《Pandemonium》 1st Night: Amelia Rosa Janus, a vast world filled with all kinds of magical places and races. There were elves, goblins, orcs, fairies, giants, dragons, and the list goes on. In this vast and exotic world, all living things had one thing in common. They all possess the ability to use the power Anima. Anima, the primary source of energy in the world of Janus. It resides in the soul of all living things, and in nature itself. Everyone can use anima, even if they do it subconsciously. Being the primary source of energy in the world, Anima is used by everyone to help make their lives easier. For example, anima can be used to power machinery, heal your wounds, and boost your physical strength to make labour easier if even a little bit. Of course, like every other power source, anima can be abused and used wrongly. For example, war. Anima is a very flexible energy source, hence they are countless ways to use it, so it being used for violence isn¡¯t a surprise. 5000 years ago, a certain individual took the phrase ¡°Used for violence¡± and took it to another level. That person went on to rule over the world and was hailed as a god, the first the world has ever seen. That was until he came face to face with another God. However, this tale isn¡¯t about those two and their battle that changed the way anima was used forever. No, this is a tale that takes place thousands of years after those two disappeared from the world. Buchse, a small nation on the Raknor Continent. It was a young country with little more than a hundred-year history. It only had a population of 100,000 and was unknown by most of the world. In such a small insignificant country, there weren¡¯t that many people who could be considered top class. In fact, the only reason the country hadn¡¯t been frequently plagued by bandits and invaders, was because of its topography. The country was surrounded by a ring of mountains from the back to the sides, leaving only so few paths that lead in or out of the country. All the military had to do was to station a few guards to keep watch and report when an enemy was in sight. After that, the military could surround and counter them with numbers. So it was safe to say that those in this country were used to a relatively simple life devoid of wars. The only form of oppression they felt was from inside the country itself. In the country¡¯s capital, there was a castle where the royal family had resided. Because of this, it was natural to assume that the military was also based here. The military of this country was headed by warriors that were given titles and prestige by the royal family, Knights. These knights were as expectedly strong and ¡°talented¡± in warfare, even though they weren¡¯t that experienced in it. To be frank, you didn¡¯t really need strength to become a knight in this country, what you needed was connections. This country, like many others, was filled with corrupt officials, who appointed their families and friends positions to keep the power on their side. That being said, there were some who gained their title through hard work as they should. These individuals would most time come from humble beginnings and possess talent in anima combat. Most of these people would be bought off by a noble fighting for power though. But, they were some who didn¡¯t get swayed by money and stayed true to their ideals. ¡°Hah!¡± On the training field of the military camp, a group of young soldiers was battling against a sole soldier. This soldier had long flowing golden hair that turns orange near the end, and reminded one of a beautiful sunset. They had sparkling bright blue eyes, a slim and well-toned figure, and was dressed in standard military uniform. This soldier was one of the few knights that couldn¡¯t be bought, the youngest knight in history, and a beautiful woman who couldn¡¯t be mistaken for a man despite dressing in a manly manner, Amelia Rosa. She calmly watched as the soldiers armed with swords and spears charge at her. She could see a cloudy greenish light surrounding the soldiers and their weapons as they approached her. This was anima. The first to reach her was a soldier thrusting a spear. The force behind the spear was enough to pierce through reinforced steel that was several inches thick. It was easy to imagine what would happen if that came in contact with the human flesh. Yet, Amelia didn¡¯t panic in the least. She took a step to the side and avoided the spear thrust, she then immediately stepped forward and thrust out her palm. *Bam!* The soldier was hit on his chest and was blown back a few meters. By that time, another soldier made it in her range. He was wielding a broadsword. He swung it down with a shout. Amelia jumped back and waited for the sword to slam into the ground before moving forward again. She jumped and dropped kicked the soldier who was trying to pull his sword from the ground, causing him to fall on his back. When she stood up, two soldiers attacked her from the side with sabers. She jumped upwards to avoid them. ¡°I got you!¡± That seemed to be what the soldiers wanted because there was already someone thrusting a spear at her, mid-jump. Even so, this still didn¡¯t shake her in the least. She twisted her body and narrowly avoided the spear, only allowing her clothes to be cut. She then grabbed the spear pole and dragged the soldier holding it towards her. *Bam!* She hit him with an elbow strike to the chest and dented his armor. ¡°Guh?!¡± All the air left the soldiers lungs after he got hit. Amelia took that chance to hit him with an uppercut, which sent him flying back a couple meters. She then turned her attention to the two, who attacked her from the side earlier. ¡°W-We give!¡± ¡°We forfeit!¡± The two soldiers quickly said. Amelia looked at them for a bit before hitting them both with a kick to the side of the head. ¡°In a real fight, surrendering is equivalent to asking your enemy to cut your head off for you.¡± She looked down on the two soldiers and said. ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself be at the mercy of your opponent so easily.¡± She turned her back to them. ¡°You all were using anima while I fought you using only my bare strength, and this is the result?¡± She spoke with a stern tone. However, after glaring at them for a while she sighed. ¡°Well, considering that you all are a novice at using anima for combat, being able to damage my clothing is impressive.¡± She showed a bright smile.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I believe the country will have a bright future if you guys continue to work hard.¡± When the soldiers who were beaten saw her smile, it was as if all the frustration in their hearts had died away. They may haven¡¯t been able to beat her, but they were able to earn the praise of a shining star like Amelia. The fact that she had a beautiful smile just made it better. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± They all stood up. ¡°We¡¯ll work hard to make you proud!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should be trying to impress.¡± She placed her hand over her heart. ¡°It¡¯s the royal family and the people of this country. They are the ones we¡¯re trying to protect.¡± Amelia gave off an angelic aura when she said that, which moved the soldiers¡¯ heart. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± They answered excitedly. ¡°Lady Amelia!¡± It was at this moment that a soldier came running to the field. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Carter and Johnson are fighting in the cafeteria!¡± The soldier reported. ¡°Huh?¡± When Amelia heard that, her expression changed. She immediately followed the soldier to the cafeteria. When she got there, she saw a crowd gathering and watching two men in the middle. These two men were clashing with sticks in their hands. Upon closer look, Amelia noticed that the sticks were embedded with anima. One of the soldiers swung the stick at his opponent, which was dodged and hit a column. *Bam!* A crack appeared in the concrete column along with a dent caused by the stick. It was hard to believe that a stick could do so much damage. The reason was that when reinforced with anima, even a flimsy stick can become a deadly weapon. ¡°Damn it, Carter! You were aiming for my head just now! You were trying to kill me, you bastard!¡± Said the soldier who dodged the stick. ¡°Ha! Killing you will do this world justice!¡± Responded the other soldier. Hearing this made Johnson extremely angry. He clenched his fist tightly as anima was seen gathering around it. ¡°I see, then I¡¯ll just kill you first!¡± Johnson charged forward. ¡°Come on!¡± Carter also charged forward. When the two were less than a meter from the other, Amelia appeared between them. ¡°Stop this foolishness.¡± She caught Johnson¡¯s fist and broke Carter¡¯s stick with a chop of her hand. ¡°L-Lady Amelia!¡± The two were scared shitless when they saw who appeared between them. ¡°You idiots!¡± Dust particles rapidly gather in front of the two and instantly turned into clumps of earth. The earth then molded into a pair of fists which hit them in the stomach simultaneously. *Bam!* ¡°Argh?!¡± They both fell on their knees and held their stomach while groaning. It is possible to conjure and manipulate elements using anima. However, this requires a massive amount of Anima and great anima control. The fact that Amelia can use it shows how skilled she was. ¡°I don¡¯t know what caused you two to fight, but the usage of Anima for battle is prohibited outside of training and military duties. Do it again and I¡¯ll break your arms as punishment.¡± She gave the two a deadly gaze as she said so. It was obvious that she meant what she said. ¡°Y-You can¡¯t do this to us!¡± Carter struggled to his feet and said. ¡°We¡¯re both nobles of this country! You¡¯re just a commoner who was born with a bit of luck!¡± He shouted. ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re even worse than a commoner! You¡¯re an immigrant who stumbled her way into our country!¡± Johnson shouted. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t full of yourself!¡± ¡°You¡¯re nothing but an outsider!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get involve in our business!¡± Supporters of Johnson and Carter who were in the crowd started shouting all kind of stuff. Amelia remained silent as their shouts rained down on her. ¡®¡­.I see. So this was staged.¡¯ She thought to herself. ¡®The reason why Carter and Johnson, who are always on good terms were fighting, was to draw me here. Since I was their direct superior I would be the one to discipline them. However, that would only cause dissatisfaction since I¡¯m a commoner with no backing and a foreigner to booth. To the people in this country, commoners and foreigners were of the lowest status. The only way that can change is to side with an aristocratic family, but since I didn¡¯t do that I¡¯m only an eyesore.¡¯ She calmly deduced the situation. The reason why she figured out what was going on was because this was a tactic that she¡¯ve seen used to make things hard for people like her over and over again. ¡®Seriously, these people need to learn new tricks.¡¯ She thought with a sigh. ¡°Everyone, calm down.¡± That¡¯s when a voice stopped the crowd¡¯s shout. ¡®And here¡¯s the ringleader.¡¯ Amelia looked at the person who the voice belonged to. It was a bulky man dressed in a shiny suit of armor with brown hair. ¡°Lord Marcus.¡± Carter and Johnson who were leading the verbal abuse against Amelia were the first to salute the man. Everyone else followed suit and saluted as well. ¡°Wow, they¡¯re all so well trained, these lapdogs.¡± Amelia muttered. ¡°Everyone, please calm down.¡± Marcus walked up beside Amelia. ¡°Lady Amelia may haven¡¯t been born in our country, but she is dedicated to protecting the country.¡± He said. ¡°Besides, being promoted to a knight at the tender age of 19 is a great feat. We should be praising her rather than making things harder for her.¡± ¡®So this is a textbook definition of a hypocrite. Fascinating.¡¯ Amelia thought. ¡°For all we know, she might surpass me in the future and become the strongest knight in the kingdom.¡± ¡°No way, milord!¡± ¡°No one can surpass someone as superior as yourself!¡± Carter and Johnson started to kiss up to Marcus. ¡°That¡¯s right! Lord Marcus is our hero!¡± ¡°Protector of the country!¡± ¡°The ideal man!¡± The others in the crowd started to do the same. Before long everyone started chanting Marcus¡¯ name. ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡± Marcus said and smiled at Amelia. ¡°Lady Amelia, please allow me to counsel these two. I¡¯m sure that a talk among men is enough to extinguish any hard feelings between them.¡± ¡°Do as you, please.¡± Amelia said and walked away. She didn¡¯t need to look back to know that people were smirking behind her back. Marcus did everything to improve his image and degrade hers. Amelia used force to stop the fight and received backlash, but if Marcus uses words and quell the hatred between Carter and Johnson, it would be obvious who the better leader was. Amelia knew this and decided to let it go. Marcus was the strongest knight in the country, as well as a close relative to the current king; as such he was popular and had lots of support to lead the military. However, the existence of Amelia who became a knight before she was even 20 caused an uproar in the royal court. Amelia¡¯s background was dubious, hence there was a lot of objection to her being a knight. To prove that she was worthy, she challenged the strongest knight which was Marcus. The result was her loss, but she only lost by a thin margin. Marcus was badly beaten and had to use a desperate move to win, that alone was enough to show how powerful Amelia was. Not to mention, she was far younger than him. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for her to surpass him in a year or even less. Because of this, Amelia has been the victim of Marcus and his supporters constant harassment since becoming a knight a month earlier. Yet, the victim herself didn¡¯t mind it. As long as she was able to repay the country that raised her from a child until now, she didn¡¯t care about things like status and political power. Ironically, because of this attitude, she gained lots of support from the commoners in the kingdom and somehow ended up at the center of a power struggle. ¡°Hah~.¡± Amelia sighed as she remembered all the headache-inducing drama surrounding her. ¡°Lady Amelia.¡± While she was taking a walk through the town, a female guard responsible for keeping public order called out to her. ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°Good timing. We need your help with something urgent.¡± The guard ran up to her and said. ¡°A strange man is causing an uproar not too far away from here.¡± ¡°A strange man?¡± After hearing what the guard said, Amelia followed her to the front of a bar. ¡°Eh?¡± There she saw a man staggering back and forth in front of the bar. If that was only it, then it wouldn¡¯t have been anything strange. There were dozens of guards laying on the guard groaning and covered in wounds. That wasn¡¯t the only thing, the man in question was naked as the day he was born. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Amelia looked at the scene with a complex expression. ¡°We received a report of a public disturbance and went to investigate and found him like this. We tried to take him into custody, but he was surprisingly too much for us to handle.¡± The guard explained. ¡°Please, Lady Amelia. Could you help us arrest him?¡± She pleaded. Amelia looked at the man from head to toe. He was extremely handsome despite the goofy look on his face, had flaming red hair and green eyes. But what really caught her attention was his body. ¡®There¡¯s not an ounce of fat on his body. Everything is firm as if his body was sculpted from the hardest rocks. How much training did it take to obtain such a body.¡¯ ¡°Um¡­ Lady Amelia?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, sorry. I zoned off for a little bit.¡± She said after the guard called out to her. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay. I was like you when I saw him for the first time.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Amelia gave the female guard a confused looked, and then followed her gaze. She saw that the guard was looking at the man¡¯s lower body. ¡°Amazing isn¡¯t it? His wife must be a lucky woman.¡± That¡¯s when Amelia realized what the woman was referring to. She instantly became embarrassed, but she knew that if she tried to defend herself it would be a waste of time. As such she quietly nodded and agreed with the woman. To not let their conversation continue, Amelia immediately approached the naked man. ¡°Hahahaha! Booze! Bring all the booze you got!¡± The man shouted. Amelia moved quickly and circled around his back, and placed her hand on his back. ¡°?!¡± The moment she did, her entire body became numb. She felt like her life was suddenly in danger. It was as if she had carelessly came in contact with a wild beast, and it was about to devour her whole. She looked up and realized that the man¡¯s head was turned, and he was looking at her from the edge of his eyes. When her eyes meet his, her entire body stiffened and a single sentence appeared in her mind. ¡°I¡¯m dead.¡± However, no matter how long she waited, death didn¡¯t come. The man slowly turned his head back to face the front. ¡°Hahaha! I can see that an angel brought me some booze!¡± He resumed his drunken behavior. Amelia took that chance to inject a burst of Anima inside him and rob him of his consciousness. The man fell over and laid on the ground as if sleeping. Amelia looked down on him while breathing heavily and covered in cold sweat. ¡°W-What was that just now?¡± She said. ¡°Just who is this man?¡± 2nd Night: Devil King Rory ¡°What is this man?¡± Amelia looked down on the naked man and said. ¡°That was amazing, lady Amelia!¡± The female guard walked up to the confused Amelia and said. ¡°You were able to take him down so effortlessly when we had such a hard time. As expected of the youngest knight in history.¡± She said. ¡°A-Ah, yeah. Thanks.¡± Amelia answered with a complex expression and looked back down at the man. After a while, she spoke to the guard. ¡°Do you mind if I take him back to the lockup myself. Just in case he wakes up, and goes berserk?¡± ¡°No problem at all! Having someone like you with us will make our job a lot easier.¡± The guard answered. Amelia nodded and lifted the man by one arm and threw him over her shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Hehehe! Okay!¡± When the guard saw that, she giggled for some reason and led Amelia to the lockup. When they arrived, Amelia placed the man in a cell and closed it. She continued to stare at him lying in the cell. That¡¯s when the female guard came to her side. ¡°If you like, you can stay and observe him for a while.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The guard smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to hide it. I can see that you¡¯re interested in this naked man.¡± Amelia nodded. The guard nodded. ¡°I understand, I understand. With a package and face like that, even the tomboy knight can¡¯t help but become interested.¡± ¡°Wait! I¡¯m not interested in the way you¡¯re thinking!¡± Amelia quickly defended herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. I understand. I¡¯m a woman too you know.¡± The guard said with a laugh. ¡°No, I don¡¯t-¡± ¡°The way how you didn¡¯t bother to give him clothes and just carried across your shoulder naked with his skin touching yours, is quite bold though. Even for me.¡± When the guard said that, Amelia¡¯s face immediately reddened. She was so distracted by the mysterious feeling she got from the man, that she completely forgot to put clothes on him. Even now, the man lay in the cell naked. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone.¡± The guard laughed and left before Amelia could explain herself. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Amelia was left alone standing in front of the cell with a red face. ¡°I-I should put something on him.¡± After saying that, she looked around and saw an old male guard uniform. She picked it up. ¡°It looks a little too big, but it will have to do.¡± She took the uniform, opened the cell, and walked in. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± She took the pants and began to put it on the man. ¡°This is pretty hard.¡± She said as she tried to force the pants on the man. After a while, the pants waist finally past the man¡¯s knees, and was going up his thighs.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± That¡¯s when Amelia heard a groan. She looked up and saw the man slowly open his eyes. Her body froze when she saw that. She watched as the man looked around with a drowsy look, before sitting up. When he sat up, his eyes met with the nervously sweating Amelia. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± The two looked at each other in silence for a while, and then- ¡°Kyaaaaa?!¡± The man let out a feminine scream. ¡°Rapist! Help, I¡¯m being raped!¡± He shouted and started to wiggle about. ¡°No, wait. I¡¯m-¡± The man pointed at Amelia preventing her front explaining herself. ¡°Listen here! You may have taken my body, but you¡¯ll never have my heart!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t really want it¡­.¡± ¡°Gasp! So you want to just throw me away after you get your fill like I¡¯m a piece of garbage?¡± The man said with a pale face. ¡°Again, I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The man suddenly looked depressed. ¡°I knew for a long time that this is how the world works.¡± Tears started flowing his eyes, that were for some reason sparkling. ¡°Do your worst.¡± He fell on his back and spread his arms to show full submission. ¡°My body is ready!¡± *Bam!* Amelia slammed her fist beside the man¡¯s head in irritation. ¡°Listen to me, you son of a bitch.¡± She said with veins pulsing in her head. In response, the man- ¡°Hm? Now that I look at you, you¡¯re pretty attractive. Alright, I give you permission to rape me!¡± He ignored her angry expression and said. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± Amelia was stumped. She didn¡¯t know how to deal with this person at all. ¡°Huh? These aren¡¯t the pants I was wearing.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The man sat up and said. ¡°What did you do with my clothes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go accusing me. You were naked when I caught you.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°Oh, I got drunk again huh?¡± ¡°Hey, why does it sound like you do this kind of stuff all the time?¡± Amelia stood up and said. ¡°Because I always do it.¡± The man got up himself. ¡°So, beautiful. I¡¯ll like to ask a very important question.¡± He put on a serious face and said. ¡°What country am I in right now?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The question completely caught Amelia off guard. ¡°What country? What do you mean by that? Aren¡¯t you a resident here?¡± ¡°Nope. Well, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think so?¡± The man nodded. ¡°You see, I tend to travel a bit when I¡¯m drunk. Sometimes I wake up in different buildings sometimes different continents.¡± ¡°Oi. Why are you saying that, like waking up in a different continent is like waking up on the street?¡± Amelia said. ¡®I don¡¯t get this person. Is he joking around? He can¡¯t be serious right?¡¯ Amelia thought to herself. ¡°So where am I?¡± The man asked. ¡°Buchse.¡± ¡°Buchse? I don¡¯t know a country by that name. My God! I have finally gotten drunk enough to travel to different worlds!¡± Amelia felt like punching the man when she heard that. ¡°No. Buchse is a small country that was founded a little over a century ago. It¡¯s hidden in the mountains so it isn¡¯t that well-known. It¡¯s on the Southern section of the Raknor Continent.¡± ¡°Oh? So I¡¯m still on the Raknor Continent?¡± The man looked disappointed that he wasn¡¯t able to travel to a different world. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°When asking for someone¡¯s name, you first need to present your own.¡± The man replied. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Amelia was a bit surprised that he said that, but still kept her calm. ¡°My name is Amelia Rosa. I¡¯m a knight here in this kingdom.¡± ¡°Amelia? A beautiful name.¡± The man said with a smile. ¡°There, I introduced myself so please do the same.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The man then spoke his name. ¡°My name is Rory; because of certain circumstances I can¡¯t reveal my last name.¡± He said. ¡°Rory?¡± The name cause a strange reaction in Amelia. She had heard it before. In fact, there shouldn¡¯t be any warrior in the world who didn¡¯t know it. That was how famous it was. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± She walked out of the cell and approached a drawer and opened it. ¡°It should be in here. Every post is ordered to have one.¡± She mumbled as she searched through the draws. ¡°Here it is.¡± She took out a file and opened it. She was looking at a photo. It was a photo that depicted a red-haired handsome man with green eyes and a terrifying expression. She looked at the photo and then the man standing in the cell. ¡°I-Impossible¡­They¡¯re identical?¡± She looked at the man again. ¡°You¡¯re Devil King Rory?¡± The man nodded. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± She took the photo and showed the man. ¡°This photo was taken over 100 years ago! The Devil King should¡¯ve been dead a long time ago. Even if he¡¯s alive, he can¡¯t look so young!¡± She said. ¡°Why?¡± The man didn¡¯t seem bothered by what she said. ¡°The Night God who plunged the world into complete darkness dominated the world for over a millennium. The Sacred God, who defeated him and returned light to the world, reigned for another millennium. So why can¡¯t I live for over a century?¡± ¡°Those two were gods! Are you saying that you¡¯re a god?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I have the face and body of a god?¡± The man responded with a laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t screw with me!¡± She closed the file and approached the cell and locked it. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?!¡± The man asked. ¡°I¡¯m keeping you confined until you tell me your true identity.¡± After she said that, she began to walk away. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m hungry! What I¡¯m supposed to do for dinner?!¡± ¡°Bust out! If you¡¯re really the Devil King then that should a piece of cake.¡± After saying that, she left the lockup. ¡°Devil King Rory? Ha! He just coincidently looks like him. He might be a descendant of some kind, but it¡¯s impossible for him to live that long.¡± She muttered to herself. The time when she got a life-threatening feeling from him crossed her mind. She had to admit that was certainly a feeling that someone like the legendary devil King might produce. But she then remembered how shameless the man acted. ¡°Hmph. Someone as terrifying as the Devil King would never act in such a manner. He¡¯s the man who led the invincible mercenary group that could fight against any country in the world after all.¡± Meanwhile, in the lock up the man stood all alone in the cell. ¡°What a feisty woman. Just because she didn¡¯t believe who I am, she locked me up.¡± He smiled. ¡°But I gotta say, she¡¯s quite the beauty. Not her flesh, but her anima. I haven¡¯t felt such pure anima in a long time. It¡¯s too bad that this world will soon taint it.¡± He picked up the clothes. ¡°Green huh?¡± He threw them back on the ground. ¡°I only wear black and white though.¡± He sat on the floor and closed his eyes. ¡°For such a small country, the anima here sure is disgusting. This can only be the result of rotten people.¡± He suddenly smiled. ¡°Heh, it seems the most rotten one is hanging around that princess.¡± He opened his eyes. ¡°This will be interesting.¡± He leaned on the wall. ¡°Let¡¯s see how the princess handles this.¡± A few days later. Amelia was in her office going through some paperwork in the middle of the night. ¡°It looks like that fake Rory is properly getting meals. That¡¯s good.¡± She said after reading the report she got from the lockup. ¡°He¡¯s done nothing but eat and sleep? I didn¡¯t think he would be so tamed.¡± She put down the report with a rather disappointed expression. ¡°I thought that he would cause a little trouble¡­..Looks like he really isn¡¯t that Rory.¡± She sighed. *Knock Knock!* That¡¯s when she heard a knock on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Amelia narrowed her eyes and said. ¡°Lady Amelia, you¡¯ve been summoned to the royal court.¡± ¡°At this time of night?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s urgent, please come immediately.¡± ¡°¡­..I see.¡± Amelia closed her eyes and took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. ¡°I guess I should get going.¡± She stood up and took up her saber that was by her side. She then walked out of her office and headed to the castle that was in the center of the capital. When she reached the gates, she noticed that the guards were different. Even so, she didn¡¯t pay it any attention and entered the yard. While walking through the yard she could feel several hidden gazes on her body. This too didn¡¯t slow down her steps as she entered the castle. After she entered, she went straight to the throne room where she would normally meet the king for an audience. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.!¡± After she entered, she was shocked by what she saw. She saw a man sitting on the throne. ¡°Your majesty¡­.¡± The man on the throne was naturally the king, but there was something that was unnatural about him. He had a saber stabbed into his chest. It was obvious from his pale look that he was dead. ¡°My god!¡± That¡¯s when she heard a shout and looked around. There she saw a servant standing in the hallway. ¡°Y-Your Majesty! The king has been killed!¡± The servant shouted at the top of their lungs. Amelia looked at the servant with a cold gaze. ¡°Somebody help! Lady Amelia has killed the kin-?!¡± Before he could finish shouting, he was pierced from behind by a saber. He turned around and saw Amelia standing behind him, still holding the sword that was stabbed through his heart. ¡°Your acting is really bad.¡± She pulled out the sword and beheaded the servant with a quick slash. The servant died, unable to believe that Amelia killed him so easily. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Amelia silently swung her sword to the side to get rid of the blood before sheathing it again. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m in deep trouble right now.¡± She said before sprinting out of the room. The moment she entered the hallway she saw several soldiers heading her way. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to deal with all of you.¡± She focused her anima around her feet. The next moment, electric sparks covered her feet. ¡°Electric Skates.¡± Her speed suddenly increased explosively, and she passed all of the guards without any of them being able to react. She soon arrived outside the gates, where she deactivated Electric Skates. She couldn¡¯t constantly use it because it burns up too much of her anima. The moment she stopped, the guards at the gates pounced at her. She immediately drew her saber, and channeled anima in it and her body. She accelerated and thrust her saber piercing through the guards¡¯ hearts in an instant. After neutralizing her opponents, she looked around and ran into town. ¡°I need to reach somewhere I won¡¯t be surrounded.¡± She said as she ran. ¡°?!¡± *Bam!* She jumped and avoided an arrow. The arrow bore through the concrete wall of a building. It was obvious that it was infused with anima. Amelia looked up and saw that she was surrounded by archers, who were on the rooftops of the buildings on her sides. ¡°Lady Amelia! You¡¯re suspected of killing our king! Turn in yourself quietly or be killed!¡± A soldier shouted. ¡°For a crime that was just committed, you guys sure gathered quickly.¡± Amelia said with a mocking tone. ¡°That was because we were always keeping an eye on you.¡± At that moment, Marcus appeared from the alley between two buildings. ¡°After all, you¡¯re someone with a shady background. There¡¯s no way we could fully trust you like the king.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then I guess as the people¡¯s Hero, you¡¯re the one who needs to kill me, the killer of the king?¡± Marcus didn¡¯t say anything and smiled. The reason why Amelia wasn¡¯t overwhelmed by the current situation, was because she had already known about Marcus ambitions for the throne. Even though Marcus and the king were first cousins, the two never got along. Marcus was someone who loved battle and honor, while the king was kind and cared about his people. Because of this, the two clashed numerous times. The reason why Amelia was appointed a knight was to put pressure on Marcus, who wanted to fill the vacancy of a military commander. After he became military commander, Marcus would slowly weaken the king¡¯s power and dethrone him. However, Amelia who would definitely surpass him made it difficult for him by just existing. She did indeed put pressure on Marcus, but that wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. Everyone handled pressure differently. Not everyone will back down from it. They are some who turn into wild beasts under pressure, Marcus was definitely one of those persons. Amelia could tell from their last fight that he was. She predicted that he might do something crazy and warned the king, but the king discarded her warnings saying that Marcus wouldn¡¯t harm him. That was the King¡¯s biggest downfall, his kindness, and naivety. When she suddenly received a summon by the royal court so late in the night, she knew that something had happened. She immediately mentally prepared herself for the worst case scenario. As expected, the worst case scenario happened. The king was dead and Marcus was trying to get rid of her, whose existence was a thorn in his side. Because of this, Amelia accepted her fate. But she didn¡¯t accept her death. ¡°My goal in life was to repay this country, but if this country wants my life then I must change my goal.¡± She pulled her sword and took a fighting stance and faced Marcus. ¡°My goal is now this.¡± Anima started dancing around her entire body. ¡°I will kill my way out this country, and find my place in the world!¡± 3rd Night: The Devil King & The Knight ¡°Kill your way through the country?¡± Marcus burst out laughing after hearing Amelia¡¯s goal. ¡°Then allow me to crush your goal here!¡± He signaled the archers on the roof, and they all began firing at Amelia. Amelia quickly gathered anima at her feet and stomped the ground. *Bam!* The ground underneath her suddenly came to life as it molded into four triangles, which quickly rose up and form a tent around Amelia. The arrows hit the tent but surprisingly weren¡¯t able to pierce through it like they did the concrete wall. This was because the tent made of earth was being reinforced by Amelia¡¯s anima. The quality of her anima vs theirs were leagues apart. ¡°Keeping firing! Earth manipulation of that level takes a great amount of anima, she¡¯ll give in eventually!¡± Marcus shouted. ¡°Hm?¡± That¡¯s when he noticed a change with the earth tent protecting Amelia. There was something being molded on the outside. ¡°Spikes?¡± That¡¯s when Marcus knew what was about to happen. ¡°Find cover!¡± However, it was too late. The spikes on the tent suddenly began being fired in all directions like they were bullets. ¡°Guahh?!¡± The archers screamed out in agony as the spike pierced through their bodies, like they were paper, filling them with fist-sized holes. After a few seconds, everything on the narrow road had spikes of earth lodged into them. Whether it be building or man. The only exception was Marcus who manipulated the earth and formed a wall to protect himself. He brought down the wall, and revealed that he was hit in the shoulder by a spike. ¡°It was a bad idea trying to clash her in element manipulation. She isn¡¯t called the Elemental Star for nothing.¡± He removed the spike and said. Marcus looked around and saw that all his archers were dead. ¡®I still have lots of lackeys around the city that can group up and stop her. I should make it look like I¡¯m retreating and bait her into following me.¡¯ He thought to himself. He immediately turned and started to run. That¡¯s when it happened. The ground under him collapsed and he suddenly found himself falling into a pit. ¡°Shit!¡± He quickly used his sword and stab the side, to stop his fall. When he looked down, he saw lots of spikes at the bottom of the pit. ¡°When did she have the time to create this?!¡± Marcus shouted in shock. That¡¯s when he felt that the earth around him was starting to move. He looked up and saw that the entrance to the pit was closing. ¡°Shit!¡± He pulled his sword and allowed himself to fall towards the bottom, but immediately covered his feet with anima. He landed on two spikes without getting skewered, and jumped upwards with all of his strength. He was able to escape the pit before it closed up. ¡°You didn¡¯t think you could kill someone like me with such tactics did you?!¡± He shouted while midair. ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t.¡± Marcus felt a gust behind him the moment he heard the voice. Before he could turn around, he felt something cold stab into his back. ¡°Argh?!¡± He turned his head around and saw Amelia looking at him coldly through the side of his eyes. Electric sparks could be seen emitting from her sword. ¡°Let¡¯s see how well you fry.¡± The moment she said that, Marcus felt a strong surge of electricity flow into his body. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh?!¡± He screamed out in agony after he felt it. ¡°Don¡¯t-¡± However, Amelia soon heard him speak clearly. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, brat!¡± *Bam!* With a shout, he slammed his elbow on the top of Amelia¡¯s head. The sudden blow to her head made her senses become blurry, and her movements became dulled. Marcus took that chance and kicked her from behind and forced them apart. He landed on a rooftop, while Amelia, who still couldn¡¯t function properly, landed on the ground. Her sword fell beside her. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Marcus fell to his knees and started to cough up blood. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t protected my internal organs at the last second, I would¡¯ve been fried alive.¡± He used anima to create a protective barrier around his organs, the moment he saw what Amelia was about to do. He stood and looked down on Amelia. ¡°Y-You little bitch!¡± His entire body was covered in raging red Anima as he roared. The concrete roof started cracking under the pressure of his anima. He charged down towards Amelia, thrusting his sword. ¡°?!¡± Amelia saw him and quickly rolled out of the way, while grabbing her saber. *Bam!* Marcus¡¯ sword stabbed into the ground and caused large cracks to appeared in it like it was glass. Amelia quickly got to her feet and readied her saber. She watched as Marcus pulled his sword out of the ground and glanced at her. The moment she saw his eyes, cold sweat covered her body. The color of one¡¯s anima can change to represent an emotion, if that emotion was strong enough. Some people also received a boost in power from these intense emotions. The fact that Marcus¡¯ anima wasn¡¯t the normal green, but a raging red showed how angry he was. ¡°Amelia!¡± He roared and charged towards her again. His every step caused a crack in the ground. ¡°Taking him on like this is bad.¡± Amelia said and jumped on a roof. She then began to jump from roof to roof running away from Marcus. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away!¡± Marcus leaped into the air with an incredible force. He stepped on a roof and caused the roof to crack before leaping towards where Amelia was. The two began a chase on the roofs in the middle of the night. Amelia turned around and wind started condensing around her sword, soon fire gathered around it as well. She stopped running and immediately changed the direction she was going, and charged towards Marcus. ¡°Take this!¡± She thrust her saber forward and a storm of flames charged towards Marcus. ¡°Useless!¡± Marcus gathered his anima in his sword and swung it down. *Boom!* The storm of fire was suddenly cut in two by a sharp gust of wind. This wind hit Amelia and the building behind her. The building had a deep cut inside it, while Amelia was only blown back. She had surrounded herself in anima and formed an invisible armor. Even so, she still took some internal damage. ¡°Argh!¡± She landed in an alley, crashing into some trash cans. Every part of her body was aching. ¡°Amelia!¡± She looked up and saw Marcus jumped down thrusting his sword down towards her. Amelia tried to roll out of the way, but her body just wouldn¡¯t listen to her. She was forced to watch as Marcus came closer and closer to killing her. It was then that her body started heating up, and it seemed that time had come to a standstill for her. ¡®I¡¯m gonna die. I¡¯m gonna die. I¡¯m gonna die!¡¯ That was all she repeated in her head. The thought of dying caused her mind to think up several ways to survive in a split second. After what felt like an eternity to her she discovered a way. She gritted her teeth and slammed her fist on the ground. *Bam!* Suddenly the ground under her began to elevate bringing her up towards Marcus. She manipulated the earth to throw her upwards since she couldn¡¯t move by herself in time. ¡°Are you suicidal?! Great! I¡¯ll put you out your misery!¡± He put his all his body weight behind his thrust as he saw Amelia flying towards him.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Amelia smiled and tapped the earth again. That¡¯s when Marcus saw Amelia, who was heading towards him change directions. ¡°Wha?!¡± She had manipulated the earth to move out of Marcus¡¯ way and circle behind him and position her upside down and above him. She then let gravity do its thing and fell towards him. Marcus twisted his body while falling and saw Amelia with a crazy look in her eyes. ¡°Checkmate!¡± Lighting started dancing in her palms. ¡°Die!¡± She swung down her hand and a bolt of lightning shot down and pierced Marcus straight through the heart. ¡°¡­¡­.!¡± He released a silent scream as the electricity fired his insides and caused his heart to burst. *Bam!* He slammed on the ground with his eyes rolled to the back of his head. *Bam!* Amelia dropped not too far away from him on some garbage bags. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± She groaned out in pain, as she laid face first on the garbage. ¡°I did it. I won.¡± She said with a pained voice. She laid there for a while before she could roll over on her back. ¡°Sadly, there¡¯s no time to celebrate. I must hurry and tend to my wounds or else I¡¯m done for.¡± She knew that it wasn¡¯t over with Marcus¡¯ death. She was certain that every knight and their soldiers were frantically searching for her whereabouts. She was named as the murder of the king after all. She sluggishly stood up and lifted Marcus¡¯ body and threw it into a dumpster. She then sat in a corner and covered herself with garbage bags. ¡®No one would expect for me to be hiding like this. The only clue of my whereabouts would be Marcus¡¯ body. Since I¡¯ve hidden that, I¡¯m okay for a while until they realize that Marcus has gone missing and start looking for him.¡± She thought to herself. She closed her eyes and entered a trance-like state. She slowly and calmly spread her anima to every inch of her body. She then started to concentrate on the damaged areas and made her anima circulate around them. She soon felt a warm sensation as if her anima was caressing her injuries and blowing back life into her. This was one of the ways someone could heal themselves with anima. They won¡¯t instantly heal because healing oneself is a delicate operation. You need to focus and be calm at mind. The rate you can heal yourself is dependent on your talent, experience, and race. After what felt like a few hours, Amelia reopened her eyes. She carefully surveyed the area before moving the garbage bags off her. ¡°It¡¯s almost dawn.¡± She said as she looked at the sky that showed signs of lighting up. She began to check her body. It wasn¡¯t fully healed but it was enough to fight. ¡°The only problem is that I¡¯ve used up too much anima. If I continue at this rate, I might die.¡± She said. She started walking out of the alley. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Just as she was about to step into the streets, she paused. She stood motionlessly for a while before drawing her saber. She took a deep breath and jumped out. ¡°There she is!¡± As she expected, there were numerous soldiers in the vicinity. She didn¡¯t hesitate and charged towards them while covering herself and sword in anima. She pounced into a group of soldiers, swinging her sword about. ¡°Ahhhhh?!¡± Screams echoed out as blood danced in the air. Amelia kicked a soldier across the face and cut off the head of another with a spin. She stomped the ground and earth walls were suddenly erected around her. She waved her hand and the walls started to charged in separate directions crushing soldiers against the surrounding buildings. She jumped into the air and conjured fire and wind around her blade. She thrust it downward and a storm of flames hit several soldiers and roasted them alive. ¡°Use projectiles!¡± A soldier shouted. That¡¯s when more soldiers appeared on the roof with bows, crossbows, and even firearms. ¡°Fire!¡± The people on the roof began firing their weapons at Amelia from all direction, while she was in the middle of free falling back to the ground. She released her anima to maximum capacity and took control of the wind around her. She instantly formed a protective wall of wind around her, tanking the shots. Suddenly crackles could be heard coming from the wind wall. The next moment bolts of lightning started raining down on all the archers, roasting them alive. ¡°Argh!¡± That¡¯s when the wall of wind collapsed and Amelia fell to the ground. She was breathing heavily and looked really rugged. ¡°Ugh?!¡± She was suddenly shot in the back by an arrow. ¡°Ahh!¡± She spun around with a roar and stomped the ground. A spike off earth burst out of the ground and impaled the soldier who shot her. *Bam!* At that moment she was kicked in the back of the head by another soldier, but she held her ground and punched the soldier with all of her strength. *Bam!* Her fist broke the soldier''s face and smashed his head. ¡°She has one foot in the grave! Take her down!¡± More soldiers suddenly came flooding in from all directions. When Amelia saw that, instead of despairing her will to fight blazed even brighter. ¡°Rahhhhh!¡± She released a loud roar and charged into the endless soldiers. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* She was no longer using her saber or any of the skill she perfected over her lifetime. She was just swinging her fists in every direction. She was no longer fighting like a knight but like a mad beast. *Bam!* She fly kicked a soldier into his peers and then uppercut one to her side. She then swung her elbow behind her, striking a soldier who was trying to hold her. She then clawed out the eyes of a soldier, who had punched her in her face. She was taking and giving hits every second, without any chance of rest. The more she fought, the more bloodstained her body, but whether the blood was hers or her enemies no one knew. After a few minutes, the rampaging Amelia was showing signs of reaching her limits. Her movements became sluggish, and she was taking more hits than she was dishing out. The soldiers saw this and started to attack her even more aggressively. At this point, Amelia stopped fighting and was only taking hits. Her body became numbed and she couldn¡¯t tell left from right. She staggered back and fell. Her body didn¡¯t touch the ground though, she fell on someone¡¯s chest. For some reason, the chest she fell on was naked yet hard like steel. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re being daring again.¡± She heard a familiar voice and looked up and saw a handsome smile. ¡°¡­.Rory?¡± ¡°Yo.¡± The man, Rory answered. ¡°Wha?!¡± ¡°Who the hell is this pervert?!¡± Amelia heard a soldier shout. When she looked down she was greeted with Rory¡¯s naked lower body. ¡°Kyaa!¡± She stood back up and stepped away from him. ¡°Why are you naked?!¡± She asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t like the clothes you left me, so I stayed naked.¡± Rory answered with a smile. ¡°But look. I¡¯ve found some clothes that I like laying around.¡± He pointed at his feet and said. When Amelia looked down she saw two different suits of clothes. A black suit and a white one. However, they seemed to be attached to something. After looking closer, she immediately realized that what they were attached to were people. People who were reduced to piles of flesh of bones. ¡°Wha?¡± They looked like they were squished by something, and from the fact that Rory was standing on them, it was obvious what that something was. It seemed that Rory fell from the sky and crushed the two men in an instant. That was the reason why the soldiers had stopped attacking. They were frozen by shock. ¡°Oh! They¡¯re my size too!¡± Rory took up the clothes and said. He threw away the white top and the black bottom and put on the black top and the white bottom. The strange thing was that after he put on the clothes, all trace of blood and flesh disappeared, even on the white pants. ¡°That¡¯s better. I have been naked for days now.¡± He said ignoring the looks of fear around him. ¡°Now then¡­..¡± He faced the soldiers. ¡°You guys were all ganging up on a woman and a beautiful at that.¡± His words were light but carried immense pressure. ¡°You guys must pay dearly for that.¡± All the soldiers stepped back when they heard what he said. ¡°W-Why are we backing away?! It¡¯s just one man!¡± A soldier shouted. ¡°T-That¡¯s right! We outnumber them!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get them!¡± The soldiers forcibly boost their morale and charged towards Rory. ¡°Heh.¡± Rory smiled and slowly walked towards them. It didn¡¯t take long before he was directly in front of a soldier. ¡°Die, pervert!¡± The man thrust a lance towards him. In response, Rory slowly thrust out a palm. *Bam!* The lance shattered on the palm. ¡°Wha?!¡± While the soldier was shocked, Rory¡¯s palm calmly reached out and touched him. *Bam!* ¡°Guaah?!¡± The soldier screamed out as his armor broke apart like glass, and his chest sunk in to match the shape of the palm. It was as if his body was made of mud. He tumbled over with his eyes popped out. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Silence covered the area, as everyone froze and looked at the man in front of them. They couldn¡¯t understand what just happened. All it looked like to them, was Rory pushing out his palm destroying everything it came in contact with. ¡°That¡¯s one down.¡± Rory smiled and walked past the dead man. This time the soldiers were truly scared of the man in front of them. ¡°Now then, have you prayed to whatever God you believed in?¡± He asked. ¡°Because you¡¯re all going to die.¡± ¡°Run away!¡± The soldiers began to scatter. ¡°Heh. You¡¯re all wasting your time.¡± He suddenly disappeared after saying that. *Bam!* Amelia heard an explosive sound and looked towards it. There she saw dozens of soldiers midair with palm-shaped holes in their bodies. *Bam!* She heard the same sound in a different direction and saw dozens of more soldiers suffering a similar fate *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Before she knew it there were countless soldiers midair with holes in their bodies. But after examining the wounds closer, she noticed that the amount of damage each soldier took varied. She soon realized that from the direction she heard the first sound going over to the opposite direction, the damage increased slightly. The first one had a dent in his chest, but the last one didn¡¯t even have an upper body left. That only meant one thing. ¡°It¡¯s a move that grows stronger the more it¡¯s used?¡± In only a few moments, countless dead bodies laid on the ground in front of Amelia. She also saw Rory standing in the center with his hands dyed crimson in blood. His current image was nothing like how he was in the cell. ¡°Maybe he really is¡­¡± ¡°What the hell is this?¡± That¡¯s when she heard a voice coming from behind her. ¡°I thought that the soldiers were enough to stop her but, Amelia is a bit stronger than we expected.¡± She looked behind her and saw five people walking down the streets. ¡°Looks like she killed Marcus too.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean she¡¯s the strongest knight in the kingdom now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a criminal, not a knight.¡± The five people all stopped and looked towards Amelia together. ¡°Then as knights, we need to kill her.¡± ¡°Shit, so they caught up.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Hey, Elia.¡± Rory walked up beside her. ¡°Elia? Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my nickname for you. Cute isn¡¯t it?¡± Rory smiled and said. ¡°Anyway, who are those five who are acting so self-important?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the remaining knights here. They¡¯re different from the soldiers you made quick work of earlier.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°Hmmm¡­.Are they strong?¡± She nodded. ¡°Stronger than you?¡± ¡°Not individually, but they¡¯re stronger than me if they group up. Fighting all five together is suicide.¡± She replied. ¡°I see.¡± Rory started walking towards them. ¡°Hey, what are you going in to do?¡± ¡°They¡¯re enemies, right? Then I¡¯m gonna get rid of them.¡± ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°Of course. You said that they¡¯re weaker than you then it won¡¯t be any different than when I fought those fodders over there.¡± Rory answered. ¡°In fact, all who stand before me are fodders.¡± ¡°Such arrogance.¡± Amelia cursed. ¡°Hm? Who is this guy?¡± One knight asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably one of Amelia¡¯s fans.¡± ¡°Oh? So he wants to play hero?¡± The Knights spoke among themselves. ¡°Hey, someone go fight him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± A bulky knight stepped out. ¡°I love to wreck pretty boys like him.¡± The bulky knight approached. ¡°Hey, pretty-¡± *Bam!* Rory wasted no time and punched the man. However, the man wasn¡¯t blown back like the soldiers earlier. ¡°Hahahaha! What was that?¡± ¡°He must¡¯ve gotten scared and punch out of fear!¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even leave a dent in Samson¡¯s armor!¡± The other four knights laughed. Rory, however, didn¡¯t pay them any mind and walked past Samson and continued to approach them. ¡°Hey, Samson. Your prey is getting away!¡± A knight laughed and said. ¡°Samson?¡± However, they stopped laughing when they realized that Samson hadn¡¯t reacted in the least. That¡¯s when it happened. Blood sprayed out of Samson¡¯s armor, and his body literally collapsed into a heap an instant later. ¡°S-Samson?¡± The knights looked at Samson in shock. His body didn¡¯t even have a human shape anymore. He was reduced to a pile of flesh with his skin without a scratch, before their eyes. He had literally become a bag of flesh. ¡°You monster!¡± The remaining four all charged towards Rory, branding their weapons. One stabbed him with a spear, one shot him with an arrow, one slashed him with a sword, while the last one shot him with a gun. The result was either their weapons shattered or their attacks bouncing off him. ¡°What kind of skin is this?! Or could it be an anima technique?¡± Amelia said in shock. ¡°This is why I said that all are fodder in front of me.¡± Rory slowly lifted his hands and swung them in two different directions. The next thing the knights knew, their worlds were cut in two before suddenly turning red. Amelia watched as their body was split down the middle and fell in two different locations. Rory turned his back to them. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourselves. The moment I stood before you, your fates were sealed.¡± He then walked up towards Amelia. ¡°So Elia, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone here that can oppose you, that means that you¡¯re currently standing at a crossroad in life.¡± He looked down on her and said. ¡°One path is taking the vacant throne and rule this country as it queen.¡± With all the other knights dead, Amelia was the strongest person in the kingdom. That meant that she could easily forcibly take the throne with no one being able to oppose her. However, she didn¡¯t want that. ¡°What¡¯s the other path?¡± She asked. What she wanted was a place where she belonged. Rory smiled at her and said. ¡°The other path is becoming my companion and travel the world together.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± What Rory said confused her. ¡°I¡¯ve been alone for over a century now, so I¡¯ve been thinking that it was time I start traveling with someone again.¡± He stooped down and held her chin. ¡°Your anima is so beautiful and pure that I just had to have you. A beautiful anima reflects a beautiful soul. I love surrounding myself with people like that.¡± He looked at her gently and said. ¡°Was that why you saved me?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°That and you look like the perfect person to warm my bed with.¡± Amelia sighed when she heard that. She slapped away his hand and stood up on her own. ¡°I won¡¯t be warming your bed, but I was just thinking about doing some traveling myself.¡± She said as she brushed herself off. ¡°So I¡¯ll take the second path.¡± Rory smiled when heard that. ¡°I see. Oh, you¡¯re a bit too weak so I teach you some moves.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you say that a little less bluntly?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Rory laughed. Not too far away, someone was watching the two talk with a smile on their face. They stood on a roof and watched the whole thing feeling quite satisfied. She was the female guard who asked Amelia to help arrest Rory a few days back. ¡°You look like you¡¯re enjoying yourself, Rory.¡± She said. Behind her, the sun was slowly rising. As the light touched her body, her physical features changed. She was now taller, had short darkish purple hair, a voluptuous figure, and was dressed in revealing leather jacket and a skirt. On her chest was a tattoo of a demon. The woman smiled as she looked at Rory and Amelia. ¡°You two look good together, even if I hate to admit it.¡± She turned her back to them. ¡°But you should be careful, Amelia. This is a mad world filled with insane people.¡± She jumped. ¡°People like me and Rory, that is.¡± After she said that she vanished into thin air. The next day at the border of Buchse. Amelia took one last look before turning her back on the place that she grew up in but never felt a part of. And thus began her journey with the Devil King. 4th Night: Grace Town A month after Amelia left on a journey with Rory. ¡°Grr!¡± She was walking through a town with a furious expression her face. This expression caused every man to stay clear from her, despite being as beautiful as she was. ¡°Where is that useless bastard?!¡± She suddenly shouted. Let¡¯s rewind to a few hours later. ¡°Wow, our first town in a month! I was getting tired of seeing trees everywhere I looked.¡± Rory said as he looked down on a town, while standing on a cliff. ¡°Seriously, how far up in the mountains was that country of yours? What¡¯s it called again, Bush?¡± ¡°Buchse.¡± Amelia answered with a frown. ¡°Right, right. I can¡¯t believe it took us a month to reach civilization.¡± ¡°Actually, the next town was only a day¡¯s walk from Buchse.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°Really? Then why did we take a month?¡± Rory asked with a confused expression. ¡°Why, you ask.¡± Amelia¡¯s body started to visibly shake. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re always getting drunk and diverting into a random direction, that¡¯s why!¡± She shouted. ¡°First, you stole all of the liquor from Buchse you could find and stored it in a giant sack, then you tried to drink it all at once every night and get drunk every single time!¡± Just remembering the journey here made Amelia¡¯s blood boil. On the first night he got drunk, Rory stripped naked and started to roam about in the forest. By the time she found him, it was already dawn. But that wasn¡¯t the surprising part. She found him surrounded by a pack of wolves by a cave. He had somehow became their alpha in a couple hours, and was getting ready to lead them into a war against a neighboring pack for territory. The second night was even worse, she found him squaring off with a rare water serpent in a river. The serpent was very poisonous, so she couldn¡¯t get near them. She had to wait until Rory finally knocked out the serpent, only have its partner come for revenge. The third night, he didn¡¯t strip naked or wandered off. Instead, he started sleepwalking. If that was all, then it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but he was apparently dreaming about a time he was in battle. Amelia had to dodge his attacks all night like her life depended on it. It goes without saying the rest of the month was a living hell for her. ¡°I almost got eaten by a tribe of cannibals because of you!¡± ¡°Hey, I saved you, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only after you sobered up! Before that, you were suggesting to them what kind of spices they should use!¡± ¡°Hey, I thought that you were a boar.¡± Rory answered without any guilt at all. Amelia growled when she heard his carefree tone. ¡°Anyway, let''s enter the town. I¡¯ve ran out of booze and plus we need to know where we are since neither of us is familiar with the area.¡± Rory said. ¡°Fine.¡± The two then went down the cliff and arrived at the town¡¯s entrance. ¡°Grace Town?¡± Amelia read the name that was on the gate. ¡°Looks like we have to pay to get in.¡± Amelia said after seeing a toll booth on the side of the gate. ¡°I¡¯ll go find out how much is the toll.¡± She took a step towards the booth, but was dragged back by the collar. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you.¡± Rory said. ¡°Pay the toll? Ha! I don¡¯t waste money on something so meaningless.¡± ¡°Then how do we get in? You aren¡¯t going to suggest we break in, right?¡± Amelia looked at him with a suspicious look. ¡°My dear, Elia. Do I look like a savage to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. After seeing you allowing yourself to be pampered by a mother bear who mistook you for her cub, I don¡¯t know what to think of you.¡± Amelia answered with a straight face. ¡°Well, I am no savage. I¡¯m an elegant being sent from the heavens.¡± For some reason, it seemed as if holy light was shining down on him. ¡°And as an elegant being, I must act elegantly.¡± He took an old robe from his sack and conjured a cane out of earth. He put on the robe, arched his back and used the cane to support himself. ¡°Follow my lead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± Amelia didn¡¯t know what to do and just followed behind him. Disguised as an elderly person, Rory slowly approached the booth. ¡°Um, excuse me.¡± Even his voice was perfect. ¡°Yes. How may I help you, Elder?¡± The person said from beyond the booth. ¡°My granddaughter and I have come from over those mountains in search of my son who came here for work.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡®Granddaughter? Son?¡¯ Amelia was confused by what Rory was saying, but remained quiet. ¡°I¡¯ve lost touched with my son a few years ago, and I got so worried that I made my granddaughter accompany me here.¡± ¡°I see. So how may I help you?¡± Asked the person beyond the booth. ¡°You see, in the last few years tragedy has struck our family time and time again. First, I lost my wife of 50 years, then my granddaughter lost her husband in a hunting accident, and now I¡¯ve been diagnosed with an incurable disease.¡± Rory coughed up some blood after speaking. It was actually ketchup though. ¡°Elder, are you okay?!¡± The person beyond the booth grew frantic. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Thank you for your concern, my child.¡± Rory lifted up his trembling hand and said. ¡°Is there anything I can do?!¡± The person said. ¡°Thank you. Actually, my poor granddaughter, having lost so much have lost her ability to speak because of the grief.¡± ¡°My god¡­.¡± ¡®My god, indeed.¡¯ Amelia thought while watching the fa?ade in front of her playing out. ¡°As you can see, I don¡¯t have much time left. So before I go, I wish to reunite my granddaughter with her father, so that she can have someone to rely on when I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°I see, I see.¡± ¡°The problem is, we didn¡¯t know that we needed to pay a toll and didn¡¯t bring any money.¡± ¡°Toll? What toll?¡± ¡°It says right there, that everyone must pay 4 pieces of silver to enter the town.¡± The moment he said that, he saw a hand take down the sign that stated the toll price. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Entering this town is totally free.¡± ¡°My, young man¡­.¡± Rory suddenly sounded like he was about to cry. ¡°It¡¯s good to see that they¡¯re still kindhearted people as yourself around.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Elder.¡± The man beyond the booth pushed out two entry tickets under the glass. ¡°G-Go. Go and find your son.¡± The man started breaking down. ¡°Thank you, young man. May the Sacred God bless you.¡± Rory bowed and took the tickets. Amelia bowed as well and two entered the town. After they were gone, the man in the booth completely broke down. ¡°Some people sure have tough.¡± He said. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± After entering the town, Rory threw away the old robe and stick and burst out laughing. ¡°You¡¯re the worst.¡± Amelia looked at him with disgust and said. ¡°Say what you want, I still got us in pretty easy.¡± Rory said without remorse. ¡°You took advantage of someone¡¯s kindness.¡± ¡°Ha! Like they weren¡¯t trying to take advantage of us. I mean 4 silvers to enter this broken downtown? I could get 2 bottles of booze with that. That¡¯s highway robbery!¡± Rory retorted. ¡°That¡¯s why I had to finesse the system.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. You¡¯re a true revolutionary.¡± ¡°Call me Rory X. Hahahaha!¡± He said. ¡°Seriously, why did I chose to follow this man?¡± Amelia said. She continued walking until she realized that Rory was quiet for more than 30 seconds. As far as she knows, that only happens in three situations: He¡¯s either eating, drinking, or not there. He talks in his sleep all night, by the way. She quickly turned around and as expected, he wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Damn it!¡± And that returns us to the present time. ¡°Why does it feel like I¡¯ve only shortened my life since I joined up with that guy?¡± She said. ¡°Besides, what about training me? He hasn¡¯t taught me anything despite that I shouldn¡¯t take up drinking.¡± She grumbled. She walked around the town until she came across a road that didn¡¯t have that many people. It looked shady but the best place to look for a shady person is to look in shady places. Thinking that, Amelia walked down the road. She looked around while walking and quickly figured out that this area was the slumps of the town. The houses looked broken down, and there weren¡¯t that many businesses. The people were either laying on the ground trying their best to sleep away their hunger, or were looking at Amelia like she was a fat sheep they could devour. Even so, Amelia¡¯s steps didn¡¯t halt or slowed for a moment. She walked proudly and without fear. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°?!¡± That¡¯s when she heard a familiar voice behind her and quickly spun around. As expected, Rory was standing there with a smile. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Amelia asked rather upset. ¡°I¡¯m rather fond of these areas, they show what reality is like more than anything.¡± Rory answered as he walked past her. ¡°This area clearly shows the true face of society, no life itself.¡± ¡°The true face?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°All life are not equal.¡± He answered. ¡°If it was, a child living in a place like this wouldn¡¯t have died from hunger after being abandoned by its mother without no one knowing. A man who experienced bad luck wouldn¡¯t have to rely on total strangers for chump change.¡± He spoke as he walked. ¡°I love places like this because they remind me that nothing is certain. If I¡¯m not careful I might end up like them here.¡± ¡°Why does it feel like you¡¯re looking down on them?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I assure you I¡¯m not.¡± Rory replied. Despite what he said being a heavy topic, it looked like it was a joyful topic when he spoke about it. ¡°I came here for another reason. I found an interesting scene.¡± After he said that, he led Amelia to different area along the road. When they got there, they saw a group of boys surrounding another boy. They were all taking turns hitting him. ¡°A bullying incident?¡± Amelia was a bit surprised that Rory would want to show her this. ¡°What are your views on this, Elia?¡± She didn¡¯t know why Rory was asking her this, but Amelia gave an honest opinion. ¡°It¡¯s disgusting.¡± After she said that, she walked towards where the children were. ¡°Hey, break it up.¡± She said as she stopped a boy from hitting the defenseless kid. ¡°Get out of here all of you.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s this hag?¡± One of the boys said. ¡°Hag?¡± Amelia suddenly pulled her saber and pointed it at the child. ¡°You want to say that again?¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough.¡± Rory walked up to her and stood in front of the child who was shivering in his boots. ¡°You know, it''s funnier when I¡¯m doing the crazy stuff. With you, it¡¯s just scary.¡± He used his finger to push down the tip of the sword. The other kids started to run away after that. ¡°Ahh~. You scared them away.¡± Rory said as he watched them run. ¡°You have an anger problem you know that?¡± He said. ¡°Hmph.¡± Amelia put away her saber with a frown. ¡°Why did you even bring me here?¡± ¡°Boy, what¡¯s your name?¡± Rory ignored her and spoke to the boy who was getting beaten up. This made her want to grind his bones into dust. ¡°K-Kevin.¡± The boy answered. ¡°I see.¡± Rory nodded and then said- ¡°Kevin, how old is your mother?¡± ¡°43.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯re done here.¡± Rory turned his back to Kevin and no longer showed any interest, leaving him confused. Seeing that, Amelia spoke to Kevin. ¡°Kevin, why were those boys ganging up on you earlier?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Kevin didn¡¯t answer. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can tell me, I promise I won¡¯t pick on you.¡± Amelia spoke with a gentle tone. ¡°Murder Jack¡­.¡± Kevin answered. ¡°Murder Jack? Is that a person?¡± Kevin nodded. ¡°He¡¯s the leader of a group of bandits who live on the outskirts of town. He¡¯s really scary and powerful¡­.and I made him angry.¡± He said. ¡°Murder Jack then declared that he will destroy the town in the next few days and everyone is blaming me for it.¡± Amelia''s eyes sharpened when she heard that. ¡°What did you do to make him so angry?¡± ¡°I threw rum on his crotch and lit it a fire¡­.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Amelia could hear Rory trying to contain his laughter behind her. She ignored him and asked another question. ¡°Why did you do something like that?¡± ¡°Because he was trying to take my sister away.¡± ¡°Kevin.¡± All of sudden, Rory was standing in front of Kevin. ¡°How old is your sister?¡± ¡°19.¡± ¡°I see, I see.¡± He nodded his head as if he understood something. ¡°Kevin, I promise you that we will defeat this Murder Jack and clear your name.¡± He said with a righteous tone, but with obvious bad intentions. ¡°With that said¡­¡± He placed his hand on Amelia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Elia, you¡¯re up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Defeat Murder Jack. If you do, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll discover something very important about yourself.¡± Rory said as he gave her a thumbs up. Amelia looked at him suspiciously and thought- ¡°Just what is he up to now?¡± That same night, someone was moving through the darkness with incredible speed without being detected. They quickly left the town and traveled towards the outskirts of town. They stopped when they came across a campsite with a lot of rough looking men in it. They didn¡¯t hesitate to walk in. ¡°Guaaah?!¡± Shortly after, screams of agony came from out of the camp. After a while everything became silent and only two persons were left standing. One was a large mountain of a man, and the other was Rory. He lifted the man with one hand and looked at him with cold eyes. ¡°So this is the infamous Murder Jack? Such a disappointment.¡± He squeezed his throat. ¡°If you¡¯re this week, you can¡¯t produce the results that I desire.¡± He took out a small bottle that had a dark liquid inside it. He opened it and poured the liquid down his throat. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t do this, but since you¡¯re nothing but scum giving you purpose is the least I can do.¡± Murder Jack began screaming in pain as his body started to show strange changes. Rory continued to stare coldly at him without a change in expression. ¡°With this Amelia should be pushed past her limits.¡± He turned his back and ignored the agonizing screams behind him. ¡°This is all to make her grow into the being that I desired for so long.¡± He then disappeared in the night. Murder Jack¡¯s continuous screams served as the opening act to the play to come. 5th Night: Smilodon (Beast) A few days after they had entered Grace town, Amelia and Rory were inside a shabby looking bar in a dangerous corner of the town. ¡°Hah~! This beer is great!¡± Rory said, as he slammed a glass mug on the table. Sitting across from him was Amelia, who was drinking coffee and had a plate of food in front of her. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that you can get by on alcohol alone. I¡¯ve never seen you drink anything besides it.¡± She said. ¡°Why do I need to drink anything else? Booze tastes good and it makes me feel happy. What can water offer me other hydration?¡± Rory replied as he ordered another round of beer. ¡°Healthy organs.¡± ¡°If my organs were weak enough to fail because I don¡¯t drink enough water, I would¡¯ve died countless times already.¡± ¡°That logic makes no sense.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to as long as I believe it.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone more self-centered than you.¡± Amelia used her fork to take up a piece of sausage, and put it in her mouth and chewed with a frown. ¡°You know you should smile more. You have a beautiful face after all.¡± Rory rested his elbow on the table and leaned his face on his hand. ¡°Your beauty is enough to enchant even the so-called gods. I¡¯m sure if you smile more, you¡¯ll be able to conquer even this ice cold heart of mine.¡± ¡°Are you urging to me to hit on you?¡± Amelia pointed her fork at him. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?¡± ¡°Your future.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Amelia didn¡¯t know how to answer to that and kept quiet. ¡°I see that you two are still flirting.¡± A waitress approached their table and said, with drinks in her hands. She was quite a beauty even though she couldn¡¯t compare to Amelia. ¡°Oh, Sara.¡± Upon seeing the waitress, Rory slapped his thigh. ¡°Have a seat.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± The waitress, Sara replied with a wry smile. ¡°Nonsense.¡± Rory stood up and took the drinks from her and placed them on the table. He then made her sit in his chair while he stood up. ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re tired from how stiff your body is.¡± He said as he placed his hand on her shoulders and started to massage them. ¡°H-Hm, you¡¯re pretty good.¡± Said Sara. ¡°Your joints are so stiff for a young woman.¡± Rory said as he massaged her. ¡°What¡¯s with you? You moved from saying you¡¯re my future to massaging another woman.¡± Amelia said as she watched him. ¡°I¡¯m a man of great magnitude, Elia. As such, it¡¯s my responsibility to take care of frail women.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Besides, Sara is clearly anxious from the threat that is murder jack. She needs someone to make her relax.¡± Sara was Kevin¡¯s sister who Murder Jack wanted to take back to his hideout, and this was a bar where she worked. ¡°You say that, but your hands are slowly creeping towards her breasts.¡± Amelia said as she took a sip of coffee. ¡°I just wanted to check if she¡¯s breathing properly.¡± Rory shamelessly answered. He then stopped massaging her and gestured her to stand. ¡°Wow! My body feels so light and refreshed!¡± Sara said. ¡°Of course. While I originally did it to touch your soft skin, after I found out that you were really stressed I did the pleasure of ridding your body of the fatigue it was accumulating.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know if I should thank you or not.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother, he already got what he wanted.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°I wonder if it was the right thing to bring this guy to sis? He doesn¡¯t act that different from Murder Jack and his crew.¡± The young Kevin said after watching the interaction between Rory and his sister. ¡°Can you two really defeat Murder Jack?¡± Sara asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Rory grabbed hold of her hands. ¡°I promise you that he will be defeated.¡± He said with sparkling eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be the one who¡¯s fighting him though¡­¡± Amelia muttered. ¡®Well, Rory is a legend. I¡¯m sure if nothing happens he¡¯ll handle it.¡¯ She thought. She didn¡¯t know, but the moment she thought that, a frown appeared on Rory¡¯s face. *Boom!* That¡¯s when an explosive sound suddenly echoed through the town. ¡°It came from the direction of the town¡¯s gate.¡± Amelia stood up and said. ¡°Looks your guest has arrived.¡± Rory smiled at her and said. Amelia found his smile suspicious, but she went along with him and the siblings to check out the situation. When they got near the source of the sound, they saw everyone fleeing in their direction as if running from something. They continued to walk and soon came across a huge hole in the wall that protected the town. Not too far away, they saw someone standing there quite unnaturally. Their back was hunched and their arms were swinging from side to side, despite standing in one place. ¡°Is that murder jack?¡± Amelia asked while looking at the bulky man with a bald head. ¡°Y-Yes.¡± Sara answered. ¡°He has a strange vibe about him.¡± Amelia said as she observed him. ¡°Looks like he noticed us.¡± The moment Rory said that, Jack looked up and stared at them.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Hm?¡± Amelia immediately noticed that his eyes were completely white, which were obviously unnatural. ¡°Oooooohhhhhhh!¡± Jack suddenly released a deafening roar and charged towards them. ¡°Tsk.¡± Amelia clicked her tongue in irritation when she saw that. ¡°Rory, look after Kevin and Sara.¡± ¡°No prob.¡± Rory said as he drew Sara into his embrace. That action irritated Amelia even more. However, with a strange enemy approaching her, she couldn¡¯t afford to waste time on him. She looked towards jack and met his charge with one of her own. Amelia jumped and hit him with a flying kick which sent him flying back. She then quickly chased after him and drew her saber. Jack got up, but by that time Amelia¡¯s saber was already right in front of him. Wind quickly gathered at the tip as it approached jack. *Bam!* When the tip came in contact with Jack''s body and powerful gist of wind slammed against him and forced him up into the air. ¡°Twister Thrust.¡± The wind began to make Jack¡¯s body ascend further in the sky with spinning with a top. ¡°No hard feelings, but I feel that something strange is going on, so I want to end this as fast as I can.¡± When Amelia said that, the wind surrounding jack disappeared, allowing him to fall back towards the ground. Amelia watched him fall while concentrating all of her anima into her sword. The sword started to give off a luminous light and started vibrating as if it couldn¡¯t handle the power. She then put all of her power in her legs and made a jump. She jumped so high that it seemed like she was flying towards the sun. She quickly reached and surpassed Jack. After the momentum of her jump disappeared and she started falling, she flipped herself upside down and fell towards him. Jack seemed unresponsive to Amelia who was like a vulture swooping down to devour his remains with her attack. *Bam!* His body hit the ground and bounced off it a little. ¡°Goodbye.¡± At that moment, Amelia saber forced jack¡¯s body back onto the ground while it was in the middle of rebound. *Boom!* When the two hit the ground, large cracks ran through the earth like it was glass being shattered. Jack was even forced a foot into the ground. Amelia who was hit by the rebound, laid beside him with her body feeling a bit sore. ¡°Wow! She¡¯s strong!¡± Little Kevin shouted after seeing Jack being quickly taken care of. ¡°A-Amazing¡­To think that someone could reduce jack to a mere child.¡± Said Sara. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Rory suddenly said. ¡°The fight is just about to begin.¡± ¡°Hm?!¡± Amelia suddenly sensed danger and rolled to her right. *Bam!* Immediately after, the spot that she was laying was destroyed. It was done by Jack slamming his backhand on it. Amelia quickly got up and looked at him with caution. That¡¯s when she noticed that his limbs were being flung all over the place. It was then that she realized that Jack hadn¡¯t attacked her, he was just reacting to feeling sudden pain. ¡°Did my attack caused it?¡± She mumbled, but soon realized that something was off. Jack¡¯s anima was suddenly increasing and has become really unstable. She watched as his skin began turning purple and his body becoming even more muscular. ¡°This is¡­..Doping?!¡± She immediately realized what was happening to Jack after seeing his pigment changing. Anima Doping. This is when a person takes a drug to temporarily boost their anima volume and force. There are many types of these drugs which all gave different results, but they all had a similar trait. They were destructive to the user. It can either shorten your life or kill you on the spot after you used up your anima. It goes without saying that they were banned in most countries because of how dangerous they were. ¡°This drug, is it Demon Tear?¡± She mumbled to herself. She looked at Rory and saw him wave at her. ¡°That bastard! Is he trying to get me killed?!¡± She became furious. ¡°As it stands I can¡¯t rely on his support for this since he obviously planned this.