld. The place with an eternal eclipse and an endless winter, the mystical place of which all souls that are viewed poorly go, a place also known as Hell. Soku: How the hell did he survive for almost nine-hundred years? Azalea: Since he was a vampire his body only needed to absorb mana to live. And right before he died, he took the cursed ring of Godricks body to Eclis with him. He used the newly cursed ring to absorb the spirits'' mana in the air and managed to live. But the consciences were dire, his body mutated, becoming a tall, slim, gray monster. With hairless and rough skin, sharp teeth, long fingers, and nails. He was turned into what books describe Vampires as. Rosemary: How did he get out? Azalea: Im sorry, but I dont remember that. But what I do remember is the Pillar''s abilities. The apostle Prometheus can control the blood, muscles, and any organ in someone''s body. He can use it to instantly heal or destroy one''s body with only a touch. Rosemary: Thats what he did to Kioshi, he touched her with his finger and she justpopped. Soku: But Prometheus looks nothing like how you described him. Azalea: Its due to the dark magic they possess. They store a part of their soul in a body and can take over the body when they choose. But they can only do it one at a time and they have different ways of doing it. Prometheus must get your permission, and manipulate your OD. Servers just need to infect you with his venom. And it will grant you his hard scales, long limbs, and most dangerous ability aside from his venom is his stare, which can turn weaker bodies to stone." Gray {HES A BODY HOPPING MEDUSA!?} Rosemary: That explains how he was in that old man''s body. Soku: What about Lazarus and Pandora? Azalea: Pandora''s ability is simple, Her soul is trapped within an egg-like shell that holds her power. When activated you''ll be consumed by a black shell and granted bird-like armor around your body. It locks your OD, making you unable to use mana or marks of providence. And an added ability where it makes all the stress, anger, and sadness overflow in your body, and in some cases causing you to kill yourself. Gordon: Ohcontinue. Everyone looks at Gordon with a confused face, but they accept it and listen to Azalea''s last few words. Azalea: Lazurus stores a bit of his scythes power in someone''s body, transforming them into the skeletal-like figure you''ve seen. The scythe can rip the soul out of a body and be placed back in its body later. But it cannot place a soul in another person''s body." Soku: Sothats it? Azalea: Yesthat is all I know. From most dangerous to least dangerous it is Prometheus, Lazurus, Severus, and Pandora. But each of their abilities makes them equally powerful, so dont think just because they arent as strong as another that theyll be easy. Gordon: Sothats it then. All we need now is to finish the communicator and get everyone to Walgonias capital. Rosemary: Thank you for all youve given us! Azalea: No problem. But keep in mind that this is their possessed "apostle" bodies. If for whatever reason you meet their real forms and there isn''t a god of ear with you, or anybody near their strength know you will die." Gray''s eyes fade back to their normal appearance, and Gray leaves his mindscape and enters his body. Soku: You back? Gray: Yeah, and what the hell is missing two hundred years? Julius: To put it simply, its what is also known as the B.M period, or Before mana. It''s a lost history, and the past world leaders decided to restart the Sagas calendar. Gray: Only Saga? This continent is named Saga sodoes all the other ones have a normal calendar? Gordon: Yes, and I think we should just change to theirs. But most of the officials in the world wanna make sure that the lost history stays lost and we keep the year fourteen ninety-seven, instead of sixteen ninety-seven. Gray: Sonow all we gotta do is inform the ones that left the room. And Peters gotta finish the communicator. Peter: Yeah, yeah Ill go get on that. End of Chapter Ten Arc 5: Chapter 11. Communication Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 11. Communication The day passes and Gordon informs Leo, Lincoln, and Edward of the information they learned. Jong and Leo leave the mountain to inform the Knights and the Red Arrows of the date-coming raid. March fourteenth is the day the people of Walgonia will take back their land. Gray sits with Jong in a bar, drinking the stress away. Jong: Not too many people in here. Barkeeper: Most people here are trying to be warriors so they want to keep their body in tip-top shape, and it hurts my wallet. Gray: Give me another one of these can yah? Jong: Woah, slow down. Dont wanna become a drunk, you gotta drink till you feel a little floaty like me! Gordon walks in and sits beside Gray, ordering himself a drink as well. Gray: What are you doing here? Gordon: I wanna talk to you about something serious. Jong, could you give us a moment? Jong: Oh yeah sure, I gotta start heading down to Utah village. Jong gathers his things, waves at Gray, and walks out of the bar. Gray: What do you wanna talk about? Gordon: Now that we know more about Pandoras'' abilityI think I know what caused The world''s greatest swordsmen to die. Gray: Musashi? I assumed he knew he couldnt beat the pillars so he just saved us time to leave. Was it something else? Gordon: Dont tell Edwardbut I thinkI think Musashi let himself die. Gray choked on his drink, taken aback by Gordons'' statement. Gray: Likehe just didnt try as hard or hekilled himself? Gordon: Musashi was a great manand my best friend. I knew he could have fought themmaybe even beat them. He didnt rely on his mana as much as Kioshi so I assume Pandora''s abilities shouldnt have led to him dying. But the fact that one of her powers is making the stress on a person''s mind overload Gray: That it overloaded to the point where he let himself die. Gordon: He was never the happiest personhe was stressing over every little thing. His brother Gotsu was always trying to keep up with Musashi. But Musashi was always trying to stay aheadto make sure that he could protect his younger brother. But Musashi had to kill his brotherand having to do something like thattook a toll on his mind. After he finished the demi-human war he spent the rest of his life making sure that Edward wouldnt have to fight. Gray: But thenEdwards island was destroyedI guess not wanting him to fight was a pipe dream. Gordon: He sent a lot of letters in the short time that he was training you and your friendsand he had a lot of hope for you. With how fast you can progress, and your natural talent for learninghe thought that you may be the person to take his titlegiven a few years. So when all that stress came back in full forceany suicidal thought he hadmade him mess up. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Gray: His last momentshe used all the strength he could to try and kill Prometheus. It didnt work of coursebut I always thought he just assumed hed dieand his last attack was in vain. I never knew he was struggling with so much, and that he had so much faith in me. Gordon: Dont spend too much time thinking about itbut I wanted to put that out there. Gray: Wellits kinda late so I dont wanna drink the night away. I''m going home and hitting the hay. Gray stumbles out of the warm bar, a little drunk, and gets it with the cold snowy air. He wanders around for a bit, not knowing what to do. And all he knows to do is think, think about loss, what he has lost, who he has lost. Gray {I spent all my time at the mansiondoing things. Waking up at six in the morning, ate a snack that Ophelia made for me, and spent the rest of the day training with Musashi. Dodging, swinging, moving through the pain, learning the basics. I thought it was just a job, something I had to do with my Isekai hiding my eternal feelings from everyone. I wanted to jump and run away. Im too lazy to maintain a routinetoo lazy to do anything I dont want toand somehow I did it. I did it by lyingand I broke. I only cared about myself and now Im being forced to fix my mistakes. But I never thought it would affect this many peoplethis world has issuesbut a lot of them have been caused by my world. I have to make sure that Musashi, Opheliahell, and even Ceaser get their vengeance.} Gray spends the rest of the night practicing his new spells, making sure that hell be ready to face Arthur. Though Gray isnt the only one to stay up all night, Peter too spends the night trying to make the communicator, which is still unsuccessful. *Bash* *Clank* Peter screws in the last bolt on his fiftieth attempt. He holds it into the air and tries to connect it to another sound crystal by putting mana into both of them at the same time. Peter: Okay! OKAY! It transfers a small echo before the crystal inside the device cracks. Peter: DAMMIT! Ryo stands behind Peter, yanks the device out of his hand, and looks closely at it. Ryo: Why did you put it in a metal case? It looks like the Walgonian W, good detail Peter: The Sects device had this system into which the mana would flow. Oh yeah, and theirs was in the shape of the Sects symbol, that M looking thing. Ryo: So youre trying to connect them by connecting the crystals to your mana? Peter: Yeah, but the metal casing needs to be lined with a sort of mana system where it will save and flow when its turned on. Ryo: Why not just connect them with the spirits? Peter: Huh? Ryo: Here, let me show you. Ryo flows mana around both crystals and talks into one of them. Ryo: Hello. The device repeats the noise. And Peter shouts with excitement. Peter: YES IT WORKS! But now we have to make sure it can keep the connection! Peter runs around the shed, rummaging through all of the various crystals he has. He finds a white crystal and holds it in the air. Peter: FOUND IT! Gray wanders into the shed and scares Peter. Gray: Found what? Peter: AH! DONT SNEAK UP ON ME! Peter grabs the communicator out of Ryos hand and sets it on the table. He opens it up and cracks the white crystal into small individual pieces. Gray: What crystal is that? Peter: Its called a blank crystal, it holds mana and can save it for later. The mana-dampening crystal without the charm causes it to constantly absorb mana. Gray: How many crystals are there anyway? Ryo: Flame crystals heat up. Water crystals produce water. Sound crystals are blank crystals charmed to hold and transfer sound. Blank crystals hold mana and shoot it back out. Energy crystals that produce, well produce energy. And lastly, mana-dampening crystals, which are altered blank crystals. They are made to absorb and block all mana flow. Gray: I can use my mana to make those crystals super powerful. If I could control my mana to the level where I could use the things they produce effectively it would be amazing. Ryo: I dont think I could do that, so it would be an accomplishment for sure. Peter: Most crystals get destroyed when they get overwhelmed, so it sucks that you couldnt consistently produce a giant flame with one. Gray: I did that with a mana-dampening crystal once. I forced Mana out of my OD and broke it. Though I was trying to kill myself when I did it, and I was asleep when it happenedand then I had to do all that stuff in the castleIm ramping. Ryo: Breaking free of a dampening crystal is a great feat. Peter: I GOT IT! Peter holds out the device and starts to speak through it. Peter: Hello! The other crystal on the desk repeats the hello and Peter starts to break down crying. Gray: WOAH, YOU OKAY!? Peter: I DID IT! I DID IT DAMMIT!... Ryo did most of itBUT I MAINLY DID IT! Peter suddenly falls asleep on the ground. Ryo: Oh, he has finally fallen asleep. Should we take him to his room? Gray: Nah, leave him here. Hell wake up, wonder why hes here, and remember and be super happy. Ryo: Well, with this done. All we have to do is just wait until we go to Walgonia now. Gray: Welp this is it then. These last few days until we finish all weve been building up to for these past two months. Ryo: Sleep well now, Ill be off. Gray: Yeah, have a good night! Gray {This is it, the final battle is coming.} End of Chapter Eleven Arc 5: Chapter 12. Dominos Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 12. Dominos A week passes and everyone gets ready. Gray gets his armor repaired, and new weapons and Peter makes him a new pair of wrist blades Everyone else gets their things repaired as well, Soku even got a new and advanced glider. Peter makes a few muskets and gives them to the soldiers while Leo, Lincoln, and Gordon order their men to meet them at the western wall of Walgonia''s capital. Gray and the others barely fit on Dema and fly toward the Capital at high speeds, ready for the coming raid. Edward tugs at his scabbard, making sure the pockets holding the explosives that Peter gave him wont fall out or explode on him. Peter: WE ARE HIGH UP! Soku: Yeah, I know you dont gotta scream! Gray: We haven''t flown together like this since we left the Capital the first time. Rosemary: You were knocked out last time. Edward: And Julius was here instead of Peter. Peter: WHY IS JULIUS NOT HERE!? Soku: BECAUSE HE WAS GOING WITH LEO! AND STOP SCREAMING DAMMIT! Peter: ....sorry Peter shoves his head into his lap and loses his grip on Demas''s saddle, almost slipping off into the early morning sky. Soku grabs his hand, pulling his shaking body back on. Edward: How close are we!? Gray: Should be aboutclose! Peter: Great. They fly for an hour or so and they finally see the Capital. The circular city is surrounded by stone walls. The west side is dirty and pale, withered down by weather and crime. The further into the capital you go the nicer it is, and a slow improvement of buildings and health. The buildings get bigger, the crowds of people grow larger, and the number of Demi-humans goes down bit by bit, an obvious showing of bias. And in the southeast side of the Capital stands the great Castle of Walgonia, a large and wide castle, unlike the tall and lanky castle which resided in Athens before the great fire. Soku: No wayMOVE! Soku shoves her way in front of Dema, moving Gray out of the way. She takes control of Dema and guides her towards a certain area in the slums, they reach the ground and they all get off, confused by what shes doing. But once Rosemary and Gray look at the surroundings they know where they are. The cracked and dirt roads, the shrubs and weeds growing out of the ground, and the burnt rubble in front of them. Gray kneels and touches the ground, almost as if hes embracing it. Rosemary begins to shed a few tears and Soku starts sobbing. Rosemary moves to go to Soku''s aid but Peter shoves past her, consoling her. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Peter: Are you okay? What is this place? Peter looks at Soku with a confused face, awaiting a response. Soku: Thisthis is my home She shoves Peter away and wipes the tears from her eyes. Gray stares longingly at the cloudy sky, reminiscing on his first day in this world. Rosemary: We haven''t been here since we fought Jeremiah a few months ago. Peter: Did he burn it down? Soku and Rosemary quickly look at Gray, causing him to cover his face from embarrassment. Gray: Imay have thrown a bunch of flame crystals at Jeremiahand caused the fire. Edward: Im sorry to sour the mood, but it seems like we have company. They all turn around and see a familiar-looking Demi-human Ogre with a scar on his right eye and a disheveled-looking man beside him. Gray: No way! Boid: It cant be! JJ you seeing this? JJ clutches his side, wincing from the pain. JJ: I see it alright. Soku looks at the Ogre, realizing who it is, and instantly becomes hostile. Peter: WOAH, CALM DOWN! Okay, what''s the history here? Gray: These are some guys that jumped Soku in an alley not too far from here. You back for more!? They all stare at each other, not knowing if they should attack. Boid: WHAT!? NO, NO! JJ: YOURE ALIVE! Gray looks at Soku and shrugs his shoulders, letting his guard down. Boid: We came by Soku''s house after we fought because we felt bad, but we found it burning and everyone was gone. There were some dead Sect dudes on the ground and we thought you may have died. JJ: BUT THEN YOU GUYS WERE IN THE KNIGHT EXAM! Boid: Then you were issued an enemy of the state! Gray: Ehhh, thats not a good one. JJ: Nobody will believe us that we fought the Phantom knight and the wind thief! JJ removes his tattered coat and points to a nasty scar on his side. And Boid points to his scared eye, both smiling with glee. JJ: Gray! This is where you stabbed me! Boid: And Soku! This is where you cut me with your mana! Edward: Im glad were reuniting, but Im sorry sirs we have to meet some people. JJ: WAIT WAIT! WE NEED HELP! Rosemary: What do you mean you need help? Boid: Were pretty sure King Arthur is with the Sect! JJ: Yeah everyone in the Capital is sure of it! Boid: The people here in the Capital have been planning a cue! We got most of the people that live here in the slums in multiple buildings, planning the attack right as we speak! Peter: REALLY!? Rosemary: That may assist with the coming raid. JJ: A RAIDS COMMIN!? Gray: Here, take Soku and me with you. I want to talk to the rest of the citizens. Edward, Peter, and Rosemary you go meet up with the rest of the army. Rosemary: Okay, come on we gotta get moving. They get on Dema, wave goodbye, and fly off. Boid: NOW! JJ: LETS! Boid: GET! JJ: GOIN! Gray and Soku follow behind them, walking through the dirty streets of the west side. Gray: Haven''t been here since my first day in this place. Soku: It feels like that was years agobut in reality, its only been...what almost four months? Gray: Yeahto think we hit the four-month marker a week ago too. So much has happenedKioshi and Musashi''s deathOphelia''s passingOur team''s strengththe worlds have been affected so much. Soku: A giant domino effect. Gray: And its all because I wanted to go for a depressing walk back home. End of Chapter Twelve Arc 5: Chapter 13. Community Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 13. Community Gray and Soku follow Boid and JJ to the hideout in the slums. Soku looks around, reminiscing about her old life. Her time with Gray has been short, and all fourteen years of her life were used for survival. Theft, a crime Soku spent her life mastering. Sleight of hand, reading faces and reactions, and quickly understanding the situation is what shes good at. But for the past few months, she has been forced out of that life and sent barreling into knighthood, law, and pure combat. And then in Athens back into criminal acts according to Arthur''s order, and now hopefully back to lawful actions when Arthur is dethroned. Asking who orders justice, what is law, and what is justified. Gray: Here we are again huh? Same Ogre, same homeless guy, you, me. Soku: Yeah, but this time the situation is actually dire. Gray: Well, last time I was drowning and disappeared, in a new place for thirty minutes, and almost got squished by an Ogre man. Soku: This situation is dire. Gray: There you go. Boid: JUST UP HERE! Boid and JJ walk into a tall abandoned building. They wait for Gray and Soku to walk in so they can close the door, and Gray looks in awe as he sees all of the thirsty, starving, dirty people. Soku: Theyre a lot of Demi-humans in hereand theyre living with the humans with no issue. JJ: They might not want to, but its all they can do. Nobody trusts the knights anymore, they dont even trust the king. Gray: And they shouldnt, theyre damn anarchists. No value in the people they say theyre affecting. Boid: There are a few camps around the slums, with hundreds of people in them. Soku gets a blank look in her eyes. She starts walking around, watching children playing, and hungry parents giving their reasons to them so their kids can leave. Crying mothers, and depressed fathers as they care for their sick children. This is what happens when your system fails you. Athens was a special case, where both sides wanted to protect their people, and both sides made it their mission to save their country. So the country wasnt very affected by the two sides battling, for the long four years it lasted. But in the end, the country was covered in lava, an all-consuming liquid that destroyed history, family, and livelihood. Gray has a different perspective though. Instead of this dark and depressing sight, he sees it has vigor, this hope. Theyre trying to live, coming together, forgetting about biases, and just trying to live in harmony. Gray and all of his friends have been in this situation, at least in his mind. Soku has lived this struggle, hardly having anything. Rosemary has seen what happens when your family fails you and when you are born into war. Edward has lived the quiet life and hes gotten it all taken from him multiple times. And Gray has lived through what happens when you feel as if you have nothing to live for. Even when you want to live, when you want to find something, if you cant do that then you just cant. Even with Gray''s time at the mansion, all Gray wanted was to live. He found something to live for and he was pushing himself to the max. Nightmare after nightmare, breaking his body over and over again, forcing himself to move forward. So when the smallest of things pushed him over the edge he fell far. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. And all of these people could fall at any moment, and Gray feels as if hes here to stop that from happening. Gray: Hey Boid, is there a reason you brought us to this location in particular? Boid: Yeah, the guy that set this all up lives here. Hes laying on the roof right now, go up that ladder over there and youll talk to him. Gray walks over to Soku and snaps her out of this trance she finds herself in. He tells her that they''re going to talk to the leader, so they walk over to the dirty and crumbling ladder and begin to climb it. Gray opens the hatch at the top of the ladder and climbs onto the roof. He looks to see a man and a woman laying together on the roof. Gray walks up to the two while Soku climbs the ladder. Gray gets a better look at the two, and he finds the two are a bit old, and the woman is a demi-human. Her bunny ears spike up and they both turn around to see Gray walking up to them. The man grabs a cane to stand up, needing it due to the apparent loss of his right leg. Gray: Are you the leader? Tim: Yep! Name''s Tim, and this is my wife Shirley. Soku: Did you say, wife? Shirley: Yes, waitSOKU!? Soku is shocked when she realizes who the woman is, and Gray takes charge. Gray: Do you two know each other? Shirley: I was friends with Soku''s mother, a shame that she passed. Is Opelia doing okay? Soku gets this sad look on her face, causing Shirley to understand what happened. Shirley: II am soso sorry. Shirley gives Soku a tight hug and kisses her head. Soku: Thanksfor that. I didnt know you had a husband. A human husband at that. Human and Demi-human marriages are almost unheard of. Tim: Well when I lost my leg here, I had trouble finding work. But I came down to the west side and Shirley here gave me a job at her store. Shirley: And then happily ever after. Gray: You seem to have taken charge pretty well. You have a good system set up, a good system for how short of a time youve had to set this up. Tim: I lost my leg in the Demi-human war, but the knights kept me around because I was good at stuff like this. But when Arthur became king he fired all of the old knights. Soku: You married pretty fast then. Shirley: Well we were madly in love. Tim: Were? Still are. Tim kisses Shirley on the lips, causing Shirley to blush. Shirley leaves the three alone and takes a crate of food down to the lower levels. Tim: So what are you guys doing here? Tim takes a good look at the two, noticing their masterly made weapons and armor. He looks even closer and sees Gray''s mask, which is attached to Gray''s side. Tim: Waityoure Soku and tat maskyoure the Phantom knight! Youre Gray Kyojin! Gray: Yep! Thats me! If theres anything Arthur did right is that he gave me a cool nickname on my wanted poster. Soku: We are with the Leviathan army, and we have been setting up a raid. We have members of the Walgonian Knights, Leviathan soldiers, the Red Arrows of Athens, and some of the Athens army. Tim: Really!? Thats great! Gray: But we need some help. We need this to be quick and we cant get everybody out of this capital in a day. It would take a week or two. But if we set up the slums with multiple stations that people can retreat to, we can make the slums a safe ha Tim: But putting all those people in one place would make the citizens a prime target. Soku: The Sect doesn''t like to kill civilians. I know they might do it, but if they did they would lose a bit of their army. Let us take the Capital all that much easier. Tim: But that puts all the people''s lives in danger! Gray: Gordon Hill, Lincoln Valentine, Ryo Hollis, and Jong Long are all on our side. They will make sure that the people of this Capital wont die. Tim: Where are they now? Soku: Theyre on their way. End of Chapter Thirteen Arc 5: Chapter 14. The Raid commences Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 14. The Raid commences A few hours pass and everyone reunites outside the outpost in the slums. Gray and the others stand outside of the house, waiting just a bit longer to start the raid. Gordon holds out a communicator and connects it to Grays, Ryos, Lincolns, and Jongs. Gordon: Was everyone informed of the coming raid? Soku: They should be. Gray twiddles his thumbs, nervous and antsy while Julius flies Dema, heading right toward the castle. Peter struggles with the fear of flying and the feeling of impending doom. Soku tries to maintain her composure, Julius is emotionless, Edward is content, and Rosemary is hopeful. Gray: Are we sure we can do this? Because when we start we cant stop till were done. Ryo: It makes sense to be afraid. To be honest, Im afraid. Afraid for your lives and the lives of the people in this Capital. Jong pulls his communicator out and clears his throat. Below him are his men, looking in awe at Jong Long, the great Commander, dressed in basic Knightley attire with the addition of a light blue cloak with a black Walgonian crest on the back. And lastly, before he does anything else, he feels the claw mark scar on his face, touching each of the three slashes that go across his face, scars that narrowly miss his eyes. Jong {This is for you...all of you. Gotsu, Musashi, Jasmine, Al, and Bj?rn. We may not be known as a grand grouphell, the world doesn''t even know we were a real teambut I promise I wont lose what we fought for. And if any of you are listening, Ill protect Edward for you Gotsu, and you as well Jasminehell all of you mean so much to him. Bj?rn, you and Jasmine did a fine job raising him, and Al, Musashi, you did a good job finishing the job and did a good job training that Gray kid too.} Strangely enough, Edwards thinking about the same people. Gotsu, his father. Jasmine, his mother. Bj?rn, his stepfather. Al, his pseudo-grandfather. And Musashi, his uncle. Though Edward isnt the only person thinking of loved ones, Gray thinks about his mother and father, Peter and his parents, Soku and Ophelia, along with her adoptive mother. And Rosemary with her mother. Their family lives are all a mess, but at least they can be a mess together. Jong: Everyone is in position. Thanks to Peter''s communicator we can broadcast the orders to all the teams across the Capital. Edward: Alright, now go over it all one last time. Gordon clears his throat, takes a deep breath, and begins speaking to all two-thousand four-hundred thirty soldiers. Fifty leviathan soldiers, five hundred Red Arrows, one thousand and eighty Althens soldiers, and eight hundred Walgonian knights. Stolen story; please report. Gordon: EVERYONE! THIS IS IT! Gray Kyojin, Edward Van Helsing, Rosemary Goldenwind, Sokudo, Peter, and Julius Cromwell will be the ones to lead the assault on Arthur Willams. Leo and fifty Red Arrows will go into the castle as well, making sure that nobody can get into the king''s chamber and fight with Arthur. Lincoln will lead the charge on the east side. Ryo will hold down the west side, where we will send most of the citizens. But we will set up depots for people within the other sides, being places where the citizens are told to go in case of an attack, those being the four statues of Walgonias founders. Jong will lead the charge on the south side, I will attack the north. All of the sides will have six hundred soldiers, so were pretty outnumbered, but that just makes it even better when we win. Gray: I know that a lot of this is relying on usbut if we lose we must ensure that the Capital is saved! Soku: We told a lot of the civilians about the raidbut we may run into an issue about humans and demi-humans not wanting to be held together, and forcing high-class people into the slums wont turn out well. Jong: Theyll have to deal with it! Jong then bangs his rather large Naginata on the ground, over and over, getting his men to chant as they go to take back their country Leo grabs the communicator out of Gordon''s hand, screaming into it. Leo: EVERYONE! YOU GOT THIS! WE GOT THIS! GO, GO, GO!!! The Raid begins, and every group heads straight toward the homes of the people. Running down the streets, banging on doors, telling each civilian where to run to. Some complain, some are scared out of their minds, and some refuse and are forced to leave. Panic ensues all over the Capital, drawing attention from the Sect. The Sect marches out into the streets, still faking their knight persona. Swords swing, arrows fly, magic roars, and signs in the night. Screams of Humans and Demi-humans alike consume the land throughout the land. Bodies on both sides start to fall, morale goes up and down, and friends and family are slaughtered in front of them. The most powerful fighters lead the head of the battles. Lincoln takes out groups of the Sect with single blows, Leo''s spear pieces through enemy after enemy in the Castle, and Gordon''s arrows rain through the clouds, hitting each target like clockwork. Hundreds of civilians flood the streets all heading towards the camps set up all over the slums, all being guarded by thirty or more soldiers. They all run and shove past each other, some screaming slurs at the other race. Fights begin to break out, children are lost, and people are getting trampled. Houses even erupt in flames burning everything inside, and thieves take all that they can, feeling nothing for the destruction around them. Gray and his friend soared through the sky looking down upon the horror. Rosemary: Its madness. Rosemary gets this sick look on her face, almost like she could throw up any second. Peter: THIS IS INSANE! Edward: Such is war. Julius: I could not agree more. Gray: Its crazyand were almost at the castle. Its about time for the fight of our lives. Soku: Can we really do this? Julius: Gray''s spiritual abilities will have to carry us through this battle. Gray: Im going to use Knightic on you guys and boost your powers, but Ill sit back and wait until youre all finished so I can attack. Soku: Really? Gray: You guys need to wear him out so I can finish the job. Ill go into my astral state and interfere with his flames, so I be doing something. And Ill try my hardest to stabilize your mana connections to make you as strong as you can be. Peter: What about me? Ill die in an instant! Rosemary: You need to stay back and wait, protect Dema and Gray''s body. Soku: Whats the game plan then? Gray: Edward is the driving force in this. Hell play lead attacker, and Julius will have to assist and be his right-hand man. Rosemary will take the backseat and save all her strength so she can strike when the timing is perfect. Soku, you have to play support and make sure they get out of any danger. Edward: Here we go! Julius drives Dema right to the window of the king''s quarters, a big room where Arthur is currently sleeping. Julius slings them off of Dema, diving right through the window. Gray grabs Demas''s lead and pulls up, grabbing Peter''s arm to make sure he doesn''t fall off. The rest of them land right in front of Arthur, who had just jumped out of bed due to all of the commotion down in the Capital. Edward stands tall, in front of the group. Julius and Rosemary stand on either side of him, and Soku waits in the back, all staring Arthur down dressed in their full armor. Arthur gains a big grin on his face and throws his hands into the air. Arthur: ITS SHOWTIME! End of Chapter Fourteen Arc 5: Chapter 15. King Arthur Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 15. King Arthur Arthur stands in front of Edward, Rosemary, Soku, and Julius full of confidence and with an ego-filled smile. Arthur: FINALLY! NOW, wheres Gray? Edward stands tall and answers with pride. Edward: Gray is somewhere else, helping in the raid. Arthur chuckles, seeing past the obvious lie. Arthur: Yeah sure, I assume hes just waiting for you to wear me down so he can come in and beat me. Which wont happen by the way.wait a secEDWARD!? Damn, I hardly recognized you under that skull mask, you got way cooler. Arthur moves his head, looking right at Soku. Arthur: Oh hey Elf girl, sorry about your cat sister thing, I didnt plan on burning her. Soku is filled with rage, sadness, and a want for blood. Soku: THING!? A THING!? Edward moves his arm, motioning for Soku to calm down. She takes a deep breath, letting the anger flow from her. Arthur: Ouch! Thats a nasty scar on your eye, huh Edward? Your name has been getting very popular lately. The man who killed Captain Moro. All of you have been getting popular, youre lucky I gave you all good nicknames on your bounty poster. Wouldnt you agree End Bringer? Edward thinks about falling deep into his mind and letting the warrior''s spirit take over so he can fight full of rage and power. But he holds back, not wanting to become some monster who relies on rage. Then Julius promptly takes out his rapier and turns on his monocle. Arthur: Dammit, youre still alive? I should have killed you first instead of your brothers. And your asshole of a dad gave me this scar on my eye, so I want some revenge. Kill you and that brat he''s hiding. Julius: It is not my fault that you are too weak to fight back. And that weakness is why we are here. We know we have the strength to beat you. You are nowhere near the powers of the future pillars of justice, not even their apostle forms. You are worthless and will be dealt with today. Arthur spits on the ground and slings his arm, throwing heavy fire toward the group. Soku is quick to react, tossing a large blast of wind at the flames, causing them to cancel each other out. Edward takes advantage of the opening and charges toward Arthur, swinging his sword rapidly. Arthur easily dodges, placing his hand on Edward''s chest, and plans on blasting Edward with his black flames. And for some reason, the fire dissipates, fading away before it can build up. Arthur mutters Gray before kicking at Edwards head. Edward ducks and twists his body, spinning like a vortex of pure force. Arthur is surprised by Edward''s power, having underestimated him. Arthur backs up but is stopped by Julius being right on his tail, quickly jabbing at him with his rapier. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Arthur: "Cool skull mask Eddy, actually that armor set looks nice! Little too edgy though, just saying." Edward only responds with a grunt, causing Arthur to roll his eyes. Arthur: "Man, you guys are lame. Gray woulda made fun of me just now, come on guys I want the banter!" Arthur focuses flames on his feet, but once again they fade away. This is due to something unseen by everyone in the room. The ghostly astral form of Gray Kyojin floats around, using his connection to the spirits to force them away from Arthur. Atop the Castle, Peter and Dema guard Gray''s unconscious body. Peter goes through his bag on Demas''s saddle, picking something heavy out of it. A wooden and metal body with a tube on the end, a trigger on the bottom, a small tube on the top, and a small string hanging down from the back of the body. Peter pulls out a screwdriver to tighten everything, making sure his invention is in top condition. Back down in the Castle, the group fights with all their might. Edward and Julius lead the charge while Soku and Rosemary sit back, awaiting their moment to strike. Arthur takes a deep breath and exhales a wave of flames, consuming the room. Soku and Rosemary cover themselves with mana, protecting themselves. But Edward and Julius do not have that advantage. Gray decides to protect Julius since his body is weaker than Edwards''s, so he flies toward Julius in his astral state and then has to force the spirit flames away. Edward swings his sword around himself, causing the fire to miss him. Once Edward should be able to see Arthur hes vanished. Edward, Gray, and Julius turn around to see Arthur in the back of the room and head right toward Rosemary. Rosemary instinctively goes into the fifth stage, letting her dodge Arthur''s swing. Though Arthur follows up his swing with a quick fireball. The weak ball of flames is easily put out by the pure power of the fifth stage, but being in this form of power is causing Rosemary great pain. She pushes past the pain and attempts to fight Arthur one on one. Arthur barely moves out of the way of each attack but is also unable to connect an attack himself. Edward and Julius regroup, letting Rosemary take the heat for a bit. Gray''s body begins to sweat since his spirit has never been outside of his body for this long. Even though Gray''s form should be unseen to the naked eye, Julius shoes Gray away, signaling him to return to his body. Gray is hesitant but reluctantly returns, giving himself a second to breathe. Gray looks both ways to make sure hes okay and notices Peter freaking out. Peter shakes from fear, consumed with anxiety. Gray tries to snap Peter out of this anxiety-induced trance. Peter tries to tighten the bolts in the gun-like device hes holding for no reason, due to them already being as tight as possible. Gray: CALM DOWN! Gray takes a second to calm down himself, understanding that when somebody freaks out you most likely shouldnt tell them to calm down, which is something that especially Gray should know. Gray puts his hand on Peter''s shoulder, trying to console him. Gray: Whats wrong? Peter: What do you mean Peter''s lip quivers and turns to look Gray directly in the eyes. Peter: THIS IS WAR DAMMIT! SOKU, ROSEMARY, EDWARD, AND JULIUS ARE IN THEIR FIGHT A FIGHT THEY CANT WIN! AND WERE JUST SITTING HERE, WAITING FOR OUR TIME! ALL THE GODS ARE ELSEWHERE, AND THE ONLY THING THAT MIGHT HELP IS LEO! AND HES ALL THE WAY DOWNSTAIRS! WHY AREN''T YOU SCARED!? Gray bites his lip, unintentionally forcing himself back, but he pushes back his instant response to give a real, serious answer. Gray: II am scaredhell, I''m probably the most scared person here. All the people I care about the most are down there fighting for their lives. And I have to wait here, I need to trust them and not act on impulse...and believe me thats a great feat for me. You are fourteen, the same age as Soku but without any powers. And yet without thought powers, youre still here, in the most important place in the Capital. I dont know what you are working on there but its gotta be important. I believe in you, okay? Peter takes a deep gulp, and lessons the tightness of the bolt. Down in the king''s quarters, Rosemary is barely able to keep up. The fifth stage is strong enough to throw the wind like a weapon with pure force, but Rosemary is not given any time to build up the force to do so. After a minute or so of fighting Arthur realizes that whatever Gray was doing is no longer in effect, so he blasts flames out of his eyes, dark black flames which strike and burn into Rosemarys shoulder, passing right through the fifth stage protection. Gray turns his head, feeling something is wrong, and immediately enters the astral state, leaving his body and heading right into the room below. The sight of a heavily injured Rosemary sends waves of anger to Gray, so he deploys the first use of their trump card. He puts his hands on Rosemary''s shoulders, flows spirits around her, and casts the spell. Gray: Knightic. Rosemary erupts in a gigantic rush of power. The golden and white aura blasts off of her body, and she vanishes from Arthur''s sight. He panics, not understanding how shes gotten this powerful this fast. And then a rush of wind appears right in front of him. He focuses his eyes to see Rosemary an inch away from him, hovering slightly above the ground due to the shire power shes emitting. Arthur generates a powerful ball of flames and quickly blasts it toward Rosemary, but its too late. She hits Arthur right in the chest, sending him flying back into the back wall of the room, crushing it. The stones of the wall fall all around Arthur''s body, and he catches one right before it hits his head, crushing it. He feels his cracked and broken ribs, clutching his side. Spitting blood out of his mouth, he plans on killing Rosemary right there, but she falls to the ground, completely broken. With Knightics effects she had effecitly gone into what should be her eight stage. Leaving her destroyed. Sending Gray into a full panic attack. The dark-wooden door of the room rumbles, erupting with sharp and yellow lighting. A loud battle cry is heard by probably the most impulsive fighter in the Capital, aside from Gray of course. Leo lands in the center of the room points his spear at Arthur and makes his declaration Leo: Im here for a rematch, you red-haired buffoon. End of chapter fifteen Arc 5: Chapter 16. The Litch Arc 5: The Heart within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 16. The Litch Throughout the streets of Capital, hundreds of thousands of people run through the streets. Lincoln, Jong, and Gordon all start setting up small camps and depots to contain the mass amount of people. Thankfully due to the nature of the Sect, they dont have that big of an army. But sadly with all the events going on the Leviathan army and the rest of Walgonia doesn''t have much of an army either. But with all the fighting going on, and the thousands of soldiers and citizens killing each other, there is something good coming out of it. Humans are forced to be with Demi-humans in the camps located in the slums, pushing them to think of each other as equals. Obviously, some people don''t want this, leading to small fights and, in a few cases, the death of either side. Ryo stands guard, leading the protective force, and sadly due to Ryo''s personality, he can do nothing to stop the constant arguing. Ryo feels the air get a bit colder, and a massive amount of mana appears close to him in a closed-off area. He is forced to leave the area to check it out and finds an imposing figure dressed in a tattered dark cloak. The skinny man''s eyes glow an intense green, and he stares at Ryo longingly. Ryo slowly approaches the strange man, but the cloaked man shows no emotion to the Goldy figure In front of him. He is standing completely calm whilst in a raid, a raid that could determine the future of the world. Ryo: "Sir, if I may call you sir, would you please state your business here." The strange man removes his hood, revealing the face of a young boy. Ryo tilts his head, obviously confused, when suddenly the boy''s skin starts to decay. His skin flakes away, blowing into the wind. Then his muscles collapse and melt. Only leaving a standing skeleton. Ryo ready with one of his katanas, prepaid to strike the man down. The skeleton''s eyes flash a massive amount of green mana, which waves over its body. It holds out its hand, and a tree branch begins forming out of mid-air while Ryo tries not to give in to his urge to strike down the pure horror in front of him. The wood bends around, forming a strange-looking staff, but a large metal snatch stretches out of the top, transforming into a scythe. The skeleton begins speaking, its deep voice sounds hollow, echoing around the two. Lazarus: "We haven''t officially met yet, I am Lazarus, the Litch of the world." Ryo is shocked and immediately regrets not striking down the monster when it first formed. Ryo: "You, you are the man that took not only Musashi''s soul, but his body as well, am I correct?" Lazarus begins to laugh, answering Ryos'' question. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Ryo: "You said you wouldn''t come if only Gray and his friends fought Arthur. I can only assume that you went back on your word." Lazarus: "We were going to abide by the rules we set down, but Leo Valentine attacked Arthur. Breaking our contract." Ryo sighs angrily due to Leo''s impulsivity. Ryo: "I assume that the rest of you are here as well?" Lazarus: "Hey, we warned you. And now you''ll have to die because of it." Ryo: "I think you greatly underestimate me. I may not be the strongest god of war here, but I am still a god of war." Ryo quickly strikes Lazarus head, a strike which hes barely able to dodge. Lazarus tries to follow up with a swing of his scythe but Ryo casually outspeeds the attempted blow, and slashes at his side, breaking one of his ribs off. Lazarus panics, and doing so he goes into high gear, striking Ryo with his scythe. Ryo blocks it with his sword and pulls out his other sword to strike Lazarus. Lazarus bends his head to dodge, but the top of his head gets slashed by his sword. Ryo quickly bolts out of the area, he turns around to find himself surrounded by Anarchists. Ryo holds his katanas tightly, as he comes to realize that the Anarchists arent just normal men, some are bigger, stronger, and faster. They dont even look like humans nor do they look like Demi-humans, but they look as if theyre mutants. Lazarus: We dont have a large army, its pretty small compared to any army in the world. Thats why your tiny army is winning so easily, but we have taken advantage of our abilities. Ryo: Youve made monsters Lazarus: Weve made ART! The army begins to chant and roar with passion. Dirty and savage voices coat the area, growls and howls that would scare any man. Ryo''s silver hair sparkles in the night sky, and he looks around thinking of a solution that wouldnt damage the area too heavily, since people live here. Ryo {If these monsters get to the camps so many people could dieeven if they say they wont hurt civilians I don''t think theyd live up to their rules. Quick and efficient, then I''ll run back to the soldiers and assist them.} The monsters jump down and begin to grow in size. Their white masks fall off, their clothes rip, and their monstrous appearances are revealed. Demi-humans are humans that have developed the appearance and mana of spirit creatures. But these things look as if they were humans and Demi-humans who were forced to mutate into full spirit monsters. Ryo easily dispatches them, cutting through them before they can even begin to swing their arms. The mutants are a variety of creatures that seemed to be fused with some sort of slug creature. Different colored fur atop slimy pink skin. Tendrils in place of arms, overlapping skin and fur instead of faces, and horrifying mouths with sharp teeth, large and small. Ryo plows through them, but he loses sight of Lazarus. He attempts to use his spiritual senses but he feels nothing, no living thing around him that isn''t a monster. He feels the ground start to rumble, and hes met with hundreds upon hundreds of people trying to run to the camps. People get trampled, children get left behind, fights grow in the crowds, and the monsters begin attacking them. Ryo tries to assist them by killing the monsters, but hes unable to save everyone. Gunshots erupt and random people fall to the ground, dead. Red Arrows, Leviathan soldiers, and Walgonian knights try to kill the Anarchists but theyre out numbers ten to one. Ryo tries to kill the beasts and the Anarchists, but he feels something approaching through the crowd. Before he can react Lazarus wipes his face with his scythe. Lazarus: NOW YOUR SOUL IS MINE! Lazarus pauses but is quickly met with a swing of Ryos'' blade. The crowd runs around them, trapping them in an ocean of people. Lazarus begins to panic, deeply confused about how Ryo was able to survive the scythe''s soul-stealing ability. Lazarus: HOW, HOW! Ryo: I have perfect control of my spirit, so your soul-stealing ability wont be able to overpower me, not by a long shot. Lazarus points his scythe right at Ryo and begins screaming at the top of his lungs, but its a deep, echoey voice for some reason. It rumbles to the ground, calling to something. Lazarus: I didnt think I would have to use thisnot so soonbut Im far too weak to stop youbut I know who isnt. Ryo plunges his sword into Lazarus skull, but it seems as if its too late. The area floods with a thick cold mist, sending an intense shiver of fear down Ryos spine. Ryo: Ohnoitshim. End of Chapter Sixteen Arc 5: Chapter 17. Thunderstruck Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 17. Thunderstruck Arthur is taken aback by Leos sudden appearance. Leo stands proudly, while everyone else stares at him with intense anger burning. Leo: Whats with the sour faces? Soku: YOU IDIOT! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONES TO TAKE EM OUT! NOW THE DAMN PILLER DUDES ARE GONNA SHOW UP! Leo starts rubbing his head, realizing that he had forgotten about that. Arthur: The hell you talkin bout!? Leo begins emitting an intense amount of lightning and rushes in to attack Arthur, giving Soku, Edward, and Julius time to collect themselves as well as get Rosemary to a safe place. As Leo bolts toward Arthur, attempting to pierce him with his spear. Arthur blasts flames through his mouth, forcing Leo back. Gray feels exhausted, getting forced back into his body. He takes a second to reconnect himself, being hit with a massive headache. Peter: You good? Gray rubs his head, wiping the sweat from his brow. Gray: YeahI need to take a few minutesto rest. Peter: If Leos down there doesnt that mean those Future Pillar dudes are gonna attack? Gray punches a hole into the castle''s ceiling due to his anger towards Leo''s actions. Gray: YEP! Ughat least hes giving the others some time to rest. Peter begins to panic again, dropping a large pouch. Peter yells and is unable to catch it, but luckily Gray grabs it before it falls to the ground. Peter lets out a huge sign and grabs it out of Gray''s hand. Gray: The hells that? Peter: An explosive. Gray: AND YOU DROPPED IT! AND I CAUGHT IT! Peter: SORRY, SORRY! This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Gray: Damn dudeI wonder whats going on down there. Edward lifts Rosemary and helps her stand, but she attempts to push him off. When he lets go she has some issues regaining her balance, but Soku pushes on her back to keep her upright. Soku: UP! You gotta leave Rosemary, youre way too beat up. Rosemarys sight goes wavy and her breath is weary, but she stands proud. Julius tugs on Edward''s shoulder, getting his attention. Edward: Yeah? When Edward turns his head, he is surprised to be met with Julius head right beside his ear. He then begins whispering, making sure nobody can hear him Julius: Rosemary is done for, she has one good attack left in her. Soku might be able to keep Arthur''s attention for a bit, and I can draw his attention as well. But you are our rock, I have beat you once before but now I think our strength is about even. The issue comes with durability, which is where you shine. Leos assistance will be a great aid, but once he fails we need to move in instantaneously. Arthur dodges and weaves Leo''s attempted blows, easily curving around him. Arthur blasts flames from his feet, launching him onto the wall, blasting his intense black flames all around the room, narrowing where any of them can go. The wooden floor catches fire, forcing Soku to blast powerful winds all around them, trying to keep themselves safe. Leo charges at Arthur, launching his spear back and forth, calling it back over and over. Arthur waits until the spear is right by his head, and then he blasts flames around him, heating the metal. So once Leo calls it back it severely burns his hand. Leo winces in pain, allowing Arthur to charge up a ball of dark fire. Leo pushes through the pain and releases a large amount of lighting around him, destroying the wooden floor under him as well as the stone wall behind him. The amount of lightning being produced begins to tear at Leo''s body, but he doesn''t falter and refines the lighting down into a dense coating of pure power. Arthur: YEAH, SUPER MOVE LETS GO! COME ON, SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO. YOUR FINAL FORM OR WHATEVER! MAKE THIS FUN! JUST LIKE LAST TIME! Leo: Last time I lost! THIS TIME WILL BE MUCH DIFFERENT! Leo takes a step, letting off surges of lightning so powerful that they destroy the stone walls, cracking and curving through them. A few strikes almost hit Edward and the others, so they step outside of the room for the time being. Leo vanishes and then suddenly appears right in front of Arthur. Arthur is quick to react, barely moving out of the way, right before he is hit by Leo and his spear. Leo curves his body, so as he lands hes able to deploy a flurry of fast and accurate strikes toward Arthur. Arthur blasts flames from the front of his body, pushing him back and burning Leo in one move. Leo is quick to recover and sends his spear flying through the air. The spear cuts the side of Arthur''s leg, with the lighting electrocuting him as well. Arthur: WHERE WAS THIS LAST TIME! Arthur begins to laugh, takes a deep breath, and begins to get serious. He flashes in front of Leo and delivers a flaming punch right to his face, then right on impact he shoots a stream of flames that burns through Leos lightning cloak and sends him tumbling into the wall behind him. Leo snaps his fingers, calling back his spear. Arthur blasts it with flames from his mouth, forcing Leo to release his call on the spear and let it sit on the floor. Arthur gets down, puts his hand on Leos shoulder, and begins talking softly to him. Arthur: Youre good, but Im just better. Leo: Goto hell. Leo blasts lightning from his mark of providence, producing so much that it begins to bleed. But somehow he keeps going, so it eats at him more and more. Blue bolts of lighting and begins to coat his body, surging wildly. Leos mind goes blank, his soul goes cold, and his body is massively growing in power. Before Arthur can react, he gets hit in the stomach, shoulder, and face. He gets sent flying through the air, so Leo blasts past him, carries that same lighting around his body, and throws it like a bolt of lightning hitting his back. Arthur bites his lip, charges a massive amount of flames around his right leg, and blasts it toward Leo. The flames consume that entire side of the room, leaving Leo nowhere to go. So he calls his spear back, creating an opening that he can then throw through the spear once more. But this time he doesn''t just get through it, due to his OD cracking, his skin peeling, and his mind going blank, he decides to put all his strength into this last attack. He uses the dragon''s fist technique to throw the spear, while also coating the spear with all his lightning. When he throws it a sonic boom erupts, giving Arthur no time to dodge. But somehow, for some reason, hes able to most just enough so that instead of directly piercing him it only cuts a chunk out of his left arm. Leos body starts smoking as he falls to the ground, unconscious. Arthur speeds over to kill him, but hes blasted back by a wave of wind. He turns his head, spits out some blood, and forms a large grin on his face. Edward, Julius, and Soku walk back into the room, ready for the next stage of the battle. End of Chapter seventeen Arc 5: Chapter 18. Splatter Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 18. Splatter The streets continue to swarm with people. And with the staggering amount of people, Lincoln decides to begin making camps around the area instead of sending people to the slums. He goes from field to field, leading his men to victory by killing every member of the Sect in sight. His body is covered in blood, bits of bones, and guts. He started with six hundred men, and with the piles of experience hes gained from his time leading armies hes managed to keep five hundred alive as well as kill three hundred Anarchists. Lincoln: This is too damn easybut we are completely outnumberedat least we were. An Athens warrior runs up to Lincoln, completely out of breath. Athens warrior: SIR! Their numbers are lessoningbut we havent killed that many of them! Lincoln: Yeah, I know. I think theyre retreatingfor some reason. They might be thinning out their numbers, making it harder for us to get them all. Lincoln jumps onto one of the various big houses on the east side. He looks around at all the rich families losing their homes. Whether its the ones being burned down, or the ones collapsing due to the fighting inside and out. The east side, the rich side, the human side. Not a single Demi-human in sight, just old men with young wives. Aristocrats who have lived their lives with no issue in the world and choose to hate all the people under them. For a person like Lincoln, a man who came from nothing, no rich family, no amazing power, just his pure will. Having to help these people, forcing his soldiers, human and Demi-human, to save these blessed people is sickening for some, and aggravating for others. Lincoln: This is awful, all these rich as wholes believing that they are the ones who need savin...hell if I wasnt just a commander I woulda made sure no of these ass wholes needed to be savedMaybe I would have gotten the kids but these racist ass wholes can all burn. Lincoln grabs his communicator and attempts to call the others. Lincoln: Hello? For some reason, no one picks up, either due to interference, distance, or their well-being. Lincoln: Damn useless thing. Lincoln feels a change in the air, like something emerging from the depths of hell itself. Hes drawn to it, like a moth to the flame. He wonders off to find a small group of Anarchists in their casual cloak attire, instead of the knight armor most of them are currently dressed in. Lincoln immediately attacks, cleaving through all of them in an instant. He turns around to see one of them stand back up, then one after the other they all begin to get up as well. They all fall to their knees and scream in pain. Even with all of their heads being crushed, they still somehow live. Lincoln goes to strike them down again, but he stops when he senses something behind him. He flings his arm backward without even turning his head, attacking whatever is behind him. But an intense feeling of dread fills him, forcing him to halt his attack and turn his head. Lincoln sees a man hes never seen before. Blue eyeliner, purple lipstick, sunken black eyes, white skin, black hair with blue stands in it, a winked face, with a skin and bone body vailed in an oversized cloak. Lincoln is filled with a feeling unknown to him, something similar to fear, but to him, he sees it as a challenge. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Prometheus: I am Prometheus, and you must be Lincoln Valentine, The Dragon of Athens, the unstoppable force. Prometheus stretches his hands into the air and begins to laugh hysterically. Lincoln: First you start sending your men away, and then the ones you leave behind become zombies. Prometheus: You have a sharp eye, you can see the truth. Lincoln: What are talking about? Prometheus: I know you can see the truth, and Musashi could as well. He left it to consume him, he saw the truth and fought it, but you cant fight it. You see it, but you drown it out with booze. Youve seen something you dont want to - Lincoln flicks the air, propelling so much force that it pops Prometheus head. He turns around to see the zombified Anarchists start growing in size. They start mutating, arms breaking, stretching, with the legs doing the same. Their limbs become strong, pink, tendrils, made for killing. Lincoln rips through them, putting them in such a state to where if they got up again they wouldnt be able to cause any damage. Lincoln turns around once more to see Prometheus standing without a scratch on him. Prometheus looks longingly at Lincoln, with a smile on his face. Lincoln flicks at his head again and watches as it reforms The brain, eyes, skull, muscle, and skin all regrow at once, returning to their original state in a second. Lincoln: I was told that Musashis last attack was used on you, and it didnt work. I was kinda confused but now I see why. Prometheus: Musashi was a failure. He did so much for the world but when it mattered he lost. Lincoln grunts, angered by the vampire''s comment. Lincoln: You took his powers away, and his daughter on top of that. I would say it wasnt fairbut the battles never fair is it. Prometheus: No, it is not. But I do not think that his attack on me will be his final one, dont you agree? Prometheus grin grows in size, causing Lincoln''s hair stands on end. Lincoln: Does that meanhes still Prometheus: That is up for you to learn. Lincolns hand tightens, choosing to release that tension by swinging at Prometheus. The force blasts through Prometheus, putting a hole in his body. Lincoln gives Prometheus no time to heal, trying to squash him. Again and Again Lincoln attempts to kill Prometheus. Organs squished and ripped out, limbs removed, eye pushed in, and yet attack after attack he reforms. Prometheus attempts to touch Lincoln, causing Lincoln to react immediately, destroying the ground beneath him. Lincoln appears right behind Prometheus, then swings in the air, sending him flying back. Prometheus stands back up, dying from laughter. But even though Prometheus was already skin and bones, he seems even thinner than before. This leads Lincoln to assume that Prometheus is using his energy to return his body to a healed state, similar to how Caesar was healing himself. Prometheus: You know you are very barbaric. Lincoln chuckles. Lincoln: And you are very annoying, you also aren''t very funny for a guy wearing clown makeup. Prometheus tries to continue talking but Lincoln is having none of it, deciding to attack him repeatedly. Seemingly no matter what Lincoln does Prometheus can get back up. Prometheus begins talking to Lincoln, even while hes being brutalized. Prometheus: Iveneverseenyouwiththatfacecoveringbefore. Was.it somethingBeatrixgave you? Lincoln: If you mean that immortal assassin you sent after King Friod, then kinda. She was pretty strong Ill give you that, I even awakened a new ability I never knew I had. Prometheus: Oh reallynow? Id love to see it. Lincoln: Sorry, but youre not strong enough for me to use it on. If you wanted to kill me or Ryo, youd have to attack with all your friends as you did to Kioshi and Musashi. Because this is just too easy. Prometheus: Youmay see this as easybut your friendRyois havinga muchhardertimewith afriendof yours Lincoln''s eyes widen as he feels immense power awaken far away, in the western side of the capital. Something strange, different but similar at the same time. A power so great a baby would cry by being within a few miles of it. Lincoln turns to see Prometheus laughing as his body decays. His body decays, flaking and peeling off into the wind, gone in a second. Lincoln blasts away, heading right for Ryo. Lincoln: Ronin. End of Chapter Eighteen Arc 5: Chapter 19. Launcher Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 19. Launcher Soku throws wind blade after wind blade to keep Arthur on his toes. Edward attempts to charge head-on but Julus pulls him back, insisting that he be the one to lead the charge. Arthur goes to attack Soku with a large stream of flames but Julius stops him before he can get the attack off. Arthur should be able to deal with Julius easily but the work Leo put in is shown, allowing Julius to almost be on the same level. Arthur shoots fire out of the bottom of his foot, coating the ground in flames. Julius is forced to jump into the air, leaving him open for an attack. Arthur blasts beams of pure heat from his eyes which head right towards Julius head. In a flash, Soku grabs Julius and blows herself away. Julius: Thank you for the assistance. Soku: NO PROBLEM! Arthur: THIS IS SO ANNOYING! Edward comes out of nowhere, spooking Arthur. Arthur can get a few good hits in but Edward pushes through and swings at his shoulder with his great sword. Arthur gets down, dodging the blow. He goes to blow fire out of his mouth to burn Edward, but surprisingly Edward had anticipated this, jumping and putting all of his weight on his sword so he can swing down on Arthur. Arthur is forced to use his wounded arm and blast flames out of it to push him out of the way. He winces in pain, not noticing Julius right behind him. Since Edward missed his attack, his sword cleaves through the floor as well as the stone beneath, creating a small opening to the ballroom below. Julius cuts a bit of Arthur''s face, but Arthur delivers a much more powerful attack. He uses the momentum that was created when he dodged Edward to swing his other arm directly into Julius stomach. Julius prepares himself for the attack, and Arthur releases a blast of fire into Julius gut. Arthur then quickly turns around to see Edward about to swing at him. Edward bites his lip and uses the dragon''s fist technique to swing his sword even harder. Edward {DRAGONS CLAW!} Arthur blocks the blow with his arms, but the sheer power of the attack not only damages him, but it also slightly cuts his arms, as well as knocks the wind out of him Arthur: Damn Edward! You got way, WAY stronger! Ouch, that eye thoughis that branded? OH, NO WAY! Thats the Gravestone Pirates flag, isnt it? Damn, that had to hurt! Nice armor by the way, and that swordI dont think its as big as your last one, but its bigger than any sword that I''ve ever fought. Edward remains quiet, not even flinching from the backlash of the dragon''s fist technique. Arthur: And I see you fashionedwhat is that a big jacket? Well, it seems you made that jacket into a nice-looking cloak now haven''t you. Arthur looks up to see Soku charging up her mana on the ceiling. With all the wind circling her its allowing her to stand upside down on the ceiling, and in one swing of her sword, she sends all that power barreling towards Arthur. She even uses her mark of providence to boost the strength of the attack. Edward puts his sword above his head to block the massive attack, while Arthur tries to use his flames to cancel out the blast. Hes able to make sure it doesnt cut him, but it still forces him down onto the floor. The rest of the attack carves through the floor, breaking through the stone, leaving a big portion of the room further destroyed than it already was. Soku jumps off the ceiling and uses her staff to start gliding, flying straight toward Arthur. He takes a deep breath, blasting a great wall of flames toward her. She turns out of the way, kicking a blast of wind to send her backward and hit him with the wind. He bends his knees, his muscles tense, and exhales. He then vanishes from Soku''s line of sight while the ground gets destroyed due to his movements'' speed. He then quickly hits Soku and Edward with a flaming fist. Though Soku gets hit and is sent tumbling backward, Edward pushes through the force of the attack, so Arthur grabs his hand. Arthur heats his hand, setting it ablaze to heat his metal gauntlets. It burns at Edward''s hand, but he pushes through the pain and swings his sword with his other hand. Edward uses the arm that Arthurs holding onto to grab Arthur''s wrist with all his might so he cant dodge. Arthur kicks at Edward''s chest, blowing fire out of his chest to fly backward, though Edward wont let go. Arthur uses his wounded arm to block the sword swing, further injuring it. Edward finally let''s go, having to remove the gauntlet so it wont continue to burn him. Edward: Dammitmy hands burnt all to hell Arthur gets up, only to be met with swift slashes from Julius. Arthur decides to save on energy, so he fights Julius with his bare hands. He casually dodges Julius sword strikes, but hes also unable to hit Julius due to his monocle looking slightly into the future. Edward takes a second to breathe, and Soku runs over to him. She blows some cool wind onto Edward''s burned hand. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Soku: I might get Gray to use Khightic on me. Edward: Rosemary''s body almost exploded when it was used on her, whatll make you think youll be okay? Soku: Her powers break her body, so it pushed her to a stage she couldn''t handle. I just have to worry about losing mana, feeling sick, and maybe getting a few cuts. I should be able to handle it for a bit. Gray, still sitting on top of the castle, finally decides to go back into his astral state. Peter: We mightneed to head there soon. Gray: Whats the plan? We have to wait for them to be finished. Peter: I dunnofly in through the baloney like they got in, grab them, and go. Leo''s body is just sitting down thereand Rosemary might be finished with what she can do. Gray: Edwards still has a lot of power left in him, same with Julius. But Soku might be the only one I can use Khightic on, so she has to stay. Peter stands up, throwing his hands into the air. Peter: THEYRE GONNA DIE! Gray: I believe they can do thisthey have to be able to. Peter puts his face right in Gray, making his declaration. Peter: Im a wimpI dont have any special powers or superhuman strengthand Im scared out of my mindbut I can use these tools Ive built, get down there, and get out. You get down there in your astral state, power up Soku, and get on Dema. Gray''s tone of voice lowers, talking a lot more seriously than usual. Gray: You can go down there if you want, but Rosemary can do this. Edward sure as hell wont get on Dema if he can still fight, Julius is hardly done, and Soku still has some use. Wait for just a second. Gray seeps into his astral state flies down to the room and places his hand on Sokus'' back. She feels his presence and shakes her head, motioning for him to use Khightic. Gray: Khightic. Spirits surround Soku, pulling out her inner power as well as granting her some. Arthur''s attention is drawn from Julius, looking on in awe as she blitzes past him. Multiple cuts form on his chest completely shredding his black robe and leaving him shirtless. Soku jumps into the air and proceeds to bounce between the walls, tossing wind blade after wind blade at Arthur. Will all the stress the rooms have been put in, whether it be the lightning bolts that shot off of Leo, the powerful punches that Rosemary let off, the burned and broken floor, or the multiple holes Soku and Edward made, the floor''s about to collapse. And with each missed wind blade the room furthers in its destruction. Soku lands right in front of Arthur, overflowing with glowing green mana. The wind cuts at Soku''s body, making her settle on putting all the power into one more attack. Julius and Edward watch as Arthur motions for her to attack him. Arthur: Bring it. Soku uses all her mana, puts it through her mark of providing to further increase the power of her attack, and swings her short sword with all her might. Arthur slashes at the air with his hand, pulling mana through the air as he does it. He creates a powerful wall of black flames, then follows up the move with a charged flame punch. The flames are so closely bound together that it transform into something else, no longer just black flames but now resembling pure plasma. He punches at Soku''s massive attack, an attack that consumes the large room, but the power of Arthur''s attack not only cancels out Sokus, but it also explodes, almost destroying the room entirely. Edward quickly covers Julius and himself with his large sword, to hopefully lessen the damage of the massive attack. But Soku is not so lucky, Gray uses his ability to manipulate the flaming spirit mana and force the it away, lessening the blow. But Soku is still blasted and burned by the pure power of the attack, being sent flying back, having to be caught by a still injured Rosemary. Rosemary: SOKU!? Soku''s body was saved from the disintegrating heat of the attack, but her body was still hit by the force of the attack as well as still being burned. Rosemary clutches her tightly and heads right back into the fight. With the immense amount of damage using the fifth stage and Knightic''s power up at the same time shes in no shape to fight. With her destroyed arm, cracked leg bones, and crumbling ribs, she shouldnt be able to fight. But somehow she enters the third stage and leaps at Arthur. Arthur struggles to move, still out of energy due to the massive attack, and is forced to take the attack right to the face. But the power difference is vast, even with all the damage he has taken so far, hes still an immensely strong fighter. He isnt even knocked back from the attack, he just takes it and remains still as his now broken nose bleeds. He grabs her, knocking her to the ground. Arthur: Now that punch was just pitiful. A boom is heard in the distance, everyone in the room looks towards the balcony and watches as a black blur wishes into the room. Arthur watches as Peter aims a weapon right at his face. Peter pulls the trigger, and a spring gets released inside of the tool, launching a ball filled flame crystals and gunpowder. Before the explosive leaves the device, it slides across small blank crystals, which are located on the sides of the tube, giving the flame crystals mana to activate. Arthur is confused, letting the bomb hit him right in the face, exploding on impact. Peter then reaches into one of the various pockets on his utility belt, grabs three small petals, and hurls them at the ground in front of him. When they hit the ground they spew gray smoke everywhere, blinding Arthur. Gray suddenly emerges from Dema''s saddle, hiding to ensure Arthur doesnt see him. He stretches the cloak to grab Soku, Rosemary, and Leo, pulling them onto Dema. Gray holds onto them, and Peter goes flying right back out of the balcony. Arthur attempts to blow the smoke away, but hes halted by Julius and Edward, who have both sprung into action. Right before they leave, Gray throws Peter''s large pouch of explosives right where Arthurs fighting. Gray uses his spiritual senses to see Edward and Julius through the smoke, and grabs them with his cloak, pulling them out of the way. Gray pulls them onto Dema, allowing her to burst out of the room right before the pouch explodes. And once it does explode the room collapses, sending Arthur falling to the ballroom below. Edward: Gray, are you joining in? I can still keep fighting! Gray: I know, Dema will head back in there and drop you and Julius off. Youll have to wait just a little bit longer before I can join in. Julius: Understood. Dema drops Gray, Peter, Leo, Soku, and Rosemary on the roof, and then flies back down through the balcony. Dema flaps her wings mid-air in the ballroom, staying stationary. Edward and Julius look down upon Arthurs injured body wiping blood and dust off of his mouth. Arthur: Thatkidhad a damn grenade launcherawesome End of Chapter nine-teen Arc 5: Chapter 20. Misty ground Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 20. Misty ground Ryos eyes flash white, then his amber iris becomes brighter, entering a mastered spiritual state. Amidst the thick cold mist, stands a god of war filled with terror. Fear, worry, and constant denying of the fact within his head. Ryo quickly turns around, blocking a quick sword strike. The power of both swords connecting blows the mist away. As the stone ground cracks between the two masterful fighters Ryo is forced to face the truth, the identity of the opponent. Ryo: Musashi Musashi wore a tattered black cloak, straw hat, armor, blade, and his mengu. The two katanas clash over and over in quick flashes. The loud booming noise of the rapidly connecting blades echoes through the streets while the sparks flying illuminates them. Ryo, in his spiritual state, can see Musashi''s OD. An OD wrapped in messy purple chains. This tells Ryo that Muashis body is being controlled, an obvious claim, but a truth that had to be confirmed. But his body is still in a somewhat decayed state and his OD is weaker than usual, so the strength of his zombified friend has fallen dramatically from when he was once alive. If he was at full strength Ryo may have died in an instant as he always holds himself back on purpose. But even if Ryo could defeat this version of his dead companion, he can''t will himself to, he can''t even push himself to use anything that isn''t a defensive spell. Musashi swings down his blade as hard as he can, so with Ryo''s lesser strength. Blocking Musashi''s immensely powerful sword strike. A terrible amount of stress is put on Ryos body, barely being able to push Musashi back. Ryo {I have no idea how to free him...if I even can. I apologize to all the people that have faith in me. I am a failure as a warrior as I can''t force myself to kill him, I won''t defeat my friendbut I wont lose this quickly.} Ryo takes out his second katana; strangely enough, its only a hilt. Then pure purple spirit mana flows around the hilt, creating a blade made solely of mana. Ryo {I dont know why, but Musashi had never achieved the necessary means to be granted a weapon of Alfheimso I have the advantage of using this otherworldly weapon.} Ryo: MUSASHI! MASTER SWORDSMAN! IT IS ME, RYO HOLLIS! YOUR FRIEND! Ryo yells at Musashi, trying to get through to him, but it doesn''t seem to work. Musashi only responds with thoughtless grunts, causing Ryo to sign. Musashi rapidly shakes his head, shaking off whatever thought appeared in his mindless head. Ryo swings his mana blade down, throwing a massive slash of spirit mana at Musashi, which he dodges. The attack damages the house behind the two, causing Ryo to feel awful. Musashi returns with a flash, appearing around Ryo on all sides. Ryo''s movement speed is great, but Musashi''s is much greater, as he''s barely visible. The only reason Ryo is even able to block the attacks is due to his spiritual state, granting him just enough of an advantage to survive. The ground beneath the two continues to break even further, the wind coming off of them breaks windows and blows all the dirt off the street. Civilians running to the safe zones either avoid the battle or watch in awe. Some comment on the battle, saying things like I thought he was dead, Ive never seen anything this cool before and To think people can get this strong, its terrifying. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Ryo surges spirit mana, seemingly interfering with the thoughts of the crowds, making them want to run away, making it so he doesn''t have to worry about hurting or protecting civilians. Musashi sends himself spinning sideways through the air, right about to slash Ryo right down the middle. Ryo: EL-WALNIC! A large thick wall of transparent mana forms right above Ryo, saving him from the attack. Though, due to Musashis still indescribable strength, the shield shatters. Drops of sweat start falling off Ryos face, the feeling of death sneaking up on him. Ryo tucks and rolls out of the way, then is pushed back by the force of Musashi''s attack. While hes being thrown back Ryo tosses multiple slashes of spiritual energy. Musashi swiftly dodges each of the attacks, like he was coded to, losing that human feeling. Ryo thinks about trying to free him from the chains attached to his soul, but being in the astral state leaves one''s body immobile. Ryo uses his mana blade, swinging like a whip. Musashi catches it, so Ryo creates a spike on the whip, about to pierce Muashis hand. Right before they can pierce his hand Musashi lets go so it only breaks the top layer of skin. Ryo { I might be able to incapacitate him. But even if Musashi isn''t as strong as he usually is this won''t be easy. In terms of strength, he was third in the world, behind Kioshi and Lincoln of course. So now he might be on my level. But I have my spells to give distance.} Ryo uses the momentum, swinging the whip back, and transforming it back into a blade. Musashi ducks, swings his sword up, and cuts through the mana blade, causing it to shatter. Ryo understands that if he doesn''t do something soon, or lets himself die they''ll lose hold on the east side. So he plans on getting help from Lincoln, the only other person in the entire capital capable of assisting him. Even if its not honorable, Ryo runs as fast as he can to the west side, with Musashi following close behind. He blasts over crowds of people by zooming across rooftops, breaking ceilings, leaving tracks in the ground, and doing anything he can. Curving around buildings, trying to dull Musashi''s senses, he never gets any farther away than he was when they started running. The legends say that Musashi was a god, an unwavering, unbeatable, unmovable force of nature who hid in the thick fog of death. Even if the way he usually acts is different, shown by how he interacted with Gray during his time at the mansion, but still his skill remains the same, this is a man of legend. Bodies everywhere, blood pools on the streets, men, women, children, Demi-humans, all on the ground lifeless. Bodies of Anarchists laid on piles, houses ablaze, a tragic battle in the making. Two thousand six hundred soldiers against an army of thirty to fifty thousand, and the two thousand soldiers are winning. Even if its by a slim margin, even if its by a hair, they will come out on top, because thats just what the Leviathan army does. They do not falter, even in the loss they find solace in the fact that they did the best they could, but their failure doesn''t exist, because they have never lost. And everyone in the capital has to hope this isnt the first time. End of Chapter Twenty Arc 5: Chapter 21. Explosive Dragon Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 21. Explosive Dragon Edward and Julius jump off of Dema, landing on the ground of the ballroom. The area is damaged and burned, and the room above them doesn''t even exist anymore. And the reason for this is standing and smiling right in front of them. Arthur Williams, the red dragon and the user of the black flame is a man who came from nowhere and became a man who is known everywhere. A knight who was once the right-hand man of the Valatrositce king. He is now hurt, exhausted, and wearing pajama bottoms while fighting some people he would have been able to trash if he didnt treat them like a joke. Arthur: THAT DRAGONS PISSIN ME OFF! EVERY SINGLE TIME DAMMIT! The mansion, the castle, and right nowUgh, whatever. Edward walks in front of Julius to show he wants to lead in the fight, so Julius walks to his side. Arthur: Lets hope this is more interesting. Arthur heats his body, becoming so hot that he cauterizes all of his wounds. He groans in pain, tightens his jaw, and completely closes all of his once-open wounds. Arthur shakes his head, then spits out a bit of blood. Arthur: COME ON! Arthur holds out his hands, and focuses concentrated flames around his fingers, making small balls of plasma. Edward and Julius rush to attack Arthur, so Arthur shoots out the plasma. Though theyre able to dodge them, they still explode on impact, blowing up spots in the room as well as swelling up dust. Edward jumps up, swinging his large sword down on Arthur. Arthur moves back, dodging the swing, and attempts to counter by blasting flames from his fists. Julius moves right in front of Edward and spins his rapier in a circle, creating a funnel for the flames to go around them. Arthur gets a confused look on his face, a look that then turns to disbelief, then finally to anger. Julius smirks, coming to the same conclusion that Arthur had. After all the damage Arthur had taken on top of the amount of mana hes used, Arthurs flames have gotten weaker. So for him to have similar attack power he would have to put even more mana onto it. Edward runs past Julius so he can continue to lead the attack. Edward swings his sword over and over, so Arthur dodges over and over. Edward feels something clawing at the back of his mind, a very familiar feeling. The warriors spirit is a want to keep going, which can overpower normal decision-making. But for some reason, at least to Edward, this feels much worse. Because unlike with the warrior''s spirit, he can almost hear it. Edwards injured body aches, it cries out to stop, but he keeps swinging. The farthest he has ever pushed himself was when he battled Moro, which was just a few weeks ago, and on a much more personal scale. But right now he thinks that hes falling, that for some reason he wont be able to acquire the same feat he once held. Arthur shoots flames out of his feet, blasting above Edward. He creates a hand-sized ball of plasma that pulses and begs to be released. Arthur is about to shoot it off but hes hit by Dema, who flies directly into him. Arthur accidentally blasts the attack off, missing but still hitting near the duo. Arthur then burns Demas'' wing, forcing her down. He attempts to kill the earth-bound dragon, but thankfully Julius saves her by attacking with a flurry of quick strikes, making him back down. Arthur catches Julius blade and stares directly into his eyes. Arthur stands up, so Julius leads Arthur away from Dema. And behind both of them, Edward panics. He falls to his knees, struggling to breathe. Edward: I cantI cant Edward punches the ground, falling into a pit of disappear. Moros left a massive hole in Edward, a hole that Edward hadnt even felt until now. Edward seeps into something different, a feeling unknown to him. He has felt loss, sadness, and a hell of a lot of anger, but this is something else. Every single time hes had to do something, hes had a point to. Oh, his parents died? He trains to kill the killer. He isn''t strong enough to? He trains until he is. But no, if Arthur dies hell have nothing. Across the room, Julius and Arthur continue to look at each other across the room. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Arthur: I still never got you. Ive met messed up people, Ive met strong people, hell Ive met people hundreds of years old! And yet Ive never met somebody like you. You have nothing in your eyes, you lead yourself with the fact youre unreadablehell, you even told me your outfit colors mean interconnectivity between the countries, so you cant even tell who or what youre in line with." Julius: I am an open book because what I want is so obvious. Arthur tightens his grip on Julius blade, forcing the sharp metal into his hand. Arthur: Then what the hell is it if Im so dumb? You wanna be king? You wanna be a god or do you just wanna sit alone in a cabin in the woods? Julius: I want to be many things, things that all lead to one path. A road that leads to a connected world. The Sect of Anarchy is trying to do the same, and knowing where they come from, it is honorable to see how much they have accomplished. But I know that I can do better, be better. I will use whoever and whatever I need to get there as well." Arthur: So what? Youre some evil friendless goon? Julius: I may not have many friends, but I do have one. Julius turns his head to look at Edward, widening his eyes. His right eye twinges, red, sore, and overused since its the eye needed to operate his weapon of Alfheim. But still, he stares longingly at him. Julius: If anything, I see Edward as a friend, or at least somebody who I can respect. Due to Edward being wrapped within himself, he cant hear anything Julius says, except for the last bit. Edwards vision returns to him, letting Julius words push him to keep going. Arthur uses the first opening Julius has mistakenly allowed to get a clean hit on him. Punching him directly in the face and chopping Julius thin blade in half. Whilst the broken blade is in the air Arthur punches the broken blade into Julius side, stabbing right into him. Julius pushes through the pain, extending his foot back, winds his arm back, and performs the dragon''s fist, hitting Arthur in the side, and crushing a rib or two. Arthur shouts in pain, using a flaming kick to smack Julius away. Edward sees all of this and is enraged by it. He charges, dragging his sword behind him. No words are said, only grunts and screams. Edward: ARTHUR!!! A pulse of mana is felt in the air, though its not from Arthur or Edward. But it seems to summon Dema, causing her to fly away. This distracts Arthur, letting Edward get right up to him. Edward bit down and swung his sword to hit Arthurs side. Arthur realizes this right at the last moment. He blasts a concentrated flame right at Edward, blasting them both back. Arthur recovers quickly, blasting the finger plasma shots once more. They hit all around Edward, but Edwards able to move just out of the way, though one gets through, hitting his helmet, breaking the hinges, and causing the helmet to fall apart. Edward still charges right through it, fully enveloped in the warriors spirit. KILL HIM Is heard over and over in a deep yet raspy voice in Edwards mind. BAM! Dema bursts back into the room, with Peter back on top of her, and Gray holding the reins, flying Dema. Peter aims his makeshift grenade launcher right at Arthur. Arthur: DAMMIT AGAIN!... WAIT IS THAT YOU GRAY!? FINALLY! Gray: DANG, GOT A CRUSH ON ME THAT MUCH!? Peter shoots an explosive, but the reload time is slow so he doesn''t mess up the inner workings of the gadget, which is made even worse by Arthur''s fireballs that are being thrown at them on top of Grays shotty flying. Arthur shoots out a quick and powerful dime-sized ball of plasma, hitting Demas''s already injured wing. The explosion knocks Gray and Peter off of Dema, so Arthur attempts to hit one of them with a quick ball of fire. He sees Peter holding something so he chooses to attack him. Peter is barely able to throw his satchel of explosives before he''s hit with the fireball. Even though the fireball isn''t that powerful, Peter is still a kid, so with all the stress, fear, and quick burst of intense pain knocks him unconscious. Gray extends his cloak so he can catch him, but he lands just like Dema, harshly. Gray watches Edward explode with power. He activates the dragon''s spirit, boosting his strength tenfold. But not only that because the satchel of explosives lands right above his head, letting Edward stretch out his sword to swing it down on Arthur. Arthur preemptively charged up a palm-sized ball of plasma to clash with Edward. Edward swings his sword down with all his might, forcing the explosives down, which ignite when they''re even near the powerful plasma. Dema quickly moves to cover Gray and Peter from the blast, protecting them. Edward''s sword, Arthur''s plasma, and Peter''s explosives all connect, creating a blinding explosion that consumes the area around the two. Gray''s vision comes back to him so he can see Arthur still standing but with horrible burn marks all over his body. He looks over to Edward, watching as his burnt body falls to the ground, finally out of the fight. Arthur turns to Gray, forming a giant grin on his face. Arthur: You the last one? Gray: Yep, you dont seem to be in very good shape. Arthur: Dont need to be in my prime to kill your skinny ass. Gray: "MY ASS IS NOT SKINNY! It''s firm and plump I''ll have you know!" END OF Chapter twenty-one Arc 5: Chapter 22. One Bird with two arrows Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 22. One Bird with two arrows Lincoln blasts through the capital, having to run past groups of soldiers fighting for their lives. The only thought in his head is Ronin.. Lincoln gets to the center of the capital after about twenty minutes of moving as fast as he can, then he notices something. He sees Gordons group pushing through, successful in their mission to conquer the north side. But just like himself and Ryo, theyre having issues facing one of the Sects pillars. Soaring through the sky, barely dodging Gordon''s spree of glowing green arrows, is Pandora. Her wings, feet, arms, and mask easily destroy her identity. This sighting makes Lincoln ponder himself for a moment. Lincoln {If Ryo is facing MusashiIll have to help him. But Gordon isnt close to our strength, so will he be able to beat Pandora? Oh, SHIT! Jong is fighting Severus thenJong is way weaker than Gordon, hell Gray and his group could be him! If Severus has already attackedthen hell already be dead and the south side is lostDAMMIT ALL!} Lincoln struggles to come to a conclusion, help Jong but risk wasting time, help Gordon but risk letting Ryo and Jong die, or help Ryo and leave Gordon alone. Somebody dies in all the different paths, but in any of them, Jong is most likely dead anyway. Lincoln tightens his hand, concluding. Lincoln: Ryo is the one that needs to be helped because if we lose the capital, well still have a supreme warrior to help the rest of the world. Lincoln runs off, leaving Gordon to fight on his own. Though Gordon has soldiers to assist him, nobody is on his level. Hes atop the biggest building in the area, crouching down on the pyramid-style roof, launching arrows that blast at high speeds. Gordon checks his quiver, noticing that he only has fifteen arrows left, not too little but not enough. His head is pounding in pain, with any trauma he has been replayed over and over, screaming in his ears. You left us! How could you let your sister become...this? Were not brothers He drowns out his thoughts, suppressing his long-lost feelings about things that cannot be changed, he has come to terms with his trauma, or so he thinks. Pandora continues to fly around in the air, then her eyes turn a bright purple, then her mask opens, letting a large wave of mana exit through it, sounding like a bird''s screech. The voice bomb hits the ground, hurting both Leviathan and Anarchist soldiers. Gordon uses the opportunity to send an arrow soaring through the air, stabbing right into Pandoras leg. Pandora becomes aggravated, so she begins flying right toward Gordon. He attempts to use the runes on his bow to strengthen his arrow, but due to Pandoras ability, the mana is forced back into the runes. Gordon: Dammit, this is annoying. Pandora goes in for a head-on assault, trying to swipe at him with her talons. He pulls out a dagger, slashing at her. She lands behind him, letting off another sonic blast. He covers his ears, but it is still devastating to his eardrums, then she rushes in, swiping at his face. He grabs her arm, digging his dagger into her face. But without any mana on the blade, it does nothing to hurt her, letting her kick him in the face. He slips down the roof, almost falling off the side. Pandora flies up and uses a sonic blast to break the roof, making him lose his balance and fall to the ground. He catches himself on a window seal, then has the idea to crash through the window to get cover. Gordon feels his face, wincing when he touches the cuts on his cheek. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Gordon: Dammit, she got me. I rely too heavily on my magic, so I cant fight her. I wonder if her ability can affect multiple people at onceor maybe the amount of mana that gets taken away is lessened? If thats true I can hide within my soldiers, using them as cover while I fire arrows. But that puts them in dangerbut If I dont they all die. Gordon gets up but is surprised when Pandora bursts through another window, grabbing him and pulling through the window he entered, taking him far into the air. He starts trying to stab her with his dagger, but her armor is too durable. She tightens her grip on him, charging a point-blank sonic blast. The second her mouth opens Gordon stabs her face, causing her to let him go and release the blast. While falling he uses the opening to coat his arrow in the green mystical energy, and shoots off an arrow, sending it straight into her eye. Though the small amount of armor covering her eye doesn''t go all the way through, it''s still enough to blind her. She grabs her now destroyed right eye, gasping in pain. Gordon plummets to the ground, crashing through the tall building''s roof. He lands on his shoulder, dislocating it. He grunts, knowing what hell have to do. He stands up and slams his arm into a wall, over and over until its relocated. Gordon leaves through the stairwell, attempting to walk out of the large building. Gordon: Glad I broke this government building and not somebody''s house, hell Im surprised any buildings like this are still here after the Sect took over. Gordon walks until he hears talking suddenly stop. He walks into the hallway for the third floor to find families huddled up, scared for their lives. Gordon is speechless, looking at all the crying citizens trying to hide. Gordon: Its alright, just hide until this is over. Gordon walks out of the hall, finding more people on each floor, telling them the same thing. Gordon: There are probably people hiding in buildings all over the capitaland to think I was fighting in an office right above them. He stumbles onto the street, waiting for his arm to regain feeling. He is immediately attacked by Anarchists, taking out one of his arrows, and stabbing them in the heads with it swiftly and easily. Gordon rubs his arm, then looks above to find Pandora still flying around, but at a much waver pace. Gordon pulls out two arrows, takes in a deep breath, and waits. Predicting where shell fly, how shell react, how she''ll land. Then with the slightest release of pressure, the arrows blast towards Pandora, going through her wings with ease, grounding her. With her wings disabled, she begins to glide toward the ground, crashing into the street. She charges up a sonic blast, which is stopped by a Leviathan soldier stabbing her. Pandora grabs the soldier by the face, crushing his head. Gordon gasps, repaying her for her poor choice of actions by sending an arrow through her side. The bird''s armor begins peeling back, letting her blood run onto the street. Gordon watches as the mask is pulled back into the armor, revealing that Rosine, Queen Elizabeth''s daughter, princess of Ravoria, is in the armor. Gordon looks deeply into her eyes, realizing that she is in full control, not under a spell of some sort. She touches something within the armor, erupting in a red-ish mana. The Sects symbol on the ground tells Gordon that shes trying to escape. He fires one last arrow, and due to Rosine''s ability, its not covered in the runes magic, causing the strength of the arrow to plummet, making the killing of Pandora''s apostle body incomplete. Gordon is left star-struck, due to his inability to kill one of the apostles. Though he is immediately brought back into the fight when he hears the roars of battle behind him. Gordon: Ive almost concurred on the northern side, one small loss isnt anything! End of Chapter twenty-two Arc 5: Chapter 23. Forest of spires Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 23. Forest of spires Gray stands beside Dema and Peter, with his back against the wall as he looks at all the useless destruction that had taken place within not only the ballroom but the king''s quarters as well. The room that was once the king''s quarters has now become a hole in the ballroom''s ceiling. The ballroom itself has already seen enough destruction, not even half a year has passed since Kioshi and Musashi had their battles with the Pillars of Anarchy. And now another battle is ravaging the room, sad. Arthur: This is it, Phantom Knight...how do you like that name by the way? I heard some of the random Sect members callin you that so I put it on your bounty poster. Gray: I didnt think Id make it to the point where Id get a title let alone get one in justwhat day is it? Arthur: March fourteenth I thinkor the second, but that means you have only been here for...five months!? Youve had a hell of a time. Ive spent twenty-six years here by now and Im finally getting somewhere. Gray: I would still be living in the mansion if you hadnt attacked it, so you started my story. Arthur: Sucks I gotta end it to. Gray: "LAME!" Arthur stretches his arms, burns his wounds away, and then sends a strong blast of flames toward Gray. Gray moves out of the way, letting the flames hit the wall behind him. The flames blast through the wall, it takes Gray a second to understand why the wall is so weak, but then he realizes that its the same wall that Musashi had burst through when he saved him that short time ago. Gray {Helping me from beyond the grave huhthis gives me an idea.} Gray runs and jumps out of the opening in the wall, which forces Arthur to follow. Arthur: DONT RUN NOW! Gray uses his cloak to grab onto the wall and pull himself up. Before Gray can get up the wall and onto the roof, due to its length, Arthur is already out of the castle, using his flames to shoot out of his feet and keep him in the air. He uses a quick burst of power to get above Gray, then blasting a wave of flames to consume him. Arthur: YOURE LESS THAN A PHANTOM AND MORE OF A DAMN SPIDER! AND I HATE SPIDERS! Gray: THATS SOMETHING WE CAN AT LEAST AGREE ON! Gray jumps off the wall before the attack can reach him. Arthur uses flames from his feet to fly past Gray and land on the opening in the wall, blocking Gray from reentering. Gray pulls out his sword, charging mana and spirits around it. Gray: BREAKER! Gray slices the air, through a short blast of mana right at Arthur. Arthur chops at it with a flaming hand, disrupting the attack, then following up with a finger-flaming shot. It barely misses Gray, but as he falls, it touches a bit of his cloak, causing it to burn up, and pushing him back. In a second the cloak is consumed with flames, forcing Gray to pull the cloak into the charm. But without the cloak, he goes into a free fall. Since the flaming shot pushes him back, hes too far from the wall to grab onto it, sending him into a panic. Gray {DAMMIT! NOT LIKE THIS! PLEASE, SOMETHIN! THEY DIDNT ALMOST DIE FOR ME TO DIE LIKE AN IDIOT!} Dema begins to get up, forcing through all of the pain and injuries shes suffered so that shes able to assist Gray. She bolts past Arthur, knocking him down. Arthur: NO! Dema dives down at high speeds, catching Gray mid-air. Gray: Dema, I LOVE YOU! Gray gives Dema a pat on the back, then grabs her reins and flies to the top of the castle. Arthur: The hell are you going! Arthur leaps out of the castle, using bursts of flames to propel himself up. Gray reaches the roof first so he looks around. He notices something on a part of the castle''s roof, an area where they kept adding additions and rooms, so there are what seems to be fifteen or twenty different spires big enough to hide behind. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Gray {Now that I get a better look at this castle, its shaped kinda weird. Athen looked like a big pillar, but this ones like multiple more miniature castles and rooms combined. Its like a forest of spires} Gray gets a good look at the capital as well, and hes horrified by what he sees. Destroyed buildings, hundreds dead, thousands upon thousands of people running for their lives, pure horror. Arthur reaches the forest of spires and looks around, trying to find Gray. Arthur: COME ON GRAY! I DIDNT WAIT FOR YOU TO HAVE TO PLAY HIDE AND SEEK! Gray gets off Dema, trying to get her to fly away, but she resists. Gray begins whispering to her, trying to ease her. Burns are found all across her body, shes just a baby, only a year or so old. She nudges Gray like shes trying to egg him on, giving him an idea. Gray: Dema, you sure? Dema turns her head, almost as if she understands what he means. He places his hand on her back, takes a deep breath, and casts the spell. Arthur hears Gray whisper the spell, blasting flames toward the spire. The spire gets destroyed, and nothing can be spotted behind it, then suddenly a boom is heard, echoing through the air. Arthur begins to sweat, almost like hes scared. He sees a flash go by him, and then the powerful wind being pulled behind the speeding object knocks him over. His eyes widen, watching as gold-glowing Dema speeds through the air, powered up by Khightic. Gray stretches his cloak out, letting it grasp onto two of the spires. He then pulls back, so when he lets go he slingshots himself right at Arthur, who''s been trying to hide from Dema''s blitzing movements. Gray {It may be a bad idea to use this move this earlybut I need the odds in my favor.} Mid-slingshot he uses his wrist talons, aims them forward so he can stab into Arthur, and casts Khightic, and thanks to both his and Dema''s spiritual connetion, the spell takes way less of a toll on their bodies compared to someone like Rosemary. But Dema is still hurting, and with the spell taking a heavy toll on the user''s stamina, she only has one attack left. Gray crashes right into Arthur, and Arthurs barely able to maneuver himself out of the way of Grays wrist blades. Arthur grabs Grays straight sword and then swings it right at Gray. Gray knows that his wrist blades will break if he uses them to block, so he pulls out his other sword in a flash. Gray {If I use my spiritual sense, Khightic might force me into the spirit state, and I cant risk losing control of my body. But I can feel the power coursing through my veins!} Dema is about to fall out, her vision wanes, and her blood boils. Something within her shifts, like her body, is growing, and something she should have gained by just growing older has been sped up, but what that is cant be found since she loses consciousness. She lands atop one of the many spires, forcing Gray to fight Arthur on one. For a showing of how powerful Arthur and his willpower are, hes able to keep up with a powered-up Gray. Swift accurate movements are interchanged between opponents. Gray attempts to empower his cloak with pure spirit mana, but with all the action hes unable to get time to try. Arthur fuels Grays stolen sword with thick flames, so when they clash another sword strikes the flames explode, tossing Gray back. Gray uses this as an advantage, using the cloak to attach to the spires, swinging around like a superhero. At which speed Gray moves, Arthur is unable to predict where hes going to appear, having to only hope that the quick flashes of Gray hes able to see don''t randomly attack him. Gray then quickly uses Arthur''s inability to see him accurately and hides away behind one of the spires. Gray {I can already feel the spell wearing offdammit Ive only been using it for a few minutes! It may not have been the best call, Knightic is more of a Use the big attack now! ability and less than a Power up abilityWait how much mana do I have left!?} Gray begins to think but it is interrupted by the sound of explosions. He jumps out of his hiding place and catapults himself toward Arthur. Arthur stops his destruction of the spires to blast his dark flames at Gray. Gray, unable to block to attack, stretches out his hand and casts Walnic. A transparent blue shield appears in front of him, connected to his right hand, blocking the flames. The second the flames dissipate his shield does as well, so they once again prepare for a clash. Arthur charges up another attack, swinging Grays sword while Gray swings his short sword, and with the difference in sword strength the straight sword cleaves through the short sword, leaving Gray without a sword and open to another attack. Gray bends the cloak around, grabs a large piece of the broken sword, and flings it at Arthur''s face, forcing him to dodge. This allows Gray to use the last of Khightics power, focusing it all into his fist, as well as as much mana as Gray''s arm can handle, and punches Arthur directly in the face. Gray: MANA OVERDRIVE! Gray''s hand becomes enveloped in a pulsing aura of purplish black mana, which hits Arthur so hard it punches him back and even knocks a tooth out. Arthur places his palm on Grays chest, bends back, and blasts a flame so powerful it sends Gray upwards. Arthur leaps with his flames, then kicks a blast of flames to the side, and then one final leap at Gray. Arthur had managed to not only get above Gray but also get at an angle to hit Gray off of the roof of the castle and only down to a side yard. Arthur continues to use Grays sword, hitting Gray with it mid-air, sending Gray flying off the castle. As Gray flies through the cold night sky he manages to grab Arthur''s leg with his cloak, yanking Arthur towards him. Arthur allows this, so once he gets up close to Gray he uses his flames to rocket the two down hundreds of feet. Gray: HEY! WERE BOTH FALLING HERE! Arthur: I KNOW! LETS SEE IF YOU CAN TANK THE FALL! Gray attempts to kick Arthur off, but he wont budge. Arthur stretches his legs back, then exerts a great gust of flames, propelling them further up into the glistening night sky. They burst through the clouds, hundreds of feet above the castle. Arthur stops his flames, and Gray even stops fighting, they just look on into the sky. Silence, no sounds of fighting, crying, destruction, or flames can be heard, just a cool breeze blowing through the air. Gray: Whydo thiswhy be this Arthur: The world we were used to belong to broke us both, you want to be the hero with your second chance at life, and I want to use it like my playground, doing whatever I want. Gray ponders to himself for a brief moment, then they are both brought out of the moment of levity when they begin falling. Gray: WHY IS IT GOOD TO BREAK PEOPLE!? TO TAKE THINGS AWAY!? TO LIE!? Arthur: WHY DOSNT IT!? I HAVE BEEN DOING WHAT ALL PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO, WHATEVER THE HELL THEY WANT!? Gray: WHAT WOULD YOUR PARENTS THINK, WHAT WOULD ANYBODY WHO LOVED YOU THINK!? Arthur: MY PARENTS ARE GONE! I LIED TO YOU WHEN I TOLD YOU WHAT MY LIFE WAS LIKE! IM STILL SURPRISED YOU BELIEVED ME! Gray is surprised by this, learning that all hes thought about Arthur was just a lie, and then Arthur gets a clean kick to his stomach. Dema begins to get up, still suffering from whatever is going on in her body. Sparks in her mana, energy forming, though its too little of an amount to do anything. She extends her wings and flies up into the sky. Gray sees her flying towards them, so Gray propels himself by focusing mana into his legs, kicking the air to push him towards a slow-flying Dema. Arthur tries to stop Dema''s flight, shooting flames out of his eyes, and burning her body. Shes barely able to keep Gray from falling, so she goes as fast as she can to the ground, and Arthur follows close behind, falling at great speeds. Dema stops flapping her wings, trying to glide down to the yard below. Gray uses his cloak to pick up some wind, slowing their descent. However, this is stopped by Arthur when he throws another fireball at his cloak, burning holes in it. In, out, in, out, inout Demas breathing becomes slower and slower as she loses her last bits of strength, and suddenly, just as theyre about to land, she loses consciousness, crash-landing on the cobblestone path below. Gray gets up and immediately understands where he is. He looks at the small cabin, the walls, the path, and the grass. He is in the same location he was when he left his second chance at life when he lost faith in himself and left all his friends, and now he has returned. Cathartic, is it not? End of Chapter twenty-three Arc 5: Chapter 24. What it means to stand above all Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 24. What it means to stand above all. Ryo, still running from Musashi, is struggling to keep a reasonable distance away. He turns his head, staring at Musashis dead eyes. Ryo: ALL-CENIC! A massive wave of this black smoke covers the entire area, so with Ryos enhanced senses, he finally has the advantage against Musashi. Ryo, mid-air, charges up a large current of mana onto his katana. He puts his all into the attack, launching it directly at Musashi. The large spiritual slash carves through the air, forcing the black smoke away. It barrels towards Musashi so Musashi responds by putting his guard up as fast as he can, blocking with his blade. The attack forces Musashi into the ground, letting Ryo get even further away. Musashi gets up, shakes his body, and speeds toward Ryo, destroying the ground beneath him. Musashi swings at the air multiple times, using such strength that the air force created by his swings is enough to blast through the air. Ryo barely moves out of the way of them, using his mana blade to grab onto window seals and ledges, swinging himself to safety. The swings that missed destroyed various buildings, and even hit soldiers fighting, demolishing them, and turning them to bits. Musashi uses his eternal mana to leap at Ryo, getting close enough to use another air slice, which he promptly uses. Ryo turns around just in time to block it but is forced into a back alley. Ryo crashes into the ground, destroying all the cobblestones and creating a small crater. Ryo quickly gets up, feeling back into a corner. Then, hes backed into a corner when Musashi lands in front of him, blocking the exit to the alley. Ryo: Your OD is chained, locked down. Which means your soul is locked, your memories. You are MUSASHI! Ryo screams from within his heart, trying to break through to Musashi. But trying to remind somebody of who they are is useless when they aren''t themselves. Especially when Musashi is currently more of a robotic zombie than anything. Musashis straw hat blows away in the wind, falling into the street, and then getting trampled by the crowds of people. Ryo gets a better look at Musashi''s hair, finding black strands within it. His eyes are also further revealed as well, all black except for the white pupils, similar to Grays eyes when using the spiritual state. Ryo uses his mana sword to form a blade, much similar to his other katana. Wielding them like a duel swordsman. They go to clash swords in a way filled with the pride of a swordsmen. Telling that even when his mind isnt even present, he will still fight with honor. Musashis strike destroys Ryos, pushing both of his swords down. Then in that split second Musashi goes in for a strike. Ryo Hollis is about to let himself die in a random alley, unable to will himself to defeat his entranced friend. Ryo Hollis holds his values with high regard. He won''t hurt a friend, he won''t fight unless he has to and he''ll avoid using offensive spells or killing anyone unless it''s extremely necessary. So he''d rather die than kill others, especially Musashi. Ryo {I''m sorry Musashi, I can''t force myself to free you...and I''m sorry for letting your reputation fall because of my inability to harm you.} But in a flash, right before the sword connects, the Dragon of Athens, the unstoppable force enters the battle, Lincoln Valentine. He catches Musashis sword with both of his hands, saving Ryo from a useless death. Lincoln looks at Musashi in his black dead eyes, finally fully understanding the loss of one of the only people he could call a friend. Musashi pulls his sword away, but he is kicked by Lincoln, getting launched into the side of a building across the street. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Lincoln: I assume hes gone? Lincoln turns to Ryo, letting him regain his composure. Ryo: His soul has been taken over, disconnected. And one''s self is its soul, its memory. His OD is chained up, locked away for the Sect to control. Lincoln turns his head back to the building where Musashi had been hit, seeing him lurking in the shadows. Lincoln: Can you free him? Ryo: Ithink so. But I need time, and even if I free him forcefully he may not live after. What they seemed to do to him has ruined his OD, and without the chains, his soul will fall, gone forever. Lincoln sighs, touching the piece of cloth covering the left side of his face, a piece of cloth that seemingly has the Red Arrows flag on it. Lincoln: Ill stop him, Im the only one strong enough to stand up to a man who was unrivaled by all in terms of skill. Named after a fantasy figure known for his sword skill, funny how that works out. A man honored by the heavens to such a degree that his daughter was a god. I may just be a man, but I will be the one to do it. I''ve trained with him, and he seems weaker than before, so I''ll only hold him off until you''re done." Ryo: Even if we somehow fall, if Im unable to put a stop to this, I want you to know I feel honored to go down in history with you. Lincoln: "Don''t worry, losing isn''t something I do. I''ll make sure this ghoul controlling his body is destroyed long before you or I die. Lincoln takes a swig of his booze, spitting on the ground. Lincoln: Alright, let''s go." Musashi jumps through the rubble, so Lincoln jumps as well. The clash mid-air, Lincoln punching Musashi''s blade, and thinking of his intense training all his life, his skin has gotten so stiff it wasnt even cut by Musashis blade. The attack creates a shockwave that destroys all the windows in the area, as well as causing broken buildings to collapse. They land and continue to trade blows, Dodging, and attacking, with no thought at all, just pure instinct. Each punch Lincoln throws carries so much power it forces the wind to follow his fist, then uses the Dragons fist technique to heighten his attack to the limit, hitting Musashi so hard it launches him into the air. Lincoln {I felt ribs crack, but not breakhow tuff is this guy? Whatever, he might be the most skilled of us all. But I still hit harder.} Lincoln leaps into the air, so they both fight and are airborne. Musashi throws slashes of wind, while Lincoln throws punches. With Lincoln''s intense strength, he can essentially jump in the air, while Musashi can do the same thing, just at a lesser scale. Musashi takes a deep breath, launching himself towards Lincoln. Lincoln guards, being forced to the ground, creating another crater. Lincoln kicks Musashi off of him, then gets a quick look at his armor. Lincoln is wearing armor similar to the Athens soldiers. A chest guard, forearm guard, and leg armor. Dense and heavy armor was made so he could guard when needed and have a full range of movement. While Musashi wears much lighter armor, allowing him greater combat speed. While all the fighting is going on Ryo does what hes best at, the spirit arts. He goes into his astral form and then flies straight towards Musashi. But due to Musashis toned fighting capabilities, hes able to sense Ryo, trying to move out of the way. Lincoln tries to help, slamming his arm onto the ground, creating a shock wave that destroys the road and makes Musashi move out of the way. Musashi flips in such a way that he dodges both of them, then returns the favor with a thick layer of mist and a large air-cutting slash. Ryo contacts the spirits, causing the mist to dissipate, and gives him another opening, one he takes advantage of. Ryo flies into Musashi, getting sucked into his OD, leaving Lincoln to fight Musashi and protect Ryos unconscious body. The cloth on Lincoln''s face falls off, having been lightly cut by one of Musashis various sword swings and revealing the left side of his face. Its aged, covered in burns and wrinkles. His mouth is hanging open, and his eye is stitched shut. With no current knowledge of what happened, all that can be assumed is that something terrible happened, because what can hurt a god of war, other than another god of war? Lincoln touches his face, getting a large grin on his face, his hawk eyes narrow, and his muscles tighten. Musashi wipes the dirt off his sword, then creates another blanket of mist, turning the area grayish. End of Chapter twenty-four Arc 5: Chapter 25. The Phantom Knight Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 25. The Phantom Knight Everyone other than Gray is finished. Edward barely breathes, Julius has a blade in his abdomen, and Peter, Soku, and Rosemary are all unconscious. But Gray Kyojin is still standing. On the same ground as his first proper understanding of himself, Gray is once again forced to meet himself within his mind. Arthur understands this as well, making him laugh. Arthur has various injuries and burns. His eyes are bloodshot, his body is covered in dried blood, and his throat is scratchy. Arthur starts coughing, wheezing even. Gray removes his mask, looking at Arthur face-to-face. Gray: Why do you have to be the bad guy? Caesar told me he felt like he had to like he had no other choicebut I still dont get it. You told me your story, of how you got here, how terrible your life was and you just want to be the villain now? Arthur begins to laugh hysterically. Arthur: That sob story I told you wasn''t real IDIOT! I was trying to guilt-trip you. I was just bored, so I ended it. And then I got the chance to do whatever the hell I wanted to do. Caesar was a joke, a pawn of the Pillars, the true Gods of the new world as they call themselves. Im not broken, I dont have some terrible back story, and I dont have a reason. Caesar could have been a good man but he turned into my worker, I just want to do this. I like being the Villain as you say, ''cause its just more fun that way. Gray stands still, completely shocked. Gray: So you ruin lives, take lives, and break good people for no reason. And you like doing that? You are just a bad person, you are trash. Arthur: Hey, being trash can be fun. You play the hero and Ill keep playing the villain. It sucks youre going to die here though. Youre the only one that can have a dialogue with me, banter with me. If it means anything at least youll know you were fun. Gray puts his mask back on, and a sudden boom of mana erupts around him. All his current emotions are pulled into an eternal ocean of spirits, where he can think. But his body is consumed by the spirit state, his eyes become a blazing bright white, causing Arthur to feel a sudden fear. Gray''s possessed body fights Arthur, and since Arthur uses spirit mana for his flames, Gray can nullify any flames he makes. Arthur notices this when he tries throwing a fireball at Gray, which fades away once it gets near him. Gray''s cloak grows with his anger, absorbing the spirit mana, and getting even stronger than before. Gray''s mind floats in a black void, getting bombarded with what sounds like his own voice. Really? I thought we were past this Damn, we are uselessI thought this was our third chance. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Gray is unable to respond, not due to an actual inability, but because he believes what is being said. Gray''s body bites its lip, letting Arthur know that Grays mind is still active. Gray''s body uses the wrist talons to attack. Arthur is solely forced to fight with his physical strength, using Gray''s sword to battle. Gray stretches his cloak to try and grab Arthur''s limbs, making multiple tendrils to do so. Arthur cuts through all of them, then swings the sword down right on Gray''s face. Gray''s body blocks it with the wrist talons, but doing so puts pressure on the tools, pressure that they can barely handle. Gray''s mind continues to race, trying to block out all of the voices in his head. He thinks about his talk with Azeala back when he made his vow. His voice played all around him, like a surround sound speaker. No matter what happens to me, no matter how much pain I feel, how deep the pit of despair gets, I will do everything in my power to ensure theyre safe! Gray''s body gets kicked back, sent tumbling down the street. Arthur uses this opportunity to charge plasma onto the blade of the sword. Gray gets thrust back into his body right as Arthur swings the sword, which causes the plasma to blast like a beam. Gray puts his arm up, uses all the spirit mana flowing around him, and casts his spell. Gray: WALNIC! A thick, transparent blue barrier flows off Gray''s arm, which blocks the attack. But due to how strong the beam is, it breaks through the shield, hitting Gray in his left shoulder. Flames burn through his armor, placing large burn marks on his shoulder. The sword Arthur was using was destroyed by the plasma, so Arthur leaps at Gray, shooting flames out of his arm. He then punches Gray directly in the face, breaking his nose, tossing him back, and shattering his mask into pieces. Gray lands on his back, severely weakened. Gray {My manaits goneIm out. With all the spells Ive used my OD hurtsif I try to pry mana out of it, itll breakand then I may die.hell Ill die if I don''twait? I cant use the mana surge because hes from EarthohI know what I can try. THIS IS IT, IF IT DOESNT WORK THEN I DIE, BUT IF IT DOES I DIE ANYWAYTO HELL WITH IT!} Arthur stumbles back and forth, swaying side to side, about to pass out. Arthur: ...come onCOME ON! Gray gets up, stands tall, sticks his finger into the air, and pulls it down, pointing his thumb at his heart. Gray: MY NAME IS GRAY KYOJIN, THE PHANTOM KNIGHT, AND I WILL BE THE ONE TO STOP YOU! Gray goes to bite his tongue but is quickly stopped by an intense mana surge. His OD cracks, and then he puts even more pressure on it. Gray: KNIGHTIC! Mana is forcefully stripped from Grays OD, breaking a hole in it, and letting the rest of it flow out like a blazing flame. Arthur uses the last of his strength to charge at Gray while screaming. Gray: EL-CENIC! Gray casts the enhanced version of Cenic, coating the area in an intense wave of black smoke. With everything happening Grays body is forced into fight or flight, causing his eyes to surge white. With all his power-ups blazing, he can use the spiritual state''s enhanced senses to move through El-Cenic, sensing Arthur''s location, which looks as if he can see him from a third-person view. Once he knows where Arthur is he jumps above his head. At the last second Arthur looks up, the glowing, blazing knight known as Gray Kyojin is using the last of his strength, using his life to kill Arthur. With no strength left Arthur is forced to take the attack head-on, giving Gray one last chance to finish the fight. Gray flows all his mana into his palm, forcing it into a sphere shape. Arthur just waves flames around him, unable to aim them, and the flames flow into Gray''s palm, combining with the attack along with all the mana he has. The pure power resonating from the attack completely tears through the wrist blade along with the fingernails and skin of his right hand. Gray pulls back his arm, letting the power flow onto his entire arm, peeling off even more skin. Arthur stares up at him, smiling as blood flows out of his mouth. Gray: TITANS, IMPACT! To end it all, after all of this fighting, after all of this pain and destruction, Gray swings his arm down on Arthur''s face, consuming them both in the blast of mana. The strength of the attack demolishes the ground below them, creating a small crater. Arthur lies on the ground unconscious, then Gray falls to the ground, doing the same. Then they lay there, with barely any life in them, and with Gray''s OD leaking, he could die at any second. End of chapter twenty-five ARc 5: Chapter 26. Musashi Van Helsing Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 26. Musashi Van Helsing Black. Void. Death. Hell. Sin. Fear. This is what makes up nothing. And nothing is exactly what Ryo sees. But something appears in this infinite nothingness that is Musashis OD. A faint glow, a crack in the veil covering Musashis soul. Ryos spirit drifts towards it, being sucked into what he assumes must be Musashi. The area is white. Ryo finds himself back in his true body, looking around, trying to find anything. He turns his head to see that the area has changed completely. Hes outside, in what is now Gordon''s training grounds. Leviathan soldiers training, and very young black-haired twin boys talking to their father, who has striking white hair. Ryo {Could that be?} Ryo ponders to himself for a moment, then has his thought answered. Musashi: Daddy, why did you name me Musashi? Ryo {This must be his first memory or at least a core memory. If thats Musashi, and he only seems to be three or four, then thats his brother Gotsu, and his father Gilius, husband of Flora Van Helsing} Gilius: Because, long ago there was a man who lived on the top of the mountain, right under heaven. A man with sword skills so great that he will be remembered for all time. Though this is just an old storya confusing one at that since we dont know where the legend came from though. Gotsu rolls around, not interested, while Musashi is fully invested. Musashi: Can I be a legend? Gilius puts his hand on Musashis head, with a small smile on his face. Gilius: Of course. Gilius coughs into his hand, shaking his head. A calming voice is heard from behind, and a tall woman with brown hair starts walking up to them with drinks in hand. Gotsu stands up, running to the woman. Gotsu: MOMMY! Ryo {Flora? That must be her. The daughter of Sultan the Lost. The first Helsing to marry a lower-class family, and the first female Helsing to rule the Leviathan army. So many famous people in one place. Gotsu the Monster Slayer, Flora the Grand, and Musashi, the once greatest swordsmen of the era.} Everything around him freezes, then cracks appear in the ground, leaking a bright yellow light. Ryo holds his hand above it, then pulls the mana into his palm, creating a small ball of mana in his hand. The area around him changes once again. Now the grass is covered in snow, and Musashi is battling Flora in the yard of what is now Grays home. Flora''s health has dropped significantly, and Musashi has grown in age. Flora screams with her scratchy throat, trying to force Musashi to kill him. Flora: MY SICKNESS WILL NOT TAKE ME, HONEY, MUSASHI BABYI KNOW YOU DONT WANT TOBUT PLEASE, KILL MOMMY! TAKE MY LIFE! Musashi screams in denial while tears flow from his eyes. Ryo is horrified by the sight. Black blood stains on the snow poured from Flora s mouth. Her bloodshot eyes, pale skin, large black crooked lines randomly on his body, and dark blood pouring out of every orifice on her body. Ryo: This must be the mana decay. A terrible way to die. Flora tries not to fall over, wildly swinging his sword at Musashi. Musashi wont swing back, cant swing back, his mind wont let her. Flora screams one last time. Flora: KILL ME! Musashi thrusts his sword through Flora''s heart, causing her to throw up her last bit of blood. With a smile on his face, Flora''s last words are inaudible, but the look on her face tells all that is needed. A feeling of respect, and that respect for her son grows even further when she watches as Musashis hair turns white. Floras soul leaves her body right as Gotsu runs into the backyard. Watching Musashi kill their sick mother, he''s silent. Though Gotsu''s petrified face wasnt due to this, no it was because of something inside the house. Ryo walks into the house with the two. Musashis once terrified face has dropped and turned to a dead look. They walk into the living room, looking at their dying mother. He is suffering from the same illness that Gilius was, drowning in his own blood. Multiple adults try to get them out of the house, horrified to find Musashi covered in his mothers blood. An elder demands that they are allowed in the room, being the only reason Gotsu is still in there and Musashi was allowed outside with his mother. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Ryo: That man, Ive heard of him. Orm, the longest-living Helsing, until he died of mana sickness a few years after this. Andi t seems Flora died a more peaceful way than the more...bloody ending..." He waves his sons over it, touching their faces. Gotsu has tears streaming from his eyes, continuing to mutter Father. The father''s eyes go black when he looks at Musashi, rubbing the blood off his cheek. Blood flows from his eyes, then everyone in the room pulls Gotsu and Musashi out of the house. A loud noise erupts from inside out, with a quick burst of blood covering the inside of the house. Ryo: A horrific end, to say the least. A younger man with brown hair walks outside to comfort the boys. Al: Hi, my name is Alon, but you can call me Al. Ive been tasked with housing you until youre of age... if that''s alright? The boys lack a response, and the memory ends once more. Ryo takes a bit of yellow mana, making the small ball a bit bigger. Ryo: It grew in half its size. I assume there are only a few more memories left, at least two or three. I hope Lincolns doing well. Ryo waits for a second, wondering to himself what the next core memory will be. Death. The end of a battle. Blood-covered ground, mist-covered area. Ryo uses his spiritual sense to see through the mist, watching Musashi battle something with monstrous mana. Roars, screams, grunts, everything leaking out of the two. The mist clears in a blast of power, allowing Ryo to see Musashi fighting something clad in dark and sharp armor. A silver jaw connected to short silver ears, long horns on the sides of the helmet, glowing red eyes, and silver claws. It looks almost like a dragon, but more humanoid. Ryo whispers to himself. Gotsu. Then in one swift movement, Musashi shoves his sword through Gotsus possessed body, blasting through the armor and leaving massive gashes around his body before stabbing right through his head, killing him. Gotsu falls to the ground, dead. All the blood flows out of openings in the armor, then a wave of steam follows. Once the steam is gone, so is the body. The only thing left behind is a palm-sized charm, with the same design as the helmet on the armor. Musashi picks up the charm, and sits down. Ryo can only watch as Musashi begins to break down in tears at the loss of his brother, a truly saddening scene. Once the memory finishes, Ryo takes the yellow mana, then the area changes once again. Snow everywhere, a white blanket instead of the ground. A dark sky, a full moon, and two fighters. Musashi, and another man dressed in attire similar to a samurai. Ryo: I remember this, the day Musashi battled the Devil''s Shogun, the day he became the world''s strongest swordsman. Musashi, covered in cuts and bruises, and barely able to stand, continues to fight the Shogun. The Shogun waves side to side, his blood pools out of the armor, and Musashi cuts through his sword, beating him. Shogun: Finishme The Shogun chokes on his own blood, making Musashi groan. Though Musashi doesn''t kill him, he simply watches as the fallen Legand. He looks over, noticing a small figure walking through the mist. Then, it''s revealed to be a young girl with white hair and swirling golden eyes. Her sudden appearance in the area is both strange as well as mystical, especially when Ryo remembers who it is. Ryo: "Kioshi. A girl blessed by the world and found by Musashi...or at least what the world thinks. A spirit, a hero, and a friend. I''ll miss you...I''ll miss you both." Mist fills the surrounding area, so Ryo takes out the yellow orb, using the bright light to guide him through the mist, glowing brighter the closer he gets to whatever he needs to get to. After a while of walking, Ryo finds Musashi sitting by a fire, drinking tea. Ryo sits beside him, looking into his eyes. Musashi: What are you doin Ryo? Ryo: Your bodyits been Musashi: Taken? Yeah, I figured. For how long? I just got here. Ryo: Aboutfive months Musashi stops drinking his tea, setting down the cup. Musashi: So now I assume you need to take me. Ryo sighs, feeling bad for Musashi. Ryo: Your body has started decayingonce I free you, youll die in mere seconds. Musashi gulps down the last bit of tea, signing at the news. However, he excepted his fate a long time ago. Musashi: Okay, whatever. You knowits kinda funny. The world''s greatest swordsman, dying due to missing his sword strike. Ryo takes the empty cup of tea, finding it filled once again. Ryo: Is it correct that my assumptionthat you let yourself die? Musashi: Maybe, maybe not." Ryo: "The Truth?" Musashi: "I spent my life rejecting it, but in my last moments...dying was the best option. And the happiest. I get be with my mother, my father, my brother, and my daughter. But don''t make it seem more than it is, because I was really mad...Kioshi died and I was too late to stop it." Ryo goes to deny this, tho try and make Mudashis feel better, but with the expression on his withered face, Ryo knows he should stop. They had all held Musashi to a high degree, so high that they all had figured he had to have died because he let himself. But they never thought the simplest thing. His daughter had just died, and even with Pandoras brain fog as well as her mama canceling abilities at play, Musashi did something as human as everyone else. He didn''t know of Prometheus'' ability to heal nor did he know that Lazarus could steal his soul in one swipe l. He made a rash decision in a heated moment, losing his life because of it. He may have been a god, he may have known about his death far before it happened due to this strange world, and that may have lead him to choose hid end, but it still all stimmed from a split second choice. So Musashi stands up, and his body begins to crack, letting yellow streams of light flow from within. Musashi: "I have faith they''ll make it. All of them, but it''s not set in stone. Guide them, because soon, very soon, they will be in charge of saving the world." Ryo: "Ah yes, another bit of the Truth. As cryptic as it always is." Musashi: "You got that right...but I think it''s time to finish this already, I''m tired enough as it is." Ryo fully opens his normaly closed eyes, looking at the soft tears flowing from his life long friends face. Ryo takes out the orb, letting Musashi flow into it. Then Ryo is ejected into the outside of his OD. Chains are wrapped all around it, with a dangling lock in the center. Ryo floats over to it, taking out the orb illuminating the are in a bright yellow glow. It turns into a key, a key that Ryo puts into the lock, unlocking it to free his friends tormented soul. The chains whip all around, freeing Musashis OD. Then cracks appear all over the freed OD, glowing a bright white. Ryo leaves Musashis soul, reentering his body. Ryo then quickly gets up and walks back onto the street, finding it decimated. The building crumbled, the street unrecognizable, and the sun starting to rise. Ryo watches as Lincoln, covered in dust and bruises, leaps at Musashi. Musashi leaps at Lincoln, putting all his strength into it. Lincolns left arm bursts with blue mana, ripping at his skin, and decaying it. Their attacks clash, and the power coming off of the attack blasts wind pressure throughout the area, pushing all the buildings and houses away, and leaving the area to look barren. The fight is heavenly. The world''s strongest swordsman, and the world''s strongest man. Strikes that echo as loud as lightning strikes. Movements that could only hope to even be perceived by the strongest of fighters. But this is just a small sight of their strength, due to Musashis decaying body and Lincoln holding back to not completely wipe this section of the capital off the map. Lincoln and Musashi both stand up, breathing heavily. Lincoln has a grand smile on his face, finally fighting a somewhat difficult fight in such a long time. Though his fun is ruined when Musashi falls back, having been freed from his chains. Ryo walks up behind Lincoln, touching his shoulder. Lincoln: Did you finish it? Ryo: Yeah, hes free. Musashis blood turns to dust, leaving only his armor behind. Ryo: We need to goit seems I was in there for a while. Ryo begins to walk away, having to stop and wait for Lincoln. Lincoln then uses Musashis cloak to grab all his things, and begins to walk with Ryo. Lincoln: So does this mean I beat the strongest swordsmen? And if so, am I the strongest swordsmen now? Ryo: Well I am the one that caused him to die, does that mean Im the strongest one? Lincoln: We gotta ask Gray, hell give us an answer. End of Chapter twenty-Six Arc 5: Chapter 27. Conversations in the dark. Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 27. Conversations in the dark. Inside a black and crack OD, Grays vision wavers. Dressed in his knightly attire, he drifts back and forth, walking in a misty void of nothing. Crackles of fire were heard near him. Without a thought in his head, he slowly steps towards it. The crisp wooden flakes danced in the light breeze, getting in Grays eyes. Gray makes it to the fire, into an area cleared of mist. A middle-aged man with Tied back black hair, pale scaly white skin, and soft black robes with a golden flower pattern sits by the fire, poking it with a stick to keep it going. Gray and the man lock eyes, giving Gray a look at his slitted pupils, very similar to Demas. A bit more of the mist clears, revealing a log for Gray to sit on, across from the strange reptilian man. He sits down, holding his head due to an oncoming headache, from how his vision keeps zoning in and out. Gray: And..you are? Mr. Misty man? The man laughs and begins poking Grays head with a stick. Gray swats the stick away, groaning in annoyance. Zue: Names Zue. And your affinity connected to me. Gray: Hey, Ive heard of you! Youre Zue Cromwell, King Cornilius brother! Gray continues shouting, causing his headache to get worse. Zue: Yeah, yeah...all of that...but, while I''m here I want to ask you something. Gray twists side to side, trying to pop his back. Gray: Oh yeah, lay it onWAIT! Gray lunges forward, through the fire, getting face-to-face with Zue. Gray: YOURE DEAD! AHH SHIT! IM DEAD! WE''RE DEAD! I DEAD! Zue pushes Gray back, causing him to fall through the fire and back onto the log he was sitting on. Gray: OW!...that doesn''t actually burn. Zue: Youre not deadwell not yet. You and your friend did pretty well against Arthur, though his dumbass didnt try at the beginning. I see youre pretty strong yourself, even if youve only been here for a few months. Stolen story; please report. Gray: Zue, The Black Dragon and Arthur the Red Dragon. So did he follow in your Anarchist footsteps or something? Zue: I dont care about that stuff. I joined it because I was aloneor felt alone. But that was a long time ago and isn''t important anymore. Zues head slumps down, consumed with overwhelming regret. Zue: My brother Cornelius was there for me at every turnand yet when things got rough I convinced myself he never loved methat he was using me. But I understand the error of my ways now, the choices I madethe thousands of lives I made my brother killruining his reputationI can never fix that. Gray sits back on the log, paying close attention to Zue. Gray attempts to feel sympathy for Zue, but somehow he just cant feel bad for him. But he can understand him. Gray: Sowhat are we doing then? Zue: You and Arthur aint dead. But you both are about to die. Your dumbass blew a whole in your OD and Arthur''s is just empty. Though every second your OD leaks out the bits of mana you have. So here is my question. Gray: Ask away. Zue: Either you can die here, letting Arthur die along with yah or I can wake you up for a few seconds so you can kill him before you die. Youll die the hero of Walgonia, with a satisfying end. Or I use a quarter of Arthurs OD, give it to you, and use the broken bits of your OD to heal Arthurs halved OD so he doesn''t die. Gray: Hmm, does him losing half his OD do anything?" Zue: "YEAH! What did yah think? He''ll lose half of his mana, might get sick too." Surprisingly, Gray doesn''t immediately choose to live. He actually thinks about it for a while. Die the hero, or live and possibly watch your friends, and your newly made family all die. Or they could live on and die of old age, dying peacefully. Death brings peace, and life brings fear. The horror of what could be, compared to what will be. Gray goes to bite his lip, a tick hes had since he was a boy, but something he hadnt done since the events at the castle all those months ago. He stops himself, wacks himself on the forehead, powers through the burning headache, and gives his answer. With a thumbs up, a sly grin, and hope from behind his trauma-filled eyes, it declares what he truly wants. Gray: I wanna live. Because as long as I die doin whatever the hell I want, then Ill die peacefully. And I wanna make sure all my friends die before me, so Ill know whatll happen to them. As bad as that soundswell, I guess you cant make that sound better. Zue isnt surprised by Gray''s wanting to live, but he is surprised by the rest of his answer. Zue: So if somebody murdered your woman, what would you do? Gray: I would kill them. Zue: And if theyre too strong for yah? Gray: Then Ill die trying. Zue scoffs at his answer, thinking of it as meaningless words, or words that would hold no meaning when the time comes true, even if he means it now. Zue holds out his hand, right in the middle of the feelingless fire. Gray shakes Zues hand, and when the flames turn black, the deal is done. Zue: By the way, youll have your memories erased about all of this, and you cant kill Arthur when you get up, at least not immediately. Gray: Wahh!? Gray is confused and surprised by this last-minute addition to the deal, but with their hands still shaking, the deal is set in stone. Then in a flash, the hole in Grays OD is healed, Arthur is healed just enough to not die, and Gray falls upward, landing within his own mind. Then with a quick nightmare, he sees flashes of a burned Athens, covered in black flames. Then he jolts up, sweating and out of breath. He finds himself in a white medical tent, wrapped in a full-body cast. With the sudden movement, his body began to roar in pain. Then at the same time, his OD begins burning. Though as fast as the burning sensation appears, it vanishes, as a quick heartbeat. Grays mind starts racing. What happened to his friends, how long was he asleep, where is Arthur, who won the war? His mind rains heavyweights of stress, fear, and confusion, ending in another headache. He attempts to bite his lip to push through the pain, but once again he stops himself, takes a deep breath, and just, simply, does nothing. Gray: I trust them. End of Chapter twenty-Seven Arc 5: Chapter 28. Recovery Arc 5: The Heart Within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 28. Recovery Blasting down the streets of Walgonias capital. Destroying the ground, breaking windows, creating large gusts of wind, all things casually done by gods of war. Ryo struggles to keep up with the faster, stronger Lincoln. Theres no time to think, as theyre speeding toward Jongs location. Due to the fact Lincoln had to help Ryo, he had to leave Jong to fight on his own, and due to Jongs strength being much closer to an average soldier, he would surely lose to an Apostle of Anarchy. Ryo is forced to yell because of the distance between himself and Lincoln. Ryo: IT SHOULD BE THE SNAKE APOSTLE RIGHT!? SERVERUS! Lincoln: YEAH! STOP LAGGIN BEHIND! HES PROBABLY DEAD, BUT THOSE CIVILIANS NEED SAVIN! Ryo tilts his head down, with the fact in his mind that, most likely, Jong is dead. He is well known and happy, but not all that strong. Hes not blessed, not born with an unkillable will, hes just a man who wanted to do the right thing. But when there is any form of want, there is some sort of obstacle in the way, and in the case of a Knight, that obstacle is people, and sometimes people are just better than you. Running there takes over an hour, forcing them to leave their posts permanently. Though they do stop the smaller fights during their time getting over there, helping the smaller groups of knights secure their victory. Over the few hours the raid on the capital has taken, they have basically conquered every area. Thousands of people are safe, and thousands of Anarchists are dead, but the damage is great as well. Hundreds of soldiers were gone, and hundreds of civilians were caught in the crossfire. Hundreds of homes burned to the ground and family history was gone forever. Businesses are gone forever, and the way people have lived and will live has been completely reset. Their lives are forever changed because people want power. For the rest of history, the day that Walgonia was embarrassed will rain in history, and the same goes for the day Walgonia was taken back. The heroes who saved Walgonia, but that is in the far future, right now Lincoln and Ryo have finally made it to the Southern side. Horror. The only way to describe it. A tragic end. Civilians laying dead on the ground, mountains of bodies. Soldiers trapped in stone, frozen screams. Tears froze in time, soulless eyes, eternal fear, a living nightmare. Ryo is terrified and speechless, and Lincoln is in shock, just as still as the imprisoned people. Lincoln: Arethe soldiersdead? Ryo: Their soulsare alivebut they are stopped. Paused. Lincoln runs around, trying to find a semblance of life. Ryo finds groups of people hiding within the buildings, staying just as still as the people turned to stone. Children shivering, and adults locked in primal fear. The closer they get to the middle of the northern side, the more damage they find. Large hand prints on the ground, blood splattered on the walls, chunks of buildings torn off, and shards of ice leading to a body. Ryo runs up to the body, turning it over to see Jong. Ryo puts his ear to Jong''s mouth, hearing the faintest breath. Ryo excitedly calls out to Lincoln, waving him over. Ryo started flowing Spirits around his body, trying to not only heal him but call forth his consciousness. His bones begin pulling themselves into place, and the smaller cuts begin closing. Lincoln: Hes alive. Ryo: Barley. I can heal him, but Erline is much better at it. Lincoln: That old hag? Wheres she at? Ryo looks up, pointing to the castle. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Ryo: Gordon sent her there, to heal Grays party once they beat Arthur. Lincoln: Gordons got a lot of faith in them. Ryo: As we all, now lets take him there. Lincoln throws Musashis stuff over his other shoulder and puts Jong on the other one. Lincoln: Ill go, you need to help here. Ryo: Are you sure? Lincoln: I said it didnt I? Ryo nods his head, letting Lincoln go off on his own. Ryo: Got a lot of work heremph. Ryo rubs the sweat off his brow, then gets down into a meditation position. He focuses on the spirits around him, looking for any life. A few hundred dead, a few thousand alive, and all injured to some extent, whether it be internal or external. Grays mind is vacant, filled with the sudden view of a familiar city, a capital burning, consumed in black flames. Flames consume everyone, in the same way, Athens was consumed by the magma of the Solon Volcano. The sounds of crying, screaming, and voices fill up every inch of Grays will. The flames swirl until there is absolutely nothing but ash. The ash spirals about in the air, forming a statue, a statue of himself. Rosemary, Edward, and Soku apparate around the statue, all consumed with different emotions. Rosemary, drowning in her own sorrow. Edward is frustrated and confused. And Soku was left with a feeling of loneliness, with no real friend left in the world. Grays mind is splintered, floating around in some sort of third-person view, unable to think, just absorbing the visual torture being forcefully fed to him. With one horrific sight after another, Gray is met with one more to add to it. They burst into flames, acting as if nothing is happening. They break apart, turning into ash that is stolen by the wind, being ripped away from Gray. Then, the area explodes with black flames, consuming all once more. With nothing but flames and the sound of them for Gray to inhale, failure. Caesars laughter takes over the sound of crackling flames, forcing whatever is left of Grays will to the ground, being pummeled by what he sees as a failure. Grasping at nothing, Gray is given only a hand and reaches through the fire, but hes consumed almost instantly, then once again, only fire. Gray: NOOO! Gray jolts awake, with his hand reaching forward, only to be met with a cold breeze, pushing into the large white tent he finds himself in. He looks at his hand, finding it wrapped in bandages. He then looks at the rest of his body, being covered in even more bandages. He quickly grabs his hair, scared it might have been burned off, and to his relief, he still has all of it. Gray looks to his left, then to his right, then back to his left. Being surrounded by curtains. He assumes he must be in a medical tent. An elderly woman walks through the curtain, giving Gray a quick sight of the many other beds, filled with wounded Soldiers. Gray: Who are you? Erline: Im Erline West, the lead healer in the Leviathan army. And youre finally awake. Gray touches his bandages, wincing in pain. Erline: I wouldnt do that, your body was destroyed, your OD was collapsed, every bone in your left hand is broken, and you have a large burn mark around your left shoulder. You should be dead, and yet youre still alive. Erlines attitude confuses Gray. He always assumed old women were all nice, like a grandma, but Erline is more pessimistic. Erline notices the look in Grays eyes, a look of ridicule, so she pats his left shoulder, causing him immense pain. She puts her hand on his shoulder again, though this time pinkish mana flows around it. The pain eases, and he can feel his skin growing back, bit by bit, the feeling of his bones forcing themselves back into place. She removes her hand and walks out of the curtained-off area. Gray: Was thathealing magic? Well, whatever it just tooka lot of my staminaugh. Gray lays back down on his bed, about to doze off, but the curtains swing open. He sits up, causing him a quick burst of pain. Rosemary, Edward, Soku, Julius, Peter, and Leo, are all covered in bandages. Gray goes to say hi, but hes met with a tight hug from Rosemary. She quickly backs off, realizing Gray starts shedding tears from the pain of the hug. She apologizes, but Gray interrupts her. Gray: Dontsaysorry. Im all good. Gray looks at all of them, looking at all the sources of their injuries. Rosemary''s destroyed arm, Leos drained body, the various cuts on Soku, the stab wound in Julius gut, and the burn marks all over Edward. The only one who isnt very injured is Peter, not having a single bandage on him. Gray: Soku, with all those cuts you must have a lot of stitches. Erline walks in, frustrated to find everyone out of their beds. Erline: Pink-haired boy! Lean on your crutches, no weight on your gut! Green-haired girl! Dont move around or youll rip open all those dastardly cuts! Black hair boy! Let your bodys bones heal back into place! Same for you Golden haired girl! She tries to push them all out of the area, but they wont budge. She sighs and calls some of the other doctors to push over the other beds. So once all the beds are in a small circle so they all lay down together. Gray: I wouldstay awakeand talk to you guysbut Im tired. Gray tries to keep himself awake, but once he notices that everyone had fallen asleep while he was talking, he also drifts off into a deep sleep. End of Chapter twenty-Eight Arc 5: Chapter 29. A well-oiled machine Arc 5: The heart within Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 29. A well-oiled machine Due to all the chatter around him, Gray wakes up, moving side to side to prevent this. Hes about to drift back to sleep until he gets whacked in the face, causing him to fling up. He looks around, watching as Soku tries to hold in her laugh. Gray gets up, but with all his bodily injuries, he falls to the ground, unable to hold his weight. Soku, now feeling bad, gets out of her bed and tries to help him up. Gray: Wheres everybody else? Soku props Gray up on the bed, then goes looking for any extra crutches. Soku: Theyre talking to Ryo, Lincoln, and Gordon outside. Gray: Oh. Gray is at ease with her answer, until he realizes that Gordon, Ryo, and Lincoln should all be helping in the battle for Walgonia, causing Gray to scream out. Gray: What!? Soku grabs an extra pair of crutches, then walks back to Gray to help him. Soku: Youve been out for like a day. Gray: A DAY!? Gray looks around, not seeing any of the soldiers that were laying on the bed just moments ago. Gray: I just went back to bed! I didnt mean to sleep past the war! Gray grabs the crutches, then starts wobbling out of the tent. He overestimates his strength, beginning to fall backward, barely benign caught by Soku. Soku: Chill out! Let me help you. Gray sighs but accepts her offer. So she holds one of his crutches so he can rest a bit of his weight on her. She winces, causing Gray to feel bad. Gray: You okay? I can walk, you dont have to hold me up. Soku: Nah, Im fine. You just touched one of my bad cuts. Don''t do it again or Ill have to drop you though. Gray sarcastically rolls his eyes, then begins walking out of the medical tent. Once they make it outside, Grays blinded by the morning sun, then with the cold breeze of dawn hitting his roasted skin, he groans in pain. He breathes in, out, then repeats, trying to make sure he doesn''t cry out. Soku: Theyre in the castles main hall, so we gotta walk briefly. Gray: Oh great, Im so glad about that. While they walk into the castle, Gray thinks to himself for a minute, then realizes something. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Gray: Hey, why were you in the tent? Soku: Cause, Im tired, and these meeting things are boring. Gray: You sure you didnt miss me? Soku groans, then chuckles to herself once she notices Gray sticking the tip of his tongue out at her. Grays eyes light up with intense joy, surprised by her small laugh. Gray: You laughed! Not with me, but with me! Soku sighs, blowing cold winds out her mouth, directed towards Gray causing sensitive burns to act up. She continues to do this, not because shes aggravated with him, just a bit embarrassed. Gray: UNCLE, UNCLE! Soku stops hurting him, then starts walking again. Once they start getting close to the main hall, they find the halls filled with civilians and soldiers. When they see Soku and Gray the hall goes quiet, moving out of the way to let them walk into the main hall. Gray: Lotta people. Soku: Theyre using the castle as a safe zone while the uninjured knights patrol the area, making sure they dont miss any Anarchists. Gray: Makes sense. They push into the main hall, finding hundreds of people, all injured and scared. Though even in this awful situation the people still hold their prejudice, separating themselves from the demi-humans. Soku: This stuff sucks. Gray: Yep. Soku leads Gray into the armory, the same place they were gathering their things when they were in the knight exams. They find Rosemary, Edward, Julius, Peter, Lincoln, Ryo, and Gordon all talking. They look over to see Gray and Soku, excited to see Gray awake. Rosemary runs over to Gray, giving him a large hug, hurting him. Rosemary: Oh, oh, sorry Gray." Gray: Its fineI do wish people would stop hurting me. Gray gives Soku an intense stare, losing it after he starts chuckling. The others walk over to them with demotivated faces. Gray: Whats up with yall? Gordon: Were talking about what were gonna do when we declare the battles over. Lincoln: Hell, its over anyway. Peter chimes in, interrupting the two. Peter: Cant believe we wonits crazy. Ryo: Nice to see you up. Gray: Nice to be up. So when do you think youre gonna officially end the war? Gordon: Any minute nowIm just a little stressed. Lincoln walks off, grabbing a bag of things from the corner. They all give Lincoln a strange look, everyone other than Ryo, who sighs. Edward: Whats in the bag? Lincoln: Something I need you all to see, especially Edward. Lincoln spills the contents of the bag onto the floor, causing everyone to go silent. Edward: ....Musashi A sword, cloak, armor set, and black mengu mask with the design of a demon, even sporting two large silver teeth. All things belonging to Musashi. Edward drops to his knees in disbelief. No tears, no hate, no fear, just nothing. He then stands up and looks towards the door. Edward: We need to end the war, officially of course. Gray walks up behind him, putting his hand on his shoulder. They both nod at each other, then turn their heads to everyone else. Gordon stares at his bow, staring off into space. He feels Ryo staring at him, causing him to snap out of it. Gray: Whats with all the runes? Gordon: Dont worry about it. Theyre about to walk out the door when they hear the sounds of fighting and screaming. They all panic and run out of the door, watching in horror as Humans and Demi-humans argue, hit, and scream at each other. Gray panics, freezing in place. He looks around, watching Peter, Rosemary, and Soku start freaking out as well, not knowing what to do. Lincoln shoves Gordon, forcing him into leading action. Gordon: CALM DOWN! ALL OF YOU! The room suddenly goes quiet, and with all the eyes on Gordon, he stands his ground. Gordon: People of Walgonia! I am Gordon Hill, leader of the Leviathan army! We are a well-oiled machine! Or we should be. The citizens look on without knowing what to think. They know of Gordon and his skill, but they dont know him as a real person, just a figure. Gordon: Youre hurt, sad, scared, and angry. And that is the fault of the government thats supposed to protect you. The system failed, we failed. Even if the Leviathan Army isnt entirely tied to the government, were still a part of it. Arthur Willams, the red dragon, was a fake. He was an Anarchist that made his way into power. He took us over legally, but due to his affiliation, he had to take Walgonia back. Civilians start to call out, asking How did you all let this happen? What will happen now? And mostly Why should we trust you? The faith has been lost once more, turning back into anger and arguing. Gordon swells up in anger, yelling from the deepest pits of himself. Gordon: STOP ARGUING! YOU ARE ALL WALGONIAN NO MATTER THE RACE! WALGONIA WAS BUILT ON BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER! THATS WHY WE HAVE WON EVERY WAR, KILLED ALL THATS ATTACKED US, AND WHY WERE EVEN STANDING! SO STOP YELLING, STOP FIGHTING, AND STOP ACTING LIKE CHILDREN. YOU ALL WILL BE TREATED AND SENT BACK TO YOUR HOMES! WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER MEETING HERE, FOR EVERYONE TWO WEEKS FROM NOW! IN THAT TIME WE WILL REBUILD, AND CHANGE A LOT ABOUT HOW WE AS A NATION DO THINGS! BECAUSE WE HAVE WON THE WAR! NOW, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN! SO PICK YOURSELVES UP, SWALLOW YOUR FEAR, AND BE THE BEST WALGONIAN YOU CAN BE! Gordon''s quick but efficient speech echoes throughout the halls, getting everyones attention, and restoring their faith just a little bit. Gray looks on with a smile on his face, ready for whats to come, a feeling all his friends can understand, because they have won. A journey they have been on since October has finally been resolved, they have won. But the end is yet to come because in two weeks theyll be the official heroes of Walgonia. END OF Vol 3: Chapter Twenty-nine Arc 5: Chapter 30. The country that never falls. Arc 5: The heart within. Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 30. The country that never falls Two weeks after the raid on Walgonia, all the soldiers who were in the battle and thousands of civilians helped rebuild the city. Fixing destroyed houses, building new homes, putting families back together, and making new families. For about eight hours, Walgonias capital was hell. But due to the efforts of every single person there that day, Walgonia was saved from the clutches of the Sect, going down in history as one more victory for the country that never falls. Grays group gets a lot of time to rest during the short two weeks, even celebrating Rosemarys nineteenth birthday. Now, thousands of citizens have centered in and around Walgonias castle, awaiting Gordon and the other''s statements about the events that had transpired. Past the castle''s main hall, in the inside area where the Knight exams were held, sits a newly built stage just for this occasion. In the back room, Gray, Rosemary, Soku, Edward, Julius, Peter, Leo, Lincoln, and Ryo all get ready for the event Currently dressed in a similar style to Julius, sporting the white and purple colors representing unity. But with a light blue cape, that has a nice large Walgonian W on the back. And even if Grays friends are all wearing the same outfit, theyre all stressing out in their way. Leos nervous, Gray, Peter, and Rosemary are all freaking out, Sokus stomach is hurting, and Edward has a headache. The only ones not that nervous are Lincoln, Ryo, and Julius. Rosemary: You all feeling nervous too huh? Gray: Nahhyeah this is super stressful. Hell, my OD feels like its burning. Peter: Your ODs been like that since you woke up after your fight with Arthur, and that was like two weeks ago. You okay? Gray nods his head, then tries to change the subject to stop talking about himself. Gray: Those speakers are set up all around the outside of the castle right? Peter: Yep! Had to make sure the people outside could hear. Soku chimes in, trying to force her stomach ache down. Soku: You guys came up with them pretty fast. Peter: Theyre just bigger versions of our communicators, and the idea was all Grays. How did you come up with that anyway? They both stare at Gray, causing Gray to play dumb. Gray: Uhhhh, I dunno. Edward stands away from everyone, in some sort of trance, only being snapped out of it when Julius taps him on his forehead. Julius: Focus up Edward. Today you will be Knighted, and I will be officially a part of the Walgonian government. Have you prepared your speech? Edward: Oh, yeahIve been thinking about it a lot. So what are you gonna do after this? Leave and go back to Valatrositce, or are you gonna stay in Walgonia with us? Julius stares longingly at the door while he responds. Julius: Although I would really like to stay here with you, and as good as that sounds I need to go back to my home. I have been sending letters to my father and younger brother and they are awaiting my return. Edward: You have a little brother? Julius: Well, not officially, but we can keep that a secret between us okay? Julius winks at Edward, causing Edward to look at him with a face of confusion. Gordon claps his hands, causing somebody else to walk into the room. Jong, still injured, comes in pushing a wheelchair with an unconscious Arthur in it, and Leo follows close behind. Gray: You sure you should be walking around? And what if he wakes up!? Jong: Dont be a loser! Im fine and even if he did wake up he has a mana-dampening crystal on. Leo: Yeah, have faith in the man! Soku: He needs to be back in that jail cell. Not out here. Gordon walks up to the door, calling everyone over. Gordon: Hell go to a prison cell alright, the biggest and most well-guarded one in the world. Gray: Mh. They walk out of the room, surrounded by hundreds of people, all watching from the stands. They go up to the stage, getting in a certain order. Gordon is in the very front so he can speak through the communicator as a makeshift microphone. Then behind Gordon, Gray stands in the front, then Edward stands on his left, and Rosemary stands on his right. Then behind Rosemary are Soku, Peter, and Julius standing in the same order. They all look around, when they see that the stands are being self-segregated, it causes them to feel stuck. Gordon picks up the communicator, holding it close to his mouth so he can talk to the people of the Capital he hopes to rule for the time being. Gordon: Good morning people of Walgonia. I am Gordon Hill, the current leader of the Leviathan army, and I was one of the many people responsible for Walgonias recovery. As you know Arthur Willams was secretly a part of the Sect of Anarchy. The people that didnt know, all gasped, sending a loud surprise through the castle. HOW DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN! WHAT KIND OF RULERS ARE YOU! All things screamed, mumbled, and thought by more than half of the capital. Gordon: I know youre angry, scared, that you have no faithand I cant do much to help other than just asking for you to trust us. For that, we have been growing, learning, and planning to change so much of how we do things. A lot of the ideas have been from the people you see behind me! Gordon points at Gray and his friends, getting everyone''s attention. Gordon: Conner Gray Kyojin, Edward Van Helsing, Rosemary Goldenwind, Sokudo, Julius Cromwell, and Peter Day. These are the heroes who led the charge against Arthur. And Gray Kyojin here is the man that stopped him. They have done so much in such a short amount of time and lost a lot in that time as well. Also, Musashi Van Helsing and Kioshi Van Helsing are dead. The crowd is stunned, surprised, and for a few, in denial about his claim. Though it was suspected that they were not heard of for some time, nobody wanted to accept it. Gordon: I know its hard to accept, but yes, theyre gone. And I assure you that their death will be held with great respect, and their strength hasnt completely fallen either. But I do want to say something very important. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The crowd listens closely, awaiting whatever could be his statement. Gordon: With knowledge, we have learned, that our calendar has finally been recovered. The years eight hundred and one thousand, the time in between was lost. The missing two hundred years, how we reset as a continent has been learned. We will not reveal what happened until we get the facts straight, but the Sect of Anarchy has been in the shadows for hundreds of years, and thats a fact. Another fact is Walgonia needs to change its order of doing things. So we will change how the kings and queens will exist, by not having them. After we get everything straight, you all will be able to vote on your next ruler, and the ruler after that." Higher up in the stadium, in a room separating the normal people and the aristocrats. Old human men scoff at the idea that the Sect has been working right under their nose Aristocrat one: Should we step in? Aristocrat two: Nowe must wait until there aren''t all these people watching, we might cause another fall in morale. Aristocrat three: You make a good point, now lets continue watching. Gordon waits for the crowd to quiet down before continuing. He turns around to look at the others'' faces, smiling at the surprised look on all of them. Gordon: And now, even if its to the dismay of the council of elders, well be looking into and replacing all of them. They are biased, hateful, and old, and need to be replaced. The elders'' faces turn into a grand face of shock. Mouth and eyes wide open, the wrinkles heightening their sudden wave of emotion. Gray looks up at them, repulsed by their nasty faces, then he chuckles. Gordon: I will run this country until all of this is set in stone, then we will open up the possibilities for new elders and a new king to the people. Giving people schools, affordable homes, and the ability to make it in this world without having to be born rich! The crowd roars in happiness, causing echoes in the castle, echoes of hope, and the chance at a better life for them and their children. Gordon turns to Gray and the others, nodding his head to prepare them for their part in this. Gordon: "Thanks to the help of the Red Arrows, the Soldiers of the fallen Athens, the old knights of Walgonia, Lincoln the unstoppable, and Ryo the spirit knight, we were able to secure the victory. But even more so, the help of the Heros behind me was an even bigger part of this. They all take in a deep breath, trying to force the anxiety of the situation away. Gordon: They are all special. Gray Kyojin has a massive supply of mana and a supreme connection to the spirits. Edward Helsing, son of Gotsu, is a shining figure, with strength and morality. Sokudo has risen from the shackles of the poor life that was placed on her and become grand. Rosemary Goldenwind has driven past the ideals of the Golden Knights and becomes a greater force. Julius Cromwell used his genius to lead the political charge in all of this, and Peter Day is responsible for all the new technology weve been using so far. The crowd is in awe of their accomplishments. The idea of new faces of the world, no longer just the gods of war, but something different, something young and possibly stronger, a new flame. Gordon: But going past their strengths, they are all good people, accomplished people, but people that have also gone through great hardship. Julius was the third adopted son of King Cornelius and the last living of his brothers. Edward is the only Helsing left, having to shoulder that burden, you can even see the pain hes been through by looking at his missing, branded eye. Rosemary has to do something similar, holding the only knowledge of the true Golden Knights. Sokudo has lived in the slums most of her life, lost her family, and shes the one thats been giving the most ideas of what to do with that broken area. Peter is only a boy, a boy that helped the Red Arrows in the four-year civil war of Athens. Gordon waves his hand at the door they had exited out of, calling Jong and Leo out of the room. Still pushing Arthur in the wheelchair. The citizens gasp at the sight, looking at the injured and unconscious Arthur Williams. Gordon: Jong Long, leader of the Walgonian knights, hes been leading it for the past thirty years, and led them once more in the battle for Walgonia. And Leo Valentine had tried to save his country from Beauregard Valentine, though due to the Volcano, the efforts were squanderedbut hes here now, and was a driving force to beat Arthur. The crowd begins talking all together again. What will be done with him! KILL HIM! He needs to be executed! every single comment, negative and murderous. Gordon: He will be sent to Tartarus! The grand prison in the center of the warrior''s sea! In the middle of the grand whirlpool! Inescapable! And He will spend the last years of his life there, living in an eternal hell! Gordon walks past Gray, handing the communicator to Ryo... Gordon: Now I would like to give these heroes time to speak. Now will you go ahead? Tell them what youll do now that you have the opportunity to. Ryo: I am a god of war, and I know you know this. But I am not an unbeatable person. Im not invincible, I am not a real god. I am a man blessed by the spirits, a man given this grand opportunity. I have seen the horrors of this world, I have been trained and lived all over the world. I was born and trained in Oni-mas, then in Ravoria, but then I met Musashi, and when I met that grand manI knew that this country, these people are worth my life because I truly love you all. Ryo smiles at everyone, causing everyone that hears his soft and kind voice to feel just that much happier. Ryo then hands the communicator to Jong, letting him state his values. Jong: Hey everyone! Names Jong, but you knew that already. Ive been doin this for a long time nowand this was just terrible. We lost a lot of peopleI led people to their deathsbut those deaths WERE NOT IN VAIN! THEY HELP US GET TO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW! I dont have much to say, but keep in mind we are people. Knights may be dick-heads, you may hate them. But understand even if there are a few bad apples, you don''t wanna cut down the tree, ''cause its meant to feed you after all. Jong''s speech is met with mixed emotions, but they just have to accept it, because, without the knights'' system, theyd be dead. Jong tosses the communicator over his shoulder, allowing Leo to catch it. Leo: Hello everyone, Im not good with speeches so Ill make this quick. I hate war, just like everyone else. My brother and I were in a war that felt like a lifetimeand in the end, Athens was taken off the map, so much history was lost, so many people were lostand I want to make sure that it wont happen again, not to any of you. Leo locks eyes with his father, pushing past his mountain of pride, and hands him the communicator, so they both give each other a look of respect. Lincoln: Im strong. But Im old. Im getting weaker. I wont be able to stand up for you all forever. Get stronger! Get smarter! Be better! Better than me, hell better than everyone on here! The world itself is hurting. With each passing day, their protectors are dying, and nobody wants to pick up the slack, and Lincolns speech sets the mindset of needing to grow within them, so even if his speech isn''t reacted to with a roar of applause, it is still useful. Edward takes the communicator from Lincoln and looks around at all the people awaiting the message from the last living Helsing. Edward: I don''t have much to say. I am not as strong as Kioshi, not as skilled as Musashi, and not as monstrous as my father Gotsu. But what I do have is conviction, a will to hold up my name. I pledge to you all that I will be an example set above all others, I will continue to provide for the family that has always helped this great nation. Edward is met with a round of applause for his speech, causing him to smile at the floor. He turns his head to Gray, not wanting to make him talk so suddenly. So he gives it to Julius. Julius: My name is Julius Cromwell. I do not have much to say, due to this not being the country I belong to. But I will say that I have no hate towards Walgonia or the people living here. I want stability, I want the world to be a safe and fair place. And I promise that I will do anything to achieve this, no matter the cost. The citizens were clapping for him as well, but not as loud as they do for Edward of course. Julius tosses Peter the communicator, which was so sudden it almost causes him to drop it. Peter panics, waves to everyone, and then runs over to Soku, handing it to her. Soku: Dammit Peter! Soku looks at all the beading eyes watching her, causing her stomach ache to get worse, though she powers through. Soku: My name is Sokudo, and I am an elf with an absolute wind affinity. Im a kid, a kid who grew up in the slums, who stole, broke, and sold to get by. Im not a role model, hell Im not a good person. But I know how the system works, and now that Im in it, I will make sure nobody has to live as I didI promise. Rosemary pats Soku on the head and grabs the communicator, ready for her moment in the sun. Rosemary: I am the last Golden Knight. I abandoned my family, and now theyre dead. But the world thinks of them as this group of people who defied all evil! And thats far from the truth, propaganda at its best. They were bad people, who enforced child soldiers, who killed and hunted for money. And I have witnessed these atrocities, the first person I saw die was when I was two years old and its stuck with me ever since, and the first person I ever killed was a young woman when I was seven. Just like the people before me, Ill make sure nobody has to do or see what Ive seen. Rosemary walks up to Gray, and whispers into his ear You can do this. She kisses his cheek and hands him the communicator Gray: Umhi Grays quiet voice is picked up terribly by the mic, causing it to squeak and ring in the ears of all listening. He falls into an instinctual panic, sweating everywhere. Hes about to seep into a horrible panic attack but is stopped when he feels Rosemary touching his back. He looks at her soft, warm face, granting him confidence. Gray: I am Gray Kyojin! Students of both Musashi Van Helsing and Ryo Hollis! The man who killed Caesar the Immortal, and defeated Arthur the Red Dragon!... The Phantom Knight!...and Im scared The crowd goes quiet, not knowing how to react. Gray: And I know youre scared,...but man, Im probably more scared than any of you. Because some of you arent strong, but I am, so I need to use that strength. I have to protect all of you! And I know youre mad as well! You feel like your government failed you, like were gonna lose now as we lost! And I feel the same way! Walgonia was taken advantage of, and the higher-ups are wrong, misled, and havent grown. And that is an issue in the heart of every country, but they went after us! Because they know were strong, that we combat their ideals! Walgonia built off of the idea of interconnectivity, which shows the failures of the Sect! And we need everyone''s help! Walgonia hasnt stayed alive just due to hope, but due to how we use it! The crowd''s morale begins rising, causing kids in the castle to even start cheering for him, leading to the adults following. But once the Demi-humans kids start, the humans start trying to get their kids to stop as well, then the Demi-human adults start doing the same thing, staring down at each other. Gray: I HAVE MET A LOT OF PEOPLE! PEOPLE THAT THE WORLD HAS SHOVED TO THE GROUND! CHILD SOLDIERS, PEOPLE CRUSHED BY SOCIETY, DESTROYED BY EXPECTATIONS AND THE FAULTS OF THEIR ELDERS! BUT IF ANY OF THAT IS AFFECTING YOU, DONT LET IT GET TO YOU! The angered people lose attention and are fully involved with what Grays saying, trusting him. Gray: And I hope to help all of you with everything I can muster." And in one last deep breath, he points his finger into the air, pulls it back down, and points is thumb to his heart. So with a smile on his face, and a strange pose, he makes his declaration. Gray: "SO STOP ARGUING AND WORK TOGETHER TO FIX IT! FIGHT FOR WHAT YOU WANT NOW, COMPLAIN LATER, AND WIN NOW! Gray strains his voice, and hands Gordon the microphone back. Gordon motions for Ryo to walk over, and when he does he hands Gordon his blade. Gray and the others get on one knee, bow their head, and wait. Gordon: These six heroes! These six unwavering, unyielding, victorious heroes will be made into history! Knights, warriors, leaders! No more gods of war! NO MORE WAR! THESE ARE FIGURES, BUT NOT ONES SEEN AS EMOTIONLESS, THESE AREN''T STATUES! THEYRE PEOPLE! GRAY, EDWARD, ROSEMARY, SOKUDO, PETER, JULIUS! YOU ARE ALL STRONG, SMART, RELIABLE, TRUSTWORTHY, and will formally be known as THE HEROS OF WALGONIA! With that, Gray is knighted, and they are all knighted. The group of people comes from completely different places, having completely different goals and personalities, even if they arent all good, even if they would argue and possibly abandon them. They came together, ate together, lived together, fought together, and won together. Even further down Grays story, if he fails, falls, or dies, right now, even if he sees himself as a false one, he is a true hero. End of Chapter Thirty Side story: Rosemary’s Birthday Side story: Rosemarys Birthday March ninth, fourteen seventy-nine, six thirty-four AM In the middle of a battle, a warzone filled with flames and dead soldiers is a pregnant woman and a soldier assisting her while she gives birth. She tries her best to hold back her screams, so the soldier helps her by moving her golden hair out of her face, tying it back, wiping the sweat from her brow, and giving her a nearby sword to bite the hilt of. She begins screaming as she gets closer and closer to the end of her pain, her eyes widen at the sight of an enemy soldier running towards them. The soldier is a dog Demi-human welding a large ax, which hes about to slam down on the two, but in a flash, the Demi-human is turned into a bloody paste on the ground. The giant man stands tall and begins glaring at the pregnant woman, and then gives an angry look to the soldier helping her, scaring him off. The large muscly man stands over the woman like a statue, scratching at his metal jaw as she continues screaming out in pain. DAMMIT JUDGE! HELP ME! The imposing man quickly loses any sense of intimidation he once had and quickly gets down to help the woman. She begins grabbing and pulling at his short golden hair, letting the pain-filled tears stream down her face. Judge: Iris, could you calm down? Were in the middle of a warzone! Iris: DONT YOU DARE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! I DIDNT WANT TO BE OUT HERE! YOUR DUMBASS GOT ME PREGNANT!...AUGH! Judge: Sorry! But I asked you not to come! You shouldnt even be here! Iris: IM THE LEADER OF THIS ARMY! I WONT SIT OUT IN ANY BATTLE NO MATTER THEAHW, ITS COMING! Judge freezes up, but once hes slapped by Iris, hes placed back into his right mind. His stomach begins reeling as he sees the baby begin to crown, but he remains strong and aware of his surroundings. After a few minutes that feel as if they stretch on forever, the baby makes its way through, and Judge lifts it and hands it to Iris. Judge: Its a girlwhat do you want to name it? Iris: I couldn''t care less, Im just really tired Judge: Well if you dont care, then Ill name herMary, Rosemary, my grandmother''s nameis that okay? Judge begins to cry, and realizes that Iris is long fast asleep, so Judge picks up the crying Rosemary and sits there with her until the battle ends Nineteen years later: About a week before the raid on Walgonia, Gray and the others try their hardest to set up a surprise party before Rosemary wakes up. Gray tries his hardest to set up Rosemarys birthday as close to birthdays as hes used to but without the ability to go out and buy streamers, a banner, a well-made birthday cake, and even a one and nine-shaped candle. So, for the past seven days, theyve been back in Greenvale, and hes been preparing as best as he can, with the help of everyone else of course. Gray and Soku made birthday hats by cutting small slim strips of wood and sewing golden-colored cloth around them in the shape of the hat. They also went out and bought her gifts while they were still in Walgonias capital, and are currently trying to not burn Rosemarys cake. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Gray begins to panic as Edward and Peter struggle to set up the streamers, which are cut and painted pieces of paper, while Gray and Soku pull out an overcooked cake. They begin blowing on it and trying to scratch off the brunt pieces, but its no use, its almost inedible. Gray: Of course, we overcook the cakedammit. Soku: Whatever Ive eaten worse. Now put thatwhatd you call it? Gray: Icing? Soku: Yeah, Icing. Put the icing on it. Gray takes the icing out of their fridge, and they both begin to lair it over the cake. All the noise theyre making causes Rosemary to begin waking up, and luckily she does this fairly slowly. She slowly gets up out of bed, a bit confused by the lack of a sleeping Gray beside her. She walks through their room, picks up Grays dirty clothes, and places them into a hamper. She then opens her drawer and takes a pair of pants out, as well as a white tank top. She then shivers a bit, due to the cold air of Greenvale, and grabs Grays jacket, which was also lying on the floor. She shakes and pulls it, trying to get the wrinkles out, but its as if the wrinkles were made into the jacket, making it impossible to get them out. She continues to stare at his jacket, sitting on the bed while doing so. The gray color is faded, and there are multiple patches where it needed to be sewn back together due to the damages its received. She stands up and pulls out her underwear drawer, grabbing a journal from under her underwear. She then begins reading through it, feeling a bit nostalgic for her past writings. Each year for her birthday, she had written about her year in an old journal, but such a journal burnt in Sokus house fire. Now, possessing a new journal, she begins writing about her year in it. { This is my first time writing in the new journal. Gordon said to find a way to get the stress out before our big fight, so here it goes. This past year has been rough, to say the leastthe last birthday I had was in a tent filled with sleeping soldiersand I ran away a few days later. Since then I lived on the street for a few weeks, struggling to eat and find a place to live. I took some money to get through the first few weeks but I had to pick up a few jobs to make sure I could liveI really rushed into all of thisand not three months after I left the Golden Knights they all perishedall but Calgarybut I had to kill himending everything connected to my past life. But, even if thats sad, Ive met so many important people since then. I helped a young girl named Soku defend herself from some anarchist trying to attack her and her now passed younger sister, and they let me live with them for a while. And while living with themI met the most important person in my life. I may have rushed into things way too fast, came on way too strong, and have been pushing him into uncomfortable situationsyou could say Ive been a bit too pushed by lustbut its all worked out so far.} { Gray Kyojin, my partner, my best friendbut Im not his best friend. Hes way better friends with Soku, but Im okay with that, just a little jealous thats all. At first, I didnt know why I was so shy around him, but so confident at the same time. I was stuttering and sleeping beside him the day I met himI even surprised myself with how close I got to himand I think its because he reminds me of myself I know that sounds like I have a massive egoand hell, maybe I do. But I love him, hes funny, super sweet, really pretty, and has a stronger will than anyone I know. I lived with Musashi Van Helsing, the world''s once strongest swordsman, as well as his nephew Edward, and the Leviathan army''s past strategist Alon. I trained with them, I even lived with them in a small mansion on the northern side of Walgonias capitalbut it was short-lived. We were attackedjust like we were when I lived in Sokus home, the same day I met Gray. And Gray saved us twiceand Im still in his debt for itI was even in the knight''s exameven though I failed in the first round of duels} { But right after this, I experienced one of my most heart-wrenching moments when he got really hurt by Arthur, a once renowned Hero turned fallen Anarchist, for calling him out on his bullshit, defending my honorbut he was crushed by itand he said he was leavingand broke down. I had to listen to his hatred for himself, a hatred I couldnt see until it was too lateI just wanted to make myself think he didnt have any problemsand he leftbut miraculously he came back, and I welcomed him back with open arms. But the same day, Musashi, Kioshi, and Ophelia died in front of meand its still a haunting sight I see from time to timebut I cant sit around and feel bad for what happened, and I think Ive grown much farther than I started. For the past year, Ive grown three stages in strength, joined the Leviathon army, got a boyfriend, and more importantly, a new family...and I dont feel that shy anymorebecause theres no time for it.} { After fighting, training, fighting, even more fighting, training, running to another country to watch it burn down, and finally take down Arthur, we can finally rest for a bit. I think my friends are planning something downstairs for my birthday, something that would have never happened if I didnt run awayand Im just so happy I did. I have a younger sister now, as well as a younger brother and an older brother, a house, a teacher, and a warm bed. I feel loved here like I can finally grow to be myself, not a shy soldier, but a happy Knight of Walgonia. I love my life, and I never want to run away from it, never again.} After a hefty amount of writing, she closes the journal, puts it back under her underwear, and begins walking downstairs, to find it pitch black. Shes a bit confused, but shes surprised when they turn the lights on and begin to shout. Everyone: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Rosemary is speechless, running up to everyone to be met with a messy-looking cake with candles roughly cut into the shape of the number nineteen. Gray: Happy Birthday Rosemarynow blow out your candles and make a wish. Rosemary stares at blankly Gray and quickly blows out her candles. Peter: What did you wish for? Gray: Hey! You cant say it out loud or it wont come true! Rosemary: Thats okayI didnt wish for anything. I have all I need right in front of me. Fin Arc 6: Chapter 1. And Thus the second half of their journey begins Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 1. And Thus the second half of their journey begins. In an entirely different world, in a place thought to be walled off together, a family sits on a couch, each crying with a picture of their seemingly dead son. A mother with shoulder-length brown hair, circular glasses, and blue eyes holds her tall, muscular, short brown-haired husband, who is trying his hardest to hold back his tears. On their television they watch a man on the news talk about their lost son, and how the family had officially come to the understanding that their son was gone forever. Newsman: Sadly, we end todays news with a grim story. One year ago today, the seventeen-year-old high school junior Conner Gray Kyojin, went missing. After going on a late-night grocery run for himself and his family, he got caught in a nasty storm. And sadly, he never came home. A few days ago the parents, Lilly and William Kyojin had a funeral for the lost boy...an utter tragedy. I think we all can wish the family good health, and hope that things can get better for them. And if young Conner is still out there, we hope hes doing the best he can. Meanwhile, across the universe, in an entirely different plain of existence, Gray suffers his most recent loss. A loss of willpower, mind, and strength, right in the dining room of his house. Gray lies on the floor, having toppled over in his chair. With rage, loss, and discontent in his mind, all he can do is scream. Gray: DAMMIT! Gray stands up, puts his chair back, and sits down. He stares directly at the assailant who had caused him this monumental loss. Soku starts laughing while Gray resets the cause of his loss, standard checkers. Soku: Mph, you just get worse every game. In the seven months since the taking back of Walgonia, Gray and his friends have lived relatively peacefully. Looking older and growing stronger. Julius went back to Valatrocitus, Leo left off to the sea, Gordon had continued running the country, Lincoln had been running the Leviathan army, and Ryo had been assisting Gordon, while also visiting Gray in his astral form to train him on Saturdays. Gray gets up from his chair, messing with his shoulder-length brown hair, hair that looks almost exactly like his mother''s, which he''s chosen to keep in a half bun as his main hair style, unlike his original messy side part to the left. Gray: I feel like I have to be doing somethin'' todaywhat are the others doing? Soku thinks to herself for a second, stroking her green hair. Since her hair had gotten burned off by Arthur when Ophilea passed, she has been letting it grow out, now finally being able to touch her back, but if she wants to get it as long as it was before, hair that was so long it touched her knees, itll take a while. She has also been using Ophileas red hairpin to keep her hair out of her face, instead of the front bit, as advised by Rosemary, she even lets it cover her right eye, swooping up into the hair clip above her left one. Soku: Rosemarys trying fixing the water heaterand Edwards getting a few parts for her in down in Getty village on Dema, so hell be back in a bit. Gray: Dang, you think Peter would help her with the.PETER! And right then, Gray suddenly realizes he has completely forgotten about a promise he had made to Lincoln. Gray: I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THE PROMISE I MADE TO LINCOLN! Gray runs as fast as he can around the house, trying to find his armor. Soku: What are you doing? What promise? Gray: I SAID I WOULD HELP HIM SCARE THE NEW RECRUITS! AND PETERS A PART OF THAT GROUP! LINCOLNS GONNA KILL ME! Gray gathers all of his armor begins putting it on and puts his hair into a bun. Gray: Shit! Wheres the cloak! Soku: Arent you wearing it? The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Gray looks down at his neck, feeling stupid as he realizes he has forgotten about the fact he always wears the necklace that holds the cursed charm, the cursed charm that holds the cloak of darkness inside. Gray: THANKS! Gray is about to blast out of the door, then stops in his tracks. Gray: Oh, you wanna come!? Soku looks Gray in his eyes, completely serious. No joking, feeling like Gray had either forgotten about something or didnt care. Gray realizes this, feeling terrible about it. Gray: Ohyeah forgot, sorry, its only been a month or so right? Sorry again, I blanked for a secondI GOTTA GO! A bit up the mountain, struggling through the thick snow, a group of kids, about ten and twelve, is led by Lincoln, and embarrassingly, Peter struggles to keep up. Lincoln: PETER! IF YOU DONT GET YOUR SORRY ASS RIGHT UP HERE TO THE FRONT, EVERYONES GONNA HAVE TO DO ANOTHER FIFTY PUSH-UPS ALONG WITH THE TWO-MILE RUN! All the kids groan and moan, yelling at him to keep up. Peter tries to speed up, but hes out of breath, tired, and about to collapse from the exercise. Peter: IMSORRYIAM TRYING! Lincoln: THERE AINT NO TRY! THERES ONLY DO AND DIDNT DO, AND YOU AINT DOIN IT ARE YAH! Lincoln suddenly stops, looking around to find nothing. All the other kids fall over due to the sudden stop, giving Peter a second chance to catch up, and then to copy them to feel the cold snow on his hot and sweaty body. Peter: Whywestoppin? Lincoln: Ughnever mind, Ill kill him for lying. Okay, runs over, were goin back, you guys meet me there. Lincoln dashes off, leaving everyone behind to catch up. Peter and the other kids get up, turning around to find a few of them missing. The kids begin calling out for their friend, Larry! Come on! Dont make Commander Lincoln kill us!. They hear a loud noise coming from the woods, taking all of their attention. Then once Peter turns around again, another few kids get taken. Peter falls into panic, completely afraid and unaware of what to do. A black tendril emerges from the woods, grabbing another one of the kids, then another, leaving Peter and the three youngest boys to fend for themselves. A figure cloaked in thick black goo drops down from the trees, terrifying the boys even more. The three boys all take out their wooden practice swords and rush the monster, swinging wildly. The dark monster easily moves out of the way, grabbing them by the leg and tossing them back. Peter, completely alone, freezes. He takes a deep breath, gets up, takes out his practice sword, and in the moment of truth, runs for his life screaming for help. The monster sighs, snatches him by the leg, and drags him in. Peter tries to save himself, but with nothing but snow to grab into, hes done. Peter gets face to face with the monster, awaiting his death, but is met with chuckling. All the kids begin walking back to them, all hurt and confused. The black goo is sucked into the monster, realizing the identity of the strange beast to just be Gray, having coated himself in a thick layer of the cloak. Peter, now embarrassed, just like all the other kids, throws snow in Grays face. Gray: Sorry, sorry. Hehenot my idea. Gray turns his head to Lincoln, who was watching the entire time. Lincoln: Alright! You all did okay I guess, but you failed to think of a strategy for children. You did your job, but as warriors in training, youre very disappointing. lets walk back. Ill just end today''s training now. As begin walking back to Greenvale, Gray jogs up to Lincoln, trying to apologize for being late. Gray: Look, I lost track of timeIm so sorry. Soku wasnt here at practice so I assumed it was a day off, I completely forgot! Can you ever forgive me? Lincoln: You showed up. Gray takes a sigh of relief but realizes far too late that doing that was the wrong thing to do. Lincoln: BUT YOU WERE STILL LATE! AND YOURE TERRIBLE AT SLEATH, I COULD HEAR YOU COMING FROM A MILE AWAY! Stepping on sticks, shaking the trees, walking through bushes!? YOU SUCK! Now you gotta train twice as long tomorrow. Hehe. Gray drops to the ground, screaming out at the bright blue sky. Gray: NOOOOO! Gray gets back up and waits, choosing to walk beside Peter instead. Peter: Hey Gray is Edward back yet? I need a part from him to finish our project. Gray: He should be back when we get to the house. Rosemarys been waiting on that part for like thirty minutes. Peter pauses, staring at his feet. Peter: Has umSoku said anything? Gray: Look dude, I dont wanna mettle with your guys choices. What happened, which was your fault by the way, gotta be clear about that, resulting in the only thing it could have dude. Gray gives Peter a stern look, but its mixed with a look of understanding as well. Gray: You just gotta grow past stuff like this man. Peter: Ive been told you did the same thing as me! Gray: Those dirty whatever. Yeah, Ive lost my temper, and yeah Ive made terrible mistakes because of it, pretty embarrassing ones, but Ive grown from it, or at least I wanna think I did. Lets stop talking about this, and get back to the house. They spend the rest of the walk in silence, an unusual thing for these two individuals in particular. Once they get back home, Soku pays no mind to Peter, which makes him feel bad. Gray says hi to her, and walks downstairs with Peter, to a small basement that holds all the things they use to clean and wash their clothes. Rosemary sits down writing in an old book, feeling embarrassed once she notices Gray and Peter near her. She gasps, sets the book down, and flicks Grays forehead. Gray: Sorry, sorry! Hows it coming along? Rosemary: Im about to be finished, but Edward still isnt - Rosemary gets cut off by the sound of the front door opening. Though its muffled, they can hear Soku greeting Edward. Edward: GUYS, GET UP HERE! They all run back upstairs, meeting Edward in the dining room. Gray: Yeah, what is it? Edward: When I was buying the part, I was told some mail was delivered a week late. Gray: Why? Peter: Oh, mail gets sent down there by the Capital. Its so they dont find us, though its only sent on Mondays, todays a Saturday. Edward unfolds a letter and begins to read it out loud. Edward: Guys listen to this. Hello, we have formally invited the Heroes of Walgonia to watch the unveiling of Valatrocitus new grand railway on November thirtieth. We would also enjoy it if they came to the New Year''s event in Constal, to celebrate their saving of Walgonia. We will hold the Valatrocitus gate open for twenty-four hours, so make it there at least one day before the railway opening. We wish them luck - Julius and Cornelius Cromwell. Peter: The Holy City!? THE HOLY LAND!? THEEEEE CONSTAL!? Rosemary: THIS IMPORTANT OF A LETTER WAS SENT A WEEK LATE!?" Everyone other than Gray is left star-struck, completely entranced by the idea. Gray: Ive been here a year, and yet I still gotta ask, what the hell is Constal ? Rosemary: Its the most wondrous city in the world! Walgonia doesn''t have any tourist attractions, but Constal is THE attraction of not only Valatrocitus but of the entire content of Saga! It''s a big trading hub, a constant party! It''s beautiful, but you''re only allowed in if you have reason to be there, so it''s kinda closed off. But you can pay to get in with a hefty fee. Soku: Finally! Something cool we can do. Finally time we got a reward. Gray: Welp, seems like we gotta gooooo, NOW!SO WERE GOIN'''' TO VALATROCITUS! End of Chapter One Arc 6: Chapter 2. Finally, somethin’ to do. Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in another world Chapter 2. Finally, somethin to do. Edward finishes reading the letter, and everyone is excited, including Gray, who now knows about Ceonstel Gray: So this grand rail opening thing, Valatrositice is making a train system? Soku: Whats a train? Peter chimes in, wanting to tell all he knows, and forgetting what happened between him and Soku. Peter: How do you not know what a train is? It''s like a big carriage that has a bunch of space and travels on a rail to get from place to place! Its something that runs all over Oni-Mai! Sokus excited nature falls, feeling insulted and annoyed, which goes unnoticed by Peter and only by Peter. Rosemary: OhmyGOSH! Rosemary shouts with excitement, hugging Gray, and jumps for joy. Gray jumps with her, feeding into her energy. Edward: Calm down. Well, I am pretty excited as well, but we need to talk to Lincoln about it. Gray: Well you go get him, and give us those parts. Edward: Oh, sorry I forgot. Edward reaches into a bag on his back, takes out a small crystal holder for Rosemary, and gives the rest of the backpack to Peter. Peter goes to hold the back, being slammed to the ground by the weight, causing Soku to smile. But when Peter sees this, he tries to smile back, which causes her smile to go away. Gray lifts the bag off of Peter, letting him get up. Peter: Common, lets go to my shed. We can finish the project! Edward: The same one? Youve been working on that for months. Can I see it now that its ready? Peter: Youll be able to see it once were about to leave. Gray and Peter run off, Rosemary finally goes to fix the water heater, and Edward begins walking to Lincoln''s house, leaving Soku behind. Edward: You coming. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Soku runs up to Edward, starting to walk with him. Soku: Sure, I dont have anything else to do. They walk briefly, not saying a word until Edward finally breaks the silence. Edward: Are you gonna let the dynamic stay like this? Soku: What do you mean? Edward: You and Peter. Im not going to act like I dont have my bad relationships I and Gray dont get along that wellbut you and Peter were together. I know I shouldnt be the one to say thisbut one of you needs to get past this. Soku, annoyed, falls into her defensive side. Soku: Im fine okay. Peter was a dick, he either doesn''t know he was, or he doesn''t care. He knows what he didhell everyone knows what he did. Hes an idiot, and even if I get past this as you put it, Ill never like himtrust him as I did. Edward nods his head, and makes it to the Leviathan army''s training grounds, knocking on the door of the main house. Due to nobody answering, Soku walks in, calling out for him. Soku: Hey Lincoln! Edward looks around, absorbing the history. With all the paintings of the past Helsings on the walls and their armor set up under it, it shows a great picture of a warrior''s family. He walks past all of them, staring at each painting. Sulton lost his great-grandmother. Orm the elder, his great-grandfather. Flora the grand, his grandmother. Gilius the Great, his grandfather. Gotsu the monster slayer, his father. Kioshi the all-powerful. And lastly, Musashi, the greatest swordsman, is his uncle. Lincoln: What do ya want!? Lincoln spooks Edward, making him jump. Edward: Read this, and tell me what we should do. Lincoln grabs the letter from Edward''s hand, quickly reading through it. He mumbles as he does, then his eyes light up. Lincoln: This is a good opportunity for you guys to get more notoriety. I say you should do it. Soku: Are you coming? Lincoln: Nah, due to the stupid god of war law thing Im stuck here doing mountains of paperwork to get there. Ill try to get there around New Year''s, they got some great booze. Rosemary opens the door, getting their attention. Rosemary: Gray and Peter wanna show you what theyve been working on. Edward: Umokay lets go see I guess. Soku: Ug. Whatever Lincoln: Well now that youre building it up I wanna see. They walk down the snow-covered roads, making it back to their house. They walk behind it into the yard, finally making it to the shed. Gray: YOURE HERE! NOW BEHOLD! Inside the shed, Peter and Gray stand beside a large object covered with a tarp. Gray: Now this is a special object weve been making for months! Peter: Gray had the idea of how to make it, and told me a good amount of the parts required. Gray: Then Peter helped me put it together! Peter: And yeah, weve crashed it, broken it, lightened it on fire, and crashed it again. Gray: Yeah crashed it a few times, burnt it, blew it up, a LOT!...and nowBEHOLD! THE SILVER CHARIOT! Gray and Peter take the cloth off, revealing a wondrous machine. Soku: Whatis it? Rosemary: Its got wheels, does it move? Edward: Armor that moves? Lincoln: Yeah I dont know what Im looking at. Gray and Peter''s faces fall to sadness. The four-door post-apocalyptic-looking buggy mixed with a muscle car stuns everyone. Gray: Yeah it may be a little cramped, a little miss matchy, dangerous, basically a fast-moving death machine. Edward: How does it work? Gray: We can show you when wewait wont it just be easier to use Dema. Lincoln: It might have been if they didnt declare the use of any high-ranking spirit beast to be a war crime if used in Valatrositce that is. Gray tilts his head down, then jolts back up. Gray: WE GOT AN EXCUSE! Lincoln: Its only twelve, so you got a lot of the day left. Itll take a few weeks to get there, you might wanna leave sometime today. Rosemary: I guess we better start packing. Gray: Finally, its been months since weve done something. Just wake up, eat, train, read something, then repeat. Now we get to be knights again! Edward: It is a relief. End of Chapter Two Arc 6: Chapter 3. GET OUTTA HERE! Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 3. GET OUTTA HERE! Gray, Rosemary, and Soku walk into their house, and Edward begins walking to his own house, a small two-bedroom home down the street from Grays house, where Peter and Edward live together. While Gray and Rosemary pack up their clothes, Gray stares longingly at the clothes he was first Isekaid in, thinking if he should take them. Gray: What was the diary by the way. Rosemary stops packing to groan. Rosemary: Ive had it since I was nine. I write in it once a month, its pretty simple. Gray: Ive never seen you writing in it before. Rosemary: I do it when Im alone, now we gotta keep packing. Sokus probably done by now anyway. Gray: We still gotta wait for Peter and Edward though, itll take them a few minutes longer. About a fifteen-minute walk away, Edward and Peter rummage through the things they will bring to Valatrositice. The contrast between both houses is pretty visible, with it being a bit barren and intensely clean, but the difference between Edward''s and Peters rooms is even bigger. Edward''s minimalist room matches Peters messy, dirty room and highly contrasts Grays homey and well-kept room, and Sokus smaller barren room. Peter opens every box in his room, all filled with finished or unfinished prototypes of various gadgets and tools. With everyone else grabbing clothes, Armor, and maybe a small trinket, like a diary, a few books, pens, paper, and a couple of board games, Peter packs not only a yellow backpack riddled with pockets but a large green messenger bag as well. With two bags filled to the brim, a utility belt, another belt going across the body, and two gloves with the ability to be attached to more gadgets. Edward walks out of his room, with only armor, a sword, and a bag of clothes to his name. He then gives Peter a strange look. Edward: Ill never understand why somebody would need so much. Do you need to bring all of it? Peter: YEAH I NEED ALL OF IT! Poppers, tools, instructions just in case I forget, I dont know how you have so little. Edward: All I need is a sword and a holster for it. Peter scoffs at Edward''s words, being able to see the privilege behind his honest eyes. Peter: You get back to me when you gotta make ends meet to get food on the table, Unlike you I dont have all that muscle, and Dark Elves are born with it. Im not that lucky, and weak guys like me need all we can get. Edward: Well you need to work for it, put the effort in, get the mindset, and push through. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Peter: Yeah sure. That might work for the Helsing you are, or the blessed Gray, with all the mana in the world. This whole team is filled with blessed gods, even Soku has a mark of providence on top of an absolute affinity. Edward lets Peter pass, taking the time to think about Peters words and feel a bit bad for the kid. Edward goes back into his room, goes into a box in his closet, and takes a small drawing of a butterfly his mother had made for him. He tucks it into his bag and walks outside his house. In Sokus room, she rummaged through her things, trying to make sure she didn''t forget anything she needed. Extra clothes, shoes, toothbrushes, hair brushes, thinking to herself I look like such a loser. She forces herself to leave her room, feeling like shes wasting time. Before she goes down the stairs she looks to her right, watching as Rosemary does the same thing she forced herself to stop doing. She grabs extra everything. Towels, bandages, socks, shoes, boots, shirts, underwear, pants, a few hats, books, and just about everything were all neatly folded and packed into three bags. Outside, Gray looks at the Silver chariot. Gray: Yeah, this things not ready right? And were packing for a big trip, these things for war, not travel. Damn, and I hyped it up so much. Lincoln walks up to him, spooking Gray. Gray: OH! Hey, what you doin? Lincoln: I assume you realized that you couldnt get there in this thing? Gray: Well, we could get there if it was just two peoplebut yeah we cant since were all going. Lincoln: Well since Dema cant go Ill get you a dire wolf. Gray: A DIRE WOLF!? Like Giant fantasy wolf? Lincoln: I wouldn''t say giant, but yeah, theyre about the size of a horse. I can hook this thing up to a wagon on the back of the carriage though. Gray: Can the wolf pull it? Lincoln: If it couldnt I wouldnt have gotten one ready. Though since this trip is so out of the blue I couldnt get one of the good ones. This ones new, struggles to respond to its name, and doesn''t like following orders, but its all you got. Gray shrugs his shoulders, sighs, and gets into the car, though it wont turn on, making him bang his head against the steering wheel. Lincoln: Need help? Gray: Yeahplease. Lincoln pulls the car right to the exit of GreenVail, propping it up on a wagon meant for carrying cattle, which is just big enough to fit inside. Gray then shuts the door of the wagon, locking it right after. Gray: Nice and secure. Nice call on this type of wagon. The wagon is connected to a big, pristine travel carriage, though its a bit old. The Walgonian crest on the sides, blue gems, and a design fitting of Walgonian nobles to ride on. Which is being pulled by a sleeping dire wolf. When everyone gets to the exit, theyre in awe of the carriage. Soku: I used to see things all the time when I was snatching stuff in the west side. Edward: I used to ride in them, though this one looks like an older design than the ones Im used to. Peter gets down and crawls around it, touching every bit of the immaculate carriage. The old armorsmith dwarf known as Rick walks up to them. His stained brown bandana on the top of his head blows in the cold wind, as well as his long white beard. And just like dwarves in fantasy novels Gray is used to, he uses his immense physical strength to hold a chest of armor. Lincoln: Oh hey Rick, thanks for keeping this thing in nice condition. Rick: Nice!? This things perfect! Damn near god-like, my brother could never! Now, I give all of your armor, I made some better ones since Ive had a few months to work on them! Gray: Oh, did you make the armor I designed!? Rick: I tried, never made armor like this before. Its more like tactical gear than anything else. Everyone takes their armor out of their bags and hands it to Rick while he gets their armor out. All of their armor looks the same other than just being better. The biggest change comes to Soku''s new chainmail, Rosemarys new golden armor sporting a Walagonian crest instead of a Golden Knight crest, Grays choice to wear a lighter and intricate look, and Edwards want for a slightly heavier sword to fit his growth in strength. Though Peter feels down for a brief second, due to him not needing any armor since hell not be fighting, hes brought right back up once Rick hands his navy blue overalls, ones that look exactly similar to his. Rick: Admittedly, Im not as good of a Weaponsmith as my brother, I can make some good damn armor, and Im glad to have taught you a thing or two about both! You earned this, You might not be a warrior, but a warrior is nothing without a sword to wield, am I right Peter: Yeah, thanks! Peter goes to hug Rick, but Rick bops him on the nose to stop him. Rick: YOU GUYS GOTTA GET GOING''! NO STOPPING AT INNS! YOU GOTTA GO, GO, GO! They all rush into the carriage, putting their bags on a shelf above the benches. Once theyre inside, Edward rushes outside to the front to direct the wolf. Edward: Whats its name? Lincoln: Her name''s Luna, good luck and GET OUT OF HERE! Lincoln smacks the butt of the wolf, causing it to wake up and blast down the mountain, not listening to a single demand from Edward. End of Chapter Three Arc 6: Chapter 4. Rouge lineage Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 4. Rouge lineage Blasting down a mountain inside a lovely carriage while being pulled by a monstrously cute but dangerous dire wolf. Edward: SLOW DOWN LUNA! Luna pays no mind to Edward''s cries, shutting him up by letting her slobber fly into his face. Inside the fabulous carriage Gray, Soku, Rosemary, and Peter fly into the back wall, barely withstanding the speed of the carriage. Luna waves and swings side to side, barely dodging each tree on every turn. Edward gets angry, jumps off the carriage while pushing down Lunas head, and stops the carriage with his bare strength. His feet push through the ground, creating two ditches through the dirt road. The dog whimpers, causing Edward to feel a bit bad. Gray shoves his head out of a window on the carriage, trying to see whats happening. Gray: THE HELL! Edward: Sorry, sorry. Were good now. Arent we Luna? The dog looks Edward in the eyes, then licks his face. Edward: Now, will you be calm? Luna barks at him, then sits up straight. He pats her on the head, jumps back onto his seat, and before they leave, Edward gets off to check the wheels. Edward {A few nicks, but the wheels are fine. The bolts are as tight as can be.} Gray: WE GOOD! Edward: YEAH! Edward hops back on the carriage, and scratches Luna''s back, letting her know its time to go. And they begin going once more. Gray slumps down in his seat beside Rosemary, staring into space. Gray: Ive always liked to travel. The sounds of the area passing by, the random happenings around us, its just chill. Soku stretches her arms, intrigued by the conversation. Soku: Eh, Ive never really traveled. I know when I get my place to live, Ill pick somewhere within a city. I can walk to anything I need fairly quickly, I like getting everything I need in a second. Rosemary: MmmmI dunno. Living peacefully, nobody bothers you other than a kind neighbor or two. Grow your food, build a house, and get everything by yourself and a partner. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Peter interrupts the conversation to ask an important question. Peter: Hey uh, wheres the food? Gray: DAMMIT! DID WE GET SNACKS!? Rosemary: UmI figured we could stop by a village or two on the way. Gray: DamnNow that Peter said somethin Im hungry. Soku: Yeahsame. Gray: Does Walgonia even have big cities? Or is it all just small villages? Soku: Well yeah, Walgonia is mainly farmland which consists of villages and towns, but it has a couple of cities, not as big or rambunctious as Constal. Gray: Are we gonna hit a couple. Rosemary: We should, were gonna get to Mier, it''s halfway away from Valatrocitus gate border. We can stop there and restock. Peter: Ughthats in like a week or two. Gray: I guess we can stop in the next village for a food restock, but to get to Valatrocitus on time were gonna have to ride through the night. Rosemary begins sniffling, rubbing her nose. Gray: "You okay? Are you sick?" Rosemary: "No, I''m fine. And if we are sick your mana can heal us." Gray: "I suck at healing magic thoughwait healing magic stops sicknesses?" Soku: "They can, but not deadly ones." Rosemary: "I am allergic to animal fur though, maybe Luna''s fur got on me. Let''s not worry about it and just get going." The long trip finally begins as they get off the mountain, and embark on their longest journey yet. The rest of the day passes without any trouble, and Edward decides to pull an all-nighter instead of swapping places with anybody else, taking the night for himself. The greenish moon shines over the grassland, a vast emptiness. With a mix of flat land and hellish landscape, you can see the lights of various towns and villages, and on other sides, you can see them in their entirety. Fields of crops, farmers doing their jobs, animals lazing around in their pens, and windmills waving from the cold breeze of the night sky, filled with bright stars. Edward: Ive never just looked out like this. No city, no monsters, war, or soldiersno bad guy. This is just. What do you think Luna, think Im going too far into this. Think that hole Moro left is turning for a fight, another revenge plot. Luna turns her head to Edward, tilts her head, and continents run down the road. Edward lets his mind go quiet, just listening to the sounds of the world. The wooden wheels of the carriage rolled on the dirt road, bumping along the way. Crickets and other bugs make their sounds, chirping, squeaking, and birds squawking. This continues for a few days, stopping at smaller towns, and getting food and water while Edward takes naps while guarding the carriage. Gray, Soku, Rosemary, and Peter take full advantage of the situation, eating breakfast at every morning stop, doing workouts and practicing their mana control, working on tools, etc. And throughout it all, Soku and Peter never directly say anything to each other. Family is something they all strive to be, and yet somehow they cant manage to do it. Soku and Peter both fell for each other immediately, their past, their lineage, a heritage they both know nothing about, whether it be their own lives with it or the history of it. But due to pride, ego, and inability to understand one another, the first mistake that could be made, would most likely end it all. So due to something Peter did, something that he doesn''t understand what he did wrong, it concluded. To put it into the perspective of Gray and Rosemary, they were both people unable to love themselves. With their first meeting with one another, they both saw this, felt comfortable with this, and wanted to help or further understand it. They help each other up and make each other feel like theyre worth something, they are two separate beings that exist as one, both filling the issues the others have, but building up the problems as well. Because once one of the pillars that hold you up crumbles, you fall with it. But for somebody like Edward, a man who knows loss better than anybody, the man whose first real crush you could say, just left. Because people leave, they die, they exist with or without you, and they try to stop whatever is taking it from you. Youll find out what he found out, youll get taken with it, or youll be left without it. And when youre left without it, a hole forms, one that in some cases cannot be filled, ever. So when everyone is trying to fill something, find something to support themselves, how will they be able to see each other? If Gray and Rosemary work as one person, who are they? If Soku needs to be able to find somebody, but its too scary to get close, what if they leave? When Peter gets pushed into a new family over and over, when are they his family, and just people thatll leave eventually? When Edward lives in the shadow of his lineage, and he never leaves it, becomes a rogue of a destined history, what is he? Helsing, is a name that is held as a blessed title to just be born with, but is it that? Is it, not a fate, youll die young, youll die in battle, and youll die hurt, sad, and alone with only the hope your children have children before they meet the same fate. What is a name, is it bad to abandon it, and what are you without it once youve abandoned it, who are you without the name tag you put on, This a question everyone in this beautiful carriage has asked themselves over and over consciously or not. A question theyre asking themselves right now. End of Chapter Four Arc 6: Chapter 5. A short but eventful stop at Meir. Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 5. A short but eventful stop at Meir. After over a week of traveling, they finally reach the halfway point of their journey, deciding to pass through the city of Mier. Gray and the others look on outside the city in surprise and wonder. Gray: Were finally here. Hey Edward, have the wheels felt a little looser than before? Edward: They were tight when we left Greenvale, they''ve felt like this sinceour third stop I think. And weve taken about five right? I guess the bolts loosened up but, I mean the carriage hasnt been used in quite a while. Gray: Do we need to check in? Soku: We shouldnt have to, its not another country or some sort of monument. Rosemary sneezes, wipes her dry eyes, and scratches a rash on her arm. Gray: You are not looking good. Rosemary: Im fine, Then whats up ahead. Edward squints his eyes, looking on to see guards standing on the main road of Mier. Edward strolls up, stopping the carriage from speaking to the men. Edward: Why are their guards here? Guard: There is a lot of Anarchist stuff going on latelyOH! Im sorry sir! To Edward''s surprise, all of the guards get down on one knee, praising him and the people within the carriage. Guard: I didnt realize the crest, nor your identity. We are all truly sorry for disrespecting you, now you may pass through. Edward nods his head, a little shaken up by everything, though they still pass through as normal. Gray opens the window, curves around the outside of the carriage, and sits beside Edward. Gray: What was that about? Edward: I dunno, guess were seen as royalty. Gray: Cooool. They all look upon a city that theyd only heard of, and are all thinking the same thing Eh, its okay I guess, I wasnt expecting much so this is fine. The city isnt that large, being comparable to one of the four districts of Walgonias capital. And the city itself isnt much to speak of, but its still a part of this world. Two to three-story reddish-brown brick buildings, shops small and large streets bustling with people, knights, and history. The cracked sidewalk was caused by the hundreds of people that have stepped on it, the hundreds of bricks put down by the people of the past. The grass that has forgotten to be cut, just enough culture to separate itself from anywhere else. Gray: Alright so how do we doin this? Were getting good food, taking a good shower, and not some communal bath, and getting some good rest right? Edward: Weve camped a few times, and taken a few breaks, but we havent stayed at an inn now that I think about it. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Gray: It takes longer to pack since we gotta wait for the innkeeper to wake up, camping easier. Edward: Even with all the breaks, were still running a bit late. We cant stay, just get what we need and well head out, so no real shower sorry. Gray: K, Ill tell the others. Gray swings back into the carriage to inform the others. While hes doing this, their carriage starts gaining recognition from the people. Oh, are those nobles? That man who just crawled in the window, not very noble-like. And somehow, all at once, everyone sees Edward''s branded eye, and they all immediately recognize him as Edward the End bringer. This realization leads everyone to assume that the carriage is filled with the rest of Walgonias Heros. So once Edward finds a place to stop and get out, a crowd begins forming. They all get out of the carriage, but due to their notoriety, theyre all treated to an array of praise. Sokus hair gets pulled, Grays face gets touched, Edward''s muscles are stroked, and various men try to feel Rosemary up, all being stopped by her and the others thankfully. Theyre all met with various forms of praise, all of them other than Peter, who is left untouched and looked at with confusion. Whos that? Do I know him? A dark Elf? All the questions that were presented to Peter, caused him to feel unneeded. Peter: Guys, Ill just guard the carriage, you guys get the stuff as fast as you can! They all nod, other than Soku, then jolt off. Rosemary runs to a shop to buy bathing supplies, buckets, soap, etc. Soku uses her wind affinity to jump onto the roofs, just like she did back in her thieving days, wanting to get to a store to buy some food. Gray goes with her, following on the roofs right behind her. And Edward walks around, trying to give his legs something to do. So inside the carriage Peter does and gets nothing. Even Luna is getting more attention, with various treats and pets from the people, making her very happy. Peter stares at his feet for a bit, unable to figure out what hes supposed to feel at the moment. Sadness? Anger? Embarrassment? Nothing but a distraction, a real one. This fact distracts him from paying attention to an unheard thief entering the carriage. He feels the weight of the carriage shift, but when he looks over, hes met with a kick to the head, causing him to collapse to the floor. Gray feels something goes wrong, so he quickly runs back to the carriage. At the same time, the crowd watches as the thief crawls into the carriage, screaming THIEF! Once hes inside. This alerts Edward, who is close by, so he runs full speed to the carriage. The tall, lanky man was wearing casual clothes and had a cigaret his mouth. With his location compromised, he dives out of the window, grabs one bag on his way out, and then tosses it into the crowd, being caught by a woman whose face is covered by wrappings. Edward and Gray arrive at the same time, with Soku blasting right past Gray. Gray: SOKU! GO AFTER THE FIRST GUY! EDWARD GETS THE GIRL, AND I GOT PETER! Edward: YOU SURE, YOURE FASTER! Gray: GO! IF PETERS HURT, IM THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN HEAL HIM, EVEN IF ITS SLIGHTLY! I LEARNED THAT SPELL REMEMBER!? Soku dives into the crowd, using the wind around her to easily allow her bounce and jump off of the heads in the crowd. The woman runs through an alley, scaling the wall and blocking her path in an instant. Edward follows close behind, jumping onto the wall, and then kicking himself up. Once theyre both at the top of the three-story building, they take a second to look at each other. Edward faces an unknown enemy without any armor or a weapon, but he still has his immense strength. But at the sight of her hazel eyes, he recognizes her, though he doesn''t know whose name to put the eyes to, as if he doesn''t want to. And quicker than he can snap out of this self-induced trance, she pulls out a small wooden wand with a yellow crystal at the end. Unknown assailant: Lignim! A bright yellow light forms at the end of the wand, and just as quickly as it forms it shoots off. A short blast of lighting, slower than real lighting of course, but still fast. Then it hits Edward right in the chest, knocking him down and off the building, slamming against the ground, leaving him immobile. Under her long white dress shirt is a mercy dagger, which she tempts herself to use. But the thought of Gray, Rosemary, Soku, and all of Walgonia chasing her if she does so causes her to freeze, and begin walking away. Unknown assailant: Youre lucky youre so cute. She leaves, running off, still holding onto the stolen bag. Once Peter comes to, hes surrounded by Gray and the others, lying on the carriage''s benches. Gray flows mana around his aching head while whispering "Vortic". His mana transfigures and adjusts itself, turning a bright green and healing the some of the damage while taking away a brunt of the pain. While everyone scrounges around the carriage checking what got stolen, he looks at the carriage door, watching as knights block the carriage. His hearing begins fading in, and everyones attention is brought to him. Rosemary: Peter! Youre up! Peter: Ughwhat happenedI saw this guyand then WOOM! Gray: We got robbed. Did you see what they stole? When Peter hears the words We got robbed all he can think about is a failure. He failed. He let them into the carriage because he was sulking, and due to his lack of strength, he couldnt even defend himself. Tears flow from his eyes, causing everyone to feel bad for him, even Soku. Rosemary gives Peter a nice and soft hug, trying to console him. Peter: Imsosorry. Gray: Dont cry about it, dont worry. Soku: Alright, we got everything from Mier that we need, do we know all we lost. Edward continues looking everywhere, freaking out more and more. This concerns the others, especially Peter. Gray: You okay? Did you lose your bag? All it had was clothes in it right? Edward takes a deep breath, wipes the sweat off his brow, and consoles himself. He turns his head, about to answer why hes reacting as he is, but with the look of sadness, regret, and shame covering Peters tear-covered face, he holds it back. Edward: Nothing, just a little jumpy because of that woman''s attack. Now were late, so we gotta go! Edward moves to leave the carriage but is stopped by Gray, who stares Edward in the eyes. And without a word spoken, they both understand whats happening. So Edward stays in the carriage while Gray drives it. He pats Luna''s head, waves goodbye to all the citizens, says thank you to the guards, and leaves as fast as he can. End of Chapter Five Arc 6: Chapter 6. A thousand words Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 6. A thousand words A few days pass and nothing of importance happens, other than the short celebration of Edwads twenty-first birthday. Peter rests his head, having been kicked by a leg as hard as steel, and everyone else lays around. But to make them later than they already are, the bolt on their wheel pops off. In the sudden stop, the carriage waves side to side, falling over, right on top of the wheel that had popped off, crushing it. Edward: DAMMIT! Edward hops off, pushing the carriage back over. Gray and the others fall out of the carriage, nauseous and annoyed. Gray: WHAT THE HELL! Soku: Did we hit something? Peter walks out of the carriage, looking at the broken wheel. Peter: No fixing this anytime soon. Edward: I swear I didnt hit anything. Gray: Did the carriage feel different? Maybe those thieves messed with it. Edward: They couldnt have. But we checked right after they left to make sure of it. Peter runs a bit back to pick up the bolt, further inspecting it. Peter: IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS JUST TOO LOSE! Rosemary: At any point did it feel loose? Edward: The only time it did was when we leftthe fourth or fifth village, but I assumed that the bolts just set into place. Gray sits down, criss-cross style, and thinks to himself for a moment. Gray: Maybe those thieves werent just randoms. Soundless thieves, a kick so hard it feels like being hit by a metal rod, a lighting magic userhell, I didnt even know you could have a lightning affinity. Rosemary: You shouldnt be able to, thats something only spirit mages with expensive wands or staffs can use. Gray: So they have money, have the skill to rob us in a second, can get away, and have the confidence to do all of it. Gray concludes, standing up as he does so. Gray: I think this was planned. Theyre following us, trying to slow us down. The mail came in late, they messed with our wheels, and tried to steal our stuff, stalling us in the process. Edward: It could be the Sector some outside source not wanting us to come here. Soku: Yeah maybe, but the only people who know Greenvales location outside of us and the Walgonian government are Julius. That we know of at least. Rosemary: But hes the one that invited us, why would he try to stop us if he didnt want us to come? If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Gray: King Cornelius was on that paper too, maybe he doesn''t want us comin. Hes the mad king after all, he could be planning something. Edward: All the more reason to get there. The main gates of Valatrocitus capital are closed every day other than Mondays, and todays Saturday, so wed have to wait a week if we miss it. Soku: And were supposed to be there by tomorrow. So we could just walk. Gray: That could take too long. We have the Silver Chariot in the back but it wont start, and all of our stuff won''t fit so we cant ride in it anyway, and with Luna as well? Im not leaving her. Peter walks up and sits on the ground. Peter: If we didnt get robbedwe wouldnt have lost so much time. Gray: We only lost like thirty minutes, dont beat yourself up over it. Edward: Look, theyre a few trees back that way. If we chop one down, we might be able to kindle something. Soku: That would take way too long...do have any extra clothes? The wheel broke into large pieces, we could just tie it up. Rosemary: Maybebut itll just break again if it even holds at all. Peter: Its starting to get darkif Valatrocitus is only two days away, but five or six by walkingwe should be able to make it if we lose a day on the carriage. Gray turns to Peter, a bit confused about his idea. Peter: Ill try to nail the pieces back together, but thatll take a bit. And then we can leave right after. They all turn to each other, accepting the plan. Gray: If its all we got, then its all well do. Peter you get to nailin. Soku, Rosemary, you guys set up camp. Ill see if I and Edward can get the Silver Chariot to start up. Rosemary and Soku start taking the camping supplies out of the carriage, Peter grabs his tools, and Gray unlocks the caged wagon where the Silver Chariot is staying. Edward: I dont know how this thing works so I can''t really help, sorry Gray: Thats fine. The wheels are connected to an axle that connects the other wheels. Then the steering wheel on the driver''s side moves through the wheels. Then the engine is powered by energized blank crystals, its what fuels it too. Though we just gotta recharge them pretty often. And they either don''t charge right, overcharge and explode, explode for no reason, starts to smoke, lights on fire, yada yada. Edward: Okay...um...So what did you need my help for? Gray: To be frank, I didnt. I wanted to talk to you. Gray''s response confuses Edward, prompting him to pay closer attention. Gray: You freaked out badly when you lost your bag. Now I would have reacted the same way, but you didn''t get mad, you got sad. Why was that? Edward: Its nothing, I was just surprised. Edward tries to lie, though hes so bad at it Gray sees right through it. They stay in silence for a bit until Edward laments. Edward: I lost a picture of my mother and IIts the only one I hadand its the last thing I have from the Island we lived on together. It was in the bagand now its gone. Gray is stunned, tries to be sympathetic, but then just gets quiet. Gray goes on to say he feels sorry, but by the look on Edward''s face, he chooses not to, and just to remain silent. Edward: Dont tell PeterI dont want him to feel worse than he already does. Gray understands this notion and starts recharging the blank crystals. But outside the wagon, sitting down beside the carriage is the nosey and now distraught Peter, quivering, entrenched in a feeling of guilt and loneliness. Rosemary: Come on! Fire, tents, and food are ready! Gray: Dang that fast? Gray, Edward, and Peter walk to the camp, finding Soku struggling to put up the tents, while Rosemary tries not to burn the food above a blazing fire. Gray and Edward quickly move in to help with the campfire, while Soku just walks away from the tents, which tells Peter that hes the one who needs to do it. Rosemary: Sorry, we haven''t had to do this the whole trip. Gray: Nah, its good. You started the fire better than me. Rosemary: Oh, its because I found this. Rosemary pulls out a small contraption, a flame crystal inside of a rectangular metal case, and with the insertion of mana, it creates a small flame through a small hole on the top. Gray: Oh, you found my lighter. Peter and I made it, I guess I left it lying around. Soku walks up, pulling slabs of wood with hinges connected to smaller pieces on the bottom. And when she unlocks the henges, the small wooden pieces swing out, being locked in place again. Gray: Nice, you got the benches. Soku: Yeah, I thought you were making the fire each time. Didnt know you were cheating. Gray: No cheaters here, just a guy with a big enough brain to solve the issue, and most of Peters help. Edward: Speaking of Peter, hey Peter! Come on! Edward calls Peter over, and he slowly steps closer, holding the broken wheel. They all camp out, eating sausage cooked over a fire, talking and goofing around while doing so. The burnt wooden flakes fly around in the cold night sky, lit by the green-ish moon. Everyone spends their time just relaxing. Edward rests, Soku reads, Rosemary star gazes with Gray goofs around beside her, laying down the glance at the stars with her every few minutes. They all have fun, or at least do something, except Peter. He sits in the carriage, fixing the wheel, thinking about how much hes messed up. This trip shows what everyone is like when theyre just relaxing and not needed for some grand battle, and without something to do, Peter is useless, or so he thinks. Peter: Whyam I so worthlessno. No, why is the world so unfair. Peter takes this chance to throw the idea of being the problem away, pushing the blame onto the world, onto other people, good or bad, hes finding a way to cope, that may or may not come back to bite him later. Peter: Yeahyeah! I dont know how I never got this! Im just not blessed, and Im still here beside those who are blessed. I am worthy, these idiots who keep trying to pull me down arent. They''re just cheaters With that as his new ideal system, the world is the problem. Everything is wrong other than himself. Pride and ego at its finest, even if he doesn''t know it yet. End of Chapter Six Arc 6. Chapter 7. The Fog of Despair Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 7. The Fog of Despair Gray begins waking up, being met with the bright morning sun directly in his eyes. He yawns, stands up, and walks over to make coffee. The second he grabs the kettle, he realizes they had all overslept. Gray: GET UP!, UP, UP, UP! Everyone jolts awake, surprised to hear Grays screaming. Soku rubs her eyes, annoyed at Grays ramblings. Soku: Whatare you rambling about Gray: WE OVERSLEPT! WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HALFWAY TO VALATROCITUS RIGHT NOW! Everyone begins freaking out. They all pack up their stuff as fast as possible while Peter puts the busted-up wheel back on the carriage. Edward shakes Luna over and over, getting her up to pull the carriage. Edward: Come on Luna, we gotta go! Luna shakes her head, licks Edwards panicking face, and gets ready. Everyone tumbles into the carriage while Edward jumps onto the front of the carriage. Edward: YAH! Edward snaps the lead, causing Luna to blast down the road. And due to the messed up wheel, every single time it rolls it bounces, creeks, and barely stays on, but it still works. Gray: Do we just, not make it now? Rosemary: Manand we were so close. Edward: WERE GONNA MAKE IT! WE LOST HALF A DAY, WE STILL GOT THIRTY-SIX HOURS TO MAKE IT! Soku: How are we gonna make a two-day trip in half a day? Gray: Just gotta hope. Gray looks over at Peter, expecting to find him sulking, but something worse is happening in his eyes. Peter is smirking, a cocky smirk that Gray is all too familiar with. Pride. How ego can shape one''s self, and when the ego crumbles, the fall is rough. All they can do for the following hours is hope they make it. The Walgonian sky drifts away, becoming gray, gloomy, and closed off. Then green in the grass fades as thick fog rolls in. Gray: DudeIm so done with traveling. Weve been in the cold fog for what feels like foreverand its only getting thicker. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Gray lays on Rosemarys lap, covered in a thick blanket while Soku lies on the floor, with a pillow and a thick jacket to cover her. Rosemary: Couldnt we just get you a blanket, we have extra. Soku: Na, its all muggy, I dont wanna sweat. Gray: Nosweatsocomfy. Rosemary: Edward, are you cold out there!? Edward struggles to stay awake, as the feeling of the broken wheel shaking against the ground is the only thing keeping him going. Edward: Imgood. Gray: Whats with all this fog? Peter: Its the guard fog, its a permanent fog that sits on the Border of Valatrocitus and Walgonia. But it has an opening in the direct center. Though due to our time restraint, to cut time we have to go through the side of it. Soku: Edward! Arent there monsters out there!? I dont think its safe! Edward: Most monsters dont attack, and if they did the carriage has a spell put on it. The only reason theyd go after us is if there was a huge source of mana on board. Then wed have to worry about the Deep Bat, slug crawlers, Vole Rats, and the Arc-Gorilla. Rosemary: Yeah, good thing we arent carrying At the same time, everyone looks at Gray while Gray begins making a face of pure fear. Gray: IM A HUGE SOURCE OF MANA! Right as he screams they hear loud noises outside the carriage, sounds of rumbling movements which shake the carriage. Then a noise of something gently pushing through the thick fog is made by something large, something right outside the carriage. Now the safe mode of transport has become a cage, trapping them in this demonic situation. Gray: Maybe if we stay quiet they wont attack. Edward tries to stay as still as he can, slowly looking to his left to see whats in the fog. First nothing, then the horrifically slimy sound of the large grayish eyelid opens right beside him. Panic ensues across Edwards entire body, his mind filled with the thought of imminent death. The large black slitted pupil tights, growing from the size of an arm to a dime in an instant. Luna yipes, causing Edward to lose control of the carriage, and mixed with the flimsy wheel, the carriage drifts off the road. Once the carriage drifts off the dirt path it slams against the hard ground, causing the wheel to further damage itself, barely hanging on. Due to the carriage''s sudden movement, the large flying monster screeches and sends everyone into a panic. Gray: EDWARD GET IN HERE! Edward: I CANT! IF LUNA DRIFTS US OFF COURSE IT COULD CAUSE US TO BE LATE, AND THEN ALL OF THIS TRAVELING WILL BE FOR NOTHING! Rosemary: OUR LIVES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT! Edward: YOURE SAFE IN THERE! ILL GUIDE US! JUST STAY CALM! Edward looks all around him, trying to make sure nothing else is coming for them. This blanket of fog blinds Edward, to the point where relying on the small amount of light coming off the lanterns hanging on the carriage is all he can do. A small glimmer of light in the middle of the deepest ocean, a signal calling to all the monsters in the area. Gray wraps himself within the cloak of darkness, trying to hide his presence. In the carriage''s corner, Peter begins to lose it, falling into despair and lost within this instinctual fear. The fear of darkness, monsters, and the unknown. Whimpering, shaking, cold, everything somebody would feel right before a seemingly emanating death. Rosemary holds him close, trying to console him, but it doesn''t help. Soku: What if we just fight the monster? Rosemary: It may bring challenges, and we cant waste time. They spend a few minutes afraid for their lives as they continue barreling down the dirt road. But suddenly, everything stops. The noises, the fear, an unforeseen bliss within this eternal misery. And it all comes to an end the second it started with the crash of something large and heavy right on top of the carriage. It knocks lanterns off and shakes the ones inside. The destroyed wheel splinters, cracking apart, now unable to hold the weight of the carriage. This leaves them stuck, trapped within the fog. Gray takes a deep breath and hops outside the carriage, surprising the everyone and causing Rosemary to scream out. Now immobile, and being crushed literally and figuratively by this great monster. Rosemary: GRAY! Unable to move, Edward releases control of Luna. He looks up, and the giant, decaying, slimy, black-ish monstrosity of a spirit creature stares him in his face. Edward: ADeep Bat Luna, unable to pull the carriage, tries to run as fast as possible, but shes stuck. A fact known by Edward, so he tries to free her, trying to give her a chance to live while he fights. But no. Once the bat creature locks eyes with the dire wolf, its fate is sealed. Edward unties her restraints the second the bat monster lunges at her, and due to the spirit creature''s immense speed, shes grabbed by its large hands. Then, in an instant, she''s swallowed. The sounds of chewing, bones crunching, meat stretching and pulling. Edward watches in horror as the beast turns Luna''s body into a red paste, a pool of blood that floods out of its mouth. Then, they lock eyes once more, both on the same wavelength. A hunger for death. End of Chapter 7 Arc 6: Chapter 8. Vrooom Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 8. Vrooom The death of a companion, the death of man''s best friend. A dire wolf is chewed on by a monstrous bat ten times the size of a normal one. Rage Consumes Edward, banging at the back of his mind, trying to get in. The Warroirs'' spirit is something thats been dormant for months, and its hungry to be let free. As Edwards about to clash with the monster, a loud noise is heard behind the carriage. An engine pumps and roars with power, echoing throughout this soundless fog. Gray: GET IN DAMMIT! From within the carriage, Rosemary hears Grays wails, so she grabs everyone''s things, boosts into the fifth stage, and smashes through the side of the carriage. Edward looks forward to finding the Deep Bat lunging at him, and even if Edward wants to let the warrior''s spirit take over, even if he wants to slaughter the beast with his bare hands, he knows itll take too long. Now letting this eternal rage subside, he punches the monster in its nose, angering it, but giving himself time to get to Gray. In the driver''s seat of the Silver Chariot, he quickly backs out of the wooden cage it was staying in, then continues reversing, pulling out right in front of Rosemary and the others. Gray: GET IN, COME ON! Gray flows the Cloak of Darkness out, grabs everyone''s bags, and pulls them into the car. Edward slides over the hood, jumping into the passenger seat while everyone else shoves into the back seat, having to squish together due to the large bags in the back with them. Peter: DRIVE DAMMIT! Gray puts the car into drive, slams on the gas, and spins around, driving right towards where Valatrocituss main gate should be. The Deep bat recovers from Edward''s punch, screaming with anger. The loud howls from the beasts shake the area so much that the pure pressure coming off of it blows so much of the mist away that Grays able to see the road. But the loud roars tell the other lower-ranking Spirit beasts that not only is there a large snack, but one the king cannot defeat. Rosemary: Im pretty sure were gonna have even more monsters coming after us. Soku: OHHH GREAT! Going almost two times faster than when they were in the carriage, they kept a good distance between themselves and the flying monster. The thick tires plow through the ground, tearing up the grass and pulling up dust. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Soku: CAN THIS THING GO ANY FASTER!? Gray: YEPI HOPE! Gray opens up the glove compartment, and instead of open space, theres a large blank crystal. Gray puts his hand on it, and starts pumping mana into it, mana that feeds into the main engine. As the engine gets kicked into overdrive, flames shoot out of the exhaust, and the wheels start spinning so fast that the rubber begins burning off. The pure speed of the vehicle causes everyone in it to be met with a large amount of force, pushing them back. Now that they have another speed advantage, the Deep Bat begins flying as fast as it can, bursting with power that pushes even more fog back. And due to the fact they''re so close to the end of the fog when it gets pushed back theyre finally able to see their destination. With smiles on all of their faces, they spot the Valatrocitus capital wall and the singular gate. Gray: THE GATE! ITS OPEN! WE MADE IT! As Gray says this, the engine gives out. Smoke spews out of the exhaust, then the rest of the engine. Now everyone is annoyed and fearing for their lives. The Bat closes in, but the other monsters emerge out of the fog along with it. Four small, multicolored Legend lizards begin moving towards them, causing the earth to shake. Peter: Heythats not that bad Another roar is heard from within the fog, a giant four-armed, eight eyes, red gorilla begins running on all fours. Edward: AN ARCH-GORILLA, GRAY WE GOTTA KEEP GOING! Gray: I CANT, THE ONLY REASON WERE STILL MOVING IS BECAUSE WE HAVEN''T LOST OUR SPEED! Soku: How the hell can these things keep up!? The fear coming off everyone is like a sweet dessert to the two devilish monsters, but due to their power and pride, they want Gray all for themselves. The Deep Bat turns around right as the Arch-Gorilla fires a strong white web at its face. Now, because of the speed the Deep Bat is flying, Its unable to move, getting its face consumed by the web. Now that the bat is wrapped in webs, and the lizards are running away, the gang''s only opponent is the Arch-Gorilla. All the way at the gate, the guards spot all the commotion heading right for them and must follow protocol, by beginning to close the giant gate. Gray: NOW! SOKU BLAST US! Soku: WHAT!? Gray: WIND BLAST US, NOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW! Soku sticks her hands out of the caged back window, uses as much power as she can, and increases it with her mark of providence. Then, a massive amount of light green mana blasts from her arms, so much power that Edward and Rosemary have to push on her back to make sure she can continue this giant exertion of power. Now the magical thruster known as Soku sends the Silver Chariot barreling towards the slowly closing gate. The Arch-Gorilla notices that they''re about to be unreachable for it, and decides to shoot another web line, which is torn to shreds by Sokus wind. Soku: I CANT! Soku uses up all of her strength, right as theyre about to get into the capital. With nothing they know of that keeps them moving, they assume they aren''t going to make it. But with a sudden wave of resolve, Rosemary pushes into the driver''s seat, having Gray hold her while she sticks her body out of the window. Rosemary: HOLD ON GRAY! Gray puts his arm around her waist, using the other to steer the car. Gray: DO IT! Rosemary charges her arm to the sixth stage, then punches the air so hard that it creates such a powerful blast of wind that it moves the Silver Chariot so fast its able to barely make it under the gate. Its so close that the bottom of the gate rips off the top of the Silver Chariot, almost tearing everyone''s heads off. Now safe from the monsters, they have to deal with the guards, who are currently surrounding the car. They look into the driver''s seat, demanding that they state their names, but Edward takes out their invitation. The guard leans in to get a closer look and immediately apologizes once he sees the Valatrocitus seal of approval, egging on his fellow guards to get down on their knees. Valatrocitus guards: Welcome to Valatrocitus capital, Titans of Walgonia. Well get a carriage here as fast as possible. Everyone takes a sigh of relief, having finally made it. And at the same time, the tires deflate, then fall off, which causes Gray to slam his face on the horn. End of Chapter 8 Arc 6. Chapter 9. A gloomy, yet warm welcome Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 9. A gloomy, yet warm welcome While waiting in an inn right side of the entrance of Valatrositces capital, Gray and the others eat complimentary breakfast. Gray smacks his lips on some hot syrup-drenched pancakes, which he had shown the cooks how to make. On the other hand, everyone else just eats some eggs. Soku: Could you smack your lips any louder? Gray: Mhpsorry, cant hear you over the smacking of my lips. Soku flicks his forehead, then goes back to eating her eggs. Everyone remains silent, simply enjoying the calm, to be met with coffee by an ecstatic employee at the Inn, another delicious item they had been gifted with by another fan. The worker begins handing everyone their coffee, as giddy as all can be Inn worker: Dark coffee for the End Bringer, light roast coffee with a hint of milk for the Golden Knight, medium roast coffee with heavy milk for the Elf of Winds, and dark roast for the Phantom KnightOh, and just milk for the dark elf. She walks off filled with glee, going to talk to her fellow employees about this sudden joy sitting in the common area. Soku: Didnt think youd be the one to like dark roast. Gray: Hmp, just another layer to my character. Soku flicks his head again, causing Rosemary to chuckle. Gray touches the spot on his head, faking a wail in pain. Edward: Ive never been to Valatrositce, its nicer than I thought. Still gloomy though. Gray: Yeah, then the name makes it seem like its super gothic, and not that it isnt. The unnecessary spires on most of the buildings, the gray sky, dark buildings, and yet, its pretty cheerful. Peter sips on his milk, staring off into space, aloof to the current conversation. He pushes his eggs with his fork, waiting for something to happen. Rosemary rubs her dry eyes as well as lets out a long yawn. Gray: You look like youre doin better. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Rosemary: Yeah, ever since we got out of the carriage Ive been feeling a lot better. Edward: Well thats nice. Rosemary: So, do we stay at an Inn, or is Julius gonna come and get us? Edward: We may have to walk, or they could escort us. Gray turns around, looking at the guards at the Inns entrance, making sure nobody comes in while theyre eating. Gray: Hey dudes! What are we doin!? The guards look at each other, then look back at Gray, saying nothing. Gray: Oh, thanks guys, so helpful. Edward: Well, lets finish our food and start walking. Soku groans, placing her face on the table. Soku: Can we not have to do something every five minutes? Gray: I agree, weve been traveling for days, an hour more and I might explode. Edward turns to Peter, realizing he hasnt been eating his food, but decides to not metal. A few minutes pass and everyone slowly finishes their food, and Peter decides to throw his food away. They then all stand up and go to leave, only to be stopped by the quiet guards. Gray: Okay guys, it was funny and quirky before, but you can move now. The guards only respond with grunts, so Gray tries to push them aside, and then push him back. Edward: Please, we need to get going. It would be a big help if you moved aside. Guard one: Im sorry but you must wait. Gray is surprised by the fact they can speak, but then once he realizes that they just werent speaking to him, he gets aggravated. Soku notices at the same time, causing her to start pointing and laughing at Gray. Soku wipes her face, getting serious. Soku: Look dude, we gotta GO! Theyre about to force their way through but stop once the guards simply move out of the way. Gray: No way. Everyone is stunned and excited, watching as Julius Cromwell enters the Inn. Gray walks up to him, attempting to hug him, but Julius pays no mind to him. Walking right up to Edward, Julius gives him a firm handshake and a smile. Edward: Nice to you again. Julius: As to you, as to all you. I am glad you got my letter. Now, let us enter my carriage and we will be off to the castle. Gray: Yes! Another castle. Were going to have visited three out of the four castles of Sagas nations! Rosemary: That is an achievement, I wonder what itll look like. Walgonias is gigantic, Athens is like a big pillar, Valatrositces must be as grand as the others. Julius: Well, I promise you that it will be worth the long and grueling trip you had to go on to see it. Julius leads the gang outside to an impressive carriage. Light red wood with black and golden accents paired well with the white gems placed around it. Everyone admires the carriage, Peter even goes in for a closer look, going to touch the Valatrositce crest, which is in the center of all the wheels. Julius pushes his hand away, then opens the door for them to get inside. While sitting on the street, Peter looks at the destroyed Silver Chariot, which is just smoking and taking up space in the street. Peter: What are we gonna do about that? Julius: I will get somebody to gather it. Everyone goes inside, getting a look at the completely white interior. Peter is the last to get in, swiping his fingers across the chest placed on the small flags hanging off the side of the carriage to spite Julius. Gray: These seats are so much comfier than the ones in our carriage bro. Gray slouches down in the nice leader seats filled with wool, laying down in it like a bed. Soku: It feels really good on my back, not those knitted animal fur wood seat things on our last ride. Rosemary: THOSE SEATS WERE ANIMAL SKIN! I TOLD YOU I WAS ALLERGIC! Soku sucks in her lips, losing eye contact with Rosemary. Rosemary: Ugg. Julius knocks on the carriage door, signaling the guard driving the carriage to get going. Julius: In a little under thirty minutes you will be able to mark the Valatrositce castle off your list. Gray: Thinkin'' about it, I might have to start a bucket list. END OF Chapter Nine Arc 6: Chapter 10. Marked off the bucket list Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 10. Marked off the bucket list On the main road of Valatrositces castle, they relax in the beautifully built carriage. They sit in calm silence, looking around for a better feel for the area. Unlike the district of Walgonias capital, Valatrositces capital leads up to the bigger areas. With every block passed, the buildings grow bigger, better built, and less populated. With dark roads, buildings, a dark sky, and an imposing castle in the distance, it''s wondrous, gothic, almost art deco, though it might not be all good and clean, it stands in comparison to Walgonias. The peoples dark and red hair, pale white skin, and dark long clothing. The higher the nobility the more items on them, rings, molecules, top hats, bowler hats, cigars, and even being dressed in suits, seeming like mobsters. The people are better unified, and disciplined, yet uneasy. Almost no Demi-humans, no semblance of other cultures, unified by a bias toward each other. What makes it so great, what makes the capital so well put together, is what can break it. All of the people of Walgonia might not like Demi-Humans, but when push comes to shove theyll work with them, which cant be said here. They finally make it to the castle, getting a good look at it. Its large, grand, dark, and imposing. Cracked and multicolored stained glass windows, overgrown grass, and crumbling stone, the castle itself is decaying. Gray: Whys the castleall broken? Edward: Compared to the rest of the capital, this looks abandoned. Julius sighs, waiting to answer until the carriage stops. And once it does, he leads them out. Julius: My father, King Cornelius Cromwell, the mad king, is falling. He has been falling since the incident. Gray: Whats the incident? Julius guides them through the castle, entering through the big dark wooden doors. Inside are cobwebs, messy floors, burned walls, bugs, dirt in the air, and a decaying smell. The only source of light is the broken windows letting in faded light, enough to give all the shrubs and weeds growing energy to keep going. Julius: The Incident was what gave my father his title. Twenty-six years ago my father fought Zue, his brother, and a high-ranking member of the Sect of Anarchy. When Julius mentions Zue, Gray feels a bit confused. He knows who that is, and at the same time he doesn''t, due to the fact when he spoke to him seven months ago, the memory of the entire conversation was lost. When he tries to think about Zue, his OD burns even slightly. Julius: Of course, my father beat him but in the process, a section of the city was burned to the ground. Thousands died and even more were injured, and after that, my father just stopped. Vergil left, my father left the war, and Valatrositce has been in a slump ever since. Sult-covered family paintings, sword slashes coating the walls, chandeliers falling apart, everyone is just confused and a bit underwhelmed. Edward: Not too many guards either, its pretty quiet. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Julius: He does not like to have soldiers around, it makes him paranoid. Soku: So where is he? Julius: Right through these doors. Julius pushes open another pair of large doors, forcing them open, struggling due to the rusty hinges. Julius: Sorry, they often get stuck. As they walk into the throne room, they find it in disarray similar to the rest of the castle. The bright light of the sun pierces through the foggy sky, coming through the broken window right behind the throne. On the throne, they see an old man with long white hair and a beard of a similar length. Everyone springs up, even the disinterested Peter. Peter: Umis that guy dead? Julius sighs and walks up to the man, tapping his face with his finger. The old man slowly awakens, straining his old body. King Cornelius: Wha? OhHelloI am KingCorneliusthe thirdnowget out pleaseyour breathing is too loud Edward gets down on one knee, leading everyone else to do so, the last being an embarrassed Gray. Cornelius wets his dry lips, trying to get a read of the area. King Cornelius: Getupdont you dare bow to me. King Cornelius points at Edward with his chard wrinkled finger. Edward is frozen, unable to say or think anything. King Cornelius: A Helsing should never bow to anyone, you are a disgrace to carry the name. the genes of conquerors are wasted on you. These words strike Edward down to his core, agreeing with the statement, and feeling embarrassed to be in front of a living historical figure. Gray falls into an instinctual rage, about to yell his heart out, but he remains calm. King Cornelius: Mph, I was told that Gray Kyojin speaks his mind. Arthur said you cried out for attention when he talked about you. I thought that when I met you, you would have some self-respect. All of you Heroes of Walgonia, are cowards with no self-respect. Gray bites his lip, but he doesn''t cause a scene. Cornelius looked at his son to be met with a stare so serious it could make one fall to his knees, but not him. He coughs at the look, spits on the ground, and shoos them away while he falls asleep. Julius walks up to everyone, leading them out of the diary and overgrown room. He pulls the large doors closed and then begins leading them to another section of the castle. Soku: The hell was that about. Rosemary: Gray, Edward, Im sorry you had to go through that. Edward: Its alright. Gray shrugs his shoulders, sighing in annoyance. Julius: I deeply apologize for my father''s attitude, ever since Roy and Lyod were killed by Arthur and Arthurs reveal as a member of the Sect of Anarchy he has been in this argumentative state. Soku: Where are we going now? Julius: I want you to meet some people. The grand stations will be revealed in a few days, and the people responsible are in this meeting room up those stairs and down the hallway. Edward: Oh, so where is the train going? Around the capital or does it go somewhere else. Julius: Great question. It leads from Valatrositces capital directly to Constal. Edward and the others follow Julius, making small conversation until they get outside of the molding wooden door. Gray, Soku, Rosemary, and Peter all plug their noses to the smell of not just the hall, but the castle itself. Gray: Yknow, I would breathe through my mouth, but then Im eatin it. Julius pushes the door open, letting everyone see the destroyed conference room. In the center of the room is a large circular table with three people sitting on one side of it. A large muscular Demi-human man fitted with a black pinstripe suit is a sight to see. His shaggy brown hair, large bottom teeth, and fur on his face, which gives him sideburns, sit on the right to the older man in the middle. On the left side is a tall, lanky man with short brown hair and a bowler hat matched with another pinstripe suit. In the middle of both men is an older man, a shorter man with a bit of weight on him. Black hair, a bowler cap, a pinstripe suit, a monocle, and faint facial hair give him the feeling of a boss, a protected man. Gray {These guys are like mobsters or somethin.} Julius sits everyone down, letting Gray and the others sit directly across from the men. Julius then walks to the side of the table and stands still, introducing everyone. Julius: Edward, Rosemary, Soku, Peter, and Gray, the man in the middle is the head of the Montgomery family business, Rupert James Montgomery. To his left is Orson Thorn, and to his right is Chester Humphrey. Rupert leans in, shaking Grays hand with a smile on his face. Rupert''s nice attitude doesn''t match well with the untrustworthy feeling he and his men give off, everyone feels as if theyre criminals without saying a word to them, especially Soku. Rupert: Ive heard about you, about all of you, and Im so glad to meet you. End of Chapter Ten Arc 6: Chapter 11. A business decision Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 11. A business decision Rupert: Ill make this quick, itll be better for everyone. I wanna make a deal, you help us we help you type a deal. Protect my shipments, help out my men, and Ill make sure you have a great time here. Gray moves out of his seat, swapping with Soku. His understanding of Sokus ability to read people, negotiate, and anything revolving around things like this is far better than his and anybody in the rooms, other than Julius. Soku: So, you want us to work for you? Rupert: Not forever, I just need some muscle. And my friends beside me here are good at that, but I need more people. My shipments have been getting hit by gangs, they want to monopolize my things. Soku: And we get what? Rupert: Notoriety, connections, payment, and even some of the supply Rupert sits up, pulls out a cigar, and lights it with a flame crystal. He takes a puff of it in Soku''s face, showing a level of disrespect she hasn''t felt in a while. She uses her wind magic to blow a small gust of wind out of the mouth, blowing the smoke of his cigar right in his face and putting out the cigar. Rupert scoffs at her, her age and stature would give anybody the impression that shes trying too hard. But with his experience and skill in the subject, he can tell hers as well. But their level is still vastly different. Howeverh he does show a bit of respect by putting them in the ashtray. Soku: I know about you and your company, I know you have connections with criminals, high-ranking ones at that. Ive been in the gutter, and Ive heard about you there. But I dont think youre evil, but I dont think youre being upfront. This statement from her gives him a surprise. His value in the criminal underworld is unknown by most, but for somebody with as high status and connections as Soku, it could be an issue. Strangely enough, Julius doesn''t react to this information as if he already knew it. On the other hand, Gray and the others are surprised by the reveal, but its understandable. Rupert: Okay then, I guess you know more than youre leading onto. I want the protection of Walgonias Heros, and Ill make sure nothing I do makes it to Walgonia. Ill stay here, overseas, in the two Ever-Forests and the Ever-Desert. The Red Barons have been hitting me, even some no-name crooks have been trying to disrupt my business. You help me, I help you. Soku: Whats the first job, then Ill answer. Rupert looks at Chester and Orson, then glances at everyone before answering. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Rupert: Spend today resting, tomorrow we''ll open the grand railway up, and later that day youll go out to the Everspirit forest and take out a Baron camp." Soku looks at Gray, then Edward, then Rosemary, gets a nod back from everyone, and then answers. Soku: Alright, well do it, but I want full knowledge about what you''re doing." Rupert: "Alright, we ship metals, crystals, food, and weapons mainly. But the barons have started moving fairy dust, an incredibly illegal substance." Soku: "And I can trust you how?" Rupert: "Don''t get the wrong idea, we do not so good things but we aren''t evil. We''re a business, one known and trusted, we wouldn''t do anything that could make us look worse than the government. But we want to stay in business." Soku: "Seems reasonable, but don''t want our names anywhere near this. We''re doing this to help the people affected by the barons, not to help you." Rupert: "Understood, now go do whatever while we set up. Have fun kids." Everyone stands up and walks out of the dirty decrepit room and begins walking towards the castles exit. Gray: What was that about? We see you again and you make us talk to some criminals. Julius: Those criminals are benefactors that have been fixing this country for years. I just sold them the castle and theyre going to turn it into an orphanage. They have been doing things like this since the Incident, building schools, homes, streets, and anything the capital may need. Hes done the same for smaller towns and villages to make sure we stay near the top. Edward stares at his feet, unable to conclude what he should do. Helping criminals stop other criminals so that they can prosper. Edward: Soku, why did you agree to this? Soku: ME!? I looked at you guys first! And whatever, the name isnt attached and we get some people in our pocket. Its a win-win. Rosemary: Im indifferent about it. His people were who gave the Golden Knights weapons, food, and armor, they were our life support and we kept them safe. I dont think theyre unbelievably evil but they arent all good either. Gray: Its whatever honestly. So what do we do now? Julius: There is a carriage outside thatll lead you to the Inn youll be staying at. And I want somebody to come with you. Soku: What, like a guard or something? Julius: No, a little more important of a person than that. They continue walking through the castle, trying to avoid stepping on or touching anything molded, wet, muddy, or growing. Once Julius forces the main door open they see a teenage boy standing in front of their carriage. Gray: Whos this guy? Julius: Introduce yourself please. A young boy with pale skin, black hair spiked back, and a mole by his lip dressed in an aristocrats outfit. And he''s seemingly annoyed with the entire ordeal. Lance: Names Lance, Im Cornelius kid or whatever. So when do we get goin? Lance taps his foot on the ground, waiting to leave. He seems agitated until he lays his eyes on Soku, and hes immediately happy to get going. His attraction to her is felt by everyone, causing Soku to feel awkward. He brushes his short black hair back, picks food out of his teeth, and begins approaching her. Julius: "Secret child, or more so, lesser none. For safety reasons and by word from King Cornelius himself." Lance pays to mind to Julius introduction for himself and instead continues doing whatever he feels like. Lance: Hey, I heard youve never been here before. I can show you around. Soku backs up, incredibly uncomfortable. Rosemary is about to step in but is beaten to the chase by somebody who hasnt said a word since they got here. Peter: Step off dude, you can go get in the carriage. Lance begins chuckling, unable to control himself. He sighs, shoves Peters shoulder, and begins walking to the carriage. Peter turns to Soku, hoping for anything, but she glances at him and begins walking with everyone else. Peter balls up his hand and follows far behind everyone else. END OF Chapter Eleven Arc 6 Chapter 12. The day before Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world Chapter 12. The day before Inside the carriage heading to an Inn, everyone sits around kinda quietly. Gray twiddles his thumbs, Rosemary slips in and out of sleep, Edward stares out of the window, watching the people go by, Soku tries to doze off, and Peter sits silent. Lance slides over to Soku, so she moves to the other seats, wedging between Gray and Rosemary. Lance: Common, Im just being friendly. Soku: Ohhh, would it be better with my sword to your throat, or is that not friendly enough? Julius, who is standing in the aisle, springs into action. Julius: Okay, okay let''s calm down. You all seem tired so when we get to the Inn we can all rest. Lance: Rest? Its eleven in the morning. Aint no rest, I woke up thirty minutes ago. Julius looks around, to see everyone seems pretty tired. He then looks back at Lance, glaring at him. A single drop of sweat falls from Lances brow, which Gray notices, so he goes to lighten the mood. Gray: So, Lance, if you are Cornelius son, why havent we heard of you? I thought he only had three kids. Lance straightens his poster and scoots up in his seat. Lance: For some reason, he doesn''t want anybody knowing about me. Hell, Ive only met like ten people, not including you guys. This is the first time Im just going out in years. Edward: Why did he just let you out now? Lance: ...Um Lance begins playing with a strange ring on his finger while Julius takes the lead in the conversation. Julius: My father does not know the current ordeal, but since he is going to pass soon I want Lance to get experience in the real world. Gray: Alright, let him go out and do somethingwere all tired from all this travel. They continue down the roads for another fifteen minutes before stopping outside of an Inn, which is heavily guarded. Everyone steps out of the carriage, stunned by the forty soldiers standing around the Inn. The Inn itself is grandiose. In a district filled with larger businesses and houses, this Inn stands even further above it. Tucked away in Valatrocitus'' capital is almost a sanctuary. No people in sight, on a tall hill, with a large pond out front is this cozy and warm building. The feeling of homeness is built further upon the fact that the building is similar in style to the ones in Greenvale, being Edo Japan. Pink trees, trimmed grass, lanterns, a small hot spring as well as training grounds for promising swordsmen. Its exquisite. Gray: Guys went all out huh? Julius: Well I do not want my guest to be attacked now do I? Everyone grabs their bags and heads inside and is met with a familiar face. Edward rushes up to the Innkeeper, ecstatic to be reunited with a former friend. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Edward: Erin! Erin blushes and gives Edward a great big hug. But she gets embarrassed to realize everyones watching her, so she backs off, flicks Edward''s forehead, and greets everyone else. Rosemary: Erin! What are you doing here? Rosemary also greets Erin with a hug, happy to see a friend of the past. Gray: I see you kept the whole Innkeeper thing. Erin: Well, I told you I had friends in Valatrocitus. The whole reason I had an Inn in Athens is because Im used to running one. And this time, instead of fugitives, you guys are Heroes! Erins upbeat and joyous attitude burns as a great outlier in this sad city. Erin goes to greet everyone else and moves their things to their rooms. Though Rosemary stays downstairs to chat with Erin, Gray must unpack alone. Erin: HEY GRAY, YOU AND ROSEMARYS ROOM IS THE LAST ONE DOWN THE HALL, THE LUZERY SUIT! WELL, I GUESS THEYRE ALL LUXURY, BUT STILL! Gray walks all the way down the hall, thinking about how similar the architecture is to classic Japanese culture. Now inside the luxurious room is a grand bed, large bookshelves, paintings of cities and monsters, and a balcony. There are even statues of a king, wearing classical king robes with a crown, and another man dressed like a samurai. Gray {Who are these Barron guys? I gotta spend more time learning about this world, well worldbuilding I guess. Enemy of my enemy is my friend? If so then I guess I can trust these mobster guys, oddly enough. Man, this is stupid.} Gray lunges up off of the bed, throws his clothes into the dresser, and heads into Edward''s room. Edward''s room is the complete opposite of Grays, but its still nice. A decent-sized room with a red carpet, paintings, two bookshelves, and a balcony. Gray: Even if our rooms are basically the same, you''re pretty barren. Gray interrupts Edward''s unpacking, which leads Edward to stop refolding his clothes. Edward chuckles and stands up, greeting Gray. Edward: What, not tired? Gray: Um, just a little antsy. Cant stop thinking about this criminal stuff. What gang does Rupert even work with? Edward: Well if Im right, they dont have a name. Its just you work with the Montgomerys? his name itself has all the recognition. Gray: Mph, oh well. Gray goes to leave, trying to bury whatever else he is going to ask Edward about, which Edward notices. Edward is about to let Gray leave, but the same thing in his head telling him to do this is the same thing he doesnt want to listen to. Edward: Gray, wait. Gray quickly turns around, as if whatever was telling him to shut up has gone away as well. Gray: Edwardyou wanna help me with my swordsmen ship? Ryo wants me to get better at using a Katana, and since youre the only trained swordsmen on the team, I kinda hoped youd be able to help me. Edward: Ummsure why not. Gray runs into his room and begins rummaging through the second bag he had brought, a bag solely meant for holding two wooden training swords. Edward waits patiently for Gray to quickly grab his sword but is surprised when Gray presents one for him as well. Edward: UmI thought I was going to help you practice. Gray: Yeah, so I have one for you. Edward: Ive never practiced with one. These words stun Gray. The Leviathan Armys main sword is a Katana, so learning that Edward, the last living Helsing, the head family of the Leviathan Army, has no idea how to use such a sword, would come as a shock. Edward knows this and is pretty embarrassed about it. Gray: Then we can practice together, now lets go outside. I saw a space in the back I wanna check out by the hot spring. Edward grabs the practice sword and follows Gray. They walk down the stairs to find Soku, Rosemary, and Erin having a conversation, Erin puts a halt to talk with Edward. Erin: Where you goin? Edward tries to get an answer without sounding jittery but he just cant, so Gray takes the lead. Gray: Were going to practice outside. Erin: Really!? This Inn was made to be a practice ground! Come around back! Erin leads everyone through a hallway, a hallway thats meant to lead you to your hot spring. Men only, women only, and mixed. She leads them through the mixed door, and everyone is stunned to see how big it is. Erin: The outside used to be way bigger, but it got turned into multiple baths. The mixed bath still has the old training design, a dueling area surrounded by the boiling river. Erin pushes past everyone, getting right up to Edward. Erin: Now, go get into a towel and duel Gray here. Come on! This place is rented out to only you guys, so Im free for the time being! Soku: Nope, I dont wanna see you guys naked. Soku walks off, going to the women''s only baths. Lance tries to get into the women''s bath behind her, but hes stopped by Peter, who pulls him into the men''s bath. Gray: So me, you, Rosemary, and Edward are all gonna be here in nothing but towels? Erin: Yep! Great right? Gray {Erins hot, Rosemarys gorgeous, and my girlfriend, Im hot, and Edwards okay I guessbut hes still a dude so thats gonna be a little weirdbut Rosemary and Erin overpower him so its equal out.} Gray looks over to the stunned and shy Rosemary, her panting, constant sweating, and red face lead him to believe that she doesnt really wanna do this. Hes about to call off the whole thing but is stopped by Rosemary, who just pulls him into the changing room. Rosemary: Come on, we dont wanna get my clothes all sweaty. Grays face turns from confused to a little devilish, he even smiles to himself, thinking that if he was in a manga his eyes would be hearts and his nose would be bleeding. End of Chapter Twelve Arc 6. Chapter 13. Slip and Slide Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 13. Slip and Slide Gray, Edward, Julius, Rosemary, and Erin walk out of an embarrassing session in the changing room. Now in the mixed baths hot and steamy waters stems a sense of relaxation. Four friends, wearing towels and underwear of course, walk into the overwhelmingly hot space. Rosemary and Erin take their towels off and sit in boiling water while Gray and Edward stand face to face, holding their wooden practice swords. Erin glances at Grays chest, looking at the large burn scar on his left peck that stretches to his left shoulder. She then looks at everyone''s scars. Rosemary had various scars from various things all over, ones, Edward had a few small ones here and there, and then brand scar on his right eye. They dont gross her out though, to her, theyre just interesting. But to insure they were too, she looked toward the red circle on the ground with four triangles around it. Erin: Look, the symbol on the ground, the sun-looking thing is Oni-mas crest! About two hundred years ago the Valatrocitus king and Oni-mas Shogun went out for drinks. Then the Shogun asked if there were any places like his home. When the king said no, the Shogun said Well then dammit build one! and here we are today. Gray: Alright Edward, seems were on historical ground, the perfect place for our third match." Edward: Dueling rules? And are you sure, were a littleopen Edward blushes, looking at an also blushing Rosemary and a very invigorated, focused Erin, nudging Rosemary on. Gray: GO! While Edwards off guard Gray lunges at him, swinging as quickly as he can to impress Rosemary. Edward, shocked by Grays quick rush, slips backward trying to block the attack and keep his towel on at the same time. Edward flings himself back up, making sure he doesn''t hit the ground so he can impress someone he hopes is looking, which she is. Erin continues poking Rosemary, pointing at Edwards bulging muscles, which Gray notices, causing him to get jealous. He also notices Julius paying close attention, which gives him mixed feelings Gray: Sorry ladies, and Julius, but I gotta stop the show for a second! Gray takes a deep breath and gently says Cenic, causing an influx of faint black smoke to envelop everyone. Soku, sitting by herself in the women''s baths, scoffs at the sight of the black smoke. On the other hand Peter and Lance both glare at each other, while thinking the same thing I wish I was with somebody else. Whilst within the black smoke, Edward struggles to think of what to do next. Having to deal with Erin glaring at him while Gray attacks him on top of it only made it worse. Edward thrusts his wooden sword forward, doing so with such strength that it blows all the smoke and steam away, but Gray is nowhere in sight. Edward looks left right and then behind himself, but still, nowhere. He quickly looks over at everyone in the baths, noticing Julius paying close attention to them but their eyes were closed and Erin''s eyes were still awkwardly on him. However, Rosemarys were staring up. Edward does the same, seeing an airborne upside-down Gray, face to face, and right behind Edwards head is Grays sword. Edward used only the slightest feeling of the wind thats being pulled by Grays quickly moving upside-down sword swing, and ducks. Now Gray, spiraling to the ground, barely catches himself, and hes about to rush in, but then he sees Edwards face drop. With a newfound cold breeze underneath him and Rosemary trying to cover a chuckling Erin''s eyes, he freezes. Even if it was only underwear, it seemed every peice of anxiety he thought he left behind in his old world flew into him like the same truck that him here If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Gray: Oops!" Gray looks down to see his towel missing, so once again he casts Cenic. Now with the area once again consumed in dark smoke, Edward just waits for Gray to grab his towel. After a few seconds, the smoke clears, and once again Gray is nowhere to be found. Gray: What are you doin? Edward looks over at Gray, sighing as he sees him beside Rosemary in the bath. Edward sets his sword down and slowly makes his way toward Erins side. Erin: Now, the shows over? Gray: Sorry lady, and Julius, Im no stripper. Not yet anyway. With a laugh from the group Peter: Sorry, I was just going. Lance: Oh no, you can stay, I was going. In an instant they both rush to the door, trying to wedge themselves through it. At the same time they fall through, tumbling into the dressing room. Peter tries to scrub his curly black hair dry while Lance combs his spiked hair back. Peter then puts his overalls on while Lance puts on casual wear, still glaring at each other. In the mixed bath, Erin looks to Edward. Erin: "I''ll be right back." As Edward struggles to push past his shyness to respond she leaves the steamy waters and begins walking toward the dressing room. Rosemary: Where are you going? Erin: I wanna check something, Ill be quick! Erin grabs a towel and lazily wraps herself in it, rushing to her desk, which is also the front desk, and the bar. Before Peter and Lance can exit their dressing room they go as silent as a mouse when Erin speeds by, not wanting to peep. They look at each other, then at the small curtain blocking their eyes from Erins exposed body, then back at each other, they fight to peek through. Once their eyes are through, they see Erin quickly place something back. Theyre confused as to why she moved so suddenly, but when she turns around with a murderous glare in her eyes, they fall back in fear. Creaks on the floor, a beast slowly stepping towards them. In Erins eyes is an intent to harm, and harm she does. First, she grabs them through the curtain, then tosses them into the woman''s dressing room, to be met with a not-so-happy and currently dressing Soku, so lastly, theyre blown by powerful winds straight out of the dressing room and right into the wooden wall of the hall. Erin is about to walk back into the mixed bath but is stopped by Soku. Erins about to ask why but then sees Gray, Edward, Rosemary, and Julius walk out. Gray: It started raining. Erin: Oh? Thats sad. Rosemary: I guess we can take our naps now. They all nod and begin going up to their rooms, lying silently as the cold fall breeze seeps into the Inn. At about one-forty in the afternoon, almost everyone is fast asleep. Gray and Rosemary hold each other while lying under a nice warm blanket. Soku sleeps alone without the need for a blanket, dreaming of Ophelia, Peter struggles to sleep, rolling side-to-side, and Lance snores away in the land of dreams while caressing the strange ring on his finger. Outside Edwards room, Erin and Julius talk to each other. Peter, not feeling like rolling around forever, leans up to his door, trying to listen to what theyre saying. But the second he puts his ear to the door they both go silent, which is strange to him. Julius walks off while Erin slowly maneuvers herself into Edward''s room. He goes to say something but she puts her finger over his lips, and kisses his cheek while dragging her hand down his body. He goes to stop her, but after a moment of hesitation, they begin to embrace each other. The closest form of an embrace you can achieve, and Edwards first time doing so. Making today especially special for him. End of Chapter thirteen. Arc 6: Chapter 14. Off to the rails Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 14. Off to the rails With the loud noises of everyone getting ready, Edward rolls side to side, trying to wake up. Though they were supposed to nap, according to the dawn sky outside, they all slept the day away. He looks to his side, finding Erin gone, and realizing hes the last to wake up. He quickly gets up, stumbling around the room. He grabs a towel and then begins walking to the bathroom in his room. He took a quick shower, then a quick session of drying himself. He finds himself staring in the mirror, brushing his teeth, and brushing his hair at the same time and stops for a second. He slowly raises his hand to his right eye, touching the branded scar on it. He thinks to himself about what theyve all been doing as of late, why theyre doing this, and what it means to them. After spending his life working to kill Moro, he finally did it. But being almost a year since he finally killed him, hes had no life goal. Saving Walgonia, and coming to Valatrocitus, are goals, yes, but they dont fill the whole left in his spirit. And it seems like the warrior''s spirit knows this. Even if its metaphorical, it feels real to him. All of the emotions he holds dormant without thinking about them are locked away in the back of his mind. Bj?rn, his stepfather, was a master martial artist. He trained with monks, and due to his training, he taught Edward the ideals he was taught. Edward doesn''t live his life based on those values, but the ability to push everything away and maintain one''s composure is a passive ability hes picked up, made even worse by the Helsing way of training. Again, he snaps himself out of thought, forcing his feelings into the cage thats locked away. Once Edwards is all ready, he quickly moves out of his room, bumping into a newly awoken Gray. Gray: Whatare you doin? Edward: I heard all this commotion? Are we not leaving? Gray: Itslikesix in the morning. Erins running around because shes making breakfast, and everybody else just wants to get ready. Ijust woke up. Gray keeps cutting himself off with various yawns and then gets cut off again when Soku bumps into him. Soku: Move it will yah, Im trying to get downstairs before those two idiots, not including you of course, youre in your category. Soku jogs down the stairs, leaving Gray with his first insult of the day. Gray: Shes a lot meaner in the morning On Grays way down the stairs, he moans and groans, pushing past his instincts to go back to sleep. While sitting at one of the few large tables, everyone patiently waits for Erin to finish breakfast. Though everyone is surprised when she exits the kitchen with Rosemary along with her. Gray is now fully awake due to the sight of pancakes on a plate in Rosemarys hand, completely disregarding the plate of sausages, ham, and eggs. Rosemary kisses Gray on the lips while setting down the food, and Erin does the same with Edward, ending up with both Gray and Edward blushing. Peter watches this with a spiteful look in his eye, completely jealous. Soku thinks its gross, making a face at Rosemary. After all the hot and delicious food is set down Rosemary and Erin sit to eat. Erin: So, in an hour you guys are gonna head out to the grand reveal, you excited? Gray: Um, I guess, a little on edge. So, if Im right, the Montgomery family made a railway to Constal, and its just gonna be some big ceremony? Julius: Exactly. And then, since Constal is in the middle of Valatrocitus, you will stop about halfway to Constal and get in a carriage, such a carriage will take you to the Everspirit forest. Then youll invade a deal with the Barons, and come to Constal. Then you will stay at Constal until the New Year''s Eve party. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Gray and Soku both stop eating to express their annoyance at how much they have to do, but stop once they see each other. Gray: Could you not copy me? Soku: Sorry, the idiotic waves coming off your brain have affected my actions. Gray: Thank you. Soku groans while everyone else begins chuckling. Julius: Now, Peter, Lance, I want you to stay here with Erin while they do this. Lance sighs but doesn''t care much, but Peter is heavily aggravated, standing up in dismay. Peter: What!? Im a Hero of Walgonia! I made the communitys, basically made the car that got us here, why am I GETTING LEFT OUT!? Peters outburst breaks the calm tone the room had before, making everyone feel a bit uncomfortable, except Julius and Erin. Julius: For those reasons I want you to stay here. You will be off to Constal, but not until later. I want you to make sure Lance does not do anything irresponsible, and I trust that you can do so. Soku scoffs at Julius claim but Peter accepts it. But, now filled with embarrassment, he leaves the room. Edward: Well, I guess we can leave soon. Traffic will be backed up, so we may just need to leave now. Julius: I made sure a path would be clear, though I understand your concern. Okay, I agree, we should leave now. Julius correction of his claim causes strange looks between everyone, even Erin. Gray shoves the rest of his food into his mouth, chugs his steaming hot coffee, and walks to the door. Gray: Were ready arent we? Julius: Not just yet. Julius leads everyone to the changing rooms, presenting them all with clothing for them to wear to the ceremony. A black pinstripe suit for Gray, and a navy blue one for Edward. Julius then presents Rosemary and Soku get luxurious pink dresses. Gray, Edward, and Rosemary go and get dressed without saying anything, while Soku complains about something else. Julius: Is it not to your liking? Soku: I hate dresses, do you have anything else? Julius: I am sorry, but I do not have anything else for you to wear. Soku is about to suggest she not go, but Rosemary pulls her upstairs into her room. Rosemary: Oh, my, GOSH! Rosemary giggles with glee, pulling out a hairbrush and makeup. Rosemary: Makeover! Soku: NOOO! Soke tries running away but Rosemary pulls her back in, so she uses wind magic. But, once again, Rosemary pushes through, going into the fourth stage to hold her down. Rosemary: You never let me do this! When we lived in the slums, youd have twigs and dirt in your hair all the time! Now let me DO THIS! Soku stops struggling and Rosemary claps her hands, currently filled with happiness. After a few minutes of struggling to pull out all the tangles in Sokus green hair, trying to place Ophelias hairpin in the perfect stop, make sure the makeup is perfect, and pull the dress into place, Rosemary believes Sokus ready. Rosemary pulls Soku out of the bathroom and then drags her back into the common room. Now, with everyone looking at her, Sokus filled with embarrassment and panic. Edward: Umyou look nice. Gray gives her a large thumbs up, then gives an ironic wink. Gray: Hey, now we can both struggle in the ceremonybecause I HATE WEARING SUITS! Erin quickly walks into the room, being overcome with joy once she sees Soku. Erin: YOURE SO PRETTY! Erin gives Soku a great big hug, plays with her hair, and stares into her eyes. Erin: Now, GO, GO, GO! Everyone rushes out of the room, though Erin does pull Edward by his collar to kiss him. Still, this one is filled with a somber tone, giving Edward chills down his spine. He doesn''t act on any of his thoughts though, just leaving through the door. They then get back into the wonderfully made carriage they used to get here, and the guards begin pulling them down the hill and into the main city. Gray: WERE OFF! Gray looks out the window, waving goodbye to the Inn. Gray: Wait, what about our stuff? Julius: Do not worry, Ill gather them. Then Ill put them in the next Inn youll be staying at in Constal. Edward: What about Erin? Julius: We will have to see what she chooses to do. Edward stares at his feet, unwillingly expecting the news. After about twenty minutes of travel, a happy Rosemary messes with Soku, Gray teases her, and then theres just Edward and Julius, who sit quietly. Once they reach the main stretch, the roads are filled with angry travelers, having to walk while Grays group gets to be on the road. They all look out the windows, with the sight of all these people reminding them of when they spoke to Walgonia when they were given their title. After another twenty minutes of this, a few tomatoes in their carriage, and endless cheers, they reach the large wooden podium right in front of the train tunnel. On top of the podium are Rupert, Chester, and Orson, who are all waving at them. Then the biggest point of interest, the large steam locomotive, was ready to go. They all get out of the carriage and walk up the podium to be met with even more cheers from the people. Gray swallows any fear he has, pushes it to the bottom of his stomach, resists biting his lip, and begins sweating, but is calmed down by Rosemary, who tightly holds his hand. Gray: WERE THE HEROS OF WALGONIA! AND WERE HERE FOR YOU! Grays met with a roar from the crowd, the thousands of people cheering them on. END OF Chapter Fourteen Arc 6: Chapter 15. And then, they’re off Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 15. And then, theyre off On the top of the wooden podium, he was surrounded by hundreds of people cheering, and standing in front of a train with other rails to its side, telling Gray that there was another train somewhere else. They wave at all the crowds while Rupert begins walking in front of them, clearing his throat on the way there. He puts his cigar away, preparing himself to speak to all the excited people. Rupert: YOU ALL KNOW ME, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, AND MY BUSINESS! AND YOU ALL KNOW OF MY COUNTLESS CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOU ALL! BUT DONT TAKE IT WITH THE IDEA I WANT SOMETHING FROM YOU! EVERYONE HERE IS MY FRIEND BECAUSE WERE ALL A PART OF THE SAE GREAT NATIONS! WE HAVE THE SAME VALUES, AND WANTS BECAUSE THATS ONLY NATURAL FOR AMAZING PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELVES! Gray and the others watch the crowd closely, infatuated by the way everyone in the crowd hangs on every single word Rupert says. Rupert: SO SINCE THE INCIDENT! I WAS ABLE TO GROW MY FAMILYS BUSINESS, BY BUILDING HOUSES, JOBS, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS MADE FROM MY DECISION TO REBUILD! AND I WANT TO CONTINUE REBUILDING, BY TAKING CHARGE OF THIS COUNTRY, NO MORE KINGS! WE WANT ELECTED LEADERS, PEOPLE WE TRUST, NOT THIS MONARCHY WE FIND OURSELVES WITH, NOT THESE MAD KINGS! With Ruperts claim, the crowd shouts with a sense of freedom, and passion, even Chester and Orson clap for him. Then Gray notices Julius walking up behind him, about to speak or be spoken to. Rupert: BESIDE ME STANDS JULIUS CROMWELL! HES PROUDLY STATED HIS WANT FOR A SEMBLANCE OF FREEDOM, HIS CHOICE TO ASSIST WALGONIA IN TAKING BACK THEIR COUNTRY IS EVIDENCE OF THAT! I WANT TO BRING THE SAME SENSE OF POWER AND SAFETY THAT THEY HAVE! THE HEROES OF WALGONIA STAND BEHIND ME, AND STAND WITH ME! THIS IS FURTHER PROOF THAT WE MEAN WHAT WE SAY! NOW! CUT THE TAPE! Rupert hands Gray a fairly large pair of scissors to cut the red ribbon right in front of the train. Now, with a smile filled with glee, he cuts the ribbon, and at the same time, Chester walks into the train. Rupert: NOW, POWERED BY MY RIGHT-HAND MAN CHESTER HUMPFERY, BROTHER OF BLAZE HUMPFERY, THE IRON LEG, WILL CONDUCT THIS TRAIN FOR IT FIRST USE! AND THE FIRST PEOPLE TO RIDE IT ARE RIGHT BEHIND ME! NOW LETS WATCH THEM OFF! Everyone screams and cheers, waving at Walognias Heros. They walk into the train, and it looks just like any of the other original trains from Grays World: leather seats, and wooden floor paneling. Metal bolts, screws, and binds hold everything together, etc. Gray: WOOOOH! FIRST PEOPLE ON THE TRAIN! Gray grabs his bags, which are by the door they entered through, then runs to the seat closest to the front, quickly moving through multiple cars of the train, moving down each aisle as fast as he can. After about a minute or two he makes it to the front, getting inside the conductor''s cabin. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Chester: Interested? Gray: From what I can see, its what Im used to. Chester: How? Its the first of its kind. Gray: Dont worry about it. Gray leaves Chester and sits outside of the cabin, placing his bags on the shelves above. He then just plants his feet on the seat in front of him, waiting for everyone else to make it to him. After a few minutes, everyone else catches up, placing their things on the shelves as well. They all begin to sit down, relaxing. For a bit they sit without saying a word to each other, just watching the people cheer. In the back of the train, in the boiler room, workers begin shoveling coal to run the train. The train''s beginning to move echoes throughout the area, overpowering the crowd''s roars. Steam shoots out of the pipes, the wheels begin turning, and the train begins to move. As they begin to move Gray moves his arms up and down, more excited than anyone to be there, even though he''s from a place where trains have been around for over one hundred years. Edward: Alright, game plan. Its just us four, so we should get ready. Lets go get our armor on, get our weapons equipped, and think of what we need to do. Gray: The game is set, we locate the camp, which is easy because I can sense mana with my astral abilities. Then we eavesdrop, which again, I can do, then we infiltrateOh and interrogate too. Rosemary: Still, we need to get our stuff. Gray: Oh I know, I just wanted to get the idea down Gray gets up, stretches, and grabs his bag, which holds his things. Then everyone else does the same. They all go off into separate cars to undress, no longer wearing the detailed and wonderfully stitched dress attire, and now into the masterfully made armor, made by Rick. Grays armor has changed more than almost everyone''s, becoming a bit slimmer, more like tactical armor laced with metal plating. He then puts on his black shoulder guards, leg armor, steel shoes, and wrist talons. The wrist talons have also reviewed various modifications, being more compact, and just as slim as any other gauntlet, but the hidden blade has become much stronger, now being just as useful as a sword instead of an extra weapon. So now instead of just an attachment to the forearm, theyve become full gauntlets, with armored gloves as well. Using the cloak as a sheath for his sword, and losing the extra short sword and daggers for a more stream lined, lighter fighting style, left him more focused on speed, fluidity, and dodging while fighting with his sword. All of this, along with a white belt, was worn atop black pants and a black short sleeved shirt. Rosemarys armor has remained mostly the same, only being better crafted to her body as well as having the Walgonian crest on the chest plate, and smaller Golden Knight crests on the shoulders. Edwards armor has also changed a bit, choosing not to wear a helmet because of how it almost burnt him alive when he was fighting Arthur unless he really needed it. When under fire, the heavy bulky armor becomes a prison, so he slimed it down. Sokus armor is almost nonexistent, only wearing some leg armor, chainmail, and shoulder pads. And lastly her short sword, in the cleaver shape shes had since her days as a thief, and a compact version of the glider, smaller due to her control increasing. After theyre done, they walk back into the main car, prepared. Soku: Gray, were your mask? Gray: Eh, I havent wanted it since Arthur broke it. I have another one made, out of metal this time and not just some piece of pottery, but I chose not to bring it. Rosemary: Do you have your cloak? Gray pulls out his necklace from under his armor, flashing the crescent moon-shaped charm. Edward: All right then, now in about thirty minutes the train will stop and well get in a carriage to go to the Everspirit forest. They all nod their heads and sit back down, waiting for the time to pass. People walking, towns, villages, and farmland in the distance. Small hills, random patches of trees, dark grass, and a seemingly permanent cloudy gray sky. After a short portion of time passes, Chester begins stopping the train, telling everyone to get ready. The wheels screech and spark, coming to a complete stop right beside a covered wagon. Gray: Welp, this is then. Were off to become vigilantes. Rosemary: Whats a vigilante? Gray: Dont worry about it. End of Chapter Fifteen Side Story: Education within the Nation Side story: Education within the Nation During the seven months between the group saving of Walgonia, and their visit to Constal, they all spent their time trying to be better. Gray spent his time doing all sorts of things, like training in leadership as well as basic combat with Lincoln, exercising daily, reading, and hanging out with his friends. But the thing he looked forward to the most was his time with Ryo. On the weekends Gray would walk up to his house to keep it clean while Ryo was in Walgonia to work as Gordons assistant. Then while Gray would stay at his house, Ryo would astral project to help teach him about the spirit arts. Most of the time Gray sits in the astral state, trying to control it. The spiritual sense ability is the lesser form, it''s done by focusing spiritual energy into your body, and most of the power is sealed. This is why, when sealing spirit mana into your body, your eyes will turn black while your pupils become white. The black space works as a seal, though the spiritual state doesn''t have this. The spiritual state works by fusing your astral state with pure spirit mana, perfectly connecting your body to the astral plane. But being able to do this is insanely rare because you either need to train for years on end, or have a grand connection to the spirits. While Ryo has an extraordinarily strong connection, it still took him years to begin mastering it, but Gray is different. While it took Ryo almost a decade to master it, Gray''s body was made with the connection in mind, while Ryos OD had to grow and shape this connection. Grays mastery is happening much faster, and Ryo knows it. Sitting down in Ryos college, in a meditation position is Gray. And instead of waiting for Ryo, he decides to test the range of his astral projection. He scoots a little bit over, getting directly in the center of a nice old rug. Gray: Nice rug, nice red rug, small house, cool house. Basic rug, gold on bits of the rug, kinda looks like a gear, hahawonder if Silver Car will workbad namebetter need Gray continues to ramble because Ryo told him that the best way to maintain his mind within the astral realm is to remember his surroundings, but hes bad at it. His mind keeps wandering about every little thing. What Rosemary may be cooking, what game to play with Soku, something to start a conversation with Edward, and if Peter''s new creation will work. The astral plane is confusing, at least for Gray. Gray: There are three domains in this world, all stacked on top of each other, all existing at the same time. Alfheim, land of the spirits, home of the dragons. Eclis, land of the dead, the forgotten. And in the middle of both, Midland, the land of magic. In between the domains, separating everything just a bit, the astral realm. It purifies mana, so Eclis wont affect us, and anything that needs to go to Eclis goes there. I call upon the spirits, let me in, let me enter the between, let me enter the mind space. Gray closes his eyes, trying to hold his location in his mind, so his soul doesn''t forget about it. The small cabin. The center room, the kitchen to his left, the butcher area to his right, the small library behind him, which also holds stairs to the bedroom upstairs, everything. Then, his soul leaves his body, entering into the white space. The house falls apart as Grays body slowly turns transparent and light blue. Then everything around him begins rushing forward at an insanely fast speed, traveling right toward Ryo. At this point, only three months have passed since the raid on Walgonia, and in those three months Grays abilities have skyrocketed in his level of control, but its not enough to reach Ryo yet. Now, stuck in the white space, time feels frozen. But those connected to astral space, like Ryo, can sense a disturbance in it. So Ryo, whos walking around the Castle library, sits down at a nearby table to assist Gray. He constantly seeps far into the astral plane, finding Gray. Now, before Grays mind can destabilize, Ryo holds his shoulder, forcing Grays astral form to fall back into his body. Gray tumbles over, rubbing his head while Ryo floats around his home. Ryo: Thank you for taking care of my home. But what did I tell you about traveling long distances? Gray: That Id be trapped within the space between my target and my body if I lose focus. Ryo: Precisely! Youve been learning! Ryos overly kind demeanor would be something to most, but it irks Gray to the core. Its been close to a year that this version of Gray has been in this world, almost a year of self-betterment. Trying to get stronger, be nicer, be funnier, be better. But the change from self-hating to self-loving is a long, difficult road, one Gray has yet you reach the end of, one he fears hell never reach. He hates when people are overly nice to him and when people dont just criticize him. He wants people to give him directions, and to have expectations for him, though he hates something a little more than himself, the thing that he feels made him like this. Ryo: But you could be learning much more, from much better people. Gray: NO RYO! Lincolns teaching me how to fight, Edwards helping me with customs, and youre teaching me about the spirit arts! Ryo: But Im not a teacher, Im just trying. You can only learn so much from us, from those books. There are schools all over the place, for all ages. Walgonia makes you become a soldier before becoming a knight, and you need to study while doing that. You need an education. Though you can go for a few years, you only need to go for five or more months if you want to become a knight. Gray: But Im already a knight! Why dont the rest of them have to do this? Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Ryo: Edward already went to school. Al taught him basic studies while he went to The School for Knights. But you can go to whichever. You can order a teacher, or go to classes, though going to classes gives you much more to work with, than the school itself! You can go to a Basic Education center, which is a school for all ages! There are a few around the nation, but then theres The School for Knights! There are only two, one in Walgonias capital, which is inside the castle, or one near the Ever-Lagoon. Gray gets up, rummaging through Ryos bookshelves, which are made into the wall. Gray: I dont want another teacher! I dont need school! Im already a knight, Im being taught and have been taught by the best in the world! Ive already gone to school. The history classes I took might be useless, but the science, a bit of English, and math are better than this world! Ryo floats up to Gray, trying his best to convince him. Ryo: Well for five months you can learn a mix of them all! History, how to read, write, do basic math, and science, and learn the customs and basics of the world. I know this world has limited sword styles, but you could learn one! Gray: Musashi told me that the Knights sword style is the best. And you told me all of his nonsense about the water, fire, earth, and airstyles was bull. Ryo: Well that was, but it is a bit different between the contents, and a bit within the countries. Musashi trained himself with the mix of them all, refining them into a simple learn knight style, but its still useful. There is a school of magic. There is one in Walgonia, Valatrositce, And Ravoria. Its for learning magic. All of the mages in the armies have or will go to one, learning healing magic to become a doctor, learning the basics of elemental casting, and learning how to become a mage! Everything. Gray: But I dont need it! You told me about me having a defensive affinity and only that. Im practicing healing magic and my higher level skills of the spells Ive already learned! But you wont tell me the names of any spells, nor will you let me use my higher level one. Ryo: Because Im not fit to teach you. I went to Valors School of Magic in Ravoria. For five years they taught me spells, basic studies, and how other forms of magic around the world work. But according to your logic, since I can only use offensive spells, I shouldnt know about any other thing right? Ryo turns to Gray, smirking at him. Gray walks into the kitchen, and puts a minuscule amount of mana into a water crystal, creating a stream of cold water to flow out of the sink. He fills up a metal pot, puts it over the stove, flows mana into the oven to get the correct flow of heat, and puts mana into the energy crystal to keep it going. Gray: See? When I got here, if I put a little bit of mana into magic crystals, they would overreact. When I lived in the mansion, I kept spraying water everywhere, but now I can do it just fine. I know how affinities work, you see what element you have, and what level of spell you can use, and learn them. Im already immune to low-level spells or creations made by spirits, and If I focus I can disrupt low-level elemental magic now too! You told me thats unheard of, and that you can hardly do that! Ryo: Thats because you have defensive mana. It is a passive ability, the same passive I have stronger mana than you. Jong went to Valors School of Magic in Walgonia! He has a mid-level affinity for water, which means he can use ice spells. He already went to Wagonias school for knights, and a basic education school, but he wanted to learn more. He learned how to properly use his water magic, and how to better the size, shape, and overall power of the spells. He even learned how to use less mana while doing it. He made a friend there that was from the seas, and she used her runic magic to empower his naginata, letting him use it like a magic staff! Gray grabs some tea leaves from the top shelf, putting it in a cup. While he slowly pours the hot water into the cup, he watches the trees blow from the summer wind. The bright green leaves, the rustling in the grass, and the scolding sun, its all very peaceful. Gray: I hate school. I dont like teachers. I dont like homework. I dont like classmates. Peter has been talking about going to a school for basic education, and Soku may go with him. Rosemarys already gone to one, or I guess she was more home-schooled while she was with the Golden Knights. And Edward was taught by Al when he was growing up. If they goI might go with them. But Im not going by myself, Im not going back to school Ryo: Well just go with them! Learn more spells! Get real teachers! Make more friends! Grow. Youve been tumbling through all of this, training with random but great teachers, you need some structure. Learn what youll have to go up against, all the different spells, anything! They know more about the spells you could learn as well! Youre a prodigy, youd blow through everything fast! Gray goes to sip his freshly made tea, but he slams it down when he processes what Ryo just said. Then he hits Ryo with an aggravated reply. Gray: GIVE ME A BREAK! IM NOT SOME DAMN PRODIGY! MY BODY HEALS, AND SO DOES MY MIND! IVE JUST GOT ALL THIS STUFF I DIDNT WORK FOR! MUSASHI JUST FOUND ME RANDOMLY, THEN YOU, AND NOW LINCOLN! DAMMIT, IM NOT GOING TO SCHOOL! Ryo frowns but accepts Gray''s answer. Ryo: Gray. I didnt have this life. I grew up in Ravoria, and when they found my affinity, they threw me into the world. I learned from the best and went to the best schools, but I could have a life. They sent me teachers, and the only time I went out was when they sent me to learn with the monks before they were attacked. But Ive done all of this, mastered the sword, mastered the spirits, learned all of the spells I could, but Ive yet to truly connect to the world. Musashi was able to connect to the world without wanting it, and so was Lincoln. I have not been able to, its like Im too centered around the spirits, because theyre my longest friends. But you arent connecting to this plain of existence like youre not from it. I believe you could be the only spirit arts user to learn the Truth of the world. Gray stops himself from leaving, sits down, turns to Ryo, and begins sipping on his tea. Gray: Could those monks do it, did they learn the truth? Ryo: No, at least most of them. If they did, they were extremely old. It seems that when youre connected to the spirits, your mind becomes strained. Lincoln and Musashi have the normal person''s amount of mana with no affinities, and all they do is train. They worked every day to grow, growing with the world. They learned it, but Im stuck. I am a false spirit knight because I dont use all the spells I can, I dont want to kill spirits. I cant use a staff either, I dont even have a magically enhanced weapon, other than my weapon of Alfheim of course. Gray: What are you talking about? Ryo: You have drifted through the world, but haven''t gone through the basics. You can either take your time, go with a friend, or take the downsized version. Even Musashi did the five-month version, and Kioshi did the five-year version, along with Edward. I know you have your issues, and I want to help you. Ryo reaches out for Gray, but Gray does nothing. He finishes his tea, not caring about the temperature, and sets it in the sink. With a grim look in his eyes, hes able to make them spring up. He puts his hand in the air, pointing to the sky, and then points to himself. Gray: MY NAME IS GRAY KYOJIN! HERO OF WALGONIA! AND I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO SCHOOL AT SOME POINT! But not in a whileI dont wanna go to school yet. But if I did, Id like to go to Valor''s School of Magic with Soku. You said they teach basic education too right? Ryo smiles, letting his body dissipate into the astral plane. Ryo: Yep, you have been listening. Basic Education for only learning, School of Knights to learn the basics of fighting, weapons, and customs alongside your studies, or a school of magic for magic and your studies. Pick with great care! And next weekend Ill teach you another spell! Ryo vanishes, reentering his body in Walgonia, leaving Gray by himself. Gray walks into the living room and sits down on the carpet. In just a few seconds, he takes in his surroundings, entering the spiritual state, and trying to maintain control for as long as possible. Fin Arc 6. Chapter 16. Really? Another carriage? Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 16. Really? Another carriage? Gray, Rosemary, Soku, and Eward begin to be pulled to the Ever-spirit forest inside the cover wagon. The driver of such a carriage is a middle-aged woman with light blond hair, dilated eyes, civilian clothing, and a cowboy hat. Gray: So, um, lady. Who do you work for? Lady: IdontknowIjustdrive Her slow speech creeps out everyone except Gray, who knows whats happening to her. Gray {Shes high, I wish I knew stuff like that was in this world. I guess there are constants, war, racism, hate, and drugs. Lots of drugs.} Rosemary: Sooo, whats your name? Til: ImnotsupposedtotellyouthatmynamesTil Soku: Okay, Til. Tils eyes widened, surprised how Soku knew her name, which tells everyone she was probably picked because nobody would believe her if she was ever caught by law enforcement. Gray leans back on the bench at the back of the carriage, thinking to himself. Gray {If we get to fight, I can finally get to really put what Ive been practicing to work. I could be stronger if Lincoln went with Gordon instead of Ryo, but of course, Lincoln had to be lazy, so Ryo had to be Gordon''s assistant instead. Because of that, I could only get a day''s worth of actual assisted training when Ryo was free, but every once and a while I could get in contact with Azelia and get help with my cloak since she used it for years.} Again they must go on another carriage ride to somewhere important. So back in the Capital, in Erins Inn, Peter works on the Silver Chariot outside. Peter {Since Erins out, I guess Ill just work on this for the time being.} Aggravated, bored, and trying to unscrew most of the inner workings of the vehicle. Dressed in his dirty overalls, he struggles to move each part of the car, due to his lack of strength. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. In a rage he slams the hood closed, breaking the latch, causing him to get even angrier. Hes about to go on a full tantrum but hes stopped by Lance, whos currently laughing at him. Peter: What, got nothing better to do. No hobbies? I mean I wouldnt think youre interesting enough to have any, but still. Lance stops laughing, deciding to respond to Peter with the same energy. Lance: Isnt the entire thing your race is good at being strong, calculated, tactful, in other words, its just everything you aren''t. In one word, it would just be incompetence. Peter stands up, throwing his wrench at Lance. Lance easily catches it, then throws it behind him, breaking a window. They both freeze, in fear of what Erin will do to them when she gets back. Peter: WHAT DID YOU DO!? Lance: ME!? YOU THREW IT! Peter: YOU THREW IT BEHIND YOU! For a second they both forget their hate towards each other, being blinded by terror. Sweating, biting nails, and clenching of fists, are all things theyre doing instead of fixing the issue. Lance: The scary lady is gonna kill us. Peter: This is the first time Ive agreed with you. Peter and Lance enter the Inn, cleaning all of the glass inside. Peter: We need a dustpan. Lance: Ill check behind the desk, you go look in that closet down the hall. They both spit off, though when Peter gets to the closet door, its stuck. Without wanting to call for Lance''s assistance, he pulls and pulls on the door. While Lance struggles to find a dustpan, he hears Peters grunts so he goes to assist him. Lance: I guess I shouldnt have trusted the baby to open the door. Lance pushes Peter out of the way, knocking him to the ground. Lance pulls on the door nop, and just like Peter, it doesn''t budge. He starts pulling and pulling, putting his leg on the wall, just like Peter. Peter stands up and then begins to pull on Lance''s sides, trying to help. Then Lance''s ring glows for a short second, going unnoticed by the two. A sudden burst of strength flows through Lance, giving him enough strength to pull the door down. They two fall back, being crushed by the door. Peter: Whyisthissoheavy!? Lance pushes the heavy door off of them, but when it falls back it makes a loud thud sound, confusing the two. They both get up and Lance flips the heavy door over, seeing that it is an iron door with a wooden front. Peter: Why was the closet door re Peter stops mid-sentence, seeing that the door they had pulled down wasn''t to a closet, it was Erin''s room. Her room is barren, with white sheets, and walls with pictures of the snowy wonderland that is Oni-mas, just like the rest of the Inn. Nothing to personalize her, except for something shiny on her nightstand. Peter: AHH NO! Peter shakes Lance violently, trying to pull the door up. Unwittingly, Lance walks into her room, looking around. And right on her nightstand, is a high-class wand with a yellow crystal. Peter looks at it in confusion, but with the sound of steps coming from the common room, they both freeze in fear. Then, a haunting scream is heard. Erin: WHAT DID YOU DO!? Miles away, in a covered wagon being driven by an intoxicated woman, guiding large lizards to the Ever-spirit forest. Then, after an hour and a half of driving, they finally reach it. Everyone leans out of the wagon, staring in awe at the giant trees. Large trees with dark wooden bodies, tall grass, and large plants give the feeling of what it really is, just a magical forest. Gray: So this is it, now what? We just look for it? Soku: I guess. Gray, Edward, Soku, and Rosemary hop out of the carriage, watching as their driver falls asleep. They then begin walking into the forest, blindly stepping into the unknown, pushed further by the terrifying sounds of roars. End of Chapter Sixteen Arc 6: Chapter 17. Fear within the forest Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 17. Fear within the forest Walking through this mystical, but familiar forest, Gray, Edward, Soku, and Rosemary focus on finding the Baron''s hideout, which should be reasonably close to the outer layer of the Ever-forest. Strangely colored flora, various shades of leaves, long stretching roots to watch out for, and the sounds of animals give off an uneasy feeling. Gray: Alright, Im going to try something. Soku: And that is? They all watch as Gray sits down in the grass, focusing. Gray: You guys have been practicing everything for months, but I''ve been really focusing on my spirit abilities. In these seven months, I haven''t learned any spells above novice rank, or advanced all of my current spells, but I''ve got a way better handle of spirit energy! In the week ends where Ryo would train me I would show him my progress and he would help guide me, so I know I can do it." Gray closes his eyes, then opens them to reveal the white glow of the spirit state. However, instead of just being a white glow with nothing underneath, its a little transparent, being able to see a hint of Grays eyes. Then an invisible pulse releases from within his body, connecting to the spirit of the forest. Soku: "He never said what he was gonna do." Edward: Ingeniousto use your spiritual connection to connect to the great spirit forest, its like becoming one of the roots, to search the entire thing. Using the spirits love for him for an answer. Rosemary: I wouldnt think anything less of Gray. Soku: Yeah, its okay I guess. Grays mind gets pulled into the roots, being spilled across thousands of plants and animals. The great spiritual force that this forest is, is just too much. Grays mind suffers so much pain, but hes unable to pull himself out. Countless thoughts get poured into him that fade just as fast as they appear, so for a few minutes, hes bombarded with information. Unable to breathe, think, or process anything, his screams are pushed away, submerged with everything else, but then hes kicked out of it, being left with nothing. Now, lying on the ground with no memory of what just happened, hes given a goal by the forest itself, as if hes being pulled in a certain direction. Now, speechless as well as thoughtless, he walks to the destination, completely entranced by the forest. Rosemary: Gray! GRAY! Edward puts his hand over Rosemarys mouth, stopping her from taking him out of this state. Edward: We need him to lead us to the Barons, so let this be. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Standing in nowhere, trapped by nothing, is Grays spirit. As his body forms, as his mind takes hold, root-like lines stretch all around this void. The gold glowing vines grab his soul, about to fully consume it, but luckily a woman pulls him out. Now, out of the vines, his mind starts returning to him. Gray: ThanksAzalea. Azaleas appearance seems to have changed in the past seven months. Her once black hair now has long brown strands of hair in it, her pure white skin has become darker, her black nails have returned to their normal shade, and her eyes have become normal, instead of the black they once were. Azalea: You better thank me, you almost got sucked in by the forest. I recommend you get out of this weird mindscape and hold your mana back. Since your body is being pseudo-possessed, I pulled out your cloak so itd suppress your mana. Gray: Oh, really? Thanks. I guess I should thank you in advance for all that help you gave me with controlling the cloak in the first place. Azalea: Yeah yeah. I wanna get back to having whatever I want, so you finish this. As Azalea is about to walk away, but Gray puts his hand on her shoulder. Gray: Your body has been getting more normal, your Sect memories are leaving and your normal memories are returningmy mana control percentage has gone from about twenty-five to sixty-five in seven monthswhats gonna happen when I master it? Azalea: ~~~~~~ Azalea doesn''t respond, she pushes his body, causing him to fall upwards, carving through the void, into the sky, and his spirit tumbles back into his body. Everyone is shocked, but not due to Gray returning to his body, but by the light of a campfire in the distance. Soku: Gray lead us there Edward: It could just be Demi-humans. Legally, theyre the only ones able to step foot in here, so it might be a village or town. Rosemary: Well have to go in safely to check. Gray gasps for air, spooking everyone. Gray: Opfhthat was weird Soku: What are you talking about? What was going on in that trance? Gray: Its hard to explain, other than I was connectedno matter, lets go up in the trees. Gray extends his cloak effortlessly, snatching up every else as well, pulling everyone up into the thick leaves. Gray then takes a deep breath and seeps into his astral form. He leaves his body, entering the mystical, ghost-like state that is his astral ability, then slowly floats towards the campfire. Gray {Now, lets see whats up.} Gray gets through the last bit of trees, spotting the strange figures, flowing with a great spirit connection. A large Demi-human man, taking his demi nature from the Arch-Gorilla, possesses tough red skin, four golden eyes, a chelicerae jaw (similar to spiders), and large almost shield-like arm guards. His short black hair is tied into a top bun, and he wears long waist armor, shoulder guards, and a piece of cloth around the top of his chest, covering one of the two sets of pecs he has set the tone of which he carries, one of a barbarian. Next to him is a male Dark Elf wearing. With various scars on his face, tied-back dark orange hair, and green eyes. His clothing is exactly like the clothing hes seen in paintings. Dark animal skin with symbols inscribed on it, and golden rings on his fingers, legs, arms, wrists, and neck. His armor is light, being made into his clothing, shoulder pads, leg as well as arm guards, and waist armor, but hes without any shoes. Then some tattos in the form of dark black lines around his forearms to layer on his intimidating nature. Gray is sent into a fear by the sight, fear that is heightened by them looking right at him, even though he should be invisible to the naked eye. Then, he sees something burst out of the woods, then he hears the screams of his friends, then all at the same time, hes sucked back into his body. Gray as well as all of his friends are wrapped in a chain, faster than they can react, and then are pulled right into the center of the three strange figures. They all begin to freak out, trying their hardest to break free from the chains, but the mana running through them is just too powerful. Rosemary attempts to enter the sixth stage, Gray is about to use the spiritual state, Soku plans to surge her wind mana through her mark of providence, and Edward starts forcing the dragon''s spirit to awaken, but is again stopped. Though this time it isnt due to the mana, or an attack on their health, but a sight, a sight filled with horror. Slowly stepping out of the forest, holding on to his chain blade, groans at the group. Grey hair, sharp teeth, sharp nails, and common clothing with a long black coat covering them. Out of everyone, Gray remembers him, thinking of the scar on his lip, but Edward is put into a state much worse than anybody else because he knows the power the figure in front of them holds. Stuttering, he mumbles the name of the man. Edward: ....Crimson Zhao Zhao: Yeah, and I want to talk with all of you. End of Chapter seventeen Arc 6: Chapter 18. The Revolutionaries Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 18. The Revolutionaries Crimson Zhao, a wolf Demi-human, an insanely strong opponent, is standing right in front of the main group, with something to say to them. Gray and the others struggle to stay confident in the face of various strong adversaries, whilst being held together by a strong chain. Gray: Sowhat do you wanna say to us? Zhao: Firstly, Rupert didnt set you up. We fed his men false information, though the baron men have started moving in this area, we want to part in dealing with that, or at least not now. Edward: What does that mean? What are they up to? Zhao: Again, thats not up to us to tell you about. Soku begins fidgeting around, anxious to do something, while Rosemary tries to keep her in check. Zhao: We have been moving around the world, helping, learning, and just about everything else. Gray: Then why were you with the Sect? Zhao: Two reasons. One, Shioreta, The Black Flash of Oni-mas was infiltrating their ranks. Gray chuckles, trying to feel a bit better about this terrifying situation. Gray: Hell, we saw that. A mountain of bodies, then she was smiling, dressed like some Japanese mime. Zhao tilts his head, confused by the word Japanese, but continues. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Zhao: Then two, I wanted to understand their values, and then I realized that such values went against mine. Edward: And what are those Values? Zhao: The Anarchists want the world to be a ball of fire, but we just want a free world without danger, but to get there, the current leaders will have to fall. Walgonia has shown the world what it can be, even if it still has issues, but the rest of the world needs to follow it. So now I ask you all, do you wish to join us, do you wish to be Revolutionaries? Destruction, death, fear, everything theyre fighting against is what they always seem to need to achieve their goal, this is something they all know. Gray: If we deny such an offer? What will happen to us? Zhao: To go against our offer would go against your values, your lives, at least in my opinion. A slum dweller, a boy crushed by expectation, a boy without expectation, and a girl without childhood. You could save everyone from the same fate, save the lives of the future generations. Rosemary springs up, aggravated by Zhaos claims. Rosemary: Thats the same thing my father told me, to fight for the future. Thats also what every single person has told their soldiers, its a false claim, a fake call to action! Gray shoves his shoulder into Rosemarys, trying to get her to calm down, but Zhao stops Gray. Zhao: I apologize, I understand your anger. But do understand our goals. And if you dont take our offer, you will have our protection. But we will not attack you just because you dont join us. The Arch-Gorilla Demi-Human stands up, walking behind Zhao. Arch-Gorilla: But that doesn''t mean we wont fight you. If you ever go against us, plan on going against us in a major way, and we figure out about it, we will attack. We all have connections, and if you need to be put in your place, then well do it. Zhao: Massif! They know this. So what is your offer? The Arch-Gorilla now revealed to be named Massif steps back, kneeling in the presence of his annoyed leader. Gray looks to Edward, then Rosemary, and lastly Soku. He comes to his conclusion by the slight glances they give him, looks of fear, confusion, anger, and then an overwhelming feeling of distrust. Gray bites his lip faces his fear, and gives his answer Gray: We arent going you, well face you if we have to, but we wont go after you. Same rules you gave us. Zhao: Okay then, just be weary. Shioreta The Black Flash, Toren, the ungodly being, The Duke of the Seas, and lastly myself. The world will be changed, and each great nation will be attacked. Wars are already being held in the seas, each Country of Saga will be attacked or has already been attacked, and Gaia has been struggling to keep its power to the people, instead of being colonized. Everything will build to a climax at Oni-Mas, because whoever claims that land will start the change of the world. So if you make it, I hope to see you on the day the world is claimed. Everyone nods his head to him, and then he realizes them from the chain. He is about to walk off with everyone but stops Massif. Massif: What? Did I do something wrong? The imposing figure Massif drops his voice, in fear of what will happen to him, shocking everyone. Zhao: You have shown your thirst for blood, now I want you to get it out. Face them, dont kill them, and come back to me when youre finished. Massif drops to his knees, bowing his head to the great Crimson Zhao, then stands back up, letting his companions walk off. Grays group stands up, taking out their weapons, preparing to face off against a new foe. Massif: Note I do not hate you, but note I want to test your strength as well. Gray: Noted. End of Chapter Eighteen Arc 6: Chapter 19. The Slaughter of the Ever-Forest Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 19. The Slaughter of the Ever-Forest In the Ever-spirit forest, Gray, Edward, Rosemary, and Soku stand in front of Massif, the imposing Demi-human man. An Arch-Gorilla, the giant six arms monster with red skin, six-eyes, and a spider''s mouth. Gray: Soare we just gonna go all out? Massif: ~~~~~ Massif says nothing, letting out a long groan, then ending it with a nod of his head. Gray closes his eyes, nods his head as well, and wastes no time to start the duel. Gray pools mana out of his body, coating it around himself. With a quick step, he lunges towards Massif, but is quickly stopped in his tracks by a jab. This sudden jab is fast, but Gray can block fast enough to make sure he doesn''t get hurt, but hes still blasted backward. While flying backward, he stretches his cloak out, attaching it to trees to slingshot himself forward. Rosemary and Edward are quick to react, so while Rosemary goes into the fifth stage, Edward moves in to swing his sword down on Massif. Massif can move his large body in such a way youd think he was a leaf blowing in the wind. Seamlessly dodges the swing, plants his foot on it to hold it down, and then threw another devastating punch to his chest. Rosemary leaps over Edward. As Massif chose to sent him crashing into her. This surprises Massif, causing his eye''s to widen a bit at her power. The fifth stage is powerful, being able to weaponize wind as a base of attack. The powerful golden aura flaming off of her, sending waves of wind pressure through the forest scared off every animal in the area. Massif pays no mind to this though, clashing fists with her. At the last second Rosemary had sent her arm into the sixth stage to get an edge. So he plants his feet, dragging through the thick dirt. Hes able to acknowledge her power, but hes far above it. Grabbing her arm, he slams her to the ground, causing a massive impact. Since all of this has happened so fast, Soku has yet to move, and Gray has just shot himself back at Massif, flying toward him at high speeds with two Titans Impact attacks ready. Gray {I know it''s only been a few months since we fought Arthur, but we''ve all blasted past where we were! And I won''t fall to the first boss we fight!} Massif scoffs at Grays straightforward attack, but hes surprised when he uses his cloak to pull himself away. Now knowing that his attacks are faint, he pays extra attention to his surroundings. Soku uses her cleaver-like sword to launch a blade of wind right at him. Massif blocks it with such ease that Soku feels powerless. But she powers through it and launches herself at him, swirling in such a way its as if shes a wheel made of wind. Rosemary readies a punch, Gray swings around in the trees, getting to Massif''s right side, Edward stands back up, and Soku flies towards him as a massive wheel of wind. Now, in a four-way deadlock, anybody else would panic, or so theyd think. Without any current weapon equipped, he stands his ground, ready to counter them with his bare hands. First, he grabs the end of Edwards sword with his hand, pulls him in, kicks his chest, and takes his sword. Then he uses Edward''s sword to counter Sokus wind wheel. Slamming it into her and sending her crashing backward. Next, he turns around while his jaw rips open and a thick web shoots out of it, wrapping around Rosemary in a thick blast. Lastly, he uses the wrapped-up Rosemary as an attack, swinging her at Gray, spinning in a circle, and hitting all of them. He lets go, chuckling as they go flying through the forest, only stopping when they hit a large tree. Since Edward was at the end, he smacks into the tree, then gets hit with the force of his friends on top of that. Gray: Whats happening!? How are we doing this bad!? Soku: Im rusty! Give me a break! Edward: At this rate, well be broken on our way to Constal, if we even make it there. Rosemary: We could run? Massif stops his feet, creating a large shock wave, then begins screaming out. Massif: IF YOU RUN! ILL CATCH YOU! IF YOU HIDE! ILL FIND YOU! IF YOU FIGHT, ILL BEAT YOU! YOU CAN DO NOTHING BUT LEARN HOW TO LOSE! SO FIGHT! FEEL THE JOY, THE PRIDE THAT COMES WITH IT! Gray stands up, pushing Soku and Rosemary off of him, proud and ready. Gray: OH WE KNOW HOW TO LOSE ALRIGHT! ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES IS WHAT WE DO! NOW, WE''LL BEAT YOUR ASS A LIL HARDER! CAUSE WE GOT A HELL OF A LOT OF FIGHT LEFT! Massif smirks and then starts sprinting towards them. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Soku: AH NO! DAMMIT! GRAY I HATE YOU! Edward: BREAK! They all begin running off in different directions; Edward runs to the left, Gray to the right, and Soku takes out her glider, blasting into the air, leaving Rosemary to charge Massif. She blasts into the sixth stage, letting off a shock wave similar to Massifs. The flame-like aura turns to a thicker outline around her, flickering like golden lightning. Rosemary flings her arms up, blocking his charge, which creates zapping noises that were followed by a loud boom. She uses this burst of strength to fight, trying to hit him with various attacks. Though hes able to dodge each one, and each missed attack creates large bursts of wind, one after the other. Rosemary {No! This is just like with Arthur! I just need to hit him!} Soku, mid-air, blasts down a targeted wave of wind directly below her, about to consume Massif. He backs off, giving Rosemary a chance to breathe, but she dives right back in. This time Gray sneaks up behind Massif, letting his Cloak branch off into various tendrils. Each tendril mixes with the other, creating two thick arms on both sides of his body. He then closes his eyes, focusing on the mana around him. Gray {I cant fully control itbut ITS WORTH IT!} Gray has gotten a much better handle on the Spirit State, allowing him to fight with most of his mind intact. Pushing himself as far as he can to maximize it. Gray opens his eyes, revealing them to be growing a bright white, though strangely they are almost transparent; his eyes being barely visible. He may have little to no control of his body, but he can put his focus into his cloak. He charges Massif at the same time Rosemary does, attacking him together. Rosemarys increased strength and speed give her an advantage, while Gray uses his spiritual state to give him a perception advantage. Each dodge each of their attacks, but Gray uses the cloak to stretch to places he cant normally attack. One arm flies to his head, another to his side, his leg, his arm, and lastly to his privates. In the situation hes in now, trying to dodge a barrage of punches from both Gray and Rosemary. So he pushes himself to the maximum for just a moment to deflect them all in a burst of speedy blows. The weak tendril arms are knocked away, then Gray and Rosemary both get punched right in the face. But hes met by a large blast of wind behind him. The wind is four times larger than them, carving through everything around them. Edward dashes through, snagging both Rosemary and Gray. Massif tries to fire off another web, but Gray slashes it with his sword, so now he gets hit by the large blast of wind. The wind leaves a few marks on him. Aside from that he was able to withstand the attack far better than the surroundings could. Edward, Gray, and Rosemary use it as an opportunity to charge at him. Edward pulls his inner strength out all at once, using the Dragons Spirit to overcome this massive hurdle in front of them. Rosemary bolts ahead of all of them, about to clash right into Massif, but he catches her hand. Gray moves in next, wrapping Massifs'' mouth in the cloak and holding his other arm back. Edward leaps at Massif while Soku speeds behind him, charging focused and supreme blade of wind. Now at another dead-lock, Gray and Rosemary struggle with all their might to keep his arms down. Rosemarys bones crack, breaking down from the immense pressure that is the sixth stage, but she remains content. Edward jumps into the sky, bringing down his great sword right onto his head while the strong wind blade is further powered by Sokus mark of providence, allowing it to blast as fast as sound. But suddenly, two arms emerge from Massifs shoulders, shooting out, forming instantly, catching Edward''s swing. Even if the blade shoves into his hand, causing some blood to emerge. Massif {Guess you are a Helsing} Two more arms do the same, coming out of his sides, blocking Sokus attack. It almost consumes him, but his enhanced arms take the brunt of the attack. Leaving only two large cuts on them. Rosemarys body almost gives out, the same as Grays hold in the spiritual state, lessening the strength of the cloak. Massif slams Rosemarys body against Grays, sending them both flying. Edward tries to swing down from his sword, kicking at Massifs head, but Massif dodges. Since he dodged, Edwards legs are forced under immense stress for nothing, cracking his leg bones. Hes then grabbed by all four of Massifs extra arms and is forced to face a barrage of punches to the chest, breaking rib after rib. His armor begins to splinter, about to give way, so Soku charges him. She coats her body with mana empowered by her mark. The sure speed and destruction caused by this is staggering, but Massif turns his body, facing Edward in the way of her attack. She barely stops herself, leaving herself open to another blast of webbing, trapping her within it. Still holding Edward, he throws his head up and down, slamming her into the ground repeatedly, then after the fourth time doing so, she loses consciousness. He stops slamming her, and then he wraps Edward up in webs as well, leaving only Gray and Rosemary. Gray: Rosemary come on! Rose! ROSEMARY! Gray shakes Rosemary over and over, nudging her to get up. She does, forcing herself to move. Rosemary: "I can''t do much...but..." Massif lept forward, causing Gray to tense up. That''s when Rosemary entered the fray with her arm lit ablaze. Massif smiles as Rosemary punches the air, letting out a loud scream doing so. Her arm is left in shambles, but the forest is as well. Because of the massive blast of wind resulting from a max powered seventh stage punch. Massif {HEY NOW! THIS IS SOMETHIN!} Rosemary stands with her eyes blank and every wound on her body erupting with a spurt of blood. She falls into Grays hands, unable to watch as her attack consumes Massif. This leaves some real damage done to his entire body. The pressure of the blow aching all of his joints, bones, and muscles, instead of cutting like Soku. Gray softly puts Rosemary on the safe side of a nearby and looks at Massif, then at his sword, finding his sword missing. He then looks to Massif again, watching as he grows in height. His muscles grow, his arms, his mouth, and four extra eyes also emerge on his face. With this newfound monstrous form, he smirks at Gray, awaiting whatever move hell try and use because he knows hell fail. Grays OD begins burning, but he pushes through, bites his lip, unsheathes the wrist talons, takes a deep breath, and uses his trump card. Gray: KNIGHTIC! A wave of spirit mana rushes over Gray, taking a portion of his mana and stamina to create the strength that is Knightic. Next, with tendrils attached to two trees, he jumps back and prepares to slingshot himself toward Massif. He then creates two Titan Impacts below his feet, using them to blast himself at Massif as fast as he can. While hes flying towards Massif, he stretches out a hand-shaped tendril behind him, then blasts it towards Massif, flying right past the currently airborne Gray. Massif dodges the tendril and watches as Gray makes two more Titans Impacts on his hands, about to smack into Massif like a missile. Massif grabs the tendril right as its about to pull itself back, then pulls Gray towards him, messing up his momentum. The Massif kicks Gray in the face, sending him flying back, but before he hits the ground hes snagged by another web. Massif: Youre clever, but strength needs to come in time, you have no understanding of your mana at all. Gray: SHIT! Massif: I mark this battleno, I mark this slaughter over. Gray: WALNIC! Gray makes a thick shield in front of him, but Massif punches right through it, hitting Gray so hard in the face that it knocks him out instantly. Leaving the Hero''s of Walgonia defeated. End of Chapter Nineteen Arc 6: Chapter 20. Finally made it. Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 20. Finally made it. Standing together, Lance and Peter are frozen in fear, due to the angry Erin in front of them. Her aggravation is understandable after they had just broken a window and the door to her room. Erin: WHAT THE HELL!? Lance and Peter point at each other, trying to blame the problem on each other. Lance then pushes Peter, so Peter responds by pushing Lance. Erin watches as they start fighting each other, waiting for a second to break up, but once she does, its seen how much they dont like each other. Peter: DONT PUSH ME YOU DAMN SNAKE! Lance: YEAH! POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK, YOU DAMN RABBIT! Erin: SHUT UP! I dont own this place, so Julius must pay for it. I dont care, but did you go into my room? Erins question puts the fear back into the two, especially Peter, whos trying not to connect the magic wand in her room to the one the thief had who attacked them at Meir. Peter: Ummmm Lance: What was with the wand? Peter punches Lances shoulder, about to cause another fight doing so. Erin: Oh that? I was practicing, so since I get paid a lot now, I bought an expensive one. Why do you ask? Peter: Oh, nothing. Another knock on the door is heard by Julius. Julius: Alright, Edward along with everyone else has been gone for a few hours, and since both trains here as well as at Consol are about to arrive at both locations, I would like for you two to be on the train when it returns to Constal. Peter: Really? Okay, we have to get our stuff though. Julius: No need, I have already sent people to collect all of your things, you just need to wait in the carriage outside. Now, we must get going, embarrassingly I am running a bit late on things. Peter and Lance begin walking outside, looking at the same wondrous carriage they had ridden in a day earlier. Peter then looks at the Silver Chariot, watching as the soldiers struggle to put it onto a wagon. Julius, along with a few more guards, walks up to Peter and Lance, handing them their things. He then walks with them into the carriage, knocking on the wall to inform the driver to head off. So they begin riding back to the train station in silence. Peter takes out a modified rifle from within his large bag of gadgets. He then takes out some tools so he can work on it. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Lance: What kinda musket is that? And how the hell do you have one!? Only the Dragon army soldiers can use thoughts! Peter: I got them off the first group to ever start using them, yknow, the DAMN ANARCHISTS! Lance is surprised by this information, but he decides to sit in silence, watching Peter take out another gun, which looks similar to a trench gun, and then a flintlock. Julius: You have progressed your gadgets to a supreme degree. More than modifications, those are entirely new weapons. I know you made that explosive launcher, but this is an entire step up. Peter springs up with joy due to Julius surprisingly positive feedback, something he hasnt had for months. Peter: Gray told me most of the stuff, I just made it. I didnt do much. Julius: Well the fact that you did it is great in itself. Lance: Are you guys gonna kiss or can we just stop talking. They travel through the streets filled with people, all trying to get on the train for an experience entirely new to the people of Saga. After passing through town, they get to an area separated from normal people, with a train car open for just them. Peter: Were in like an underground bunker? What the hell is this? Julius: It is a pull-off area for nobles getting onto the train without struggle, let us enter this finally made a giant of a transportation system. Lance: Yada Yada, its a big metal cage. They all get onto the train, and Peter is in awe of how nice it is. A quick-moving ball of metal, powered with the genius that is a steam engine. Then, the eureka moment. Peter: AHA! I GOT IT! A STEAM ENGINE, NOT MANA CRYSTALS! Lance: What are you gawking about? As the trains horn blows, the wheels begin to move, sending them off the constal. The sounds of people talking and cheering in the cars behind them overpower the booming sounds of the train. Peter: Gray and I have been stressing about this for MONTHS! AND THIS IS IT! Peter takes out a pen as well as some paper, jotting down all his ideas. Lance: What are you writing with? Peter: Oh this, its a pen Gray helped me make. Peter tries to pay attention, but hes far too concerned with the idea of a miniaturized steam engine. Peter sighs, going quiet to continue working on his tools. They spend a few hours in silence, Lance sleeps, Peter works on his things, and Julius remains still, quietly watching the world go by. After a while, late at night, they finally make it to the great city of Constal. The great walls protecting it, just like the walls protecting every great city, but these are different. Theyre details, well throughout, as if each brick had its own story. The train rolls under the city, going into the train station. Hundreds of people get off to see hundreds of people watching, and then Peter, Lance, and Julius exit after the crowd clears out. Peter: So, were finally gonna be able to see it, Constal. They exit the train station, finally stepping foot in Constal, and its as glorious as its been built up to be. Wonderfully crafted buildings, keeping the gothic style, are filled with soul. People dressed in fabulous attire, the streets lined up perfectly, statues and paintings placed all about, its like a storybook within a storybook. Shops with lines of customers, street performers, enormous crowds, not a single sad person in sight. Unlike any Capitals, which just feel like places, this is a city filled with the wonder everything else should have. Peter is instantly overwhelmed, Julius remains calm as always, and Lance gets sucked into the lifestyle. Julius: It is nice, but we must go to your Cottage, which is located in the outer area of Constal. So you will get a bit of time to look around. And looking about is what they do, window shopping, women provocatively dancing on the streets, drawing Peter and Lances attention, carriages being pulled by beautiful drakes. Then, while walking, around eleven at night, the nightlife begins. Peter and Lance dont know how to react, light crystals flying everywhere, and people dressed in animal masks, and dark clothes, drinking. Even when its so hectic, its still amazing. But, sadly, they make it out of the inner city, arriving at their Cottage. They make it inside their Cottage, a homey place to spend their time, but are shocked to find Gray, Edward, Rosemary, and Soku nowhere to be found. Peter begins to worry, but Julius remains calm, leading them to their rooms. Peter: HEY! What about Soku and the rest of them!? Julius: Just sleep on it. Peter and Lance get pushed into their rooms, so Peter is forced to make himself go to sleep, thinking about his friend''s safety all night, while Lance sleeps soundly. End of Chapter Twenty Arc 6: Chapter 21. “Of great vertical extent”. Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 21. Of great vertical extent. A heat, consistently burning. It has been burning for months, slowly building, spiking in times of stress, and now its burning hotter than ever before. But it subsides, seeping back into the pit of an OD, Grays OD. He slowly moves his head back and forth, feeling the moist grass on his face, but then he jolts awake when he feels something wet touching his face. He looks up, staring into the eyes of a strange creature. Brown fur, long antlers, standing on all fours, much like a common deer, but its wet and has frog-like features. It creeps Gray out, but once the creature sees that Grays awake it runs off into the forest. Gray shakes his face, smacks his cheeks, brushes his hair out of his face, then looks frantically for his friends. He stands up, feeling his broken bones, ripped muscles, and massive headache hit him all at once. He then tumbles over, watching as a note falls off of his chest. He picks it up, waiting for his eyes to focus so he can read it. Once theyre focused, he reads it aloud. Gray: Keep the people you trust far, and keep the people you think you can trust as far as possible. He sits there confused until he hears rustling in the bushes. He struggles to stand up, but he pushes through the pain to make sure hes safe, but his fears are put to rest when he sees that the origin of the noise is Soku, coming to her senses. Soku: Ahhhmyback Soku falls to the ground, so Gray moves over to her, helping her up. Soku: Whatthe hell manwe got asses kicked Gray: You got that rightand here I thought we were progressing. We went from low-low tiers to low tiers. None of us could go up against Arthur and win right now, so what happens when we fight high tiers. Soku: Well worry about that when we come to itnowwheres everybody else? Gray: Theyre around here.. Grays about to yell out for them, but hes stopped when Soku covers his mouth. Soku: CHIllI know your cloak is covering your mana. Lucky its still on by the way, but its not covering everyones, so dont attract anything will yah? Gray: My bad, lets look around, it looks about dawn, you think Til left in that carriage? Soku: I dont think Til knows what time it is, let alone when its time to leave. We still need to work fast though, I think I can walk now, so let me down. Gray slowly lets Soku off his shoulder, then starts walking around. It only takes them both a few seconds to find the other, so they call out to each other. Soku struggles to lift Edward up, but he slowly gains consciousness once she tries to move him. Rosemary on the other hand is out cold, wholly drained of stamina. Gray goes to pick her up, though hes having issues due to his own weakness. Even so, he pushes forward, caring for her while Edward and Soku walk out of the forest. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Edward: My legs are killing mebut compared to the backlash I would suffer before, this is miles better of a feeling, I mean can still walk after all. Gray: Thats good, but youre gonna have to hold out for a bit, I dont really know where we are, I can only feel the forest getting lighter, so were gonna be a bit blind on our way out. Soku: I would fly upbut I can hardly walk, let alone fly. Edward: Lets not push it, lets just walkand walk quietly at that, my heads hurting. So they do, just silently strolling through the outer layer of the forest until they finally make it out. Still silent, they look around to try and find Til, their wagon driver. Gray closes his eyes, trying to focus on her spiritual energy, but nothing. Edward: Hey, over there! Edward points to a small blip a way away, a blip that looks like Til. The closer they get the more likely its their wagon, and surely enough, to go against their current spring of luck, its actually her. The bloodshot-eyed, blond-haired, cowboy hat-wearing driver waves to them while completely zoned out of her mind. She begins pulling the wagon over to them, stopping to let them in. With a small sense of concern in her voice, she begins talking very slowly. Til: Soooowhat happened.? Gray: Nothin, just take us to Constal please. Til: Will.due Gray sets Rosemary down as they all get into the carriage, taking the strain off their bodies. Edward falls asleep almost instantly, but Soku and Gray stay awake for a bit longer. Gray: SoI noticed youre still not talking to Peterwanna talk about it? Soku: You keep talking about this, and I keep giving the same answer. Gray looks away for a second, staring off into space. While doing this, Til leans back, handing Soku a handful of mushrooms. Soku: What are these? Til: Theyllmake youfeel better. Soku, worn out and tired, pays no mind to this, eating a few of them, then hands Gray some, which he eats as well. Gray: Putting it off can be a problem, I would know. Soku shakes her head, then takes a long breath in, then out. Soku: You know he said, you know Im mad. Gray: I was there, but explain to me, why was it all that bad. Soku: WHAT!? Soku stands up out of anger, waving her hand away, but due to her injuries, she falls over. Gray goes to help her but she brushes his hand away. Soku: HE EMBARRASSED ME! Gray: What? In Front of us? Soku: I HAVE NEVER TOLD ANYBODY WHAT IVE WANTEDand the first time I do itTHE FIRST TIME, HE TELLS ME I CANT!? Gray bites his lip, but instead of letting the anger subside, he lets it overflow. Gray: BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU! YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO BE A NOBLE RIGHT!? A KING! AND JUST BECAUSE YOU TURNED FIFTEEN, WHICH IS THE STUPID ADULT AGE IN THIS WORLD, YOU THINK IT MAKES YOU READY!? Soku: IM NOT STUPID, IM NOT GOING TO RUSH INTO IT, I JUST WANT TO BE IN IT! Gray: I KNOW THAT, BUT THIS IS HOW YOU REACT TO HIS SAYING THAT!? NOT TALKING TO HIM FOR MONTHS! HES SENSITIVE, HE DOESN''T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THIS! HES SUFFERING! Soku swings her hand back and forth, about to blast wind everywhere. Soku: WHY SHOULD I CARE!? Gray, enraged, rushes to Soku, scaring her. But instead of doing anything reckless, he just hugs her. She tries to push him off, but he doesn''t budge. She tries and tries, but gives in, hugging him back. Tears start to fall from her eyes, she clutches to him as tight as she can, and lets it all out. Soku: Ijust wantedto tell you guysto tell himI trusted himand hethrew it in my faceIll never like him againnot to that level at leastso whywhy should I care? Gray speaks from the bottom of his heart, trying to get through to her. Gray: Because you guys are friendsbecause were family Soku: NoIll never have a real familynot without OpheliaNOT WILL OUT MY SISTER! Soku uses her wind magic to push Gray off of her, so he tumbles backward. Shes about to go on an emotional rampage, but something happens to both of them. Their vision blurs, their hearing wavers, and every single other sense in their body begins to plummet. Gray: Wheredidyouget thosemushrooms? Soku: Igotthem fromTilOHH SH.it Gray: ...DammitSokuuuu. They both completely lose consciousness, blacking out. End of Chapter Twenty-one Arc 6: Chapter 22. Double whammy Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 22. Double whammy A fire consuming a city, the screams of people filling the air, and the pure fear of the situation running through Grays mind, a dream of regret. The flames consume all of his friends, so hes forced to watch in horror as his friend''s skin bubbles, and their blood boils, while he stands perfectly fine. Hes unable to feel, move, hear, or see anything else but this terrifying sight, so hes forced to accept it, but he cant. The flames turn a deep black before hes kicked out of the nightmare and placed in a soft bed beside a sleeping Rosemary. A massive headache matched with confusion leads to fear, as hes in an entirely new place. He looks around the small cozy room, stumbling out to see hes on the second floor of this homey cottage. He looks in each room, trying to find his friends, which he does. First, he finds Edward, sound asleep with his legs bandaged up, then Peter, then Lance, and lastly Soku. However, when he opens Sokus door it causes her to wake up, groaning from the headache shes suffering from as well. She rubs the side of her head, moving her hair out of her face, but shes surprised when she feels something attached to her ear. Gray looks at it, beginning to chuckle, while Soku rushes to a mirror, and once she does shes surprised to find an earring attached to it. She begins to panic, yelling at Gray to stop laughing, but her anger subsides once she looks at Grays ear. He looks at her, confused and worried, feeling his ear to find an earring on it as well, on the opposite side of Sokus. Gray: AHHH! WHAT THE HELL!? Soku: Not so funny now!? Gray groans in annoyance but he accepts it fairly quickly. Soku: So, where are we? Gray: UmI dont know. I found everybody sleeping, so I guess were in Constal. Soku: Thats pretty suddenhow did we even get here, we got drugged and then nothing. Gray shakes his head, trying to remember what had happened, but nothing comes to mind. Gray: I dunno, but I guess we can just go downstairs and wait. Soku: Sure whatever. So they begin to walk down the stairs, finding themselves in an open kitchen, where they find a good amount of food ready to be cooked. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Gray: Man Im starving, but I also dont feel like cookinglike at all. Soku: Well we seem to be at a crossroads since I dont feel like cooking anyway. Gray: Welp, guess well starve. Soku shrugs her shoulders, accepting their fate. Gray pulls out a chair from under the dining room table but stops once he feels something coming from behind a curtain on the other side of the room. The curtain, being placed in a doorway instead of an actual door, leaks cold winds, cold enough to get both Gray and Sokus attention. They both slowly walk towards it, peeking through the curtain, and finding a drawer freezer leaking cold air from within. They open it, staring at a variety of delectable meats, which would be delicious if they ate. Gray: Nope, still too lazy. Soku: Agreed. They walk off into the living room, sitting down. They both lay down on the two couches in the living room, dozing off. A few seconds pass to them, but in real-time hours pass, and theyre woken up by the sound of sizzling meat. They both force themselves out of their almost comatose state to at least get a look at the meat which smells as if it was made by a god. They are both sluggish, but they push on, walking back into the kitchen. Rosemary: Well arent you up late, its about to be six in the afternoon, you missed Julius coming by. Soku: You should have woken us up then. Gray: Hell, Im glad to have gotten the extra sleep. Rosemary takes the meat off of the skillet and puts it on a large plate, cutting off pieces for them to eat. Gray and Soku then utterly devour the meal, eating all of it in just a few seconds. Rosemary: Imimpressed. Gray and Soku then let out equally loud burps, patting their stomachs on top of it. Gray: Wheres Edward? Oh, wheres Peter and Lance on top of that. Rosemary: Theyre out picking out souvenirs. Gray: WHAT!? WHY DIDNT YOU WAKE US!? Rosemary: I figured youd wanna go out a bit later, I hear the nightlife here is exquisite. Were going to have to find some animal masks to fit in though. Soku: The hell? Gray looks to Soku, nodding his head in agreement. Gray: Yeah, the hell? Rosemary: Im a little in the dark about it too, so I guess were gonna have to figure it out or wait till Edward gets home. Gray lets out a loud yawn, stretching his arms into the air, causing all of his joints to let out a painful popping sound. Gray: Ouch. Soku: Yeah, sounds like it hurts. But never mind that, lets just go out, have fun, and all that. Gray: I guess, we gotta get dressed and head out. We have our bags right? Rosemary: Yeah, theyre in your rooms. Okay, let''s wait a bit, and we can go shopping! Soku goes to stand up, causing all of her joints to pop as well, making Gray and Rosemary chuckle. Soku: Yknow, its only funnywhen it happens to other people. Grays about to stand up, but he chooses its probably better to sit with Rosemary while she finishes eating, letting Soku go off. Gray: Umweve all been doing so much stuff we haven''t gotten time to ourselves Rosemary sets her fork down, tilting her head down as well. Rosemary: I meanthis is our job, the best job in the world. We get to travel, help people, and do awesome thingsits way better compared to what I was doing. Gray: Well yeah I guessbut itstoo dangerousand I had forgotten about that. Its been so long since we were just no matchand we just got our asses kicked so hard we were out for over a day. We could have diedyou could have died. Gray tilts his head down, staring at his feet, feeling a bit nihilistic, but Rosemary reassures him by putting her hand on his head. Rosemary: If we arent put in danger, then everybody else is. And as long as something terrible doesn''t happen, well be fine. Were in good hands. Gray says nothing, just repeating what Zhaos note said to himself in his head. Keep who you trust far, and keep who you think you can trust, as far away as possible. End of Chapter Twenty-two Arc 6: Chapter 23. Shopping Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 23. Shopping Walking about the bustling roads of Constal, Edward, Peter, and Lance are imbued with wonder. The brick roads spiral towards the center, the large buildings towering over them, and tons of art everywhere, its almost too much. Peter: ITS SOOO COOL! Lance: Could you shut up? Stop being so loud. Edward looks at Lance with a nine-yard stare, scaring him into silence. Edward: We can look around, but were out here to pick up masks first. Then we can party later, but we cant be out too long. Julius told me that were going to meet the mayor and his family tomorrow. Peter: Uggggg, can we just chill for a second? We gotta go here, then here, and oh wait? Now we gotta go here. Edward: I understand where youre coming from, but if you didnt wanna go you should have stayed in Greenvale. Lance: Ooooooooo. Peter pushes Lance, trying to get him to shut up, but Lance pushes him back. They begin drawing attention, due to the fact theyre about to break out into a fight, but luckily Edward puts a stop to it. He picks Lance up off of Peter, tossing him to the side. Edward: Do you guys need to go back to the cottage? Peter: He can, I wanna look around for those animal masks. Edward: Okay, now lets go to that store over there, it has masks on display so it must be selling them. So they begin to walk over there, entering the shop. A small bell rings, notifying the shop owner that someone has entered. Two older women holding measuring tapes. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Edward: Oh high we were just looking for some - They both cut Edward off, speaking at the same time. Ping: Hi, Im Ping! Ting: Hi, Im Ting! Ping & Ting: My my, what different body types, well have masks that fit your personality and shape size faster than an Ever-Mander. They quickly measure their faces, then run off to the shelves. And in just a few seconds they present all three of them with masks. A wolf for Edward, a dragon for Lance, and a rabbit for Peter. Lance puts his mask on, and once he sees Peters rabbit mask he begins laughing. Though the wolf and dragon masks look like how you would think, the rabbit mask has a little more detail put into it. Blue swirling eyebrows, a blue swirling handlebar mustache right under the pink nose, and hot pink for the inner ear. Peter gets extremely aggravated by Lances laughter, but instead of doing anything, he lets it rest. But its important to keep in mind that his laughter cuts deep, extremely deep. Edward takes out a gold coin, causing the shop owners to get extremely happy. Ping & Ting: Oh youre so kind, youre too kind, but well take it if you will. Edward freezes, due to the fact he was going to ask if they could trade the gold coins for silver coins, but they take the gold coin instead, running off into the back of the shop. Lance: Did you just get robbed? Edward: I think so? Whatever, lets go look around some more. So that they do, looking at all the wondrous things. Statues of previous kings and queens in the city squares, how there are strangely only humans, with a lack of any other culture. Though the foods are different, using Demi-human styles of cooking, including their use of spice, cuts of meat, and techniques of cooking such meats. Soldiers walk about, seemingly a bit lazily. Everyone is a bit heavier, having bigger bellies than most, showing their richness. Though, just like any other city, they do have a homelessness issue, its been regulated to certain areas, where they can have places to eat and sleep. Clean water, clean streets, plentiful amounts of food and other resources. Even if the skies are always a bit cloudy and gloomy at least whats on the ground is bright and happy. Peter drags Edward and Lance into each blacksmith shop, staring at every single small invention. He begs Edward for a small amount of money to spend, which Edard obliges. Peter then takes out a list, marking off everything he needs for an invention. Edward: What are you making? Peter: A couple of different things, I want to see if I can make my rifle shoot faster, make a smaller machine to craft my ammo, make a shock glove, and most importantly, a small steam engine for the Silver Chariot mark two! Lance: Youre really into all this stuff arent you rabbit. Peter throws a pebble at Lance, causing Lance to get angry enough to try and hit Peter, but Edward stops it once more. Peter: Alright, we just needto get a lot of metal, coal, flame crystals, screwsa lot of stuff. Edward: Alright, well I guess we can help you get it. Lance: Ugh. A few hours pass as they collect the items, big bags of materials, and the location of their cottage so they can ship the bigger items. It takes all day, but they finally get everything Peter needs, so they can finally make it back to the cottage. And surprisingly on their way back, they find Gray, Soku, and Rosemary walking out of the mask shop they visited earlier. Edward: You guys finally woke up. We were just heading back. Gray: Um, yeah, I think those sisters in there robbed us. We got these cool masks though. Rosemary holds up the mask they got, a skull mask for Gray, a fox mask for Soku, and a cat mask for Rosemary. Soku: And yet you didnt let me bargain with them, or get the money back. Rosemary: Dont be rash, we have a lot of money. Soku: AND WE COULD HAVE A LOT MORE! Gray begins to chuckle, stopping the discourse between them. Lance: Were about to head back, the nightlife starts soon so we gotta get his trash off of us before the fun begins. Peter is annoyed by Lances words, then hes even more annoyed when Lance moves closer to Soku. But she ends it quickly by blasting and pushing him, which causes him to fall due to the heavy weight of the bags. Lance gets angry when everyone begins laughing at him, but he shrugs it off, walking off with his ego a bit wounded. Peter: Dick head. End of Chapter Twenty-three Arc 6: Chapter 24. The Path of Change Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 24. The Path of Change Walking through the streets of Constal, the great city of trade, the city of wealth, an unreachable achievement that was reached, The Holy land. Gray, Soku, and Rosemary go through each store they find somewhat interesting. They buy food, watch the dancers'' extravagant shows, and listen to the music, its an experience that you couldnt dream of. Gray and Rosemary buy clothes to better fit their area. Gray purchases a long-sleeved white shirt, which has arms that puff out, being tied down with cuffs by the wrist. Dark black boots, a brown belt with a silver buckle lazily laid across his side, one black glove, and a black vest with red roses on it, a design that is home to the country of Valatrocitus. He also purchases black gloves, thinly crafted black slacks, and a black shoulder cloak with a red interior. Its not exactly Gothic, not completely black, no tears, and not extremely over-designed, but neither are the clothes around them. Constal stands very far from Valatrocitus capital in terms of both clothing and design. Walgonias Capital was split into districts or sections, not by walls but by wealth, and the fact was pushed by the placement of its castle right in the middle. Brick houses, tiled roofs, and a mix of dirt and brick roads, it is what most will call generic. Athens''s capital was much smaller, being built in almost a U shape, with its tower-like castle right in the back. It didnt have much style, but its use of columns and white stones gave it some sort of flare, but it was simply unremarkable. The strength of Athens, the will of Walgonia, and the almost voluptuous Valatrocitus. Walgonia is big, using its land for mainly farmland, not having any great cities, because they dont need any. Athens was small, but its people had the desire, a desire for strength. But that wasnt all that kept it alive, it was the use of Dragon stone, a rare material that was abundant in the core of the island, they were able to trade their way to victory. But they never grew stronger due to the fact they were in a loop, they had too many people and too little land to feed it, so they traded their metals for food, creating a tightly-knit relationship with Walgonia. Though the main group has yet to travel to Ravoria, the other two Ever biomes the inner workings of the Ever-forest, or any of the other two continents, for where they have been, its been an experience. So they all feel that Valatrocitus stands out greatly, its built with flavor and style, a style that its king is letting fall. The idea that Valatrocitus would even exist is a mystery. The Guard Fog, filled with monsters, lies right on the border, then right outside of it is the capital, the first city traveled to is its heart. Then to its left is an enormous forest filled with even more beasts, and to its right is the great city of Constal. And miles behind the capital, past the other villages, towns, and farms, is the Ever-Desert, a wasteland that rivals the size of all the Capital cities put together. Almost locked a country, surrounded by enemies, with only enough space to call itself great. After looking in multiple stores, Rosemary finds a dress that Gray and she feel is worth buying. A shade of black that matches Rosemarys golden hair and blue eyes almost unnervingly. Then to further match her hair, the golden cuffs, black gloves with golden fingers, golden corset, long black boots with golden seams, and as a gift purchased by Gray, a long golden necklace with a small yin and yang symbol on it. While shes extremely happy with Grays gift, giving him a great big hug and a large kiss on his lips, Gray was more surprised in the fact that some how the same yin and yang symbol made it''s way into this world. grossing Soku out. Gray then realizes that Soku hasnt bought anything, shes just been following them the whole time. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Gray: Hey Soku, why dont you buy something? Youve been wearing that coat for the past few months, I know you feel bad for that old brown one getting destroyed but that was months ago. Soku: Ugh, I dont feel like it. This coat is comfortable, these boots are broken in, and this undershirt is whatever. Rosemary: Come on, be adventurous. Soku: Mmmmnope. Can we go home now, its like nine at night. Gray: No way! The nightlifes picking up, Edward and the others should be coming out now. Rosemary: We probably should go meet them though. Soku lets out a long sigh, stretching her arms. Soku: You guys just wanna do date stuff, and I dont wanna be some third wheel. Ill go with them and tell them that you guys wanted to be alone. Gray: Uh, I guess that works. Rosemary: OH MY GOSH! Rosemary grabs Grays hand as she begins running through the crowded streets, putting her mask on at the same time the citizens begin to, which leads to Gray putting his mask on. Rosemary, with her cat mask, and Gray with his white skull mask, dressed in the clothing of Constal, look as if they truly belong there. Gray is put into a trance of wonder by Rosemary, her growth is staggering. All of them have changed greatly in the past year, but seemingly Rosemary has changed the most. Gray still has an almost nonexistent understanding of himself, he knows what he wants, what he likes, and why he likes them, but still, its as if he cant get himself to do it. Hes unknowingly forcing himself to follow the ideals he put upon himself a year ago, the day Musashi and Kioshi died, the day Arthur had been named king, the day Gray got his third chance at life. The idea he lives for others, with nothing for himself, is a truly sad way of living. Edward has lost so much its tragic, no mother, father, uncle, cousin, step-father, grand-father, absolutely nothing. But Moro, his goal, the thing he needed to kill, was finally killed. The only thing keeping him going, an end-game achievement that he thought was going to be his peak, the true meaning of his existence, to kill what killed his first chance at life, and he did it. But he did it far, far too early. For months hes been living with a whole within him, no goal, absolutely nothing to work for. He hasnt even achieved his white hair, the thing that Helsings should achieve by the time theyre eighteen. The awakening that allows the full use of eternal mana, the achievement that rids the self of the warrior''s spirit, something thats still banging on Edwards psyche. A tall man with a big sword is how Edward truly sees Edward. Soku has had a much slower mental change, which is extremely strange due to all the events that have transpired in such a short time. The death of her sister in such a horrific way, the loss of the long hair shes had since she woke up at what feels like the beginning of her life, the loss of her home, her coat, everything shes held dear. But instead of trying to grow, get angry, and get sad, shes tried to remain the same. Acting as if nothings happened, letting it go down, being what youve always been, and never trying to grow, is what Soku seems to think is correct. But even if she would deny it, she has changed. Shes grown a bit nicer to Gray, actually attached to him in some way, like a true friend, even if shed say he was an idiotic clown in the body of a man-child. But out of all of them, Rosemary, the woman who was raised in war. Being beaten down by her family and forced to witness horrors that would make adults shiver to their core, shes remained a good person. Shes kind, she asks if youre okay, and she tries to do things that would make her uncomfortable to push past her insecurities. Going from a quiet, insecure, sad person, to an ambitious, energetic adventurer that helps the people around her truly be better, using Grays happy-go-lucky attitude to push her forward. Out of all of them, shes truly become something of wonder, and Gray knows this, its why he loves her so much. Because he feels that shes truly better than himself, that she can do what he wants to do but with nothing holding her back, but thats where hed be wrong. She has all these things that should have stopped her, but it hasnt, not due to some superpower or inexhaustible will, but because she tries. They all try to an extent but doing and thinking are different things. Even if theyd either not believe it or not want to believe it, they have truly changed for the better, or have been put in situations where they can change. End of Chapter Twenty-four Arc 6: Chapter 25. The love-lit river is drained Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 25. The love-lit river is drained As the night grows to its maximum, the air becomes filled increasingly with life. The long dresses, animal masks, and multi-colored lights illuminating the streets are wondrous. Gray and Rosemary quickly move through the streets, buying drinks and grandiose food from the vendors. Rosemary quickly eats the tasty candy apples while Gray takes a few shots of whiskey. Rosemary: You drink? Gray: You didnt know? I drink with Jong all the time. Gray gives Rosemary a shot but sips a bit of it first so she doesn''t drink the entire thing, even though its a fairly small amount of alcohol. She drinks it, and Gray laughs as her face coils back from the bitter taste. Rosemary: Blewyou drink that? Gray: It tastes better with each one. Gray thinks to himself for a second, about how where hes from the drinking age is twenty-one, but here its sixteen. This leads him to think if he should be drinking since hes only eighteen. But once hes flashed by a group of dancers giving him a fruit bowl, he and Rosemary then begin to eat it. Rosemary: Do you think Edward and the others are around? Gray: I dunno, but lets just have fun, forget about them for an evening. Itswhat day is it? Rosemary: I think itsNovember eighteen? Gray: Yeah, and were here until New Year''s, so we can have a bit of fun until then. Rosemary: I guess so, OH! Gray is frightened by Rosemarys sudden burst of excitement, so he quickly turns around to see what caused her scream. Gray: Oh, we can do that. A gondola swaying back and forth in the long river that stretches through the center of Constal. An older man with a pig mask waves over to them, so they begin walking over. Gray steps onto it while holding Rosemarys hand, causing it to dip into the water, leading to him falling into the gondola. When he does this Rosemary tumbles down along with him, falling on top of him. They all laugh, and the older man begins pushing the gondola with the paddle. They sit down, watching everything pass by. Gray: Hey gondola guy, whats with the festival? Just for fun? Gondola Guy: Oh, youre in for a history lesson. Over the four hundred years Constal has existed, weve had a festival to honor the spirits, including the spirit beats. Its to keep them happy, at bay, to think of them as protecting us from invaders, and for not attacking us, but weve changed it from once a year, to once a month, to every week, and now its every Friday and Saturday. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Rosemary: That''s amazing, to think that the city has so many resources to hold these great events so often. The moon shines brightly through the permanently cloudy sky, causing everything to stand out more. Waving torches, lanterns, or any other source of light, dancing, chanting, singing, anything to grant fun. Artists painting families and couples, other gonadals traveling through the river, and even more, fabulous foods and drinks, pure bliss. Rosemary snuggles up to Gray, closing her eyes, and listening to the loud chatter going on everywhere. Stangly for Gray, without Rosemary speaking, it''s almost too quiet, its as if all the noise is drowning itself out. His vision begins to narrow to a single individual standing at one of the various bridges connecting each side of the river. A hooded black robe and a white mask, a sight that sends a chill down Grays spine. Gray {ThetheSect!?} Gray tries to maintain a cool head, but when the cloaked figure looks at him, he panics. Hes about to act, but once the figure begins talking to another person, a person who isnt dressed in similar clothes to the Sect, he relaxes. But unknown to him, in the distance, standing on top of a building, is the same female thief that had robbed them in Meir, watching him. Her eyes look at him in a way that its as if she doesn''t want to, not that hes repulsive, but shes bored. She doesn''t want to watch him, but she continues. After a little more time is spent going down the stream, Gray vision is drawn once more. Rupert Montgomery, standing on a bride, knocks on the railing. He takes his cigar out of his mouth, and at the same second, the older man pushing the gondola stops such a gondola. The sudden stop shakes the gondola, causing Rosemary to jolt up. Rupert: Gray, we need to talk. Sorry honey, but this is a one-on-one conversation, so you can run on home. Sorry to ruin your date night. Rosemary gets up, about to stand her ground, but Gray puts his hand out, stopping her. Gray: We can talk, but dont call her honey. Rupert: Good, and sorry about that Rose. Gray glares at Rupert, but he gets off the gondola anyway. He then helps an aggravated Rosemary off the gondola. Rosemary: Ill go, but be back as fast as possible, Dont do anything stupid, and dont get hurt. Gray: Come on, you know me. Rosemary flicks Grays nose, causing Rupert to chuckle. Rosemary: I do know you, thats why I said it. Rosemary then kisses Grays cheek and slowly walks off into the crowd, quickly disappearing. Gray, still watching Rosemary, feels Rupert''s sweaty, thick hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn around. Rupert pats his beer gut while he begins leading Gray away. Gray: Where are we going, and what do you want, Im on vacation. Rupert: Too many people, so Ill take you to my club. Gray: You got a club here? Rupert: I have bars and shops everywhere, but here is where I got my special place. My gentlemen''s club. Gray: Whats it called? Rupert: The Pit. Gray: Makes sense. Rupert silently leads Gray through the streets, puffing on his cigar over and over. They walk for about a while until they get near the citys wall, and then they step down off the main road to a sidewalk right beside the river. The party is distant, a ways away from this quieter area. Then, a random iron door is attached to the brick wall that holds up the street above. Rupert knocks four times on different sections of the door, one on the top, two at the bottom, and one right on the metal slip. Such knocking notifies the doorman that someones there. A metal slip opens up, allowing Gray to see a Demi-Human man''s eyes peering through. Demi-Human: Oh boss, come on in. The door opens up, and the Demi-human man leads them inside. But once the door closes its pitch black, and the only thing that Gray can feel is the rumbling of the hallway. Rupert leads him down the long hall and opens another door, and once he does, Gray is given the chance to look at another wondrous sight. Tables, where various criminals sit and eat. It reminds Gray of mobster hangouts from the movies hes watched. On stage, a small band plays something similar to jazz, its just a nice club, with waiters and waitresses as well as everything else a normal restaurant would have. White columns, red and black tiled floors, paintings of women on the walls, and beer everywhere. Rupert leads Gray to a room sitting above the restaurant, which has a smaller area to eat at. A small booth, a restroom, and a door that leads directly to the kitchen, but thats not the confusing part. What is confusing is whos in the red booth. Then, sitting by a booth in the corner, are four people. A fish Demi-human, wearing a large black trench coat, black circular sunglasses, long brown boots, black pants, and brown gloves covering his long hands. His skin is dark blue, and his hair is slightly darker. Other than that, the only other thing that stands out on his body is the yellow slits on his neck that lead up to his cheeks, assumedly gills. Beside him is a middle-aged woman wearing a suit, and to the fish man''s right is a heavier man also wearing a suit. With his greasy brown hair being combed back, its a little funny due to how far back his hairline is though. But the most eye-drawing thing about him is his left eye, and how hes blind in it. The slash going down the eye, and how faint it is easily explains it. But the most eye-drawing one is a tall lanky man wearing a long black coat with various black belts being placed on it. Its like a straitjacket mixed with a jumpsuit. With his hood up its difficult to see his masked face, but once Gray gets closer he sees the design. A black mask with the left side possessing a darkish red flame consuming it. And once he gets even closer, he sees the crest on the left side of his chest, its small but noticeable. Its the crest of the Sect of Anarchy. Gray gets a chill down his spine, but he pushes through, letting Rupert guide him to the booth. Hes sat down between the Anarchists and the man with the missing eye, right across from Rupert. Rupert: Alright, now lets begin. End of Chapter Twenty-five Arc 6: Chapter 26. A baby’s first contract Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 26. A babys first contract Sitting in a booth, in a soundproof room, over top of a criminal club are four strange people, Rupert Mongomery, and Gray. Rupert: Gray, these people around you are very, very important. Gray is silent, hes scared, panicking that he could die at any second. Rupert: The Demi-human is known as the Duke of the Sea, the woman is Dorothy, the man with one working eye is Jimmy All, and the cloaked man issorry whats your name again? The Sect member begins to clear his throat, causing everyone to feel grossed out when they hear it. The dry whistling sound, as if hes been burned from the inside out, its toe-curling, to say the least. It gets even worse when he begins talking, the chard throat causes his voice to sound deep, but also like there is always something within his throat. Smolder: My..nameis SmolerI represent the Sect of Anarchy, and I wish to bringsome sort..of an agreementbetween our factions Duke: I agree, I assume that is why we are all here, though it seems the Red Baron is absent. Dorothy: I guess he thinks hes bigger than us. Jimmy: I mean hes good right? Hes running a monopoly on a drug we wish we could sell! Rupert puts a flintlock on the table, slamming it down, and causing everyone to quiet down. Rupert: This is a flintlock, a gun. The man who came up with this idea is named Arthur Williams, and he was put in the biggest prison in the world, by Gray here. They all quickly look at Gray, but look away just as fast. Jimmy: Gray? Gray Kyojin!? The Phantom Knight, youre a living legend. Dorothy: A fairly weak one. Rupert slams his hand on the table again, stopping all the chatter. Dorothy is about to get angry with Rupert, but Chester and Erosion enter the room, which gives her the incentive to stand down. They then walk up and sit with Rupert, the only man with any backup in the room. Rupert: Dont be intimidated, Im pretty sure Duke here can kill us all ten times over without a thought, Im not the scary one here. Now, to get things going quickly, Ill introduce you all to Gray, what you do that is. Gray, do you have anything to say before I do so? Grays mouth is dry, his eyes are dry, his heart is pounding, and he tries his hardest to hold his fear back. Gray: No, Im okay. Rupert: Good, now lets get on with it. The Duke, the right-hand man of Black Beard, is a legend. The man who rules the seas, whos been fighting the navy for years, captain of the Gravestone Pirates and the Black Beard Pirates, the king of the pirates. The Duke here is the king of sea trade, if youre doing it he knows, if you wanna, you better make sure he knows, so keep that in mind. Gray looks over the cold Duke, being pushed down by the weight of his presence. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Rupert: Now, I dont know much about our friend Smolder here, other than the fact hes a representative of the Sect, I do know Jimmy. A soldier turned king, the king of Ravoria, in spirit at least. Nobody gets into Ravoria, nobody, its tighter locked than Tartarus, but he goes in and out like its child''s play. Jimmy leans over, shaking Grays hand with a smile on his face. Rupert: And last but not least, Dorothy. Now, Gray, you should listen closely to this. She is planning on having a monopoly on Walgonias food trade. She wants to slowly own all the farmland, by force. To take control of the biggest food source in the world would make her so rich its unthinkable, and Walgonias your homefront. Youre a knight, a hero of Walgonia, a legend, and shes right there. You could kill her, and wed do nothing. Gray lets a single drop of sweat fall from his face, while Dorothy begins getting very angry. Dorothy: YOU WILL NOT TOUCH ME! NOBODY ELSE KNOWS ABOUT MY IDEA RUPERT! YOU CAN HAVE NONE OF IT IF YOU KILL ME! Rupert: Look Dorothy, Im a family man. Chester here, I found him right after his brother left. And you know his brother right? Kai? Iron Leg Kai, captain of the Iron Pirates. And Orson here, hes a bear Demi-human, a strong man Ive raised since he was eight years old. I care for all of you. Ive known Jimmy for decades, traded with Duke for longer, and Smolder here is a part of one of the strongest factions in the world. Dorothy slams her hands on the table again, screaming with pride-filled rage. Dorothy: SO IF WERE FAMILY WHY WOULD YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT LOSING THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY IN THE WORLD! Rupert: Calm down. Dorothy: DONT YOU DARE TELL ME THAT! She begins gritting her teeth, seemingly creating a grand tension between the two. But Rupert pays no mind to it, just taking a puff of his cigar, making her even angrier. Rupert: Youre family, but I want Gray to be family. And Walgonia belongs to its Hero. Dorothys eyes widened, not because of anger, but because of fear. She goes to run away, but Rupert picks up the flintlock and shoots her right in the head before she can even stand. Nobody else even flinches, but Gray is in shock. Bits of her skull, her brain, and buckets of blood are splattered everywhere, but the Duke waves his hand, causing it all to blow against the wall and chattering of the teeth, sweating from the brow, shaking of the hands, all symptoms of fear that Grays showing. But he never screams, not until he looks at his lap, finding Dorothys eye, and the sight causes him to yell. Rupert chuckles and Jimmy breaks into a fit of laughter, but Gray is horrified. Rupert: Now that thats out of the way, Gray I wanted to ask you something, and then depending on your answer you can go home. Gray, frozen in shock, is unresponsive. Rupert: Gray! Ruperts yell causes Gray to snap out of such fear, snapping him back into his mind. Gray: YES!? Yes Rupert: I want you to be a part of our family. And I thought we were working towards it, you even went to the Ever-forest for me to stop the Baron, and I was told you did. Rupert''s words confuse Gray, since the only way Rupert would think this is because Julius told him. Rupert: And sadly, either you lied or I was lied to. Because you never found it, you found the Revolutionaries. Gray goes to defend his actions, but Rupert waves his hand, stopping him. Rupert: Its alright. But if you dont want to be on our radar, if you want Walgonia off limits, if you want whatever the hell you want, you need to do one thing for me. Just you and your friends dont need to learn it, one quick job. Gray gulps clench his fist and bite his lip before he answers, but eventually, he does. Gray: Hit me. Rupert: An Old man, Chezera, hes a slaver. He runs a Demi-human slave trade, and he works for the Baron. Rupert pulls out another weapon, placing down a covered danger with jewels engraved on the hilt. And on the top of the hilt is a feather, the Montgomery family crest. Rupert: I want you to wear what youre wearing right now, use this blade, and assassinate him. Gray stands up, shocked by his claim. Gray: WHAT!? I hate killing! Im not going to go assassinate some guy. Rupert finishes his cigar, throwing it on the ground. Rupert: Okay, let the drool live. Let his empire grow, let children be tortured, and be killed by one of the men you see here today. Gray goes to defend himself, but he cant, so he sits back down. Jimmy pats Gray on the back, trying to hype him up. Jimmy: Come on man! This is a good deal! Do it, ''cause I dont wanna get yah killed! Chester takes a puff of his cigarette and then decides to put it in his thoughts. Chester: Come on dude, take the deal. Its quick and easy. Gray begins staring into his lap, then looks at Smolder, and then at the splatter of blood that used to be Dorothy. Gray: IIIll do it. Rupert: Great. Chezera leaves for Hilten, a town an hour away from here, on Friday. Ill get you set up, so meet me here in two weeks, on Saturday. Gray: Okay. Rupert pats Orson''s leg, causing Orson to shake, due to the fact he was sleeping, angering Rupert. Orson: Sorry boss. Orson motions for Gray to get up, so Gray does so. Jimmy: See yeah guy! Jimmy pats Grays back and waves goodbye as he leaves, watching as Orson walks him out of the room. Orson is silent the whole way out, struggling to walk through the large and loud crowd of people, then once Gray gets to the exit, he walks out without saying anything. He looks at the dagger and stares at it longingly. Still, in shock from Dorothys sudden as well as graphic death, he swallows the fear and begins walking back to the cottage, rubbing his earring the whole way there. End of Chapter Twenty-six Arc 6: Chapter 27. I’ll pass Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 27. Ill pass Before Gray had met with Rupert, The Duke, Jimmy, Smolder, and the now-dead Dorothy, Peter and the rest of the group were waiting at the cottage. Lance, Edward, and Soku are waiting for Peter to get ready, but unknown to them, he has completely forgotten about their plans to go out, hes just working on his gadgets outside. Lance: UGG! Can you go get him? Edward: Okay, Ill go make sure hes okay. Edward steps into the backyard, watching Peter throw his rope dart at a tree, obviously practicing. The distracted Peter continues to reel in the rope dart and throw it at the tree again, trying to get it to stick into the thick tree bark. Edward takes a second to let him continue, watching Peter finally train. Peter pulls the rope dart back and, enraged because he cant get it to pierce the wood, he pulls back as hard as he can. While doing this, the dart flies toward his face, and then on impulse, he ducks, narrowly dodging the fatal blow to the face. Edward, standing behind him, catches the dart, scaring Peter. Peter: AHHHH! WHAT THE HELL! Peter falls to the ground, embarrassed that Edward is watching him. Edward: Youre training! And not with a blade, bow, spear, or anything like that. I figured youd train with a bow or a short sword, not this, its impressive. Peter stands up, reeling in the rope dart as he does so. He then scoffs at Edward''s claim, seeing it as condescending. Peter: Im too weak for a spear, too slow for a sword, I have my rifle so I dont need a bow, and I tried training with a whip, but those arent really effective. Dark elves are known to fight with these though, so Ive been training with it pretty off and on for a while now. Ive just been doing it when I get stuck on something. Edward walks backward, sitting down on a stone bench. Edward: I could help you train, or Lincoln, or Gray, hell any of us could. Peter: I dont wanna waste your guys time. You all need to grow stronger, Im stuck like thiswhat am I doing? Sorry for being all pessimistic. Edward: Calm down, its okay. I know it must feel like youre not growing, but we all have abilities. My body grows stronger faster than most, Grays heals, Rosemary has a set goal with her stages, and Soku has an absolute affinity. It makes sense theyd grow faster, but dont let that distract from your work. Peter clenches his fist, dropping the dart, and then falling along with it. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Peter: You dont get itIm a Dark elf, were all supposed to be superhumansstrong, fast, and have amazing senses, and I have none of that. Im weak, lazy, stupid, and I keep making all of you mad. Im no good at this. Edward: Come on, you think I dont get it? Im a Helsing, at my age I should be ten times stronger, have my white hair, and be unstoppable. But I dont have that, Im so far behind it kills me, but Im still pushing forward. And saying that youre stupid, is stupid because youre the smartest man Ive ever met. Peter: Yeah right, all my gadgets are Grays ideas. I just make them. Edward: Well thats a feat itself, and Gray didnt tell you to how to make your explosives or your explosive launcher. And you made a car, I dont even know how you managed it. Even if Gray helped, you two still did it. Peter throws himself up, enraged by Edward''s words. Peter: SHUT UP! You dont know that, it brokeit failed, we almost diedwe were almost lateI just kept messing up manI embarrassed Soku and I made you lose your mother''s drawingandoh. Edward is stunned by Peters knowledge of the photo, the only thing he had left of his mothers, which was placed in the bag that got stolen in Mier. Edward had kept that a secret from everyone that isnt Gray, but Peter somehow knows. Peter quickly covers his mouth, falling back to the ground. Edward: You knew about that? Dont worry, its alright, you couldnt have done anything, its fine. Peter: THATS THE PROBLEM! I CANT DO ANYTHING! I BEING WEAK, PITIFUL! AND I JUST KEEP MAKING A FOOL OF MYSELF! Edward goes to say something, but he doesn''t, staying silent. And so does Peter, just sitting there while the wind whistles in the air. Peter: Do you know why I keep getting so mad at Lance when he calls me a rabbit? Why did I even take the mask Edward: NoI dont. Why? Peter: Becausebecause of my mother. She said I was jumpy, so she called me her little rabbitand Lance keeps rubbing it in my face. Edward: Oh. Im sorry for that. But he doesn''t know this, you have to tell him so he stops doing it. Peter: Hell no, hed just keep making fun of meOH! Were supposed to go out for the party stuff and I forgotand Im still wasting our time. Edward stands up, patting Peter on his head. Edward: Just stay here, get some alone time okay? Keep training. You can go out next week Peter: Alright, have fun. Peter watches as Edward walks away, leaving the cottage with Lance and Soku. Throughout the night, all Peter does is work on the Silver Chariot. He uses the parts he had bought. Looking at his sketchbook, which holds notes, designs, and various other miscellaneous things, he just stares longingly at a blank page. Peter: Edwardhe just left when he got nervousthey arent family, they dont even treat themselves like it. They have groups, Rosemary only talks to Gray and Soku, hell she doesnt even have anything in common with Gray, she just thinks hes hot. Gray and Soku hang out, hell theyre the only ones who seem like real friends. And then theres Edward, training all day and night not saying a word. He and Gray are supposed to be brothers in the war, yet they hardly talk. This whole thing is a lie. In a fit of rage, he throws his book across the backyard, slamming his fist onto the hood of the Silver Chariot. Peter: All I''ve done is help. I made the communicator, I made the Silver Chariot, and I made the explosives that wounded Arthur. And Ive never gotten more than casual thanksIve carried them with no strength at allEVERYTHING WOULD BE USELESS WITHOUT ME! I could sell my ideas to Rupert and get rich. I could rub in their faces, and theyd be looked upon as the guys that knew me! Peter continues to slam his fist into the hood, but he suddenly stops, He then turns around, rubbing his hand, and goes to get his sketchbook mumbling to himself. Peter: Soku got mad at me when I told her not to rush into things, that she wasnt ready. Im the bad guy for being right because I didnt lie. She should be the one getting shunned, not me. He flips the page to his current rifle design, staring into it. Peter: ButI dont want to leave them. I have a shot here, a shot to have friends, a family againBUT I SHOULD HAVE GONE TO SEA WITH LEO! I HAVE BEEN SO STUPID! Drops of tears fall onto the page, coming from Peters distraught eyes. Peter: If Lance says one more thing about the rabbit maskIll shove his words down his throat, and an explosive along with it. So the grudge grows bigger. His anger, embarrassment, pride, greed, and desire to just understand grows to another height. Though for now, even if hed say different, its all talk. But if you were to give him a few weeks, he could be in a completely different country. Thats just how far his hate has grown, his want to grow is greater than anybody in the group, but hed be the one to work towards it the least. End of Chapter Twenty-seven Arc 6: Chapter 28. Hello sir Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 28. Hello sir After a night of partying and criminal deals, Gray lays down on his nice soft bed beside a sleeping Rosemary. He undresses, snuggles up into his blankets, and closes his eyes, falling fast asleep. Then, as he drifts into a deep sleep, he sees a large black fire consuming a city. The horrific screams of his friends, Arthur''s laughter, and Caesar''s breathing filled the air. Being able to do nothing but watch, hes forced to watch their skin boil, their eyes melt, and his body is consumed. All in just a few seconds, hes been turned to ash, finding himself in a black void. His body reforms, being completely naked and severely cold. In this black winter, hes floating in nothing, shivering to the core. The black void then becomes alive, stretching off into tendrils that grab Grays body, wrapping him in it almost entirely. His shivering turns to a nice sense of warmth, being sent into a trance, but a strange figure quickly pulls him out of it, granting him his consciousness back. But the strange figure is grabbed by the tendrils, being whipped away. Now, about to be pulled back into the warm trance, he screams for help. And right as hes about to be sucked back in, he bursts into an inferno of black flames, killing off the void, and waking him up. Drenched in sweat, he flies up from his bed, fearing for his life. This causes Rosemary to wake up, comforting him. Rosemary: Gray! Calm down, its okay. She nuzzles her head into his back, trying to ease him down. But its no help, hes panicking, hyperventilating, at a loss for anything. Rosemary: Youre safewhat dream was it? The Athens one, your parents, or something else? Gray begins to calm down, slowing his breath. Gray: I haventhad the parent onesince we left the mansion Rosemary: Okay, I know that. So what was it this time? Gray: Itwas nothing. A random dreamwe gotta start heading to the mayor''s office, so lets get ready. Gray gets up and heads right to the bathroom. Inside the reasonably modern bathroom for a medieval period, shower and all, he removes all the sweat off of his body. Whilst in the shower, he lets the boiling water hit his skin, as if he wants it to burn the pain away. Inside Edward''s room, hes also suffering from a nightmare, but a much different one from Grays. Its in a seemingly endless hallway, with a locked door at the end. But in an instant hes pulled to it, being forced to listen to the constant banging on the other side. Let me out! is what is said over and over while scratching the metal door. It creates a sound so loud it echoes throughout the hall. Edwards silent, as if he doesn''t understand whats happening to him, and then in a flash, hes pulled out of the dream. He slowly wakes up, cracking his eyes to see the morning sun from his window. After a night of partying, hes worn out, but hell manage. By the time hes dressed and ready Grays getting out of the shower, letting his long wet hair dangle in his face. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Edward: Long night? Gray: More eventful than long. Downstairs, Soku and Rosemary, who are already dressed, sit and wait for everyone else. Peters outside practicing with his rope dart, Lance sits outside on the front porch and Julius also waits outside. Julius, standing in front of his carriage, claps his hands right as everyone leaves the cottage. Gray: Its too early to be doing this. Soku: Agreed. Gray and the others follow Julius into the carriage, trying their best not to fall asleep. Even Peter, who didnt party, but accidentally stayed up too late working on the Silver Chariot. Gray: So this is it right? Go see the mayor and were done with all this mission stuff. Julius: Yep! And then you can relax, practice, and do whatever you would like. Soku: Greatcould go for a long break during this vacation. Gray and Soku slouch down in their seats, yawing on their way down. So in silence, they travel through the streets, over the stream, and up to a tall brick building with white columns and a golden-domed roof. Five acres of land, with smaller buildings on both sides. A courtroom, and another office building with similar designs to the main office building. The carriage pulls through the gate, going down the stone path toward the office, and finally pulling up in front of it. Everyone exits the carriage, stretching and yawning. Gray turns his attention to the large flag in the center of the road, blowing in the wind. Constals flag, a red star split in the middle with three small golden circles going down the cut middle. Gray: Cool I guess. Soku: Kinda lame compared to all the castles weve been to. Julius: Well Constal is a city, not the capital of a great country. Its the only city recognized as great in all of Saga, the Holy City. Its founder who blessed this land is unknown, but his achievement is honored everywhere. Julius leads them up to the front doors, gently knocking. The noise of quick steps getting closer and closer is heard, and then the sudden peaking of a young girl through a side window is spotted. Everyone spots it, though everyone other than Julius is surprised, and as soon as they spot it she disappears, because she was too busy opening the door. The brown-haired girl, looking roughly fifteen, is dressed in a red and black long-sleeve short-shirted steampunk esc dress, with a red bow on the neck area. But once she spots who they are, shes astounded, overwhelmed with joy. Lisa: OH MY GOSH! IM LISA! AND YOURE THE HEROES OF WALGONIA! Her loud screams hurt everyone''s tiered ears, other than Julius, and theyre even more surprised when she runs up to greet all of them. Lisa: GRAY KYOJIN, THE PHANTOM KNIGHT! EDWARD VAN HELSING, THE END BRINGER, ROSEMARY GOLDENWIND THE LAST GOLDEN KNIGHT, SOKU THE ELF OF WINDS, AND JULIUS CROMWELL! Peters is annoyed at first, angered that she didnt greet him, but hes surprised when she spots him. Her eyes light up, overjoyed by the sight of him, and hes embarrassed when she begins touching his elf ears. Lisa: Peter Day, the engineer! You engineered the sound system, and made multiple variations of weapons that giant companies havent been able to get close to! The horseless carriage, mini explosives, all unthinkable things you made! And to think youre a Dark elf as well, Ive never met a Dark elf! Peter is unable to react, overwhelmed, but his ego is stroked when he sees a jealous Lance staring at him. Lisa is pulled away by an annoyed black-haired woman, who jerks her back very roughly. This sends a chill down Rosemarys spine, but she stands down, not wanting to make a fool of herself. Assistant: I am Mayor Greta Crossfeild''s assistant, come inside and Ill show you to her. Julius: I think you for that. Lisa: COME ON WE GOTTA GET GOIN! End of Chapter Twenty-eight Arc 6: Chapter 29. The Holy land Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 29. The Holy land Lisa frantically points to the various paintings on the walls. Past kings, queens, princes, and the entire Cromwell family line. The paintings of buildings, streets, dragons, and the long stream going through Constal. Assistant: Again, I apologize for her attitude. Just like her ambitious mother, she plans on being a historian. Shes delved into the history of everything she can get her hands on, Walgonias, Ravorias, Valatrositices, Athens''s, and everywhere else, even the more obscure areas. The assistant glares at both Gray and Edward on a few separate occasions, confusing them. They continue walking through the halls, peeking into the offices, seeing mountains of paperwork, and courtrooms filled with people. Gray: So what are we going here? Just talking to the mayor or? Assistant: I was informed that Julius would speak to Greta about a variety of things, he didnt mention you all showing up. Julius: I thought you would enjoy doing something other than staying at the cottage. Soku: Uggh. Lisa: Well if you all arent doing anythingYOU SHOULD COME WITH ME! The assistant looks at everyone, and then signs. She nods her head to Lisa, and Lisa responds with a loud cheer. Lisa: WOOHOO! COME ON LETS GO! Lisa grabs Peters hand, pulling him off down another hallway, so everyone else follows. Though Edward stays behind for a second to speak with Julius. Julius: Are you not going with them? Edward: I am butnever mind I dont wanna get behind. Julius thinks about stopping Edward, but he quickly loses interest and continues walking to the mayor''s office. Down the hall, with Lisa and the others, she begins leading them outside into the courtyard. Lisa: OH! Did you know a few hundred years ago, it was presumed that another great biome existed in Walgonia? It was a giant tundra! But research has told us that it melted down into the great lagoon! Gray: Theres a great lagoon? Rosemarys about to explain it, but Lisa takes over the conversation very quickly. Lisa: Youve never heard!? Its in the north of Walgonia, and it takes up just as much space as the capital, oh, and did you know the capital is the smallest one in Saga? Other than Athens of course, but thats gone now. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Soku: Well arent you chipper. Lisa: Quick follow me! Lisa leads them around the building, over to a closed well. Everyone stands confused, watching as she struggles to pull the wooden planks off the top of the well. Peters quick to rush in front of Lance, trying to help her. Lance, embarrassed, tries as well, easily picking up the planks while Peter struggles. Lance: There you go! Lisa: Yeah thanksCOME ON LETS GET IN! Lisa jumps down, shocking everyone. Gray quickly reacts, flowing the cloak out from its charm to grab her, which hes able to do. Gray: Are you okay! Gray yells into the well, and hes met with an echoing response from Lisa. Lisa: NO WAY! THIS IS THE LEGENDARY CLOAK OF DARKNESS, ONE OF THE FOUR CURSED CHARMS! ONCE USED BY THE WITCH OF DESPAIR! ALSO KNOWN AS THE WITCH OF DARKNESS! Rosemary: I think shes fine. Lisa: COME ON DOWN! Gray uses his cloak to help everyone down, everyone except Lance, who hates the idea of going down in the well. Once theyre all down in the small well, Lisa leads them through a small opening in the wall, leaving to a tunnel. Lisa: Weve collected almost no knowledge of our history before the last four hundred years. We have structures, language, and folklore, so it isnt like we didnt exist, but something happened that destroyed most of our history. In the historian community, its been referred to as the Great Purge of Knowledge. And between the years six hundred and nine hundred, somebody ruled over all of Saga and made it illegal to write down anything. Soku: Wheres this going? Lisa: Sorry, but this is important! In the missing two hundred years, once the ruler was defeated by Godrick Walgonia, Wilheilm Valatrositce, and Pandora Voria, the world''s history reset before the two hundred years as if they wanted to act like it never happened. The world has shown it will destroy our history if it feels like it, so when I found this when I found the answers, I want to make sure it wont ever be destroyed! Gray: Hey, she said to Pandora. Do you guys think its the same Pandora thats with the Sect? Soku: I mean its possible, but I wouldnt bet on it. Sometimes people just have the same name. As they get a bit farther into the tunnel, it gets narrow, making it almost impossible to move in, so luckily she stops. Soku: Hey! I dont like small spaces like this! Lisa: Its fine, look, follow me! Lisa pushes through a small crack in the wall, going into a large room. They follow, finding themselves inside a building lit by crystals. Everyone looks on in confusion, except Gray. The benches, bookshelves, stained glass windows, its all too familiar. Gray: Were in an underground cathedral! Lisa: Exactly! Gray then looks at the large tapestry on the wall, and the sight causes his mouth to drop. The white robes, red cross in the center, large sword, knight helmet, and cloak with a cross on it as well. Its far too close to be called a coincidence, so it must be true. Gray: Thats a crusadera holy knighthes from where Im from. On the tapestry, such a crusader stands atop a dragon with its golden glowing sword piercing its heart. Gray: So this guy, who was he? And have you told anyone else about this? Lisa: Ive told my mother, but she instructed me not to tell anyone until she found the proper counsel to hold the finding to. And the crusader, Ive read every single book in here, and it speaks of him. Other books, suspected to be founded around this time, never use his name, and neither do the ones in here. It uses a symbol, the symbol on his chest, do you know if that has any significance? Gray looks around, at a loss for words. Gray: It was a religious thing. So he was this grand figure? Lisa: Extraordinary, he was the one responsible for bringing about the fall of the Yagari empire. He helped make the pure race as they call it in the scripture, though I do not know what they are. He was a spirit or a god, but he could purify the world. And his sword could shape mana, and apparently, he made the Ever-Biomes. Though, it says he died making them, and he was risen'' anew. Thats all I was able to figure out. It speaks of things surrounding a secret society, but nothing else references the existence of it in any book Ive read, so either theyre still secret, or theyre gone. Edward: The pure raceI wonder what that could be. Soku: This guy was around Godricks time. He made the foundation for him to free the world, along with Pandora and Enzo. Like a fourth grand figure, and yet hes nothing? It seems impossible. Rosemary: Weve seen the impossible over and over. The world is trying to hide itself, and the people of it try to burn it to the ground. It does give more questions than answers, but this could beno this is revolutionary. Gray: It is a revelation. A strange one at that. Lisa grabs Peters hand, leading him out of the room. Lisa: Quickly! We must hurry back! End of Chapter twenty-nine Arc 6: Chapter 30. Sticky situations Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 30. Sticky situations Gray, Lisa, and the others begin walking out of the underground cathedral, forcing themselves back into the tight tunnel. Gray: Why are we leaving so quickly? Lisa: Well my mom told me not to show anybody, and shell get mad if she finds us! Due to his large body size, Edward struggles to get through the cracked hole in the cathedral. Gray turns around, noticing his absence. Gray: Edward you good!? Those muscles holding you back!? Edward begins panicking, unable to force himself through. Everyone quickly realizes this and begins to panic as well. Gray tries moving his head to look over everyone else but is met with a spiderweb in his face. This causes Gray to panic, screaming out. Lisa: CALM DOWN! Gray: NO, NO, NO! I HATE SPIDERS, GET IT OFF! Gray becomes wedged in the tunnel, causing a suppressed claustrophobia to come to the surface. This causes him to freak out even further, trying to force himself out of this tight predicament. Soku, one whos open about her claustrophobia, begins freaking out as well, shutting down, and curling up into a ball. Lisa has no idea what to do, so she begins panicking as well, squeezing a panicking Peter. Peter began freaking out the second they got into the tunnel, which leaves only Rosemary left to deal with everyone. Rosemary: EDWARD! HOLD YOUR BREATH, PUT YOUR ARMS THROUGH FIRST, AND SUCK IN YOUR GUT!. SOKU! YOURE SMALL, YOU WONT GET STUCK! GRAY! WHEN WE GOT TO THE CAPITAL WE RAN AWAY FROM A GIANT ARCH-GORILLA, A SPIDER GORILLA AND YOU DIDNT ACT LIKE THIS! GET IT TOGETHER! LISA, PULL PETER OUT, YOURE ABOUT TO REACH THE EXIT ANYWAY! Gray takes a deep breath, then slowly comes back into his right mind. Lisa begins dragging Peter out of the tunnel, Soku stands back up and walks over to a still-stuck Edward. With Rosemarys advice, he was able to start wedging himself through, and then Soku helped him by placing her hand on his back and blasting wind mana onto him, blowing him into the small tunnel. This causes an excess of dust to be blown through the tunnel, making it difficult to breathe. They all take a deep breath and start quickly shimming their way out. Once they finally make it out, Gray grabs everyone with the cloak of darkness, then attaches it to the top of the well, pulling them all out. Lance, who was fast asleep in the grass, is quickly woken up by their sudden appearance. Lance: What was down there? Lisa: Nothing too important, let''s go inside now! Everyone wipes the dust off of themselves while they begin walking back into the mayors office. Lisa: I cant believe I was touched by THE CLOAK OF DARKNESS! And that I was commanded by a golden knight! Oh, and Edward! Can I ask you about something!? The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Edward suppressed her desire to talk to him, alleging her question, nodding his head. Lisa: GREAT! SO! Hows the warrior''s spirit working!? Ive read so many books about the Heslings I could be considered a master in the subject! But every Helsing from Yoru to Musashi! But theyve all described it differently. Either its a ghost that takes you over, or a want you cant resistbut I wanna hear it directly from the source! Edward sighs, annoyed by the question. But he still answers to the best of his ability. Edward: Its almost like your subconscious, how it makes you feel something you might not want to. Its like its built into you, an urge to push yourself, to protect yourself. It pushes every bad feeling away, leaving you with only an adrenaline-filled rage to protect yourself with. A defense mechanism that youre supposed to snuff out and get your white hair. Lisa: But what does it feel like? Is it real, or is it an emotion? Like does it speak to you, can you see it, feel it, or do you just know? Everyone turns to Edward, interested in what hell say. The idea of a built-in defense mechanism is interesting, but Edward''s natural disdain for it is even more interesting. This hate for it, not wanting to speak of it, not wanting to even acknowledge it. In the past, when Julius had asked about it during the knight''s exam, he was deeply angered, when he was fighting Gray and he screamed at the audience about it, and when he first fought Conroy and he begged for him to let it consume him. A title or way to see him that most people hold, and its deeply aggravating for him, but now, he seems almost sad about it, not angry. Its like hes come to accept it as an ability instead of it being a part of him, something he hasnt fully come to understand himself. Edward: Its like a chill thats always going down your spine, and when it starts to hurt, you either push through the pain, or you let it take hold. Edward''s somber attitude toward the subject causes everyone to feel a bit down, so Lisa moves on from the topic. Once they make it into the building, they hear a woman yelling. Lisa: MOM!? Lisa begins running down the hall, surprising the others. Gray: Should we run after her!? Soku: I dunno, speed walking would be better. Lance: HELL NAH! I WANNA SEE WHATS GOIN'' ON! Lance bolts down the hall, stumbling into the mayors office. Everyone else speed walks over, finding the mayor yelling in anger at Julius, whos as calm as ever. Lisa: MOM WHATS WRONG!? Greta Crossfield, the mayor of Constal, is dressed in the same outfit that Lisa is and also has brown hair to further their resemblance. However, instead of having her hair down as well as long bangs spread out by the middle part like Lisa, she has shorter bangs and her hair in a side bun. But just because they share a similar appearance, doesn''t mean they act the same, as shown by how shes snapping at Julius. She put her hand over her face, trying to hold back her anger. So, to speak for her, the assistant walks in. Assistant: Julius here wants Greta to sign over rights to Constal, the land that is. Julius: Well its only fair, its on the land of Valatrositce. And I, prince of Valatrositice, think that I have the right to this land. But, I know that they own this as private land, that I should get permission instead of attacking in full force. Everyones shocked by Julius words, surprised that he would be trying to claim their land. Gray: Is that worth it? Whats the problem with city-states, it raises morals and how the Prince sees their worth. Everyone is also surprised by how Gray worded his statement, especially Soku. Soku: Umyeah what Gray said. But theres more to it, why do you need to claim the land? Julius: Look, I apologize for not passing you all through this first, but I do not have to. You all are my companions, but you are not my business partners. So if I may ask this kindly, would you all leave the room? You may go back home or stay here until I am ready to go, do you understand? Everyone looks at each other, a bit confused by Julius quick change in his manner. Though with only a bit of thought, they realize hes been like this since the beginning, which causes them to feel a bit dumb. Hes not evil, but hes not at all what they saw him as, but thats their fault because hes his person with his own goals, he just happened to meet with them. A chance of luck, luck that caused an experience that theyd never have again, but that doesn''t make him family, as much as they thought it did anyway. Edward: Well just go home, well see you later. Lance: Ugh, do I have to go with them? Im just gonna stay here with you. Julius: You may do whatever you like, I do not care. They all leave the room, a bit aggravated, but they come to terms with it fairly quickly. Gray: Hes a dick. Peter: Yeah, figured hed be a bit nicer. Lisa: NO YOURE LEAVING!? I STILL HAVE SO MUCH TO ASK! Rosemary turns to Lisa, then takes a knee. Rosemary: Im sorry, but we must go. I hope we see you again someday Lisa! Lisa shakes her head and slowly walks away, causing everyone to feel a bit sad. But they push on, walking to their carriage, and being on their way home. End of Chapter Thirty Arc 6: Chapter 31. Insanity filled boredom Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 31. Insanity filled boredom While riding away from the mayors office, the capital building of Constal. Theyre all confused, mainly about Julius and how they should feel about him. Is he a trader, or did we betray him a thought thats passed through their minds. He may be doing something they dont fully agree with, not something thats evil in nature. Rosemary: Did we really need to leave so quickly? I mean, we could have kept talking with Julius. Gray: Sorry, but I just wanted to leave. Constal is its own thing, owned by its people. Julius has been doing this the entire time weve been here. Take us somewhere, make some weird deal with them which is mainly morally wrong, and he just takes us there. Soku: Is it really that bad? Hes trying to grow his country before he becomes king. Its pretty smart, ya know, to get stronger. Edward: Would he even be king? Hes partnered with the Montgomery family, and theyre trying to stop the monarchy. It would go against what he wants. Peter: Hes smart and calculated, even things hes ever done have had a motive. Going with you guys to escape the Sect, going to Athens and building some sort of connection, saving Walgonia to get a name for himself and get connections, and now hes here. I dont know if this is because Ive never really liked him, but Im just saying, hes not trustworthy. Gray begins mumbling to himself, trying to think of what to do. He goes far enough to bite his lip subconsciously. His eyes widen as he repeats what Zhao''s note said, Keep the people you trust far, and keep the people you think you can trust as far as possible. But hes still resisting it, the idea of ditching his friend, or who he thinks is his friend. Rosemary: It would be wrong to throw him out because we dont like something he did. Ill stand on this unless he does something unforgivable, I wont treat him any differently than we have been so far. Soku: Whatever, I dont care either way. Im the one agreeing with him, I dont get why you guys dislike it so much. Edward: Hes strengthening his country, its what weve been doing. At first, I was a bit thrown off, but the more I think about it, it makes more sense. So Id say Im on his side as well. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Gray: Ugh, I guess. But still, we should be wary of him. Hes cunning, so how do we know hes not playing us, fattening us up yknow. Peter: So were on his side then. I guess It would be bad to hate the guy that got us here until New Yearbut still, this is gonna be a long couple of weeks. Everyone nods their heads, and for the rest of the ride home, theyre silent. The same thing goes for the next couple of days. They just follow the same routine for over a week, missing the Friday and Saturday party. They wake up, eat breakfast made by Rosemary, train or relax, and Peter works on the Silver Chariot, all delving into their minds. Every night Gray and Eward suffer from nightmares, pulling down their enthusiasm by the day. And its all building towards the day Grays has been fearing since the deal was made. The assassination of Chezera, the slave master. Doing so would achieve a real partnership between the group and the Montgomery company, as well as Jimmy All, The Duke of the Sea, and possibly Smolder, the Anarchist. As the days get closer and closer, his OD burns hotter and hotter, as if the stress is eating at him. Somethings whispering in his ear, telling him to stay still, to calm down, and to remain cold. Its almost the opposite of Edward, somethings still whispering in his heart, but its telling him to move forward. To delve within his mind, and let it go, to transcend to a new way of life, one hes been holding back. The way of the warrior, a barbarian, but unlike Gray, hes pushing it away. Push the anger down, its being filled into a pool of emotion hes abandoned since he was a boy, and its overflowing. Ever since Edwards met the others, fallen into this never-ending journey, a journey thats fueling the fire. Fire and Ice, hot and cold, day and night, complete opposites that cannot exist without the other, and theyre running to the point of failure. Peters having the same issue but with pride and ego. Both the lack of having one as well as having too big of one, its deeply enraging. So to leave this hate away, to stop all the stress, hes been putting it into his work. Better tools, weapons, and more until he realized he hadnt slept in days. After two weeks of insanity-filled boredom, and skipping out on the Friday party, its finally Saturday. Its finally time for Gray to kill Chezera, and hes livid about it. But, since hes kept it a secret from the others, hell need to think of an excuse, which he does. Rosemary: What do you mean you need to go!? Gray: Calm down, Julius asked me to go back to the capital with him. We werent doing anything important, he just wanted me to kinda be his bodyguard. Rosemary: Can I come with you? Gray: I want to have some time to myselfsorry. Rosemary sighs, but she understands. With a quick hug and a kiss, she and the others wave Gray off, watching as he begins walking away. Gray {I should probably just go to the underground bar thing, hopefully, Rupert will be there. On the walk, I can finally get some peace to myself, not some awkward silence with everyone around.} Gray slowly walks down the street, dressed in the clothes he had bought a week earlier, looking into stores, watching the families walk around, and relaxing. The streets are quiet, filled only by the mumbles of the passerby. The cold fall wind blows through the air, whistling as it does so, furthering the isolated nature of whats about to transpire. Gray {JuliusI still cant believe hes threatening to take over Constal. I wonder if I should astral project to Ryo and tell him all thisbut I wouldnt want to move too hastilyugh this sucks. Im all mopey, Peter and Edward are as well, and its dragging everyone down. We just gotta get back to Greenvale and everything will be okayhopefully.