¡± She gripped her saber. ¡°I¡¯ll just kill him now!¡± She jumped in the air and thrust her saber towards Jack, who was still on his back swinging his limbs. She thrust the saber straight at his heart. *Snap!* ¡°?!¡± However, her saber unexpected broke when it came in contact with his skin. Because she was still in shock when it happened, Amelia was unable to avoid being grabbed by Jack who suddenly stopped writhing in pain. ¡°Shit!¡± He grabbed her by her face and slammed the side of her face on the ground. *Bam!* The impact caused her to black out for a few seconds, which allowed Jack to freely throw her away like she was garbage. Her body bounced off the ground a couple times and rolled a little before stopping. Jack immediately sprung on his feet like a beast. He looked around with vacant eyes before spotting where Amelia was laying. He slowly walked towards her before breaking out into a sprint. He then jumped and aimed a stomped towards Amelia¡¯s head. *Bam!* Amelia was able to roll out of the way in the nick of time. She got up and aimed a sweeping kick at jack¡¯s legs. He jumped over it, before aiming a kick at her head. She desperately flung herself to the ground to avoid it. She then swung both legs towards her own chest and rolled to her feet. She covered her fists in anima and threw a punch at his face. *Bam!* The fist connected, but the one who felt pain was Amelia. It felt like she had punched iron with her bare hand. *Bam!* Jack slammed his fist into her stomach and caused her eyes to roll to the back of her head and all the air in her lungs was forced out. She fell to her knees, holding her stomach. Jack lifted his thick leg and swung it towards her head. She quickly lifted both arms in front of her and blocked it. ¡°Ahhhhhh?!¡± She screamed out in pain as it felt like her bones were cracked from blocking the kick. She retreated and stood with both her arms swinging in front of her. ¡°H-He¡¯s too powerful.¡± Kevin shivered in fear as he saw the difference between Amelia, who seemed invincible, and Jack who barely looked human. ¡°Mr. Rory! You need to help her!¡± Sara grabbed Rory¡¯s clothes and said. ¡°No can do.¡± Rory replied. ¡°My job is to protect you two.¡± ¡°But Amelia!¡± Rory laughed at Sara¡¯s reaction. ¡°You¡¯re really a kind girl. You¡¯re worried about her who is a total stranger.¡± He smiled and looked at Amelia. ¡°But no need to worry. Elia is the woman who is my companion.¡± He looked at Sara and Kevin. ¡°Don¡¯t you two want to see just how amazing the companion of someone like myself is?¡± He said with a bright smile. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± They didn¡¯t know how to respond to that bright yet mysterious smile that was being shown by this unreadable man. They both looked at each other before looking at Amelia. Amelia was keeping her distance and was observing Jack. Jack looked at her for a while before charging at her. Amelia immediately jumped back and gathered anima at her feet, her feet was soon covered in flames. ¡°If I can¡¯t win in hand to hand combat, I¡¯ll just use my specialty¡­.Elements!¡± She swung up her leg and swung it down like an ax. This caused an arc of flames to be produced and shot towards jack. ¡°Rah!¡± Jack roared and literally destroyed the arc with a punch. ¡°Wha?!¡± Amelia was once again shocked. ¡®I see¡­..The difference between our anima output is too great. Demon Tear boosts all aspects of one¡¯s anima in exchange for their sense of reason. The user will also die after the effects wear off.¡¯ She thought to herself and glanced at Rory again. ¡°Just what the hell were you thinking using such a drug on him?!¡± She shouted. Rory didn¡¯t answer her and kept smiling. ¡°Tsk!¡± Amelia ignored him and turned her attention back to jack, who was still charging towards her as she continued to back off. ¡°Hm?¡± That¡¯s when Jack disappeared from her sights. *Bam!* ¡°Guh?!¡± She was hit in the stomach by jack who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. ¡®He accelerated?¡¯ She thought as the pain spread to her body. *Bam!* She was then hit in her back by an elbow. *Bam!* He then kneed her under her chin. Jack began to hit her all over her body in instants, not allowing her to escape or counter. She was at his whim. Her body was quickly dyed in her own blood and her clothes were being slowly reduced to rags. Even so, Rory kept smiling and showed no signs of interfering. ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± He stepped in front of Sara and Kevin, but did nothing more and watched Amelia closely. Meanwhile, Amelia who found herself in a desperate situation was in a strange state. ¡®Ah, I can¡¯t feel anything anymore.¡¯ She thought. She also noticed that everything seemed to be slowing down around her. ¡®It¡¯s just like that time when I fought Marcus. That time I was about to die as well, but I don¡¯t think I can think my way out of this one.¡¯ That¡¯s when a thought crossed her mind. ¡®I¡¯m gonna die¡­¡¯ She looked at jack. ¡®I¡¯m gonna die to this thing? This ugly excuse for a human?¡¯ ¡®Am I okay with that?¡¯ Thoughts started racing through her mind. ¡®No, I don¡¯t want to die like this.¡¯ ¡®But is there any way to win?¡¯ ¡®None.¡¯ ¡®He outclasses me in every single way.¡¯ ¡®Anima, strength, and durability.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s too much.¡¯ ¡°Hm?¡± Rory who was watching from the side suddenly frowned. ¡®That girl, she¡¯s allowing doubt to stop her.¡¯ He sighed. ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll give her a hint.¡± After he said, that he pointed his finger at her and dim light shot from it and into to her. At that moment, a word echoed inside Amelia¡¯s heart. ¡°Smilodon.¡± The moment this word echoed in her mind it was as if Amelia¡¯s entire body started burning. It was like her blood had caught fire, as the image of gigantic beast appeared in her mind. Time started to move normally and she moved to avoid a strike from Jack. She then spun around and slammed her leg on the side of his head. Jack¡¯s entire body shook and his merciless assault stopped. Amelia leaped back and distanced herself again. She was breathing heavily, but not because of her injuries. Those weren¡¯t important anymore. ¡°It¡¯s so hot.¡± She said. Even her breath felt like it was really fire. She was burning up so much that she didn¡¯t even notice that her wounds were beginning to regenerate. Strange marking appeared on her cheeks. These markings were like whiskers tattoo, only they were three times broader than normal whiskers. By this time jack had already recovered from her attack, and was charging towards her again. While he charged, she started to quickly think up countermeasures against him. ¡°Ah!¡± That¡¯s when she came up with a plan. She charged towards him and met him head-on. Her kick clashed his fist, but this time her body was able to bare his strength. ¡°Ugh!¡± However, that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t hurt like hell. Jack swung at her head, which she ducked under, jumped and then headbutt his defenseless chin. His brain rocked and he stepped back. He tried to attack but because his chin was hit, his brain received a heavy blow and that cost him his balance. He stumbled forward, Amelia smiled when she saw that. She thrust her fist upwards in an uppercut and hit him under his chin again. This caused jack¡¯s senses to become even more distorted, leaving him completely defenseless. Amelia grabbed his head and pulled it back before ramming her fist inside his mouth and as far down his throat as she could. ¡°Even if you look like a monster you¡¯re human, which means that you¡¯ll become distorted if your brain is rattled enough.¡± She then smiles. ¡°That also means that even if your defenses are incredible, your insides are still without protection. Especially since you lack the reason it needs to protect your organs with anima, because of the doping side effects.¡± Her fist began illuminating in Jack¡¯s mouth. ¡°Take all this heat of mine!¡± A huge burst of flames was released inside jack and caused his body to be burnt from the inside. After Amelia released him, he fell flat on his back with smoking coming out of his orifices. ¡°It¡¯s my win.¡± After she said that she also fell on her back and the whisker-like marks disappeared from her face. This ended her tough battle Murder Jack. Rory was smiling as if everything went as he like, he spoke. ¡°Seriously, descendants of the Smilodon are always fun to watch.¡± 6th Night: Evolution ¡°Hm¡­¡± When Amelia woke up, she was looking up at a ceiling. ¡°Where am I?¡± She tried to lift her upper body, but a sharp pain prevented her from doing so. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake.¡± She heard a voice and looked to her side and saw Sara smiling at her. ¡°Sara? Ah, I¡¯m at your home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We brought you here after you defeated Murder Jack.¡± Sara replied. ¡°Murder Jack¡­.¡± That¡¯s when she remembered what she was doing before she passed out. ¡°I see. I won.¡± ¡°Yeah, you did.¡± Sara smiled at her. ¡°At first I was worried and pleaded with Mr.Rory to help you, but it was just like he said. You were amazing the way you turned everything around.¡± ¡°Rory¡­¡± Amelia gritted her teeth. If it wasn¡¯t for him she wouldn¡¯t have suffered as much as she did. What made her even angrier, was the fact that she didn¡¯t know why he had done what he did. That¡¯s when the door opened. ¡°I sensed a beautiful woman passionately calling out my name.¡± Rory walked in and said. ¡°You prick!¡± Amelia ignored the pain and sat up. She glared at him with burning eyes. ¡°You, you drugged Murder Jack before he came here didn¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°I did.¡± Rory quickly admitted. ¡°I see.¡± Amelia stretched her hand out and fire started dancing in it. ¡°Then I can turn you to ash with a peace of mind.¡± She said. ¡°Remember your surroundings.¡± Rory snapped his fingers and the flame in her palm was suddenly extinguished. ¡°?!¡± This naturally shocked Amelia, because she didn¡¯t know that such a thing was possible. ¡°Also, your body is injured. Using your anima can worsen your injuries if you¡¯re not careful.¡± It was only then that Amelia looked at her body. She was wrapped in bandages from head to toe. ¡®This is pretty well done.¡¯ She looked at Sara. ¡°Thank you for treating me.¡± ¡°Um, no. I wasn¡¯t the one who treated you.¡± Sara quickly explained. ¡°If you didn¡¯t, then who?¡± The moment she asked that a thought came to her, but she immediately denied it for her own convenience. ¡°Oh. That was me.¡± Rory answered. A jolt ran through her body when she heard that. The reason- ¡°¡­..Under these bandages, I¡¯m completely naked.¡± ¡°I know. I was the one who removed your clothes because they were torn.¡± Rory casually answered. Amelia immediately imagined Rory scanning every inch of her naked body while treating her. This caused her to feel embarrassed as well as ashamed. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to feel ashamed. You have a beautiful body.¡± Rory told her. This obviously didn¡¯t make her feel any better. However, Rory continued. ¡°The current beauty of your body is something you should be proud of. Every muscle was crafted by your hard work. As well as the firmness of your skin and your overall physique, which is so charming that it looked like you were craved by the god of sculpting.¡± ¡°Mr.Rory!¡± Sara quickly covered his mouth with her hand, to prevent him from saying any more. ¡°You¡¯re saying so many embarrassing things. Amelia doesn¡¯t seem to be used to having someone seeing and describing her naked body, so could you please stop?¡± She whispered in his ear. ¡°Why? I¡¯m only giving my honest evaluation. She¡¯s heaven sent. What¡¯s wrong with making her know that?¡± Rory moved her hand and said. ¡°Sometimes honesty can be as deadly as poison!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡± Amelia said with her face red. ¡°Besides, she already saw me naked and even saddled me. What¡¯s wrong with me doing the same?¡± Sara was surprised to hear Rory say that and looked at Amelia. Amelia could no longer look at her, especially since what Rory said is the truth. She coughed. ¡°Anyway¡­¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. She looked at Rory. ¡°Why did you drug Jack?¡± ¡°Well, when I heard about him I decided to make you fight him, hoping that he would push you past your limits, but when I went to check him out I was disappointed. I destroyed his gang and decided to drug him to make you have a hard time.¡± Rory admittedly said. ¡°Why?¡± Rory didn¡¯t immediately answer, and smiled at her for a while. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you once we leave.¡± A week later, after being continuously treated by Rory Amelia was back on her feet again. ¡®I wonder if this was his way of apologizing?¡¯ She thought after seeing how much effort he put had toward treating her. She remembered how he treated her using not only anima, but strange techniques like poking her with needles and massaging her. She didn¡¯t expect these methods to do much, but surprisingly they seemed to work faster than him using anima to treat her. It made her wonder how he obtained his medical knowledge. Today, She was sitting up on a bed while Rory rubbed her body with his hands. At first, him doing this made her nervous, but she soon found herself getting used to his touch. Also, she could sense that he didn¡¯t have any lustful thoughts while he touched her body. He was genuinely doing his best to treat her. ¡°Alright. Looks like you¡¯re ready for traveling again.¡± Rory stood up straight and said. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll leave in the morning.¡± ¡°Why so soon?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to search for a place where you belong while traveling with me?¡± Rory asked. ¡°Or do you want to stay here?¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°Forget what I said. Let¡¯s leave in the morning.¡± ¡°I see. You¡¯re worried about the siblings. But don¡¯t worry, I already eliminated all the bandits group within a 10-mile radius from here. I also left them some money so that they can live in a better area in the town. If we do any more than that, it will be the same as spoiling them.¡± Rory said. ¡°I know.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°Hey¡­.How do you always know what I¡¯m feeling?¡± ¡°Because I read your heart.¡± His reply confused her. ¡°I¡¯ll explain it in the future. Just keep in mind that the things you can do with anima are basically limitless.¡± The next morning, the two stood in front of a shabby house. This was the home of Sara and Kevin, where they were staying for the last week. The siblings were standing at their doorway with a woman who looked like she spent her entire life in labour, but still held on to some of her beauty. She was the siblings'' mother. ¡°Thank you again for saving this town.¡± The mother bowed and said. ¡°No problem, Ma¡¯am. All in a day¡¯s work.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Why are you saying that when I was the one who did the fighting?¡± ¡®Besides, aren¡¯t you at least twice her age?¡¯ Amelia kept the last sentence in her mind. ¡°See ya, later you two. If you¡¯re in the area please stop by.¡± Sara said. ¡°Of course.¡± Amelia answered with a smile. The two then began to walk away from the family of three. ¡°Bye! Come visit sometimes!¡± Kevin waved at them and said. ¡°Well, that¡¯s if you¡¯re alive then.¡± Rory mumbled so that he alone could hear. The two soon left Grace Town and returned to their traveling ways. They traveled down a path that led to flat plains. Because Rory had cleaned up all the bandits in the area, they didn¡¯t come across anyone else for a while. They soon entered a forest area that was filled with wildlife. Upon entering the forest, Rory stopped and looked at Amelia. ¡°Now seems like the perfect time to answer your questions.¡± He leaned on a tree. ¡°Ok, shoot.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to read my heart?¡± ¡°I only do that every once in a while. It¡¯s a risky technique after all. If I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯ll become influenced by the person I¡¯m reading, and begin to act like them.¡± He answered. ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll ask you some questions.¡± Rory showed a go-ahead gesture. ¡°First question. Why did you drug Murder Jack?¡± ¡°To push you beyond your limits.¡± ¡°Why did you want to do that?¡± ¡°Because I wanted you to awaken, but it was a failure.¡± Rory said with a sigh. ¡°Awaken? Failure?¡± Amelia was confused by what he said, seeing that Rory spoke. ¡°What do you know about the origin of humans?¡± He asked. ¡°I was taught that humans are descendants of a primate beast, who evolved after grasping the concept of anima. Over time its descendants continued to evolve until we¡¯ve reached our current states.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°Good. But did you know that not all humans evolved from that Primate?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean there are other branches of humans, who evolved from different beasts.¡± ¡°Is there really such a thing?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what the ancient tablets of the gods said anyway.¡± He said. ¡°Have you ever heard of the Smilodon?¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°The Smilodon is a powerful apex predator that existed millions of years ago. If you want to a description of how it looked, it was very similar to a tiger; only with long fangs.¡± He pointed at the saber on Amelia''s waist. ¡°It was nicknamed the Sabertooth Cat/Tiger.¡± Amelia subconsciously touched her saber when she heard that. ¡°Anyway, a Smilodon somehow gained an understanding of Anima and evolved just like the primate beast. However, its descendants were far superior to the primate¡¯s. They possessed superior physical traits, durability, mental capabilities, and even the way they used anima was different. These descendants became known as the Lodon, taken from the word Smilodon.¡± He pointed at her. ¡°You¡¯re a Lodon.¡± Amelia remembered how time seemed to move slowly around her allowing her to think faster than usual when she was in a desperate state, as well as how she was able to better handle Murder Jack¡¯s attacks after being pushed to the limit. She didn¡¯t know how to react to this and what Rory said, and just stared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re still ¡®human¡¯. In fact, nowadays most of the Lodon bloodline has mixed with the primate¡¯s descendants so much that they pretty much lost their advantage.¡± Rory said. ¡°But that¡¯s only if you don¡¯t awaken.¡± ¡°What happens if I awaken?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°You¡¯ll revert back to a Lodon and become a superior human, you might say.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Amelia had a complex expression on her face. Even though she was hailed as a genius in Buchse, she knew how weak she was after meeting Rory. She even almost died when facing Jack, so she would be lying if she said she didn¡¯t desire strength. It¡¯s just that something bugged her. ¡°Why do you want me to awaken my Lodon blood?¡± ¡°Because if you¡¯re going to be my companion, you need strength. I have some super strong enemies you know.¡± Rory said. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t that feel like the complete reason?¡± Amelia said. ¡°I think it has something to do with why you want me around you.¡± She said. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re quite insightful.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. One of the main reasons I want you around is because you¡¯re a Lodon. I have a past with your kind, and honestly just seeing that sunset like hair of your people put me at ease.¡± She saw Rory looked at her with a gentle gaze, but for some reason, she felt like that gaze wasn¡¯t meant for her, but for someone in the distant past. ¡°So I¡¯m just a replacement, and a means to calm yourself.¡± ¡°Women sure have a habit of complicating stuff.¡± He walked up to her and placed his hand on her chin. ¡°You are you. You¡¯ll never be someone¡¯s replacement, so removed that thought from your mind before it becomes something that will haunt you.¡± He placed a kiss on her forehead and smiled at her. ¡°Besides, I said that I loved how pure and beautiful your anima is. That is something that drew me to you the most.¡± He stepped back and gave her some distance. The last couple things he said made Amelia feel strange, but not unpleasant. ¡°I have another question.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Amelia took a deep breath before speaking. ¡°Are you a Lodon too?¡± ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. You don¡¯t really seem human to me. After fighting Murder Jack I¡¯ve learned something. If it was you facing him, you would¡¯ve instantly killed him.¡± Rory smiled when he heard that. ¡°That is true. Someone on that level can be killed by me using my pinky.¡± ¡®As arrogant as it sounds, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s just boasting.¡± Amelia thought. ¡°So are you a Lodon?¡± ¡°Of course not. I said that I was familiar with your kind, that alone means I¡¯m not one.¡± Rory answered. He looked at her and said- ¡°Devil King Rory is 100% human.¡± ¡°So why are you so strong? I saw you reduce people to heaps of flesh with a punch, and I didn¡¯t even see you use a hint of Anima.¡± ¡°There are two things incorrect about what you said.¡± Rory replied. ¡°First, humans aren¡¯t weak outside of you Lodons. There are strong humans like those descended from the Megalania, the Megals who rival Lodons in every way. There are also regular humans who became strong through mastering anima.¡± He lifted up two fingers. ¡°Second, even though they looked like simple attacks made with my bare hands, every attack you¡¯ve seen me use, has anima incorporated at the core of it.¡± ¡°Then why can¡¯t I see your anima?¡± Amelia asked, after she decided to ask what a Megal was another time. ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t been taught how to see anima.¡± Rory answered. ¡°You see, anima isn¡¯t something that is supposed to be seen by just anyone unless it¡¯s being used to form something. If anyone can see your anima whenever you¡¯re using it, it means that you have poor anima control and is simply wasting it.¡± He explained. ¡°A true master¡¯s anima can¡¯t be seen with the naked eye, because of how condensed and controlled it is, allowing maximum result with minimum anima.¡± Amelia was immediately drawn in by Rory¡¯s words. Seeing that he said- ¡°This is a good time. How about I give you a lesson on anima that you desperately need to survive in this world?¡± 7th Night: Anima After Rory announced his intention of teaching Amelia about anima, they went deeper into the forest until they came across a river. ¡°Let¡¯s use this area.¡± He sat on a boulder and said. ¡°First, let me ask. Where are you originally from? You weren¡¯t born in Buchse right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m from. The earliest memory I have is of me waking up in the capital city.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°How old were you then?¡± ¡°3 years old, apparently.¡± ¡°Hm¡­.¡± Rory entered deep thought for a bit before speaking. ¡°I think I know where you¡¯re originally from.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Amelia was both shocked and happy to hear this. She had always been curious about her origin, so Rory saying that he had an idea made her really happy. Rory nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a place called Sol which means the sun. It¡¯s named after the sunset like hair of the Lodon Tribe, that they got from their ancestor the Smilodon, which was nicknamed the Sun Cat for its bright fur.¡± Rory explained. ¡°Sol is a country where it¡¯s said that most Lodon originates from. It¡¯s a country made and run by them.¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know.¡± Rory replied. ¡°However, I did hear that something terrible happened there, which caused most of its population to scatter. That was around 16 years ago, which matches the time period with you appearing in Buchse. That¡¯s the reason why I believe you¡¯re from there.¡± Amelia clenched her fists when she heard that. Even if she didn¡¯t know what caused her people to scatter, she now has a destination in mind. She¡¯ll gather information and one-day return to her homeland. ¡°Oh, why did you ask me where I was from?¡± She asked after thinking for a bit. ¡°Just to get know you better. A person¡¯s anima is dependent on their personality and background. So knowing more about you is equivalent to knowing more about your anima.¡± Rory responded. ¡°But I gotta say, you growing up in that bush country wasted your potential.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a bush country, and I don¡¯t regret growing up there. The royal family was very good to me.¡± Amelia retorted. ¡°Then, how much do you know about anima?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t answer because it came obvious to her as of late, that she didn¡¯t know that much regarding anima. ¡°Okay, let''s rephrase the question.¡± Rory said after sensing her displeasure. ¡°Who taught you to use anima for combat?¡± ¡°No one. I learned by watching the knights train and taught myself.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I see. Considering that the knights themselves weren¡¯t impressive, you being this strong on your own is a testament to your talents and aptitude for battle.¡± Rory said with a nod. ¡°Very well, let¡¯s start from the basics.¡± He said. ¡°First of all, let me clarify what anima is.¡± He stretched his arm out and a small bird landed on it. ¡°Anima is a power that comes from the soul and is what keeps a person alive. It is used by every living thing, even if they use it subconsciously. Only after training can one learn how to consciously use anima in numerous different ways.¡± ¡°Already knew that.¡± ¡°I said I was starting with the basics didn¡¯t I?¡± Rory replied. ¡°I won¡¯t go into the everyday uses and stick to the combat uses.¡± He picked up a stone and threw it at Amelia, which she easily caught. ¡°Use that stone and hit this bird on my arm.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ill protect it.¡± He said. ¡°¡­..Alright.¡± She took aim at the bird and immediately threw it. *Bam!* To her surprise, the stone hit the bird and caused it to fall off Rory¡¯s arm. ¡°I thought you said you¡¯ll protect it!¡± ¡°I did.¡± Rory pointed at the ground. It was then that Amelia saw the bird got up like it was nothing. She looked at the stone that she threw and saw that it broke into pieces. ¡°The bird was just scared and fell on its own. The stone didn¡¯t harm it in the least.¡± Rory called the bird back to his arm after saying that. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just hardened it.¡± ¡°Harden?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°I made it tougher than the rock. Oh, just to state, even if you had poured anima into the stone the result would be the same. The difference in our anima is too great after all.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Rory used his finger to play with the bird¡¯s head while he spoke. ¡°This is just one of the many things you can do with anima.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see any anima surrounding the bird¡­.¡± Amelia then remembered what Rory said about anima control. ¡°I see, so anima really is stronger when it¡¯s compacted and under control, rather than loose and all over the place.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Rory confirmed. ¡°The only time normal people are supposed to see a person¡¯s anima is when it¡¯s purposely being released in large volumes. Otherwise, seeing their anima every time they use it is just proof that they have poor anima control. A person has poor anima control for three reasons.¡± He lifted a finger. ¡°They have little to no talent in Anima Combat.¡± He lifted up another finger. ¡°They are a novice and still don¡¯t know how to properly use anima.¡± He lifted up a third finger. ¡°Or they¡¯ve lost control of themselves causing their anima to wildly fluctuate.¡± He smiled at her. ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you which one is you, right?¡± Amelia frowned because it looked like Rory was making fun of her. ¡°Then teach me how to control my anima better then.¡± She complained. ¡°I will, but it isn¡¯t something that can be thought that easily. It will take time.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯m stuck with you forever anyway.¡± Rory laughed when he heard that. ¡°Well, don¡¯t be so hasty. Anima Control is important, but you need to learn more about anima as a general if you truly wish to become strong.¡± ¡°Alright then teach me.¡± Amelia said eagerly. ¡°I¡¯m not really that great of a teacher, so I¡¯ll try to keep it as simple as I can.¡± He waved his hand and the bird went away. ¡°Where should I start?..... I did say the basics.¡± He pondered for a bit before nodding. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the different natures of anima.¡± ¡°Natures?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°You didn¡¯t think that all anima was the same right?¡± ¡°Actually I did.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°What you know about the world is surprisingly little.¡± ¡°Could you stop looking down on him and talk?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. You just look so cute when you¡¯re angry, I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Anyway, Anima can come in different natures and forms. The nature of one''s Anima is dependent on their mentality, personality, and race. Anima forms also depend on the person¡¯s state of mind, hence traumas and painful experiences can warp a person''s anima into something terrifying, while a naturally kind person will possess a warm and gentle anima.¡± Rory suddenly thought of something. ¡°Hey, Elia. Do you know how many races they are in this world besides humans?¡± ¡°Do you mean like lodon and Megal you mentioned earlier?¡± Rory shook his head. ¡°No. Lodons and Megals are still humans.¡± Rory sighed. ¡°I guess this is what happens when you live in an isolated place all your life.¡± He sighed again, which made Amelia irritated. ¡°There exist countless races other than humans. For example, fairies, goblins, orcs, vampires, elves, dwarves, etc.¡± ¡°Wait. Those races really exist? I thought they were creatures from children stories.¡± ¡°Oh, they exist and they can use anima just like any other living thing.¡± Rory said. ¡°The reason why I asked you if you knew them, is because each race has unique anima abilities which tie into their inborn anima nature.¡± Amelia was surprised to hear that. ¡°How many anima natures are there?¡± She asked. ¡°Four. Dark, Sacred, Neutral, and Wild.¡± Rory replied. ¡°And each nature comes with its specialties expect Neutral.¡± He pointed at her. ¡°All humans are born with Neutral Nature anima, which is seen as the weakest type. The default color of this anima is green, which is why your anima is naturally green unless it¡¯s changed by a strong emotion.¡± He explained. ¡°But keep in mind that the only reason Neutral Anima is called the weakest is because it doesn¡¯t carry any inborn abilities. The anima itself doesn¡¯t necessarily lose to the other types, well unless you¡¯re not human.¡± ¡°What happens if you¡¯re not human?¡± ¡°Nothing really. You¡¯ll just find it hard to use your full power because your body is used to your inborn anima nature and the abilities it carries.¡± He replied. ¡°Now let¡¯s talk about the broadest type of all the Natures, Wild Nature Anima. As the name suggests, this type is the inborn nature of all animals, beasts, and races of a similar nature. For example, elves, fairies, orcs, beastmen, etc.¡± ¡°You said that it was the broadest anima nature?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s because even do countless creatures and races are born with this anima nature, each race has a subcategory nature that grants them abilities that¡¯s unique to them.¡± ¡°Example?¡± ¡°Vampires are able to control blood and perform attacks using it, while fairies can enchant people and objects and turn them into something magical. Stuff like that.¡± Rory replied. ¡°I never knew such stuff was possible with anima¡­..¡± ¡°I told you didn¡¯t I? The amount of things you can do with anima is limitless.¡± He said. ¡°Anyway, Wild Nature Anima doesn¡¯t have a default color, but can be easily identified by its beastly look.¡± Amelia didn¡¯t know what a beastly anima would look like and just imagine it in the shape of various beasts. ¡°What about the other two? Dark and Sacred were it?¡± ¡°Ah, those two are the most powerful anima Natures a person could have.¡± Rory said with a rare serious look. ¡°Those two types are complete opposites of each other and belong to two prominent figures in our history.¡± He paused before speaking. ¡°They were the anima types that belonged to the Night and Sacred God respectively.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Amelia also put on a serious face when she heard that. The Night God was the first true god to be born in this world, before him every other God were just conceptual beings created by the mind. He showed the world just what a real god was like. The Sacred God was the second true God to be born in this world. He just like the Night God rose to godhood through learning and mastering anima to the highest level possible. These two gods changed the laws of anima for forever and almost destroyed the world with their fight. It goes without saying that the anima types they possessed were top notched as well. ¡°Let¡¯s start with Dark Nature Anima. This type of anima is sinister and evil. This type of anima also possesses evil abilities like mind control, corruption, necromancy, pollution, and stirring up negative emotions in others. Its name perfectly describes it.¡± Rory said. ¡°There¡¯s only one race that is born with this type of Anima.¡± ¡°Night Kins.¡± Amelia interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you knew.¡± ¡°I heard stories about them, but I thought they were fiction. However, since you said Beings like fairies are real I thought they were too.¡± ¡°Good analysis.¡± Rory nodded approvingly. ¡°I heard that Night Kins were evil beings who knew nothing but destruction and slaughter.¡± Rory burst out laughing when he heard that. Amelia was confused by this. ¡°That¡¯s just propaganda spread by the Sacred Kin because Night Kin are the descendants of the Night God and their natural enemies.¡± Rory said. ¡°Well, I admit that Night Kin are indeed a bloodthirsty race who loves to fight, but they aren¡¯t born evil. They are good Night Kin as well as there are evil ones.¡± ¡°You sure know a lot about them.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Rory smiled and said. ¡°Can you tell me about them?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Rory then began to explain to Amelia just what the Night Kin were. ¡°Otherwise called Devils, they are one of the superior races and are born with anima of a dark nature. They have superior natural physical abilities and Anima control. They are the most feared race in the world, but look identical to humans with the only difference is that they possess a Night Form that activates when they''re pushed past their limits, some can even control this form. The form grants them a large boost in power, strength, and anima. They are believed to be born evil but that isn''t the case. They''re plenty of kind-hearted Night Kin, it''s just that they''re naturally aggressive and battle maniacs.¡± He explained. ¡°I see. Then what about Sacred Kin?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Otherwise called Seraphim. They are one of the superior races born of sacred nature. They are the natural enemies of the Night Kin and have a blood feud with them from ancient times. They are considered the protectors of the world and are worshipped by the other races. Just like the Night Kin they possess superior physical and anima abilities. They also possess a holy form called Sacrament, where they gain a boost in all abilities. They are descendants of the Sacred God and are believed to be born good and righteous, but that isn''t the case. They are plenty of evil Sacred Kin, but it doesn''t show in their anima because of the nature they''re born with.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t show?¡± ¡°Sacred Kin are born with Sacred Nature Anima. This type of anima is pure and gentle. It''s the best type for healing, purification, soothing one''s heart, and communicating with the world. Because they are born with it, it can¡¯t be tainted no matter how twisted they are.¡± Rory explained. ¡°By the way, the default colors of Dark and Sacred Anima are black and white respectively.¡± He added. ¡°¡­..Can I learn these anima natures?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°Although there are different anima types for different races anyone can learn any anima as long as their mentality is changed to fit that anima nature. But there are cases where someone''s anima nature changes because of their experiences, environment, and state of mind. For example, someone who is bearing deep hatred will gain Dark Nature Anima, or someone who lived in the wild for a long time will gain Wild Anima, or someone who had a change of heart and truly discarded their evil ways will gain Sacred Nature Anima etc.¡± He explained. ¡°Anyway, all this information dump must be hard on your mind so I¡¯ll leave it here for now.¡± He suddenly said. ¡°Let¡¯s resume our travels. I¡¯ll teach you everything you need to know through experience rather than words.¡± 8th Night: Anima Control In a woodland area, there was a river that had a waterfall at the base. Under this waterfall, there was a person dressed in white robes sitting on a boulder allowing the water to beat down on her body. This woman was Amelia. ¡°Good, good. Just like that.¡± Rory stood not too far away from her watching her. Even though the water was beating down on her body, Amelia herself wasn¡¯t wet at all. This was because there was a cloak of anima around her preventing the water from touching her. ¡°The water isn¡¯t touching your skin, but you¡¯re still wasting too much anima. Try to compress it more.¡± Rory told her. ¡°I¡¯m trying, but every time I compress it, water start reaching my body.¡± Amelia complained. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not compressing it, but instead reducing it. You¡¯re mixing up minimizing how much anima you need to use to achieve the result you want, with reducing the anima you use and hope to get the result you want. It sounds similar but different.¡± Rory said. ¡°Or am I getting it twisted?¡± He took out a phone and started operating. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I¡¯m watching some Anima Training 101 videos on Anitube. Gimme a sec.¡± ¡°Wha?!¡± That moment, Amelia lost control of her anima and was washed away by the water. ¡°Oh, so this is how you do the waterfall training. It¡¯s just like in those martial arts moves.¡± Rory said with a nod. ¡°Ah!¡± Amelia swam on to the river bank gasping for air. ¡°Y-You son of a bitch¡­..You mean to tell me that you¡¯ve been teaching me stuff you learned off the internet?¡± She said while laying on her back. ¡°I¡¯m not really a good teacher, so I thought I could get some advice off the Internet. Look, I joined an anima forum!¡± Rory showed Amelia the phone. She grabbed it and threw it into the river. ¡°Hey! Do you know how much the guy I stole it from paid for that phone?!¡± Rory protested. ¡°Teach me seriously, you bastard!¡± She grabbed his collar and shouted. ¡°I am teaching you seriously.¡± ¡°What¡¯s serious about watching videos on Anitube?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look down on Anitube. It¡¯s a marvelous site where you can learn anything you want. I learned how to solve a rubric cube on there.¡± Rory retorted. ¡°Besides, this is a technological age. The old teachings are now behind us.¡± ¡°And training under a waterfall isn¡¯t clich¨¦?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disrespect clich¨¦s. It¡¯s only clich¨¦ because it works!¡± Amelia felt she was getting a headache from arguing with him. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I learned everything I know about anima from the battlefield through live battles. So asking me to teach someone is a bit hard for me.¡± ¡°Still, using internet videos is pushing it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m making you do random stuff. I made sure to pick training videos that are authentic and really make you stronger. Trust me.¡± Amelia looked at him for a bit and sighed before going under the waterfall again and resume what she was doing. Although, her motivation had decreased. ¡°Before I can teach you anything, you need to learn how to have control over your anima and not waste it. Otherwise, even if I teach you some techniques, you won¡¯t be able to use them to the fullest.¡± Rory took a seat and said. ¡°The current you can¡¯t even see me use anima. This is the first thing you need to learn, the ability to see a person¡¯s anima even if they compress it.¡± He said as he took up a sketch pad and a pencil. He started to look for the perfect angle before beginning to sketch. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I''m sketching your current appearance. The white see-through robe sticking to your skin is pretty erotic.¡± He answered seriously. ¡°?!¡± Hearing that, Amelia hid her chest on reflex. ¡°You¡¯re getting wet.¡± Rory put down the sketch and said. ¡°Your concentration is broken.¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s broken! I¡¯m being sketch by a pervert!¡± ¡°I am not a pervert, I just love the female body more than others.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pervert!¡± Rory sighed. ¡°Consider this another form of training. If you¡¯re able to maintain your calm in such an embarrassing situation, it will improve your level of concentration. The more natural it becomes for you to stay concentrated, the more natural it will be for you to use anima. Eventually using anima will be become as easy as breathing, when that happens even the most difficult anima techniques will open up to you.¡± He said. ¡°Look at me. I can fight in my sleep. That¡¯s because my level of concentration has reached the point where I don¡¯t even need to try, my body will react on its own.¡± ¡°You say that, but that¡¯s all an excuse to look at my body isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t deny that.¡± Rory said honestly. ¡°Hm?¡± He stood up and walked towards the water. He placed his foot on the water surface and started walking on it like it was the ground. ¡°Wha?!¡± Amelia was shocked to see that. Rory ignored her shocked expression and stopped in the middle of the river. He looked into the water and stooped down and pulled something out of the water. It was a huge fish. ¡°You sure have a strange way of fishing.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Amelia said after seeing him pull out the fish. ¡°Elia, this is the reason why you need to be able to see anima.¡± He held the fish and showed her. ¡°This isn¡¯t a fish.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡± Rory smiled and looked at the fish. ¡°Are you going to undo your transformation or will I have to cook you up?¡± He spoke to the fish. ¡°No answer huh?¡± Rory looked to towards Amelia. ¡°Go start a fire, we¡¯re having smoked salmon tonight.¡± He looked at the fish and licked his lips. ¡°Wait! Wait! I get it! I get it!¡± A panic voice came from the fish to Amelia¡¯s surprise. She then saw the fish lit up and transformed into a person. It was a transparent blue child that looked like it was made out of water. *Splash!* The moment Amelia saw her, she lost control of her anima was washed away by the waterfall. She soon emerged gasping for breath. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A nymph.¡± ¡°Nymph?¡± ¡°A river nymph to be exact. They¡¯re spirits or fairies that live in nature and protect it. They can transform to hide in nature, it¡¯s their inborn anima ability.¡± Rory explained. ¡°Hey, could you let me go? I was just minding my own business and you came out of nowhere and snatch me out of the water.¡± Said the nymph. She was naked and was being held by her ankle by Rory. ¡°Minding your own business?¡± Rory smiled. ¡°You were spying on us.¡± ¡°Do you have proof?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need proof. Listening to your heart is enough.¡± ¡°You, you¡¯re an Ajna user?!¡± Rory nodded his head. ¡°Just my luck. Why did I have to run into someone who can read people¡¯s hearts?¡± The nymph looked depressed all of a sudden. ¡°Ajna? What¡¯s that, Rory?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you in time, but it¡¯s basically what she said it was. Although I don¡¯t know if you can use it.¡± Rory replied while keeping his eyes on the nymph. ¡°I won¡¯t use my ability, so answer my questions honestly. Why were you watching us?¡± ¡°This river is our territory. Is it wrong to observe those we find suspicious?¡± The nymph answered. ¡°You¡¯re lying. I don¡¯t even need to use my power to know.¡± He brought his face closer to it. ¡°Which do you think will bring out your taste more, black pepper or basil?¡± ¡°Ekkk! Alright! Alright! I was just interested in her that¡¯s all!¡± The nymph shouted. ¡°Me?¡± Amelia asked with a confused expression. ¡°Yeah. I was really minding my own business when I felt someone call out to me, and that was you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t call out to you.¡± ¡°Not consciously, but you did.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rory seemed like he understood what the nymph meant. ¡°It¡¯s because of your affinity to elements. You didn¡¯t know, but you possess very pure anima, and people with pure anima tend to have a strong affinity with elements of nature.¡± He explained. ¡°Not only that, beings born out of nature like nymphs or fairies tend to be drawn people like you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I felt drawn to you and your anima and couldn¡¯t help but stop and observe you!¡± The nymph hurriedly said. ¡°I was just too embarrassed to say it out loud.¡± She muttered. Rory suddenly let go of her ankle and let her fall back into the water. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that hard now was it?¡± Rory spoke with a teasing tone. The nymph frowned. She was clearly upset with the way he treated her. ¡°But you appearing here has given me some inspiration.¡± He ignored her displeasure and said. ¡°Nymph, I want you to give Elia some advice on how to improve her anima control.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t order me around!¡± The nymph shouted. She then looked at Amelia and frowned. ¡°But I have to admit that I don¡¯t like seeing her being so frustrated over something so simple.¡± She said. ¡°Which element are you best at controlling?¡± She asked. ¡°I don¡¯t really have any that I¡¯m best at. I can use them all the same.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°Then which element you prefer to use?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re talking about combat, then it would be earth and fire, otherwise it¡¯s water and wind.¡± ¡°I see. Then have you ever thought about making your anima act like water? I don¡¯t mean like when you manipulate water itself, I mean make your anima flow like water.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good idea, Nymph. I knew asking a being who¡¯s made up of anima for advice, was the right thing to do.¡± Rory said. ¡°Elia, try picturing yourself as a tank and your anima as water. After that, imagine that you have a pipe attached to you, this pipe can be like an imaginary limiter that prevents all of the water to rush out of you, whenever you want to use it to do something. You got it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± Both Amelia and the nymph looked at Rory like they were wondering if he was right in the head. ¡°Can you do it or not?¡± He asked with a frown. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Amelia closed her eyes and started to concentrate. She pictured herself as a tank and the anima within her as water. She became conscious of both herself and her anima, she began to focus on them to point that she felt like she was alone in the world. That¡¯s when she heard Rory¡¯s voice echo in her mind. ¡°Now then, try to imagine that you have a pipe attach to you that limits the amount of water you let out.¡± Amelia nodded and imagine a pipe appearing on the tank (her). ¡°Good. Now picture a bucket in front of the tank. That bucket is your arm, try your best to identify that bucket with your arm. Remember your arm is the bucket, meaning that it and the tank aren¡¯t separate, but instead one being.¡± Despite the complicated instructions, Amelia pictured a bucket in front of the tank, after a while, she pictured that bucket with her arm. Her arm was the bucket, the bucket was her arm. ¡°Good. Now listen to me carefully. Release the pipe (limiter) and let the water (anima) flow into the bucket (arm), but be careful. Remember to stop when the bucket is full, don¡¯t let the water overflow and go to waste.¡± Amelia did as she was told and released the pipe and allowed the water inside her to flow into her bucket. She did it slowly to not let the bucket overflow, once she felt that the bucket was full she closed the pipe. ¡°Good, now open your eyes.¡± Amelia listened to Rory and opened her eyes and saw him smiling at her. ¡°Look at your right arm.¡± She looked down and saw that her arm didn¡¯t have anima cloaked around it, but she could feel that she was definitely using anima. ¡°Try slamming your fist on this boulder as hard as you can.¡± Rory stretched his hand out and a boulder twice his size appeared in his hand. He placed it in front of Amelia. She looked at the boulder and then took a deep breath. She then drew her hand back and threw a punch. *Bam!* The boulder exploded the moment her fist touched it. ¡°Impressive.¡± Rory applauds her. ¡°For you to use your imagination to learn how to control your anima shows that you¡¯re creative, and it¡¯s the creative persons who become true anima masters.¡± He said. ¡°However, it took you a while just to strengthen your fist. As such I¡¯m changing up your training method. You are to practice using the same method I showed until you¡¯re able to distribute your anima equally in any and every part of your body.¡± ¡°You want me to use the image training? But it takes too long and would be useless in real battle.¡± Amelia said. ¡°As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Just keeping practicing until you can use it as fast as how you currently use anima or even faster. If you¡¯re able to do that, you won¡¯t need the image training anymore and you¡¯ll be able to properly use anima without needing to think.¡± Rory explained. ¡°Once that happens, I¡¯ll teach you some real anima techniques.¡± Amelia¡¯s face brightened when she heard that. It was as if she was a child who was promised a new toy. Rory couldn¡¯t help but smile when he saw her like that. ¡°I¡¯m going to start training right this minute. I can finally leave this river too.¡± She said and quickly swam to the bank. ¡°Nymph, thanks for your advice.¡± Rory said while looking at Amelia. ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re the one who came up with that crazy training method.¡± The nymph replied. ¡°I got the idea because of you. For that I¡¯m grateful.¡± He then looked at her and said- ¡°As a show of my gratitude, I¡¯ll eliminate those pesky vermin that are terrorizing you and your people.¡± ¡°?!¡± The nymph was shocked to hear what Rory said. ¡°Y-You, don¡¯t tell me you saw them.¡± She asked with a shaky voice. ¡°No. I sensed their presence.¡± He pointed in the east. ¡°They¡¯re about 2 miles that way. Around 20 of them, armed with guns and nets.¡± He said. ¡°You sensed them when they¡¯re so far away?! And you even know that they¡¯re armed¡­..Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re using Sonar? The nymph shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no way anyone can cover that range.¡± ¡°My Sonar can cover the entire forest.¡± The nymph was dumbfounded. ¡°Just who are you?¡± ¡°Does it matter? Your race is weak yet beautiful and in high demand for collectors, because of this you¡¯re hunted and sold to the black market for a hefty price. Unfortunately for you, your nest was discovered and the hunters are coming in droves to capture you and your people.¡± Rory pointed in the river. If one was to see the bottom they would see a hole, this hole led to a string of underwater caves which housed countless nymphs. ¡°How many of your comrades have they gotten so far?¡± ¡°¡­..Five.¡± The nymph answered him. ¡°Five huh? That means that you were only discovered recently. You approached Elia because of her pure anima, but you probably thought about asking for her help right?¡± The nymph nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no need for her to dirty her hands. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Rory started walking back towards the river bank. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s your name?¡± He asked without looking back. ¡°Aqua.¡± ¡°Such a clich¨¦ name for a nymph. Well, whatever. Keep Elia company Aqua.¡± After he said that he disappeared into the forest. Around 2 miles away from the river, there was a group of men armed with weapons marching through the forest. These men were hunters who made a living off capturing and sell exotic creatures, despite if they were capable of human speech or not. They¡¯re countless people around the world who view anything other than humans, Night Kin, or Sacred Kin as simple beasts. They didn¡¯t feel guilt over capturing and treating them as pets, slaves, or toys. Because of this, people like these hunters exist. ¡°Morning, gentlemen.¡± Rory walked out from behind a tree and blocked the men. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± The men immediately became hostile towards him. ¡°From your hostility and bloodlust towards me despite not knowing who I am, you people have something you don¡¯t want to go public. Could it be the nymphs in the river?¡± The men all pointed their guns and weapons at Rory when he said that. ¡°I see. So no one expects those here know about Aqua and her friends yet. That¡¯s good news.¡± Rory then showed a terrifying smirk. It was a smirk fitting of a devil. ¡°That means that I don¡¯t have to hunt down anyone else after I¡¯ve killed you here.¡± ¡°Fire!¡± The men got scared by Rory¡¯s smirk and started firing their guns at him. However, the bullets didn¡¯t reach him. A wall of earth erected in front of him and blocked them. ¡°I¡¯ll have you all die here, this instant.¡± Rory appeared behind the men. Before they could turn around, a whistling sound reached their ears. Rory who had swung his hand to the side silently put his hand back in his pockets and started walking back towards the river. Behind him, the hunters¡¯ upper bodies slid off and fell to the ground. Their lower bodies tumbled over shortly after. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Rory suddenly muttered. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go hunting since I¡¯m out here. I wonder if Elia likes bear meat?¡± 9th Night: Marigold Kingdom After learning of a way to train her Anima control, Amelia worked Night and day using the image training that Rory gave her, to improve herself. She practiced until she was completely drained of anima and wasn¡¯t able to move. Rory told her that this was a good thing, since repeatedly pushing past her limits will increase her anima capacity and enable her to use anima longer than before. But, he also advised that she get lots of rest, so that she doesn¡¯t burn out. Amelia was in the middle of her training, while Rory was talking with the nymph Aqua. ¡°Thanks again, Rory.¡± Aqua, who was in the river, bowed to Rory who was sitting on the banks. ¡°Because of you staying here this past month, every hunter that came here searching for us have been eliminated. I heard from the wind nymphs that there¡¯s a rumor that entering this forest will result in death. Because of that, no one comes here anymore, and the creatures each are free to play like we use to.¡± Aqua explained. ¡°I see, but that doesn¡¯t mean that you all should get careless. There are people who tend to be attracted to dangerous places. The rumors might keep out normal people, but it will attract these thrill seekers. So I advise that all the creatures in the forest work together and create a surveillance network that alerts all of you when hunters are coming. That way, you all can hide and won¡¯t fall prey to their hands.¡± Rory said. ¡°We¡¯ll listen to your advice.¡± Aqua replied with a respectful tone. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Rory replied. ¡°While this forest was a great place for Elia to practice her anima control, just practice alone isn¡¯t enough. For one to truly improve in their skills, they need to compete against others and put those skills into practice. For warriors like ourselves, the battlefield is the ideal place to put our skills to the test and learn our limits and break them.¡± He said. ¡°As such, Elia needs to find people to clash against and widen her horizons, only then can she improve.¡± ¡°Despite your carefree behavior, you¡¯re actually a serious person aren¡¯t you?¡± Aqua said. Rory laughed. ¡°You misunderstand me. I do what I want, it¡¯s just that what I want currently includes making Amelia stronger. That¡¯s all. I¡¯m not a serious person at all.¡± The next day, Amelia and Rory bid farewell to Aqua and the forest where she resided. ¡°According to Aqua, there¡¯s a kingdom not too far away from here. It¡¯s called the Marigold Kingdom.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Marigold huh? I finally have an idea where we are now.¡± Rory smiled and said. ¡°You¡¯ve been there before?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°Back when Pandemonium was still active, we were hired by the then king to fend off the attacks of the neighboring country. We did and has a show of thanks, the king asked us to stay for a while.¡± He answered. ¡°Pandemonium huh. Despite everything, I still find it hard to believe that you led that legendary group of mercenaries.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I mean, you guys were so famous back then that even now you¡¯re a household name, and that was 100 years ago.¡± ¡°Well, we did go bit wild back then.¡± Rory said with a laugh. ¡°Since we¡¯re on the topic, there¡¯s always some stuff I heard about you guys that I wanted to verify.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Go ahead. Ask whatever you want. Although I might not answer depending on the question.¡± Amelia nodded indicating that she didn¡¯t mind. Everyone had stuff that they didn¡¯t want to take about, which was natural. ¡°Alright, this is what was really bugging me. Even though it said that you guys were active a century ago was that really the case, or is that just an exaggeration?¡± ¡°In other words, you want to try and figure out my age?¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°You should¡¯ve just asked.¡± Rory grinned and then said- ¡°I¡¯m over 150 years old.¡± ¡°Wha?!¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Even though she prepared herself for Rory¡¯s answer, she never thought that he would be almost 200 years old. She started looking at him from head to toe. ¡°Even if you look at me like that, you won¡¯t be able to see through me.¡± Rory placed his hand on her head pat it. ¡°It¡¯s good to be young and innocent.¡± Amelia slapped his hand off her head. ¡°Ow! Don¡¯t be so rough with the elderly. We¡¯re delicate. Seriously, kids these days.¡± Rory said. ¡°A delicate person wouldn¡¯t be able to kill a bear with his bare hands.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°How do you look so young despite being a geezer?¡± ¡°Because once you reach a certain level of anima mastery you can slow down your aging or stop it completely.¡± ¡°Like the Night God and the Sacred God who lived for several thousand years?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re an exception. Only they can live that long and retain their youth for so long and not weaken in any way.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Then is there anyone else like you who can appear young for centuries?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a lot of people I know who are as old or older than me but still look young.¡± ¡°What about those in Pandemonium? Are they alive, and do they look as young as you?¡± Rory smiled at her and looked ahead. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re entering the kingdom¡¯s territory.¡± Amelia frowned because she knew that he was dodging her question. She looked ahead and saw a village in the distance at the end of the forest. She could see a lot of people working hard to make their daily bread. They walked out of the forest and took a closer look. They saw men and women working on farms, attending to livestock, tidying up their surrounds, or just taking a break under a tree. ¡°They sure live simple out here.¡± Rory said while looking at the people. ¡°Well, once we enter the capital there will be a more modern setting.¡± He said, and leaped out of the forest and landing on the road that ran through the village. He naturally frightened some of the villagers, but after talking to them he was able to convince them that he wasn¡¯t someone dangerous. ¡®I don¡¯t really want to admit it, but he really knows how to win the heart of others. Well, if you can read them it isn¡¯t that hard to win someone¡¯s heart.¡¯ Amelia thought, before leaping out the forest as well. This time when the villagers saw her they weren¡¯t frightened and only smiled at her. ¡°I already told them that I was traveling with my wife, so they won¡¯t be cautious of you.¡± Rory explained beside her. ¡°When did I become your wife?¡± ¡°A long time ago. You just haven¡¯t realized as yet.¡± Rory shamelessly said. He started walking down the road before saying- ¡°Just so you know, I don¡¯t plan on having one wife so don¡¯t get mad if you see me flirting.¡± ¡°When have I ever cared about who you flirt with.¡± Amelia walked behind him and said with a frown. ¡°You can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± Rory smiled at her and said. Amelia ignored him and looked around the village while following behind Rory. ¡°Do you know the name of this village?¡± ¡°Nope. Even if I did, it might not have the same name it did a century ago.¡± Rory replied while waving at a pair of beautiful mothers. ¡°Then what do you know about this kingdom? It¡¯s the first kingdom I¡¯ve been to besides Buchse, so I¡¯m curious.¡± Amelia said. ¡°There isn¡¯t much to know, since all human kingdoms are the same in my eyes.¡± Rory replied. ¡°They were formed by a group of people following a single person. This person was either charismatic or really strong. There are times when they were important individuals from other countries like royalty, who had to go on the run; because something was preventing them from returning home. The rarest case is a country being form by a band of thieves or criminals who came across a large number of funds.¡± ¡°You sound like you¡¯ve experienced these places being founded.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve seen countless countries rise and become prosperous. I¡¯ve also seen countless countries fall. The scenes of a dying country are never pretty. It¡¯s time like those that you witness the harsh reality of life and the ugliness of humans.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°No, not just humans. All intellectual beings. As long as they possess the ability to reason what is good and what is evil, they will have a seed of hypocrisy in them. Its when this seed bear fruit that you¡¯ll see the hidden ugliness in them.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m straying off topic.¡± He said. ¡°The Marigold Kingdom like every other ha its ups and it¡¯s downs, as for what those are depends on the person you are asking. In my opinion, one of the ups is that the people are naturally joyful and knows how to enjoy life with even the simplest of things.¡± He gestured at a group of children not too far away. They were playing with some dolls that were made from sacks with hay or feathers in them, with some stylish stitches to make them more human looking. The boys were playing with wooden swords and were laughing as they fought against each other. Of course, there were some elders overseeing the children¡¯s fun, to make sure they didn¡¯t get hurt. ¡°When you come these part of a country, you¡¯ll begin to appreciate the simple life more than the rowdy cities.¡± Rory said. ¡°Do you wish to live a simple life like these villagers here?¡± Amelia asked. Rory was an extremely powerful person. He was also famous and surely had lots of enemies. So it was impossible for him to live a life of simplicity, especially after all the things he has done. The reason Amelia asked him if he wanted to live simple, was because she wished to understand him better. Even after being with him for months, she still couldn¡¯t grasp the person who was called the Devil King. She couldn¡¯t even see his shadow much less his true face. ¡°A simple life, huh?¡± Rory began pondering her question. ¡°Well, I guess a simple life would do me good.¡± He said after pondering for a bit. He then smiled and looked back at Amelia. ¡°Especially since we¡¯re broke anyway.¡± ¡°What do you mean we¡¯re broke? What happened to the money you had?¡± She asked with a frown. ¡°I spent it.¡± ¡°Spent it? Where? We were in a forest for a month.¡± ¡°I snuck out of the forest and went to a pub behind the mountains. There was a small town there with some tasty beer and beautiful women at their brothel.¡± ¡°You went to a brothel while I was training?¡± Anemia asked with shock. Rory spoke as if it was just a 5-minute walk away, but the mountain he was referring to was at least 10 miles away and had to be either climbed or walked around if you wanted to reach the other side. It would take the normal person hours to go there and back, but she never noticed Rory being missing for long periods of time. That meant that he traveled hours worth of distance in a short amount of time, enjoyed himself and came back before Amelia woke up. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be impressed or angry that you¡¯re playing around as usual.¡± She sighed. ¡°Anyway, since you¡¯re broke I¡¯ll lend you some money. You can pay me back later.¡± She said while taking her card from her pocket. In this world, if someone had a large amount of money and didn¡¯t want to walk around with it, they could store the money in one of the countless branches of the Sacred Bank, and use their cards to make purchases. ¡°Once we get to the capital I¡¯ll go to the bank and withdraw some money and give you.¡± She said. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Rory put on a serious face and replied. ¡°Why? Do you have something against borrowing money? I don¡¯t mind lending you really.¡± Rory solemnly shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t lend me any money because I¡¯ve already maxed it out and emptied your accounts. Those beers and women were more expensive than I thought.¡± He clenched his fist tightly as if he was frustrated. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± Amelia froze in place and stopped walking when she heard that she was broke too. She looked at Rory who was still walking cursing his inability to deny the women and alcohol. She silently drew her saber and rushed towards him. That day a violent fight broke out in the peaceful village. 10th Night: A Way To Make Quick Cash After trying to slaughter Rory, Amelia reached the capital city of the Marigold Kingdom in a foul mood. ¡°Come on, I said I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± Rory walked behind her and said. ¡°You used all of my life savings.¡± ¡°And I said I¡¯ll pay you back double.¡± ¡°How? You¡¯re broke too.¡± Amelia glared at him and said. ¡°I¡¯ve been a vagabond for a century. I¡¯ve picked up some skills on how to make money.¡± ¡°How?¡± Amelia was skeptical. ¡°Follow me, and I¡¯ll show you.¡± After he said that, he picked up speed and walked past her. She stared at his back for a while before deciding to follow him. ¡°Hm? Is there some kind of event?¡± Amelia said after noticing that Rory was heading towards a crowd, that gather at the center of town. He stopped a bit outside of the crowd, and waited for her to catch up. ¡°You heard right, folks! The king is hosting a tournament for everyone¡¯s pleasure!¡± A man was seen standing on the stage the crowd was gathering around, speaking in a mic while wearing a mask. ¡°Now, you all must be wondering what kind of the tournament it is? It¡¯s a knockout style fighting tournament, where the winner will receive 100,000 Ani!¡± *Author¡¯s Note: Ani is the universal currency in this world* ¡°Ohhhhhhh!¡± The crowd cheered when they heard the prize money, and got really excited. However, the announcer¡¯s next words made them even more ecstatic. ¡°Anyone can enter, as long as they have confidence in their skills! To make it even more exciting, the quarter-finalists and up will be given ranks in the military! If you¡¯re not a soldier you¡¯ll automatically become one and be granted land and servants, regardless of your class and family background. If you¡¯re already in the army, then you¡¯ll be automatically promoted; one rank for reaching the quarter-finals, two ranks for reaching the semis, three ranks for reaching the finals, and if you win you¡¯ll become an official general!¡± The cheers became louder once they heard that. Not only will the commoners be eager to enter, but even the soldiers will see this as their greatest chance to get promoted. The smart ones immediately knew this tournament will be cutthroat, from the prizes being rewarded. ¡°You want to enter?¡± Amelia looked at Rory and asked. ¡°The two of us will enter. 100,000 Ani is a little over your life savings right?¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°Of course, since I promised to double it that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do.¡± Rory smiled as if he had a plan. The announcer continued. ¡°Quiet down, quiet down. Although I know you all are excited, I have some bad news.¡± He said. ¡°Since the rewards in this tournament are so luxurious, we¡¯ll naturally have no choice but to only allow the best of the best to enter! As such, we¡¯ll have a preliminary round to allow the best stand out!¡± He waved his hand and the screen behind him showed the words Death Race. ¡°The preliminary is a race around the capital! The first 128 persons to lap around the capital four times will be allowed to enter the main tournament! Use any methods available to you to make it to the top 128, except killing! This is an event purely for entertainment, so the king doesn¡¯t wish to see his people die over this!¡± The announcer explained. ¡°This may look like a normal race, but trust me it¡¯s not! Being the fastest doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you¡¯ll be the winner! To win this race you¡¯ll need to develop strategies, take out those in front of you while protecting yourself, form alliances, betray, deceit, outsmart your opponent! It¡¯s literally the fittest of the fittest! And of course, you need superior anima skills!¡± He said excitedly. The people cheered again. His words only excited them more. ¡°When will this event begin?!¡± Someone shouted from the crowd. ¡°Now!¡± The crowd was shocked to hear that it was so soon. They thought that they would at least get time to prepare. ¡°Life will not wait on you to be prepared, so why must we?!¡± The announcer shouted after seeing the reactions of the crowd. ¡°A true master will be ready for anything that comes their way at the drop of the hat! That¡¯s what we¡¯re seeking, a true master!¡± He said.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°The current time is 8 am! All who wish to participate, please line up at our various booths!¡± He gestured to the booths behind him. ¡°The preliminaries will begin at high noon! You have until then to sign up!¡± The announcer bowed and left the stage. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be first!¡± ¡°No, I am!¡± ¡°Me!¡± As expected, countless people who wanted to participate charged towards the booths in a mad rush. ¡°The people at the booths are going to get hurt, if this continues.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Nah. They¡¯ll be fine.¡± *Boom!* The moment Rory said that, a bolt of lightning struck in front of the booths and a man appeared. He wore a suit of silver armor with a lightning insignia on the chest plate. He had black hair, brown eyes, and a dignified face. ¡°Sir Allen?!¡± When the men appeared, the crowd came to a halt as if they had seen a ghost. ¡°You will all act civilized and line up at a booth. There are 20 booths with top class workers, you won¡¯t be in the sun for long. You¡¯ll be able to register and go do some preparations before noon.¡± He spoke with a stern and commanding voice. ¡°Line up!¡± The crowd listened to him and lined up at one of the 20 booths. This showed how much pressure he gave off to subdue such a crowd. ¡°Impressive.¡± Rory said. ¡°Yeah. This guy gives off quite a pressure.¡± Amelia said beside him. ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. I mean that I never expected to run in someone this strong in the kingdom. It looks like it didn¡¯t deteriorate as much as I thought it would.¡± He smiled and said. ¡°How strong is he?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Strong enough to defeat you in an instant.¡± He answered. ¡°Is he stronger than you?¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Rory suddenly burst out laughing and didn¡¯t answer. This response annoyed Amelia a little, but not enough for her to fuss about. With the presence of Sir Allen, the registration for the contestants went smoothly. As he said, it didn¡¯t take as long as everyone expected. They were finished by 10:30 the latest, which gave the contestants an hour and a half to prepare and form alliances. With some time before the race, Rory and Amelia were sitting in a bar. ¡°So what do you have planned? Are we just going to win the tournament?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not where we¡¯re going to get our fortune from.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that we¡¯re going to break into the castle and rob the king?¡± ¡°What? What do you take me for?¡± Rory looked offended. ¡°I take you for the guy who just robbed some thugs, and took their money to buy liquor.¡± Amelia drank her coffee and said. ¡°We¡¯re not robbing the king¡­..This time.¡± ¡°Hey, why does it sound like you¡¯re planning on robbing a king in the future?¡± ¡°Never mind that.¡± Rory replied. ¡°In order for our plan to work, we need to be the near the bottom of the 162 contestants who moved on to the main tournament.¡± ¡°Near the bottom?¡± ¡°Yes, and we need to make sure that we don¡¯t stick out too much. The ideal range we should aim for is in the 130-150s. You understand?¡± ¡°Fine, I get it. I¡¯ll try my best to not stand out.¡± Amelia replied. Rory smiled at her answer. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s go hustle this country.¡± The hour and half time period quickly went and past. Currently, the streets of the capital were cleared, all except for where the starting line was. A massive crowd of contestants, hoping to step up in life, where itching to start the race. ¡°Wow, how many people have gathered here?¡± Amelia asked while looking around. ¡°1682.¡± Rory answered beside her. She looked at him weirdly. ¡°What? You asked.¡± He said with a shrug. ¡°Contestants! Are you ready?!¡± The announcer¡¯s voice echoed out from the speakers, along the main roads. ¡°We have knights stationed all over the city, as well as moved all the citizens to a safe location, so feel free to run wild!¡± He shouted. ¡°¡­..I¡¯ve just gotten word. Please don¡¯t take my last sentence too seriously, and damage the city more than necessary.¡± The announcer spoke a bit softer this time. It seemed that he got too excited and misspoke. ¡°Anyway! Everyone get ready!¡± Everyone looked at the stoplight in front of them, that was on red. They stared at it while holding their breaths. And then- The light changed to green, and the announcer¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°GO!¡± That moment, the almost 2000 contestants entered a mad dash and signaled the start of the race. Amelia and Rory also moved as well. They kept their speed at a moderate pace while mixing in the crowd. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Explosions rang out, signaling that the contestants had begun to fight. The two could see countless melee happening around them. No matter their age or gender, everyone was clearly out for blood. The two remained calm and continued their run. Amelia noticed that a fight broke out right in front of her, and decided to jump on a nearby lamppost and leap past them. The same thing happened to Rory, but what he did was different from Amelia. He ran towards those fighting and slid past them right after they both punched each other simultaneously. He continued to run with the smile on his. Like this, the two past those fighting and made their way into the top 100 at the front. The battles here were even more intense. That was because those in the top 100 fought while moving towards the goal. In fact, the most chaotic section of the race was the front where the top 10 where. The gap between them and the others was great because of how intensely they fought. No one wants to get hit by an attack and get injured before the main tournament. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* ¡°They¡¯re fighting quite recklessly.¡± Amelia said while hearing the explosions come from the front. Every now and then she would see a few people being blown past her like garbage in the wind, after losing the battle to secure and maintain a top spot. ¡°Apparently, this tournament isn¡¯t as simple as they make it seem.¡± Said Rory. ¡°It seems that the three princes were in a power struggle to decide who would become the next king. Because of this, the kingdom had a tense atmosphere surrounding it, especially after the princes¡¯ followers started clashing in public.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite informed.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I heard people talking about it. This tournament was the king¡¯s way of reducing the tension the people were feeling. He wanted something to distract the people from the politics.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°However, the king also had another reason to create this tournament. He wanted to create an outlet where he could show off the countries military might by having some of the rising stars in the royal troops enter and showcase their skills. Also, the princes could also enter soldiers under their banner and show them off.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t that just increase the animosity among the three princes, if their respective soldiers fall at the hands of their rivals?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Rory said with a nod. ¡°But the king is willing to allow that in order for the citizens to receive some quality entertainment.¡± He pointed at a group of people watching the contestants in the distance and cheering. ¡°The people are enjoying the race while drinking and eating. It¡¯s like a festival.¡± Amelia looked around and saw that he was right. Despite the violence among the runners, the audience was really enjoying the fights. ¡°Despite what they say, humans love to see violence, sex, or drama. If you look back in the greatest plays and stories in history, you¡¯ll find one, if not all these story elements in them. Given the fact that killing isn¡¯t allowed, the audience doesn¡¯t need to feel guilty about enjoying what they see.¡± Rory said. ¡°The guys causing trouble up front all belong to one of the three princes. They want to draw attention towards them, and indirectly to the prince they serve.¡± ¡°The situation sure looks messy though.¡± Amelia said. She saw a man being thrown through a store window after being destroyed. ¡°Let them be.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°The ones going wild are nothing but small fries trying to gain their masters¡¯ acknowledgment. The princes'' true cards will be only shown in the main tournament.¡± He said. ¡°Either way, I don¡¯t care about this power struggle or the prince¡¯s cards. In the end, they¡¯ll all become mats under our feet.¡± 11th Night: The Main Tournament The race continued, and was on its last lap. This was when the race got really chaotic. *Bam!* The contestants weren¡¯t holding anything back as they attacked those in their surroundings with all kinds of attack. Amelia jumped over an axe that was swung at her legs. The competition forbid killing, but that didn¡¯t mean that you couldn¡¯t take down your opponent by taking a limb or two. Having jumped over the attack aimed at her legs, Amelia mercilessly stomped down on the head of the attacker, forcing his head into the asphalt. She then ran to catch up with Rory. Rory was attacked as well, but before his attackers could do anything to him, they all froze before they could attack him. They all felt a suffocating sensation when they got near to him. It was as if, if they push their luck and force their way towards him, they¡¯ll drown in something. As such, everyone stayed clear of him. ¡°What did you do? Everyone who approached you, ran away covered in cold sweat.¡± Amelia approached him and asked. ¡°Nothing much. I just let them feel my spirit that¡¯s all.¡± Rory said with a smile. ¡°More importantly, look. The real cards are starting to move.¡± Amelia looked towards her front and saw two shadows bouncing of the the buildings and stepping on the heads of the contestants to reach the front. ¡°Look, it¡¯s Hayley and Emily Brooks!¡± A contestant identified who the shadows were and called out their names. The two silently landed at the front of the crowd. The moment they landed no one dared to approach them. ¡°Who are those two?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°From what I¡¯m picking up from those around us, those two are under the Second Prince¡¯s banner. A pair of sisters who hailed from a prestigious noble family. They¡¯re considered among the rising stars of the kingdom.¡± Rory explained. *Bam!* Suddenly, the waves of people were flung about as someone forcibly split the crowd. They emerged right beside the black haired siblings. The person was a muscular dark skinned male, who was wearing loose clothing. ¡°Brooks brats, how dare you walk in front of your superior?!¡± The man shouted. ¡°Forgive us, Omar. You were so slow that we couldn¡¯t help it.¡± The sisters laughed. ¡°The man is Black Bull, Omar. He follows the the First Prince, and is a rank higher than the siblings despite being the same age.¡± Rory said. ¡°Your ability sure is handy for information gathering.¡± Amelia said. ¡°There¡¯s another soldier who¡¯s under the third prince, who is far stronger than those in the front, but he¡¯s keeping a low profile, unlike the others.