} Gray continues moving to Rupert''s gentlemen''s club, walking alongside the flowing stream. The Misuri River is a river that leads from a large lake, a lake that flows from the ocean. On the river, Gray sees small boats filled with cargo, which is most likely imported overseas. Flags blow in the wind, Constal''s red stars, and the people of Constal respect and love their home, which cant be said for most of the places theyve been to. The tall buildings block the sky, the people block the street, and the gondolas block the sea, but it still feels spacious. Walgonia was homey but separated, Valatrocitus was gloomy, Athens was broken, Mier was lively, but Constals alive. An organism with sweat, blood, and tears built into it, with a bit of artsy love. And Grays walking right underneath it, the pit. End of Chapter Thirty-one Arc 6: Chapter 32. Nut up Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 32. Nut up Finally, after an hour and a half of walking, Gray makes it to Rupert''s Gentlemen''s Club. Standing right outside of the iron door, staring at the overgrown weeds in front of it, realizing he hadnt remembered the passcode. Filled with stress, he rubs his eyes, which have some newly found bags, something that hasnt been prevalent since he got into this world. In a moment of genius, he thinks to call upon Azaela to rummage through his memories and find the passcode. He forms a fist, placing it right in his palm, closes his eyes, and seeps deeply into his mind. As he falls into his mind, deep into his OD, finding it a mess. Not the black obvious with purple smoke like it once was, but its much worse. Its boiling, filled with black flames, and instead of the room just being dark, its pitch black. Being almost impossible to see, all he can do is feel the flames get closer to him. He closes his eyes, opening them to blast a blinding white light, illuminating the area. And doing this hes horrified by what he sees. Large black tendrils swarm the flames, trying to put them out, but once they see Gray, they go to attack him. He attempts to run, but the ground swallows him up, fully consuming him with his OD. But in a second of hope, he sees a glowing red figure, like a ball of power thats barely taken shape. It places its pulsating hand on his forehead, forcing him to fully delve into the spiritual state, causing a bright white light to shoot from his mount. Filled with fear and confusion, hes hit with a barrage of images, altered ones. A war between unrecognizable forces, a clearing of a deep fog, the slaying of a black dragon, and the smile of a vampire, are all seen in first person. Hes then hit with his memory, watching as Rupert knocks on the top, two at the bottom, and on the right on the metal slip. His eyes stop glowing, and he finds himself standing outside of the door, drenched in sweat. Hes about to collapse, but he keeps his composure. Hes about to use a secret knock, but he watches as the metal slip opens, seeing Chester''s eyes. Chester: Oh, youre here early. I didnt even know you knew the knock. Grays confused, mainly with the fact he hadnt knocked on the door yet or had he? What happened in the few seconds he was unconscious, whats wrong with his OD? Was it a dream, was it a premonition, was Azalea trying to take him over, or was he dying? All questions hes forced to look away from to speak with Chester. Gray: Sorry, I didnt know what time to show up. Gray hears Gray take a puff of his cigarette and then a small chuckle. Chester: Its fine, youre in your clothes. I can walk you through everything while we wait for Rupert, and it wont be long, half an hour or so. Gray: Alright then. Chester opens the door for Gray, letting him into the almost pitch-black hallway. Gray: Whats with this place being all dark. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Chester: Its so if that door is ever opened, you cant see the false wall. Grays confused about what Chester means by the false wall, because the last time he was here, he couldn''t see anything. But its easier to understand when Chester pushes in a brick on the wall, unlocking the door. So, he forces the door open, giving Gray a sight of the club without anybody in it. Its like going to work on the morning shift, nothings set up and nobodys there, its peaceful. Chester pulls out a chair, sitting down while they wait. Gray: Where is he? Chester: Hes on the train right now, he thought youd be here a bit earlier. Why are you here so early? Gray: I needed to get some fresh air, so I figured Id get a head start. Chester finishes his cigarette, balling it up and placing it into an ashtray. Chester: You look a lot worse than the last time I saw you, youre hairs down, you got eye bags, and youre all pale. Gray: So youre saying Im almost on your level? Chester laughs, smacking his legs while doing so. Chester: I might be weaker than my brother, but I still have legs as strong as iron. Dont make me show you how much they hurt. Gray steps up to Chester, putting his face in his face. Gray: I could put you in a grave without even trying. Chester pushes Gray away, standing up right after. He then pulls out another cigarette, lighting it with a flame crystal. Chester: You want one? Gray: Im good. Ill just take a nap. Chester shrugs his shoulders and walks off, leaving Gray by himself. Gray sits down on the table and slowly drifts off to sleep. By the time he wakes up, Ruperts is just getting into the club, waving to him when he enters. Gray rubs his eyes, yawns, and gets up. Gray: I wanna talk to you before I kill that guy. Rupert: I figured, I havent even told you how youre gonna get there. So, what do ya wanna ask me? Gray pulls the chair out in front of him, using it to prop his leg up. Gray: Why should I do this, what do you get out of it? You already killed Dorothy, and I could take you out without much issue. Ive got gods of war on my side, enough evidence to sick them on you, and Valatrocitus has fallen to a degree I could wage war and win without much issue. Rupert squints his eyes, but hes honestly impressed. He takes out a cigar and tosses it to Gray, taking one out for himself as well. Rupert: Waging war might help me a bit. Our mutual friend Arthur went to me to make the guns, so I have a monopoly on them. For people without actual power, using a sword wont do much, but a small cannon? Thatll close the gap, and every country will want em. Gray: So you sell to everyone? Thatll last for a bit until people just reverse-engineer them and make them for themselves. Youre always gonna go down. Rupert: Depends on how long the war will last. So are you gonna do it or not? Do you want war, do you want it? They both glare longingly at each other, but Rupert calls Grays bluff. Gray: Tell me where Chezera is. Rupert: Good dog. Gray bites his lip but doesn''t do anything too heinous. He calms down and sits back down, preparing for Rupert to tell Gray what he needs to do. Rupert then places a white bird feather on the table, confusing Gray. Rupert: Alright, what youre gonna do is simple. Ill send you off in a carriage, and youll wait till you see him, and take him out. Youll use the dagger, kill him with it, and use this feather to wipe his blood up with it. Gray: So a straight-up assassination, got it. Gray stands up, takes the dagger from Rupert''s hand, takes the feather, and begins walking over to the door to leave. Gray: Wheres the carriage gonna be? Rupert: Right outside. So, youre not gonna be all sad about killing that guy? Gray: I gotta grow up sometime. Rupert smiles, sending a chill down Grays spine. Then, Gray begins walking towards the door, walking through it, and leaving the room, clutching his cursed charm as he does so. End of Chapter Thirty-two Arc 6: Chapter 33. A hidden blade Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 33. A hidden blade Gray walks out of the club, finding himself on the sidewalk beside the river. He hears a whistle and looks up to find Chester slouching on a covered wagon. He pets one of the two brown horses as he blows smoke into the air, smiling at Gray while he glares at him. Chester: Come on, Im ya driver. Gray sighs while he walks up the small set of stairs, getting onto the main road. He steps into the wagon and sits on a bench without saying a word. Chester sits on the driver''s seat, snapping the leads to get the horses going. Gray {Ive seen giant wolves, lizards, even dragons, but this is the first time I''ve seen horses, weird.} Chester: So, we''re gonna ride there the whole time in silence, or do ya wanna talk. Gray: Its whatever. You gotta map? Chester: Yep! Chester rummages through his dark red satchel, throwing Gray a crumbled map. He unfolds it, getting a good look at an up-to-date map of Valatrocitus. The Guard Fog that lies on Walgonias border, the Ever-bog that sits on Ravorias border, the Ever-desert behind it, and the Ever-forest to the southeast. Chester: Kinda looks like a boot right, like the continent is sticking its leg up. Gray: Yeah, and its all so close together. Walgonias capitals bigger but it doesn''t feel like it, or it doesn''t feel as alive. Each village and town is so far apart they feel like an oasis in the middle of infinite land, while here its just a few hours away. Gray looks closely at Consol on the map, giving him a better view of the area. Theyve been staying in the southwest corner and have traveled over the river to the mayors office in the center of the north. Gray: Didnt know there was a park, havent been to the northwest side yet. Chester: Yeah its weird right? I know Walgonia doesnt have one, its got too many people to leave some space open, and Valatrocitus is too gloomy. Im used to places being stretched for space, not leaving it open. Gray moves his finger across the map, going over to the closest town right down the road, Al-po. Chester stops the wagon, so Gray sticks his head out for a look. A guard walks up to him, asking him where hes going, but once he sees Chester the guard chokes on his words. The guard waves to another one, signaling him to open the giant metal gate, and he does. The large gate echoes throughout the streets, overtaking the sound of the pedestrians nearby, it even makes Gray a bit anxious. But once they reach the outskirts of Constal, it is a bit too quiet. The wooden wheels of the wagon roll over the marshy roads, squishing and sliding while the horse clamps through it. The wet sloshing of the movement causes Gray to get a bit sick, and Chester laughs as he listens to Grays groans. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Chester: Hehe, youll get used to it. Gray: Do we gotta worry about monsters? With all the giant Ever-biomes youd think there would be a bunch walking around. Chester: Thats the use of the holy land Constals built on. Something in the land is creating some sort of shield that works as a deterrent. Now, lets get focused. Chezera might have people guarding him, wagons full of his men. Hes a big figure, he owns a small town called Al-po near here, and thats where hes heading. So youre gonna have to be sneaky, remember that. Gray reaches behind his back, going under his shirt to grab a wrist talon, which was wrapped in the Cloak of Darkness. Chester turns around, surprised by the hidden weapon. Chester: You had that on ya the whole time? Gray: Its an assassin-type weapon anyway, figured Id bring it just in case. Chester: Can I see it? Gray nods his head, tossing the wrist talon. Chester catches it, closely inspecting it. Chester: Fine craftsmanship, its just a metal bracewhats in this little slit? Gray reaches over, grabbing the wrist talon. He then puts it on and focuses a bit of mana into the blank crystal inside of it, causing the blade to poke out. Gray: Its like a hidden blade, but its thick enough to fight with, Ive been thinking of ditching the swords for just this. Chester: Might be worth it, You''re quick, hit hard, and hard to hit, at least from what Ive heard. Gray smirks at the compliment, but his smile fades when he looks out of the wagon. Small homes covered in moss, sinking into the ground. He assumes hes in a small town, or what used to be one. Dark stone homes all sinking into the marshlands. The crops are dying, the people are sick, and the cattle are almost nonexistent, it reminds Gray of a normal medieval town. Gray: Whats with this place? Chester: Dont worry about it. Not all places are like Constal, Valatrocitus is a dangerous wasteland, its like its cursed. And Constal broke that curse, other towns exist, like Al-po, but Constal stands out in comparison. Gray: I thought Walgonia was kinda boring, but it was nice. Green, alive, bright, and this is sad. Constal is its own experience, but this is more what I figured it to be. Is Ravoira like this? Chester: Nobody knows. Nobody goes in or out, except Jimmy All and his crew. From what Ive heard, its dying out. All but the Capital are living, its their fault anyway. They just kept getting into conflicts, fighting and starting wars they couldnt win, and now theyre dying out. It''s gonna be a race between Walgonia and Valatrocitus for who takes the land, unless they share it, which I dont see happening. Gray leans back, watching the scenery go by and the sun go down, waiting patiently while approaching Al-po. After a few hours Grays finally able to see stone walls in the distance. Chester: There it is, Al-po. Gray: I thought we were gonna meet him on the road, what are we doing outside of it? Chester: I was told if we didnt see Chezera on the road we had to wait here for a bit. A carriage is heard rolling towards them, slowly creeping to it whilst under the gaze of the old night sky, unable to see the moon through the thick gray clouds. Chester and Gray both look to see a carriage with the symbol of gear on the door. The door opens, and Rupert steps out, to the surprise of both Gray and Chester. Then, right behind Rupert, steps out the large Demi-human bear man Orson. Chester: Boss, Orson, what are you doing here? Rupert: Something''s got Chezera spooked, he hasnt left Al-po for days, and he wont speak to anyone but me. I was told this a bit after you left so I had to catch up fast. Gray: Um, so am I still doing it? Rupert: Yeah, you are. Chester, come with me to the front gate. Theyre gonna check us, and while theyre doing that, Gray can sneak in over the wall. I want you to tail us and act when ready. Gray: How will I know when its time? Rupert: Trust me, youll know, and make it stylish. Rupert then throws Gray a recreation of his mask with the added detail of black lines stretching from the bottom, to the eyes, and to the back. Gray flips it, noticing an absence of a strap for his head. Gray: Hey, how do I use this? I cant put it on. Rupert: I dunno, this was quick, figure it out. Gray: Why do I have to wear this, this look is matched with my face. Theyll know I did it. Rupert leans in with a smirk on his face, cheekily giving Gray an answer. Rupert: If he sees it and you let him live, hell know, but if you kill him, nobody will ever hear of this. End of Chapter Thirty-three Arc 6: Chapter 34. Under the rug Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 34. Under the rug Gray stretches the cloak around himself, grabbing his mask and pulling it onto his face. He then runs to the side of the city, using his cloak to scale the large mossy stone wall. Once hes about to get to the top, the sound of him climbing such a wall alerts some nearby guards. They rush over so Gray hugs the wall to snugly shove himself onto such a wall. The guards, dressed in the bird-like masks that plague doctors wore, peer over the wall, seeing nothing. Once they walk away, Gray flips over the wall, landing on the wooden roof of a building. Due to Gray being as clever as normal, he made the cloak around his feet a bit thicker so it absorbed a bit of the noise. The streets are dirty, too dirty. The people are poor, starving, and dressed in rags. The homes are rat-filled, falling apart, and being held together by molding wood and broken stone. The scent alone is heart-wrenching, the decaying skin on all of the people, sewage overflowing onto the dirt roads, creating an almost permeate mud. The only thing that could keep anybody here is the fear of monsters walking about outside, dying slowly, or dying quickly and painfully. Gray watches from a distance as Rupert, Chester, and Orson get their things checked by the guards. Once theyre let in, Rupert uses a chain and points it at Gray, confusing the guards but telling Gray that Rupert''s more observant than he thought. Gray then trails Rupert''s carriage, watching as it makes its way through what can rarely be called streets, its just what separates the houses, not made to be a road. Then the only actual building, a small villa, hides behind clean white stone walls. The nice warm brick-built building is only two stories but compared to the small box-like homes before it, its enormous. A small compound guarded by the disease-ridden city, a light in the darkness, or evil in its path of destruction, living in it. The facility is heavily guarded, so Gray quickly swings between the buildings, using the disgusting mud to slide underneath the carriage. He uses the cloak to stick to the bottom, holding his breath and not breathing in the stench. The few minutes he stays feel like decades, and each second feels like hours, but its over far too late, as Gray had already become light-headed due to the strength. A few seconds away from falling unconscious, hes unaware of the villas guards who are about to check underneath the carriage. The guard leans in, but even through his thick mask, he begins gagging due to the stench, just missing the darkly coated Gray. So, the guards let them in, and even an inch into the compound the stench is almost gone. With the stone road, grass field, and warm air within the walls, its like hes back at Constal. Rupert, Chester, and Orson leave the carriage and are led by more guards to Chezears room. Grays unable to leave his uncomfortable position, but hes relieved when Guards begin pulling the carriage into a stable just beside the villa, locking it behind them. Gray then lets go of the carriages bottom, smacking into the patch of hay below him. He quickly crawls out from under the carriage, takes his mask off, and takes multiple deep breaths, then promptly pukes in the corner. Gray: SonastyI hate plague city Gray wipes his mouth, stands up and puts his mask back on. He then goes into the spiritual state to ensure the area is clear for him to pass through. Inside the Villa, Rupert, Chester, and Orson are led by guards, who are all wearing plague doctor masks and black cloaks. Chester: Whats with all the masks? Guard: Chezera makes us wear them, hes scared of getting sick. In his old age, one cold will do him in. Orson: Well, being surrounded by that town wont help keep him healthy. Guard: Say that to him, not me. Rupert pinches them both, shutting them up. While they walk, they look at how clean the home is. Each painting is dusted to perfection, the floor is spotless, and the rooms shine with glee. Gray uses his spiritual state to follow them, learning as much as he can. Gray {This place is like a germaphobe''s wet dream.} Once they make it to Chezeras room, they find themselves met with a large iron door. The guards knock on it, and they hear clunking from the other side, they slowly open the various locks on the door. Once its open, Rupert and the others are face-to-face with a masked Chezera, whos curling over onto his chain. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Chezera: What are you doing here!? Rupert: I heard you wanted to talk, but I didnt expect everything to be like this. Chezera: Dont mind this, come in, and leave your shoes out here. Chezera waves them on and sits down on a couch thats across from a matching one, which Rupertsits on. The guards pull the large iron door shut, which seems to lock automatically. Each window is also covered in iron, with the only thing being somewhat open is the balcony door, which is just sealed closed. Chester: Why are you all scared of getting sick? Something has gone down since the last time we met? Chezera: Its nothing Ruperts eyes sparkle like a light bulb lit up in his head. So he leans in, looks behind him to see Chester and Orson standing on his sides, and pulls out a cigar. Chezera is filled with a mix of anger and fear, smacking away the cigar. Chezera: NO SMOKE! NOTHING! Its not safenothings safeits all fallingandand youwontYOU WONT TAKE ME! Chezera stands up, tumbles backward, and pulls the top of his chain out, revealing it as a hidden blade. He then points it at Rupert, shaking so much hes barely able to stand. Rupert: Whats got you spooked? Im not going to do anything. Chezera: YOU LIE! YOU KILLED DOROTHY! AND YOURE WORKING WITH THE SECT! Rupert: Calm down, I spoke with a member of the Sect, yes, but Im not working with them. I thought you were known for speaking with them, isnt your wife a member? I heard she could infect beasts as well as people, turning them into jelly monstersand am I wrong? Chezera takes off his mask, showing his wrinkled face. Gray astral form floats around the room, getting a good look at every detail on his face. His long nose, the various moles on his skin, his balding head, his long wispy white hairs on the side, a generic old man as Gray would say. Chezera: YOU DARE! MY WIFE IS A SAINT! SHES HELD MY BUSINESS UP, BY MY SIDE! AND YOU DARE ACCUSE HER OF SUCH TREACHERY! YOU ARE A RAT! A DAMN STREET RAT! I REMEMBER YOUR FATHER BEGGING FOR CHANGE AFTER THE DEMI-HUMAN WAR! NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE, THE POWER YOU GAIN, YOULL NEVER STAND NEAR ME! I ALLOWED YOU IN HEAR, I LOCKED YOU IN HERE! YOU ONLY WALK MY GROUNDS BECAUSE I ALLOWED YOUR FILTH IN HERE! Rupert takes Chezeras words rather bluntly, simply accepting them. Orson does get a bit aggravated, but he holds his tongue, knowing its not right to act. Rupert: So what did you want to talk about? Is that all? Chezera: I wanted to tell you, you are nothingNOTHING! NOW LEAVE! Chezera stumbles around, trying to put his mask back on. Once he does, he runs over to the large iron door, struggling to open it. Orson walks over, his large figure intimidating Cheers to the point he almost collapses, so he moves across the room. Chezera: STAND AWAY YOU DAMN ANIMAL! YOU ARE A BEAST! I SELL YOUR PEOPLE! I OWN YOU! Orson grows, but he still maintains his cool, simply opening the large door for Rupert, Chester, and himself. Chester: Youre too scared you open up a window, and youre falling. Chester and Rupert stand up, and right as theyre about to leave Chezera opens the door to his balcony to spite them. Once they leave the door slams behind them, letting Chezera get a wave of relief wash over him. He walks over to the nice soft purple couch, slouching down to let his stress leave his body. The balconies open doors letting the cold wind flow in, causing the drapes to blow around. Then, in the blink of an eye, Chezera sees a figure dressed in black emerge from the darkness. Chezeras speechless, he falls backward and rushes towards the door, struggling to open it. Chezera attempts to scream for help, but Gray uses his cloak to grab his mouth, causing his screams to be useless. The muffled horrors are unheard by his guards, who couldnt care less about his actual safety. Gray begins slowly pulling Chezera towards him, watching in terror as Chezera frantically scratches at the stone floor, breaking his nails as he tries to save himself. The blood trail leaves a sick feeling in Grays stomach, but he forces himself through it. Chezera turns over, removes his mask, and spits on Grays mask. Chezera: Whoareno waitthat maskyoure..it cant be His dead eyes stare longingly at Grays white mask, unable to accept that the Phantom Knight is right in front of him. Though surprisingly, the scared old man regains a sense of confidence while Gray takes out the dagger. Chezera: Hemade you his dog. The great hero, what a joke. Gray: You know nothing about me. Chezera: I know he forced you into this, with threats of war, which you fed into. That mans a rat, he has no real physical powerhes all talk. Gray: And you aren''t? Youre the only man who sells children. Killing you would bring peace to the world. Chezera: You foolit kills the hierarchy, the stability of the world. EVEN IN DEATH, I WILL REMAIN ON ~ Gray tries to stab Chezera in the head, but Chezera resists. He pushes Gray away, causing Gray to stab Chezera in the side of his throat, which causes him an influx of pain. The burning sensation of the cold blade inside of his skin caused him to sink into a repulsive fear. Grays enraged with himself, watching as this old man cries and begs for his life, crawling to the large iron door. He bangs on it repeatedly, but with his lack of strength, hes unable to unlock it, so the guards are unable to enter. Gray removes his blood-stained mask, looking at Chezeras life slowly pulling out of his body, and after a brief few seconds, Chezera begins choking on his blood. Gray slowly approaches Chezera, taking the knife from his throat and sinking it into his skull, ending the fire of pain that had embedded itself into his body. The old man grabs Grays throat, but hes unable to do or say anything, dying with no one able to understand his last words. Gray uses the feather to wipe a bit of Chezeras blood, and sinks into the darkness, leaving through the balcony into the cold and disgusting ground below. End of Chapter Thirty-four Arc 6: Chapter 35. Drenched in sweat Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 35. Drenched in sweat Gray, drenched in sweat, tumbles out of the villa and into the mud. Panicking, he begins stumbling around, trying to hide his presence from the guards. Hiding behind a wall, he watches all of the guards rush into the villa, attempting to get into Chezeras blocked-off room. Gray removes his blood-stained mask, staring into it like its an entirely different person. Gray: What the fuck man Gray hears another whistle, looking over to see Rupert waving at Gray. The guards turn around, pull out their swords, and run toward Rupert, Chester, and Orson. Rupert: Orson, put them in their place. Orson fixes his tie and begins ravaging the guards. He uses his large sharp teeth to rip the people into shreds, coating the white stone in dark blood. Gray stumbles to the ground, watching in horror as the guards are ripped to shreds, limbs are torn off, blood is everywhere, and screams fill the air. After only a couple of seconds, every guard is turned to mush, and Orson sighs at his blood-stained clothes. Orsons roar whilst he is committing such acrostics play over and over in Grays mind. Chezeras dying noises, the horrific screams of the guards, Grays completely petrified. While engrossed in utter fear, Chester walks over to him, pulling him along. While drowning in fear, Gray begins falling into his psyche. His vision pears in and out, blanking between scenes, the broken town, endless marsh, dark figures of beasts in the distance, and the giant walls of Constal. After a night of shivering and sweating, Grays unconscious body stumbles around the streets of Constal, finding himself in front of a small figure. His vision is skewered, almost completely black with only the outlines of things to understand where he is. Now, in front of him, is a red glowing figure, like hes seeing in the infrared. Grays still scared, in fight or flight mode, and hes chosen to fight. The person in front of him goes to touch him, and whatevers controlling Grays body wants nothing of this. So Gray flows the cloak around him, creating four tendrils to protect himself with. Now, outside of Grays sense of vision, the assailant is revealed to be Soku, whos just trying to help him. She sees his clothing, the same clothes he bought when they were going shopping, she sees his mask, an almost perfect recreation of the one Arthur had broken, and the most glaring sight, the cloak of darkness. Soku: GRAY! CALM DOWN! ITS ME! SNAP OUT OF IT! Sokus screams of nothing to Gray, due to the fact he cant hear her. He shoots his cloak at her, so shes forced to dodge. Blasting backward with her wind magic, she counters with a burst of even more wind, pushing him back. Grays barbaric grunts and movements are nothing like his normal style of fighting, which is animal-like. He leans forward, letting the weight of the cloak push him down, and lunges at her. While using the cloak like an appendage other than a tool, it simply flows better. He uses the buildings beside him to guide by, using the tendrils to crawl across them like a spider, and he sends himself flying at Soku. She takes a deep breath and slashes her hand down, creating a dull wind blade, which he dodges by using the cloak to pull himself down. She uses this to her advantage, sliding her foot forward, and pushing a wave of wind at him. Now, due to how close he is, he uses the tendrils on his left side, swiping at her. She allows him to grab her, so when he gets up close she uses her mark of providence to boost her power and blow a large stream of wind from her mouth at Gray. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Unable to dodge, he tanks to attack, and it knocks the air out of his lungs, but he still pushes forward. He uses the cloak to catch himself and lunges at Soku once more, pulls back the tendrils, and throws them forward, picking up momentum and slamming into her. She stumbles backward and isnt given time to think before shes met with Gray close up and personal. She attempts to jump into the air, but he grabs her leg with the cloak and slams her to the ground. She looks around, panicking. The people in the streets look on in horror as this great figure is going to kill another, and Soku is unwilling to put in her full effort to stop Gray. Doing so may result in massive wounds or even his death, but her refusing to do this puts a stream of light into Grays mind. Right about to kill her with the wrist talon, which has just been unsheathed, hes given a chance to stop it. His vision opens for just a second, being able to see her scared face about to burst into tears. He puts his full effort in, straining himself to the point of failure, which was his plan. He causes his cloak to burst, giving him control of his body back, and with a quick slash from Soku, breaking his mask, he can feel the cold wind on his face. The second the mask is removed his eyes return to normal, leaving the spiritual state, and returning control of his body to him. He struggles to breathe, still filled with panic, but hes put at ease with Soku''s gentle touch on his back. Her soft hands pull him out of the hard pounding that is his mind. She tilts his head up, staring into his eyes. Soku: You good? Gray: I hope so Soku waves at the currently forming crowd, shooing them away. She then sits down beside Gray and quickly removes the necklace around his neck, taking the charm away and leaving Gray with a large weight taken off of him. He attempts to take it back, like an addict, but hes quick to realize this, so he pulls himself away. Soku: What did you do? Gray: ...II Grays hit with the memory of the previous night. Chezeras warm blood touched his hand, the mangled guards, the decaying town, and the stress of it all. But he remains content, stands up, wipes the sweat off of himself, and smiles. Gray: Im good. I had to do a jobwith Rupertbut I took out a slave, and put us in good faith with him. Soku: Youyou killed somebody? For that evil bastard? Are you stupid!? Gray: Hey, calm down, calm down. He figured out we didnt stop the baron in the Ever-forest, so I had to do something else. And what I did was better. Soku stands up, frantically throwing her arms around. Soku: YOU JUST WENT ON A RAMPAGE! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME! For the past two weeks, youve been distant, but this? This is CRAZY! We need to go back to Walgonia, to Greenvale, and get you to help. Gray: What!? Were here till New Year. I understand your fear, but this is the job we fell into. Its tough and stressful. Im sorry for attacking youI dont know what that was aboutbut Im gonna be fine. Soku: Fine enough to tell Rosemary about it? Gray is once again filled with panic, glaring at Soku. Gray: Ill tell her when its ready. But its not evil, so I dont see the point. She wont need to know. Soku: Oh? So youre going to lie to your lover, thatll work out. Gray: Im not lying to her, Im helping out from the shadows. Soku: Doesn''t sound like something a hero would do. Gray sighs, shoving past Soku. He quickly turns around, waving for her to follow, instantly repulsed by his actions. Gray: SorryIll tell her eventually. In a few weeksbut I need some time. Can you give me time? Please. Soku blows wind in his face, nodding her head when he cant see. Hes confused, but relieved, so they walk back to the cottage, both counting down the days until they leave. End of Chapter Thirty-four Arc 6: Chapter 36. Freerunning Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 36. Freerunning'' Whilst waiting for the long days to pass until New Year, they must spend three weeks doing a lot of nothing. Before Gray decided to sit around and do nothing, Soku and Gray decided to walk home instead to let the whole fight blow over. Gray: You did pretty well, though you gave up in the end. Soku: Hey! I didnt want to hurt you. You went all animalistic and tried to attack me, I just thought you finally lost it, but I wouldnt just kill ya. Gray: MPH! Excuses, this is zero for your winning score. Soku: This one doesn''t count. And Ill have you know that when we fought in the Knight Exams, you trained to fight for a month. Ill admit Im lazy, but you had to do all that to catch up, and I was a kid! Now Im fifteen, my mana has settled, and I have a mark of providence. If I went all out youd be dead. Gray: Sure buddy, if that makes you feel better. Gray walks in front of Soku, smirking to annoy her. She retaliates by blasting Gray in the back of the head with wind, knocking him over. He stands back up, brushes himself off, and struts along. Soku: Not gonna do anything? Gray: Im finally too tired to care. Soku: Oh no the suns gonna explode now! Gray chuckles, but he divides his attention to another subject, what should he do next? With the knowledge of the Sect in the city, the Montgomery companys growth, the Holy Knight and the history of the lost two hundred years, and the Revolutionaries. All these factions as well as findings are coming together, and he cant do much to stop it, but if he gets help something may be able to be done. Gray: When we got home I called Ryo. We need help, if something happenswe wont be able to stop it. Soku: What do you mean? Whats happening? Gray: Dont tell Rosemary or the othersbut the Sect is here. Soku is shocked, frantically trying to get any information she can. Soku: WHAT!? WHERE! WHO! What happened!? What do you know!? Gray shushes Soku, due to all the people staring at them. He gives all the eavesdroppers a nasty look, getting them to walk along before he continues. Gray: I saw one, a higher-up. Ive never seen him before, but he didnt seem to have any ill will towards me, so its not a revenge plot. But somethings going on. I thought all this stuff was like some one-off adventure, but its something biggerits gotta be. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Gray goes to speed up, but hes stopped by Soku, whos pulling on his shirt. Gray: Yeah? Soku: Come with me, if you wanna get home quick why not learn from the master of free running. Gray stares at Soku, a bit confused, and watches in awe as she runs up the side of the wall. She uses her wind to give her a big boost while using the bricks and other hand holds to scale the three-story wall in under five seconds. Grays astounded, but admits he can perform a comparable feat. He bends down, focuses mana into his legs, and leaps up, using a foothold to boost himself up again, making it up to the top. Gray: I made it up faster than you. Soku: Well I couldve just blasted my way up, but look down there. Gray peers his head over the edge of the building, finding cracks in the ground from where he leaped, and the window frame he leaped off of broke. Soku: Ive done this since I was seven, but ever since you abducted me into this cult of knights, I havent had any fun. Gray: You can basically fly, why do you need to parkour Soku smacks her face with her hand, seemingly dumbfounded by Grays stupidity. Soku: I can barely glide, and Ive only been able to do that for like eight months. Stealing and running go hand and hand, so parkouring is the way to go. You need to be more flexible, you all need to be honest I think yall are strartin to get fat.. Gray: I will NOT take this slander. And do NOT, SPEAK, OF, DEAR, ROOOSEMARY LIKE THAT! ILL HAVE YOUR HEAD! Soku: OH NO! NOT MY HEAD! WHATEVER WILL I DO!? Gray: Actuallyspending time training might be what we need. Weve all been working, but not with things we cant do. We all train our bodies by maxing out our power till we can take it, its almost like cheating. Rarely do we all get any practice by dueling each other. Soku: Enough with the chatter, we can talk on our way home, for now, LETS GO! Soku begins sprinting across the building, with Gray following close behind. Soku: Wanna go faster! Gray: Oh I thought you were just this slow! Soku flows her wind all around her, and blasts away, jumping across a large gap between buildings. Gray does the same, pushing as much mana out of his body as he can, essentially going into a full mana overdrive. He then makes the same jump, barely crossing the gap, having to catch the side of the building. Soku grabs his hand, helping him up. Soku: Guess you cant keep up. Gray: Hey! Its not my fault Im not a trained thief! Soku: Neither am I! Im self-taught. Gray: Whatever your whole thing is being fast. Peters the inventory, Rosemary is a glass canon, Edward has the durability, and Im a - Soku: A Nuisance? Gray: No, I was going to say jack of all trades, but if you wanna lie to yourself you can do that all YOU want. Gray looks around, now standing up high he gets a better look at this small but gorgeous city. The bustling streets, the large shining river, lovely people, its still a great sight even after being here for a while. Gray: I was looking at a map of Constal and I saw some cool places. Weve been staying in the shopping district as well as our small little area with other cottages and inns. But across the canal, near the mayor''s office is a large park, stone garden, and this massive history museum. Soku: UGH! Ive had a really good time chilling out. The ride here was boring, so boring I''d kill myself if I ever had to do it again, but being heres kinda fun. Lincolns not screaming in my ears for me to break my muscles, I''m not freezing my ass off, and Im not getting motion sick from that carriage. Gray: Whatever, I wanna do something. Now, lets go back home since you like it so much. Soku playfully nudges Grays shoulder and quickly dives off the building theyre currently on to another and then another and so on. Gray struggles to keep up, but the cool wind blowing off Soku and hitting him in the face keeps where she is fixed in his tangled mind. The sounds of Grays steps echo throughout the compact city while Sokus are completely silent, untraceable, and effortless, as nimble as a ballerina as well as quick as a cheetah. Although theyve been here for only two weeks in the Blessed City that is Constal, its feeling like home. Its people are more lively than the workaholics who are the citizens of Greenvale, and the temperature is almost backward. Constal is placed within the muggy land that is Valatrostice, underneath the hidden sky while Greenvale is atop a great mountain miles in the air, but with all the soldiers constantly training, it gets a bit sweaty, while Constal stands almost perfectly. The cold wind that the salty ocean water brings in cools everything off, and the hot air coming from the people''s mouths matches it with a heat that causes the salt to subside. Valatrositce is barren, Walgonia is strong, and within, Greenvale is cold, and Constal is shining. Gray quickly gets the hang of this freerunning, sliding, climbing, and leaping between the buildings, drawing attention from the people below, knowing nothing of the true watcher. A bit in the distance, below the buildings, standing in the shadows in an alleyway the thief they had met at Meir. She puddles, flowing down the street and into the gutter, staring at the two friends making their way home laughing and having fun along the way. She then takes out a pen and paper from her gray robes, jotting down what shes seen them doing, with a small doodle at the bottom, not of Gray or Soku, but an outline of a bigger man thats missing its right eye. End of Chapter Thirty-six Arc 6. Chapter 37. Gotta blast Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 37. Gotta blast Once Gray and Soku make it back to their cottage, theyre met by Edward and Rosemary. Edward waves to them while Rosemary jolts up to give Gray a great big hug, while Gray stands completely still, with a grim look on his face. Rosemary: Did anything happen when you were with Julius? Gray: Not really, I just kinda sat around. Gray, now using more of a monotone voice, is better able to hide his lie, though Soku sighs due to her knowledge of the truth. Gray looks out of the kitchen window to see Peter practicing with his rope dart right beside the Silver Chariot, which hes currently rebuilding. Gray {Thats the Silver Chariot? Its been stripped down, wonder if hell let me name it Christine instead of the Silver Chariot.} Rosemary: Are you hungry? I can make breakfast, its still pretty early. Gray: Yeah sure, but Ima go rest in my room until then. Rosemary tilts her head, a bit saddened by Grays lack of a want to be with her, but shes reassured by a hug given by him. Gray: Sorry, Im just a bit tiredbut yknow, I love pancakes! Rosemary tilts her head back up to see a joyful smile on Grays face, chuckling as he skips up the stairs to their room. Once he enters their room, he takes a deep breath, sits down, crosses his legs, and places his fist into his palm. He closes his eyes, seeping into his mind. In a black void that stretches across the land, spanning miles upon miles until he reaches a light in the darkness. Gray slowly floats towards it, and once he touches it, his astral form shoots out of Ryos body, all the way into the Walgonian Capital, right in the king''s office. Gordon, whos currently doing paperwork, is unable to see Gray, but Ryo, who was just resting his eyes, can see him clear as day. Gray locks eyes with him and Ryo is confused to see him, yet happy at the same time. Inside the rather small room filled with papers, the art of past kings, and a place for Gordan''s bow, are only two men running the country. Due to Lincoln''s hate for being at the top, Ryo was forced to take what should have been his role as Gordon''s assistant, and Gordon took another role Lincoln wanted no part in, king. For the past eight months, Gordan and Ryo have crumbled the society of nobles that had once had control over the country and have spent time rigorously looking for people to take their place. A spot for more assistants, the next commander of Waglonias knights, and most importantly, the next true king, which they want to be voted in by the people. But setting this all up with only a few people to help takes time, so the fact that they had just rushed into it may have not been the greatest of ideas, and Gray understands this. Though even if he knows that theyre stretched thin, he needs to stretch it a bit farther to possibly save a city in another country, which may be a fool''s dream. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Ryo stands up, snapping Gordon out of his work, and with a bit of focus, hes able to see Gray as well, floating in the air. Ryo: Gray? How did you make it here? Youve progressed so much! Gray: Honestly, I dont know. But I do know why Im here - Grays echoey voice and body begin to pulse in and out, showing hes stretched as well, being so far away from Ryo and Gordan. Ryo fixes this by putting his hand into Grays astral form, using a bit of his astral mastery, and solidifying Grays form. Gordon: Now, why are you here? Gray: Its the Sect, and the Montgomery Company, as well as this group calling themselves the Revolutionaries. Somethings happening, theyre planning something, something I fear is coming soon. Gordon looks at Ryo with a frantic look in his eye, quickly calling for another person to enter the room. Gordon: JONG! GET IN HERE! Whilst Gordon waits for Jong, a confused Ryo tries to snuff out his confusion. Ryo: The Montgomery Company? What do they have to do with anything. Gray: Apparently its like a thieves guild, a mob, a bunch of criminals working with everyone. Ryos surprised, just like everyone who isnt knowledgeable about the underground of the world would be. Jong stumbles into the room, giving Gray a look at his friend he hasnt seen in months, and its horrifying. After his traumatic loss in his district during the raid on Walgonias capital, he was the only man left alive in his platoon. He was found unconscious and heavily injured, but its progressed to the point of terror. His eyes are slowly turning black, his hair is thin, his skin is pale, his veins are black, his skin is peeling, and his voice is dry, but he remains the same in his heart. Jong: Yeah!? Need me!? Gordon: Alright, Gray, Jong cannot see you, so well inform him. Jong: Grays here? OH! Hes in that ghost form! HEY GRAY! Gordon: Calm down Jong. Now, we cannot send a fleet of our men hundreds of miles away, and we cannot send Ryo or Lincoln without getting confirmation from King Cornelius, and due to his lack of any sense, he wont respond. due to the Gdds Confirmation Act, wed essentially be waging war. Ryo will inform Lincoln, but Jong, I want you to take a small platoon of men and send them out to assist Gray. Jong: Finally! A job! Here that ghost Gray!? Im coming to see yah! Gordon: Jong, you wont be going, youre too sick. I dont want you working as commander let alone going out, Im sorry but youll have to stay here. For a moment, the old man''s happiness was brushed away, leaving Jong a bit embarrassed and somber. But hes no child, hes a man whos been through so much, so hes mature enough to let it brush off his shoulders. He nods his head and lets Gordon finish what he was saying. Gordon: Now, tell those men that theyll be assisting Gray and his allies to defend Constal and possibly the Valatrositce capital from various powerful parties. The Sect of Anarchy, and a group of Revolutionarieswhat Gray who are they? Gray: UmA Dark Elf, A Arch-Gorilla Demi-Human, Oh, and Crimson Zhao! Ryo and Gordon are shocked by the idea of having to face Crimson Zhao, a man who rivals even the strongest of the Gods of War. Gordon: And prepare your men for the possibility of confrontingCrimson Zhao. Jong: WHAT! AH HELL! THATS A DEATH WISH! YOU GOTTA SEND ME! Ryo: Im sorry Jong, but I assume you know you wont be able to do much, not to be rude. Jong: Im not stupid I know that! But a captain goes down with his ship! Ive led my men to death beforeand Ive lived both times. I wont sit out the third. Gordon: JongI wont kill you. Inform your men as quickly as possible, arm them, send them off, and stay here! Ryo: Gray, anything else? Gray: Nope, thats it. Ryo waves goodbye, removes his hand from his astral form, and lets him return to his body. Jong then quickly leaves the room, running off to get prepared. End of Chapter Thirty-seven Arc 6. Chapter 38. Isekai built land Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 38. Isekai built land Jong, rushing down the hallway of Walgonias castle, is heading right to the knight''s quarters which is an area on the fourth floor that is inside of one of the various towers on the sides of the castle.. While running down the hall filled with paintings of Walgonia, lit by various golden chandeliers, is the sixty-year-old man slowly dying of a mana disease. He stumbles around, contemplating a simple yet destructive and obviously stupid idea, which takes him a second to follow through. He makes it down the stone stairs, over the neatly made blue and black rug with a white version of the Walgonian chest. He then stops in his tracks while right outside of the wooden door leading to the Knight''s quarters. He takes a second to look around while still thinking about his plan, one that would make the dumbest of men sigh, which he understands. So he walks into the quarters and is met with a hoorah from his men. They all shake their swords and spears in the air at the sight of their long leader, which causes him to smile, and take a drink they had quickly made for him. In such a room, its almost entirely wooden and lit by candlelight. Due to its placement in a three-story tall tower, its room width is small but its length is very large, housing multiple areas within its stories. The top is the common rooms filled with bunk beds, and then its the armory, which reminds Jong that hes wearing common wear, not the knightly attire that he feels is suited for giving orders. The bottom floor, the one Jongs on, is in the style of a tavern. Wet, filled with people and even more booze, with pictures of past commanders up, the most recent one being Jong when he was twenty-seven, and had the same deep gray hair he has now. Though every commander before him had their own living area within the castle, ever since Jong was given his title, hes lived within the knight''s barracks. Though for a bit of privacy, he has his own room, which is on the top of the tower, but with his old joints and dying body its a difficult climb up the long ladder, though with his will hell still push on. After he makes it up to his room, holding down the immense pain he feels with every movement, and looks around it. No wife, no kids, nothing left behind except the memory that he was there, and the people he saved, but no real connection except for the one he made with his bisento. He had once left such a weapon behind for a brief period when Arthur had fired them all, but even in his old age he was quick to pick it back up and fight, but that led him to the position hes in now. His large armor sits on an armor stand in front of him, the light blue plating, long white cape with a black Walgonian crest, and the large bisento to its side. He equips his attire and finally decides on his decision. He then grabs his clothes and stuffs them into a suitcase. He then heads down the ladder and steps onto one of the various tables in the bar area. Jong: I WILL BE EMBARKING ON POSSIBLY MY LAST MISSION! I WILL LEAVE A DAY AHEAD OF YOU, AND WILL TRAVEL TO INSTAL WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE! I WANT YOU TO PICK A LEADER AMONG YOURSELVES AND GATHER MATERIALS AS WELL AS TRAVEL GEAR! IF YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO GO TO THE OTHER KNIGHT''S QUARTERS OR EVEN THE BUREAU AROUND THE CAPITAL THEN DO SO! THEN GO TO CONSTAL! GRAY KYOJIN AND THE REST OF WALGONIAS HEROES MAY NEED OUR HELP! SO WE WILL BE THE ONES TO DO IT! Jong is met with a roar of cheers all chanting for Jong to go, and so he does, going against Gordon and Jong''s wishes for him to stay behind. He runs out of the castle and runs across the castle grounds to the stables close by, putting his bags atop a drake, and rushes off, embarking on the three-week journey all on his lonesome. In Constal, Gray, Rosemary, Soku, Peter, and Edward are all walking to the great Victoria Museum, a building grand in both scale in design. It takes an hour to get there by carriage ride, and everyone is hit or miss about it. Edwards is excited to learn about the history of Constal, Soku is a bit bored by the idea, Gray doesn''t think much of it hes just happy to leave the cottage, Peter would rather work on the Silver Chariot, and Rosemarys excited to get to see one of the only buildings in all of Saga thats built to look fantastical. Theyre still enamored by Constal itself, the shining river, bustling cityscape, and the history made into the ground, all said before but still need to be repeated. Even before they arrive they can see it from a distance, a building that almost scrapes the sky and covers the ground below in a great shadow. Its the green stone that was used to create the large dome roof. It is a spectacle in itself, but the golden arches on all four entrances almost take away from it. Other than that, the white stone is the only eye-catching part, mainly focused on its size compared to its detail. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But the extra detail within its large columns, being small carvings of dragons add that bit of Valatrositce flair thats missing from this almost out-of-place piece of architecture. Walgonia is built on, Athens was military focused, and Valatrositce is structured, but this building fits Ravorias idea of spectacle over practicality. Once they finally make it a bit more down the main road, theyre right at one of the four entrances, and all other main roads lead to one of them, making it seem that the city was built with the museum in mind. Gray: Thatis so cool. Ive been to New York City and those buildings were bigbut this is justgrand Edward: You can say that againand what''s New York? Soku: ...Dont askyou never get an answer. Rosemary: No matter thathow do we get inside!? Rosemary jumps out of the carriage and begins running towards the city block-sized building, bulldozing through the crowd whilst pulling Gray along, grabbing his hand with a tight grip. They reach the two-story-sized doors, amazed by their detail, and on the inside its much greater. They pay a staggering five gold coins and enter, finding mainly aristocrats in the lobby. But once they enter, its truly amazing. Everyone else wanders around, but Gray and Rosemary use it as an opportunity for the date, looking at all the art. Self-portraits, failed invitations hung up and placed on stands, a hall of armor from the generations, and so much more. Gray sees how the weaponry, armor, and other military means have grown and different not only in Valatrositce, but Walgonia, Ravoria, Athens, and even Onimas, the Dark Elves of Gaia, and the Navy in the Southern Islands. Valatrositices is dark and heavy, Athens is light and open, Walgnia was a more basic knightly attire, and Ravorias is a bit over dramatic, having large shoulders and helmets with spikes. Now across the sea, Oni-mas is no different from a generic samurai, which confuses Gray, the navy wears a long navy blue short-sleeved coat with hints of red, brown leather armor on the shoulders and chest, and possesses the crest of a golden bird, and the Dark Elves wear armor similar to the native Americans. Gray: All this armor, art, but no bones. Wear the monster bones? Rosemary: They dont last, after you kill a spirit animal, either you eat it fast or you leave it be because in a day or so itll be pure spirit energy and work its way back to being alive after reforming. Its why we cant just kill off all the dangerous ones, they just come back every fifty or so years. They continue to look around, but its just more of the same. Paintings of famous people, a hall for all of the Heslings, the Gods of War, letting Gray get a good look at the only God of War he hasnt met, Virgil. He has straight tan hair, a small mustache, and a chipped canine tooth. shining green eyes, and a smirk. Though the photos been remarked to be sixteen-seventy, its a bit old. Gray: Virgilwheres he at? Rosemary: Nobody knows. He was working with the Demi-humans and the four nations, and they all converged into the battle at gods fall. The he got into even more trouble with King Cornelius and hes never been seen since, but its said hes still alive." Gray: Cool. Whats his story? Rosemary: He was a thief turned knight, using his skills to help Valatrocitus in the Demi-human war. He wasnt immensely strong but he was tactical, and it led to various victories and was the leading factor of the Battle of the Gods Grays confused by Rosemary suddenly stops her relaying of history and turns her attaching to the ceiling, which Gray does as well, and hes astounded. Its a giant painting that spans across the domed roof, of what looks to be a holy knight impaling a dragon with dark veins and black eyes with a sword glowing gold, though hes missing the cross on his chest. Gray: What is this the Sistine Chapel? Rosemary: The Holy Land, thats who made it. The nameless knightI cant believe itin that underground buildingits true. Gray: Iseakai built land. Rosemary: Eh? End of Chapter Thirty-eight Arc 6. Chapter 39. You’re it! Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 39. Youre it! After a few days, Gray and the rest of them find it fitting to get some training they hadnt really done before, stealth. So they chose to walk to the park and hide around in the trees while also having a picnic. They wake up early in the morning, get dressed in their armor, grab their weapons, and order a carriage ride to the park right after a hefty breakfast. Gray: Peter, whats that wrapped around your belt? Peter, surprised by Grays question, grabs the rope dart and presents it to Gray and everyone else, which causes Edward to smile a bit. Peter: Its a rope dart, I figured Id need a weapon if I ever got into combat. And I dont have infinite poppers so Id have to get somethin I cant run out of. Rosemary: Why not train with a dagger or a sword? Thatll be hard to fight somebody with if they have a normal weapon. Peter begins caressing the blade while trying to think of a somewhat clever response. Peter: WellIm most likely gonna be running away, so I can throw this and pull it back. Im not much of a fighter, I probably shouldnt even be training stealth. I was there to fight Arthur but didnt do much to be called a Hero of Walgonia. The words that had just left Peters mouth caused everyone to feel a bit sad and caused everyone to stay quiet until they reached the large park. Its fairly simple, trails, streams, a large pong in the middle, and statues placed around with markers to tell you where they are. They walk through the trees until they find a more secluded area surrounded by thick woods. Gray: Alright! Now, how are we gonna do this!? Soku: Are you serious? You made us come all the way out here and you dont know what to do? Gray: Hey! This was Rosemarys idea, not mine! Soku looks away with a frown on her face, puffing. Rosemary: Alright the rules, one hider will pick everyone off, and if youre touched, youre out it goes until no one''s left!. Its simple, now whos hiding first? Soku steps up, stretches her legs, takes a deep breath, and lets it out. Soku: Me obviously, Im a thief. Im good at picking out people and picking on people, this is my skill! Im gonna use it as much as I can. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Rosemary goes to say Go but Soku cuts her off by blasting away with a quick burst of wind, kicking up some dust. In only a couple of seconds, Sokus hidden away within the trees, unnoticeable by anyone. Gray takes the initiative while everyone looks around the trees frantically, he uses his spiritual sense to try and get a hold of everything. Every sense is heightened, but with her immense skill at everything thievery, he''s struggling to get a read in her. Although he cant feel her presence completely, shes still there. He then uses his spiritual state, pushing the black of the spiritual sense away, turning it that blinding white. With this, he knows exactly where she is, but his senses are far too overwhelmed, giving Soku her opportunity. Hes able to hear her quickly approaching him, but since he entered the spiritual state solely for sensory purposes, he had to push past his limit, making him too slow to react. First Edward notices her about to prance from the tree above, then Rosemary looks over at Edwards eye tilting up, which leads to her seeing Soku as well. Peters the only one in the dark amongst these insanely quick movements, and then in a blast of power, Soku pushes Gray into the ground, grabbing the cloak of darkness, pushes wind out of her heel, flipping him upside down and holding him above, and lastly jumps up into the air, capturing him. Whilst up in the trees Gray angrily expresses his annoyance at how quickly he had gotten caught. Gray: HEY! Thats not fair! You went after me on purpose! Soku: SHUT UP I''M HIDING! And I went after you because youre the only person with real tracking ability, so I had to take you out. Gray sighs but theyre both forced to stop talking because of the sudden sight of Rosemary, who had jumped straight up while being in her fifth stage, leaping all the way up into the tree line. Theyre both shaken up and are almost tagged but Soku blasts her and Gray away with a single gust of wind, leaving Rosemary in mid-air, instantly rushes towards Soku. Because of how destructive Rosemarys stages can be, she dials it down to the fourth stage, being just enough to be efficient and not as destructive as the fifth. She begins hopping through the trees, but shes bad at it, almost falling immediately when she miss-steps and breaks a weak branch. Shes about to plummet to the ground, but Gray, swinging through the trees with his cloak, snags onto her hand, saving her, and then pulls her to a thick branch, landing right beside her. Gray: Got you. Rosemary: Thanks for the save. Your cloaks are a cheat by the way! Youre not balancing! When its your turn, no cloak! Gray: What? Thats like saying swords are cheating. Your stages are cheating because youre not balancing either, mainly because you almost fell when you did. Rosemary: Dont be cheeky, and I cant lose my stages, but your cloak can run out of juice or you can get robbed of it. And I agree that we should train without weapons and armor because you never know when we have to fight. Lincoln made that clear on those special training days. Gray: As long as Im alive Ill always have it, its just like having all of my mana. Makes it easy, quick, and efficient. Rosemary pulls him in, kisses him, causing him to get embraced, and easily swipes the necklace from his neck, instantly proving him wrong. Gray gets defensive, yanks the necklace from her, activates the cloak, and swings away. On the ground below, Edward and Peter are back to back, ensuring they cant be tagged. Edward: Whats the plan? Im far too heavy to run in the trees, and youre not skilled enough to do so. Sorry if that sounded rude by the way. Peter: Its not rude, and the best plan is just not to show up and hope we can tag them before they tag us. Slough standing back to back makes it so they cant be snuck up on. But that still leaves them open to an attack from Soku from above, but Rosemary begins hopping from tree to tree, pushing her fingers into the bark to get a better grip. She boosts her leg into the fifth stage, realizing a powerful kick of wind that heads right towards Soku. But Sokus a master of the wind, slicing through her kick with her bare hand, pushing the wind away. Soku gracefully lands on a tree branch, throwing a few wind blades at Rosemary while trying to keep her distance. Edward, without any ranged abilities, is forced to rely on Peter, who begins throwing his explosive poppers at Soku. Rosemary can dodge each wind blade with as small an opening as shes giving, barely being able to do it. Now, with Rosemary right in front of Soku, and Peters poppers flying through the air, Soku thinks up a quick plan, so she places her fist into her palm and creates a large sphere of wind around her. This causes the poppers to fly away and also pushes Rosemary''s back, tagging Rosemary and causing her to lose the game. Soku then uses a large gust of wind to take both Edward and Peter out, though since she doesn''t want to endanger their lives, she doesn''t put her full effort into it. Due to this Edwards able to slash through it, but Peter notices a quicker slash of wind flying right behind the large one. Peter: ITS A FAINT! Edward realizes this too late, and because he feels that Peter should be able to win because he noticed something he didnt, he does so. With this, Edward is pushed into the dirt by Sokus wind blade, and Peter is declared the winner of round one. They do this for the rest of the day, making the winner of each round start the next one, and Rosemary decides to make them practice stealth every three days until New Year, even if everyone else doesn''t feel like it, but they are free for the next three days until then. End of Chapter Thirty-nine Arc 6. Chapter 40. Aggravated informants Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 40. Aggravated informants After Gray had called Jong, he also informed everyone else he had done so, which surprised Rosemary and the others, other than the already informed Soku. Gray had explained that, due to their meeting with the Revolutionaries as well as the dealings with Rupert, excluding his assassination, Constal is in danger. So they travel all the way to the mayors office to inform Greta, the mayor. On the ride over there, Gray contemplates telling everyone about the assassination, but hes obviously reluctant. Hes done stupid things before and theyve welcomed him, but this was villainous. It isnt like the time he left them and then returned, this is dark, but he did it for a good reason. Its a looming stress that, like all his others, he suppresses and tries his hardest not to think about. They make it past the main gate and enter the grounds of the office, making it up to the guarded main gate. Guard: Business? Edward: We need to inform the Mayor of a possible attack and how weve already prepared for it. The Guards all look at each other, then back at the group, nodding their heads. They open the dark wooden doors and let them enter, guarding them to the Mayors assistant''s office. She looks up, with a grim look in her eye, as if shes angry with them. But she still acts as respectfully as she did before. They get a good look at her office, not finding anything that represents her as a person, other than her nameplate, Ganga Iragay. Ganga: Sorry, Mrs. Gretas currently in a meeting with Julius Cromwell, would you please sit outside in the waiting area until shes done? Rosemary: Julius is here? Gray: Guess so. We can see him when hes finished, lets just go out and sit I guess. And that they do, having to sit in the cold waiting room for almost two hours, doing nothing. Soku takes a nap, Gray lays his head on Rosemarys shoulder daydreaming about being able to watch TV, Edward stares out of the window, and Peter doodles in a sketchbook with various designs of a Wrist Talon mark 5 with various attachments on it. Once Julius exits, theyre given their opportunity to talk with her, but she seems pretty annoyed. Accompanying Julius is Lance, who seems extremely annoyed to see Peter. Lance: Seems the little rabbit here cant get away from his doodles. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Peter stands up, pushing Lances shoulder, making Lance angry. Lance turns around and begins walking towards Julius, and suddenly sucker punches him in the stomach. Everyone quickly stands up, trying to break them apart, but they wont stop. Punch after punch lands, mostly on Peters face, and Edward is forced to step in and push them apart. The guards then step in and kick everyone out of the office, making their trip to the mayors office useless. Once theyre kicked outside, Peter and Lance begin fighting again, causing Gray, whos still wearing the cursed charm, to be extremely angry after wasting all that time. Gray: OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH BOTH! WE HAVE WASTED ALMOST FOUR HOURS OF OUR DAY FOR YOU TWO IDIOTS TO MESS IT UP! DAMMIT, ALL! Gray gets to the point that Rosemarys afraid hell hit them, so she tries to step in and pull Gray back. Gray unconsciously activates the cloak of darkness, which pushes her back and causes her to fall to the ground. He then begins seeping mana out of his body, about to strike at both Peter and Lance, but Edward steps in once more. He goes to rip the necklace off of Grays neck, but Gray gets defensive and pushes Edward, but Edward catches his hands. Gray attempts to use the tendrils to push Edward''s back, but Soku easily swipes the necklace from Gray, knocking him out of this unbridled rage. He quickly tries to get it back, but once he sees the scared look on Rosemarys face, he backs down. Gray: ImIm sorryI cantIll go. Rosemary grabs his hand and pulls him in tightly, giving him a love-filled hug. They stand there awkwardly for a moment, but Grays head begins acing and his OD begins burning. Filled with fear, sweat, pain, and embarrassment, he begins to walk away, but hes distracted by both the absence of Peter and Lance. Once everyone realizes they disappeared, they see Julius behind them. Edward: Julius! Where did they go!? Julius: While you were all distracted, Peter challenged Lance to a duel in twenty-four hours, in the park. They both swiftly got in their respective carriages and left. Soku: Dammithow are we gonna get home now? Rosemary: Yeah! We gotta go stop them! Peter might get hurt. Edward: Peter? Hes got an entire arsenal. Give him a day-long period and hell have who knows how many traps set up. Julius: In my opinion, I suggest you let them do this. Whoever wins doesn''t matter, but they both will get experience and end this conflict. They will need to learn that petty squanders like this should be left out of the field and that it hurts when they do. Everyone begins to panic, but Soku and Edward begin to calm down as they begin to side with Julius. Rosemary is obviously against the idea, and Gray feels hes in no place to say anything. Still, they wait for Julius to fetch a carriage for them while they wait silently. Gray sits away from everyone, still reeling in pain from his massive headache, and due to how irritable he feels, he doesn''t want to start anything worse than what he did before. To them all, the entire day feels not only wasted but theyre put in a worse position than before. Theyll have to wait a bit before they can inform the mayor, and theyll either have to stop Peter and Lance or deal with the fallout of the loser of such a battle. After a bit of waiting, they finally get a carriage to ride home, and once they make it there, they find nothing. All of Peters things have vanished other than the Silver Chariot, it seems like he had set this up a while ago. All of his things were packed, he had money set aside, and hed been the one to push the idea of a fight. With this knowledge, they think about going to the forest to stop this, but for Peter, its a long time coming, so they wait. This is something that they all feel Peter needs, he still acts like a child, even though he is one, but hes acting like this in a much more mature way of life. Its unfair to him, but life itself isnt fair, and even though hes had time to catch up to this life, hes resisted from the time he was ten to now. And at least by this worlds standards, as a fifteen-year-old, he should be ready to be an adult, which he obviously isnt. This battle will either make things worse, progress Peter, and mature him, or hell quit this life entirely. End of Chapter Forty Side Story: From rags to cleaner rags Side Story: From rags to cleaner rags Two people are seen walking through the slums of Walgonias capital on their way to one of the Walgonian guard''s stations. A large Ogre Demi-Human along with a disheveled man with tanned skin and black hair. The Ogre is missing his right eye, wearing a torn-off sleeve to cover the nasty scar. He is also wearing tattered, stretched, and badly sown-together shorts with a large light brown sleeveless coat. His human friend is also wearing old and worn clothing, wearing a once white and now yellowish cotton shirt, black pants with holes in them, a poorly grown and unshaven mustache, and shoes with holes in them. All of this information points to their identities, JJ and Boid, the two thugs who attacked Soku and Gray on Grays first day in this world. The same men later met them again and helped them set up the main refugee camp while the raid on Walgonia was ongoing. Now, waiting to help the city even further, help themselves get out of the slums, and use the chance that Gray and the other knights of Walgonia gave them to become better people. Boid: Are you sure this is a good idea? JJ: OF COURSE BRO! Look at us! Were dirty, stinky, all those nasty things! This is our chance! Boid: But they wont let us become knights immediately, were going to have to biome soldiers, squires, and then well have to get chosen. What are the odds we can make it through all of that? JJ: Zero with that attitude! Look, the outpost is up there. Right in the space between the district of the East side and the North side is a two-story stone tower that holds the city guards. Ever since the raid on Walgonia, which at this point in time only happened a few weeks ago, the city has been growing and rebuilding. All across the capital, buildings are being rebuilt, people are giving their homes back, and those who didnt have homes are giving them. Shops struggle to regain their valuables, because how most people have lost a lot of their money under Arthurs rule. They walk up to the front of the building, looking at the soldiers guarding it. They all shake with fear in the presence of the large and imposing Boid. Most people already dont trust Demi-humans, but an Ogre is much more monstrous than a normal dog or cat, they are monstrous. His face dosnt look much like an Ogres though, it actually looks like the face of a normal adult man. A few stands of beard hair on his chin, a mix of thick peach and light green skin, and large teeth. The tower-like building has an iron door on the side and a window for you to speak to the men inside. Under the window, which is made of iron bars instead of glass, is a wooden table for you to slide things to them. JJ confidently slams his hand down, catching the attention of the soldiers inside. A cocky guard grabs his helmet, put it over his head, and walks up to the bars. His sly grin, well-groomed blond mustache, and shiny silver armor cause JJ to hate his guts. The guard is instantly repulsed by JJ, covering his nose due to his smell being a mix of sweat, dirt, and the grime on the streets. Guard: The hell do you want! JJ swipes his messy hair back, closes his eyes, and states his desire. JJ: I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A SOLDIER! Guard: Sorry, we dont need any help. The guard goes to walk away, but JJ continues to slam his hand on the table, demanding he come back. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. JJ: YEAH YOU DO! The whole damn city needs help! My friend and I here helped the heroes of Walgonia! Guard: LIKE HELL YOU DID! If you wanna lie, I can teach you a lesson of why you might not want to! The guard shifts his hand down, grasping onto his arming sword, the generic sword that most guards and knights use. The guard shoves his face into JJs, about to grab his collar, until he hears a loud grunt. The prideful and ignorant man looks over, about to yell at whoever made that noise, but his face instantly drops when he sees Boid. He becomes raveled in fear, about to fall to his knees, but with a shivering smile, he greets the both of them. Todd: Sorry sirs, My namesTodd! Yep! Todd Brine! Boid: Umhellomynames As Boid gets quieter and quieter due to his anxiety, JJ smacks his back to get his mind back into place. Boid: ID LIKE FOR MY FRIEND AND I TO JOIN THE SOLDIERS OF WALGONIA SO WE CAN BECOME KNIGHTS! Tood: Really now!? Thats great! Todd rushes to find paperwork from underneath the desk, grabbing two pens and a tub of spilled ink as well. He lifts it all onto the table, and without reading a single bit of it, mainly because they cannot read, they sign it, officially becoming soldiers in training. He runs over to the iron door, struggling to unlock it, and lets them inside. JJ enters, but Boid is stuck outside due to his stature, so he kicks JJ out and goes to retrieve some things for their training. Then thats basically that. So for the next few weeks, JJ and Boid begin learning the basics. They live in the barracks with the rest of the soldiers, train daily, and even get armor made just for them. Spend their days helping rebuild the city, assisting the citizens with their daily needs, while also working themselves to death. JJ even begins training to use a whip alongside a dagger, while Boid is forced to use a large double-sided war hammer. It takes a while, but with Todds'' help as a station leader, theyre able to get the hang of it. Their bodies get in better shape, they further their studies and become overall better people. Even Todd begins to mellow out after a while, arguing with JJ less and less until he begins acting like a real leader to the both of them, he even gets a better attitude with the rest of his men. It takes months, but the capital finally begins growing to its original state even surpassing it in some regard. Then, after a few months of doing tedious manual labor to help the capital, only being paid by having a place to live, they join a squad with Todd. As they enter a carriage to finally start their knightly training, JJ and Boid are stunned to see Todd. Todd: Oh no. I worked as a soldier for half a decade, and you guys work for them for barely under a year and theyre letting you go? JJ: Oh, well since Jong is retiring, theyre trying to find a new Commander of the Walgonian Knights. Since we helped in the raid, theyre sending us out to go meet the main candidate and work as a squire under him! As they all get into the carriage, Boid realizes hes far too big once he tries to get in and almost breaks it. He walks up to the driver, telling him about the issue. The driver shrugs his shoulders, not really caring, causing Boid to begin walking away with a somber look on his face. JJ jumps out of the carriage, going to help his friend feel better. JJ: Come on man, maybe youll be able to fit! Boid: Dude, it isnt gonna work. I should have known this would be bull crap. Im a Demi-human, an ugly one at that. Look man, youre human, you can go be a squire. JJ smacks Boid on the top of his bald head, screaming at him. JJ: NO YOU IDIOT! We grew up together, scrounged for food together, and lived on the damn streets. This is it, months of hard work, hell years of hard work! This is our chance! Boid: Look man, even if I wanted to go, the carriage cant take me. This is your chance, youre a human, you had to work harder than me to get strong, you put in more work. I dont know why they chose us out of the thousands of guards around all of Walgonia, its sheer luck. Todd jumps out of the carriage, approaching the two. JJ: The hell do you want!? Todd: It wasnt luck. I help you get started, I saw how badly you wanted it. I know Im a dick, but most of the guards just wanna that little bit of power over everyone. They dont care about being a knight, and that means, that you two do. You came up to me eleven months ago, you wanted this since the start. I trained you and watched you grow, watch you try. Youve got a long way to go, but this is your starting line. Todd walks away without saying anything else, though he does try and get a wagon to attack to the back of the carraige, struggling to do so. Boid gets up, walks over to him, and begins pulling for him, attaching it to the carriage. Todd: I didnt need your help you know. Boid: Yeah I know. Boid and JJ hop in the wagon while Todd gets the entire wagon to himself. Then, under the blue sky of Walgonia, their carriage leaves the main gate of the castle and begins their journey all the way to the north of Walgonia, to meet Henry Barclay. Jongs cousin, whos stationed all the way in the Ever-Lagoon, the giant Lagoon near the border of Ravoria, weeks away. Fin Arc 6: Chapter 41. Been there, done that Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 41. Been there, done that After the twenty-four hours pass, near the lake within Constals park, is Peter, patiently waiting for Lance to show up for their fight. Across the lake is Gray and his group, watching Peter prepare himself. Soku: You think Lance will show up? Edward: Youd think so. His pride wouldn''t let him miss out on this. Rosemary: I kinda hope he doesn''t, Peter might get hurt. Gray goes to add to the conversation, but he''s far too embarrassed about his recent actions. Though, almost instantly, Lance walks down the stone path and onto the grass, standing across from Peter. Lance: Alright, you ready? Your rabbit ass made me wait a damn day to kick your ass. So you better not baby out! Peter clenches his fist, but he remains calm and states his claim. Peter: Dueling rules. The only way to lose is either, one, give up, two, get knocked out, or three, die. I see youve got some gear on you, basic armor. Lance pats his thick-plated armor, smirking at him. He then looks at Peter, finding him dressed in his blue overalls, a red cape with a thick neck, red-tinted goggles, and a belt filled with various poppers. He also has a large satchel with even more gadgets, a rifle on his back, his rope dart, a wrist talon, another large gantlet, a backpack, and a flintlock. Hes over-stacked with heavy equipment, which is obvious to everyone, even Peter, but hes too scared to be without everything he might need to win. Lance starts immediately, running at a full straight towards Peter. Peter freezes for a second, but he quickly tosses explosive poppers at Lance. Lance can dodge them with ease, letting them explode behind him. Lance swings his fist towards Peters face, so Peter rolls backward, tossing a stun popper at Lance, which creates a large flash. Peter then pulls out his flintlock and attempts to shoot Lance, but its just a prototype that Gray had helped him on, so it malfunctions and crumbles under pressure the second the trigger is pulled, exploding in his hand. A small crowd of people begins to form and everyone watching, including Gray and his friends, wincing from a shared embarrassment. Peter then quickly tosses a handful of explosive poppers at Lance, and since hes still there so many, he fails to dodge. The power on them is very low, but many create a large enough blast to throw him backward. Lances thick skin protects him from the blast, but hes still winded long enough for Peter to throw a smoke popper. This creates a small cloud of white smoke that burns Lances eyes and creates a small opening for Peter to throw even more explosive poppers, using up all of his ammo in his belt''s pockets. He then swaps to his baldric, a belt over his chest with pockets, which also have poppers in them. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Lance, who''s extremely aggravated by this point, leaps toward Peter and dodges the poppers, landing a clean hit to his face, and sending him flying backward. Once he lands, he smiles at Lance, confusing him. Unknowingly, Lance stepped on a patch of dirt filled with explosives, creating a giant explosion that sent him tumbling back into another patch of them. Soku: He set up traps. Smart. Edward: I wouldnt expect less of him. But Lance is trained and his body is durable, to a superhuman degree. Rosemary: And that punch looked like it really hurt! A few more of those and I dont know if Peter can get back up Peter rummages through his satchel, looking for anything else to help him. He then turns to see Lance charging at him once more. Instead of dodging or running away, he sits and waits, perfectly timing his counter. Lance throws another punch toward Peters face, which he had predicted, as he throws up his right hand, using the large gauntlet on it, which just happened to be a deployable shield. It opens and blocks the blow, but it almost breaks directly on impact. Peter then swipes at Lance with his wrist talon, slashing his forearm, but hes met with a swift kick to the face, launching him into the bank of the pond. He then grabs a familiar weapon, the same one he had used against Arthur, his explosive launcher. And in his bag are three shots it can fire, which he does. He quickly loads the large ammunition, pulls back the handle, and pulls the trigger right as Lance gets up to him. Lance barely moves his head out of the way, uppercuts Peter, grabs him by the leg, and slams him to the ground, right on his back. This also smashes his rifle, making it useless. The constant explosions cause the surrounding audience to run away and call the guards over, who are patiently waiting for the fight to end. Rosemary: We need to step in! Peter could die! Soku: Peters not dumb enough to let that happen, he''ll just give up. Edward stands up and begins walking around the pond, but Gray pulls on his arm to stop him. Edward: Gray, let me go. Peters pride wont let him give up! And Lance is far too unpredictable at this point! Gray: No, I wont let you go. Ive been in Peters position, and Ive felt this sense of Pride. If you stop him, no matter what he does, if you dont let him do it, he cant crawl out of what hes in. Despair can be with anything, you know this as well. I didnt stop you when you went to fight Moro, and you wouldve gone to fight him if I had. Its closure. Edward: Okaybut Moro needed to be taken down. When we fought I brought that on and I wasnt gonna kill you, both times. And Arthur didnt kill you because all those knights and rulers were there, Peters not gonna be saved by those lazy guards. They both look over to see Lance placing his leg on Peters chest. Lance: Its over rabbit. For a days prep, you didnt do much. No super gadgets, hell most of them broke. You suck, youre not strong, youre not useful, hell, youre not even fun to be around. Keep mopping and stop doing this dumb shit. All I got is my strength and I got past everything you - Whilst Lance continues to monologue, Peter impales Lances leg with the wrist talon, causing him to cry out in pain. Lance goes to smash Peters face in, but Peter uses the opportunity to throw his last explosives in Lances face, hurting his eyes. He then rolls backward and kicks Lance in his crotch, giving him another opening. He then throws the rest of his flashes, creating a large blast of blinding light. This further irritates Lances already irritated eyes and gives an opening. Instead of wasting time and loading the explosive launcher, he simply throws the ammo at Lance. The explosive is only the size of a baseball, but it still packs a massive punch, creating so much force it crumbs Lances armor and shatters multiple bones. Peter then throws his last remaining poppers, including the stink poppers and smoke poppers. Everyones impressed, even the guards, but Peters long-lasting string of small victories comes to a head when Lance, filled with rage, comes barreling out of the smoke with blood-red eyes. Peter throws the last explosive ball, which is dodged, leaving Peter with one weapon left. Peter blocks Lance''s attack with his much lighter wrist talon, and due to it being lighter, its not as durable as Grays model, so it crushes on impact. In the moment of truth, Peter grabs the rope dart and throws it at full force, but there''s no hope. Lance moves his head out of the way, catches the rope, and pulls Peter forward, bashing him in the face. Peter goes flying back, knocked out. He quickly gets up, watching as Gray and the others run over and Lance is laughing so hard he cant contain himself. As his adrenaline begins to wear off, he feels his broken cheekbone, nose, and cracked skull. His mind is wavy, his vision blurry, but he knows that he must get out of there, so he runs and runs as fast as he can. They go to chase after him but Gray stops them again, shaking his head. Gray: Ive been here, I told you this. I ran, and so did he. Now its only time till he makes his choice. End of Chapter Forty one Arc 6: Chapter 42. Uncanny Valley Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 42. Uncanny Valley Peter, filled with stress, fear, and embarrassment, runs as far away as he can, back to his safe house. During the twenty hours he spent preparing for the now-lost fight, he had also purchased a room in a cheap inn which is placed right above a blacksmith''s shop. Amongst a hard rain and cold air, fresh and ready for the coming winter. His face is leaking blood, his eyes are bloodshot, his clothes are torn, and hes out of all of his tools. His wounded appearance draws the eyes of passersby as he sprints to his home, and once he finally reaches it, the old man whos working there stares at him. Old man: That fight didnt go so well huh, want something to eat? Peter: Sorry sir but no, thank you for the hospitality though. He attempts to go up the stairs but is stopped by the old man''s partner, who is also an elderly man. Another Old man: Come on, its dinner time. Peter looks at the both of them, and their hopeful aged eyes are too much for him to handle, so he accepts their offer. In their kitchen, Peters met by a dinner of mainly seafood, lots of fish. Peter sits there and stares at it, long enough that both men realize something is going on below the surface, so the other old man leaves it to his partner to help him. So he picks up everyones plate, other than Peters, and leaves the room, kissing his husband on the way out. Peter: Oh, sorry, Im just not hungryumsorry, I dont know your name. Hubert: My names Hubert, and you seem distracted. Id offer to take you to the doctor, but I dont have much money to spare. Peter: Its alright, I have money on me. And thank you again for letting me stay in your guest room, I just had to get out of where I was Hubert: Well as you can see, my home is very welcoming. Youve met my husband, Juval. Peters stunned by Huberts reveal, as its extremely uncommon for gay relationships to be as open as Hubert making his seem in this world, as was on earth around this time frame. Peters not concerned or baffled by it, but its just new, as they do not have anything to tell them its bad other than the disdain of others. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Peter: Im happy youre so welcoming, but Ill be gone as soon as I can. Im here with friendsand Im kinda hiding out from them. Hubert: So youre a run away huh? I was in the same position once. Sorry if Im wandering off into my own story, but Ive noticed you like to build. My nosey partner saw you working in your sketchbook earlier this morning, and honestly, I see a bit of myself in you. Peter: UmI like..girls Peter awkwardly stares at Hubert while Hubert begins breaking into laughter, Juval does as well from the other room. Hubert: No silly, I mean in the love of creating. My father was a blacksmith, so I followed his teachings, and I like it. My father didnt approve of my choice of partners though, so I left when I just turned fifteen. I fled here with Juval, to the holy land of Constal, and Ive never looked back. Peter looks around the cozy home, being placed above their shop. Its tight, made of a mix of wood and stone, and there are little trinkets everywhere. Jewelry, paintings, books, notes, candles, and small toys. Its not much, but its home for them, and Peter feels like hes been in a similar place before, which he has, his past home in Constal. His father was also a blacksmith, his mother a librarian, and their home was built on top of their shop as well, its almost uncanny. Peter looks at the chopped-up and well-cooked fish, gobbles it up, and quickly stands up. Hubert: Are you okay? Peter: CanCan I stay with you guys until New Year? Hubert: Never said you couldnt, and hell Ill reduce your pay, as long as you help me in the shop, Ill teach you tomorrow. Peter: Really!? Thank you so much! And you can skip the training, Ive got some already. Hubert: Really? Who taught you? Peter: My father, and a dwarf named Rick. Hubert: RICK! LIKE BROTHER OF VARGAS RICK!? THE LEGENDARY BLACK SMITHS!? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU KID!? Peter: Peter, Peter Day, one of Walgonias Heros. Hubert turns to see the shocked look on Juval''s face, and they both jump for joy. Hubert: You start tomorrow! Peter enters his room and begins flipping through his sketchbook, looking at new designs for his tools. And he spends the next few days helping in the smithing shop with Hubert and Juval, getting even better at it than he was before, he even teaches them a few things. He uses the materials in their shop and shops for various more things to begin creating new tools to help him if he ever battles again. His pellet-sized poppers dont pack much of a punch, being more of a deterrent than an actual weapon for attacking with. And the actual baseball-sized explosives he made were not only heavy, but they packed almost too much of a punch when shot out of a heavy weapon. The fact he had to bury the explosive launcher adds to the fact he cant carry that many things on him at once, or he falls into the issues he had when he wasnt able to move as quickly as he should. His mobility was hindered, and when he was slammed on his back his rifle was utterly destroyed, making that weight he was lugging around useless. Hes light, weighing one hundred thirty pounds with a height of five-six, just three inches taller than Soku and six inches smaller than Gray. He spends his days just building and thinking, keeping in mind he has a time limit, because they leave after New Year, giving him about two weeks to get his mind in order. He wasnt strong enough to stop Edwards only photo of his mother get stolen, got them kicked out of the mayor''s office for who knows how long, made a fool of himself by losing against Lance, and has been as far away from everyone as possible the entire time theyve been in the country of Valatrocitus. Peter Day, the inventor, the boy who ran away, bullied until failure, and forced to feel like he didnt belong. With Hubert and Juval, he feels he can finally stay somewhere and not be looked down upon. Even if most of his feelings are just that, feelings and nowhere near what Gray and the others really feel about him, it doesn''t really matter at this point, no words can make him do what they want, he is in control of his own life. And when you have complete control with no guidance, you may stay stagnant. End of Chapter Forty-two Arc 6. Chapter 43: Jong and his amazing friends Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in another world Chapter 43. Jong and his amazing friends While less than two weeks away from Constal, Jong rides in his wagon all by his lonesome. His soldiers are a few hours behind, but hes leading the charge to assist Gray and Constals forces for the possible upcoming attack, and hes not doing well. His frail body is dying, and every day it gets worse. He continues to scratch off his decaying skin, rubs his dry eyes, pulls out strands of his hair, and is currently delving into an illusion his mind brings to him. While in his daydream, his body has resorted back to a younger version of itself, and hes surrounded by his old friends, who have all passed at this point. Musashi, wearing the basic Leviathan army armor, Gotsu, Edwards father, wearing a thicker version of such armor, Jasmine, Edwards mother also wearing the same armor, and Bj?rn, Edwards stepfather, wearing the monk gray robes. A notable thing was the fact that Gotsus hair was black and not white, even though all of the stories and paintings would tell you otherwise. But if this was just a subject of Jongs depleting mind or something else was unknown. Jong: What? When did you guys get here? Gotsu: What are you talkin about? You fall asleep or somethin? Jong shakes his head, quickly getting back into the groove of things. Bj?rn: Well, now to get back to what we were talking about. Musashi: Ugh, can we let this drop already? Bj?rn: No way! You have the spark, intelligence, ability, or whatever you wanna call it! The truth! To think somebody out of the scribes can hold such an ability! Musashi: I dont care about that. What I care about is ending this damn war. If this tip is correct, then it could mark the endgame for the Demi-Human''s last remaining forces, the ones who havent joined our side that is. Jasmine: You guys are way too serious about all of this, its most likely gonna be a ruse. We just happen to find a guy that gives us this much information about a top-secret location for free and we didnt need to beat it out of him? Gotsu leans over and responds with a rather flirty voice, which isnt very fitting for his hulking nature. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Gostu: Look, some of us dont need to beat up people to get them to be nice. Jasmine: Like you would know that. Look, I hate to look at the downside of it, but there isnt an upside. Its a trap, no doubt about it, but depending on how big of a trap, we could be caught in the crossfire of who knows how many armies. Musashi: Depending on it, I think were good enough to put a dent in whatever were going up against. We arent random soldiers, we are a part of the Leviathan army, were supposed to assist the knights, and thats what were doing. Jong looks into the distance, and rubs his currently unscared face, stares into the distance with only one thought in his head, that hes not strong enough to keep up. Jong: Im just an officer, hell I dont know why Im here with you guys. But Ill make sure I dont drive us straight into death. Bj?rn: Dont be too hard on yourself, I heard youre in line for Commander. Jong quickly becomes ecstatic by the news, jumping up and down as a result of it. Jong: Great Commander Marshal knows who I am! I cant believe it! Please dont tell me youre joking. Gotsu throws a dirty shirt in Bj?rns face, getting him to shut up. Gotsu: You werent supposed to know about thatwhatever, its too late now. Jong: WOOOOOAAAAH! FINALLY! Ive been in the ranks since I was fifteen, hell Im almost in my forties! I was getting scared I wasnt gonna make it! And Its me! Jasmine: Well Im happy for you, and scared that Marshal will find out Bj?rn told you. Bj?rn: Sorry, sorry. I kinda forgot. Musashi: Whatever, were getting closer, Id say were about an hour or two away. We should get our bearings together. Jasmine: Is there a point? I mean were already dead. Bj?rn: Yeah, youre right about that. The change in conversation confuses Jong, causing him to turn around and confront the cause of such confusion. Musashi: Jong, you dont have to worry today, but youll have to worry in a few weeks. Youre dead, Im dead, my brothers dead, and were not going to Alfheilm. Jong watches in horror as everyones bodies begin to decay. Gotsu begins choking on his own blood, Musashis body parts begin falling off, Jasmines head begins to swell up, and Bj?rns bones suddenly snap out of place. Jong looks around with a face filled with terror and delves into sheer panic. He looks at his hand and watches as they shrivel up and begin to peel. He feels his face shrivel up as well, but he also feels his skin become scaly and rough as if hes touching snake skin. He freaks out so much that he falls backward and lands on the floor of the wagon, and hes met with the worst situation yet, his friends begin grabbing onto him, trying to rip him apart. Their blood gets into his mouth, and their fingers pierce his skin and begin to tear it off. A burning heat fills his entire body, burning so bad it feels like hes being cooked alive, and they begin removing his senses. Bj?rn bites at his heart Jasmine digs at his eyes, Gotsu tries ripping off his limbs, and Musashi begins bashing his face in. The pain is so unbearable it would send even the sanest of people into insanity, but Jong remains strong, forcing himself to wake up. He comes to, drenched in sweat, blood, and tears, horrified from his dream, but he pushes the fear down and begins staring off into the open land once more, without a care in the world. Jong: What was I thinking about again? Man, I hope I get to Constal soon, this ride getting a bit boring Jong begins falling into a nothing nightmare, and once again he has the same dream. Then he wakes up, falls asleep, and wakes up again. He soon repeats the same process over and over again, beating the horror every time, and forgetting it every time, with the only thing carrying over each time is just how tired and confused he is. End of Chapter Forty three Arc 6: Chapter 44. What is a hero Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in another world Chapter 44. What is a hero With a little more than a week left in Constal, everyone is in a slump, to say the least. Gray, without his cloak, stays in his bed almost all day, with everyone else doing much of the same. Edwards the only one training, but hes working himself to the point of failure, and the thought of Peter being out there, hurt, sad, and broken has filled every bit of his mind. Rosemary went looking for him, but after two days of doing so, she gave up and now sits around hoping hell show up eventually. These emotions that are flowing through everyone are paired with the dark and cold rain flowing out of the clouds, making everything a bit worse. Gray turns over to Rosemary, whos reading a book while trying not to fall asleep and taps her arm. She quickly looks over at his extremely tired face, and it brings her already sad mood much farther down. On their trip here, he was the most excited, aside from herself of course, but now hes the most depressed. His eyes are weighed down by heavy bags, his face is extremely pale, his mind yearns for the cloak of darkness, his OD burns, and everything else is spent. Gray: Haveyou had fun? Rosemary: Of course, we went to the park, saw some cool places, we even went to the Victoria Museum. Gray: Yeahbut I mean in alllike since we met. I know weve talked about rushing into thingsbut maybe we shouldnt push that under the rug. Ive been so inconsistent it confuses me how youve put up with me everyones gotten to the point where theyre almost unrecognizable from what they were except me. Rosemary sets her book down and doesn''t really have an answer. She agrees but hates the fact that she does, and Gray knows this and its eating at him. Rosemary: I dont think anything makes me madder than when you talk like thisbecause it kills me inside. Ive never been able to see what you see in yourself, this hate that you cant seem to get away from. Ive had fun ever since I met you, of course, weve been through some sucky things, and hell were still going through some, but Ive stuck with it. Everyone has stuck with it, and we all have reasons not to. Gray suddenly sits up straight with an enraged tone in his voice, shocking Rosemary. Gray: THATS MY POINT! I DONT HAVE ONE! THATS BEEN MY POINT EVERY TIME I TALK ABOUT THIS! IVE YET TO FIND ONE IN THE ENTIRE TIME IVE BEEN HERE! EVERYONES GOT ONE, EVEN PETERAND I JUST DIDNT WANNA EXCEPT IT! I just let Peter walk off because I wanted to act like he was mini me or something...and now where is he? Nowhere, anywhere but here, and hes not gonna come back. He tilts his head up to look at Rosemary, and he expects her to be teary-eyed, but its the exact opposite. Rosemary: OH MY GOD! YOU DO THIS EVERY TIME! You get a little down in the dumps, and then you rage out that nobody understands you! How have you not realized this!? Or have you and youre going to rant about that too!? Im sorry but DAMN! Youve done nothing to find Peter because you said he doesn''t need to be found, so PICK ONE! DO SOMETHING! GO ON A WALK BEFORE YOU GIVE UP OVER THIS STUFF! DONT PUSH IT OVER THE RUG FOR ONCE! Rosemary shoves past Gray and walks out the door, leaving him speechless. He shakes his head, grabs his clothes, and exits through the window. She watches him do this and slumps down on the wall, losing herself to her emotions, and breaks down, beginning to cry into her hands. He slides down the awning and lands outside the front door, right in front of Soku, whos rocking back and forth while doodling something on a piece of paper with one of Peter''s pens. Soku: Where you goin? Gray: Out. Soku stands up, about to go with Gray, but she sits back down, letting him walk off. He zips up his jacket, ties his drawstring, ties his shoes, pulls up his socks, and puts his hood on. She watches as his light gray jacket gets darker and darker as the rain begins to soak. Soku picks up her damp paper, looks at her drawing, and walks back inside. As she walks into the nice small cottage, she wipes her feet and takes off her boots, but stops in her tracks when she hears the echoes of Rosemarys cries. She looks out of the kitchen window, which she can see from the living room, and sees an armored Edward swinging his sword over and over, drenched in the rain. She quietly walks up the stairs, watching Rosemary caress the necklace that Gray had purchased for her when they had gone shopping the day after they got to Constal. She stares into the light blue crystal, disgusted with her reflection, but she quickly puts it away when she notices Soku, she also rubs the tears from her eyes as quickly as she can, trying to hide her sadness. But its far too late for that, and she knows this, so she stands up and tries to remain strong. But with one look from Soku, a short glace that holds a thousand words causes Rosemary to tumble to her feet once more, causing Soku to sigh. Soku walks over to her, takes her soft, warm hand, and places it on her cold face. Soku then removes her hand from her face and stares at her nails, confusing Rosemary. Soku: Your nails are so well kept, hehI bite mine. Rosemary: You and Gray are the same in that matter thenas you are in a lot of manners on top of that Soku sits on the floor with Rosemary, putting on a sweet smile along with it. Soku: Is that supposed to be an insult? Rosemary and Soku both begin to chuckle, but the glimpse of happiness is short-lived, as they both look out of the hall''s window, staring at the loud rain. Soku: Dodo you want to talkabout what happened? Rosemary: II got madand I really This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Rosemary choked on her words, so Soku simply hugged her while the sounds of rain hitting the roof echoed through the now silent hall. Soku: Its okayI get it Im good at reading people after all. Rosemary nuzzles up to Soku, drifting off into a short daydream while Soku stares off into space. In the thunderstorm, Gray walks down the street filled with intent, a sense of intent he doesn''t know he has. As hes forcing himself through the crowded streets he looks above him, not to the sky but to the buildings, and how open the roofs are compared to the streets. He remembers how he and Soku had gone free-running. Gray uses a small amount of mana to effortlessly scale to the wall while also inflicting the building with no damage. Gray isnt sad or rageful, hes filled with regret, and hes planning on rectifying it. He begins running across the rooftops, being guided by something he cant explain other than one''s gut. It has absolutely nothing to do with spirits or anything like that, its almost as if he knows where he should go because every other way would be wrong. He flies across the rooftops at vigorous speeds, doing everything on pure instinct until he feels as if hes reached his location, which knocks his senses back into him. This causes him to step into a puddle, slipping and sliding down the dark tiled roof right into the street, barely missing a family walking on the sidewalk. They turn and look at him like hes strange and pitiful, which he accepts and carries on. The stench of the street finally gets to him, it smelt a little off before, but the rain causes all of the animal droppings to float through the streets, creating this awful aroma that almost makes him vomit. Hes about to puke right then and there, but hes distracted by a familiar voice coming from the home he had just fallen from. He notices that its a blacksmith shop while the upstairs is a home, reminding him of apartments he had seen on trips to other cities back on Earth. He sits on a nearby bench, soaking his bottom, and is about to drift into his astral form, but he stares away from the idea fairly quickly. Gray {This is just somebody''s homeI cant just fly into it, thats weirdwhat am I doing out here?} Gray begins walking away from the home, and inside such a home, is Peter who just finished dinner with Hubert and Juval. Hubert: That was a good first day! Juval: Id say, youre better than us! Everyone that came into the store was really impressed with your work! Peter: Thanksbut its people just being nice, just like you guys. Im gonna head off to bed if thats okay with you. Juval: Of course its okay, were closed tomorrow so you can sleep in. Hubert: But youre still gonna practice right!? Peter: Yeah I promise! Peter puts his dishes away and is about to clean them, but Juval walks up and smacks his hand. Juval: You go to sleep, I can do this, I like it. Peter: Um, okay thanks. Alright, good night! Juval and Hubert: Good night! Peter enters his room to find Gray, soaked in rain, leaning on his wall, staring at him. Peter almost screams, but he holds it in and shuts the door, never unlocking his eyes with Gray. Gray slumps down, cutting off eye contact. He puts his hand on the floor, takes a deep breath, and casts a new spell. Gray: Cornic. A wave of purple mana pulses around him and quickly vanishes, confusing Peter. Peter: What was that? Gray: A new spell, one of the only ones I can use without killing off spirits, it mutes all sound within it. Now, I see you found a new place. Peter: Im not coming home with you, so you can cut whatever youre up to. Gray: Thats not why Im here. Im here to ask you something, and to make Rosemary feel better. Peter: So what, what do you want to ask? Gray: What is a hero to you, what does it mean, how do you become one. Peter: Thats simple, you do good things and dont expect anything from it. Gray: Alright, now do you know anybody like this? Peter: Of course, you, Edward, Rosemary, Soku, Lincoln, I could go on. Gray: Okay. Now, what if I told you they all go against what you just told me? Edward feels he needs to use his strength for something, so he helps people, Soku stumbled into all of this and just does it because if she doesn''t shell be looked down upon. Rosemary does it because it goes against what the Golden Knights taught her. And I do it because I want something out of it. I could go on and on with Lincoln, but I wont. Peter: What are you getting at!? Gray: Do you mind if I tell you a story, its kinda lengthy, but itll get my point across. Peter walks over and sits on his bed, waving his hand to get Gray to start. Gray: My dad is the strongest guy I know. Not in actual strength, I mean youve seen all these guys moving faster than sound and destroying buildings with the force of their movementno my dad was a man. There was this one time, when I was fifteen he forced me to go get a job because he wanted me to grow out of a shell I was forming. I was being a baby and didnt wanna, but he kept pushing me. He forced me in the car, drove over to some random job, and forced me through that interview, hell he stood in the room the whole timeand yeah I didnt get the job Peter: Did he get mad at you? Gray: Hell no, he was proud. Hes what shaped my idea of what a Hero is. When I was young, we were walking down the street and we saw this woman. She was fighting against this skinny dude, and the dude was trying toyknow get her and I froze. I was only eight so it makes sense, but he froze too. He stood there and I swear I could see the gears moving in his head, trying to get his body to move. Peter: What happened next? Gray: She screamed Help me and the six-four muscle head that he was, socked him right in the back of the head. And then he called the cops for her. Peter becomes filled with rage, feeling that Gray is swarmed in ignorance Peter: SEE! All of you are strong, your dad punched that guy down, Edwards is a monster, Soku speeds around, Julius is a genius, Rosemary has god-like strength, and youve got all that MANA! I CANT DO THAT, IM WEAK! Gray turns to Peter, watching the tears flow down his brushed and bandaged face. Gray: You didnt let me finish. After he called the cops, we sat there until they got there and comforted her. Now understand that my dad is like the shyest guy ever, he took anxiety meds, had panic attacks on the regular, and still acted. He would pull over and help people change their tires, give the neighbors eggs and an extra dollar, and go to a soup kitchen. He didnt have a job so he could do all this stuff. Heroes arent all-powerful, they arent gods. Peter: THEN WHAT ARE THEY!? Gray: They are people that are able to act on a will to help, his will to help overpowered his want to run every single time. Thats what a Hero is. I wanted to be like him my whole life, but I wasnt tall, I couldnt build muscle, and I was more like my mom but with his anxiety. I feel bad nowbut she knew I hated the day I got my glasses, she wanted me to feel happy `You''re just like Mommy! and I hated them because I wasnt like dad. I love my mom, she was my light in the darkness, but my dad was a goal. I didnt live in his shadow, but I wanted to.`` Peter slumps down, covering his face. Peter: I dontunderstand. Gray: When I was twelve my dad got into a car accidentand that was the one of the scariest moments of my lifeMy mom and I were sitting in the hospital bedand she was more scared than I was. I was born with a dad, but she had to find him. But shes strong, stronger than meand she sat me down and told me Youre as strong as an Ox, as scared as a mouse, as gentle as a giant, and as fragile as you and me. Thats when it was cemented in my mind, that we have to be strong enough to be gentle. And I have fallen from this, lost hope, lost sight of what I want. But I will get back on the road every single time. Peter: Isnt that what I said a hero was though!? Gray: Your answer was lazy, misguided, and filled with misconceptions. Of course, its an opinion question, so somebody else could feel differently and think you and I are both stupid, but Im just trying to state my peace. Rosemary, Edward, Soku, and I all started from different places but we all made it here, even if Im not up to date with them. We are all different, weve all run from something, and we all found something. A good person is one who protects his loved ones, but a hero protects everyone who needs it. I might not be a good hero, but you can be, I believe it. Peter is speechless, and Gray leaves through the window right as the spell dissipates, leaving him by himself once more. Hubert and Juval then knock on the door, concerned for him. Hubert: Are you in there!? Juval: Its so quiet in there you could hear a dust float in the air! Peter: YeahIm in here. Peter looks out his window, noting that Gray has seemingly vanished, but he wants to keep talking to him. So Peter slowly exits through his window, dropping to the street below. He falls into a puddle, becoming soaked in the dirty street water, but he pays no mind to this and continues looking around for Gray. Hes about to call out for him, but in a flash, hes swept up by something. Gray looks behind him, but he sees nothing, so he continues moving back home. End of Chapter Forty-four Arc 6: Chapter 45. Damp dark room Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 45. Damp dark room The room is wet, damp, and dark. The sounds of steps both above and below echo and shake the room along with an inconsistent dripping of water from rusty pipes. Peter slowly opens his eyes to only see darkness, as well as feel that his hands and feet are both restrained by a rope. He tries to call out, but his mouth is gagged, so all he can do is shake around and let out mumbles of panic. He tries flailing back and forth, screaming as loud as he can, becoming so confused, enraged and scared that he begins to shut down. He stops flailing, but its too late, and he falls to the side, still restrained to a chair. Now, lying on his side, in an unknown place, captured by unknown people, with no knowledge of what these people will do to him. Of course, hes horrified, but hes almost content, about to accept his possible faith. But he hears the sound of a door open, which wakes the want to live part of his brain up and he begins panicking once more. He gets picked up and placed back down, then suddenly has the bag on his head ripped off, letting him get a look at his kidnapper. Peter: Mmmmp, MMMM! The always well-dressed, brown-haired, and tall, Chester Humphrey. Chester takes the gag out of Peters mouth, pulls out a chair, and smirks at him. Peter: WHAT THE HELL! Youre one of Rupert''s menthe hell do you want with me!? Chester: Calm down, I heard you were good at building weapons, so I wanted to see if youd help us out. Peter: HELL NO! You can go to hell because Im never gonna help you! Chester: Look, you took out Arthur before we got our muskets refined enough to use on you. So youre gonna repay us, youve already made a better version of it. And if we like what you do, you could continue to work with us, without all these bells and whistles youve got right now. Peter looks around, finding various tools and plans on the tables in the room. He remembers when he had thought about this exact thing, but because of what Gray had told him, his view had changed completely. Peter: Okaybut I need my things. I also need to tell the people I was living with that I had gone back to my friends. Oh, and I want my invention thats in the backyard of the cottage that Gray and the others are living in. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Chester: Seems reasonable, but when I come back I want you to have drawn up somethin'' or made something. And if you try leaving, youll be reprimanded, harshly. Chester walks around Peter and undoes the ropes, unbinding Peter. He then left the room, closing the iron door behind him, and locking it from the other side. Peter stands up, getting a long stretch right after. Peter: Well, lets see what were looking at I guess. Peter slowly makes his way over to one of the tables, seeing a musket without any ammo in it as well as the plans beside it. Peter: It has been almost a year since I saw the base version of these and they haven''t changed a bit. They take way too long to reload, have almost no accuracy, and hardly any range. Thanks to Gray I was able to make bullets for it, a scope, ammo magazines, and just make it better overall. Peter picks up the musket and begins pondering what he should do, and how he should do it. Peter: If I actually help them, it could be detrimentalbut if I dont they could either torture it out of me or flat out kill meif Gray or anyone else was here theyd break out without much issue, one punch and its done. Peter begins looking around the room for anything he could use to break out, but nothing is sticking out. No vents, no elemental crystals, and no weapons of the sort. Peter: There are pipes running through the roof, but I dont think I could make anything happen from it if I tamper with themunless Gray looks for me in his astral form Im stuck Peter begins working on making the musket a bit better, but making sure its not such a gap in power. He sits around not doing much other than the slow progression of the rife until he sees the door begin to unlock. Behind Chester, for a brief moment, he can see a hallway with a few other gangster-looking men walking through it. Chester: Nice, I see youve progressed. We got your big block of metal you wanted as well as the rest of your things, but we didnt find any of your weapons. Peter: Well, unlucky for you, I just got into a fight that broke all of them. And Id like to continue working on that big block of metal and if its finished I could make some for you. Chester: The hell is it? While Peters talking, he continues working on the rifle, or thats what it looks like. What hes really doing is tightening a bolt that doesn''t do anything more than make the rifle heavier. Chester lights his cigarette and sits down, blowing smoke all around the room, making sure he didnt do anything. Peter: Think of it as a small train, it can move without the need of rails, and if I can make the engine not explode every time I use it, it may be able to do more than just drive. Chester: By the way, until we get you a room, that buckets your bathroom, and well give you food, water, and other necessities when you need them. And Ill try to get you a bed. Peter: Will I talk to Rupert at some point? Or am I just stuck with you? Chester: Alright dick, no you wont be speaking with him. Keep this to yourself, but taking you is my idea, weve got some history together already. Peter: What are you talking about? Chester quickly kicks Peter over, knocking him to the ground. Peter holds his side, clinching it while groaning in pain. Peter: ...That kickis your legmade of iron?... Chester: Cuagulated mana, so its a bit abnormally tuff. Thats not what Im getting at though, cause Ive already hit you with it once before. Chester leaves the room right as Peter makes the connection, the same man who robbed them back in Meir just left the room. Peter: ... theyve been circling uswe figured some of this was planned out, but this whole trip may have been orchestrated to tear us apartwe aren''t fighting ego-filled anarchists, were fighting people much smarter. This is some mastermind stuff, and the others have no ideaplease look for me with your astral form Gray, its the only chance Ive got. End of Chapter Forty-five Arc 6: Chapter 46. Peter Alone Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in another world Chapter 46. Peter Alone After four days of working on both the Silver Chariot mk two and weapons for the Montgomery company, Peter slowly thought of a plan of escape. He waits for Chester to lock the door, so he quickly places a small slip of metal between the bars so it doesn''t completely shut. He then waits until it should be the middle of the night, sitting around anxiously walking around until he feels the time is right. Once he stops hearing any movement from the other side of the door, he removes the metal slip and puts the back end of a hammer before it shuts. He then puts as much as much effort in as he can, pulling the end of the bar to unlock the door. Due to the absence of any elemental crystal, he could use without supervision, the only thing to do is use pure strength, which he doesn''t have much of, but he still pushes on. The door slowly unlocks, straining him until failure, but he makes it, and the door unlocks. He peeks his head out, making sure nobody is watching before he walks out, and once he feels the coast is clear, runs out with only a hammer in hand. He gets a better look at where he is, due to the fact every time they move him he has a bag on his head. Its a hall made of brick and stone, giving the feeling hes in a sewer system or catacombs, reminding him of the Red Arrows hideout that was once in Athens. He finds various other locked doors, all needing a key to open, with no exit in sight. He tries his best to stop shaking, but hes become one with fear, hes about to pass out. It''s so bad, but he keeps moving. After a few minutes of slowly walking down seemingly looping hallways, he sees a stairwell, escape, victory so close but yet so far. But that all stops when hes kicked in the chest so hard he flies into the wall behind him. While wind, in shock, and about to pass out, looks on to see Chester staring at him with a deeply enraged glare. Peter gets up and tries running back to his cell, hearing Chester call out for him as he does so. Chester follows close behind, going through the maze-like structure of this underground hideout. Chester looks to find the door to Peters room cracked open, and when he enters, hes nowhere to be found. Peter, hidden behind a doorway, runs over and closes the door, turning the vault-like lock, trapping him inside. Peter cheers and begins running back towards the exit, feeling like hes won, but he feels the ground begin to vibrate. He turns around and sees the door being kicked from the other side, cracking the walls, bending the door, and creating a loud banging echo. Peter goes running, but the kick from earlier reals its head back in, causing him to fall down due to a flash of pain. Holding his chest, unable to breathe, he can only watch as Chester kicks the door down. Chester, while lighting a cigarette, slowly approaches Peter, watching him pash out. Before everything goes dark he sees Chesters villainous smirk, burning a fear-filled hole in his head. Hot. A burning hot sensation. Burning into his side, Peters side, the side of his shoulder. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. He begins to awaken, feeling himself bound once more, staring Chester in his eyes. He looks over, still drowsy, and finds Chester pushing his lit cigarette into his shoulder, causing him to scream out in pain. Though, before he can do so, Chester slaps him in the face, pulls up a chair, and flicks his cigarette at his forehead. Chester: You tried to get out, key word being tried. I told you youd regret doing this, and oh you will. Peter: ....Whywhy are you doing thiswhy cant you just tell me, other than just make us weapons...there has to be more Chester: Whatever, youve been here a bit, and youre not leaving any time soon, so before you understand the conscience of your actions, Ill squash your pondering mind. Rupert doesn''t know about this, he knows about this place, but its mine. The people here are in my line, and youre in my line too. I want to stop him, and to do that we need to take Rupert down and get as progressed as possible. Connections, blackmail, and weapons. Thats it, very simple, now, welcome to hell. Peter tries to continue talking, but Chester shoves a dirty rag in his mouth and begins Peter''s punishment. It starts out small with a quick kick to the head. But it quickly progresses when Chester puts on a pair of brass knuckles and begins to beat Peter vigorously. Peter screams out, trying to do anything to stop this, but its no use. The room is almost pitch black, all but a small candle beside a table with horrifying things placed on it. Pliers, a hammer, a knife, a flame crystal, and various other tools for torture. He begins shaking around, trying to stop Chester, but this only angers him. Back and forth, over and over, a repeated barrage of punches brushing and crushing his face. His bones crack, his teeth fall out, his skin opens up, and he leaks blood from every opening. Once he begins to lose feeling in his face, Chester grabs the pliers and grabs his fingernail. Peter tries to scream out, but he doesn''t get a second until his nail gets ripped out. With nothing left to do, and so much more to come, Peter begins sobbing while it continues. Seconds feel like minutes, minutes feel like hours, hours feel like days, and days feel like years. His flesh is cut, his nails are stripped, his bones are broken, and his mind is toyed with. Only enough food and water to keep him alive, no human interaction, other than Chester of course, and tools meant for pure horror. Its slow and methodical, not going far enough to do serious damage, but what hes doing is still horrible. Only his ribs are broken, his nose is broken, one back tooth is lost, the nails on his left foot and right hand are stripped from him, hes burned, shocked, and his right arm has been broken. After three grueling days of pure torture, he finally gets pulled from his hellish punishment and thrown back into his room. He cracks his eyes open and watches Chester slowly close the door. Chester: Tomorrow youre helping pack flame crystals, oh and to reward you for sticking around and not dying, you can work on your car till New Year. And I left you pretty much intact, so if you do anything like this again, Ill make sure you cant remember a single reason why you want to leavenow what do you say? Peter: ....Thank.youIm sorry Chester: Good boy. Chester slams the door behind him, locking Peter back in his small, smelly, wet, and dirty room to try and regain a semblance of pride he, at this point, has lost all of. As he sits there, curled up in a ball, crying his eyes out, he loses all focus for the time to begin, being dehumanized, embarrassed, and broken. And seemingly to spite this tragic fate, Gray and the others are spending their day having a small Christmas party. Gray, dressed in a self-sown Santa Claus outfit, eats a large turkey-looking creature for dinner. While Gray thinks about asking what animal hes currently chowing down on with his Santa Claus hat-wearing friends, he leaves it best to be up in the air so as to not spoil the mood. Just like last year they have a Christmas tree in the living room which shines brightly through the dimly lit cottage. Though unlike last year they dont have gifts for each other. Because of everything currently happening, everything that has happened, and everything yet to come being so stressful, they left it up to the spirit of the holiday Gray brought to them three hundred and sixty-five days ago. Gray {I do wonderit tastes like a little bit of lamb, roast duck, and steak, but looks like turkeymmmh.} End of Chapter Forty-six Arc 6: Chapter 47. On the way buddy Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 47. On the way buddy Gray lays on the couch for a few days, saying nothing to Rosemary and barely anything else to the others. Without the ability to warn the mayor of a possible attack, their only chance is on New Year''s when she will have a speech before they set off fireworks at the mayors office. Soku had informed them that there is a chance Lincoln would appear, but that would most likely be after New Year, or not at all. Strangely enough, a few days ago while they were sleeping, the Silver Chariot vanished from the backyard, killing everyones hope of Peters return, but Gray knows where he is, or where he was. So, after a few days of waiting to tell everyone where he is due to his hope hed just show up after they talked, he finally decides to inform them on the day of New Year. Then, right as he walks up at three in the afternoon, he seeps into his mind and tries to locate Peter. His astral form is dragged miles and miles across the land, out of Constal and to Valatrositces capital. Hes then taken to one of the Montgomery companies'' facilities and dragged under the ground to a secret area of service tunnels. Then, hes pulled into a back room behind a metal door to find Peter shoveling Fire crystals into wooden boxes. Peter, unable to see Gray, pushes through the pain of his torture-formed injuries and shovels away. Gray is horrified and confused to find Peter here, and being enraged he leaves his astral state and returns to his body, but is surprised to find himself surrounded by everyone. Rosemary, Soku, and Edward stand around Gray, understanding what he had just done. Soku: "You searched for him didnt you? Edward: And why did it take you so long!? Gray: BecauseI knew where he was Edward is enraged by this while Rosemary is dumbfounded. Edward stomps his foot on the ground and raises his voice at Gray. Edward: WHAT!? You knew where he was and you didnt tell us!? Gray: I wanted him to have his peace! Edward: What if he was dead, starving, or beaten on the street!? What would you have done!? Just get over the fact you didnt check!? Gray: LOOK! I havehad faith in him. He was in a nice house with a familybut something bad happened. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Rosemary: What happened Gray? Gray: Hes been takenand hes hurt. Edward: Youre kiddingDAMMIT, ALL! We shouldnt have let him run off.I shouldnt have. Gray: Look, I know its bad, but I know where he is. If you give me my cloak, I can sneak in and get him. Im the best for the job, they cant detect my mana, Ive been practicing stealth, I can stick to walls with my cloak, and if I get caught I can fight. Edward: NoI have to be the one to do itI''ll let you stop meIm supposed to be the closest to himhell, I live with him Rosemary: Edward Im sorry but Grays the best choice, or Soku in a close second. Soku: Yeah, sorry Edward, but we cant risk it. Edward: Dont you think I know that!? I cant just let everyone do things for me, I cant just let people solve my problems! Gray: Edward I understand, but Im the one that let him go, and I have the spirit senses and my astral form. I can scope out the area without them being able to see me, and even if I dont I can sense the presence of people. If theres anything Im the best at, its this. Edward: No. I said no. Everyone is a bit uneasy, but Gray folds under the pressure and gives in to Edward''s demands. Gray: Whatever, I can walk you through it. But Ill have to tail you in my astral state. Hes in Valatrositce, and it takes hours to get there by train. So if were attacked you may not be able to return in time to help. Edward: Its now or never, I wont let him stay anywhere where he can be hurt any more. Hes our family, and weve failed him. Edward walks upstairs and gets his armor while everyone else stands around a bit awkwardly. Soku leaves with a small smirk on her face, meaning Gray and Rosemary are by themselves. Not having talked since their argument, its a great opportunity to clear the air. Gray goes to get a word in, but Rosemary gets Gray to follow her upstairs into their room. Once theyre inside, Rosemary pats the bed, signaling Gray to sit down while she grabs something from her bag. He stares at the ground, rubbing his feet on the floor''s wooden paneling. He feels a brush going through his long, wavy hair, soothing him. Gray: You havent brushed my hair in foreverits been getting messy. Rosemary: Yeah I know, but if you want long healthy hair, youll have to take care of it. Gray: Well, you know me. Im as lazy as it gets, so I usually just keep my hair short. I only recently started letting it grow out because I dont feel like cutting it. Rosemary: Dont you dare cut your hair without my permission! Gray: Alrightnot to sound meanbut do you wanna get the point now.Im trying not to dance around it as we speak. Rosemary falls back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Rosemary: We should have sent you out to get Peterand I shouldnt have gotten mad at youI know you feel weird about this whole Peter and cloak of darkness thingbut its not your fault I swear. Gray: You getting mad at me was deserved and Im sorry for the way that I actedIt is my faultI had a judgment call, a bad one. And I knew that the cloak of darkness made me poutybut I still wore it. Rosemary: Well just have to make you, so dont pout. Rosemary turns Gray''s face to face, coming onto him. While they begin to embrace each other, Edward begins walking to the train station. Unbeknownst to him, hes being tailed by not one but two people, one sneakier than the other. Edward begins sweating, having put on clothes over his armor to cover it, and has a bag to hold his sword, making sure he doesn''t stand out, but wearing all of this on top of already thick armor makes him stand out even more. He makes his way through the surprisingly crowded street, even though its so early in the morning. Families and businesses setting up their homes for New Year while he goes out to find a lost part of their family. Once he buys a ticket, he gets onto the train and takes off, not realizing that both of the people following him have gotten on as well. End of Chapter Forty-seven Arc 6: Chapter 48. We Fear Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 48. We Fear After about seven hours, the gang makes their way to the mayors office by walking, since the streets are overcrowded by everyone. With the consistent parties, everyone in the city is already prepared for such an occasion, but to a much higher degree than before. Its as if everyone in the city is outside their homes, wearing animal masks, and their most expensive clothing, and partaking in even more wondrous events. Smaller fireworks explode in the air, set off by families on the roofs of their homes, vendors call out, and service men and women give drinks to anyone who purchases them, accepting all ages from fifteen and up. Soku: So, can I have a drink? Gray: Maybe a sip, but were prepared. Youve got your armor on right? Soku: Uhg, yes. All the things I need are on me, under my coat of course. Rosemary: Gray, are you sure you dont want the cloak? Gray stares at Rosemary, watching as she fiddles with the necklace he had purchased for her when they arrived, sighing as he answers. Gray: No, I dont. I cant risk losing myself to it if something happens. Rosemary: Well I have it on me just in case. Gray: Jong and the knights haven''t shown up yetand we werent able to contact the mayor for daysif the Sect attacks then we wont have been able to prepare at all. Soku: Thats if the Sect attacks, and it isnt like we tried. Valatrositice isnt our home, were visitors, and this vacation has been a stress-filled mess. Im glad were going home right after this. Rosemary: We still have to wait for Edward Gray: Last time I checked up on him he was just getting to the building. I dont know if hes gone in yet, but hes going to have to wait a bit because we need to get to the mayors office, but its only a block or so away, it sucks that they blocked the street off till just a few minutes ago. Rosemary: Edward can be a bit unpredictable in these situationshell either be patient or hell strike right as he gets there. They begin to make their way through the crowd, with mainly Gray and Rosemary struggling to walk through the dense crowd of people surrounding the main gate which leads inside the mayors ground. Soku on the other hand quickly makes her way through, doing it with such ease its like shes swimming through the crowd. Gray gets a better idea, grabbing Rosemary and hopping over the fence, to be met with loud boos and aws of people. They see a large stand newly built for this occasion right in front of the main building. They all spot Greta, her assistant Ganga, Lisa, Julius, and a crowd of bored and out-of-shape guards. The chatter gets louder the closer they get, being unable to hear anything other than the almost static-like noises coming from everyone. Once Greta spots them, she calls them up, greeting them, while Lisa jumps for joy at their sight. Greta: I havent seen you! I heard you got into some trouble in my office? Lisa: YEAH! Did Peter win that fight against that loser by the way!? Greta softly nudges her daughter away, getting her quiet so she can talk with Gray and the others. Gray: Weve been trying to speak with you for a week! Were concerned that the Sect of Anarchy might be attacking tonight! Weve gotten the Walgonian Knights to send a small platoon to assist us just in case! Greta is stunned and confused, though Ganga comes in to help her through it. Gangat: I dont know if its right to trust their words. They barged into your office, starting a giant commotion thats led to the disappearance of one Peter Day. These people mind you have been running around causing mayhem every time they go. Gray: Hey lady, were just trying to help. Gangat: Well why dont you help by not making Miss Greta scared? These claims have no ground, there is no way that they can attack. They must get through the guard fog, make it to Constal, and set up a plan right under our noses. Its dreadful youd think were so incomitant that wed let this happen. Soku: LOOK LADY! WERE TRYING TO KEEP YOUR LAZY ASS CITY FROM BURNING DOWN! SO ID TRY NOT TO BE ON THE BAD SIDE OF YOUR FRIENDS HERE! Were nice enough to help, more than most people already. Greta: QUIET DOWN! If were under attack we can defend ourselves. I thank you for trying to help, but I trust Ganga more than you people. Shes been with me for years and Ive just met you. Im sorry if this seems rash, but I dont want to hear any more of this, but if something does happen, I give you a command to do whatever you see as necessary to solve it. Lisa: Mom! Greta: I dont want to hear it! This is my order, and if they dont like it, they can leave. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Gray quickly gets down on one knee, surprising Soku and Rosemary, though they quickly do the same. Gray: Im truly sorry for causing so much trouble, so well step off the stage and wait elsewhere. I assure you if conflict does arise well be trying our hardest to make sure no harm comes to such a great city thats let itself be our home for the past month and a half. Greta: Alright then, I thank you for your cooperation. You may wait wherever you like, including the inside of my office building. Rosemary: I thank you for your hospitality! Soku: AndI apologize for raising my voiceit was uncalled for Greta: I accept your apology, now if you would kindly get off my stage I would appreciate it. As they begin to step off the stage, Gray locks eyes with the black-haired assistant Ganga, feeling unease and anger toward her. Lisa watches them with a sad look on her face, and Julius stares with no emotion at all, just a small picturesque smile. Hes wearing a much longer coat, but it looks very similar to his original one. Being mainly white with purple fur and a large popped collar with the same purple fur around it. Then, over his heart, is a small golden version of the Valatrositce crest, looking like a V but with the ends pointing down and inward only slightly. They make their way inside for the time being, and Gray focuses on Edwards location. Edward, all the way in Valatrositces capital, makes his way through the equally crowded streets while he looks at the tall, brick building that is one of the Ruperts '' working buildings. He feels Grays presence and lets him enter the building, but to Grays ghostly surprise, he finds no one inside. Edward then enters the building, finding only smithing equipment. The ground is covered in soot, ash, and bits of wood and meat, its like being inside of a chimney. Gray searches around, looking through the walls to find something, but has a better idea. He tries using his furthered skill in the spirit arts to search for life. He expands his mind from the small amount of spirits that are currently forming his astral form, to all the spirits in the small vicinity. Though, unbeknownst to him, this is something that Ryo even struggles with, because its far beyond the basics of the spirit arts. The spirit arts are very much tied to the world, with spirits being the life of the world, but becoming one with the actual spirit and not their mana is much different. This isn''t a connection to the emotion of the world but to the worlds OD itself. He finds it yet, but he gains such a strong awareness so fast, that his mind almost crumbles and hes sent back into his body with a newfound understanding of his mana. What was felt quickly flees from his mind, but what he felt stays. Rosemary goes to comfort him as he begins hyperventilating, holding him with a soft grip. Gray: Ijust connected to the worldIve been feeling this same thing the last couple of times Ive used the spiritual state like theres something far beyond what Im doing but not that far off at the same time. Soku: So, what about Edward? Gray attempts to project to Edward, but the second he tries, its as if his mind has run out of power. Gray: I cantIm out of juice, I tried searching for lifeand I felt it, but I just couldnt hold it. Edwards is in trouble, I sensed at least a hundred people underneath the building. Edward is confused, but he continues looking for any way to get to Peter without endangering his life. Suddenly, a false wall opens up behind him, so he hides to see whats going on. But nothing happens, no one walks out, so he begins walking down the stairwell, below the building into a secret service tunnel. He peeks his head out, watching as hundreds of gang members hull boxes somewhere, so he waits for his opportunity to follow. Just around the corner, behind a locked metal door, is Peter''s room. Orson, the large bear Demi-human, opens the door and finds what he thinks is Peter sleeping. He is about to wake him up, but he feels like the kids earned some rest, so he picks up a box full of fire crystals. He grabs all six boxes that were in the room, shuts and locks the door behind him, and walks the boxes down the hall, to an underground train. The small train that was built right under Valatrositces capital, is hidden from everyone, and due to its age, it looks much older than the newly opened rail system above ground. Beside the train filled with boxes of flame crystals, is another train, which is filled with gangsters dressed as Anarchists. Orson goes to grab more, but he bumps into Chester, whos walking to Peter''s room. Orson: Oh I got all of the boxes in his room. The trains are about to leave by the way. Chester: Good. Now what was Peter doing? Orson: He was sleeping. Chester: WHAT!? Angered Chester starts running to Peter''s room, unlocked the door, and goes over to Peters bed. He takes off the blanket to find pillows and a sheet balled up to look as if hed been in it. Chester: ORSON YOU IDIOT! Chester begins screaming that Peter had gotten out and not to let the trains leave, but his screams are for nothing. The trains begin to leave with the last few boxes being loaded up and Anarchists getting suited up, though somebody does hear his calls, Edward. Edward leaves his hiding place, and like a whirlwind of force, takes out his sword and cleaves through anyone in his way. The area is like a maze of hallways, so he uses Chesters screams to guide himself. A few gangsters get in his way, but Edward brutalizes them. His large sword cuts through them with such ease its like stepping on ants. Their blood coats the walls, and an enraged Edward filled with adrenaline, makes sure nothing will stand in his way. Chester and Orson make it on the train, and right before it gets out of distance Edward makes his way to it as well. Though, unable to run up to it in time, he begins sprinting to get as close as he can, and then uses his sword to propel himself forward. He flips himself with his sword with such force it launches himself onto the back of the train, barely making it. However, one of the two people following Edward continued the entire way, and leapt attempting to jump onto the train. Edward, shocked to see that Lance had followed him, grabs the boy''s hand, helping him on. Edward: The hell is wrong with you! How didwhy didTHE HELL!? Lance: Im a trained member of the dragon army, tailing you was easy. Edward: And why did you? Lance: ...because. because Julius told me Peter was missing and I wanted to help find him! Lance shutters in fear, but Edward gets on one knee, puts his hand on the boy''s shoulder, and smiles. Edward: Well lets go save him. Inside the cars, one of the boxes gets kicked open from the inside, and Peter, dressed in the clothes he showed up in, along with his rabbit mask, falls out. Armed with only pieces of scrap, tools, and things he pierced together, hopes to stop the train and make it to Constal, with no knowledge of Ewdard coming to help him. All the way in Constal, right before the New Year begins, Greta gives a speech to her People. Julius walks behind her as she begins, wearing a longer version of his white coat with the same purple furred cuffs collar, and bottom, with the golden Valatrositce crest of course. Greta: HELLO PEOPLE OF CONSTAL! WE HAVE HAD ANOTHER GREAT YEAR! AND I HOPE FOR ANOTHER GREAT YEAR TO COME! I BEEN SO PROUD OF YOU ALL FOR MAKING SURE WE STAY OUR HOLY LAND STAYS PERFECT! CLEAN! AND LIVELY! BESIDE ME IS JULIUS CROMWELL! AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD! A CITY STATE OF VALATROSITCE WILL BE ABLE TO SAY THAT WE HONOR VALATROSTICES NEW KING! Gray and the others hear this as they exit the room. Theyre stunned by the revelation, as they had just seen the King a month and a half ago. As the last ten seconds of the citizens of Constal count down to the New Year, Gray feels something off. He pulls Rosemary and Soku to the podium, angering Greta, and confusing Ganga, who now has a smirk on her face. As they reach zero, the fireworks go off, and he feels something wrong in the distance. With his newly found knowledge of what the worlds mana feels like, he knows this feeling isnt related to the spiritual senses, but something bigger. The dark sky is lit up with colorful explosions, but dark smoke emerges in the distance. Gray eyes go black and his pupil turns white. Now, using his spiritual senses, he sees something in the distance. He watches as the walls of Constal fall, and Infected monsters from the guard fog emerge. Filled with fear, he turns to his left, watching as the other walls fall and the same zombie-like creatures that had attacked them in Walgonias raid ravaged the streets. The cheers of the people and the boom of the fireworks cover the sound of their entrance, and Gray struggles to scream over them. Grays eyes are wide open, his breath is faint, his hands are shaking, and his mind is both blank and racing at the same time. Gray: Theyre here Gray shoves Greta out of the way, pushing past his fear, and screams as loud as he can above the crowd. Gray: THE SECT OF ANARCHY IS ATTACKING! RUN! GET OUT! RUN NOW, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! Rosemary and Soku get ready while Lisa and Gretas faces drop. Greta: CITIZENS OF CONSTAL! RUN NOW! Gray looks over at Julius while on the verge of a panic attack, and sees a villainous smile emerge. His eyes open, and he glares at Gray, saying something that sends a shiver down his spine. Julius: Happy New Year, Gray Kyojin. End of Chapter Forty-eight Arc 6: Chapter 49. It’s a setup Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 49. Its a setup Gray begins to panic, and the sounds of cheers from the crowd and the noise of the exploding fireworks drown out Gray and Gretas screams. Greta tries getting everyones attention, but its useless. The ground begins rumbling, meaning more monsters have gotten in, causing Gray to freak out even more. His hands are shaking, and Julius tone of voice when he tells him Happy New Year confuses him, this gets so bad it feels like Gray could cry from shock, but Rosemary concerts him. She holds his shaking sweaty hand with her own shaking sweaty hand, calming not only Gray but herself as well. Soku takes action as fast as she can by snapping them out of their panicking trance. She blows a light bit of wind in their faces then quickly takes Grays communicator off of his belt and hands it to him. Soku: Remember, you can talk to us with this, but it doubles as awhat did you call it? Gray: A microphone! Thanks, I almost forgot. Gray flows mana into the upgraded communicator, now looking like the Walgonian crest and not the Sects crest from the device the communicator was based on. He then speaks into it, can it echo throughout the area, easily getting everyones attention. Gray: EVERYONE! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE CITY IS BEING ATTACKED BY.ZOMBIES!? AND THE NORTHWEST IS BEING ATTACKED BY SEEMINGLY CONTROLLED OR MUTATED SPIRIT BEASTS! THE BEST OPTION IS TO STAY HERE! WELL USE THE LARGE SPACE TO GET EVERYONE TO SAFETY! Greta snatches the device out of Grays hand and begins speaking into it. She notices that the citizens are about to panic more than they are already, so she acts before all hell can break loose. Greta: DO NOT SCREAM! DO NOT PANIC! WE ARE CONSTAL! WE ARE THE PROTECTORS OF THE HOLY LAND, NOT JUST THE KNIGHTS! I WILL USE THE HELP OF THE HEROES OF WALGONIA OUR OFFERING AND SEND THEM OFF! ROSEMARY GOLDENWIND, YOU GO AND USE THE STRENGTH GIVEN BY YOUR PRESTIGE AND STOP THOSE SPIRIT BEASTS! SOKU, THE ELF OF WINDS, USE YOUR SPEED AND RANGED WIND ABILITIES TO STOP THOSE GHOULS! GRAY, THE PHANTOM KNIGHT WILL PROTECT YOU ALL HERE WHILE I SEND THE GUARDS TO CHECK OUT THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST! The crowd quickly calms down and begins cheering for their mayor. Gray, Rosemary, and So are all shocked by Gretas quick call and answer to the action presented to her. Lisa: She used to be in the Dragon Army, shes good at this. Greta turns around and shoves Lisa away, motioning for her to enter the office building. Greta: Now, you three, what the hell are you doing? Get to work! The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Gray: Be safe, both of you. Rosemary kisses Gray on his cheek and quickly enters the fifth stage then bolts towards the northwest. Soku sighs, takes out and unfolds her compact glider, and flies off to the northwest. Gray: Shouldnt I go to the other side of the river? Greta: Youre much stronger than I, so I need you to guard my people. In an hour or so, most likely thousands of people will roll in. Ganga and Julius, I need you to use the other three buildings for the people to reside in, Gray, you take control of a few guards and maintain your position. Gray, without his cloak, is on his own with the responsibility of saving Constals people on his back in the span of a few seconds, and its terrifying. Unlike in the raid on Walgonia, where he only had the role of taking Arthur out, he now has the role of leader in protecting Constal. Greta: Now, Ill go get all of the guards I can from the stations over the river, and Ill start evacuating. Greta enters a carriage with a small group of guards while Julius and Ganga round up everything and send them into another office building off to the side. Now, Gray is surrounded by the last couple of guards, and its a measly sight. Theyre out of shape, look like theyre about to run away, and are almost useless, they at least have weapons. With no real experience of doing something on this level, even if theyre only thirty guards, not an entire army, hes still unprepared. He watches as Julius with a few members of the Dragon army, dressed in thick all-black armor, with shoulder spikes, a large helmet with a crown-like shape on the top, and a large golden flower, being the Valatrositce crest on the chest. Julius guides the thousands of people on the streets through the main gate and into the three large buildings around Gray, making sure no one gets trampled or abandoned. Gray feels his need to step in, so he does the best he can. Gray: Alright, I know its a tough way to start the new year, but we gotta work so no holiday. I need a few of you to group up into a group of ten, and the rest of you into five. Those ten of you will go assist our new king with the rest of you going to each side of this large ass gate. Make sure to guide people safely to the new gate, and fend off anybody trying to get in. If anything gets too hectic, scream out for me, because Ill be helping wherever I can. If any powered foes show up, Ill take over, but until then.GO, GO, GO! All of the guards bumble around each other, but quickly get into groups and runoff, defending their home while Gray stands his ground, feeling as powerless as possible. Rosemary, on the other hand, feels useful for the first time in months, having something her strength can be good for that isnt just lifting heavy things, but she feels that its a bit undeserved since so many people are in danger. Using the communicator, she projects her voice, telling everyone to run for their lives and head toward the Mayors office. Whilst in the fifth stage, her speed is only rivaled by Sokus flight, leaping from building to building on the way to defeat all of the spirit beasts. Large slugs, snakes, bats, and a few high-level beasts. An Arch-Gorilla, a Deep Bat, and a Vole Rat, which is a large mole rat with insanely strong claws and durable skin. The guards can take out the smaller beasts, though a few of them get overpowered and sadly die trying to defend the innocent. After almost thirty minutes of travel, she makes it to the monsters. She lands, grabbing and holding onto a spire of a tall building, staring at the hell below. Destroyed buildings, bodies everywhere, and an idea brewing in her head. In the distance, she sees the Museum, and she can tell the monsters are getting closer and closer, but around the same distance away, she sees the park. Rosemary {If I can lead them away from the buildings and take them out without in the forest, Ill be helping keep damage to a minimum and save as many lives as possible. Edward mentioned something like this happening, a Regile walking around miles and miles from its home, just like these. Somebody is doing this, I wonder if its the same person controlling those pink monsters.} Across the city, Soku makes it to her side, landing on a building to get a look at the situation. She didnt get a good look at the monsters that attacked Walgonia, but the difference isnt staggering, but its progressed. Instead of somewhat strong bumbling brainless monsters, they seem to have a point, going after buildings and avoiding some people. Their bodies dont seem as sludgy, a few seem to have an arm along with their tentacle arms instead of them all only having tentacles, their mouths are closer to the right position instead of going straight down the mouth, and they have one eye thats almost fully covered by their thick drooping pink skin. Soku: Either they just sent these things out, or somebody else is doing this. Lincoln said these things dont stay down, so Ill just have to slice them up till theyre minced meat. Damn, this is gonna be so gross. With everyone in their positions, the Sect of Anarchys scheme nears its second half, but the train of boxes of explosives and extra forces are on their way. Edward, Peter, and Lance are the only ones there to stop it, so they can only hope they do so in time. End of Chapter Forty-nine Arc 6: Chapter 50. The sinful hero Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 50. The sinful hero The metal rails vibrate as the train rushes over them, heading right toward Constal. While underground in tunnels that seem to have been dug decades ago, with a set of trail rails built almost a decade ago. Edward slams the back door of the train open with Lance behind him, finding nothing but boxes of explosives. Edward: We could try dumping the explosivesbut that would take too long. At the speed were going, Id say it would take around six hours or so. So we have some time to stop this, but if anything happening at Consal, we may be too late to do anything about it. Lance: Six hours!? Like hell, were making it! Edward: Alright calm down, Ill rush ahead. I saw Chester and Orson get on a few cars ahead of us so be prepared. Before they enter the train, Edward hands Lance Peters rope dart. Lance: What am I supposed to do with this? Edward: Hand it off to Peter. Edward begins rushing towards the front of the train, with the intent to stop it and anybody who isnt with him thats on it. And It dosnt take long until they find somebody. The large Orson, whos crouching to not hit his head on the roof of the train. Lance panics but Edward knows its life or death, so he rushes in. Chester hears the commotion and runs into the train car to find Orson swinging wildly at Edward. With the seats in the way, Edwards unable to swing his sword properly, which almost gets him hit. Edward jumps over Orson''s large arm, kicking him in the jaw, and pushing him back. Edward sheaths his sword, inhales, and exhales, and moves in again. Chester slides under Orson and delivers a powerful kick to Edward''s chest, cracking not only his armor but his ribs as well. Though he dosnt stop there, he continues for a quick barrage of decisive blows to Edwards ribs and sternum. Edward grabs Chester''s legs and attempts to crush them, but hes thwarted by Orson who swipes at his head. Edward ducks the blow and tosses Chester up, causing him to get hit with the swipe. Edward then dives under Orson, curving around him, and swings his sword. Chester lands right beside Lance, who quickly gets grabbed and held hostage. Lance: EDWARD! Chester: YOU KILL MY GUY I KILL YOURS! Edward freezes and is hit by Orson, winding him. Chester begins smirking, but Lance quickly removes the ring on his finger and becomes a ball of black flames. Unlike Arthur''s similar ability, Lances are like sparks that ignite once Lance forces it to. Simply put, it seems that the flames have advanced to more of a combustible ability that he can control once erupted. The flames burn through the train car and light a box of flame crystals, which promptly causes an explosion. Edward reacts quickly by thrusting his sword into Orson''s shoulder and pushing him through the train wall, across the rails, and through the wall of the other train filled with goons. Lance blasts exploding flames out of his feet, pushing through the door to the next train car, also escaping the explosion, leaving Chester. Chester gets caught in the massive explosion that fully consumes the train cars as well as the tunnel. But leaping out of the way just in time, Chester pushes through and grabs onto the destroyed train car, which is barely holding on. However, hes heavily injured. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Chesters is wounded, his skin in chard, his body bleeding, and his vision is a bit wary, but he goes on following close behind Lance. Lance is enthralled that he gets to use his explosives flames, but hes still looking for Peter, making sure he saves him from Chester, even though he doesn''t know why he wants to do so. Edward looks around, finding himself in one of fifty cars filled with around eight hundred soldiers. They circle around Edward, all holding their own weapons, ready to strike. Orson bites at Edwards''s head, so he dodges and pushes his head aside. He then jumps back, swinging his sword in a circle, creating a whirlwind of force that mutilates ten men with ease. Orson, covered in the blood of the fallen men, roars at Edward. Edward, strangely enough, begins smiling. Covered in the fresh blood of his enemies, he feels that this is the perfect opportunity to let out all of his pent-up rage. Edward: I can only expect that Constal is being attacked right nowand if my friends can hold outIll kill you alland six hours laterbe met with a more wonderful battle Orson: Youreinsane Edward: ...Just might be Edward delves within his own mind, feeding on his pent-up emotion, accessing the warrior''s spirit, and falling head first into the madness. Then, back on the other train, Peter tries making his way to the front. He hears Lance calling out for him, but with his anger towards him, he doesn''t respond and continues moving forward. Peter {Why is that asswhole here? To nag me on? Hes probably evil or something.} Chester follows close behind, limping, but hes still keeping up. Chester: Cantlet him stop this. Ill show Rupert, Ill show him I dont need his name to make myself great, not his or my brothers. Edward begins to go crazy, slicing through everything in his path. Orson tries to save his fellow men but Edward pays no mind and ruthlessly pushes his ever dulling sword through his thick skin, slicing off his hand. Orson screams out with horrific sorrow as hes feeling such inflamed pain. It burns, it gushes and it hurts so damn much, but hes not dead yet, aggravating this animalistic Edward. The soldiers dont stop coming though, adding more fuel to the fire. Each body is another bucket of blood that covers the wall in the thick dark past that it is. Eyes getting stomped on and knocked out, teeth being crushed and shattered, brain matter coats the walls, slowly dripping down them, and bones becoming nothing but dust, all because of the End Binger being true to his name. Edward becomes even further drenched in the blood like hes showering in it. Any ideas that could be had are brushed aside for pure force, wanting every bit of agony hes ever felt to be forced on these people he sees as monsters. Some try to run away, but theyre trapped in there with him unless they want to jump off the train, which will kill them anyway. Every time Edward had used the warriors'' spirit, either he willingly used it but was only in it for a short time or he fell into it for a similar amount of time when he was about to fall unconscious, using it as a safety mechanism. But here, hes fully energized and going against an army of people much weaker than him, but he still flees to this mental hell. Though hell is a lightly chosen word, as Edward wouldnt call it that. This is safety, its the reality of this torturous pain he keeps building inside of him so that he can release it in a wave of wrath. Hes truly wrath, a sinful hero who loves to dwell in the horror that hes become so familiar with. The broken body of Bjorn and his mother, then the eating of his mother''s head play over and over. Als dying body lay in the grass of a place he once called home, grass pooling with his old blood. Musashis soul trying to keep itself from being removed, removed from the body of a man who seemingly just gave up and entrusted all of these expectations to. This triumphs over everything, Kioshis horrifically bloody and quick death, Ophelia''s screams while she crumbled to ash, Athens melting and crumbling in on itself, his loss to Moro and the loss of his eye, everything. So to be able to be the monster, to make what makes you scared, scared. To be the horror, the unstoppable force, the immovable object, a god of war, a devil, fear itself, death incarnate, the End Bringer. End of Chapter Fifty Arc 6: Chapter 51. Trying not to get sent home on hourly pay Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 51. Trying not to get sent home on hourly pay While Soku spends her time slicing up those strange pink zombies, Rosemary tries her best to lead all of the monsters to the park, away from civilians, Gray sits around not doing much. Julius along with Ganga helps all of the panicking people into the two office buildings, strangely avoiding the mayors office. With nobody charging the area, and Grays knowledge of how the Sect likes to avoid killing people, he feels like he could be doing so much more than guarding people who wont be attacked. Gray {Im like an hourly worker trying not to be sent homethis joke would be funnier if I said it out loudand if I ever had a job to referenceWHAT AM I DOING!?} Gray jumps up, shakes his body, and heads toward the main gate. He pushes past hundreds of people running as fast as they can, trying to get out of the battlefield. Gray {Most of the Walgonia raid lasted about twelve hours, and this has been going on for about an hourso if Constant is only about the size of two districtsit should go faster. Okay, thinking time, Rosemary taking out the Sects'' muscle, Sokus taking out a bit of their army, and the guards are stopping the Sects'' living troopsJulius should be good to continue here, So Ill check on the south side of the city. I know Gretas down there, but I dont know how strong she is, I guess Im Constals god of warJongs troops better show up.} Once Gray gets to the main gate, hes met with a strange group of people. Only human men dressed in glossy silver armor, which is made more in parts than a fully enclosed suit, make their armor stand out from the normal Valatrositce style. Then on their chest, a golden wrench. Gray: Umwhat or who are you guys? Officer: We are the Montogomerys private army! We were stationed in one of Rupert Montgomerys smithing buildings just for an occasion like this! We are here to help! Gray gets a wave of realization washed over him, making him both mad as well as hopeful at the same time. Gray balls his fist puts his hand on his side, flings his fist into the air, and lowers it to point at the leading officer. Gray: ALL OF YOU!... HOW MANY OF YOU!? Officer: TWO HUNDRED! Gray: ALRIGHT! NICE ENERGYUmquick math hold upSPLIT INTO FOUR GROUPS OF FIFTY! THEN SPLIT UP INTO THE FOUR SIDES OF THE CITY! The officers split up and go to leave, but Gray stops them. Gray: WAIT! Can like, twenty-five of you stay here, you can just take a few people from each group. NOW IM OFF! Gray speeds off, about to swing with his cloak, but with a failed swing and embarrassing remembrance of his lack of such cloak. So, hes forced to run to his destination, which is Rupert''s underground bar. The city is dreadful, dark, and hurt. The people are still running for their lives, from their homes, stomping over each other, crying and screaming, causing Gray to begin freaking out. His mind begins backtracking, confusing him, placing him back in another treacherous moment. The people constantly bumping into him knock him over, causing him to get trampled. Gray curls up into the fetal position covers his ears, and trembles from the fear, panic, and severe pain coming from his OD, feeling as if its burning to a crisp. With everything going against him so quickly the only thing he can do is whisper to himself. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Gray: ...its gonna be okayI just gotta stand upwhat is thisthe cloakI need the cloakI could zip to a buildingcover myselfplease stop stepping on meit hurtsit burnspleaseRosemary He hears the sound of flames burning people to a crisp, buildings collapsing on themselves, and ash in the air, its all too familiar. It gets louder and louder, enveloping him with the sounds of horror that is war, then nothing. Then he springs up but is dumbfounded to see no one. He has a few brushes, but overall hes okay. The buildings dont look damaged, the crowd of people is long gone, and hes all alone. He tries his best to get over what had just happened and charges into Rupert''s bar. Instead of running in the streets, he quickly scales the wall and begins free running towards the river. He seamlessly dashes from building to building under the cool veil that is the night sky with the river in sight. He only sees a few Anarchists around, all being taken down pretty easily by the guards, Gray even runs into a few on the roofs, who he quickly takes down. One palm strikes the head and theyre down then so on and so on until he reaches the other side of the river. He wipes off the sweat falling from his forehead before he looks over at the bridges, finding them all destroyed. Gray: These guys are not Anarchists, theyre just terrorists and annoying ones at that. Gray then looks at the gondolas, getting a good idea. He takes a deep breath before he leaps off of the stone railing, puts on foot on the gondola, and leaps to the next. After five consecutive leaps, he makes it to the other side. Now, in front of the cold iron door, he lands a mana-charged palm strike, blasting the door down the dark hallway behind him. He begins charging into the main room, and no one is inside. Its cleared out, but to make sure he pulses a wave of spiritual mana to check for any life, and he finds something. His eyes lock onto the room above, so with one swift jump, he blasts through the thick glass into Ruperts overlook, then nothing. Black, nothing to hear, smell, touch, see, or taste, absolutely nothing. Drenched in complete nothingness, he begins to panic, but he cant hear his own thoughts. Though his ears do chime in, then his sight, then his touch, then just to check, he swallows his spit to check his taste. Though everything other than himself is pitch black. He hears a distorted voice begin to echo throughout the room, so without any way to see him, he begins waving around his sword. Gray: HEY! COME OUT! I SMELL HORROR MOVIES! THIS IS HELLA CREEPY! Voice: Calm down boy, I gave you all you need, but sight isnt one of those things. Listen to my voice echo through everything while I give you some knowledge. Gray: Yeah, that everything is connected blah blah blah. I know this shit is planned, probably around us to make me join the Sect while everything else is moving. Rupert, the Sect, somethings up with Julius, and now you. Oh, cant forget the Revolutionaries, if those guys are even here. Youre either some new dude or one of those randos Ive met trying to get ahead. Voice: WellIts much bigger than you think. Gray: Thats what she said. Voice: HUSH NOW BOY! Gray feels himself falling, but doesn''t feel anything else. He hits the floor hard, and yet, nothing. Gray: Did I hit a nerve, at least show me your ugly mug before you kill me or whatever. Voice: Those Revolutionaries are here. Theyre right outside and want to speak to you. I was only looking for anything Rupert may have left behind, but he cleans up well. Gray: Thats what she said. Look, Im just here. I assume somebody within Ruperts crew has gone against him, and hes realized this. Times are changing, so rise to the occasionheheget it? Rise? Grays confused, but suddenly realizes he cant breathe. He holds his throat, sloshing around in what he assumes is water, but he doesn''t know up from down. If I had my cloak I could save myself. Gray: Wait? Did I think that? Before Gray can confirm his question, hes pulled out of the water and his senses return to him. He watches as the metal chain unleashes from him, and holding the chain blade is Crimson Zhao. Gray crawls back, fearing for his life. Zhao: Calm yourself, Im not going to act. Whether you like it our not we must act together to win, being the Truth of the matter." Gray: And your Revolutionary buddies? Zhao: That was greatly exaggerated, those people were just bounty hunters I hired. Gray: Pretty strong bounty hunters. Zhao: Theyre from a group called the Hunters, I had a favor that they repaid. But know that youre on their radar now. Summit and Massif. Ones a Dark Elf who loves hunting so much it''s gonna get him killed, and the other is a damn barbarian who only cares about a good fight. Gray: Oh, thanks for that, very cool. So why are you here? Zhao: In one hour and thirty-one minutes Shioreta the Black Flash will appear and I must stop her from attacking you. You and your friends must win this battle, so for the next five and a half hours, you need to win. But I need you to go back when Shioreta gets here, and until then you must stay around here and save as many people as possible. Gray: What can you see in the future or something? Zhao: I see the Truth. End of Chapter Fifty-one Arc 6: Chapter 52. Ravage Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 52. Ravage While Gray and the others are just starting to find their place with the situation at Constal, Edward, Peter, and Lance are dealing with the situation on the trains. Arms split in two, disembodied heads roll down the train car, bits of brain stuck to the ceiling, its a gory mess of body parts. Then, the bringer of this destruction slowly stomps toward the rest of his prey. They scurry away, acting like scared children, screaming and crying for help, but no one is coming for them. Orson holds his wrist, trying to stop himself from bleeding to death while staring at his dismembered hand beside him. It''d be impossible if you had people sent on the train to figure out how many people were on it. People turned to paste, a fresh paint coating on the cold metal walls, and Edwards looking for more. The only train car so far without anyone in them was only there to hold something of which Edward has no knowledge of what it is. He passes the object covered in a tarp and enters the latter half of the train to find the last bit of people. Theyre screaming, praying, and crying for Edward to spare them, but he is blind to it, just filled with a never-ending rage. Then another train car is turned into a horrific scene. His sword has begun getting dull, so each swing digs and rips the people apart, but its still effortless. All of this death is just a workout as well as a therapy session. Hes covered in blood and cuts to the point where his armor is leaking, causing it to pool on the ground. His eyes are dead, hes in a permanent frown, only speaking in grunts like a wild animal thirsty for blood. He drags his sword behind him, scratching at the ground as he approaches the others. This time hes met with a train of Demi-humans, but theyre quick to be put down. In a matter of a few seconds, theyre dismembered, embarrassed, and slaughtered. Their stomachs are leaking their organs, and they try rigorously to hold them in, but its no help from their impending death that has just walked past them. The sounds of flesh being smashed as well as dragged through rapidly and repeatedly put the fear of god into the already terrified Demi-humans. The fear in their eyes as they watch their mutilated friends choke on their own blood is indescribable, but its all over quickly as theyre met with the same fate. Car after car theyre slaughtered, and he draws ever closer to the front of the train. On the other train is very much the opposite, because Peter is running for his life while trying to get to the end of the train, while Lance follows close behind, running from a wounded Chester. Though Peter takes a second to prepare himself. He lifts his rabbit mask, grabs the hammer from his side, and pries open a box of flame crystals. He then smacks a few of the crystals with his hammer, breaking them open ever so slightly and taking the core. He does this until he sees Lance running up to him, so he waits, even if hes still angry at him. Lance slams open the train car door and closes it behind him, covered in sweat and speechless. Peter: Why the hell are you here!? Lance: BecauseI followed Edward here. Peter: EDWARDS HERE!? Where is he!? Lance: On the other trainand there is this dude right behind me SO WE GOTTA RUN! Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Peter looks over Lances shoulder to see no one, confusing him. Peter: There isnt anybody there stupid. Lance: Hey rabbit boy, Im not the idiot that got himself captured. Peter: Oh sorry, I guess I should have just seen into the future and predicted myself getting attacked by a CRAZY MAN! They continue bickering while Peter grabs core after core, stacking up on gear. Lance: The hell are you doing anyway? Peter: Grabbing flame cores. If you put mana into them they pop, but without any gunpowder they dont do much. So when I told them about how my Poppers work, I left that part out. Lance: So if they dont do much why are you getting them? Peter: Somethings better than nothing. While theyre distracted, Chester bursts through the door, suppressing them both. Peters is sent into a panic, watching as his captor stands in front of him, hurt, angry, and about to attack. Peter: LANCE MOVE! Lance attempts to move but hes quickly kicked to the side, knocking him unconscious. Chester: Sohere we areyouve caused me a lot of trouble Peter: Oh really? Cool. Chester: HUSH! Ill break every bone in your body, and take pleasure doing it. Peter tries to run away, but Chester trips him and stands over him. Chester moves Peter''s mask off of his face and stares into his eyes, enjoying the fear. Chester grabs Peter''s injured arm and crushes it before licking the stitches on his cheeks. Peter screams out, on the verge of tears from the sheer shock his body is experiencing. Chester: REMEMBER THIS! BECAUSE EVERYTHING ELSE IS GONNA HURT A LOT MORE BOY! Peter, fully prepared to die, finally swallows his pride. Peter: LANCE! HELP ME! Chester scoffs at him. During all of the commotion Lance removed the ring on his finger. This causes a pulse of mana to be released after being held dormant within his OD. It was a story kept from the world, one relating to Zue and Cornelius Cromwell. But that story was their own and Lances was his. So he bends the flames used by both Zue and Arthur to attack Chester. Peter {THAT FIRE! JUST LIKE ARTHUR! I thought his dad was Cornelius? It has to be right? I guess their blood line carries more than just their normal flames.} Cheaters hit with a wave of black flames, pushing him off Peter. While Chesters stunned, Peter gets up and throws some of the crystals at Chester. This gives him an opportunity to land a blow to his face, knocking him over. Chester quickly springs up, kicking Peter back. Lance catches Peter, and they both stare at the burned Chester. Chester: I DUNNO HOW YOU DID THAT, BUT ILL KILL BOTH OF YOU! AND YOULL NEVER STOP THIS DAMN TRAIN! Peter: LanceI trust you to take this guy outbut if you dont, somebody needs to stop the train. Lance: Dont you wanna stop this guy? Peter: My wants are different from my needs. I would love to stomp this guy''s teeth in, but Im headed for the conductor''s booth. I don''t know how you used those flames but keep going! Chester: COME ON! Lance: Okay, Ill cover you. Lance quickly hands Peter his rope dart, causing a spark of joy in his young face. Lance takes a deep breath and creates a giant wall of flames he sends right toward Chester. Chester swings his leg, stopping the attack, but it gives Peter enough time to get in close, and Lance quickly follows up with another attack. A quick shot toward Chester''s face, forcing him to dodge, then with one towards Chester''s legs, hes forced to dodge again. This quick flurry of flaming shots gives Peter the chance to move past him and enter the next train car. Chester tries to grab onto Peter, but hes burned by another fireball in the process. Chester, angered and hurt, turns to Lance with intent to kill.Peter on the other hand finally makes his way to the end of the train, finding somebody there waiting for him. The man takes a puff of his cigar, fixes his monocle, raises his hat, and smirks at Peter. Peter: Why are you here? Rupert: Hows it goin'' boy? End of Chapter Fifty-two Arc 6: Chapter 53. Swelling Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 53. Swelling While Gray is being forced to wait with Zhao, he tries his best to help anybody he can, but his job is much easier than Rosemarys. Rosemary dashes through the city with the giant DeepBat, Arch-Gorilla, and a blind Vole Rat. With the park on-site, Rosemarys plan to get the strongest monsters away from any civilians is successful. With the Vole Rats'' lack of sight, it tunnels through the ground, following both the scent of Rosemarys mana signature and the small vibrations of the ground she makes with each leap. She makes it into the park, finally allowing her to strike without the worry of casualties. The Deep Bat clings to a tree, using its small techniques which emerge from the ends of its large wings to hold itself. The ArchGorrlia is the last to arrive, but its the most imposing, to say the least. Its dark red fur, six large arms, spiders mouth, and enormous stature could strike fear into the strongest of knights, but Rosemary remains content. The Vole Rat tunnels out from under the ground, catering and sniveling at her with its long mouth. Its bare, dry, pink skin is disgusting to look at, but what seems to be an infection is much worse. Black warts pulse on all of the animals, causing them to be irrationally irritated, going so far as to foam from the mouth. Rosemary {They shouldnt be herethe Sects obviously controlling themso should I kill them? We were attacked by the Arch-Gorilla and the Deep Batbut we were in its home} Rosemarys conflicted, but shes forced to act when the Vole Rat lunges at her. She boosts into the fifth stage and lands a kick to its face, but due to its insanely durable skin, it doesn''t budge. The claws and teeth of the creature are what it uses to tunnel through the ground, so getting hit by them would be a death sentence for most, but not Rosemary. Her stages of power create a dense wave of power, acting as a pseudo set of armor on top of her actual armor, so the quick swipe from the Vole Rat does nothing. She kicks off its face, getting some distance from the monster, but this sets off the others. The Deep Bat screams at her, launching itself into the air, while the Arch-Gorilla pounds its bare chest and begins charging at her. Instead of running on its stubby legs, it uses all six of its arms to perfectly balance itself to create both a fast and intimidating sight. The Vole Rat quickly digs through the ground, creating the perfect storm of monsters, taking the sky, land, and underground. She stares down the Arch-Gorilla, trying her best to decide what to do, and right as she gets face to face with the enormous monster, she decides. With a quick full-body jump to the sixth stage, the golden flame-like aura forces itself down to a more stable flow. She jumps up to it, getting less than two inches from each other, and she strikes with a punch to the face. The monster tumbles back while the cancerous warts bubble as if theyre about to burst. However, before Rosemary can land any follow-up attacks the Deep Bat sours in, grabbing her with its feet. Still in the sixth stage, she kicks at the air, lunging up out of its grip and slamming into the stomach of the winged rat with the top of her head. While shes falling the Vole Rat lunges from beneath the earth, trying to nip at her. She puts her hands together, delivering a downward strike right to its face, slamming it to the ground. When she lands she begins feeling the backlash of her great strength, but since the monsters are still going, she must as well. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The Vole Rats tumorous growth begins bubbling, causing it to shriek in pain. Then, suddenly, one of them bursts, creating a chain reaction. They leak blood, puss, and mucus, coating the animal in its own fluids. The cries of the being are muffled by the jelly-like substance that begins forming from its fluids, forcing it to be stuck in a cocoon-like state, but that quickly ends. The process ends prematurely, coating the wild animal in acidic pink goo that burns through its; thick hide. All of the monsters back off in fear, and so does Rosemary. She stops the flow of her ability and watches the horror. All of the bones fuse together before they sink away, merging into the skin, making the muscles mix with the new carriage-like substance that seeps into the skin. The Vole Rat shapes to become more of a rhinoceros, resembling the same zombie-like creatures that Soku is currently combating. Rosemary turns to watch the spirit beat whimper with the fear the same thing will happen to them. Rosemary {They may be beasts, but theyre far above the intelligence of the rest. These things think, and feel, but the Sect is trying to take those things} The Deep Bat fights whatever the Sect has done to it, flying away, and the Arch-Gorilla tries to follow, but Rosemarys attack has caused the growths to begin bubbling, forcing it to stay and fight. The beast''s eyes are bloodshot, its teeth are decaying, and its heart is trying its best to keep beating, it truly is above the rest. Though its still not strong enough to fight off the infection, it charges Rosemary once more, and shes forced to fight the wondrous beast. Its jaw opens up, blasting its webbing out from within its mouth, going at such a high-speed Rosemarys forced to blast through the stages. One, two, three, four, five, six, and then lastly entering the seventh stage, cracking her bones from just entering the form. The sheer power of the seventh stage creates a large gust of wind to form and flow around her, almost pushing the insanely strong webbing away, almost. With the knowledge that she can only maintain this for a few seconds at most, she takes the opportunity to kill the beast before its forced to go through the same thing as the monster currently charging her from behind. Instead of dodging she grabs the web, using its strong tensile strength to her advantage, and swings the Arch-Gorilla with its own webbing. The monster goes flying through the air while Rosemary tenses up her muscles, grits her teeth, and lets pain-filled tears flow from her eyes while she slams the beasts on top of the other, crushing the mutated Vole Rat with the weight of the Arch-Gorilla and the force of the seventh stage. The Arch-Gorilla crawls off of its fellow monster, finding it crushed flat below it. The Monster feels its growths being filled with its own fluids, and kneels its head down, letting Rosemary strike it directly in the head, killing the honorable monster. The force of the seventh stage becomes too much, and she falls back, clenching her broken knuckles while she sways side to side trying to stay conscious. She stands up, beginning to leave, not noticing the growths on the Arch-Gorilla slowly filling behind her. End of Chapter Fifty-three Arc 6: Chapter 54. Confronting the Conductor Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 54. Confronting the Conductor For Edward''s side of the Constal issue, during the first hour, Edward finally reaches the end of the train with the blood of hundreds of fallen soldiers dripping off of his body. The final car, the control room, and hes about to be face to face with the conductor. He bursts through the door, still moving and sounding like an animal. He looks at the woman, the same woman who had robbed them in Meir, the same woman who had been following them ever since they got to Constal, and the other person who followed Edward here. She holds a part of the large scarf covering her face to ensure it doesnt come off while she also aims her wand at Edward. He immediately dashes toward her as she casts one of her lightning spells. Unknown assailant: Lignis! Bright yellow mana quickly swirls and blasts from the yellow gemstone at the end of the well-crafted wand, instantly hitting Edward in the chest, and sending him tumbling back. He begins reeling from the attack, and his body tightens up, giving her an opportunity to get closer. She moves like a cat as she swiftly closes the distance. To protect himself, Edward powers through and gets up, swinging his sword at her. She ducks the attack, sliding under his sword and stabbing him with a long slim dagger. The sharp and pointed end of the weapon slides through the small gaps in the armor, piercing his skin ever so slightly. He attempts to hit her once more, spinning around to swipe at her, but she jumps over the low-aimed strike. She lunges up his large sword, attempting to stab into his jugular, but he narrowly avoids the strike. It slides across his dark blood-stained armor, dulling the blade just a bit. She tries to follow up her failed attack by sliding her foot off of the blade and into his face, kicking him square in the nose. He lifts the sword, trying to squish her with the roof of the train, so she curls around the sword, falling back to the floor of the vibrating locomotive. She catches herself on all fours, crouching down and stretching out all of her limbs. Her sleek dark outfit, wearing light and thin pieces of black and dark green cloth, let her fit into the shadows of the world. She stares focused on his dead eye, trying to read thoughts that arent there, as hes moving only based on the want to kill. She aims her wand at him once more, using his dense metal armor to ensure that her lightning attacks will hit, using him as a human lightning rod. He tries to slam his sword down on her, but with another swift movement, she slides under his legs, flips around to find her footing, and casts another spell. Unknown assailant: Lignic! Edward throws his sword right as a giant wave of discharged lightning is sent his way. The sword acts as a lightning rod, absorbing the lightning, and surprising the attacker. Edward wastes no time and barrels toward her. She runs toward him and slides underneath him, using Edward''s bigger stature against him once more, but hes adapted. She tries to stab him in the ankle while shes still sliding, but he jumps, dodging the attack. So once she gets up, he rushes toward her. She tries to jump over him, sliding across his back, but this is what he wants. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! He slightly turns to the side, and quickly crashes into the wall of the train. She barely moves out of the way, but her foot is caught by Edward. Before she could even think of stabbing him or casting another spell, he slammed her on the ground. He attempts to do it again, but she takes a venom-tipped needle, flicking it into Edward''s chest. The art of poisoning is dead in this world due to the nature of the OD. It works as a separate immune system, killing off sicknesses or diseases in the time span of a few hours to a few days max, depending on what has affected the body. This is without the help of a doctor, though having a large spiritual connection is quite rare, so most do not have the money to go to a healer when they have a terrible sickness. Due to how the OD works most diseases attack it and fail, and as a result, doctors have not needed to progress medicine in any way, which has had an effect on people with a weaker OD as well as poisons. Not much is known about the chemistry needed to create a strong poison that can get past the OD. Then the normal person does not have a good spiritual connection, leading to a lack of mana as well as a weak OD, making it very deadly to get a disease that hurts the OD, but poison is still not very effective. But if you must, the best kind of poison is very expensive, because it is venom thats needed. An animal with strong Venom is difficult to get a hand on, making it expensive, and it can still be eradicated by the ODs healing, but thats not the intention of those who use it. It paralyzes, stopping the person for a long enough time for the assassin to kill them, but the stronger the body the more difficult this is. Mana, magic, and everything that surrounds it have both progressed the world and held it back. With people being born with abilities that allow them to fight against hundreds of people without even a weapon, wars can last much longer and be much more bloody. Magic crystals have allowed for running water, heated water, and lighting for most homes, but science and math have been left behind because of this, making things like better poisons and medicine a long way away, possibly being impossible to reach the rate the world is going. The needle that had just pierced Edward''s thick skin barely went through, but that bit that did quickly took effect. In just a few seconds, only enough time for him to react to being hit by the needle, he feels his muscles begin to tighten. This causes his warriors'' spirit to take more control over him than he would like, going full throttle before the venom can make him inoperable for a short enough time to be killed. He charges her, takes his sword out of the ground, and thrusts it toward her. She sways side-to-side, dodging each strike with ease, but isn''t given time to cast another spell. Theyre deadlocked, but each second that passes lets the venom slow him down even more. His blood flow gets slower, his muscles tense up even more, and his vision, as well as the rest of his senses, begin to fail. She uses this to her advantage, putting her wand right in his face, about to cast another spell, but for some reason, she does nothing. Edward acts quickly, letting go of his sword, and smashes the gem on the wand, making it useless. This causes her to get her focus back on the battle, curing around him, taking out another dagger, and locking her eyes on him. Now duel-wielding a pristine pair of weapons, she tries to fight Edward head-on. Edward, to make sure his body doesnt give out, does the only thing he can to push his body further, awakening the Dragons Spirit. This causes his heart to start beating faster and faster, his muscles to go into overdrive, his bones to crack ever so slightly, and his senses to return to him. However, the venom is still affecting him, making him much weaker than he should be. He throws his sword at her again but doesn''t put much effort into it, just trying to get her to move to his will. He tries to punch her, but she easily dodges, slicing his chest open. But she underestimates the Dragon spirit, and shes quickly punched in the face, breaking her nose, and flies into the wall of the train, denting the metal. Shes winded but needs to act fast, but Edwards is right in her face. She attempts to stab his face, but he curves his head and bites through the dagger, shattering the weapon. She then tries to stab him again, but he grabs her wrist, crushing it with ease. He then tries to headbutt her, but he misses as she tries to climb over him. The venom enters its final stage, causing him to let go of her broken wrist and force him out of the Dragon''s Spirit. But hes still in the fight, jumping toward his sword, grabbing it, and swinging it at the assassin. All of the damage she had just taken hit her all at once, leaving her open for the final attack. She can move, and she has the ability to dodge and win the fight, but she doesn''t, she lets him swing his sword at her. She closes her eyes, embracing her death, but Edwards''s sword stops right at her face, cutting her cheek. She tastes the blood flowing to her mouth, realizing she hasnt been killed. She slowly opens her eyes to see that life in Edwards had returned, not finding him in the monstrous state he had been in. He looks at her with a sense of defeat, but not in the sense of the battle, but in life in general. He stares into her eyes, finally piecing together her identity. He drops his sword due to the venom finally taking full effect, paralyzing him, and right before he loses his ability to speak, he mouths out her name. Edward: What is it all realErin? End of Chapter Fifty-four Arc 6: Chapter 55. Legends Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in another world Chapter 55. Legends Zhao keeps a heavily annoyed and bored Gray with him for an hour and a half, right as he senses Shioreta near, and he motions for Gray to leave. Zhao: Go, Ill keep her occupied. If Im correct, she shouldnt be able to affect anything other than my ability to help any further. Gray: So, I should just go back to the mayors office? Zhao: Yes but go slowly. Now, go. Gray has spent his time helping as much as he can in this small area, but he finally begins walking away, keeping to the man''s word. And as he predicted, Shioreta begins walking up. Her pale white skin, dark eyeliner, black spiraled eyebrows, black lipstick, pointed ears of a half-elf, and fully black kimono. Gray turns his head back, getting a good look at her. Gray {Closed eyes, she, Julius, and Ryo do the same thing. Hell, she looks like a tired mime.} She holds the hilt of her white Shirasaya blade, slowly unsheathing it. Shioreta: Zhao, a pleasure as always. A shame these clouds block the pure beauty of the moon. Zhao: Dont act familiar. We haven''t spoken since the incident with the Guild hunter, and we haven''t worked together since our time with the Shogun. You decided to fall to the waste side Shioreta: Oh, a shame then. We used to be Legends, but most of the world still thinks we work together. You, Toren, and I, we are unstoppable if we work together. Now do you take my offer? Zhao unwraps the chain from his chest, holding onto the large blade its attached to, resembling a large butcher''s knife. He then holds onto the blade at the other end of the chain, a sickle. Zhao: I wont stoop down to what I was, what gave me the title Crimson. Toren went to Gaia for a time. And you went back to Oni-mas, and I thought I would stay here in Saga. But here you are, working with these devilish people." Shioreta: You act as if you didnt join them for a time. Zhao: I joined them to see what they were doing, really trying to accomplish. But youre with them to help that damn Shogun. We came together because of our curses. But youve left behind what little good was in you. I wont let you get to Gray or the others. Shioreta: Ah yes, because you saw the Truth. But you know that it has limits to its reach. Its impossible to know if theyll be safe. Zhao: I know this as well, but all I can do is try. Shioreta grazes her sword across the cold air so fast most people wouldnt even move, but Zhao does. He steps out of the way of a slim but powerful gust of wind that had just blown past him, destroying the cobblestone ground between the two. Shioreta: I heard you were at Walgonias raid, hiding, watching. Was Musashi as wondrous as everyone says he is, is he still better than me? The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Zhao: I think the only time he ever put his full effort into something after the Demi-Human war ended was when he defeated the Devils Shogun. His body was weak, and his mind was holding even further back, but Lincoln still gave him a fair fight. Shioreta: What about Ryo, I heard he only used low-level defensive spells. I also heard he fled the scene. I know you think highly of him, but thats just dishonorable. Zhao: I think highly of him for the reason you call him dishonorable. He doesn''t go overboard, and hes a pacifist, or at least he tries to be. He is called The Spirit Knight for a reason, Ive gone against him, you know this. Shioreta: I know he almost killed you. The scar going across your torso is evidence of this, and if youre similar in strength to him, Ill finish the job right now. Zhao: Whatever, we both know you wont win. You only have similar skills to Musashi, but his strength, speed, and durability are transcendent compared to you. I lost to Ryo because I didnt have the mindset to, I lost due to my bravado, but thats gone. Zhao scratches his long gray sideburns while Shioreta jumps into action. He groans, showing his sharp fangs while shes about to cut him down. In a flash, he stops her, throwing the large blade to stop her slash. The chain whips straight, creating a loud sound that could burst eardrums. Zhao then grips the ground with his bare feet, cracking the cobblestone below him, and destroys it when he rushes towards her. They trade blow after blow, blocking each one. Shioreta moves her sword like a butterfly flapping through the wind while Zhao is almost bloodthirsty in his movements. His blades whip around, pushing against the air while Shioretas thin blade moves through it, clashing repeatedly. His thick unkempt hair against her well-combed hair styled into a side bun, his long yellow fingernails compared to her long pristine black painted nails, his withered down cloak and ripped pants contrasting against her long beautifully woven kimono; theyre complete opposites. She remains still, never moving, only striking, while he curves and jumps around, bending in every direction to make sure he didnt hit himself with his chain. Shioreta: Are you only going to stay in your Demi-Human state? Or are you going to try? Zhao: Why would I, were evenly matched, just like how I want it. Shioreta frowns, breaking the doll-like way she likes to carry herself. She strengthens the grip she has on her sword, slamming it down, and going against the wind. The air wraps and warps to fit the strength of her attack, as if her blade gave it orders on how to move. Zhao preemptively jumps to another building, dodging her attack before she has a chance to use it, angering her even further. As he clings to the brick building, he glares at her with a cheeky grin. His crimson eyes burned through her facade, causing her to open her eyes. There is nothing there but black voids leaking dark blood, but slowly rising from within the darkness is a dim white light. Two small openings on each side of her cheek appear and her jaw drops, showing large sharp teeth. Zhao is familiar with the sight, so he knows he must dodge because she begins wailing the deep haunting, and powerful screams of the banshee she is. It destroys the side of the building before her scream can fully project, showing the sheer strength her abilities have. Zhao leaps off of the building, barely dodging each of her attacks, which is pouring out like a flamethrower. As Gray jogs away, he hears the fighting piercing his eardrums. He feels it as well, wobbling around on the constantly shaking ground. Gray: I havent seen any Anarchists. Rosemary seems to be handling the Spirit Beasts, and Sokus got those zombie thingsMan, I gotta get a name for those. No boss fights yet, other than Shioreta, but shes being held back. But if hes only holding her back, is she just gonna leave? He seems to know something I dont, and its damn annoying. Zhao lands in front of Shioreta as she slowly returns to her normal state. Zhao: Did I touch a nerve? Shioreta: Hush. Zhao clenches his fist as it slowly gets bigger. Then the rest of his body begins to grow while his gray body hair begins growing around it. His beast transformation is different from most because hes not a Demi-Human. Zhao: Ifyou want to fightthen I have a forty percent chance of killing you, but that doesn''t mean you have a sixty percent chance of killing me, it means you have a sixty percent chance of living. His face bends and forces it to take the shape of a wolf, being as grotesque as it sounds. His normal body is one of a human, adding further to the point that he is human. But just like Shioreta, he was cursed. He stands tall, eight feet tall to be exact, losing himself in the depths of his mind as he begins snarling at her. Shioreta: The Truth of the matter, heh, is you are wrong. You are a beast, one that I will tame, Ill either give you the satisfaction that is being my dog, or your head will be mounted on the wall with the rest of my treasures. The Werewolf that Zhao was cursed to be takes charge, tearing his gray cloak off, and gripping his chain blades tight. Zhao: Truthneverwrong Its trulya curse Shioreta tilts her head up to him, takes one step, then another, and walks past him. He turns his beastly head, squinting his eyes as she continues to walk down the street. Shioreta: It all comes down at Oni-mas right? Zhao: ....Yes Shioreta: Will Toren be there? Zhao: ...To farto tellpuzzlenot inplace Zhao begins to shrink back to his base size, grabbing his cloak as he does so. Shioreta: You still have that? Zhao: I cherish it. Shioreta wipes away a bloody tear as she walks away from Zhao and Constal. She quickly vanishes from sight, allowing Zhao to rest. Zhao: And now its up to you Gray Kyojin, up to you to fail. End of Chapter Fifty-five Arc 6: Chapter 56. With the chance that’s given Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 56. With the chance thats given Peter stands face to face with Rupert while hes forced to hear the fight between Lance and Chester behind him. Rupert: Look kid, this can all end nicely. Peter: How? With all of these explosives heading right into the city? Rupert: No, by letting me stop it. Peter''s confused face causes Rupert to laugh, almost making him drop his cigar. Rupert: This idiot Chester went behind my back. I made a point to never work with those madmen, but here we are. Ill tell everyone I stopped the unrightful takeover of my company from a well-trusted friend. Then, we stop it, I get the notoriety, and Ill give a shout out to your crew. Everyone wins. Peter is about to go along with the plan, but one thing forces him to deny it. He thinks back to Gray''s speech about his father, and how he stood up for the ones who couldnt, how hed help people he didnt know, even if it was to his detriment. Peter flips down his rabbit mask, grips the explosives'' crystal cores, and makes his proclamation. He extends his hand into the air and then to himself. Peter: I AM PETER DAY, A HERO OF WALGONIA, AND IM GONNA PUT A STOP TO ALL OF THIS! THE TRAIN AND YOUR COMPANY! I WILL NOT LET YOU GO FREE, as a knight should.`` Rupert takes the cigar out of his mouth, tosses it to the floor, and steps on it. He frowns, waving his head back and forth as he takes something from within his striped suit pocket, causing Peter to shiver as he looks at two golden brass knuckles. Peter throws the last of his flame cores, wounding and blinding Rupert for enough time to get a well-timed hit in with his hammer. Rupert screams from the attack to his knee, falling to the ground. Peter tries to hit him again, but Rupert punches him square in the jaw, breaking his mask. Rupert: The hell was with the pointing at yourself thing, loser. And you think you can beat me!? Youve fought psychos, children, but youve never fought a man before. Peter: I learned the pointing thing from a friend of mine, well she was talking about another friend of mine and how he stupidly introduced himself, but nevertheless! I will defeat you! Peter wipes the blood from his nose, standing up to keep fighting. When he was punched, he dropped the hammer, which is now underneath one of the trains seats, which goes unseen by the panicked Peter. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. He takes out a wrench and runs toward Rupert, barely dodging one of his punches. Peter uses his smaller stature against Rupert''s taller and heavier one, attacking fast and low. A hit right to the ribs and another to the knee, but Rupert grabs the boy just after he can get his attacks off. He crushes his bandaged hand, causing him to drop his wrench. Peter cries out in pain, which Lance hears, pushing him even further. In the other car, Chester''s quick kicks are devastating to the much weaker Lance, but his flames are just enough to keep Chester at bay. Lance pushes further and further, destroying the train car, when an idea comes to mind. Though just as fast as he thinks of it, Chester shuts it down. Chester: IF YOU BLOW UP THIS CAR, THE REST WILL OF THEM FOLLOW! YOU GOT LUCKY ON THE FIRST ONE, BUT THESE LAST FEW CARS ARE FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH THESE DAMN CRYSTALS! WE COULD BE RIGHT UNDER A SMALL TOWN, FOREST, VILLAGE, OR FARM! WHO KNOWS WHAT DAMAGE YOULL CAUSE! AND YOUR FRIENDS WILL GO ALONG WITH IT! Luckily, none of the boxes have broken open, but the wooden crates have caught fire, and are slowly reaching their way to the crystals. Lance inhales, focusing all of the flames on a focused spot. The fire is pulled from throughout the train car and centers on the burnt palms of his hands. Lance: MY FATHER IS CORNELIUS CROMWELL THE THIRD! THE USER OF THE BLUE FLAME! THE STRONGEST FIRE USER OF ALL TIME! STRONGER THAN ARTHUR THE RED DRAGON, ZUE THE BLACK DRAGON, OR ANY OTHER CROMWELL! AND I WILL USE HIS FLAMES TO VANQUISH YOU FROM THIS EARTH! Chester''s eyes widen as Lance prepares a finishing attack, so he moves in as fast as he can. Still, in the other car, Peter struggles to get out of Rupert''s grasp. Rupert: I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO WIN THIS!? WHAT HAPPENED!? Peter is about to pass out, but he pushes forward, kicking Rupert in the face. This causes Rupert to lessen his grip just enough for Peter to get a clean punch in, causing Rupert to drop him. Rupert reacts fast, kicking Peter in his gut and punching him in the back, forcing him to the ground. Peter rolls away, realizing he has no weapons left, other than one. He takes out his rope dart, hoping all of his practice with it pays off. He charges in, so while Rupert plans to either catch or dodge the strike, Peter dives under him, quickly wrapping his rope dart around his feet. So when Rupert goes to strike, Peter rolls back, pulling the rope as hard as he can. But due to his lack of strength, he cant make Rupert budge, causing him to get punched in the face. Peter spits out his back tooth, screaming in pain all while Rupert laughs. While Ruperts laughing, Peter reels in and throws the rope dart, piercing into Rupert''s eye. Rupert yells, swiping the air in anger. While Rupert cries out, Peter tries to strike, but all of the pain from the battle comes to a head, making him inoperable. Then suddenly, Rupert takes the rope dart out of his eye, pulling in Peter for one last attack. Peter doesn''t release the rope dart fast enough, causing him to fly toward Rupert. While mid-air, he watches Rupert reel back his fist, looking at the blood that had stained his golden brass knuckles, ready to die. But in a sudden last will of effort, Peter too reels back his fist, and then pulls himself even closer, surprising Rupert. His muscles explode, his blood begins rushing, he feels like how he thinks hes supposed to feel, and then he hits Rupert in the face. He hits him so hard that his jaw breaks, his teeth fall out, and he loses consciousness all in one blow, knocking him to the ground. Peter stands up, bewildered by the sight that has just unfolded right in front of him. But his happiness quickly subsides when he feels the bones in his wrist, or what used to be bones and now feels like jelly. He then collapses to the ground, listening to the battle going on right behind him. He begins limping over to see Lance charging up his finishing attack, but alas, Chester kicks him in the stomach, causing his attack to mess up. The charged flame bubbles over, and Peter watches in horror as Lance''s face drops. With one quick glance at each other, they say goodbye. Peter: LANCE! Peters screams, but that cant save him. With one small smirk from Chester and a terrified one from Lance, they think its all over. But, to save himself, Chester kicks Lances arm into the air, causing his attack to explode upward, piercing the trains ceiling, and blasting into the underground tunnel, saving them both from the blast. The flames rush back down just a bit, severely burning Lance. Peter quickly turns his body, gets up, and runs to the conductor''s controls, finding a switch labeled Release and he pulls it. Peter: LANCE JUMP! With his last bit of power, Lance jumps through the now broken door in front of him, falling into Peter''s train car right as all of the cars detach from each other. Peter stares at Chester from afar, watching him pull out and light a cigarette as Peters car continues moving. Peter runs over to Lances burnt body, trying to hold him, but its no use. With all of his broken bones and burnt flesh, hes only able to get one sentence out before he passes. Lance: Youdamnrabbit Peter sits there, holding Lances dead body, crying for his lost friend, while Chester watches the train leave. Hes also only able to mutter one last sentence before he passes out due to his injuries. Chester: "Dumb kid End of Chapter Fifty-six Arc 6: Chapter 57. Below the belfry Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 57. Below the belfry While Gray starts walking back to the mayors office and Rosemary continues to help fight off the last bit of Spirit Beasts, Sokus still taking on the zombified creatures. The beasts are slow, but theyre attacking blindly and dont go down easy, so theyre quite the hassle. Soku speeds across her part of the city, flying around on her glider, and dropping down the slice up a few of the monsters. Though every once in a while she finds a few big ones or more humanoid ones, but they still go down, just not as easily. She tries to find people in need of saving, but with the hundreds of people running for their lives its difficult, but for some reason, she sees people start to flood back onto the streets. She lands on a nearby building and watches as a large crowd of people runs from the direction of the mayors office as if theyre leaving it. Soku: What the hell? Good going Gray, youre letting everyone leave. They try to fly over, but a flying creature quickly attacks her. One of the pink monsters with wings grabs onto her, trying to bite into her shoulder with its downward-angled mouth. Though before it can she creates a quick gust of wind, pushing it off of her. Then while in mid-air, she takes out her butcher knife-like blade, launching a quick wind slice, spitting the beast in half. Thankfully she lands safely but notices something a bit strange. She watches as a few monsters walk out of a bell tower, looking freshly made. She runs off the building, flying over the once well-kept streets and into the top of the bell tower. She then opens a small trap door, leading inside, and at the bottom of a long stare well, she sees something horrifying. Civilians are dragged in by a cloaked Anarchist, and given to an Anarchist wearing a bird mask. The Anarchist wearing a bird mask removes her glove and pulls up her sleeve to reveal the wrinkled skin of an elderly person. Anarchist: NOW, YOU GO FROM USELESS, WEAK HUMAN! TO ONE OF MY BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN! PRAISE ME! LOVE ME! LOVE ALL! The Anarchists'' voice reveals them to be a woman, and the woman puts her hand on the young boy''s face. He screams in fear, but before Soku can do anything, his skin begins to turn pink and bubble. In just a few seconds, the man melted down into a cocoon-like state. His bones are melted down while every fluid in his body mixes to become one, and fuses together. Then, the beast begins to stand, using its body only made of muscle and skin to do so. Soku stumbles back, going so far as to throw up as a result of viewing such horror. Soku: A few secondsthats all it tookto become a monster The enraged Soku blasts herself at the two with her wind magic, using her Mark of Providence to make her already great power even greater. The wind is so powerful, she only has a few seconds to flip mid-air so she can catch herself with the large ever blowing wind thats surrounding her. Anarchist: WHAT IS THIS!? You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The other Anarchist creates a large dome around Soku, so when Soku expels her wind, all it does is free her from the dome. The monster then lunges at her, and shes forced to cut it to bits right in front of its so-called mother. The male Anarchist rushes at Soku with a spear in hand, trusting it to her. She easily dodges, hitting him with a wind slash, but he creates a shield just before it reaches, saving his life. Then the female Anarchist tries to touch Soku, but she screams out, blasting wind from her feet to save her life. Yoru: YOU REJECT MOTHER YORUS GIFT! HOW DARE YOU! Dante HELP ME! Soku {Dante? WaitGray said something about some dude named Don that had the ability to create domesis this the same guy!?} Yoru starts running away, holding her hand up in the air, and causes it to glow purple. Then, two large monsters burst through the door with their large tentacle arms, roaring at Soku. Yoru runs past them as if shes headed somewhere, but Soku cant follow after. Dante creates a dome that traps Soku in with the beasts, and theyre the strongest shes ever faced. They try to pile onto her, bashing their arms over and over, but she narrowly avoids them all. She has to charge up a bit to use a large amount of her power, but they wont give her any time. To counteract this, she uses five percent of her mana to fuel her Mark of Providence, and once she does she creates a wall of sharp air, blowing it towards them. This deeply wounds the monsters, but they regenerate, getting closer once more. Dante begins shrinking the dome, but only a bit, seeming as if he cant change the size once its made. Soku looks at the monsters, watching as the bits of bones are still floating around, dissolving, making them seem incomplete. Soku: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO PEOPLE!? Dante: BECAUSE I HAVE TO! ITS MY REASON FOR BEING BORN! AND YOUR DAMN FRIEND KILLED MY BROTHER, YOU GUYS MADE IT PERSONAL! NOW ILL KILL HIS FRIEND! NOW YOU DIE! Dante takes off his mask, looking like a normal man with short black hair. He slams his spear on the ground over and over, chanting for the beasts to win. The hulking monster''s stubby legs make it difficult to move fast, and its large tendrils cause it to be even more sluggish. But theyre damage sponges, seeming to be able to regenerate from most attacks unless theyre cut to shreds. Soku {Ive been fighting for hours, and Im worn outand I wasted mana on my entrance, I only have about forty percent lefteven if I have a large amount of mana, its not infinite. BUT I HAVE TO LIVE!} Sokus long green hair begins to float in the air. The elemental spirits around her begin to sparkle green, catching the monster''s attention. Soku stands tall, flowing her hands around, sliding her feet across the stone floor, like shes dancing with the spirits. They grow even bigger, coming to a head when the spirits circle Soku, and she pushes her hand forward, forcing all of the spirits to pull all of the air in the dome and send it toward the beasts. Standing beside each other, it blasts through the middle, taking out one tentacle on each of their bodies, and destroying the dome. As the dome shatters, Dante begins to panic but is confused right alongside Soku, as the monsters begin growing. Instead of healing, they sprout small tentacles that connect to each other, slowly fusing together. Their mouths connect, creating a large open mouth stretching across their heads, while their legs remain untouched. The large body of the monster, using its large tendril arms as well as its four stubby legs to move, slowly gets closer to Soku. Dante: YES! ATTACK! KILL HER! KILL THE GIRL! Soku: SHUT UP WILL YAH! Soku, aggravated, turns around to face Dante, slamming her sword down with all her might. It pushes a large gust of wind toward him, so he blocks him with a dome. But, this was faint, so while Dante thinks hes safe, she actually used the short amount of time given to burst behind him. She then continues her momentum and throws a large blast of wind at his back, slashing it open and sending him tumbling into the monster. Soku backs off, not knowing what the beast will do, but Dante is proud of it. Dante: YesRUN, FEAR US DAMMIT. NOW BEAST GO GET HER! The beast turns its head, looking at him even though it lacks eyes and Dante squeaks. The monster opens its large mouth, trying to eat him. Dante reacts quickly, making a dome block to chomp while he rolls away, groaning from the pain of Sokus slash. He escapes, and Sokus forced to face the large monster. The monster stumbles towards her, and shes completely focused on it until the ringing of the bell tower scares her. She looks up, watching it ring, and it gives her an idea. She lets the beast stumble toward her and begins leaping wall to wall until shes reached the belfry and attacks the wooden pole holding the large bronze bell. She looks down, watching the bell fall straight to the bottom, crushing the thoughtless monster. The once bluish-stone gray walls become coated in the pink oozing slimy fluid that holds these muscle creatures together. Soku: Woohnow wheres Donte Soku looks over the belfrys balcony, watching as all of the creatures begin walking toward the mayors office. And even if she wants to go stop Dante and finish their battle, she decides its best to find Yoru and stop her from zombifying the civilians of Constal End of Chapter Fifty-seven Arc 6: Chapter 58. Picture perfect Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 58. Picture perfect A train coated in blood barrels towards Constal, a train meant for reinforcements that held over eight hundred people, now holds only two. Edward lies on the ground, being held by the unknown assailant, who begins to break down. He remains still, due to the effects of the venom rushing through his body, taking away every sense he has. The assassin removes the scarf covering her face, revealing her identity, and proves Edwards theory correct. Erin: Yesit is real Erin rubs her hand across his armor, letting her hand get soaked in his blood, which is slowly leaking from within the small openings of the armor. This covers the dried blood and pushes off the bits of guts and brain matter that were stuck to it. The stench of death that flows through the train car is unmatched by anything she had smelt before, it was a miniature battlefield, and shes holding the victor. Tears begin to fall from her eyes, dripping onto Edwards unconscious and cut-up face, which she tries to wipe off. She puts her hand on his cheek and begins flowing her mana into the atmosphere, using his mana, her mana, as well as the mana in the air to create a glowing aura around his body. His wounds begin closing ever so slightly, scabbing up. While shes doing this, his senses begin to return to him, allowing him to hear her cries. Erin: I didnt want to do thisI dont want tobut I have toAND YOU DONT UNDERSTAND! YOU CANT!... I want to helpbut he wont allow itI want to tell you everythingbut I dont want to dieIm so sorryHe set this all uphe took you to my Inn in Athensthe Inn he had stationed for meto get to know one of youthen I can backAnd I had to see you at MeirIm sorry about taking your thingsbut he told me to do itDAMN HIM!... Her words reach Edward, whos slowly regaining his ability to move. He moves his hand ever so slightly, touching her forearm. She raises his arm up, rubbing her face with it. Erin: I was told to get close to youbut I didnt think I actually would actually like youI wasnt supposed to, Im not supposed to like anybodyI tried to make sure the letter didnt reach youbut he stopped me before I could do anything more than make you lateI was born to do this, to serve my countrymy brothers and sisters didnt live to make it herebut for some reason, I had to be the one to live in hell. Have you ever had somebody leave you like this, where you wish you died too? I know its crazybut I hate them for itthey left me with himbut he told me not to follow you, not to get closehe only cares about Gray, and how he needs to be held downI dont why he hates him so much, and why he likes youyou need to stay awaydont go to Constal, take your chance Edwards ability to speak nears closer to being regained as she continues to heal him, trying his best to console her. Edward: ...Notyourfault Erin: SHUT UP! YES, IT IS! I COULD JUST NOT DO IT! I COULD RUN! BUTBUTbut its too scarybecause I know hell find meI cant leave himhes planned your entire trip here, at least to the best of his abilityhes a devil, in the skin of a manplease, forgive me Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Before Edward can regain the rest of his abilities, she kisses him and casts another spell before she walks away. Erin: Vortal. This causes her healing to continue without her presence, but its slower. She looks over to the other train, catching Peters attention. Peter, holding Lances recently past body, wipes his tears and stands up, locking eyes with her. They both walk to their respective control panels and stop both of their trains. Peter, knowing her train, still containing the rest of its cars, will take longer to stop, so he waits a bit. The wheels of the train squeal and spark as they begin to stop, creating such a loud sound that it begins hurting Peters''s ears, but Erin stands emotionless. Once they stop, Erin opens the doors while Peter does the same, staring at each other. Peter tries to put up a defensive stance, but with all of his injuries, he can hardly stand. He wipes the mix of blood, snot, and tears from his face, and begins speaking to Erin. Peter: So you are the thief, so you lied when Lance and I found your stuff. Erin: Thats nothing new, so Lancehes gone? Peter begins staring at his bloody shoes, trying not to start crying again. Peter: I beat Rupertand Chesters still out there. Lance gave me time to stop him, and hes laying on the floor over there. Erin: Okay, Ill take that train and go backward, then Ill look for Chester and whatever I can find in their underground facility. In one of the train cars is your vehicle thing, so I recommend riding the train Edwards until you get to Constal while I take yours. Ill make sure Rupert gets to the authorities, killing him wont be worth it. They shake hands and are about to swap trains, but Edward stumbles out of his, leaning on the opened train door. Edward: Erinits Julius isnt it? Erin: I cant say. Erin sighs and steps onto her train. She pulls the lever even further back, causing the flame crystals to turn on and the coal to start burning, making the train pump itself backward. Edward looks her in the eyes as the train makes its way back to the Capital of Valatrositce. Peter stumbles onto the train and pushes the lever, causing it to begin moving again. Edward feels something poking him from underneath his armor, and when he goes to pull it out, he almost falls back from shock. A bit choked up, he tries his best to not cry as he looks at the picture of a butterfly his mother had drawn for him. Peter: Shes one of the good ones isnt she? Edward: The best Edward looks into the train car, covering his mouth in disgust at the gruesome sight. Dismembered limbs, crushed skulls, walls covered in blood, and piles of guts stretched across the floor. Organs spattered, metal walls sliced open, wooden seats crushed and splintered while halves of bodies lay across them, its far too much for Edward, causing him to throw up as a result. Peter, hearing this, makes sure he doesn''t turn around to see the horrid scene. Edward: How long did that take? Peter: I think its been an hour, or an hour and a half max. Edward: Alright, we should be at Consol in about five to six hours. I know it sounds like a long time, but we need all the rest we can get. Peter falls back, chuckling as he hits the ground. Edward runs over, but hes far too late to catch him. Edward: Manyoure all messed up. Peter: YeahI did itI fought RupertI beat him..but Lancehes gone Edward tightens his fist at the news of Lances death, but he tries to comfort Peter the best he can. Edward: Im proud of you. I know Lances death istragicbut you did it. Your training paid off, I know youve been through hell for the last couple of weeksman youve been going through it the whole time weve been on this tripIm so sorry for not being there for you. Peter: Look, most of this is my problem. Just because Im not good at something doesn''t mean I can learn to do better, the first chance I get Im saying sorry to all of themespecially Soku. When she told everybody she wanted to become a political figure, I only saw the badbut she wanted to make a real difference, from the inside of the systemI just dont like change. Im a dick, but Ill try my hardest not to be. Edward smirks, as Peter''s way of speech reminds him of Gray. Edward: Now lets take a long nap. Funny enough, before Edward could finish his sentence, Peter was already fast asleep, so Edward joined him. Then, they both lay there fast asleep on the vibrating floor of the train, on their way to help, ending the short but eventful time on Rupert''s train. End of Chapter Fifty-eight Arc 6: Chapter 59. ORDER! ORDER! Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 59. ORDER! ORDER! As Gray continues to make his way back to the mayors office, hes met with a large crowd of people running toward him. He instinctively climbs a nearby building, trying to make sure he doesn''t get trampled again, and while hes up there, he takes the time to ask where theyre going. Gray: HEY! WHATS GOING ON!? A few of the civilians yell an answer as they run back to their homes, but its muffled by all of the panic going on. Gray, now panicking as well, begins running across the rooftops to make it back to the mayors office as fast as he can. While he does this, he takes some time to think about the state of the city. Even though theyre being attacked, there arent Anarchists running around attacking anyone, its a bit barren. What were once streets filled with soul, theyre empty. Broken glass on the ground, bits of food scattered around, and abandoned shops make it feel like the entire cities have been evacuated. Gray, still without his cloak, wonders if hell be able to win a fight without it. All he has is his wrist talons, his armor, and a sword on his back, which isnt anything, but his fear still has some ground. Every time hes had an utter victory, its been with the cloak. It saved him from falling off the castle when he was fighting Jeremiah, as well as against Calgary, Caesar, and Arthur, but now hes here. With the five acres of land in sight, he notices that there are no more people in the area. What was once a seemingly never-ending amount of people running for salvation is now a completely vacant area as quiet as a mouse. Cautiously, he walks through the gate and toward the courthouse, where Ganga, the mayor''s assistant, should be stationed. Once he makes it inside, he sees nobody around, panicking him even further. He begins running through the halls, screaming for anyone, but nobody responds. Once he makes it into the main courtroom, he finds somebody. A figure in one of the Sects robes put him on his toes. Though its a bit different, looking more like a poncho than the long cloaks hes used to, and he can tell she isnt wearing a mask either. With the intent to figure out her identity, and to learn more about whats going on, he doesn''t attack and asks for her name. Gray: Hey lady! I''d like to talk to you, so could I get your name!? The woman turns around, flinging her arms into the air, revealing her identity. Ganga: Whats wrong Gray!? DONT REMEMBER ME!? Gray: Oh youre super evil. Gray is confused to find that the mayors assistant is an Anarchist, but isnt given time to think when she abruptly attacks. Mana leaks from her chest, falling right out her OD, pulling the spirits from the atmosphere to create four black arms with a purple aura. This immediately reminds Gray of Jeremiah, who seemingly has the exact same power. The three-fingered arms launch at Gray, bursting through the courtrooms seats to get to him, causing bits of wood to fly everywhere. Gray takes out his sword, swiping at the arms. Gray: HEY! THIS POWERS COPYRIGHTED! Ganga: DO NOT SPEAK TO ME ABOUT THESE ABILITIES! I SHOULD NOT POSSESS THEM! YOU DID THIS, YOU SHOWED ME WHAT I COULD DO.WHY, WHY, WHY!? Her way of speech and constantly changing pitch also reminds him of Jeremiah. He flows mana around the blade and swipes at one of the arms, but unlike Jeremiah, they arent weak. He bursts mana throughout his body, ducking and jumping over the arms, trying not to get hit. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Gray: THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BURST WITH JUST A BIT MANA! YOUVE UPGRADED! He continues screaming at her with a cocky tone in his voice, trying to anger her further. The arms split off, spawning eight shorter and weaker arms to attack Gray with. Ganga maintains her distance, trying her best to keep Gray away. Gray, flipping and sliding around to dodge her arms, spins in a circle, slashing at the arms. Then, two of the arms merge into one right before they land, clashing with Gray. He forces the blade down the arm, pushing as hard as he can without injuring his body. He puts one arm in front of him, flowing mana into his palm. Gray: WALNIC! The transparent blue sphere forms around Gray, protecting him for the time being. He closes his eyes, and opens them, using his spirit senses to boost his reactive ability. Ganga uses the arms to hit the dome, attacking at random intervals with each of her arms, trying to catch Gray off balance. With each strike, the shield lessens in power, even beginning to crack. He lets the shield go and dashes between the arms, using his increased sensory abilities to do so. Mid jump, he swings his sword down, sending out a blade made of wind and mana thats kept together by the spirits. Gray: BREAKER! Ganga uses the arms to lift herself out of the way, and then quickly charges Gray. Gray lands and prepares to defend against the arms, but she suddenly uses another ability. He stares into her eyes, filled with both sadness and hatred, along with her sinister smile, reminding him of Jeremiah as well as Carla when she licks her lips. Then, further reminding him of Carla, Ganga''s arms leak mana, forming into crescent moon-shaped blades around her hands. Gray: GOT THE WHOLE FAMILY BACK TOGETHER! Ganga: DONT SPEAK OF MY FAMILY YOU AWFUL, ANNOYING, AND BRATTY CHILD! Gray: Awh, you hurt my feelings. Say you''re sorry! Gray continues to smile at Ganga while she rampages towards him, breaking the room as she gets closer to let out her rage. Gray {I dont think Walnic can tank thisdamn I wish I had my cloak right now.} Gray: EL-WALNIC! Gray casts El-Walnic, a much stronger version of the basic shield spell. It creates a much thicker shield, though he still needs to remain to use it. The shield easily absorbs the impact, but using a spell Gray has yet to master, it crumbles only seconds later. Gray leaps forward at her, trying to strike at her head, but she uses her blades to block the attack, then follows this up by rushing arms to Grays back. With Gray''s sword wedged between Gangas blades, he flips himself upward, barely dodging the arms, and flips around her. Mid-flip he throws another breaker, and right before it hits her, she mixes all of her arms into one, creating a Goliath arm to block the attack. Due to the size of the attack, it almost grabs Gray, so to dodge he kicks the air, slightly pushing him up enough to jump off of the ceiling. The Goliath''s arm rushes toward him, so he boosts the finite amount of mana his sword can handle, tries to fuse it with pure spirit mana, and stabs it into the arm. Now, because the arm is made of mostly spirit mana, this gives Gray an idea. Right before the arm can close its hand, the white snake-like pupil in Gray''s pure black eye spreads through it, cracking the darkness. Once it bursts through, signaling his entrance into the spirit state, and allows the arm to try and crush him. Ganga: YES, YOU FOOL! DIE, DIE, DIE AND I WILL TAKE REVENGE ON YOU FOR MY LOST CHILDREN! Right before the arm can completely close, as it slightly touches the armor on his back, it begins to bubble. Ganga tries to get it to maintain its form, putting all of her might into it. Her mutated spirit magic ability should follow her orders, this is because spirits are normally in a hibernation-like state, but when somebody with a large connection to the spirits asks for help, they wake up. The spirit''s mana within the arm begins pulling itself apart, making sure it doesn''t harm Gray. Then, in an exploding finish, the Goliath arm unravels, dropping Gray to the floor. Ganga: HOWHOW!? NO! Ganga stomps her foot over and over, like a child having a tantrum. Ganga: I have been working for so long, having to deal with so much, for this!? THIS!? THIS WAS MY MOMENT! MY REVENGE! I DID ALL THEY TOLD ME! AND USED WHAT THEY TOLD ME!? THIS ISNT FAIR! Gray lets the black shell within his eye recover the blinding white light that is the spirit state, holding it back. Gray: Now youre really reminding me of Jeremiah. He whined and cried for his mommy and daddy when he died, and he stared me in the eyes with tears streaming down his face. It was pretty pitiful. Gangas voice begins to crack as she continues screaming. The blades on her hands melt away so she can drag her nails down her face, causing them to break. He watches as her eye drowns out, turning completely white with black lines going up and across, creating four squares within her eyes. Gray immediately remembers what this is, Charlie''s ability to push and pull things by charging up his eyes. Gray {This was an issue, I dont know if I can block it with the spiritual stateand I dont know if I should waste stamina to find outdammit, I shouldnt have wished for a boss fightAlso, Charlie is not an intimidating name, and his brother, Don? Those names are such ass} Gray, while running toward Ganga, grabs his sword, and launches another breaker at her. Then, her eyes split into a grid of three over three, causing the power to jump to six. Gray, shocked, doesn''t stop and speeds toward her. Ganga dodges the breaker while charging up her ability. Gray closes the distance almost instantly, trying to slice off her head. In just a second, in the blink of an eye, faster than thought, two out of the six white boxes turn black and send a devastating blast toward Gray. It rips the wooden floor apart, knocking Gray back, and bursting through the judge''s podium. Gray: Ughcan we call it a recess? Ganga: SHUT UP! DIE, DIE, DIE! Gray: You were much nicer as a kinda bitchy assistant. End of Chapter Fifty-nine Arc 6: Chapter 60. A symbiotic relationship in another world Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 60. A symbiotic relationship in another world While Soku continues following the crowd of zombies, Rosemary stops some moth huggers, which grab onto your face, preventing airflow and eating your body once youve died. Then theres Edward and Peter waiting on the train to arrive at Constal, while Gray continues battling Ganga. Gray stands up, brushing bits of the judge''s broken podium off of himself, and tries to give Ganga a bit of clarity. Gray: Look, I didnt kill Anibis, Conroy, or Carla. I killed Jeremiah because he tried to kill me! And I feel bad for it, and then something took over my body to kill Charlie so it was out of my control, and I let Don live! Ganga SHUT UP! DONT SAY THEIR NAMES! YOU COULD APOLOGIZE FOR A LIFETIME AND I WOULD STILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! THOSE WERE MY CHILDREN! AND THEY WILL GET REVENGETHEIR SOULS WITH LIVE ON WITH ME! AND VANQUISH THE ENEMY. Gray: The enemy? Like the government, or me? Ganga begins charging her pushing eye again while flowing the arms out of her OD and coats her arms in the crescent moon-shaped blade. Gray: I guess thats me. Gray smirks while trying to think back to any other possible abilities she may have. He rushes her, but right as she releases a four-stage charge, he dodges, letting it destroy a bit of the courtroom. Gray: Aren''t you worried about getting fired!? Ganga: "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Gray {I dont think Conroy had any powersand Anibis had some bandages, but they seemed more enchanted than the normal spirit magic the Sect uses.} Gray struggles to get close because of how randomly the arms seem to be flowing around her. Eight short arms flail around, but another strange thing happens. Her head begins flinging back and forth, like her minds breaking open. Gray takes the opportunity to burst forward, going into the spirit state while doing so. But with his newfound control of it, hes able to fight without much pushback, but it drains his OD. His mana is his ability, but he can only use around sixty percent before his OD shuts down. This sixty percent is still sixty times the normal amount of a normal person, a little bit more than what Sokus OD holds. But since he cant fully use his mana, as unlike Soku, he uses his mana far more randomly, leaking more than needed, wasting it. His stamina and mana are not the same thing, so even if he has mana left, he could be worn out and unable to move, leaving him in a strange position. Not wasting mana while trying to fight, or waste stamina while trying to conserve it, when for most its the same thing. Then, using his spiritual state, his mana flows unwillingly, slowly leaking out without his knowledge. Then, his presence forces the spirit''s mana-made arms to dissipate, letting him get in close. He swung his sword at her, but unknowingly, she had been charging the pushing side of her eye the entire time, blocking it with her hair. Gray twists his thrust, using the force to try and help him dodge and push Ganga out of the way, but she moves with him. Now facing the exit of the room, Ganga places her hand on Grays chest, pushing him with a full six-lair charge. Hes shoved with great force, cracking his bones, and almost ruptures his organs while he goes flying backward. He tumbles through the straight long hallway, rolling and bouncing all the way to the exit. He sits up, falling out of the spiritual state, and holds his head tightly. Gray tries to stand up but throws up trying. While he wipes his face off, he watches Ganga push four arms out of her OD and begin using them as a way of travel, rushing toward Gray. While she does this, she continues to charge her right eye, so Gray needs to do something. He extends his hand and prepares to cast a spell. Gray: El-WALNIC! Right before she lets off her attack, the thick barrier that is El-Walnic forms, blocking the barrage of arms that smack into the shield. Instead of wasting a charge blast to break his shield, she decides to go even further. She holds out her hand and begins charging her left eye, giving Gray a bad feeling of deja vu. He begins charging the flowing mana spheres that are Titans Impacts under his feet, and right as Gangas charge completes, blasts away. The mana flows from her eyes into the palms of her hands, forming a black ball of bubbling mana that bolts off, hitting Grays shield right before it crumbles. This blocks a bit of the blast, and right as his crumbled shield and the gravity orb connect, he lets the Titans Impacts explode, sending him flying out of the Court house''s door, which is right behind him. The gravity orb is much stronger than what Charlies was though, and it begins absorbing everything around it, creating a small black hole. But before it can grow strong enough to destroy the world or something anywhere near that, it turns white and shoots out all of its power. This collapses half of the building, pushing and tearing up the ground outside as well. Gray tries running away, having to run so as to not be attacked. In just a few seconds, the orb explodes and ends, leaving him gasping for air. Gray: DUDE WHAT THE HELL!? This is shit! I wonder if Soku and Rosemary are having as bad a time as me. Gray closes his eyes, trying to go into the astral state to find them, but hes stopped by a blood-curdling pain in both his head and his OD. The burning sensation in his OD overpowers the strained feeling in his mind, telling him hes obviously overworking his spiritual connection. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Gray: {Damm this hurts...I need to focus! Don''t let the Spirits move my body, I need to move it! If I''m gonna be a Spirit Knight then I need to be able to fight like one!} Gray shakes his head, standing up to see Ganga running out of stamina. She struggles to move, having to use Jeremiah''s mana arms to move. Gray watches as she falls to the ground, and right as hes about to cheer for joy, he hears screaming coming from an office building over five hundred feet away, confusing him to how he actually heard her. Somehow, while he wasnt focusing, the sound of her cries bounced between the spirits all the way to him. An unknown connection of two powerful affinities. Gray: That was Lisa! Gray unwittingly lets Ganga remain free as he runs toward Lisa. He tries getting past the pain in his head, but its like a hammer smashing his brain in. Its exactly five o''clock in the morning, and hes been running around for all of those five hours, they all have. They all struggle to keep moving, forcing themselves past their normal limits, but its not going to last. But then something confusing happens; Rosemary checks her pocket, but feels nothing. Rosemary {No.} Standing in a bloody mess of dead beasts, she gasps when she realizes, the cloak of darkness, the cursed moon shape charm, its not there. Rosemary: "GRAY!" In an act of fear, she runs toward the Mayors office, but shes over half an hour away. Gray breaks through the locked door of the office building and begins searching for Lisa. Hes right about to scream out for her, but he finally slows down. He stops, takes a deep breath, and sits down. Completely calm, he slowly flows into the spirit senses, causing his eyes to turn black and his pupil to turn white. Now, with his heightened senses, closes his eyes and begins to listen. He slowly flows out his astral forms of mana, letting his mind splinter into bits of the spirits around him, causing great and uncomfortable pain. His muscles instinctively tighten, but he has to force himself to calm down. Now, using something that goes much farther than the basic spiritual senses, even the spiritual state, as this is much different. Its the complete opposite, instead of using the spirits to strengthen his mind, he uses his mind to strengthen the spirits, which are connected to him, creating a circle of power. He sees flashes of Lisa but through the eyes of a masked man. He feels this man''s anger toward the world, how he feels it hates him, how he feels like it will always wrong him, but it begins to go wrong. Lisa cries, screams, and squirms around trying to get free from the unknown man''s grasp. As shes slowly being choked out, the masked man never feels anything for her, he doesn''t have a single thought about it. In this clairvoyance-like state, Gray begins to forget who he is. He forgets that he is somebody and not this person filled with flaming hatred. The slim line connecting the twos minds is strained, but something keeps Grays mind in check, something pulls him in, but not to himself, to itself. While Gray sits unconscious, a hidden figure slips something into Grays pocket, which seems to want Gray''s body all for itself. Gray, now reminded of his mortality, his body, and who he is, expels his mind from the man and returns to his body. He falls over, holding his head while he kicks his legs in pain, acting like a small child. However the experience did gain something; he knows where the man is, feeling it through the spirits after connecting to him further. So he pushes past his rattling brain and shrugs down the hall. He dives down the seemingly ever-turning halls, turning left, then right, then left again, and enters a random office. After passing past all of the space to keep hundreds of pieces of paperwork and at least fifteen separate rooms meant for it, Gray knows hes in there. He kicks down the door, getting face-to-face with the man. Gray: Smolder! Let her go! Smolder, the Anarchist wearing a black straight jacket-like coat that touches the floor. The red buckles wave around while Lisa squirms, trying not to pass out. Gray stares at the man''s strange mask, being black with a dark red flame design on the left side, looking like its burning the other side. Smolder: I see youve met Ganganow, its my turn to put you down. Smolder throws Lisa out of the small room, and right before Gray can strike, the ground begins to melt. The wooden floor turns black and burns up, mixing with the earth below, creating lava that glows purple and black. Gray tries to jump over it, but the room quickly melts down, collapsing the ceiling on top of Gray. Smolder stands safe while Gray quickly casts another spell. Gray: WAlNIC! He creates a dome around himself, blocking the lava both above and below, surviving the collapsing ceiling. But Smolder puts his hands on the ground, causing even more of the building to begin burning. Lisa, heroically, grabs binders and office supplies, throwing them at Smolder. All this does is annoy him and burn away in the lava below, surrounding Gray. Smolder burns through the wall behind him, entering the other room, allowing him to collapse the other room onto Gray, covering him in lava. Lisa is forced to run while Grays trapped on all sides. Thinking hes won, Smolder walks away to the main point of the office building, being to hold most of the information of the city, working as a library. As he walks into the large and open library, he is enthralled by the sight. Three floors are all filled with different books, three floors held up by statues of men and women, representing the people who helped build the city-state. He walks up to one of the statues, slowly turning it to lava. It spreads around to all of the stone, burning through each of the statues and floors. As it begins melting and dripping down, all he can do is laugh in the pure anarchy. Then theres Gray, whos still trapped. The sight and sound of the lava trigger another his mind to fall back into Athens. Feeling the panic, the sadness, anger, regret, everything all over again.. The sight of a burning city collapsing on itself causes his grasp on the spell to drop, and lava begins seeping through. He tries and tries, pushes and pushes, but all he can do is stop the seemingly inevitable. Gray: This is itbeing killed by lava isnt that bad. As Gray is about to give up, he becomes confused by this. His wants to live and fight were drained from him for no reason, but before he can do anymore, his mind begins thinking on its own. {If I use the cloak, I could get past this.} The voice is similar to his own, though its pitch is inconsistent. While Gray continues to panic, trying not to think of Athens, his OD burns, and his mind struggles to hold together, and this results in his mind answering. Gray {If I use the cloak right nowif I let it swarm over me, I could push past the lava.} Then, from within his pocket, something begins to glow with a light purple aura. Without even wearing it, the cloak of darkness emerges. It wraps around Gray, flowing around him like a goo, but it doesn''t take the form of the cloak. The moon-shaped charm finds its normal spot, right under his collarbone, on the very top of his chest, and continues spreading all over his body, consuming him completely. While Smolder revels in the burning library, he hears something crumble and crash behind him. He turns to watch Gray burst from within the room, using the cloak as a lair of protection. Gray stands strong, realizing that his sword got left behind in the flooded office. Smolder: Mh, I figured youd live. Somehow. Guess I shoulda put more into it. But this will be fun too. Gray stares at him with such anger and hatred; its similar to Edward when hes in control of the warriors'' spirit. The cloak heals its burns, flowing back over Grays body, covering his face. He then triggers the spiritual state, completely losing himself to it. Now, completely covered by the cloak like some sort of skin suit, everything on his body is covered but the intense white glow of his eyes, piercing and burning through the cloak. Even bursting through three small slits near his mouth for him to breath, resembling an altered form of his old mask. Now made from the corrupted cloak and the pure energy of the spirits. Gray: "We''ll see about that." End of Chapter sixty Arc 6: Chapter 61. If this be my destiny Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 61. If this be my destiny Gray stares longingly at Smoler while the library melts away. Now Gray, completely drenched in the cloak of darkness, is ready for a fair fight. Smoler slides his foot forward, causing pillars of molten stone to force themselves up from the earth. Gray easily dodges the attack, but not by rolling or jumping, but by extending his arm coated in the cloak, stretching it out, and grabbing onto one of the statues two floors up. When he did this, most of the cloak unwrapped itself from him and flowed to his arms, causing both Gray and Smolder to realize the range. Gray feels the statue hes sticking to begin to melt, so instead of letting himself be covered in purplish black lava, he leaps forward. He shoots the cloak out, wrapping around the collapsing statue, and pulls it with all his might, launching it toward Smoler. Smolder continues to use the molten rushing around on the floor to create a shield, hardening it right before impact. This stops the statue, causing it to fall and melt away on the floor, giving him even more firepower. Mid-air, Gray begins swinging around the room until he can get a hit on Smolder. Gray {Theres lava surrounding himI only have one ranged move so I could just spam that. No, itd be wasting manaI need to get in close and bash his face in.} Gray lands on the large stained glass window behind him, staring down at Smolder. Gray''s eyes continue to shine that bright white light, and he launches himself at Smolder. Smolder puts his hands on the ground, forming all of the lava in the room to one point, launching a melting pillar at Gray. Gray uses the cloak surrounding his body to grab onto the front of the pillar and pull him past it. He then begins running down the pillar as it crashes into the large window, causing piles of shattered glass to hit the ground. The heat of the pillar vanishes as soon as Smolder lets his hands off of it, preparing for another attack on Gray. Gray leaps down the pillar, trying to kick Smolder in the face. Smolder ducks the attack, using his foot to propel another spike from the ground. In a split second, thanks to the spiritual state, hes able to move and slide his foot across the spike, seamlessly dodging the attack. He then pulls his arm back, flows mana into his palm, and thrusts it at Smolder. Smolder barely dodges, getting hit in the shoulder instead of his head. But Smolder underestimated the strength of the attack and felt the force from Grays blow decimate his shoulder, cracking and denting from the attack, ultimately shattering under the pressure. Smolder rolls back, creating a large wall to block Gray from attacking any further. Gray: Whats wrong! SCARED!? Originally using palm strikes as a nonlethal attack, because his normal punches would kill somebody if he put mana into them, he would only use a little and tap their head, knocking them out. But Gray isnt the same person he was a year ago, hes far from it in terms of how he acts and his strength, especially his strength. Now instead of them being the non lethal option, they crush instead of dig, making them perfect for immobilizing a strong opponent. Its like trying to defend against a stone wall trying to attack you, you can do it, itll just hurt like hell. Smolder tumbles backward, grasping onto his crumbled shoulder, gritting his teeth in pain. He slams his feet as well as his hands on the ground, pushing as hard as he can to turn the entire building into molten lava. The entire library begins falling apart, causing the ceiling to begin crumbling. Gray boosts mana into his arm and punches the stone, trying to break through it. Then, in one punch, he bursts through the wall and is met with a wave of lava pouring onto him. He reacts as fast as he can, jumping backward. He looks up, trying to make sure nothing lands on him, but he realizes too soon that his side of the building is cracking and burning up, about to collapse. The walls begin breaking down and the ceiling starts falling onto him, then to make it worse, Smolder turns the floor on Gray''s side to lava, cracking open the ground. To escape the molten-filled grave, he charges Titans Impacts into his feat to launch himself up. Though in a strange spring of luck, parts of the falling ceiling can be used as launch points. He uses the cloak to grapple to each bit of the falling ceiling, leaping and grappling to another and then to another. Then in the last leap, he stretches the cloak to an opening in the ceiling, sling-shooting himself out of the library. Hes given no time to think because the ceiling is still falling. The stone begins cracking and melting down, so he has to use well-timed jumps to get across. After just a few seconds, the ceiling is fully transformed into lava and falls to the library below, causing Gray to fall down as well. He uses the cloak like a wingsuit, gliding to a safe spot to land, but there isnt any, so he tries to glide out of the library and back to the hallway of offices. He finds Smolder blocking the door, and with Gray in his sight, he begins sprouting spikes from the ground. Gray narrowly avoids them, but his luck ends when his side is both sliced and burned by one of the spikes, causing him to crash land. He curves mid-air, attempting to kick Smolder, but Smolder creates a wave of lava to push Gray back. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. With lava falling on top of him, below him, behind him, and in front of him, all seems lost, but he attempts to do the same thing he had done before in the office. Gray: EL-WALNIC! Gray traps himself in a thick dome of mana, being covered in lava. Due to his quick casting, it isnt at the level it should be at, so it begins cracking shortly after casting it. Smolder continues to rush it over him, not letting it flow away, keeping him trapped. Now, with seemingly nothing left to try, hes been set up for death, though he does have his trump card. Gray: If its all I have leftthen I HAVE TO TRY! KNIGHTIC! A golden aura flows into his OD, bursting out with great force. He begins swelling with power, causing him great pain, but he doesn''t falter. He flows some of the heightened mana into the cursed charm, stretching the cloak to its maximum. Then he flows the cloak all around him, creating a large amount of the goo-like substance, and bursts out of the shield. With every ability heightened, the spirit mana flowing in the lava gains enough presence to spread away, and anything that doesn''t is guarded by the cloak. Though the cloak is weak to heat, and quickly begins boiling and dissolving, Gray replenishes it faster than it can disappear and swells up a great force of mana to break through the hardened wall covering the exit. With a small amount of time left on Knight''s effects, he charges Smolder. Smolder had prepared for Gray to be able to escape, so he uses a bit of the now-metaled hall to try and skewer him. But Grays too fast for him, for now at least. He easily dodges and uses the powered-up cloak to form large tendrils that he stretches toward Smolder, pushing the lava away. Smolder, knowing he cant beat Gray like this, turns the floor to lava and skates across it, trying to leave the building. With his hand sliding across the wall, he slowly causes this side of the building to fully turn the lava. Gray takes a page from Gangas book, using the tendrils to move instead of running. Gray: WHAT''S WRONG!? SOMEBODY SEEMS SPOOKED!" The cloak was heavily influencing his mind, feeling like his mind was drowning in sorrow. Everything was making him frustrated and upset, wanting to be all alone, however his essence and desire to save held him over that just enough to keep doing it. Gray tries moving faster and faster, booming through the hall. He unsheathed the wrist talons and slashes at the air, sending a much larger and stronger version of breaker toward the fleeing Smolder. It carves through the walls, and when Smolder tries to make a wall behind him, it breaks through it, giving Gray another opportunity to throw another one. Then after he launches four separate breakers at Smolder, he finally lands and slashes his back open, sending him tumbling to the main door. Without a chance to breathe, Gray uses the cloak to spawn four large tendrils, shooting them at Smolder. He forms them into one, hitting Smolder so hard it cracks and breaks multiple ribs before sending him tumbling out of the crumbling building. Smolder tries to get away, but Gray, filled with rage, is about to chase after him, but he hears Lisas screams from behind him. Conflicted, he runs back into the building right as Knightic wears off. Then the cursed charm begins to pulse purple before it is pulled back into itself. Gray watches as the cloak peels off his body and dissolves into the ash-filled air. At the same time, his body forces him out of the spirit state, making his already grueling headache even worse. But, like always, he continuously ran forward to try and find her. Gray: LISA! KEEP SCREAMING! Gray looks everywhere, trying to avoid being crushed by falling debris or sinking into the random pits of lava. As he screams he begins coughing, struggling to breathe with all of the ash and smoke in the air, but eventually, he finds Lisa trying to get out of a window, but its covered by fallen debris. Lisa: GRAY! Lisa grabs Gray, hugging him tight. He wipes the ash off of her face, picks her up, and goes to break through the rubble blocking the exit, but the ceiling collapses on top of them. With everything in Grays body feeling as if its trying to die, he fails to react quickly enough to leap through the window. He drops Lisa beneath him and catches the rubble, holding it above him. He kneels, being crushed by the weight of the rubble on top of him. He strains himself trying to hold it up and thinks after all of these close-to-death experiences, its over. The weight is so much that Khightic would only waste stamina, prolonging a crushing demise. Any form of Walnic would be crushed with all of the weight, as hes not in the right mind space to make an actual strong shield. The weight continues to pile on, pushing his legs to the ground. Lisa lies below him, passed out due to the lack of oxygen. Gray slips and is put on all fours, having to hold up all the weight with his back. Gray: DammitIm sorry LisaIm not strong enough Tears begin to flow from Grays eyes, as he feels like this is it. All of his friends are heading his way but are too far to help, he tries using the cloak but it seems like Gray overused it, as it rejects being called out. This is it, his body begins straining to failure, and its all about to fall on him. Lava from the rooms around him begins flowing in as well, slowly leaking over to him. Gray: DAMMIT COME ON! NOT NOW! NOW HERE! NOT WITH THIS LITTLE GIRL UNDERNEATH ME! I CAN DIE ALONE! I CAN DIE RIGHT AFTER THIS! BUT NOT HER! NOT RIGHT NOW Gray finds some eternal strength and begins pushing harder and harder, sending his body into overdrive. With his OD about to shut down, he chomps at his tongue, forcing his OD to crack open and give him more mana. He forces his tongue down, bursting out more and more mana, until hes used every last drop. His hand begins lifting up the ceiling, pushing through the stone and lifting all thats above it. Gray: KNIGHTIC! He casts Knightic once more, ripping his muscles open, cracking his OD even further even if some of his bones are being crusehd, but he continues pushing. With Knightic, hes able to fully stand up, then without his thoughts to do it, the cloak flows and stretches out a small tendril to grab Lisa. In one leap, he bursts through the window, dropping the rubble, and saving both of their lives. Though he lays unconscious, on his last legs. But with a bit of hope left, Lisa wakes up and puts her hands on the center of his chest. Her shoulder begins to glow and flows pinkish mana around his body. The open wound on his chest gets covered in a pink-like aura, blocking any blood from leaving it. The cracks in his bones are filled by the same bits of mana, as well as his shredded muscle fibers. Its like shes making a cast around his body. Then for the most important part, spirits begin flowing into his OD filling is backed up with the glowing pink mana. Lisa: Pleaseuse this to keep going. End of Chapter sixty-one Arc 6: Chapter 62. Pink glow Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 62. Pink glow Gray and Lisa lie on the ground behind the crumbling and burning office building. Lisa continues spreading her glowing pink mana from her shoulder to her shoulder, covering up and filling all of his wounds. Gray begins to wake back up, and the second he regains consciousness, he jumps up, shakes his head, cracks his neck, and stands proudly before crumbling back to the ground. Gray: How the hell did you do that? Lisa: Its my mark of providence. Gray is stunned by the revelation, but once he starts thinking about it, its a bit obvious. Gray: This is insane, a mark that heals? You could become a doctor or something. Lisa: My mother wants me to, but I wanna become a historian. And my mark doesn''t heal, its like a pain killer and a big cast in one! It helps your body continue moving. But it''s more of a burdenbecause all it does is force you back into the fight, and I can only use it on you once!" Gray stands back up and begins flowing a bit of mana into his hand. He lets it overflow, watching the pink mana rush over it, confusing him as the normal color of his mana is a purplish black that also turns blue when spirits are introduced. Lisa: "See?" Gray: "I think it''s cool. How many people can say their mana has been three different colors!" Lisa moves a part of her pink cloak off of her shoulder, showing Gray her heart-shaped mark. Lisa: This thing sucks. Im not a fighter, I dont want to be, but I have an affinity for the spiritual arts and this mark. They just go against themselves. Gray: Thats nothing to be ashamed of. Hey, Lincoln doesn''t have any superpowers and hes the strongest man in the WORLD! Just because you can or cant do something doesn''t mean youre stuck. Gray notices burn marks on Lisas skin, so he puts his hand over her head, closes his eyes, and begins focusing. Gray: Votic. Spirits begin flowing around his hand, glowing a light transparent green, and flow around her body. They focus on the wounds, causing them to slightly fade and the pain to dissipate before the spell ends. Lisa: You can use healing magic!? Gray: Yeah but I dont use it because its riskyRyo said I have what is called defensive arts, or a defensive affinity. He has an offensive affinity, so his spells are meant to hurtbut he strays away from using them. But somehow, he can use Defensive magic as wellI guess he''s the God of War for a reason. All healers have defensive magic, but instead of learning to combat areas of skills, they learn to heal. Instead of spending my skill points in one or the other, Im putting a bit of it into healing, but I havent gotten to the point where I can use any high-level spells for it. While spirit magic is similar to the Sects abilities, where you can only do one thing. Summon the spirits of animals for a short time, call upon a weapon, or control spirit beasts. Each can vary a bit, but its rare enough that it hasnt progressed very far. Though the spirit arts, which is being content with the spirits instead of controlling them, gives for a more streamlined experience. Offensive spells allow for spells that target opponents on a more straightforward level. But the spirit arts as a whole doesn''t have very many spells at all, since the magic in this world is more surface-level than extraordinary. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. A spell-like Satic attacks the person''s mind, causing your thoughts to boil over and attack your mind, but for someone like Gray to use it, it also affects him. Not only was his connection not well-trained, but his connections leaned towards the more common defensive magic. Spells like Walnic, a shield, or Cenic, a cloud of smoke, protect the user in some way. Gray has yet to learn every defensive spell he can, but this is due to how difficult it is to find anything about them as well as how Gray''s massive connection makes it difficult to not kill spirits. The astral side of the spirit arts is what its mainly known for, the ability to boost your senses to another plane, giving you an edge unlike any other, because it has no counter. Though sadly even if he wanted to use higher level spells for his current class, he cant. His affinity is so high that its just as difficult to use a high or even medium-level spell without killing spirits. So hes stuck to the basic eight. But, like how Gray described it, offensive magic has another Skill tree as he would put it. There are two paths, spells, and healing magic, where most learn, hes started working on being able to cast at least one healing spell. On the other side of the spectrum, the offensive style can lean toward either spells or mage-like combat, where you connect to elemental spirits and use a wand or staff to fight. With no healer in the current party, Gray has taken the initiative to become that healer or try to be for a short while. Lisa: That is so cool! Before Lisa can continue, Gray feels somethings off and stands back up. Gray: Smoler got away, and I left Greta aloneI gotta go. You run somewhere safe. Before Lisa can say anything, Gray begins running off while holding the cursed charm and infusing it with mana to recharge it. Gray: DammitWell, this is my second wind, and I was finally asked to do something. But I need backup. Gray runs around the office building, watching as it slowly melts down as the purplish black lava flows out from within. Then, once he gets in front of the building, he sees what he feared the most. In the center of the stone road connecting all of the buildings, under the dark sky with the rising sun getting closer and closer, stands both Ganga and Smolder. When they spot him, they straighten their posture and stare at him. Gray stumbles back, but he quickly regains his composure and begins walking toward them. While Ganga is infused with utter rage to the point that her entire body is shaking, Smolder stands completely still. Though he does walk in front of her, clapping while doing so. Before Gray can get close, Smolder puts out his hand, motioning him to stop. He then turns his head, looking off into the distance, listening for something. Then right on cue, Yoru, the older woman with the ability to mutate people into those zombie-like creatures flies in on such creatures. Its grotesque rotting, slimy flesh and mouth going down its head isnt disgusting enough. The wings its using to fly are large, thin, and held together by the hardened cartilage-like subsistence, dripping with this pink slime. It screeches and cries from pain, but is still under the control of the bird mask-wearing, insane, and self-asserted god. It flies down beside Ganga and Smolder, letting You off, and curls up, aching in pain. Also on the monster is Dante, locking his eyes with Gray as he begins shaking with anger as well. As Gray watches all of these people standing beside each other, his heart drops. He looks to Yoru, staring at her bird mask, reminding him of Chezera, who he had assassinated a few ago, causing him to be filled with dread. Smolder: Ah, this is it. I was getting a bit scared there, but I was told to not hold back because if you died, then this would be for nothing. Ganga: GET OVER HERE! GET OVER SO I CAN KILL YOU! I WANT YOUR FLESH AS I RIP IT TO PIECES! I WANT YOUR BONES TO MUSH! Dante puts his hand on Gangas shoulder, getting to calm down before he begins speaking. Dante: Calm down Mother. Gray Kyojin. You killed my brother right in front of me, you killed my other brother and got my siblings killed. You are evil. Yoru: Who cares about that!? I want to make him one of my beautifully woven creatures. YOU WOULD BE RESHAPED BY GOD! LEAVE YOUR UGLY BODY BEHIND AND COME TO ME! The pure rage in Gangas voice, the malice and hatred in Dantes, and the unrivaled insanity in Yoru further the fear in the situation as well as in Grays heart. Smolder: Come on, you cant kill him, so I apologize Ganga. But you had your chance, and you lost. Ganga grabs Smolder by the collar, pulling him close, staring into his eyes. She spits into his mask''s eye holes, causing him to push her away. He takes his mask off, rubbing his eye, but begins to turn around Grays unable to see his face. The only thing that Gray knows about his identity is that hes burned badly, due to the dry and scratchy sound of his voice. Smolder: And here comes your cavalry. Gray feels the presence of his friends finally arriving to help. Soku glides in from the sky while Rosemary enters through the front gate, both panting and drenched in sweat. When they spot whats standing in front of Gray, they rush over to him. Soku lands beside him while Rosemary runs through the grass, hugging him once she finally makes it. Gray: Rosemary! Youre bashed up all to hell. Soku, you will be better. Soku: You dont look too good yourself, but thats not far from normal, its actually just how you look normally. Rosemary: Hush! While they chatter with each other, acting as if they had completely forgotten about the danger standing in front of them, Ganga''s anger becomes indescribable. She clenches her fist, causing the only fingernails that havent been broken to stab into her hand, causing it to drip with even more blood than it already was. She tries to scream at them, but with the insurmountable rage thats running through the veins, shes unable to get out any clear words, causing her to begin stomping her foot onto the ground over and over. Soku looks over, pointing and laughing at her, causing Gray to start laughing as well. Soku: DidBUFFY! SHES ACTING LIKE A BABY! Gray: YeahheheshesheheDAMMIT, I CANT SPEAK! Rosemary smacks the back of both their heads, getting them to pipe down. Ganga gets so mad she almost passes out, but decides attacking is a better idea. She flows not ten, but twenty both strong and long arms made of spirit mana. Smolder tries to get her to calm down, but Dante begins creating a large dome around all of them. The utter size demolishes any of the domes he has made when he fought Gray and Soku. It covers one hundred twenty yards of land, the size of a football field. Then lastly, Smolder puts his hand on the ground, beginning to create lava a bit underneath the ground to not hurt his companions. Gray: Oooh, this isnt gonna be fun. Soku: What makes you say that? End of Chapter sixty-two Arc 6: Chapter 63. Poster shot Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 63. Poster shot While twenty Ganga mana made arms fly at Gray, Rosemary, and Soku, theyre all forced into action. Without a word from Gray, everyone enters their place in the fight. Rosemary stands back for an opening to strike, Gray tries his best to create such an opening, and Soku uses her range and speed to ensure neither gets hit. Smolder keeps making pockets of magma underground, while Yoru climbs onto her mutated beast to fly around, with much less teamwork. Soku, using her glider, begins targeting Yoru. Without being able to use her sword, Soku is unable to launch her standard wind blades, forcing her to only use blunt attacks. Mid-air, Soku flips, kicking a large blast of wind toward Yoru, throwing her off balance. While Sokus in the air, Gray targets Ganga, easily dodging her mana arms. Using the wrist talons, hes able to slash through them as he gets closer and closer, though the durability of them has grown to a great extent. Gangas constant screaming begins annoying Yorus''s mutated beast, further throwing it off. Yoru: SHUT UP YOU DAMN FOOL! YOURE HURTING MY BABYS EARS! Ganga: HUSH YOU OLD HAG! Smolder: BOTH OF YOU - Before Smolder can reprimand the two, he begins coughing, causing his throat to bleed. The weakness that is his burnt body finally begins to affect him. Ganga''s injuries begin affecting her as well, but the utter rage coursing through her veins keeps her going. Dante stands beside her though, holding his mother''s hand to keep her calm. Gray: ROSEMARY, SOKU! WHYD YOU EVEN COME HERE!? Gray begins bantering between his friends to annoy Ganga even further, but Rosemary responds without figuring this out. Rosemary: I SAW THAT I DIDNT HAVE YOUR CLOAK SO I CAME TO CHECK ON YOU! Gray jumps over, ducks, rolls, and just about everything else he can without his cloak of darkness to dodge and destroy all of Gangas arms, trying to narrow down the numbers. Soku loses focus on her small air battle with Yoru because she remembers why she came to the mayors office and looks over to the gates. The large army of monsters she had followed to get her spread out around the entire area, guarding it and blocking them in more than they already were. Once Yoru notices the surprise on Sokus face, she begins to be overwhelmed in ecstasy, dwelling in the utter joy she feels when her so-called babies'' '' are recognized. Yoru: OH YOU LOVE DONT YOU! THE CHILDREN OF GOD SWARM AROUND YOU! PRAY TO THEM! PRAY TO ME! THE CREATOR OF OUR ARMY! Soku: SHUT THE HELL UP, OLD ASS SKANK! Gray {Damn! Shes harshoh shit.} Amidst Grays battle, he gets a slight glimpse at the large crab-like monster standing at the main gate, as well as the rest of the slimy pink monsters. Hes not able to do much about it though, as Ganga seems to progress even further. The black mana the arms are made of seems to start stretching over her body, which connects her to her powers even more. The once three-fingered arms begin to morph into the crescent moon-shaped blades of Carla. While Rosemary waits patiently for an opening, she yelps when Lisa sneaks behind her. Rosemary: AH! What are you doing here!? Lisa: You seem like youre about to fall over, so let me help you. Lisa''s Mark of Providence flows from her shoulder and onto Rosemarys body. Her bones are held together by the pink mana, filling in all of the gaps. The same happens to any cut Rosemary has, filling them in as well. Then last it refills any of Rosemarys lost mana. Rosemary stands up excited and rejuvenated. Rosemary: That ability is amazing! Lisa: Thanksbut Im using it sparingly. You seemed like you were about to pass out, and this is a one-time use. Rosemary runs off, going into the six-stage as she does so. Smolder, seeing this, begins using the lava he had been preparing. Random pillars spike up while the ground begins melting down, causing her to be as careful as possible. Her speed makes it difficult for the injured Smolder to keep up, and the mana rapidly flowing over her keeps her feet guarded by the lava, but she cant stand on it for long or itll burn through. To counteract this she begins jumping, but Smolder uses this to predict her next move, blasting a wave of lava upward to burn her. Before Rosemary can react, Soku blasts toward Rosemary, curving in front of her, blows high-pressured wind from her mouth downward, blowing it all away, and glides away all in a matter of a few seconds. Gray: NICE SAVE! Yoru, still flying around, narrowly avoiding Soku, is finally struck down. Soku had flown high into the air, let go of her glider, and pulled out her sword. Then, using her mark of providence, drags the wind down with her blade, building up as much power as she can. Then, after shes conjured up a blade two times as large as her body, she releases it toward Yoru. Instead of staying in its green glowing and somewhat solid state, it expands towards her as well as loses the light green colored tint, making it invisible. Yoru quickly moves out of the way, laughing the entire time, and begins heading right toward Soku to let her monster bite her. Right as the beast is about to kill her, Rosemary and Gray turn their attention toward her, both fearing for her life. Then, Soku takes a deep breath, and all of the wind spirits awaken, shining green, and rush toward Soku. So before Yoru can react, all of the wind mana rushes over Yoru, exploding on impact. The beast tried to block the attack, getting cut to pieces in the process. Though, blocking most of the attack, Yorus hit by the residue, ripping bits of her body apart. Her shoulders, thighs, and chest are hit with a barrage of thin but sharp slices, tearing both her body and her cloak up. Soku tries to strike again, but Smolder assists Yoru by using small spikes of hardened magma that blast toward Soku. Yoru manipulates the body of the beast to rap around her while Soku vails herself in a sphere of rotating wind, blocking the small spikes. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Gray: GOOD CLUTCH! Ganga: SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! With Smolder distracted, Rosemary was able to close the distance between Gray and herself, allowing the two to work together. Ganga continues to replace the arms as soon as Gray destroys them, but with Rosemary there, shes able to speed up the process two times the speed. As they get closer and closer to Ganga, she becomes more and more panicked. The blades on the ends of the arms cut Gray''s shoulder, messing up his concentration and causing him to be met with a barrage of cuts He tries dodging, making it so the blades dont do serious damage, but with every cut more and more arms target him. To assist, Rosemary forces her leg to enter the fourth stage, kicking a weak blast of wind at him to push him out of the way, which gives him an idea Gray: ROSE! ARROW ME! Rosemary: WHAT!? Ganga freezes up, anticipating whatever his plan may be. Gray activates his spiritual sense, giving him the ability to dodge the blades with ease, and makes his way back to Rosemary, slicing through the arms on his way. In preparation for any attack they may do, Ganga begins using Charlie''s ability, charging up the pushing eye. Gray: HEY GANGA! I KNOW JEREMIAH, CARLA, AND CHARLIE HAD POWERS! BUT WHATS UP WITH THAT CON!? OR ROY!? THAT ONE DUDE!? AND ANY-BUS! Ganga: DONT YOU DARE MAKE A MOCKERY OF THEM! HIS NAME WAS CONROY AND HER NAME WAS ANIBIS! CONROY WANTED TO WAIT AND GET STRONGER BEFORE HE ATTEMPTED TO GAIN HIS ABILITIES! AND ANIBISS BODY REACTED PORTLY, BUT SHE WAS ABLE TOto Gray: YEAH THATS IT! SUPER NORMAL NAMES FOR EVIL PEOPLE! Ganga loses focus on Gray, attempting to use Anibiss abilities. Her mummy-like appearance and burned skin led Gray and the others to believe she didnt have a strong ability. They did see her using a whip and grabbing Ophliea with her bandages, so they just assumed that her ability just let her control such bandages. Though her real ability is a little more horrific. The skin on Gangas arm begins to peel off, turning into the wrappings that were around Anibis body, which begin to heal her. Ganga: My daughterplease help meMy body could only use so many abilitiesbut this rage I feel for your killers has pushed me so far that I can finally use your love. Gray jumps toward Rosemary, confusing her, but with just a glance, she understands his plan. While the long blades rush toward the both of them, Soku blasts past, slicing the roe of them, and lands beside them. Smolder attempts to turn the floor beneath them to lava, but they act quickly enough to get past it. Gray {I didnt think Soku would show up so fast, but that only makes the move better!} Gray: LAUNCHER MOVE! Rosemary and Gray jump up, and then Soku puts wind behind both their feet, so when they jump at equal force, Soku propels them at full force, launching them toward Ganga. They put their fists together, stretch them back, and yell as they both put their full power into their punches. Ganga forces out all of her arms to create a Goliath arm two times larger than the previous one, causing it to scale over them. But when they punch it, the force from the attack causes the arm to explode. Gray quickly jumps in the air again, letting Rosemary push him forward, launching him right to Ganga. Gray {I NEED TO TAKE THEM BOTH DOWN, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!} Gray began to lose himself to adrenaline and drive, falling more under the cloak''s spell and completely disregarding his morals to get the job done. With his wrist talon ready to pierce her, hes about to stab her, until shes rescued at the last minute. Not by Smolder though, whos currently dealing with a barrage of wind blades from Soku, but by her son, Dante. He pushes his mother out of the way, letting himself get stabbed in the heart by Grays weapon, sending Ganga into shock. He stands there, looking into his eyes as the light of life fades. Gray snaps himself out of it, about to launch at the frozen Ganga, but an enraged Smolder flows a giant wall of lava that stretches from him to her, blocking Sokus wind blades and Gray''s attack. Gray backs off, watching as Dantes shield, which was blocking out all of the monsters, is dropped and they begin flooding in. Gray falls back, worried and tired. Then suddenly the wall that Smolder had made dropped, but neither Smolder nor Ganga moved, they just stood there. As if they feel sorrow for her, Gray, Rosemary, and Soku stand still as well, just watching the frozen Ganga break down. She falls to the ground, crying tears of blood as she holds her dead son, covering the hole in his heart. They watch as his soul is sucked out of his body, looking like a shadow version of himself, which fuses with his mother, and is absorbed into her OD. Still, they do not move, just watching the grieving mother take her son''s soul, and listen to her haunting laugh. She claws at her face, pulling her skin down, trying to stop smiling. Then other shadows try to force themselves out of her body, ripping at her skin. The faces of four men and two women in the same shadowy form begin stretching and clawing out of her OD, but she tries her best to keep them in, though it doesn''t work. Smolder watches in awe as Ganga falls unconscious and the souls of her children flow out. Theyre aged up, dressed in the same clothes they died in, and hold the same weapons they used, but it was all made of shadowy mana. Gray: No way. Jeremiah, Conroy, Carla, Anibis, Charlie, and the freshly killed Dante stand in their shadowy form. Carla begins chuckling, licking her lips, Charlie looks around confused about where he is, Dante turns around to see his dead body, freezing up, Anibis looks at their unconscious mother, fearing for her safety, and Jeremiah begins laughing uncontrollably. Gray backs up, standing with his friends while Smolder begins clapping his hands. He looks over to Yoru, whos still hiding within the manipulated form of her creature, and looks at the army of monsters beginning to run toward them. Smolder: Thats not good. Dantes the first to act, casting another large domain to block the monsters from getting any closer, though they begin to try and break through. Jeremiah: GRAY KYOJIN! YOU KILLED ME YOU BASTARD! BASTARD, BASTARD, BASTARD! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! Conroy: Shut up! Now, wheres Edward!? I want a rematch! Carla: Who cares about that!? I just wanna see blood! BEAUTIFUL BLOOD! Anibis: Shut up you idiots! Attack them! Charlie: You cant tell me what to do! Dante: MOVE DAMMIT! Gray, Rosemary, and Soku stand back to back, ready to fight everyone off, but at the last second, they hear the roar of an engine. Everyone turns their heads to see Edward holding his sword forward on the hood of Peter''s new car, smashing through the monsters and straight through Dantes domain. They break through, though this throws off Peter''s steering, causing him to swerve back and forth. Gray: HOT DAMN! Soku: What an entrance. Rosemary: Id say! The domain closes behind them, letting a few monsters in, including the large one. Then, with the members of the Sect confused about what theyre seeing, Conroy begins running toward it. Conroy: EDWARD! I WANT A REMATCH! NOW! Conroy takes out his sword, but with no understanding of what a car is, hes quickly run over, and his soul pops, returning to Gangas body as quickly as it left. His brothers and sisters begin screaming as they watch their brother die, while Gray and the rest of the group break down laughing, even Edward. Peter: SHIT! DID I JUST KILL THAT GUY!? Edward: MAYBE!? Sadly, the engine dies, leaving Peter dead in the water while Edward steps off of the car. Gray tries to high-five Edward, but Edward doesn''t know the gesture, so Soku high-fives Gray. Gray: Nice, don''t leave me hanging''. Soku: I mean that is the rules. Edward: What are you -, never mind. The better question is, what the hell is going on!? Gray: Long story short, that guy over there has lava powers, that lady on the grounds children are all of those powered sect people, and now theyre free, oh and that ball of flesh has an old woman in it who made all of those zombies. Soku: Wow, that really was a long story short. Peter steps out of the car to be met with a big hug from Rosemary, causing him to groan in pain. Rosemary: Sorry, sorry. Are you okay? Peter: Ill explain later, butWE GOTTA FIGHT OR SOMETHING! Everyone stands together, staring at seven powered members of the Sect of Anarchy slowly approaching them. Gray, being as Gray Kyojin as he is, puts his hands on his waist and grants his opponents an enormous smile. Gray: Poster shot. Everyone stands confused, causing Gray to sigh. Gray: Never mindyou guys are lame. End of Chapter sixty-three Arc 6: Chapter 64. So long Constal Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 64. So long Constal Before Edward and Peter arrived to help Gray and the others, they had stopped the train to find themselves in an underground bunker right under the south end of the city. They walk to one of the train cars, taking the cover off of Peters new car. It looks more like a muscle car than the last, only has two seats, and is built like a steam engine. The back engine is made of flame crystals, blank crystals, and energy crystals, powering itself to create steam that pushes the car as well as powers the vehicle, causing whats hopefully an endless cycle when started, or until the crystals run out of charge. Edward: This is nice! Peter: Yeah I guesslet''s go. Peter opens the door, wincing in pain from his injuries as he sits down. Edward gets in the passenger seat, watching Peter with a sad look on his face as he struggles to keep going. His mind is being held down by insurmountable guilt while his body is held down by all of the broken bones. Peter lets his hair hang over his face, too tired to move it, and shrugs his shoulders while he flows mana into a crystal in the center console, working as an on button. He puts his foot on the gas only slightly, pulling out of the train through the door Edward had just opened. As they pull out of the box car, they slowly drive around the train and onto the tracks, driving the rest of the way down. After a minute or two, they find themselves exiting through a large drainage pipe, giving them a good look at the city while they drive up the bank. In less than twelve hours, the city went from a nice, peaceful, and prosperous place, to a war zone. Smoke from burning buildings rises into the air, broken pieces of debris float through the river, the screams of panicking people echo throughout the area, and the crowds running for safety shake the roads. With the rising sun slightly lighting up the area, it looks like a chance for peace is possible. Peter: We got Walgonia back in less than a day, and it took a few more to get everything into place, or good enough into place. Do you think itll be the same here? Peter''s drained voice causes Edward to want his answer to seem more bright, but the reality of the situation cannot be spoken in such light. Edward: The Sect knew we were coming in Walgonias case. This time we knew they may have been coming, and we tried to prepare the best we could. It doesn''t look like the knights have shown up yet, and hopefully, Gray and the others haventyknow? Peter: Knowing them they got right on it. But umDo you ever feel likelike we are the outcasts of the group? Like not to sound weird about it but Gray met Soku, Rosemary, and that little girlOphelia right? And then they just started their group. Edward: Yeah, she wasshe was happy. The most joyful kid I had ever met, she came from a life I''d never expected. Their group made sense. And I was just along with them. I dont talk much and they spoke to me often enough, I just never looked into it very much. I like them, they like me. But, its okay to want more than that. Peter: No, kindaI dont know its just Peter struggles to keep a positive look on everything because there isnt one. With everything hed gone through on this horrible trip matched with the horrific scenery caused for a bad time. Each bump on the road is either from fights they pass through or the bodies of the dead. They pass burning buildings as well as civilians running for their lives crying and hurt. In the Walgonian raid, they attacked Arthur, and they didnt see the grittiness of what was actually happening in the capital streets. This is the horror of war they missed. Peter: Gray is the guy! Like, hes the one or something. Three chances at life, that is what he says. He came from nothing, got blessed with friends and power, and got a reason to keep going. Rosemary, Soku and you had to go through so much to finally find something like this and he just gets it randomly? He says he wasnt born with it, that it got given to him and he tries to say hes lucky to try and sound humble, but - Edward: Gray Kyojin is lucky, but don''t undermine the work hes put in. I wont do it and he hasnt done it to you. Has Gray called you weak? Has Gray pointed out these flaws in you? Youre sitting here with me talking about how you dont like how he has powers and you dont, trying to make him seem bad for having something he has no choice over, and you want him to be the bad guy? Peter: Wait, that''s not what I meant! I wouldnt say that hes lucky, but do you feel hes undeserving? Soku doesn''t have her childhood memories, you dont have your white hair, Rosemary didnt have anything that resembled a childhood, and you all lost your entire families! But what did Gray have? A nice house, loving parents, a life! And he gave that all up for nothing. Then hes here. Rich, powerful, known around the world, everything a man could dream of. Hes the hero, and were his lackeys. Edward struggles to find his answer to Peter''s question, unable to know if there is a true answer. So, he just gives his own. Edward: I was born in Helsing. Most would say that was luck. They dont think about me or my hobbies, my friends, but just my name and what it means. Thats what you dont like people doing to you isnt it? You acted like you wanted the glory and I can understand that. But in the eyes of the people, they decide what they do after you act. It can get a bit hectic and misconstrued but theyll follow something they believe just like you and I will. We dont know his hardship, we truly dont know everyones. Everybody takes things differently, I think I know that pretty well. Peter: Maybe just a bit. Edward: Look Peter, Ive said it before and Ill say it again, just do your part. Think about it like in our fight with Arthur; While Rosemary, Soku, Julius and I rushed in to slowly whittle him down, Leo rushed in to do a lot of damage, you and Dema rushed in to help us later and catch him off guard, and Gray wanted until the end to save his strength and beat him! I didnt have the main role and you didnt either, but were alive. We played parts and we won. We did that in Athens too. And thats what well keep doing, because its his job. Believe it or not, even if Grays always in the spotlight because hes loud, he doesn''t like it that much anyway. Peter: Really? Edward: He said it was a secret, but he said it makes him really nervous. Peter: Mh, thanks Edward. Edward: Anytime, oh, and Im umsorry for not interacting with you as much. This whole thing, I''m not used to it. Peter: Honestly, me too. And Im sorry for falling off the rails last year. First with Soku, then your picture, then me fighting with Lance and running awayI just keep messing up and coming back and messing up Edward: Ive been there. We all take time, but eventually, youll reach the same holes we did. But before they can continue, they reach the Mayors offices main gate, finding it surrounded by monsters. Peter slams on the breaks, getting the beast''s attention. Peter: EW! Its those pink sludge monsters! Edward: Hold on, I have an idea. Edward gets out of the car, stands on the hood, holds his sword out, and takes a deep breath. Edward: Do you see that big shield over the offices!? Its one of the Sects'' powers, so they probably made the dome keep people out of the area. I say we break through to see whats going on! If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Peter: What if its like a safe zone? Edward: Well hopefully it isnt. They both gulped and got ready. Peter, really hoping that Edwards right and his plan to work as a human battering ram will as well, so he slams on the gas. The wheels begin tearing up the broken cobblestone ground, blasting off toward monsters. Edwards sword cleaves through them in an erupting of pink and slightly acidic blood. While it launches into the air and coats Edward, the car, and the surrounding area, they keep pushing, and then the same happens for the dome, breaking through. Edward: I SEE THEM! Wait, is that Conroy!? Hes dead!? Without a second thought, Peter accidentally runs over Conroy, causing him to lose control of the brakes and stop near Gray and the others, realizing that the engine had just died as well. For a single second they all winced in pain from the awkwardness of his death before Gray and Soku broke out into another laugh. After they all reunite, Gray stands with all of his friends facing their past along with some new ones. The sun is about to begin rising, and Gangas five children along with Smolder begin running at them. Gray: SOKU! YOURE BACK ON SUPPORT! ROSEMARY, YOU MAKE SURE SMOLDER CANT GET A BIG SUPPLY OF LAVA! EDWARD, YOU AND ME TAKE OUT THE RESURRECTED LACKEYS! AND PETERUm, do your thing! While everyone else rushes off into battle, Peter stands alone, only able to watch as everyone else does all of the heavy lifting. Though to raise his spirits, Lisa surprises him, causing him to scream out. Lisa: ARE YOU OKAY!? Before Peter can say anything, Lisa begins welding his wounds back together, using her pseudo-healing Mark of Providence to stop his pain for the time being. Peter: The hell? Did you just - Lisa: Yes I healed you and didnt at the same time, Its like a bandage that keeps the wound from healing but you cant bleed out. Dang, Im getting tired of explaining that. NEVER MIND THAT! ARE YOU OKAY!? Peter, unable to truly answer, just looks toward his friends. Jeremiah: GRAY, YOU SAID YOU WERE THE GRIM REAPER! WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT!? Gray: I JUST KILLED YOUR BROTHER DIDNT I!? Not only Jeremiah, but all of the shadowy souls of past foes become infuriated. Carla''s hands transform into her crescent moon-shaped blades, twenty arms flow from Jeremiah''s chest, Charlie begins charging his pushing eye, Dante focuses on keeping his domain up, and Anibis runs toward her mother. Anibis flows her bandages around her mother''s arms, pouring mana into her, slowly healing her. All of their bodies are made of mana, anything theyre using is also made from such mana, but for some reason, they react as if theyre completely normal. Gray flows his cloak out of the cursed charm, letting it consume him. It wraps around his entire body, and at the same time, he enters the spirit state, making all of Jeremiah''s arms unable to hit him as they explode before they can reach him. Jeremiah begins to panic but revels in his new level of power at the same time. Edward goes after Charlie, who lets off a great blast of wind toward Edward. Edward preemptively blocks the attack, not knowing the sheer power it would show, but Charlie seemingly didnt know either. Charlie: Thisit feels great! LIKE IVE ADVANCED TENFOLD! Jeremiah: I KNOW RIGHT! TWENTY ARMS JUST AS STRONG AS WHEN ID MAKE TWO! I WONDER HOW STRONG THEYD BE IF I MADE TWO NOW! Charlies blast was strong enough to rip up the ground and throw Edward back, but now he knows how strong it is. Edward brushes off the attack, scaring Charlie a bit, but his confidence allows him to push forward. Then theres Soku, whos battling Carla. Soku, not having gotten her mana replenished by Lisa, is on her last legs, which Carla notices. Soku attempts to go back to Lisa, but she hesitates, because running away would lead Carla to them. Soku remains calm and uses the last bit of her strength to get rid of Carla before she attempts to refill. Carla shrugs at her lack of a personal upgrade in her powers, but she still pursues Soku. Carla: YOUVE GROWN! Which is weirdits only been, actually how long has it been!? Soku flows mana all around her body before blasting toward Carla, then right before Carla can slash her, she stops in her tracks. However her wind continues to rush forward, right into her. Carla blocks, but the attack is enough to get her off her feet and open to a quick slash from Soku, ending the fight extremely quickly. Carla is stunned by how quickly she is defeated, watching as her body fades away, being absorbed back into Gangas unconscious body. Anibis: TWO DOWN!? DAMMIT! Dante, DO SOMETHING! Dante: YOURE NOT THE BOSS OF ME! Smolder continually tries to help his companions but is throated by Rosemary who just wont let up. Every time he attempts to touch the ground or do anything at all with his lava abilities, Rosemary attempts to attack. Unlike Gray, Rosemarys unique mana is needed for her ability to work properly. And with Lisas pseudo mana, it doesn''t act the same way, causing Rosemarys stages to be pink and unstable. To make sure she doesn''t hurt herself, she uses stage four, but this makes it much harder to fight Smolder. With his weakened body, all he can really do is play defense, using his lava to create walls to get away. Edward continues to attack Charlie, beating him with ease. All he does is wait for Charlie to charge his pushing ability and jump forward, but then to the side, causing Charlie to release his blasts prematurely. He yelps and is cut down, causing his mana-made body to explode. Edward looks over at Gray, watching him run through Jeremiah''s mana arms, using his spiritual state to force the spirits from his mana arms, and once hes done this he takes out Jeremiah. Gray: Sorry man! Im three and o for this! BREAKER! Gray throws a blade made of spirit mana, slashing through Jeremiah. While Soku gets Lisa to refuel her mana, Gray and Edward set their sights on Anibis to stop the healing of her mother. Anibis tries to hit them with her whip, but Gray grabs her with the cloak of darkness, swinging her at Edward, who cleaves his sword through her. Gray: This is way easier than the first time around. Edward: Yeah, we almost died to these guys, and its only been a year. They quickly turn to Dante, and Edward holds his sword beside his neck. Edward: If you let down your shield, I will kill you and your mother. This leaves Yoru, whos still hiding within the skin of her monster, and Smolder, who Rosemary is about to defeat. Smolder tries his best to keep them at bay like hes waiting for something, but Rosemary finally takes him down. With a quick burst into the sixth stage, she kicks a large blast of wind into his stomach knocking him down. Gray follows this up by swirling his currently pink mana into the Titans Impact, hitting Smolder in the face with it, and crushing his mask. He flips him over, looking at his half-burnt face, staring into his eyes. Gray: Who the hell are you? Smolder flings his arm into Gray''s side, punching him so hard it breaks multiple ribs. Gray cries out, but right as Smolder tries to get away, Rosemary pushes him down, holding him by his newly broken arm. Edward: Wait? Did he just use the Dragon''s Fist? Smolder: Ah, smart boy. So you finally figured it out, my identity. Edward: UmI still dont know who you are. Smolder: Really!? Ugg whatever. They round up everyone and stab You from within her ball of flesh to injure her. They look at The monsters, who are still kicking, making everyone feel trapped. But, finally, right as the sun rises, the cavalry arrives. The Walgonian Knights arrive and begin fighting the beasts alongside Ruperts'' private army and Gretas'' guards. Soku: TOOK THEM LONG ENOUGH! Instead of running back into the action, everyone sits down to rest, but they make sure that Ganga and Smolder are held tight. Edward cleaves Dante in two, causing his domain to drop. Peter: Why did you do that? Edward: We gotta go help them. Smolder looks over at the rising sun, smiling with contempt. Smolder: I didnt think youd make it. You passed the test. Gray: The hell are you talking about? Smolder: Nothing. Gray: Well, Ill hold him, you guys should go clear out the monsters now I guess. While everyone is about to leave, they see Jongs decaying, sick body walk through the monsters, slowly approaching them with Greta. Then suddenly, Julius walks out of the Mayor''s main office, surprising everyone. Gray: THE HELL WHERE YOU DOING IN THERE!? Everyone circles together, beginning to talk. Julius: I was waiting. But it looks like the help has arrived. Gray walks over to Jong to greet him, but something seems off. His veins have turned completely black, his skin is peeling off, black blood is dripping from his mouth, and he has a large smile on his face. Everyone backs up, including Greta, whos extremely confused. Gray looks over at the three members of the Sect, still holding them with his cloak. Jong: ....My.my Rosemary: Jong are you okay? He held his mouth, crying black blood while scratching his scaly skin open. They were all horrified and frozen while Julius was mostly surprised. In a wave of overwhelming evil, Jong screamed as his nails shattered and broke off scratching his cheeks open. His wide open mouth leaked a scream filled with malice and pain, forcing down the weight of hell upon them. Jong: MyMYMY SOUL ACHES! IT ACHES! Jong begins screaming, putting his arms in the air and staring straight up, letting his blood leak from his now-dead body. Though right as hes about to attack everyone, Julius impales his heart with his Rapier, kicking his dead body off of it right after. In an instant Jong appeared, began acting insane, and died right after. Almost everyone was speechless, looking at Jongs dead body oozing dark and red blood onto the ground. However, Gray was far from speechless and began yelling. Gray: ....what?....wh.whyWHAT THE HELL! WHY!? WHAT!? UGH! JULIUS WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!? The cloak of darkness stands on end, wrapping itself around Gray while Gray grabs into Julius collar. Soku smacks Gray on the top of the head, causing him to realize that he had set Smolder and the others free, but theyre far too weak to run. Soku: CALM DOWN! Gray: HE JUST KILLED JONG!? THE HELL YOU MEAN CALM DOWN! Rosemary: EVERYONE STOP! Rosemarys loud screams cause both Gray and Soku to stop. While theyve all known Jong has been sick for a while, watching him be cut down after breaking down in such a degrading, awful way, affected all of them. But right now isnt the time for that, which Gray can understand. So, even if its unwillingly, he comprises himself for the time being, rewrapping the Anarchists in the cloak. Julius, unfazed, walks past everyone and begins rummaging through Smolders'' things. Julius: Gray, could you please remove your cloak just a bit please? Gray instinctively doesn''t want to and reacts poorly. However, after he realized Julius ment that he wanted Gray to remove the cloak from their bodies and not his own, he cooperated in letting Julius take something from within Smolder''s pockets. He reveals it to be one of the Sects'' communicators. Peter: Hey isnt that the teleporter? Julius: Why yes, it is. As Gray''s face drops, looking at Julius begins to grin, hes too slow, and Julius looks right at him. Everyone is confused, but this failure to act causes their loss. Julius pours mana into the device, and it cracks open, exploding to create a domain around all of them, transporting them nowhere. Before it fully takes them, Gray manages to use his cloak to push both Peter and Lisa out of its range, but the rest of them are pulled in. It pulls their souls downward, into hell. It vaporizes their bodies, leaving not only the city of Constal, but the land of the living, entering Eclis. End of Chapter sixty-four Arc 6: Chapter 65. Welcome to Eclis, or Hell, either/or. Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in another world Chapter 65. Welcome to Eclis, or Hell, either/or. Somewhere within a seemingly infinite space that has existed for all of time, Gray, Rosemary, Soku, Edward, Julius, Greta, Smolder, Ganga, and Your bodies dematerialize. The sky is blood red with black clouds and lit up by an eternal eclipse. On a castle made of black stone, theres a flat circular area outside, and thats exactly where they have landed. Its hundreds of feet in the air, seemingly halfway up such a Gothic fortress, Gray stares at Julius. Hes a bit further away, with an unconscious Smolder and Ganga beside him. Then, also beside him, is Yoru, still in her ball of flesh. She finally emerges from within it, falling on the ground while coughing. Yoru: YOU FOOL! WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG! Julius: Well, because the sun had not risen yet. Gray and the rest of his friends stand back, with Gray right in front. They are all more confused than angry, but they are also all speechless, just looking around in horror at their current location. Gray: WhatTHE HELL JULIUS!? WHY DID YOU DO THIS!? WHY ARE WE HERE DAMMIT! Edward: Im sure he has a reason. Dont you? With distrust already in Edwards'' heart, he tries his best to hold out hope of his friend not having betrayed them. Though with all of the evidence pointing against him, its hard to do. Rosemary tries to do the same, but without all of the reasons Edward has to distrust him, so her pleas are from an area of complete confusion. Rosemary: Julius! Please, just come back with us! If thats possible. Soku: DAMMIT! Cant believe we let this idiot trick us. YOURE WORKING WITH THE SECT AREN''T YOU? Most of the things weve been doing for weeks have been because you told us to! UGH, ITS SO OBVIOUS! Rosemary: Soku! We should at least hear him out firstI think Julius walks past Smolder and the others, letting them stand up. He spreads his arms, opens his eyes, and begins talking with an energetic and raspy tone in his voice as if hes accomplished a lifelong dream. Julius: Calm down Miss Rosemary. Soku is correct, though she is missing a few key details. But my intentions are not worth explaining to you. Greta pushes past everyone and quickly walks up to Julius while she unsheaths her sword. She stomps her feet with each step while breathing heavily, and due to how cold it is, that breath is visible. This makes her look like a raging pull as her breath pours out of her nose. Greta: YOU HAVE EMBARRASSED NOT ONLY ME BUT MY GLORIOUS CITY! YOUVE ENDANGERED MY PEOPLE, AND DESTROYED MY GLORIOUS INFRASTRUCTURE! HURT MY DAUGHTER! AND TAKE ME TOWHEREVER THIS IS! Julius says nothing, just staring at her. His monocle shines only slightly, then right before Greta even begins to swing her broadsword, he takes his rapier out of its hilt. Then, when she goes to strike him, he seamlessly blocks the attack, throwing Greta off balance. Then, in an extremely precise manner, he spins around her, slices her Achilles tendons, and hits her in the face with the hilt of his blade. She instantly falls over, but he catches her by her ponytail, holding her up with it. Gray tries to run forward, but Rosemary stops him Gray: JULIUS! DONT DO IT! Julius: I see you are smart enough to not attack. You want to wait and see what I will do, so I applaud you for it, especially you Kyojin. I expect this from somebody like Edward, or at least a bit of hesitation from him, but you? You truly have grown, so I feel a bit awkward about what is going to happen to you. Greta: Letme...GO! YAH DAMN FREAK! Julius: So rude. Great squirms, trying to get free, but she was utterly defeated. In only a few seconds, Julius incapacitated her without a second thought, completely embarrassing her. As she tries to grab her sword, her blood pools out of her body, coating her black clothes and gray armor in it. Tears from the pain and the rage in her heart. Ganga begins to stand up, alongside an unmasked Smolder and walks beside Julius. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Smolder: The cold air burns my skinbut to be drowned in this blood-red skyits nice to be home. Gray: WHO THE HELL ARE YOU! AND LET GRETA GO! Julius: She will not be released. Sadly, Greta, the leader and mayor of Coastal, the soul city-state of Valatrocitus, died in battle. She couldnt leave it to her daughter, since she isnt of age, so it had to go to Ganga, her assistant and close friend of the King himself. Greta: SHUT UP! SHE IS A WORTHLESS TRAITOR! Ganga slaps Greta and begins to choke her, attempting to snatch her away from Julius as she grabs her face. Gray, understanding that they have to go forward, pushed away from Rosemary and begins walking forward with the intent to fight, but this time Edward stops him. Edward: Gray, we dont know what this is. I agree with your notion that we must stand together, if Julius is with the Sect, then what else can he do that we dont know about? Gray bites his lip, causing it to bleed, but he remains still, fearing for Gretas'' life. Julius stops Ganga, letting Greta breathe, though she holds her breath in fear while Julius holds the razor-sharp blade of his rapier to her neck. Julius: Since the assistant knew what Mrs. Crossfeild was planning on doing, she continued her legacy by allowing her final wish for the country to come true. For Constal, the holy city, to become the country of Valatrositce. In a flash, Julius slits Gretas throat, dropping her, and leaving her panting and crying on the floor. As she chokes on her blood, all Gray and the others can do is watch. Yoru: JULIUS YOU DAMN FOOL! You should have let me turn her into one of my babies! Behind Julius are large wooden doors, being so old theyve withered down and begun to splinter and fade. Rosemary stumbles back, Gray tightens his fist, causing his cloak to stand on the edge. Soku keeps her hand behind her, grasping onto the hilt of her blade. Then theres Edward, whos standing completely still, clenching his teeth together. His eye begins to twitch as he begins to slowly approach Julius. Then, up in the sky, they see a black bird-like figure. Then, it smashes to the ground, staring at the group while humming a soft lullaby. It stands up straight while all of its monstrous features begin to dwindle. Its two-toed sabaton closes, its long-fingered gauntlet shrinks down, its wings flow back into the armor, and the front of the helmet, which closely resembles a birds face, closes and pulls back. Gray: Rosine. Or Pandora. Which is it? Rosine Voria, daughter of Elizabeth Voria, the queen of Ravoria stands before them. From the nineteen-year-old woman who fought with and against them in the knight exam, who happened to be the monstrous Pandora of the Sect of Anarchy. With the ability to push the worst of one''s self on them, as well as the power to force all types of mana into one''s OD. She is a muscular woman with short black hair that slowly fades to brown, and at the same time, her eyes fade from fully black with white pupils, to normal green eyes. Rosine: Pandora is always with me, her god-like powers run through my body for as long as I have her egg. Sadly, her will is not imposed on my body. Gray: Then what the hell are we doing here!? Rosine turns to Julius, getting right up to his face. Rosine: I can feel the sin running through their bodies, and which ones they embody the most. But you, you are confusing. Somehow, you are completely sinless, and the most sinful one here. I hate your existence. Julius: Thank you, I am glad to hear your opinion on my character. However, that is not why I am here. Smolder, Ganga, Yoru, and now past Donte lead their attack, while Gray, Soku, and Rosemary are able to free Constal from their wrath. While Edward was able to stop Chester Humphreys plot to assist. While they talk, Soku looks behind them to see Jongs'' body lying lifeless on the ground. His senseless shoutings, before he died, reminded her of Severus, the snake-like man who is another high-ranking member of the Sect. With a somber look on her face, she feels immense sorrow for her fallen friend and ally. She bends over to his body, which is lying face down, to feel his cold hand. His nails are black, his eyes are black, his veins are black, his normally gray hair is black, and even his blood is black. All symptoms of mana sickness, but its a rare disease that only affects those who overwork their OD, and their OD gets infected and is unable to properly heal itself, leading to it healing incorrectly. It essentially creates the opposite of an antibody, further poisoning the body, until it either ruptures and explodes in a graphic scene filled with dark blood, or simply falls over while drowning in its blood. Then, while touching his cold hand, its fingers move, scaring her. She backs into Rosemary, getting her attention. Rosemary is going to tell Soku to stay focused, but they both watch as Jong, who was once thought dead, begins to move. His bones snap as his body folds into place, but unlike before where something was fighting from within, whatever that was is dead. The hole in his heart that Julius had opened up with his rapier continues to leak blood until its promptly healed with faded green scales. Once this body begins laughing, it gets everyone''s attention, causing everyone to act defensively. Though Julius stands confident, watching as Jongs'' skin begins to harden, his teeth begin to grow, his pupil shines white within the black of the rest of his eye, and his long arms are made of scales ripe out of his Walgonian armor. Gray: ITS SEVERUS! Severus: MY SOUL ACHES! THIS BODY IS OLD! DEAD! I DONT! MY SOUL WANTS TO BECOME FREE FROM THIS PRISON! IT MUST! IT ACHES, IT ACHES, IT ACHES! Rosine''s hair turns black, her eyes turn black, her fingernails turn black, and her skin turns pale once the armor has returned to its more monstrous form. Julius: Pandora, focus on Edward. Pandoras voice echoes over Julius, holding a sense of pride, hating the fact Julius gave her orders she disagrees with and hates the fact he gave her orders at all even more. Pandora: You will not tell me what to do. I will stay here and make sure they will not win. Even if I did fight the Helsing, he has no mana-related abilities, it would be useless. Julius: I know, but do you think thats useless? Or do you feel that hed win? Pandora is so aggravated by Julius words that she flies straight toward Edward, knocking him off the edge of the platform, and blasting right past Severus and the others. Severus takes a page out of her book and grabs onto Rosemary, snatching her up by her leg before she can react and dives off of the edge as well. Soku jumps off to follow them, leaving Gray alone with Julius. Julius: Would it be correct to assume that you will follow your friends? Gray: If they cant beat their foes then my help wont change that fact. If its an even fight they prevail, and if its a slam then Ill just get taken along as well. Then theres the fact that what type of knight would I be if I let you walk free? Julius: Hmp, well I guess I assumed it was correct. Though to be honest, I am glad you chose to stay. I want to put you in your place. Before my leaders do that is. Gray wipes any sense of fear from himself, replacing it with content and a smirk that goes across his whole face. There is not a feeling that hes better than Julius, nor does he think hes better than his friends, he is just glad he gets to be the one to fight Julius. With all of this joy amidst the terrible situation, he feels fully realized. This isnt the cursed charms doing, or anything else for that matter. Finally, he feels like the Gray Kyojin that stood before Azelia all the way back when he got his third chance in another world, a Gray Kyojin that cannot lose. End of Chapter sixty-five Arc 6: Chapter 66. Hard landing Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 66. Hard landing With everyone being given their battles, the most intense one is Edwards. Pandora continues to push him down the castle, punching him on his way down. Edward struggles to grab his sword from its holder due to all of the wind resistance and the constant barrage of punches to the face. He attempts to punch Pandora, but she grabs his hand and flings him into the black stone wall, dragging him through it. She goes up, down, and all around, smashing him into various walls. The castle is built in three long towers with the platform they had arrived on connecting the three at the very top. At the bottom is the entranceway, which holds statues of fallen Anarchists and large dead bushes. While Edward continues to resist, trying his best to get her off of him, she keeps shoving him into the towers. Then suddenly she throws him into the air, then her mask begins to charge up with this purple aura, suddenly blasting a sonic blast toward Edward, forcing him into the tower. He tumbles through multiple walls, barely being able to understand whats happening. Though, subconsciously, he takes out his sword and holds it in front of himself, using it like a shield. He looks around, finding the inside of the castle fairly vacant. Long hallways filled with ripped paintings, spiderwebs, aged and molden floors, and patches of black snow. The cold air burns Edward''s wounded body, forcing him to think about his drained stamina. Then, Pandora flies at him once more, so Edward tries to defend himself. He trusts his sword toward her, though she narrowly avoids it, grabbing him with her bird-like feet, and stabbing into his shoulders. She then swings him through another wall, into one of the many rooms. It looks like a standard guest room, with a mirror, a closet, and a queen-sized bed covered in dirt. Then Pandora attacks him again, so Edward tries to hold his sword down, waiting for her to grab him. Then once she does, he forces his sword up and through her wing, slicing through it. Her wing is thin, so it carves through it, but this angers her. Her eyes light up, causing Edwards to do the same. This sudden feeling of nothing causes him to realize something. The entire time hes been fighting her, this feeling has been there. Every time hes had a blank mind scared of when shell attack, unable to fight correctly nor think properly, it''s been her. Either it was just being in her presence or she was doing it intentionally, Edward was being affected by some sort of brain fog. But this time its more focused, causing everything to turn black, but then the darkness seems to be a liar over something, a curtain that it pulled back for him to see the hallways of the mansion. This seems to be the last piece of the puzzle that was the assassination of Kioshi Van Helsing, as with everything against her she was also fighting off a passive skill Pandora can use by just being in the presence of her foe. He knows his body is being attacked, he knows he has just been pushed through a broken window, but he stands still, not acting. He notices Al cleaning one of the mansion''s guest rooms, so he runs up to him, but when he passes a mirror, he realizes something. He is in the body of his fourteen-year-old self, and at the same time he sees this, his memories of the present become memories of the future, which become lost to him. Now, standing there confused, he begins walking through the hallway, right past Al. He then walks to his room, which is almost minimalistic. Its a large room with only a mirror lying against the wall, and a bed lying on the ground without a frame. He walks over to his balcony, staring at the large area of land that protects him from the outer capital. He never leaves, never gets near the gate, and never talks with any of Musashis visitors, on the rare occasion he has them. Kioshi is always out, fighting off anything that could hurt the country, working as its hero. But this keeps Edward further isolated, then to further this even more, Musashi hardly talks to him, like he wants nothing to do with him. He doesn''t even train him, though Al does. Al teaches him about the world, how to read, write, dress, and every once and a while, fight. The young Edward suddenly grabs his right leg, crying out in pain. Al quickly runs in while Musashi stands outside of the double-door room, just watching. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Al: Young master Edward, what might be the issue? Edward: Its my leg! It feels like its being stabbed! Al helps him up, sitting him down on his bed while he runs to grab first aid. While Musashi stands ready to help, Edward sits still, holding his leg tightly. Then something catches his eye, in his mirror, is a raging flame with a faint shadow within. The pain in his leg vanishes while he slowly moves toward the flame. The shadow is large, muscular, and seemingly staring at him. He looks at the figure''s right eye, or what should be there, only seeing three faint scratches, being transparent to see the flames from within. Everything in his body is resisting, trying to get him to back away, but he continues moving. He puts his hand over the strange eye, and the figure grabs him. Its arm faces through the mirror and pulls the young Edward through, and as he falls through, his body ages, his memories return, and he finds himself mid-air. When he looks to see what the pain in his leg is, he watches as Pandora has bitten into it, using it to swing him from wall to wall. Her beak is piercing his right tibia, completely clamped into his leg. Every time she moves his leg twists and turns, causing so much pain he begins to fall in and out of consciousness, though hes still holding onto this sword with a death drip. With every second that passes, he gets closer to the ground, causing him to realize that Pandora is going to crush him. Unable to use the dragon''s fist or any other technique, hes lost within himself. But thats where he finds the way to victory and explodes with rage. Edward {Do iteven if it kills medrown it all out. SUCCUMB TO IT!} While they continue to barrel toward the ground every sense in Edward''s body shuts down. For a brief moment, theres nothing; theres no pain or any other sense to think of. The light in his eye fades out, causing Pandora to assume hes died, so she stops. And because of this, they lose their momentum and simply sit in the air floating. Pandora is a personality; a soul controlling Rosine''s body, but Rosine is watching as well. But she notices something Pandora doesn''t, she can feel something coming. Edward had never let go of his sword so his hand is still gripping onto it, but the rest of his still muscles explode. Edward grits his teeth while blood flows out of it before letting out a raging scream of fiery conviction. Pandora, frightened, attempts to drop Edward, but he is too fast. In this primal state, he was able to forcibly use the dragon spirit even though Pandora was messing with his psyche, so he forced himself to be the strongest he could be. On top of that, Pandora isnt a combat-focused being. Her abilities neutralize her opponent so she can pick them off, however, Edward is different. His strength isnt reliant on mana, so he just happens to be her natural enemy. He flings his right arm up, slicing through her wing and slamming into her shoulder, crushing it in an instant. Pandora screams out, letting go of Edward''s leg, attempting to let him fall. Then suddenly she feels something on her foot and looks down to see Edward holding onto it, pulling himself up to stand on top of her, holding his sword high into the air. She tries to charge up another sonic scream, but its too late. He plunges his large sword through her stomach, resulting in a horrific scream from Pandora as well as a complete loss of sense. At this point, the armor began failing and they began falling to the ground once more. Pandoras armor begins decaying extremely quickly, retreating to its original egg-like shape before both Edward and Rosine crash into the broken fountain right underneath them. But once the dust settles the winner is clear. Whether it be divine intervention or blind luck Edward had managed to defeat one of the Sects Pillars. Rosine: _______ Rosine was the daughter of Queen Elizabeth of Ravoria, a soldier in training, but was integral as a vessel for Pandora all at the same time. Whether they forced her into the role she chose is unknown, she was important, but with every bone in her body shattered, she can do nothing. Edward took some heavy damage but his armor, tough body, and Rosine''s body were all able to save his life. So Rosine is forced to watch as Edward slowly turns to her, lifting up his bloody blade and covering the eternal eclipse in the sky, creating a large shadow over the body. She attempts to scream but the blood pooling out of her mouth hinders her, leaving her last words unknown. And then it was over; just like with Moro, Edward cleaved through Rosines skull. He took a moment to rest, feeling overwhelmingly intense pain in every inch of his body, but he kept moving. He looked up to the platform above before he walked toward the castle''s main entrance which was right in front of him, but he took the egg of sin from Pandoras body before he left. Edward is forced to stop once the pain becomes too much, dropping down to the ground. He dropped his sword as well, attempting to grab it without luck. With the various cuts across his body as well as his ruined leg hes bleeding out fast. So he rips off a bit of his pants around the wound and wraps it tightly around it, creating a tourniquet to hinder his demise. And with that he grabs his sword, gets up, and begins slowly struggling through the castle with the top in mind, never saying or thinking anything as hes purely moving on adrenaline and instinct. End of Chapter sixty-six Arc 6: Chapter 67. So Long Jong Long Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 67. So Long Jong Long While Edward was falling off the platform, Rosemary and Soku were as well, though their opponent could not fly, while Soku could. Jong''s dead body, currently being controlled by Severus, is holding onto Rosemary with one of his various arms made from scales. Soku tries her best to save her, but Severus continues to evade her by using his other larger arms to defend himself. Soku {Four arms, ones holding Rosemaryand why isnt she breaking free? Whatever, one arm to hold himself on the wall, and two to DEFEND HIMSELF!} As Severus never stops this loud and haunting laugh, he also remains extremely focused on the battle at hand. Rosemary continues to struggle, trying to get free, but the tight grip he has her in gives her no leverage. While Sokus glides she cant outwardly attack, if she does it could cause an error and lead to her falling to the ground. Severus: YEAH! TRY YOUR BEST TO SAVE YOUR FRIEND! DO IT! NOW! BUT OH WAIT!? ITS USELESS, EDWARD MAY BE ABLE TO DEFEAT PANDORA! BUT IM ON ANOTHER LEVEL! Soku: YOU NOT THAT COOL! WHAT MAKES HER SO DIFFERENT THAN YOU! Severus: BECAUSE SHES, Oh waitno, I dont need to say anything. NICE TRY! Rosemary takes a deep breath, using the last of Lisas false mana she has left, and bursts into the fifth stage that glows a mix of pink and gold. Though Serverus still doesn''t let her go, using more arms and thicker scales to hold her down. Knowing if she got out and got a few good hits in, he''d be in danger. Soku {Dammit, if Rosemary cant break free! THEN IM DEAD IN THE WATER!} Soku tries shooting a high-pressure wind blast from her mouth right toward Serverus face. Instead of moving, he sits still with a large smile on his face, chuckling as her light attack slices through his cheek. Black blood leaks from the wound, but its covered by rough scales, causing him to laugh even more. His decaying skin, yellow teeth, black eyes, black veins, and constant leaking of blood from every graphic of his body, dont compare at all to the simple fact that hes in Jongs'' body. To see his face smiling like this, to hear his voice saying all of this, to watch his body be mangled to this extent, its sickening. But something seems wrong, his face drops as he watches one of his arms flood back into the air, vanishing. Severus grabs his head, piercing it with his long jagged fingernails. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Severus: NO! THIS ISNT HAPPENING! Though it does make sense. My mana usually connects to the bodiesbut this one is dying, damn! I guess its flooding back to the original, WHATEVER! LET US HAVE SOME FUN UNTIL THEN! Soku takes a deep breath, flips mid-air, and kicks a strong gust of wind toward Severus. Reading her movements with ease, instead of dodging the lids the arm held Rosemary out of the way because the attack wasnt meant for him, it was a fake-out to save her friend. Severus: NICE IDEA, TERRIBLE EXECUTION! ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, HORRENDOUS Rosemary bursts into the sixth stage, trying her best to restrain herself from using the seventh stage, but its still not enough power to break free. On the back end of the large castle, Jong throws himself into one of the various floors, forcing Soku to follow him. Soku flies into the building, closing her compact glider, and tucking it away in a pocket inside her long coat. The hallway is long, decrepit, and protected by Severus. He bends his back down, holding his arms outward, and continues his everlasting laugh. It becomes such an issue that Sokus ears begin to ache like her brains rejecting it. Another one of his arms vanishes, along with some of the hard scales he had placed under his close, acting like armor. His white, doll-like skin, becomes further entrenched with his black veins. They act like cracks across his body that are about to explode, giving him an estimate of the remaining time his possession has left. Severus: THIS BODY WAS LONG IN THE MAKING! ONCE HE WAS INFECTED BACK IN THE CAPITAL! YOU ALL TOOK HIM IN WITH NO PRECAUTION! YOU ALL THOUGHT HE WAS JUST SICK, WHICH HE WAS, BUT BECAUSE OF ME! GUESS IM NOT SUPPOSED TO HOLD THEM FOR THAT LONG SINCE IT CAUSES MANA DECAY! THE MORE YAH KNOW! HAHAHAHAHA! Rosemary bursts into the seventh stage, forcing her bones that were once held together by Lisas magic to return to their cracking state. Luckily, since Severus body is decaying even further, shes able to break from his grasp. She then leaps off of the ground, destroying it, and kicks Severus in the back of the head, crushing his skull and sending him toward Soku. Though any normal person should be dead, this body already long gone; Severus is still kicking. Soku takes out her sword, using half of the mana she had gotten from Lisa and tries to empower her Mark of Providence. But somethings a miss, as her Mark of Providence begins to reject the false mana, exploding far too early. It sends an uncontrolled blunt-force blast of wind toward Severus, sending him flying back. The attack tears up the hall, cracking and destroying the already damaged area even further. Then, while hes still flying toward Rosemary, she punches him in the back, smashing his spine as well as crushing the bones in her fists. This kicks her out of the seventh stage, having to forcibly let go of this enormous power. She falls to the ground, crying out in pain, so Soku rushes over. Severus, with a crushed head, spine, and various other bones lays motionless on the ground, right up until Soku gets right beside him. Then with the last of his body''s strength, his fingernails glow a light green, and he swipes at Soku''s leg. Before she can do anything, all of her veins glow the same green color, and she collapses to the ground, unable to move. Rosemary tries to attack, going as far into her stages as her body will allow, but doing so only lets her enter the third stage. With such a low level of power, she can only wish she could have done more, as Severus extends his arm, slashing Rosemarys forearm. She becomes motionless as well, leaving Serverus seemingly victorious. But the faint white light fades from his eye, flashing green right before the body fully decays, turning to ash that is blown away by the cold area of Eclis. Leaving their match a draw. Then, a figure covered in an enormous cloak walks up to them, picking the two up, and heading toward the very top of the castle. The unknown person walks away from the place The Great Commander Jong Long passed, not caring anything for it. He didnt even get any last words, as his mind was lost far before he realized it. End of Chapter sixty-seven Arc 6: Chapter 68. His World Order Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 68. His World Order While everyone has just begun their battles, Gray stands as confident as ever, staring down Julius. With his cloak in its base form, along with all of its symbiotic tendencies, leaving this Gray Kyojin all of his own. The red sky, dark clouds, and eternal eclipse of the area, all of this dreadful scenery would cause most hearts to drop, but this only empowers Gray. For the first time in a long time, he feels genuinely needed. Not to play office boy, not to do what a real knight should be doing, but a superhero who should be fighting the supervillain. Gray''s black-and-white view of the world, acting like a child who only wants to do the cool stuff has stunted his growth. He studies but mainly focuses on folklore or fantasy stories, never truly learning about the world, leaving him more than ignorant about the customs or history of the world. This confuses Julius, he seems to not be able to understand why Gray will proclaim to do and be all of these things, but wont do it. Gray bolts toward Julius, using the wrist talons as his main weapon, being his only weapon. With the slight sparkle in Julius monocle, hes allowed to see three seconds into the future, or thats what Gray assumes he can do. What the monocle can do and what Gray thinks it can do are fairly the same, so it doesn''t cause any issues. Julius dodges and weaves every attack Gray throws at him, looking as smug as ever. Julius: You are nothing but a fool, a jester, a maid for those you work for. You do not take advantage of anything you are given, you do not use your money to go to any sort of school, you do not travel to any cities unless you have to, you just sit at home doing nothing. Gray: Hey! Youre acting like I dont train daily, read a little bit, house sit, yada yada. Gray continues to try and push Julius back, to get one clean blow in, but it seems impossible at his current state. Julius stands still, never moving, so Gray tries his best to get him off balance. Grays eyes explode with power, but he quickly tones it down to a more transparent view, deciding to use his less strong but mastered level of spiritual state. This should normally boost his senses, though there is a newfound issue. What normally happens in the land of man, Midland, Gray flows the purified mana into him, but that isnt the same mana here. Any spirit or soul that has an extremely negative notation flows to Eclis, rests, and tries to reenter Midland, becoming purified as it goes through the Astral realm. His once-white eyes turn a bright red, causing Gray great pain. Julius uses this newfound opening to push Gray back. But not by punching, kicking, or cutting him, no, he uses an ability unknown to Gray and all of his allies. Julius holds out his hand, beginning to speak. But his words are cold, loud, and never-ending. Julius: Back. Gray''s mind becomes clear, getting rid of the negative spirits trying to break down his mind. The sins trying to take over Gray get the attention of the cursed charm, about to make its move. But once Julius'' words reach him, it all disappears without a trace. His voice consumes Grays entire being, repeating over and over. It grows louder and louder, shaking the domain, or what Gray can only assume is happening. To everyone else, everything is normal, but Gray is within Julius domain, his land of control, hes within his World Order. For Gray, it feels like at least a few minutes have passed, where he was resisting the entire time, but in reality it''s only been a second. Gray''s nose begins to bleed as he is quickly shoved backward, reaching the edge of the platform. Gray says nothing, only trying to win, but Julius takes advantage of this. Julius sheaths his rapier, puts his hands in his pockets, and begins to speak once more. Julius: ____Fall____ Julius'' voice begins shaking throughout the spirits, weighing down Gray''s body. Although gravity is not being manipulated, something within the world is. With Julius demand in place, Grays body is forced to the ground. He tries to get up, but its like the world itself is keeping him down. Gray: Whatisthis? Gray tries to feel the spirits, to get them to obey him, but with only an affinity for the spirit arts, its not possible. He would have to get them to trust him, to be okay with his presence, but his body is wrong. They seem to hate him, but love Julius. Julius: See, you truly are a fool. You walk around, not thinking about anyone other than yourself. If you are uncomfortable, everyone should be, if you are mad, you will scream out. You annoyingly hold your heart on your shoulder, but look at you now. With more mana than fifty men, more luck than humanly possible, and more love than anyone should have. You are truly blessed, and yet you do nothing? You truly are sinful. Gray: Come on man, dont start sounding like Pandora now. Julius looks behind him, staring at the weakened Smolder, Yoru, and Ganga. He then looks down at Gretas'' dead body, impressed with himself. Julius: Any normal knight of your level should know what this is. Marks of Providence are native to only Saga and would have been every Helsing in existence. Though Edward and Gotsu broke that chain. Theyre supposed to transmute your mana into a different form, like mist or pure energy. Kioshi, made people trust her more by using the term Mark of Providence, instead of her true powers. She was a spirit, one made as a weapon, with an ability similar to those only found in the natives to Oni-mas as well as every Kami, the Helsings of Oni-mas, that being a World Order. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Gray: Look, babe! I love history lessons! But the sound of your voice is killing me! Could you move it along? Julius: Im not finished. Her World Orders forced all mana and spirits to obey her, the world made her stronger when she was injured, and all mana aimed toward her with intent to harm would disperse into the air. The Sect''s vessels were able to conjure up the perfect storm to defeat her. Take her abilities away, overwhelm her with abilities that would kill her instantly as well as some that wore her down over time. and make it so she cant use her base level of strength because shell end up hurting those around her. She had to hold back even with everything already done for her, it is quite sad really. Gray tries to resist, but Julius'' ability to create this World Order seems to be the real thing. The world is following Julius commands, forcing Gray to stay on the ground. Gray: So if its native to Oni-masthen you must be from there? If so, why the hell are you here? Julius: My father, or adopted father, King Cornelius had wanted three children different of origin. He did not want to continue his bloodline, but he wanted to make sure his country lived strong. Roy was from the Southern Islands, Lloyd is native to Valatrositice, and I am from a much worse place. My backstory is not necessary, but now, this is my point in life. Bred for war, and blessed by the spirits. I have made sure to use every bit of my being to grow, expand my knowledge, and control more all along the way. I am now exempted as a Hero of Walgonia, and King of Valatrositce. As Julius world order begins to wear off, he stays still, trying to wait for a surprise attack. But to make sure he has enough time to think, he allows Julius to continue monologuing while he thinks of a plan. Gray {If my spirit arts affinity doesnt work here, all my spells are useless. Though my cloak of darkness doesn''t seem to have changed that much, and being here doesn''t seem to be hurting me. My mana is weaker than usual as well, Lisas false mana isnt working as the best substitute. If I overwork it, my wounds will open up and Ill be a goner. Right now, Im almost as useful as a normal knight.} At the start of the battle, Gray was so confident it was almost incomparable to any situation before, but everything turned on him in just a few minutes. But his hope for winning isnt fading any time soon though, so while Julius continues to ramble on, Gray swells up his cloak. As it bubbles up, it begins to gather a bit of strength that Gray can shoot off in a quick burst. So then, when Julius stops putting mana into his monocle, he sends out the cloak. It flows in between the gaps of the wrist talon and Gray''s wrist, letting it slide off. Then it continues moving forward, holding onto the unsheathed wrist talon, about to stab Julius. Julius, a bit surprised, easily moves out of the way. However, when he looks back to Gray, he finds that he instantly closes the distance by using overwhelming force to push him forward. Now, freed from the world''s grasp, Gray tries to slash Julius with his other wrist talon. Julius barely ducks out of the way, only to be met with a kick to the face. While Julius is stunned, Gray uses the cloak to grab the monocle covering his right eye, yanking it off. Julius, now enraged and embarrassed, attempts to use his World Order. But Gray uses the rest of the cloak to attack Julius, transforming into a large tendril, and pushing him against the wooden doors of the Castle. The cloak wraps around Julius mouth, taking away his ability to speak. With his cloak occupied, Gray looks at Smolder, Ganga, and Yoru, all standing still. For some reason they arent attacking, theyre just waiting. Then, in a flash, an attack formed of only force, slices through Grays cloak. It cuts off its connection to the rest of the cloak, freeing the disinterested Julius. Gray attempts to look at the assailant, but his body rejects the idea. A wave of fear is washed over Grays body, holding him down. It reminds Gray of Julius World Order, but this is different. This is the fear of death, nothing more. Grays heart could implode, his stomach could spill out, his eyes could pop, and his brain could melt. This fear is unlike any other, causing him to collapse to the ground. Now, with all of his confidence gone, he hears the devil land in front of him. The already freezing air grows even colder, and chanting is heard as well. When he hears the large wooden doors creak open, he finally looks up. Then Everything stops, and his mind begins to reject everything. If his soul could leave his body behind it would, if he could die right now he would, though he cant get himself to. He bites his lip, causing it to bleed, watching in horror as the figures in front of him get closer and closer. A large figure, coated in a dark cloak holds the immobile bodies of both Rosemary and Soku, throwing them beside Gray without a thought for their safety. He then looks over to what he would call the embodiment of death, Lazarus, the Litch, in his true form. A skeletal man, one whose bones are separated by an instantly small gap, which only consists of spirit mana, adding to its strange body. Then, the head, the large mutated head of a deer skull, sharp spirling antlers included. On his back is the large, long scythe. A god-made piece of metal thats held by a long winding branch of wood, letting off a freezing aura of pure malice. Gray then looks to Rosemary and Soku, confused by their glowing green veins, which is whats seemingly paralyzing them. He goes to say something to them, but the large figure that brought them here puts his hand on the ground. His long gray fingers slide across the platform''s black stone, resting it there. His fingers stand up, and he stands the stone with his long yellow fingernails, causing the ground to shake. The ground instantly shifts and shakes, moving to the man''s will. The floor moves back, pushing Gray, Rosemary, and Soku to the edge. While the bricks quickly build a small jagged wall the strange figure holds out his other, still disgusting hand, waving it around. Red mana swells from the hair, following his hand. Sniahc. He casts a spell, a spell that forms burning red chains, grabbing onto all of them. The magical chains grab their necks, ankles, and wrists, holding them tightly. They get pulled back, stuck against the wall, squirming as their skin burns away. Then, the beastly man stops waving his hand, causing the chains to stop burning, though they remain there. Gray looks to Rosemary and Soku, looking at the mana-damping crystals dangling from their necks, sending him into a panic. When he turns his head to face the monster, he finds the imposing devil standing right before him. Gray doesn''t say a word, just watching the man remove his hood, letting him get a good look at his face. The dead gray skin, long strands of hair on the top of his head, long ears, a missing nose, black eyes, and white pupils. Such defining features, and yet he still doesn''t know the man''s identity. But when the man smiles, revealing his teeth, Gray finally figures it out. Gray: Avampireyoure Prometheus arent you Prometheus: Im glad you remember my name. Gray: Yeah that ugly mug transcends your body, I could never forget it. Gray''s expression drops as far as it can, leaving him with only dread on his face. Prometheus, King of the fallen Yagari empire, the empire of Vampires stands before them. Though unlike before, he was in the body of another, transforming them into what he calls Prometheus but this is the face behind the mask. A skinny, frail, repulsive creature, closely resembling Nosferatu, caresses Grays cheek, whispering into his ear. Prometheus: This is only the beginning, this is Hell. And I, I am the Devil. I gave you a chance, multiple, but all youve done is step on my graciousness. No longer, now youll see why you should have feared me from the beginning, you will regret ever being born. End of Chapter sixty-eight Arc 6: Chapter 69. A Grueling, painful, Existence Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 69. A Grueling, painful, Existence Still, in Eclis, Gray, Rosemary, and Soku are all held by chains. Rosemary and Soku have mana-damping crystals on, still unconscious. Then theres Gray, whos trying to break free of the chains made from mana, looking into Prometheuss long-dead eyes. Prometheus slides his long foot back, clenching onto the misshapen stone floor with his lengthy toes, causing some of the stones to reshape around Grays body. Gray is given no room to move, as every bit of his body is coated in the stone, other than his head of course. In one swift move, the large and imposing monster that is Prometheus spins in a circle takes another necklace from his pocket, and puts it on Gray. Gray looks at the necklace, watching as the mana-dampening crystals slowly charge to fit Grays unique mana signature. He attempts to scream out, but Prometheus forces the stone to go over his mouth, causing anything he could say to become mumbles. Then Gray''s eyes flicker to everyone in front of him. Prometheus, the leader of the Sect of Anarchy, Lazarus, Julius, Smolder, Yoru, and Ganga. Prometheus walks up to Smolder, Yoru, and Ganga, placing his hand on Ganga''s head, then places the other on Smolders. Their veins bubble and their skin stretches out, then right as Gray assumes theyre going to die, everything goes back to normal. They seem completely fine, as if Prometheus healed them, which is what he did, kinda. He used their mana, with a mix of his own, to speed up their healing processes, making them a bit older. Prometheus: Smolder, have they yet to understand your true identity? Smolder drops to one knee, bowing in the presence of his master. Smolder: No sir! Prometheus: Well that is what I figured. I dont think Gray nor Soku met you, did they? Rosemary, as well as Julius have though. Tell me Julius, king of Valatrocitus, do you know his identity? Julius takes one quick look at Smolder, then quickly looks back to Prometheus. Julius: Yes sir I do. Would you like me to inform them? Prometheus: Not yet. Prometheus walks over to Rosemary and Soku, placing their hands on their heads. The venom running through their veins is extracted into Prometheus fingers. He lets the venom swell, letting Gray watch as it turns into a mist, fading away. Rosemary then quickly jumps to her senses, trying to break free, though with her mana held back from her, shes just as strong as a normal person. Once she looks at Prometheus'' decrepit face, she tries to scurry away, as if shes trying to hide from him. She begins sweating, and panting like shes about to die. When Soku wakes up, the same thing begins to happen, causing Gray to feel a bit confused. Gray is intensely afraid, but not to this extent. He assumes it could be his mind being a bit stronger, though again hes wrong and right at the same time. Prometheus is exuding an aura that would cause most to fear him, its as if hes radiating horror. His dark, mutated mana, constantly tries to leave his body, leaking into the air, though his body continues to heal by using the mana in the atmosphere. This keeps him in a permeate death-like state, and this mutating of the spirits around everyone, forces them to panic, but Gray is so connected to the normal spirits, these are so far gone that his mind cant seem to accept their existence. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Lazarus: Pandora has yet you arrive with the Helsing. Severus has also not arrived. Lazarus monotone, demanding, yet bored voice affects Gray much more than the others. This spiritual energy is what Grays used to, so this coating of death coming off of his skeletal form is so strong that Grays body absorbs it. This is whats keeping Gray in this never-ending panic, but the cursed charm dangling on the golden necklace seems to reject it for him, only slightly though. Prometheus: Julius. You want to prove yourself to us, you want us to trust you. I gave you men, my only powered allies left, so tell me what you have accomplished. Julius: Of course sir. Yoru infected the populace of her husbands'' small city Al-po. This created a small army to distract one of Walgonias heroes. Then I also had her go into the Guard Fog a few months ago, using her to mutate the monsters within it. I know you didnt want me to kill them, so I informed everyone not to, and to wait for the sun to rise. This was to test their strength, skill, and ability to keep everything given to them in check. I would say theyre ready. As Prometheus thinks about what Julius is telling him, Lazarus becomes annoyed that he seemed to have completely ignored him. To get out this held-back anger, he slams the bottom of his scythe on the ground to get Prometheuss attention. Prometheus turns his head completely around extremely slowly, forcing everyone to hear the crushing of his neck bones. The flesh forces itself backward, the bones pierce the skin, and Prometheuss eyes are filled with malice. Though, while his eyes are filled with utter hatred, hes still smiling. Prometheus: Theyll be here. However, I fear Pandora wont be able to attend this gracious event. The body she was using as her Apostle, Rosine has lost its use. Ive felt her power dwindling within the body, since we got everything out of her we could. Her mind broke with sin, so its only time before the young girl''s mind is nothing but mush. But, alas this is all a part of the plan, so Id say everything is going swimmingly. While everything is happening at the platform, Edward makes his way up to the top. He found a spiral staircase in the central tower, and for the past twenty minutes, hed been slugging up them. His right tibia and fibula have been snapped in two, forcing himself through this brain-curdling pain with his sheer willpower alone. But his right leg is still far more wounded than that, because on top of the broken tibia and fibula, his ankle has been crushed, the skin has been torn, and his right leg is completely facing backward. He uses his sword as a cane, forcing himself up each and every step, leaving a trail of blood behind him. His mind is empty, his body is struggling to stay up, hes breathing heavily, and still keeps pushing. Then finally, after what felt like forever, he reached the top of the staircase. In front of him is a somewhat large lobby, with an old rug on the ground, a broken chandelier hanging from the ceiling, covered in cobwebs, and two broken stained glass windows with two large wooden doors recently opened. When he sees the large Prometheus, along with all of the other sect members, hes filled with rage. And the rage boils over when he sees Gray, Rosemary, and Soku all held captive. He begins dragging himself, to a fast-paced walk, to a full-blown sprint toward Prometheus. When he makes it outside, he grips the hilt of his blade, holds it up, and screams with vigor. Before he can do anything more, Lazarus swiftly moves his scythe, and in a flash, Edwards destroyed lower leg is cut clean off. He lands on the ground, screaming out in anger, writhing in agony, letting his rage-filled tears flow from his eyes. He grits his teeth, grabs his sword, and lunges up, but instead of attacking Prometheus, he bolts toward Gray. But yet again, hes struck down. He was only able to move a few steps forward before Prometheus gently touched Edwards side. The veins around his right forearm begin to bubble, then, within a fraction of a second, it explodes. As his blood coats his face, he hits the ground, struggling to stay conscious. Then, Prometheus touches his sword with his toe, causing the sword to break in two, being around a third of its original size. Prometheus lifts him up, looking him in the eyes. Prometheus: They called you the pure race, but youre just sad. Godrick should be ashamed of what he tried so hard to create, Jasmine Van Helsing should be ashamed of birthing you, Musashi should be ashamed of training you, and you should be ashamed of being alive. Prometheus''s sharp fingernails pierce Edward''s neck before he swiftly sinks his vampire teeth into him. Gray''s screams echo throughout the area, along with the just as loud screams of Rosemary and Soku. Their horror reached its peak, watching the veins around Edward''s neck glow red, about to spread to the rest of his body, but it quickly vanished. Prometheus, annoyed, heals Edwards arm and leg, causing the wounds to close, though he doesn''t replace the missing limbs. Then, while staring at Gray, he drops the body of his unconscious friend on the ground, kicking him aside. Prometheus: Now, we let the real fun begin. End of Chapter sixty-nine Arc 6: Chapter 70. The Death of A Hero Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 70. The Death of A Hero Everyone is incapacitated. Rosemary, as well as Soku, are bound by chains, Gray is consumed within a stone coffin, and Edward is lying half-dead. All of Edwards''s senses are shot, due to the shocking and severe pain of losing his right arm, right leg, and lastly, any bit of pride he had left. Without making a move, Prometheus creates a throne made from the stone of the platform, releasing the stone around Gray as well. Gray attempts to rush forward, but the mana-dampening crystal hanging from his neck finally kicks in, absorbing all of the mana he attempts to use. His OD feels like its about to be consumed in flames, it burns so badly he would cut it out if he could, just to stop it. However, even if he was given the opportunity, one OD exists outside of the normal domain, only being used when summed out of the astral realm. Lazarus walks up beside Prometheuss throne, while Julius waits for the new figure walking down the hall to walk onto the platform. Its footsteps creak throughout the castle, causing the already scared group to fear for their lives even more. However, once they enter the line of view, hes not very remarkable. A very old man with snake-like skin, long fingernails, and a face hidden by white hair. The man looks over a hundred years old, struggling to stay upright, having to rely on a cane. But even with his decrepit appearance, he walks up to Prometheus, standing on the other side of his throne. Prometheus: Ah Severus, you finally made it. The man now revealed to be the insane Severus, still says nothing, with the only sound hes making being his wheezing breath. Prometheus: You all have been a great threat to my people. We have spent our lives trying to free the people from the overwhelming power these governments hold. I know weve had our issues with bad judgment, being affiliated with Arthur being an example. But, we need the power. Ive tried to take you into the fold, Ive tried to take your friends into the fold. But yet you resist. You stole the soul of my late wife, and still, you feel no empathy. You call us monsters for our appearance, showing your negative and hurtful view of the world. All youve done is further the painful, tortuous life of many. We could get it set in stone, and help change the world back to what it was. While Rosemary and Soku say nothing, Prometheuss senseless words, filled with lies, misinformation, and the lack of information, angers Gray, causing him to scream out. Gray: ALL YOUVE DONE IT HURT PEOPLE! Youve turned people into mindless monsters, destroyed history, destroyed the world everyone holds dear. Taking over Walgonia, giving it to a madman who only cares about destroying things, youve done nothing to help. And your wife? The woman you forced to follow you, who you transformed into a beast? I know of your origin, I know you used to be a great force, who cursed Godrick Walgonia. But you lost, and youll continue to lose for as long as you live. Prometheus scoffs at Grays words, feeling that Gray had entirely missed the point of his existence. Prometheus: My origin is lost to most, even my dear Azalea. So if you must know, I wasnt born like this. I do not remember much of my past life, but I remember the day I awoke within this very castle in the center of Saga. Its power stretched across the content and protected everyone, but there was a man, a threat to everyone. In the two hundred years of lost history, the Prometheus family was the sole reason for this. By destroying every bit of knowledge the world held, along with banning writing anything down, learning, everyone was kept in a sense of happiness. Gray goes to argue with Prometheus once more, but this time Soku is the one to face her fears and shout her mind. Soku: THAT MAKES NO SENSE! Ive lived in poverty, I know what its like to be in the dark about the world. I didnt have money or time to waste reading or talking to anyoneI didnt even know I may be the only elf in Sagathat my race was hunted afterI knew nothing until Walgonia gave me the opportunity to learn, to read my history. Why would you want to keep people from growing? Other than the fact they might get smart and stop you, stop your damn family. Prometheus: Hush girl. I know nothing. With knowledge comes hate, it comes pride, sin itself. You learn how to be better than others, how to trick, hurt, steal, and kill. Only the Prometheus family could know, because they controlled everything. But Godrick fled to every edge of the world, found people who held great power and tried to make his own race. He tried to play god, to make a race that was unable to be fed from, or transformed. The Helsings are the pure race, but until they reach their final stage, with their white hair, theyll be like Edward here. His body can resist my transformation, but not forever. Though, because of that damned Godrick, Edward will die. Both Gray, Soku, and the barely conscious Edward are all shocked by the revelation. They feared theyd die, but for once, all they had to think about was their mortality, especially Edward. Hes gotten close to death, seen death, but actually dying, thats a completely different thought. This time, Rosemarys the one whos enraged. She stands up, staring at Prometheus, catching his attention. Lazarus steps forward, holding his scythe, about to scold her for standing, but with a wave of Prometheus'' hand, Lazarus backs down. Rosemary: Then why are you destroying everything, killing so many people!? Did all of the Golden Knights have to die? Did Musashi, Kioshi, the thousands of civilians in Athens, and who knows how many others!? What was the point!? Use your abilities, your knowledge, and your wisdom to help grow the world!? Hearing Rosemarys words causes Prometheus to laugh, killing any bit of confidence Rosemary had. She slumps back down, and the sight of her mental defeat causes Gray''s already unrelenting fury to boil over. Gray: YEAH GO AND LAUGH YOU NASTY FUCK! NOBODY NEEDS YOU! IF YOU SENT ANY FOLLOW YOU HAD TO DIE! WHERE ARE THEY!? WHERES YOUR ARMY YOU HAD IN WALGONIA!? OH WAIT YOU LOST. ALL OF THIS TIME, ALL OF THIS POWER, AND NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT! OH, YOU KILLED MUSASHI!? HE LET HIMSELF DIE! OH, YOU KILLED KIOSHI!? YOU NEEDED A RANDOM ABILITY TO DO IT! AND IT WASNT EVEN ONE AGAINST ONE! YOU NEEDED YOUR FAKE ASS BODIES TO DO IT! YOURE ALL JOKES! Instead of being angry, all Prometheus can do is continue to laugh at his anger. Prometheus: You boy, are nothing but a fool. All of you are. I want more than to free the world. When I cursed Godrick, all of his weapons of Alfheilm tried to resist. It repelled my spell and vanquished me here, along with my entire castle! But his soul reacted negativelyit actually was cursed, and since his soul was connected to the weapons of Alfheim, they were cursed from the inside. His soul was ripped apart and absorbed into what is now known as the cursed charms. While I live, he remains banished, never to be freed. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Soku: If your soul was sent here, how have you been able to get around, how did you start all of this? Prometheus: Finally, a good question. Prometheus moves his long baggy cloak off of his hand, letting it fall down his extremely skinny arm, looking like a thin veil of skin over bone, with no muscle at all. He unwraps the bandages on his hands, revealing a cursed charm, the ring of domains. Prometheus: This is the ring of domains. An item I managed to grab just before my soul was trapped. When I was sent here, I was overcome with a massive amount of corrupted mana, because for some unknown reason, it bypassed the astral realms'' purification. Now the ring of domains was originally just a ring that absorbed mana, but when it was cursed it grew and mutated. Its the only thing that could have ripped open a hole in reality, creating a rift in space to this domain. As he continued to go on, Gray tried his best to use any of the information being given to him to help. But nothing, this is death, an inescapable scenario. Prometheus: In the space my castle used to be, Lazarus, holding his scythe, used it to track down the greatest source of the same corrupted mana that flowed through it. When the Yagari castle vanished, everything traveled here, the ring included. But first it had to adapt to its new corruption, so for the time being, I was stuck. But Lazaras and the first of the sect freed me. But my body looked normalbut after centuries of traveling, I grew. Any other race would have died, but Vampires like myself only need to feed on pure manathe same mana that flowed through the air. But since it was corrupted, my body slowly did as well. So when I came outI was what you see before you know, a monster. Gray: SoI assumeyou want to bring back your empire? Prometheus steps off of his throne and holds his hands toward the eternal eclipse that glistens in the sky like it was a god. Prometheus: YES! EXACTLY! BUT GODRICK! DAMNED GODRICK! MY CURSED BODY DOESNT WORK THE WAY IT USED TO! INSTEAD OF TURNING PEOPLE INTO VAMPIRES, IT MUTATES PEOPLES MANA! Most of the time they dieevery time. Until Yoru and Smolder. She was a normal girl, but every hundred years, somebody is born with a corrupted mana. Though it laid dormant until I found her. And Smolder seems to be a special case, just like his father. Yoru walk up, excited to be spoken of so highly. Prometheus: I used my mana, turning her into what you see before you. Then, she had a child, Ganga. Then Ganga had many childrenall killed you, Gray Kyojin. You have reset me once again. But they can have more children, stronger children. I will awaken their dormant dark mana, granting them their cursed abilities. They may not be vampiresbut I will make a new race. And claim my hold on the world again. Though, because of you, it will not be easy. Yorus control of her abilities has finally risen to be as useful as they are todaybut her husband. A man who gave us some land to use was also killed by you. Chezera is a name you should know. Chezera, the old man who ran a Demi-human slave trade. The same man had control over a small village called Al-po, which You used to create her small army of monsters. Gray had to assassinate this man to get off of Rupers radar, though since Rupert has been taken down, it doesn''t seem that trying to get on his good side did anything. Gray had to go against his morals for no reason, and Yoru isnt even angry. Gray: Soyoure no Anarchistyoure a terrorist. A crazed ruler, a mad king. You are just like the power-hungry men you say you hate so much, youre a devil. Prometheus: If thats how you see methen let it be. Prometheus waves his hand again while he walks toward Rosemary. Gray begins screaming, trying his best to get over to Prometheus and stop whatever hes going to do. Severus then walks forward, right toward Soku. Gray continues to panic, pulling and pulling to get the chains to rip out the walls. But his feet, wrists, and neck are all held, causing him to almost choke himself out with his struggle. But, he gets an idea. While Prometheus lets Rosemary out of her chains, and Severus lets Soku out of hers, Gray delves into his memories, remembering something he had only done a handful of times. The way the mana surge technique works is extremely simple. Gray is unable to speak about being from Earth as well as not being able to commit suicide, and when he does, his OD forces out a wave of pure mana that will always irritate his mind. But, if its the only thing he can do, hell do it. While Rosemary and Soku resist being led by Severus and Prometheus, Gray attempts to bite down on his tongue. Though, before the mana surge can activate, his jaw is stopped by Lazarus, halting him. Gray struggles to bite down, being completely unable to. Then, Serverus holds Soku in front of Gray, putting his mouth over her neck. She begins to panic, squirming around, trying to resist. But, with her mana disabled, and the overwhelming strength of Severus, it does absolutely nothing. Then, his fangs emerge, piercing Sokus neck. While Gray pulls and pulls at his restaurants, screaming in agony, Sokus veins turn green, and her skin slowly turns to stone. Soku begins to sob, whimpering in fear as her body trapped within grayish rock, leaving her frozen and her face permanently screaming Gray is stunned. He stops resisting, staring at Sokus unconscious and stone form. All of his emotions subside as he cant seem to do or think anything. His existence itself rejects the idea that Soku may be dead. But before he can regain any sense of himself, Prometheus holds Rosemary by the neck, forcing Gray to watch as the skin on her arms begins to slowly peel up. Gray: YOU DONT HAVE TO DO THIS! PLEASE! PLEASE! ILL JOIN THE SECT, ILL DO ANYTHING JUST DONT HURT HER! His gut-wrenching screams could have reached the heavens, but here, hes in Hell. Prometheus: I apologize, but this must be done. Its the only way youll learn. Gray''s eyes twitch, his muscles tighten, and his OD feels like its going to combust. He clenches his fist and his soul aches, but hes still immobile. Prometheus seems a little disappointed, so to up the torture, he mortally wounds her. Gray watches in defiance, trying to turn his head away, but Lazarus forces him to watch. She smiles at him, accepting her fate, wishing she could have done more. Rosemary: ______ Gray''s mind cant register what she said like hes rejecting it. Then, Prometheuss hand pierces her body, holding out her beating heart for Gray to see. Shes incapacitated but doesn''t seem to be dead. Prometheus forces her to choke on her own blood, feeling her skin peel, her bones turn to dust, and her blood boil. And to finish it off, he reforms her body over her heart, dropping her to the ground. With Lazarus hand still in Grays mouth, all Gray can do is scream out in anger. As he cries, he continues to try and break the chains. He pulls so hard that the skin around his wrists breaks open, along with the skin on his neck and ankles. He ends up pulling his arms out of its socket, causing him to fall to the ground. Gray: Ill kill youILL KILL YOU, ILL KILL YOU, ILL KILL YOU, ILL KILL YOU, ILL KILL YOU, ILL KILL YOU, ILL FUCKING KILL YOU! DIE! DIE! DIE! WHY WONT YOU DIE!? DIE! DAMMIT! DIE! DAMN YOU TO HELL! ILL KILL YOU! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! He continues to scream out, losing all thought. He ends up dragging his head on the ground, pulling himself forward. He does this over and over, smashing his head onto the ground, pulling forward, again, and again, never stopping. Then, with one last slam, he flings his head into the air, letting the blood flow from a newly found wound going up the bridge of his nose, stopping at his brow line. His now raspy voice continues to scream out in this inferno of rage, as another inferno boils within his OD. As everyone begins to leave, Gray stays by himself to scream out to know one. However, when Lazarus moves, it gives Gray the opportunity to bite his tongue. Then finally, something goes his way. The mana surge technique activates, flowing into the mana crystal, and breaking it. Now with his mana unleashed, he blindly releases it. Though, with his mind long gone, his eyes rolled back into his head, hes moving solely on anger and adrenaline. This insurmountable rage finally awakens something brewing within him for so long. His burning OD, something he thought was just a wound from his battle with Arthur, is so much more. Everyone turns around, watching as Gray becomes engulfed in black flames. Julius steps forward, staring at Gray as he finally breaks through the chains. Grays unconscious body uses all of its mana, forming a massive wave of dark flames, blasting it right toward them. Normally, Julius wouldnt care, but Edwards body was still in the way. Rosemary and Soku are as well, but he only cares about Edward. Julius: PLUMMET! Julius screams out, using his World Order to force Gray, along with his flames, down, causing them to vanish. Prometheus looks at this with a confused expression, though that changes to a smile. Gray smashes into the ground, and with no mana left to use, no strength left, and his mind drowned out, he passes out. Or at least he should have as his will still lived for these last few seconds. So Julius leaned down to him, whispering into his ear. Julius: You probably think that this is just some bad luck, that I betrayed you. The truth is, it was rigged from the start. Gray Kyojin, Hero of Walgonia, Knight in another world, a boy who once thought he could do anything, would do anything, all for and because of his friends. And those same friends are gone. Edward is mutilated, Soku is in a frozen state, Rosemary may be dead, and Grays forever changed. With everything lost to a wave of despair, this was a complete and utter loss. However, Prometheus watches as a crack forms high in the sky, opening up to Midland. Prometheus: ....WEVE BEEN COMPROMISED! Everyone gets into position, though Julius reaches down into Edward''s pocket, pulling out the egg-shaped cursed charm formerly belonging to Pandora. He then leans down, speaking into Edwards ear, even though hes unconscious. Julius: Ill keep this safe. End of Chapter seventy Arc 6: Chapter 71. Before me Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in another world Chapter 71. Before me In the Mid-Land domain, outside and on their way to Constal, is the world''s strongest man, the unstoppable force, Lincoln Valentine. Since its a long journey from Greenvale to Constal, and all of the paperwork that went into Lincoln being able to actually enter the country of Valatrositce, hes had a lot of time to himself. Somehow, even though he hasnt trained or worked on his body as much as he did in his prime, none of his muscles had faded. Even after only eating meat, drinking booze, and sitting in his cabin for four years, he was still at his peak, but this is due to the strain he had put on his body at such a young age. His bones, muscles, and even his mana, underwent so much stress they can''t even seem to atrophy. So throughout his journey, all he did was drink and tell stories to anybody who recognized him. But every once and a while, quite a big party would spring up in one of the many bars he visited, and he would make sure he out-drank everyone. There is one thing he made sure he didnt do, which was sleeping with anybody, as it made him feel as if he was betraying his wife, even though shes been dead for years. Aside from that one thing, he had fun doing anything else. Teaching somebody a new trick, stopping a monster from attacking a village or town, helping anybody in need, and of course, out-drinking anybody that challenged him. The entire time he was traveling to Constal, he was either drunk or tipsy. Though to be more accurate, hes been either drunk or tipsy for over twenty years, to seemingly dull his senses. But once he was around the halfway point, flying on the now larger Dema to get there, he was informed by Ryo through astral projection that Gray and the others may need some help. Lincoln knows that Gray and the others are strong, but theyre still far from perfect, especially in their leadership abilities. While Rosemary and Edward have a basic education, Soku and Gray know very little. But even Edward''s education is slim, as Musashi didnt want him to go to a school for knights, all of his teachings were in basic studies. Rosemary also only has knowledge of basic studies, being a result of being born into an army for higher, not intending to be a knight. And to further hold back their studies, with everything that happened in Walgonia with the Sect, Walgoina as a nation was exceedingly set back. Since the Sect had fired every soldier and knight, rebuilding the system is still far from over. Walgonias School for Knights was shut down, alongside Valors School for Magic, so the group was unable to attend such schools or be taught by the teachers. Then another issue is that Greenvale is the home and training grounds for the Leviathan army, but the Leviathan army has already attended the School for Knights, so theyre isn''t a single teacher in Greenvale. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. So he sped up, but only slightly, though this led to the unseen consequence of the current even going on in Eclis. Eventually, Gordon informed Lincoln that he needed to wait and not enter the country because Valatrocitus had failed to confirm Lincolns'' entrance, but Lincoln being Lincoln, he went in anyway. Then in Constal, all of the knights are trying to kill all of Yorus monsters. With the knights being composed mainly of swordsmen, the strategy has been to protect the small number of mages and healers with them. Then, the rampaging mutated Arch-Gorilla moves in, about to attack the knights. They send in their strongest swordsmen, but their small amount of power is nothing to the Arch-Gorilla. Though luckily their lives are saved when the beast explodes, showering the area in blood. All of the knights are bewildered to see Lincoln there, but Lincoln pays no mind to them. He clears out a large number of the monsters and quickly informs the mages and anyone with an affinity for fire magic to burn the decimated beasts. But the monsters aren''t his main concern, his main concern is still helping Walgonias heroes. As he nears closer to the Mayor''s office, he can feel the strange presence of misshapen and unfiltered mana. He ups his speed, leaping into the air to get back onto Dema and blast toward the area. Once they arrive, he sees a small dome of reddish-black mana swirling around. Once he lands, hes surprised to see Peter and Lisa trying to break through, so he speaks to them. Lincoln: What is this!? What happened!? Peter runs over to Lincoln, ecstatic to see him. Peter: LINCOLN YOURE HERE! ITS THEM! THEYVE BEEN TAKEN SOMEWHERE! JULIUS DID IT! WE NEED TO BREAK THROUGH THIS OR SOMETHING! THEYRE IN DANGER! Lincoln hits the dome with his full strength, creating so much force that both Peter and Lisa are blown back by the wind. Peter catches Lisa, though Lisa pays no mind to this as all of her attention is on the legend in front of her. Lisa: Thats.no wayno way.ITS A GOD OF WAR! ITS THE WORLDS STRONGEST MAN! I cantthis is crazy Lisa begins to have a panic attack while Peter simply watches Lincoln strike the dome over and over. Lincoln: Dammitif only Ryo were here, he could have this thing broken in a matter of secondswhatever, I think Im getting through. He strikes the dome with a dragon''s fist, pushing Peter and Lisa further back. This creates a small crack, so he does it again, and again, giving him enough room to grab the crack. He begins pulling with all of his might, activating the dragon''s spirit to boost all of his strength to break the dome open. Dema swoops down, covering Peter and Lisa in her wings to keep them safe while Lincoln gets closer and closer to breaking open the dome. Peter: Dema! Nice to see you. Lisa: AN EARTHBOUND DRAGON! GREATER THAN A GROUND DRAGON, THE WINGS! IT REALLY IS ONE! OH MY GOD! YOURE SURROUNDED BY ALL OF THIS COOL AND RARE STUFF AND YOU DONT BAT AN EYE!? Dema rubs her rough scales on Peter''s face while Peter doesn''t know how to respond to Lisa, only playfully shrugging his shoulders. Finally, Lincoln breaks open the front of the dome, creating a vast amount of mana to flow into the sky. He sees Gray and the others lying on the ground wounded. Grays burnt body, Rosemarys unconscious body, Sokus stone form, and Edward''s mutilation. A wave of immense anger fills Lincoln, but then he sees the cause of all of this pain. Prometheus, Lazarus, Severus, Julius, Smolder, Yoru, and Ganga, all stand before him. From their perspective, they had just watched an area in the sky begin to pound and crack open, being broken and shattered for them to see Lincoln looking at them. He drops down, clenching his fist. Prometheus: This is exciting. We were able to take on two previous Gods of War in our apostle bodies, and now to stand here before our real forms. Do you really think you will be able to defeat us? Lincoln: The others had weaknesses to exploit, but me, I aint got one End of Chapter seventy-one Arc 6: Chapter 72. Straight shivering Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 72. Straight shivering Prometheus: You stand before us. In our home, spouting how youll hurt us. We are gods of destruction, we are the world''s savior, and you are nothing but a drunkard. Lincoln begins laughing in the face of these devils while standing in hell. The portal surges behind him, closing extremely slowly. He looks at Gray, Rosemary, Soku, and Edward, feeling worthless in comparison. Constant thoughts about what or how he could have done better, if he hadnt wasted his time, if he had gone against Gordons'' rules earlier, anything. He rubs his thick brown hair back, scratches his scruffy beard, rubs the cloth covering the left side of his face, and drinks the last bit of whisky in his gourd. Lincoln: Yknow, I could never grow a full beard. Hell, even my son has a better beard than me. Lazarus walks past Prometheus, feeling aggravated at Lincoln''s words. Lazarus: Could you take this any less seriously? The whole world builds you up as an unbeatable foe, though we heard you struggled against the puppet Musashi. His body was much weaker than it was when we killed him, and yet you had to release him from our control to defeat him. That is utter ridiculousness. You are not the world''s strongest man, you are a failure. Smolder walks up to Lincoln staring him in his eyes. His burnt face was so unrecognizable that no one had been able to identify who he was, but finally, a connection was made. Lincoln drops his gourd, causing it to shatter on the ground. He takes a step back, unable to accept what hes seeing. Lincoln: Thatsimpossibleyoure dead? You died!? Smolder: HellofatherIts so like you to boast about Leo, and ignore anything Ive accomplished. You even wore that damn symbol on that cloth as well as your armor, those idiotic Red arrows, who wanted strange Athens history. And now, Athens itself is gone. If only you could have helped. Smolder, now revealed to be Bearuguard, sends Lincoln''s mind spiraling. His son, the child he feels he failed, the boy he feels he neglected, and the king who was thought dead to the lava flowing through his streets, is standing right in front of him. His chard voice burned and his blistered body and more muscular build caused him to look like a completely different person. But his eyes, the way he speaks, as well as the way he carries himself are all the same, being what allowed Lincoln to reveal the strange man''s identity to be his son. Beauregard: Nowyou caused my fall, but it led to rise. This is pure grace, my real family, people who care for me. And I will take pleasure in watching you fall. Lincoln becomes distracted, looking down at his armor. Thick black armor with the Red Arrows crest still on it, being the same armor he wore in the raid for Walgonia. While hes distracted, Prometheus slides his foot back, causing the entire platform to shift. Spike forms from the stone, jolting toward Lincoln. Lincoln, easily dodges, about to attack, but the platform folds and forms into large arms with spikes on the end. Lincoln falls through the air, watching as Gray and the others do the same. Prometheus: Smolder! Beauregard: Call me Beauregard, and Im on it. Beauregard places his hand on the ground, letting bits of the large arms turn to lava, keeping it coursing through it. Prometheus splits them into various smaller rock formations, acting like the tentacles of an octopus. While falling through the air, he claps his hands four times with a space in the middle and proceeds to kick at the air. He jumps mid-air, gathering everyone, then through the other side of the portal, in Constal, Dema stops covering Peter and Lisa, diving through the crack in space. He attempts to put them on her, but the pillars reach him. He easily jumps onto them, sliding across. He proceeds to jump between them, while Dema effortlessly dives and ducks around them. Suddenly, a mix of lava and spikes protrude from the pillars, barely missing Lincoln. He then speeds up, leaping toward Prometheus and the others, creating a boom behind him. He then tosses everyone into the air, letting Dema catch them. For some reason, Prometheus caused the ground to become smooth around where Rosemary''s body was lying, letting it seep into the ground to funnel somewhere else in the castle, This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Severus: Ahh beautiful creatureA SHAME I HAVE TO KILL IT! Serverus weak body grows in size, turning into a hulking monster. The seven-foot beasts body drops to the ground, standing on all fours. His new form is much more monstrous, looking less like the snake he was before and more like a mutated man with green skin, sharp teeth, white eyes, and a long wet tongue dripping with saliva. When Lincoln reaches them all, hes forced back by Lazarus. While constantly swiping his soul snatching scythe at him, all he can do is block the attack. This sends him flying back, with the long twisting pillars heading right for him. He uses them to stand on, but it also gives Lazarus a place to stand on again. Lazarus waves his hand, causing Prometheus to let the pillar stay still. Severus also backs down, turning back into his base form, a bit saddened he was forced to stop. Lazarus holds out his scythe, flowing with a blue aura. Lincoln focuses his senses, listening to what sounds like horrified screaming coming from the inside of the scythe. Then, he turns his attention to his face. A deer skull with pure black eyes pulls in all of his attention. While hes stuck in this unmoving state, Lazarus moves in, attempting to kill the world''s strongest man. Lincoln snaps out of it, vanishing from Lazarus sight. Then, what sounds similar to gunshots is heard, as large blasts of wind hit Lazarus sides. His repeated barrage of strikes all around his body, destroying the small and narrow ground they had. This sends him into a free fall while Lincoln jumps toward the others. Lazarus holds his scythe close, then with a sudden change in the temperature, causing it to fall even more, black snow is created. Lazarus then creates ice below him, sliding across it to catch up to Lincoln. Lincoln pays no mind to this, attacking Prometheus head-on. He puts his full strength into the punches, using the dragon''s spirit to push it even further. Hes fought someone from the Sect with a similar ability, but Prometheus is far better. As long as mana exists so will Prometheus. His ability to instantly kill who he touches as well as the ability to transfigure things infused with mana, which is everything, seems to make him an unbeatable opponent. But even with this in mind, Lincoln says Youre weak just as he hits him with a hard strike to the face. This decimates his head along with the surrounding area. The top of the castle is shattered, collapsing in on itself. Prometheus'' head instantly regenerates, so before it can touch Lincoln''s hand, Lincoln once again vanishes from sight. Because hes so strong, simply swinging his fist at something creates a small amount of wind pressure between his fist and his target, exploding on impact. With this buffer, all of Lincoln''s attacks are safe to use without the fear of being turned into a bloody puddle. Since Prometheus realizes this as well, with a foot still on the ground, he turns the entire roof of the castle against Lincoln. The ground forces Lincoln into the air, pushing him into the way of more spike trails flying right at him. He kicks at the air, easily destroying them, but a barrage of smaller spikes is sent right after. He looks down, watching Julius, Beauregard, Yoru, and Ganga run away, leaving the others to fight. Lincoln {This is rough. If I get touched by two of ''em, I die. And the other can infect me with poison or turn me to stone. I dont think I can win this fight, but I can do some damage, mortality wound them so theyd lose any bit of chance in another.} Prometheus creates a set of stairs for Lazarus to run on, catching up to the mid-air Lincoln. He leaps toward him, so Lincoln kicks at the air, blasting both of them back. Lazarus creates a wall of ice behind him, abruptly stopping him, and quickly uses it to catch back up to him. He continues to create walls of ice to bounce off of as well as dodge with, but Lincoln remains in control. Though another volley of spikes is sent toward Lincoln, while Severus turns back into that monstrous beast. Lincoln spins around, stopping the spikes, but Lazarus slices through the attack, getting right up to Lincoln. Lincoln claps his hands, but Lazarus slices through it again and gets right up to Lincoln. To save himself, he dodges the attack, hits Lazarus arm with his forearm, and then punches his forearm to force the scythe out of his hand. Lazarus does end up dropping the scythe, though he can still hit Lincoln with his bare hands. His cold body begins to hurt Lincoln, getting worse when Lazarus grabs onto Lincoln''s skin to turn it into ice. Lincoln bashes Lazarus'' face in, over and over, even using the dragon''s fist to do some serious damage. Though, now in free fall, Prometheus sends a large hand made of stone to grab Lincoln. Right before it reaches him, he pulls back his arm, using the dragon''s fist once more to destroy the large arm. He hits it right as it touches him, causing all of the force from his attack to seep into the stone arm, causing it to explode from the inside. As it shatters, the beastly Severus leaps from the large broken bits, lunging at Lincoln. Lincoln reacts quickly, using his left arm to punch him away. This causes him great pain, because unbeknownst to him, Lazarus had given the limb frostbite, freezing the inside. Now because of how the OD works, it will not let mana form inside of the body if it isnt your own, though if youre able to directly overpower one''s OD with your own while touching the person, it may be possible. In this case, it was proven possible, though luckily his body is strong enough to resist it, his OD is far too weak, and if hes put in the situation again, he may be frozen from the inside. As Severus falls to the ground, Lincoln decides its time to land, so he launches himself toward him by kicking off of the air, grabbing onto him, and slamming him into the ground. This creates a small crater in the ground, but Severus stays conscious. He swipes at Lincoln while also trying to bite him, but Lincoln effortlessly grabs his large arm, ripping it off. He then goes to rip the beast''s head off but is entranced by his glowing green eyes. His skin begins to feel rough, his muscles stiff, and his mind faint, but his will prevails, allowing him to bash the monster''s face in. He hears a scream behind him and is forced to move out of the way, due to Prometheuss sudden appearance. Prometheus slides down the face of the castle with an enraged look on his face, gritting his mangled yellow teeth. Once Lincoln gets his distance, he looks around the area, trying to think of anything to do. Then he looks at the crack in the sky, noticing that Dema had left with the others. With the crack almost fully closed, hes met with the choice to either fight as much as he can until the last second or leave now. He does the most Lincoln thing he can, by laughing, grinning, and entering the dragon''s spirit. His mana awakens throughout his body, causing a bit of pain along with it. Lincoln: AlrightNow Im awake. A single sentence, four words, force every thought in Prometheus'' body to feel one thing. He didnt feel it against Kioshi, Musashi, or anyone else hed ever faced in his long, long life. Every cell in his body trembles, as he feels true fear for the first time. Because now, the beast is awake. End of Chapter seventy-two Arc 6: Chapter 73. How a God of War burnt out Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 73. How a God of War burnt out Down at the castle entrance, beside Rosines dead body, are the two strongest people in this domain. Now that Lincoln has activated the dragon''s spirit, hes entering the last stage of the battle. The Dragon Spirit activates all of your eternal mana all at once all over your body, essentially awakening your body. While Edwards body is too weak to use for a long period, Lincoln has no such issue. But eventually, depending on how much power hes using, he will start to break down. Though, Lincoln is still at the top. As, If Lincoln faced all of the gods of war at once, excluding Kioshi, its only a matter of time until he wins. Prometheus looks at his mutilated friend, listening to his faint breath. He rips the bottom of his baggy cloak off, as well as the long arms, allowing him to move more freely. Lincoln rushes in, destroying the ground he was staying on, slamming his fist into Prometheus'' face. While he did this, Prometheuss fingers began to flicker into different placements, looking as if they were breaking and healing in an instant. The blackish-red mana in the air flows around his hand like a cloud, coating Severus'' body. Lincoln attempts to stop this by ripping his arm off and continuing to attack him. Prometheuss arm continues to regrow faster than the spell can dissipate, so its able to activate. Lincoln attempts to throw him, so he grabs his cloak and tries launching him into the air, though Prometheus''s body deforms around it. All of his bones, flesh, muscles, organs, and skin break apart and reform, allowing him to finish the spell. Prometheus'': Etareneger Lincoln goes to destroy Severus'' body before the spell can go off, but Prometheus flips the ground on top of Lincoln. Lincoln easily bursts through it, seeing Prometheus pouncing at him. Lincoln rolls out of the way, kicking up at Prometheus'' while he rolls, destroying his chest. He then attempts to kill Severus, kicking him by the head through the walls of the castle. He looks behind him to see Prometheus casting another spell, preparing to defend himself against whatever it may be. Prometheus: Noococ. The spirits begin to wrap around Lincoln binding themselves to him. He attempts to run away, leaping into the air, but this gives Prometheus the chance to launch more stone spikes at him. At first he empowers them with the spirits, causing them to move and launch much faster. Lincoln attempts to kick air to stop them, but they pierce right through it, slicing through his armor. He then kicks upward, launching him to the ground, and leaping at Prometheus'' with insurmountable speeds, blasting through him. But once again, Prometheus heals from it. Prometheus: You dont seem to realize that isnt going to work. And Severus will still live because my spell was successful. They call you the Dragon of Athens, the unstoppable force, so I must be the immovable object. Quite funny, is it not? This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The spell Prometheus'' had just tried to use earlier activities on Lincoln, binding his hands, feet, and neck to a chain down the middle. It begins to drain his life force ever so slowly, stopping his time in the dragon''s spirit. Prometheus'': Nosirp The spirits quickly flow around him once more, trapping him in a sarcophagus of mana with the Sects symbol on the front. Then his life force begins to drain even faster, struggling to break free. He pulls and pulls, but its no luck, hes stuck. Trapped within eternal darkness, strapped down, awaiting his demise, hes forced to use his trump card. Prometheus: You are a fool, though it is understandable. Most if not every single person in the world knows almost nothing about the nature of dark magic, other than Valor of course. It, just like spirit magic, forces the spirits to follow my will, though it hurts my soul. Youre stuck, most dark magic skills are meant to instantly kill or restrain you, and youve fallen into the trap. I should be killing my body, but Im lucky to have this regeneration that stands above all else. Prometheus holds his hand out, keeping Lincoln restrained. Though Lincoln is fighting back much more than anything hes ever seen, leading to a strain on Prometheuss soul. He begins to cough blood, though he pays no mind to it. But inside of the restraints, is Lincoln, forcing his Eternal mana to awaken. Julius watches from afar, in a random room, looking through a window, clutching the cursed egg-shaped charm. Beauregard, Ganga, and You stand beside him, watching these gods battle. Beauregard: My father is a fool at heart. A brute who never thinks. A drunk bastard. Its fitting that dies due to his inability to even think. Down on the battlefield, Prometheus watches Lazarus walk up beside him, shivering due to the cold atmosphere surrounding him. Prometheus: Oh Lincoln. And I heard you could see the Truth, and yet here you are. I assume thats why you drink? To null your senses? How useless. I would kill, have killed, with just the hope to see a glimpse of it, and now you waste it. Musashi saw it, I know this, but he failed. Before Lincoln bursts out of his entrapment, he chooses to speak with Prometheus'', to defend his dead friend. Lincoln: Musashi saw the Truth, he spent his life fighting it. But the Truth can only be pushed back, altered slightly. You cant change fate, but you change the order of it. Though it seemsit seems like when youre able to see it, thats when fate takes place. You could live your life free, or set yourself on a road that only leads to destruction. The others think Musashi let himself die, that he was depressed or something, and yeah, thats sort of right. But knowing him, he saw the Truth, his fate, and pushed it back, changing it. Prometheus: Even if that is right, does that mean Im bound by fate? Does seeing the Truth set you and everyone else on such a path, or does it always exist? If fate is real, why do anything? Is it because youre fated to? Or is it because youre too weak not to? Lincoln {I need to get to the real truth...help everyone get their ending. I may never get a chance like this again, and I''m on a time limit. So if I wanna break out and take them down, I''ll give it all up. My strength means nothing without my family...} And with flashes of Edward, Gray, and the others, he thought of his new family. With Leo and Lilith still held dear to his heart. A heart that continued to beat faster and faster as everything erupted. Lincoln''s eternal mana begins to overflow, bursting out of his body, and shattering the sarcophagus. Now, with this light blue aura flaming off of his body, coating him in sheer power, hes become both an unstoppable force and an immovable object, he has become what a God of War is. Musashi, Ryo, Cornelius, and Elizebeth, were born with something to allow them to grow to be strong. The ability to control flames, being born with monstrous strength, being connected to the spirits more than anyone else, or controlling ice are abilities that only those who are blessed can achieve. Kioshi was so strong that even though she didnt fight in the Demi-Human war, they gave her the title anyway. She was made by the gods, thats just how blessed she is. But Virgil and Lincoln, they worked to get here. Lincoln trained more than anyone else, reaching a point of strength above everyone. Though if it was that simple, anyone could reach that point, what sets him apart from everyone else isnt a blessed ability, its the way he thinks. Hes the one who figured out how to further weaponize eternal mana and has now achieved a greater fear than that. Lincoln: This is the- The Dragons Flame-... End of Chapter seventy-three Arc 6: Chapter 74. The Dragons flame Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 74. The Dragon''s flame, burnt out Now consumed within the Dragon Flame, he runs through Prometheus instantly. But because Prometheus can heal he turns his sights to Lazarus. Out of all of them, hes the most durable, possibly one of if not the most durable person in the world, so if he wants to do ever-lasting damage, permanently wounding him is how to do it. Lazarus attempts to defend himself with an ice wall, but before it can even begin to form, Lincolns leg has already hit his face and sent him flying toward the front wall of the castle. Right as he smashes into it before he can be knocked back any further, he grabs him and punches him upward. Even if only two punches were thrown the damage resulting was immense. The first hit that knocked him into the wall sounded like a jet reaching mach speed, resulting in the wall stretching and exploding like it was elastic, crumbling the front wall four floors up. Then the second hit destroyed the entirety of the first and second floors, but more are to come. Now that theyre in the center of the castle, they continue going up. Lincoln hits him with ten strikes a second while also kicking up against the air, acting like a missile flying upward. Each time they get through a floor it crumbles and the next follows. These punches were the strongest this domain had ever felt; the floors combusted from the force, the ground erupted from the pressure, and the castle walls shattered to pieces. Prometheus had never seen something so dastardly, so ridiculous, so unbelievable. Kioshi had greater feats of course but that was because she was a living god, but this man was a demi-god in nature. Kioshi wasnt bound to the normal limits of this world, the same limits Lincoln is, but hes still able to do this. Every fifth punch a rib cracks and with every ten strikes a limb does the same., Lazarus has focused all of his power on keeping himself together by any means. He condensed ice as hard as steel around him and used his mana to create a defensive aura, but Lincoln was still going. In ten seconds Lincoln had hit him through every single floor, and once again he had more to offer. At this point one of Lazarus'' horns had been hit off, and the space around his right eye was dented, and because of his larger stature, four out of his forty-five ribs had been blown off. But with the eclis illuminating the blue-flaming Lincoln and the dark purple-glowing Lazarus, he was soon to be hit back down. Because of the speed Lincoln traveled the massive building had yet to fall, so Lazarus was in for a second round. This time Lincoln aimed down, kicking upward to send Lazarus through each floor once more until they reached the end even faster this time. The power resulting from the sudden crash to the ground caused the earth beneath them to rise and shoot off, creating a massive crater around the entire building. And of course, this caused the building to fall on itself, being destroyed entirely. This inability to catch up puts Prometheus in the potion to only reflect on whats happening right in front of him, a god truly trying his hardest with nothing to hold him back. His friend is in Parel, with the only hope being the only thing he can do, but something does stick to him in his ever-moving mind. Prometheus: Hes on a time limit. Lazarus can feel the fear of the spirits themselves floating away, awoken and afraid. His right eye, his only working eye, glows a bright white color, shining down on this so-called Litch. Prometheus attempts to step in while Lincolns in his sights, beginning to cast a spell, but even faster than the blink of an eye, Lincoln rushes through Prometheus faster than he could think, turning him into a bloody paste, and returns to his stance behind Lazarus. Of course, Prometheus reforms his body, though Lazarus isnt so lucky. As Lincoln charged head first, slamming hist fist against Lazarus head. This cracked it while also sending force and wind wildly snapping and warping. This barrage of blows continued, sending Lazarus flying around struggling to recover. Promethues tried to rush in and aim his hand out with curupted mana flowing straight to it but stop and gasped. Black blood poured from his mouth, straining and restraining him. Promethues {I''ve over used my magic...my soul is wilting...} Lazarus blasted out his ice without thought. Lincoln blasted through this with slashes of his arms. This generated so much pressure that Hell bent to fist his power, his command of strenght. Sending that blade of wind crashing through and crushing Lazarus and everything around him. Having his face slammed into the ground before getting drug across the ruins of the destroyed castle. Thrown through rubble, bashed and smashed by his fists, and sent flying and falling far away. Lincoln continued to pour his strength into stopping Lazarus, avoiding the broken Serverus and immoral Prometheus. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Lincoln {If I do this...if I take down the most resilient of them, then Ryo will be able to finish the job. I''m not too good against spirit types like these guys, but punching works as long as you''re strong enough!} But he has been in this form for less than ten minutes, and it was already ending. A few of his flames begin to flicker around his right arm, allowing him to see the horrid sight of his arm. The muscle has been burnt down, looking like burnt skin roughly placed over an old skeleton''s decayed arm. The internal mana he was erupting and pouring out of his body was gone, his strengh burned away and leaving his body without it. The arm, shattered and unusable, which makes him think that his entire body could be like this. His flames begin to die down, though he forces them to keep going, to keep burning away at his faded body. With a quick glimpse around him, the broken castle, eternally wounded gods, and an almost closed crack in the sky, he knows its time to leave. Lincoln {Healing magic can only do so much, and Prometheus''s crew of failures are too far gone to be healed back to maximum strength. But I need to leaveI need to tell everyone what went down here.} His body being taken like Musashi was an issue, or it would have been. As Lincoln prepared for this by unleashing everything on them no matter what happened, keeping his body broken and unusable to them. But Lincoln wasn''t just going to give up if he didn''t have to. Now Lincoln has a new goal, to get to the crack in the sky. If he did it any earlier he could have made it in an instant, but his flame is fading. He begins to run toward it, leaping up the remaining back wall of the warped castle to get high enough. While hes doing this, his adrenaline begins fading, along with his strength and senses. And on top of that, this strange stretch of stone that had yet to fall begins to do just that. This allows the ever-diligent Prometheus to finally catch him off guard, slicing through his side with a sharp bit of the wall. It should have pierced into him, but due to this immense weight loss as well as the death of what skin should have been left sagging, it goes through the flame to graze him. Even so, with his years of experience, it takes him till he reaches the roof for him to even notice he has been struck. It was a mix between the pain being a bit low, and permanent nerve damage. Though at the home stretch, his flames have almost fully gone out. As he begins to run, his armor falls off bit by bit, as its been destroyed by his flaming mana. His final technique had burnt out, as all of the eternal mana he had cultivated throughout his life had run dry. It had all happened extremely quickly; sixty-two years of stored-up power had run out in just under four minutes. Then with one final leap, he puts all of the mana he had remaining into his leg, launching himself toward the almost closed portal. Prometheus arrives from within the ground, having flowed through the stone to get here. He turns the remaining bit of the castle wall into a fast moving spear moving at a breakneck speed to reach Lincoln. Lincoln barely reaches the portal, with his leg still in the way. Now it would have been chopped off, but that last bit of mana had overwhelmed his decayed body, turning it to dust right as it closed on it. Prometheus is infuriated, but he quickly goes to find his defeated friends. First, he puts a healing spell on the half-dead Lazarus, though a dark magic healing spell is much different than the normal version. Instead of using mana to speed up the healing process in a certain area, the entire body, or a wide range without the aging of the body, a dark magic healing spell pieces the body back together. It''s much slower and more egregious than the normal spell, though dark magic isnt meant to help others, or attack others, it was a price, a curse. It was a contract when used, not in the literal sense, but using a spell would inflict pain on others for pain on one''s self. It was a sadistic as well as almost masochistic way of fighting, especially the fact it would even inflict damage on one''s soul. Now when he found Severus, he was in a much dire state surprisingly. He had deleted back to his base form, mutilated, and on the verge of death. Lincoln''s punches were so strong that they broke through the skin, forcing it back, and creating a ripple of damage. His supernatural abilities and slight healing factor were things keeping him alive, so Prometheus cast another healing spell, also using his ability to heal the body. But like his dark magic, his ability to heal was closer to aging the body until it had fully healed, but Severus is so old it almost kills him. Now with a small bit of life left, he runs around the castle''s rubble, trying to find a life for him to transfer his soul into. But only Julius, Smolder, Yoru, and Ganga appear, who all surprisingly survived the conflict. Prometheus: THIS IS IT!? They all quickly get down on one knee, trying to please their lord. Ganga: Im sorry sir, but everyone else has been spread thinor is deadWe dont have a body for him to rest in. Prometheus looks at all of them, panicking as letting these people in front of him die is too much of a loss. The new king of Valatrositce, the mother of all of the powered Sect members, the older woman who can make an army given time, and the son of a God of War who can also take control of the area with his lava. Hes forced to stare at his dying friends, about to force one of them to take his soul. His eyes move to Ganga, but right as hes about to take hold of her, he remembers someone very important. He slides his foot across the ground, causing the unconscious body of Rosemary whom Lincoln was unable to rescue to emerge from the ground. A large smile emerges on his face as he begins to approach her, which may seemingly be the end of her life. End of Chapter seventy-four Arc 6: Chapter 75. Memory Snow Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 75. Memory Snow Gray Kyojin. Sitting in the grass on a hill, a hill on the edge of Greenvale. A newly bloomed cherry tree blows in the hot summer wind, and its a very special tree. G+R is carved into its trunk, representing Gray and Rosemary, who are both together, having a picnic. Rosemary lays down a large piece of cloth, sitting down a basket filled with food alongside it, and the sound of the wooden basket pushing against the ground is music to Gray''s ears, as well as his hungry body. Soku and Edward also sit down, completely fine, quiet, and hungry. Everything is quiet, the bugs that should be squeaking, the wind that should be whistling, the grass that should be rustling, all completely silent, other than his heartbeat. This constant soft beat plays lightly in the background, but Gray tries to pay no mind to it. Everyone seems to be in their prime, with no wounds, no bags under their eyes, and nothing to hold them down; Edward''s right eye has even returned. Gray also seems to be wearing the same outfit he was transported to this world in, finalizing this feeling of nostalgia, the golden era. As Rosemary pulls out the food, his heartbeat gets louder, grabbing more and more of his attention. Then Rosemary hands out everyone''s food, she shoots closer to Gray, whispering something in his ear, which hes unable to hear, and then scoots back to her original position. This throws Gray off, but he decides to play it off, with his want to eat the sandwich in his hand instead of undergoing any sort of stress. As he goes to take a bite, the heartbeat grows louder, but he still ignores it, simply closing his eyes, and taking the bite. Then nothing; the heartbeat just stops. When he opens his eyes, hes sent into a panic the second he lays his eyes on Rosemary. Shes bleeding from the mouth, and her skin is pale and peeling, but then he sees it. The hole in her chest allows him to look straight through it, but his horror truly emerges when he looks at his sandwich. The heartbeat starts back up again when he looks at the meat, its human meat, an organ, a heart. He stares at Rosemarys heart and slowly stops beating, frozen in place. His eyes begin to twitch, his body begins to shake, and he feels something warm on his forehead. He touches it, looking at the blood on his fingers. Beside him, a Soku turned to stone as well as a mutilated Edward crawling toward him, and in front of him, something that his mind is rejecting. She tries to say something again, but hes still unable to hear it, angering him. But his anger subsides, replaced with panic once more, so he attempts to run away. When he does, the tree bursts into black flames, and then when he looks at it, the ground beneath him crumbles. Hes now in freefall, down into a flaming world. All hes able to hear is a mix of Rosemary''s heartbeat and the screams of his friends. Hes now unafraid of the flames below, but worrying of what may come. Once he falls into it, his body is completely resistant to the black fire, mindlessly walking through it. As his body is consumed, it changes to fit the current Gray Kyojin. His hair grows, his body gets stronger, his scars form, and his permanent demeanor changes. He becomes every version of himself before he reaches a wall. It was a mirror with the version of him that he started with, possessing the same look of nothing in his eyes. That version of himself forms into what he wanted to be, a well-groomed, strong knight with everyone by his side, with an entire country behind him. Then as the flames wrap around him, so does the darkness, consuming in both an inferno and a gell tomb. Then once hes reformed, he stares into the mirror once more. Light silver armor, an updated mask made of metal instead of white ceramic. However the mask gives off a more crome assteic. The armor is made into pieces placed around his body, now fully consumed within the cloak of darkness, though the cloak still flows behind him, as well as the hood covering his head. A simple chest plate, side armor, leg armor, with no sword to be found and only Peter''s wrist talons he had made for him. This is him, this is Gray Kyojin. Gray: The Phantom Knight. As he says this, all of the flames disappear, leaving him to be washed over by the red sky, along with an eternal eclipse. Gray Kyojin, or what was building, died in Eclis in a bloody and angry mess. However, instead of giving up, he stands before himself; a new person entirely. Gray shuts his eyes, opening them to find himself standing in the snow, in the same spot he was in his dream. He looks to find the same tree with G+R written on it. He places his hand on the cold bark, looking to see all of its blossoms wilted away due to the current winter. Though at least for now its not snowing, not that Gray would care if it were. He finds himself bandaged up and wearing a light blue robe, reminding him of when he first awoke in Musashi''s mansion. He then walks to the end of the hill, finding it to be a cliff overlooking the ocean. Greenvale is built upon Godrick''s Mountain, the largest mountain range in the world which borders the southwestern sea. Down below are the rough waves smashing into the side of the mountain while he places one foot over the edge. Still, with nothing in his mind, hes about to step off, until he hears the screams of a worried friend. Edward: GRAY! Gray quickly steps back, looking at Edward, stopping in his tracks. The sweaty, freezing Edward, wrapped in bandages, still moves forward. Hes quick to notice the prosthetic right leg, alongside a prosthetic right arm, causing all of the memories from Eclis to fill his mind. Edward uses his crutches to push through the snow, trying to get to his newly awoken friend. Edward: Youre awake! You need to come back down to the village, we have much to discuss. Gray: Where is she? It was a monotone sentence that shook Edward to his core, stopping him in his tracks. As he looked into Gray''s dead eyes he was unable to say anything, telling Gray all he needed to know. Gray: Why are we here, but shes not? Edward: Lincolnhe was unable to rescue herlike I said we need to get back to the village. Gray begins slowly approaching Edward, looking at his destroyed body. His body has begun to slim down, his hair is a bit longer, and the bite mark on his neck is aching. He walks right up to him, right at arm''s length. Gray: Why are we here, but she isnt? Edward: I told you, Lincoln wasnt able to reach her. We lostbut were fortunate to - Before Edwards able to finish, Gray punches him in the face, cutting him off. This causes Edward to fall into the snow, as his already unstable balance is broken. Gray: FORTUNATE!? DONT YOU DARE SAY THAT! ROSEMARY GOT HER HEART RIPPED OUT! YOU LOST YOUR ARM, YOUR LEG! AND SOKUSokuoh godwheres SOKU!? His voice drops, as if he''s on the verge of tears, though he pushes it all down, returning to his dissociated self. Gray begins quickly walking away, though Edward grabs onto his robe to get him to stop. Gray: Let me go. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Edward: Dont be rash! You need to calm down, we both do. Now please, let''s go. Gray: Is Peter here? Edward: Yeah, hes in his shop. Why? Gray: Get who you want to be gathered, I need to go speak with him. Gray walks off, leaving Edward to struggle in the snow. As he wanders down the hill, he looks at his tracks in the snow, as well as Edward''s messy trails left behind. He looks into the sky as he makes it into the village, expecting it to be a little more fitting to the sunken feeling in his heart. The clear blue morning sky, with the not-too-bright sun causing the snow to glow. Once he reaches the village, he no longer has to struggle through the thick snow, as it has all been shoveled out of the way. When he first came to Greenvale, it felt homey, but with this new view on life, his view of Greenvale changed as well. To him, everything is too simulated. Everyone that lives there is only there to train and have children to train, always working. With only a few stores for wants instead of needs, its not very lively. Even the houses look the same, all being old cottages with smoke pouring out of the chimneys. Once he gets to the center of the village, he looks to his right, staring up the dirt road and at the training grounds, but shifts his attention back to his home. As he walks into his backyard, he hears clunking coming from the barn-shaped building, Peter''s workshop. He sneaks up behind him, about to knock on the already open door, but stops to watch Peter. His workshops a mess, with various gadgets and pieces of armor scattered everywhere. Currently, hes working on the new vehicle, messing with something underneath it. Gray begins to think about all he could say, all he could ask, that hes so happy hes safe, but he doesn''t. All he does is knock on the open wooden door, catching Peter''s attention. Peter jumps, due to how Gray had scared him, causing him to hit his head on the underside of the car. Once he scoots out, he goes silent as he realizes Gray was the one who knocked. They both stare at each other, stunned at what they see. Gray''s emotionless deminer, as if a dead body got up, while Gray notices all of the small scars on Peters''s face, a result of the torture he feels he could have prevented. Peter: GRAY! YOURE AWAKE! Gray: Please quiet downyoure too loud. Peter runs up to Gray but stops himself. He regains his composure, trying to stay calm in his presence. Peter: What would you like? Gray: You know that armor, the prototype? Peter: Um, yeah? Its around here somewhere. Sorry, its a bit clutteredanything else? Wannatalk? Or ask me anything? Gray: No actually how long was I out? Peter begins rummaging around his things, trying to stop himself from answering. But, he gives in, telling Gray something that deeply triggers his anger. Peter: Its been over a monthits February, February first. Gray: I was asleep for that longRosemarys been with themor worsefor that long? Peter goes quiet, so Gray leaves. He walks into the house, into his room, staring at his bed. He finds all of the bags he had packed for Constal on the end of his bed, a bit glad he doesn''t have to pack. As he undresses from his robe, he grabs the same clothes he had been transported to this world in, staring at them. His black jogging pants have begun to come apart, his shoes are wilting down, and his jacket is tearing. Even the black shirt has stains, and stitched-up holes, and is almost too small to wear anymore. The only thing that isnt there is his socks because they were destroyed a long time ago. For a while, he had made a habit of sleeping in his clothes, but in the mansion attack all that time ago, his clothes were ripped up to all hell and needed to be fixed. Before he puts any of his clothes on, he removes the bandages on his aching body. While his healing factor should have fully healed him by now, he had used so much of his strength hed barely recovered. This entire time, his OD has been developing, slowly healing itself. It was like he was going through a metamorphosis. When he removes the bangs around his head, he finds a scar on the bridge of his nose. It is a patch of rough skin going up his nose, stopping at his brow line, a mark of his loss. He begins putting on his clothes, and right as he puts his foot into his shoe, it falls apart. His foot pushes the sole of the shoe right off, leading to him throwing a book from a bag to his side at the mirror placed on his dresser. It shatters and the book falls, opening up. When he picks it up, he realizes what it is, Rosemarys journal! Hes about to read through it, but he stops himself, placing it back down. He stands up to find that the bag he grabbed it from was Rosemary''s things. He then looks over to the light golden scarf already in his bag, sticking out, and he feels it for a moment before stuffing it back in. Right as he gets to the door he stops himself, turning around to see a small box on his dresser. This confuses him, as he didnt even realize it before as his mind had rejected it. He goes to open it, finding a ruin symbol on the top, carved into the wood. He opens it to find the cursed charm in it, the cloak of darkness. So of course he grabs it, along with a pair of brown knee-high cuffed boots. As hes about to walk down the stairs he looks to the other side of the hall, staring at Soku''s closed door. He knows he shouldnt, but he steps in any way. Its fairly barren, not seeming much like her. A small bed, a closet, and a desk with paper on it. Gray thinks back to the few times he had gone into her room when she had kicked him out before he could look around. He takes a glimpse at her desk, finding a drawing of Ophelia, and a pretty realistic drawing at that. He opens her closet and finds a stack of drawings at the bottom, so he begins to go through them. They were a catalog of every adventure they had gone on, even the smaller things, like eating dinner for the first time together. He gets to a drawing of just her and him sitting together in Til''s carriage, back when they were leaving the Ever-Spirit forest, causing his hand to shake. As he goes through them, about every five to six drawings he would find one of him and her just talking, causing his hands to shake. He forces himself to stop but takes one important one with him. A drawing of himself, Soku, Rosemary, and Ophelia eating food on his first day in this world. He folds the drawing, puts it in his pocket, and walks downstairs. Standing in the dining room, he looks to his right to see Peter walking in through the kitchen door, while he can hear footsteps near the front door in front of him. He sets his bag down, watching Gordon and Ryo enter his house, holding up Edward as well. Edward walks away from them, getting face-to-face with Gray. Gray: Get out of my way. Edward: Were trying to help you. Gray: Shove off. Gray takes his bag, along with the sack Peters holding, feeling his armor inside, and attempts to walk away. Edward then puts his hand on Gray''s chest, so Gray pushes him. Once again Edward falls, though this time he catches him, letting him fall a little more softly. Then, trying to leave again, Gordon is the one to stop him. Gray: Alright top not, youre not stopping me. Now without your bow at least. Gordon: I know I might not be able to be unarmed, by Ryo here can. You need to stay with us and learn about those flames you were able to expel from your body. Then you need to help us figure out what the hell to do about the Sect. Gray clenches his fist but stops once he looks at the saddened look on Ryo''s face. Ryo moves his silver hair out of his face, approaching Gray. Gray: What do you want? Ryo: If you leave, you can have this. Ryo reaches into the inside of his kimono, handing Gray a small notebook. He then walks out of the way, letting Gray pass. This aggravates Gordon, whos currently helping Edward stand back up. Gordon: Youre leaving? Really? Youre not even going to see Soku or Lincoln? Gray pays no mind to Gordons'' words, leaving the house. He begins to approach the exit of the village, but the others follow behind him. Gordon speeds up, grabbing onto Gray''s shoulder, and slapping him. Gray doesn''t react, he just stares into Gordon''s twitching eyes. Gordon: I know youre hurt, I know youre morning. But the facts are simple. Lincoln is barely alive, Soku is slowly being healed out of the stone state, though we dont know when shell wake up, Edward needs to recover, and so do you. Ive finally found and contacted people I think are ready to lead the Knights of Walgonia, and hopefully, I can find a king as well. But I need you here, I need your strength. Gray: Im going. Gordon: WHERE!? If you want to find the Sect, youll have a tough time. And if youre going after Julius, youll have to break into Valatrocitus, and since Lincoln broke a continental law by entering a country illegally, everyones on high alert. Gray: Im not going to Valatrocitus, I''m going to find wherever the Sect is and slaughter them. Gray looks at Edward, watching him struggle to stand upright. Though, without a second thought, he walks away, but suddenly Dema lands right in front of him. Gray: Youve gotten a lot bigger since we first met havent you. Grays about to walk past his dragon companion, but she wacks him with her tail, stopping him. He turns to her, accepting some form of help. He puts his things on her saddle and gets on. Gordon: If you leave, you leave the knights. You leave the Leviathan army, so Walgonia will not be responsible for what you do. And if we have to, well put you down. Gray: Do I look like I care? Rosemarys still alive, I believe Soku will be okay, and with Edward like this, he can finally stop moving and enjoy life. Ill return with Rosemary, but until then, Im gone. Without a word more, and without hearing anything else, he uses Dema to fly away. She flaps her wings, soaring into the air, and blasting out of sight. Then thats it, the end of this disaster of a trip. When they were invited, they were finding their place in life, slowly getting there. Peter had his hiccups, along with everyone else, but only Erin was able to stop the invitation from ever arriving to them. In two months, everything went downhill, their relationships, mental health, and physical health. Nothing went as planned, everything backfired, and now everyone is moving in the wrong direction, but nobody can fix that but themselves. And as things are going, Gray Kyojin is in no position to change so quickly. He has always pursued what he wanted with full conviction, putting everything into it. And this is no different, so for better or for worse, the Sect of Anarchy will suffer the consequences of their actions. Gray Kyojin is a force of nature, always getting back up, even if its not in the best way. And, just like always, hes back up, even if its to the detriment of himself. But in his head, he isnt Gray Kyojin, he isnt Conner Kyojin, he isnt a knight, nor is he a hero. He is the Phantom. End of Chapter seventy-five Side Story: Under the Wrinkled Nose Side Story: Under the Wrinkled Nose In the Capital of Valatrocitus, just outside of the slums, stands a man drenched in the rough morning rain. He stands under the front door canopy, struggling to light his cigarette, glancing up at the guards staring at him from across the street. Horses rush through the mud, as well as the ground dragons and large wolves pulling carriages, creating a loud variation of noises that irritates hum. He struggles to light his match, as everything is damp, but when he can light it, the strong wind blows it out. After another strong gust of wind, his bowler hat blows away, so hes forced to step back into the rain to catch it. As he does this, the second he stands in the road, he is almost run over by the horses. He steps back, slipping in the mud beneath him, coating his pinstripe suit in the disgusting sludge. Aggravated, he kicks the building behind him, smashing the bricks in. He then steps back under the canopy, still waiting. While hes distracted, an older man holds a flame crystal right up to the cigarette dangling from his lips, finally lighting it. Hes confused, but quickly realizes his identity. He had a fading head of white hair, small reading glasses, a thin split mustache, and a long black coat paired with a small umbrella. So he greeted the old man. Oh, sorry I didnt realize it was you. Umthey call you the inspector right? The older man chuckles, responding in a kind and warm manner. Inspector: Yes thats correct. Arthur Williams used to refer to me as a detective, but Ive always liked Inspector more. The inspector pushes past the other man, rummaging through his pocket to pull out a key ring full of miscellaneous keys all the same size and color, a shining silver. As he unlocks and opens the door, he leads the other man into his pitch-black building. As he turns the lights on, the man begins to look around. Its like a small library, with jars filled with body parts and animal parts placed on shelves and filled with a green liquid. This, along with whatevers in the back room, creates a disgusting smell, resulting in the man plugging his nose. Inspector: Alright, so if I may ask, is Chester correct? Chester Humphrey of the Montgomery Company? The man, Chester, takes off his bowler hat, brushes back his reddish brown hair, scratches his sideburns, and smirks with his stained teeth. Chester: You would be correct, though with Rupert being placed in questioning, I dont know If Ill be with the Company for long, as it may not exist. Inspector: Hm, well have to see. And I apologize for the smell, they also call me the doctor of death you know? But a mortician is much closer to what I am. The inspector leads Chester into the back room, revealing it to be a small morgue with only one covered body in it. He leads him to the table holding the body, taking his coat off and replacing it with a pure white apron. Chester: Do I have to be doing this? The royal guards, dragon army, whatever you wanna call em, sent me down here because they think Im involved with Rupert''s mess. Inspector: You are, or where Rupert''s right hand? You know how important that man is, how much he owns, what hes doing, what hes done. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Chester: I promise you, Im not. The Inspector takes Chester''s cigarette, puts it out, and gets him to wash his hands. Chester obliges and then assists the Inspector in putting on his gloves. Inspector: Well if youre not, then I wont have to worry about ever feeling a bit of suspicion while youre under this year-long investigation. Now, will you assist me while I try to see what happened to this young boy here? The Inspector takes the cloth off of the table, revealing the dead body of a young boy. His skin is chard, and whatever isnt is gray and scaly. His hair is a deep black, and his bones are crushed to pieces. The smell that waves over the both of them alone should make anyone vomit, as well as the sight of the body may make somebody pass out, but both Chester and the Inspector aren''t phased. Inspector: You seem to have a rather tough stomach do you not? Chester: Im kinda used to this stuff, I used to live on the street before Rupert picked me up. I mean, as the great Inspector, you should know this right? Inspector: As the Great Inspector as youve kindly addressed me does know this, he also knows that most of Rupert''s followers are of similar origin as well. Orson, the bear Demi-human, you know him well, yes? Chester: Of course, we all called him Rupert''s left-hand man. What about him? The inspector begins feeling the broken bones in the boy''s body. He then grabs a knife from behind him, cutting open bits of the skin. Inspector: Well the same figure who left Rupert to the guard also gave them the location where he was found. Underneath one of his factories, in your name, no doubt was a rail system that I found to have been made from five years to a decade ago. Valatrocitus only got the new train system last November. In such a train station, miles down it, we found two trains and a few cars that were left behind. Inside one was a bloodbath, with the injured Orson inside, and the other was a bit further up, burnt and destroyed. And then, just a little bit further up, was this boy lying inside. Chester: Damn? Under my building? Chester''s bald-faced lie could be seen through the simplest of people, such simplicity may force people more intertwined with human emotion to think a bit more about it. Is this a joke? Can I not understand his rhetoric, tone, dialect, or if hes telling the truth? All things that Chester figured would go through the Inspector''s mind when he used such a sarcastic tone. But, the Inspector being as strange as he is, pays no attention to Chester''s thoughtless words and continues inspecting the body. Inspector: His bones have been crushed in a manner resulting from blunt force, but the way the force hit him and then expelled to the rest of his body, wouldnt result from a weapon. It could have been a small weapon being swung by a strong man or Demi-human, but I feel that its unlikely. What is likely, is that it was a result of a punch or kick, though the angle at which the force was distributed would force me to believe it was a kick. Chester: You are good at this. But who could that have been? Inspector: Yes I wonder, but you may know something about kicks right? As youre the brother of the famous sailer Blaze are you not? So hopefully we can find out why this young boy was killed in such a way. It could be an error on my part, but Ive never failed in any case. Ive been at this for as long as I can remember, so this is just another step on the road. The Inspector is an odd subject, as hes truly recognized and accepted like no other subject. When you kill him he returns, when you need him he appears, and all he works toward is learning and the good for man. Chester was a person who already exuded the aura of a person who would look at you and spit in your eye, so it wasnt going to look good if he was against him. Chester: Look, I know I have to be here, but I don''t know about all of this. Inspector: I didnt say you had to. I will be placing most of my current jobs on hold to fully open your case and expand Ruperts. I wanted to look at everything about all of it! Chester: HmpOkay? Inspector: So, continue living, just now youll have an eye over your back. Chester was surprised but thankful. In the next moment he was outside in the rain and calling a carriage, rushing away with a smile on his face. Sadly he found he was out of cigarettes though, but he always made sure to keep an extra in his sock. Grabbing it and lighting it he puffed and laughed. Chester {Too easy. Hardest part of my day is gonna have to be gettin another pack, not this old man.} Inspector: Really now? Chester: EH!? Jumping up and screaming was not the look Chester was used to showing off. The Inspector, noticing Chester dropped his cigarette, also noticed that it rolled through a small hole in the carriage and into the rainy street. Chester: SHIT! Somehow The Inspector had appeared and nothing had changed; he wanted to be there and there he was. Chester sat up angry and came to understand just what he was having to deal with for the next year. Inspector: I dont have anything out for you. This is nothing work! Chester: Yeahyeah After his attempt to uproot Rupert from his operation and take control of Valatrocitus, as well as the world''s underworld, he was left completely distraught with absolutely everything. Bitter sweet as a start to a long and painful year hes going to experience. Side Story: Kioshi Van Helsing Side Story: Kioshi Van Helsing Her name was Kioshi Van Helsing, she was the strongest to ever exist. Not Godrick Walgonia, Lincoln Valentine, Prometheus Yagari, or Valor. They all pale in comparison to the woman who lived only twenty years, was known for less, but whose story echoes through time. But that isnt how she started, she had to age and grow, and thats where we find the currently young god. Even though shes only existed for a month or so, she looked about ten, trying to play with the just recently titled Worlds Greatest Swordsmen. After chatting with everyone on the boat leaving Oni-mas, Musashi took the young girl to his new home in the Capital of Walgonia. And just in Musashi fashion, right after a party, he sits in the office of his mansion working the day away. So she rocks back and forth on the soft carpet in the room, staring at the books that line the walls. Dusting the nearby books is the more fatherly Al, glancing at this young girl every few seconds while he cleans. Kioshi: Im bored! I wanna swing a sword! Musashi tilts his head up from the large force pulling him down, that force being paperwork. While she glares at him with her sharp golden eyes, he feels a bit obligated to do something with her. Musashi: Look kid, Im tired from the celebration. But since you werent allowed to go, I guess we can do something. Kioshi: SWORD! MAKE THAT SOMETHING BE SWORD FIGHTING! Musashi: Whats up with this obsession over swords? Al obviously is shaken by his hypocritical words so he gives him a deadpan look. Musashi chuckles as he leaves his office, walking down the hall, down the stairs, through another hall, all to enter his training room. Its laced with weaponry as well as glimmering armor while all being basked in the shadow of a large Walgonian flag. With the young swordsmen frolicking in the room, Musashi hands her a wooden sword while also grabbing one for himself. She ecstatically swings the blunt weapon all around her, granting a soft smirk from Musashi. As they step into an enormous yard with fenced-in brick walls, in the middle of the capital''s northern district, Kioshi jumps for joy as he is washed with the light of the morning sun. The ever-diligent Al watches from afar, cleaning the windows from the inside of the mansion. Al, being as proud of Musashi as he is, decides not to interfere with their relationship as this is something new to him. Al {Even when he was growing up with Gotsu, he was never this close. Hes treating her like a real daughter quite quicklyI cant believe hes a father, a father of this great spirit.} Musashi stands down below, trying to get Kioshi to focus on him and not everything else. To prepare Kioshi for whats to come, he first needs to think of whats first to come. After a few seconds mixed with a few deep breaths, Musashi is ready. So he picks up his tone, puffs out his chest, and holds up his wooden blade all while Kioshi rolls around in the grass, getting her plain white dress messy. Musashi: The four sword styles of old. Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind, are all made with a purpose. Water is for countering, and flowing, while fire is fierce. Then the other opposites, as wind is all about balance, and earth is heavy and pounding. Out of all of them, if you had to pick one, which would you pick? Because in my opinion, water is by far the hardest. While Musashi waits for Kioshi to ponder his question she answers instantly with her hand in the air. Kioshi: THE WATER ONE! Musashi: Really? Id assume youd pick fire. Why water? Kioshi: Uh duh! Because youre the world''s greatest swordsman! So if its hard you should be able to teach it! Musashi is instantly stunned, but in a good way. With a quick glance to Al for help and one back at Kioshi, he simply shrugs his shoulders. Musashi: Well good. That was test number one, and you passed. So new knowledge for you, there are no elemental sword styles, well not anymore. But I can still teach you the Knights style, and some of my own stuff. So hold your sword, focus your mana, and try to hit me. Kioshi: Thats way too easy! As this thirty-year-old man tells this ten-year-old girl to try and fight him, Al slides his hand down his face but still doesn''t step in. Kioshi, being as anxious as she is, instantly attacks Musashi, and this attack, this very attack, is the first showing of her insurmountable strength. Her wooden sword swings through the air, causing the nearby spirits to light up and focus on it, propelling the force of her swing to a profound degree. As it causes the wooden sword to explode it also blasts toward the surprised Musashi. It rips at the ground, tearing up the grass on the way toward the world''s greatest swordsmen, which he promptly blocks. Even though he blocks it, the sheer force from the projectile puts a little pressure on him. Kioshi falls to the ground, scared and drained, while Musashi is ecstatic, and a little afraid. As the dust clears, more and more dust is sprung up, because five years later, the strongest being in the world is still at it. Shes been given the proper age of fifteen along with the proper blade of a warrior. All of the higher-ups, including nobles, elders, and anyone in any state of power knew of her existence, but hid it from the world. Until today, shes been given her first mission as this secret avenger, one of great magnitude. Over a year, a Dulldahan wandering the continent of Saga has slaughtered almost every single member of the named guilds. By using the guild books to find out their locations, abilities, and ranks, systematically murdered them. In this year-long blood hunt, theyve been unable to track this beast, with even Ryo Hollis having issues doing so, but Kioshi found her way. After a meeting, one meeting unknown to the world was one attended by gods. In a random spot in all of Saga, Musashi, Ryo, Lincoln, Cornelius, and Elizebeth all meet up to discuss the issue with the Dulldahan. So while they sit around a circular table covered in the dark dirty air they try to converse with each other to find the answer. The tensions are high. Lincoln: Ill make this quick, I dont want to be here. We all dont but - Elizabeth slams her hand on the wooden table, holding her tiara while doing so. Elizabeth: YOU DARE SPEAK OVER ME!? WE ALL HAVE ISSUES HERE! But this Dulldahan is far more important than that. I cannot face the beast myself, as I have a country to run. I cant put my life at risk for something so small. Musashi: Small? Its been a year, in a single year thousands of people have been slaughtered! In all of our countries! Elizabeth: Are you calling me an idiot!? Cornelius lets his head fall onto the table, bored of the entire thing. Lincoln on the other hand is ready to fight Elizabeth right here, as he knows hell win. But as the current Queen of Athens attendant, doing so would mean war, a war they may not win. Thats the issue with most of the solutions they have because anything more than whats needed could push for war. And while Walgonia would defeat Ravoira if it came down to it, its unneeded and worthless, as theyve already let the issue fall out of their hands. Lincoln: I have a country to protect, same with Musashi and Cornelius! But were here, and were ready. Cornelius: ActuallyI dont really feel like it. You guys can deal with it, and enter Valatrositice if you have tobut other than that Im not giving any more importance to the matter. Picking himself back up, the ever-tired with life Cornelius steps out of the small building, entering his carriage to return to his castle. This leaves the World''s strongest man, the World''s greatest swordsman, and the World''s greatest spirit mage all alone with the queen of frost. Elizabeth: That sad man is an embarrassment to us all. A joke of a king. But this monster, this headless beast isnt. Ive seen its monstrous strength, its killed some of my best men. If I faced it, I may not have won. That is my honest answer. So either we send Lincoln, Musashi, or a team of two when you include Ryo and myself. That allows for a sure win, but until we have his potion found, Im not assisting any further. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. As Elizabeth leaves as well, this leaves the three men to think over the whole thing. But they all seem to come to the same conclusion, to use their greatest weapon that will win for sure. As they all turn to their left, looking at the teenage girl standing in the corner. Five years ago Kioshi was just a young girl, but now, she''s unrivaled. Musashi: I think its time, we need you. After five years of relentless training with a few Gods of War, going to the school for knights as well as starting her time at Valors School of Magic, Kioshi Van Helsing is ready to be introduced to the world. Wearing a shining white chest plate, white arm, and leg guards, a black-and-white mengu mask, and lastly a long black cape. But in her lap is a standard broadsword, rocking back and forth as her carriage moves. Kioshi has been sent off to find this monster right after the meeting of the gods, as she can feel its presence. While everyone else had other things to do, they put their trust in this ultimate weapon to slay this beast. Shes silent, waiting for the moment when she has to strike. Her nature as a spirit in the form of a human, even if she doesn''t understand, is leading her to this corrupted and cursed being. Shes spent years in hiding, even now Al is the one to drive the carriage, as she needs to be kept under supervision just in case. Shes Walgonias future, their weapon that will defeat all else. Her already extreme strength is only rivaled by Lincoln as well and her excellent sword skill pales in comparison to Musashis. But what allows her to stand apart is that she isnt number one in something, shes number one in everything else. While her base strength isnt better than Lincoln''s boosted power when you allow her to use her true abilities shed beat him. While her overall skill with the sword falls below Musashi, allow her to use her mana to its fullest and hell be lying on the ground wheezing. This world may be unfair, confusing, and hateful, but its spawned a hero to face all of these injustices made by society. She doesn''t need to eat, sleep, drink, or speak, as shell always keep moving forward. But her human aspects are what give her life, along with Musashi and Als mentorship to shape her values and abilities. She has everything she needs, so while sitting on the outside of the carriage, pointing her blade toward where this Dullahan should be, they reach it. A daze of the seemingly endless fog hovers over the border of Valatrositce and Walgonia, consuming the land. As Al drives the carriage through the guard fog Kioshi tries to focus on the Guild Hunter''s presence. Her immense power scares all the surrounding monsters away, leaving them in this silent void of hazy mist. A little south of the center of the fog, the loud steps of Dullahan''s horse echo through this deaf space, causing Al to suddenly stop the carriage. Al: This is where I part. Im sorry, but Im far too weak to face this beast alongside you, but I know youll win. Kioshi: Are you sure? Everyone talking about this monster is calling it the strongest to ever exist! Taking on A-rank soldiers without getting touched, without breaking a sweat.we need to head back. Al: Im sorry but I wont be doing that. Though if you were to force my hand, I wouldnt be able to resist. His calm voice soothes her panic, so she grabs her sword and moves on. While for a second the idea of taking his offer and leaving crossed her quivering mind, she decided to move forward. After walking in this chilling fog for a few miles, she finds it. Its skin has melted and warped to become this rough dark armor to cover the body, creating this headless soldier. A beast made to fight, but somehow has the capability of thought and planning. That single detail is what led the higher-ups to believe it was a cursed figure, a cursed man. That would mean that the Dullahan was born in Oni-mas, somehow traveling across the ocean to reach Saga. But that information doesn''t change what needs to happen, that it needs to die. But at this point, it may be too late, due to the fact that every single guild that didnt die already resigned. Even though most guilds are made from new graduates and break off later, the fact that there is none is stunning. What is more stunning though is the sight held before Al. He watches from afar while Kioshi grips the hilt of her blade, staring at where the headless horseman''s eyes should be. Al quickly leaves the area, so as to not be caught up in the serious damage thats sure to ensue from such a battle as this one. Kioshi: Over one thousand dead. Do you know the pain youve caused? The destruction your actions have caused? You will pay for your awful deeds, you will fall by my blade. While the Dullahan doesn''t respond, the demonic horse does. A single puff of air from the undead animal''s nose spreads a ring of white fire around them, killing the grass they stand on. So there they are, there she is. While her life isnt filled with as fantastical things as most would assume, she still stands above the rest in strength, but the world has yet to see this. So to the Dullahan Kioshi is only a lone girl wanting to die while emitting a grand veil of power. At the sight of her sword the Guild Hunter takes out his one. While various spikes protrude off his body, as the bone armor has grown and warped, one on his shoulder grows in length. The humanoid monster grasps the spike, snapping it off while covering it in white flames. Kioshi remains still, waiting for her moment, waiting for the Guild Hunter to strike. The white flames fade, leaving the spike as a newly crafted sword fueled by the power of its corrupted master''s soul. In a flash the horse is off, leaping into the air so the Guild Hunter can swing down this blade blessed by the devil. Kioshi returns with a swift strike, one infused without the blessing of the spirits in the air. Even so, the pure force that emerges destroys any hope for a clash of blades, as the horrific being is sent tumbling back. While the horse catches them both, the second they touch the ground Kioshi is already behind it, ready to strike again. Blinding white flames emerge around the Dullahan, which envelops its blade to clash with her swing. For Kioshi to use her god-given strength to its maximum she needs to contact the spirits in the air, spread her will all around her and grasp onto the living spirits to use them as force. While her powers have been explained to be a result of three marks of providence, thats a plain-faced lie. Shes a blessing made by the world, so the world itself doesn''t want to hurt her. While beings like this death-hungry Dullahan exist outside of the hands of the world, mana doesnt. So the flames around the Dullahan sword dissipate the second it gets near Kyoshi, lessening the power of its strike and allowing Kioshis to go through. That is her first ability, anything made or empowered by mana will fade away when sent toward Kioshi with intent to harm. While the Guild Hunter is sent back its almost unbreakable body remains fine, but now that it knows Kioshis strength it begins to get stronger to match her. The horse loses its dead skin, and the armor around the Dullahans body grows and hardens, all while Kioshi charges up an attack. With her sword ready to thrust, she will echo through the spirits, pulling them in. Their mana floods around her body and onto her blade, causing it to light up in a blinding blue hue. So when the empowered Guild Hunter charges forward, she swings. The battle-hardened beast it rides upon instantly leaps out of the way, dodging the weaponized azure wind. With her attack a failure shes left open for attack, which the Dullahans able to land. As the horse speeds forward, leaving a trail of white flames behind, the Dullahan swings down its blade. Her lightning-fast speeds are enough to free herself from any long-lasting damage, shes grazed on the forearm before she flashes away. The moment she vanishes the true power of the Dullahans attack is shown when the ground around them both splinters and shakes. However, the dystopian surrounding of the fog truly shows its face when the Dullahan vanishes within it. While Kioshi lands nearby, she grabs onto her small cut shaking in pain. With it was just a minuscule the amount of damage, the mana infused within the Guild Hunter itself flowed through its blade, causing her blood to corrupt into a poison. Luckily before it can spread the blood boils away to return to its pure state, saving her life. Kioshi: Dammitwe should have just sent Lincoln. Im not strong enough for this! HIS ARMOR HASNT EVEN CRACKED! Her tears swell up, but the haunting neigh of the horse flares her will back up because this is when her third ability comes to light. While her immunity to magical attacks, and the ability to use the spirits as she wills are all instantly useful, this one last power is the ultimate trump card. While the Guild Hunter charges from behind the spirits around her light up and coat her body, especially around her small wound. With a mana-charged swing from Kioshi, the ground explodes around them. The Guild Hunter is hit dead on by the insurmountable slash, cracking the bone armor around his shoulder, and forcing it into overdrive. This attack held such strength without much charge time because the third ability showed its face, the ability to gain strength as she bleeds. So as the earth cracks and explodes around them, the horrific skeletal horse jumps and runs on the emerging rock while the Guild Hunter grows stronger. The pitch black skin under the bodily crafted armor burns away, crusting over with the armor as well. Then lastly, while it charges up its own swing, the headless neck bursts with white flames to allow the Dullahan to laugh and cackle within this mist-filled despair. His haunting chuckles force fear itself to swell from within Kioshis heart, building up on her internal thoughts. Because with its will overpowering her own, it begins to speak directly into her mind. You are strong, child. You could take on the strength and pain of the living, to help and protect. But I am beyond such simple fates, I am free. Cursed to walk these lands for all time as I am unvanquishable, not even your so-called gods are strong enough to stand against me. So why do you think you can, why do you think youre strong? Because people told you? Because people believed in you? How shameful. As his words grow stronger, so does the fog. Shes unable to keep her footing, unable to stand strong. The Guild Hunter, this monstrous being, this Dullahan, begins to move closer to her. There are people in this world who impose death, who wield death, who think they are death. There is a man named Lazarus who can take souls and a man named Prometheus who can corrupt life and things fueled by it, but I need no such thing. WITH MY BLADE AND MY STEED I WILL END THIS WRETCHED EXISTENCE THAT ALL ARE FORCED TO EXPERIENCE. I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING TO CREATE MORE, I WILL MOVE UNTIL EVERY LIGHT IS EXTINGUISHED! You are a god that neither I nor the world have met, and it will stay that way. Kioshi {It seems that whatever this monster has the ability to grow in strength the longer its in battlethat explains why it was able to kill all of those guilds. If I dont finish this now itll get strong enough to kill the Gods of Warit could topple nations if given time. So I have to kill it right here, RIGHT NOW} With a breath, a thought, and the effort to move, Kioshi stands up. Her mind explodes at the same time her mana does. As it leaves her body it becomes one with the vast area around them all before it swells back into her, all happening before the Guild Hunter can even swing its blade. So as it attempts to cleave her in two, the ground it was standing on crumbles under the weight of Kioshis presence. Kioshi: I am a present from the land above to protect this idea of life, so if you exist to go against it, Ill have to put your existence to an end. She holds her blade high into the air, shining a light so bright it exposes all within the endless fog, and overpowers the Guild Hunter. Its armor begins to burn, and its horse begins to crumble, but its mind lives on. In one last attempt to counteract this biblical attack, to kill the hand of god thats interacting with the world and its reason to live, it grows. While flames coat its body, the armor grows, and life dies, but Kioshis doesn''t. When she brings her sword down, she brings all that can be felt along with it, cleaving this stretch of the guard fog in two. The land is flattened, the land is free, and the Guild Hunter is gone. Whats left is a shadow burned into the ground along with a skull lying on the newly revived grass. On the other end of this broken wall of fog, Al stands still with his carriage toppled over behind him. And to his side is Musashi, waiting for his daughter to prevail. They withstood the force that bounced between the ends of the fog and watched what broke it walk into the line of view. As both Musashi and Al look upon this godly feat of power, they stare at the god who did it. Kioshi Van Helsing holds the skull of the Guild Hunter, a trophy of the dead Dullahan. And in the coming days, the world grew to hear of her accomplishment, then within a month, she was praised by her country. Kneeling before King Buford in his throne room, in the capital of Walgonia, shes presented to the world as the final God of war. The knights within the castle shout her name, and the civilians watch and listen to her speech soon after love as well as adoring her. Her existence is to be strong, and thats what she did. She lived her entire life working, and fighting, while also taking care of everyone she could, until the end. While her fate of death was one the world could have never seen coming, it is quite the undeserved one at that. A weapon made from Alfheim, the same domain that created her, robbed her of her power and forced her to fight with nothing. She was killed without truly living for her, a fate that seems to hold for all reincarnations of power, one she could not escape. While her upbringing was one of familial love, her name is held in the highest regard somebody would want, and her last few minutes were one of fear and confusion. Losing the chance to rule the country to live to be saved by villainous action and trickery, she lost her life the same way. Unable to go all out due to the robbery of her power and the presence of her friends. The only thing she was given was locked away, while something she gained led to her loss. Devils of the End, apostles of malice, the self-called future pillars of justice that are the Sect of Anarchy. Living order, killed by living chaos. The corruption of the world corrupted the very thing the world made to protect itself. The End is truly inevitable, even to those who seem beyond the strings of life. Fin Arc 7: Chapter 1. Freshly fallen snow Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 1. Freshly fallen snow In Walgonia, there is a town located near the side of a mountain, with a stone wall placed around it. A few miles outside of the town, in the snow-covered area, is a small guild of three. All around the age of eighteen, a man dressed like a soldier holds a sword, leading his guildmates through the thick snow up a hill, overlooking a large white bear-like creature called a Winter Bruin. Then a woman walks to his side, dressed in a dark, thick, purple robe, holding a large magical staff with a red crystal atop it. Then lastly, another woman without any major tools, though she does have a bag wrapped around her side, which holds medicinal equipment. She shivers, rubbing her hands together, while the man pushes past the cold wind and slides down the mountain, right at the sleeping beast. You idiot. The woman holding the staff aims it at the monster, focuses her mana on the crystal, closes her soft green eyes, and casts her spell. Ignum The crystal lights up, letting out the charged mana to form a small ball of fire, which blasts past the man and right at the beast''s face. The bear awakens, roaring in pain as a result of the flames burning his face, though the flames quickly fade. The man drifts toward the side of the beast that the attack had landed on, due to the fact the bears eye had been injured. Using this blind spot, he clenches his straight sword, takes an upright stance, and slashes the beast up the side of its neck. To protect itself, the beast begins swinging its large arms all around itself, trying to use its claws to strike its attacker. The man rolls out of the way, in a very stiff and robotic manner, leading the beast to easily catch him off balance. It pounces on him, opening its large jaw, attempting to bite his head off. He screams for help just as the mage casts another flame spell, sending a bolt of flames into its face. While its off balance, the man pierces the beast through the neck, causing it to fall on top of him. The soldiers'' friends begin to chuckle while they slide down the mountain to help him lift the dead beast. As it rolls off of them, they begin to drag the monster back to their things, struggling to put it onto a large sled. While they do this, they chat amongst each other, ignoring the slightly shaking snow. While they pull the sled to the town, the snow begins to shift into a pile, which emerges right under the sled. A large arm made from the fluffy freezing snow flips the sled, tossing the dead beast over to coat the ground in its still-warm blood. They all begin to panic, especially the soldier. When he reaches for his sword, his hand slips off, putting his face to face with the now fully-formed snow golem. The mindless beast is about nine feet tall and sluggish in its movements. The mage takes advantage of its stubbly legs, sending a fireball toward it, blasting it off. Now the other girl finally shows her usefulness, screaming out. Its a snow golem! Damnif theres one there must be others! She reaches into the back of her back, pulling out a book. She begins rummaging through the pages, trying to find something. And once she does, she holds out her hand, casting an offensive spirit art spell. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Glorow! An enchanted arrow made of mana forms in front of her, which is sent right into the head of the currently crawling mindless beast. Once it hits it, it disperses into the head of the beast, filling up its body, and causing it to sink back into the ground, leaving a skeleton behind. Then the snow begins forming underneath her, trapping her legs. She begins to sink into it, so the mage tries pulling her out, but the snow golem forms around both of them. The mage is able to jump back, letting out a horrid scream at the unknown fate of her guildmate. Now, being off her balance, falls over, into the forming of another snow golem. Then once again, another forms right between the two, which all begin slowly trucking toward the soldier. The faceless beasts are completely silent, though the longer they live on the more they gain a complete form. Their uneven body begins to reshape, their face begins to form, and once they open their new mouths, only the screams of their trapped friends can be heard. He moves and lifts the front of his helmet off, trying to get a better look at the monsters, but that only makes things worse. With every second that passes, they grow stronger, his friends grow weaker, and he grows more scared. The morning sky overlooks this quite common sight, newly made guilds of freshly graduated fighters go out, trying to make a quick buck by protecting a new town or village, only to be killed by an unknown beast. Now the soldier falls to the ground, accepting his fate, but a guardian angel appears in the sky, or a much for the fitting name, a phantom, an avenger filled with anger swoops down. A man with jet black, liquid skin, with silver pieces of armor rockets through the leading golem, causing it to fall to pieces. Before it can reform, the phantom begins to disrupt the corrupted spirits within the ground, causing the snow to stop moving. The snow golems feel the immense mana within the cloaked ghost in front of them, gaining their attention. As the wind begins to blow once more, it gives the soldier a better look at his protector. The avenger''s hooded cloak begins to blow in the wind, causing him to become more imposing, and it also gives a better look at his face. A silver face mask held to its face by its gooey black skin, holding it in place. The face is fairly simple, with three black lines going down the mouth area, causing it to look like a skull. The soldier stands up, attempting to toss his sword to the figure, though it waves its hand and clenches his fist, causing a short thick blade to emerge from the silver vambrace on his forearm. He seamlessly moves between the large golems, easily cutting around the soldiers'' trapped friends. The cloak on its back begins to move, forcing itself through the thick snow, grabbing the soldier''s friends, and tossing them to him. As he comforts his freezing friends, he watches the phantom leap and sticks onto the back of the golem, disrupting its mana, and causing them to disperse once more. Then once he does it to the other golem, he flips into the air, landing right in front of the panicking soldier. Now that the soldier can get a good look at the mask, he instantly identifies the identity of his savior. Soldier: The Phantom Knight! The Spirit of Walgonia! One of the Heroes of Walgonia! Youre Gr- The Phantom cuts off the soldier before he can finish his sentence by covering his mouth with his cloak. The Phantom then places his hands on the freezing woman, struggling to focus. After a bit, hes able to heat up the spirits around them, allowing everyone to warm up. After a bit, they both begin to wake up, but once they do, all they find is their friend pulling them in the sled alongside the bear they had killed. The mage: What happened? The other woman begins to wake up, trying her best to remember why they had been attacked. Snow golems, we must have been walking over a past battlefield. The mana in the snow was right on top of the fallen in battle, their lingering souls aloud the mana to give life to the long gone minds, only thinking of killing. The Soldier: Yeah, but we had a guardian angel on our sideor more like a ghost. In the sky, flying north on a large Earth-bound dragon is such a ghost, sitting on the dragon''s saddle. He flows the pieces of armor off of his body, into a bag to his side, including his mask. He then lets the black ooze flow off of his body as well, being sucked into its cursed charm dangling on the necklace hanging from his neck on top of a yin and yang charm. The Phantom, now revealed to be a man, brushes his brown hair out of his face, sighing. Gray: Dumb kids... In his heart he couldn''t help but save them, however, he was beginning to feel like it''s just a waste of time. End of Chapter One Arc 7: Chapter 2. Just do it already Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 2. Just do it already A few hours after Gray had left Greenvale, Edward, Peter, Gordon, Ryo, and Lisa stood inside Gordon''s old house and Lincoln''s current one. As they wait outside of his room, all they can do is think about whats next. Edward''s body is destroyed, Peter isnt strong enough to lead a fight, Gordon is busy being King, and Ryo is his advisor. The only reason Lisa is even here and not in Constal is for her safety, as her mother Greta died, leaving everything in Julius control. Then with her knowledge of Julius betrayal, she would be the first to be killed if she stayed. Peter: Sowhat do we do now? Peter looks around, trying to start a conversation, but everyones silent. Lisas distracted by all of the armor everywhere, exact copies of the fallen greats. Sultan the Lost, Flora the Grand, Orm the Old, Gotsu the Monster Slayer, Kioshi the Insurmountable, and Musashi, the Ronin of the Mist. Their individual mengu, the mouth cover that all members of the Leviathan army wear don''t stand out too much. Kioshis is black and white, while the rest are black. The armor stands out just a bit more, but its mainly the small things, like Musashi''s cloak, Kioshis white armor, Gotsu''s black armor, and a large sword. This isnt every Helsing thats ever existed, nor are they pure-blooded, but they have titles, they all became great. Peter assumed shed be distracted by anything that could tell her more about the world, so he sat awkwardly between the somber Edward, angry Gordon, and quiet Ryo. Gordon begins straightening the small top-knot bun on the back of his head, drawing his hawk-like eyes to Peter. Gordon: We need to do a million things! In response to Arthur taking over Walgonia, I was forced to cut off a lot of connections to the other bits of Walgonia to prevent them from being compromised. Ive just gotten the connection back, Im trying my best to get all of the fired soldiers and Knights back! Then theirs the Athens issue! Their are so many people broken from what they lost, the trauma. I''ve tried to find a place for all of them, keeping the families together, trying to fix our mistake...but we''re so backed up... Ive yet to find a replacement king. Somebody suitable. Nobody is trustworthy enough to have the possibility for election a promise I made so long ago, one I have yet to make up for. Maybe I went too far with thatbut I wont lie to them. And now, with Jong''s deathwe dont have a commander for the Knights, because, of course, he didnt have anybody ready to replace him! And Now that Lincoln iswell like he is now, we dont have a leader for the Leviathan armyor whats left of it. He begins to ramble on, angry and venting all of his built-up frustrations at everything thats happened over the last year. He clenches his fist, walks up to the painting of Musashi, and continues to speak. Gordon: If we can''t keep up with the moving world, weve lost. All our pillars of strength are falling. Then everybody who can fill those shoes are either dying or are held up by the billion other things they have to do! And that damn Kyojin boy cares nothing about it. I once thought of him as the golden example of change, what one could accomplish if he put his entire life into his dream, and now hes gone. He failed this country. While Edward was able to understand Gordon''s frustrations, he couldn''t accept them. To his ears, at least the part about his friends, all he can do is lash out against them, so he does. He stands up, furrows his brow, and struggles to stay upright on the prosthetic leg, which is nothing more than some metal strapped to his knee. Edward: You speak as if hes an object bred for war! Like hes not a manand he''s hardly that! He''s just a kid, they all are! Everyone else had been born into this, doing it for as long as they can remember, while Grays been doing this for a little over a year. Yet, when he makes one mistake, a mistake everyone else would have made, you turn your back on him? All he wants to do is to avenge his friends! That''s all he has! Gordon: You''re just saying that because you can relate! I heard how you acted with Moro! But we can''t all just throw away our responsibilities! I understand your anger, but look at you. Youre still here, youre still alive, you didn''t - The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Edward: BULL SHIT! LOOK AT ME! MY BODY IS ABOUT TO COLLAPSE, YAGARI INFECTED ME, AND UNLESS I GET HEALED EVERY WEEK ILL DIE! THIS ISNT LIVING! THIS IS WAR! WHAT WAR DOES! WHAT GROUPS LIKE THE SECT DO! ALL WE''RE TRYING TO DO IS FIX IT, STOP IT! Gordon walks up to Edward, and even with Edward''s height advantage, he still takes dominance in the conversation. Gordon: Do you really think that''s not what I''m trying to do!? I''M DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY! WITH LITTLE CONFLICT, WITH PLANNING, WITH TIME! WARS, BATTLES, THEY LAST DAYS, MONTHS, YEARS EVEN! WE''RE NOT KEEPING UP! And we can''t lose anything else! We didn''t lose you. You are alive, thats all that matters. You went up against those monsters, and youre the only one left standing. But Gray, thats no longer himhes dead. He''s abandoned the proper cause. In time, Peter will make you something that will allow you to fight, if you want. But as long as Im in control, I say youre done for now. Youll retire, marry, and have children. Edward: So youll just use me!? Now I know why youre king, not because you care for the people under you, but because you know you can use them. All you care about is living, but not how we''re going to do it. Edward''s words stab deep into Gordon''s spirit, though he wont back down, as hes lived his entire life fighting against whatever stands in his way. Gordon: Then what will you do? Will you fight? I dont see you doing that, nor do I see you doing anything more than relaxing for the rest of your life. BUT YOU''VE EARNED THAT! DON''T YOU GET IT!? If Kyojin stayed, talked, I would have understood! I would have helped! But he''s acting like a child! And so are you! I understand you miss your friend, that you think I''m bad mouthing him! But he''s in the wrong! HE LEFT US! I am a king, and I hate it. But you, you are a warrior, youve served your purpose, now take what others would kill for, a peaceful life. Please Edward is about to respond, but Lincoln''s door opens with Erline West walking out, the best healer in the country. Erline: WOULD YOU BOTH HUSH! Edward steps down, not to anger his elder, but Gordon steps down for another reason, one that only Peter can see. Even in his old age along with his title, he has a crush. Erline: Now, Lincoln is awake. But he wants to see Edward, only Edward. Gordon gives Edward a quick glance, a look that tells him he can go forward, so he does. Edward steps into the nice, warm room, and at the end is a large bed that holds the injured Lincoln. Hes wrapped up in large thick blankets, which Edward chuckles at, but hes only doing this to lighten the mood. With each step, his loud metal leg clanks on the floor, unlocking and relocking every time he lifts his leg and sets it down. Then the swinging of the prosthetic arm creates the same noise, though the arm doesn''t seem to be very useful. He steps beside Lincoln, getting a good look at his face, and it scares him. The left side of his face was already extremely injured, but now its spread across his entire body. The once muscular man has been worn down into the shriveled, burned, and aged figure before him, struggling and wheezing with every breath. His hair has also faded, turning fully white while it was once a thick brown. The man before him is not the man he once knew, but Lincoln acts as if nothing happened, talking the way he always does. Lincoln: Stop your clanging and get me some booze. Edward: You know I cant do that. Lincoln: WhateverI heard Gray left, and I just overheard your little argument with our fabulous king in there, Im proud. Youve grown a backbone, and Gray has grown some balls. Edward: Im glad youre okay. Lincoln: Okay!? This isnt okay, this isnt living. I agree with you, with what you said to Gordon, but I also agree with him as well. We were warriors from the start of our life, and we both hoped to end it that waybut as we stand now, or barely stand, it doesn''t seem like it will end that waybut I would bet money on it that youre gonna follow Gray real soon. You have a plan don''t you? Edward looks at the cracked open door behind him, deciding whether or not hell explain what hes thinking to Lincoln, but he holds down his fear and says it anyway. Edward: My body is broken, poisoned, and useless. But I know what will fix it, something hidden from me, hidden from the world. The cursed charm, armor of despair, Godricks armor, the Helsing Armor. Whatever you wanna call it. The same armor that killed my fatheralso helped him end the Demi-human war. If I find it, if I use it, it will rid my body of this toxin, force my bones back into place, weld them together, and grant me the use of my lost limbs; It will make me whole again. Lincoln: But itll also take your mind, your body, your soul. Your father used it for a couple of years before it finally took him over, but he was in pristine condition, his prime. Youre about the collapse right now. Cursed charms take the worst parts of yourself and create a new person, but Helsings already have the worst of themselves doing that for them. The warriors'' spirit. Your father was an odd case, but youve yet to achieve it. So the armor is gonna latch onto your worst emotions, and grow faster than it would on anybody else, but the armor does more than just that. Like all of the other cursed charms, it wants to live, itll take control of your body by killing it, and youre already two limbs and one eye down. Are you willing to risk it? Your life? Do you really want to die for this? Lincoln was already grieving from the loss of everything. Athens, his sons, his wife, and now his strength. But he couldnt keep moping. He had to care for what he had, so instead of letting it fall in front of his eyes, he tries to hold one of the few connections he has left. However, Edward isnt like Lincoln. Edward isnt trying to prove himself. Hes not fighting for himself. Edward: Ive been willing to die for this since I was a kid. And I knoweither it takes my mind or my body, but either way, I wont sit down and do nothing. Im going to get the Helsing armor, and then Im going to assist Gray on his hunt. Julius betrayed us, and the Sect took my family from me. Al, Musashi, Kioshi, Rosemary, Soku, Ophelia! And now you. I swear, I will make things right. Lincoln: Then quit talking about it and do it already. Just make sure it hurts. End of Chapter Two Arc 7: Chapter 3. Old faces, new clothes Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 3. Old faces, new clothes While the guild Gray had saved carries their things back to the town against the mountain, protected by a large stone wall, he makes his way there as well. While amidst the clouds, he goes through the pages of his spell book, looking for a certain spell, and once he finds it, he reads it out loud to get his mind in the right zone to cast it. Gray: Detic, a spell once cast, will disrupt others'' view of yourself. In the base form, it will simply distract others from your existence, as if youre not there. But if you do something to attract the attention of the people around you, people are trying to stay attentive, or people are looking for you, youll be detected as if no such spell was used. Dema hovers in the air, gently flapping her wings to the sound of Grays slow heartbeat, hundreds of feet in the air, soothing him. While his cloak flaps in the cold, his hair blowing backward, he holds his hand on his chest and begins focusing an even amount of mana across his body. Its warming and peaceful, though he snaps out of it once he casts the spell. Gray: Detic. The spell waves a distorted aura around him, not noticeable to the human eye, but one keen sight would see something similar to static coating his body. With the spell active, he steps off of Dema backward, falling hundreds of feet. He washes through the thick clouds and looks down upon the small town. Its compact, covered in snow, and fairly lively, but what it looks like dosnt matter to him, no, its what may be within it that draws his attention. When the time is right, he flows his cloak out, gliding down into an alley down below, swiftly landing. While he exits the alley, he flows his armor inside out, while also striking his cloak to look more like a long coat. His knee-high cuffed brown boots, sink into the wet snow, annoying him. He walks throughout the town, looking at all the stone and brick homes, and admiring the small community around him. Kids play in the snow, make snowmen, throw snowballs, and slide down the streets without a care in the world, without knowledge of what could be around every corner. He dosnt know where hes walking to, but something guiding him, a feeling. Its not the spirits, but something else, a familiar feeling, but nothing he can put his finger on. This is something he felt in Constal, that he had to go somewhere, that he had to look in a certain direction, he believes it has to be something mystical, but he never spends more than a few seconds thinking about it. While he continues walking through the streets, he pays close attention to what the passersby are saying. Is it going to snow later? Are the crops going to last through the rest of the winter? We need more supplies to be delivered! Man, Im losing a bit of money this winter, I knew I shouldnt have spent all of my money on summer supplies so early! Its all basic banter between people, nothing that he didnt expect. But as he narrows closer to the entrance of the town, he watches the people in the street begin to clap their hands for the guild, who are reentering the area. The swordsmen, the mage, and the healer dragging the sled that holds the dead winter bear. The Swordsmen: So, who wants to buy some meat! The mage and the healer are annoyed by the swordsman''s outburst, especially because all of the vendors quickly rush over to them and try to buy the dead animal from them. To his left is a tavern, so he assumes he can begin asking questions inside. Once he enters, it reminds him of the adventures guilds hes seen in television shows, manga, novels, and web novels. The weapons hung up, the skulls of slain beasts, but a lack of actual adventures. He makes his way to the bar, knocking on the table to get the bar keeps attention. He stops for a second because even though hes been in this world for a while, the barkeep being a pig Demi-human throws him off. The barkeep: Oh sorry, didnt see you there. Whatd you need? A drink? A mission? Gray: What is this place? The barkeep: An adventures guildor an old one. You know how it is. Gray: Um actually, I dont. The barkeep, surprised by Gray''s lack of knowledge, is finally happy to do something. So while he cleans the area, he begins to explain to Gray what he is referring to. The bar keep: After all of those big-name guilds got killed off, nobody wants to start one anymore. Even though the Guild Hunter got killed by Kioshi years ago, theyre still scared out of their minds. Most graduates of the Magic schools or Knight schools just go to become a soldiers or a knight. We need guilds to protect our farmers from all of these monsters, but I guess the soldiers can do that now. The small guild from earlier bursts through the front door, being followed by a small crowd. The barkeep is swept up in the commotion, quickly trying to serve as many people as he can. The young swordsman sits down beside Gray and is about to pay a round for everyone, though the mage stops him. As a small party begins around Gray, his spell is still active, so nobody pays him any attention. Now, frustrated he couldnt learn anything more, decides he better buy some food while hes here. Though he then finally realizes something pretty important, he dosnt have any money with him, nor does he have money on Demas saddle, hes completely broke. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Saddened by the news, he gets up and leaves, though he stops at the door. A tall knight with slicked-back black hair, with some white patches forming. With the Walgonias crest going across his chest, a long cape, and a blissful smile on his face, all it does is remind him of Jong. This causes him a bit of sorrow, making his already bad day worse, but once again hes stopped when he tries to get outside. Two men walk in, and with the swinging door behind them, hes able to see an Ogre Demi-human outside. The two men inside are dressed like Knights but have a circle around their small crest over their hearts. Hey, is that you Gray! The knight with tanned skin seems to recognize Gray, which he cant seem to understand. With the spell active, Gray figures he shouldnt have even been scene without making noise, though he fails to realize that suddenly stopping in front of people may catch their attention. The knight has a whip on his side, a sword on the other, and a dagger strapped to his chest, all weapons that Gray cant remember anybody using all at once. Gray {Straight black hair? No, tanned skin? No, a small pedo-stache? Nope.} The man in front of him seems to be a bit frustrated that Gray dosnt remember him, but when he looks at the outfit hes wearing, he quickly loses such frustration. The Knight to his side, dressed in similar attire, though he has a broadsword on his back with no other tools., seems to be a bit annoyed that his fellow knight is stopping this seemingly random man. He scratches at his blond beard, watching as Gray walks past the knights and exits the tavern. Outside the tavern, he sees the Oger again. Again, wearing the armor of a knight, but he has a large war hammer on his back, and also seems to recognize Gray. As he looks up at the tall man, the knights walk out of the tavern, following Gray. The oldest knight shakes Gray''s hand, stating his name. Henry: So youre Gray? Gray Kyojin? Its nice to meet you, my name is Henry! Gray: Um, hey. Gray goes to walk away, but the knight with tanned skin stops him, grabbing onto Gray''s shoulder and pulling on his coat. However, since the coat is made from the cloak of darkness, his hand smudges and pushes it, causing him to scream out. The Oger and the blond knight begin to laugh, while the tabbed knight begins to bicker with them. Gray: Sorry, but I have to get going. JJ: Come on Gray! Its me, JJ! And thats Boid! Gray is shocked by the reveal. The two thieves he had fought on his first day in this world, and who helped him during the raid on Walgonia, have turned into full-blown knights. Gray: Really? Youre knights now? JJ: Squires, under our teacher here. Henry: Hi, Im the teacher. And yeah, these three boys are my squires! Boid: Dude! What happened in Constal man!? Everyone is talking about it! Even the utterance of the name Constal sends a shiver down Gray''s spine, causing the tone of the conversation to plummet. He begins to walk away, overwhelmed, but JJ says something that catches Gray''s attention. JJ: Hey man! Wanna have duel? I can pay you some money, and if people figure out I dueled you, Ill be famous. While Gray couldnt care less about the duel, the sound of money takes his attention. Gray: What that even be fair? JJ: We wound use a mana dampening crystal first! Im a D rank swordsmen, but rummer is youre a B rank. Gray: Well its a bad rumor. Wait, didnt even know ranks existed. JJ: Well its kinda a niche thing unless youre in the know, yknow? Wait, shouldnt you be in the know? Rankings were used to determine the strength of fighters everywhere. But making your strength, abilities, and weakness commonly known is danhoruus to say the least. But even after existing for a short time, theyre still used by their respective governments to keep tabs on someones strength without making it comonly known. Gray: I guess Im not in the know. How much do I get if I win? Henry: Ill throw in five silver! Henry tosses the two mana-dampening crystals, which the two promptly put on. JJ: Sohows things going. JJ and the others look at Gray, staring at him like a historical figure, though Gray and Henry dont see it that way. Gray tries switching the subject, trying to escape talking about himself. Gray: So, I assume the circle on the crest means youre a squire? JJ: Yep! Boid, Todd there, and Me! All under Mr. Barclay. Were actually on the way to - Todd smacks JJ''s mouth before he can finish his sentence, so JJ responds by biting his fingers. Todd: Agh! You buffoon! JJ: You smacked me! Asswhole! Todd: I smacked you because the name of the place is secret! JJ: You dont think Gray knows about it? He lives there. Gray, assuming theyre talking about Greenvale, cuts the conversation short when the mana-dampening crystal sets in. Though, once again hes set into a panic. The feeling of his mana being damned drags his mind back to Eclis, causing his breath to grow short, his hands to shake, and his eyes to twitch. Everyone steps back, concerned for him, but Gray pushes past his fear with anger, holding his hand out for a sword. Henry: Um, usually we use wooden swords, but you can use mine if you want. Gray motions for him to through the sword, so he does. Henry pulls his straight sword from the leather holster on his side, tossing it to Gray while JJ gets his sword out. Henry: The rules are simple, the first one to get directly hit loses. No magic, no other weapons, but everything else is fine, cheap tricks and all. JJ: Only one hit? Henry: Dont want you getting hurt after all. Todd, Henry, and Boid all step back while Henry begins counting to three, and once hes done, theyre both off. The crowd that was in the tavern exits, watching to duel. Gray {From what Ive learned from the actual Knight sword style, there are four forms. Defensive, Offensive, Counter, and Dominating. There arent any super cool techniques that can one-shot somebody, its all small things that help you mix between the stances by foot word, your sword movement, how much strength you use, etcetera.} While Gray dosnt care much for the actual stances, since hes used to fighting with his mana, he holds his sword with one hand, holding it near the ground. JJ takes this at an Offensive stance and moves it with the intent to counter him. Gray quickly lifts his sword as his left foot slides backward, catching JJ off guard. This causes JJ to fail his counter and sets him off balance, but he relies on his training to push him through. Todd, Henry, and Boid begin chanting his name while the crowd around them could care less, only watching Gray. With all of the eyes on him, it makes him uncomfortable, while JJ loves it. All of his trauma, training, and experience, are to be fighting for coin. It causes him to feel like a jester, a clown, a washed-up nobody, its utterly depressing. JJ uses the momentum of the connected blows to force his sword down and lunge at Gray, but Gray lifts his sword, blocking it. He turns with JJs thrust, using his sword to let JJs blade slide off of it, and with a swift movement of his leg, he causes JJ to trip. Then before JJ can lift his head, hes tapped on his shoulder. Everyone begins clapping for Gray, but he pays no mind to it, as nothing is in his mind, except hatred and revenge. JJ extends his hand to Gray, but Gray walks past him, holding his hand out to Henry. Henry: Well, a bets a bet. And youre with my judgment, Id say youre a B-rank swordsman. Henry gives Gray his coins while Gray hands him his sword and the mana-dampening crystal. Then without a word, he enters the tavern, sitting back down at the bar. Now with the crowd gone, hes able to have a conversation with the currently cleaning barkeep. Gray: What do you know about the Sect of Anarchy? End of Chapter Three Arc 7: Chapter 4. Frostbitten Resolve Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 4. Frostbitten Resolve What was once Gray''s house, and is now more of a showing that he lived there, holds Peter. He stands just outside of Sokus'' room, listening to whats happening inside, anxious to open the door. The sound of spirits buzzing, like music to the ears, all humming in perfect harmony. The light green aura emanating from her room begins to slow down until finally stops, leaving the house quiet once more. After a few long seconds, Erline steps out. Erline: Do you want to see her? You stand out here every day, and yet you never look inside. Peter tilts his head down, trying not to look into Erline''s eyes, as if theyre hurting him. He tries and tries to walk forward, to force himself inside of that room, but he just cant. So, just like every day, he says nothing and walks back downstairs to do nothing. While he sits on the couch, staring at the warm fire tucked away within the chimney, he waits for Erline to leave. With his face in his hand, he listens to Erline walk down the stairs behind him, pass him, and exit through the front door, stepping into the snowy outdoors. While he sits there, not making a peep, all he can think about is his weakness. Every day he forces himself out of bed, looks into the mirror and is disgusted by the small scars on his face. They represent his loss, his torture, Lances death, and most importantly, Sokus current state. Something that every one of Walgonias Hereos, other than Julius, is that when something goes wrong, all they can do is try and shoulder the burden all alone. Hes quickly snapped out of his inner thoughts, a little happier because of it, when he hears the kitchen door open. Lisa walked through, entering the living room, to find Peter standing tall with a quivering smile on his face. She stands shivering from the cold, brushing the bits of snow off of her large brown jacket. After the initial wave to say hi, he plops himself back on the couch, losing his smile. At first, she sits at the other end of the couch, slowly scootching over to him. Peter: UhhSoUmmm.. Lisa: Yeah Im going to stay here until its safe. Erline wanted to teach me healing magic, but other than my Mark of Providence, I actually have an Offensive affinity. Peter, surprised that Lisa could understand what he was going to say, loses a bit of the stress he was holding in, relaxing for a moment. Peter: Do you plan on training in it? And if you do, are you going the spirit route or the elemental route? Lisa: UmI dont know. Lisa puckers her face with her answer, trying to hold back her laugh while she stares at the dumbfounded look on Peter''s face. Peter, embarrassed, turns his head away from her, but hes even more distressed when she puts her hand over his hand. This causes his heart to race and his hands to become clammy, staring at the ceiling. However, when he does this, his attention is drawn to Soku, whos slowly being freed from the stone trapping her. Lisa notices this, feeling a bit jealous, though she pushes past it and stands up. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Lisa: Hey, wanna go to your workshop? Peter: Isnt it a bit cold? Lisa: Eh, I dont really mind. Peter: Well okay then. Peter, dressed in basic clothing, steps into the harsh winter without a single shiver. While most if not all dark elves are blessed with some sort of internal strength, he had no such luck, though something he did seem to pick up in the gene pool is the thick skin. This protects him from the harsh cold as well as the burning sun, causing the shivering Lisa to be a bit jealous. Lisa: How come your workshop is in Grays backyard and not your own? Peter: Well I lived with them for a bit, and they had this place in their backyard, so they just gave it to me. He forces the large doors of his workshop open, struggling to move the snow out of the way. Once inside, Lisa quickly shuts it while Peter lights the furnace while he goes rummaging through his things. Lisa: What are you looking for? Peter: Edward said that he needs something that will help him fight again. This means a more stable prosthetic leg, as well as something to replace his missing arm for a time. While I could try something with magnets, which could close on the sword or something, his strength, or the things he may fight would crush it. But Gray had me make something from a story he read, he even made a joke that Edward looks like the guy from the story that used this weapon. Lisa: Whats the weapon. Peter: Well originally it was a mix between an actual arm and a weapon, though the prototype kinda got scraped. But Im thinking I could repurpose it, ditch the arm part, and make it a fully working weapon. But the fuel it would need may be hard to come by on such short notice, so Ive been working on a re-energizing fuel source, which may work as a proper weapon if you give it a device to use it with. As Peter goes through his messy workshop, he pulls out a box that holds what looks to be a small cannon with a fake hand that covers it, an arm cannon if you will. But then once he grabs this, he climbs up the ladder to his left, up to the balcony area that holds his extra weapons. While he used to work on his inventions on the bottom floor, the new vehicle he made is taking up space, so hes moved a lot of his stuff to the small area above. While up there, he slams the arm cannon on a wooden table and grabs an old weapon, but a strong one. The explosive launcher, while a bit stubby, its already smaller enough to hold in your hands without issue, other than the weight of course. Then, slamming the heavy item on the table, he begins to think of what he could do, while Lisa climbs the ladder. Hes drawn into his thoughts, taking a notebook to his side, beginning to rummage through his doodles to find something, anything that could make the tool better. Peter: Oh, almost forgot. Hey, could you hand me that box over there, and be careful. Lisa salutes Peter, grabs a small wooden box on the other side of the balcony, and struggles to lift it. But, she manages, setting it down on the table, panting once shes done. Though she eagerly watches Peter open it, finding a strange collage of red crystals, like theyve been fused together. Then in the center, a circular but jagged blue energy crystal, which has slowly turned into the bright red of the flame crystals. Lisa: Whatis that? Peter: A bunch of cores. Rick can use dwarven magic, which is good at welding materials and keeping them in check, its why theyre usually blacksmiths. Lisa: I know about dwarves! Actually, I wanna talk to him so can learn even more! Could you ask him for me? Peter begins to chuckle at Lisas'' love for knowledge, though the way she talks about it, its more like shes obsessed with it, though he dosnt mind. Then he gets to work, gathering all of the materials he may need and begins making plans for the weapon. While he does this, he fails to notice Edward watching from afar, though he steps away, looking at his prosthetic arm. He almost falls into the thick snow, due to his prosthetic leg struggling to keep him steady, but he continues trucking on to his house. Once inside, he walks to his barren room and grabs something from underneath his bed. His sword was made of Dragon Stone, which Prometheus had broken in two. The only reason he has it is because he held it in a death grip unconscious, never letting it go. Its about ten percent of what it once was, being about as long as a dagger, though its much, much thicker. The heft of the blade causes the ragging flame within him to grow a bit bigger, as the once light weapon when it was whole, has become too much. His body is slowly decaying, and the longer he waits to get the Helsing armor, the harder its going to get to retrieve it. But he tries to reject this truth, stepping outside to mindlessly swing the broken weapon, trying to keep his body as strong as he can, but its breaking him more than he already was. Everything has turned dark, cold, and depressing. Gray is gone, Peter is trying to distract himself the best he can, Sokus in a possibly indefinite coma, Rosemarys possibly dead, and Edwards slowly killing himself. And the longer everything goes on, the worse its going to get, but theyre all too stubborn to let themselves rest, to slow down even slightly. What was once their main driving force, will be their downfall. End of Chapter Four Arc 7: Chapter 5. Natural predator Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 5. Natural predator Right after Gray had asked the barkeep if he knew anything about the Sect of Anarchy, the tone in the room dropped. Gray had already prepared himself for failure, but surprisingly, the barkeep reacted in a way that led him to believe he may know something about them. The barkeep had stopped himself from cleaning, freezing in place. He then quickly returned to wiping down the tables, trying his best to ignore Gray, but he asked again. Gray: If you know anything, even if its the slightest bit of information, you better tell me. The barkeep still tries to act as if nothing is wrong, shrugging his shoulders and even going far enough to try and change his voice. The barkeep: Sorry man, I dunno nothing about anything. The barkeep turns around, finding Gray standing right in front of him. This causes him to shout and fall over, shaking to his core as Gray slowly approaches him. His coat begins to morph and change into its natural state, the cloak of darkness. He begins to force the spirit mana within the air to distort the light crystals in the room, causing everything to flicker on and off. Then, in an instant, between the lights blinking, he flows the bits of armor from within his cloak around his body. His mask oozes over his face, his cloak expels from the rest of the black, rubbery goo, and then sharp pieces of metal flow out from within the cloak and go over his fingers, resembling claws. The barkeep, now amidst a scene in a horror movie, is looking upon the Phantom Knight. Gray stares into his eyes, picks him up by the throat and asks one last time. Gray: Now, do you wanna say anything? The barkeep finally breaks, fairly easily. But instead of claiming anything about working with them or for them, he asks for help. The barkeep: I NEED YOUR HELP! BUT YOU CANT RAT HIM OUT! Gray: WHO!? RAT WHO OUT!? The barkeep: MY BROTHER! HE GOT INVOLVED WITH THE SECT! HE NEEDS HELP! Gray drops the barkeep and begins staring through the window, watching the people outside peering into the bar, running away. He stares at his hands, his constantly shaking, sweating hands. The barkeep, scared for his life, watches as Gray struggles to keep it together. He attempts to stand up, but Gray being on edge, wraps him up in the cloak, pulling him closer. Gray: Where is he!? The barkeep: IN THE TRADERS DEPO, NEAR THE NORTH EAST OF THE TOWN! YOU SHOULD SEE THEM PULLING IN TONIGHT! THATS ALL I KNOW! Gray tightens the grip the cloak has on him, constricting his breathing. He pulls him in even closer, so close that the barkeep''s face is reflecting off his mask. Gray: ....If I ever figure out youre lying, youll wish you hadnt With that, the barkeep passes out from fear. Gray hears soldiers approaching, so he causes all of the lights to cut off, and he sneaks through the shadows, out through the back exit. Outside, he promptly climbs the building in an instant, sitting down right after. He flows the cloak inside out once more, hiding all of his armor under the fake coat-like appearance hes morphed the cloak into. As he sits on the cold roof, feeling the freezing breeze, he notices that the snow begins to fall. While it slowly begins to pile over him, he looks at his silver mask, staring into the reflection of it. His eyes have sunk, his hair has gotten greasy, and even his demeanor has become more hostile. Hes unable to see the Gray Kyojin he tried so hard to connect to, to accept, to trust, he only sees whats been left behind. After the sun had begun to set, a few carriages had rolled into town, resting on the outside of a church-like building. Twenty men step out, enter the building, and set up inside. Theyre all dressed in large, dark purple cloaks, missing the white masks and dark cloaks the Sect has come to identify with. A while after the sun had set, the snow had stopped falling from the sky, and with the bright moon out, the Sect of Anarchy had awoken. A small crowd of Demi-humans of all ages forms outside of the building, entering it as fast as they can, not noticing an observer nearby. A few of them feel a bit uncomfortable, but a disturbance with the spirits themselves is blocking the presence of their watcher. Amidst the winter wind, standing atop a tall building across the street, cloaked in black and silver, and coated in the light of the moon is Gray Kyojin, the Phantom Knight, acting as a hunter. He stands tall, looking down on them as the last few civilians enter while a few of the members help them inside. Without their white masks, they dont seem like mindless things he needs to kill, it''s the opposite. These are men, and women, with lives, and a will, that hes going to stop, no matter what he has to do. He waits until the last moment, until the two members of the Sect are alone outside, with no idea of his presence. Like an eagle snatching up its prey, he captures them with his cloak, pulling them into the street. He covers their mouths with his cloak, forcing it down their throats. As their windpipes fill their minds go blank, passing out on the spot. He stands on the outside wall of the building, drifting into the astral state to eavesdrop. The inside is overly crowded with both the Anarchists and the citizens, trying to get everything into proper order. After a bit of conversion amongst them, a man dressed in the new coats steps forward, onto a podium. With two large wolven Demi-humans beside him, acting as guards, he begins speaking to everyone as if hes their preacher. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Hello everyone! You are here because you understand the world, and how truly vital it is. Its filled with hatred, coated in war, soaked in the blood of the innocent, while the people responsible are regarded as the heroes. We have helped so many out of poverty, and slavery, killed such slavers, burned such holmes they were forced from, and killed these heroes''''.`` As he continues to speak over them, Gray can only respond in anger. He stares at everyone, looking at their eyes, and how theyre locked onto the man in front of them. They treat him as if hes their savior, even though he worked for the same man who took over and almost destroyed their country. Today, I stand before you, asking you, wishing you, that you would join us. Together, well regroup, and stand back on top. Almost a year ago now, we lost, we lost a leader, most of our fellow brethren, and our pride. But on New Year''s Day, we struck Constal, the Holy City, and now, its ours. I dont ask for you to be strong, I dont ask for you to be blessed, but I do ask that you allow us to put your trust in you. We used to stand in the shadows and wear those white masks to symbolize that we were all one. But that was a mistake, it only made us look like villains, but with the new outfits you see before you, were beginning to change a few things around here. Gray falls back into his body, as he suspects that hes going to learn nothing of importance. Now, back in his body, standing right beside the front door, he looks up. A large stained glass window, the perfect entrance. While everyone else is being confined by maniacs to join their murderous cause, the window behind them bursts open. Then the jet-black assailant lands in the center, staring down everyone. His presence was a feared existence. Then, his eyes blasted a bright white, just before the room was overcome with an endless, ever-turning, black cloud of drowning smoke. Gray: El-Cenic. While the room was filled to the brim with smoke, nothing could be heard. With Cenic blinded only to vision, El-Cenic nullified everything. But Gray could move between them, cutting everyone down, no matter their identity. It was a pure blood bath. Organs splattered on the ground, skulls were crushed, blood coating the walls and pooled on the floor, and Gray just kept going. However no one was instantly killed; they were left barely alive and gagging on the floor. The wolven Demi-humans used their heightened senses to try and attack Gray, but he clung onto them like a tick. He shoved the wrist talons into his chest while the cloak of darkness formed into large tendrils, snapping his arms. He roared out in pain, but it did nothing, as the other Demi-human was quickly cut down. The claw-like pieces of metal around his fingers shoot toward the Demi-human, as the cloak wrapping around his body was stretched around his hands just the same. They shot out like his fingers had stretched over to him, leaving a gash in his neck. As the smoke began to dissipate, the leader of the meeting was the only one left standing. He looked at the pile of bleeding bodies, his friend drowning in his blood, and the others slowly bleeding out, screaming for their lives. Gray held his hand out, focusing mana around it. It began to hurt, as his hand shook profusely, but eventually, the mana in the air began to heat up, creating a ball of fire made from black flames. He shot it at the Demi-human, catching him aflame. And while he was able to put the flame out, whether or not he was dead wasnt something Gray could answer. The prospect of murder, taking a life story through Gray like a bolt of violet lightning. However he moved forward while pushing the thoughts away. The Anarchist held his hand up, trying his best to survive. Anarchist: DIGNUM! A ball of clumpy dirt forms and shoots from in front of his hand, but Gray doesn''t move. Sill in the spiritual state, he begins to disrupt the mana in the air. While he cannot directly control with elemental mana, it still needs to be made within the same domain as the spirits to be cast. Since its just a base-level earth spell, it breaks apart before it reaches him, leaving anything the Anarchist can try useless. His men are defeated, his magic doesn''t work, and the Phantom Knight is slowly approaching. Gray sends the cloak out, grabbing him by his leg, and slowly pulls him in. The Anarchist begins clawing at the ground, screaming for his life, but his vision turns black, and hes quickly knocked unconscious. While Gray picks him up, he shuts off his spiritual sense and turns around. The bloody mess that he had made flows back to the front of his mind, but it pools back down just the same. He had to take a string of long breaths, as he was close to throwing up. He looked down at his shaking hands, trying his best to regain his composure. As he goes to leave with the leader of the meet-up, a young man, a pig Demi-human, crawls out of the pile of bodies with a broken shoulder. Gray: You, youre with the bartender, right? The boy hesitates to answer, staring down this bloody avenger. But when Gray clenches his fist, flows mana into the small energy crystal within the wrist talon, and unsheaths it. The boy then spits out all the words he can, as fast as he can. YES! How did you know!? Gray tilts his head to the boy, watching as he struggles to hold back his tears while he holds his smashed shoulder. Gray: You look pretty similar. Sorry about the shoulder by the way. Gray walks over to the scared boy, plants his hand over his shoulder, and focuses a bit of mana around it. Gray: Vortic. The spirits begin to glow green, coating the boy''s shoulder. It helps the bones fit back into place, his muscles rebuild a bit faster and lastly welds it together. While it didnt instantly heal the wound, it nulled the pain while also assisting with the healing process. Gray: Now, why were they messing with you? And make sure to get everything. Dont leave anything out. They gave me some money a year back, but I didnt join. I dont have much money, so when they demanded more coins than I had originally given them, my brother demanded I deny thembut that only made it worse. They were going to force me to join, but I said if I gathered some Demi-humans, theyd let me go scot-free. Gray: Well run off, before things get even more messy. Gray turns his back to the boy, listening to him spring out of the building, leaving him alone with the unconscious Anarchist. Then, a few hours later, the Anarchist comes to. The sun has begun to rise, letting the calm blue sky pan over him, as well as Gray. Upon the tallest building in the town, he holds the man by the throat, using the claws on his fingers to stab into his neck. Filled with fear, confusion, and shock, he begins screaming while he stares at Grays face. He looks at his reflection in the mask, finding brushes all over his body. LET ME GO! PLEASE! ILL LEAVE THE SECT! ILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT! JUST PLEASE, PLEASE DONT KILL ME! Gray: THEN TALK! WHERE ARE THE OTHER SECT MEMBERS!? WHAT ARE THEY PLANNING!? WHY ARE YOU HERE!? The man looks down, looking at his legs dangling in the air, struggling to breathe. But, with a strong will to live, he tries his best to tell Gray what he wants. IM IN LE BON BECAUSE OF THAT PIG KID! HE OWD ME! AND I DONT KNOW WHAT THEYRE PLANNING, IM NOT A HIGHER-UP! Gray: SO WHERE ARE THEY!? I NEED A MAP, A LOCATION! ANYTHING! YOU WONT FIND THEM HERE! IM NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE IN WALGONIA! I JUST WANTED TO SHOW I COULD HELP! BUT I QUIT! IF YOU WANNA GO FIND THEM, GO TO RAVORIA! ALL I KNOW IS THAT, SINCE RAVORIA IS ON THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE, THEY PLAN ON TAKING THE AREA, ALONG WITH ALL OF ITS PEOPLE! THATS IT! I SWEAR! Gray stares him in his eyes, and he believes him. He sends out a pulse of spirit mana before he lessens the grip he has on the Anarchist''s throat. The cultist is relieved, but because Gray has no need for him any longer, he thinks of dropping him. Killing was something he had thought about over and over, coming to a conclusion a while ago. He wouldnt kill unless it was absolutely necessary, so he let Arthur live but killed Caesar. However, he will put his morals aside if that furthers the goal, like when he killed Chimera. And this is his goal, to rid the world of this fake anarchy. So with the cloak pulling at his mind he wavers. Resisting and contemplating so much in just a few seconds. But his anger wins him over, even for just a second, and he loses grasp with himself, dropping him. Gray doesn''t say or think anything. Just letting his eyes widen to see what he just did. The man''s screams fill the area before they stop with a splat. He hits the ground head-first, crushing his skull and killing him on impact. After a few seconds, a crowd begins to form, screaming out in horror. The man had fallen right on top of a child''s snowman, covering the snow in his blood. Gray is unsettled, but when Dema arrives, he coats the area in a dark shadow of the large dragon. Everyone looks up, watching as he gets onto her and flies away, with the intent to go straight to Ravoria. No stops, no thinking, just to continue the mission. End of Chapter Five Arc 7: Chapter 6. The Dragons rebirth Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 6. The Dragons rebirth Inside Lincoln''s house, Erline assists the still-recovering Lincoln in beginning the process of regaining his strength. His bones have whittled down, his skin has warped, and his spirit has fallen. She pushes him down the short hall, right into a sunroom that has been turned into a small gym. While it has a few weights, a punching bag, as well as some miscellaneous equipment, the main point that theyre in the room is the Parallel bars in the center. He stares longingly at the bars, and then down at his now useless legs, trying his best to move them. Erline: We can wait a week or two, youve only been awake for a few days. Lincoln: NO! I wont force my soldiers to train daily while I sit my ass. While his physical appearance has shifted, a viewer in the hall is warmed to see his personality hasnt changed one bit. Lincoln turns his head, annoyed to see Gordon watching him. Lincoln: What? Happy to see me like this? Gordon: No, Im happy to see you trying, to see you awake, hell, to see you alive. Lincoln groans, turning his head back around while he attempts to stand up. He puts pressure on his decayed muscles as he grips the armrests, trying to lift himself. Gordon and Erline are forced to watch as Lincoln strains himself over something so simple, driving home the fact that the world''s strongest man has fallen so far. He grits his teeth, slowly making his way up, he even begins to sweat, though hes unable to fully stand up. With the loss of his right leg, hes forced to put all of his weight on his one leg, which causes him to crumble, slipping back into the chair. It was so abrupt that he fell out of the chair, slamming into the ground. Such an abrupt fall onto the cold hardwood floor almost crushes his unstable shoulder, causing him to scream out in pain. While Erline quickly rushes to help him up, even the feeling of her soft, wrinkled hands on his side causes intense pain, even when the soft robe hes wearing blocks a bit of the small amount of force she was putting out. Gordon covers his quivering lips, unable to watch his friend like this. While Erline casts El-Vortic to heal him, Gordon walks away, leaving them alone. Lincoln tries to push Erline off of him, so she steps back and walks out of the room, up to Gordon. She pushes his stern body, annoyed at his inability to show any emotion to his friend. Erline: What is wrong with you? Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Gordon: Stop, I have things I need to do. Gordon attempts to walk away again, but Erline quickly moves in front of him, slapping Gordon square in the face. He doesn''t retaliate, just holding his cheek in shock. Erline: Your friend almost killed himself to make sure your soldiers didnt die! Look at him! Help him! DO SOMETHING, DONT JUST WALK AWAY! Gordon is about to scream out, to leave out everything he holds from within his mind, but he stops. His eyes, as straight and focused as a hawk, begin to go soft as he walks away, leaving Erline alone. She attempts to go back to Lincoln, but she finds him in a vulnerable state. He had heard their words, and they broke him. Shes about to step into the room, but she stops herself. In her mind, this is what he needs, and even if it may be a bit cruel, she walks into the main room and sits on a couch, letting him expel all of his build-up emotions. He grabs at his hair, pulling tufts of it out, causing him to break down even further. As he sits there, straining himself, he feels something in the air, watching him. He quickly turns around, suspecting it to be either Gordon or Erline, but nobody is there. His ability to read his situation, including what, who, and why some things around him have fallen so far that it distracts him from the strange situation he finds himself in. With a knock, he quickly turns his head to the windows in front of him, finding Edward standing out in the cold. With a sigh, he waves his hand, telling him to come inside, but Edward denies this. Edward is the one to call him over, motioning for him to open the door for him. A small smile forms on his sunken face as he attempts to push himself. If it takes a few minutes, hours, or even years, Edward would stand there to make sure he was able to do it himself. But with Lincoln''s unstoppable determination, he pushes forward, literally and figuratively. He begins to slowly roll his way to the screen door, which is shaking due to the harsh freezing wind outside. With just a few pushes, he makes it over to the door, though hes unable to clench his fist to move the handle down. So to outweigh the door lever knob, he puts his other hand on top, pushing it down while the wind pushes it open. The wind is so strong that it begins to push Lincoln back, but Edwards is quick to stop it, though he almost stumbles over as his prosthetic leg is a bit unstable. Lincoln: What are you doing here? Edward: I wanna walk if youre okay with that. Lincoln: I dont want my soldiers to see me like this, I wont have it. Edward: You dont think theyll see you as a stronger man? That youre able to keep goinglike this? Lincoln: Im like this because Im not strongI know you wouldnt get it, but Musashi did the same thing. To throw it all away on a wimp, to make up for your mistakes no matter the cost. Edward: Is that why you activated that state without such care? Did you want to throw it all away? Why? Lincoln turns his head, unable to go through with the process. So Edward begins pushing him to the main room, looking at the armor setup. Lincoln looks to a new armor set right beside Musashis, his own armor. The sight almost brings a tear to his eye, but it also works to show him what he was like before, how far hes fallen. Lincoln: The armor is put there when great warriors dieand here I am. Edward: I dont think its supposed to be that thought out, its just a nice gesture. Lincoln: It is nicebut why are you here? Edward: Its because Im leaving in a few days. Peters with Rick finishing the last few touches on my new equipment, so once its done Im off. Lincoln: Do you know where youre going? Edward: Rick said hell tell me when the time is right. But until then Im in the dark, but I wanted to tell you a bit before I leave. Lincoln continues to stare at his armor, never breaking his focus. But with a bit of resolve, and with it working as a new source of motivation, a bit of his pride returns. He sits up straighter, he begins to speak with a more confident tone, all while Edward looks on with a joyous smile. Lincoln: I was on top of the mountain longer than I wasnt. I came from nothing, I hurt a dragon, I focused on what I wanted, and I achieved it. Now, Im far past my youth, my prime, and I know I can never reach the point I was atbut I wont stay a husk. You go find that cursed charm, and come back fast because when we see each other after that, well both be new men. End of Chapter Six Arc 7: Chapter 7. A veil covering bliss Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 7. A veil covering bliss Flying through the air on the way to Ravoria, Gray continues to doze off, trying his best not to fall asleep. Sleep for him is wasted time, he could be training, thinking, and looking around, but all of this was a self-imposed lie. Truthfully, its fear. Falling asleep meant he was at the mercy of his mind, which he didnt trust at all. It was what bombarded him with a month-long nightmare of his parents hating his existence, and another recurring nightmare about the burning of Athens. While hes drifted off every so often, he hasnt let it go on long enough to think, always snapping out of it just before it happens. So to him, he hasnt fallen asleep in over a week, he just keeps moving. The bloodlust-filled rampage he went on in Le Bon, without remorse for the people there is eating at him. They just wanted to see what the Sect was about, and they were mindlessly beaten for it. The boy who once tried his hardest to let his foes live, as he had issues with the idea of sentencing someone to death, had just left over thirty people broken and half dead with almost no remorse, at the time at least. His eyelids are being pulled down by giants, trying to force him to rest for even a second. The soft cold clouds work as nice blankets and pillows, and Demas saddle works as a bed. His head is aching as if his brain is going to explode if he doesn''t shut his eyes, but he wont let that happen. Sitting in the meditation position, he rushes mana through his body, breaking down his muscles and weighing down his bones. This is the training manner he had formed back at the mansion, allowing him to break his body down, which would quickly heal due to his small healing factor. Doing this not only trains his body but also keeps him awake for the time being. While in this state, he has an enlightened idea, something he hadnt even thought of before. What if, using his astral state, he locked onto Julius and found out where he was? For the first time in a while, hes joyous, even Dema seems to be happy. No longer tired, he plants his fists together and locks onto Julius presence, but it wont work. The only way to astral project to somebody is to have a connection with them, a positive one. While the more you like somebody doesn''t mean the distance you can project will alter, just having a connection to somebody''s soul dictates if he can or cannot. He tries and tries, strains himself, grits his teeth, and begins screaming. No matter what he does, his hatred for Julius wont let him project to his location. Gray: Of course it couldnt be that easy. Right as his eyes sink, they rise once more, as he attempts to project to Rosemary. Now his astral form begins to pulse, struggling to find her location, but the fact its even attempting to find her raises his hopes for her being alive. However, after a bit of trying, it locks onto something, launching him into the light blue void that is the astral realm. His spirit is much stronger than before, but it begins to glitch, trying to force itself to Rosemary. His spirit is warped through a rift in the plane, floating in a pitch-black domain, lit up by his glowing blue spirit. He drifts around, silent, confused, though he hears the crying of a familiar voice. He begins flying to it, with his hopes raging like a flame, but when he finds the origin of the wails, he wishes he hadnt. Rosemary''s crying body is bound by chains, without a face. Her hair has begun to turn black, her skin is more pale, shes lost weight, and shes alone. Gray is unable to do anything, or think anything, all he can do is watch. His mind cant accept it, it wont accept it, so hes forced to look at her flat head. There are no eyes, no nose, no ears, no mouth, its only skin. The screams are muffled, but her form vanishes into a cloud of smoke when the slamming of a door is heard, kicking him out of the domain. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Flipping and flying backward, forces himself back through the rift, and back out of the astral plane, landing in his body. He gasps for air, lunging up. He found that they had landed in a field covered in snow. As he looks around, he sees a small village in the distance, a fence surrounding them, and a windmill beside them. He assumes hes in one of Walgonias many farming villages. He lays back down, rummaging through his things, taking out the orange scarf, and holding it close to him. Shivering from the cold air and wishing for the warmth of his life to come back to him. Gray: You have shone so brightly in the darkness that I let surround me, a golden star amidst my night sky, the sun to my moon. I promise, no matter how long it takes, no matter what it takes, Ill save you, as you saved me. After days of this restless charge, he finally rests. As he drifts into the land of dreams, Rosemary''s scarf works as his protector, allowing him to finally have a peaceful dream. In the capital of Walgonia, in the ballroom filled with the people theyve met along their journey, is Gray. Without a scar on his body, as well as a lack of stress, as if nothing bad had ever happened. Soku stands in a white tuxedo, acting as Grays best man, with a congratulatory smile on her face. Everyone is there, all wearing white attire and a smile on their faces. As the ballroom door opens, the all-white room goes silent, watching as this beauty with a veil over her face walks through. In this all-white, indescribably gorgeous dress. Gray is anxious, watching as Edward, with all of his limbs, including his eye, holds the back of her dress up. When the woman steps up to the front, Edward steps back, and Ophelia walks in, holding two diamond rings. She hands them to Gray and his bride, tearing up as they put them on each other. Gray stops for a moment, feeling the softness of the woman''s small hands. As Ryo stands behind them, he asks them both to declare their vows. Gray: I promise to stand tall beside you, to live solely to stay with you. As long as youre alive, Ill be alive, and if you pass, Ill have to pass with you, as I cannot think about the hell it would be to spend a second apart. The room continues to stay silent, waiting for his bride to state her words You are the pillar that holds up life, and I hope you think of me as the same. I wish to have a family, to make a new living, to get another chance at life as one, living for each other and nothing less. While they go past the other formality, as nobody will stand against the ceremony, Gray lifts the veil. Rosemary looks at him with a blushing face and a small smile, leaning in to kiss him. He leans in as well, finalizing their marriage. He continues to stay inside of the dream of bliss until the next morning when hell be off once more on the blood filled journey. End of Chapter Seven Arc 7: Chapter 8. To be the next Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 8. To be the next The clank of Rick''s smithing hammer echoes through his blacksmith shop, repeating over and over, only being overpowered by the sharp whistles of the freezing wind outside. Peter stands beside him, goggles on, protecting him from the sparks flying in the air, lighting up the dark room with each strike of his hammer. As the strong dwarf shapes and molds the last piece of dragon stone for the explosive prosthetic, Peter prepares the water, holding a large tub for Rick to set the piece into. Rick moves his long white beard out of the way, wipes the sweat from his brow, spits to the side, and grabs the piece of metal with a pair of tongs, placing it in the water. The sizzling sound of the metal rapidly cooling in the ice-cold water is soothing to both of their ears, getting a nice wave of hot vapers in their face right after. Peter then removes his goggles, looking around the small shop at all of the various miscellaneous weapons, pieces of armor, and everything else of the sort. As they wait for the scolding hot metal to fully cool, they take a break and walk into the shop''s main room, taking their cups of tea from the table. Rick removes his stained apron while Peter rubs his blue overalls, getting his thick brown gloves dirtier than they already are. Rick: His armors finished, he didnt have a new sword, and this newwhat are we calling it? Peter: I dunno, an arm cannon? Rick: Yknow what, it doesn''t matter. As Rick steps into the back room, Peter watches the front door open, finding Gordon there. Peter: Oh hey, you need something? Gordon: Yeah, our visitors are here. I wanted to see if you and Rick wanted to talk to them. Peter is about to go ask Rick, though with his knowledge of his character, he assumes he wont want to, as the small man is much more involved with his work than his social life. Peter: Hes good, I can come through. Ricks just gonna finish working on Edward''s armor while he complains his brother cant make a simple breastplate. Gordon smirks, leading Peter out into the snow-covered roads of Greenvale, completely silent. This constantly stern Gordon is quite a bit bland, as well as a bit scary to the easily startled Peter, as Gordon''s hawk eyes are so strong it feels as if hes staring into your soul. Peter: So, have you talked to them yet? Gordon: No, but I know theyre coming up the hill. Were going to meet in my old house, or I guess its Lincoln''s house now. But they may already be there. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. After they take a few turns, and one long walk down the slowly rising dirt road, they make it up to Lincoln''s oddly Japanese-inspired home. Strangely enough, even though this world is completely disconnected from both Japan and the period of the building. Inside they find Lincoln in his wheelchair, Edward standing tall behind him, and the ever-quiet Ryo standing on the second-floor balcony, looking over everyone. Lincoln: What, no Rick? Gordon: He didnt want to come. As theyre talking, a few members of the Leviathan army open the door, and five people follow behind them. Henry Barclay, JJ, Boid, and Todd all enter the house, with an unknown man with them. While Henry and the others are wearing the uniforms that Gray had met them in, the other older man, looking around fifty or so, with orange hair and a long black coat. He also possessed a magical staff made from a nonexistent wood with a large crystal on the top, being a mix of Red, Blue, Brown, Green, and Yellow. Henry, with a large wondrous smile on his face, runs right past Gordon to Lincoln. Henry: Lincoln! The Lincoln Valentine! Youre my hero! The still-recovering Lincoln can only scoff at Henry''s words, as to him, theyre filled with pity. Lincoln: Look, kissing my ass isnt what youre here for, what youre here for is to talk to Gordon. Henry freezes up with embarrassment, looking to his squires to find them chucking under their breath. Hes about to begin arguing with them, but Peter breaks the tension with a simple question. Peter: What are you guys here for? And arent you the two dudes that helped us back in the raid? JJ and Boid both step up, though Boid struggles as his large size makes it difficult to move through the house. JJ: Thats right! Thieves turned squires! Boid: From rags to riches rags! Todd: And me! Everyone turns to Todd with a dismissive look on their faces, causing him to back up to the door. The older man steps up, brushes his fading orange air back, and begins speaking with an old English dialect. Frederick: I, Frederick Gole, am here as Gordon, my king, has requested my presence. And young Dark Elf, as you seem to be confused, we are here as we are in line to lead. Lead the Walgonian Knights, or lead the Leviathan army, but Ill have to step out now. Gordon: What!? Really!? You came from Valor School of Magic, all the way here, to tell me no? Frederick: Yes I know it seems a bit much, but as Headmaster I mustn''t step down but when I do I must show passion. I have been put on a leaf of absence, as Ive been saving my days of rest for a situation like this. And if I need to push forward past such days, I will, as that is the strength of my vigor. Gordon: Well to be blunt, the Leviathan army isnt what it used to be. We dont have many soldiers, we dont have many that reach B rank in swordsmen ship, we only have two mages and not a single soldier over the age of twenty-eight. The Leviathan armyno, the state of Walgonia including all of its protectors are falling, failing, losing, but you and Henry can stand above the rest. While Henry, I know you dont have a blessing or affinity of any sort, you do have the will that used to run through the blood of every Walgonian. If youll allow me, Id like to entrust Jong''s previous position to you, I want you to be the new commander of the Walgonian Knights. Henry quickly gets down on one knee, getting his squires to do so as well. Jong was commander of the knights for over twenty years, had no children, had no living family, and had no one in line to take his place. But what Song did was live, his personality stood out among the rest, as even if he wasnt a god, he was a man, a leader. People like to follow those who enjoy what theyre doing. Strength isn''t everything, it isnt the strongest form of power, as what truly is the strongest is your connections. Ryo steps down the stairs, handing Gordon Jong''s old naginata. His naginata was custom-made, having an enchanted water crystal placed on both sides of the blade, just above the top of the handle. This was due to his mid-tier affinity for water magic, but other than that it was a normal weapon with a large blade and a long white staff-like bottom. Gordon holds it high, and lowers it onto Henry''s shoulder, letting it rest on his blue cape stressed down his back. Gordon: Henry Barclay, forty-two years old, member of the Walgonian knights for twenty-seven years, and leader of the northern province of Walgonias knights. You will take the position once held by Jong Long, you will be the passionate, strong, and dignified commander of the Walgonian Knights. Henry: Thank you, my king. Everyone is silent, absorbing the sight in front of them, but Edward and Lincoln are uncomfortable. Lincoln stares at his shriveled hands, while Edward looks down at his prosthetic leg, feeling as if theyre both unworthy. They are no longer what they were, and in front of them are people who are either in their prime or have yet to reach it, but this pushes their will further. They must surpass them once more, if not in strength then in reach, but its a long road, on which theyve yet to begin walking. End of Chapter Eight Arc 7: Chapter 9. To Ravoria Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 9. To Ravoria In the room of an apartment building is a child lying on his floor. He looked to be around six or seven, drawing in a notebook. The art was just as good as any child''s, being messy and uneven, but full of creativity. The young boy quickly stood up the moment he finished, running out of his room, through the hall, and into the living room, which also doubled as a kitchen. Sitting at the kitchen table, typing away at her laptop, sipping coffee, was the boy''s mother. Her hair, just like the boys, was a light brown, but hers was a bit longer, while his was a bit curlier and a bit shorter. He joyously set his notebook on the table, getting his currently working mother to look at it. Even though she should be doing her work, she looks over without a second thought. Staring at her son''s wide grin, she puts her finger through the hole left by his missing tooth and begins laughing. The boy: LOOK LOOK! With a small smile on her face, she picks it up, adjusts her circular glasses, and lifts the notebook into the air. Her mouth begins to move, but no sound comes out, as hes not able to hear her voice. His smile turns to confusion, but just looking at his mother brings him joy, so his smile quickly returns. The happy smile, the warm air, and the bliss of the entire situation is almost overwhelming. The slight buzz in the background begins to drown out, as if the worlds zooming in on the small boy, with no idea whats happening. His mother''s voice begins to become drowned out even further, with flashes to a darker version of his mother crying while holding an aged-up photo of the child, Gray Kyojin on his first day of senior year. The young Gray flashes back and forth to the older version of himself, until he wakes up while atop the flying Dema, with his current self. Gray begins gasping for the thin air around him, holding his chest lightly. Gray: Dammit fell asleep again. Alright, refresh Dema. Cant get into Ravoria because if I get spotted entering before I reach the capital, whatever surprise I have is dropped to zero. If I lean toward the right-hand side in Walgonia, I may be able to sneak all the way to the capital through the Ever-Lagoon, but it stops before the capital. On the other hand, the Ever-Bog, while being more dangerous, its grown up to the outer wall of the Capitalor so I''ve been told by some random villagers.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Gray stops talking to Dema, as he remembers shes just a dragon and cannot understand a word hes saying, or so he assumes. He lays back, staring into the morning sky, glancing over to his trembling hands. He closes them, closes his eyes to focus on the spirit energy around him, and attempts to use his awakened power. While still unaware of his talk with Zue right after the battle with Arthur, hes unable to wrap his head around how or why he has Arthur''s power. He begins to try and heat up the spirits'' energy, though hes only able to get a few sparks out. Gray: Ugh, Ive been able to get the flame out a few times, but it feels like Im just getting lucky. And I was able to use a full aura when I was losing'' it in Eclis, but now Im forced down to this. He knows he produces the flames within the spiritual state, though hes trying to use the flames without it. This is because he feels that it would make more sense to learn how to use it without assistance, though he has used it while within the spiritual state to try and get a feel for the ability. But something within him, his OD, feels wrong. Every time he uses the black flames, his OD crumbles just slightly, adding to this ticking time bomb within him, one thats slowly spreading through his body. While hes unaware of this, this sick feeling comes and goes, so he assumes its his body having issues with how long hes been staying so high up in the air. With a map in hand, he puts his finger on La Bon, the town by the mountain he had left a few days ago. He then traces his finger to the small farming village he had left the day before, and to where he should be now. Still far off from the Guard Fog, which would mark the crossing into Valatrositce, he begins to ponder what he should do. With the fear that he wont be able to get into Valatrositce legally, going through the gap in the fog would lead to him appearing right in front of Valatrositces Capital. When they traveled before, they were in a hurry and left the city of Mier straight into the monster-filled fog, but managed to move at just the slightest angle to still appear in front of the capital. However this time, that may be a death sentence. He could stick to the border between Walgonia and Ravoira, but the Guard Fog would soon appear, as it coats the land blocking Walgonia and Ravoria from Valatrositce, so hed have to go in either way. So he has to go through the Guard Fog, into the large Ever-bog, the enormous swamp filled with spirit beasts, and then right into the Capital of Ravoria, which sits beside the bog. Gray: It took eighteen days to get from Greenvale to Valatrositices Capital, and thats with a much slower animal. Its February fifteenth, and I left fourteen days ago, but Ive been moving kinda aimlessly until nowso Id say Ill make it to the Ever-Bog around February twenty-sixth, maybe a bit later, maybe a bit sooner. But every day is wasted time, every day Rosemary could die, be more hurt than she already is, or literally anything bad. And I wont sit aside and let that happen. Jimmy Alls is the guy to go to, Ravorias Rupert, the man who gets you in and out, he knows everything. Ill have to find him, and I can find out everything. Gray begins to work on conjuring the flames once more, while Dema soars through the air, with a sense of peace, and a bit lonely. But every day he gets a bit better, his plan is furthered, and his goal seems more achievable. End of Chapter Nine Arc 7: Chapter 10. Broken, but not useless Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 10. Broken, but not useless On Godrick Mountain, a little bit away from Greenvale, is a snow-covered cemetery. Gordon, Henry, Edward, Frederick, and Ryo stand together, entering the large rusted gates, and walking past the gravestones. Gordon: Here lie the graves of over a thousand members of the Leviathan army. A bit further up are the graves of the fallen Helsings and Commanders of both the Leviathan and Walgonian army. Ryo watches the others almost entranced by the sight, bewildered by just how many graves there are. Lives lived and lost, people theyve never met nor have they ever heard of, dying for a cause that will continue for as long as Walgonia stands. Gordon: The saddest part? These are just the ones we could count. During the wars before this era of peace, we were unable to keep track of everyone, so we had to wait. Now, we have a giant wall for everyone we had to wait on. Gordon leads them through the cemetery, passing the various statues of dead Helsings, including Kioshi and Musashi. They reach the end of the cemetery, giving them a sight of the large stone wall with hundreds of names carved into it. Gordon: Greenvale was meant to be something that existed in the middle of nowhere all over Walgonia. In the Leviathan army''s heyday, we had small Greenvale all over the place. Now? We have five, 4 on this mountain range, and one tucked away in Ravoria. And another piece of knowledge? Im the first man to ever be the leader that isnt a Helsing, which continued onto Lincoln, but now I dont know whos next. Ryo steps up, placing his hand over the various names on the wall. As his long luxurious silver flows through the soon-to-be spring air, his fingers stretch down the carvings. Ryo: I think I could be the one to lead, and I know Ive been putting it off. Im no teacher, Im no leader, but If I step up, I will. Ravoria was my place of birth, but they sent me off, around the world, taking my connection from anything. Gotsu and Musashi took me in, Walgonia gave me a place to stay, a purpose, something to protect. Ive stayed silent on this mountain for twenty years, and I will do so no longer. Everyone turns to Ryo, hanging off of every word. Frederick steps up, speaking before anyone else, using his almost mighty tone to force Ryo even higher, creating a grandiose atmosphere. Frederick: You are looking for what to do. Gordon is a follower. Lincoln is a fighter. I am a teacher. You all have these roles you force yourself to fill like thats all you can do, and if youre not doing it, youre demeaning yourself. Lincoln was the greatest commander Athens ever had. Gordon, youre the greatest commander the Leviathan army has ever had. And Ryo? Youve had a home the moment you were born, as the spirits blessed you with a connection so strong, some would say they love you so much that they wanted you to live with them. Anybody can grow, learn, and become something they thought they couldnt be. Gordon: What are you saying then? Frederick: Now I do not know you all that well, but I do like to think I can understand people, because if I cannot, what kind of teacher would I be? Ive heard you want to step down as king, that you feel unable to do it, but youre held in better regard than any previous king, Walgonia, as well as every other country in Saga. They believe in you, so I believe stepping down as king isnt the best idea. You can do it, and I want to stay here in Greenvale to not only teach the Leviathan army things only I can teach, and also help Ryo push forward as a leader. I believe that change can happen at any point in life, but that change can also be anything, so I wish to guide it. Edward loses his focus, staring at his prosthetic limbs. His inability to feel with his hand, to feel the snow beneath his leg. He changes his view to the statute of his father, looking at his stone eyes, as if theyre looking back at him. And as Fredrick''s words finalize themselves within his psyche, this idea of change, and the change that he watches happen within Gray''s mind. When Gray left, something that had been boiling between them had settled, the friendship that was slowly building, crumbling beneath him. While Gray is out in the world, Edwards stuck here, waiting for Peter to finish creating his things. Watching somebody you used to be stronger than, or even stronger, run ahead of you while you must rely on other people is a saddening feeling, a sinking feeling. But the idea of ''change doesn''t resonate with Edward in the normal manner, it doesn''t force him to change his opinion of his current self, but it reinforces the current goal Edward has set. The Helsing Armor, the cursed charm that can return Edward to his previous state, and surpass that strength, is the change he feels he needs. Even if it isnt.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Henry: To be here, among my fallen allies, ones Ive never even heard of, itsawful to say the least. I know Im not going to be a part of the Leviathan army, but I want to know the names of everyone whos helped this great country reach the peak its at now. Gordon, you may portray Walgonia as this falling country, but I dont see it that way. I see Walgonia as something more, I see it as the shield to the world, and I see all of Saga as the shield. This constant fighting is whats truly holding us back, as we haven''t begun to stretch onto the constantly warming seas. I know I wont be great, that I wont be remembered, but I want to be the man that began to build a bridge to change. Edward looks up at Gordon, which gets his attention. So Gordon walks over to him, placing his hand on Edward''s shoulder. Gordon: Is it time? Edward: Its time. Gordon: Then before you leave, let me do one last thing to help you. As you know, Im from Oni-mas, and I can use their magic. While its not perfect, as all ruin or sealing magic can quickly decay and corrupt, Ive been able to somewhat master the craft. Its not perfect, but it wont corrupt, but it will fade. Edward shakes his head, turning it so Gordon can create the mystical ruin. Everyone watches in awe as Gordon drags his finger through the air, creating a white line made from spirit mana, and then another, and another. He creates a circular ruin separated into four sides, which he shrinks down, placing it over Edward bite wound. While Edward would need healing magic to stop the corruption sprung on by Prometheus bite, this ruin will recreate the healing magic, holding it back for the time being. Gordon: This should last a few months, but if you havent found the armor by then, and its about to fully fade, you need to return as soon as possible. Edward shakes his head once more, shakes Gordons'' hand, and begins walking out of the cemetery. He stands alone in his dark and quiet home, holding his broken sword. Instead of getting Rich or Peter to make him a new one, he sharpened the sides of his one but didnt give it a pointed edge. Its broken, something most would call useless, something that should be thrown away, and thats why Edward continues to use it. In his thoughts, This sword is me, I am this sword. I am the sword for my friends, I am the sword for Walgonia, I am broken. I am sharpened, I am forced back together, I am trying. Peter unlocks his door, and with a dim look in his eye, he motions for Edward to follow him. Right before he leaves, he grabs the same cloak he had taken from Moro and puts it on. They walk down the street, into the backyard of Gray''s old home, and Peter''s workshop. They walk past the car covered in a tarp, and over to a small table. On such a table are new, lighter black armor, a scabbard, his skull-like helmet he had once discarded, and the weapon, the mana cannon. Peter assists Edward, helping him put all of his armor on. Peter takes off Edward''s old prosthetic arm to put on this new one, but its no arm, its solely a weapon. A large square piece of dragon stone to help the mana circuit within flow. Two pieces being bolted together to connect to the end, a circular silver end. And for the silver lever on the side to be placed on it. Lastly, there was a sight that could be lifted up and down. A new invention that Peter strapped to him with the brown belt like straps around his arm, but the end of his arm fit inside of the tool. Peter: Alright, this is it. Its pretty simple, just a powerful energy crystal and flame crystal. I used my mans circuit thing to flow everything correctly, with Gordons seals within to properly store and empower the energy without it goin all wild. You pull back the lever and the crystals touch, then for every second you hold it the charge increases. If you use more than five itll either run out or explode so dont do that, oh and this is just the prototype so it might also explode at any second. Edward stares longingly, making Peter feel awkward. Peter {Hes really leaving, and I cant make him stay. Should I say something?} He truly wanted to, but his heart sank. Looking back on his recent actions over the past few months left him in a place where he had nothing to say. Peter {NoIm in no place to talk.} Edward: Are you alright? Peter: Yeah! Just uh, you sure you dont want any Poppers or rifles? I could give you all you need! Edward: No, this will do. Thank you. Edward, with all of his armor on, and the hefty prosthetic, begins to leave. He lets his helmet hang from his belt, putting a piece of string through the eye hold and tying it to the loop on his belt. But right as he begins to leave, Peter stops him, taking off the tarp as he does so. Peter: This is faster than any land animal, and it doesn''t need food. Ive put supplies in the back, food, water, all of it. Edward: I still have to get the location. Rick has yet to tell me where it is, I was about to head over. He hears footsteps in the snow behind him, and quickly turns to see Rick standing in the doorway. Rick: You dont get to. My brother, my idiot brother, Vargas, lives in that damn Ever-forest. He knows where it is, but youll have to find him. Edward: So Im going back there, back to Valatrocitusokay then. Ive told everyone else Im leaving, so this is it, Im off. Peter hugs Edward, holding him tightly. Without another word between the two, Edward gets into the bulky vehicle and pushes the energy crystal in where the keyhole would be, which turns on the car. Its engine, powered by flame and energy crystals, begins to roar and echo. Then, as he steps on the gas ever so slightly, he begins slowly moving out of Peter''s workshop. While carefully driving out of the backyard, he looks at everything around him, driving toward and out of Greenvale, going on his journey. Now both Gray and Edward, The Phantom Knight, and The End Bringer have set out on their own, to get back what theyve lost, all to fight against the Sect of Anarchy. Hes stepped onto the same blood-lusted road as Gray has, but with his wrathful nature when amidst the vigor of battle, means it could be much, much worse. This path will lead him to a cursed charm that feeds on such anger, existing for it, so putting it on would damn him to live within the feeling he delves into as much as he can, and hates it every time. End of Chapter Ten Side Story: The Mystery of the Margrave Side Story: The Mystery of the Margrave It was in a rainy village near Godrick mountain in Walgonia, and a carriage was arriving shortly. They passed through, rolling under the heavy spring showers and sliding across the muddy ground. But eventually they made it to the quiet town, wondering about the inhabitants. The carriage stopped, the person driving it being Gordon Hill. Gordon: Alright, were here. Mission is simple: investigate the town. Ill be back tomorrow to ensure everything went well. Theyre all rushed out with their things and sent out, the carriage quickly driving away. Pulled by the large dog Luna. And so the group walked into a nearby tavern, knocking three times before all stumbling in. The leader slammed a few coins on the table. Gray: Wed like to ask about some rumors! Gray Kyojin, Edward Van Helsing, Rosemary Goldenwind, Sokudo, and Peter Day. Lit up in the already dimly lit room by a flash of lightning through the windows behind them. Gray: Uhhh, hello? We heard there was a sickness spreading, fights breaking out, and some people going missing. The innkeeper was silent, groaning and wobbling side to side. Its fingers were dirty, red, and cracking. Soku and Gray noticed, gaining a worried look on their faces. Trying to be a bit nicer, Rosemary gently pushed Gray back to stand in front of him. Rosemary: Im sorry about him sir. Were Leviathan Knights, and were really just trying to help. She tried to show him a letter written and signed by Gordon himself, explaining themselves and proving their identities. With a Walgonian seal of approval at the bottom along with it. And yet he never turned around before moaning in annoyance. The innkeeper then gave out a jolting shrug before moving off into the back room alone. It was June, just three months after the raid on Walgonia. They were wearing thicker casual clothing, thicker for the rainy area. Gray wore his casual outfit and had his hair tied back into a bun, sporting a smile. Soku: We should split up, look around. Peter: What!? No way! Not in this creepy place. Gray: Yeah I agree, no getting picked off one by one. Edward looked around, staring at the rainy outdoors. Edward: Ill go with Soku. You three can stay. Soku: Me? I dont wanna get picked off! Edward: Well then who wants to go? They all looked on in silence, causing Edward to sigh. Edward: Fine. Edward walks outside, moving around the village. Rosemary tries to get the innkeeper''s attention while Peter sits down with a map of the small village. Peter: Were on the outskirts. If we keep passing through the village we wont have to go into the woods, and near the top is this landlord! Soku moves closer to Peter, causing him to blush as she reaches against him to touch the map. Soku: We could push right toward the lord, get the info from the top. Rosemary: They are the one that called us out to help. Maybe we should have gotten Gordon to drive us further. Gray gets up, walking to the window to see that Edward had vanished. Gray: Guess hes gone into the woods. Edward was moving forward behind a building, staring at the shaking back door. Drenched in rain he approached, knocking loudly. Edward: Hello? Id like to speak with someone! Damn, the rain must be overpowering my voice. As he walked around he didnt notice the shadows within the home, looming over them. Gray sat by himself within the inn as Soku and Peter continued to plan. Rosemary was stumbling into the innkeepers back room as she still wanted to pay for the night. Gray {Ill just focus on anybody around with the spirit state. Should be easy.} Rosemary slowly approached as Gray''s mind left his body. The room was lit from within by a fire roasting, flickering with the sounds of rotating metal. Creaking with every step, matching with the damp floor boards under her feet. Rosemary: Sir? Gray continued to focus, but everything around them was dim. The spirits strengthening from the rain made it just as blurry, leaving him stuck and unable to focus. Peter and Soku spun the map, thinking of the best route while also covering as much ground as possible. Rosemary: Id like to speak with - She stepped through the door, her heart freezing as she saw the head of a child roasting within the oven. The inn keeper turned around with yellow veins and pink patches of skin on him, growling with bloody broken teeth. Her loud scream took everybodies attenching, even snapping Gray out of his trance. But Edward was still moving forward in the rain, unable to feel the presence growing around him. Through the woods, the windows around, and even the streets themselves. They watched with hunger. Edward: Can anyone tell me what has happened here? He pushes through the door, accidentally breaking through. As he looks around, he sees only broken furniture and signs of struggle. Walking through, he hears a step in the doorway he just entered from. Seeing the shadow of a child. Edward: Are you alone? Where are your parents? As the child looked up, Edward gasped. Looking at the crushed side of its face, broken in by what seemed to be a potted plant. Still having shares in its face. But the wound was wiggling, growing, moving with life. The kid leaped out and bit into the side of Edwards neck, causing him to toss the boy through a window with power. Edward: No! Dammit! Edward leaped through, taking his jacket off to reveal the armor around him. It had guarded his neck, and was now going to need to protect him from the large number of zombified villagers around him. Holding bloody axes, pitch forks, hatchets, kitchen knives, and shovels. Chanting, waving torches, their growling stomachs echoing. Edward: This isnt good. He takes the rest of his clothes off, putting on his helmet and locking it tight, With another flash of lighting his cloak flowed, drenched in the rain. He pulled his sword out from the bag at the same time, resting it on his shoulder. Back inside the inn, the innkeeper launched out with a clever. Tossing it forward with intense strength. Rosemary: No! She dodged, ducking down before surging out with the fifth stage. She slid over the table with a kick, pushing him down. Rosemary: Are you okay!? Sir! It grabbed her foot, tearing away her pants leg to reveal armor. Rosemary picked up the man, holding him for the others to see as they charged in. Gray: Rosemary, are you okay!? Rosemary: Yeah, but hes not! The innkeeper tried to escape her strong grasp but her surging stage pushed against him. He kicked off of her, leaping into the fire behind him. Rosemary lunged out to help but it was already too late, as the fluid on its skin lit instantly. Soku: Back up! Rosemary moved as Soku tried to blow out the flame. But it continued, ravaging the innkeeper as his flesh dissolved into this pinkish substance. Its hand grew, stretching out like a claw before lunging at Peter. Peter: WHY ME!? Gray cut through the monster''s burning head with his wrist talon, emerging from under his grey jacket. While the buddy still bubbled and bulged, it was destroyed when Gray threw it back into the fire. Gray: This is an outbreak. The rain, the village, the zombies. I know what this is. Soku: And that is? With the rain and heavy winds blasting the door behind them open, it made for a great opportunity. Gray had taken off his jacket, dropping it to show his armor and dangling charm open. Gray: This means, were in a horror special. And its gonna be spooky. His cloak flowed out, and Rosemary clapped while Soku booed. Peter was still fearful, checking himself. He had his bag of gadgets, a belt and a sheath over his shoulder with even more pockets. Two wrist talons on his wrist, a makeshift watch, and his rifle. He even had a new weapon dangling from his belt loop, a rope dart. Peter: WERE DEAD, WERE DEAD! NO! NO! NO! Gray: Were fine! We just need to regroup with Edward and well be fine. Soku: Great, and he is? Gray: I dunno. Edward: DAMMIT! He was rushing through the woods while swinging his sword. The closely grown trees were making it difficult to swing his blade, pushing him to rush over the villagers like a ramming bull. Edward: IM HERE TO HELP! Bows with flaming arrows shot out, breaking against Edwards armor. A villager jumped from the tree with a sickle in hand, causing Edward to pierce him in the gut with his sword. He tossed him into a villager holding a torch, kicking them down and lighting five of them on fire with it. Edward {Theyre easy to knock down, dumb, but theyre moving together! What is this!?} Edward mustered his rage while running forward, leaping out of the forest and through a fence to pass past farm animals. They got in his way, cows, chickens, and pigs alike, causing him to slip and fall. But they attempted to attack, bitting away at his armor. Edward: You too!? He pushed them off, escaping through the barn by slamming through it with his sword. When he got to the other side, he used the dragon''s spirit to leap over a roof. He failed to land on the roof, breaking the tiles and sliding down off the roof. As he fell, he saw Gray standing right below him. He screamed in panic, pushing the cloak up to catch him. However he fell right on top of Gray, crushing him. Edward: ....Sorry. Gray: Why are you so heavy! As Edward got up they felt even more watchers approach. They began to bust out of their homes, marching as massive groups. They were quick to take shelter in the inn, pushing things against the doors. Peter: SOKU COME ON! Peter took out a hammer and nails from his bag to board up the windows. Using the broken pieces of wood lying around, they tried their best. Using tables, shelves, chairs, and pieces of the floor for safety. Gray: Are we just cornering ourselves? Rosemary: We could always burst out of the side if we get stuck, this should just work as a temporary shield! Peter: I CANT BURST THROUGH THE DOORS! Peter screamed from the upper floors, screaming louder as he heard the breaking glass. Unable to get into every room fast enough, the villagers had already begun to climb and find ladders to scale up to the second floor. Soku: Watch out! She tossed wind blades out at all sides in the main hall, knocking down the crazed people back out the windows. Down below they tried breaking through the windows, smashing against them and reaching through. Gray pushed the cloak, threw the window and shoveled them back but they couldnt stop the large ram they brought, smashing against it. Chanting, bleeding, and approaching. Up stairs Peter shivered, throwing a handful of Poppers toward a villager who had just broken it. It tossed an axe forward, which the poppers collided with. It blew the axe toward Soku, which she barely dodged. Soku: WATCH IT! Peter: SORRY! The rest of the poppers knocked down the villager, setting Peter up with the chance to shoot it. The bullet tags its shoulder, allowing it to stand back up. Soku: KILL IT! Soku dashes around the halls walls and roof to charge up a slave that carves through the charging monster and the group behind it. Peter is left stunned by Soku ''s pants, screaming as she sees them bursting through the roof. Back below Edward is fighting off a group who came from the other entrance in the inn keepers kitchen, pushing them with his sword. So out front, Gray knew he had to do something. Listening to Rosemary about the walls, he charged a swing with his blade. Throwing out a bright Breaker that destroyed the second floor''s front facing wall. He then used the cloak to zip up toward it and flung onto the roof. He stretched out the cloak, flinging the villager breaking through the roof off of it. He then saw Soku burst upward, taking one side while Gray took the other. They knocked them down, trying to keep them out. But within, Peter stumbled back into one. Peter: NOO! Without help be backed off, falling and slamming on the trigger. He didnt want to kill them, but at this point he didnt know if they were alive or dead. Accidently, he blew the monster''s head clean off. Leaving him speechless. However the broken head began to squirm, sprouting like a plant with teeth ready to kill. Rosemary sent a fling of power forward, smashing against the monsters back and sending it flying. Peter rolled under it, tossing more poppers behind him to take it down. Rosemary: Are you okay!? Peter: NO! We gotta run! On the roof, Gray looked down to see them stop ramming the door. Instead they held the torch to the building, setting it aflame while other villagers finished pouring oil around it. Soku: Dang it! Theyre smoking us out! The wooden building quickly lit, leaving Edward, Rosemary, and Peter stuck. Gray quickly burst down to help Rosemary and Peter out, handing them off to Soku. But he had to run down to Edward, swinging down to find Edward fighting in the main room. Gray: HAVIN A PARTY!? Edward: Yeah! Wanna join! The monsters were covered in massive gashes from Edward sword, but their pinkish dark blood pooled and mutated. The mutations were small but quickly spreading, turning their bodies soft and squishy. Some of the bodies expanded like jello, melting and cruising into lobes of flesh attached to human bodies. Some swung large tendril arms while others had mouths open down their bodies. Gray: Dang its creepy! Gray continued to slash through them, matching with Edward as they took down the rest of them. But the building was almost fully consumed, leading to Edward blasting through the front door with a swing of his sword. Edward {DRAGONS CLAW!} It sent the villagers blocking the door flying. Setting Gray up to dash forward and take them down. Soku, Rosemary, and Peter, all leaped down with them. Watching as the entire village surrounded them, chanting louder and louder. They pushed them all to hurdle together, back to back and ready to fight. Gray: We got this! Soku: Im not too sure! Their fear got stronger and stronger, falling into extinction. Further drenched by the rain. At the climax, a loud bell rang from a distance. A large dinding bell at the top of the hill. They all lowered their weapons, locked onto a trance. And then they walked past, leaving as the rain did as well. They let out a sigh of relief, looking at each other in the light drizzle. Gray: What, the hell. Soku: Guess we know where to go. Rosemary: Guess this was a trap, and whoever that lord is isnt a fan. Peter: Or they wanted test subjects, or the Sect did this because they knew we were coming! Edward: Either way, the top of the hill is where were going. Well have this cleaned up and finished by the time Gordon gets back. In and out, no casualties. Gray: So we save the village, or avenge it. Sounds fine to me. As the villagers left in a massive wave, shutting the large imposing wooden gate behind them as they left. The animals going with. Rosemary took off her brown jacket and pants, showing her armor. Soku had hers on under her coat; they all wore their same armor from the Walgonia raid. Other than Gray, he was using a prototype of his new armor. With black shoulder pads, lighter armor, a single sword, and some wrist talons. The cloak included, and his mask excluded. Gray {Kinda wishing I had my mask. I smell horrible, and dont want some zombie scratching my face.} They backed off, relaxing for a second before looking around. The moon was almost setting and the sun was soon to come up, meaning Gordon was about six or seven hours from arriving. For a second they collected themselves, looking at some of the creatures. Peter: Things are hard to kill. And theyre transforming! Soku: Yeah, its that pink stuff. Its only in patches. Peter gets closer, watching as the yellow glow in their eyes and veins subset while the wiggling pink goo stops moving. Edward walks up, staring at the dead villagers with a somber look in his eye. Edward: Lincoln reported that monsters with pink skin burst around him at the raid. Could these be monsters set up by the Sect? Rosemary: If they are, they were either made to get in our way or are being made right now. Gray: Either these are an old or new batch. Hope that means we can strike early, and stop something bigger. Soku: Even if we do, the village is gone. So let''s get moving on! Soku ends up pushing forward for the rest of them to follow. And while they do, the large wooden gate gets kicked open by a growling beast. It had a bag strapped around its head, its eyes staring through ripped holes. The rest of its body was harry and damp with the pink patches present and rapidly spreading. Peter: IT JUST GETS WORSE! It roars, beating its chest with power. It tears at its ripped white shirt and tattered pants before charging at them. Edward rushes in front, slamming its sword down. The beast slams to a halt, blocking with its arms. Edwards sword almost cuts through, but gets stopped in his thick forearms. Quickly the veins splurge with pink juices, its skin tightening. It looked like heavy scar tissue, burnt beating skin. Edward was thrown back, Gray throwing two breakers forward. The spirit slashes pushed the monster back but did little to stop it. So Rosemary jumped it, surging into the powerful sixth stage. In an explosion of power, she uppercuts the beast. Its face is torn open, showing the Demi-humans face. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It was a hairy bear looking man with his skin festering with the growths. Mid-air, she kicks the beast to send her and it back. On the grass, she pulls her fist back and slams it into the monster at the peak of her power. Letting out a wave of wind, breaking some of the windows and leaving the creature barely breathing and on its back. Soku flew into the air, charging her mark and wind into a focus sash that rockets down and throws the monster, splitting it. Peter: MOVE IT! Gray uses the cloak, pushing the pieces of its body away and throwing it into the still raging flame behind them. Using the fire pit of an inn to cook the slit monster. It ignited in an instant, screaming. They then wiped their brow, with Rosemary aching in pain. Gray rushed over to her, scared and extremely worried for her. Gray: Are you okay? Rosemary: ...yeah, its just, Ive never used that much power before. Ive barely gotten a handle on the sixth stage, but Im getting better fast! Instead of being distraught or scared, she was confident. Standing up and walking with the group toward the broken gate at a quick pace. He looked on with a smile before rushing on. As they move past the gate they enter the forest, pushing slightly upward as they go up the hill. Rushing through, its getting misty, still raining, and filled with dense and tough trees. Almost slipping and getting stuck in the rushing mud, they were distracted and extremely hindered. Thats when Peter, sliding down the path after tripping in the mud, her growls. His heart skipped a beat, drawing in panic. As he screamed out, the group met the same fat. Facing dogs consumed with the infection. Soku: Come on! Edward dashes around and takes down the beast while Gray guards the main group. His slashes were powered by his spirit sense flowing, finding the beasts and striking before they appeared. Soku: Peter! Soku rushed with her wind down to Peter, who flung out his pistol. The dog jumped over his blast and opened its bleeding, slimming mouth to chomp down on the young knight. Or it would have, if a flying slash didnt split it in two. Soku: Come on, dont wanna end up eating dog food! She grabbed his hand, yanking him forward before she flew forward with a rushing wave of wind. Pulling them threw the mud like a title wave. Rosemary: GRAY! Flaming arrows shot around, which Rosemary used the wind rushing off of her fifth stage to block. Gray used his cloak to grab and snap some, thanking Rosemary with a quick smile before leaping backward onto a tree. Gray: HEY FREAKS! He leapt forward with his wrist talons blazing with mana, stabbing into two of the archers before he flung the mana, creating a wave of mana that carved through a dog and another archer. Rosemary flicked her fingers, breaking the opponents into pieces as they ran forward. Holding her hand like a gun, she ran forward and flicked her fingers when needed. Hurting her fingers and cracking her nail and bone, she clenched in pain, but bit her inner lip and moved forward. They were all in one group with Edward leading them with fury. Another Demi-human ran forward with a large axe, throwing it with massive speeds. Edward barely dodged it, grabbing onto it and throwing it forward. Watching in awe as it crashes through the monster''s body, which begins to let out tendrils. They grab themselves, pulling together and becoming a large flying monster. Edward {Never easy!} He rushes forward, jumping between trees before wrapping around the monster. Tossing his blade up, he punches the hilt with the dragon''s fist, sending his sword threw him like a cannon before landing in the head of another villager. Gray: Nice shot! Soku moves with Peter, being guarded by Rosemary, just as Gray dashes forward to Edward. Edward smiles while he grabs his sword and gets back onto the main trail. Peter: DONT BREATH YET! The hill rumbles and rattles, with a wave of lumber rolling and blasting down the mountain. Edward uses the Dragons spirit and holds his sword forward, allowing the wood to slam against it and break in half. Soku grabbed Peter, leaping up to the crashing trees below and jumped between them as they fell. Gray swung with his cloak, snagging Rosemary first and Edward second, blasting forward with titanic impacts swirling on his feet. Gray {YES! I DID IT!