¡± Rory said. The last lap ended with Omar and sisters tying for first place. As Rory wanted, he and Amelia finished near the bottom without drawing much attention to themselves. There were countless people mourning the fact that they failed to make it to the main tournament, while those that did make it were celebrating. The amount of people who got injured weren¡¯t small. There were some who were crippled for life, but those people could only blame themselves for getting greedy when they lacked the skills. ¡°We made it.¡± Amelia said looking at the other contestants who were breathing heavily. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan now?¡± She asked. ¡°Next, we go pay a certain place a visit.¡± Amelia followed behind him. He led her to a crowded gambling house. ¡°Don¡¯t tell¡­.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. She immediately figured out, what his plan was. ¡°You¡¯ve guessed it.¡± Rory turned around and smiled at her. ¡°We¡¯re going to bet on yourselves.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t want us to stick out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, my Elia.¡± Rory stood beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. ¡°We will bet on the two of of us reaching the finals and get rich fast.¡± He started laughing. ¡°Just the finals? You¡¯re not going to bet on who¡¯s going to win?¡± Amelia asked. In her mind, Rory would definitely win. ¡°No need. I don¡¯t want you to feel burdened. Like say I bet on you winning, you would get upset if I threw the match right?¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. If I bet on myself, you would think that it¡¯s okay as long as I win, and won¡¯t even attempt to fight for real. If that happens, I¡¯ll be disappointed. As such in order to prevent negative feelings forming between us, betting on the finals will be enough. That way we can fight for fun and won¡¯t be burdened in anyway.¡± Rory explained. ¡°What you say, do makes sense.¡± Amelia said, after factoring their personalities and realizing that it would definitely play out like he said. ¡°But, what if we faced each other before the finals?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I already took care of it.¡± Rory walked into the gambling house with Amelia behind him. Amelia then saw something posted on the monitors. It was the tournament brackets. She and Rory where on the opposite side of the brackets and could only face each other in the finals. ¡°How did you¡­¡± ¡°I have my ways.¡± Rory smiled and said. Amelia didn¡¯t ask him anything more and went to one of the betting booths with him. ¡°What are the odds for Amelia and Rory reaching the finals?¡± He asked the employee behind the booth. ¡°Since no one has made a single bet for them winning, the odds are 100/1. In other words, you¡¯ll win 100 times the amount you bet.¡± Rory smiled when he heard that. He took out a stack of money he just robbed from some thugs, and placed it on the counter. ¡°5000 Ani on that two reaching the finals.¡± The employee was shocked to hear that. She was wondering if this man had a gambling fetish, or was just a rich guy who loves to bet on the underdog. Either way, she did her job without asking anything further, and processed Rory¡¯s bet. ¡°Here¡¯s your ticket, sir. Be sure to keep it safe.¡± She said. ¡°Of course.¡± Rory smiled at her, and left with Amelia. While he walked away, the woman watched his back and smiled. ¡°What a strange person.¡± The main competition didn¡¯t begin immediately, because they¡¯ll be 64 matches in the first round alone, it was decided that the tournament would span to a week. The next day, the competition kicked off and Amelia and Rory went to where they¡¯ll fight their first matches. Since there was so many matches, several stages were prepared so that multiple matches could happen at once. When Amelia arrived at her stage, she was pit against a rough looking man. From the crowds lack of attention towards her match, she deduced that the man wasn¡¯t famous at all. She wasn¡¯t disappointed at all, and took a fighting stance. The man looked at her with a lustful gaze, as his eyes scanned her body from head to toe. ¡°You sure have a beautiful face for someone dressed so manly.¡± The man said while looking at her. Amelia was someone who preferred to dress in a manly manner. This is a habit she had from she was a child. Even so, her beautiful face gave her overall appearance a charming look, despite being a tomboy. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Amelia didn¡¯t pay the man¡¯s comment any attention, and focused her mind. ¡°How cold.¡± Seeing that Amelia didn¡¯t respond to him, the man became irritated. ¡°After I win, I¡¯ll be sure to take you as my woman.¡± Amelia smiled when she heard that. ¡°You¡¯re really lucky my companion isn¡¯t here to hear you say that.¡± Her words confused the man. ¡°From what I can tell from my time with him, he¡¯s very territorial.¡± She grinned. ¡°He might would¡¯ve killed you where you stand if he was here.¡± ¡°Trying to use your man to scary me?¡± The man started laughing. ¡°That won¡¯t work!¡± He charged towards Amelia with his body cloaked in anima. When she saw the anima around him, she smiled. ¡°Good. He¡¯s a novice. That means I can use him for practice!¡± Amelia didn¡¯t budge and welcome the man¡¯s charge. She pictured herself as a tank with pipes connected to it. The pipes had the following labels: Left arm, Right arm, Left Leg, Right Leg, torso, head. This was an improved version of her image training, that she developed over the past month. She turned on the pipe that was labeled right arm and let the water (anima) flow inside, while making sure the water pressure didn¡¯t burst the pipe. She gripped her right fist and thrust it out, when the man was in her range. *Bam!* The man was hit in the stomach so hard that his eyes looked like it was going pop out. He fell to his knees, and began vomiting. He then passed out in a pool of his own vomit. ¡°Winner, Amelia Rosa!¡± The announcer for her specific ring shouted. ¡°My control is still poor.¡± Amelia said while looking at her fist. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to take him out with that punch.¡± She spoke with some disappointment. ¡°I guess I still need practice.¡± She walked off the stage and said. ¡°That girl¡­.She¡¯s quite something.¡± Amelia was oblivious towards the attention she was getting after overwhelming her opponent so easily, despite being so young. ¡°I wonder if Rory finished already?¡± ¡°Hey, did you hear?¡± Amelia overheard some people talking. ¡°Apparently, someone stripped his opponent, used their clothes to form reins and turned them into a horse.¡± Amelia froze and her expression darkened. ¡°Yeah. I heard that the guy who did it was trash-talked to by his opponent, who said that his face looked like a donkey¡¯s ass. Apparently, his opponent was famous for his poisonous tongue, and would anger his opponents and cause them to make stupid mistakes.¡± ¡°Looks like he did it to the wrong guy.¡± ¡°Yeah. In the end, he was the one who turned into a donkey. I heard the guy even rode him off the stage when he surrendered, and called him daisy.¡± ¡°Really? Damn, that¡¯s savage.¡± ¡°That idiot!¡± Amelia broke out into a dash and ran towards where Rory¡¯s stage was. Before she even got there, she saw a crowd of people looking at a tree next to a bench. On the bench Amelia saw Rory relaxing and drinking liquor like always. However, that wasn¡¯t enough to draw a crowd. It was what was beside him. Tied to the tree was a naked man, on all fours eating raw vegetables out of a dish. He was sobbing while eating. Amelia once again froze in place with a darkened expression. She didn¡¯t even know where to start retorting. After a while she sighed, and sat beside Rory like it was natural. ¡°Want a carrot?¡± Rory asked without looking at her. ¡°Sure.¡± She took the carrot and ate it, while Rory drank beside her, ignoring the sobbing man. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to my life?¡± That was all she said before continuing to eat the carrot with a deadpan expression. It was like this that the two passed the first round and entered the second one. 12th Night: Animus? The second round of the tournament started on the next day. 64 of the 128 contestants were able to make it after defeating their opponents. A lot of fighters made an impression from the first round like the Brooks Sisters, and Black Bull Omar; which was to be expected because of their fame and positions in the military. However, two people also left an impression. These people were obviously Rory and Amelia. The two made an impression for two different reasons. Amelia took down someone twice her size with a single punch, and even made him lay in his own vomit. As for Rory¡­. After getting humiliated by his opponent, he proceeded to beat him into submission and then turned him into a horse, which he preceded to keep as a pet. It was obvious why he would be remembered. ¡°Can¡¯t you let him go now?¡± Amelia asked after waking up to see the man, who Rory beat, tied outside the inn they were staying. ¡°Even I¡¯m starting to feel sorry for him.¡± ¡°Alright. I forgot about him anyway.¡± Rory walked up to the man and freed him. ¡°Get.¡± Seeing himself finally free, the man ran away while crying for his mother. ¡°Did you have to go so far?¡± Amelia asked while watching the man run away. ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I needed to send a message to someone. I¡¯m back.¡± Amelia was confused by what he said. As she was going to ask him what he meant, he started running. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The second round is about to start.¡± Amelia looked at him for a bit, before running after him. ¡®I don¡¯t like the fact that he keeps hiding stuff from me.¡¯ She thought as she quickly caught up with him. The two quickly reached where their fights will be held. Luckily, this time they will be sharing the same stage, with Rory having his fight first. The two took a seat and watched the fight that was going on before their eyes. Well, Amelia was since Rory didn¡¯t have any interest in it. Amelia was watching the fight with a sharp eye. She played close attention to how the two persons fought. They weren¡¯t nearly as strong as her, but that didn¡¯t mean that she would look down on them. Even a master painter can get inspiration from a child¡¯s doodles. With such a thought in her mind, she watched the men¡¯s every movements. She noted every mistake they made, and devised how she would get out of that situation if it was her. She also recorded their fighting styles and habits to see if she could learn anything from them. She stayed like this until the fight finally came to an end. ¡°Oh~.¡± She exhaled getting rid of the tension from her body. That¡¯s when she felt a hand on the top of her head. She didn¡¯t need to look to know who the hand belonged to. She was far too familiar with it¡¯s touch. ¡°It¡¯s good that you want to be studious and study everything you can, but you need to give your brain some rest every now and again. The brain is also a muscle, hence it needs rest to experience true growth.¡± He said beside her. She looked at him and saw him smiling at her. ¡°Relax. You have a tough fight coming up.¡± ¡°A tough fight?¡± He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your opponent. He¡¯s weaker than you, but he can defeat the current you if he gets the chance.¡± Amelia was surprised to hear that, but she soon calm down. ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯m invincible or anything, so there¡¯s no need for there not to be people who can give me a hard time or defeat me.¡¯ She thought to herself. ¡°Well, I¡¯m up.¡± Rory stood up and walked to the stage. The moment he got on the stage he drew everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°It¡¯s him, the guy who turned his opponents into pets.¡± Such whispers could be heard. However, Rory didn¡¯t seem to mind and stood on the stage with a smile. Not long after, his opponent walked on to the stage. It was a rough looking woman carrying a club. ¡°You, you¡¯re the bastard who did that obscene act yesterday.¡± The woman asked. She was clearly upset with what Rory did the day before. ¡°Obscene. I did no such thing.¡± Rory replied. ¡°My opponent was acting like such an ass that I thought that he was one who somehow learnt human speech, so I tried to help him out. I admit that I was in the wrong for making such a mistake.¡± His words were spoken with a polite tone, but the context consisted of pure disrespect. ¡°Such a vulgar man.¡± The woman lifted her club over her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to punish you for displaying such mindless behavior in a time that¡¯s supposed to be filled with cheers!¡± She jumped and swung down her club down on Rory¡¯s head. ¡°This can¡¯t do.¡± Rory lifted his hand and caught the club with ease. This clearly shocked the woman. ¡°A woman shouldn¡¯t use such a crude weapon.¡± After saying that, he crushed the club like it was paper. Even Amelia was shocked by this. The woman¡¯s club clearly was made from a special type of metal, and was strengthened by her anima, yet Rory crushed it like it was a dry leaf. After seeing her weapon destroyed, the woman stepped back and looked at Rory with terror. ¡°Normally, I believe in equality and would destroy anyone regardless of gender, however since you seem to have a pure heart despite your rough appearance, I¡¯ll let you go.¡± Rory threw away the bent up cub and said. ¡°Surrender.¡± He said with a smile. When the woman saw that smile, a chill ran down her spine. She knew that that smile was a last warning, if she continued to push the fight it won¡¯t end well for her. ¡°I-I surrender.¡± As such, she gave up. Seeing that, the announcer pronounced Rory as the winner. Rory walked past the woman and got off the stage. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± He sat beside Amelia and said. It was only then that their bench drew everyone¡¯s attention. The two had indeed made an impression last round, but it wasn¡¯t enough for people to for people to make a huge fuss, but it was different now after the strength Rory just displayed. The two sitting together made people curious of where the two came from. Amelia stood up and walked towards the ring. Shortly after she got up, someone else sat beside Rory. It was the man called Sir Allen. ¡°So you¡¯re the current King¡¯s Guard?¡± Rory asked without taking his eyes off Amelia. ¡°That¡¯s right. I as thought, you¡¯re not from this kingdom.¡± Allen said while watching the ring. ¡°So, did your king send you to fetch me?¡± Rory answered with another question. Allen nodded. Rory smiled and said- ¡°I¡¯ll think about it once the tournament is over.¡± Allen didn¡¯t say anymore, and just looked towards the ring. Him sitting with Rory drew even more attention, especially since the two seemed to be talking like equals. This made more people curious about who Rory was. Meanwhile, Amelia was facing her opponent for the second round. ¡®This is my opponent.¡± Who stood in front of her was a slim built man, dressed in only a loose pants and boots. He left his torso for all to see and showed off his lean body. He also had his hands wrapped with bandages, which drew Amelia¡¯s attention.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°That¡¯s quite some pressure he¡¯s giving off.¡± Rory said while looking at the man. ¡°His name is Steel Fist Benson. He¡¯s our country¡¯s best boxer.¡± Allen said beside him. ¡°I see.¡± Rory only smiled and looked at Amelia. Amelia looked at the man from head to toe. She then pictured herself as a tank with multiple pipes attached to it. She poured anima in the pipe that was labeled as eyes. Immediately after, she could see a green aura surrounding benson. She was now able to see an anima master¡¯s anima, which was normally hidden from the naked eye. ¡®This guy¡­.he¡¯s strong.¡¯ She thought to herself. ¡°Start!¡± The announcer¡¯s voice resounded. Immediately after, Amelia moved to attack her opponent. ¡°Too slow.¡± However, he was the one who reached her first. He threw a quick jab at her face. She immediately leaped back to avoid it, but the tip of her nose was caught. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± She held her nose after feeling a sharp pain, despite only getting grazed. ¡°I can¡¯t let those fists hit me.¡± After mumbling to herself, she took a boxing pose similar to Benson. ¡°Oh? Is she a boxer as well?¡± Allen asked. ¡°Nope. She just want to compare herself with her opponent. Testing the waters, you might say.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Interesting.¡± Benson started hopping in place, showed Amelia and ¡®Come¡¯ gesture. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take your challenge.¡± Amelia moved towards him and threw a punch. Benson smiled and threw a jab in return. ¡°Hm?¡± The collision between their fists that he was expecting never came. Amelia suddenly accelerated, entered his personal space, stooped under the jab and threw an uppercut. *Bam!* Benson was hit under the chin and had his feet forced off the ground. ¡°The hit was shallow!¡± Amelia cursed. Benson wasn¡¯t forced off the ground by the punch, he jumped up to decreased the damage to his chin. His feet landed a few meters back. He had a smirk on his face. ¡°You hid your true speed just to try and finish this with one hit. Not bad.¡± His feet started moving at a fast pace. He then ran towards Amelia. No, this wasn¡¯t running. His feet moved in a way that made it seem like he was moving without actually putting his foot forward. He immediately entered Amelia range. She instantly started attacking him with swift punches. However, Benson would move his body out of the way and avoid them. He then threw a heavy punch. *Bam!* Amelia blocked his punch by crossing both arms in front of her. ¡°Ugh!¡± She leaped back and formed some distance between them. ¡°Wow. Impressive footwork.¡± Rory praised. He looked at Amelia¡¯s arm and saw a huge bruise on it. ¡°I see. So his name Steel Fist comes from the Iron Fist technique.¡± Rory said. Allen nodded. ¡°It¡¯s his specialty.¡± ¡°Elia, you should already know that you can¡¯t afford to test the waters any longer.¡± Said Rory. Amelia rubbed the bruise on her arm. She then drew her saber from her waist. ¡°Oh? Are you going to use your Animus?¡± Benson asked. ¡°Animus? I don¡¯t know what that is, but it¡¯s time I take this a bit more seriously.¡± After she said that, fire started dancing around her blade. ¡°So you¡¯ve given up, on copying my style.¡± Benson rushed towards her. ¡°A good decision!¡± He quickly entered her range and threw a right a hook. *Bam!* Amelia blocked it with her sword and made earth wrap around her feet to prevent herself from being blown back. She then pushed Benson back and freed her feet. ¡°Hm?¡± She noticed that Benson¡¯s bandages caught fire. He quickly ripped them off, and what she saw surprised her. Benson¡¯s fist looked like it was made from iron, and even had that metallic shine to it. ¡°Is that an anima technique?¡± She mumbled. She understood why Benson¡¯s fist felt so heavy. ¡°For your sword to not break under my Fist, you¡¯re have a knack for strengthening don¡¯t you?¡± Benson ripped the rest of the bandages off his hands and revealed his metallic fists. It was obvious that he was going to get serious from now on. ¡°Will she be alright?¡± Allen asked. ¡°Benson might not be in the army, but his strength is something else. Only high level commanders can fight him. It¡¯s her bad luck meeting him this early in the competition.¡± ¡°Bad luck.¡± Rory laughed and pointed at Amelia. When Allen looked he was quite surprised. There was a big grin on her face. ¡°She doesn¡¯t realize it yet, but that girl loves fighting. It¡¯s in her nature. So to say that her meeting a strong opponent is bad luck, is an insult to her.¡± Rory grinned as well. ¡°Elia couldn¡¯t ask for anything more.¡± Amelia put away her blade. ¡°On second thought, I¡¯ll keep fighting with my fists.¡± She looked at Benson with a big grin. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I have had a good spar without having to worry about life and death.¡± Earth wrapped around her fists and formed gloves. ¡°This should be interesting.¡± She was the one who charged forward, and threw the first punch. Benson avoided it with a side step and hit her with a blow to the side. ¡°Ugh!¡± She clenched her teeth and swung around with a hook. Benson ducked under it and hit her in the stomach this time. ¡°Heh. It¡¯s over.¡± He smirked. *Bam!* He suddenly felt a powerful blow on the top of his head, which forced him to his knees. ¡°Over?¡± He looked up and saw Amelia looking down on him with a grimace expression. ¡°It¡¯s only getting started!¡± *Bam!* She hit him on the side of his head with another blow. Benson rolled on the ground a bit before struggling to his feet. ¡°N-No way. She took a hit in her midsection, her organs should be a mess.¡± He said with shock. ¡°You see, I tend to forget all of my formal training when facing strong opponents and take a more reckless approached.¡± Amelia said. ¡°You probably expected me to spread my anima around my entire body, so you poured all your strength in one punch that could pierce through my defense and hit my organ; hence ending the fight.¡± Amelia smiled. ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re wrong. I only concentrate my anima inside of me to protect my organs.¡± ¡°What? Then that means that other than your organs, you¡¯re feeling the full blown force of my attacks. Your skin, muscles, nerves, bones, everything other than your organs will receive severe damages¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t matter. I want to get to finals but before that I need to get stronger than I am now, so that I can give that bastard a good punch.¡± Amelia grinned. ¡°As for the rest of you, forgive me, but you¡¯re just fodder to make me stronger.¡± ¡°!¡± Everyone who was watching the fight immediately became enraged. This included Benson himself. ¡°Fodder¡­.Fodder?¡± He clenched his fists. ¡°Then this fodder will be sure to beat you black and blue!¡± He charged towards using his masterful footwork. ¡°Die!¡± He threw a right hook with his body behind it. However, that fist hit air. Amelia wasn¡¯t there, only a spark of electricity. *Bam!* ¡°Argh?!¡± He suddenly felt a heavy blow to his back, right on his spine. ¡°I would have it no other way.¡± He spun around swinging his arm when he heard Amelia¡¯s voice behind him, but she wasn¡¯t there. *Bam!* He was hit on the side of his face from behind and stumbled to the side. He turned and saw Amelia standing there with electric sparks at her feet. ¡°If he has incredibly footwork that allows him to defend and attack, you just need to make yourself faster than he can react and hit him from his blind spots.¡± Rory said with a satisfied expression. Amelia moved again leaving an electric spark behind. ¡°Like I¡¯ll let it happened thrice!¡± Benson moved using his footwork and charged towards a certain location. Amelia appeared there like he expected. He threw a hook, while Amelia countered with an uppercut. *Bam!* They hit each other at same time forcing their heads to moved. However, they didn¡¯t back down and threw a jab at each other. Their fists slammed in each other¡¯s face and racked their brains. With blurry vision, Benson stepped forward and threw a hook with all of weight behind it. Amelia twisted her body to the side and avoided it. She then hit him with another uppercut, forcing him back. The earth around her fists had crumbled, and electricity replaced it. The speed of her fists suddenly doubled. Her fists then hit Benson¡¯s face one after the other. Her punches rained down on his unprotected face, showing no mercy at all. Benson stumbled back, but threw another punch which hit Amelia square in the face. This punch caused her mouth and nose to bleed, even so she took a step forward and hit him in the stomach, which forced him to bend forward and cry out in pain. She then stooped down, and hit him with her strongest uppercut. *Bam!* Benson was forced into the air and flew off the stage and landed in the crowd. He was caught by some bystanders, however he was still conscious. ¡°It¡¯s my win.¡± Amelia wiped the blood from her face and said. ¡°N-Not yet.¡± Benson struggled out of the grasp of who caught him, and unsteadily walked towards the stage. ¡°I-I admit that you¡¯re stronger than me, but I refused to go down like this when you clearly haven¡¯t used your full strength.¡± He walked onto the stage. ¡°I have no problem losing, but declare yourself the winner only after you¡¯ve defeated this!¡± Benson¡¯s anima suddenly grew wilder. His body started to grow more and more muscular and his skin turned red. ¡°Doping?!¡± Amelia was shocked by his appearance and immediately remembered Murder Jack. She shook her head. ¡°No. Now that I can see anima clearly, I can see that the power source of this form comes from his natural anima. So it¡¯s not doping.¡± She said to herself. ¡°But what is this?¡± ¡°Oh? So that¡¯s his Animus?¡± Rory said with an impressed tone. ¡°It¡¯s a power type, huh?¡± Allen nodded beside him. ¡°Benson¡¯s Animus is called The Champ¡¯s Last Stand. For a short period of time, all of his physical abilities have been boosted to the next level. It¡¯s like when our body experience an adrenaline rush.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s like natural doping. All I can hear in his heart is power power power. So his Animus fits him.¡± While Amelia was wondering what happened to Benson, he charged towards her with a speed that was at least twice his previous speed. He swung his thick arm, Amelia sensed danger and jumped back. Even after jumping back, she was hit by a powerful gust that was generated from benson swinging his arm. Benson quickly entered her range before her feet properly touched the ground. ¡°Shit!¡± *Bam!* Amelia was hit by his thick fist and was forced off the stage. ¡°Ugh!¡± She twisted her body and kicked off a bench that was behind her and charged back into the ring. As if he was waiting for her, Benson swung his thick leg aiming at her head. Wind gathered at her back and helped her to move out of the way. She pulled her sword and swung it down. ¡°What kind of boxer uses his foot?!¡± Benson quickly moved out of the way to prevent his leg from being chopped off. ¡°A kickboxer!¡± He charged forwards and thrust his fist forward. Amelia charged forward as well and thrust her saber. *Bam!* The fist and the saber clashed and caused cracks to appear on the stage. ¡°Ugh!¡± Amelia groaned when she felt pain running through her entire arm. Benson stepped forward and grabbed at her. She leaped back and avoided him. ¡°I can¡¯t take too much hits from him. I need to finish this quickly.¡± She sheathed her sword and clasped her hands together. Multiple elements started swirling around them. Seeing that she was up to something, Benson charged towards her and quickly stood in front of her aiming a fist at her head. Amelia quickly pulled her hands apart, and Benson¡¯s fist stopped before it touched her face. His fist was entangled in some rainbow colored wires. ¡°Wha?¡± Benson was shocked that these wires could stop his fist. Amelia leaped over him and landed behind him. On her ten fingers were some colorful strings. ¡°Those wires¡­.they¡¯re made of elements weaved together?¡± Allen asked with doubt. ¡°Elemental Wires. They¡¯re created from various elements and also carry the properties of each element. For example, the hardness of earth which she used to stop his punch.¡± Rory explained. This is a technique that Amelia developed with the help of Rory after she gained better control over her anima. ¡°It isn¡¯t an overpowered technique, but it sure is versatile.¡± He said. Benson once again charged towards Amelia. The time he could maintain his technique was limited, so he had to finish this fight quickly. Amelia waited for him, and watched as he leaped into the air and aimed a flying kick at her. ¡®Even if she dodges, I¡¯ll still be on my feet. All I need to do spin around and finish her when she tries to attack from my blindspot.¡¯ Benson thought. As he expected, Amelia dodged the attack and his kick was changed to a two foot stomp, so that he could land on his feet. He spun around to finish Amelia, who was gonna attack from behind. ¡°Huh?¡± But to his confusion, Amelia wasn¡¯t there. That¡¯s when he felt a tight sensation around his neck. ¡°Keh?!¡± There was something wrapped around his neck and squeezing it. Turned back around and saw Amelia standing there, pulling the wires around his neck. ¡°Let¡¯s go for ride.¡± He pulled the wires and Benson was forced off the ground and into the air. She pulled it again and was slammed him on top of his head. ¡°Guah?!¡± There was a crack in the ring¡¯s floor. Blood started flowing down Benson¡¯s head onto the floor. ¡°Up we go.¡± Before he could think properly, he was dragged into the air again, before brutally landing on his head. Amelia repeated this a couple times, slamming him harder on his head than before. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop the match!¡± The announcer shouted. When she heard that, Amelia let Benson go, and he fell motionlessly on the ground. ¡°Looks like I overdid it.¡± She said after seeing the bloody marks caused by Benson¡¯s head, all over the ring. ¡°So brutal¡­.¡± The crowd was shocked after witnessing Amelia¡¯s merciless display. ¡°I-Is Benson even alive anymore?¡± Someone asked the question that was on everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°Of course he is.¡± Amelia¡¯s answered. ¡°If I had killed him, I would¡¯ve been disqualified.¡± When everyone heard that, they wondered if she would¡¯ve killed him if it was allowed. Just the thought made them tremble. ¡°The winner is Amelia Rosa!¡± The announcer shouted. ¡°So strong. She defeated Benson without even using her Animus. No, maybe those wires were her Animus.¡± Said Allen. ¡°Her Animus?¡± Rory burst out laughing. ¡°That¡¯s not her Animus.¡± He smiled and said. ¡°Amelia is a complete novice. She doesn¡¯t even know what an Animus is. She just learned to control her anima after all.¡± 13th Night: Advance Techniques. When Allen heard Rory call Amelia a novice, he looked at her funnily. Even if she didn¡¯t know much about anima, the fact that she became so strong with her limited knowledge proved that she was no novice. ¡®She must¡¯ve endured some gruesome training in her lifetime to reach this level.¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡°Rory, my body is beaten up; can you fix it?¡± Amelia approached Rory and said. ¡°I can¡¯t fix it right away, so you¡¯ll have stay like that for the duration of the tournament.¡± Rory replied. ¡°I see. Well, my organs are fine and I don¡¯t have any broken bones, so I can still continue.¡± She replied and sat beside Rory and Allen. If their bench wasn¡¯t drawing enough attention before, it definitely was now. Both Rory and Amelia had shown impressive strength, although one fight was finished cleanly while the other was a straight up brawl. Top that off with the fact that they were also sitting with the King¡¯s Guard Sir Allen, they were definitely the star of the show. ¡°Rory, what is an Animus?¡± Amelia asked after catching her breath. ¡°Animus is the personal anima technique developed by an anima master. Every anima master has at least one Animus in their Arsenal. Since it¡¯s a personal technique it can¡¯t easily be taught to someone else, hence its kinda unique.¡± Rory answered without hesitation. ¡°So it¡¯s like someone¡¯s signature technique.¡± ¡°If you want to keep it simple, yes.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s more to it?¡± Amelia asked. The two didn¡¯t look at each other and kept the conversation going. ¡°Animus is like the projection of the user itself, in the form of a technique.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Personality, Mindset, Ego, all these things are the main components in a person¡¯s Animus.¡± He pointed at Benson who was being taken away by a stretcher. ¡°His Animus, The Champ¡¯s Last Stand is a projection of his will to never fall and push past his limits to achieve victory. It¡¯s the projection of his desperation to always keep winning. You can say that it showed his simplemindedness and straightforwardness as well, since his ability was purely strength and didn¡¯t have any tricks to it.¡± Rory said. ¡°So you can determined a person¡¯s personality and mindset from their Animus?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°If you analyze it enough, yes.¡± Allen was surprised by their convo, because it proved that Amelia didn¡¯t have any knowledge of what an Animus was like Rory said. ¡°The fact that you defeated someone¡¯s Animus without using one of your own is proof of your superiority compared to them.¡± Rory added. ¡°What about his hands, they looked like they were made of iron. Was that an Animus too?¡± Rory shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s called Iron Fist.¡± Allen was the one who answered. Amelia didn¡¯t acknowledge his presence since he didn¡¯t say anything to her first. She only looked at him when he spoke. ¡°You know, like when you strengthen your body to break concrete without getting hurt yourself? It¡¯s an advance form of that.¡± He explained. ¡°You fuse your anima with your skin and strengthened it over and over until the skin properties changed to match the hardness of iron, which will make it more durable and possess higher destructive abilities. That is Iron Skin. When you concentrate it only on your fists, it becomes Iron Fist.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°It takes a considerably amount of anima control to obtain. Hence it¡¯s a high level technique. Although, there¡¯s a level higher called Diamond Skin.¡± Rory added. ¡°So is there a difference between the two? I mean, is there a way to know when someone¡¯s using their Animus?¡± ¡°Nope. You just have to figure out yourself.¡± Rory answered. ¡°However, after a while you¡¯ll be able to tell by instinct.¡± ¡°Then how do you develop an Animus?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°It¡¯s different for everyone, but basically you just need to picture a technique that represents you and everything about you, and then work towards making it a reality. It¡¯s like trying to project yourself to the world.¡± Rory answered. ¡°However, keep in mind that people aren¡¯t that simple, so a person can create different animus from different aspects of themselves. Although those people are true masters. Also there¡¯s no limit to what an Animus can do, as long as you¡¯re creative and talented enough, you can create some truly innovative techniques.¡± He added. ¡°Then, how many Animus do you have?¡± Amelia asked after a while. ¡°Me?¡± Rory smiled. ¡°I have 3. You¡¯ve already seen one of them too.¡± Amelia was shocked to hear that. She tried to figure out when he used one of his Animus in front of her, but she couldn¡¯t figure it out. That¡¯s when Allen stood up. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Rory asked. ¡°I¡¯ve already conveyed the message I wanted, and even got to see an amazing fight. I think I¡¯ll be overstaying my welcome if they stayed any longer.¡± Allen replied. ¡°I see. Then we¡¯ll see you around.¡± Allen nodded and said goodbye to the two before leaving. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head back so that I can treat your injuries.¡± Rory stood up and said. Amelia opened her mouth to say something. ¡°No, my Animus isn¡¯t a healing type.¡± But Rory answered her before she spoke. ¡°And no, it isn¡¯t what I¡¯m using to read people¡¯s heart. This is a high level technique by itself. I¡¯ll explain those when I think you¡¯re ready.¡± He answered and started to walk. Irritated, Amelia silently followed behind him. The next day, the third day of the tournament began with the remaining 32 contestants. At this point, the ones who were being talked about the most was definitely Rory and Amelia, and for obvious reasons. They once again shocked everyone when they both easily won their matches. Amelia won her match against a famous soldier, and with one hit too. Because she was still not fully healed from her fight the day before, despite her getting treatment from Rory, she decided to end the fight immediately by using her strongest strike on the soldier. Anyone who watched the match knew that that soldier received lifetime injuries. As for Rory, he faced the boss of the biggest gang in the the kingdom and defeated him with a slap to the face that robbed him of his consciousness. After he was declared the winner, his opponent¡¯s lackeys charged on the stage to avenge their boss. The result was¡­.well, not pretty. Rory ignored them at first, but they kept coming at him. That¡¯s when Amelia stepped in and tried to calm him and the men down. The men however didn¡¯t heed her warning and attacked her, this was when she started breaking their arms and legs. If she hadn¡¯t, she was sure that Rory would¡¯ve slaughtered them all, without batting an eye. After they were dismantled by Amelia, the gang was locked up by the police who had wanted to lock them up for a long time now. It was like that that the third round came to an ended. Back at their hotel room, Amelia was sitting in front of Rory, while he stood and looked at her from head to toe. ¡°Your injuries are healing faster than the average person, but if you encounter another tough opponent like Benson, then there¡¯s a high chance of you being eliminated with your current injuries.¡± He said. ¡°I should try to end my fight tomorrow as soon as possible as well?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°That would be for the best.¡± He stooped down in front her and looked into her eyes. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Amelia said nothing and looked back into his eyes. After a while, he smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten stronger in the last couple days.¡± He said. ¡°Really?¡± Amelia looked at her arm as if checking her gains. Seeing that, Rory laughed. ¡°You might haven¡¯t noticed because you¡¯re comparing yourself to me, but in the months that you¡¯ve been with me you¡¯ve grown by leaps and bounds. If you had your current strength when you faced the knights of your country, then you wouldn¡¯t have need my help.¡± He said. ¡°You¡¯ve doubled in strength.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really feel like I¡¯ve gotten that much stronger though. I mean, just this country alone has so many people who can defeat me.¡± Amelia said. ¡°The you of the past would¡¯ve struggled in the first round and lost to benson in the second round in less than a minute.¡± Rory said. ¡°Trust me, you¡¯ve grown stronger.¡± He smiled at her. ¡°You want to beat me in the finals right?¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not that I have a grudge against you or anything. In fact, I owe you my life. It¡¯s just that I wanted to know.¡± She looked at him. ¡°I wanted to know just strong are you, and how far apart are we.¡± Rory laughed. ¡°So you just wanted to test yourself?¡± She nodded. ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. It shows your desire to grow, and your will to become the best you can be.¡± He placed his hand on her head. ¡°People like that are my favorite, because they are always fun to be around.¡± He smiled at her. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ll just have to force your way to finals. You don¡¯t have to do it to win the bet, you just need to focus on yourself.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be selfish?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being selfish?¡± Rory asked back in return. ¡°Humans are naturally selfish. No matter what they say, they only do things that are beneficial to them. They give to the less fortunate to feel good about themselves. Of course, there are those who feel enjoyment from seeing others happiness, but in the end they do it for themselves and not the person. There is no one in this world that would do anything that would make them and the ones they care about unhappy, without a reason. They do the things they do only for themselves, it is just that their actions can result in happiness for others. So I say to be human is to be selfish, and to claim that one is not self is to claim that one is not human. So as a human accept selfishness because we all need it to be truly happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± Amelia reflected on Rory¡¯s words. She had some problem with them, but she couldn¡¯t completely deny them. If she did, that would be hypocrisy. As such, she accepted them. ¡°Then if I wanted to selfishly beat you to pulp, it¡¯s alright?¡± She asked. Rory nodded without hesitation. ¡°If you can do it, I don¡¯t see why not.¡± He smirked. ¡°But that¡¯s only if you can though.¡± 14th Night: Quarter Finals The next day, the 4th round began. Because there was only 16 contestants left, this round was kept at one stage instead of being spread across the various stages in the city. Because of this, everyone was in one place for the first time. Both the audience and the fighters. There were people who never saw each other fight and only heard rumors, coming together. ¡°The round of 16, just three more matches until the finals.¡± Rory said while looking around. He had the same carefree air about him that he had before the tournament even began. It was correct to say that he had yet to face someone challenging. ¡°Just three more matches¡­¡± Amelia on the other hand was a bit more serious. Although she only had one serious battle since the tournament, because of the short intervals between the rounds, it was obvious that her body won¡¯t be on tip top shape for the majority of the tournament. ¡°The ones that made it this far are indeed something else.¡± Rory said while looking at the contestants. Amelia looked as well, but other than the Brook Sisters and Black Bull who caused a commotion in the preliminaries, she didn¡¯t know the rest. ¡°Oh, I remember that you said that there were three Princes striving to inherit the throne, and that they were using this tournament to show off the strength of their faction.¡± ¡°I did. The reason why this tournament is even happening is because the battle between the princes had made the country tense, and the king wanted the citizens blow off some steam.¡± Rory answered. ¡°If I remember correctly, the Brook Sisters follow the second prince, while Black Bull Omar follows the first Prince.¡± Rory nodded. ¡°But you also said that there was someone who followed the third prince who was far stronger than the first three, but was keeping a low profile.¡± She looked around. ¡°Is that person still here? Did they make it to this round?¡± Rory smiled and nodded. ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°You see that person sleeping under the tree in the back?¡± Amelia looked and saw someone sleeping under a tree really far away from everyone else. The person was a man with curly greenish hair, a slacker¡¯s face, and had a medium built. He was dressed in full grey and wore a black mantle. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s strange.¡± Amelia noticed something odd about the man. ¡°Even though I see him, I don¡¯t feel any presence from him at all. It¡¯s like if I look away, I would think that he wasn¡¯t there in the first place.¡± ¡°Oh? You noticed.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°That¡¯s because of the technique he¡¯s using to conceal his presence.¡± ¡°You mean he¡¯s purposely hiding his presence? For what reason?¡± ¡°He might not have any. It might be a habit of his to keep himself hidden because of the life he lives.¡± Rory answered. ¡°What kind of life is that?¡± Amelia asked. She didn¡¯t know for sure, but only someone who lived in the shadows would have such a habit. ¡°The 4th Round will now begin!¡± The announcer¡¯s voice echoed out. ¡°Will everyone please take their seats. As for the first fighters, please enter the ring.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m up.¡± Rory took one leap and landed on the ring. ¡°That¡¯s him, the guy who was seen hanging out with Sir Allen.¡± ¡°I heard that none of matches have last past a minute.¡± ¡°He beat that gangster Jecko, with a single slap.¡± The moment he entered the ring countless people were whispering about him. However, Rory didn¡¯t seem to mind and just stood there with his usual smile. His opponent soon made his way on the stage. He was a giant of a man, who carried a gigantic axe. ¡°I am the head executioner here, my name is Killer Kay.¡± The man said. ¡°I heard about your easy time making it this far, but let me tell you. This is where you-¡± ¡°Um, could you not waste everyone¡¯s time with your evil monologue? If you¡¯re going to fight just do it. Is there really a need to hype yourself up?¡± Rory cut him off and said. He looked like he wasn¡¯t the less intimidated by the man. ¡°Y-You!¡± The man lifted his axe. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± He swung down the axe on Rory. ¡°He¡¯s not going to dodge?¡± Rory stood in place and didn¡¯t showed any intention of block. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll take this shoulder as repayment for mocking me!¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. *Bam!* The axe slammed down on Rory¡¯s body, however instead of chopping off a piece of his shoulder, the axe shattered when it came in contact with his body. The only thing that was damaged on him was his clothes. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re more capable than I thought. To be able to cut through my invisible defense and touch my clothes, I see why you¡¯re the head executioner.¡± Rory praised. However, the man didn¡¯t react to his words at all. That was because he was shocked by what he just saw. He put all of his strength into that swing, and he could only cut his clothes? That level of shock was enough make someone lose their mind. ¡°Are you done? Or are you going to use your Animus?¡± Rory asked. ¡°Animus?¡± The man muttered. Even though he still hadn¡¯t used his Animus, he knew that it wasn¡¯t something impressive enough to defeat someone who could tank his strongest swing. The difference in power was too obvious. ¡°I¡­.I¡­¡± The man couldn¡¯t speak in the end. ¡°Is that so? Then should I attack?¡± Rory asked. The man stepped back when he heard that. He heard about Rory¡¯s strength and knew that it wouldn¡¯t end well for him if he took a hit. ¡°I surrender!¡± He immediately tried to surrender. However, he spoke a second too late. *Bam!* Rory¡¯s fist slammed into his chest and sent him flying out of the ring. The man flew for several meters, and headed towards the tree that the person who follows the third prince was sleeping. Rory smirked when he saw that. With his eyes closed, the man lifted one arm and caught Kay with ease. He then threw him to the side like he was trash. ¡°Winner, Rory!¡± Since Kay had surrendered, Rory won. He took one last look at the man sleeping under the three and left the ring. ¡°That Rory guy, is indeed strong.¡± Black Bull said as he watched Rory walk towards Amelia. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll win this tournament and bring honor to the prince!¡± After Rory¡¯s match was over, the other matches proceeded as planned. Amelia won her match in only 5 minutes by going for the win from the start of the match. She didn¡¯t even allow her opponent to use their Animus and crushed them with everything she got, thus once again preventing her injuries from worsening. The brook sisters and Black Bull also won their matches, and moved on to the quarter finals. As for the man who served the third prince, his match was last. He faced a famous general who was considered one of the favorites to win the tournament. However, the match was over in an instant. Before the General could even make his move, the man appeared in front of him like a ghost. He then hit the general on the side of his head with the handle of a sword, which he took from out of his mantle. The strike from the sword handle was so powerful that the General was immediately knocked out. Amelia noticed that what the man targeted was the man¡¯s temple, which was a vital spot on the brain, and he did it so naturally. ¡°This man is used to fighting strong opponents.¡± She mumbled to herself. ¡°No, he¡¯s used to killing people stronger than him.¡± Rory said nothing more and stared at the man. The man also stared back at him for a bit before leaving the stage. ¡°The winner is Roc. With his victory those competing in the quarter finals have been decided.¡± The announcer declared. ¡°So his name is Roc.¡± Amelia muttered. ¡°He¡¯s strong.¡± ¡°Yup. My fight with him in the semis should be fun.¡± Rory said. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the semis already? You haven¡¯t even fought in the quarter finals yet.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Your opponent is Black Bull Omar, who¡¯s under the first prince. I doubt he can defeat you, but don¡¯t be careless.¡± ¡°Thanks for the advice. As for my match tomorrow¡­.¡± Rory glanced at Omar who was glaring at him from a far. ¡°It should be fun as well.¡± The next day, it was finally time for the quarter finals. The venue was changed to a stadium that was created over fifty years ago. The amount of people spectating had by far surpassed the normal amount. It was like a grand event similar to a holiday. ¡°The king really is going all out.¡± Said Rory after entering the stadium. ¡°He must really want to prevent a war from breaking out.¡± ¡°The people look like they¡¯re enjoying the tournament, so you could say that it¡¯s successful.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°My match is against one of the brook sisters, while you¡¯re facing Black Bull. If we defeat them I wonder how would the crowd react.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll cheer. Everyone loves a good twist after all. Especially since we¡¯re so mysterious, I¡¯m sure there a lot of people cheering for us.¡± Rory said. ¡°Are you one of them?¡± As Rory said that, Allen appeared beside him. ¡°While I admit that seeing one of you win would be fun, I¡¯m obligated to root for the citizens of our country. It would also be better that a citizen of the country wins.¡± Allen replied. ¡°Is that so?¡± Rory laughed. ¡°Well, I have no intention of losing. So if your country wants to win they better give it their all.¡± After he said that, he walked away from Allen and headed towards the ring. ¡°Is he always like that?¡± Allen asked Amelia. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± She replied. ¡°Now ladies and gentlemen, it¡¯s time for the moment that you¡¯ve all been waiting for!¡± The announcer¡¯s voice rang out. This was the same announcer from the preliminaries who were a mask. ¡°It¡¯s time to start the quarter finals!¡± ¡°Ohhhhhh!¡± The people cheered with excitement after hearing the announcer. ¡°We¡¯re down to the best 8, which means that these 8 have conquered 120 persons to reach this point! They¡¯re definitely not your average people!¡± The announcer spoke with excitement. ¡°We have 4 matches and let me tell you, each match will definitely blow you away!¡± At this point black bull Omar walked on to the stage. The announcer pointed at him. ¡°First, let¡¯s start off with this man! The young rampaging bull that¡¯s not only taken this tournament by storm, but has gained fame as powerful soldier who has protected our country again and again as a part of the military, Black Bull Omar!¡± The audience cheered loudly for Omar. It was obvious that he was really popular. ¡°And here¡¯s his opponent!¡± Rory walked on to the stage. ¡°He¡¯s a mystery man who came out of nowhere and literally walk over everyone he faced to reach this stage! A man whose matches haven¡¯t last passed a minute! None of his opponents could make him break a sweat! Just how strong is this monster! Rory!¡± Even though the cheers he got couldn¡¯t compare to Omar¡¯s, Rory got a surprisingly warm welcome, despite being a outsider. ¡®It must be because of Allen. A lot of people witnessed us talking casually, so they might think that we¡¯re friends. I won¡¯t be surprised if some believed that he invited me to join the tournament.¡¯ Rory thought to himself. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± He looked at Omar. ¡°I should take this time to enjoy what¡¯s in front of me.¡± Omar was glaring at him and seemed ready to go. Seeing that, Rory grinned. ¡°This is why I can¡¯t stop fighting.¡± He said. ¡°When they¡¯re people like you out there I can¡¯t help but be a bit hot blooded myself.¡± He stretched his hand out towards Omar. ¡°Come. Let¡¯s both enjoy ourselves.¡± ¡°Ready? Start!¡± The announcer declared the start of the match. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Omar charged towards Rory like a bull freed from his pen, and threw a powerful punch. Rory punched out as well. *Bam!* Their fists clashed and caused a loud sound to echo out. ¡°Ugh!¡± Omar groaned from the stinging sensation he felt from his fist. Rory threw a kick, which he avoided by jumping back. ¡®What a punch!¡¯ Omar exclaimed in his mind as he looked at his fist that was now tingling. ¡°Not bad. You have some skill, I¡¯ll give you that.¡± Rory said to him. Unlike Omar there wasn¡¯t any hint of pain on his face. He then cracked his fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely enjoy this!¡± He charged towards Omar. Seeing that, Omar took a fighting stance and welcomed him. The two cross fists and punched the other in the face. Omar was forced back a couple dozen steps with a red face, while Rory didn¡¯t budge in the least. ¡°Dammit!¡± Omar clenched his fists and they immediately became metallic as well as the rest of his body. He had activated Iron Skin, and was preparing to use its offensive variation, Iron Fist. He charged forward once again. Rory once again, crossed fists with him. *Bam!* He punched Rory in the stomach, while Rory punched him in the face. He wasn¡¯t forced back like last time, but his head was forcibly turned by the fist. ¡°I-I can take him!¡± Omar forcibly turned his head and hit Rory with a hook to the face, which made his head fly back. *Bam!* ¡°Cough?!¡± Rory countered with a body blow which made Omar let out all the air in his lungs. He clenched his teeth and hit Rory with a left hook and then followed up with a punch over his heart. ¡°Good. You have spirit.¡± *Bam!* Rory lifted him off the ground with an uppercut. ¡°Show me your tenacity!¡± Omar fell on his back, but soon struggled back to his feet. ¡°Ohhh!¡± He roared and released his anima to the max to power himself up. His skin soon looked even more metallic, especially his fists. Rory laughed when he saw him pump himself up. However, don¡¯t misunderstand. Rory wasn¡¯t laughing to mock him, he was laughing to express his excitement. ¡°Come, young buck. Let¡¯s see how far you can push me!¡± 15th Night: VS Black Bull After pumping himself up, Omar changed. His speed was far faster than it was before. He reached Rory in a split second, and was throwing a punch in the next. ¡°Woah!¡± Rory actually avoided that punch by moving his head to the side. This shocked Amelia, because this was the first time she¡¯s seen Rory avoid an attack. He jumped back to create some distance between him and black bull. Black bull chased after him and threw heavy blow after heavy blow. Rory avoided them with skillful footwork while he stepped back. ¡°Oh?! Does Black Bull have him on the ropes?!¡± The announcer provided commentary. ¡°Black bull is throwing powerful punches after the other, but Rory is skillfully avoiding them! Is he running away in the face of Omar¡¯s power?!¡± At that moment, Rory stopped. *Bam!* Omar slammed his fist on Rory¡¯s face. ¡°Run away?¡± Rory grabbed hold of the fist that punched him, and moved it from his face to reveal a small cut on his forehead. ¡°This isn¡¯t enough to make me run.¡± He dragged Omar closed to him and slammed his first into his stomach. ¡°Guah?!¡± Omar cried out in pain after receiving the punch. He looked down and looked at where the fist had hit. He saw cracks appear in his metallic skin, and blood flowing from it. ¡°If you want to see me run then you¡¯ll have to bring the Scared King Licht himself or his nemesis the Night King Roctis!¡± Rory slammed his leg in Omar¡¯s midsection and sent him flying off the stage, and caused him to bounced off the ground a couple times, before stopping. ¡°He just said that only the world¡¯s two most powerful beings can make him run. That¡¯s a new level of arrogance.¡± Said Allen with a wry smile. He looked at Omar, who slowly struggled to his feet after taking Rory¡¯s kick. ¡°A-Announcer¡­..Could you please shut up and stop provoking him? I already have my hands full as it is.¡± Omar said grudgefully. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re indeed tough.¡± Rory took a fighting stance. ¡°Let¡¯s take it up notch!¡± He ran and jumped into the air, aiming a flying kick at Omar. Omar stood his ground crossed his arms in front of him to block the kick. *Bam!* ¡°Argh!¡± His feet were forced into the ground, from him forcing himself to remain in one spot. ¡°Whew~.¡± Rory whistled in admiration. He then used Omar¡¯s arms as foothold and jumped back. The moment his foot touch the ground, he rushed towards him again. ¡®Shit! This guy is too strong!¡¯ Omar screamed in his mind. Rory reached in front of him, only to dash to the side and attack him from the right. Omar threw a punch at the side, however it only hit air. Rory ducked under it and hit him with an uppercut to the chest. *Bam!* Omar was forced off the ground and into the air. Rory leaped after him and grabbed after him. ¡°Shit!¡± Omar cursed and a wall of earth formed between him and Rory. He kicked off that earth to increase the distance between them. Immediately after, Rory easily broke through the earth with a smile. ¡°Elements might not be my forte, but it hurts my pride to see it that wall getting easily destroyed.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Omar said as he twisted his body to have his head facing the direction Rory was coming from. Earth then formed at his feet, which he used to kick off and launch himself towards Rory. *Bam!* He hit him with all of his strength, which caused Rory to fall towards the ground and land on his back. Omar also fell towards the ring but managed to land on his feet. ¡°How about that?¡± He turned around to look at Rory. ¡°It was decent.¡± ¡°?!¡± Only to be shocked to see Rory standing directly in front of him. Rory rubbed his cheek with his usual smile on his face. Omar was frozen in place, he didn¡¯t know how to react. For now, he decided to form some distance between them, by leaping back. Rory didn¡¯t chase him and stood in place. ¡°Even my strongest punch wasn¡¯t able to keep him down. What a monster!¡± Omar mumbled under his breath. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s do or die!¡± He placed both arms at his side and took a deep breath. ¡°Hm?¡± Rory noticed that his anima had spiked to another level, and started concentrating around his fists. His anima then changed from green to a black color. ¡°Is that Dark Nature Anima?¡± Amelia asked in shock. If Omar possessed this type of anima it meant that he had an extremely dark heart and that he was capable of using sinister abilities similar to the Night Kin. ¡°No, that isn¡¯t Dark nature anima.¡± Allen said from the side. ¡°There are times when anima change from its natural color, one of those times is when using one¡¯s Animus.¡± He said. ¡°Dark Nature Anima isn¡¯t only black in color, its gives off a terrifying pressure that can make your skin crawl. Omar¡¯s anima doesn¡¯t have that.¡± Amelia looked at Omar clenching his fists as the black anima concentrated around his fists. ¡°So he¡¯s going to use his Animus.¡± She watched as the anima surrounding Omar¡¯s fists morphed into the shape of two demonic bull heads with fangs. They were semi-transparent and looked like they were alive. ¡°Roar!¡± The two bulls roared like two wild beasts. They had became Omar¡¯s fists and weapons of destruction. ¡°Black Bull!¡± Omar thrust out his fist and one of the bulls roared at Rory with a bloodthirsty expression. ¡°Oh?¡± Rory placed his hand on his chin as if he was intrigued. ¡°So that¡¯s your Animus?¡± Omar suddenly kicked off the ground and instantly appeared at his side, while he was still talking. ¡°Hm?¡± When Rory looked to his side, he saw one of the bulls chomping towards his head. He jumped out of the way and up in the air. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away!¡± Omar quickly caught up to him in midair. Rory watched as the bull buck him with its huge head. *Bam!* Rory¡¯s head was forcibly turned, and he was forced out of the air and crashed into the ring. ¡°That hurt quite a bit.¡± Rory said with a groan. He looked up and saw a black bull head heading towards him. He swung his feet towards his chest and rolled out of the way and onto his feet. He looked at the dust cloud caused by the bull hitting the ring, and saw something shot out of it. It was the bull that was seemingly pulling Omar. Rory jumped to the side to avoid them. That¡¯s when he saw Omar arrived at where he was before, and thrust his fist to the side. *Bam!* He was suddenly hit in the midsection. He looked and saw that the bull had stretched from Omar¡¯s fist, and hit him who was several meters away from him. Rory then saw the other bull charging towards him while dragging Omar. Rory tried to distance himself, but the first bull that hit him suddenly grew and used its giant mouth to chomp into him and kept from running. ¡°Ohhh!¡± Omar roared as the bull that was pulling him doubled in size, he drew his fist back and slammed the bull in Rory¡¯s chest. *Bam!* Rory was sent falling out of the ring, while the crowd cheered. ¡°Oh! Could black bull have done it?! Did he defeat the mysterious Rory?!¡± The announcer shouted. ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± Rory who was cutting through the air, flipped and gently stopped himself by landing on the ground. ¡°I still haven¡¯t lost.¡± He said with a smiled. Omar was shocked because he knew that Rory took a direct hit from his attack, and yet other than a few stretches he was basically unharmed. ¡®What is this guy?! What¡¯s with his defense?!¡¯ Omar screamed in his head as if he was going mad. ¡°But I gotta say, your Animus is really well thought out. At first glance, it looks like a power type, but in actuality it¡¯s very diverse.¡± Rory said. ¡°It can act like a real bull and pull you towards whatever you desire, to make up for your lack of speed and mobility. It can stretch and chased after its opponents, which is good for surprise attacks. It can crush things with its mouth. It can prevent targets from running away by clamping down on them with its mouth, and finally it can increase in size to boost its destructive capabilities.¡± He started clapping. ¡°It¡¯s so diverse that I¡¯m truly impressed. From it I can tell that despite looking like a simple muscle head, you¡¯re a talented tactician.¡± He praised Omar, but Omar didn¡¯t feel honored at all. He realized that Rory allowed himself to be at the whim of his opponent so that he could figure out how his ability works. ¡®Seriously, this guy is a real monster to figure everything out in a situation like this.¡¯ Omar thought. ¡°Your Animus was so interesting that it inspired me to create a similar technique.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Omar was shocked to hear what Rory said. ¡°As the creator of the originally, I¡¯d like to hear your opinion on my imitation.¡± Anima started condensing around Rory¡¯s fists. The anima then morphed into 8 black snakes, with four on each hand. ¡°Hsss!¡± The snakes let out hissing sounds while moving around like real snakes. ¡°I call it, Black Orochi.¡± Rory said. ¡°He stole my Animus?¡± Omar was beyond shocked. ¡°Stole? No, I was just inspired. Your Black Bull is basically all of your anima condensed into a fixed shape, you then use all of your mentally capacity to control it as you pleased. I just did the same thing in my own way.¡± Rory responded. ¡°Well, mine might be superior since my anima control is better than yours.¡± Omar clenched his teeth. ¡°An imitation is still just an imitation!¡± He thrust his fists forward and the two bulls rushed towards Rory. ¡°Sometimes the imitation can surpass the original.¡± Rory lifted both hands in front of him, and the eight snakes rushed towards the bulls. They then suddenly grew into eight truck-sized snakes which towered into the sky, looking down on both Omar and his bulls. ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± Omar and his bulls were shocked speechless as they looked up at the giant black snakes. ¡°Hsss!¡± While he was shocked, two snakes swept down and devoured the bulls and clamp on Omar¡¯s arms. Two more snakes then grabbed each of his legs, the four snakes then lifted him in the air as if putting him on display. The other 4 snakes slithered around him as if waiting to pounce and swallow him whole. ¡°See? Better than the original.¡± Rory said while both hands were stretched out, looking up at Omar. ¡°If this was a fight to the death, you would¡¯ve turnt into snake shit already.¡± He said with a small laugh. Seeing that he had no chance to win, Omar bit his lip in frustration. ¡°I surrender.¡± 16th Night: To The Semifinals! ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! Black Bull Omar has surrendered! The winner is Rory!¡± The announcer¡¯s excited voiced resounded through the entire stadium. ¡®Is it me, or did that announcer really wanted me to lose?¡¯ Omar thought to himself after being lowered to the ground by Rory¡¯s Black Orochi. ¡°Hahaha! This was a good match!¡± Rory approached him and said. ¡°Thanks for the technique. Let¡¯s do this again when you¡¯re stronger and developed another interesting Animus.¡± ¡°Just so that you can steal it?¡± Omar asked. Rory only smiled in response and walked off the stage. He received a lots of cheers as he left the ring. Allen looked at Amelia beside him. ¡°You didn¡¯t seem a bit worried for him no matter what happened during the fight.¡± He said. ¡°Were you that confident that he would win?¡± ¡°There was no doubt that Rory would win. I¡¯ve been around him for too long to doubt his strength.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°However, to say that I wasn¡¯t worried would be lying.¡± ¡°Oh? Why were you worried if you knew he was going to win?¡± Allen asked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried that he would lose.¡± Amelia looked at the smiling Rory who was walking towards them. ¡°I was worried that he would accidentally kill his opponent, but I guess I was just worried for nothing.¡± Allen was shocked to hear this. Amelia continued. ¡°If Rory had killed Black Bull, who wasn¡¯t only a popular soldier for the kingdom but also a follower of the First Prince, then Rory would possibly become the enemy of the country.¡± She looked at Allen and spoke with a serious face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see this country lose countless citizens over something so trivial.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Allen was silent when he heard that. Amelia spoke with such a serious tone that it was obvious that she couldn¡¯t see Rory losing if he had to face the entire country. Such conviction was bone-chilling. ¡®Just what kind of feat did he do in front of her to make her believe in his strength to such a degree?¡¯ Allen asked himself. He then started to rethink if what the king said was really true. If so, then this man named Rory could lead to this country¡¯s destruction if they weren¡¯t careful. ¡°Yo! I¡¯m back! Sorry it took so long, I was just so intrigued by his Animus.¡± Rory said as he approached them. ¡°I¡¯m just glad that you didn¡¯t use the techniques you used to kill everyone in my country.¡± Amelia casually said. Allen looked at her as if she was crazy. ¡®He did what now?¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t use those in this tournament. Those are killing moves. I don¡¯t really have that much non-killing moves, so I have to use the basics in the tournament.¡± Rory answered. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m grateful for that fight just now. That Black Bull technique isn¡¯t an insta-kill move and is very versatile; so I can use my own version Black Orochi in situation like this tournament.¡± He said. ¡°The next match is about to begin.¡± They all faced the ring and saw the mystery man Roc, who worked for the Third Prince, facing his opponent. ¡°Sir Allen, who do you think will win?¡± Rory asked. Allen looked at him and then at the stage. ¡°I only know of fighting abilities of one of them, and that¡¯s lieutenant Bask. Ive only seen Roc, but I¡¯ve never seen him fight before the tournament.¡± ¡°Oh? So he isn¡¯t in the military?¡± Rory asked. ¡°I can¡¯t answer that question.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°You seem interested in him, Rory.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°I¡¯m not interested, just curious.¡± Rory looked at Roc as he prepared to fight. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve met someone who practice the martial art that he does. I was pretty sure they weren¡¯t any after Rei.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Amelia was confused by what Rory said. However, she could tell from his face that he wasn¡¯t going to talk so she decided to watch Roc¡¯s match. ¡°Ready? Start!¡± At the announcer¡¯s call, the match had commenced. The man called Bask rushed towards Roc, while pulling out a gun. ¡°He intends to cripple his legs.¡± Said Rory. Just like he said, Bask fired his gun at Roc¡¯s legs. He was using bullets made from anima. ¡°It¡¯s not going to work.¡± Rory said with a smile. He watched as Roc faded out and the bullets passed through his legs like he was a mirage. ¡°Wha?!¡± This shocked Amelia and everyone watching. Shortly after, Roc appeared beside Bask, like he faded in. This caught Bask off guard, and he tried to escape, but it was too late. Roc unsheathed his sword hidden by his mantle and slashed Bask with a single quick draw. ¡°Guah?!¡± Bask screamed out in pain as blood spurted from the cut across his chest. He immediately tumbled over and bled on the floor. ¡°Impressive, he cut him in a way that won¡¯t kill immediately. But if his victim doesn¡¯t receive medical attention soon, he¡¯ll die.¡± Rory calmly said. Tournament officials quickly dispatched a team to retrieve and treat Bask, showing the severity of his wound. ¡°What was that just now?¡± Amelia asked. She wasn¡¯t able to follow Roc¡¯s movements at all. She believed that if she was the one who fought him, she might¡¯ve ended up like Bask. ¡°Just an optical illusion. Don¡¯t try to figure it out, you¡¯ll only waste your time. Only those who knows the inner workings of that technique can defend against it.¡± Rory said. ¡°More importantly, you¡¯re up.¡± He patted her body telling her to get moving. She looked at him for a bit before heading to the stage. When she reached, her opponent was already waiting for her. ¡°Seriously, first that stupid bull lost to that monster Rory, and now another monster appeared and cut down a lieutenant with easy. Just what is up with this tournament?¡± Said Harley Brooks. She was Amelia opponent this time. ¡°Well, whatever. You don¡¯t seem like a monster like those two.¡± She took a fighting stance. ¡°Even if you were, I would still beat you in the name of the second prince!¡± She declared loud and clear. ¡®She¡¯s going to be a tough opponent. My injuries are better, however I shouldn¡¯t get reckless or they¡¯ll reopen again. If that happens, I might not be able to reach the finals and win the bet.¡± Amelia thought to herself. That¡¯s when she remembered her conversation with Rory. ¡°Then force your way to the finals. You don¡¯t have to do it to win the bet, you just need to focus on yourself. There¡¯s nothing wrong with being selfish.¡± These words played in her head, which caused her to calm down. ¡®That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t need to think about the bet. I just need to give my all and selfishly enjoy myself.¡¯ She thought, while taking a fighting pose. ¡°There¡¯s no need to hold back, just let loose and worry about the consequences later!¡± She said. ¡°Ready? Start!¡± The announcer signaled the start of the match. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to slip up like Black Bull.¡± Harley¡¯s anima suddenly spiked before concentrating at her feet. ¡°I¡¯m going all out from the beginning!¡± Amelia watched as silver boots appeared on her feet. ¡°Jet Boots!¡± Harley suddenly disappeared from where she was standing. *Bam!* ¡°Ugh?!¡± Amelia was suddenly hit from behind. She quickly turned around, but didn¡¯t see anyone there. *Bam!* This time she was hit from her side. ¡°Damn it!¡± She threw at kick to her side, but only hit air. Amelia scanned the area with her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t find Harley anywhere. ¡°Oh? A speed type Animus?¡± Rory said as he watched the match. He saw it all. The moment those silver boots appeared on Harley¡¯s feet, her speed spiked. She could move with a lightning fast speed. She used this speed to circle around Amelia¡¯s back and attack her from her blindspot. She repeated this when Amelia turned around to retaliate, and attack her from the side. ¡°Speed types are always tricky to handle, especially for novices like Elia.¡± Rory said, as he watched Amelia search for her opponent. ¡°Well, they are several ways to deal with them. Especially one as simple-minded as this one.¡± He said. *Bam!* Amelia was once again hit from the side while she was searching for Harley, and was forced to take a few steps to the side. She took a step forward, but was suddenly attacked from the front and sent flying back. She dug her feet into the ground to stop herself, and wipe the blood from her busted lip. ¡®This little bitch¡­.¡¯ She started to get annoyed. ¡®Her attacks don¡¯t carry that much weight, but she can wear me down by attacking me over and over again. But that will be a battle of endurance. Will I fall first or will she run out of steam?¡¯ Amelia jumped in the air. ¡®That kind of battle is disadvantageous to me. So I need to test out how her ability works.¡¯ She looked down on the ring. There she saw Harley stop for a second before disappearing again. *Bam!* The next time she appeared, it was above Amelia, who she forced to the ground with a spinning kick to the back of the head. Amelia quickly manipulated the air to cushion her fall. ¡°So she has to stop to change directions, which means that while I was looking for her she was only running around the ring.¡± She looked up and saw Harley falling back to the ground. ¡°She also can¡¯t move in the air, like on the ground.¡± Amelia covered her feet in lightning and activated Lightning Skates. She charged towards where Harley was falling and pulled her saber. Just as she was about to enter her range, she noticed a smile on Harley¡¯s face. ¡®A trap!¡¯ Amelia immediately changed directions since she couldn¡¯t immediately stop. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away!¡± That¡¯s when Harley appeared in front her. ¡®She can move midair!¡¯ Amelia came to the realization that she was tricked. However, it was too late. Harley spun around and it seemed as if her feet suddenly accelerated. She slammed her leg on the side of Amelia¡¯s head. *Bam!* Amelia was sent flying to the side with blood flowing from her head. ¡°Argh?!¡± However, the one who screamed out in pain was Harley. She fell on the ground holding the leg she used to kick Amelia. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± She screamed and looked at her leg. There were spikes of earth in it that were at least 3 inches thick. ¡°That bitch! She created these spikes of earth and placed them at her head at last minute!¡± Harley cursed. Amelia who was laid out on her back, soon got up and smiled at Harley while blood flowed down the side of her head. ¡°No matter how fast you are, you can¡¯t move with your legs like that.¡± She stomped the ground, and earth erected from under the ring and lifted Harley into the air. Amelia then sprinted and jumped above her. ¡°Bye, bitch!¡± Amelia covered her fist in flames and slammed it into Harley¡¯s midsection. *Bam!* The pillar of earth that Harley was on, shattered from the impact and flames engulfed her. Amelia¡¯s punch forced her through the earth pillar and onto the ring, and caused cracks to form in it as the flames spread. When she lifted her fist, Amelia saw that Harley was out cold with burn marks on her stomach, and blood leaking from her mouth. She walked away from her and didn¡¯t look back. ¡°Harley Brooks is unfit to battle! Thus the winner is Amelia Rosa!¡± The announcer¡¯s voiced resounded in the stadium. This was an unforeseen event by everyone watching. The first and second prince have both suffered loses in a single round, because of their subordinates defeat. The last match saw an angry Emily Brooks butcher her opponent to reach the semifinals, after her sister was rushed to receive first aid. After her match she glared at the person she would face next, Amelia. As for Rory, he had his eye on his opponent; the mysterious Roc. The tournament had finally reached the semifinals! 17th Night: Intense Battle! Rory Vs Roc The day of the semifinals came with lots of fanfare. This was because the semifinalists were not what the people expected. The expected semifinals included the famous black bull and the Brooks sister, and even the highest ranking lieutenant Bask. Yet, three of those persons were defeated and only one of the Brooks sisters remained. As for Roc who followed the third prince, he was a low key person like the prince himself, so not many knew about him. As such, the semifinals that was different from their expectations, now seemed far more exciting than ever. ¡°Ahh~. My head hurts.¡± Rory said as he laid out on his stomach in the stadium. ¡°I told you not drink so much last night.¡± Amelia said as she looked at him. ¡°I think it¡¯s that whiskey that I accidentally drank this morning.¡± ¡°How do you accidentally drink a whole whiskey?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I mistook it for mouthwash when I was still half asleep. Once I tasted it, it was down hill from there.¡± ¡°Come, stand up. It¡¯s almost time for your match.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna~. Tell the earth to stop spinning first.¡± Rory complained. ¡°You know, for someone who¡¯s a legend you¡¯re a disgrace of a human being when you¡¯re drunk.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Someone has to be~. We all can¡¯t be straight-laced like you. The world needs people like me to function.¡± ¡°I doubt the world needs someone that had a turf war with an alley cat last night.¡± She replied. ¡°Hot! I¡¯m so hot!¡± Rory suddenly started stripping, but Amelia stopped him. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Are you trying to get charged for indecent exposure?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve committed so many crimes and broken so many laws, that I¡¯m due for execution in at least 57 countries. You think I care about a misdemeanor?¡± Rory said seriously. ¡°Lets now start the semifinals!¡± The announcer¡¯s voice resounded in the stadium. ¡°See? We¡¯re about to start! Do you want to be disqualified for committing a crime?¡± Amelia said. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Rory suddenly sprung to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll go. I¡¯m sure a good workout will sober me up.¡± He said. Amelia sighed in relief. ¡°Seriously, I can¡¯t believe that you were describe as a natural ruler with unmatched charisma in the legends.¡± She said. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m up.¡± Rory said after seeing his opponent walk up to the ring. ¡°Good luck.¡± Amelia said, as he leaped onto the stage. ¡°We will now begin the first match of the semifinals!¡± The announcer shouted. ¡°These two contenders have shown pure dominance from the first stage until now, and have defeated stronger opponents one after the other!¡± A spotlight shone on Rory. ¡°First is the powerful Rory, who ended all of his fights in less than a minute up until the last round. Where he defeated the infamous Black Bull Omar by imitating his Animus! He¡¯s a real monster!¡± The crowd cheered for Rory, while he waved at them with a smile on his face. A spotlight also shone on Roc. ¡°And his opponent, the cool and mysterious Roc! Despite not having much of a presence throughout most of the tournament, he too have defeated every opponent he¡¯s faced and with relative ease as well! There is no one who has survived more than one of his attacks! He¡¯s a monster in his own right!¡± The announcer introduced the two with an excited voice. ¡°Now then, without further ado¡­..Begin!¡± The crowd cheered wildly at the signal to start the semifinals. However, they soon calmed down from the lack of action in ring. Neither Rory or Roc had moved an inch from where they stood. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± This naturally confused everyone who was watching. They were about to complain, when- *Bam!* An explosive sound resounded out of nowhere, and both Rory and Roc faded away into nothing. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* The explosive sounds continued to echo out as cracks started appearing in the empty ring. *Bam!* The sound once again rang out, and both Rory and Roc appeared out of nowhere flying back. The two¡¯s feet skidded on the ground as they forced themselves to a stop. They looked at each other and rushed forward like two arrows. Roc drew his sword from under his mantle, while Rory¡¯s hands turned metallic, as he activated iron skin. Roc swung his sword while Rory swung his hand.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. *Clang!* Sword clashed against hand, and caused sparks to fly between them. Roc pulled back his sword and slashed at Rory¡¯s neck. Rory ducked under it and swung his hand at Roc¡¯s chest. Roc leaped back to avoid it, but Rory chased after him swinging down his hand at him. Roc lifted his sword overhead to block it, and then kicked Rory away. He then rushed after Rory, thrusting his sword towards his chest. Rory didn¡¯t avoid it and threw a punch which clashed with the tip of the sword. The two were stuck in a stand still with neither of them budging. ¡°Heh.¡± Rory smirked, and anima suddenly started pouring out of his fist. Roc eyes widen when he saw this. He leaped to the side and avoided burst of an anima, which blew up the spot he was just standing on, leaving a hole in the ring. Rory immediately rushed after him with a kick. Roc jumped over it and opened his mantle. Dozens of daggers flew out and charged towards Rory. Rory jumped back to avoid them and gathered anima in his palm. The anima then condensed into the shape of a lance, and threw it at Roc, who deflected it with his sword. However, after the lance was deflected Rory clenched his fist and the lance separated into dozens of daggers. Rory swung his hand and the daggers all charged towards roc. Roc was surprised by this, and desperately deflected every one of the daggers while falling back to the ground. The moment his feet touched the ground, Rory was already in front of swinging his fist. Roc quickly put his arm in front of him to block it. *Bam!* Roc¡¯s arm started bending oddly after blocking Rory¡¯s punch. Seeing that, he ceased trying to prevent himself from being blown away by the force of the punch, and allowed himself to be sent flying a couple meters. He landed softly on his feet, and stood with one of his arms swinging. ¡°W-Wha¡­¡± The announcer¡¯s voice could be heard once again. ¡°What an amazing exchange of skills!¡± His shout woke up the shocked crowd, who started to cheer wildly. ¡°We weren¡¯t given any time to breathe! In fact, I think I just broke my record for holding my breath! My God, I have a boner! Alright! I won¡¯t let the missus sleep tonight!¡± He started to shout weird things, but because the audience was so excited they didn¡¯t seem to hear him and continued to cheer. ¡°Ah, my eyes hurt because I forgot to blink!¡± He shouted again. ¡°Rory and roc have displayed some impressive skills just now! But it seems that Rory has the advantage!¡± ¡°Woah¡­.He can actually keep up with Rory¡­¡± Amelia was shocked. This the first time she¡¯s ever seen anyone go toe to toe with Rory like Roc has. However, somewhere in her heart she believed that neither of the two had been going all out. ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re using the boomslang style martial art. A martial art that mixes optical illusions, weapon concealment, swordsmanship, and assassination skills; practiced by the Boomslang Ninjas.¡± Rory said with a grinned. ¡°To think that you people still exist even now.¡± He cracked his ten fingers one by one while showing a huge grin. ¡°I¡¯m even more interested in fighting you right now.¡± The air that he gave off was different from his usual carefree self. He now looked like a child eager to test out his new toy. A very dangerous atmosphere. ¡°You¡­.How do you know about us?¡± Roc asked with a glare. ¡°You can even use our Mirage Step and our other techniques. Just who are you?¡± ¡°Rory.¡± Rory gave a simple answer. However, that answer was like a bomb in Roc¡¯s head. ¡®I thought that it was just someone with a similar name, but¡­..¡¯ Roc looked at Rory again. There was a very terrifying aura surrounding him, as he gave off a dangerous vibe. He could even see the image of a demon behind him. ¡®There¡¯s no mistake about it. That¡¯s the real Devil King.¡¯ He thought to himself. He showed a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯ve really gotten myself in some deep shit this time.¡± He said. ¡°This isn¡¯t no longer a match, this is a battle for my survival.¡± He removed the mantle and let it fall to the ground. When he took off the mantle, countless weapons could be seen attached to his body in all kinds of ways. ¡°The opponent is the leader of the infamous Pandemonium. If the rumors are true, his strength should be around a Lieutenant General in the Sacred and Night Army, meaning that his strength would be ranked at the third highest level in both races outside of their royal families.¡± He tied a chain around his arm, real tight to keep it in place. ¡°Which means that I should expect him to be able to use at least 3 of the 4 Regal Powers. He¡¯s also known for his cruelty, so he definitely won¡¯t let me go after he set his eyes on me. Long story, short¡­¡± He showed a dry smile. ¡°I¡¯m so fucked.¡± ¡°Lets go!¡± Rory rushed towards him and activated his new technique Black Orochi. The eight snakes grew to size of trucks and charged at Roc. Roc eyes started glowing as they and Rory approached him. ¡°Huh?¡± This was noticed by Amelia. Roc kicked off the ground and charged towards the snakes with his sword in his hand. The eight snakes attacked him from different directions with the intent of devouring him. Roc speed suddenly increased. He cut the head off of one of the snakes that attacked him from the side, and then jumped over one that attacked him from behind and chopped the head of two that tried to ambush him together. He jumped from snake to snake avoiding their attacks with minimal movements, while beheading them. He even attacked them from their blindspots the moment they regenerated. No matter where or how the snakes attacked him, he would avoid and destroy them. ¡°It¡¯s like he¡¯s reading their movements.¡± Amelia said while watching him fight the snakes. ¡°That¡¯s because he is.¡± Allen appeared at her side and said. ¡°Actually, he¡¯s seeing their future actions and countering them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible?¡± Allen nodded. ¡°Yes, if you use one of the 4 Regal Powers, Future Sight, that is.¡± He said. ¡°Regal Powers?¡± Amelia was confused by the term she never heard before. ¡°Have Rory explain them to you. I¡¯m sure he has his reasons why he never mentioned them.¡± Allen replied. ¡°But let me say this, the Regal Powers are essential to reach the top of this world. If you master them, the path to godhood will open up for you.¡± ¡°??¡± Amelia was once again shocked by what she heard. She looked back at the ring, and saw that roc had past all the snakes, and was approaching Rory. Rory smiled and deactivated his Black Orochi. Roc leaped into the air and something strange happened in front of everyone¡¯s eyes. It was like time had slowed down with Roc in the air. As he advanced toward Rory, he left several after images behind him. It was a strange scene. ¡°Heh.¡± Rory smirked as he watched Roc¡¯s sword thrusting towards him in slow motion. ¡°Your use of optical illusions are pretty impressive.¡± Rory jumped and shockingly past through Roc and grabbed his afterimage in the back and landed on the ground, while holding him by the neck. ¡°Deceptive Strike. The user uses his anima to create the illusions of afterimages to make the target misjudge their attack. The solid looking one is the fake, while the 4th afterimage is the real one. It¡¯s perfect for killing a cocky target who¡¯s confident in their skills and will try to deflect your attack. They¡¯ll die after leaving themselves open after attacking an illusion.¡± Rory grinned. ¡°Unfortunately for you, you picked the wrong person to use it on.¡± He said. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I used it.¡± Roc replied with a grin. ¡°Hm?¡± Rory looked down and saw several blades sticking in his body. ¡°Animus: Concealed Danger.¡± Roc swung his leg and kick the handle of a sword sticking into the Rory, and sunk it deep into his body until it stabbed right through him and peeked out of his back. When that happened, Rory let go of roc, who quickly retreated and threw a couple knives to the hit the weapons stuck in Rory and forced them deeper into his body. ¡°Rory!¡± This time, even Amelia was worried after seeing so many weapons lodged inside of him. ¡°How¡¯s that, Devil King?!¡± Roc shouted. ¡°Not bad actually.¡± To everyone¡¯s surprise, Rory responded with a casual tone. ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°No, look again.¡± Rory pointed at himself. That¡¯s when Roc realized something. ¡°There¡¯s no blood¡­.¡± That¡¯s right. Despite being stabbed multiple times, there was no blood. ¡°I fought against the creator of your Boomslang Martial arts, a lot of times in the past. The bastard almost killed me a few times as well. Eventually, I killed those who hired him and paid him what they promised him. After that we became good friends. He even taught me some of his martial arts.¡± Rory said. ¡°As a disciple of his, you should¡¯ve heard about it.¡± He pointed at Roc¡¯s body. When Roc looked down, he saw all of his weapons stabbed into his own body. He looked back at Rory and saw that he didn¡¯t have a single weapon lodged inside of him. Even the daggers roc threw earlier were on the ground. ¡°T-This is Absolute Deception.¡± ¡°Bingo. The strongest of all of your martial arts deceptive techniques. It messes with your perception and make you believe you were attacking something when in actuality you were just harming yourself.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°It seems that your Animus allows you to conceal weapons to the point that your opponent won¡¯t feel them stabbing into to their bodies. You sealed your defeat the moment you tried to use it on me. You couldn¡¯t even tell that you were harming yourself because of it.¡± ¡°H-How did you know what I was up to?¡± Roc asked as his face paled. ¡°How? Because the progenitor of your martial art was a part of Pandemonium(The Demon) as my ears, that collects all kind of information secretly. I¡¯m used to his superior assassination skills, so how would I lose to yours?¡± Roc was shocked for a bit, but he immediately tumbled over and laid out on the floor. ¡°W-Winner Rory!¡± The announcer¡¯s voice ended the match. 18th Night: Force Your Way To The Finals With announcer¡¯s voice, everyone was knocked out of their dazes. They had seen Rory being impaled with countless weapons, but the next second not only was he fine, all of the weapons were instead stabbed into Roc. They couldn¡¯t believe what they just saw. In fact, majority of them were very confused, and wondering what just happened. While everyone was shocked, Rory approached Roc who laid on the ground bleeding out with blades stabbed into his body. ¡°Announcer, since he was the one who stabbed himself I can¡¯t be held accountable for his death in case it happens, right?¡± Rory asked out loud. ¡°A-Ah. It¡¯s okay, Mr. Rory! If Roc dies, you won¡¯t be blamed and will move on to the finals without issue!¡± The announcer replied. ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to know.¡± Rory said. ¡°Well, he¡¯s not going to die anyway.¡± The moment he said, someone literally appeared out of thin air and stooped next to Roc. Their face was covered with a black mouth mask, but from the physique one could see that it was a woman. She quickly removed the weapons stabbed inside Roc, and threw them to the side. Roc¡¯s bloody body laid bare to her. ¡°What do you think, Little Girl? Can you save him?¡± Rory walked up beside the mask girl and asked with a casual tone. ¡°Y-You bastard!¡± The girl was angered by Rory¡¯s question, and pulled a weapon from her side. However, before she could attack a hand grabbed her. She looked back and saw Roc looking at her with a weak gaze. ¡°D-Don¡¯t do it. There¡¯s no way that you can win, you¡¯d only be wasting your life.¡± He said with a weak tone. ¡°We¡¯re falling back. Provoking this monster would result in not only our deaths, but also the death of the Third Prince.¡± The woman looked at Roc and then glared at Rory. ¡°It¡¯s best you take his advice, girl. I might be lenient on women, but that¡¯s only if they don¡¯t come after me more than once. Which means you have one chance to take my life, your second attack will result in your end.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°Do you believe you can kill me in one move?¡± The woman felt an oppressive feeling engulf her when she looked into Rory¡¯s eyes. She could tell that killing him would be outside of her powers. More importantly, she needed to get Roc treated, or he won¡¯t survive for much longer. Thinking that, she lifted Roc over her shoulder and immediately disappeared into thin air. Rory looked in a certain direction as if keeping his eyes on something. ¡°So that¡¯s where the third prince is?¡± He showed a slight grin. ¡°This visit to the kingdom might be more fun than I thought.¡± After saying that, he left the stage and ignored the audience¡¯s cheers. ¡°Rory, are you alright?¡± Amelia approached him after he left the stage. ¡°I¡¯m fine. When you saw me being filled with blades, it was just an illusion technique that I had borrowed from my friend. Roc was supposed to be the only one affected, but I haven¡¯t mastered it myself so I ended up wasting my anima drawing everyone in it. I still can¡¯t do it like Rei even after so many years.¡± ¡°Rei?¡± Amelia was confused by the name Rory mention. ¡°One of the members of Pandemonium. He was a famous assassin who used ninja-like methods. The martial arts that roc used were created by him before he joined pandemonium. I heard that he passed them on to an acquaintance, but I never thought that it would survive this long.¡± ¡°?!¡± Everything Rory said came as a big shock to Amelia. First, she learned one of the names of the members of Pandemonium along with a little of his background history. Second, she learned that she just witnessed one of the techniques of the infamous Pandemonium members. Lastly, she learnt that those connected to a member of Pandemonium were for some reason in this country. ¡°The Boomslang Arts is really amazing though. It¡¯s too bad that Rei abandoned it, and never used it again.¡± ¡°Never used it again? Why?¡± ¡°Something about it being obsolete. Well, in the end he did create a much more interesting style, so it¡¯s okay.¡± Rory answered. His answer made Amelia interested in seeing what that style was. ¡°I wonder if I would win if I was the one who fought Roc?¡± She mumbled. ¡°Who knows? What decides a fight isn¡¯t always who¡¯s stronger, but who has the more resources that can bring them victory.¡± Rory replied. ¡°However, I can say without a doubt that he could assassinate the current you with ease.¡± Amelia frowned when she heard that, but she couldn¡¯t say that his words weren¡¯t accurate. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re up.¡± Rory placed his hand on her head. ¡°After this, you¡¯ll have the chance to beat me to a pulp just like you wanted. So be sure to win.¡± Amelia nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t lose even if I have to force a victory through cruel methods.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± ¡°Since when have I¡¯ve become your girl?¡± ¡°From the moment our eyes first locked together.¡± Rory answered without any hesitation. Amelia only laughed and went towards the ring. ¡°Now ladies and gentlemen, it¡¯s time to move on to our next semifinals match!¡± The announcer¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Today we have another highly anticipated match, and it¡¯s between two lovely and talented ladies!¡± Amelia stepped into the ring, and a spotlight shone on her. ¡°First, is the woman who has overcome ordeal after ordeal with her quick thinking and her mental flexibility! She has defeated tough opponents and became stronger with every match! She is Amelia Rosa!¡± The crowd cheered when the announcer introduced Amelia. She had quite the fame herself after defeating Harley Brooks and the infamous Benson in spectacular fashion. Not only that, with the fall of Roc almost all of those who hailed from the kingdom had fallen to either Amelia and Rory. Everyone wanted to see if she would join her companion in the finals, or would she finally fall here. ¡°And here¡¯s her opponent!¡± Emily walked onto the stage with a serious expression on her face. Amelia was the one who defeated her sister, so she wanted to get revenge and bring honor to the Second Prince¡¯s name. ¡°She needs no introduction, for she has always been a common name in our mouths along with her sister! She is one of the infamously beautiful Brooks Sisters, Emily Brooks!¡± Emily had always been famous, so she naturally received lots of cheers. Amelia and Emily stood face to face with each other. Tension immediately formed between the two. ¡°Since the girls are ready to go! Begin!¡± The moment the announcer¡¯s voice reached their ears, both Amelia and Emily charged at each other and threw a punch with all of their strength behind it.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. *Bam!* The two both punch each other in the face, and forced their opponent¡¯s head to be forcibly turned. They both clenched their other fist, and hit the other with a body blow. ¡°Ugh!¡± The one who seemed to felt more pain, was Emily. Amelia jumped and swung her leg like a whip, and aimed a kick at Emily¡¯s head. Emily ducked under it, and grabbed Amelia¡¯s clothes and slammed her on the ground with all of her might. Amelia clenched her teeth because of the pain, and slammed her knee on the side of Emily¡¯s head, while she was bending from slamming Amelia on the ground. Emily tumbled to the side and allowed Amelia to get to her feet. Emily turned around only to see the sole of Amelia¡¯s boot aiming at her face. She ducked under it and circled behind Amelia. Amelia spun around swinging her arm, however she didn¡¯t see Emily behind her. She looked up and saw Emily falling towards her while aiming a stomp at her head. Amelia jumped back to avoid it. *Bam!* To her surprise, the ground cracked open when Emily¡¯s feet touched it. It was like a car had fell from the sky rather than a person. While Amelia was confused by what just happened, Emily charged towards her while pulling a knife. Amelia snapped out of it when she saw the weapon, and drew her own, ready to take Emily on. Emily quickly entered Amelia¡¯s range. Amelia was prepared to swing her sword to counter Emily¡¯s strike; however, Emily threw the knife up in the air right in front of her. Amelia who was focusing on the knife, was caught off guard. This allowed Emily to get one clean punch in. *Bam!* ¡°Cough?!¡± All of the air was instantly forced out of Amelia after she received the punch. She had to fight hard to prevent herself from vomiting. Emily thrust her other fist, but Amelia retreated before it could hit. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± She held her stomach and started to painfully cough. ¡°What the hell was that? It was like I was hit by a truck, rather than a fist.¡± She muttered to herself. She looked in front of her and saw Emily quickly approaching her. She stomped the ground and the earth started to form walls which block Emily¡¯s path. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Emily easily broke through the walls of earth and quickly approached Amelia without slowing down at all. She was like an unstoppable force as she approached. Amelia frowned and gripped her sword. Electric sparks immediately started being emitted from both of them. The instant she stood up, she moved like a flash of lightning piercing towards Emily. *Bam!* Her sword stabbed into Emily with an explosive sound. ¡°?!¡± But Emily didn¡¯t move an inch despite Amelia slamming into her with overwhelming momentum. ¡°Heavy!¡± Amelia finally figured out what was happening with Emily. She had became incredibly heavy. That was why her stomp cracked the earth, and why her punch carried so much weight behind it. ¡°It¡¯s rude to mention a woman¡¯s weight!¡± Emily swung her hand to slap Amelia, who quickly lifted her sword to block it. *Bam!* Amelia found herself being sent flying like she was made of paper. Her hand was numb from tightly gripping the sword that was slapped, and her body was trembling. ¡°Such power¡­.It must be because she can move her body at her normal speed while carrying such weight behind every move. The momentum from her movements added to her heaviness has produced unbelievable power.¡± Amelia analyzed the source of Emily¡¯s power. ¡°You, you activated your Animus didn¡¯t you?¡± She asked while forcing her body to stop trembling. ¡°Correct.¡± That was all Emily said before charging after Amelia. Amelia activated her lightning skates and kept her distance from Emily. ¡°What? Running away?!¡± Emily mocked Amelia. ¡®This girl is bad news. Her animus not only can create overwhelming power with her every move, but her body was able to take my sword thrust with a full blown charge behind it earlier¡­.¡¯ Amelia looked at Emily¡¯s body. Other than a cut in her clothing, there weren¡¯t any wounds on her body. That meant that she took Amelia¡¯s sword and was left unscathed. ¡®Heaviness and a strong defense? It¡¯s like she¡¯s a walking fortress. No, she can produce overwhelming power with a wave of her heavy hands. She¡¯s like a tank more than anything.¡¯ Amelia thought. ¡°The Brooks Sisters became famous for their individual talents, but what makes them really dangerous is their Animus that goes well with each other.¡± Allen said to Rory. ¡°I can see that. One sister has speed and mobility, while the other has weight and defense. All they need to do to create havoc on the battlefield is have Harley carry Emily with her incredible speed and throw her. Emily will then activate her Animus to increase her weight and slammed head first into the enemy, using her weight and momentum to create overwhelming force and destroy their enemy.¡± Rory said. ¡°Since she also has a tough defense, she can even be used like a bomb with aerial attacks with her sister.¡± He smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a really interesting tactic. I can easily imagine dozens of ways how to use the Sisters to break through enemy front lines.¡± He watched as Emily chased after Amelia. ¡°I doubt that it¡¯s a coincidence that these sisters possesses Animus that could result in so much destruction when combined. This Second Prince must be a really smart guy.¡± He said with a laugh. Meanwhile, Amelia was keeping her distance while attacking Emily from afar. However, she lacked a really powerful long range attack, hence she couldn¡¯t take her out. ¡®This is bad. I can¡¯t keep using Lightning Skates and attacking her like this. I¡¯ll run out of anima in no time.¡¯ She thought to herself. ¡°Think! What can I do to take her down? Close combat is suicide, but I lack any powerful long range attack that can pierce through her defense. What about I get in close and fry her insides like I did with Murder Jack?¡¯ She shook her head. ¡®No, I¡¯ll get disqualified for killing her. I need to pierce through her defenses without attacking her insides. It¡¯s best that I knock her out. But how?¡¯ She jumped in the air and fired dozens of flame arrows at Emily, who destroyed them with a single wave of her hand. ¡°There must be a way! I took down Benson didn¡¯t I? Wait¡­.¡¯ She came up with an idea, however she quickly discard it. ¡°If I use on her what I used on Benson, I might kill her. Before that, I don¡¯t know if slamming her on the ground would even work. I need a powerful attack to blow her away.¡± Even though she said that, none came to mind. Yet, she stopped running and stood to face Emily. ¡°Oh? You finally stop running. Are you going to surrender?¡± Emily mocked. ¡°Nope.¡± Amelia lifted her fists. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything smart to beat you, so I¡¯m just going to do it the old fashion way.¡± She showed Emily a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m just going to keeping punching you until you¡¯ve pissed yourself.¡± At that moment, Amelia was covered by a rainbow color light. ¡°She¡¯s going to use the same method that she used to create her Elemental Wires, and coat herself in every element she can control and condense them around her like a second skin.¡± Rory immediately figured out what Amelia intended to do. ¡°This will burn out all of her anima in no time, but she has no other choice but to force a win by any means.¡± He seemed pleased. ¡°It¡¯s really a do or die tactic. But it suits her.¡± ¡°You want to have a slugfest with me? Are you sick in the head?¡± Emily asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m just desperate!¡± Amelia charged towards Emily without a hint of fear in her eyes. ¡°Stupid Woman!¡± Emily met her charge and threw a punch with all of her strength behind it. Amelia ducked under it and moved in closer to Emily, who thrust her knee up to hit Amelia. Amelia didn¡¯t back off and slammed her fist in Emily¡¯s midsection, while getting hit by her knee in the stomach. *Bam!* Amelia felt immense pain as the knee hit her. However, Emily was forced to take a step back because of Amelia¡¯s punch. This surprised her. She knew better than anyone how heavy she was, but she was still moved by a punch. ¡®This woman¡­. She¡¯s dangerous!¡¯ Emily immediately acknowledged Amelia as a threat that needed to be destroyed, if she wanted to advance. She swung her leg at Amelia¡¯s head, Amelia caught it but was forced off the ground a little bit. With her hands throbbing in pain, she pushed Emily with all her strength and made her lose her balance. She fall on the ground with a boom sound. Before she could get up, Amelia jumped and stomped her in the chest, and forced her a couple inches into the ground. ¡°It¡¯s no use! I barely felt that!¡± Emily slammed her hand on Amelia¡¯s ankles. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Amelia cried out in pain as it felt like her ankles were smash with a hammer. She fell to her knees, but used the opportunity of falling to slammed her knee on Emily¡¯s face. Even though she wasn¡¯t hurt, this shocked Emily. This was because Amelia still retaliated when feeling such pain. She quickly stood up and stomp towards Amelia¡¯s chest. *Bam!* Amelia rolled out of the way, and Emily¡¯s feet crack the ground. Amelia stood up and groaned when a sharp pain assaulted her ankles. ¡®I can¡¯t use footwork with my ankles like this.¡¯ She thought. At this time, Emily rose to her feet as well and rushed towards Amelia. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll end this without taking another step!¡± *Bam!* Amelia and Emily crossed fists and punched each other across the face. Amelia¡¯s nose and mouth immediately started bleeding, while there was a slight scratch on Emily¡¯s face. ¡®An Animus that can drastically change your weight and provide such powerful defense, must devours a lot of anima. Thus it can¡¯t be maintain for long periods of time. After a while, it will show signs of weakening!¡¯ Amelia smiled. ¡®Now it¡¯s a battle of endurance!¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s see who crumbles first!¡± *Bam!* Amelia hit Emily across the face again. Emily got mad and hit Amelia in the stomach. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Amelia clenched her teeth and replied with a body blow which forced Emily a few steps back. Emily rushed towards Amelia only to receive three fast jabs to the face. Amelia then started hitting her with hook after hook which rocked Emily from side to side. Emily stepped back and looked at Amelia again. She was shocked to find her smiling. ¡®T-This woman¡­.!¡¯ Emily got mad again and slammed her leg in Amelia¡¯s midsection, which cause her to bend over in pain. ¡°Why are you smiling when you¡¯re so beat up?!¡± Emily grabbed Amelia¡¯s head and lifted up for her to see her face. That¡¯s when Amelia spat in her face. ¡°I¡¯m free to smile whenever I want.¡± Amelia then head butted her so hard that she burst open her own forehead. Emily really felt that one, and had to stumble back groaning in pain. ¡®My Animus is wearing off?¡¯ She looked at Amelia again and saw her still smiling. This angered Emily further. ¡°You bitch!¡± She ran up to Amelia and started trading blows with her. The two threw punches that hit all over their enemies bodies without reserve for their own wellbeing. ¡°I¡¯m gonna break that face, that smile!¡± Emily roared as she hit Amelia with a hook. ¡°Just try me!¡± Amelia hit her with an uppercut which caused Emily¡¯s teeth to clash and blood to flow from her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t you already see that your Animus is gone? That means that I can feel pleasure from your painful screams!¡± She hit Emily in the gut and forced her to bend over in pain. She then lifted Emily by her hair and forced her to look her in the face. Amelia¡¯s face was already stained with blood and covered in cuts and bruises. Couple that with her wild smile, she looked truly terrifying. ¡°The tigress is starting to awaken.¡± Rory said after seeing Amelia¡¯s face. ¡°Scream bitch!¡± Amelia headbutt Emily with all of her strength and caused her face to burst open. She didn¡¯t stop and continued to headbutt her as if she wanted to fuse their skulls together by smashing their heads against each other. Emily threw a wild punch in retaliation and hit her against the temple. This shook Amelia¡¯s vision, however she still slammed down her elbow on the top of Emily¡¯s head before struggling to prevent herself from falling to her knees. Emily on the other hand had already fell to her knees. She had less tolerance for pain, than Amelia who have been through several tough fights already. She looked up and saw Amelia looking down on her while clenching her teeth. One could see her determination to not fall on her face. ¡°Ahh!¡± Emily punched her injured ankle and caused her to finally fall to her knees. The two girls were now kneeling in front of each other with bloody faces and heavy breaths. ¡°You damn crazy woman¡­¡± Emily muttered. ¡°Heavy bitch¡­¡± Amelia answered. The two looked at each other and then pulled their heads back and slammed them together. *Bam!* A dull sound rang out after their heads clashed. Amelia silently pulled her head back and looked at Emily again. ¡°Looks like my head is tougher.¡± After she said that, she shove Emily¡¯s head and she tumbled over. She was out cold and was no longer moving. ¡°Both of you sisters are a pain in the ass to fight back to back.¡± Amelia said before falling on her back. She however kept her consciousness and looked over at Rory. He smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up. In response, Amelia gave him a thumbs down. It was her way of telling him that he¡¯s going down. Rory smile grew wider when he saw that, and he started laughing. ¡°Emily Brooks is unable to continue the fight. As such, the winner is Amelia Rosa!¡± The announcer¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°She advances to the finals with Rory!¡± 19th Night: Regal Powers The announcer¡¯s voice once again caused the stadium to erupt. Amelia had defeated Emily and advanced to the finals. With her victory, every citizen of the kingdom that entered the tournament was eliminated, leaving she and Rory. This was what everyone thought, however there was a more major issue that rose from Amelia¡¯s victory. That was the fact that none of the Princes subordinates made it to the finals. This was a huge blow to all three of them. Not only that, according to the reward conditions, the winner would become a general in the military. Both Rory and Amelia weren¡¯t citizens of the country, which meant regardless of who won a stranger would obtain major power in the kingdom. This could lead to the kingdom¡¯s demise depending on what actions the winner took. The only way to avoid this was for the king to go back on his word, which would sully his reputation. No, another way was give the title but zero responsibilities. This meant that the winner would be given an empty title, without the authority that comes with it. The crowd was ignorant to this as they continued to cheer. Amelia tried to get up, but every time she stood on her ankle she fell back to the ground. She tried for the fourth time and it resulted in the same thing, however this time she was caught by someone¡¯s arms. It was Rory. ¡°You really gave it your all.¡± He smiled at her while looking down on her. ¡°It was nothing.¡± Amelia replied. Rory laughed and wiped the blood away from her face. ¡°You¡¯ve gained more wounds. Looks like I¡¯ll have to work hard to get rid of them.¡± After saying that, Rory lifted her off her feet and carried her in his arms. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Amelia asked with a frown. ¡°The princess can¡¯t walk on her own two feet, so naturally I the prince must carry her.¡± ¡°Hmph. You¡¯re more of a jester than a prince.¡± Amelia said. She however didn¡¯t object to letting him carry her. ¡°I think so myself. I¡¯m not fitting to be a prince.¡± Rory laughed and walked off the stage carrying Amelia. ¡°¡­..Hey, those two will fight tomorrow right? There¡¯s no hostility between them.¡± ¡°Forget hostility. They look like a pair of lovers more than anything.¡± The crowd comment while watch Amelia and Rory leave. Sir Allen watched them leave with a serious expression. ¡°This has turned into quite the situation, Your Majesty. We¡¯ve might have invited a disaster into our ranks.¡± He said. Later that night, there were several movements occurring in the city. A lot of people were making all kinds of moves as if preparing for something big. Sometimes these people would meet and a fight would broke out. Various scenes like this were happening all over the city. Rory was in his room, sitting by the window looking at the night sky. ¡°Looks like we plunged the city into chaos with our victories today.¡± He said. ¡°What¡¯s happening right now?¡± Asked Amelia, who was laying under a blanket, with her entire body wrapped in bondages and giving off the various ointment smells. After collecting the massive rewards from their bet at the gambling house, Rory bought some ointments and medical herbs, which he combined with his medical knowledge to treat Amelia. When he looked over at Amelia, her face was bandaged up, but he still found beauty in her eyes. ¡°The forces of the three princes are in a frenzy trying to find us. Apparently, now that they¡¯ve lost in the tournament, they want to recruit us to make up for the lost.¡± Rory said. ¡°Even though they don¡¯t know our identities?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°The people running around are trying to find our location and research our backgrounds. Even though I said they wanted to recruit us, that¡¯s only my assumption. They might want to eliminate us as well.¡± Rory answered with a smile. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Leave them be. I intend to visit the castle anyway. We¡¯ll meet with the king and his sons then.¡± ¡°Do you have something to do at the castle?¡± Rory shook his head. ¡°No. I respected the king from 100 years ago, so I wanted to greet his descendants.¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m also interested in the princes. From their subordinates, I can tell that they¡¯re all interesting people.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Won¡¯t their people find us here?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve casted an illusion over the inn. They won¡¯t be able to see it at all. Just to make sure, I¡¯m even keeping an eye on the whole city.¡± ¡°And how are you able to do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the skills I possessed.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Do you mean one of the Regal Techniques?¡± ¡°Oh? You know of the Regal Techniques?¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°Today is the first I¡¯ve heard of it. Roc was using one to read your attacks weren¡¯t he?¡± ¡°I see. Allen told you.¡± Rory understood immediately. ¡°While I understand that there are some things you don¡¯t wish to share, I appreciate it if you stop keeping me in the dark about everything.¡± Amelia said with a frown. ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding something here, Amelia. It¡¯s not that I refuse to tell you certain things, it¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t decided if you¡¯re ready to hear them.¡± ¡°Whether I¡¯m ready or not, shouldn¡¯t I decide?¡± Rory shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯ll decided.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t own me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong.¡± Rory approached her. ¡°I own you and you own me. That¡¯s how it works.¡± He stooped down and held her cheek. ¡°That¡¯s what it means to be partners.¡± ¡°By that logic, I can order you to tell me what I want to know.¡± ¡°True. But not everything you own will work the way you want it.¡± Rory said with a laugh. ¡°Well, telling you about the Regal Powers isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± He removed his hand and sat beside her. ¡°The reason I didn¡¯t was because I felt that you would be eager to try and learn them if you knew about them. I thought that you would become so obsessed with learning them that you¡¯d ignore everything else and focus only on them.¡± ¡°Are they really that amazing?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°If you use them correctly, yes. I¡¯ve seen countless geniuses destroy themselves trying to master these techniques. They even went as far as to abandon their normal training, and solely focus on the Regal powers. That is something only an idiot would do.¡± Rory said. ¡°If you abandoned your previous training that made you as strong as you were, then how do you expect to grow?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do something as stupid as that.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Really? Even if I told you that mastering the regal powers would turn you into a god?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Amelia was quiet. She had to admit that if she had the chance to achieve godhood, there¡¯s no telling what she would do. ¡°But is it that easy to become a god? I mean, there have been only two gods in history. I didn¡¯t think that becoming a god meant that mastering four abilities.¡± ¡°As expected of my woman. You¡¯re pretty smart.¡± Rory praised. ¡°You¡¯re completely right. Godhood isn¡¯t that easy to achieve. Mastering the Regal Powers only open the door leading down the path to godhood.¡± ¡°The path to godhood¡­¡± The phrase sound surreal to Amelia. It was like something out of a story, yet when Rory spoke of it she immediately believed it. ¡°The path to godhood is extremely long, so long that many have walked it but only two have managed to reach the end.¡± Rory said. Only two beings became true gods in this world that existed for countless years. That said something. ¡°The strongest in the world are all on this path, but none have reached the end for thousands of years. The only reason they could even start this path is because they mastered the Regal Powers.¡± ¡°Just what are the Regal Powers?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Elia, have you ever heard this saying before? Every man has a king inside of him, but only a few can release that king on to the world?¡± Amelia shook her head. ¡°Well, it¡¯s basically the same thing for the Regal Powers. Everyone was born with them, but only a select few can awaken them.¡± He put up four fingers. ¡°There are four Regal Powers. They¡¯re called Regal Powers because those who awaken them are said to be kings among men.¡± He explained. ¡°However, there are different levels of kingship.¡± ¡°Different levels? There are different levels between kings?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Of course there are, after all not all kings are equal.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Awakening one of the Regal Powers makes you a king that can rule in one direction. Awakening another makes you a king that rules in two directions; and so on until you reach the peak. An Omni-King who rules in all four directions.¡± ¡°Omni-King¡­¡± Amelia repeated the term. ¡°So you have to become an Omni-King for the path to Godhood can open up before you?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°Once you master the four Regal Powers, you obtain the hidden fifth power that will raise you from a king to a demigod or Pseudo-God.¡± ¡°Wait. Why is it starting to sound like a video game?¡± ¡°Right?¡± Rory started laughing. ¡°There are many times when I¡¯ve wondered if this world was just a story in a video game.¡± He said. ¡°Then Roc was an One Directional King?¡± Rory smiled when heard Amelia¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s the first I¡¯ve heard someone describe those who awakened the Regal Powers in such a way.¡± He nodded as if he liked it. ¡°That¡¯s right. He mastered one of the Regal powers, so he¡¯s an One Directional King.¡± ¡°Future Sight, that¡¯s what Allen called it. It¡¯s the power to see your opponents actions right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re close.¡± Rory said. ¡°Future Sight aka Clairvoyance, the ability to see a person''s future action through reading their anima. This is only possible against living things and can''t be used on objects, because they don''t have a will or anima. How far you can see in someone''s future varies from person to person.¡± He explained. ¡°Isn¡¯t that basically what I said?¡± ¡°Yes, but you make it seem simple. This is pretty hard to do especially in combat. Some people can even see a person¡¯s future action minutes before the person themselves even think of doing it.¡± ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± ¡°Because our anima is an extension of our consciousness. Did you know? Our thoughts are present in our minds before they are even brought to our attention. When you believed that you just thought of something, the thought was actually there all this time.¡± Rory explained. ¡°So what if someone could read your anima that is basically a projection of your mind and soul? They¡¯ll know your actions before you do.¡± ¡°When you put it like that, that skill really is dangerous.¡± Rory nodded. ¡°As for how far into your subconscious one can see through your anima, depends on their skill. You might awaken the ability, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll definitely be compatible with it. You might specialize in one of the other powers.¡± He explained. ¡°I see.¡± Amelia slowly digested the information that Rory gave her. She admitted that such a skill was to die for, and even felt the urge to try and obtain this skill now. ¡°What are the other three skills?¡± She asked. ¡°Ajna, Sonar, and Link.¡± Rory said. He then went on to explain them and lifted a finger. ¡°Sonar is the ability to use anima to gather information about your surroundings. This information includes the number of living things, their positions, and their features. Those who master this can also know how strong the person is compare to themselves, and how strong is their anima. The range varies.¡± He lifted another finger. ¡°Link is the ability to link your senses with another living thing, and use them to gain and share information. The range of this technique varies and they are those who don''t need consent to connect their senses with another.¡± He lifted a third finger. ¡°Ajna is the ability to connect with living things and the world on a spiritual level. The user can read a person''s emotions and come to a deeper understanding of them. Full mastery of this technique will allow you to become one with the world, and advance further in Anima at an unmatched rate, because you''ll gain a great understanding of life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Amelia was speechless after hearing of such abilities. She also knew that what Rory was using to read her heart was called Ajna. She remembered the Nymph Aqua mentioned it before as well. Not only that, the fact that Rory can monitor the entire city while remaining here meant that he could use the power called Sonar. Not only use it, his range was unreal if it covered the entire city. She began to understand how Rory did some of the amazing things that he¡¯s done. He was using the Regal Powers. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve explained them to you I need you to promise that you¡¯ll not try to forcibly awaken these powers. For the Regal Powers, it¡¯s better to awaken them naturally than force them.¡± Rory said. ¡°This is because of what I said earlier. Not everyone are compatible with every power. If you forcibly activate a power that doesn¡¯t suit you, then it would be like wasting your potential. Also, the reason why you¡¯re not compatible might be because of a mental problem that you have, that isn¡¯t something to play with.¡± Amelia took note of his warnings, and nodded. Rory smiled when he saw that and stood up from her body. ¡°Alright. Get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.¡± 20th Night: Finals The day of the finals came quietly. Just like Rory had said, no soldier was able to find this inn, no matter how hard they tried. They of course past by it a couple times, but that was it. No one was able to notice it. When morning came, all the princes¡¯ forces had withdrawn after failing to not only find their targets, but to even find the slightest information on them. Well, that was the case for the First and Second Prince. The Third Prince had learnt of the identity of Rory from the mouth of Roc while he was getting treated. However, he made no big moves that would seem suspicious to his brothers. He made his forces search for information like the others, and blended in. This naturally didn¡¯t escape the eyes of Rory, who was keeping a watch on the city all night. It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid that the forces would find him. In fact, if they did all he would need to do was to crush the princes¡¯ forces and carry on like normal. What he was concerned about was the fact that there were sections of the city that he couldn¡¯t monitor. For someone like him who mastered Sonar to a godly level, the only way for him to not be able to see what he wanted was because someone was intercepting him, and blocking him out. This intrigued him, since that meant that there was a high level Sonar user in the city. ¡°This city just keeps getting interesting.¡± He said. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± At that moment, he saw Amelia open her eyes with a sleepy look. She stared at the ceiling for a while, before looking over at him. ¡°Yo, Princess. Did you sleep well?¡± He asked with a smile. ¡°I dreamt that I kicked you into a volcano and watch you burn. I slept well.¡± Amelia sat up and said. ¡°Well, I dreamt that we shared an intense love making section under the night moon. Looks like we both dreamt of each other burning up. This is a good sign.¡± Amelia didn¡¯t answer him and got out of bed. She was wearing a light blue pajama, and her sunset hair was messy. ¡°How does your body feel?¡± Rory asked. ¡°Well, I¡¯m able to walk like normal. I still have some lingering pain, but nothing that can¡¯t be overcome with willpower.¡± ¡°I see. Then we can have our match without any problems.¡± Rory said as he stood up and approached her. He unwrapped the bandages on her face and saw that the wounds she received yesterday, still haven¡¯t healed. ¡°This will take a few days or so to heal.¡± He held her face as if examining it. ¡°Even when beaten up, your beauty still remains.¡± ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you can be creepy sometimes?¡± Amelia asked with a serious face. ¡°Of course.¡± Rory responded and took his hands off her face. ¡°But I would always take it as a compliment.¡± He grinned at her. ¡°Today is the day you finally get a chance to test yourself against me. You won¡¯t win, but good luck.¡± Amelia¡¯s eye twitched with anger when she heard that. ¡°I¡¯m so going to destroy you.¡± Rory laughed and patted her head. ¡°Maybe in the future, but you¡¯re not my match right now.¡± He then walked to the door. ¡°Get dressed, we¡¯re heading out.¡± ¡°Hmph. I thought you would try to get a peek of my body.¡± Amelia mumbled with a frown. ¡°I might be a pervert, but I don¡¯t peek on women.¡± He looked back at her. ¡°Well, if you want me to look that¡¯s a different story.¡± After saying that, he started laughing and exited the room. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t peek? You already strip me naked when I was asleep!" Amelia shouted, but Rory didn¡¯t reply and only laughed outside the door. After sometime, the two made their way to the stadium where the finals was to be held. On their way there, they drew the attention of practically everyone that was around them. That was to expected since they¡¯ve defeated all of the kingdom¡¯s famous youths, and made to the finals. That wasn¡¯t the only reason, they were finalist about to face each other, but they were actually walking arm and arm towards their match while having a friendly talk. This proved that their relationship was special. This also made people feel a bit less excited to watch the finals. This was because they believed that since the two were in a relationship, they wouldn¡¯t fight seriously. This was not a strange thought. Since not many people can fight their friends and lovers with all seriousness. As such, everyone started to wonder if this was going to be a boring finals. Their feelings naturally were noticed by Rory, who showed a small grin. He and Amelia made their way into the stadium, and stood on the main stage. At that moment, the masked announcer appeared along with Sir Allen. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen~! Are you ready~?!¡± ¡°Ohhhh!¡± The crowd responded loudly to the announcer¡¯s shout. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you all so excited! And as you should be!¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Said the announcer. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve enjoyed all the brilliant matches this past week, and are sad to see this tournament come a close. However, there¡¯s no need to be sad! The king has decided to make this tournament an annual event because of its popularity!¡± ¡°Ohhhhh!¡± The audience cheered when they heard that. ¡°So this isn¡¯t the end, but I have to admit that I can¡¯t think of a better match than the one that¡¯s about to happen, that deserves to bring the tournament to a close!¡± The announcer pointed at Amelia and Rory. ¡°These two finalists need no introduction! After all, they¡¯ve already made a name for themselves in the last couple days!¡± A spot light fell on the two. ¡°The power couple, Amelia and Rory!¡± The audience cheered loudly for the two, who came out of no where to reach the finals of the tournament. ¡°Now, that¡¯s enough waiting!¡± The announcer lifted his hand in the air before swinging it down. ¡°Begin!¡± He shouted. Amelia and Rory stood face to face without moving an inch. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve finally got the chance to get revenge for everything I¡¯ve put you through. Aren¡¯t you gonna use it?¡± Rory asked. ¡°Shut up. Only a fool would rush at you without a plan.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°Oh? Neither fighters have made a move. Are they feeling hesitant to fight each other?¡± The announcer¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Sigh. I knew it. There¡¯s no way they can fight each other seriously.¡± ¡°They¡¯re lovers after all.¡± ¡°Man, this is gonna be a boring finals.¡± The audience began mumbling all kinds of negative stuff, after seeing that neither Rory or Amelia had made any move. Hearing them, Rory should a slight smile. ¡°While I appreciate the fact that you¡¯re showing caution when facing a strong enemy¡­.¡± At that moment, Amelia saw Rory vanish from in front of her. ¡°But your opponent won¡¯t necessarily wait for you to prepare yourself.¡± Rory¡¯s voice came from behind her. Before she could react, she felt a heavy blow to the back of her head. The next thing she knew, she was falling towards the ground. *Bam!* Her body hit the ground so hard, it bounced off it a little like a ball. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The entire stadium became silent after that. The fight that didn¡¯t have any action just might¡¯ve ended in a flash. ¡°If this was a battle to the end, you would¡¯ve lost your life just now.¡± Rory looked down coldly on Amelia, who he just ruthlessly forced to the ground. ¡°Stand up. You can¡¯t allow yourself to lose so easily.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t need you to tell me that!¡± Two pillars of earth burst out of the ground and hit Rory at head on. Amelia then moved as far away from him as she could. ¡°Not bad.¡± Before she could stand up straight, Rory was already standing in front of her. ¡°But you could¡¯ve done better.¡± *Bam!* He slammed his fist in her stomach and lifted her off the ground by her collar. He then threw her across the stage like it was nothing. ¡°Ugh!¡± Amelia groaned from the pain of receiving his punch. She had to admit that it was the heaviest punch she¡¯s ever felt. She manipulated the air around her to stop herself, and allow her to float in the air for a bit. She looked in front of her and as expected Rory wasn¡¯t there. He appeared behind her reaching his hand to grab her. *Bam!* However he was hit by a strong gust of wind and was forced to take a step back. The moment he did, two walls of earth erected from the ground and pressed against him from both sides. He easily destroyed them by exerting some strength to push them away, the moment he did, he felt his body being hit by multiple projectiles. He looked down and saw several holes in his shirt. ¡°Air bullets, huh?¡± He quickly figured out what had happened. ¡°But they weren¡¯t enough to pierce through my skin.¡± He clenched his fists in front of him, and flicked his fingers one by one. Amelia immediately heard several things cut through the air and passed her ears. She turned around, and saw 4 finger sized holes in a metal pole behind her. The pole soon broke and tumbled over. ¡°If that was your body, you would¡¯ve been dead.¡± Rory looked at her coldly and said. ¡°I advise you to stop trying to figure out my strength and come at me like your life depends on it.¡± A cold glint appeared in his eyes. ¡°If not, I¡¯ll make it that your life really is on the line.¡± Amelia subconsciously gulped while staring at Rory. There was a cold feeling coming off from him. It was completely different to playful vibe he always had around him. She felt that he might actually kill her if she isn¡¯t careful. ¡®I have to face him with the intention of killing him, otherwise I¡¯m dead.¡¯ She told herself. She stopped floating in the air and pulled her saber. She heightened her senses to peak, summoned all the power in her body, and repeated the word ¡°Kill¡± in her heart. Like this she entered a state of pure bloodlust. Rory finally smiled when he saw how serious she became. ¡°Come.¡± As if responding to his words, Amelia charged at him with her top speed. She appeared in front of him with flames swirling around her blade. She thrust it towards his chest, but he caught it with his fingers and extinguished the flames. ¡°Hm?¡± Rory sensed something underground and jumped back. Immediately after he did, he saw fire in the shape of a blade emerged from underground. ¡°This girl¡­..Was she trying to neuter me?!¡± Rory said after realizing that the fire blade would¡¯ve destroyed his crotch if he hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°Hm?¡± He looked up and saw Amelia thrusting her blade down towards him, after leaping after him, while he was still mid-jump He kicked the blade and blocked it, but he immediately felt felt a static enter his body and paralyzed him. At that moment, a spike erected from the ground and pierced towards his back. He freed himself from the paralysis, and twisted out of the way, broke the spike, and threw it at Amelia¡¯s chest, which she cut in two. The moment her sword completely cut through the spike, Rory appeared in front of her and pushed her in the chest. ¡°Ugh?!¡± The blow forced blood to flow out of her mouth, and her body to slammed on to the ground. She quickly rolled out of the way to avoid a stomp from Rory. She struggled until she was able to get in a crouching position, and activated Lightning Skates to move around. She quickly circled around Rory form a electric circle with him in the middle. Rory followed her with his eyes, and moved out of the way to avoid bolts of lightning that she shot at him. No matter how many bolts she shot, he would easily avoid them with minimal. ¡°You can¡¯t hit me. You¡¯re just wasting anima.¡± Rory said. After she saying that, he jumped in the air to avoid another earth spike. ¡°Seriously, you need some new techniques.¡± He said. ¡°You never thought me anything!¡± Amelia appeared in front of him in a flash, stabbing her lightning infused sword towards his neck, with one hand behind her back. Rory shifted a bit in midair to avoid it, and grabbed her arm. ¡°You were planning on stabbing me with this sword that was filled with electricity that you were charging in secret, while using those lightning bolts as distraction.¡± He pulled her in and said. ¡°I could see through your plan with a single glance.¡± Amelia smiled in return. ¡°Could see through this?¡± At that moment, Rory felt something hot piercing through his body. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± He looked down with a confused look and saw a lighting bolt stabbing through him. But that wasn¡¯t what shocked him, the lightning bolt was piercing through both him and Amelia. ¡®She hid a bolt behind her back, expecting me to grab her, and made it pierced through her to pierce through me as well?¡¯ He quickly assessed the situation. ¡°Are you trying to kill yourself?¡± Rory asked. ¡°This is a battle with our lives on the line. How can I expect to win if I¡¯m not willing to put my life on the line?¡± Amelia said as a blood stain spread on her top. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Rory unexpectedly burst out laughing when he heard what she said. ¡°You¡¯re a crazy woman, you know that?¡± ¡°Do you really think someone sane could manage being around you all the time?¡± Amelia asked with a painful smile. ¡°You¡¯re right about that.¡± Rory resounded. He chopped down his hand and broke the lightning bolt like it was a stick, and backed away from Amelia. He saw that the bolt had pierced through her left abdomen, leaving a nasty wound. ¡®Even though she protected her organs, she won¡¯t be able to continue fighting. She wounded me, but she paid a hefty price which wasn¡¯t worth it.¡¯ Rory thought to himself. ¡®Looks like she¡¯s still too inexperienc-'' His thoughts were cut off by the feeling of his body experiencing a painful chilling sensation where Amelia stabbed him. He looked down and saw that his blood had frozen into icicles. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, she injected her anima inside me when she attacked me earlier?¡± *Bam!* Spikes of ice burst out of his stomach like a blooming flower. ¡°Wait¡­When did she learn to inject her anima into others and remotely control it?¡± Despite his stomach being filled with holes, Rory only seemed shocked by what Amelia did, and not by the damage of the attack itself. ¡°You¡¯ve been injecting your anima inside me when healing me. You¡¯ve done it so many times, I couldn¡¯t help but study it a little.¡± ¡®She figured out how it worked by observing what I was doing will healing her and put it into practical use?¡¯ A big smile appeared on Rory¡¯s face. ¡°Awesome. You¡¯re really awesome, Elia!¡± He shouted and the ice inside his body immediately disappeared, and his wounds started were sealed with an unknown substance. ¡°I seriously feel like fighting you now.¡± He said. Amelia showed a painful smile. ¡°Come at me then.¡± She responded. ¡°I¡¯ll love to, but anymore fighting would result in wounds that is beyond my medical knowledge.¡± Rory suddenly appeared behind her and placed his hand on her back. ¡°This is where it ends.¡± *Bam!* An explosive sound was heard, and a small crater opened up under Amelia. You could see smoke coming off her body and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as her body trembled. ¡°Since you have a strong will that prevents you from admitting defeat, I had to use quite a bit of force to knock you out.¡± Rory said as he caught Amelia, after she fell backwards. He looked down on her with a proud smile. ¡°You¡¯re quite something else.¡± After saying that, he placed a kiss on her lips. ¡°Truly worthy to be mines.¡± 21st Night: The King Of Marigold When Amelia next opened her eyes, she was looking up at the night sky. This confused her and caused her to look around. ¡°Yo.¡± That¡¯s when she saw Rory sitting near the edge of whatever they were sitting on. He was drinking from a bottle of liquor while staring in the distance. ¡°What happened?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°You lost.¡± Rory answered. ¡°I see.¡± Amelia had a disappointed expression. Despite knowing that she couldn¡¯t beat Rory, she has been experiencing victory after victory for quite sometime, no matter how stacked the odds were against her. She had hoped that she could pull off a miracle, but life wasn¡¯t that easy. ¡°Never hope for a miracle when fighting. It will only dull your judgement.¡± Rory answered without looking at her. ¡°Did you read my heart?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I already told, that skill shouldn¡¯t be used too often. I just observe the gloomy aura you were giving off and made a judgement. You don¡¯t always need a special skill to realize something. You can just rely on natural observation skills.¡± He said. ¡°Anyway, Elia. You shouldn¡¯t feel upset or anything. You did pretty well. You even surpassed my expectations.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Despite Rory¡¯s praise, Amelia still felt disappointed in herself and frustrated at her lack of strength. ¡°While it¡¯s good that you¡¯re feeling frustrated, because it means that you still have the will to become stronger, don¡¯t get carried away. Most people who started to crave strength for the pure reason of satisfying their ego, walked down the path of ruin to never return.¡± Rory said. Amelia nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± Rory was right. She was already progressing at a good pace, there was no need to get impatient. ¡°How many hours have I been out?¡± She asked. ¡°Hours? You¡¯ve been out for a week.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Amelia was shocked to hear that. ¡°Why was I out so long?! Was I that injured?!¡± She asked. ¡°Yes and no.¡± Rory replied. ¡°The reason why you were out was because I made it so that you wouldn¡¯t wake up. Otherwise, you would¡¯ve probably woken up in a day or two.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Amelia asked with a confused expressions. ¡°Because I wanted to throughly patch you up. Over the week that the tournament occurred, you¡¯ve accumulated a great amount of damage and strain to the body. While I did give you treatment during that time, it was only so that you could continue the tournament. It was more of a first-aid treatment, more than anything.¡± Rory replied. ¡°After the tournament, I forced you into a coma and seriously worked to give you proper treatment. I fixed every damage nerve, torn muscles, fractured bone, and injured organ. You can say that I repaired you.¡± He said. It was only after she heard what he said that she started to examine her body. ¡°My wounds are all healed¡­.¡± She astonished. There wasn¡¯t even the slightest sign of wound on her body. She stood up and realized that her body felt a bit uncomfortable. ¡°You¡¯ve been inactive for a week. You¡¯ll naturally feel weak. Just resume your normal routine and you¡¯ll be fine in no time.¡± Rory said. ¡°This is really amazing.¡± She looked at Rory. ¡°With skills like these, you could enter the medical field.¡± ¡°Do I look like a saint to you? Why would I needlessly go around saving people. Healing you was quite exhausting you know. I haven¡¯t slept in days because I wanted you to return to full health as quickly as possible.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Rory replied. ¡°Wait. I would be interested in being a gynecologist.¡± Amelia ignored his remark and checked her body again. No matter how she look at it, Rory had indeed healed her. She looked at his back that was facing her with a tender gaze. ¡°Thank you, Rory. I know that it must have been difficult to fix me up as quickly and as good as you did. I really appreciate it.¡± ¡°No thanks is necessary. I¡¯m someone who does things because it benefits me in some way. I am not a good person in the least. Besides, you¡¯re my partner. So I only did what was expected of me.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Either way, thank you.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Rory stayed quiet for a while before saying- ¡°Your welcome.¡± ¡°By the way, where are we?¡± Amelia asked. It was obvious that they were outdoors, but she didn¡¯t know why, or where they were. ¡°We¡¯re on a the roof of the royal palace.¡± Rory answered and took a drink of liquor. ¡°The royal palace?!¡± Amelia was shocked. ¡°Why are we here?¡± ¡°I thought that you were getting fed up of being locked up all day, so I brought you out to get some fresh air.¡± ¡°But why the palace?¡± ¡°It was the place with the best view. Did you know? Liquor tastes better when you¡¯re looking at something beautiful.¡± He looked at the city that was illuminated by the countless lights from the buildings. ¡°This place is beautiful.¡± He took out a smaller bottle and threw towards Amelia who caught it. ¡°Come enjoy the view with me. There¡¯s no telling that it will remain like this tomorrow.¡± He said. Amelia looked at the bottle. It was an non-alcoholic drink. Rory was tactful enough to not offer her liquor, after hearing her bashing it so many times. She stood up and walked up beside Rory and took a seat. Immediately she could she a sea of lights in front of her. There were lights of different colors, some shining brightly, while some were dull. Even so, they all had their own beauty to them. ¡°How is it?¡± Rory asked. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Amelia answered honestly. ¡°Do you know the flower this country is named after, Marigold?¡± Rory asked. Amelia shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful flower that contains the colors of a sunset in the tropics.¡± He touched her head. ¡°Just like your hair. It¡¯s said to represent the sun and light.¡± He explained. ¡°According to history, this country was one big marigold field at the beginning. The founders decided to name the country after the flower in hope of it becoming as beautiful as the flower.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Because you said you wanted to know about the country when we were coming here.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Also, you might become deeply a part of this country in the near future.¡± He stood up. ¡°It¡¯s good that you learn more of the country, even if it¡¯s just its roots.¡± He looked towards the city again. There was no emotion in his eyes. He just looked at the sight in front him. ¡°Well, just follow your instincts and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Rory looked at her and placed his finger on his lips. ¡°If I tell you, it will spoil the fun.¡± Amelia opened her mouth to say something, but before she could she felt a presence behind her. She looked behind her and saw Sir Allen. He was dressed casually in a blue jeans and white top. ¡°If the two of you are free, the king would like to meet the two of in the morning. For now, he¡¯s offering you two accommodation in the palace.¡± He said with a bow. ¡°Tell him that we¡¯ll meet him in the morning, but will have to pass on the accommodation. I¡¯m in a romantic mood, so I¡¯ll sleep under the stars tonight.¡± After he said that, Rory laid out on his back and looked up at the starry night. Allen could only smile and shake his head. He then looked towards Amelia. ¡°And you, Ms. Rosa.¡± Amelia looked down at Rory and then looked back at Allen. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep here as well.¡± ¡®I feel safer around Rory.¡¯ She thought to herself. ¡°I see. That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± Allen replied. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll welcome you two in the morning.¡± Amelia nodded while Rory just closed his eyes and seemingly dozed off. Seeing that, Allen disappeared from where he stood with a spark of electricity. ¡®His lightning skills are far superior to my own.¡¯ Amelia thought, after seeing how fast Allen left. She then looked down on the sleeping Rory, and laid on her back and stared into the starry night. She had been asleep for a week, so she didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all. With the free time, Amelia started to review every battle she fought in the tournament and the ones she watched. She replayed them in her mind over and over again, and then simulate how the battles could¡¯ve gone if she or her opponents had taken different actions. She continued to do this until she finally fell asleep not too far from Rory. A few hours later, the morning sun shone on her body and woke her from her sleep. She sat up and saw that Rory was standing on the edge of the roof. ¡°Freshen up. We¡¯re about to meet the one running this country.¡± He turned to her and said. 30 minutes later, the two could be seen in the yard of the royal palace. There were guards everywhere they looked, who were all looking at them with cautious gazes. ¡°They seem to be on high alert.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Well, to them we¡¯re total strangers with strength that surpasses some their countries heroes, and we¡¯re about to meet the king. It¡¯s natural that they¡¯re on edge.¡± Rory said. They started walking while ignoring all the gazes they were getting. They walked up to the entrance of the palace where they saw a servant waiting for them. This servant had dark hair and skin, brown eyes, and was dressed in a tuxedo. He was quite handsome and had a friendly smile on his face. ¡°Lord Rory, Lady Amelia.¡± The servant greeted them with a bow. ¡°My name is Richard, and I¡¯ve been tasked by the king to lead you to where he is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Rory looked at the servant in silence for a while, before smiling. ¡°Alright. Please lead the way.¡± Richard nodded and gestured them to follow him. While they were walking behind him, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but to notice that Rory was looking at Richard in a funny way. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you swing that way.¡± She said. ¡°What do you think?¡± Rory replied. Amelia didn¡¯t answer because she was only making a joke. ¡°Elia, this is the last piece of advice I¡¯ll give you for our duration in this kingdom.¡± Rory looked at her. ¡°Not everything is like what it seems.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean what I said. From here on out, trust your instincts and make the moves you wanna make.¡± After that he turned around and looked at Richard. They walked through the halls of the palace for a while until they came across a huge door with a golden flower on it. It was the Marigold Flower. Richard stopped before the door and stepped aside. ¡°His Majesty is inside. You¡¯re permitted to enter.¡± He said. ¡°Thanks.¡± Rory walked up to the door and threw a kick. *Bam!* The door flung open and he walked inside ignoring Amelia¡¯s shocked face. He looked down on the person lying on the floor and then looked at the person sitting on the throne. ¡°Still trying to test my skills even after I defeated your entire country? A meaningless action.¡± ¡°Hahahaha! Forgive me, forgive me. It¡¯s just that some people were not convinced so I set up this test to shut them up.¡± Said the person sitting on the throne. ¡°This voice¡­¡± Amelia walked inside the room after hearing the familiar voice. There she saw a man wearing a familiar white mask. ¡°The announcer?!¡± Yes, it was indeed the tournament announcer. The announcer took off the mask and revealed his face. He had fair skin, grey eyes and brown hair. His face was one of a prankster, despite being handsome. ¡°My name is Xavier. I am the king of the Marigold kingdom.¡± He showed a huge grin. ¡°Welcome!¡± 22nd Night: The Three Princes Amelia looked at the king in shock. She would¡¯ve never thought that the announcer was actually the king. She then recalled some of the comments he made during the tournament. ¡®This king went undercover and spread his thoughts and concerns to the public. He told them point blank that he didn¡¯t like how tense everything was, and wanted his kingdom to be lively again.¡¯ She thought. ¡®He also made some vulgar comments¡­.¡¯ She looked at the king again. She could tell from his casual posture and mischievous grin that he was a free sprit, which could cause him a lot of trouble if he isn¡¯t careful. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re the current king?¡± Rory started sizing up the king. ¡°Not bad. Your ancestor wasn¡¯t nearly this strong.¡± He said while nodding in approval. ¡°Ignorant bastard!¡± At that moment, the person Rory had kicked to the ground after kicking the door, stood up. ¡°How dare you speak to the king in such-¡± *Bam!* Before the man could finish, Rory slammed his heel on the top of his head. This caused him to pass out and collapse backwards. ¡°You¡¯re the one who should watch your mouth. What¡¯s a king to me?¡± Rory said while facing the king. ¡°If your title doesn¡¯t have Night or Sacred in front of it, I will bow to no king.¡± He grinned. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m also a king. The Devil King.¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re just like what my grandfather said, Rory.¡± Said, King Xavier. ¡°Oh? And just how did Maxwell described me?¡± Rory asked. ¡°Selfish, arrogant, atrocious, and insanely strong.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°It¡¯s the first that I¡¯ve been depicted so accurately.¡± Xavier laughed again when he heard that. ¡°Anyway, my apologizes for my subject¡¯s behavior. He is a patriot, so he can¡¯t accept the fact that you beat everyone from our country to reign supreme.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Anyway, why did you call for me?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who broadcasted your return?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°In the first round of the tournament, you defeated a very well-known person and reduced him to a mere mount. According to my grandfather, the members of Pandemonium stated that if they were to return to this kingdom, they¡¯ll return by turning their enemies into mounts.¡± ¡°You guys said that?¡± Amelia asked Rory. ¡°I remember Adonis saying something like that. So I tried it out for the heck of it.¡± Rory replied. ¡°You did that for the heck of it?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Well, the guy did pissed me off as well.¡± Rory laughed. He then narrowed his eyes. ¡°But it seems like I came at the perfect time. This country is in an interesting state.¡± He said. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the competition between my sons. Indeed, because of those brats, things have escalated in a direction I didn¡¯t want it to. But maybe you can do something.¡± Xavier said. ¡°Rory, you won the tournament. That means that you¡¯ve received the rewards, which include the title of General.¡± ¡°Not interested.¡± Rory immediately cut him off. ¡°I have no interest in appeasing your sons. In fact, I would prefer to watch and see how everything plays out.¡± He said. ¡°Your sons all had interesting subordinates, so I¡¯m quite interested in meeting them.¡± ¡°My sons, huh? While they¡¯re all talented in their own way, they can be real headaches sometimes.¡± Xavier said. ¡°Please, Father. Don¡¯t embarrass us like that, in front of guests.¡± A new voice could be heard echoing in the room. At that moment, three silhouettes appeared from three different directions of the room.Stolen story; please report. They all resembled the king, but had different body types and hair color. It was obvious that they were the three princes of the kingdom. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself.¡± The one who was the most muscular, and had black hair stepped out. ¡°I am the First Prince, James. The next king of the Marigold kingdom.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Rory was impressed by his fearlessness towards naming himself the next king, even though it hasn¡¯t been decided. James looked over at Amelia and smiled. ¡°I enjoyed watching the two of you in the tournament. Even though the way you both reached the finals were different, you were both captivating to watch.¡± He looked at Rory. ¡°Overwhelming power.¡± He then looked at Amelia. ¡°Versus Persistence and tenacity. ¡° He smiled. ¡°You two make up my life¡¯s motto.¡± ¡°Power, Persistence, and Tenacity. That¡¯s quite the motto you follow.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°I believe that all of these are needed to reach the top.¡± She nodded in agreement. ¡°My motto is completely different.¡± The slimmest of the three stood out. ¡°I believe that one needs wisdom, foresight, and wits to reach the top. Without these, all you¡¯ll achieve is mindless violence and unnecessary destruction.¡± He smiled. ¡°Efficiency is what I strive for.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Rory asked. ¡°My name Liam. The man who will bring this kingdom to new heights.¡± ¡®He didn¡¯t state his title, but his ambition¡­.He¡¯s definitely the Second Prince.¡¯ Rory thought. He seemed quite pleased with Liam. He then looked at the third person. ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± The person didn¡¯t answer Rory immediately and just kept staring at him, with his black eyes. Only after a while, he answered. ¡°My name is Christi, the third prince.¡± He answered with a sharp gaze. ¡°Well, Christi. I¡¯m quite interested in hearing what your motto is. Especially after you directed that unrestrained bloodlust towards me.¡± Rory said with a smile. ¡°My motto is simple.¡± Christi responded. ¡°Protect, Nurture, and Kill.¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes widen when she heard that. The third prince¡¯s motto was contradictory. He also didn¡¯t hide his hostility towards Rory at all. ¡°Protect, Nurture, and Kill.¡± Rory repeated the words before giving a nodded. ¡°I like it.¡± He said. ¡°See? They¡¯re pretty difficult to deal with, aren¡¯t they?¡± Asked Xavier. ¡°Heh.¡± Rory looked at the princes again. ¡°Your sons are all interesting in their own ways.¡± His eyes halted on the third prince, Christi. ¡°Really interesting.¡± He looked back at the king. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve decided. We¡¯ll be staying in this kingdom for a bit.¡± His words surprised everyone in the room. He wasn¡¯t asking permission to stay, he was saying that he will. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m sure having you two stay, will make things more lively.¡± Said the king. ¡°Wait, Your Majesty!¡± Someone shouted. They looked and saw that it was the man that Rory had knocked out earlier. ¡°Oh? I know that I did it casually, but for you to be awake already¡­.You¡¯re pretty tough.¡± Rory said after seeing the man struggle to his feet. ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t just let this man into the country. He¡¯s dangerous and has no regard for your authority. There¡¯s no telling when he¡¯ll harm you or the kingdom anyway.¡± The man finally stood up straight. ¡°He¡¯s a dangerous unpredictable element!¡± He shouted. ¡°Lord Brooks, that¡¯s enough. You ordering the king is defying his authority in itself.¡± Said Allen, who have been silent all this time. ¡°Brooks?¡± Amelia took note of the man¡¯s name. He seemed to be the head of the Brooks family, whose daughters she defeated in the quarter and semi-finals respectively. ¡°Lord Rory, please forgive him. Lord Brooks only wants what¡¯s best for the kingdom.¡± Said Allen. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t mind. What he said is completely right.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Everyone was shocked to hear Rory agree with Brooks. ¡°I am a dangerous element, and someone who has no regard for the king or any authority in this kingdom. I can lash out at any second and plunge this country into chaos.¡± He said. ¡°See? This man has admitted it himself.¡± Said Brooks. ¡°But, if I really decide to do that, what can any of you do?¡± Rory said. ¡°Since we¡¯re talking about mottos, let me tell you all mine. Freedom, Domination, and Destruction. I live seeking mostly these three things. For your safety, it would be best that you don¡¯t make me seek the third one.¡± He said with an indifferent tone. ¡°You, are you threatening us?¡± Asked Brooks. ¡°Yes, yes I am.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Look, I¡¯m a simple person. As long as nobody purposely messes with me, I won¡¯t mess with them.¡± He folded his arms behind his head in a relax way. ¡°I just wanna have a good time without people constantly annoying me. I wanna drink, party, sleep, repeat.¡± ¡°You mean you want to become a bum.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°I have no problem being called that.¡± Rory answered with a smile. He then looked at Brooks. ¡°So, if you could stop trying to provoke me into showing my strength, that would be great.¡± Said Rory. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to die for your master like this.¡± He glanced at the Second Prince, Liam. Liam showed no reaction to his words at all, which made Rory smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s get this out of the way.¡± Rory looked back at Brooks. ¡°I just need to defeat whosever outside that door right?¡± When he said that, Brooks was shocked. Rory had destroyed all of his schemes without the slightest mercy. It was pure dominance on a psychology level. ¡°Come in.¡± He said as if admitting defeat. Shortly after, a giant of man walked into the room. He had huge muscles, was around 8 ft tall, and carried a gigantic sword on his back. He also wore a steel mask. ¡°A descendant of the giants? He¡¯s mostly human though.¡± Rory said after seeing the man. ¡°This is Dogma. He¡¯s a famous General who brought the kingdom glory countless times over the years.¡± Brooks said. ¡°If you¡¯re truly strong enough to be a general, then prove it by beating one.¡± He said. Even though he knew that Rory didn¡¯t want to be a General, he still said it because it was what he had practiced beforehand. ¡°W-Wait¡­¡± All of sudden Rory¡¯s face looked pale, and his body was trembling. This surprised everyone. ¡°Is he afraid of Dogma?¡± Everyone asked themselves. Brooks smiled and gestured Dogma to approach Rory to pressure. ¡°S-Stay back!¡± To their surprise, Rory actually backed away. This made Brooks delighted. ¡°Dogma!¡± He ordered Dogma to released his anima to make himself more intimidating. ¡°S-Shit!¡± Rory backed away rather quickly. ¡°Stay away!¡± He shouted. It really looked like he was afraid of Dogma. ¡°Dogma, get him!¡± Brooks shouted. Dogma started to approached Rory who was constantly backing away. He seemed very proud. ¡°Is this the legend? Ha! He¡¯s a coward!¡± He said. The second prince looked at him like he was a fool, but didn¡¯t say anything. Dogma caught up to Rory who had nowhere to run. ¡°Shit¡­¡± He suddenly held his mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t hold it any longer!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± What happened next, shocked everyone. ¡°Blegh?!¡± Rory started throwing up, and that puke hit Dogma who was approaching him. ¡°I-I told you to stay away.¡± Rory said while wiping his mouth. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± The room was silent for a while until Rory broke it. ¡°It was a real bad idea to eat salted nuts while drinking last night.¡± He said. ¡°Alright. Now that I feel better.¡± He looked at Dogma, whose face was covered in vomit. He then ran, and stomped in his chest. *Bam!* Dogma was blown back so hard that he slammed into the wall and caused the entire room to shake. When the others looked at him, there was a footprint in his chest, as blood leaking from his mouth and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. ¡°Looks like I won.¡± Rory grinned and said. ¡°Satisfied?¡± He looked at Brooks and said. ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± Brooks answered with clear nervousness. Shortly after, Rory and Amelia were walking out of the palace. ¡°Hey, Elia. Are you interested in any of the princes?¡± Rory asked. ¡°Why do you sound like a gossiping girlfriend?¡± Amelia asked after hearing his strange tone. ¡°I think that all of them are quite interestin~.¡± Said Rory. Amelia ignored his girlish tone and replied. ¡°Well, I think that I can get along with the first prince.¡± ¡°Oh? So that¡¯s your type?¡± Rory said with a laugh, which infuriated Amelia. ¡°Well, anyway. With princes like those, I¡¯m sure that our stay in the kingdom will be a fun one.