} He then held on tight with mana boosting his strength, barely gliding with his cloak. He landed in a set of bushes, barely making it over the collapsing trees. Soku: You good!? Gray: Yeah. you? Soku: Fine. Peter: ugh. Peter, thrown and sick, almost pukes as Soku dropped him to the ground. He gets up, breathing heavily before pushing himself to rejoin the group as they walk onto the main trail once more. The further they went the more villagers they saw running back, all the way across a bridge that almost broke away with them. The bridge that used to be there was broken and destroyed into the casame it was above, leaving the simple breaking bridge made of ropes and boards. Gray: Of course. Its gonna break if we go across. Edward: So what do we do? Soku: Improvise! Soku grabbed Peter and blasted forward, moving fast and high. She slammed her feet down and set the laughing village monsters flying into the casome below, landing and waiting for her friends after. Gray grabbed Rosemary, using her to leap as he glided them across. Gray: We made it! Edward: Not all of us! Edward thinks of using the dragon''s spirit to boost his strength and leap across, but his body has begun to wither under its strain. He begins to quickly move, listening and shaking as the bored barley snaps as he passes over them. Gray rushes down to help, sending out his cloak to pull Edward in. But as he does, a loud roar from below his head as the hill shakes vigorously. It was smashing, fists slamming into the stone. This caused the bridge to begin shaking, letting Edward fall through. He grabbed onto board, holding on while Gray swung down with his cloak. Gray: Grab on! As he grabs Edward he swings back onto the bridge, but it has already collapsed. As they fell, Gray screamed out. Gray: YOU GUYS GO! WE GOT THIS! Rosemary wanted to help but grabbed onto Peter and Sokus hands while they rushed up the hill. Edward and Gray glided to the ground just before they would have smashed into the rocks below. Finding themselves in a pit, with a stream of rushing bloody water under them. The moment gave each other a chance to breathe. Edward had his mask off, gasping for air as he got up from the crash landing. Gray: ehh, first time crashing? Edward: Kinderegg. Gray rolled over, his eyes widening as he saw what was slamming against the mountain. He flipped and flowed his mana, entering the spirit state. Edward caught on, going into the Dragons spirit while he grabbed his sword. Edward: MOVE! A giant troll with an enormous pink growth on the side of its body, throwing a large boulder toward them. Gray and Eward leaped to the side, curving forward to fight after. Gray ran up the mountain, using the cloak and his mana to break and stick up the wall to get around it. Edward instead went low, slamming his sword against the leg of the beast. But it gets stuck in the slimy flesh, hearing the beast scream in defense. Gray: I got yah! Gray swung to a branch growing out of the cliff side, swinging down and around the troll''s neck before jumping up and over, taking it down. The tree began to rip out of the mountain, but the troll was stuck and scratching at the cloak wrapped around its neck. Edward: I understand! Edward leaped up, ripping the stomach of the beast before grabbing hold of Gray, pulling down with him and snapping the neck of the monster. The cloak then gave way, breaking in two before regrowing. This caused the two to fall into each other, once again yawing in pain. But the monsters bones began to melt, and it''s broken neck wasnt a problem anymore. As it began to move and roar, Gray pulled Edward toward an entrance into the cliff side. Gray: This must be where it came from! Come on! Either its a way out, a way in, or at least a safe space! Edward: Alright! They ran through, trying to regain some strength and get free. Rosemary and the others got closer to the top, finding a gate blocking them off from an even foggy area. As they got up, the sun began to rise, peeking under the darkness of night. Soku: I might be able to pick the lock! She moved forward, but Rosemary called out. Rosemary: Watch out! Soku turned around and jumped out of the way, dodging Rosemary blasting wind against the gate with a palm strike. Breaking it open and opening the next area. Allowing them to step in and see the grave stones. Peter: ...ThisThis is the front of the mainson The front, a foggy graveyard. And in front, passed another gate, was a large broken mansion. Filled with mystery. They went through, shaking and desperately looking around. Not knowing what to do, what to fear. Peter: Are we safe? Soku: I dont know. Stay frosty. Rosemary: Did you hear that from Gray? Soku: Yeah, I kinda get it but whatever. She holds her sword u[p, Peter his rifle close to him, and Rosemary has her fists up for a fight. The ground mushed around them, stepping closer. The graves were crying, echoing. Peter: Man I hate this! Bad, bad, bad! We should have made Ryo do it! Rosemary: Hes busy back at Walgonias capital. And we have to show our worth somehow. Soku: Julius should be here at least. But nooooo, he had to go be the prince or whatever, As they got half way through they saw the large statue in the middle. The lord of the land, a local heroine, the shining Margrave. Also known as rebecca spencers. Peter: Rebecca Spencers. Shes the one who called us here right? Rosemary: That was a great grandmother. But yeah, Rebecca called us. Soku: Was she named after her or somethin? As they spoke, the wet soggy ground listened. And I didn''t like it. Quickly, the dead rose from underneath. The woman''s family breaking through the ground, already having broken from the coffins earlier. In a panic, Peter was almost caught up in the beasts. Pushed back by Rosemary and Soku ripping through them. As he tumbled he tossed out a popper, landing in a coffin. As he did, he began to sink, breaking down into a cavern below. He went to scream out but heard loud, odd noises approaching, forcing him to run through the underground tunnels. Painted with stone pillars to hold up the ground. Soku: Wheres Peter!? Soku jumped around with her wind, blasting through the monsters while she searched. But the hole he entered through had caved in, leaving her distraught and returning to Rosemary. Soku: What do we do? Rosemary: I think we need to move forward. If he gets taken then hes with them. Soku: And if not? Rosemary: Well thenwe end this to avenge him. Soku gulped with fear, blowing the mist away with a large breath of wind before pushing through. Sending a blade of wind through the next reinforced gate to stare at the broken doors to the mainson. Soku: We goin? Rosemary: Yeah, we are. Below, Peter was running. As he moved he ran past villagers chained and mindless, mining away. Unable to chase, they simply growled and howled at him as he passed. But he was fearful, crying, wishing he was at home as he ran. Sliding, jumping, and dashing around, he almost fell down the tight dusty corridors before falling into a deep dark hole. Peter: HELP! PLEASE! Fearing for his life, he almost thought he was dead. Left to rot. But he was picked up, lifted by Edward. Edward: Why were you laying upside down? Gray: Seeing you head first into a hole like that was pretty goofy. Peter: ITS YOU GUYS! Edward let him go, watching as Peter gave them both two big hugs. Peter: Wait, why are you here? Gray: We came passing through a hole at the bottom of the cliff. Then we saw you slide in. They were passing up, walking forward. Peter: Theres lots of ''em up there. They''re being used like slaves. Gray: These mindless things arent that mindless then. Using weapons, chanting. They have a purpose. We need to stop whoever is controlling it fast. Were lucky we haven''t been sucked in. Edward: We also need to regroup. Gray: Knowing facilities like this well meet. But if we can keep going under, we might need to. Evils hidden, right? They continued to walk, watching the miners hack at it. Without food or light their bodies were fading, rotting. Even the pink growths werent very potent, barley wiggling. They then passed into a larger area with cells, holding in half dead or screaming villagers. Crying, begging, chanting, they were all trapped and insane. Except for some of the broken doors. Peter: They looked smashed in. Like something tired to get in, not out. They passed through, looking around at every little thing. Vials, writing, sketchings. Even spiders, which crawled right in front of Peter, causing him to scream out. Edward: They were experimenting. The reason these villagers werent so monstrous Gray: Was because they were trying to strengthen the transformation! They spread it to a mass scale, and theyre making them strong. An army of unkillable beasts! But then Peter found it; he saw a double doored cell broken open from the inside. The only thing within being a body, a shell chained to the wall. And something had ripped out of it. Peter: Guys, maybe we should be quieter? Gray: Why do you say that? And then the roar was heard. The mana crystals lighting the halls flickered as it approached the disgusting creature. Its hardened, advanced bones were strong enough to hold its bursting body. The skin, muscles, flesh had all become one. Its glowing yellow veins, eyes, beating to represent its life. However that yellow glow was fading as its mind faded. So it was stuck with some level of control. It used it to grow stronger, pulling the body of one of the minors with it. Peter hid under the table in the center of the room while Gray hid in the pipes above and Edward behind a pillar near Peter. They heard the wet, loud, powerful steps. They heard the crunch of the minor, its last breath, and the wet squishing noises at the skeletal creature began to eat and absorb the other. It grew, taking its fluids and replenishing the yellow glow. IT then cried, seething with pain as its veins rushed with power. Edward: YOU BEAST! He spun, slinging his sword through it. However the blade simply passed through the monster, quickly glowing back. In that moment Gray flung up with a flip, tossing breaks forward before landing atop the center table. As his blades connected and sent the monster stumbling back he launched out with his sword, slashing the monster. Peter: Watch out! Gray dropped down as Peter flung up, shooting his rifle from the table. The exploding popper erupted on the face of the creature, slightly burning it while sending separate bits of its pink, moving flesh crawling back toward it. Edward then slammed his sword down on it with the flat end, smashing it down. Next, he flung his blade upward to push it away, spinning like a vortex of force to take it down. Edward: DIE! DAMMIT DIE! The fleshly beast was separated from its parts, its bones breaking. However it furthered itself to fight, progressing as a being. Its fingers sharpened and extended, slashing through his armor. He barely avoided the blow, almost getting infected, before he broke the nails with a stomp of his armored foot. Its cries were silenced when Edward bashed his balled hands against its head. Over and over, screaming louder than the monster, he crushed it to a plump. Peter then ran in and lit it aflame with his makeshift lighter, MK zero. As it burns in his hand, causing him to toss it onto the monster. It let out a final silent cry of life, horribly transformed in its final stage of life before needing to be put out by what should have been its hero. Peter: DANGIT! WHAT! What was that thing!? Gray: It was bursting out of itself! These things, these things messed up man! If this is the Sect then theyll pay. Edward took heavy breaths, huffing and puffing with rage. Peter was running out of gear and Gray was tearing away at his lessening supply of mana. But they still pushed on, shown when Gray pulled down a shelf to find a hidden doorway behind it. Gray: This might be important. Above them, Rosemary and Soku moved through the barren halls. Blowing with open windows and dead damp leaves. It smelled, it echoed, and yet, it was empty. Giving them a needed break from the action. But they still barged through, kicking down doors and making their way around. In a large main room, lit by a fire, they looked for clues. Blood stains, notes written in scribbles, and open books. Medical books. Soku: So Margrave was researching bodies? Rosemary: Phycology books as well. Learning about the brain, personalities, hearts? AndOds. Soku got closer to the fire, focusing on the flickering flame and the wilting wood. Soku: This place is empty but this fire is fine. The wood was even replaced recently. As she got closer she blew out the fire, staring at the back of the fireplace. Soku: ...Theres a slit! A ridge passing through the center of the fireplace. Moving from the very top, all the way down, inside, and back out. She backed up and looked around for something to open it. But Rosemary was the one who solved it, pulling a statue of an old poet''s head down to find a button. As she pressed it, mana surged through locks, triggering the fireplace to begin opening. As it fully opened, they found a staircase leading into the darkness. A darkness quickly lit up my mana crystals surging with a tint of blue. Soku: Well, lead the way! Rosemary: Yep. They all approach the darkness, going deeper and deeper to the center of the madness. Converging, Gray and Rosemary''s group all converted into the same hall. With the moment he sees the both, he runs up and hugs both with the cloak stretched around them Gray: Youre safe! Soku dips from under him, running over to Peter instead. Soku: Peter! She runs and hugs him before pushing him off with wind. Soku: Dont scare me like that! I thought you were dead! Peter: Hehe, sorry. While they were speaking, Edward moved forward. Looking on at the figure within the room with them. She was further into the room, down a staircase and standing with another figure. ...Oh, yourewhat do they call you, the Heroes of Walgonia!? HAHAHA! WHAT FOOLS! An old, crazed woman with the cloak and mask of the Sect. However she stood with another woman, who wore a beautiful purple dress and had a crazed yellow smile. She began to laugh as the woman from the cloak screamed, watching the group with her deeping eyes. They were turning yellow, her veins bursting with power. Soku: Whos that!? Edward: Thats Rebecca, the Margrave! Edward rushed down, landing with power and staring up at Rebecca. The older woman had her hair braided, tucked unto her purple small hat. But it fell down as she flung her body, holding it with pain. Rebecca: THISTHIS IS SALVATION!? THe woman from the Sect laughed and laughed, at awe with her wickedness. YOU WILL BE SAVED! JOIN ME AS THIS VILLAGE HAS! JOIN US IN THE FIGHT AGAINST EVIL! Gray: It was you then! You did this to the village, you turned these people into monsters! The member of the Sect ran off down a tunnel, with Gray quickly approaching from behind. She tried to pull a lever, closing a gate behind her, but Gray''s cloak held it long enough for him to roll and pass under. Gray: Ill go after her, you guys stay here! Soku: Wait! Edward went to Rebecca, who shoved him away. Edward: We got your message, were here to help! Rebecca: ITS TOO LATE! Edward grabbed her, staring into her corrupting face. Watching as her skin becomes pink, as it becomes slimy and metals into her. Her skeleton became more visible as it sank into her, pooling into her clothes. Staining them with her flesh. Soku: Ew. Rosemary: Mam please! Rebecca; THAT LYING BITCH! SHESHE! Her brain was rattling, soul trembling. Herod was imposed with a great curse, a curse it couldnt fall to fast enough. Her body melted and merged with it, bursting out with pink flesh. Her hands folded into tendrils, a mouth ripping her body open, and whatever was left of her turning into a large pink flawling creature. Peter: WATCH OUT! It thrashed around, smashing into Edward and sending him into a railing overlooking the lower mines. It then charged at him again, knocking him down with its massive body. As Edward fell, he dug his sword into the mountain and held on for dear life. Rosemary: EDWARD! Gray, further down the tunnels, heard her scream and feared for his safety. And with his mana flowing, the spirit state raging and ready to blast its way out of his body. It pushed him to throw a large breaker at the back of the woman, injuring her and knocking him down as she charged up a flight of stairs. But she rushed forward, making her way out and closing another gate behind her. Gray: YOURE NOT GETTING AWAY! She couldnt help but laugh, screaming as more villagers passed between her and the gate she ran from. Having left from an opening of the cave system, she had made it. Taking a device from her pocket, which spread with red corruption. It sank, burning into the ground with the Sects crest, flaming and taking her in to return her to where she came. The depths of hell. Gray: NO! He blasted the gate down with mana swirling in his palm, blowing it away with a titans impact. Now under the rising sun, he was able to see everything clearly. The villagers fought back, but he stood. Kicking one down before spinning and throwing the villagers into each other by grabbing hold of them with the cloak and swinging. Back down the tunnels, Rosemary pushed herself. Using the fifth, then sixth stage, she shook the area while bending the wind to her advantage. It shook and shot the mountain, but got the monster to distract itself. While it was, Soku rushed down to Edward. Peter threw down his rope dart, which Edward grabbed onto. So Soku grabbed hold, pushing back with mana while Peter put all of his strength into pulling. Soku: COME ON! Peter: IM TRYING! Using her mark, she launched him out, letting him land barley back on. Edward: DAMN YOU TO HELL! He charged forward screaming, blasting past Rosemary with the Dragons spirit. Flinging the beast over the edge of the other side, plummeting to the ground and falling into the abyss of the mines. Eventually letting out a loud boom once it exploded on the ground below. Edward: Wewe did it His body was shaking in pain, but so was Rosemarys. She helped him up and then blasted through the gate Gray went through earlier. Running down to find him at the other side, waiting. Gray: She got away. Edward: Well we found something. Inside, Peter walked around the area looking at the platform below them. It was strange, carved in a way to look like an opening of some kind. Soku came back to look at him, yanking on lanterns and pressing on stones. Behind her was Rosemary, Edward, and Gray, all looking around the area for anything. Gray: I looked around from the top of the hill while I was out there. Everything is empty, all it is. The village vanished, the last ones here were at the last stage. Nasty pink people about to burst open. Rosemary: Sowe lost? Soku: That sucks. All we did was find a village we failed to save. Even the Lord was crazy. Peter continued to look, finding a sliding top of stone with an impression within. Peter: It needs a key! Soku moves over, looking and getting down. Blowing wind into the keyhole in a perfect, focused fashion, to make the impression of the true keys shape. Spinning and rotating the lock. And when she does, a large set of gears begins to shake and open. With a staircase spirling up and down. And while they went down, they found nothing but a single room. Rosemary: Its a small lab. With tables and experiments. The only other thing was a single door, closed to the other side. As Gray attempted to get it open the others looked around. Opening books and shelves to find anything. Rosemary: Upstairs we found research of the mind. But these are all notes about farming land, food, anything to sell. Peter: In this one, it says that people reached out to her. And it has a small Sect crest in it! They were still looking as Gray kicked down the door, his mouth dropping. It was a bedroom with a monster slouched in it, crying pink slime that burnt away at the bed. Gray: Oh no. Rebbeca, pushing through with her body somewhat stable. The yellow aura rushing through her veins was leaving, her body struggling to stay whole. Even after falling so far and breaking into this bedroom, it remained alive. The others approached, looking on with a sad tone in the air. Rebecca: ...They promised to help usthey did faster than you ever didbut they liedthey used usme Her words got slower, heavier, as she continued to leak. In a rage it began to swing around, screaming and breaking its room. The mountain began to shake even more, before it didnt stop. Peter: Whats happening!? Soku: I DONT KNOW BUT WE GOTTA GO! They all began rushing up the spiral stairs all the way to the top. Gray however tried to look around for anything, trying to do something. Before the room caved in he used the cloak to swipe a handful of notes before he rushed out. The staircase began to collapse, falling and splintering as they ran up. When they got to the top, they emerged from a staircase within a pillar. A pillar placed in the garden behind the mansion, peering over the hill. Gasping for air under the sun left them feeling finished, staring at the mansion caving in on itself. Releasing a loud burst of dust and destruction. Edward: There goes anything we could learn. Gray: Guess we should start digging. As they moved forward they got to a point to look over the large hill, seeing the large set of knights and covered wagons rolling in. They were all around, moving up the mountain at a fast pace. And the carriage slamming beside them had Gordon bursting out, imposing his voice on the others. Gordon: I LEAVE FOR FEW HOURS, GET HERE ALMOST TWO HOURS EARLY, AND THIS IS WHAT I COME BACK TO!? Lincoln then gets out, staring at the group with a drunken smile on his face. Lincoln: Have a good trip? Gray: Eh, it was alright. They moved on, going back to Greenvale as the knights looked around. Trying to solve the mystery of the infected, vanishing village. One that wouldnt be solved until it was too late. Fin Arc 7: Chapter 11. Peter “Day” Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 11. Peter Day Eleven AM, February seventeenth, 1499. Peter rolls around his king-sized bed, holding onto his large soft blankets. Hes woken up a few times, but he continues to force himself back to sleep, though he finally gets up as he can no longer drift back into the safety of his dreams. As he lets out a loud and annoyed yawn, his day has officially started. He begins to walk to the kitchen, wandering through his small cozy, but empty cottage. In his kitchen, he begins heating up some water, he finds that even though Edwards only been gone a few days, the house has become a mess. Books sprawled across the floor, dirty cups piled up, and his oil-stained clothes on the furniture. With a sigh, he begins picking things up, though lazily puts them away, by barely washing the dishes, tossing his clothes into a spare room, and putting the trash in his piled-up trash can. Hes able to do this just as his water is finished, so he pours it into a barely washed up, over top of some tea leaves. While he begins blowing on the steaming hot water, he jumps at the sound of knocking at his door. He burns his hand on the water, puckering his face just as he turns to see who it is. But he quickly changes his stance to one filled with bravado as he sees Lisas the one knocking, as shes currency waving at him through his window. He forces himself to sip on the boiling water but is suppressed to see her childish smile drop and turn into one of embarrassment, as he had forgotten to put on clothes at the start of his morning routine. She quickly covers his eyes as he dashes to his room, shuffling over to set down his tea. He looks around the piles of clothes in his room, flipping a pair of underwear inside out, grabbing dirt socks, and his only clean dress shirt, which is force wrinkled, over top of his oil-stained blue overalls. Peter: YES! Blue overalls, become BLUE PANTS! He runs down the hall, right up to the door, and opens it for Lisa to come in. She covers her face, but comes in anyway, awkwardly sitting down on his couch. Lisa: So ... .umHows it going since Edward left? It seemsyoure doing well. Her nose is filled with the smell of a sweaty teenage body, and her eyes are drawn to the pile of dishes in the sink, but the sight of the chipper Peter washes it all away. Peter: Yeah, I got this place all to myself, its pretty chill. When I used to live with Leo Valentine and the Red Arrows during the whole civil war in Athens thing, I had my own room for being Leos right-hand man, and I thought that was cool. Now I have this whole place. He looks to the ceiling, trying his best to brush past what had happened earlier by filling the air with his accomplishments. While he figured it wouldnt work, Lisa''s love for knowledge and just generally being a normal person, while everyone else theyve interacted with has been famous powerful people, causes her to be infatuated by his words. Lisa: YOU KNOW LEO VALENTINE!? YOU WERE IN THE CIVIL WAR!? YOU WHERE HIS RIGHT HAND MAN! He was fighting under the country, with an army not even the size of Beauregards, and he was winning!? I follow all of Leo''s escapades in the sea whenever its written about, I used to have my mother gather all of the news she could and give it to me! Peter''s face drops at the mention of Lisa''s now-dead mother, trying his best not to do anything wrong. But surprisingly, Lisa continues talking without a care in the world. Lisa: TELL ME MORE! What did you do when you worked with him!? How did you start!? Tell me! Peter: Okay, okay, if I must, and you know how I hate braggingBut I was basically second in command at the age of eleven. I was the best blacksmith, smartest person, and overall best dude in the Red Arrows, other than Leo of course. Lisa: Well wasnt most if not all of the Red Arrows normal people? Peter: Wellyah, but I was still a kidand I kinda just got everyone else to make all of the stuff. To be honest, I didnt really lead anything, I just followed Leo around like he was my dad and he just didnt care. But around a year before the volcano blew up he started treating me like second in command. I did make my Poppers, Wrist Talons, and a few other gadgets that dont really work. I never used my Poppers against real people, so when I did I realized I really had to make them stronger, and my Wrist Talons were never in a fight either, until Gray used them and they broke pretty fast. Lisa: But you made all of that other stuff! What about that one guy you foughthis name was Lance right? Lance, the true air to the Valatrositce thrown, the boy whom Peter would often get into disputes with, who he fought, which triggered a lot of the events in Constal, and sadly passed in Peter''s arms. Even hearing his name causes Peter''s stomach to drop, even when Lisas'' mother was mentioned her heart didnt skip a beat, but Lance''s name stops Peter in his tracks. He lets out a huge sigh, stretches his arms, and wants to get his day going.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Peter: Welp, time to get moving''. What are you doing today? Lisa: Ryo said that Fredrick wanted to meet with me, apparently I can train magic under him. Peter: Magic!? I know you can use your Mark of Providence, but what magic can you use? Lisa: I dunno, but he does. What about you? Peter: I used to spend my days slaving away with Lincoln and some starter cadets, and some time with Rick in his smithing shop, though something else has been added. I need to run over to Grays old house, I need to see somebody. Lisa stands up, as the stars in her eyes finally die out because she knows where hes going. Lisa: Welp, I gotta get going. You make the rest of your day, and come see me near the end! Peter waves her goodbye and begins walking off himself, to do something thats forced itself into his daily routine. Hes done this every day since they arrived back in Greenvale and did the same in the carriage on their way to Greenvale. He walks into Gray''s house, heads up the stairs, and sits down beside Soku''s room, which has a green aura emanating from it. After a while, Erline exits her room, finding Peter still waiting. Erline: You do this every day, and yet you wont walk inside? Peter: She wouldnt want me in her roomcan you tell me how shes doing? Erline: No, you have to check yourself. Erline walks down the stairs, leaving him sitting by himself once more. Since June sixth, Sokus''s birthday, the day she told everyone about her aspiration to become a head figure in leading the country, was the same day Peter holds as the worst decision hes ever made. He holds it above the day he ran away from his fight with Lance, above the day he fought Lance in the Mayor''s office, his time being tortured, the day Athens burned over, and the day his parents passed. Because it was the day he told Soku that her dreams may be too much for her to handle, something that he didnt fully mean, but something Soku took to heart. It was the day that any relationship between the two was crushed, and the last day she spoke to him. Ever since that day, she hadnt even said a word to him, and because it took him so long to fully understand what he did wrong, he was never able to apologize. And now shes stuck, imprisoned in stone, possibly to never be freed. While the soldiers turned to stone during the raid for Walgonia and were able to be freed, only a few woke up, as even though the stone faded, they were comatose. He doesn''t know how much stone has faded, or if any stone has faded at all, and even if he wants to know, he cant force himself inside. After a bit of waiting, he stands up, and leaves the house, entering his workshop in the backyard. He goes to begin working on anything to keep him busy, but something shines in the corner of his eye. Laying on the dirt floor is his rope dart, still stained with Rupert''s blood. While Gray, Edward, Rosemary, and Soku had progressed so much in such little time, hes remained stagnant. Hes grown a few inches, along with his hair, but everything else is just a bit better than when he started. To him, the main difference between where he is and where he started isnt the growth in his mind or his body, but what hes being given. Hes gone from poor to living in a warring country, and now living in the largest mountain range in the world, in a secret village, surrounded by some of the strongest people in the world. Peter truly believes that if not for all of the resources being given to him, hed still be making trash with trash. He fails to acknowledge that he was able to do all he could with as little as he had because he is smart. He escaped his captivity because of his ingenuity, he was able to beat Rupert because he created small explosives out of the flame crystal cores around him, but with a mix of his festering skill. The world is not fair, not everyone is born with blessings, but sometimes, its almost cruel. Peter, a Dark Elf, coming from a race of people known for their strength, is just a little stronger than the average boy his age. He walks over to the rope dart, blows the dirt off of it, looks back at his mess of a workshop, and begins trucking toward Lincoln''s home at the top of the hill. The training grounds for the Leviathan army, not with the children who are working to begin their true training, but with the men and women whove spent their entire lives living to protect. With each step, he creates a path behind him in the now-melting snow and walks down the unknown path ahead of him. He knows his true strength lies within his mind, but it doesn''t hurt to get stronger. He makes it to the top of the hill and begins eagerly knocking on the front door. Hes made this walk a hundred times, but this time, hes shaking. The floors creak from within, as the sound of Lincoln''s wheelchair closens, and quickly opens soon after. Peters met at eye level with the once strongest man in the world, withered down, but filled with more life than he was the previous day and the day before that. Peter: You seem cheerful. Lincoln: And you seem eager. Need me to lift something? Peter: Nah, I wanna be able to lift that something. Lincoln: Alright then, took you long enough. Lincolns hands grip the wheels of his wheelchair, something that Peter had made for him, and begins strolling over to the nearby sliding door. Lincoln: Ive made swing wooden swords, made you walk up the mountain, so youve seen heaven. But Ive taught Athen soldiers, broken them, and now Ive taught and broken these Leviathan army ants. And now, youre an ant, so welcome to hell. Lincoln slides the doors open, letting Peter get a look at the large yard filled with men and women swinging swords over and over. Ryo, watching from afar, quickly walks over to greet the both of them, as hes happy to see them up and moving. Ryo: Peter! What are you doing here? And Lincoln, youre moving on your own! Lincoln: I wouldnt say on my own, and the boys here to learn. I know Im not much of a teacher, but I can see youve followed my orders well, or well enough. Peter: Im here because I wanna get stronger, or try to get stronger until the others return. Ryo, with a smile on his face, brushes the strands of his hair that fell out of his bun and grabs Peter''s hand. He quickly takes him to one of the many lines of soldiers, places him in the back, hands him a wooden sword, and pats him on the back. Ryo: These people got armor because they proved themselves, while I would say you have done this, Lincoln may get mad at me. So, swing this sword until you cant stand it, and then Ill ask him. The moment Ryo walks away, Peter''s face drops, as he realizes hes just submitted himself to a day-long, and possibly years of this wretched training process. But, even with that notion, he doesn''t walk away. He spends the rest of the day following everyone else, swinging his sword around for two hours, running around the yard for another two hours, and then a one-hour break. During the break, he eats as much as he can, drinks as much water as he can, and starts the process over again. Running two miles while holding a heavy slab of wood, dueling with a random soldier for an hour, and practicing with a weapon of his choice for the remaining two hours, he picks his rope dart. Even though he made it through, it was truly hell. He threw up various times, came out with a lot of brushes, didnt win a single duel, and felt like quitting over a thousand times. But in the end, he came home, fell onto his bed, and went right to sleep without a care in the world, and only a sense of accomplishment. End of Chapter Eleven Arc 7: Chapter 12. Out through the fog and Into the Bog Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 12. Out through the fog and Into the Bog While it took a while to get to, Gray has finally found himself outside of the Guard Fog, about to burst right into it. This large amount of gray fog, at least to Gray, is one of the most magical things hes seen in this world. His first viewing of magic was a bit underwhelming, as he was used to giant incantations or country-destroying attacks, but it was the simple control of the wind. Even the spirit monsters are a bit basic, so Gray, whos lived here for a while now, views this world as a medieval land with fantasy elements, the Guard Fog included. As Dema flies through it, he feels the same depressing feeling he felt the last time he entered this cloud of despair, but last time he had friends to talk to and guide him through, which he now lacks. The giant opening in the middle is the only true way to get through, as the fog constantly blows, twists, and turns, making getting lost pretty easy, but if you keep your cool it should be fine. Dema''s keen senses and almost human way of understanding keep Gray locked into the world, and not drifting onto mindless thought, but hes moving to fit a map, which he cant do. While Grays large sum of mana should be attracting the large spirit beasts within the fog, hes wrapped himself in the cloak of darkness to keep his mana hidden from the hungry animals. But his mental stability has fallen so far that its as if nothings there, except for his hatred and bloodlust toward the Sect of Anarchy, which the cloak of darkness is happy to feed on. Its taking everything from him, all of his emotions, turning him into a slothful being that needs to rely on the cloak''s usefulness, but Gray knows this, so hes keeping himself busy. While he listens to the growls and stomps of the monsters below, he generates a small black flame between his hands, keeping himself warm, while also training his flaming power. After a while, the cold and quiet fog began to knock at his psyche, whispering into his ear, telling him all he wanted to hear. Youre a true Hero You are a great person Stay here, stay with us, dont leave us He knew it wasnt his thoughts, as it was the fog trying to trick him. Things like this fog pop up in a lot of media he had consumed, so all he had to do was keep himself in mind and not care for anything until he made it out of the fog, though that could take a few hours to a few days. While being alone, his mind has returned to a similar state it was in when he had first arrived in this world, by trying to think of everything in an outside manner. A swordsman? Hed think of a game or show where hed seen them. A monster? His thoughts would move whenever he heard of the monster in front of him. This slight backtracking in his mind was all to help him cope with the path hed found himself on, and he had good reason for thinking like this. His morals have fallen, he has nobody he knows around him, and hes struggling to use a new flaming ability he has no idea why he possesses it, and hes going to an area hes not been to or learned much of. The thin air finally begins making it hard for Gray to breathe, which confuses him. His body has been conditioned by the height of Greenvale, but all of the thick fog doubles down on the sheer height Demas flying at. While they could go higher, Grays afraid that he may be too close to the outside of the Guard Fog. While it would be impossible, since it takes hours upon hours to reach the other side, the small possibility that the guards of Valatrocitus Capital could spot him is just too much of a risk. Strangely enough, while amidst this hellish atmosphere, holding onto the cloak of darkness brings him some feeling of light, like somebodys there to hold him. Back on Earth, he got used to being alone, as he would stay in his room for days at a time, so this wasnt too far from what he was used to. The only thing he misses is Rosemarys presence and Soku''s banter. Even now he''s thinking of what Soku would be berating him about and how Rosemary would defend him. Gray: Ahhh, look at Gray holding his cloak like a blanket. Hes feeling a little sick, so be nice Soku. Ah, got my number one hater and my number one defender on the same saddleman this sucks. Gray sits up, not able to tell if any time has passed, as the sun is blocked by the fog. While clocks exist in this world, theyre a bit short, but they use the same way of telling time that Earth does, so his slothfulness wasnt challenged there. He begins digging through his bag, finding one of his and Peter''s older gadgets, a pretty flimsy wristwatch. Gray: Forgot I packed this when we went to Constal. The watch is based on what most forms of technology are in this world, blank crystals and energy crystals. While the inside is also filled with gears and such, it works mainly by having the energy flow to the blank crystal in one-second intervals, allowing for the watch to tick every second. Then every sixty ticks, the minute hand moves, and every sixty minutes, the hour hand does the same. Its not very exact, though, as the energy crystal has held its charge almost indefinitely since they used a core, and the watch isnt taking too much energy. Gray: Dont get why Peter hasnt just sold all of this stuff. A watch that doesn''t take batteries or even need would sell for a fortune. Hell, a watch at all would sell for that much.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Gray spends the next few hours doing much of nothing, just his average training routine, until finally, he feels a clearing within the fog. While hes miles away from it, he can see the Capital of Valatrocitus in the distance, feeling the warmth of such a willful area trapped within the decaying land that is Valatrositce. Not only is most of Valatrocitus dangerous, but the shape of this side of the continent doesn''t help. Its long, a bit wobbly, and formed like a left boot sticking into the air. The beginning is the treacherous Guard Fog with the Capital right in front, a strange placement to say the least, but it gets a bit worse. If you venture out from the safe haven, youll find the land is marshy with monsters roaming the area. Most of the villages are dilapidated slums crumbling down on themselves. But if you venture out a bit too far to the right, youll find the enormous Ever-Forest, but if you go too far to the right youll be at the Ever-Bog. Maybe if youre lucky, sticking to the coast, youll find Constal, which uses the ocean water as a canal to trade. That would be the best you could do outside of the Capital because the last large space you would find is the Ever-Desert, which takes up the top of the continent. He leans his head forward, rubs his dry eyes, and sees the land around him is wet and mussy. He gets Dema to fly a bit closer to the ground, spotting a small, poor village right outside of the large set of trees before him. He lands, wanting to stock up on food, doing the same thing he did in La Bon. He sends Dema elsewhere, casts Detic to mask his presence, and dives off of Dema, landing in a back alley. His boots quickly sink into the muddy ground, annoying him. He slugs through the streets, noting that the small number of villagers all seem depressed. Theyre dirty, covering themselves in dark gray cloaks. Theyre old, decrepit, about to fall over, like they could die from a slight breeze. The sight reminds him of what he saw in Chezeras town, Hilten, and how it was dirty, sinking, and rotting. While Valatrositces Capital and cities like Constal stand out for their beauty, the outskirts are atrocious. Monsters roam the lands, attacking villages at random, and the ones they dont attack end up like the ones Grays at now. He passes various vendors, finding all of the food theyre selling is rotten, taking his appetite away. As he peeks around the crumbling buildings, he spots starved cattle, and even further starved children playing in the wet, cold mud, sneezing from colds. While one''s OD should help heal such a basic sickness, an unhealthy body would have issues such as these. Gray''s spirit falls, and he wants to buy anything from them as well, as taking from them may cause them to fall further. While he should be entering the Ever-Bog, as its right in front of him, he decides to continue walking around a bit. He wonders over the sick children, deactivating his spell so as not to scare them when he speaks out of nowhere. Sir? Ive never seen you here before. Gray: Im new, would all of you know if you had a village or town leader? While the two little girls try to pay no mind to Gray, a young lad, who looks to be around nine, stands up. With a sense of justice filling his heart, he hops over the broken wooden gate around the backyard of their home and begins to guide Gray. The kids wave goodbye to their friends, continuing to play with their sticks in the mud, rubbing their runny noses as they do so. So, are you a traveler? Gray: Yeah, Im heading into the Ever-Bog, so I wanna learn anything I can before I go in. Im lucky to have found a village right outside. Youre going in! My parents always tell me to stay awaybecause the monsters will get meand the witches. Gray: Witches? The boy is about to continue, but an old man walks up to them, greeting Gray. The boy, ecstatic, greets the older man. I was just looking for you! This isI dunno this guy''s namebut hes trying to find you! The older man, now revealed to be the village head, shakes Gray''s hand, which Gray is uncomfortable with. Village head: Well, glad to see a new face. What brings you to our neck of the bog? Gray: Im heading into the Ever-Bog, I wanted to know if there was anything I should know. This boy here said something about witches? The man''s eyes drop, staring at the boy with intense anger. Gray takes note of this, stepping in front of the now scared boy. Village head: Theres a ton of monsters in there, some even come out of the bog and mess with us, but we hold up. All of the stories about witches are fake though, Dont go believing childrens tails now. But heading into the bog is a madman''s dream! Nobody ever comes out. Gray: Well, guess Ill be the first. Oh, before I go, can I ask you something? Village head: Sure, anything for a traveler! Gray: Could I heal the people of your village? Im not that good at it, but I have a spell. The village head is stunned, but with a childlike smile, he quickly runs from house to house, knocking on their doors and telling them the good news. While Gray waits, the boy beside him almost cries, as hell finally be healed from his sickness. Gray is a bit frustrated with his actions, as he wants to get to Ravoria as soon as possible, but helping these people is far more important to him. Gray wishes he could use the spell Vortal which can heal a large area, but because of his large affinity and the difficulty he has using healing magic hes unable to do so. Healing magic is extremely delicate, so when his affinity makes things overly potent, it can create dastardly effects. So he has to heal everyone individually as well as extremely carefully. Everyone stares at the now green glowing spirits like theyve gotten new eyes, entranced by the sight. As he casts the spell again and again, they swirl around the people, filling up their weak ODs, and bringing new life into them. Their bodies are lighter, their spirits are higher, and their joy is through the roof. They all begin to praise Gray, but he walks away, hating the praise. He ends up walking to their cattle, using Vortic to heal them. The villager''s happiness rises even more, watching their way of life by the second. It took an hour, but he finally got to everyone, so he went to leave but found all of the villagers waiting for him. Everyone is grateful, so grateful they present Gray with a gift, with the village head handing it to him. Gray: Oh, I dont need money or anything. I didnt do this to get something out of it. Village head: Oh to hell with that! You need something! And this is all we have, our greatest treasurekeep it close, keep it visible. The village head takes off his silver ring, placing it in Gray''s palm. The sudden shift in his tone causes Gray to take the gift much more seriously, so he quickly puts it on his finger. However, his thoughts do begin to wander off, as he fears it could be cursed. After everyone lets out their thanks, he walks out of the town, heading toward the large trees and marshy ground ahead of him. The water ground quickly becomes a full-on pond or more of a lake. The large pools of green water stretch as far as he can see, with large trees protruding out of them. He takes a deep breath, flows his cloak around his body, disperses spirit mana for Dema to come to find him, and begins swinging around the trees. Now that he''s entered the Ever-Bog, hes almost to Ravorias capital, though the deeper he travels into the bog the more dangerous it will become, but its a danger hell gladly face. End of Chapter Twelve Arc 7: Chapter 13. Walgonia’s route Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 13. Walgonias route Two people, a man and a Demi-human woman, with dog-like traits sit in front of a large wooden wagon and speak with each other. Theyre masked by the pitch black sky and only the moon to see them. The giant green lizards pull them over the flat, cold, land covered in melting snow, but the freezing air is filled with the cries of scared children. This is because inside the wagon, inside large cages covered in sheets, are Demi-human children who are changed together, scared for their lives. Their parents try to console them from the other cages, but the woman guiding the wagon smacks on the bars, getting them to shut up. Demi-woman: Ugh, I hate it when they wont shut up. Man: How many times have you done the Walgonia run? This is my first go. Demi-woman: Only six, but the last six times they havent stopped talking. The younger man looks behind the wagon, as he feels something approaching them. While he cant see anything behind them, the slight rumble on the ground is scratching at his anxiety, though the woman laughs at this. Demi-woman: Look, this route is picked by the Baron and the Barons a genius. So no soldiers are gonna come past us, no knights come out this far, and theres no villages near so no guild members and no guards. The only issue might be some random people, but I dont think theyre gonna beat you or me. The younger man tussles his rust-colored hair while twiddling his thumbs, as hes certain somethings following them. Man: I swear somethings out here! Its got to be a spirit beast then. The winter season is riddled with random beasts! Snow golems, or the snow-covered spirit beasts! Snow golems are one thing, but you never know what the snow-covered ones will turn into! Demi-woman: Would you shut up!? Youre more annoying than the merchandise. Ima stop here, I gotta piss. Man: NO! HELL NO! The Demi-woman pulls her large hand down her face, groaning at the man''s words. Though, reluctantly, she obliges. Demi-woman: Whatever, if it makes you feel better Ill wait until the drop-off point. Youre lucky were on the Walgonia route and not the Guard Fog route, because if youre acting like this with nothin around, Id kill myself listening to your screams when something is there. The man breathes a sigh of relief, though the woman is the one who begins to worry. While she was too busy telling the man she felt nothing, she failed to check, but now she feels what he felt. But the longer she waits to say anything, to prepare for a fight, it gets closer and closer. The ground begins to rumble and rumble, but it doesn''t feel like the steps of a monster, but of something vibrating with vigor while also rolling across the ground.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The man and the woman both lock eyes, grabbing the weapons by their feet. The woman grabs a large wooden spear, while the man uses his combat axe, both looking around frantically. The Demi-humans in the cages begin screaming for help, causing the now scared woman to yell out at them. But right as she goes to do so, they see something in the distance. Its not a monster, a man, or a carriage, its something theyve never seen before. From their perspective, its a black iron box with wheels, leaking steam, and letting off the sound of a roar. As it barrels toward them at a booming speed, all they can do is get the lizards to move faster. While the woman cracks lead over and over, they cant move fast enough. Man: WHAT IS THAT!? AND IRON CARRIAGE!? Demi-woman: I dunno and I dont care! What it is, is coming right for us! GET READY! As they brace to be hit, the vehicle stops, pulling up to the ground. It slams into the side of them, but not fast enough the cleave through it, though it does flip it quite suddenly. The cages fall over, causing the Demi-humans inside to cry out, though the man and the woman jump onto the ground. They hold their weapons out, shaking with fear, and the man almost pisses his pants when the door of the vehicle opens. A tall figure gets out, covered by a black cloak. They see a large metal object in place of where his right hand should be hanging out of the cloak, and a large broken blade on his back, which the figure grabs. The woman rushes in without question, thrusting the spear toward him. Her large, strong dog-like body would give her an advantage over normal men and even trained soldiers, but this is more than that. To them, the aura coming off of this beast in front of them isnt one of a soldier, nor one of a true monster, this is a blood-lusted barbarian, a vagabond with a taste for battle. With only one set of movements, the man easily dispatches the woman with the skill and fluidity of a true warrior. He pushes his hand against the dull part of the spear''s pointed blade, moving it out of the way. Due to the fact she had put all of her strength into the trust, this throws her off balance, but instead of moving in, he does something not so simple. Continuing the momentum of such a simple push, he swings his bare hand up, through the hardened wood, breaking a quarter of the spear off. Before it can fly up into the air, he backhands it, sending it toward her at a high speed, bursting through her side. The living battle spirit turns his body to the man, stepping out of the way of his axe. The man had swung at him, but with another backhand from the barbarian, he was flung into the air, tumbling over the flat ground, right into one of the cages. The starving, wounded, and hatred-filled Demi-humans grab onto the man, tearing at him. He screams for help, though the figure has no care for him, turning back to the woman. Filled with horror and the will to live, falls to her beastly urges, trying to bite her attacker with her naturally large sharp teeth. He grabs her by the throat, stopping her fear-filled lunge, and holds her in the air. With his enormous strength, she knew he could crush her trembling windpipe with ease, so she doesn''t struggle. Demi-woman: WHAT DO YOU WANT!? The figure begins to speak, revealing his manly, calming, almost noble-like voice. Why are you doing this, who do you work for? Demi-woman: THE BARREN! HE PAYS US TO SHIP HIS THINGS! Demi-humans are his things? The man strengthens his already tight grip, almost crushing her throat without thinking. She begins to struggle, gasping for air, so he lets up but keeps the angry tone of voice. Where were these people going? And why would you do this to your own race!? Demi-woman: THE EVER-FOREST! AND HE PAYS BETTER THAN ANY JOB! The Ever-forest you say? Lucky me, Im already going there. But I dont want word getting out. The man drops the woman, allowing her to breathe a slight breath of relief, before he uses the metal object in place of his right hand to smite her, crushing her skull in one blow. As he lets out a sigh, as if he just let out built-up steam, he wipes the blood off of his arm. He watches her gushing body convulse on the ground without remorse, turning around to see that the man had been ripped to shreds by the Demi-human''s sharp teeth and claws. He had been so concerned with the woman, that he had completely ignored the man''s blood-curdling screams. Though he doesn''t care, as he opens all of the cages, patiently waiting for them to get out. He uses the dead man''s axe to cut through the binding chains and then begins pointing to his right. If you go north, you should find a large town. Find guards and they should help you. He quickly walks away, getting back into his vehicle. As if hes taking off a mask, he begins gasping for air, like its his first breath in years. He takes off his hood, revealing his identity to be Edward Van Helsing. He scratches at his jet-black hair, and wipes the blood off of his shivering face, but holds everything down so he can keep going. The emotions that were just overflowing settle, and he starts the car, and begins driving east, to the guard fog. End of Chapter 13 Arc 7: Chapter 14. Tussle with the Bog Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 14. Tussle with the Bog All of the Ever-Biomes, to put it simply, are large pools of spirits in an area, causing it to become a grand version of what it once was. These large pools of spirits within the area caused vast amounts of mana to pool into the area, causing the spirit beasts already in the area to flock to the Biomes, living there for years. After years and years of living there, their spawn had grown and shaped to become much stronger, fiercer, and smarter beings. But the monsters in the areas do differ, as they had to evolve to fit the domain, either getting used to the heat and lack of water the Ever-desert holds, or the thick and deep water of the Ever-lagoon. So while Gray walks through the transformed biome of the Ever-Bog, the deeper he moves the stronger and more evolved the monsters will be, making them unpredictable. The large trees use their roots to stand above the ground, slowly getting bigger, towering more and more over Gray, or atleast they would be. Gray is currency blasting through the bog atop Dema, high up in the air, looking down at the spongey wet pools of mud and water below him, being glad hes not down there. However, the bog attacked; a volly of vines jolt out from within the trees and grab hold of Dema. Gray: Whats happening!? He tries to cut away at them with his wrist talons while Dema pushes herself as hard as possible to fly away. But the web of vines is ever turning and twisting around. Gray tries to hold on, but hes taking off of her, trusted by the vines into through another wave of sticks, leaves, and branches. After wave of that awful pain he continued to fall down to the somewhat deep water below. Dema is nowhere to be seen, taken by the bog. Gray {No! If they do something to her, dammit!} The closer he got to the center of the Bog, the closer it came to a swamp, having deep murky water. Hes quick to act, and flows the cloak of darkness around his body, letting his armor sink into place, but hes stopped before he can begin to track Dema. Tendrils flow from the water, wrapping themselves around Gray''s leg, using teeth on the end to pierce and drink his blood. Surprised, he reacts like any person would, and tries flailing his leg until it lets go. But with mana brought into the mix, he ends up lifting up the monster in the disgusting and smelly swamp. The squashing spongey water below him causes his balance to fall off right as a large alligator, to which the tendrils were attached, is flung out of the water. Gray {These are the worst fantasy monsters.} While looking similar to an alligator, its scales are sharper, ridged, and faded, while its snout is wider, longer, and holds even more sharp teeth. He wraps his cloak around the beast, pulling it in so he can swiftly kick it in the face with a leg flaming with his dark mana. His leg crushes the scales on the gator''s face, sending it barreling through the water. While he could sit there and fight it, instead he goes straight to searching for Dema. While the thick water holds his speed back, he forms four tendrils from the cloak, using them to move through the water. As his cloak does the moving, his mind thinks, trying to use the spirits around him to find Dema. While he could pulse mana for her to find him, she could still be held down, and it would also summon all of the spirit beasts in the area. But his enormous amount of mana in his body is also making him a homing device for the hungry beasts anyway, so when he flowed it out to kick the gator, everything strong enough to face Gray in the area begins to bolt toward him. More gators begin to swim through the muggy water, surrounding him. The fumes in the area are also beging to dull his senses, making their way to his brain, so he uses the spirit sense to keep himself in check, igniting the white pupil in his normally black eyes. Gray { HOW DID IT ALL GO WRONG SO QUICKLY!?} The gators launch into the air, while a few stay below, bitting onto the cloak to keep him still. This teamwork holds true to their heightened intelligence, but they dont hold a candle to the cleverness of a human, especially the one theyre trying to feast on. Gray forces the pure spirit around him, which is so potent that they all shiver from the pain. The sudden weight on their starving bodies gives him the opening to push forward, snagging onto one of the trees with his cloak. As he begins swinging through such trees, this small victory quickly ends as the smog flowing through the air is also coating the trees, making it difficult for the cloak to get hold without slipping off. Hes forced to glide through the air, focusing on the warm and loving feeling that is Demas presence, hes grabbed by a large moth. Its small feet grab onto him, while the large wings flap large gusts of wind onto the ground. Using the cloak, he creates tendrils once more, pulls them down, and shoves them into the beast''s chest, causing the monstrous moth to let go of Gray, using the momentum to flip him over right after. Now on top of the beast, he grabs its hairy back, coats its drooling beak in the cloak, and bashes its head in with a fist coated in mana. While it does some damage, its strong, so he ends up having to hit it with a barrage of fast, serious blows. His control over his mana has only gotten better than it was in Constal, but only by five percent. So with only sixty-five percent of his mana being at his disposal, and keeping in mind its both less powerful as well as less potent because he hasnt fully mastered it yet. On top of that, these higher-level spirit beasts are a tough fight all on their own. After the repeated punches to the head, its small but thick skull is broken open, so it begins nose-diving into the ground.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He stays on the monster, using his cloak to angle it in a way that hes able to ride it like a skateboard once they hit the marsh. It works as expected, and he finds himself speeding through the mud. Now, in a small patch of grass, giving him a moment to breathe. But with only one breath, the grass begins to warp and stretch out, wrapping itself around Gray. As it begins to bind his entire body in the dense vegetation, he uses his growing strength with the flames to save himself. While the grass begins to absorb his mana, taking it out of the cloak, causing it to shrivel away, he focuses on the spirits in the air while the grass fully covers his body, igniting the spirit mana around his body, burning through the grass. But before he can do any more, hes suddenly attacked once again. Hes only able to brace for a strong force he senses coming toward him, the opponent punches him in the gut, sending him flying through the Bog. He slams into one of the large tree roots after bouncing and splashing through the murky green water, knocking the wind out of him. Gray {That was a fist! An aimed fist! This isnt a monster, its somebody with supreme strength, but I didnt feel any manahmm.} The cloak''s crescent moon-shaped charm pulses purple, allowing the cloak to flow out once more. While still using the spiritual senses, hes able to better detect his assailant, feeling their emotions. The will to protect, treating Gray like a trespasser, one he must kill. Grays eyes flame out with a white glow. At the same time he coats his body in his unmastered mana, so its a bit uneven, which the attacker can feel. With a slight disturbance in the air, Gray leaps to the side, dodging a slash from behind, turning around to see a large Demi-human man. He had a faded scar going across his forehead and wore a torn cloak over his legs, made of leaves, a red sash from leaves, and nothing more, showing off his large muscular body. He also had long mutton chops that flowed into his extremely long bright golden hair with bits of red in the ends, sticking and growing out out like a lion''s mane. It was so long that it was draped over the entirety of his back, spiking out. This lion-like appearance is furthered by the strange humanoid lion-shaped face he possesses. He only speaks in grunts and growls, moving toward Gray with excellent speed, trying to bash Grays head off with a single punch. Gray barely dodges, bending backward to save himself, and then he sends out the cloak to attack the Lion-man. While he dodges, cutting the tendrils to bits with his sharp nails, Gray jumps forward with a flying roundhouse kick. The Lion-man ducks, pouncing at Gray right after. His large body was drenched in shadows after leaping into the air, imposing his massive form over Gray as his roar shook the Bog. With an attempt at a tackle, Gray swiftly blasts forward to dodge. The moment he lands he waves his hand, screaming out. Gray: EL-CENIC! A massive wave of black smoke emerges around them, circling violently. It should nullify the senses of the affected almost entirely, spinning around them like a tornado to keep them trapped. So Gray moves in for the kill, using the spiritual sense to find him within the darkness, but hes promptly hit in the face with a haymaker. As his silver mask protects him from getting his face smashed in, it still hurts like hell, while also sending him tumbling back. Gray could think of a million strategies, but the man was too far in front of him was far above him in both skill and strength for anything to ever work. The fact that he was able to move through the dark cloud of El-Cenic without issue submitted this fact, as nobody has ever done this to Gray before; hes never fought somebody of this power head on before. While he tumbles back, he stretches the cloak out into thin fragments, grabbing onto the trees. It stops his momentum and also sends him flying toward the ravager. With the Wrist Talons now unsheathed, he uses the cloak covering his body like a skin suit to push the Wrist Talons off of his forearms, creating two extra arms to use for him. He then begins focusing the flames on his feet, trying to keep a simple ball of fire, going into the spiritual state to do so. Then lastly, he creates two swirling balls of dark mana in his palms, using the Titans Impact. Doing all of this in just a few seconds impresses the Lion-man, so he waits to see what Gray will do. Gray uses this, flipping forward mid-air just before he reaches him, kicking the flames toward him. It lands, due to the Lion-man standing still, so he keeps going. He then continues flipping, slamming the Titans Impacts onto the Lion-mans shoulders. It pushes him into the ground and causes his shoulders to ache, while the flames scold his chest, but he remains still. So the last phase of Grays combo attack comes in, as the long tendrils holding the Wrist Talons curve around the man. As Gray wanted to stab him with them, his lack of skill with this move is shown, as they slice his shoulders instead. The Beastly man is impressed, but he stands unphased, though he takes note of something on Gray''s body. On his right ring finger is a silver ring, one made by the people in the village right outside of the Ever-Bog, which the Lion-man seems to recognize. Before he can do anything more, Grays hit by a rushing Bull with a Rhino horn, which seems to be made of purple glowing mana. Gray {A SUMMON!?} Gray lands in a small clearing, standing in the bogs ankle-deep water. Large thorned green vines emerge from the ground, binding Gray''s arms. It begins to take his mana once more, forcing him out of the spiritual state. He struggles to call upon the black flames as he stares at the strange Bull-Rhino creature as it stares back at him. It lowers its large square head, about to charge Gray and pierce him through the heart. The beast gives off a strange feeling because nothing is going on inside of its head, which leads Gray to assume its a puppet, but he doesnt do any more thinking, as he still cannot create the flames to free himself. STOP! The Lion-man screams from behind the monster, in a loud, deep, and imposing manner, and the beast does stop. The vines also lessen in tension, but Grays still stuck, staring into the man''s bright red eyes, in a trance-like state. The Demi-Human suddenly widens his eyes, creating so much tension, that it causes Gray to feel that his life is about to flash before his eyes. Its not murderous intent, but something more to a towering force, like staring down an angry Lincoln Valentine. With the immense feeling of fear as well as the death of hope in his mind, he almost submits, but the Gray Kyojin thats within Gray Kyojin prevails, igniting his will to win. But in a blink of his eye, he sees a still image of the Lion-man with his right fist stretched back, his left foot forward, his right foot back, his left hand holding Grays silver mask. The man''s keen red eyes shine as hes swiftly knocked unconscious, now at the mercy of the man. End of Chapter Fourteen Arc 7: Chapter 15. The Way of the Archer Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 15. The Way of the Archer Standing in Lincoln''s large backyard, dressed in a long pink coat with a large collar, along with a large pink witch hat, is Lisa. She holds a magical wooden wand that has a small red gem on the end, which she begins focusing mana into. As it slowly begins to light up, Frederick, still wearing his principal attire, walks around her. Frederick: You have great potential as a mage! You have a rather large sum of mana, a large offensive spirit, arts affinity, and a mark of providence! But with all that, do not strain yourself, hurting your OD, as well as your pride, doesn''t equal a good outcome. From what Ive seen, the best results come from a calm mind, a good work ethic, and a nice group of supporters. Lisa continues to struggle, as she cant manage to feel for the spirits. While Gray got an advantage because of his outright massive connection, shes a bit on the above-average side. And even with the god-like connection Gray possesses, it took him around a month of training with Ryo to get the hang of things, but becoming a mage is far harder. While Gray only trained the basic abilities, being spells, Lisas moving toward becoming a mage, forces you on the advanced track immediately. You also need to form a contract with the elemental spirits, breaking your connection to the base spirits. Lisa: I know I shouldnt strain myself, but weve been at this for days, and still, nothing. Ive only just gotten the crystal to light up! Frederick begins to touch the crystal, allowing his tough skin to feel the sheer heat of the crystal. Frederick: Okay, it seems hot enough. Now, cast it. Lisa takes a deep breath and tries to feel for the fire spirits around her. While she struggles to do it, she pushes through, casting the flame spell. Lisa: Ig-num! Red spirits circle the crystal of the wand, pulling Lisas mana, and swirling into a small, bubbling ball of flames. It quickly shoots off at a high speed, pushing her back, and almost flies into the nearby Leviathan soldiers, who are currently training. Frederick reacts quickly, but the soldiers react faster, slicing the ball of flames in two with ferocity and vigor. Frederick waves awkwardly to the soldier who pays no mind to the encounter, quickly returning to practicing his sword swings. Frederick: Well, thats the Leviathan army for yah. Frederick is quickly grabbed by the giddy Lisa, whos jumping for joy at her success. Lisa: I DID IT! FINALLY! Now do I get my stuff!? Frederick: Calm down now, this is a success, but dont let it overwhelm your pride. Lisa wiped the sweat from her face, lying on the ground to relax. But she quickly stands up when she sees Gordon, Ryo, and Peter walking over, standing as straight up as she can. Gordon: Sleeping while training are we? How shameful. Lisa: I WAS JUST TAKING A BREAK!... I mean. I was taking a small rest. Gordon and Peter both chuckle, while Frederick doesn''t know how to react. Gordon: Im only kidding. I came out here because Peter wanted to practice the bow, and he said you wanted to learn as much of the world as you could. So, I invite you to hear about my teachings. Lisa: I WOULD LOVE TO! This brushes off the dirt around her, jumps up and down in the air, and begins following them out of the training grounds. Peter: I saw that fireball you made! Thats pretty hard right? Lisa: I guess, it took me a while. Frederick: Well Id say youre a prodigy. It takes some six months to a year before they can begin practicing spells! It only took you a little over a week. Peter: Thats great! As they continue to walk, Gordon remains stern, Ryo and Frederick stay quiet, while Peter and Lisa continue to chat. But, Gordon chimes in when they begin walking out of Greenvale and into the forest of the mountain. Lisa: Why are we going into the forest? Arent there areas for this in the training grounds? Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Gordon: There are, but this is different. I want to find a live target. During the winter, for training, we send out soldiers to fight off monsters that walk the mountains, and thats what were going to do. Ryo: I taught Gray in the same way last year. He showed promise with the bow, but he preferred more close-up encounters. Gordon: Well his promise was only a bit better than most at the start of their training. His mana supply helped his arrows shoot far straighter, but he didnt move much further than that. The same with the rest of them, the best at archery was Edward, but Peter here has a fantastic aim. Ive seen you shoot your guns as you call them, and I struggle to fire an accurate shot with your rifles. Lisa: Ive read stories of your skill, how you devoted your life the way of the bow. Gordon: Well you need to, Its the same reason Musashi had so much skill with the blade. The art of swordsmanship is chosen by most, but it was forced onto him, and he embraced it, living solely for it. But with both of you, I don''t want you to go down the same path as all of my friends. Peter, you enjoy crafting, and creating, and youre a stand-out blacksmith, while here you want to be a historian Lisa. These are great paths, so dont get caught up in the ways of the warrior. As they continue to track through the yet-to-melt stiff snow, Peter pays close attention to the pristinely made bow, quiver, and arrows on Gordon''s back. After a few more minutes of walking, they come across a strange creature. A Wolf-like beast with human hands, spikes going down its back, about to walk over a pile of snow emanating a strange smell of pure mana. Gordon: Here, there is a Five-fingered Wolf. Its a low-level spirit monster that travels in packs, but right now its alone, easy pickings. Now, watch closely. Everyone gets down, stays quiet, and watches as Gordon elegantly sets up his longbow. The bow itself isnt overly designed, being strange otherworldly wood with runic symbols carved into it. He shuffles his hand around in his quiver, trying to find the perfect arrows, taking out one for the beast that had wandered away from its pack. He gracefully places the arrow onto the bowstring, using his two stern fingers to pull back the stiff string. Gordon: While bows used by hunters are fairly basic, the ones made here, and especially the ones by me, are quite special. My bow, Rakurai, was crafted with mana, and woven around the ruins carved into it. The ruins all help each other, build upon each other, to strengthen the arrows. Most enhanced weapons are something simple, like the silver enchant or mana deflection on most well-trained swordsmen, this is different. You wont find enchanted weapons just anywhere, as they require pristine mana control, so you can ride the weapon of any sort of corruption. Peter: Did Musashi, or Kioshi have enchantments? Gordon: No. I have my bow on me at all times, because the stronger the enchantment, the quicker it corrupts. But Kioshi nor Musashi were in battle at all times, and Kioshi didnt have the mana control that the legends will tell you. Gordon takes a deep breath, putting the exact amount of mana he needs into the ruins, which causes the arrow to light up in a blue aura. The second it shoots, it causes a loud but quiet boom that shakes the ODs of everyone around it, blasting into the five-fingered wolf, decimating its body. Gordon: In Oni-mas, there is a sword called Megumi. It was made by one of the many Shoguns of Oni-mas, Satori Kami. He was the Kioshi of his era, born during Sultans era as the strongest over one hundred years ago. He had a World Order, just like all of the other Shoguns, which allowed him to see mana differently than everyone else. Peter, intrigued, begins talking over Gordon. While Peter has been trying to stay calm and be more polite, he slips out of this thought process the second he thinks of something. Peter: Its crazy that all of these crazy strong families always get the rarest of abilities! The Kamis get World Orders, the Helsings get Marks of Providence, and the Elves get wind affinities! Seems unfair. Lisa: Well technically they dont have a hundred percent chance of getting one! It is the same chance to not get one as it is for a normal person to get one though, so I guess it is unfair. But Gotsu Van Helsing didnt get one, and neither did Edward! Their outburst of both complaints and knowledge annoys Gordon, but not enough to actually make him mad. Instead of stopping them, he waits a moment, and continues. Gordon: Well back to the story. Sartori, using his World Order of perfect sight, wanted to craft a sword so perfect that it would be held as the greatest weapon to ever be used, one that is passed down for generations. It was to cut through everything, no matter what it was. The density of it was no worry, as it always made it through. It would also strengthen the user once pulled out of its sheath, an enchanted sheath that was meant to keep the blade enchantments from corrupting. Lisa: Well did it work? Gordon: Even with the man''s masterful mana control, even when he carried it everywhere, the second he made the weapon, it instantly corrupted. The ruins fell apart, and shifted into the metal of the blade, creating a presence unlike any other. It kept all of its powers, but the second the man unsheathed the blade, it crushed his OD and killed him on the spot. That is the danger of weapons like these. Even something as simple as a flame enchant, when left unchecked, can burst into a wave of fire, turning into ash. Almost no one dares to enchant a blade or any other type of weapon, but I was able to perfect my bow, even if it took years to do so. Frederick: A sad tale, one of pride. Ive read it in a book of tales from one of my trips to Oni-mask. I went there years ago, before the ban on sea travel. I heard about the tales of Satorti and Sultan, one of love, and misfortune. Its rumored that Ruen Kami is their child! Gordon: That is a tale I cannot confirm if or not. Frederick: My king, might I ask, do you ever plan on assisting the warring islands? The South has been fighting the same endless battle for over a hundred years, and the ban on sea travel has been for what? Fifteen years. Gordon: Ive thought about it, but with all the issues Saga is having, the only way wed be able to help is if Valatrositce and Ravoria came together with Walgonia and sought out the ocean. While Gordon and Frederick converse, Peter takes note of Ryo, who seems to be lost in thought. Peter: Ryo, you good? Ryo: Its justIm not going to ever reach the highs that Gordon reached as a teacher. Peter attempts to cheer Ryo up, but Gordon grabs Peter''s shoulder, handing him a much smaller bow. Gordon: Now, take one of my arrows, and do what I just did. So, Peter carefully follows Gordons instructions, though a lot more flimsily. He struggles to get the arrow in the right position, and cant seem to get the bowstring to draw back right. Gordon tries to help, pulling his string for him, getting his shoulders straight and firm, but it doesnt seem to help. While he assists him, the rest of the pack walks out of the forest, inspecting the dead animal. They quickly walk toward the strange snow, licking and sniffing it. Gordon: A bow, just like a sword, is an extension of yourself. What helped me really understand it, is that a sword is a longer, sharper arm, but a bow is another eye, one you can strike with. You see with the bow, you live with the bow, and the arrow, thats all of your thoughts and emotions that you shoot out in a clear whistling vein of glory. Peter takes a deep breath, shifts his body just right, tilts the bow a bit up so the arrow will fall onto one of the beasts, and releases the arrow. It flies through the air, but lands in one of the five-fingered wolves'' legs, causing it to whimper and scream out. The whimpering noise shakes Peter to his core, causing his lip to quiver. Everyone takes note of this, but their attention is quickly taken by the snow, which shoots out from the ground. In a flash, it grabs onto the animal that Gordon had slain, going into its head. The snow coats the beast, sinks and melts into its skin, and begins to ravage the other wolves. Now being three times the size of what it once was, its able to easily take out the four other animals, absorbing their essence to grow even larger. It then turns its dead eyes toward Peter and the others, charging through the forest to get to them. Gordon: Its undead! Ryo, you do this! Ryo hesitates for just a second, as his eternal hatred for fighting takes over. But that quickly subsides as he holds out his hand, focuses spirit mana around the charging animal, and readies himself. Ryo: El-Puric. A large blue light rushes over the beast, consuming it, killing the corrupted mana inside of it, and leaving it lying on the ground as nothing but bone. With a sigh, he begins walking off, to be followed by Lisa, Frederick, and Peter. Gordon tries to stop Peter, but with a somber glance from him, Gordon lets him go. Peter: GordonI dont think the bows are for me. As you said, Im a creator Gordon: Yeah End of Chapter Fifteen Arc 7: Chapter 16. From within the Owls home Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 16. From within the Owl''s home The air around Gray is faint, telling him slowly coming to the conscious body that hes high in the air. But the room is also cold, dark, and tuff, as the rigged floor beneath him annoys his sleeping legs. Instead of instantly opening his eyes, he feels around himself, trying to leave his body through the astral form. When he does this, runic symbols on cloth bindings that hold his arms light up, forcing the astral form into his body. He sighs, understanding that he wont be able to use mana, so he wont be able to fight. This leads him to open his eyes, tensing up when he sees the strange creatures around him. Rhino-sized Toads with green, blue, and pink oozing, sticky skin. They were beside a large disgusting mosquito made completely of mana and spirit mana, with a woman sitting on top. They all sat inside wood, which seemed odd to him at first, because he was unknowingly within a massive tree high in the air. Something hed soon come to learn. The beast looks to be another summon, obeying the woman cloaked in leaves bound together, with wooden arm guards, leg guards, and a mask to provide protection. The woman looks into Gray''s eyes, seeing pure determination, rage, and the fact hell strike the second he gets the chance to. So, to vanquish her curiosity, she waves her wrinkled hand into the air, which seems to cause the ruins on the binds to vanish. Within a second of them vanishing, Gray bursts forward, with intent to kill. While right behind her is the bright light of the outside, hes solely focused on the beasts around him. His mana explodes from his OD, washing over his body. All of this mana near these large spirit beasts is like waving a feast in front of starving, feral men, so they all charge him. Out of the three large Toads in the room, behind him, to his left, and to his right, they all seem to move as one unit. To his right, the large Toad shoots its large tongue at him, while the one from behind him leaps forward, and the one to his left stands still, waiting. Gray quickly stops himself, jumping backward to move out of the way of the Toad''s landing, while also forcing it to get hit by the fast-moving tongue. Grays armor, weapons, and cloak of darkness have all been taken from him, so hes wearing his standard clothes, taking many advantages away. So hes forced to fully rely on his manas multiplication of his strength, leaping toward the just fallen Toad in front of him. While right above it, he forces all of the mana his hand can handle, hitting it in the center of its head. Gray {MANA OVERDRIVE!} The Toad''s dense body and sturdy skin protect it from being killed, causing Gray''s mana to awkwardly flow off. While the large beast is stunned, he then flows the maximum amount of mana to his leg, kicking it in the head. This slams it to the ground, knocking it unconscious for the time being. The old woman in front of him continues to remain still, sitting on the sleeping soul of the giant mosquito, while the two Toads left shoot their tongues toward Gray. He quickly closes his eyes, absorbing the pure spirit energy in the air, opening his eyes to reveal the blinding white light of the spirit state. He then forces it down, causing the once bright white light to become a slight glow over his normal eyes, showcasing his control over his abilities to the woman. The long pink tongues stretch out, almost snatching up Gray, but he floats between them. His accurate, perfect movements look like a butterfly flowing through the wind, but his deep-seated anger throws him off. The tongue flicks up, sticking to Gray''s feet, pulling him in. With Gray unable to free his feet, and the Toad now leaping toward him with an open mouth, hes close to being swallowed up. But an idea quickly comes to mind, because he readies himself as hes right about to be eaten. Gray: El-CENIC! A large amount of dark smoke bursts around Gray, which is swallowed up and fills the large Toad''s stomach, squishing its strange otherworldly insides. Gray {Its alive!?} It begins to flow in a circle, pushing itself back out, causing the toad to fell sick. The room quickly fills with the thick blanket of mist. The Toad begins to shiver from the strange feeling, blinded in everything but thought, giving Gray a chance to use all of his strength to free himself. He tugs with his mana to get away from the tongues in a swift motion, focused on whats next.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Now with the other monster blinded, he moves it to strike it, flowing a large amount of mana into his palm. He swirls it around, and creates the Titans Impact. Flinging into the monster''s large gut, it swirls and expands, blasting the monster into the wooden wall behind it. He looks around, finding all of the Toads slowly standing back up, seemingly without any damage done to them. Now, to add further to this forsaken situation, he senses other life forms, looking up to find two terrifyingly massive centipedes, a large disgusting worm, and a horrifying caterpillar all crawling on the ceiling, dropping down on him. Gray {I HATE BUGS!} Even with his sickness, the cloak holding him down, his anger toward the Sect, or his grief about Rosemary, he still managed to some how scream out in a played up manner; Gray curled back, shivering with chills and goosebumps at the sight of the creatures. He holds his hand above him right as all of the beasts leap at him, so he casts another spell. Gray: El-WALNIC! A large, angled, multi sided dome of transparent blue mana forms around him, protecting him from the beasts. But all of their combined strength cracks the shield, though all he needed was a few seconds, forcing all of the pure spirit mana in the area around him. But within this Ever-biome, an area filled with spirits, its far stronger than he expected, which helps him in his plan. The always-starving animals absorb the pure mana, but it overloads them, causing them to shake and convulse, trembling from this overloading energy. They all fall down, overfed, but this immense explosion of energy also breaks through his dome, which he uses to its advantage once more. He sends all of this excess mana toward not the woman, but the spiritual summon of the beast she sits on, overloading the form, causing it to glitch and bubble, vanishing within the air. Gray: GOT ANYTHING ELSE!? OR ARE YOU GONNA KEEP WATCHING!? The strange woman falls to the ground as her seat has just vanished before her, chuckling the entire time. Gray, filled with adrenaline, moves it to attack, flowing his mana all throughout his body. Due to that burst of spirit mana, hes been forced out of the spiritual state, and cannot reenter it as his astral body has been strained. With a strong right hook flung straight toward the nonmoving woman, he confidently assumes hell be able to get a strike in, but hes quickly proven wrong. The giggling old woman moves like a snake, curving around Grays body, grabs him by the back to turn him, and kicks him in the side of the face right after. Her strong blow sends him tumbling back into the bark wall, slamming into it. While his mana protects his body from serious damage, hes once again forced to face a seasoned warrior, similar to the Lion Demi-human. But shes much older, slower, and weaker, but shes far more elegant than the brute force of Gray Kyojin. This barbaric movement is slowed down by his constantly thinking brain, his poor mana control, and his overall lack of strength in the greater scheme of things. Youre fierce, you hold the flaming soul of a warrior, but youre held back by such simple matters. Her loud, growing voice erks Gray, who continues to move without thought. The old woman sighs, puts her hands together, and pulls them apart. Her hands shake, as she creates lines of mana that begin to cross, forming a magic circle between her hands. The second its ready, she spreads her arms, forcing the circle to mix with itself, creating a circular shining vortex of mana, which shoots out toward Gray, forming the shape of a large transparent Buck. It charges Gray, so he quickly stops and flows all of his mana into his palm, and right as the Buck slams head toward Gray, Gray hits the beast with a sturdy palm strike. The Buck smashes into itself, popping like a balloon. But the weak beast was just for the woman to get an opening, so she suddenly gets right in Gray''s face. She had dragged her hand across the ground, using whatever magic she was using to force some of the bark on the ground over her hand like a glove, smashing it into Grays face. Gray {I can feel it in the airshes forcing the spirits, and whats made by spirits to follow her will! This isnt the spirit arts, a mark of providence, but spirit magic! The sister side of the Spirit Arts. Im fighting uh a Witch!} Her perfect flow of mana, mixed with the strong spiritual-infused bark that makes up both the floor and the walls, creates a massive impact and cracks Gray''s jaw. He holds his position, even amidst the great attack, grabs her arm, and rolls to the ground while using his legs to move and kick her behind him, launching her away. While the woman lands gracefully, shes a bit confused as to why he didnt attack, until he begins sprinting out of the large opening in the space. Shes unable to stop him, but he stops himself once he gets out, finding himself in a dangerous position. Hes standing on an enormous tree that scales to over one thousand feet tall, a giant to the rest of the vast Bog-Swamp area. On this giant tree are various platforms that lead to each other, holding homes, shops, and areas for cooking, like a giant tree house. Then in front of him are various other women wearing the same leaf-made robes and wooden armor as the one running toward him from behind. But whats taking up the rest of his attention, is the Lion man he faced once before staring at him with a smile on his face and a child at his side, looking around the age of fifteen, with a striking resemblance to what Gray assumes is his father. He stands still, confused, warry, and surrounded. He plans on just testing his luck with jumping out of the tree, but hed be leaving Dema as well as his things behind, though it may seem like his best chance at victory. But, like a light of shining hope, the Lion man from before holds his hand out, ready to shake Grays. So Gray, still shaken up, decides to shake the man''s hand, causing the old woman whom he was fighting before to stop her assault, standing still behind him. The Lion man holds Grays hand firmly and begins speaking to him. Ander: My name is Ander, and Im happy to have you here, Gray Kyojin. End of Chapter Sixteen Arc 7: Chapter 17. Up top Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 17. Up top Just after shaking hands with Ander, he begins to lead Gray around the giant tree they stand on. The sheer height is enough to make Gray sick, but he keeps himself composed in front of the man who had defeated him just a day prior. What Gray assumes to be Ander''s son follows, seeming quite happy to be near Gray. Hes silent, only squirming a bit, until he runs in front of the two, bowing to Gray. Ari: MY NAMES ARI! SON OF THE GREAT ANDER, CHAMPION OF THE SUN! Ander looks at his son with disgust, furrowing his brow. Gray sees this, a bit confused, as Ander had just dropped the kind demeanor he was using before. Though Ander isnt mad at his son, hes mad at what hes doing, and that is bowing his head to Gray, which directs his fury at him. Gray: Um, Hi Ari. Ari looked just like his father, fixing his shorter yellow hair, spiking back with its red ends, sniffed his small black nose, and smiled with his sharp teeth, showing off a chipped one right in the front. He dressed just like his father as well, but instead of the red sash of leaves, he had wrappings on his hands and feet, and wooden vambraces. Gray, still confused, has yet to realize why hes acting this way. Its almost as if he doesn''t want to understand that yes, in fact, Gray Kyojin is famous around the world. Gray: I like the little braids, guy. Especially the chime handing off the large one. Ander: Boy! Ander''s loud, bombing voice sends shivers down everyone''s spine, especially Ari. Even the women, cloaked in dresses made of leaves, quivered at his words, backing away from them. Ari quickly runs off, grabbing onto the ropes dangling off of the wooden platform they stand on, that circles this top level of the tree, sliding down to another wooden platform. Down below that one, is platform after platform, working as ground for everyone to live on. It holds various Demi-humans, farms, and homes, a small community on such a large tree. Ander, how much quieter, leads Gray past some of the homes to a large wooden staircase going up the side of the tree, which leads them to the very top. Its where all of the giant branches extend out creating the large leaves that cover the top of the tree, and cause a large shadow to form on the ground below. The area is bustling with glowing green spirits, all creating a warm, healing feeling that Gray cant seem to resist. Both still being quiet, Ander leads Gray to the center of the tree canopy, which is a large tent made from leaves, branches, and mud, resembling a rather large Tipi. Ander leads Gray inside, giving him a look at Ander''s cozy home. With a furnace at the back, a few sleeping mats, shelves, and a large rug in the middle, its extremely minimalist. The only thing that seems to express character is the large spear being hung up on the wall, which has a large red feather at the back end. Gray: You take to kill me? Ander: I wouldnt be opposed to it, though you dont seem like youd care either way. Gray: All I want are my things and my dragon. Then Ill leave. Ander clenches his fist, breathing heavily. He tenses up his muscles while Gray remains still, though that doesn''t mean hes not ready to attack. Gray {I lost before, but he had some help. But Id assume hell get more with all of these witches walking aroundI could use Knighticbut Im trying not to. When I use it, sometimes it forces me into a spiritual state, so I dont know if the same would happen with my flames. I cant control them, and my body cant handle it. One wrong move and Im nothing but ash. If I want to keep going, Ill just have to follow whatever this bipolar Lion orders me to do.} Ander: I hate you humans, and all of this useless fighting. And I hate that youre in my house even more, your nasty smell is getting everywhere. Gray: Eck!? Youre the one who took me here genius. Ander: Because Im not stupid enough to get held down by my opinions, unlike most Demi-humans and Humans, but this also goes for Elves, Dark Elves, and Half-Elves. And Id like to give you your things and let you go, but later today, because its spring, its going to start raining next week. Which will flood the bottom level. Gray puts his arms behind his head, rocking back and forth without a care in the world, but with a serious look on his face. But the words from someone behind him scare him, causing him to fall over.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Youre really bad at controlling your mana, but youre a damn smart fighter. Laying on the floor, he turns his head to see one of the witches, looking a bit harder to see that it was the one he had faced before. Gray: Well arent you sneaky. Ander: Hush boy. I agree with you Sow, this boy is a bit confusing. With all of the words surrounding him, youd think hed be a better fighter. Being trained under Musashi Van Helsing, Ryo Hollis, and Lincoln Valentine, beating Arthur Williams, leading the Heroes of Walgonia, and yet, hes such a simple being. Sow, the witch begins to chuckle at Gray. She removes her wooden mask, showing off her old, warped face. While shes human, its shifted, and distorted, producing an aura that would cause one to assume they were a spirit being, even if she isnt. Gray: Ive only been training for a little over a year, so sorry for not being a high tear in the verse. Ander: What are you babbling about, you damn corrupted being. Gray: You talkin bout my OD? I didnt make this goofball, I just happened to have it forced into me. Ander: So did you have the cloak of darkness forced onto you? Gray: Well, kinda, but Im using it because its useful. And can I have that back by the way!? Id like to have it! Gray quickly becomes hostile, so Ander and Sow do as well. Ander slightly lifts himself, while Sow places her open foot on the mossy ground. Gray realizes that his slowly growing addiction to the cloak is showing, so he tries to calm down, even when just thinking about not wearing the cloak stings his skin. Sow: Your mana is flaming, and youre a very passionate man. But its not refined, its not held down, and bits of it are uneven, even if youre trying to hold it down. I can tell you want it to be an aura, but its still not where it should be. Gray: Are you gonna keep critiquing me or am I gonna be able to do stuff soon. Ander: Look, I can give you a place to rest for the next week, but after that, I want your help with something. I assume youre going to want to be a part of it anyway. Gray: What is it? Ander: Near the cracked wall of Ravorias capital, theyve set up a small camp to kill trespassers. But theyre trying to make their way into the bog, and we cant have that. If you help me get close then you can pass, Ill decide if I want to attack after. Gray rubs his face, tired, injured, and a bit bored. Though he continues paying attention, trying his best to keep himself awake, as he hasnt gotten a good night''s rest in days. Gray: Why do I have to do it alone? For punishment? Ander: No, its because we dont want anyone to know we exist. Our community is hidden, the village outside of the entrance is evidence of this. You met them, they even gave you that ring, which I assume they gave you to tell us you werent a threat. If you didnt have that, youd be long dead. Gray: Oh yeah, the village leader did tell some kid to shut up when he mentioned a witch. Alright, Ill help, even if I had to anyway, but where can I get some rest, and wheres my dragon? Ander: Ill show you to your home later, but were holding your EarthBound Dragon, as we dont want you leaving early. And you wont be able to take her into Ravoria anyway, as flying creatures that dont belong to the royal family are banned. Gray: Ugh, just like Valatrocitus. Seems this world hates the usefulness of flying. Ander begins to stand up, leading Gray out of his home. He ends up leading him down the tree, past all of the other Demi-humans and witches to the center platform of the tree, and while he leads him there, Gray tries to learn all he can about Sow. Gray: So, youre a witch right? Sow: Thats quite the mean name, but a nice one! I do love it, it sounds wicked, scary, and AMAZING! Spirit magic is pure bliss, and all of the witches here have it! Gray: Really!? I thought it was like, super, SUPER, rare. Sow: Well for normal people yeah, but we live in the Ever-Bog! Were made by spirits, for spirits! While I cant summon weapons, I can summon the souls of spirit beasts Ive slain, and just like all other spirit mages, manipulate the earthy things around me! Its lovely! Gray: You sure love talking about your powers huh? Sow: I SURE DO! But you dont seem to. You have such a massive connection to the spirits, you have spirit magic! But you dont, so youre not as lovely as me! But you sure are blessed! All of your teachers are extremely powerful, your achievements are world-round, and you are quite the specimen. Gray: Its whatever. Ander stops right in front of another Tipi, angered beyond belief. While he was already frustrated with Sow and Grays annoying banter, Grays lackadaisical attitude toward his blessings is deeply infuriating. Ander: Here. Now, Im gone. Come up to the fourteenth level for dinner if youre hungry, and all of your things are in your home. Now, dont speak to me. Sow holds Ander by the arm as they walk away, leaving Gray by himself. He steps into his cold Tipi, which is also small, with almost nothing in it, and is filled with dirt and spider webs. He finds his bags on his bed made from animal skin, which he promptly goes through to find that his things are all there. He also finds the necklace holding the cursed charm, and almost instantly puts it on, but hes stopped by the light golden scarf; the scarf Rosemary made for him. He places the cursed charm on a shelf beside his bed, cleaning the hut right after. While brushing the dust, cobwebs, and real webs away, his long greasy hair dangles in his face, annoying him. It doesn''t annoy him for normal reasons, but because it reminds him of Rosemary. The only reason he had grown long hair was because Rosemary liked it, but now shes not here to take care of it, and Grays far too lazy to do it himself. So he looks into a cracked mirror sitting against the tarp wall, grabs the wrist talon from his bag, and begins cutting his hair to the best of his ability. While it doesn''t look bad, its a little uneven, and lacks any lairs, but looks just good enough to look like a bad barber did it and not a child. Gray: Meh, a bit shorter than it was when I first got here but its whateverguess I got a little more than a reset. As for the room, Its not perfect, but its clean enough for him to want to lie down. Now, with the cold thin air, the second he lays down he begins drifting off to sleep. Now if fear of his nightmares is prevalent, but he needs his rest, so he closes his eyes and gives in to the chance that is his mind. While he goes in and out of consciousness, he feels the silent whisper coming from the cursed charm, but his mind is too faint to take it in. So, after strange interaction after strange interaction, hes finally given a moment of rest on a bed, even if its a bit dirty, small, and flat. Though, its a bit better than just the hard floor, not by much. End of Chapter Seventeen Arc 7: Chapter 18. The Spring Festival Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 18. The Spring Festival Gray rolls around the fuzzy furry bead, trying his best to sleep, but the sound of partying floors and floors above him keeps him up. The sound of dancing shakes the enormous tree, so he decides to look around, as the sound of his grumbling stomach begins to overpower the fun above. Still dressed in the clothes he left Greenvale in, he decides to take off his sweat-covered jacket, as the muggy air of the bog-swap is getting to him, and right after, he begins walking around the staircase going up the tree in a spiraling fashion. Gray cant stop but be stunned by the sheer height of the tree, shaking because of it. While hes never been that afraid of heights, standing on the outside of a skyscraper would still make the stares of people a bit shaky. He passes other huts, hangs up animal skin drying in the wind, weapons laid out, and a few kids running around, he makes it to the middle platform. It holds what looks to be over a hundred people, being a mix of the witches, Demi-humans, and a small number of Dark Elves. But those are just this event''s attendants, as the main event seems to be the dueling men and women in a small drawn circle, while the winners feast on the cooking animals. Enormous pigs, chickens, and a few creatures Gray doesn''t recognize are being turned on the rotisserie fire pits. Then in large black pots are bubbling stews, which the witches churn, resembling a witch making a potion in a cauldron. Under the veil of the midnight sky, this celebration holds more care and joy than anything Grays experienced the entire time hes been in this world and the previous one at that. But two people suddenly take note of him, Ander, whos sitting down in a large circle, watching the brawls, and his son Ari, who runs over to Gray with a glimmering light shining off of his sharp teeth. Ander: ARI! Gray steps back, watching Ari stop in his tracks while the celebration suddenly stops. Everyone is silent, with the sound of the crackling fires and bubbling stews being the only noise in the area. As Grays eyes widen, and Aris shiver, Ander stands up with his arms stretched out. Ander: DONT LET A NEW COMER RUIN ARE SPRING CELEBRATION! EVERY CONTINUE! EVERYONE HAVE FUN! AND GRAY! YOU COME ON IN HERE! Ander''s kind and bombing words start up the part again, and Ari points directly at Gray after getting washed over with confidence. Ari: I CHALLENGE YOU TO THE WARRIORS CIRCLE! Gray: UmmmI dunno what any of this is. Aris face drops, but he picks himself back up, screaming out once more. Ari: IF YOU STEP FOOT IN THE WARRIORS CIRCLE, NO MATTER THE OUTCOME YOU GET TO EAT! AND IF YOU WIN, YOUR PLACE ON THE TREE GOES UP! SO I, ARI OF THE GREAT TREE, CHALLENGE YOU, GRAY KYOJIN OF WALGONIA! Gray, feeling his still rumbling stomach, and looking around at the most likely much stronger fighters around him, decides if he wants to eat hell have to face him in the circle. So, bowing his head to the boy gives him a striking thumbs up right after. Ari: ....Is that a yes? Gray: Yes, its a yes. Youve never seen a thumbs up? Ari: Youve never seen a warrior''s circle? Gray: Touche Lion boy. Ari, not knowing what touche means, moves on, watching the still ongoing fight. Gray decides to pay more attention to the people around him, all eating the beautifully smoked meat and sipping from the perfectly brewed stew. Gray had always felt lucky for the fact that this world''s food wasnt too different from the food he was used to. While it didn''t have some meals, the ones it didnt have didnt seem to be an issue, because while Gray had a nice pallet, he couldnt care less how fancy it was. After all, if he wanted it, he already knew how to make it. Inside the ring, a male Dark Elf, fighting a bear-like Demi-human effortlessly bends around and pushes him out of the fifteen-foot circle, the same size as a sumo ring, everyone begins clapping and cheering for the two. Even if the Demi-human loses, he grabs the extended hand of the Dark Elf, pulling himself up, and hugging each other. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Ander: THERE WE HAVE IT! NOVA HAS INCREASED HIS TREE RANK TO THE EIGHTH FLOOR! BUT THE TWO FIGHTERS FOUGHT WITH RESPECT, AND PASSION, AND SHOULD BE HELD IN HIGH REGARD FOR IT! After the volley of praise is thrown at them, everyone turns to Gray and Ari. Ari, filled with joy, grabs Gray''s hand, leading him to his side of the circle. Ander: Okay, we have two new challengers here this spring. My son, who turned fifteen last May, and Gray Kyojin, an outsider. Now weve never had an outsider here before, but this man is held in high regard and will be leaving soon. So unlike the people outside of the bog, we wont push him away! With another barrage of applause, Gray and Ari stand ready, though Grays mind is rampaging with thoughts. If his new shorter hair looks stupid, if Ari is secretly a god in disguise, if allowing himself to lose is weak, and most importantly, the thought that stabs his mind all day every day, IfRosemarys okay. Ander suddenly claps his hands and Ari is off, running on all fours. While he''s obviously a Demi-human, hes more human than Lion, so Gray thinks of him as a kid, along the lines of Peter. So Gray begins to flow an aura of mana around his body, trying to refine his flow so its as strong as his body can handle, and not to its limit. All of the fights hes recently been in seem to lean toward the thought that his mana isnt the problem, its how hes using it. This uneven strength and constant flow may be leading to an unneeded loss of mana. Ari is fast, his newly extended claws are sharp, and his movements are swift, but his overall skill is lacking, leading to Gray being able to easily dodge all of his attacks. After a quick roll under one of Aris pounces, Gray uses a spinning kick, hitting Ari in the back just hard enough to almost push him out of the ring. Though Aris skin is tough, and his exposed feet are strong, gripping into the wooden floor, keeping himself within the ring. Gray, not thinking much of this, continues to be nonchalant in his movements, looking a bit bored with everything. But, to make Ari look better, and not caring much for his image, allows Air to hit him, but that is an egregious mistake. Now, Demi-humans cannot use mana the same way Elves and Humans can, as their bodies, just like Dark Elves, are merged with their ODs. This allows their bodies to gain great strength, speed, and reaction time and also allows for a unique mana mutation. But what matters here is the dormant strength within Aris body, as his fist digs into Gray''s stomach. It breaks through the aura of mana emanating from Grays body, like it was burned through, and hits Grays unguarded gut, causing him to wince in pain. But Gray, not a bit worried, instinctively pushes all of his mana he can out of his OD, boosts his strength to the max, and punches Ari in the face, sending him flying out of the ring. While the people around them gasp, Ander remains content, speaking out with the same boasting voice he did before. Ander: AND HERE WE ARE! GRAY KYOJIN HAS SHOWN HIS REGARDED STRENGTH, TAKING OUT YOUNG ARI! BUT ARI HAD A TOUGH MATCH, SO HELL STILL MOVE UP TO THE SECOND PLATFORM, WITH GRAY MOVING TO THE THIRD! SO COME ON AND EAT! Gray walks over to the wounded Ari, whos whipping the blood pouring down his broken nose. Gray, panicking, puts his hand on his nose, attempting to heal it, but Ari pushes his hand away. This would leave the worried Gray to think Ari was mad, but it was quite the opposite, as hes happy to hold such a wound. Ari: Alright! Now let''s go eat! Right when Gray goes to get his food, reminding him of the school lunch line, Ander waves him over. Ander: Ari, go get Gray food. Gray, sit beside me. Ari shrugs his shoulders, leaving Gray to walk over, a bit worried as Ander''s barbarian aura flows off of him. Gray had met Musashi, Ryo, Lincoln, and Kioshi, but they all seemed light, never fearing them, but even when Ander is being kind, Grays still tense. As one of the witches sitting beside Ander stands up, Gray takes her place, crossing his legs to sit beside this towering beast. Gray: Soyou guys do this every spring? Ander: Right before the great rainfall, we hold this celebration as weve come through another year. But thats beside the point, what the point is, is that you need help. I can feel your OD, cracked, corrupted, breaking with every day, and thats mana decay. Soon, your hair will turn black, then your eyes and nails will follow. Your veins will run with such darkness and your skin is as pale as one of a dead man. This information waves over Gray, weighing him down. His eyes go wide, his lip begins to shake, and his will wavers, but hes been in this position before, an oh-so-hateful memory. Counting down the days until he would quit, wishing something would end his meaningless existence, but now, he has a purpose, and something else counting down the days for him. Though Ander said these words hoping Gray would take more care of his life, it was more of a turning point for Gray, as he only has so long before he can save Rosemary, and end the Sect of Anarchy. Ander: I assume youre saddened by the news? Gray: I know Im dying, but hearing you say itits invigorating. Gray trains his body by running mana throughout it, breaking it down, and building it back up in the passing days, but this may be his downfall. The further his OD crumbles, corrupts, and turns into a walking sickness he cant get rid of, his mind will hate itself, but his body wont know the difference. Hes continued to heal just as fast, but what will be replaced is this disgusting, murderous man, until hes all but alive, either lying dead or becoming a pile of black blood and guts. Ander: Invigorating? Youre insane. Gray: Probably, but it gives me more drive. Ill be leaving at the end of the week, and I want you to put me through hell. Break down my weaknesses until theyre gone. If Im going to die within a year or so, Ill do as much damage as I can. Ari returns with the steaming food, which Gray begins to scarf down. His serious demeanor drops for one of bliss, biting down on the perfectly tough and chewy meat, absorbing its savory flavor. He spends the rest of the night doing this, not saying a word. He just eats, watches the duels, and begins to feel the rain fall, assisting with the cleanup before hes forced to run to his home, which has now been placed on the third platform. Inside, it seems to be reinforced by the rain and also holds all of his things, making his sleep routine come to him much faster, that routine being lying on whatever bed you have and sleeping as fast as possible. End of Chapter Eighteen Arc 7: Chapter 19. The flood of effort Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 19. The flood of effort At the crack of dawn, Gray Kyojin walks up the long winding staircase to the center platform, finding Ander waiting for him. Theyre both covered in rain, as the sky has started its spring pour which will continue for the next week. The ground below is already flooded, though thanks to the width of the leaves, along with the branches, it protects the levels of the tree with a thick vail to shield them from such heavy rainfall. Gray: And I got up so early, figured I was gonna show you up. Ander, sipping on some tea, sitting quietly. Gray, eager to get started, flows the cloak of darkness out of its cursed charm, as well as follows mana around his body, but Ander remains still. Ander: Do you hear that? The clicking of the raindrops, the birds singing, the crickets chirping? This sound of life echoes through the bog, its purity, its beautiful. All the lands of this world werebut people, no matter the race, hurt it. What is your goal, Gray Kyojin? Gray, with complete seriousness, holds the hate within his heart and gives the only answer he can muster. Gray: To kill the Sect of Anarchy, to kill Prometheus Yagari, to kill Julius Cromwell, and save my love. Ander: Your goals are selfish and hateful, but true to yourself. Would you like to know my goal? Gray: Um, sure. Ander: Every one hundred years, a simple wooden door appears in the murderous, dangerous sands of the Ever-Desert. Through the door is all the world''s knowledge, including the lives of people, locations, history of the land, everything. It is a domain of mana outside of everything, in Alfheim, the Library of Eternity. I wish to go there and understand the world, and at the end of this year, itll appear there.`` Gray lets down his guard, trying to process the information, right as Ander strikes. Ander is swift and powerful but calculated, reading all of Gray''s small expressions to decide his next move. Gray instantly flows mana around his body in a flaming, pulsing fashion. Then his cloak stands on end, prepared to block, but Anders far too fast, slamming his fist into Grays side. It wasnt a random shot, it was focused, and intentional. Because of Grays uneven mana flow, there was a weak point, which at the moment of impact, was Grays right side. The attack causes all of his mana to bubble and explode, leaving his body, and knocking him back. Ander: Look how easy that was to break your only defense. Now most people dont know how to do that, Id argue that even Lincoln Valentine doesn''t know how to do that because his pure strength would cleave through it anyway. In the state were both in, we cant fight people that are far above us, we need to do whatever we can to win. Gray flows his mana out, having to wait until the flow is refined before he can get up. Once it is, he flings himself upward, about to launch his cloak toward Ander, but hes struck again, smacked to the ground. Ander: Another issue. If it takes you this long to get a refined flow youll be killed before you ever get up. Your strength is far above most, its so strong that you can defeat Arthur Williams, as well as Caesar the immortal. Gray: Well Caesar kinda let me kill him, it was a showing of endurancebut I ended up breaking his OD. And Arthur was also heavily weakened, I had my friends face him first before I ever attacked.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Ander: Okay so youre telling me you used a plan to win, you used everything you had and came out on top. So youve mastered the first rule. Ander grabs Gray by the leg, throwing him across the wooden platform, almost right off of the edge. Gray attempts to use the cloak and catch himself, but Ander removes it without Gray realizing it. With a bit of quick thinking, he focuses mana on his legs, kicking at the air so hard it pushes him forward, landing back on the platform. Ander: You rely too much on your cloak! Before Ander can strike again, Gray looks to the spirits around him for help. Gray: El-CENIC! A vast amount of black smoke wraps around the two, giving Gray cover. But with a quick sniff from Anders Lion-like nose, he finds Grays location in an instant. But with Gray remembering Ander had done this previously, he tries something new, a way of attacking hes been practicing for weeks. With a punch from Grays fist, a ball of black flames forms and explodes forward, blasting toward Ander. But Ander easily dodges, so Gray tries again, but he struggles to get the flames to form fast enough, so hes forced to try something else. Gray: El-WALNI - Before Gray can cast his spell, hes punched in the stomach, breaking through the uneven mana flow once more, and hitting him to the ground right after. Ander: I dont know why you push so much mana out at once. You can only push so much out, so even with all that mana, youre only wasting it. You push all of that mana out, push it away, and pull even more in, using up the mana from before. This is why your strength has remained the same, the enhancement will never enhance itself, one aura is all you need. Gray: ...whatever. Gray focuses on the mana around Ander, attempting to light it on fire, but Ander punches Gray in the head to stop him. Ander: The way you fight is formed from experience, but youve become too used to this flaming aura. I can tell the longer youre using the pulsing aura, you eventually refine it, but it takes too long. The instant you call it out is the same instant it needs to be a tight coating around your body. And for the next week, Ill beat that into you. And I want you to learn all the spells you can, do you have a spell book on you? Gray: A homemade one, by Ryo Hollis himself. But I dont have any spells that kill or harm spirits, so the small amount of defensive spells I have is even smaller. I can only use six for right now, and I think I can only learn two more. Ander: Only eight? That is a small amount, but I respect your devotion to the spirits. Ill admit, I thought of you as a prodigy, a boy born into a grand family. Years ago Kioshi Van Helsing shocked the world with her appearance, killing the Guild Hunter in her first fight, and you did the same in the knight exam. But now I see, youre a man of conviction. Gray stands up, and attacks again and again. As the days go by, he uses the spiritual state, his already mastered spells, and attempts to use the last few as well. All day and all night, flowing mana, flames, and passion. Even small crowds form, watching their duels, and especially Ari, chewing on meat and practicing himself. But the closer the week comes to an end, the closer Gray Kyojins rampage is. If the Sect of Anarchy is in Ravoria, hell be in the same blood-lusted state he was in while he faced them in La Bon, as theyll be all around him. So for every day that passes, this more emotional, kind-hearted Gray Kyojin will fade, and the Phantom Knight will show his fangs. After three days, Ander shows Gray where they have been keeping Dema, whos extremely happy to see Gray after these past few days, rubbing her rough scales on him. But sadly, hes going to send Dema back to Greenvale, as shes banned in Ravoria, and easy to spot as well, so at the end of the final day, he sits peacefully in his room. While locked on Ryos mana signature, he enters the astral state, rushing through the astral plane. As he tumbles quite roughly through it, the powerful rushing vortex of mana breaking away at his astral self. His heart is pounding, his brain is trembling, and his physical body is sweating, but he makes it to Ryo. A massive glowing light in a sea of others. He floats in the night sky, looking down on Greenvale, watching Ryo teaching the Leviathan army. Gray {And Ryo loved to go on and on about how he was a bad teacher. Kinda happy for him} Gray floats down to Ryo, who felt his presence the moment he appeared, looking at him. While the soldiers are confused about who or what Ryo is speaking with, they both dont seem to care. Ryo: You cut your hair, are you doing well? Eatting right? Staying clean? Gray: That doesn''t matter. I just wanted to tell you Im sending Dema back, she cant come with me any longer. Ryo: I assume youve gone to Ravoira, or Valatrocitus then? I hope you find whatever youre looking for. Gray: I do too. Before Gray leaves, Ryo gives him a look with genuine concern, like hes losing a son or a family member. Gordon, watching from afar, takes note of this. Gray isnt allowed in Greenvale, but hell let it pass, as he can do nothing against spirits anyway. Ryo: Please, stay safe. If you come back, if you apologize to Gordon, you should be given your title of knight back! Gray: No, not until Im finished. Ryo: But your spirit is damaged! Your mana is corrupting! Youre dying Gray! Gray: I know. And theres nothing I can do to stop it now, nothing want to do at least. Gray vanishes from the mountain, appearing back in his body, feeling faint. But he stands up, looks into his mirror, and takes note of the single black strand of hair on his head, pulling it out. Gray: Tomorrow, I can really start my mission. End of Chapter Nineteen Arc 7: Chapter 20. A kick before the mission begins Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 20. A kick before the mission begins A few hours after the rainfall stopped, just before the sun had fully risen, Gray stood atop a large branch looking down at the flooded ground. Gray: I shouldnt have sent Dema home so early, the whole ground is still rushing with water. Itd be a death trap to step into that deadly stream, but I haven''t run into any monsters so I guess thats an upside. I should stop talking to myself. Gray, wearing his armor, has already flown his cloak out, and has his bags on his back, he is fully ready to infiltrate Ravoria, but hes still got a bit of a journey ahead of him. He stretches his arms, looks behind him to see Ander and Ari following close behind, and leaps off. The cloak attaches to the branches, swinging off of them like a spider, flying through the tree line. He drifts above the green-ish running water, to fling himself into the air, grabbing onto another branch right after. Ander and Ari leap from tree to tree, using their claws to stab into the tough bark and leap off again, struggling to keep up with Grays quick speeds. He jets across the bog, passing some large centipedes spiraled around the trees, uses his flames to burn through the giant spider webs, and glides up and over the branches. Ari: So hes heading to Ravoria? Is he going to scale that giant wall? Ander: No. A few months back a giant beast from the bog stumbled along the wall, breaking a large crack in it. Now they dealt with it before any more damage could be done, but it allowed for a pretty big entrance. Ari: Wont it be heavily guarded? Ander: Most likely, but I bet Gray Kyojin will easily get past them. And they would be correct because when they finally reach the border between the bog and Ravoira, they see a camp of Ravoiran soldiers right in front of the large opening. Their pure white armor, bird-like helmets, and use of spears with over-designed spearheads, all cause Gray to assume that Ravoria loves their theatrics. While perched upon a soaked branch, he looks down on the camp, trying to find an easy way around it. While its not very big, it has large towering guard posts, and a thick wall made from sharpened logs, and every single guard is diligent, trying their best to find anything trying to get in or out. Gray: Alrightdeep breathEl-Detic. A large distortion of spirit mana coats Grays body, making him invisible to the naked eye, but this warping nature could catch a glance from these eagled-eyed soldiers. Even when theyre sharpening the twisting heads of their spears, washing their armor, or clearing out some wandering beasts, theyre still paying attention to everything around them. Right as he prepares to leap into the air, hes suddenly attacked by an unknown assailant. Using two kusarigama tides around his forearms, latches onto the thick tree, kicking Gray back, and then swings around to try and grab him. Gray, surprised to see this person dressed in all black is suddenly trying to kill him, and shoots the cloak of darkness forward, shoving the attacker away. Before Gray can catch his breath, the assailant throws a shuriken at Gray, so Gray uses the cloak of darkness thats spread across his skin to grab the shuriken. Gray {Is this guy a ninja? What the hells a ninja doing out here, and why is he trying to attack me!?} This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Gray pulls the shuriken into the cloak, running it out to his hands so that when he fuels them with mana they can be launched out as his own weapon. The ninja vanishes into the tree line, but this stealthy approach doesn''t work well on Gray, because with a simple burst of pure spirit mana into his body, Grays instantly able to detect the attacker. The ninja, knowing this, leaps downward swinging the kusarigama down at Gray. Gray {Too easy.} Gray, without even turning around, shoots the cloak out, grabbing onto the attacker and encasing them inside a large ball of goo. Ander and Ari, still watching from the trees, notice the guards running over to the loud noises Grays making, so Ander rushes down and grabs Gray, jumping back into the trees just in time. Gray: Hey! I almost let go of the ninja! Ander: That isnt a ninja! Its something a little worse. They land on a rather large branch, giving Gray time to reel in the ball of goo and release the man from within, binding him to the tree with the cloak. With a better look mixed with pulling the cloth from the attacker''s mouth, they figure out that the assailant is a man, one with a scar stretching from the right of his lips to the right of his jaw. Youre lucky I was off my game. Gray, hearing the man''s prideful words, takes off his mask and gets right into his face. Grays dead eyes cause the man to shake, but before he can do anything more Ander pulls Gray back. Ander: Your name, now. Lee:...Leebut you wont get any more out of me! Ander gets right into Lees face, snarling at him. With his hot breath, the demeanor of a wild animal, and the strength to beat him with one blow, Lee instantly breaks his cool. Lee: Alright! Get away! Lees screaming causes the guards below to notice, so Gray is forced to act fast. He strengthens the bindings held on Lee, while also covering his mouth, and lastly casts a spell he doesn''t find to be all that useful. Gray: Conic. A wave of mana pulses out, surrounding them in a purplish dome that traps all sound inside, but its not invisible. Thanks to some quick thinking from Ari, he creates a large splash in the mud, attracting the small group of guards elsewhere. Gray: Now nobody can hear your screams. So unless you want to be sliced to bits, burned to a crisp, or become Demi-human food, Id say you should tell me why you attacked me. Lee: Your bounty idiot! A thousand gold pieces! Everybody''s after it, I just got lucky enough to catch you first! Ander: Thats not good. But staying in Ravoria might be the best choice of action now, its hard to get in there, and even harder to get out. Gray sits down, holding onto the small string of goo thats the only thing holding Lee around the tree, pondering to himself. In his mind, the small amount of fear resulting from the news is snuffed out, being pulled nowhere, as if it never existed. What remains is drive, and since theres a bounty on his head, that means whatever hes doing is causing an effect, or what he will be doing has already spread to cause the same effect. Gray: Who set the bounty? Lee: Some guy called the Baron! Hes becoming a pretty big name, and hes got bounties placed at every depo! I remember seeing a bounty for you a while ago, the Phantom Knight but it was for so little coin nobody wanted it. But now? Its enough to live for the rest of anybody''s life! Gray stands up, and wraps the cloak around his body, putting all of his armor into place, freeing Lee. Lee instantly tries to attack, but Ander bashes his face in, knocking him on his back. Gray: You do what you want with him. I gotta go. Ari, climbing as fast as he can, is unable to make it to Gray before he leaves. In one jump, Gray flips onto Ander''s fist, which shoots him forward at a breakneck speed. Mid-air, looking down upon the outskirts of the Ever-bog, spreads the cloak out, gliding right into Ravorias capital, landing on a nearby building. He finds himself in what seems to be the slums, as all of the buildings are old, soaked in rain, and crumbling to pieces. This dilapidated area shines over the Walgonian slums, as even Walgoanias had a bit of life, but this is pure despair. Gray: Walgonia is a bit boring, but grand in scale. Athens was destroyed and a bit baronbut familiar. Valatrositce is Victorian, over-designed, but pretty. But thisthis is different. Gray perches on the rooftop, takes a deep breath, and begins to focus on the spirits in all of the capital. He spreads his mind out, trying all of the spirits to his advantage, with one phrase in his mind, The Sect of Anarchy. While it rips at his mind, tearing it apart, and straining his consciousness, he finds something, a sharp ping in the capital. In a flash, he leaps off, gliding through the air. Wild animals look up, starving children hide away, confused adults hide their faces, and the rats scurry away because the sight of this Phantom in the sky is far too scary. End of Chapter Twenty Arc 7: Chapter 21. Out one forest and into another Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 21. Out one forest and into another. Near the bottom portion of Valatrocitus, in the middle lair of the Ever-forest, is a broken-down bar, crumbling under its old age. Now, within this spider-infested brick building are three bandits, stuck within this roofless building. Young Bandit: Whens that guy coming back from pissin'', Im trying to get outa here. The younger bandits whine and reach the man sitting beside him, whos not happy to be here either. But hes mainly distracted by the small fairy beside him, trapped within a small iron cage. He continuously pokes the young mischievous spirit creature, causing it to cry out. Fairy: STOP TOUCHING ME; YOU STUPID GROSS OLD MAN! The small creature tries to fight for itself, though the human before them is far too strong. So theyre trapped with a bored man, an abusive man, and one peeing his mind away in the back room. To pass the time, and talk over his bathroom activities, the other two men lean back on the large crack in the wall and begin speaking to each other. Middle-aged bandit: So, is this your first forest run? Young bandit: Sure is, and Im trying to get out of this spooky place. We got monsters everywhere, a little snack for them beside us, and its dark out! But no, somebody has to PISS for a year straight, and that dumb girl is walking around outside for no reason! Pissing bandit: SHUT UP! I HELD IT THE WHOLE TIME! ALL WE NEED TO DO IS GET OUT WITH THAT STUPID PIXIE AND BE ON OUR MERRY WAY! Young bandit: YOU SHUT UP! Somebody has been stopping a bunch of our various runners! We havent heard from the Walgonia group or the Guard Fog group! So were next! And that bitch is just stomping the grass out there! As they continue to yell at each other, the thick clouds block out the light of the moon ever closer, shutting off most of the light in the era. All they have is a single candle, which is struggling to stay alive. As the wind blows through the broken open windows, everyone shivers, and the fire dies out. In a flash, they all snuggle up close to the ensnared fairy, whos letting out a faint glow. All about to weep from fear, the ever-so-confident woman strolling and patrolling the grounds stands tall. But after a while of every minute check-ups, she goes silent. Young bandit: WERE DEAD! WERE SO DEAD! Middle-aged bandit: SHHHHHH! The bandit who was peeing finally finished and blew off his scared allies. He steps outside, wanting to see where the woman went, but soon goes silent as well. So in this grand forest, with hundreds of beasts roaming the lands, the only thing heard is their shivers and whines, trying their best to stay alive. Very soon, the bandit who went looking around seemingly vanishes as well, leaving the two and the fairy all by their lonesome. They both shiver with fear, trying to wait until the night passes, but the moon has only just rolled in, so this fearful night is still young. But the steps heard from just outside the building, coming toward the large crack in the wall cause all movement to stop, as the scared men are trying their best to remain quiet. As the figure steps through the crack, it screams out when they step on the quivering men, trying to cover the faint light coming from the horrified fairy. They look up, finding that the figure was the man who had left prior, looking annoyed at the two. Finished Peeing Bandit: Come on guys, dont look so yellow. I didnt find that girl anywhere, guess she got lost. Young Bandit: THATS NOT GOOD EITHER! While they all scream at each other, the fairy settles down, still scared for their life. But right in the middle of the arguing, the single bandit, still standing in front of the crack, explodes into a bloody mess. Another figure cloaked in black had just swung from the crack in the wall, forcing its rough blade through their body, causing his body to bend to the force and explode once they couldnt handle it. Before anybody can think or even process the sight in front of them, the wall explodes from the force of another strike, allowing the beast inside. While the younger bandit tries to run away, the older one stands in the presence of this towering figure; his life flashes in front of his eyes. But without any remorse or thoughts behind the swing of this busted blade, this ravaging animal cloaked in the blood of its previous victim crushes the face of the man right in front of him. In an instant, his face is smashed in, crushed to bits, leaking blood as the life instantly fades away from his now mutilated body. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. And finally, to the youngest, only living bandit''s dismay, this all happened under a four-second interval, so he hadnt even left the broken building. By taking out a dagger on his side, he swings wildly as he jumps out of the broken door, landing in the cold wet grass below. But the beast is watching, holding the fairy''s cage in its hand, drenched in the blood of its victims. The one-eyed warrior holds the hilt of his broken blade, staring down the fleeing bandit. He takes his right arm out from within his black cloak, revealing a large dark cylinder-shaped piece of metal. The attacker holds it up, flips up the silver sight in the middle, and pulls back the lever on the side. Within the device, a large flame crystal is pulled back into an energy crystal, only absorbing a small bit of power before its released, flicking back to the front and blasting a concentrated blast of flames toward the fleeing boy. The stern predator that had just let off such a mysterious and strange blast of energy covered the fairy''s eyes, protecting them from this upcoming gorry sight. The orb of power quickly slams into the bandit''s shoulder, bubbling and exploding, leaving a massive hole in his body as well as coating it with flames. Thankfully, hes not forced to burn to death as his head bursts under the force of the flaming attack, covering the wet grass with both his burnt body and the blood leaking from it. Now the whimpering fairy is left all alone with this monster of the forest, though they can feel the murderous aura fading away. It sets her cage down, pulling the front off to let her go free, but they sit down on the grass instead of flying, trying to understand what had just happened. Im Poppy! Whats your name? Her cute and bubbly voice makes its way to the ears of this monster, so it sits down alongside her, removing the hood cloaking his fade. Poppy tilts her head to the side, scratching at her thick red hair while staring at the man''s face. Black hair, small burn scars, a brand over his right eye, and heavy bags under the other. And that single eye, trained on her, could tell a million stories. The strain of a warrior, the tiredness of an old man, and the drive of a hunter. But she could only describe it as one word, scary. Poppy: So, whats your name? With a long pause, he begins speaking in a deep monotone voice that struggles to keep stable. Edward: My names Edwardonly Edward, nothing more nothing less. Poppy: Well hi Edward! Youre really scary yknow! Edward chuckles, but with all of the dead bodies around, he stops himself. The weight of his actions stands on top of him, weighing down his tired shoulders. Struggling to stand up, Edward pushes past his fading strength and begins walking away. Though Poppy follows closely behind, floating over to his shoulder to rest on. Poppy: Your arms really groovy! Edward: What''s a groovy? And thanks, my friend made this for me. Poppy: So what are you doing out here? Youre not working with the Baron are you!? Edward: No. I kept running into them the entire way to the forest, and then I just happened to stumble across their camp. What are you doing there? Trapped the way you were, you must''ve been scared. Poppy puts her chin up, smacking her freckle-covered cheeks, and begins to talk with a nobles dialect. Poppy: Scared? Thats a lie, my good man, as I was awaiting freedom, and tricking them into feeling bad for mehehe. Edward: Ah yes, very true my good fairy. So, does this noble creature have a place to go? Poppy: I dunno, but not this late at nightThe beasts will get me. To ease the scared creature, Edward pats her head with his last remaining hand, trying his best to add some levity to the situation. Edward: Dont worry, the old man Im living with has set up some seals around the area. We shouldnt see any beasts for a good while. Poppy: YOU MEAN OLD MAN VARGAS! OH, HES SO COOL! IM GONNA MEET HIM! Edward is shocked by both her loud voice and her words, as he figured Vargas liked to lay low. He had gotten to the Ever-forest a few days prior, spending all of that time finding Baron camps while being unable to find the Helsing Armor. The large burden of the title of knight is holding him down, with the sentiment that He must help all that need it is quite the hassle to deal with. While he doesn''t mind stopping the slavers and halting whatever plan the Baron has, he really needs to find the armor. Every day that passes the seal over the vampire bite loosens, letting in the deadly mana to break down and kill his already broken down body. Every wasted second leans him toward death, but he cares more for the lives of people than he does his own. As they walk through the forest, down the dirt path, the closer they get to the faint light in the woods. Surrounded by enormous trees is a small cabin with smoke coming out of the chimney, a cabin Edward walks right up to and enters. The door opens right into a small but warm living room, angering an old man in another room. Poppy floats off, flapping her tiny wings to coast in the air while Edward walks into the other room, moving through the open doorway into the strange dirty kitchen, or what looks to be a kitchen. It holds an oven, but thats all. The rest of the room is filled with tools for blacksmithing, especially the currently burning forge, where Vagress is working. The muscular dwarf slams his hammer down on a stemming sword atop an anvil, while also heating up a bit of metal. His old age topped with his strange multitasking would lead some to assume hes flimsy, but his skill and precision are greater than anyone in the world. His brother Rick is unmatched when it comes to creating armor, but everyone pales in comparison to Vargas when crafting weapons is the main intention. Edward: Hey, I brought a friend. Poppy floats into the steaming room, coughing due to all the soot in the air. Vagress, a bit annoyed, strokes his long white beard while he pulls the metal out of the forge. Vargas: Enk, get outta here! I like working at night, and you should like sleeping at night! So take your little buddy and make your way upstairs! Edward sighs though he does comply. In his heart all of Vargas mean words do nothing to stop him from really understanding him, after all Edwards met a lot of people thats acted like Vargas. So he knows hes one of the ones who cares the most. While he takes his blood-stained armor off he stares at his broken blade. Vargas: I can fix that for yah yknow. Edward: No, not yet. Poppy continues to dwell in her confusion, slowly floating up to the second floor, following close behind Edward. Poppy: Why is the house so empty? Theres no furniture, pictures, or even a table! Old man Vargas is supposed to be this forest protector! Hes put seals up for all the villages, made weapons for them to fight with, and helped the forest aline with Walgonia. But hes just an angry old guy! Edward: To be honest I dont know either. But I do know I need his help, a place to stay, and somebody to talk to, and hes been nice enough to fill that role. As Edward reaches the top of the stairs, he drifts into an extra bedroom, slamming down on the flatbed. While Edward dozes off, Poppy flips in the air, rolling over to the nightstand beside the bed. With her small and soft glowing hand on his head, she begins to create an aura around his body, soothing it. She falls asleep doing this, helping him through the long, treacherous night. Edwards finally made it to the Ever-forest, but its only time until he figures out whats really going on there, what the Baron is really doing, and how hell have to get around it. End of Chapter Twenty-one Arc 7: Chapter 22. A trembling closet Arc 7. Death to what came before Road to a Hero: Three Chances in Another World Chapter 22. A trembling closet Outside Vargas home, the old man spends his morning splitting logs in two. On this crisp morning the cool April breeze along with the smell of spirit beasts. While the Ever-bog was more swamp-like than a bog, the Ever-forest is a real, enormous forest. The trees are skyscrapers, spanning over his small humble home while he wipes his brow without a thought. This silent old man looks exactly like his brother but seems to have let himself go just a bit. His eyes are sagging, his skin is wrinkling, and his beard is growing. On the other hand, his brother Rick is a little lighter in tone, but still a groggily old man with a chip welded onto his shoulder. Now inside his humble abode up the stairs and onto the left is the room of a sleeping beast sleeping beside an also sleeping fairy. Edward sways side to side while leaving the bed covered in sweat. Intense burning memories are flash-flooding his brain, sending him images of his horrific time in Eclis. This wakes up the young fairy, leading to her trying to ease his mind. But doing so Poppy is sent into this warrior mind-scape, seeing this hellish scene from his eyes. The pain of his arm exploding, the shame of being picked up by the fear-inducing figure of Prometheus, and the biblical scenery all create a primordial fear within such a young being. This sudden influx of panic sends Poppy screaming and falling, slamming on the ground from such an intense experience. Edward is awoken by her sudden fall, trying to help her up with his right arm, one thats no longer there. A wave of nothing floods through Edward while he stares at this missing part of himself. One that was stripped from him, torn to pieces in a blood-filled mess of pain and torture. But the soft glow that emanates off of this small creature takes his attention from his lone eye, causing a smile to make its way onto his face. Poppy: That dream was super scary! It was so real! Edward: ....Yeahit was Edward lifts the small one onto his shoulder with his scared, but working hand, leading her out of the cold room while letting her rest on his neck. Now its time to start Edwards morning. One filled with the basics, a quick washing of the body (Without Poppy of course), a tall glass of cold water, and straight to his sword. Poppy watches from afar, atop a shelf, while Vagress assists Edward with his armor. Vargas: Hes shit with anything that has an edge, but Ill give it to him, my brother can make a hell of a chest plate. The ridges are all in the right place, its holding this nice black colorsorry Im rambling. Edward: Its alright. Alright, Im off to help Poppy find her way back to him. Got any ideas as to where I could find the Helsing Armor while Im out? Vargas: Look. Musashi hid that thing a long time ago, and because he knew I was living here he told me to keep the area safe. He knew if I knew its location, Id be hunted, and Id be killed. So look all you want, I cant help ya. And dont die on your little trip. Oh, dont get into fights either! Im tired of cleaning blood off your armor! With a last sigh from Edward, he steps out of the house and onto the front step, about to walk into the unknown that is the Ever-forest. But just as Edward goes to leave without Poppy, she whines while floating onto his shoulder. Edward: Its okay, it was just a joke. Poppy, squinting with a smirk, causes Edward to sign once more. So theyre both off, having Poppy point the way while Edward slicks back his black hair, though it droops back into his normal middle part right after. Poppy: OHHHH! I KNOW WHERE WE ARE! We should be there in a bit! Edward: Oh really, like an hour or so? Poppy: Ummore like twelve? Edwards eyes close, but with a heavy breath, he opens them up to find Poppy looking at him with a puffed-up face. Edward: Welp, guess I gotta get ready for this twenty-four-hour walk. While hed love to get in the vehicle Peter made, and the one he rode all the herein, he simply cannot. The engine had survived the entire ride, and just as he rolled up in front of Vargas home, it died. With no way to fix it or even learn what the problem is, they simply had to leave it. So as the hours go by, the sun fully rises and begins to set. The forests enormous trees block the already cloudy sky of Valatrocitus, leaving the area permanently covered in shadows. Luckily, due to the order coming from the slowly emerging bite mark on his neck, Edward along with Poppy is safe from any spirit beasts. They would have still been safe, as the hundreds of constantly flowing seals on the trees create a safe barrier around parts of the forest. While being without any mana-infused crystals, they somehow continue to stay alive, without corrupting or burning away. This great mystery has spread through the forest, creating the strange air around Vargas'' existence. The great blacksmith who came to protect the Ever-forest and all that reside there. But while they walk, Edward being as quiet as he always is, Poppy is forced to spring up a conversation after hours of waiting. But the conversation''s context left Edward more than distraught. Poppy: SO! Who are you? This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Edward: Edward, just Edward. Poppy: UGH! THATS NOT A COOL BACKSTORY! She couldnt say it, swelling up trying to. But she finally did, letting it all fall out in a burst. Poppy: SORRY! Edward: What? Poppy: FOR THIS WALK! Edward: Its okay! Im happy to help. Poppy: NO! ITS JUSTJUST Edward: Yeah? Poppy: WEVE BEEN WALKING IN A CIRCLE! I CAN SENSE MY HOME BUT SOMETHINS MESSED UP! SO WERE NOT EVEN HALFWAY THERE! Edward felt a bit broken in his heart for just a second. Swallowing any anger or annoyance he had and breathed. Punching a tree before continuing to walk. Edward: Its fine. Do you know where to go? Poppy: Just follow me! I think so! Edward sighed once more before beginning to follow her once more. However he was starting to feel strain. This was surprising to him since he had been able to endure so much more prior, but his broken body was starting to cause problems. Edward bites the inside of his cheek, staring at the weapon in place of his arm, along with his awkward, squeaking, and stumbling walk due to his prosthetic leg, would tell most that hes just a lost soldier. Edward takes this as his backstory; he understands what most would assume. Edward: And my cool backstory is that Im a soldier. Nothing more, nothing less. Poppy: You like saying that dont you? Edward, back to being quiet, decides to return his gaze to the forest. Birds blast over the tree line while Edwards forced to stay on the ground, wobbling around. Heavy armor, heavier burdens, but the childish little fairy couldnt tell a thing. Her boredness sent her back to playing with smaller spirits while Edward moved forward. Hes forced to stay off of the main roads as Poppy''s directions point elsewhere; he can feel the seal''s powers fading. But after hours of boring, drowning, long hours, the sun has set and theyve arrived in a dead zone. All of the seals have burnt away, but the beasts are nowhere to be found. What is to be found in Edward comforting the scared Poppy, trying to shield her from the fear of whats hiding in the dark. Edward: Dont worry, high or low level I can beat the beast. Might be a little difficult, but I think I can manage. Edwards tumbling words dont help the shaking Poppy, but the sight of a possible village does raise morale. But the further they walk the more dystopian it seems, as all of the tree''s leaves have died and fallen, while the trees themselves have died as well. And then for the village itself? Its dead as well. Edward: What happened here? Poppy: ....Something scary The village, or what used to be one, now seems abandoned, a graveyard of memories. The small, cozy homes have fallen. Large holes in the buildings seem like things crashed into them. The dried blood mixed with the kicked-up dirt creates a scene of struggle, and fear. And lastly, the broken windows, kicked-open doors, holes in the ceilings, and no sign of life left, help Edward get the full picture. So he tries to explain it to the quite foolish Poppy while he digs through the homes, trying to find something. But all he finds is more struggle, broken walls, rotten food left on tables, and further destroyed interiors is a common finding through the houses. Poppy: Everythings all messed upCAN WE LEAVE THE MURDER TOWN!? Edward: Oh sorry, I got sidetracked. Ill come back later. Just as Edward leaves the home, wanting to protect the young spirit creature, but is quickly distracted in the center of the village. Right by the well that holds the middle of this circular domain, he feels a strange rumbling on the ground, one Poppy cant seem to understand. He makes his way over to one of the many houses. Poppy: NO! NO! GO AWAY FROM THE WEIRD FEELING! Edward, lost in a trance, makes his way into the home, finding it quite okay. While there are difference-sized claw marks scratched into the walls, the only real damage is near the front kitchen window, which was smashed through from the inside. Edward: All of the windows on the other houses were broken through the outside. It seems whatever happened in this village started here. Poppy: So a monster made all of these people run away? Edward: I hope so. Because there arent any bodies or bones, but the blood is plentiful. Dark, old. But not that old, you can still smell it. Poppy: You can smell the blood? Before Edward can get to Poppy''s questions Edwards head flicks to the side, focusing on the smashed opened door at the end of the wall. And inside, was a children''s room. Crushed along with ripped-open dolls, a smashed-in Cribb, and a large closet. This large closet was rumbling from the inside, so as Edward slowly goes to open it, Poppy floats far from it, watching from afar. And just as he opens it with his weapon, with his hands on the hilt of his blade, he swings open the wooden door. And inside, covered in a thick blanket, are two small Demi-human children, holding each other tightly. They cry, kick, and whimper, but Edward remains still and diligent. As he pulls the cover off of them, he finds them traumatized. The older one begins to point toward the wall, trembling and crying. WATCH OUT! The sudden scream from the young wolven girl is matched with a monster bursting from the wall, tackling Edward through the other wall. He lies on the cold dark, blood-covered dirt, while a massive decaying, human-like wolf snarls and bites at him. His mouth foamed with blood, while his exposed muscle pulsed, oozing pink slime. All of the action causes Poppy and the other children to scream in fear, while something strange happens within Edward''s mind. A feeling he had almost forgotten pulled his mind away, string by string, leaving him nothing but a man more monstrous than this mutated beast that holds him down, claws saved from piercing Edward due to the thick armor surrounding him. Edward, engulfed by the warrior spirit, and starving for blood, slams the prosthetic into the wolf''s head. While the wolf is staggered Edward uses his working hand to smash into the beast''s face, breaking its jaw and sending it tumbling away. As it jumps up, ripping its torn shirt from its aching body, the two girls slowly come out of the house while Poppy pulls at their dresses to get them to leave. DONT HURT HIM, HES OUR DAD! Edward, about to go on a full rampage, is taken out of the moment by children''s words, giving the beast just enough time to break into a full sprint. It quickly turns to moving on all fours, leaping at Edward, basking in the moonlight. Its claws shine in the wind as they drug down on Edwards face. His instincts kick in, slamming the dull sword right into the beast''s chest, crushing it. As the wolf wheezes on the ground, it turns to the children, looking into their eyes. A light within the beast''s own eyes shines brightly, the sign of life within the monster. Right after, it stands up and runs away, leaving them all alone. Edward: The hell was that? A werewolf? Nothose are only made from curses unless this is a curse. DONT KILL HIM! The oldest screams at him, so he doesn''t chase after him, but he does try and comfort him. Though the aura he exudes is one of murderous power, a scary sense to say the least. Edward: I wont kill him, but I will help you. Can you lead me to the nearest village? With a nod of the oldest head, already patting her younger sister''s trembling head, she leads them to the nearest town while Poppy follows behind. Edward: Oh yeah, we need to get you to your home. Poppy: WHAT!? This is a mystery! One we cant walk away from young Edward! THE OF THE WEREWOLF! And Im coming with you! Edward: Fine, but as long as youre the detective. The children around them felt a flutter of joy from Edwards sudden kind and soft demenor, but the terror was still consuming theyre being. Edward: But Im pretty sure its not a werewolf. The only one of those I know of is Zhao. Seems more like the Lycan disease, and if that spreads. This forest is going to collapse.. End of Chapter Twenty-Two