¡± 23rd Night: The Princes Separate Advances The day after meeting the king, Amelia approached Rory, who was in the palace yard, to talk about something important. ¡°You want me to teach you some techniques?¡± Rory repeated her question. She nodded. ¡°Yes. After fighting in the tournament, I¡¯ve realized that I¡¯m lacking in many areas. Even though I made it to the finals, they were several battles were I had to risk everything to win.¡± She said. ¡°A win is a win. There¡¯s no need to beat yourself up.¡± Rory replied. However, Amelia shook her head. ¡°I only won because there was a no killing rule. If it was a battle to the death, I would¡¯ve died in at least the matches against the Brooks Sisters. I only won, because I had time to think of a strategy. If I had faced them outside the tournament, they would¡¯ve killed me before I could do that.¡± She argued. ¡°Hm¡­.That is true. With their speed and destructive force, you¡¯d probably die in a straight death match.¡± Rory said. ¡°Also, even though I¡¯ve won must of my battles I¡¯ve done so only after taking a considerable amount of damage. If this continues, I¡¯ll die sooner or later.¡± Amelia added. ¡°And that¡¯s why you want me to teach you techniques that can ensure a safe victory?¡± Rory asked. Amelia nodded. ¡°Hm¡­..That¡¯s easier said than done, since the techniques that I know require a higher level of anima control than what you currently possess.¡± Rory said, while staring at her intently. ¡°You don¡¯t know any novice techniques at all?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t been a novice in a century. I forgot.¡± Rory replied. ¡°However, if you want to become stronger you don¡¯t actually need to learn new amazing techniques. You can just improve on what you have now.¡± He said. ¡°For example?¡± Amelia asked. He pointed at her sword. ¡°Why did you choose a saber as your weapon?¡± He asked. ¡°I thought that it would help kill my enemies without using too much anima.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°But when was the last time you¡¯ve defeated an enemy with a sword?¡± Rory asked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Amelia started to recall all the battles she had as of late. No matter how much she tried, she couldn¡¯t remember the last time she actually killed someone with her sword. ¡°See? That¡¯s something you need to fix.¡± Rory said after seeing her long pause. ¡°If a weapon can¡¯t fulfill its duty of slaying your enemies, then what¡¯s the use of it? Why have a weapon in the first place if you can¡¯t use it properly?¡± Amelia listened to his words and had to admit that he was right. She had the saber, but if it didn¡¯t defeat her enemies wasn¡¯t it better that she fought barehanded? ¡°Then, I should stop using a saber?¡± ¡°I never said that.¡± Rory, who was laying on the grass, sprung to his feet. ¡°You just need to turn your sword from a decoration to a weapon. In other words, become better at using your sword.¡± He said. He then stretched his hand out and anima started gathering in his palm. Soon, Amelia saw the anima expand and took the shape of a sword. It looked like a sword made of green light. ¡°Woah¡­.¡± Amelia was shocked when she saw the sword made out of anima. She never thought about creating a sword out of purely anima before. ¡°Once your skills improve, you should be able to conjure weapons out of anima. However, it¡¯s still better to have a physical weapon, since conjuring one takes a great amount of anima. Even more, if you want to maintain it for a long period of time.¡± Rory said. Amelia then saw the sword looked even more realistic by the second. Soon she saw it turn into a real sword, it even looked like it was made from steel. ¡°You can conjure real weapons as well. But they aren¡¯t permanent, and will disappear if they are away from their creator. Well, there are ways to go around this. But I¡¯m not versed in them.¡± He said. He pushed the sword near Amelia. ¡°First, I think this Dao Sword suits you better. I¡¯ll ask the king to provide one in the future.¡± He said before turning his back to her. ¡°Using a weapon to make up for your lack of strength is common sense, but don¡¯t underestimate what it truly means. Just waving a weapon around won¡¯t make you stronger.¡± Rory lifted the sword and swung it down. Shortly after, something could be heard falling from the sky. When Amelia looked, it was a bird. It was cut in two and had a look of shock in its eyes.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Rory then turned to his side and swung his sword horizontally, and a statue 200m away was cut from the waist. He then spun around and thrust the sword. Amelia saw a hole open up in a nearby tree, as if it was bored by an invisible force. ¡°These are some of things you can do with a sword after mastering it to a certain degree.¡± Rory turned to her and said with a smile. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll give you some tips a friend gave me, to improve your swordsmanship.¡± After saying that, he and Amelia walked towards a different direction. He looked back at where they were and smiled a bit, before resuming his convo with Amelia. Meanwhile, a groan came from behind the tree that was bored. Soon a man appeared out of nowhere holding his shoulder. His shoulder was bleeding and had a hole bored through it. He fell on his knees and continued to groan. At the same time, behind the statue that was severed from the waist, a person could be seen laying under the torso of the statue that fell after getting cut. There was no sound coming from them because they lost consciousness, but there was a large cut across their chest, which was quite deep, yet no organs were damaged. At same time, somewhere in the palace- ¡°Ahhhhhh?!¡± Someone was screaming out in agony as their body convulsed. ¡°Hold him down!¡± There were others around that person trying to attend to them. ¡°It¡¯s no use! The pain from having his connection with the bird forcibly cut, is too much for him to bear! We have to put him to sleep!¡± ¡°Dammit! How did that bastard know that the bird was spying on him?! Don¡¯t tell me he can tell when someone is using Link?!¡± As for Rory, he didn¡¯t seem to care for those he left in pain and was chatting with Amelia. Later that day, the first prince James was walking through the halls with a frown on his face. He soon turned and entered a room. Inside the room were several burly looking people. Even the women looked intimidating. ¡°Your majesty.¡± All the people in the room stood in unison upon James arrival. ¡°You can sit.¡± James told them, before taking a seat at the table that was in the middle of the room. ¡°Now, give a report.¡± He said. ¡°The spy that we assigned to watch Rory and Amelia, suffered severe injuries to the chest.¡± One of the men stood and reported. ¡°What is the origins of the spy? Was he qualified for the job?¡± James asked. ¡°Yes. He was a part of our secret operation division. He graduated at the top of his class, and excels in stealth and camouflage.¡± The man answered. ¡°So you believed that he was incredibly skilled?¡± James asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can you bet your life on it?¡± James narrowed his eyes and asked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t bet your life on it, then you shouldn¡¯t have sent him.¡± He said. ¡°That being said, the target was a legend who made a name for himself during a war driven era, so him detecting us couldn¡¯t be avoided. It was my fault to insist on that we keep taps on him.¡± He bowed his head. ¡°I overestimate myself and caused you all to suffer. Forgive me.¡± ¡°Y-Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Please raise your head!¡± Seeing their leader bowing towards them, the people in the room started to panick. ¡°No. I made a foolish mistake. Liam would have never done what I did.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where your wrong, my lord.¡± One of the women in the room spoke up. ¡°It wasn¡¯t only you, but the second and the third prince had also sent spies to keep watch.¡± James lifted his head when he heard that. ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked. The woman nodded. ¡°I can understand Christi sending spies considering those who are working for him, Liam¡­.is a bit surprising.¡± James mumbled ¡°He must be planning something.¡± He then stood up. ¡°Change of plans. We will abandon trying to bring Rory to our side. I honestly thought that it was a lost cause since he doesn¡¯t seem to be as interested in me as he did with my brothers.¡± He said. ¡°We will instead try to persuade Amelia Rosa. She¡¯s strong, has immense potential, and most importantly it seems like we can both get along.¡± He smiled. ¡°I must pull her to my side. If I¡¯m successful, she might bring me closer to the throne.¡± Elsewhere, the second prince Liam was sitting in a room with Brooks and some others. The room was dimly lit, and had vintage furniture and a fireplace. Liam was sitting in a comfy chair with his legs crossed reading a book. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Brooks sat in silence and watched him, as if he was waiting for him to finish. After a while, Liam closed the book and placed it on a table beside him. ¡°So, the spy was caught?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes, my lord. Just as you predicted, the other princes sent people to keep tabs on Rory.¡± Brooks nodded his head and replied. ¡°I see. And the spy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s outside. I ordered him to come here after getting his wound treated.¡± Brooks answered. ¡°Is the wound serious?¡± Brooks shook his head. ¡°He was hit in the shoulder, so it isn¡¯t life threatening.¡± ¡°I see. Send him in.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Brooks stood up and opened the door, and told a man to enter. The man walked in and bowed in front of Liam. ¡°My prince!¡± He shouted with reverence in his voice. ¡°Quickly, tell me. What happened while you were monitoring the targets?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yes. I was observing them having a conversation about making Amelia Rosa stronger. Rory suggested that she improved her swordsmanship, and conjured a sword out of anima.¡± ¡°Physical?¡± The man nodded. ¡°Yes. He created a physical sword.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widen when he heard that. ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories of people conjuring real weapons out of anima, but I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± He muttered to himself. He then looked back at the man. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°Yes. After he conjured the sword he then demonstrated how to use the sword; however, that was a trick. He was really taking out the spies around him, me included.¡± The man said. ¡°Good. You may leave.¡± The man bowed again before leaving. ¡°I originally sent a spy to see how Rory would react to being monitored, as well as to reveal the other spies by having my spy not even try to hide himself, however I never thought that he would react so violently.¡± Liam said after the man left. ¡°Do you know what kind of injuries the other spies sustained? Like if they were all on the same level as ours?¡± He asked Brooks. ¡°According to reports from our spies in the other camps, Prince James¡¯s spy was given a deadly wound which could have taken his life. As for Prince Christi, his spy was linked to a bird, but that bird was killed; forcibly cutting the connection. As you should know, the pain from cutting a connection by a person using Link, is very painful to the user.¡± After hearing Brooks¡¯ report, Liam started to think. ¡°Each spy received injuries, but the severity differs from person to person.¡± He leaned back in his chair. ¡°The question is, was that a coincidence or was it intentional?¡± ¡°Are you saying that Rory knew which spy belonged to which faction and injured them to whatever level he saw fit?¡± Brooks asked. ¡°We¡¯re talking about a legend here. It¡¯s best to think outside the box when dealing with him.¡± Liam answered. ¡°But if what you say is true, then doesn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s showing blunt favoritism with the wounds the spies received?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°And the fact that our spy received the least life threatening wound¡­.¡± Liam and Brooks smiled at each other. ¡°Brooks, have the spy rewarded for his work. Giving rewards when due, is the best way to keep those working for you satisfied.¡± Liam said. ¡°I need to figure out a way to fully bring that man to our side.¡± At the same time. The third prince, Christi had a furious expression on his face, as he stood in a dark room. ¡°This is the second time he¡¯s hurt one of my friends. Unforgivable!¡± He growled. ¡°Calm down, Christi.¡± ¡°We¡¯re dealing with the Devil King here.¡± ¡°One wrong move, and it¡¯s over.¡± At that moment, dozens of hard to see silhouettes appeared in the shadows of the room. ¡°I know. I won¡¯t make any foolish moves. That will only give my brothers what they want.¡± Christi took a deep breath and said. ¡°But what are we going to do?¡± A silhouette said. ¡°The devil king doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in the kingdom¡¯s affairs, but that might change in the future. Should we try to recruit him?¡± ¡°But he almost killed Roc.¡± Said another silhouette. ¡°True, but if he wanted to kill him he would¡¯ve. He said that the creator of our school, was a fellow member of Pandemonium. It seems that he has a soft spot for us.¡± ¡°On what bases have you come to that conclusion?¡± ¡°Instinct. He also seem to enjoy Christi¡¯s hostility. How should I say it? It¡¯s like he¡¯s teasing you.¡± ¡°Hmph. I don¡¯t like him.¡± Christi said. ¡°Then do you want to become enemies with him? Even roc couldn¡¯t win, you know. That only leaves the Boss and that guy to compete with him.¡± ¡°The boss might be able to win, but ¡®that person¡¯¡­.I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t really have that much info on him after all. But according to the boss, he¡¯s incredibly strong.¡± ¡°Christi, what do you think?¡± Upon hearing the question, Christi started to think. After a while he answered. ¡°For now, we¡¯ll take a watch and see approach. We won¡¯t provoke him, but we won¡¯t befriend him either. He¡¯s too dangerous, and I doubt he can be controlled.¡± ¡°We understand. We¡¯ll relay your words to the boss and ¡®that person¡¯.¡± Christi nodded. Shortly after, only he was left in the dark room. He clenched his fist. ¡°Rory.¡± ¡°Rory? What¡¯s wrong?¡± At same time, Rory was in the middle of showing Amelia some sword moves when he froze up and showed a smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He said. ¡®Things are becoming lively.¡¯ He thought. ¡®But, I¡¯m still curious as to who was able to intercept my Sonar. Even here, I still can¡¯t detect them.¡¯ He grinned. ¡°Looks like our stay here, will really be a fun one.¡± 24th Night: The Three Factions Inside the royal palace, the king Xavier was having a few drinks with Rory. ¡°Huh? You almost killed my ancestor?¡± Xavier asked Rory. ¡°Yeah, it wasn¡¯t anything intentional though.¡± Rory replied. ¡°You see, we had just finished a big job and was out celebrating in the woods, when we caught a boar and was getting ready to eat it when we met him.¡± ¡°Was he on a hunt and you guys ran into him?¡± Xavier asked. Rory shook his head. ¡°No, he was the boat itself.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your ancestor¡¯s animus granted him the ability to shapeshift.¡± ¡°Whew~. That¡¯s amazing. So when did you realized that was him?¡± ¡°After we tied him up and put him over a fire.¡± Rory replied. ¡°So he didn¡¯t transform back into a human when he was caught?¡± ¡°No, he did. It was just that we were too drunk to notice.¡± Rory¡¯s reply shocked Xavier. ¡°So how did you notice?¡± ¡°He started screaming ¡®I¡¯m human, I¡¯m human!¡¯¡± Rory replied. ¡°We released him after, because none of us were interested in human meat.¡± He said. ¡°After that, he told you that he was a king?¡± ¡°Nope. We found out after we robbed him and started going through his things. We found a crown in his bags.¡± ¡°¡­..You robbed him?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°Yup. Since we couldn¡¯t eat him, we thought that we might as well rob him. It¡¯s common sense.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Common¡­sense?¡± Xavier started to wonder if Pandemonium was filled with maniacs. ¡°So how did you move from robbing him to helping him fight off a rival country?¡± ¡°Easy, he paid us. We were mercenaries, if you pay us enough we will even rip apart a country or two.¡± Rory replied. ¡°But, I heard that the country was really poor back then. How was he able to pay you?¡± Xavier asked. Rory smiled when he heard his question. ¡°Your ancestor was really an interesting person. When he requested our help, and we asked what would he repay us with, this is how he replied.¡± Rory took a drink of liquor before saying- ¡°Help me destroy those bastards and I promise you half of their wealth, even their lands if you wish. I just want them to disappear from this world. I don¡¯t care if I have to give my soul to a demon to achieve it!¡± Xavier¡¯s eyes widened when he heard that. ¡°Half the country¡¯s wealth and land? That¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°We thought so as well. That¡¯s why we took the job.¡± Rory replied. ¡°While we work for money, we also prefer to work with interesting people. That way the job will be more worth it.¡± ¡°For him to be willing to pay you guys that much, he must¡¯ve been desperate.¡± Said Xavier. ¡°Yeah, he was. He was even willing to go to war himself. In the end, he worked with us to destroy the foundations of the country, thus causing it to crumble under its own weight.¡± Rory replied. ¡°You¡¯re stronger than your ancestor, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re more hard headed than him. He¡¯s one of the few that were weaker than me, that I actually respected.¡± He said. ¡°I think he would be glad to hear that.¡± Xavier poured a glass of champagne and gave it to Rory. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the reason you called me here.¡± Rory took the glass and said. ¡°You want to know which one of your sons I¡¯m supporting, right?¡± ¡°I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t curious, but that¡¯s not my reason for calling you.¡± Said Xavier. ¡°I wanted you to give me your honest opinion.¡± He looked at Rory. ¡°Am I doing a good job as a king?¡± Rory¡¯s face showed shock for a second, but it soon returned to normal. ¡°Why are you asking me? I¡¯ve only been here for a little over a week.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ve seen the country at its lowest and is very familiar with it in its most difficult period. There¡¯s no one who could know if the country is moving in the right direction, more than you.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Xavier answered. ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± Rory replied. ¡°If you want my honest opinion¡­.¡± He showed a bright smile. ¡°This country is done for.¡± ¡°?!¡± Xavier was shocked by what he said. It wasn¡¯t the content of what he said, but how he said with a bright tone. It would make you think that he was talking about something praiseworthy. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Xavier asked after a while. ¡°It¡¯s because this country is too divided.¡± Rory answered after finishing his glass of champagne. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the little competition among the princes. This stems deeper than that.¡± He smiled. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaking, there are three separate powers supporting each prince. The princes are more like their proxies than anything.¡± He said. ¡°As expected of the Devil King, you¡¯ve already figured it out.¡± Said Xavier. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of kingdoms in similar situations. So I immediately realized from the rumors circulating around the city.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t use your Omni-Link?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°Even if I can use it, there was no need to. It was quite obvious.¡± Rory replied. ¡°This is what the rumors tell me.¡± He started speaking. ¡°The country is split into three factions, with each faction supporting a prince. However, this is where the situation differs from the others I¡¯m used to.¡± He pointed at Xavier. ¡°Even though the country is split in three, you are still the absolute monarch with all of the power. The three factions all want to put an end to that, using your sons. They each want the prince they¡¯re supporting to succeed you, that prince will abolish the current government model and implement a new one where they can hold some of the power.¡± Xavier frowned when he heard what Rory said. ¡°Your ears are sharp.¡± He then sighed. ¡°Its just as you say. And to make it worse, I can¡¯t punish neither my sons or their backers.¡± ¡°The first prince is backed the military, the second prince is backed by the nobles, while the third prince is backed by the Church of the Sacred God. It¡¯s hard to punish any of them without harming the country.¡± Rory added. ¡°But the princes¡¯ struggles are kind of futile, since you¡¯re the one who will decided your heir.¡± Rory poured himself some more champagne and said- ¡°You¡¯re going to die, you know.¡± Before throwing it down his throat. ¡°You¡¯re pretty blunt.¡± Said Xavier with a wry smile. ¡°And you¡¯ve realized it.¡± Xavier nodded. ¡°The only way any of the three factions can win, is to either convince me, or kill me.¡± ¡°But killing you would only lead to a gruesome three way war.¡± Xavier nodded again. ¡°That¡¯s why neither side have tried it. If I die and there¡¯s no one lift to hold the reins, this country will be ruined by a three way civil war. They realized that. Because of that, I don¡¯t think they will try it.¡± ¡°I would.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Xavier froze after hearing what Rory said. ¡°I said that I would kill you regardless of the consequences.¡± He swirled the champagne in his cup. ¡°However, that¡¯s only if I¡¯m certain of my victory in the civil war. Also, my desire to become king has to be extremely strong.¡± He smiled at Xavier. ¡°I don¡¯t know if your sons have complete confidence in their victory, but they seem to desire becoming king pretty strongly.¡± Xavier gulped. He had to admit that what Rory said made sense. Sometimes desires rob humans of their sense of reason. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for at least one of the sons to aim for his head. ¡°Then again. If your sons love you, then there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Rory laughed and said. Xavier laughed nervously with him. Meanwhile, he was thinking- ¡®Was I too strict on them as kids?¡¯ At the same time, Amelia was on the roof of the palace swinging her sword. Since she was using a new sword, she wanted to get used to how it feels. As such, she was planning to do as much swings as she can. ¡°1274, 1275, 1276¡­¡± ¡°Wow, you actually swung your sword that many times?¡± She turned around and saw someone standing behind her. ¡°Prince James.¡± She knelt in front of him. This action clearly shocked the first prince. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you would kneel before me, considering who you¡¯re following.¡± James spoke his honest thoughts. ¡°I was a knight before I met Rory, so to me respecting royalty is common sense.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°I see. This is a pleasant surprise though. I was prepared to be kicked off the roof by you.¡± Amelia stood up when she heard that. ¡°I¡¯m not the same as that maniac. I have common sense.¡± She said. ¡°When you¡¯re that strong what others consider to be common sense no longer applies to you.¡± James said. ¡°You¡¯re defending his outrageousness? Just so you know, that won¡¯t get on his good side. He¡¯s an arrogant person, praising him will only boost his ego.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°Hahaha. You¡¯re probably the only one in this kingdom that can talk about him that way.¡± James said. ¡°So, what do you want your highness? As you can see, I¡¯m busy.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I wanted to request a spar with you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Amelia looked interested when she heard that. She looked at him from head to toe. ¡°Why do I feel like that¡¯s just a front to get close to me?¡± She said. James smiled. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t deny my desire to get acquainted with a lady like yourself.¡± ¡°You flatter me.¡± She pointed her sword at him. ¡°But I advise you to not say that in front of Rory¡¯s face. He might kill you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fully prepared to face death at any time. So I¡¯m not afraid to say it to his face.¡± James replied. ¡®He¡¯s not just putting on a front. He seems like he would really say it to Rory¡¯s face.¡¯ Amelia thought while staring his eyes, which showed determination and unwavering will. ¡°You, you¡¯re not afraid of Rory or what he might do to this country?¡± She asked. James shook his head. ¡°While Rory is a dangerous element, he isn¡¯t enough to make me divert from my path. Whether he stands before me as an enemy or an ally, I will still walk towards my goal. I will still become king.¡± He clenched his fist and smiled fearlessly. ¡°I will make this country stronger!¡± Amelia stared at him in silence. She could feel the passion that¡¯s boiling inside him. She couldn¡¯t help but to have a good impression of him. She smiled. ¡°Prince James, you came here with the purpose of recruiting me to join your faction, didn¡¯t you?¡± She asked. James nodded. ¡°Yes. I came with that intention.¡± ¡°Not even trying to hide it, huh?¡± Amelia laughed a little. ¡°Why me? Did you fail with Rory and thought that I would be an easier target?¡± She asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t approach Rory because I judged that I would only waste my time. I can tell that we won¡¯t get along.¡± James smiled. ¡°I believe that you and I will get along better.¡± ¡°Thanks for the compliment.¡± Amelia said. ¡°However, whether I can befriend you or not isn¡¯t something that any one of us should decide so hastily.¡± James laughed when heard that. ¡°My apologies. It¡¯s just that anyone would feel the urge to pick a beautiful rose if it was in front of them.¡± Amelia gripped her sword tightly. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard, Prince? When picking a rose, you should always approach with caution.¡± She smiled. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll get hurt by its thorns.¡± James eyes widen when he heard that. He soon smiled again and pulled his own sword. ¡°I¡¯ll keep your words in my heart.¡± Amelia started surging her anima through her entire body. She the silently charged towards him. James rushed forward as well and met her charge. The two swung the swords with all their might. *Bam!* A loud sound came from the rooftop. The heated spar between the two had began. At the same time, in the Southern section of the city. There was a large building filled with people, who were on their knees praying. In front of them was a statue of a cloaked figure rising their arms in the air, with the sun shining brightly behind them. This place was a church of Sacred God, or Sacred Church for short. The statue that the people bowed before was the Sacred God. Thousands of years ago, the descendants of the Sacred God, the Scared Kin created a place of worship in dedication of their ancestor. Because they had became the rulers of the world, their religion quickly spread and was now considered the only right religion in the world. Every other religion was treated as heresy. It didn¡¯t take long before the Sacred Church gained billions of followers from all races. Because of this, the church was seen as a powerhouse by itself. One word from it could cause a country to crumble. In fact, they were a lot of countries that were run by the church itself. In this time an era, the countries which didn¡¯t have a Sacred Church were considered rare. Inside a room in the church, sat a bearded man with gold hair, who was dressed in all white. He was the leader of this church branch, Father Timothy. ¡°Father.¡± Behind him, a person appeared with his appearance hidden. ¡°Did you find out if he was the real devil king?¡± The father asked. ¡°Yes. He is indeed the real one. He matched our reports perfectly.¡± Answered the person. ¡°I see. This is quite a predicament.¡± Father opened his drawer and took out eight wanted posters that were in a stock. At the head of the stack, there was a wanted poster with Rory¡¯s face and name. ¡°Because of their actions over 100 years ago, all 8 members of Pandemonium are wanted by the Sacred Army. As the sacred church, we¡¯re obligated to capture all members we come across, expect one. However, the devil king is the one who was ordered to be captured or killed at all cost.¡± Said the father. ¡°Then, should I go kill him?¡± Asked the person. The father shook his head. ¡°The country is in a delicate state. For now, let¡¯s watch and see.¡± 25th Night: The Princes Make Their Move *Bam!* On the roof of the royal palace, sounds of collision could be heard over and over again. On it, Amelia was clashing against the the first prince with her newly gifted saber. *Bam!* She was forced back by James, who chased after her thrusting his sword at her neck. Amelia dodged it with a sidestep, and slashed at James exposed side. James lifted his arm up and blocked the slashed, with his skin that turned into iron. He then slashed at Amelia, who jumped back to avoid it. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away.¡± However, at that moment James accelerated and appeared in front of her in a flash. She was caught off guard and forcibly parried his sword thrust with the flat side of her blade. She then kicked him in the stomach to force him back. James took a couple steps back with a smile on his face. ¡°Not bad. You¡¯re pretty skilled for someone your age.¡± James praised. ¡°Rubbish. You¡¯re not that older than me, but you¡¯re just playing around with me.¡± Amelia responded. ¡°No, I mean it. I was trained by some of the best warriors in the kingdom, but you¡¯re able to keep up with me. I¡¯m honestly shocked. Were you really self-taught?¡± James replied. ¡°I¡¯ll take your compliment, but only after I¡¯ve lost.¡± Amelia lifted her sword to the side and started channeling her power through our entire body and sword. ¡°I¡¯m going to attack you with strongest sword strike I have. I appreciate it if you block or counter it, so that I can see what I¡¯m lacking.¡± She said as she eyed the prince. Seeing the look in her eyes, the prince couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill. ¡®Such an intense glare¡­.¡¯ He tightened the grip on his sword. ¡°So this is how it feels to face a Lodon.¡± He showed a broad smile. ¡°Come!¡± He shouted with a challenging tone. Amelia rushed towards him with an incredible speed. Her sword started overflowing with anima the closer she got to James. The prince clenched his sword and watched as she came into range. Once they were only a few meters apart, the two of them swung their swords at the same time. *Bam!* The blades collided and a shockwave spread away from them and caused small cracks to appear all over the roof. ¡°Ugh!¡± Amelia groaned as she poured all of her strength into her sword. The prince on the other hand was calmer, even though he was feeling pressured. His anima erupted and his sword started producing a repelling force, which slowly pushed away Amelia and her sword. ¡°Wha?!¡± Amelia was shocked to be overwhelmed in such a way. Once there was enough distance between them, James flipped his sword and slashed Amelia across the chest, in a swift and deadly strike. *Bam!* Amelia was sent flying back with her chest burning with pain. She fell on her back a couple meters away from the prince. ¡°Ahh!¡± She screamed out in pain and held her chest. She started wiggling in pain. ¡°Crap, did I overdo it?¡± Said the prince, when he saw how much pain Amelia was in. ¡°I did use the back of my sword though.¡± He sheathed his sword and rushed towards Amelia. He was scared that he had injured her. If he did, it might cause Rory to snap, which wasn¡¯t good for the country in the least. Once he got close to her, he stretched his hand out towards her. ¡°?!¡± At that moment, he felt something pressed against his throat. He looked down and saw that it was Amelia¡¯s blade. ¡°Y-You shouldn¡¯t drop your guard so easily. Y-Your majesty.¡± He saw Amelia smiling at him with a pained expression. ¡°I could¡¯ve easily taken your head just now, if I was aligned with one of the other princes.¡± Her words shocked James. He could see from the bruise on her chest as well as the anguished expression that she was in immense pain, but she was still able to point out his mistake, and even had his life in her hands. ¡®T-This girl¡­.She¡¯s the best!¡¯ James thought. He admitted that he had greatly underestimated her. She took advantage of the fact that he would be worried about hurting her, to draw him into a trap. To do that while suffering from immense pain was praiseworthy. ¡®Her ability to stay levelheaded even in intense situations was displayed in the tournament, and now here. Also, from our exchange earlier it¡¯s obvious that she has monstrous potential. Her personality is one that always seek improvement, and never feels arrogant and overconfident.¡¯ He smiled as wide as he could. ¡®I want her!¡¯ That was what echoed in his mind and heart. ¡®I must obtain this woman for myself!¡¯ ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Asked King Xavier, after seeing Rory suddenly looked tense. They were taking a walking around the palace yard with Sir Allen accompanying them. ¡°My Elia senses are tingling.¡± Rory said with a straight face. ¡°Your what?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°It feels like someone is making a move on Elia¡­¡± Rory muttered. ¡°Feels like? Are sure you didn¡¯t just pick it up with your sonar or ajna?¡± Asked Xavier.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Nope. I¡¯ve stopped using those since it would ruin the fun that¡¯s about to occur in the kingdom. I¡¯m currently relying on instinct alone.¡± Rory replied. ¡°And your instincts are telling you that someone is hitting on your woman?¡± ¡°How?¡± Xavier and Allen asked respectively. ¡°You know how mothers can sometime sense when their kids are about to do something stupid or something they¡¯re not supposed to do, so they check on them? It¡¯s like that.¡± Rory replied. ¡°So¡­.You¡¯re her mom?¡± Xavier asked with a confused expression. ¡°¡­..I might¡¯ve worded that wrongly.¡± Rory said. ¡°Anyway, it seems that one of the princes wants to recruit Amelia, which isn¡¯t odd.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid one of my sons take her from you?¡± Xavier asked with a grin. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Rory replied with a laugh. ¡°No offense, king. But your sons can¡¯t court her. They aren¡¯t up to the task.¡± He wrapped his hands around Xavier. ¡°Besides, there are only a few people who can take her away from me, and only one who I would give to with no hesitation whatsoever. Everybody else will have to kill me to get her.¡± ¡°So you have no problem with my sons trying, since you¡¯re that confident?¡± Xavier asked back. ¡°Oh, you got balls ill give you that.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°Fine. If they want to try, I won¡¯t stop them. Even if Elia does one day want to leave my side, I won¡¯t stop her. She isn¡¯t my slave or anything after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on your offer.¡± Xavier replied. ¡°Speaking of women, don¡¯t you have any place where we can enjoy ourselves?¡± Rory whispered in Xavier¡¯s ear. ¡°How rude! I¡¯m the prestigious king of this fine kingdom!¡± Xavier answered with a frown. He then took out a card and handed it to Rory. It read Pleasure Garden. ¡°I¡¯m their #1 customer.¡± Xavier said with a grin. ¡°You know, Xavier. I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.¡± The two started laughing as they made their way to the palace gate. Allen who was following behind them, could only sigh. After a while, the three of arrived at a building in the center of the city. It was heavily guarded and looked intimidating like it was a base of some kind of criminal organization. ¡°Oh? This place sure looks fancy.¡± Rory said while looking around. He saw that those that entered all wore expensive suits and other luxurious clothing. ¡°I see. This place is where the nobles come to have secret talks while enjoying themselves.¡± He said. ¡°As sharp as always.¡± Xavier said behind. ¡°The Pleasure Garden definitely isn¡¯t an ordinary brothel. It¡¯s the playground of this kingdom¡¯s aristocrats.¡± He explained. ¡°And you¡¯re the owner of such an establishment?¡± Rory asked. ¡°No, but the one behind it has immense power.¡± Xavier said. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I don¡¯t longer feel like messing around.¡± Rory suddenly said, which shocked the king. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because if I go inside, I might see somethings I prefer not to see.¡± Rory replied. ¡°You know, those with high status tend to have weird fetishes. I have normal fetishes, so I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll just spoil the mood inside.¡± After saying that, he turned around. ¡°No need to worry about that, Devil King. This place is more tamed than you¡¯ll expect.¡± He heard a voice and turned around to see someone standing at the entrance of the building. It was the second prince, Liam. ¡°Come in, promise you that you won¡¯t regret it.¡± Liam said with a smile. ¡°So you¡¯re the owner¡­.¡± Rory looked at Xavier, it seemed that he expected to see his son. He might¡¯ve brought Rory here for the purpose of meeting Liam in the first place. ¡°Come on in, Lord Rory.¡± Liam repeated. ¡°If you wanted to invited me in, you should¡¯ve brought the most beautiful women you got.¡± Rory said. ¡°If I did, you¡¯ll feel like I¡¯m looking down on you. You¡¯ll think that I only see you as a stupid person who can¡¯t resist his desires and can easily be bought over with some cheap women.¡± Liam replied. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that only sour your mood?¡± He said. Rory eyes brightened for a bit when he heard that. ¡°You¡¯re wise for your age, and quite observant too.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll listen to what you have say.¡± After saying that, Rory entered the building with Xavier and Allen behind him. When he entered he was greeted with a luxurious interior matching a place used by the high class. He saw beautiful women lined off on the sides of the wall. They were all dressed elegantly, contrary to what you would think a brothel worker would look like. ¡°This isn¡¯t half bad.¡± Rory said after looking around. ¡°Thank you for your praise.¡± Said Liam. He looked at the girls again, and his eyes stopped on a particular woman. She had long brown hair, glassy pink eyes, and had a modest figure. Her face was quite beautiful as well. However, Rory wasn¡¯t looking at the woman with lustful eyes. His eyes lacked any obvious emotions. It was like he was simply observing her. ¡°Do you like this woman?¡± A man dressed in a suit approached Rory. It seemed that he worked here. ¡°This girl is new here, and hasn¡¯t had a single customer. If you like, you can be her first.¡± Said the man. Rory ignored him and continued to stare at the woman. Despite being literally examined by Rory, the woman kept a bright smile on her face. ¡°Um¡­ My lord?¡± The man called out to Rory again. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mind it.¡± Rory smiled at him. ¡°She was so beautiful that I had to stare.¡± After said that, he smiled at the woman and walked to the dining section of the building. Rather than a brothel, the place looked like a high class restaurant that happens to offer sexual services on the side. He took a seat at the table where the prince and the king were sitting. Sir Allen was standing behind the king with a straight face. ¡°If you liked that woman, you can have her you know.¡± Liam said after Rory took a seat. ¡°Nah, that¡¯s fine. I prefer to be with women who are willing, not those who are ordered to.¡± Rory replied. He took a glass of champagne from a waiter and drank it. ¡°It¡¯s the same when I go to brothels and bars. I pick a woman and get to know her and slowly tear down the wall of worker and client that is between us. After that we¡¯ll return back to being a mere man and woman.¡± He smiled. ¡°That way the woman will truly enjoy herself, thus allowing me to enjoy myself as well.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re strange.¡± Said Xavier. ¡°I¡¯m just a gentleman.¡± Rory placed his hand on his chest and said. ¡°Hahaha. You¡¯re really an interesting person, Rory.¡± Said Liam. ¡°I¡¯ll cut to the chase. I would be really grateful if you can support me in my mission to become king.¡± He said. ¡°Support you or work for you?¡± Rory asked. ¡°Don¡¯t joke like that. There¡¯s no way I can have someone of your power and status work for me. I know my limits quite well.¡± Liam replied. ¡°I merely want you to publicly endorse me for the position of king. I won¡¯t even attempt to order you around, and I won¡¯t ask you for rude favors either.¡± ¡°You mean like killing your father and brothers?¡± ¡°Pssh!¡± Xavier spat out the champagne he was drinking when he heard that. The father that Rory mentioned was obviously him. ¡°Liam! You little shits really are planning on assassinating me?!¡± Xavier shouted while choking the prince who was beside him. ¡°Your majesty! He was kidding! He meant hypothetically!¡± Allen shouted while trying to pry the king off Liam. ¡°He was? Oh.¡± Xavier released his son and sat back down. ¡°My bad. You may continue.¡± He said. ¡°A-Anyway..¡± Liam cough a bit after being released. ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t ask you for such favors. Just saying that I deserve to be king is enough. With someone like you endorsing me, people will believe it to be true.¡± He said. ¡°Why are you three even competing to be king in the first place? Normally, wouldn¡¯t the first prince be the heir?¡± Rory asked. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Xavier spoke up. ¡°My genes were just too superior. I ended up conceiving three talented sons.¡± Xavier then whispered, ¡° Curse my godly rod¡±, with a pained expression. ¡°Because we were all so talented from a young age, we all drew supporters towards us who wanted to make us king. And the result is our current competition.¡± Liam said. ¡°So having too many gifted children can be troublesome as well.¡± Rory muttered with an amused expression. ¡°The problem is that all three of us believe that we can make the kingdom a prosperous one, but can¡¯t agree on the ways on how we should go about it.¡± Liam added. ¡°This battle has been going on since we were kids.¡± ¡°But my appearance creates the opportunity to end it once and for all?¡± Rory said. Liam nodded. ¡°If it¡¯s you who once saved this country before, this competition can end with your words.¡± He said. ¡°You can convince my idiot of a father¡­Ow!¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m right here. Don¡¯t talk like I¡¯m not.¡± Xavier said after hitting his son for insulting him. ¡°You can convince my father and those around him that I¡¯m the true heir.¡± Liam said. ¡°Hmph. No matter what anyone says, you¡¯re all too immature to become my heirs.¡± Xavier said while putting a piece of cake that was on his fork into his mouth. ¡°Besides, none of the three of you have brought a woman you want to be your queen for me to see. Just so you know, you can¡¯t be a king without a queen.¡± ¡°I can get a queen whenever. I showed you plans that can make this country prosper! A queen shouldn¡¯t matter!¡± ¡°How can you make a country prosper, when you can¡¯t even make your love life prosper!¡± Xavier pointed his fork at his son. ¡°Find a queen and love her with all of your heart, stupid son!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from a king who comes to brothel while his queen is in the palace, stupid old man!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just taking a tour to see if my people are happy.¡± ¡°You tour this place three times a week!¡± ¡°You bastard, stop shouting out your father¡¯s business!¡± The father and son pair started butting heads. ¡°Oh, the prince surprisingly has this part of him as well.¡± Rory said while watching them argue, and smiled. ¡°Hm?¡± He suddenly felt movement behind him and turned around to look at the girls. When he looked, he saw that one of the women were missing. It was the woman who he was staring at intensely for a while. ¡°Hahaha.¡± He gave a low laugh and pretended like he didn¡¯t see anything. At the same time, the woman that Rory noticed had gone missing was moving out of the Pleasure Garden¡¯s area. She quickly arrived outside of the defensive net, and blended in the crowd after somehow ridding herself of her fancy clothing. Not only her clothing, but she even got rid of her face, hair, and eyes, in other words makeup, wig and contact lens. The current woman looked like someone completely different. She had an androgynous look which made her look handsome and beautiful, feminine and masculine at the same time. She had white hair that turned red near the ends, and bloody red eyes to match. While walking through the crowd, she took out a phone and dialed a number. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s me. Tell the prince that Liam and James have made contact with Rory and Amelia Rosa. Also, that bastard Rory is too sharp, so I had to leave my post sooner than expected.¡± She frowned and then said- ¡°Tell him to be careful. There¡¯s no telling where the country is going.¡± 26th Night: The Third Prince-Christi Rory spent a few hours at the Pleasure Garden with the king and the prince. Half way through their meeting, the king got drunk and started forcing liquor down his throat saying- ¡°If you really want to become a king, then learn to hold your liquor! All kings have to go to banquets and parties, so unless you have a certain level of tolerance for alcohol you¡¯ll embarrass yourself!¡± Because of this, the second prince also got drunk. After, Rory decided to join the fun and got drunk as well. After that, the Pleasure Garden got real rowdy. Xavier and Rory started to compete to see who could move the hearts of the girls. Normally, Xavier would win considering he was the king, but Rory was something else. He approached the women and quickly became a conversation partner that the women could vent with. Like this the two ended up wooing almost all of the women in the brothel. As for the prince, he seemed to be bad with liquor because he too broke his cool and calm persona and started behave wildly. At one point he took his pants off and was swinging it in the air while singing an unknown song. He then started dancing on table tops with the women who were his employees. Seeing their king and prince behaving like this, the noblemen their were lost for words. Especially those close to the prince, since this was the first time they¡¯ve seen him let loose like this. Eventually, it was like they got infected by their behaviors and started to enjoy the fun. ¡°Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!¡± Currently everyone, whether they were noblemen, servants, or even royalty, were all shout chug at the king who was having a drink off with his son. There were dozens of beer jugs lined off in front of them as the two poured an endless amount of beer down their throats. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Rory who was shirtless and hugging two beautiful women, laughed loudly while watching the two drink. ¡°Lord Rory, you should drink too.¡± Said one of the women, as she offer Rory some beer. ¡°My hands are full, so can you feed it to me.¡± Rory said. ¡°With pleasure.¡± The woman then proceeded to throw the beer down his throat. ¡°Ahh! So refreshing!¡± He said with a red face. At that moment, the prince fell over after failing to drink his 7th jug of beer. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Seeing that, Xavier burst out laughing. ¡°You¡¯re 100 years too early to compete against me!¡± He said. He then stood up and approached Rory with two beers. ¡°Cheers to brotherhood!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± Rory took the glass and they slammed the jugs against each other before hooking their arms and chugging the beer. Meanwhile the prince laid on the ground with his eyes spinning. ¡°I-I¡¯m going to become king!¡± He shouted before passing out. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Rory and Xavier burst out laughing when they heard that. Nightfall came quickly in the Pleasure Garden. By this time, the ground was covered with people who had drank until they passed out. There were some who passed out leaning on a wall or on a table. There were only a few persons still standing. ¡°You sure created quite the chaotic scene.¡± Allen, who didn¡¯t drink a single drop of alcohol, approached Rory and said. ¡°What are you saying? The one who created this mess was your king.¡± Rory replied. ¡°In the beginning, but the one who made it escalated to such a point was none other than you.¡± Allen said. ¡°Why did you do such a thing?¡± He asked. ¡°I don¡¯t like to be stuck in a serious mood for too long. I also thought that the prince could need a chance of to unwind. It¡¯s not good for someone so young to be so uptight all the time.¡± He looked at the prince who was sleeping with a smile on his face. ¡°Worrying about the fate of the country is too much for a boy like him. Like my friend Adonis always said, ¡®Life is short even for a god, so it¡¯s only a mere second for us mortals. If that¡¯s the case, I prefer to bloom brilliantly like a firework until I fade away in the night¡¯.¡± He smiled.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°The prince needs to learn how to bloom while he can.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Allen didn¡¯t know what to say after hearing what Rory said. He only spoke after a while. ¡°Why are you interested in the prince so much?¡± ¡°Why? He¡¯s an interesting person. I like interesting people.¡± Rory replied. ¡°By the way, I find all the princes interesting in their own way. It¡¯s not like I prefer him or anything.¡± He paused before saying- ¡°But if I had to give you another reason, it¡¯s because he reminds me of someone. They¡¯re not the same though. That person took too much on their shoulders and ended up collapsing.¡± ¡°¡­..Did they ever recover?¡± Allen replied. Rory showed a mysterious smile. ¡°Did they? Who knows.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Allen didn¡¯t say anything more and stood in silence. ¡°Now then¡­¡± Rory stooped down and lifted up two women by their arms and flung them over his shoulder. They were the women he was hugging earlier. ¡°I should get going.¡± ¡°What are you going to do with them? They tried to poison you didn¡¯t they?¡± Allen asked. ¡°Oh? You noticed?¡± He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not that they tried, they succeeded. I drank the poison they put in my liquor.¡± Rory answered. ¡°But you don¡¯t look poisoned.¡± ¡°As a kid, I was fed poisoned daily in order to become immune to it. Currently natural poisons won¡¯t work on me. You need to use a poison type animus to poison me. Not that I would allow that to happen.¡± He started walking out the building. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. Only my drink was poisoned. The king and prince are fine. It seemed like I was there only target.¡± ¡°Where are you carrying them?¡± Allen asked. ¡°Where?¡± Rory stopped and grinned at him. ¡°To their owner, of course. Where else?¡± In a section of the royal district, there was a large mansion that was absent of any form of guards. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the place was well maintained, one would think that it was abandoned. Someone appeared at the main gate with a smile. ¡°So this is where the third prince resides?¡± Said Rory as he stood in front of the gate. ¡°Alright.¡± He then jumped and took a leap over the gate, while still carrying the two women over his shoulder. He then started walking towards the mansion while whispering a jolly tune. He continued to walk until he arrived in front of the entrance. He then lifted his hand to press the doorbell. *Boom!* The moment he pressed the doorbell, the door exploded. Rory was seen jumping back while holding the women. ¡°Woah there. That was quite the chime.¡± He said with a laugh. At that moment, he leaped back again and saw blades with chains connected to them lodged in the ground, right at where he stood earlier. Electric sparks were seen emitting from the blades, and ground started breaking apart. Rory could see electricity rushing towards him. He stomped the ground and caused the ground to crack open from his end. A new source of electricity was seen traveling underground, which collided with the one caused by the blades. *Boom!* The ground exploded and a crater was formed. ¡°Hm?¡± Suddenly, Rory was surrounded by masked figures who were reaching out towards him. He grinned and stretched his hands out. ¡°Black Orochi, Killer Edition.¡± His fingers turned into eight serpents before transforming into 8 ferocious black dragons. The dragons rushed into 8 different directions and devoured the masked figures. The dragons ripped them apart without mercy. *Boom!* At that moment, a long rifle burst out of the ground and rested under Rory¡¯s chin. *Boom!* It fired and a streak of flames shot into the air. Rory had avoided it by moving his head back at the last second. However, chains appeared out of nowhere and wrapped themselves around his feet. The chains were pulled and Rory fell on his back, releasing the women. The moment his back hit the ground, his four limbs were dragged under the earth that was now like quicksand. The earth quickly hardened and Rory was left with only his torso and head above ground. ¡°Whew~.¡± He whistled as if he was impressed. Behind him, some more masked people appeared beside the unconscious women. ¡°They¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. These idiots actually acted on their own and tried to kill him.¡± ¡°But thanks to them, we were able to capture him.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that great?¡± ¡°?!¡± The masked figures turned around only to see Rory standing behind them with a smile. ¡°Shit!¡± They leaped back while trying to draw their weapons. *Bam!* However, before they could they were all hit simultaneously and was sent flying into the bushes unconscious. ¡°Your capturing techniques were pretty good. But you shouldn¡¯t leave your captive unguarded. There¡¯s a chance that they might escape and kill you.¡± He said. ¡°Well, not that you can hear me.¡± He turned his back on them and walked into the mansion. The mansion was dark despite except for the moonlight that was shining inside. ¡°Good evening, I¡¯m sorry for the sudden visit.¡± Rory walked in and said. ¡°But is Christi here? I wanted to see if he could recommend me to some nice ladies.¡± He then swung his hand and swat away a throwing knife. ¡°I see. It looks like this is a bad time.¡± He smiled. ¡°But inside sure is dark.¡± He lifted his hand out into front of him, and anima started gathering in the shape of a ball. ¡°This should help.¡± The moment the ball appeared, the room was illuminated and he could see everything clearly. ¡°Hm?¡± The room was filled with countless masked figures armed with weapons from knives to cannons. Despite seeing all that, Rory smiled and said- ¡°Good evening. Nice night isn¡¯t it?¡± *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* The residence of the third prince was suddenly filled with explosive sounds. ¡°This is quite the reception.¡± Rory said while moving around and avoiding the attacks. He grabbed the arm of a person who was trying to attack him from behind, and spun around and kicked that person away. He caught some knives thrown at him, and threw them to cut through some bullets to hit his attackers. He jumped on a table and was immediately attacked by three burly figures. He stomped on the table and caused it shatter, however the pieces didn¡¯t fall to the ground a began floating in the air. He snapped his fingers and the pieces of the table flew towards the burly men, and lodged into their limbs. ¡°Let¡¯s make this a bit more fun.¡± Rory stomped the ground after saying that. Green waves of anima could be seen spreading out in the area. *Rumble!* The entire mansion started shake vigorously like it was hit with an earthquake. ¡°Th-This is Quake Step?!¡± The masked figures recognized Rory¡¯s technique immediately after he used it. ¡°If he can use Quake Step, then he should be able to use the other techniques related to it!¡± ¡°Everyone, avoid melee with him as much as possible! If he hit you with one of the Quake techniques, he will shatter your skeleton and cause your organs to burst. It will be like an earthquake occurred in your body! You¡¯ll be reduced to a stack of meat after that! Your corpse won¡¯t even be able to keep a human shape!¡± One of the masked fighters warned his comrades. After hearing the terrifying technique that Rory could use, they all showed signs of caution. ¡°Hey, that wasn¡¯t nice spoiling my techniques before I use them!¡± Rory punched the ground and the same green waves appeared across the ground. The floor started cracking open in waves, and people were seen flying out from underground to escape the shock. By the time the shockwaves finally stopped, the entire floor was completely destroyed and the walls were filled with cracks. ¡°M-Monster¡­.¡± The masked figures looked horrified by Rory¡¯s display of power. ¡°Now then¡­..¡± The ball of anima that he was using to illuminating the room, returned to his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s take this up a notch.¡± Rory threw up the ball of anima, jumped into the air and then kicked it. The ball suddenly turned into bullets of anima and rained down on the masked figures. *Boom!* The room was riddled with holes, while the figures tried every method to escape the line of fire. ¡°Time for the second round.¡± Rory created another ball of anima, and threw it in the air. ¡°Killer Shotgun!¡± He punched the ball and it broke into more bullets, increasing the amount that was already targeting the masked figures. ¡°Hm?¡± At that moment, countless weapons came out of nowhere and deflected all of the anima bullets at once. ¡°Oh? That was impressive.¡± Rory said as he looked at who had deflected his attack. ¡°Third Prince, Christi.¡± 27th Night: The Boomslang’s Leader ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± The third prince, Christi glared at Rory in silence. It was obvious that he was angry. In response to his anger, Rory- ¡°Good night, Prince Christi. I¡¯m here to make a complaint about the behavior of some of your¡­.friends.¡± He ignored his anger and spoke with a casual tone. ¡°You see, they placed something in my drink which I didn¡¯t mind actually, but it ended up ruining the taste. That¡¯s why I came to make a complaint.¡± He smiled. ¡°Could you prepare some better tasting poison next time?¡± Christi¡¯s eye twitched when he heard that. ¡°My apologizes. It seems like they acted on their own. They will be punished on a later date.¡± He said. ¡°You still wear your heart on your sleeves I see.¡± Rory said after seeing that the prince didn¡¯t even attempted to hide his hatred and anger. ¡°You¡¯re mad that I hurt your people right?¡± Rory asked. The prince didn¡¯t answer, but Rory continued. ¡°It¡¯s probably because you¡¯re like that, that people gather around you. Your charisma is different from your brothers, but it¡¯s the worst one to have for someone in your position. Those loyal to you won¡¯t be able to stomach someone disrespecting you, and will most likely act on their own to avenge you.¡± Rory showed a dark smile. ¡°This will only cause you a lot of unnecessary trouble.¡± At that moment, he appeared in front of the prince with his arm extending behind the prince, while holding a knife. ¡°For example, inviting a walking disaster into your home.¡± The moment Rory said that, he began bringing the knife towards Christi¡¯s neck back. The prince didn¡¯t move an inch despite knowing what was happening. Rory stopped the knife just a few inches away from the prince¡¯s neck. ¡°Well, to think that we would meet again this quickly.¡± Rory said. Someone appeared out of nowhere holding his hand, while resting a pistol on his forehead. It was the woman who had her identity exposed at the Pleasure Garden by Rory, and had to leave. ¡°Good night, beautiful.¡± He said. *Bam!* The sound of a gunshot resounded in the room and Rory collapsed on the ground. ¡°Get behind me, Christi.¡± The woman said as she pulled the prince behind her. ¡°Ow¡­.Who shoots someone in the head after getting a greeting from them?¡± Rory sat up and complained. There was a red mark on his forehead with a small drop of blood. ¡°If my anima was any weaker, you would¡¯ve blown my brains out you know?¡± He sprung to his feet and dust himself off. ¡°You should¡¯ve just drop dead then.¡± The woman said. ¡°No can do. I still have to comfort all the beautiful women of the world.¡± He smiled at her. ¡°You included.¡± ¡°I¡¯m flattered, but no thanks.¡± *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* The woman opened fire on Rory, who accelerated and avoided them. He moved like the wind and quickly approached the woman, stretching out his hand towards her. The woman suddenly accelerated towards him, and fired at him at close range. Rory moved his head to the side and avoided it. *Bam!* He then blocked a kick from the woman. ¡°?!¡± He suddenly saw a knife appear from the tip of her boot. The knife fired at him like a bullet aiming at his temple. Rory jumped back and avoided the knife. *Bam!*This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The woman fired the gun again, this time he thrust his hand out and crushed the bullet in his hand. The woman¡¯s eyes widen for a bit, but she soon began calmly firing at him. Rory caught the bullets in his hand and threw them back at the woman with the same force as the gun. The bullets hit the gun out of her hand. Seeing that, Rory rushed towards her. She leaped back to distance herself, and stopped midair and stood in the air. ¡°Wires?¡± Rory immediately recognized the method she used to stand in the air. ¡°So your comrades strung up paper thin wires for you to use earlier. Impressive.¡± He said, and took a leap upwards and stood on the wires as well. ¡°You¡¯re quite skilled. You must be the boss of the current Boomslang.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The woman remained quiet. ¡°No answer huh. That¡¯s a good decision.¡± Rory said. He started bouncing on the wires as if checking how firm they were. ¡°This is quite nostalgic.¡± He said. ¡°It remains me of those time I used to fight against Rei.¡± He looked at the woman. ¡°I wonder how you compare to Rei when he was your age?¡± He took a fighting stance. ¡°I feel like it¡¯s my duty to check as his friend.¡± He rushed forward on the wires. ¡°I think I must see what the people who followed his teachings to this day, are made up of!¡± He quickly approached the woman with his entire arm vibrating. Sensing how dangerous of a move he was preparing to use, the woman jumped back. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away.¡± ¡°?!¡± To the woman¡¯s horror, Rory cut the distance between them in an instant and stood in front of her. She desperately activated Iron Skin and crossed her arms in front of her. *Bam!* She was hit with a powerful force traveling through her body in waves. She was then propelled back after failing to cancel out the force. She was forced out of the air and crashed into a staircase below. ¡°Boss!¡± When masked people saw that they shouted out in worry. At the same time, Rory felt something tie around his leg. He looked down and saw that it was a thin wire. ¡°Shit!¡± He was pulled out of the air and slammed through a wall, and fell into a different room. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± The woman sat up while coughing with a pained expression. She was holding a wire in her right hand. She wrapped that wires after being propelled back Rory¡¯s punch and used the force from her being blown away to pull him out of the air. *Bam!* The wall Rory crashed through broke, and Rory walked out of the room ¡°For you to use my own strength against me¡­.Well done.¡± He praised with a grin. He then swung down his hand and cut the wire. ¡°Let¡¯s go again!¡± He leaped towards the woman with a savage grin. His leg started vibrating. Seeing that, the women rolled out of the way. *Bam!* The staircase burst into pieces after coming in contact with his stomp. He turned and thrust his fist forward and destroyed a knife thrown by the woman. He started walking towards her destroying every knife she threw. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* With every step he took, the mansion shook vigorously like there was an earthquake. Cracks appeared even on the ceilings because of his power. The current Rory looked like a walking ball of destruction. ¡°You¡¯re still playing around?¡± Rory asked. He then showed a wicked smile. His body then started releasing a terrifying amount of anima. At that moment it was like the world was falling apart. The ceiling began caving in as the entire mansion started falling apart. Large cracks started appearing in the ground like the yard itself was going to open up. ¡°M-Monster!¡± The masked figures were scared shitless. The third prince however remained calm. He looked over at the woman who had a troubled expression. He then shouted. ¡°Reina!¡± The woman looked towards the prince when she heard him call out to her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to stick to the Boomslang Style in this situation.¡± The prince said. ¡°If you can¡¯t assassinate him, then beat him down in a brawl.¡± He said. The woman, Reina looked at him for a while and then nodded. She then removed all the weapons she had on her and took a deep breath. At that moment, her red eyes looked like bloody jewels in the night. Her body also released its own terrifying anima. However, this anima was different. It gave off a beastly sensation, like Reina wasn¡¯t a human but a beast instead. It was just wild, unruly, and deadly. It was red like blood and was in the shape of a dragon¡¯s head. ¡°Wild Nature Anima?¡± Rory was a bit surprised. Wild Nature Anima was the type of anima that Beastmen and animals were born with. Each species that had Wild Nature Anima had its own unique characteristics as well. For a human to learn it, they need to live with beasts and become one with nature. In other words, they needed to become an animal themselves. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯ve discarded your assassin persona, and returned to your roots.¡± Rory said after seeing Reina¡¯s power. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve fought a Megal.¡± He grinned. ¡°But I can¡¯t get enough of your blood red eyes!¡± He dashed forward and threw a kick. Reina ducked under it and spun around swinging her elbow. Her elbow hit Rory¡¯s who also swung his elbow while turning around. The two spun around and face each other, while swinging their fists. *Bam!* There fists collided and caused a shockwave to spread out around them. Reina lifted her hand that turned into an iron claw before Rory¡¯s eyes, and swung it down. *Bam!* Rory was blown back with a claw mark across his chest. ¡°The hell was that?¡± He said while seeing the claw mark on his chest. Reina didn¡¯t answer him and rushed towards him, swinging down her claw. A blade made of anima appeared attached to Rory¡¯s hand. He swung it upwards, and the blade clashed with claw. *Bam!* Reina was blown upwards from the clash. Rory leaped into the air and slashed his hand blade at her chest. ¡°Roar!¡± At that moment, the anima surrounding Reina moved on its own and blocked Rory¡¯s attack. This didn¡¯t surprise Rory since he knew that Wild Anima was capable of acting on its own. He stretched his hand out to the side and created another hand blade. ¡°Not so fast!¡± A red orb formed in front of Reina and fired a laser destroying Rory¡¯s blade. ¡°Superb Anima control!¡± Rory praised. ¡°However!¡± His now free hand was covered in black anima which soon took the shape of four snakes. The snakes quickly changed into four dragons, which pounced on Reina. *Bam!* The dragon clung on to Reina¡¯s limbs and slammed her into the ground. She looked up and saw Rory thrusting his other hand blade towards her chest. Reina¡¯s eyes shone brighter and the anima around her grew more ferocious. The dragon shaped anima rushed towards Rory and forced him into the ceiling. It then forced him outside of the mansion and into the night sky. By this time, the entire roof started falling down. Rory¡¯s fist started vibrating after he got rid of his hand blade. ¡°Quake Fist!¡± He punch the dragon, and it exploded thus freeing him. ¡°This is fun! Really fun!¡± Powerful lightning filled the sky before concentrating around his fist. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve last used this, so my control might be a bit poor! If you die, sorry in advance!¡± The lighting concentrating around his fist started morphing in the shape of a tiger. ¡°Everyone leave the mansion immediately!¡± Reina shouted. Everyone listened to her and started escaping for their lives. ¡°Tiger Bolt!¡± Rory thrust down his fist, and a bolt of lightning in the shape of a tiger fell from the sky. From a far it looked like a divine beast was descending from the heavens. *Boom!* The darkness of the night was temporarily chased away by the brightness of the lightning strike. When the brightness faded, the prince¡¯s mansion was completely reduced to a heap of burning rubble. Rory silently landed on it with a troubled expression. ¡°Ah. I over did it.¡± He then looked at the prince who was covered in dirt. ¡°My bad.¡± 27th Night: Rory’s Intentions My bad. Those two words hit the prince¡¯s heart like it was a nail. ¡°My bad? You destroyed my mansion and you¡¯re saying my bad?¡± Christi said with a trembling voice. He unsteadily stood up and glared at Rory. He then drew two knives from who knows where. ¡°I¡¯m going to carve you up.¡± He said with clear bloodlust. ¡°Wait, Christi.¡± At that moment, Reina appeared from underneath the rubble after lifting off some debris off her. ¡°Don¡¯t fight him. I still haven¡¯t lost yet.¡± She stood in front of the prince and said. ¡°You¡¯re a prince, sit back and let your subordinates handle the dirty work for you like a king should.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to become king in the first place.¡± Christi stepped out from behind her. ¡°If it¡¯s a king¡¯s duty to watch his friends die for his ambition, then I¡¯ll gladly become a commoner.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯ve told you already, never say that out loud. Remember our circumstances.¡± Reina said. ¡°Hmmm¡­..From this dialogue doesn¡¯t it make me look like the bad guy here?¡± Rory said with a troubled expression. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you?¡± Reina replied. ¡°I¡¯m an upstanding citizen. I steal my taxes like everyone else.¡± Rory said with a straight face. ¡°Besides, I think you guys are misunderstanding something here.¡± He pointed at them. ¡°I just came to check you guys out. Why are you guys talking like this is a life a death battle?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Christi and Reina were confused by what he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t come here to destroy us because my people pissed you off?¡± Christi asked. ¡°Who said that?¡± Rory looked offended. ¡°I only returned the women who poisoned me, you guys were the ones who attacked me.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you hurt the women?¡± Reina asked. ¡°How rude.¡± Rory placed his hand on his chest. ¡°I am a gentleman.¡± He then said- ¡°I only got them drunk and carried them off without no one knowing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the complete opposite of being a gentleman!¡± Rory only shrugged in response to one of masked people¡¯s retort. ¡°Hey, I never said I was perfect.¡± He said. ¡°What¡¯s with this guy? Boss, can we attack all together?¡± Reina shook her head in response to the question from her subordinate. ¡°Devil King.¡± ¡°Please, call me Rory.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± She paused after hearing Rory say that, but continued. ¡°You didn¡¯t come for revenge?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Then why did you come here?¡± ¡°Would you believe me if I said that I just wanted to see those who study the Boomslang style?¡± He jumped off the rubble and stood in front of Reina. All the masked figures looked ready to attack, but stopped when the prince lifted his hand. ¡°Interesting. So the two of you have the same level of authority over your subordinates.¡± Rory said with a nod. ¡°I¡¯ve already told Roc that my friend who was a fellow member of Pandemonium created the art you¡¯re practicing. So I wanted to see if it¡¯s being put into good use.¡± He looked at the prince. ¡°And I have to say that I¡¯m impressed.¡± ¡°So you destroyed my mansion and damaged my people to test us out?¡± The prince asked. ¡°Yeah¡­.I kinda went overboard.¡± Rory said with a laugh. ¡°But it¡¯s not entirely my fault though. It was just so fun fighting you guys that I lost control.¡± He then looked at Reina and showed a sly smile.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Especially her.¡± Reina looked at him with her blood colored eyes with no hint of fear. ¡°The eyes of the Megals are always so pleasing to look at. It and the Lodon¡¯s sunset hair are some of the most beautiful things in the world, in my opinion.¡± He stretched his hand out towards her face, but she drew back to prevent him from touching her. ¡°My apologizes. How rude of me.¡± He said with a bright smile. ¡°But it¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve last seen a Megal.¡± He stepped back a little. ¡°And one so ferocious too.¡± He looked at the prince. ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky to have someone like this on your side.¡± ¡°Reina and the others are my irreplaceable comrades. I¡¯m always grateful towards them.¡± Christi replied. ¡°It seems that way. I mean, they even came attacking me without a second thought.¡± Rory said. ¡°Normally, I would slaughter you all and your families as a retaliation, but that¡¯s the old me. The new me is all about peace and love¡­.Well, until I get drunk anyway.¡± He said with a thumbs up. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Everyone started to wonder if he was serious or just joking around. ¡°Reina is it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Were you born in the wild? Or did you live there for a few years?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not of your business.¡± Reina replied. ¡°I see. I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Rory didn¡¯t get mad and just showed an understanding smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll tell me when we get to know each better.¡± ¡°Why do you sound like you intend to stick around me? Just so you know, I don¡¯t like you in the least. You blew my cover at the Pleasure Garden, you nearly killed Roc, you destroyed our home, and I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re on the second prince¡¯s side.¡± Reina replied. ¡°That¡¯s right! We don¡¯t like you!¡± ¡°Stop hitting on the boss, you bastard!¡± ¡°The boss perfect body is ours!¡± The masked people chanted. One of the chants seemed different from the others though. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m innocent. The Pleasure Garden incident is because I wasn¡¯t sure if you were a Megal or not because of your disguise. Roc was the one who hurt himself, and finally I haven¡¯t picked a side in this succession battle.¡± Rory suddenly paused, and smiled after a while. ¡°On second thought, I think I¡¯ll take the second prince side.¡± He said. They all were a bit surprised to hear him to bluntly declare that he had taken a side. ¡°However, it¡¯s not because I believe he¡¯s fit to rule. In fact, I don¡¯t really know any of you to say who would be the better leader.¡± ¡°Then why choose my brother?¡± Christi asked. ¡°Because it would be fun.¡± Rory answered immediately. ¡°You have her and the Boomslang Ninjas, and I¡¯m sure Amelia will side with the first prince, so If I side with Liam won¡¯t the playing field be leveled?¡± He showed a smile which made their hearts speed up. ¡°We can play a vivid game of capture the throne.¡± Everyone started glaring at him when he said. ¡°This isn¡¯t a game.¡± Christi said. ¡°For me, everything in life is a game; and just like a game I lose sometimes and I win the other times.¡± He started walking past the prince and Reina. ¡°If you guys wanna survive this, remember these words well.¡± They immediately turned around to look at him, but he was no where to be seen. ¡°That guy will be troublesome.¡± Said Reina. ¡°He¡¯s already troublesome.¡± Christi looked at the ruins in front of him. ¡°Come fix my house, you son of bitch!¡± His shout echoed through the night. A few minutes later, Rory who had returned to the section of the palace that he and Amelia were staying, had a huge smile on his face. ¡°Reina huh? She¡¯s no way inferior to Amelia, and is quite an interesting woman.¡± He remembered the iron claws Reina used to slash him. ¡°Those weren¡¯t her Animus. So it had to be a technique of some kind, or¡­.¡± He paused for a bit before saying- ¡°Could it be that she¡¯s close to awakening?¡± He suddenly looked even more excited. ¡°If that¡¯s true then that would be very exciting. I haven¡¯t met an awaken Megal in a long time.¡± He crossed his arms behind his head as he walked. ¡°It would be great if I could obtain her. If she¡¯s paired with Amelia, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll form an invincible duo in the future.¡± He said. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to force her. It¡¯s against my code to force myself on people who aren¡¯t my enemies.¡± He frowned. ¡°There¡¯s also the fact that Lodons and Megals can¡¯t get along with each other in most cases. It¡¯s literally in their genes to be at odds with each other.¡± Majority of the humans in this world are descendants of an Evolved Primate beast, however, there are humans who descended from other ancient beasts who evolved after grasping the concept of anima as well. The two main types are the Lodons and the Megals. The Lodons are descendants of the ancient beast known as the Smilodon aka the Sun Cat. The Megals are descendants of the ancient beast known as the Megalania. It was considered to be the largest lizard to ever walk the earth. It¡¯s said to even prey on dinosaurs in the past. It was a powerful beast, that became even more powerful after grasping the concept of anima. Some even believed that it evolved into a dragon before morphing into a humanoid shape. Like the Smilodon, it¡¯s descendants continued to Evolve until they reached their current forms as humans. However, like the Lodons, they mated with the humans that descended from the ancient Primate beast and lost most of their advantages as descendants of the Megalania. The only way to regain those advantages is experience an ¡°awakening¡±, similar to the Lodons. Another thing was, for some reason the Lodons and the Megals seem to instinctively hate each other. There a lot of theories on the reason why like: because they were both apex predators in the past, they fought over territory and hunting grounds so many times that their hatred for each other was passed down to their descendants. But no one knows the real reason. ¡°Even if I obtain Reina there¡¯s a high chance she and Amelia will go at it.¡± Rory said. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll deal it if that time comes.¡± He said with a shrug. At that moment he arrived at his room door. He opened it and has expected, he saw Amelia inside. ¡°Ah, Rory.¡± She was sitting on the bed, but stood up when she saw him. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Rory looked at her in silence for a while, while paying attention to her body language, expressions, and breathing. ¡°You seem tense. Are you nervous about something?¡± He locked the door and entered the room after saying so. ¡°No¡­.rather than nervous¡­.¡± Amelia stop speaking half way through and averted her eyes over to something else. Rory found her current behavior, which was like a child who¡¯s feeling guilty, rather cute to watch. ¡°I see. You¡¯ve cheated on me.¡± He said with an intentionally depressed tone. ¡°Wha?! I didn¡¯t cheat on anyone!¡± Amelia responded. ¡°I¡¯m a single woman, just to be clear.¡± ¡°Oh? So you admit that you were getting friendly with another man behind my back.¡± Rory said. Amelia jumped when she heard that as if admitting to her guilt. ¡°Alright. Time to kill a prince.¡± Rory said while cracking his fingers. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Don¡¯t be hasty!¡± Amelia approached him and stopped him from leaving the room by holding his arm. ¡°I wasn¡¯t doing anything you need to kill someone over!¡± She said. ¡°I know.¡± Rory turned around and smiled at her. ¡°I was just messing with you.¡± He said while placing his hand on her head in a playful manner. ¡°That wasn¡¯t funny.¡± Amelia slapped his hand off her head. ¡°If you want to side with the first prince, then be my guest.¡± Rory suddenly said. ¡°How did you know that that was what I wanted to talk about?¡± Amelia asked in surprise. ¡°Because the two of you have similar personalities, so I know that you two would get along from the beginning.¡± Rory answered. He then moved to the bed and sat on it. ¡°Do what you want. I myself have just decided to side with the Second prince.¡± ¡°Wha?!¡± Rory smiled at Amelia¡¯s shocked reaction. ¡°I guess that make us enemies. Well, only when concerning this.¡± ¡°Why are you siding the second prince?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re siding with the first prince, and I like Liam. He¡¯s a cool guy.¡± Rory responded. ¡°So you mean that you¡¯re just doing it to annoy me?¡± Amelia asked with a frown. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that.¡± Rory said with a laugh. Amelia glared at him while he laughed joyously. ¡°This competition between the princes is no laughing matter. One wrong move and a lot of people can lose their lives. How can you treat it like a game?¡± ¡°Because I can. People¡¯s convictions, motives, and morals mean little to me.¡± She was surprised by his answer, and soon became angry. ¡°Are you really such a selfish bastard?¡± She asked. ¡°I told you already didn¡¯t I? There¡¯s nothing wrong with being selfish. It¡¯s what makes you human, and as a human I need to show my selfish side.¡± She gritted her teeth when she heard his response. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to anger me on purpose, but you can be a real dick sometimes.¡± She turned her back to him and started to leave the room. ¡°Elia.¡± That¡¯s when Rory called out her, causing her to stop and look at him. He had a serious expression on his face. ¡°No matter what happens in this kingdom from here on out, remember one thing.¡± He spoke with a serious tone. ¡°You and I are partners, and nothing can come between that. Don¡¯t allow yourself to be drag too deep into this.¡± Amelia looked at him in silence for a while, before simply nodding and leaving. After she left, Rory laid on the bed. ¡°Now then, everything is set. I didn¡¯t want to get involved at first, but since I¡¯ve already help this country out once before I can do it again.¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll give this country a chance at survival.¡± 28th Night: Joining The Second Prince The next day, Rory went to visit the king. ¡°Yo, Xavier! Still alive?¡± He said after entering the throne room. ¡°Ah~.¡± The king only responded with a groan while sitting on the throne. ¡°My head hurts.¡± He said after a while. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to die.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re suffering from a hangover. I know the feeling.¡± Rory laughed. At that moment, Allen walked up to him and gave him something to drink. ¡°Here¡¯s something to help you get rid of your headache, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.Thanks.¡± Xavier took the cup and took a drink. ¡°Hmm¡­.It has a strong taste. What¡¯s in it?¡± He asked. ¡°Dried Buffalo penis, owl lungs, pickled sheep eyeballs, and a dry fried canary.¡± Allen answered. ¡°Blegh!¡± After hearing the ingredients of what he just drank, Xavier started throwing up where he sat. ¡°Y-You bastard! Are you trying to kill me?! He shouted before starting to vomit again. ¡°Your order was to find the fastest acting hungover cure, apparently this drink is considered the best cure in the kingdom.¡± Allen answered. ¡°I always knew that you eyed the throne, but I never thought that you would resort to poisoning!¡± Xavier shouted. ¡°I have no interest in the throne¡­..It¡¯s a pain in ass really. Besides, I think you¡¯re overreacting.¡± Allen replied. ¡°Then how about you drink it?!¡± ¡°I would rather die.¡± Allen answered immediately. ¡°I can have that arrange-Blegh?!¡± The moment Xavier stood up, he started vomiting again. ¡°I heard that he got kicked out of his bedroom by his wife.¡± Rory walked up to Allen and said. ¡°Yeah. Her Highness doesn¡¯t like it when the king comes home drunk and smelling like other women.¡± Allen said. ¡°One time she stabbed the king in the ear with a pen, when he stank of cheap perfume.¡± ¡°Sounds like a scary woman.¡± Rory said. ¡°She is. Not even the king can defy her.¡± Allen said. ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Xavier finally stood up after vomiting everything he had inside him. ¡°I wear the pants in the relationship. I¡¯m the king after all.¡± Rory was unconvinced by his proud words. He started to develop interest in the Queen. ¡°Does the queen favors any of the Princes more the others?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of.¡± Allen answered. ¡°Hmm¡­..¡± Rory started pondering something. ¡°Xavier, I forgot to ask. How much do you know about the branch of the Sacred Church here in the kingdom?¡± ¡°Not much. Sacred Churches always keep information about themselves a secret from outsiders. I¡¯m no different despite being king.¡± Xavier answered. ¡°I see.¡± ¡®I might need to pay the church a visit in the future, they might impact this country¡¯s survival in the biggest way.¡¯ Rory thought. ¡®Well, they¡¯ll probably come to me in the future, considering the fact that I¡¯m wanted by the Sacred Army.¡¯ ¡°By the way, how¡¯s Liam?¡± He asked, changing the topic. ¡°He¡¯s worse off than me. It¡¯s his first time being drunk.¡± Said Xavier. ¡°Seriously, how pathetic. He¡¯s already 23 and he¡¯s never been drunk before. I feel embarrassed as his father.¡± After he said that, he resumed vomiting inside a bag Allen had given him. ¡°I think he¡¯s the one who should be embarrassed with a father like this.¡± Rory said. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not one to talk.¡± He started laughing. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the prince. Since I¡¯m kinda responsible for his current suffering, I need to make amends.¡± The king waved indicating that he understood, while keeping his face in the bag. Rory then left the throne room and went to the part of the royal district where the second prince resided. The second prince, Liam resided in the northern section of the royal district where he lived in a mansion on a hill. His mansion was around the same size as the third prince, Christi¡¯s. It however was heavily guarded unlike Christi¡¯s. No, Christi¡¯s was also heavily guarded, the only difference was that Christi¡¯s guards weren¡¯t in plain sight. When Rory arrived at the gate, the guards as expected stopped him. ¡°This is the second prince and future king, his majesty Liam¡¯s residence! You cannot enter without permission!¡± The guards said. ¡°Hmm¡­.This is wrong.¡± Rory said while ignoring them. ¡°While broadcasting your ambition shows your drive to accomplish it, it can also come off as being arrogant and turn people off. Especially when the guards are this overbearing, while being ignorant of the events happening in the kingdom.¡± He said. ¡°What are you babbling about?!¡± The guards were angered by Rory¡¯s words, which indicated that he¡¯s looking down on them. ¡°You two don¡¯t usually keep track of what¡¯s going on in the kingdom do you? If you did, you would know who I am and what I signify to your master.¡± He showed a cold smile. ¡°People like you will become a hindrance for my plans.¡± He then walked towards them with the same smile on his face. ¡°H-Hey, what are you-¡± Before they could finish, their entire world started spinning. They then heard something hit the ground, and felt pain assault their entire body. That¡¯s when they realized that they had been flung without being able to react. ¡°With guards like this, the prince is better off not having any guards at all.¡± Rory said. He then opened the gate and walked in. The guards could hear their coworkers experiencing similar fates as them. They even saw a few of them being thrown out of the yard and over the gate. By the time Rory reached the mansion¡¯s front door, there were piles of people groaning behind him. He knocked on the door with a casual smile on his face. The door opened and to his surprise, the one who opened the door was the prince himself. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡± The first thing the prince did was groan. ¡°Why did you open the door yourself? What about your servants?¡± Rory asked. ¡°They heard about how you destroyed Christi¡¯s mansion, plus they saw you destroy my guards. They¡¯re too terrified that they¡¯ll offend you in some way, to greet you.¡± Liam said while gesturing Rory to come in. Rory walked inside and locked the door behind him. The moment he entered, he saw several maids and butlers standing at the walls, all looking terrified while trying their best to keep a welcoming smile on their faces. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not a monster you know. I won¡¯t just attack you for no reason.¡± He said. ¡°It might be hard to believe that after what you¡¯ve done in the last 24 hours.¡± Liam said, while literally falling into his seat in the hall. He rubbed his head while taking a cup from one of his servants, and drinking what was inside. ¡°Bleh, bitter.¡± He said after drinking it. ¡°Why do people drink if you have to go through stuff like this, the next day?¡± He complained. ¡°It¡¯s the buzz.¡± Rory replied. ¡°That makes no sense.¡± ¡°The most fun things in life makes no sense.¡± He said with a laugh. ¡°Anyway, I came here to tell you that I¡¯ve decided to side with you in the race for the throne.¡± He said. Liam was so surprised that it was like he was cured from his hungover. ¡°What changed your mind?¡± He asked. ¡°If I said that I believed that you were the best candidate to rule, would you believe me?¡± Rory answered with a question. ¡°No.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you have any interest in who leads the country. If you wanted to support me it¡¯s because you have some ulterior motive that only by supporting me can you achieve it.¡± ¡°Your ability to judge character is as satisfactory as ever.¡± Rory said with a nod. ¡°I do have an ulterior motive, which involves siding with one of the princes. From what I can tell you¡¯re the one who I can get along with the best.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s the reason you¡¯re siding with me? Because we get along?¡± ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°My mother always said that it¡¯s better to have a friend rather than a business partner in times like these.¡± ¡°I see. She¡¯s a wise woman.¡± Rory said. ¡°I however need to know your ulterior motives before I agree to work with you.¡± Said Liam. ¡°I thought that you would be satisfied with me supporting you.¡± ¡°I am, but I can¡¯t just take you in without knowing what you¡¯re up to. That¡¯s simply inviting a wolf into my home.¡± Rory laughed when he heard that. ¡°A wolf huh? I think that¡¯s an inadequate description of me.¡± He said with a smile. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, my goal is to save this country and purely that.¡± ¡°Save the country?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But I can¡¯t say anything more. Whether you believe me or not is your choice. I¡¯m only willing to give you all a chance at survival, whether you take it or not isn¡¯t my concern.¡± Rory said with a shrug. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Liam stayed silent for a while. He started pondering Rory¡¯s words and tried to figure out if there were any lies in them. However, he wasn¡¯t able to read someone like Rory and had to go off his instinct. ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s work together to save this country.¡± He stretched out his hand, and Rory took it and shook it. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± 29th Night: The Sacred Church Makes Its Move While Rory was joining the second prince, the news of his attack on the third prince¡¯s mansion had reached the ears of those of the Sacred Church. Father Timothy, who led the church, sat behind his desk with his eyes glued on the pictures in front of him. The pictures were that of the destroyed mansion of Christi. ¡°He sure did on a number on him.¡± He said. In front of him were several people dressed in white and gold cloaks, who had their faces hidden. ¡°How many died?¡± ¡°None, Father. There were also no life threatening injuries. We believe that he didn¡¯t go with the intention of hurting or killing anyone.¡± Said one of the cloaked persons. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone and caused this much damage?¡± The father was skeptic. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter either way.¡± He flipped the pictures and made them face down. ¡°The news that he attacked and defeated everyone under Christi will be made public soon. That along with the news that he is supporting the second prince.¡± He frowned. ¡°This is an undeniable smudge on the Third Prince¡¯s name, and by extension those that support him.¡± He tipped his finger on the table. ¡°Do you understand? This is a smudge on the Sacred Church¡¯s name.¡± ¡°We understand. Something like that is unacceptable.¡± Said one of the cloaked persons. ¡°That¡¯s right. The Sacred Church is the flag bearer of the Sacred God and his only message.¡± Timothy¡¯s eyes became incredibly sharp. ¡°We can¡¯t allow anyone to drag our name through the mud. Before that happens, I would prefer to commit suicide. Do you all feel the same?¡± ¡°Of course, Father!¡± They all said in unison. ¡°I would rather cut out my tongue than see our church humiliated!¡± ¡°I would rather nail stakes into my eyes!¡± ¡°I would rather drink acid!¡± They all started to declare their determination to not let their faith be humiliated. ¡°Good. Devotees of the Sacred God need to have at least that much resolve.¡± Said Timothy. ¡°To erase this smudge, we need to erase the cause.¡± He said. ¡°However, it won¡¯t be easy considering who it is.¡± He took out a file from his drawer that read Pandemonium. ¡°Our target is the notorious leader of that group, which messed up the natural balance of the world countless times over.¡± He opened the file and started looking through it. ¡°The first time they popped up was the Dortenburg¡¯s incident where the capital city was set ablaze and its King executed by rebels. It was said that a group of 8 were hired by rebels, who wanted to overthrow the king because of how corrupt he was. The rebels were on the brink of destruction, but they suddenly turned things around when the royal palace was destroyed and everyone in it slaughtered except the royal family.¡± He frowned. ¡°It is believed that Pandemonium were the ones who infiltrated the palace and destroyed it before anyone could even react. After the rebellion was a success, the rebel leader publicly thanked a group known as Pandemonium.¡± He took out a photo of a destroyed palace and placed it in front of the group. ¡°The group¡¯s age average was estimated to be in their late teens back then.¡± He said. ¡°From then on, their name became more and more known.¡± He started putting down one picture after the other. ¡°Stealing the dwarves national treasure, kidnapping three princesses of the vampire race, assassinating countless government officials, destroying the siren navy¡­..These are just some of their smallest crimes.¡± He said. ¡°As expected, they drew the attention of a lot of superpowers. However, when they reached their peak, they ran into a walking catastrophe.¡± He put down the file. ¡°Anyway, taking down the Devil king won¡¯t be easy. So if we¡¯re going to do it, we have to be smart about it.¡± He then looked like he started to measure his options. ¡°It¡¯s best to hit him by surprise, but I don¡¯t know how huge his Sensor range is¡­¡­Looks like we have no choice.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. He then looked at the cloaked people and ordered- ¡°Ask the Aficionado member to assist you.¡± The cloaked people all knelled in front of Timothy. ¡°Deus Vult!¡± They said in unison. Timothy smiled. ¡°Praises to the one true god.¡± Elsewhere, Amelia was walking in the royal yard while mumbling. She was making her way towards the first Prince¡¯s mansion. When she got there, she was surprised to see countless soldiers armed and looking alert. When they saw her, they all pointed their weapons at her, causing her to lift both hands in the air. ¡°Wait, its Amelia Rosa.¡± A soldier said. Hearing their colleague, they all lowered their guns. ¡°Forgive us, but with the Third Prince being attacked we can¡¯t take any chances.¡± A soldier stepped forward and spoke to her. She recognized him. ¡°You¡¯re Black Bull, Omar.¡± She said. Omar nodded and showed a stern expression. ¡°I am. We didn¡¯t get to face each other in the tournament, but I was able to witness your strength. I¡¯m glad that someone as powerful as yourself has decided to join his majesty. I can also understand why he fell for you.¡± Amelia showed a slight smile when she heard that. ¡°I haven¡¯t officially joined James. I¡¯m here to hear his thoughts, and decide after that.¡± She said. ¡°Also, whether he fell for me or not is not my concern. I seek only a platonic relationship with him. Friends and nothing more.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take note of that. However, relationships can change at the snap of finger. Please keep that in mind.¡± Omar said. ¡®He¡¯s persistent.¡¯ Amelia thought to herself. ¡°Fine. I will.¡± Omar ordered the soldiers to make way for Amelia, and gestured her to enter at will. She started walking towards the gate, the moment she passed through it she felt like something scanned over her entire body. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s our security scan. It¡¯s a procedure that everyone has to go through before meeting the prince, so please don¡¯t be offended by it.¡± Omar said after seeing her cautious reaction. ¡°I see. I don¡¯t mind.¡± After saying that, she headed straight for James¡¯s mansion. Before she could knock on the door, it opened up for her. When she looked, she saw James standing at the doorway with a smile on his face. ¡°Thank you for coming.¡± He said with a happy tone. ¡°Please come in, and make yourself at home.¡± Amelia nodded and entered the mansion. The interior looked like what you would find in a typical mansion. It showed that the prince didn¡¯t personalized the mansion in anyway. ¡°You don¡¯t normally stay here?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°No, I mostly stay at the military headquarters. I only come here for important meetings.¡± James replied. ¡°Like this one.¡± He sat on a chair while Amelia sat across from him. ¡°Can I get you anything to drink?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t serve you poison or any kind of drugs.¡± James said. ¡°I said I¡¯m fine.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to trust me fully.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve only met you for the third time today, and have only known you for around a week.¡± She said. ¡°Then why did you come here if you didn¡¯t trust me?¡± James asked. ¡°Because I was interested in hearing what you had to say.¡± Amelia then smiled. ¡°Also, if things go south I¡¯m pretty confident that I can at least take your head.¡± James was surprised to hear that, but he soon burst out laughing. ¡°As feisty as ever I see.¡± He said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I would never hurt the woman I wish to court.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t live long if you continue to reveal your feelings so blatantly.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°One day you¡¯ll meet an evil woman, who¡¯ll use you for everything you have and throw you to the side after she¡¯s done with you. Woman tend to take men who are obviously head over heels for them for granted after all.¡± She smirked. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re attracted to mysterious men, who we don¡¯t even know what they¡¯re thinking. They¡¯re more exciting.¡± ¡°Then are you one of those evil women?¡± James asked. ¡°Me? Who knows. I¡¯m no saint, but calling me evil is a stretch.¡± ¡°Even though you¡¯re traveling with the infamous devil king?¡± James asked. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Amelia didn¡¯t answer and just kept smiling. Seeing that, James smiled as well. ¡°Speaking of the devil king, I heard that he attacked my brother Christi. Do you know anything about that?¡± ¡°Not a thing.¡± Amelia shrugged. ¡°I can never predict what that man is going to do, or understand why he does what he does.¡± ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have attacked Christi.¡± James said. ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Because Christi is surrounded by dangerous people. There¡¯s a reason why he¡¯s able to compete with Liam who has all of the nobles and their money behind him, and myself who leads the country¡¯s military and have thousands at my command.¡± James said. ¡°It¡¯s because the people who back him, are by far the most dangerous people in the kingdom. If a three way war was to break out between our factions, even if we somehow destroy him and his supports, Liam¡¯s and my factions will suffer serious damages. We probably wouldn¡¯t be able to function any longer.¡± He explained. ¡°The devil king attacking them will definitely lead to them coming to seek him out.¡± ¡°Rory will be fine.¡± Amelia immediately said. ¡°Taking him down isn¡¯t easy; and honestly, I don¡¯t see him losing to anyone.¡± James frowned when he heard that. ¡°You seem to have a lot of faith in him.¡± He said. ¡°Of course. He¡¯s my partner.¡± Amelia said with a smile. ¡°Whether you like it or not, it¡¯s the truth. So what are you going to do? Will you tell me your plans for this country? Or will you let your emotions cloud your judgement and end our collaboration before it starts?¡± She grinned. ¡°Either way is fine by me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± James looked at her in silence for a while. He then surprisingly showed a bright smile. ¡°You know, you have a Regal air to you. Its like you were born to be a queen.¡± He said with a laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the influence of the devil king or your true nature, but since I¡¯m aiming to be a king having a queen by my side would only grant me benefits.¡± He said. ¡°Very well. My plans for this country is simple, I wish to make this country strong; stronger than it has ever been.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°By improving the military.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, I want to make the military evolve. I want its power to reach an unforeseen level, and for that to happen the full support of the crown is needed.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Amelia looked a bit interested. ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡°I plan on expanding the military and create numerous new branches that cover the entire country. I intend to protect the city from the inside and the out, leaving no weaknesses. I will use innovative ways to inspire the youth to join the military.¡± ¡°Like?¡± ¡°I will offer free education to the direct relatives of soldiers. I will also place insurance on all the soldiers, that in the case of death their families will receive a large amount of money to support themselves for at least a decade.¡± ¡°That will cost you a lot of money.¡± Amelia said. ¡°True, that¡¯s why I want to use the royal family¡¯s wealth along with the nobles¡¯s to make it a reality.¡± James responded. ¡°Of course, after we¡¯ve strengthen ourselves to a certain point, we¡¯ll begin a campaign to concur the countries around us and gain more resources to create a bigger army.¡± He said. ¡°To ensure the future children grow up to love their country, I will have patriotism implanted in them through child education.¡± ¡°You wish to brainwash them?¡± Amelia asked with surprise. ¡°No, joining and leaving the military will be completely voluntary. There will be no forced drafts. Not everyone is good at fighting, as such I will also develop other sectors that will help with supporting the military. This will open up a lot of new jobs and give more people the opportunity to earn a living.¡± James replied. ¡°I will also take up the poor and the homeless and offer them jobs like the ones I just mentioned, so they too can contribute to their country and earn a living.¡± He then spoke with a loud voice. ¡°I intend to reach far with the country, as such I will leave no citizen behind!¡± ¡®He¡¯s like a natural born conqueror. He¡¯s definitely hot blooded, but from our conversations and fights, I can see that he also knows when to proceed with caution and do what is needed to be done to achieve his goals.¡¯ Amelia thought to herself. ¡®I kinda wanna see how far he can go. Also, it looks like Rory wants me to join him.¡¯ She nodded. ¡°Alright, James. I will help you in whatever way I can.¡± She said. ¡°However, I do not serve you. Our partnership is one of equal status, got it?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± James said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to have you on my side.¡± 30th Night: Terrifying Darkness It was the middle of the night, Rory having just left the second Prince¡¯s home, was walking down a road in the royal yard. He had his usual smile on his face as he walked while humming. He suddenly stopped and looked around. His eyes were sharp like daggers, as he stared into the dark. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± He slowly lifted his hand and anima started dancing in his palm. The anima formed a ball and he threw it into the air. Rory then jumped and punched it. *Bam!* The ball split into bullets which fired into the dark. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Rory stood with a frown when he heard nothing coming into contact with his attack. ¡°Was it my imagination?¡± He said after a while. He then resumed his walk. Behind him, something was seen cutting through the darkness and heading straight towards him. ¡°Like I¡¯ll believe that!¡± He spun around and caught an arrow that was shot at him, with his hands coated with anima. ¡°Come out, otherwise I¡¯ll hunt you down one by one and slaughter you in the most cruel ways possible.¡± He said after snapping the arrow. When the arrowhead touched the ground it caused the grass around it to decay, it was poisoned. This was the reason why he grabbed it with his hand coated with anima. Soon he saw some figures dressed in white appeared out of nowhere. He immediately recognized the symbol on their cloaks, which was that of a shining blue star. ¡°The Sacred Church, huh?¡± He showed a grin. ¡°What brings you roaches here?¡± ¡°Roaches? The only roach here is you Devil King.¡± Said one of the members. ¡°As those tasked with keeping the world clean, we¡¯re here to get rid you.¡± Rory laughed. ¡°I knew you fanatics were vermin, but didn¡¯t know you were garbage collectors too.¡± He smirked. ¡°But isn¡¯t it ironic? Trash trying to keep the world clean? Oh, the madness.¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Several of the cloak figures drew their weapons and looked like they were ready to charge at him. ¡°Stop it.¡± The one at the front stopped them. ¡°Don¡¯t let him bait you in. Attacking him without a plan will only result in our deaths.¡± He said. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a smart one?¡± Rory said. ¡°But either way, you¡¯re all going to die.¡± His hands soon became metallic and sharp like blades. ¡°It¡¯s my policy to slaughter members of the Sacred Church on sight.¡± Anima started dancing around him. ¡°Men, women, children, the elderly; I won¡¯t let a single member of your hateful religion go.¡± He said with a savage grin. ¡°That¡¯s how deep the hatred between us is.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hatred between us.¡± Suddenly Rory heard a voice behind him. He quickly tried to turn around, but was slashed across the chest before he could turn around fully and see who was it. ¡°Our relationship is just that of a hunter and his prey.¡± *Bam!* Rory was kicked in the midsection and was sent flying back. He twisted his body, flipped and landed on his feet. Bloody dripped on the ground where he stood. He looked and saw someone standing there dressed in white leather clothing and wearing a white mask with a 7 sided blue star on it. ¡°Aficionado? You pain in the ass are here too?¡± Rory rubbed his hand across the scar on his chest and stained his hand in blood. He then licked that blood off his hand. ¡°It seems I¡¯m low on sugar.¡± He said after tasting his own blood. ¡°Disgusting.¡± Said the masked person. ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t know that your mother was here.¡± He said while looking around. By the time he finished looking around the wound on his chest already stopped bleeding and showed signs of healing. ¡°You¡¯re as insolent as the reports say.¡± Said the masked person. ¡°The insolent ones are you bastards.¡± He thrust his hand behind him and caught the hand of someone attacking him from behind. He then turned his head to the side looked at them from the corner of his eye. ¡°To think that you believe that you can even kill me with such stupid attacks.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. His eyes were ice cold and lacked even the slightest compassion for life. ¡°You¡¯re pretty full of yourself.¡± He then dragged the person who attacked him, in front of him. ¡°Oh?¡± When he looked he saw that there was no one there. ¡°To be able to escape my grasp, impressive.¡± He smiled. ¡°However, you won¡¯t be able to use that arm again.¡± Behind him, one of cloaked members had their arm swinging from side to side. ¡°All the bones in my arm have been reduced to dust.¡± They said while trying to hold up the arm that was now like jello. They then drew a sword with their free hand and swung down on their destroyed arm, and sliced it off. They did it without hesitation, and only releasing a low groan afterwards. ¡°You were trained well.¡± Rory said after seeing what the person did. He turned around and faced the masked person. ¡°What¡¯s your codename? I want to add it to my list of Aficionados that I¡¯ve killed.¡± ¡°Dex, and you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to die.¡± Dex stretched his hand to the side and a white blade appeared in it. ¡°With this blade, I will cleanse your soul.¡± He then rushed towards Rory with a very fast speed, at the same time the cloaked people behind him rushed at him as well. Rory smiled and welcomed the attacks from both sides. He spun around, swinging his leg and blocked Dex¡¯s blade. He then swung his fist and destroyed the attack of a cloaked person. Dex stepped back before rushing him for another attack. Rory leaped back to avoid his blade. He was immediately attacked by the cloaked people, who were shooting at him, while advancing towards him. His entire body turned metallic as he activated iron skin to the fullest. The bullets bounced off his body. *Bam!* He then stomped the ground and caused a massive earthquake to form in the surroundings. This caused several of the members to lose their balance while running. Dex leaped after Rory and swung down his blade. Rory swung his metallic hand upwards and blocked it. ¡°?!¡± Rory immediately felt a shockwave enter his body. ¡°He can use Quake attacks too?¡± He immediately countered by releasing his own wave attack. The shockwaves clashed and caused the area around the two to shake vigorously. The earth started bursting open, and cracks started spreading across the ground. This all happened while the two locked blades. A savage smile appeared on Rory¡¯s face and the anima around him suddenly had an explosive increase. The Black Orochi formed behind him, however this time it was far bigger than it normally was and its snake heads transformed into dragon heads. This was Black Orochi: True Killer Edition. The Black Orochi started attacking the cloaked people and even released flames from their mouth. ¡°My fight last night was one where I didn¡¯t want to kill my opponents so I held back quite a bit, but since I¡¯m facing you fuckers¡­.!¡± Rory leaped back into the air and lightning started dancing around his finger tips. ¡°I only have to hold back a little bit, to not destroy everything!¡± He thrust down his finger and a bolt of lightning in the shape of a tiger descend from the sky. ¡°Tiger Bolt!¡± *Bam!* The lightning fell and struck Dex head on. ¡°Hm?¡± Rory saw a golden shield appear above Dex¡¯s head and blocked his attack. ¡°Looks you¡¯re holding back too much. This isn¡¯t nearly enough to defeat me much less destroy everything.¡± Said Dex. He lifted his hand into the air. ¡°This is.¡± Rory looked up and saw a giant beam of light shining down from the clouds despite it being night. The Black Orochi rose into the sky and intercepted it, which caused a huge explosion. Rory fell from the air and landed on the ground. The moment he did, dex attacked him with his blade. He took a step forward and thrust out his palm. *Bam!* The palm and blade collided and caused a loud sound. Both Rory and Dex drew back their hands, before thrusting them forward again. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Rory¡¯s palms constantly clashed against Dex¡¯s blade, causing explosive sounds to echo through the night. ¡°His strikes are getting stronger with every one that connects? This is the Crimson Palms Arts.¡± Said Dex. ¡°As expected, the techniques you practice are really gruesome.¡± His anima erupted and he pulled his hand back, and avoided a palm strike. He then stepped forward and thrust his blade towards Rory¡¯s throat. Rory¡¯s eyes glowed and his body moved to avoid it at the last second. ¡°Future Sight, huh.¡± Dex¡¯s eyes started glowing as well. He then moved and attacked where Rory was heading before he reached there. Rory stopped and faced him. A blade of anima appeared on his hand as well. He swung his hand like it was a sword. The two blades clashed. ¡°In a battle between Future Sight users, its speed and reaction which decides the user.¡± Rory said. His body suddenly turned into a bolt of lightning which circled around Dex and attacked him from behind. Rory slashed his hand blade and cut through him, however Dex¡¯s body faded with a spark. He too had turned into lightning and circled around Rory¡¯s back. The two then moved like lightning and started moving through the area while clashing every few seconds. The cloaked members watched in amazement as electricity completely engulfed the area and zapping everything. They had to distanced themselves, in order to not get killed. After a few seconds, Dex made himself appear again. However, there was a large X shaped wounded on his chest. The remaining bolt rushed towards him without mercy. He waved his hand and his anima changed into orbs of light which fired lasers at the lightning the bolt. The bolt avoided the lasers for a bit, but was hit after a while and Rory was made present again. ¡°I must be rusty.¡± He said after looking at the hole in his shoulder. ¡°Normally, scrubs like you wouldn¡¯t have last a minute against me, but here you are, alive and kicking. I guess this is what happens when you haven¡¯t fought in a century.¡± ¡°Already making excuses?¡± Dex said. Behind him the cloaked figures were getting ready to attack Rory again. ¡°Excuses? You think too highly of yourself.¡± Rory took a step forward and a dark, oppressive feeling covered the area. ¡°?!¡± When they felt this, all the cloaked members took a step back on instinct. ¡°I haven¡¯t fought seriously for a while that¡¯s why you¡¯re still alive now, that¡¯s all.¡± The smile left his face, all that was left was pure emotionless bloodlust. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use too much of my strength too quickly because I feared losing control again¡­.¡± His anima suddenly turned black like the darkest night. It started moving in sinister, and creepy way. It felt like there was a world of death behind him, filled with rotting corpses. ¡°But you insects have been in my presence for too long.¡± ¡°Dark Anima¡­¡± Dex said after seeing the changes Rory¡¯s anima took. Just staring at him felt like his faith in the world was wavering. ¡°Lord Dex, this doesn¡¯t look good. I haven¡¯t felt such sinister anima in a long-¡± ¡°Who gave you permission to speak?¡± Rory suddenly turned to one of the cloaked members and said. ¡°Don¡¯t speak before me.¡± He suddenly appeared in front of the group that was at least 100m away from where he was. He stretched his hand out and grabbed the one who spoke earlier by the face. ¡°Let him go!¡± The others attacked him when they saw that. Rory stretched his hand to the side towards them. ¡°Disperse.¡± *Bam!* The four who were the closest to him suddenly blew up, leaving only their lower bodies and a piece of their spine. ¡°Ekkk!¡± The rest of the group immediately fell to the floor after losing all the power in their legs. Rory looked at them like they were the lowest existences in the world. At that moment, Dex came attacking from the side. He thrust his blade at Rory¡¯s head. ¡°Ahhhhh?!¡± However, the moment his hand touched Rory¡¯s anima, his anima was devoured along with his arm. He screamed out in pain in response. ¡°Dogs of the Sacred Church, I, your lord, sentence you to death.¡± Rory said slowly while looking them all in the eyes. ¡°Die.¡± Suddenly his anima grew in volume and quickly covered the area. For those inside the anima it was like they were in a world devoid of light. It felt like they were separated from reality. They all got desperate, and started to attack randomly; even resorting to using their anima. However, all of their attacks were devoured by the darkness, which showed no sign of weakening. ¡°Ahhhhh?!¡± They all started to notice that their bodies were crumbling away before their very eyes. It was like they were slowly turning to dust. What made it scary was that they didn¡¯t even feel pain, yet they were definitely being devoured alive. They all started to panic but nothing they did stopped them from disappearing. Before long, only their voices remained, but those too disappeared a few seconds later. Eventually, the darkness faded away and Rory was seen standing alone. The person he had grabbed, crumbled away in his hands. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± He looked around and saw that he was standing inside a huge crater that was a few meters deep. He had even devoured the ground he stood on. He also noticed that Dex had escaped. ¡°Well, whatever. I¡¯ll kill him eventually.¡± After saying that, he deactivated his anima and returned to ¡°normal¡±. ¡°It¡¯s still hard to keep myself under control, but it¡¯s far better than before. I should be able to return to normal in no time.¡± He then started to walk away. ¡°But still, I should avoid showing my true self around Amelia.¡± Warmth finally returned to his emotionless eyes. ¡°Otherwise, I might kill her by accident.¡± 31st Night: Relations ¡°Hah~! Hah~! Hah~!¡± At the Sacred church in the marigold kingdom, Dex arrived out of breath and with his white clothes stained with his blood. His arm that he lost to Rory¡¯s sinister Dark Anima was wrapped with a piece of cloth to try and stop the bleeding. He took the secret passage way that led to the head of this church, Father Timothy¡¯s office. *Bam!* Timothy who was inside was shocked to see Dex burst through his office¡¯s secret door and fall to the ground. ¡°Hey! What happened?!¡± He quickly went by Dex side and tried to pick him up. ¡°What terrible injuries! Where¡¯s the others?¡± He asked. ¡°They¡¯ve been turnt into ashes.¡± Dex answered after a while. Timothy was obviously shocked. ¡°That Devil King¡­.He¡¯s a true monster.¡± Dex sat up and said. ¡°I originally thought that his legends were exaggerated, but now I see that they don¡¯t give him justice. There¡¯s no way I can beat him¡­.that terrifying anima.¡± ¡°Calm down, and tell me what happened.¡± Timothy shook his shoulders and said. ¡°We went to kill him, things were going as we expected; we were supposed to wear him down and slaughter him. However¡­.he suddenly released a terrifying Dark Nature Anima.¡± Dex said. ¡°Him having Dark Nature Anima isn¡¯t a surprise, but I¡¯ve never felt a Dark Anima so sinister.¡± He said. ¡°What kind of cold hearted person do you have to be to possess such terrifying anima? He definitely doesn¡¯t possess a human heart.¡± ¡°What about his strength? If you were to estimate it, how strong would you say he was?¡± Timothy asked. Now that they¡¯ve openly provoked Rory, he had to figure out what the odds of them surviving his anger. However, Dex shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Everything stopped making sense after he unleashed his anima. It¡¯s hard to estimate his true strength.¡± Dex answered. ¡°I¡¯m going to call for back up.¡± He suddenly said. ¡°We can¡¯t handle him by ourselves.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty. I have a back plan in place.¡± Timothy said calmly. ¡°Back up plan?¡± Timothy nodded. ¡°I had preferred to not use him, but I will have to if the Devil King comes for revenge.¡± ¡°Him? The back up plan is a person?¡± Dex asked. ¡°It¡¯s someone you should¡¯ve heard of since you¡¯re a member of Aficionado.¡± When Dex heard that, he suddenly had a bad feeling. ¡°Follow me, I¡¯ll show you.¡± Timothy stood up and said. He then walked out of the room. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Dex looked at the door for a while, before following after him. Once they both left the room they walked down the church halls. They past by some members of the church, who all bowed when hey saw the two. ¡°Lord Dex, may I ask you to explain to me just what Aficionado is?¡± Timothy asked. ¡°That depends. There are many things surrounding us that can¡¯t be spoken in public. However, people call us the dark side of the church.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Dex answered. ¡°I heard that the Aficionado is an organization that protects the authority of the Sacred Church from the shadows. You commit the most inhumane acts to protect the people¡¯s faith. It¡¯s also rumored that you guys were all drafted from the Sacred Army because of your abnormally strong faiths.¡± Timothy said. ¡°That¡¯s basically true.¡± Dex admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve also heard an interesting rumor about you guys.¡± Timothy stopped in front of a wall after saying that. He knocked on the the wall three times in different locations and and wall suddenly opened up and revealed a passage way. ¡°You guys once dabbled in selective breeding projects, in an attempt to breed an invincible generation of followers.¡± The two walked into the passageway and the wall closed up behind them. ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± Dex asked. By this time, he was already successful in closing his wound and was slowly healing himself. ¡°Here and there.¡± Timothy answered. ¡°It¡¯s not a well known matter, but it isn¡¯t a secret either.¡± He added. ¡°Regarding those rumors, I don¡¯t know how authentic they are. My rank is too low after all.¡± Dex said. The passageway they walked through was dimly lit, but didn¡¯t look old in the least. In fact, it looked like it was created only a few years ago. They walked until they came across a door. ¡°It¡¯s in here, my back up plan.¡± Timothy pointed to the door and said. He walked towards the door and opened it. Once it was opened, an ice cold wind rushed forth and made their bodies tremble. When Dex looked inside, he saw a winter wonderland. There was snow all over the floor, ice sculptures everywhere, and a few winter animals. ¡°W-What the hell?¡± Dex said. ¡°Before we go in, be sure to protect yourself from the cold at all times. One wrong move and your blood will be frozen solid before you know it.¡± Timothy said while activating his anima to cover himself. Dex looked into the room, and did the same. The two the enter the room, and was assaulted by bone chilling cold, despite preparing themselves. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything if you want to live.¡± Timothy warned Dex. ¡°Eis.¡± He suddenly spoke a name. At that moment, it was as if the already freezing room became even colder. They then saw the snow started moving towards them as if it was alive. The snow on the ground then started mold into the shape of a human. Eventually it took the form of a teen with white hair and blues, while dressed in white clothing. ¡°Father, you¡¯re here.¡± The teen spoke. ¡°Lord Dex, this is Eis. My adoptive son and a product of your organization¡¯s Invisible Follower Project.¡± ¡°?!¡± Dex was surprised to hear this. ¡°He¡¯s my trump card against the Devil King.¡± Timothy showed a bright smile. Elsewhere, the man in question, Rory was continuing his walk through the night. He stopped. ¡°You can come out.¡± He said. Immediately after someone appeared out of nowhere. It was the leader of Boomslang, Reina. ¡°How long have you¡¯ve known I was there?¡± She asked. ¡°Just now. My mind was preoccupied as you could see.¡± He said. ¡°I would like to state that the church acted on their own, and it wasn¡¯t Christi who ordered your attack.¡± Reina said. ¡°I know. The church has always been a group of arrogant bastards. It would be impossible for them to not attack me after I soiled the name of the prince they support.¡± Rory said. ¡°So you won¡¯t go after Christi¡¯s life in retaliation?¡± Rory looked surprised. ¡°Do I look that petty to you? Why would I go after him when he had nothing to do with it?¡± ¡°Because it would be a huge blow to the church if they couldn¡¯t protect those they support.¡± Reina said. ¡°True, but I prefer to be more direct when facing my enemies. I love to attack them from the front and crush their hopes, dreams, and dignity.¡± Rory answered. ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re a very evil person.¡± Reina said. ¡°I never said I wasn¡¯t.¡± Rory replied. ¡°I am by no means a good person. I¡¯m pure evil, it¡¯s just that I have morals that I follow that makes me look better than I actually am.¡± He added. ¡°But isn¡¯t it the same for you, Leader?¡± He asked with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of life you¡¯ve lived or how you end up working for the third prince, but I can tell that you¡¯re quite the villain yourself.¡± He leant on a tree. ¡°You reek of blood, just like Rei.¡± Rory flicked his finger and Reina¡¯s hair was moved by a strong gust of wind. That¡¯s when her ears where made visible. They were a bit more pointy than a normal human¡¯s ear. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s to be expected from his descendant.¡± He said after seeing the ears. ¡°How did you know?¡± Reina asked as she fixed her hair. ¡°I guessed. You asking that question just now only confirmed my speculation. Rei was an elf and you¡¯re part elf, so I thought that was the case since you know his techniques.¡± Rory answered. ¡°So what are you his granddaughter or something?¡± ¡°Grandniece.¡± Rory was surprised to hear that. ¡°Ah, Rei did say that he had a little sister back home. So you¡¯re her granddaughter. He must¡¯ve left his Boomslang Arts with her and you inherited them.¡± He said after thinking for a bit. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Reina didn¡¯t deny or confirm what he said, but she didn¡¯t need to since Rory was convince that was the case. ¡°Since you¡¯re not targeting Christi, then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± She turned her back to him. ¡°Wait. Pandemonium was a family not related by blood. Hence I¡¯m technically your relative.¡± Rory said. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯ve never met my granduncle, and I don¡¯t consider him my relative in the least. Especially after he abandon his family, so I won¡¯t ever consider you my family either.¡± ¡°Is that so? Looks like something happened to your family that you blame Rei for.¡± Rory said. Reina frowned and started to walk away. ¡°The Boomslang, do you know what it is?¡± He suddenly shouted towards her back. ¡°It¡¯s a large venomous tree snake. It¡¯s venom is one of the deadliest in the world as well. If you¡¯re bitten by it you¡¯ll bleed from all of your pores and dead an excruciating death.¡± Reina stopped when she heard that. ¡°To fully grasps Rei¡¯s art, you need to think of ways how you can be as deadly as the Boomslang.¡± ¡°Why are you tell me this?¡± She asked. ¡°To make up for what Rei did? No, I just like you and want to help you out.¡± ¡°If you want to help me out, then leave the Second Prince¡¯s side.¡± After she said that, she immediately disappeared. Rory smiled. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t do that since I want to save this country.¡± He turned his back and continued his walk. ¡°Then again, saving this country might come at the expense of many lives. After all, I can¡¯t keep everything under control all the time.¡± He said. ¡°But Rei¡¯s Grandniece huh?¡± He smiled. ¡°Despite being part elf, her Megal side is that strong. That speaks volumes about her talent.¡± He grinned. ¡°She and Amelia would be unstoppable if they can work together in the future.¡± He then crossed his arms behind his head as he walked. ¡°But I guess I should get started on saving the country.¡± He said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ignore the church for now and focus on the Princes.¡± He threw his fist in the air. ¡°Okay, time to get to work!¡± 32nd Night: Master? The Marigold Kingdom has a famous army in this part of the continent. The reason was because they¡¯ve produced countless stars who later became war heroes over the years. There was one reason for this, the military program that they had. Their military program was so harsh but affective, that it¡¯s said that as long as you survive the entire training program you¡¯ll have a bright future ahead of you in warfare. The place where this military program was based was called the Scorpion¡¯s Nest, and it was located on the eastern edge of the capital city. It covered several hundred acres of land, and housed majority of the country¡¯s soldiers, which numbered in the tens of thousands. The current leader of this place was none other than the First Prince, James. *Bam!* Currently, he was in a heated battle with someone who was dressed in a soldier¡¯s uniform. It was Amelia. The two were clashing with their fists, rather than their swords. *Bam!* Amelia was hit in the stomach so hard her feet was forced off the ground. She gritted her teeth, and jumped back to create some distance between she and James. ¡°Heh.¡± James looked at her and smirked. That just pissed her off. She clenched her fists and shot towards him. James welcomed her with a kick aimed at her side. Amelia jumped over it and flipped frontwards, and swung her heel towards the top of James¡¯s head. James stepped back and avoided it, before slamming his fist into her midsection. *Bam!* ¡°?!¡± However, James felt like he struck iron rather than flesh. A slight pain ran through his hand, which made him delay his next action by a couple seconds. But that was more than enough for Amelia. The moment her feet touched the ground, she took a step forward and threw a punch with all of her strength. ¡°?!¡± James watched as her fist turned metallic as it came closer to him. *Bam!* He was hit in the stomach so hard that it felt like he was hit by a truck. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Even so, he didn¡¯t fall. He gathered power in his leg and swung it, slamming it into Amelia¡¯s side. ¡°Ahh!¡± She was propelled to the side, and her body bounced off the ground a few times before stopping. ¡°Shit¡­.That hurt.¡± James said while touching the spot Amelia punched him. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Amelia on the other hand, stood up while coughing. ¡°I still couldn¡¯t win.¡± She said. ¡°True, but you had me on the ropes there.¡± James approached her and said. ¡°Ohhhhhh!¡± Suddenly cheers poured down on the two. They were being watched by other soldiers. ¡°Man, that was great! It¡¯s always exciting watching the prince and Amelia spar.¡± ¡°I know what you mean! My blood is pumping!¡± ¡°I¡¯m too worked up! Hey, who wants a spar!¡± Various exciting comments came from those in the crowd. ¡°When did you learned to use Iron Skin?¡± James asked while waving at his men. ¡°I asked Rory to teach me. Although he only gave me a couple demonstrations and told me to figure out the theory behind it.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit harsh?¡± James asked. ¡°How so?¡± Amelia replied. ¡°I mean isn¡¯t it hard to figure out how something works from just looking?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. James asked. ¡°It is, but if you replay what you saw in your mind over and over again while trying various ways to imitate it, its possible to learn it.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°Also, this way I have a better understanding of the technique and can continue to customize it to my use.¡± She added. James smiled at her answer. ¡°We really are a like, you know that.¡± He said. ¡°I too prefer to do things that way too, because just like you said it allows me to understand not only the task, but myself better.¡± He added. ¡°Is that so? I guess we¡¯re both hard workers.¡± Amelia smiled at him. ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you two flirting again?¡± Somebody walked up to them and said. ¡°Stop that, Omar. Amelia doesn¡¯t like it.¡± James said, however his tone indicated that he was happy to hear what Omar said. ¡°My apologizes, it¡¯s just a harmless joke.¡± Omar said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Your personality is quite different from how you were in tournament. Is this how you really are?¡± She asked. ¡°Hahaha! No, Amelia. That¡¯s a part of his personality too.¡± James said. ¡°This guy is both aggressive like a bull, and as tame as a house cat. It just depends on the time and place for him to show the different sides of himself.¡± He said. ¡°I see.¡± Amelia said. ¡®Now that you mention, people are indeed complex. There¡¯s no way you can describe someone with one word because they have many sides to them. This is why someone can have multiple Animus at once, because they have multiple sides to them.¡¯ She thought. ¡°Oh, I really liked your Animus.¡± She said to Omar. ¡°Thanks. I worked hard to create it.¡± Omar was pleased for being praised. ¡°Even Rory liked it.¡± Until he heard the name he didn¡¯t want to hear the most. ¡°¡­.Yeah, I know. That¡¯s why he stole it.¡± He said with a depressed tone. ¡°Hey, how did he do that anyway?¡± Omar asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I asked him once and he said that he just copied and customized it to his likening.¡± Amelia responded. ¡°Hey, how do you create an Animus?¡± ¡°?!¡± Both Omar and James were shocked to hear her question. ¡°How? Don¡¯t you have an Animus?¡± James asked. Amelia shook her head. ¡°Seriously¡­¡± Omar was lost for words. ¡°And you¡¯re so powerful?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Rory teach you?¡± Amelia shook her head again. ¡°I¡¯ve only known Rory for a little under six months. Before then I was self taught. I only heard about animus after I joined the tournament.¡± She shocked both of them. ¡°That¡¯s really hard to believe.¡± Said James. ¡°Either way, I want to try developing an animus of my own. I haven¡¯t asked Rory because I want to take him by surprise and crush him when I have the chance.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I can¡¯t understand the nature of your relationship with each other.¡± Said James. ¡°However, if you want to create Animus I can help. Well, not me personally though.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± James smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to my master.¡± ¡°Master? I thought you said that you were trained by the country¡¯s top warriors?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I was. But I also had a personal master that taught me everything I knew about fighting. They also oversaw my training with other warriors.¡± James replied. ¡°I see. So when can we meet him?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°We can go now.¡± ¡°Is that okay?¡± James nodded. ¡°Yeah. I was supposed to meet them today anyway. In fact, I should¡¯ve already met them by now.¡± ¡°Is it okay to stand them up?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Nope. Not at all.¡± James then turned to Omar. ¡°If I don¡¯t come back alive, I want you to carry on my dream.¡± He said. ¡°Of course, your majesty.¡± Omar answered solemnly. ¡°May the Sacred God guide you.¡± James nodded. ¡°I¡¯m off.¡± ¡°Men, salute the prince as he embark on this dangerous journey!¡± Omar shouted. All of the soldier lined up and showed James a salute. ¡°Take care, Your Majesty! May god be with you!¡± The soldiers said in unison. ¡°Yeah¡­.I¡¯ll be sure to make it back alive.¡± James saluted back and spoke with teary eyes. He then turned his back to them. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He then started to walk away. ¡°Good luck, your majesty!¡± ¡°May the gods watch over you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t run, it will only make things worse!¡± Various words of encouragement could be heard behind him. Seeing all this, Amelia- ¡°No¡­..Isn¡¯t this a bit too overdramatic? He¡¯s just going to meet his master.¡± She said while following behind him. They left the Scorpion¡¯s Nest and headed to the northern section of the capital. ¡°Where are we going to meet your master?¡± She asked. ¡°Outside the capital.¡± James replied. ¡°We¡¯re leaving the city?¡± He nodded. ¡°We¡¯re going to the mountain range in the north. That¡¯s where my master and I always meet to train.¡± ¡°What, is he an hermit or something?¡± James burst out laughing when he heard that. ¡°No, my master isn¡¯t a hermit. It¡¯s just that my training is so intense that if it occurred in the city, there would be too much destruction.¡± He said. ¡°You¡¯re that strong?¡± Amelia asked in surprise. James shook his head. ¡°Not me, my master.¡± He said. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. If I meet up with them soon, I might still have a chance at leaving a body to bury.¡± After he said that, he increased his speed and Amelia had to work hard to catch up. They ran for a while and left the city and entered the mountain range. ¡°So where is your master? Don¡¯t tell me that we have to climb the mountain too?¡± Said Amelia. ¡°No, they should be around here.¡± James looked around. ¡°You have some nerve keeping me waiting, Jamie.¡± ¡°?!¡± James body suddenly stiffened when he heard a melodic voice reach his ear. He quickly tried to turn around. *Bam!* However, before he could properly do so, he was hit and blown away by a powerful force. *BOOM!* Amelia heard a loud explosion behind her, and quickly turned around. ¡°?!¡± When she looked, she saw a human shaped hole on the side of the mountain. From the size and shape of the hole, she immediately knew who was used to create that hole. ¡°James?!¡± She shouted. ¡°For goodness sakes.¡± ¡°?!¡± She heard a voice behind her. This voice made all of her hair stand up, as she felt a cold chill ran down her spine. Cold sweat quickly covered her body. She wanted to move but couldn¡¯t. ¡°I wondered why he was late, but it turns out that he was messing around with some lass.¡± The voice got closer to her ear. It was only then Amelia forced herself to turn around. When she did, she saw something unexpected. In front of her were two persons. The first one had dark hair and skin, brown eyes, and was dressed in a tuxedo. He was quite handsome and had a friendly smile on his face. He was the servant who led her and Rory into the throne room when they first met the king. She remembered him introducing himself as Richard. The second one was the closest to her and someone she¡¯s never seen before. It was a woman with tanned skin, black long hair, purple eyes, and a beautiful face despite having a frown on it. She was dressed in an ankle length dark pants, strapped heels, and a short blouse that left her stomach exposed. It was obvious that the voice belonged to her. ¡®W-What the hell¡­..¡¯ Amelia was completely shocked as she looked at the woman. It was because she gave off a terrifying pressure just by standing there. There was only one person she knew who gave off such an overwhelming feeling just from breathing. That was Rory. ¡°Damn, brat! So you¡¯ve finally started chasing women and now feeling all grown up huh?¡± Said the woman. ¡°I¡¯ll beat some discipline in you as your master!¡± 33rd Night: The Scorpion Queen ¡°Master?¡± When Amelia heard the woman call herself James¡¯s master, she was shocked. ¡®She¡¯s his master? This monster?¡¯ She gulped. Her instinct told her that the woman in front of her was someone who rivaled Rory, which she found scary since to her Rory was the pinnacle of power. ¡°What?¡± The woman said to Amelia after noticing her staring at her. ¡°Ah, its nothing.¡± Amelia said while slowly backing away. ¡°Hmph.¡± The woman didn¡¯t pay Amelia any attention for long and looked at the man shaped hole in the side of the mountain. ¡°Richard, if he doesn¡¯t come out in three seconds go in and drag him out.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± The man called Richard stood beside the woman after hearing her order. ¡°1.¡± *Bam!* The hole suddenly exploded and James was seen flying out of the mountain. ¡°I¡¯m out, I¡¯m out!¡± He landed in front of his master and said. ¡°Good. I thought that getting a woman had softened you up.¡± Said the woman. ¡°Hehehe.¡± James laughed nervously. ¡°How could I get soft? I¡¯ll die in a week if I did.¡± He said. ¡°At least you know.¡± The woman said while nodding. She then looked back at Amelia again. ¡°You, you¡¯re that woman who entered that stupid tournament with Rory.¡± She said. ¡°Her name is Amelia Rosa, Devil King Rory¡¯s rumored lover.¡± Said Richard. ¡°Oh? I¡¯m surprised that Rory let you be alone with Jamie. He must be confident that you won¡¯t leave him.¡± The woman looked amused. ¡°Hmm¡­..you¡¯re quite the beauty.¡± She then started to examine Amelia. ¡°And you¡¯re a Lodon too. I haven¡¯t met one in this country since the Human Sovereign passed through around two decades back.¡± She said. ¡°Human Sovereign?¡± Amelia subconsciously asked. ¡°What, you don¡¯t know who the Human Sovereign is? Are you from the country side or something?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Amelia immediately became irritated when she heard when the woman said. All of her fear towards her disappeared, as she confronted the woman. ¡°I am. Do you have a problem with that?¡± This action slightly surprised the woman. ¡°Oh? You have guts. I like that.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The woman backed away and smiled at her. ¡°James, is she really your master?¡± Amelia asked while keeping her eye on the woman. ¡°Yeah, she taught me everything I know.¡± James responded. ¡°Not only that, she¡¯s the former leader of the military and the one who created the current military program that has produced countless stars.¡± ¡°?!¡± Amelia was shocked to hear this. ¡°May I know your name?¡± She asked the woman directly. ¡°My name? Sure, why not?¡± The woman replied. ¡°My name is Serket, people call me the Scorpion Queen.¡± ¡°Scorpion Queen¡­.¡± Amelia repeated the name. For some reason she could sense that there was a lot of authority behind that name. She looked at the woman from head to toe again. No matter how she tried, she couldn¡¯t see herself beating the person in front of her. ¡°Master, I¡¯m here to request something of you.¡± ¡°Richard.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Suddenly, the servant Richard appeared in front of James and kicked him in the stomach. ¡°Cough!¡± James held his stomach and fell to his knees. ¡°First, you¡¯re late to our meeting, and now you¡¯re requesting something of me?¡± The woman looked coldly at James who was groaning in pain. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten quite full of yourself today.¡± She said. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Amelia was shocked by what she saw. This woman called Serket, clearly talked down to the prince and even ordered a servant to punish him. This was unbelievable. Not only that, the servant didn¡¯t hesitate to punish James. It was as if he respected Serket, more than the royal prince. Also, that kick he hit James with was no joke. Amelia believed that if she was on the receiving end, she would be worse off than James. ¡°Just who are these two?¡± She mumbled. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s enough punishment.¡± Serket suddenly said. ¡°Go ahead. What do you want from me?¡± She asked, while waiting for James to get up. ¡°C-Can you teach her how to create her own Animus?¡± James asked. ¡°You still don¡¯t have an animus?¡± Amelia shook her head at Serket¡¯s question. ¡°Now that¡¯s a bit interesting.¡± Serket said. ¡°Will you do it?¡± Amelia asked. This woman was someone who seem to rival Rory, so she was the perfect one to help her. ¡°Sure, why not? I don¡¯t have anything important to do anyway.¡± She said. Amelia was thrilled to hear her response. ¡°So do you wanna start now?¡± Serket asked. ¡°Yes, the faster the better.¡± Amelia responded. ¡°I see that you¡¯re eager. Very well, then answer this question.¡± Serket smiled and spoke- ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m Amelia Rosa. You should know that.¡± Serket shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s your name. I¡¯m asking who are you, the physical person.¡± Serket went on to say. ¡°What defines you? What do you live for? What is your ambitions? How do you see yourself?¡± Amelia was confused by the bombardment of questions. ¡°You see, an animus is a projection of yourself. But before you can project yourself, you must first know yourself.¡± Serket continued. ¡°Before creating your animus, you must first get to know yourself. Not only know yourself, but you must accept everything about yourself; both the good and the bad. Only then can you move on to the next step to creating your animus.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the next step?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Visualization and Projection.¡± Serket then went on to explain. ¡°After understanding and accepting yourself, you then focus on what aspect of yourself you want to project and turn it into an attack. After that, the final step is bring that attack to life.¡± She said. ¡°I see¡­..So I need to start by getting to truly know myself.¡± Amelia mumbled. Serket nodded. ¡°You can start by asking yourself questions you wouldn¡¯t normal ask yourself, and face the answers no matter how hard they are to face.¡± She added. ¡°You can take your time and do that. This place normally goes undisturbed so you¡¯ll have a peace of mind out here.¡± After she said that, she turned her back to Amelia. ¡°Come, Jamie. Let¡¯s leave her to face her thoughts alone.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No, buts. You know that you need to isolate yourself when doing something as delicate as discovering your true self. Also, what right do you have to watch her create her animus?¡± Serket said to James. ¡°That would be like staring into her deepest thoughts and watching her expose herself.¡± She glared at him. ¡°Are you the type of pervert that gets a kick out of that?¡± ¡°No, ma¡¯am!¡± James then chased after Serket. ¡°Amelia take your time, rushing will only lessen your potential. Dig deep into yourself and leave no issue unresolved.¡± Serket said, while walking away with James and Richard. ¡°There¡¯s wildlife in the surroundings, and a river up ahead. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure that no one disturbs you; especially this idiot.¡± After saying that, the three disappeared leaving Amelia by herself with her thoughts. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± She looked around at her surroundings and sighed. ¡°Accept myself huh?¡± She mumbled. Meanwhile, James was walking with Serket and Richard, heading back to the city. ¡°Will she be find by herself?¡± James asked. ¡°You really like that girl, huh?¡± Serket looked at James and sighed. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. I can tell from how she fought in the tournament that she¡¯s really gifted.¡± She replied. ¡°But, Jamie. I advise you to leave that girl alone.¡± ¡°Is this about Rory? I¡¯m not afraid of him.¡± James said. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, you fool.¡± Serket snapped back at him. ¡°Do you really think that the person who¡¯s always messing around is the real Devil King that became a legend a century ago?¡± She spoke with a serious face. ¡°You don¡¯t know his true face or form. That man is pure destructive evil. If he snaps the only ones that might survive in this kingdom is Richard and myself. Not even your father can stop him.¡± Richard who was following behind them smiled for a bit as if agreeing with Serket. ¡°She¡¯s right, prince.¡± Richard spoke. ¡°If the Devil King really let loose, he can slaughter everyone in this country.¡± He said. ¡°You guys speak like you know him.¡± James said. ¡°Know him?¡± Serket smiled. ¡°Yeah, we know him.¡± She said. ¡°Speaking of which, I think it¡¯s time I pay him a visit.¡± ¡°?!¡± Rory who was passed out on the lawn of royal yard after a night of drinking, just sat up after feeling a cold chill. ¡°I have a feeling that a bad omen is heading my way.¡± He said while holding his shoulders. 34th Night: Facing One’s Self It was now a little over a week since Amelia was left in the northern mountains range. She was currently practicing her sword swings. The reason why she was doing this was because she couldn¡¯t spend all of her time trying to discover herself. She also needed to keep herself in tip top shape physically, before focusing on her mental state. ¡°1145, 1146, 1147¡­.¡± She continued to count while swinging her sword with an empty mind. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± She just swung silently without making a sound. She did this for a few hours before stopping. ¡°Ah~. It¡¯s no use.¡± She suddenly held her head and said. ¡°Getting to know myself sounds easy, but it¡¯s pretty hard to do. And the worst part is that I can¡¯t rely on anyone.¡± She sat down and placed her sword beside her. ¡°Why does it feels like the first step is the hardest one, when creating an animus?¡± She laid down on her back. ¡°Serket said that I should ask myself questions that I wouldn¡¯t normally want to ask, and accept the answers¡­.¡± She looked at the sky. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything like that, that¡¯s why I¡¯m in a slump.¡± She sighed. ¡°I guess I should try simpler questions to start it off.¡± She then thought of the simplest question she could think of. ¡°Who am I?¡± She started by questioning her identity. ¡°That¡¯s easy. I¡¯m Amelia Rosa¡­.¡± She then remembered Serket¡¯s words. ¡°No, that¡¯s your name. I¡¯m asking who are you, the physical person.¡± ¡°What defines you? What do you live for? What is your ambitions? How do you see yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± She silently pondered the words and tried to answer again. ¡°I¡¯m Amelia Rosa. I¡¯m a suspected orphan whose homeland and origins are unknown, but was raised in Buchse. I was given the name Rosa by the late king, who thought that I was as beautiful as a rose.¡± She then shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not who I am. That¡¯s just a biography of my life. It doesn¡¯t really say what kind of person I am.¡± She tried again. ¡°My favorite color is green.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I like spicy food and bitter candy?¡± She shook her head again. ¡°My hobbies include training and reading?¡± She shook her head. ¡°My favorite genre of music is rock?¡± She started scratching her head. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± She shouted out in frustration and sat up. ¡°I¡¯m just listing the shallow things about myself and not diving into main aspects of my person.¡± She said. ¡°As I thought, this is harder than it sounds.¡± She allowed herself to fall back on her back. ¡°Could it be that I don¡¯t really know myself?¡± She said. ¡°Or am I just that shallow of a person?¡± She started to get depressed. She was someone who was used to catching on to something very quickly. So her stumbling over a simple question, made her start to lose faith in herself. ¡°I bet if Rory was here, he would tell me who I am.¡± She mumbled. She then shook her head from side to side as if dispelling such thoughts. ¡°I can¡¯t keep relying on him for help. And besides, it¡¯s me we¡¯re talking about here. How pathetic it would be if I couldn¡¯t even understand myself without someone¡¯s help?¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. She said with a harsh tone towards herself. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just need to calm down and think. There¡¯s no reason for me to run to that guy for every little thing. I must be independent!¡± She clenched her fists and encouraged herself. ¡°Who am I?¡± She once again question her identity. She once again calmed down and started review her life. She did so like she wasn¡¯t looking at her life, but watching the life of a complete stranger. This way she would stay unbiased towards anything. Soon a strange phenomenon occurred. Her consciousness started to fade, while at the same time it felt like she was being pulled into some world. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± The next time see opened her eyes, her surroundings had changed. She was no longer near the mountain range, she was now in a village. ¡°Where am I?¡± She asked. ¡°Hm? Where¡¯s my hands and legs?¡± That¡¯s when she realized that she couldn¡¯t see any parts of her body. She could only see the village from a bird eye view. It was as if she couldn¡¯t interact with the world, and could only see it. ¡°But¡­..¡± She looked around the village. The buildings were quite old, but looked sturdy. They were quite large as well. The only reason she recognized it as a village was because it looked like it was situated in a rural area. ¡°This place looks familiar.¡± This village gave her a nostalgic feeling, despite having no recollection of it. She looked at the people in the village and saw that they all had a common trait. ¡°Sunset hair?¡± All the villagers had the same hair color as her, which meant- ¡°They¡¯re Lodons?¡± That¡¯s when she realized where she was. ¡°Could this be the place Rory talked about? The country where the Lodons resided that not many knew the location to, Sol?!¡± She was shocked beyond her senses. From the amount of Lodons she saw walking around, she could only believe that this place was the Sun Island, Sol. ¡°But wait¡­.Wasn¡¯t Sol destroyed?¡± She remembered Rory saying that something terrible happened in the country that caused the population to scatter. She naturally believed that the country was either destroyed or was no longer inhabitable. However, the village before her eyes looked fine. ¡°Unless, this is the past?¡± She thought of a possibility. ¡°Could this be in my memories? That¡¯s gotta be the case, because I¡¯m pretty sure I can¡¯t time travel.¡± She mumbled. ¡°Maybe I entered some kind of trance and dug up some old memories that I had forgotten?¡± She nodded believing that it was the only reasonable explanation. After all, the first three years of her life before arriving at Buchse are a mystery, even to her. ¡°Hey, Elia! Wait!¡± She heard a voice calling her name, and looked towards it. There she saw a little girl running while giggling. Amelia¡¯s eyes widened when she saw her, that¡¯s because the little girl was precisely her. ¡°I said wait!¡± Not far behind, she saw a woman chasing her. The woman¡¯s face was blurred out, but Amelia instinctively recognized her. ¡°Mother?¡± She blurted without second thought. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Amelia watched as her younger self ran away from her mother while laughing. ¡°I said wait.¡± Instantly, her mother caught up to her and held her. ¡°Gotcha.¡± Her mother lifted her in the air. ¡°Sheesh. What a tomboy you are.¡± Her mother said with a bit displeasure. ¡°I wonder who you take after?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t she take after you?¡± Said one of the villagers. ¡°He¡¯s right. You¡¯re the biggest tomboy in the village.¡± ¡°No, I think in the whole world.¡± The villagers around the two laughed as they teased the mother and daughter duo. ¡°You guys have some nerve, teasing your leader.¡± Amelia¡¯s mother said. ¡°We can¡¯t beat you, so we can at least tease you right?¡± Said one of the villagers. ¡°But Amelia sure is active. She¡¯s better than my son who just clings to his mother everyday. I¡¯m worried if he¡¯ll even become a true warrior.¡± Said one of the villagers. They just like Amelia¡¯s mother, all had their faces blurred out. One of the male villagers walked towards the mother and daughter duo. ¡°Amelia, I hope you can lead my son down the right path. You¡¯re the future of the Lodons after all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, uncle.¡± Little Amelia beat her chest cutely. ¡°I will become the queen and lead all of my people.¡± At that moment, Amelia¡¯s voice overlapped with that of her younger self. ¡°Hahahaha! Well, isn¡¯t that dependable.¡± The villagers laughed. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t laugh at my daughter. She¡¯s a natural born queen, just like her mother.¡± Amelia¡¯s mother said with her hand on her hip, while holding Amelia with the next one. ¡°We know, we know. Amelia really hates to lose just like her mother. She always tries to better herself no matter how good she is at something.¡± ¡°I wish my kid could learn a thing or two from her.¡± ¡°Mine too.¡± The villagers all praised Amelia. Her mother lifted her up and smiled at her. ¡°You hear that, Elia? Everyone believes that you¡¯re a natural born queen, as such you can¡¯t let them down. You need to act fitting of a queen at all times. Never back down no matter how difficult the challenge.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Instead embrace challenges and give it your all to overcome them. You should also have a strong sense of justice. Not everyone¡¯s superficial Justice, your own.¡± Her mother went on. ¡°Never stop aiming for higher heights, never become arrogant and conceited, but you must have a strong pride in yourself as well.¡± She smiled at her daughter again. ¡°Also, if you¡¯ve ever find your king you must do your best to stand beside him as a queen he¡¯s proud to have.¡± Surroundings immediately returned to normal. She was once again in the mountain range. ¡°I see¡­.¡± She sat up. It was as if she was enlightened. She then recalled her mother¡¯s words and immediately realized that she had been living by them, despite not actually remembering them. It was as if they were engraved in her heart, in her very being. ¡°I am a queen.¡± She mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m a queen without a crown. That¡¯s who I am.¡± James had once said that Amelia had a Regal air about her, he was absolutely right. All her life, Amelia acted in a way fitting of a queen. She wouldn¡¯t back down to anyone, even if she did it would only be for a second. She was incredibly proud in her abilities, but at the same time she was never satisfied, and continued to aim for higher heights, all while staying humble. She also doesn¡¯t get influenced by others and follow her own moral code. Because of all this, people couldn¡¯t help but to respect her even when she herself didn¡¯t demanded respect from others. If these aren¡¯t the qualities of a true queen, then she didn¡¯t know what were. ¡°I think I¡¯ve understood myself a bit better now.¡± She suddenly sprung to her feet. ¡°I guess that means I got the first step down¡­.Well, kinda.¡± She started to stretch her body. ¡°Time for the second step. Visualization and Projection.¡± She said. ¡°But how should I turn the Regal part of myself into an attack?¡± She asked herself. ¡°Being a queen means that you have to rule. So I should create a technique that involves ruling or having complete control over something.¡± She immediately knew what she wanted to rule. ¡°Elements.¡± A few days later, Richard was ordered by Serket to check up on Amelia and see how well she¡¯s progressing. He stood on a tree several hundred meters away to take a look. ¡°?!¡± He was shocked to see complete and utter destruction around the area where Amelia was. There was several trees on fire, craters in the earth, spikes of ice everywhere, and electric sparks appearing every now and again. He searched for Amelia and discovered that she was sleeping on the ground, in the middle of the destruction. Seeing that, Richard smiled. ¡°Good work, Amelia. If this continues, you might be able to meet your mother again.¡± He completely disappeared after saying that. 35th Night: Scorpion Queen & Devil King While Amelia was still in the middle of creating her animus, Rory was acting the same always. He was currently in the second prince¡¯s residence, allowing himself to be pampered by the servants. ¡°Despite having the title of a king, it¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve lived like one.¡± He said. ¡°Aw~! It¡¯s good to be alive.¡± He said with a sigh. ¡°Aren¡¯t you relaxing too much?¡± It was then that two women approached him with frowns on their faces. It was the Brooks Sisters, Harley and Emily. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to help Liam become king?¡± Harley asked. ¡°All you¡¯ve done is get pampered.¡± Emily added. ¡°Oh, its Liam¡¯s twin roses.¡± He gestured for the servants to stop what they¡¯re doing, and sat up to face the twins. ¡°You came at a good time. I was formulating some stuff and wanted some insight.¡± The twins put on a serious face when they heard that. ¡°As long as it helps Liam we¡¯re willing to tell you anything.¡± Said Emily. ¡°Good. I like your spirit.¡± Rory said. He then took out a memo pad and a pen. ¡°Now then¡­.¡± He then slowly spoke. ¡°Do you two have feelings for Liam?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± The twins froze up as if their brains stopped working. After a while, they finally reacted. ¡°W-W-What does that have to do with anything?!¡± They asked obviously flustered. ¡°Please answer, it¡¯s very important.¡± Rory said with a serious face. He gave off the impression of a reporter dying for a big scoop. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Is it really important?¡± Rory nodded seriously. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s very important.¡± He said. ¡°For my entertainment.¡± He added. ¡°Wha?! We¡¯re not here to entertain you!¡± The sisters shouted in unison. ¡°Come on. Tell me. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Rory started to pest them with a whiny voice. ¡°We¡¯re all girls here.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look like a girl to me.¡± Said Harley. ¡°I¡¯m a maiden at heart.¡± Rory replied. His eyes started to have a feminine look in them after he said that. But the girls wasn¡¯t buying it. ¡°We can¡¯t trust a con man like you.¡± ¡°How rude. I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m a gentleman.¡± He took out a voice recorder and placed it in front of the girls. ¡°Now go.¡± ¡°What kind of gentleman records women¡¯s conversations?!¡± ¡°The new age.¡± Rory answered seriously. ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t record you.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He said while putting the recorder away. ¡°But is this okay? From your reactions, I can tell that you guys have feelings for Liam. Are you alright with your feelings going unnoticed?¡± He said. ¡°Listen, girls. Life is short. You can¡¯t waste time using excuses like being shy and not feeling worthy.¡± He smiled. ¡°Shoot your shot. You never know what could happen.¡± The sisters silently pondered his words when they heard that. And then- ¡°Whether you win or lose, we¡¯ll be able to rewatch it over and over. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be there recording and giving you support.¡± Rory said after taking out a camcorder. Emily took it and crushed it under feet. She and her sister then walked away from Rory fuming after being play with by him. ¡°He has some nerve.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the stupid ones to listen to anything that trickster says seriously.¡± They complained as they left. Rory was left there looking at the pieces of the camcorder. ¡°Those two are quite na?ve, but they fit Liam.¡± He mumbled. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if they fit.¡± He sat down in a sofa. ¡°I need the Brooks family to remain with prince in the future. The best way to do that is for Liam to have marital ties with them.¡± He mumbled. ¡°Well, there¡¯s still a lot of time left. At least I¡¯ve confirmed that the sisters are interested in him. The problem is now Liam, I doubt he has things like marriage on his mind.¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll deal with it later.¡± He started to relax even more and then- ¡°Reina, is it really okay for you to leave your prince to keep your eyes on me?¡± He said. When he opened his eyes, he saw a maid with blonde hair and blue eyes looking down on him. ¡°It was an order from the prince himself.¡± The maid, Reina responded. ¡°Hey, did you know that it was me when I was serving you earlier?¡± She asked with a frown. ¡°Of course. I loved the massage by the way.¡± Rory said with a laugh. Suddenly he felt a knife at his neck. ¡°I should really kill you, right now.¡± Reina said with a growl. ¡°Now, now. You¡¯ll blow your coverage if you continue like that.¡± Rory said. ¡°Hmph.¡± Reina gritted her teeth and moved the knife away. ¡°Oh, can you bring me something to eat? I¡¯m unusually hungry.¡± Rory asked. ¡°Sure.¡± Reina took out two guns she concealed in her dress. ¡°Do you want copper or lead bullets?¡± She asked. ¡°Why do all the girls around me have anger issues?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re so irritating.¡± She replied. ¡°I swear, you¡¯ll get what¡¯s coming to one day.¡± *Boom!* At that moment, an explosion echoed through the mansion. ¡°Hm?¡± The explosion drew Rory¡¯s and Reina¡¯s attention. ¡°An enemy attack?¡± Rory looked at Reina with a suspicious gaze. ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t do flashy stuff like this. If it¡¯s an enemy attack, it must be from the first prince¡¯s camp.¡± Reina quickly explained. ¡°But I don¡¯t think even the first prince would be so bold¡­.The only person that would do something like this is¡­¡± *Boom!* Before she could finish, the door that led into the room they were in exploded and someone walked in. ¡°The Scorpion Queen¡­¡± Reina mumbled when she saw Serket walked in. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Serket looked around until her eyes landed on Rory. She showed a savage smile. ¡°Yo, brat.¡± ¡°?!¡± The moment Rory saw her, he flew up out of his seat. ¡°Serket?!¡± He immediately jumped over the sofa and broke through a wall and made his escape. Reina was surprised when she saw that. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away, Rory!¡± Serket immediately started to chase him through the mansion. *Boom!* Rory ran through the mansion, kicking down wall to wall in an attempt to make his escape. ¡°Rory!¡± He turned around and saw Serket hot on his tail. ¡°Damn, granny! Why are you still alive?!¡± Rory shouted. ¡°Hahahaha! You think I¡¯ll leave this world before you?!¡± Serket responded. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s surprised that you¡¯re still alive after a century!¡± She stretched her arm to the side and started gathering anima. The anima then started morphing into the shape of a scorpion¡¯s tail. ¡°Shit!¡± Rory sped up when he saw that. He no longer looked like he was running, he looked like he was flying using the wind. ¡°Stop running!¡± Serket swung her arm and the scorpion tail rushed after Rory. As it was about to hit his back, he instantly moved out of the way. The tail stung a wall, and that wall immediately started to melt like ice under the summer sun. ¡°Are you trying to kill me?!¡± Rory shouted at Serket. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m still angry about you stealing my treasure!¡± Serket shouted. ¡°Listen here, old woman! I already told you that I didn¡¯t do it!¡± Rory shouted back after destroying the final wall to escape the mansion. He then stopped in the yard and faced Serket who was coming at him. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t steal it personally, one of you did!¡± Serket flew out of the mansion and jumped in the air while aiming a flying kick at Rory. ¡°As the leader, you should take responsibility!¡± ¡°Fuck that!¡± Rory threw a punch and his fist clashed with her foot. *Boom!* A loud explosive sound rang out, and large cracks start appearing in the ground. Powerful shockwaves spread out and caused cracks to appear in the mansion as well as causing a few nearby trees to burst. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± Those inside the mansion and in the yard started to panic after seeing the signs of destruction all around them. They quickly fled, including Reina and the Brook Sisters who came to see what was the source of this destructive power. Rory and Serket were both propelled back by their attacks clashing. The moment their feet touched the ground, they both rushed towards each other again. ¡°Granny!¡± ¡°Brat!¡± *Boom!* They started fisting it out the moment they were in each other¡¯s range. Rory threw two punches, which Serket blocked by crossing her arms in front of her. She then threw two hooks which Rory avoided by moving to the opposite direction from where they were coming from. He took a step forward and threw a heavy punch, which was blocked by Serket¡¯s elbow; who aimed an uppercut at his chin with her free hand. Rory used a downward palm strike with his free hand to block. ¡°Ugh!¡± His palm was ineffective, and his entire arm was blown back. Serket straightened her fingers and thrust her hand at Rory¡¯s windpipe. Rory bent his back to narrowly avoid it. He however, use the momentum of bending back to swing his left leg at Serket¡¯s chin. Serket jumped back and avoided it, causing Rory to lose his balance and fall backwards. He quickly thrust out his arms behind him and pushed himself off the ground with a flip, preventing himself from fall on his back. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± The two stared at each other in silence, but didn¡¯t attack. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± At that moment, they saw Liam running towards them. When he saw the destruction around them, he looked at the two rather angrily. ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Why is Rory and my mother fighting?!¡± He shouted. ¡°Huh?.....¡± Rory froze when he heard that. He slowly looked at Liam and Serket. ¡°M-Mother? Then you¡¯re¡­..¡± Serket smiled when she saw his reaction. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the queen of this kingdom.¡± She said proudly. ¡°Ehhhhhhh?!¡± Rory¡¯s shocked voice echoed through the Second Prince¡¯s residence. 36th Night: Queen Of Marigold- Rory & Serket ¡°Your mother?!¡± Rory was still shocked. He pointed at Serket. ¡°This dinosaur is your mother?!¡± ¡°Who are you calling a dinosaur?!¡± Serket instantly grabbed him by the neck and started to choke him. ¡°You ungrateful brat!¡± She shouted in anger. ¡°Um¡­.do you two know each other?¡± Liam asked after seeing how the two interacted. ¡°Hm? Oh, I guess I never told you guys, huh?¡± Serket released Rory¡¯s neck and and lifted him by his collar. ¡°I was this guy¡¯s guardian.¡± ¡°?!¡± Everyone was shocked to hear that. ¡°By guardian, do you mean¡­.?¡± Serket nodded. ¡°Yup. I was like his foster mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Silence covered the area. Although everyone in the country knew that the queen was a monster on a global scale, they never thought that she was a big enough monster to raise someone like Rory. ¡°Let me go, granny!¡± Rory struggled and broke free. ¡°Who are you calling my foster mother? I only have one mother and she isn¡¯t you!¡± He pointed at Serket and said. ¡°You ungrateful¡­!¡± Serket got mad and released her anima. It gave off a vicious and beastly sensation to all who felt it. This was Wild Anima. Everyone saw her anima take the shape of a scorpion around her. Just looking at her made one felt like they were being exposed to toxic materials. It felt like everything around them was becoming toxic. ¡°How about I turn you into a puddle of liquid flesh?¡± She said. ¡°Hey, calm down! Your poison isn¡¯t something simple! Are you trying to kill everyone here?!¡± Rory said while backing away. Serket looked at Liam and the clicked her tongue. After which she deactivated her anima. ¡°You¡¯re still quite the brat, you know that.¡± She said to Rory. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t taken you in and taught you all I did, you would¡¯ve died back then you know?¡± ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m not that weak.¡± Rory said. ¡°More importantly, how did you become the queen of Marigold? You even had kids at your age?¡± He looked at Liam. ¡°Are you sure they don¡¯t have any deficiencies or disabilities, since they¡¯re mother was so old?¡± Both Serket and Liam eyes twitched when they heard Rory¡¯s question. ¡°Everyday I wonder if I should¡¯ve left you to die back then.¡± Serket muttered. She then sighed. ¡°In a way, you¡¯re the reason why I ended up here?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Rory looked confused. ¡°I was searching for you, idiot. I went to visit Pandemonium at your base, but it was destroyed and then I heard that you guys were in a huge battle which you lost. I got worried and started to look for you. I ended up here 30 years ago, met Xavier, fell in love and you canguess the rest.¡± Serket explained. ¡°I¡¯m starting to question Xavier¡¯s taste in women.¡± Rory mumbled. Serket grabbed him by the collar when she heard that. ¡°Maybe I should kill you here to make up for saving you back then?¡± She growled. ¡°I was just joking.¡± Rory said with a nervous smile. ¡°Rory.¡± Serket let go of his collar. ¡°Why are you so weak?¡± ¡°?!¡± Her question shocked everyone that was listening to them. The queen had actually asked the Devil King why was he so weak. Then does that mean that he was far stronger in the past?This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Also, the why Serket handles him it makes one wonder if she¡¯s stronger than him. ¡°Hahaha¡­.I guess I couldn¡¯t hide it from you.¡± Rory laughed bitterly and said. ¡°Of course. I could tell from messing around with you earlier.¡± Serket said. ¡®You call that messing around?¡¯ Everyone thought while looking at the destruction they caused. ¡°It would only take a little less than half my strength to kill the current you.¡± Serket said. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Rory didn¡¯t answer and remained silent. ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to say it here?¡± Serket asked after seeing his reluctance to speak. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. All the servants have ran away a long time ago. The only ones here are you, me, Liam, the Brooks, and Chris¡¯s spy over there.¡± She glanced at the disguised Reina. ¡°Spy?¡± The Brooks Sisters and Liam started glaring at Reina, who seemed upset that her cover was blown once again. ¡°Leave her, Liam. She¡¯s important to your brother. Also, she¡¯s important to this womanizer here.¡± Serket said. ¡°I can tell from his body language that he was ready to take her away, if things went south.¡± ¡°Your habit of revealing people¡¯s true nature haven¡¯t changed.¡± Said Rory. ¡°Like you can talk, you stole that trait from me when creating your current self, remember?¡± Serket smirked. ¡°Anyway, tell me. What happened a century ago that made you and the others disappear?¡± She asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it yourself? We got into a huge fight with someone we shouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°Zahak destroyed you all, I know that. What I want to know is what did that crushing defeat do to all of you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how to be tactful do you?¡± Rory smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t get into the details, but we''dsuffered some serious injuries and had to separate to recuperate. My injury was different from the others, you should know what I mean.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Serket suddenly looked like she understood something. ¡°You can¡¯t control your power can you?¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± Rory said. ¡°I¡¯m fine in most cases, but if I face someone on your level or higher then¡­..Well, everybody would be dying that day.¡± He said. ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why you¡­.Amelia.¡± Serket started mumbling something but it was inaudible half way through. ¡°Wait. There was a lot of things that were discussed just now, so I didn¡¯t get everything.¡± Liam pointed at Rory. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that he¡¯s something like my adoptive brother?¡± He asked. ¡°Who are you calling brother?¡± Rory was visibly displeased. ¡°Pout all you want, but you can¡¯t deny that I raised you from you were a kiduntil you were an adult.¡± Serket said. ¡°If I¡¯m not your mother than what am I?¡± ¡°A senile old woman.¡± *Bam!* Rory was immediately kicked away when he said that. He bounced off the ground a couple times like a ball, and laid on his stomach. ¡°This is child abuse¡­.¡± He grumbled. ¡°You¡¯re 157 years old. You¡¯re far from a child.¡± Serket snapped back. ¡°Dammit, if I knew that you were here I wouldn¡¯t have come here.¡± ¡°Consider it fate.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then the gods must really be angry with me.¡± Rory sprung to his feet. ¡°But seriously, Granny. I¡¯m surprised that you have kids. I thought that you were the type that would die alone.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s you. You¡¯re the type that would get dumped into a retirement home by his kids because he¡¯s too much of a pain to deal with.¡± Serket snapped back. ¡°Hahahaha. Oh, you old hag.¡± ¡°Hahahaha. Oh, you snot nosed brat.¡± The two started to laugh dryly, and then- *Bam!* They both appeared dozens of meters from where they were punching each other at same time. ¡°I should¡¯ve really thrown your ass into an orphanage!¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve cut off your hair in your sleep!¡± They both started throwing petty insults at each other while fisting it out. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re close or on bad terms¡­.¡± Liam said. The girls nodded in agreement. ¡®But this is big news. To think that the queen was Rory¡¯s foster mother. I wonder if this connection between them can be used to benefit Christi in anyway?¡¯ Reina thought to herself. In the end, the two stopped fighting with Rory conceding and Serket laughing triumphantly. It was now night, Rory was in the king¡¯s private quarters with Xavier, Serket, Richard, and Allen. ¡°Xavier, I¡¯m telling you man; you have horrible taste in women.¡± A partially drunk Rory said, while still drinking. ¡°What are you talking about? Serket is the cutest woman in the world. Besides, she¡¯s a cougar.¡± Xavier who was also drinking defended his wife. ¡°But she¡¯s old, man. I mean, she¡¯s over 200. That¡¯s no longer a cougar, that¡¯s a fossil. Forget MILF that¡¯s a GILF!¡± *Bam!* Rory suddenly got hit by a bottle of liquor, and fell over on his back. ¡°Who you¡¯re calling a fossil? I¡¯m still more attractive than any youngin.¡± Serket said. ¡°The fact that you actually used the word youngin, proves that you¡¯re old.¡± Rory groaned while laying out on the ground. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re not one to talk.¡± Serket pointed a bottle she was drinking from at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same with Amelia. She¡¯s 19 and you¡¯re in your late 150s. You¡¯re just as creepy as I am. No, more since you¡¯re a man. Well, according society¡¯s hypocritical views anyway.¡± ¡°Amelia is different. She¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°And that Reina girl that¡¯s with Chris?¡± ¡°Pending.¡± Rory answered. ¡°You¡¯re really the worst.¡± Serket sighed. ¡°You weren¡¯t like this a century ago. You were really cute back then, running behind me everywhere I went.¡± ¡°I was trying to kill you.¡± ¡°Yeah, and it was cute that you actually believed you could.¡± Serket suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°My lovely wife, do you have any embarrassing stories about Rory?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°You gotta death wish, Xavier.¡± Rory sat up and said. ¡°Embarrassing stories huh?¡± Serket started to scan through her memories. ¡°Oh, there was that one time when we went to have a swim in a river. Rory took a dive and came back screaming and running around.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°An eel clamped on to his dick and refused to let go.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Everyone started laughing when they heard that. Even Richard and Allan, who weren¡¯t drinking. ¡°From that moment, he¡¯s been afraid of eels.¡± Serket added. ¡°Seriously? Hahahaha! Who would¡¯ve guessed that the notorious Devil King was afraid of eels?!¡± Xavier was literally dying of laughter. ¡°Ah!¡± His head was suddenly held by Rory, who started squeezing his head. ¡°Ow ow ow! Wife! Wife! Help me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call out to your wife for help the moment you get into trouble. You¡¯re a man aren¡¯t you?¡± Serket said while ignoring Xavier¡¯s screams for help. ¡°But now the fact that I wasn¡¯t able to sense one section of the city with my Sonar makes sense. It¡¯s because you were blocking me out.¡± Rory said while casually changing the shape of Xavier¡¯s head. ¡°That¡¯s my private residence. I won¡¯t let anyone peek into it without my permission.¡± Serket replied. ¡°So that¡¯s where Elia is?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Rory smiled at her response. ¡°By the way, Rory. Do you intend to reunite Pandemonium?¡± ¡°Who knows? It might be better if we remain disbanded.¡± Rory replied. ¡°We had too many enemies, and that led to that monster trampling on us. So it might be better if everyone walk their own path.¡± ¡°What if the others didn¡¯t agree with what you said? What if they wanted to return home to Pandemonium?¡± Serket asked. ¡°¡­..I still think we shouldn¡¯t.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Then what about Mio?¡± Rory¡¯s eyes narrowed when he heard that name. ¡°She¡¯s your first comrade and the one closest to you. Just as you were the Brain, she was the Heart of the Demon (Pandemonium). Can you really abandon her?¡± Serket looked at Rory with a sharp gaze. ¡°Mio, huh?¡± He suddenly put on a nostalgic smile. ¡°Mio¡­.Mio is better off without me.¡± He said. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know it, but she¡¯s strong; far stronger than I am. She doesn¡¯t need me, she never did. In fact, I was the one who needed her. I needed everyone.¡± He smiled. ¡°Before I met them, I wasn¡¯t even a person after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Serket looked at him silently. ¡°Well, I think you should reunite everyone. But if you think otherwise, I won¡¯t force you.¡± After she said that she glanced in the directions where Amelia was training. ¡®It¡¯s pretty sad that she doesn¡¯t know the role that he selfishly assigned to her.¡¯ 37th Night: Origins At the northern mountains on the outskirts of the city, Amelia was leaning up against a tree taking a nap. If you were to look around her, you would see that besides the tree she was leaning on, the entire region had signs of destruction everywhere. Amelia herself looked quite rugged as well. Her clothes were close to being rags, she had lots of cuts and bruises, and she looked a bit dirty. ¡°Wow, she sure went all out.¡± At that moment, two persons were walking and looking around at the destroyed area. They were the queen Serket, and her servant(?) Richard. ¡°I thought I told you to keep an eye on her? What if she had hurt herself from getting carried away?¡± Serket spoke to Richard with a strict tone. ¡°I was keeping an eye on her, it¡¯s just that your other order prevented me from stopping her.¡± Richard replied calmly. ¡°If it looks like she¡¯s about to make an important breakthrough, don¡¯t disturb her no matter what¡­..That¡¯s what you said.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you make a judgement regarding which one you should¡¯ve prioritized?¡± Richard shrugged in response to Serket¡¯s question. ¡°She isn¡¯t dead, and only sleeping; what¡¯s the problem?¡± Serket sighed when she heard that. ¡°Sometimes I really dislike this persona, you should¡¯ve picked a different one.¡± After saying that, she started walking towards Amelia. Richard just smiled and followed her. ¡°Hey, Amelia.¡± Serket stooped down and started to shake her shoulder. ¡°Hey, Amelia!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± After a couple shakes, Amelia groaned and opened her eyes. ¡°Serket?¡± She slowly got to her feet. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re quite bold.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Amelia was confused about what Serket meant until she looked down. ¡°?!¡± She saw that various parts of her body was visible from her clothes being torn. One thing that was in full view was her breasts. She quickly hid herself behind the tree, and then peeked at Richard¡¯s face. ¡°What? Are you embarrassed to be seen by him?¡± Serket asked with a teasing tone. ¡°I don¡¯t mind you since we¡¯re both women, but only one man has ever seen me naked before this. While I don¡¯t consider myself to be all that feminine, I still get embarrassed by these things.¡± Amelia explained. ¡°Oh, but you don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡± Serket pointed at Richard with her thumb. ¡°He isn¡¯t interested in women.¡± Richard smiled when he heard that. ¡°Then he¡¯s into men?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°You can say that.¡± The two laughed for some reason. It seems that there was some deeper meaning behind their words. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve brought some clothes. You can go bathe by the river and change into them.¡± Richard walked up to Serket and handed her some clothes, which she in return gave to Amelia. ¡°These are¡­.¡± Amelia looked at the clothes strangely. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that you preferred dressing like a man because male clothes are easier to move in, and more importantly, they¡¯re more comfortable. As such, I¡¯ve tasked some people at the palace to make these. They¡¯re comfortable and won¡¯t disrupt any movements during battle, because of the material used to create them.¡± Serket explained. ¡°Will you take them?¡± Amelia nodded almost immediately. ¡°Thank you for the gift.¡± Serket smiled when she heard that. ¡°Alright, go have a nice bath. After you do, we¡¯ll return to the capital.¡± Amelia nodded and then moved at her top speed, in order to not be seen. Richard laughed when he saw that. ¡°My lady, is now the right time to bring her back?¡± He asked. ¡°Rory seems to be up to something, and there¡¯s also the fact that the church have been quiet even after being disgraced by him. Don¡¯t you think things will get out of hand from here on out?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the exact reason why I¡¯m bringing her back.¡± Serket replied. ¡°Amelia is in the middle of evolving, she needs to be put in tense situations to reach the next level.¡± She looked at Richard. ¡°As you know, Rory was a monstrous talent as a kid; Amelia is the same. Rory grew rapidly through life and death situations, so Amelia should be able to do the same.¡± She said. ¡°But Rory was unique.¡± Richard said.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°True, if he hadn¡¯t ran into Zahak when he did, Rory would¡¯ve already reached similar levels as the Sacred and Night Kings. But Amelia might have what it takes to reach that level as well. So we need to take risks with her.¡± ¡°So are you implying that she can reach the Human Sovereign?¡± Richard asked. Serket laughed when she heard that. ¡°Amelia is talented, but that person is a monster one step away from godhood. Even I don¡¯t want to fight them if I have a choice.¡± She smiled. ¡°The Guardian of the Human Race, the strongest human, that person is something else entirely.¡± After Amelia finished taking a bath, she changed and returned to where Serket and Richard were. ¡°Oh, that looks good on you.¡± Serket praised the moment she saw Amelia wearing the outfit she picked out for her. Amelia was wearing dark pants with several buckles on the legs sections, stylish black and white combat boots with heels, a long sleeved top which had white leather make up the torso sections , while the sleeves remained black. She was also wearing black and white fingerless gloves. Everything was slim fitted, so her well toned body shape was visible. ¡°I gotta say that I was skeptic at first, but it does indeed look good.¡± Amelia said while admiring her outfit. ¡°It¡¯s also very durable and made of elastic material, so it will last a long time. However, since you¡¯re a girl and a beautiful one at that, don¡¯t stick to one outfit for too long. I¡¯ll provide you ones similar to this, but if you see something you like you should buy it.¡± Serket said. ¡°Thanks, but why are you so generous?¡± Amelia asked. She wasn¡¯t na?ve enough to think that there was anything that didn¡¯t come with a cost in this world. Serket must have her reasons as to why she¡¯s doing this. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re important to my brat.¡± She said. ¡°So it¡¯s James¡¯s idea?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about that one.¡± Serket answered. ¡°Anyway, lets go.¡± She and Richard then started walking towards the capital, Amelia quickly followed behind them. ¡°By the way, Amelia.¡± Serket spoke without looking back at her. ¡°I heard that you don¡¯t know where you¡¯re from.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. My oldest memory is appearing at a small country called Buchse.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°Is that really your oldest memory?¡± Amelia nodded. She didn¡¯t mention the memory of her at Sol with them, or the fact that she seemed to be royalty. However, Amelia didn¡¯t noticed how Serket looked at Richard with a knowing gaze. ¡°I see, I was just curious. Forget I ever asked.¡± Serket said. Amelia nodded in agreement. Elsewhere, Rory was walking past a tall gate when he suddenly stopped and jumped over it. The moment his feet touched the ground, he dashed forward without a hint of hesitation. His eyes glowed as he activated Future Sight. He then moved like the wind and attacked people who were about to attempt ambushing him. In a split second, several people fell to the ground without being able to move anymore. They all only saw a flash before feeling their body being immobilized in an instant. They even lost the ability to speak. After 30 seconds, Rory stood in front of a mansion. He quickly looked around and leaped into the air. He jumped several stories and grabbed onto a window frame. He then pulled himself and broke the window with a punch. He then immediately climbed up the wall like a lizard until he reached the roof. ¡°What was that?!¡± He could hear that people started gathering in the room where he broke the window. He smiled and then closed his eyes. Soon a 3D diagram of the mansion appeared in his mind. He could see where everyone inside was, their strength, and their anima level compared to his. This was what someone saw when using one of the Four Regal Powers, Sensor to scan your surroundings. ¡°Heh.¡± He smiled and stood up. There he saw someone standing in front of him, that wasn¡¯t there before. ¡°You¡¯ve improved your stealth techniques.¡± He said to the person, Reina. ¡°That¡¯s because you keep doing this when you come here.¡± She said with a sigh. ¡°Can¡¯t you come through the front door like a normal person? Our stress levels have skyrocketed because of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m training you guys. Most of you need to improve your skills.¡± Rory said. ¡°But you were finally able to predict my moves. You¡¯re improving.¡± He smiled. ¡°But only as a Boomslang user.¡± ¡°Well, I am the current leader of the style. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t fit you. You¡¯ve indeed mastered it, but you¡¯ve been holding yourself back.¡± Rory replied. ¡°You¡¯re more suited for a wild and overbearing fighting style. Only after learning such a style can you reach your full potential. You and Christi knows this, that¡¯s the reason why he gave you permission to fight like a Megal, and not as the leader of the Boomslang.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine the way I am.¡± Reina said. ¡°Anyway, if you¡¯re here to meet the prince he¡¯s in his room.¡± She turned her back to Rory and jumped down off the roof. Rory smiled and jumped down as well. ¡°The boss is a little stubborn, but she has her reasons.¡± The moment Rory landed on the ground, someone appeared beside him and spoke. He wasn¡¯t surprised to see someone he knew. ¡°You¡¯ve finally recovered, Roc.¡± It was Roc who entered the tournament as Christi¡¯s representative, but was defeated by Rory In the semi finals. ¡°I attacked with the intention of killing a legend like you, so I would naturally take some time to recover after being tricked into attacking myself.¡± Roc answered. ¡°Me being alive is a blessing.¡± ¡°A blessing huh? So you consider the Third Prince¡¯s animus as a blessing?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Roc asked. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re great at hiding your emotions unlike your boss and leader.¡± Rory praised. ¡°I already have a rough idea what kind of animus Christi has, but if you want to try to keep a secret, feel free.¡± After saying that, Rory entered the mansion like a normal person. The moment he entered, he saw someone sitting rather relaxed near the door. ¡°Yo, Christi. I¡¯ve come to play.¡± He said. ¡°The last time you came to play, you destroyed my mansion. Go away.¡± Christi said while shooing him. ¡°Come on, that was an accident. I made your father give you a new didn¡¯t I?¡± Rory said with a bright smile. ¡°Let¡¯s get along, Christi. I¡¯m not your enemy.¡± He said. ¡°You¡¯re actions sure says otherwise.¡± Christi said with a frown. He then sighed. ¡°However, you have a special connection to my mother so I can¡¯t just chase you away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡± Rory said. ¡°Oh, Reina can you do your maid disguise again?¡± He turned at Reina and asked. ¡°I liked it back at Liam¡¯s. It was really a feast for eyes.¡± Reina ignored him and stood near Christi. ¡°I¡¯m curious, what are you two to each other?¡± Rory asked. ¡°You¡¯re close but clearly don¡¯t have romantic feelings for each other. You also don¡¯t seem like master and servant either.¡± He looked them with a playful look. ¡°Your relationship really intrigues me.¡± ¡°Why do our relationship matters to you? It¡¯s none your business.¡± Christi said. ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Rory didn¡¯t push it any further. ¡°Anyway, I heard that you frequently visited my place while I was gone. Not only mine, but my brothers¡¯ as well.¡± Christi leant forward. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be that you want to befriend us after finding out who our mother was?¡± ¡°Befriend you?¡± Rory burst out laughing. ¡°I just wanted to get along with all of you, but not because of Serket.¡± He said. ¡°Serket being your mother is indeed shocking, but it doesn¡¯t really change anything I wanted to do while here.¡± He said. ¡°I come here to check on Reina and the rest of Boomslang. I go to the First Prince¡¯s place to check out how Amelia is doing, that¡¯s it. However, like I said I would like to get along with you three brothers.¡± Rory explained. ¡°¡­..You do know that the Sacred Church are gearing up to fight you head on, right? Coming here for the sole purpose of getting along, will only put you in danger.¡± Christi said. ¡°The church and I have always had our differences. I kill them, they try to kill me, I kill them again. It¡¯s our little routine.¡± Rory replied. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you don¡¯t need to cautious around us, because you¡¯re confident that they can¡¯t kill you.¡± Reina asked. Rory nodded. ¡°Oh, but don¡¯t worry. Just because you¡¯re backed by the church doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re my enemies.¡± He said. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re afraid of my mother?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s afraid of that fossil?!¡± Rory shouted. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to get on her bad side that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that same?¡± Reina asked. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between avoiding something and being afraid of it.¡± Rory replied. ¡°That granny is a troublesome enemy to have. I want to avoid that. Besides, I owe her too much.¡± ¡°I heard from Reina that she apparently saved you when you were young and raised you ever since. What I¡¯m curious about is what she saved you from, and where did you originally come from.¡± Christi asked. ¡°I can¡¯t say. If I did, I¡¯ll have to kill you.¡± Rory said with a straight face. ¡°Whether your Serket¡¯s son or not, I can¡¯t let you live if you found the answer to your questions.¡± His gaze was sharp. He then showed a gentle smile. ¡°So it¡¯s better you don¡¯t ask.¡± Christi frowned when he heard that. ¡°You know, of all of your brothers, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s the most similar to your mother. Especially the way how you don¡¯t hide your emotions.¡± Rory said. ¡°You¡¯re also the most dangerous as well.¡± He said. ¡°But you don¡¯t seem like the type to seek kingship. Is there a reason you want to become king?¡± When Rory spoke he glanced over at Reina. ¡°I once heard you say that you didn¡¯t want to become king in the first place. Is that the truth?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± Christi didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I see.¡± He turned his back to them and faced to door, before glancing behind him. ¡°How about some fresh air to lighten the mood?¡± He asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure a walk with the three of us would do us good.¡± 38th Night: The Tigress & The Dragoness Just as Rory suggested the three went on a stroll. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you agreed so easily.¡± He said to Christi. ¡°I had a feeling that if I was to refuse, you would become even more annoying.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I see. You don¡¯t like to be teased?¡± Rory wrapped his arm around Christi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You need to relax and laugh. Stop taking life so seriously. You and Liam are the same on this regard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m different from my brother. Also, our burdens are different as well.¡± Christi replied. ¡°Burdens huh?¡± Rory nodded with an understanding tone. ¡°Being a prince is pretty tough huh?¡± He moved his mouth closed to Christi¡¯s ear and whispered. ¡°Especially when you have an amazing partner you don¡¯t want to let down.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Christi didn¡¯t reply. ¡°But I guess you¡¯re right. Of all the candidates for king, your burden is the heaviest.¡± He strengthened his grip on Christi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Because if you lose, this country is done for.¡± ¡°?!¡± Christi was shocked to hear that. ¡°How did you-?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Rory laughed when he saw how confused he was. ¡°Just leave everything to this star. I¡¯ll take up your burdens and show you how great I am.¡± He smirked at Christi. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh? You look like you don¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°How could I? What you¡¯re saying is impossible to achieve.¡± Christi responded. ¡°And who decided that? The heavens? You?¡± Rory replied with a question. ¡°Either way, the only one who can decide if I can do it or not is me.¡± He released Christi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I am the Devil King Rory! I make the impossible possible by any means necessary!¡± He declared. ¡°But I heard that you¡¯re not as strong as you once were.¡± Christi said. ¡°True, but that won¡¯t stop me. If I say I¡¯m gonna do something, I¡¯m gonna do it.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Why are you so determined?¡± Christi asked. ¡°I said it already didn¡¯t I? I want to get along with all of you.¡± Rory then grabbed onto Reina¡¯s hand. ¡°I also want to make a beautiful woman happy.¡± Reina opened her mouth to say something, however she was interrupted. ¡°Yo, Rory¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Rory heard a familiar voice and slowly turned around. ¡°Oh, Elia. Long time no see.¡± As he expected, he turned around and saw Amelia staring at him. He then looked at Serket who was beside her. ¡®That old hag¡­.She hid not only herself but Elia from my Sonar. So I wasn¡¯t able to sense that they were nearby.¡¯ As if she knew what he was thinking, Serket had a mischievous smile on her face, which ticked Rory off. ¡®That bag of bones!¡¯ He shouted in his head. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Amelia asked referring to Reina, whose hand was still being grasped by Rory. ¡®Why do I feel like a mistress who got caught by her lover¡¯s wife?¡¯ Reina thought to herself. She looked at Christi, and surprisingly he looked like he wanted to laugh. This irritated her and caused her to pull her hand away from Rory. ¡°Yo, Elia. I haven¡¯t seen you in a while. Oh, this is Reina by the way. She works for the third prince.¡± Rory casually introduced Reina to Amelia. ¡°Reina?¡± Amelia looked at Reina from head to toe. For some reason she became irritated the longer she looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m Reina. I¡¯ve heard much about you, Amelia Rosa.¡± Reina introduced herself with a polite tone and even offered a handshake. ¡°Its nice to meet you.¡± Amelia looked at her hand for a bit before taking it and shaking. ¡°Nice to meet you, Reina.¡± She said. That moment Rory appeared beside Serket. ¡°Damn hag, why did you bring these two together?!¡± He whispered in her ear. ¡°What? I thought you wanted them to meet.¡± Serket responded. ¡°Not yet! I still haven¡¯t gotten close enough to Reina yet. Them meeting now is the worse timing!¡± ¡°You reap what you sow. It¡¯s your fault for Pursuing multiple women at once.¡± Serket started laughing. ¡°I know what this is. You¡¯re taking out your frustrations from your marriage on me. Just because you¡¯re bitter, you don¡¯t need to make the world burn, hag!¡± ¡°Who has marriage issues, you son of a bitch?!¡± Serket grabbed Rory and started to shake him. ¡°You bitter old woman!¡± Rory still snapped back even though he was being manhandled. ¡°You brat, I¡¯m getting tired of your shit!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line, granny!¡± Rory grabbed her back and shouted. ¡°Do you wanna take this outside?!¡± Rory asked. ¡°We¡¯re already outside, moron!¡± ¡°You know what I mean!¡± The two were literally bucking heads while arguing. ¡°Alright, you two. That¡¯s enough.¡± Richard came up and tried to separate them, but they held on to each other pretty tightly. ¡°Hm?¡± Rory, who was in Serket¡¯s face, finally looked at Richard after failing to hold on to Serket. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± He looked at him in silence and then separated from Serket. ¡°You get to live to see another day, old woman.¡± He said. ¡°Ha! I should be the one saying that, brat!¡± Serket said. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Amelia looked at the two with shock. That was the first time she¡¯s ever seen someone get in Rory¡¯s face like that. Not only that, they seemed to be familiar with each other. ¡°What happened while I was training?¡± She mumbled. ¡°Serket, do you know this bastard?¡± Amelia said while pointing at Rory. ¡®Bastard? She¡¯s angry?¡¯ Rory thought after hearing how Amelia referred to him. ¡°Ah, you wouldn¡¯t know since you were gone for a while.¡± Serket pointed at Rory as well. ¡°I¡¯m this pile of trash¡¯s foster mother.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Naturally, Amelia was shocked. She started looking at Serket and Rory back to back. And then- ¡°But you guys don¡¯t resemble each other at all.¡± ¡°Foster! Don¡¯t forget that part.¡± Serket replied. ¡°I know what it means, but aren¡¯t you suppose to resemble the one that raised you, even in behavior?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Ha! I think it¡¯s great that we aren¡¯t similar.¡± Rory replied. Amelia immediately looked at him with a sharp gaze, which made him shut up, although only for a second. ¡°But to think that Rory has such a connection to James¡¯ master. That¡¯s surprising.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Jamie¡¯s mother by the way.¡± Serket added. ¡°You¡¯re the queen?!¡± Amelia was once again shocked. ¡°You seem more surprised than when I said I was Rory¡¯s foster mother.¡± Serket said. ¡°Well, I was surprised, but I could tell that you were around Rory¡¯s level in strength. So when you told me about your relations to him, it kinda makes sense in my head. But I never saw you being the queen coming.¡± Amelia explained. ¡°I see.¡± Amelia then looked back at Christi. ¡®This guy does give off a similar vibe to Serket. They both feel dangerous.¡± She then looked at Reina. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Reina silently locked eyes with her. The longer they looked at each other the more intense their stares became. And then- ¡°For some reason, I don¡¯t like you.¡± Amelia suddenly said. This caught everyone by surprise. Amelia directly expressed her dislike of Reina, and showed no sign of regretting what she said. That meant that she stands by what she said, and had no intention of backing down. She disliked Reina, and wanted it to be clear. ¡°Heh.¡± Reina surprisingly smiled when she heard that. ¡°What a coincidence. I don¡¯t like you either. Your face pisses me off, for some reason.¡± Reina replied. She spoke with a challenging tone, which didn¡¯t fit her character. ¡°Ah~.¡± Rory held his head and sighed. ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want them to meet.¡± He looked at the two who were glaring at each other. ¡°Lodons and Megals just don¡¯t get along.¡± The moment he said that, he saw Amelia started clenching her fists. Reina on the other hand, started loosening her wrists. ¡°Oh, looks like they¡¯re about to fight.¡± Serket said. ¡°This is your fault, fossil. You knew that this would happened yet you let it.¡± Rory complained. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? You were planning on making them fight later, right? So what¡¯s the big deal?¡± Serket responded. ¡°I like to do things at my own leisure. It isn¡¯t the right time for them to fight.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Isn¡¯t the right time? And when is the right time?¡± Serket asked back. ¡°I know what it is.¡± She looked at Rory with a teasing smile. ¡°You¡¯re just upset that things aren¡¯t going your way.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rory looked extremely pissed off by what she said. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a control freak. That¡¯s one of the few things about you that haven¡¯t changed.¡± Serket continued. ¡°You like it when the world is moving by your whim, and you hate it when nothing is going your way.¡± She said. ¡°Just stand there and watch. You¡¯ll see that this is the perfect time for them to fight.¡± 39th Night: The Tigress Vs The Dragoness ¡°Reina?¡± Christi who was beside Reina was surprised to see her looking so aggressive all of a sudden. ¡°Reina, what are you going to do?¡± He asked. ¡°Her face pisses me off.¡± Reina smacked her fist in her palm. ¡°So I¡¯m going to smash it in.¡± ¡°?!¡± A chill ran down Christi¡¯s eyes when he saw the savage look in her eyes. They looked even redder than usually, and had a draconic look to them. He looked towards Amelia and saw something similar. Amelia looked extremely aggressive all of a sudden. Her blue eyes looked like that of a feline, but was sharp and wild at the same time like a tiger. Just looking at the two together, one would think that they were wild beasts that were facing each other for territory. ¡®What is this? I suddenly feel so irritated when I look at her.¡¯ Amelia thought. ¡®I suddenly feel the overwhelming urge to tear her apart¡­..Okay, it¡¯s decided.¡¯ She nodded and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m going to tear you apart.¡± She said with a natural tone, like it was normal. ¡°Oh, then try it.¡± Reina replied with a savage smile. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s going on?¡± Christi approached his mother and asked. ¡°You see, Chris. Those two are Lodon and Megal, it¡¯s literally in their genes for them to be enemies.¡± Serket explained. ¡°Megals and Lodons are both apex predators among humans, so when they run into each other they are overwhelmed with the urge to prove who¡¯s the better predator.¡± She said. ¡°Because of that, there¡¯s a saying that a Lodon can never befriend a Megal.¡± ¡°However, that isn¡¯t the truth.¡± Rory added. ¡°Megals and Lodons can become friends, it¡¯s just¡­..¡± He looked at the two. ¡°A pecking order has to be decided first.¡± He said. ¡°You mean that they have to fight?¡± Christi asked. ¡°Not all the time. If one backs down immediately, then there won¡¯t be a need to have a fight.¡± Serket said. ¡°But when they¡¯re both strong-willed and unwilling to back down, that¡¯s when things get intense.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Amelia and Reina stared at each other in silence. The tension between them had already reached its peak, and was about to explode at any moment. ¡°We should get back. Fights between Lodons and Megals are also too intense to stand close to.¡± Serket grabbed her son by the collar and drew him back. They all then retreated and left the girls to do their thing. As if they couldn¡¯t handle the pressure anymore, the two moved at the same time. Amelia quickly drew her dao sword, while Reina drew two daggers from her clothing. The two quickly entered each other¡¯s range, and moved to attack. Amelia swung her sword with all of her might. Reina ducked under it. *Swoosh!* The sound of the wind being cut reached everyone¡¯s ears. A long cut appeared on a tree a few meters away. ¡°Her sword skills have gone up.¡± Rory noted. Meanwhile, Reina who ducked under the attack, sprung towards Amelia¡¯s neck aiming to slit her throat. Amelia stepped back and avoided it by the skin of her teeth. She looked and saw that Reina was already attacking her for a second time. This time aiming at blinding her. *Bam!* Amelia kicked her in the stomach on reflex and forced her away. ¡°What a powerful kick!¡± Christi exclaimed. The kick was powerful enough to force Reina several meters in the air. Amelia immediately rushed after her, swinging down her sword. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Reina silently watched as the 2 ft sword descended towards her. She quickly crossed her daggers in front of her. *Clang!* She stopped Amelia¡¯s attack, and then forced the sword back while separating her daggers. She then locked her eyes on Amelia¡¯s throat and chest, and threw the daggers towards them. *Clang!* Amelia easily deflected them with her sword. *Bam!* *Bam!* That¡¯s when she heard two gunshots, before she knew what happened her body moved on its own. When she returned to her senses, she saw two bullets holes in the wall behind her. ¡°She dodged the bullets on reflex?!¡± Christi was shocked, and so was Reina who thought her surprise attack would work.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°In a battle between beasts, their senses are pushed to the limit and they something surpass those limits in order to survive. This is the same for a battle behind a Lodon and megal. They push each other to new heights with every battle.¡± Serket explained. ¡®Assassinating her will be quite difficult.¡¯ Reina thought to herself. ¡°Well, normally anyway.¡± She pulled out two short swords and lowered her center of gravity. Her eyes were calm, but intense. ¡°Elia is in trouble.¡± Rory suddenly said. ¡°Looks like she did take my advice.¡± He smiled. Reina suddenly dashed towards Amelia, while maintaining a low posture. Amelia tried following her with her eyes, but Reina was moving too fast. Not only that, she didn¡¯t ran in a straight line, she kept altering her path to keep out of Amelia¡¯s sight. ¡°Crap!¡± Before Amelia knew it, Reina slipped past her and circled around her back. She immediately started to spin around. ¡°?!¡± A strong chill crept up into Amelia¡¯s heart while she was in the middle of turning around. It felt like what she wasn¡¯t trying to face was a person, but a giant snake that had its mouth widen open, and was about to clamp down on her with its two sharp fangs. When she finally turned around, Reina¡¯s two short swords were thrusting down towards her shoulders. ¡®I mustn¡¯t allow myself to get bitten!¡¯ That¡¯s what rang inside Amelia¡¯s heart. *Bam!* A burst of flames erupted from Amelia¡¯s body and blew Reina away. However, she only got a few minor burns. ¡°What just happened?¡± This time everyone except Rory was shocked. ¡°Reina¡¯s movements up to her attack looked like a snake chasing its prey and circling around it to devour it from its blind spot.¡± Serket recounted what she saw. ¡°Snake¡¯s Hunt. That¡¯s what she just used. It¡¯s one of the ultimate assassination move in the Boomslang style. It¡¯s hard to track or counter. Most die before being able to turn around to see their killer¡¯s face.¡± Rory explained. ¡°It¡¯s one of Rei¡¯s favorite.¡± He looked at Amelia who was covered in cold sweat. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that Elia was able to react in time. Her battle sense sure is top notch.¡± He said. ¡°Tsk!¡± Reina looked at Amelia with an irritated look. ¡°She was still able to escape.¡± And looked at her short swords. They became deformed after blocking Amelia¡¯s flames. ¡°As I heard, she¡¯s great with elements.¡± She threw away the swords. ¡°Looks like assassinating her is out of the question with my skills.¡± She took a fighting pose. ¡°Time to change gears.¡± ¡°?!¡± Amelia suddenly felt like the atmosphere around Reina had drastically changed. She then saw a blood colored anima surrounding her and take the shape of a dragon¡¯s head. It was wild and gave off a dangerous vibe. ¡°What is this?¡± Amelia asked herself after seeing Reina¡¯s anima. She gripped her sword tightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Reina suddenly dashed towards Amelia, and jumped into the air for a kick. Amelia swung her sword in the air. *Bam!* Reina¡¯s kick clashed with Amelia¡¯s sword. *Bam!* ¡°Ugh?!¡± However, Reina¡¯s anima suddenly moved on its own and attacked Amelia from the side, throwing her to the side. Amelia groan out in pain and stabilized her footing. ¡°Can¡¯t keep up?¡± She looked up and saw Reina swinging her fist down at her. She lifted her sword to counter. *Bam!* However, Reina¡¯s fist completely destroyed the sword. Reina¡¯s fist then continued towards Amelia¡¯s face. Amelia quickly flew back to avoid being hit. ¡°Roar!¡± Yet, Reina¡¯s anima took the shape of a dragon and chased her. ¡°Wha?!¡± *Bam!* The dragon slammed into Amelia and forced her into the air. Before she knew it, Amelia was looking directly at the sun, while being forced higher into the air. That¡¯s when a shadow appeared above her. When she looked up she saw Reina standing on her anima that took the shape of a dragon. ¡°No way¡­.¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t believe it. The anima dragon returned to Reina and made her fall towards Amelia. ¡°She¡¯s going to attack!¡± Amelia immediately covered her body with Iron Skin to boost her defense. She saw Reina¡¯s hand turned into an iron claw, and was shocked. Reina swung down her claw on Amelia. *Bam!* Amelia felt like she was hit by a truck and was forced out of the air, and crashed into the ground and caused it to crack. On her chest was a huge claw mark. Reina¡¯s claw ripped through her iron skin and cut her deeply. ¡°Ahh!¡± Amelia release a painful scream as blood started to flow endlessly from her wound. ¡°!¡± She then felt like she was in danger and moved out of the way. *Bam!* Shortly after, Reina fell from the sky and stomped the spot where she was and caused the ground to shake. Amelia quickly got to her feet and held her wound. ¡°Your reflexes are as annoyingly sharp as always.¡± Reina said, before rushing towards her again. ¡°A frontal battle is suicide.¡± Amelia started to retreat. ¡°Too slow.¡± *Bam!* Reina¡¯s body suddenly accelerated with an explosive step. She quickly caught up to the retreating Amelia. She threw a punch aiming at Amelia¡¯s wounded chest. ¡°Not yet!¡± Amelia threw a fist in response. *Bam!* Amelia¡¯s fist was faster and forced Reina back. However, Reina immediately chased after her again. ¡°It didn¡¯t slow her down in the least?¡± Amelia was surprised. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case!¡± Her body started shining with a rainbow glow. ¡°Hm?¡± Rory noticed the glow and his eyes sparkled with excitement. ¡°Here it comes.¡± Amelia continued to keep her distance from Reina while the glow around her intensified. She soon looked like a rainbow star. ¡°Animus:¡­.!¡± She flew back as far as she could. ¡°Elemental Queen- First Edition!¡± *Bam!* Her anima suddenly had an explosive increase as it turned into rainbow ripples around her. The image of a crown appeared in her palms, which shone a golden light. ¡°So this is Amelia¡¯s animus?¡± Serket said. This was also her first time seeing it. ¡°Her animus?¡± Reina stopped pursuing Amelia, who was now floating in the air. ¡°This could get troublesome.¡± She said. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Amelia pointed her palm at Reina. *Bam!* ¡°Ugh?!¡± Before Reina could react she was blown away with her body being burnt and shocked at the same time. ¡°Lightning and fire? And the fire can move as fast as lightning?¡± She quickly thought and moved her body to land safely. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She suddenly heard a voice and looked up. She saw Amelia floating in front of her, and looking down on her as she knelt on the ground. ¡°Are you done?¡± Amelia said. *Bam!* Reina suddenly felt her body being crushed from top and bottom. The ground she stood on rose up in the air, while being suppressed by powerful winds from above, trying to stop its climb. Reina who was in the middle of the clash between the two forces, felt like her body was being destroyed. Amelia lifted her hand in front of her, and a orb made of fire, lightning, water, wind, and earth formed in her palm. ¡°Take this!¡± She threw the orb at the suppressed Reina, who couldn¡¯t move a muscle. ¡°Shit!¡± *BOOM!* The orb hit the elevating earth, and erupted causing a massive explosion of elements. Everyone saw a ball of elements tearing everything apart in the air. ¡°Reina?!¡± Christi screamed out in horror when he saw how much power Amelia¡¯s attack had. When the attack faded, Reina was seen falling to the ground with her body heavily damaged. Seeing that, Amelia moved to attack her again. ¡°?!¡± However, her body froze when she felt a terrifying gaze locked on to her body. When she looked around to see who it was, she saw a pair of bloodshot eyes staring directly at her. The eyes belonged to Christi. Amelia¡¯s instincts immediately screamed that she should run. She felt that the third prince was going to tear her limb from limb if she didn¡¯t escape. ¡°Calm down.¡± At that moment, Rory put his hand on Christi¡¯s shoulders. The moment he did cold sweat covered Christi¡¯s body, because he felt like it was the grip of the reaper. ¡°Reina is down yet.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Christi was shocked to hear what he said. He looked towards where Reina dropped and saw her surprisingly struggling to her feet. This time even Amelia was shocked, because she thought that Reina was done for. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± She started coughing. ¡°Y-Your animus allows you to control more than one element at a time with the same precisely control you would have when controlling one. You can also meld them together so that the elements can share their characteristics with each other.¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯s like a queen perfectly ruling and commanding her subjects, while bringing out the best in them.¡± ¡°?!¡± When Amelia saw Reina look up, she actually felt fear after seeing her expression. ¡°Smiling¡­? She¡¯s smiling¡­.after that?¡± She was both confused and frightened by Reina¡¯s smile. ¡°I can still keep going. How about you?¡± Reina asked. She was serious. Despite being obviously badly injured and barely able to stand, Reina wanted to continue their battle. Even for someone as reckless as Amelia, that was insane. The truth is, if the situation was reversed Amelia would¡¯ve done the same thing as Reina. She¡¯s used to being the insane one, but when faced with someone similar to her she didn¡¯t know how to respond. She was even frightened. She was starting to feel what her opponents felt when facing her. She didn¡¯t know if Reina had anything left in her to fight, but she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that if the fight continues, she might not end up the winner. ¡®Should I continue?¡¯ She asked herself. ¡°Ok, that¡¯s enough.¡± Rory stepped between the two and said. ¡°If this continues, the chance of one of you dying is high, and I prefer to avoid that.¡± He smiled and said. ¡°If you two continue to fight, I¡¯ll break all your limbs as punishment.¡± The two didn¡¯t say anything, especially seeing how brightly he smiled. Seeing them remaining silent, Rory- ¡°Good. It might not be the result either of you want, but let¡¯s call this a draw.¡± He said. ¡°Let¡¯s do this again, when you¡¯re stronger.¡± 40th Night: The Approaching Massacre
Rory had forcibly put an end to Reina¡¯s and Amelia¡¯s fight, and had done it in such a way that they two couldn¡¯t be stubborn and continue to fight. The reason being that, pushing the fight would lead to a severe punishment by Rory himself. As such, the two couldn¡¯t help but back down. ¡°Reina.¡± Christi quickly approached the badly wounded Reina, and started to check on her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It will take more than this to kill me.¡± Reina told the worried prince. She then looked at Amelia with a glare, to which Amelia responded with a glare of her own. ¡®That animus of hers has a lot of fire power.¡¯ Reina thought. ¡®She¡¯s pretty tough. I wonder how the fight would¡¯ve ended if we had continued?¡¯ Amelia thought. They both acknowledged each other¡¯s strength, while deciding to be cautious around each other. Rory on the other hand felt like he was having a headache. ¡®Ah, this is the worst. They both obviously have animosity towards each other now. It will be hard for them to put aside their differences and work together in the future.¡¯ He thought. He then looked towards Serket, who looked quite pleased with herself. ¡®You shitty hag!¡¯ He shouted in his mind while gritting his teeth. As if she¡¯d guessed what he was thinking, she stuck out her tongue in a playful manner. ¡®Old hag!¡¯ It was as if a bomb exploded in his mind when saw that. ¡®How old do you think you are, you bag of bones!¡¯ He shouted in her mind while gripping his hair as if he wanted to rip it out. ¡°Hahaha. He still can¡¯t take losing.¡± Serket whispered after seeing Rory¡¯s reaction. ¡°You¡¯re probably the only one that can make him act like though.¡± Richard said beside her. ¡°That¡¯s because I know the right buttons to press.¡± Serket said with a laugh. Rory forcibly regain his composure after he noticed everyone¡¯s gazes were on him. ¡®Calm down, Rory. Don¡¯t let her get to you.¡¯ He chanted in his mind. He then released a long sigh, and calm returned to his face. ¡°Tsk. He recovers quickly.¡± Serket clicked her tongue and said. ¡®Alright, think positive.¡¯ He looked at Amelia. ¡®Elia has developed her first animus, and its super powerful. Looks like she can even control wind to the point that she can fly for long periods of time with it.¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡°Hm?¡± Amelia noticed his gaze and looked at him. ¡°?!¡± That¡¯s when she noticed that the look in his eyes were extremely cold. He rose his hand up, and a sudden oppressive sensation covered the area. The Black Orochi rose up from out of his shadow, instead of forming around his fingers. ¡°Grrr¡­.¡± It watched Amelia with hungry eyes, and then- *Snap* They pounced at her after Rory snapped his finger. ¡°Oh, shit!¡± Amelia sensing danger towards her life, quickly creates a rainbow barrier around her. This barrier was made of all the elements that she could control, and had all of their properties. She braced herself for the Orochi¡¯s attack. *Bam!* The Orochi crashed its body into Amelia¡¯s barrier and forced her out of the air and into the ground. ¡°Roar!¡± The Orochi roared furiously as it attacked her with its 8 heads. ¡°Cut it out, Rory!¡± Amelia shouted in desperation when she saw that her barrier was beginning to crack. ¡°This is too much of a test!¡± The moment she said that, the Orochi stopped attacking her and disappeared. ¡°Oh, you knew?¡± Rory asked with a smile. ¡°That wasn¡¯t funny, Rory.¡± Amelia deactivated her barrier and said. ¡°Sorry, sorry. I just had to see how power it was.¡± Rory said. ¡°But I have to say, I¡¯m impressed. For you first animus to be this powerful, it makes me proud.¡± ¡°Ha! I¡¯m the one who instructed her. You have no right to be proud.¡±Stolen story; please report. Serket cut in a said. ¡°Corpse, you crawl back into your grave and be quiet.¡± Rory glared at Serket and said. ¡°Oh?¡± A vein started to pulsate on the side of Serket¡¯s head. ¡°Looks like I need to teach you respect your elders all over again?¡± ¡°Be careful, you might break a hip if you move too fast.¡± Serket started fuming when she heard that. Rory ignored her and looked at Amelia again. He then looked at Reina and Christi. ¡®Elia¡¯s developing a powerful animus is a plus, but her displaying her skills came at the cost of worsening my relationship with Reina and Christi. It¡¯s literally taking one step forward and then two steps back.¡¯ He sighed. ¡®Now then, how should I deal with this?¡¯ He started to think. ¡®Reina and Elia¡¯s relationship is now solely animosity. Since I¡¯m openly always on Elia¡¯s side, Reina will also feel animosity towards me, because she believes that I will ultimately side with Elia no matter what. Well, she isn¡¯t wrong.¡¯ He thought. ¡®If I isolate myself from Elia, I should be able to get close to her. But that would mean trading Elia for her¡­..I really don¡¯t want that. I¡¯m a take my cake and eat it too, type of guy. I prefer to have them both.¡¯ He frowned. ¡®But as it stands, that will be difficult.¡¯ He looked at Christi specifically. ¡®Before this I was starting to gain his trust¡­.But does he still trust me after seeing how badly Elia hurt Reina? Should I try to regain his trust again? But how? Should I try to heal Reina?¡¯ He shook his head. ¡®No, he can already do that himself. It won¡¯t seem like a legitimate gesture.¡¯ He started to scratch his head. ¡®Damn, this is so frustrating.¡¯ He thought. After a while at racking his brain, he released a long sigh. ¡°Looks like I have no choice.¡± He said. ¡°Elia, go with the fossil for now. I have some stuff to talk about with the prince and Reina.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡± Amelia replied. ¡°You know, there¡¯s a limit to my patience.¡± Rory looked at her with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Amelia didn¡¯t say anything. She could tell that Rory has been upset for a while now. Her insisting to stay would only upset him more. Since she didn¡¯t really wish to upset him that much, she decided to step back and don¡¯t push him too far. ¡®I might¡¯ve teased him a bit too much.¡¯ Serket thought with a wry smile after seeing how upset Rory was. ¡°Come on, Amelia. Let¡¯s leave the child alone so that he can throw a tantrum.¡± She said while walking away. Amelia nodded and then followed her. She looked at the smiling Rory one last time and then left with Serket. Rory then looked back at Reina and Christi. The smile on his face vanished in an instant. ¡°Let¡¯s talk somewhere more private.¡± He turned his back to them said, before walking away. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The two looked at each other before following him. They had the feeling that they no longer had the option to decline. Rory led them to a house outside of royal yard and in the middle of town. Because the three were capable of moving with stealth, no one noticed them on the way to the house. ¡°Liam gave me this house as a gift. He said I could use it whenever I wanted some privacy.¡± Rory said as he gestured the two should make themselves at home. ¡°He apparently thought that I would appreciate a place where I could get intimate with women without the eyes of public knowing.¡± Reina glared at him when she heard that. ¡°Calm down. I didn¡¯t bring you to somewhere filthy. This is the first I¡¯ve ever been inside myself.¡± He said before taking a seat before them. ¡°So what do you want to talk about?¡± Christi asked. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to beat around the bush, so I¡¯ll cut to the chase.¡± Rory said. ¡°This is country is on the verge of destruction. I know this, and you this.¡± Christi and Reina remained quiet when they heard that. ¡°I¡¯d like to blame you three brothers for this, but this is bigger than you three.¡± Rory continued. ¡°This involves your country surrendering its authority to the Sacred Church.¡± He said. ¡°The sacred church for years has been taking control of numerous countries and using their resources and citizens to strengthen their forces and the Sacred Race as a hold. They use the cover of religious crusades to overthrow monarchs and take the countries as their own.¡± Rory pointed at the prince. ¡°And their next target is this kingdom.¡± He said. ¡°The church despite being the worst type of scum, always attempt to use peaceful actions to take over a country. They sometimes approached the monarch of a country with a partnership were both sides can benefit. This way the church can peacefully spread its influence.¡± He continued. ¡°However, monarchs are mostly arrogant and unwilling to yield their power, so the partnership tends to fail ever so often. When that happens, the church gives the country another chance at peace by approaching a relative of the monarch or a high ranking official of the country, and ask them for their help to either convince their monarch or find a way to claim the throne.¡± Christi frowned when he heard what Rory said. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m that individual this time around?¡± He asked. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re not?¡± Rory asked. Christi shook his head. ¡°No. You¡¯re so accurate that it¡¯s scary.¡± Christi said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it happened countless times already.¡± Rory said with a small laugh. ¡°Then you should know the end result if I fail to inherit the throne or convince my father right?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°The Sacred Church will call in the Aficionado to sweep through the country and slaughter the royal family.¡± He said. ¡°The Aficionado is a really dangerous bunch, even for me. They are fanatics that believe that the Sacred God and the church can do no wrong, and that all is just if it¡¯s for the sake of their religion. A bunch of lunatics.¡± ¡°The one that you fought a while back was pretty strong too.¡± Reina said. ¡°That was nothing but a nobody who was sent to keep an eye on things. True members of the Aficionado are far more powerful and far more insane.¡± Rory replied. ¡°If they come here, then it¡¯s game over for all of you.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need you to remain us. We already know.¡± Christi said. ¡°Now, calm down. I¡¯m not here to rub salt in your wounds. I¡¯m here to provide a solution.¡± ¡°A solution?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°I originally planned to keep it a secret, but recent events might cause you to drift away from me, which isn¡¯t good for you. So as a gesture of trust, I share it with you.¡± Rory then began to explained his plans. After he was finished, both Reina and Christi looked at him like he was a monster. ¡°Y-You¡­.Do you even have a heart?¡± Christi couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°I wonder that myself sometimes.¡± Rory said with a laugh. ¡°This isn¡¯t no laughing matter! Your plans will result in thousands dying!¡± Reina shouted. Rory¡¯s plans were just that cruel. ¡°True, but the only way for the country to survive and make sure that something like this doesn¡¯t happen for a long time, it must bathe in blood.¡± Rory said. He then spoke with a smile. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I told you two different plans didn¡¯t I? A peaceful one and an extreme one.¡± ¡°Peaceful? There¡¯s nothing peaceful about thousands dying.¡± Christi said. ¡°True, but this way you¡¯ll all survive.¡± He then showed a cruel smirk. ¡°Or do you want me to use the extreme plan? If I do, other than Serket you all will die.¡± Christi and Reina gulped when they heard that. Rory was right. The extreme plan would result in far more deaths and destruction than the other one. And more importantly, it would result in the destruction of the royal bloodline. ¡°You now see the reason why I need your cooperation. In fact, for my plan to work I need all of your cooperation. Otherwise, it¡¯s death for all of you.¡± He said. ¡°The problem is that other than you who don¡¯t really want to be king, your brothers might not agree right away. No, I can convince Liam. The problem is James. He¡¯s too much of a conqueror. He won¡¯t yield that easily. But if Serket is the same as I remembered her as a kid, she won¡¯t allow him to do anything stupid.¡± ¡°And if she isn¡¯t?¡± Christi asked. ¡°Then let me answer with a question of my own.¡± Rory then asked with a straight face. ¡°Do you have any funeral clothes?¡± Christi felt a chill down his spine when he heard that. He immediately knew that Rory was willing to kill all the Princes for the chance that the country will be born a new. He didn¡¯t even care that they were his foster mother¡¯s children. It would only hampered things a bit, but that¡¯s it. He would still destroy them. ¡°You see, I don¡¯t show mercy to fools who let their stupid ambition blind them from what really matters. If any of you stand in my way, in the name of your ambition, then I¡¯ll will personally rip your hearts out.¡± Rory said. ¡°Why would you go so far? You haven¡¯t been here in over a century. This place shouldn¡¯t mean anything to you.¡± Reina asked. ¡°True. It shouldn¡¯t.¡± Rory answered honestly. ¡°But Reina, if I set my mind on accomplishing a goal and seeing through to the end, I will go to the extreme if I have to.¡± He said. ¡°It¡¯s the same for when I desire something. I will do anything to get it.¡± ¡°¡­.It¡¯s just like I thought. You¡¯re a very evil person.¡± Reina said. ¡°Thank you.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Now, you two should already know what it signifies for me to reveal my plan to you.¡± He looked at them with a sharp gaze. ¡°I need your answers here. Are you in, or are you out?¡± ¡°We¡¯re in.¡± Christi replied. ¡°That¡¯s fast.¡± ¡°No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t think of a way for all of us to survive. But you¡¯ve presented me with such a way, there¡¯s no way I could decline. No matter how big the sacrifices will be.¡± Rory laughed when he heard that, and stretched out his hand. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you don¡¯t want to become king, because you would¡¯ve been a horrible one.¡± Christi laughed and extended his hand and Rory¡¯s.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡± 41st Night: Chaotic Dinner A few days after Amelia and Reina had a fight, the first prince James received a strange invitation. ¡°What is it?¡± Black Bull Omar asked. ¡°It looks like a dinner invitation?¡± James answered. ¡°Who sent it?¡± James shook his head. ¡°I only found it on my bed, I haven¡¯t opened yet because I wanted to check if it was some kind of trap. However, it doesn¡¯t look like a trap.¡± He lifted the invitation in the air. ¡°I can¡¯t sense any anima infused in it.¡± The invitation was in a white envelope with a strange black design on it. The seal looked like that of a demon¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m gonna open it.¡± He said. Omar nodded to show his approval. James slowly opened the envelope and took out a black sheet of paper with red writing on it. ¡°To whomever receive this letter, you are formally invited to dinner at the royal palace 9pm sharp tonight. The dress code is casual. The invitee is allowed to bring anyone they wish, there will be enough food to accommodate them and their party. See you there.¡± James brought down the letter to his side and said the last line. ¡°From Devil King Rory.¡± ¡°What is this? A declaration of war?¡± Omar asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Anything is possible with that man.¡± James said while rereading the letter as if see if he could find any clues. ¡°I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m the only who received this invitation though. From the way the first line is worded, I think it¡¯s safe to say that it was sent to various people.¡± He said after a while. ¡°Should we consult the queen?¡± Omar asked. ¡°If what you say is true, it¡¯s possible that she received an invitation as well.¡± ¡°You may be right, but I don¡¯t really like going to her for advice on stuff like this. I can¡¯t keep relying on her all the time. I must be able to think for myself if I want to rule.¡± James answered. ¡°We¡¯re going.¡± ¡°We?¡± Omar was surprised. ¡°The invitation said that I can bring anyone I want, so I¡¯m bringing you.¡± James said. ¡°What about Amelia?¡± Omar asked. ¡°Do you really think that the Devil King would plan something this grand and not involve her?¡± James asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure that she¡¯s already invited.¡± James was right. At the same time that he received an invitation, Amelia was reading hers while sitting in her room. ¡°What is he up to now?¡± She said with a frown. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to go to find out.¡± She put back the invitation on her bed. ¡°But considering that it¡¯s him, I should prepare myself for the worst.¡± Elsewhere Serket was holding the same black paper as Amelia and James. ¡°That brat is scheming stuff again?¡± She crumbled the invitation, and looked at Richard beside her. ¡°He¡¯s gain a habit for scheming against people. I wonder where he got it?¡± She said. ¡°I would say Rei Tsubaki, ma¡¯am.¡± Richard said. ¡°Melinda also had a knack for scheming too.¡± Serket said with a laugh. ¡°Either way, my stupid son looks like he want to put my other stupid sons to the test.¡± She smiled. ¡°This should be interesting.¡± Elsewhere. ¡°Why did Rory leave me an invitation like this? He could have just told me about it face to face when he was here earlier.¡± Said Liam. He threw down the letter. ¡°I also felt like my letter was different from others.¡± He frowned. ¡°I must bring both of the Brooks Sisters?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Meanwhile, Christi and Reina looked at the letter they received with a confused expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t we already agree to help, why did he send us letters too?¡± Christi asked before throwing down the letter. ¡°For dramatic effect. That man loves to make a festival out of everything.¡± Reina said while also throwing away her letter. ¡°So, should we bring the entire Boomslang?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Yeah. But have them remain hidden as precaution. No one knows what will happen if talks break down.¡± Christi said. ¡°I hope not though, because the country would truly be doom then.¡± Said Reina. ¡°Sigh. Well, what happens happens.¡± Christi said. The royal palace. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± The king, Xavier was sitting on his throne while looking at the invitation in his hand. He then looked at Rory who stood in front of him. ¡°Why did I get invited to a dinner in my palace that I didn¡¯t know anything about?¡± He asked Rory. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat the little stuff.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Now, listen here. Despite how I am, I¡¯m still technically the king here.¡± Xavier said. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t act like it.¡± Xavier said. ¡°And besides, what¡¯s with this last line?¡± He pointed on a sentence that was at the bottoms of the invitation. ¡°PS. All who refuse to answer to this invitation will be consider my enemy from tonight onwards.¡± He read. ¡°This is literally threatening us!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m just showing them that this is an important dinner.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Fine, I don¡¯t care any more.¡± He threw away the letter. ¡°Just don¡¯t break the palace.¡± Rory smiled when he heard that. ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises.¡± Time continued on, and before you knew the time of the dinner was already approaching. Currently in the royal palace, the invited guests were already seated in the dinning room. All of them were here except for Serket and Rory. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late.¡± Serket walked in a said. ¡°Her Highness.¡± When she entered the room all stood and bowed their heads in respect, except for Xavier. Serket went to sit directly beside him after acknowledging their greeting. ¡°Is that brat not here yet?¡± She asked after taking a seat. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± At that moment Rory walked in the room with a smile on his face. ¡°I had some last minute issues to handle.¡± He took a seat at the opposite end of the table from Serket and Xavier. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s begin.¡± He clapped and several servants came in carrying all kinds of different dishes and beverages. In no time, the long table they sat around was filled with food. Rory took up a glass filled with champagne. ¡°Please everyone, eat, drink, and laugh.¡± After saying that he threw the champagne down his throat. A servant quickly filled his glass back up. ¡°Hey, where did he get so much food? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s serving our food back to us while acting like a big shot?!¡± Xavier suddenly came to realization. ¡°It¡¯s possible. He¡¯s someone who doesn¡¯t have any shame after all.¡± Amelia said, before casually started to eat and drink. Despite what she said, she was eating like it was nothing. Xavier looked around and saw that everyone was eating and drinking. ¡°Someone else¡¯s food always tastes the best.¡± Rory said after sampling the meal in front of him. That only pissed Xavier off more. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Everyone ate together in silence. However, they all could feel the tension in the air. After all, many people here were enemies who competed against at each other. The only ones who seemed unbothered were Rory, Serket, Richard, and Xavier, who was still sulking. ¡°Now then¡­..¡± Rory broke the silence and put down his tableware, and wiped his mouth with a napkin. ¡°I think it¡¯s about time I tell you guys why I invited you all here.¡± He said before taking a sip of champagne and saying- ¡°I think it¡¯s about time we put an end to this foolish game of who¡¯s the heir.¡± ¡°?!¡± His words shocked most of those present. ¡°To be honest, I think it¡¯s being drawn out for too long. And that¡¯s coming from a guy that¡¯s only been here for a little over two months.¡± He said. ¡°So I think we should decide what we should do right here and now.¡± ¡°Then, are you going to say that Liam should be king?¡± James asked a bit grudgefully. ¡°Well if I¡¯m being honest, I think Liam would make the best king out of the three of you.¡± Rory said without batting an eye at James angry face. ¡°Then this dinner was just a charade to endorse Liam for the next king?¡± James asked. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Rory clearly has something more important to say.¡± Liam stepped in. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you in a comfortable place, brother? Your backer has arranged this whole thing for your benefit. You must be feeling ecstatic.¡± James said. *Bam!* Suddenly James head was slammed into the table. ¡°Calm down, and stop embarrassing yourself.¡± Serket said while still holding down James¡¯s head. ¡°Ah~. It¡¯s already started.¡± Xavier said after seeing his expensive table with cracks in it. ¡°Bring me the strongest liquor you have. It¡¯s going to be a long night.¡± He told one of the servants, who quickly went to fetch a bottle of vodka. She poured a cup and gave it to Xavier. ¡°You misunderstood something here, James.¡± Rory said. ¡°While I did say that Liam was the best candidate to become king, that doesn¡¯t mean that he would be a good one.¡± Liam frowned when he heard that. ¡°All of you would make horrible kings as the way you are. Why do you think this little competition of yours have been going on for so long? No matter how incompetent Xavier is, even he must have a limit.¡± Xavier was too busy drinking to pay Rory any attention. ¡°Not to mention that your mother is as wise as she¡¯s old. Do you think that neither of them wouldn¡¯t be able to see a good heir when they saw one?¡± Rory said even after getting a plate thrown at him by Serket midway through his argument. He then pointed at James. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the fact that you the first born isn¡¯t the crown prince isn¡¯t proof of your incompetence?¡± James glared at Rory with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Then what did you mean when you said end this?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I meant end this stupid competition among the nobles, military, and church.¡± Rory said. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, this carried on for so long because of them. In fact, I¡¯m sure one of you would¡¯ve already became the crown prince if they weren¡¯t involved.¡± The Princes were silent after hearing that. They all admitted that the reason why their parents were hesitant to chose one of them was because of those behind them. But what could they do? They needed the support of others to be able to compete with each other. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt. I want all three of you to cut all ties with your supporters, and lay off competing for the throne until you¡¯re older and wiser.¡± Rory said. By this time, Xavier was already drinking straight from the bottle with a red face, as if everything being discussed didn¡¯t affect him. No, he sensed the massive headache to come and was trying his best to drink away his sorrows. ¡°What right do you have to ask that of us?¡± James asked. ¡°Right?¡± Rory smiled and shook his head. ¡°I have no right, I¡¯m simply making a suggestion. If you don¡¯t want to I don¡¯t care either way. But choose wisely, because my motto is to only give everyone one chance. After that, I no longer care.¡± He then started to drink what was left in his glass. ¡°Are you threatening us?¡± James asked. ¡°I don¡¯t threatened weaklings, I slaughter them like worthless bugs they are.¡± Rory answered with cold eyes. He looked like James and the others like they were already dead in his eyes. This look didn¡¯t go unnoticed by anyone. It really seemed like Rory was only giving them one chance. ¡°I will withdraw from the race for the throne.¡± The first to make his choice was Christi. Him withdrawing greatly shocked his brothers. They knew that Christi wasn¡¯t one to submit to threats, so they didn¡¯t expect him to back down. ¡®Could there something more complicated going on?¡¯ Liam thought to himself. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Serket asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Christi answered with a nod. ¡®This definitely has something to do with Rory meeting with him recently.¡¯ Amelia thought to herself. She then looked at James. She knew Rory had something planned that needed the help of the princes. What would he do if he couldn¡¯t get James¡¯s cooperation? ¡°And you Liam?¡± Rory looked at Liam and asked. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Liam started to think in silence. Out of all of his brothers, he spent the most time with Rory and was beginning to grasp his character. He knew that Rory had planned something that involved the entire country, and would even resort to use drastic measures to do it. He silently weighed the pros and cons of him backing down away from the race, at least for the time being. After a while, he gave his answer. ¡°I¡¯ll withdraw as well.¡± James frowned when he heard that. Rory on the other hand simply nodded. ¡°And you?¡± He asked James. ¡°¡­..I¡¯ll withdraw as well.¡± James said after a while. ¡°I can¡¯t prove that I¡¯m the best for the throne if I have no one to compete against.¡± He grumbled. ¡°Good.¡± Rory finally smiled again. ¡°Now all that¡¯s left is to baptize the country in blood.¡± 42nd Night: Gears In Motion Lets talk about the Marigold Kingdom¡¯s nobility. There are about 28 houses that can call themselves nobles in the kingdom. These houses are all descendants of brave generals who fought with the king from a century ago to save the country. Among the 28 houses, there are of course a difference in status. There were the lower houses and the higher houses. There were 18 lower houses, and 10 higher houses. The 10 higher houses are the highest ranking members of the kingdom outside of the royal family. However, they also had a hierarchy among them. The houses all had ranks assigned to them, following how much influence they had over the country, as well as how much resources they had among them. Naturally, the rankings changes over the years, however one house has always remained on top. And that¡¯s the Brooks. It was currently late at night, and the current head of the Brooks House, had a rather unexpected guest. ¡°Yo, Brooks. I came to visit you.¡± Rory said while sitting in the chair in Brooks office. ¡°Lord Rory.¡± Brooks was naturally surprised to see him. ¡°What brings you here?¡± He composed himself and asked. ¡°Nothing much, it¡¯s just that I just realized that we haven¡¯t had the chance to talk since we first met. I mean, you were never there when I was at Liam¡¯s despite your daughters spending a lot of time there.¡± Rory said. ¡°My apologies. I have been quite busy lately. I hope you can understand?¡± Brooks replied. ¡°If you¡¯re busy you¡¯re busy. There¡¯s no need to worry about it.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not your fault that Liam ordered you to stay out of my sight as a precaution for angering me.¡± ¡°¡­.You knew.¡± Brooks said. ¡°I¡¯m 157 years old. There¡¯s not many things that can fool me anymore.¡± Rory laughed. ¡°Liam was overthinking things. I don¡¯t really hold on to grudges.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Rory shook his head. ¡°I prefer to settle them as quickly as possible.¡± He replied. ¡°The only way I¡¯ll hold on to them is unless I can¡¯t do anything about them.¡± He said. ¡°You were simply doing your job. I won¡¯t begrudge you for that. I might kill you, but not grudge you.¡± Brooks gulped when he heard that. ¡°T-Then what can I do for you, Milord?¡± Brooks tone got even more polite. ¡°No need to be tense. I¡¯m sure your daughters have already informed you of what path this country is about to go down. I made Liam bring them to tonight¡¯s dinner party, for that specific reason.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard about it.¡± Brook said with a nod. ¡°So, what do you think about it? Are you dissatisfied?¡± ¡°I would be lying if I wasn¡¯t. However, if the king and Queen agrees, it¡¯s not my place to say anything.¡± Brooks said. ¡°I see.¡± Rory nodded as if he confirmed something. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, Brooks. I want you to stick with Liam, despite him not competing for the throne anymore.¡± ¡°I was planning on doing just that.¡± Brooks replied. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you understand what I¡¯m saying to you.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Rory said. ¡°I want you to stand by him and the royal family.¡± Brooks suddenly looked like he figured out what Rory meant. ¡°You mean, you want me to betray the other noble houses?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t do that! The noble houses have always placed their trust into my house for years! I can¡¯t betray them!¡± ¡°Even if it will guarantee the survival of your daughters and house?¡± Rory asked. ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. You should¡¯ve already realized how things will go from now on, since the princes have united all while discarding their supporters.¡± Rory said. ¡°This country that was already at the peak of tension will finally erupt into a surge of madness and chaos.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°Just like I wanted it to.¡± ¡°Y-You, you¡¯re trying to destroy this country?!¡± Brooks shouted. Rory shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m trying to save it.¡± He said. ¡°This country¡¯s core has grown rotten, so for it to be saved the core must be disposed of and a new core takes its place.¡± ¡°Y-You, you¡¯re insane. Do you know what you¡¯re going to do this country?¡± Rory smirked. ¡°More than you.¡± Brooks felt weak in his knees as he stared at Rory in shock. ¡®Can someone really be this evil? Is it really that easy to condemn an entire population to death, and with a smile at that?¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡°Your title really fits you, Devil King.¡± He said after a while. ¡°It looks like you no longer see as a human.¡± Rory said with an amused expression. ¡°Do you even see yourself as human?¡± Brooks asked. ¡°Me?¡± Rory suddenly started to laugh. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m human.¡± He said. ¡°I lie, I cheat, I love, I hate, I¡¯m willing to do anything to satisfy my greed, and most of all, I¡¯m selfish.¡± He showed a gentle smile. ¡°If that¡¯s not humanity, then I don¡¯t know what is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Brooks remained silent in front of Rory¡¯s twisted perception of humanity. He started to wonder if the thing in front of him was even real. Unfortunately, it was. It was real, and it had his fate in his hand. ¡°So, what is your decision, Brooks?¡± Rory asked ignored his uncomfortable expression. ¡°Will you be a human that put his morals and loyalty first, or will you be a human that will walk over the corpses of his comrades all for the survival of those dearest to him.¡± Rory stretched his hand out. ¡°Either way, your choice will be a foolish one that will condemn you to death. However, you¡¯ll be able to pick if it will be a physical one or a moral one.¡± A diabolic smile appeared on Rory¡¯s face. ¡°Come on, show me what it means to be human.¡± The Rory before Brooks eyes looked like a devil tempting humanity to sin, waiting to reap their souls for his own entertainment. ¡®Oh, heavens. Just what is the monster that you¡¯ve delivered at my doorstep.¡± Brooks mumbled. He then took a deep breath before saying- ¡°Fine. I will swear sole loyalty to the royal family and cut all ties with the other houses.¡± He said. Rory smiled when he heard his answer. ¡°What a human-like choice.¡± He stood up and placed his hand on Brooks¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t look so glum. I promise you that you won¡¯t regret it. You might never be happy or sleep well at night, but at least your family will be able to smile another day.¡± He drew his mouth closer to Brooks¡¯s ear. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what¡¯s important?¡± He then walked past him and opened the office door. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about your daughters. I¡¯ll be sure to make their love come true. Who knows? They might become queens in the future if Liam becomes king.¡± After saying that, Rory left the office and closed the door behind him. ¡°Ah¡­..¡± Brooks immediately fell to his knees as if he had lost all of his strength. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± He looked at his hands and could suddenly see them stained with blood. ¡°Ahhh!¡± He screamed and clenched his head while crying. He couldn¡¯t forgive himself. Despite being the leader of the nobles, he immediately cut them loose to save himself and his family. Even though he wasn¡¯t a saint, he was someone who valued loyalty. So him betraying his comrades was the greatest sin he could ever commit. Without anyone telling him, Brooks knew that he was broken. He was played with and broken by Rory, but in the end he couldn¡¯t resist his temptations. He had willing sold his soul to the devil. ¡°Oh, heavens! What kind of monster has you¡¯ve delivered at my doorsteps?! Why must you torture me so?!¡± He shouted at the top of his lungs. Meanwhile, Rory was walking down the halls of the Brooks residence with a smile on his face. ¡°I told you didn¡¯t I, Brooks? I always settle my grudges.¡± He showed a devilish grin. ¡°And I also lie and cheat.¡± He soon faded away in the darkness. ¡°Enjoy drowning in guilt, human.¡± The next few days, news of the three princes putting aside their differences reached the ears of their backers. As expected, they all were shocked. Shock however became panic and anger. ¡°Put aside their differences? What about us?!¡± ¡°They did something like that without consulting us?!¡± ¡°Who do they take us for?!¡± ¡°We made them! How dare they do this to us?!¡± ¡°Give back all the time and effort we invested!¡± Various angry comments came from all three camps. They grew even more enraged when their efforts to contact the princes were unsuccessful. They quickly realized that they were cruelly abandoned by those they nurtured for so long. Outrage came from all three camps that were once at each other¡¯s throat. ¡°That snake Brooks isn¡¯t willing to see us either!¡± ¡°It looks like he sold us out and joined the royal family!¡± A group of nobles discussed. ¡°This is unacceptable! He must pay for this! Not only him, the royal family as well!¡± All three factions started to hate the royal family. In their eyes, they were all taken for fools and were used by them. They hated them for that, but most of all they hated the fact that the royal family was stubbornly holding onto all the power in the kingdom. To them, that was absolutely unforgivable. ¡°They can¡¯t get away with this!¡± ¡°They were sucking us dry, while laughing at our faces!¡± ¡°That¡¯s unforgivable!¡± Some soldiers were talking. They no longer admired the Scorpion Queen and her son who stabbed them in the back. They started to hate them. At the Sacred church, Father Timothy and Dex both looked displeased. ¡°I believe this is all the Devil King¡¯s doing. He probably figured out our objective and is trying to stand in our way.¡± Said Timothy. ¡°He¡¯s pitting the whole country against the royal family, he must be confident that he can win.¡± Dex said. ¡°If he¡¯s challenging us, then let¡¯s show him that we aren¡¯t people he can easily walk over.¡± Timothy said. ¡°The dignity of the church can not be walked over no matter what.¡± Dex said. ¡°I believe a crusade is in order.¡± He said. Timothy nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s contact the nobles and military, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be willing to join us in prosecuting that family of sinners.¡± He said. ¡°This might be what the Devil King wanted, but this is the perfect time to teach him where he stands in the world.¡± Timothy smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll inform the elders. Marigold Kingdom is in need of a cleansing.¡± The two smiled. ¡°Deus Lo Vout¡± 43rd Night: Crusade With the news of the royal family uniting, the entire kingdom became visibly tense. The smarter citizens could tell that there was a possible rift with the royal family and the three main factions. These people started to question the possibility of a war breaking out. That¡¯s when a terrifying news was spread across the country. ¡°The Sacred Church has founded King Xavier and his family guilty of treason against god, as such they will be taken into custody and brought to the holy land of Arcadia to serve their punishment. Until then, the church will appoint an overseer to manage the country until a fitting ruler appears.¡± This news obviously shocked all the citizens. The church was publicly announcing that they wanted to strip the royal family of their kingdom and treat them like sinners. The next news shocked everyone further. ¡°If the king and his family refuses to comply, then a crusade will be put into place in the kingdom.¡± Everyone shivered when they heard this. They all knew what it meant for a crusade to occur. It meant that all the citizens of the kingdom would have their human rights stripped away from them, and were then treated like animals. They could be killed, enslaved, raped, or tortured by the church forces and nothing could come from it. It was their worst nightmare. Everyone started to hope that the royal family would comply, but what happened next sent shivered down their spines. The Sacred church that was stationed in the capital was destroyed in broad daylight, and everyone knew who did it. Devil King Rory. Instead of the king or any member of the royal family, the one who replied was Rory. ¡°The Marigold Kingdom is now under my jurisdiction, and I will tolerate no threats. As such, I permanently ban the Sacred Church from my kingdom. If I find any signs of the church in my kingdom, I will personally destroy them.¡± This declaration frightened the citizens, because they knew that now war was unavoidable. More shocking news continued to spread shortly after. The Military and the nobles of the kingdom have publicly denounced the Devil King and the royal family behind him. They have decided to aid the Sacred Church and remove Rory from the country. This caused a lot of people to be relieved, because this gave the country a chance at survival. All they had to do was to repel Rory. Like this, the citizens all started call for Rory¡¯s death. Especially after rumors started to spread that Rory actually took the king captive, and forced the rest of the royal family to follow his orders. This further increased the hatred everyone had for Rory. The church soon announced some news as well. ¡°Following recent events, the Sacred church had decided to change its targets during the crusade of Marigold. The one who will be target for capture or elimination will be the Devil King Rory of Pandemonium.¡± This news made many people happy, so much that they forgot that they were still stripped from their rights. In their head, as long as Rory was defeated everything would return to normal. ¡°People sure are na?ve.¡± Rory said as he sat on the palace roof which oversaw the city. ¡°Do they really think that it will be that easy?¡± He laughed. ¡°The church also haven¡¯t learnt their lesson yet. Well, not that it matters. It actually works out better for me if they make me their main target.¡± He stood up and watched the sunset. ¡°Now all I need to do, is to fuck them up so badly that they¡¯ll only have their eyes on me in the future.¡± He showed a terrifyingly savage smile. ¡°That can be arranged.¡± ¡°You¡¯re enjoying this way too much.¡± At that moment, he saw Serket appear behind him. ¡°Life is all about fun, old hag.¡± Rory replied. ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Serket shook his head. ¡°You should¡¯ve learnt that the hard way already.¡± She said. ¡°Anyway, I think I finally have an idea of what your plan is. You¡¯ve forced the princes to make up and cut off their supporters for the sole purpose of angering the three factions. You want the three factions at our necks, which will cause a huge battle.¡± She said. ¡°Your goal is to destroy the three factions and remove them from the country. Leaving all the power with us. That way, we can rebuild the country with us remaining absolute.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the basics of it.¡± Rory said. ¡°This plan will bathe the country in blood and might even significantly weaken it. However, the country can be rebuilt. However, we lose about a quarter of our population if we¡¯re lucky.¡± Serket said before frowning. ¡°However, it¡¯s still not that simple. We should¡¯ve made the church our enemy, but it didn¡¯t happen because you took advantage of your reputation and power to shift all the focus on you. You reignited the hatred the church had for you and made them care only about you.¡± Serket looked more and more displeased. ¡°This way you¡¯ll be targeted by the church again. Life will be hard on you again. I hate that.¡± She said. ¡°What? You don¡¯t like the fact that I¡¯m famous again?¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Rory joked. ¡°No, I don¡¯t like the fact that you¡¯ve put yourself in danger again. Whether you want to admit it or not, I¡¯m your second mother and you¡¯re my eldest son. I don¡¯t like the idea of you being targeted by the world again.¡± Rory laughed. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. It¡¯s not the world, it¡¯s just the faith of the world.¡± He said. ¡°I was never a religious person, so it was fated for me to be the church¡¯s enemy.¡± He looked at her. ¡°In the end I¡¯m a failure of son to both my mothers.¡± He said with a smile. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, once this is over all you need to do is guide and protect your kingdom from vultures trying to swoop in, and everything will be fine over time. I originally planned on slaughtering the royalties of the neighboring kingdoms to prevent them from having the opportunity to invade, but you being here is better.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really a heartless person.¡± Serket said. ¡°Did that sentence perhaps have a double meaning?¡± Rory asked with a grin. ¡°While it¡¯s true that Mio would¡¯ve stopped me from doing this, it doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t function with out her. Even hearts can be replaced these days.¡± ¡°So Amelia is you¡¯re new heart.¡± Rory didn¡¯t answer and looked towards the horizon. ¡°Serket, as the one who knows Rory the longest you should¡¯ve already figured out that I had two plans to cleanse this city.¡± Serket nodded. ¡°Knowing you, this plan is more tamed compared to your last resort.¡± ¡°It is.¡± Rory then said- ¡°I was originally planning to kill Xavier.¡± Serket remained silent when she heard that. ¡°Of course, this was before I knew that he was your husband.¡± Rory added. ¡°To be honest, I really liked Xavier and we get along well. However, if needed I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill him.¡± ¡°I know. You regard everyone who aren¡¯t you¡¯re family as tools and source of entertainment. You don¡¯t value friendship in the least.¡± Rory nodded in agreement. ¡°Friendship is short-lived, but family is forever. That¡¯s what Kayro used to say.¡± ¡°That girl was always strange, even among all the freaks in Pandemonium.¡± Serket said. Rory laughed when he heard that before turning silent for a bit. ¡°I was going to kill Xavier and confuse the three princes and the factions behind them. They would all start accusing each other, while trying to prove that they were worthy to take the throne at the same time.¡± ¡°A civil war would then break out with the three factions, plunging the country into hell.¡± Serket added. Rory nodded. ¡°I would then feed the chaos and made sure that each faction took considerable damage, before slaughtering the significant figures. Including the princes.¡± ¡°So you planned to massacre my entire family?¡± Serket sighed when she saw Rory nodded. ¡°Do you know how much people would die if that had happened?¡± ¡°Over half the population, because the church would¡¯ve called in a crusade and slaughter everyone.¡± Rory said. ¡°You talk about it as if it was trivial.¡± Serket said. ¡°Chris said that you were doing this because you wanted to get along with the country, but I¡¯m not na?ve enough to believe that.¡± She said. ¡°Your goal is this Reina girl. Just like Amelia, you want her by your side. Because of that you never planned on killing Chris, despite what you said.¡± ¡°As expected of a hag, you¡¯re oh so wise.¡± Rory said. ¡°Just like Amelia, Reina is special. She¡¯s someone I want to accept into my family like the rest of Pandemonium. To do that, I had to make her trust me by saving this country, no, Christi.¡± He smiled. ¡°And these two ways were the only way to save him. By forcing the Sacred church out of the kingdom and make them your enemy.¡± Rory nodded. ¡°As usual, it¡¯s always the extremes with you.¡± She sighed. ¡°You know, the reason you¡¯re called the Devil King isn¡¯t because of your strength. It¡¯s because of how diabolical and sinister you can be. Your schemes and methods are always so terrifying that people could only see you as a devil.¡± She smiled. ¡°Because of this, you¡¯ve always failed as a human.¡± For some reason, what she said really upset Rory. ¡°Either way, be careful during this thing. You¡¯re everyone¡¯s main target after all.¡± After that, Serket disappeared from the roof. Rory was left alone as he murmured. ¡°Failed as a human, huh?¡± He suddenly clenched his fists tightly. The following day, the Sacred Church showed that they weren¡¯t playing around by deploying thousands of their forces into the country to lock it down completely. No one could get in or out. It was completely isolated from the rest of the world. Afterwards, warriors of the church started to march into the country with a haughty attitude. It was as if they were the chosen ones and everyone else were mere bugs under their feet. If anyone even looked at them funny, they would be severely punished. They soon move towards the capital and started to surround it as if they were getting ready to siege it. However, not a single church member entered the city, they all stayed outside the walls as if they were waiting for something. ¡°They¡¯re being cautious.¡± Liam said after hearing the reports of the church movements. ¡°They know that they can¡¯t just invade the city and act all arrogant like they usually would during crusades. They¡¯re enemy this time is no joke.¡± He then looked at Rory. They were inside the meeting hall of the king along with Serket, the king, the other princes, the Brooks, Allan, Amelia, and Richard. Rory was sitting at the table while playing with a knife. Amelia was next to him wondering what he was doing. ¡°The church and I have a long history. Even if the young ones wants to act arrogantly, those old fools at the top know better.¡± Rory said without looking away from the knife. ¡°They hate me, and I hate them. In the end, one of us has to die.¡± ¡°Die? You do know that if the church is ever at real risk, the Sacred Army will step in? Destroying the church is impossible without destroying the army. Do you think you can do that?¡± James asked with a slight mocking tone. ¡°Nope.¡± Rory answered immediately. ¡°The Sacred Army is the main force of the Sacred Race that rules the world. They¡¯re literally the world police. You can defy them, but you can¡¯t defeat them. I mean, a single General can destroy this country in a day, not to mention the Sacred Commander that heads the army. Only a God can defeat them.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°However, the Sacred army won¡¯t get involved in this crusade or my grudge war.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Pride.¡± Rory answered. ¡°They may both serve the Sacred King that rules the world, but they aren¡¯t really comrades because they disagree on the way both sides operated. As such, the Sacred Army will only help out the church when they¡¯re facing a threat not only to them, but to the Sacred Race as a whole.¡± ¡°Like the Night Race?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°Unless the Night Army decided to march on the church, the army will not get involved.¡± Rory explained. ¡°That being said, I¡¯m on the Sacred Army¡¯s wanted list, so there should be observing this crusade and could¡¯ve even despatch people to observe the whole thing.¡± Rory then put down the knife. ¡°Forgot the fanatics. What about the military, did all the defect?¡± ¡°My men aren¡¯t cowards.¡± James said. ¡°That being said most of them still defected, right?¡± Rory asked with a smile. ¡°¡­¡­Around 70% did.¡± James said reluctantly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s expected. They may be well trained, they¡¯re still humans. And humans tend to make rash decisions when they¡¯re hurt. Your soldiers were the same. If you want completely loyal soldiers, then build a robot army.¡± Rory laughed, which made James angry. ¡°They may have defected, but that was because of a Devil¡¯s ploy.¡± He said. ¡°Beside, the ones that are left are my true brothers. We¡¯ve been through thick and thin together.¡± ¡°I see. Then, what about Black Bull Omar?¡± ¡°He stayed of course. He¡¯s currently leading those that remain.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s good. His strength will be a plus.¡± Rory then looked at Brooks. ¡°What about the nobles? Did they withdraw all their funds from you?¡± Brooks nodded. He didn¡¯t speak much because his mind was too preoccupied with the fate of his brothers. ¡°Thy must be hiring warriors all over the country to fight for them. I¡¯m sure a few of them already had their private forces, but they must be using them to protect themselves.¡± Rory said. He looked around at the faces of everyone around him and nodded. ¡°The forces that we have is just to my taste. Although we¡¯ll be drastically outnumbered, that doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯ll definitely lose.¡± He said. ¡°Besides, I alone could win¡­..Probably.¡± He then started to laugh. However, his laughing stop soon after and a serious expression appeared on his face. Everyone immediately felt the atmosphere in the room change. Serket looked amused when she saw his expression. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± She muttered softly. Rory then stood up and spoke- ¡°We all have unfinished business, so we can¡¯t afford to die now. If you want to live fight freely. Other than that, I have nothing else to say. Find your own motivation, I will not do it for you.¡± After saying that, he started to leave. *BOOM!* At that moment a loud explosion could be heard coming from the entrance to the city. Everyone in the room hearts started to race because they instantly knew what that explosion signifies. The crusade has began! 44th Night: City On Fire The explosion had woken up the entire city. All the citizens started to panic after hearing it. They realized that the infamous sacred warriors were about to march on their city. Their worst dreams became reality when the first group of soldiers were seen entering the city. They all knew that they had no where to run. As for those in the palace, they knew that it was time to battle. ¡°Alright, everyone. It¡¯s time for battle.¡± Serket stood up and said. ¡°James, you¡¯ll lead the remaining soldiers and have them team up with Liam and Brooks. The Brooks family soldiers are incredibly strong and numerous, if you combine your military talent with Liam¡¯s sly and crafty tactics, you two should be incredibly strong.¡± She spoke with a commanding tone. ¡°Also Liam, you¡¯re to fight as well. Stop letting your skills rust and fight with your own hands.¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Liam responded. ¡°Chris, you and Reina will act independently and do what you can to turn things in our favor. Assassinations, kidnappings, torture, anything is allowed as long as it provides results.¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Christi responded. ¡°Xavier¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I already know. In order for everything to work, I need to stay hidden. As such, ill move in the shadows with Allan. Of course, while being disguised.¡± Xavier said. Serket nodded. ¡°Richard and I will act together.¡± She said. ¡°Wait, Serket.¡± Rory cut in. ¡°Don¡¯t forget not to go too wild. You were already on thin ice with the Sacred Army because of me. Anymore and you¡¯ll become a wanted criminal as well. After that, you won¡¯t be able to stay here and your family might be prosecuted as well.¡± He said. ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡± Serket said with a smile. ¡°Elia and I will act together. Our goal is to slaughter as much as we can and draw all the attention on to us. You guys can do as you wish after that.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t that make me into a wanted criminal?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°It was bound to happen if you hang around me. So what does it matter if it¡¯s now or later?¡± Rory replied. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to come along with me you can join the Princes and fight with them.¡± He said. Amelia immediately shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m your partner, so I don¡¯t mind becoming a criminal.¡± ¡°Good. Work hard and you might get a huge bounty. When that happens, you¡¯ll meet some interesting bounty hunters aiming for your head.¡± Rory said with a laugh. ¡°Now that that¡¯s settle¡­.¡± Serket showed a savage smile. ¡°Let¡¯s run wild.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± While Rory and the others made preparations to meet the enemy, the Sacred church forces started wrecking havoc in the city. *Boom!*This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Guards that were trying to stop their advances towards the palace, were blown away by the combined attacks of the warriors. ¡°Kill the heretics!¡± The church warriors roared and started to slaughter every citizen that they saw. They didn¡¯t care if they were hostile or not, in their eyes they were fools that defied their god and thus needed to killed. ¡°Praise the Sacred God!¡± Some citizens tried to show their faith by publicly worshipping the Sacred God. However, that only angered the soldiers more. ¡°Damn heretics!¡± ¡°You dare mock our god!¡± ¡°Die!¡± The church warriors roared angrily as they slaughtered the defenseless citizens. ¡°Burn everything to the ground!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The warriors then started to lit their surroundings a fire. They threw fire bombs into stores, houses, and every building they came across. Some even lit the corpse and threw them into buildings to be used as fuel. Their acts were cruel and far from Sacred like their titles. ¡°Oh, you guys sure are having fun.¡± That¡¯s when a group of soldiers who were taking turns raping a group of women, heard a voice behind them. They turned around and saw Rory¡¯s bright smile. ¡°Is it fun, sex? Especially when your partner is beautiful.¡± That¡¯s when his eyes became incredibly cold. ¡°However, sex is only fun when it¡¯s consensual. Right, Elia?¡± At that moment, the soldier saw an orange figure flash before their eyes. The next thing they knew their worlds were spinning and their visions were fading. The last thing they saw were a pair of cold but beautiful blue eyes looking down on them. *Thud!* ¡°Ahhhh?!¡± The women started screaming when they saw the heads of their attackers rolling on the ground. ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± Amelia, who had beheaded them with her swords, turned around and asked Rory. ¡°I don¡¯t have any sexual experience.¡± ¡°I can change that whenever you want. Just say the word.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Hmph.¡± She stopped paying him any mind and looked back at the partially naked women. They were all trembling in fear as they looked at the dead bodies. ¡°It¡¯s alright now. Everything is fine.¡± Amelia said to them. ¡°There¡¯s a route leading to the mountains in the north, not too far away from here. If you take that you¡¯ll meet with the queen¡¯s people. They¡¯ll shield you.¡± ¡°A-Are you coming with us?¡± One of them asked. Amelia shook her head. ¡°Sorry ladies, but she and I already have a date with some fanatics. So you need to go there yourself.¡± Rory said. The women nodded, fixed themselves up, and ran away. ¡°Did you do something to them just now?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I saw some anima enter them and their eyes became unfocused. Did you controlled them or something?¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Rory replied. ¡°More importantly, things really have gotten lively.¡± ¡°Why are you talking like this isn¡¯t your fault? You caused all these people to suffer.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t see me going around burning everything to the ground.¡± ¡°You know what I mean.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°You¡¯re upset?¡± ¡°Of course. Anyone would be upset after seeing this. Don¡¯t you feel anything while these people suffer?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking if I feel anything towards the suffering of complete strangers? Hardly. An order was given for them to all evacuate to the mountains before this all happened, but they chose to put their faith into their god and his warriors.¡± Rory shrugged. ¡°If they die, they die. I gave them a path of survival, I feel no remorse for idiots.¡± He said. ¡°You¡¯re an evil bastard, you know that.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Hahaha! I know.¡± Rory laughed. ¡°But you¡¯re the one who chose to walk my path. Remember that.¡± After he said that he turned around and left. Amelia clicked her tongue and followed him. ¡°If you¡¯re upset, then try to save as much as you can.¡± Rory said while walking around. He then suddenly rushed in a direction and kicked through a building. *Boom!* Once he was out on the other side, he grabbed a soldier that was surprised to see him and slammed his head on the wall so hard it burst. He then looked around and saw a lot of soldiers who were shocked shitless. *Boom!* At that moment, Amelia burst through the wall Rory burst through gripping her sword. She rushed towards the soldiers and and began to to cut them to pieces with her sword. She then stood there with her sword stained with blood, while looking down on the corpses. ¡°If you¡¯re upset, then try to kill as much of their enemies as you can. If that¡¯s the only way you can bear the guilt of working with the one who damned them, so be it.¡± Rory said. ¡°As for me, I¡¯ll kill who I want. Steal from who I want, and destroy what I want.¡± He lifted his hand in the air and a bolt of lightning shot towards the sky. The bolt then morphed into the shape of a serpent, before striking down on the ground. *Boom!* Several screams could be heard coming from the direction it landed. ¡°That is how I live my life.¡± He looked at her. ¡°If you want to change me then become someone worthy changing for.¡± Amelia frowned when the smell of burning flesh reached her nose. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to change. You¡¯re a grown man. If you want to change, do it yourself. Don¡¯t rely on me to do it.¡± She said as she dashed forward and jumped into the air, with flames dancing around her sword. ¡°Wha?!¡± Some soldiers who were turning the corner, were shocked when they saw her. She swung down her sword and a blade of flames crash down on them. *Boom!* Flames blew the soldiers away while burning them to death. Amelia landed not too far away from them and sheathed her sword. She then looked back at Rory. ¡°I have my own problems to deal with. So I don¡¯t have time for your games.¡± She said while turning her back to him. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Rory burst out laughing when he heard that. ¡°I see. Then my apologizes.¡± He smiled and followed her. ¡°But this is odd though. Are the church¡¯s forces always this weak?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°No, these are just recruits or rejects. They were sent before the main forces to cause chaos and confuse the enemy.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Their sole purpose is the reel us into attacking their main forces by angering us with heinous deeds. It¡¯s people like them why people fear crusades. Real church warriors wouldn¡¯t commit such vulgar acts. They¡¯re too proud.¡± He explained. ¡°I see. Then they¡¯re scum even in the church. I feel even more eager to slaughter them all.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Really? I¡¯m waiting for the real forces to come.¡± Rory showed an evil smile. ¡°I like to kill those the most, rather than these insects.¡± 45th Night: Wartime *Bam!* A soldier was kicked through a wall by Rory, after trying to attack him. ¡°Ahh!¡± A group soldiers were seen running through the street screaming for their lives. Behind them, Amelia was quickly catching up to them. She suddenly jumped on the side of a building, and jumped on another on the other side of the street. She started to move like a ricocheting bullet as she advanced towards the soldiers. Soon they saw a shadow hovering over them which prompt them to look up. ¡°Ah!¡± Once they did, they all screamed in unison as they saw Amelia¡¯s blade descending towards them. To them that blade belonged to lady death. *Bam!* A powerful gust of wind burst out and blew them all away once the blade descended. Their bodies were covered in cuts that were several inches deep. Their blood sprayed in the air as they all died before falling on their backs. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten better with a sword.¡± Rory walked up beside her and said. ¡°Since I¡¯ve developed my animus, my element manipulation skills have improved by leaps and bounds.¡± ¡°And you used that to make your swordplay even more lethal. Bravo.¡± Rory praised. ¡°How many of them are left?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Not much. We¡¯ve practically slain all of the fodder that were sent in. What¡¯s left is the main forces of the church.¡± Rory replied. ¡°The nobles and military haven¡¯t made any moves as of yet.¡± Amelia said. ¡°They must be taking orders from the church. It¡¯s fair to say that now that their fodders are gone, the church will deploy them. So keep a look out.¡± Rory said. ¡°By the way, Elia. Your animus drain your stamina right?¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°Then don¡¯t use it unless your pushed to the brink of death, got it? Don¡¯t just use if you see that things are getting desperate. Use it only to protect your own life, not to obtain victory.¡± Rory said. ¡°There might be a lot of strong people in this war.¡± ¡°Might? Isn¡¯t the church super strong?¡± ¡°Overall, yes. But I doubt they¡¯ll dispatch their top warriors to deal with a small country like this. Also they would must likely use this war to test me out and see if I¡¯m still as strong as I once was. For that only a few strong yet disposable warriors are enough.¡± ¡°And if you¡¯re still as strong or even stronger than before?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Then they¡¯ll regroup and carefully plan their counterattack. They also need to consider if it¡¯s just me or is the entire Pandemonium involved. Because of that, they won¡¯t use their core members because it would be too risky to lose them.¡± ¡°So you mean that everyone that came here for the church is disposable?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Of course, all the soldiers that we¡¯ve killed are human. Isn¡¯t that strange? The Sacred Church¡¯s namesake is the Sacred God and his descendants the Sacred race, yet I can say without a doubt that not one Sacred Race member is in this crusade.¡± ¡°Then humans are disposable tools to them¡­.That¡¯s just horrible.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s reality. This is the main difference between the Sacred Church and the Sacred Army.¡± Rory said. ¡°Well, they¡¯re both groups of egoistical bastards that believe that they¡¯re the superior race.¡± Rory suddenly jumped in the air, and to Amelia¡¯s surprise he stopped midair and started to float. ¡°His body isn¡¯t even shaking in anyway¡­..What amazing wind control skills.¡± She said. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Rory silently looked in the direction of where the church forces where stationed. ¡°As I thought, they aren¡¯t rushing in.¡± He could see them clearly despite them being miles away from him. ¡°Looks like they have about 3000 soldiers. That¡¯s not a lot but they are fairly skilled.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. He suddenly smiled. ¡°I wonder if I should cut down their numbers for a bit?¡± He said. ¡°Hm?¡± He suddenly noticed some odd movements in the army. They started to spread themselves around the city walls as if opening the way for someone. *Bam!* Suddenly Amelia saw Rory being devoured by an explosion. ¡°?!¡± The explosion was soon huge that she was blown away by the shockwaves it produced. Even the buildings around them started to crumble. ¡°¡­¡­¡­!¡± Once the explosion settled, she quickly looked up in the sky to search for Rory. All she saw was smoking clouds. *Whoosh!* Suddenly a gust of wind blew the clouds away and Rory was visible again. Other than his face being covered in soot, he was fine. ¡°That¡¯s quite the greetings.¡± He said with an irritated expression. He looked towards where the church forces were situated and saw a giant cannon like weapon pointing at him. ¡°Trying to provoke me into attacking you?¡± Rory looked even more annoyed. ¡°Insolent!¡± He was visibly angry, but he didn¡¯t rushed towards them. ¡°Sine you want to play then let¡¯s play.¡± Suddenly his body was covered with a huge amount of anima. The anima felt like it wanted to form a storm, because the debris in the area was being blown away while small twisters form on the ground. *Bam!* However, before Rory could do anything he heard an explosion coming from a different direction. He looked and saw that the city wall to his left was blown up and soldiers started invaded the city. *Bam!* He heard another one in a different direction location and saw more soldiers invading. He calmed down and squinted his eyes when he saw that. ¡°Those aren¡¯t the churches forces. Looks like the other factions have started to move.¡± He said. ¡°Woah, there¡¯s more 10,000 people well armed and ready to go. Looks like they recruited more civilians than I expected¡­¡­There¡¯s even more?¡± Even Rory was surprised by the growing number of people invading the city all at once. ¡°Damn, I must¡¯ve pissed off more people than I thought. It looks like a lot of civilians joined the campaign against me.¡± He said. He then descended from the air and landed beside Amelia. ¡°Elia, the enemy is numbered more than I expected. It looks like they want to flood the city and try to seize it in one go. Staying in the open is dangerous, but as the vanguard we have to do it.¡± He said. ¡°No problem. We just need to defeat more than we expected.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°If you¡¯re good to go, then no problem. But trying to stop them all with the two of us is completely impossible, so we have to leave the rest to the royals.¡± Amelia nodded. At that moment, they could see a swarm of soldiers rapidly approaching them. ¡°Kill the Devil King!¡± ¡°Kill Rory!¡± They shouted. ¡°You¡¯re really hated.¡± Amelia gripped her sword and waited for her enemies to come. ¡°Hate is just another form of love, so I feel honored.¡± Rory said. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The two rushed towards the wave of people and began a mad melee in the middle of town. Elsewhere, James was standing on a hill that allowed him to have a good look at the townscape. ¡°Looks like the traitors have started to make their move.¡± He said. He then spoke so that the hundreds of soldiers behind him could hear him. ¡°Men, the time has come for us to take a stand. First, I must once again thank you all for the loyalty you¡¯ve shown me despite me mistreating you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Your Highness.¡± Blackz Bull Omar stepped forward and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sure that I can speak for all of us here when I say, we followed you because we admire your bravery and nobility, not to gain power and authority through politics. We¡¯ll follow you to the end, until the day you take your rightful place as king!¡± ¡°Long live the king!¡± The soldiers shouted so loud that it felt like their voice could shake the capital. ¡°My brothers, I thank you.¡± James pulled his sword from his waist and climbed out to an ATV bike that was closed by. The soldiers behind him all climbed on various vehicles with all kinds of weapons from swords to bazookas on their person. Black bull got on the back of James¡¯s bike with an eager grin. James nodded and lifted his sword in air, and then shouted. ¡°The enemy is upon us! In the name of your king, advance!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± James and the soldiers all moved down the hill while roaring at the top of their lungs. The soldiers who had invaded the city heard them and all turned towards them at once. ¡°I¡¯ll show you all that I¡¯m the rightful heir!¡± James flew off his bike and charged towards the wave of soldiers. His anima erupted and he gripped his sword tightly and swung with a his might. *Bam!* The soldiers at the front were all blown away with their bodies cut into pieces. James stomped the ground and spikes of metal burst out and started impaling countless soldiers, and lifting them in the air. James lifted his sword up towards the sky and shouted. ¡°Kill all traitors!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± At this moment, the rest of his soldiers all rushed forward and crashed into the enemy with their vehicles. They then started to use their weapons to cause mass murder everywhere around them. *Bam!* ¡°Guaaaah?!¡± Their enemies let out agonizing screams in their last moments of life. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Explosions began to resound through the entire city as the battle had truly began. ¡°Whew~. He sure loves war, that meathead brother of mine.¡± Said Liam, who was a couple kilometers away from battle. He was watching the events unfold through a pair of binoculars. ¡°Should we wait and allow him to lose most of his men before we help him?¡± Asked Emily Brooks. Liam and the Brooks Sisters and their father were all together, far away from where the battle was going on. They also had the Brooks family personal army nearby, which numbered in the thousands. Liam shook his head in response to Emily¡¯s question. ¡°Now is not the time to think of ways of weakening my brothers. We¡¯re in a desperate situation where we¡¯re completely outnumbered. We can¡¯t afford to scheme and plot against each other.¡± Liam said. ¡°Not to mention, my mother would kick my ass if I did.¡± The last sentence was obviously his main reason. ¡°Then when should we help?¡± ¡°When the time is right. Helping now will only cause confusion in our own ranks because we were just enemies a few days ago. This could also led to us losing morale. The best time to help is when they¡¯re in a slight pinch, not when they are on the brink of the destruction.¡± Liam replied. ¡°If we help too quickly it might cause dissatisfaction between us, but if we wait until the last minute while they¡¯ll be grateful they¡¯ll also suspect that we let their comrades die and that we also cause dissatisfaction to grow. Hence we wait until they need help, but not desperately. It will show that we¡¯re willing to back them up, while allowing them to get all the glory.¡± He explained. ¡°Let them be heroes, we¡¯ll be the foundation that keep everything together.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Everyone was once impressed with their prince and how he¡¯s able to look at the bigger picture even at a time like this. ¡°My mother paired me with James because his strategists all left him when they saw that things weren¡¯t in their favor. I don¡¯t blame them since it¡¯s their job to make right decisions regarding battle, so they naturally would do so with their own life.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯ll work as James fearless strategist that he desperately needs. I¡¯ll turn him into a hero, but in the end I¡¯ll become king.¡± He then looked towards the east. ¡°I wonder what our little brother plans to do is the future.¡± He smiled. ¡°If James¡¯s the hero, and I¡¯m the foundation, I guess he¡¯d be the protector in the shadows.¡± 46th Night: Christi & Reina *Bam!* The flames of war had spread to the entire capital city. The only place that didn¡¯t have any signs of destruction was the district where the royal palace and noble houses resided. Amelia and Rory was seen in the center of the city cutting through the waves of enemies, stained in blood and sweat. ¡°Ugh!¡± Amelia groaned as she locked swords with a man that was almost was 7ft tall and filled with muscles and scars. ¡°Damn! What a strong bastard!¡± Amelia founded herself being pushed back by the man who was smiling at her. ¡°Die, heretic!¡± At that moment, several soldiers leaped from behind the man and attacked Amelia. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky!¡± Electricity started dancing around Amelia, and then spread towards the men and electrocute them to death. She then lifted her hand in the air and lightning bolts shot out of her palm and hit the soldiers around her, stunning them. ¡°Go meet your god!¡± She slammed her palms on the ground and cracks started spread through it before lifting up into the air. The clumps of earth then slammed into each other and squished the soldiers that were on them, stunned. *Bam!* Blood rained down from the sky and stained the earth, as Amelia stood up while breathing heavily. *Bam!* Suddenly she saw a beam devour a dozens of soldiers in an instant. She looked and saw Rory walking towards her with a smile. ¡°You seem pretty tired, Elia. Do you wanna take a break and I do the rest?¡± He asked while casually firing a blast of anima to blow up another dozen soldiers. ¡°These guys are tougher than I thought.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Of course. There¡¯s more of them than before and they¡¯re stronger than before, it¡¯s natural for you to be overwhelmed. You¡¯re not at a level where you can win a war by yourself after all.¡± Rory replied while firing beams through the heads of his enemies. ¡°However, I¡¯m fighting with you. If you need a break then say it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Amelia held her sword again. ¡°I¡¯ll use this to get even stronger.¡± Rory nodded at her words. ¡°Very well. But be careful.¡± Elsewhere in the city, the third prince Christi and Reina were near the palace in a building that looked abandoned. This was were they had stationed their base for the war. In the building, members of Boomslang were busily moving up and down sharing information with each other. ¡°Boss, my prince.¡± Suddenly Roc walked up to them. ¡°I¡¯ve finished collecting all the information that our spies in the military and noble houses have shared with us.¡± He said while handing over some stacks of paper to Reina and Christi. ¡°So all the nobles have deployed their private forces without sparing a single soldier.¡± Reina said while going through the papers. ¡°The strategists that left James have also joined up with the church. Not only that, most of the famous generals as well.¡± Said Christi. ¡°The number of civilians that volunteered are alarming though.¡± Roc handed them a different stack of papers. ¡°These are the names of the significant figures in each force that makes up the army. There¡¯s also information on their roles, past achievements, and number of subordinates.¡± He said. ¡°Impressive. Be sure to thank everyone for me. Also, tell them to withdraw immediately and come back to our side.¡± Reina said. ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± Roc then left to do what Reina instructed. Reina then looked at Christi.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°What should we do now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s review the information in front of us. We¡¯ll then pick out assassination targets.¡± Christi replied. ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Reina replied. ¡°Rory is using himself as bait so we should be able to to move around freely, but there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°The church forces?¡± Christi nodded. ¡°As the person that worked as their puppet, I¡¯ve seen an extent of their power as well as how far they¡¯ll go to increase their influence. I don¡¯t think it would be strange if they started bombarding the city and burn everything to the ground regardless of who¡¯s in it.¡± He said. ¡°I agree. If we defeat our country¡¯s own forces, it makes things easier for them when they¡¯ll try to put the country under their control.¡± ¡°True, but we have no other choice. There were too many conflicting desires among the three factions for a compromise to be met. That¡¯s why Rory¡¯s plan really is the only way to save the country in the long run.¡± He said. ¡°Whatever the case, I work for you. Just give me the order and I¡¯ll kill whoever you wish. That¡¯s the terms of the contract between us.¡± The moment Reina said that, a certain day when the two first meet flashed before their eyes. One of them was covered in blood and held a dagger in her hand as she glared at the other one who was standing in the rain, and stretching his hand towards her. ¡°Help me save my country, and I promise you that I will provide a home where you can be safe.¡± Reina said. ¡°Those were the words that you told me. You¡¯ve given me more than I could ever asked for, but I¡¯ve yet to give you anything.¡± Christi shook his head. ¡°You became my first true comrade. That¡¯s more than enough for me.¡± He replied. ¡°That¡¯s why I forbid you from dying in this war. Even if you have to drag yourself on the ground through mud, you must survive.¡± He said. ¡°If I must sacrifice a friend to save this country, I prefer to run away no matter how pathetic it seems.¡± ¡°You mustn¡¯t run away. The weight of my life doesn¡¯t compare to that of your country.¡± Reina said. ¡°I¡¯m your tool for slaughter. Until the day you¡¯ve discard me, I will continue to cut the way to the path you desire.¡± She said. Christi frowned when he heard that. However he didn¡¯t reject what she said. Reina took up a stock of papers and looked through it quickly, before taking out a couple sheets. ¡°I¡¯m going to take these down.¡± The sheets showed the profiles of several generals and nobles who all held an incredible amount of influence in their respective factions. ¡°Killing then will make it easier for your brothers, and more importantly it will lessen Rory¡¯s burdens.¡± She said. ¡°More importantly?¡± Christi suddenly smiled. ¡°So Rory¡¯s wellbeing is most important for you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a valuable asset to ensure victory that¡¯s all. It would be a problem if he gets worn out before he fought the true target.¡± Reina answered. ¡°Is that so?¡± Christi laughed. ¡°Why do you look like you don¡¯t believe me?¡± Reina asked. ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t.¡± Christi said. ¡°You don¡¯t realize it, but you always seem to be having when you¡¯re around him.¡± ¡°Huh?! What are you talking about? I always want to rip his head off.¡± ¡°True, but you don¡¯t normally feel that strongly about anyone. He¡¯s the only one. Oh, and that Amelia girl.¡± Said Christi. ¡°You¡¯re normally all business, but you smile a lot more sense you¡¯ve met them.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Nothing, really.¡± Christi picked up some stocks of paper. ¡°Since you¡¯ve picked your targets, I¡¯ll go assist Rory and Amelia. I¡¯m not okay with total strangers sticking out their necks for a country that I swore to protect.¡± He then started to walk away. ¡°If I see anyone on these sheets, I¡¯ll be sure to get rid of them.¡± ¡°Wait. Don¡¯t change the topic!¡± Reina shouted. Christi just laughed and walked away. ¡°What¡¯s with him?¡± Reina grumbled while leaving the opposite direction. Before she left she spoke. ¡°Everyone, we¡¯re moving out! I¡¯ll assign you all your targets along the way! Christi will be acting separately from us, but worry not and focus on your own tasks!¡± ¡°Yes, Boss!¡± The entirety of Boomslang then left with Reina, while Christi left in the opposite direction. When he left the base Christi started to make his way to where the war was the most intense. As he walked he recalled Reina¡¯s angry face and laughed. ¡°She really is acting more like a girl her age these days.¡± He then showed a wry smile. ¡°Looks like I placed too much pressure on her and made her the brutal assassin she is today.¡± As he walked, spoke with himself. ¡°My lord, look.¡± Liam who was watching James and his men fight, was tapped on his shoulder by one of his subordinates. He looked at where they pointed only to see his brother. ¡°Christi? He¡¯s alone in the open.¡± ¡°Will the prince be okay? Or should we help him?¡± Asked Harley Brooks. ¡°No, leave him. If he¡¯s out in the open then that means that he¡¯s truly discarded his image as the shady prince and returned to his roots.¡± Said Liam. ¡°As I thought, Reina will only continue to suppress herself if she stay by my side.¡± Christi said as he muttered to himself. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time I free her?¡± As he continued to walk, the sounds of explosive battles drowned out his voice. He was now heading towards the heart of the battles. ¡°Hey, is that?¡± ¡°The Third Prince?¡± ¡°What is that pampered prince doing out here?¡± As expected, Christi¡¯s presence drew the attention of those who were familiar with him. Especially his enemies. ¡°Your Majesty! The third prince¡¯s¡­.!¡± James men also called out and pointed Christi out. ¡°Hm?¡± James looked and saw that his brother was strolling through the battlefield like he was on a walk in the park. He was even mumbling to himself absentmindedly. ¡°Your Majesty, should I go help him?¡± Black Bull Omar came up to James and asked him. James looked at his brother for a bit before looking away, as if ignoring him. ¡°Leave him and focus on your own task.¡± James said. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°You know, if you were to ask who could threaten James¡¯s inheriting the crown most people would say me.¡± Liam said to his subordinates, while watching his little brother. ¡°I¡¯m sure that even James himself sees me as the only threat to the throne.¡± He saw that some of the enemy forces had recognized Christi and were moving to attacking him. ¡°However, James doesn¡¯t think so because he believes that Christi is no threat to him.¡± ¡°Then Liam isn¡¯t your biggest threat?¡± Black Bull asked as he smashed the head of an enemy soldier. James replied while cutting down everyone in his path. ¡°No, he is. But that isn¡¯t because Christi is harmless by himself.¡± He glanced towards his brother who had yet to spot that several enemy soldiers were moving towards him from all direction. The soldier quickly surrounded him and all lifted their weapons to kill him. ¡°Die, Third Prince!¡± Neither James nor Liam bat an eye when they saw their brother¡¯s life in danger, unlike their subordinates. As if they practiced it before hand, they spoke in unison- ¡°That¡¯s because our little brother is a natural born killer.¡± At that moment, a red anima erupted from inside of Christi¡¯s body. ¡°Huh?¡± The enemy soldiers all felt like they could see a scorpion stinger stabbing towards them. *Bam!* Suddenly all of their heads exploded like water balloons, causing them to stop in their tracks. ¡°?!¡± Everyone who saw what happened were shocked out of their minds, expect for Jame and Liam. ¡°Christi is a natural born killer, and venomous beast in human clothing.¡± Everyone could see five Scorpion tails made of red anima, dancing behind Christi as he continued to walk undisturbed. Both James and Liam smiled when they saw everyone¡¯s shocked reactions. They turn and spoke in unison once more. ¡°There¡¯s no way someone like that would want to become king.¡± Christi who was oblivious to everyone¡¯s stares clenched his fists and spoke. ¡°Alright, after this is over, I¡¯ll make Reina go with Rory and see the world. That¡¯s the least I can do to repay her.¡± 47th Night: The King & His Guard After deciding what to do after the war, Christi immediately started to fight seriously. His anima erupted and everyone around him felt like they were in a sea of needles, and any move they made would result in them getting pricked. Needlessly to say, not many of them could continue to move after feeling that. It was apparent to them that death was awaiting them if they made any careless moves. ¡°Hm?¡± Rory sensed the strange sensation and smiled. ¡°This is a nostalgic feeling. I was like that when I first met Serket.¡± He said. Not too far away he saw a giant scorpion shaped anima wrecking havoc on the battlefield. It swung its claws and swept away dozens of soldiers. These soldiers screamed out in agony as they felt their skin eroding. Those crushed under the scorpion¡¯s legs suffered the same fate. ¡°What is that?¡± Amelia asked when she saw dozens of soldiers eroding before her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s Serket¡¯s poison. That woman, believe it or not, was raised by scorpion-men. She learnt anima from them and soon became a master of their poison arts. Her wild anima is no way inferior to theirs hence she¡¯s regarded as more of a scorpion than a human.¡± Rory explained. ¡°Looks like she passed down her skills to her youngest son. Or rather, he was just so compatible with it that she had to pass them down.¡± ¡°Ahhh?!¡± People started running away from Christi after they saw how their comrades met their end. They tried shooting him, but bullets would just dissolve when they came in contact with his anima. Christi lifted his hand in front of him, and the anima surrounding him suddenly condensed in a ball the size of a baseball. Rory¡¯s eyes widen when he saw that. ¡°She thought him that too?¡± He grabbed Amelia and threw her into the air faraway from him. Immediately after Christi gripped the ball of anima and threw it. *Boom!* The ball hit a soldier in the chest and suddenly expanded while spinning and devoured him. It continued to expand until it covered around 20m. Everyone and everything that was caught in it was devoured without being able to resist. It then slowly dispersed into mist, revealing an eroded earth and melting buildings and corpse. ¡°Poison Pitch. Even when extremely weak compared to Serket¡¯s, it¡¯s pretty lethal.¡± Rory said. He watched as the mist released from the attack enter the surrounding people¡¯s body and caused them to start vomiting blood and bleeding from their eyes. They fell to the ground and started to scream in agony. Amelia who was thrown out of the way was shocked when she saw that. She immediately knew that Rory threw her so that she wouldn¡¯t inhale the mist. She shivered when she looked at Christi. ¡°That prince is very dangerous.¡± Christi deactivated his anima and approached Rory. ¡°Reina and the others are going to assassinate the significant members of the rebel army?¡± Rory asked before Christi could speak. ¡°Yeah, after that it¡¯ll be easy to clean them up.¡± Christi said with a nod. ¡°Easy huh.¡± Rory laughed. ¡°I think you guys forgot that this so called rebel army is only a bunch fodders in the church¡¯s eyes. They sent them to wear use out so that they can slaughter us with one big sweep.¡± Rory said. ¡°Let Reina and the others assassinate them, however we can¡¯t afford to wait to slaughter the enemy.¡± Rory took a something out of his pocket. It was a flare gun. Christi was confused because he didn¡¯t know what it was supposed to do. Rory lifted it over his head and fired it. *Bam!* A red light covered the sky. Everyone was confused when they saw that. ¡°A signal?¡± ¡°What for?¡± This included James and Liam. Only a few knew what it meant. ¡°Looks like its time to make our appearance.¡± Sir Allan who was standing outside the palace spoke when he saw the flare. He turned around and spoke to the person behind him. ¡°Are you ready, Your Majesty?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Are you ready, wolf?¡± Xavier stepped out of the palace dressed in black and wearing a wolf mask. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s run wild, partner!¡± He suddenly dashed forward with heavy steps which caused the earth to tremble. He quickly reached the wall that protected the palace and leaped over it. The moment he leaped over it, he landed on the roof of a nearby building. He then leaped from that building to a next one and continued to do so heading straight into battle.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Beside him, a lightning bolt was moving to keep up with his pace and agility. This bolt was Allan. The two quickly reached the battlefield in the center of the city. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s that?¡± People started to hear a booming sound that seemed to be approaching them, and turned around to look for it. The moment they did, they saw a person in a wolf mask jumping from building to building, with a lightning bolt at his side. ¡°Wha?!¡± The masked person stepped on the last building separating the battlefield. *Boom!* The building suddenly crumbled and the man disappeared. *Bam!* Suddenly an explosive sound rung out and countless soldiers were blown away with their bodies ripped into pieces. Blood and flesh splattered about as everyone had yet to comprehend what happened. They only saw the masked man, Xavier, standing in a small crater surrounded by corpses and destroyed weapons. They saw a pair of beastly eyes flashed underneath the mask, and all began to step back. ¡°For the sake of this country, all rebels must die!¡± He roared. This caused many rebel soldiers to start running for their lives. But it was useless. *Bam!* A sudden lightning bolt fell from the sky and electrocuted those trying to run away. Some of them even had their armor melted into their skins. Allan appeared next to the disguised Xavier. ¡°Sir Allan?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the king¡¯s guard.¡± Allan of course drew a lot of attention. ¡°Allan? Then the one beside him is as I thought, father.¡± Liam said while watching Allan frown at all the rebels. ¡°What do you think you people are doing? Inviting foreigners into our lands and helping them to take the country. Your king is in a dire situation and you all instead chose to rebel against him.¡± Allan looked at them coldly. ¡°In my eyes, you¡¯re all filth. Hence you all must be cleansed.¡± He lifted his hand in the air and lightning started dancing in his palm. The lightning then molded in the shape of a lance. Allan held the lance in an attacking position. ¡°Die!¡± With a thunderclap, he moved scorching the ground and instantly pierced through the group of rebel soldiers. He pierced through a building and killed soldiers on the other side. ¡°Shit! What¡¯s the church doing?!¡± ¡°Now that the king¡¯s guard is on the move, we¡¯re all dead!¡± The rebel soldiers all started to retreat. ¡°Not so fast.¡± Xavier sprung forward with an explosive step, and instantly shot passed the retreating soldiers. Once he faced them, he lifted a pair of heads that he was holding by their hair. ¡°None of you will live past today.¡± He said. His current demeanor was the total opposite of his usual one. This was evident from the way he kept silent most of the time while killing his own people. Those who knew his identity behind the mask also noticed this. Xavier lifted his fist in the air and immediately slammed it onto the ground. The ground burst apart and spears of anima rushed out of the ground and skewered the soldiers without mercy. The scene with a man with a wolf mask facing dozens of people lifted up in the air like flags while their blood drained on the ground, created a horrid image to all who witnessed it. Xavier turned his back to them and stared at the soldiers that were a bit far away from him. He then looked at his city that was burning before his eyes. ¡°I couldn¡¯t avoid this result¡­..I¡¯ve failed.¡± He said. ¡°Yes, you have.¡± That¡¯s when Rory walked up beside him. ¡°Your country is on the brink of destruction and your people are rebelling. That by any means qualifies you to be a failure of a king.¡± Rory didn¡¯t sugarcoated his words. ¡°I see, you¡¯re right.¡± Xavier said before walking towards his enemies. ¡°However, Rory. I don¡¯t feel that bad about failing. I never wanted to become king, but it was still forced upon. So me failing is like me saying ¡® I told you so¡¯.¡± ¡°What an irresponsible statement.¡± Rory said. ¡°I know, but these are my true thoughts.¡± Xavier replied. ¡°However, I am still this country¡¯s king. Despite how I feel about it, I have to act accordingly.¡± He looked back at Rory. ¡°As king I must eliminate all who threatens my country, even if it¡¯s my own people.¡± ¡°Wow, you sounded like a true king just now.¡± Rory said. ¡°You know Rory, my failure isn¡¯t solely my fault. You and the Sacred church are involved as well.¡± He gave Rory a sharp gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll forget that.¡± After he said that he moved towards the soldiers. ¡°Heh. I can see why Serket fell for him, he has balls.¡± Rory said with a laugh. Elsewhere, Allan was executing every rebel soldier he came across when he saw Xavier ran past him and head towards the enemy. Watching his departing figure an old memory flashed in his mind. ¡°Yo, are you that kid everyone¡¯s making a fuss about? The one who destroyed an entire gang over night.¡± He remember when he was a teen living in the slums when he met the then Prince Xavier. Xavier spoke to him casually while walking around in the foul waters that ran through the streets. He didn¡¯t seem to care that his expensive clothes were dirtied as he spoke to the barely conscious Allan. ¡°What¡¯s this? Looks like you took some pretty heavy hits. You¡¯re covered in bruises.¡± He stooped down and lifted the dirty Allan and lifted him over his shoulder. ¡°I know you probably can¡¯t talk, but I¡¯m carrying you back to my home. Oh, your face looks like you¡¯re asking why.¡± Xavier laughed. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve heard some interesting stories about you, and I think you can help me kill time with some stories.¡± All Allan could think of at time was what this brat was saying and if he was right in the head. He started to think of ways to rob and kill him. He was certain that he could secure some food if he sold what Xavier was wearing, even if they were dirty. However, Xavier¡¯s next words blew those thoughts out of his head. ¡°Oh, my name is Xavier Marigold by the way. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°The crazy prince?!¡± Allan sighed as he remembered his first encounter with the one who would later cause him great headache in the future. However, he soon smiled. ¡°From a street rat to the king¡¯s guard. Even now I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a blessing or curse.¡± He smiled. ¡°Either way, I just have chase after that back like I¡¯ve always done!¡± He flew up in the air and formed two giant balls of lightning before throwing them at his enemies. *Boom!* They exploded and blew everything to smithereens. Satisfied by the results, Allan started to chase after his king. Elsewhere, the leaders of the rebel force were stationed in separate locations. Even though they¡¯re technically comrades they couldn¡¯t just get along after years of planing and scheming against each other. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± A man dressed in combat clothes walked out of one of the tents that had the leaders of noble houses. He held a knife in his hand that was dripping with blood. If one was to look inside the tent, they would see that everyone in there had their throats slit without exception. This soldier walked and greeted the soldiers who were keeping watch. ¡°Boss, is it done?¡± The handsome man nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I heard that everyone else has already started to kill their targets as well. Said the man. ¡°Yes.¡± The man and the two guards then started to walk before blending into the crowd of soldiers. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± A scream was heard shortly after. It came from a servant who made the discovery that several noble lords were killed. By this time the man and the two guards had already left and were in different attires. The man, who was Reina in disguise spoke to her subordinates. ¡°Good job on earning their trust. Because of you it was easy to kill them.¡± She said. ¡°You must be joking, Boss. You could have killed them regardlessly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Those nobles know nothing about war and let their guards down. They weren¡¯t anything special.¡± The Boomslang members responded. ¡°Either way, I need to get back to Christi. You two join the others. Once everyone has completed their jobs, tell them to retreat back to the mountains and protect the citizens.¡± Reina said. ¡°And you, Boss?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and do what I can to keep Christi alive.¡± Reina said. ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°Godspeed.¡± The men instantly left, leaving Reina alone. ¡°Now then, from here on out ninjas and assassins are worthless.¡± She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s time for the beasts to play.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Amelia suddenly stopped fighting when she heard a roaring sound coming from the direction of the Sacred Church forces. When she looked she saw something flying towards her. She immediately saw that it was a laser beam. ¡°Wha?!¡± This laser beam ripped through the city walls, scorched the ground and air. Every building that came in contact was vaporized without fail, not to mention people. ¡°Shit!¡± Amelia realized that she was in the path of the laser. ¡°Calm down, Amelia.¡± *Boom!* She suddenly saw someone come in front of her, and literally kicked the laser beam into the air. It was Serket, who had Richard beside her. ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve ran out of patience.¡± Richard said to Serket, who nodded in agreement. ¡°The church is finally making their move.¡± 48th Night: Mother-Son Combo! ¡°Tsk! I missed a chance to score some affection points.¡± Rory appeared from behind Amelia and said. ¡°Affection points?¡± Amelia suddenly became angry when she realized what he meant. ¡°You were going to wait until the last second to save me?!¡± She shouted at him. ¡°Suspense Bridge Effect? Never heard of it.¡± Rory said. ¡°I never mentioned anything about it.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Rory forcibly changed the topic. ¡°Looks like they aren¡¯t going to wait to attack. They seem to want to blow this city to smithereens.¡± He said while looking at the army stationed outside the walls. ¡°Why not let them? If they do it, they can kill all the rebels for us. We just need to survive and it¡¯s all good. ¡°Don¡¯t even say that as a joke.¡± Serket said. ¡°Then how about we blow them up instead?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Not a bad idea.¡± Rory agreed. ¡°You know Rory, as painful as it is to admit, you¡¯re probably the smartest person I know. But you can be so stupid sometimes.¡± Serket said. ¡°They clearly want us to do just that, that¡¯s why they¡¯re attacking from a long distance rather than charging in. They probably have an anima suction machine or something similar.¡± She said. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°It¡¯s basically a machine that absorbs anima attacks and use them to charge up and fire back an even more powerful or concentrated attack. Like a mirror reflecting light.¡± Serket explained. ¡°There¡¯s something like that?¡± Amelia was astonished. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s really expensive and there¡¯s only a few in existence. So it isn¡¯t strange you¡¯ve never heard of it. It¡¯s mostly monopolize by the Sacred Army as well.¡± Serket answered. ¡°Huh? When was something like that built?¡± Rory asked with a confused face. ¡°What? You didn¡¯t know?¡± Serket asked. ¡°My first time hearing about it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t pay attention to the world affairs in the last century? It was used first in the battle of Barco 30 years ago.¡± ¡°Barco?¡± Rory looked even more confused. This shocked Serket. ¡°Rory, what have you been doing this last century?¡± ¡°Drinking, sleeping, party, sexing, just living my best life.¡± Rory replied. ¡°You really are an idiot.¡± Serket face-palmed and said. ¡°Anyway, warfare has evolved in the last century, so it would be foolish for you to act carelessly.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that these people can have a casual talk while the city is being bombarded by lasers.¡± Said Christi. *Boom!* Just as he said, although Serket deflected the first shot that didn¡¯t mean that the church didn¡¯t fire anymore. They were constantly bombarding the city, it was just that the lasers couldn¡¯t faze this group of monsters. Well, Amelia was just caught up in the conversation and didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Ah, man! These things are getting annoying!¡± Rory jumped in the air and started deflecting lasers back towards the church forces with kicks. *Boom!* Lasers clashed with lasers and caused massive explosions in the air. The ones he didn¡¯t deflected destroyed various sections of the city. It was like the city was being slowly leveled by them.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Wait! We¡¯re still here!¡± ¡°Your comrades are still here!¡± The rebel forces weren¡¯t spared from the lasers might. Many of them perished instantly, while some were lucky(?) and had their limbs vaporized. Leaving them wiggling in pain, wishing for death. It was like the city was on the receiving end of god¡¯s divine punishments. Seeing this Amelia remembered Rory saying to her that the church viewed everyone involved in this war as disposable tools. They never considered them comrades from the beginning. ¡°If this continues, the whole city will be destroyed. After that, they¡¯ll target the mountains where everyone¡¯s hiding.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Well, that is a problem.¡± Serket said. ¡°The goal is for them to draw us out, so why not give them what they want?¡± She said. ¡°Are you going, old hag?¡± Rory landed and asked. ¡°What? You wanna come?¡± She asked him. ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Rory answered. ¡°Serket.¡± The masked Xavier called out to his wife. ¡°You¡¯re not coming.¡± She bluntly stated. ¡°What we¡¯re about to do, requires immense natural physical prowess. Rory and I are leagues apart from all of you when it comes to that. You all rely on anima too much and can¡¯t follow us with your physical abilities alone.¡± She explained. ¡°You have a point. Alright, just be careful.¡± She nodded and then slapped Rory¡¯s back. ¡°Come on, boy. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve gotten some exercise with each other. Don¡¯t slack off.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. You better not break your hip.¡± Rory said while twining his arm. ¡°Okay, you know the drift. We destroy the machine and retreat as quickly as we can.¡± Serket entered a sprint position. ¡°I know.¡± Rory replied and did the same. ¡°Ready¡­.Go!¡± *Boom!* The two shot forward with explosive steps, even causing the spots they stood at to cracked open. You could barely track them with your eyes as they sprint towards the city walls. ¡°Damn, they¡¯re fast. Is that really just their physical strength?¡± Christi asked. ¡°Damn, I knew mother was a monster but Rory isn¡¯t losing.¡± Said James. *Boom!* *Boom!* While they ran, lasers kept being fired at the city. Rory jumped and kicked away a beam, while Serket simply dodged it and continued to run. The other beams that wasn¡¯t in their range, fired towards the others. Allan formed a lightning lance in his hand and threw it to deflect a beam, however the beam quickly devoured the lightning. Xavier then stood before it and blocked it with all of his strength. Even so he was being pushed back. It took him a while to forcibly deflect it. ¡°Damn, these are more powerful than those two make it look.¡± Xavier said. ¡°Richard, look out!¡± Amelia shouted when she saw a beam heading towards the distracted Richard. ¡°Hm?¡± Richard turned around only to see the beam only a few meters away from him. *Bam!* To everyone¡¯s shock, Richard casually slapped the beam away like it was a fly. Everyone was shocked when they saw that. ¡°Hey, Allan. I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. Who¡¯s that?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t know either?!¡± Xavier shook his head. ¡°I thought you knew.¡± The mysterious Richard just appeared out of nowhere one day, but somehow blended in so perfectly that no one questioned his identity or origins. Especially since he was a friend of the queen. Meanwhile, Rory and Serket had already made it to the city walls. They leaped over the 100ft wall with ease and landed outside the city. The moment they did, they drew the attention of every soldier in church forces. ¡°Wait a minute. Won¡¯t this make you a criminal?¡± Rory asked. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Well, I got ways to avoid that from happening so don¡¯t worry.¡± Serket responded. ¡°I see. Then, there¡¯s no need to hold back.¡± The two of them took the same martial art pose side by side. ¡°Formation?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.How about Black Rhino?¡± Serket answered. ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Rory replied. The two smiled and lowered their center of gravity before charging forward with earthshaking steps. ¡°Here they come!¡± ¡°Protect the equipment!¡± The soldiers all readied themselves to respond to their charge. Serket and Rory smirked when they saw that. The two made contact with the soldiers at the same time. *Bam!* They both jumped and kicked a soldier in the chest at the same time. ¡°Guh?!¡± Those soldiers were sent flying back with a foot shaped impression in their chests. The force they flew back with was so strong that all those behind them were blown away when they made contact with them. From above, one could see two paths being forcibly opened up in the army. ¡°Let¡¯s get ready to party!¡± Rory¡¯s roar caused the entire area to tremble and could be heard clearly from inside the city. He grabbed a soldier near him and used his head to smash the head of another soldier. He then swung his leg like a weapon and caused a soldier¡¯s body to break like a twig, before spinning around and smashed a gun to pieces. He then started to move forward, grabbing everyone he could and rip them apart. Serket was doing something similar. She avoided a gunshot to the head and ripped a soldier¡¯s head off with an uppercut. She then started sending people flying with punches. *Bam!* She clashed with a club with a headbutt and broke it, before breaking the user¡¯s neck with a single grip of her hand. ¡°N-Numbers! Use numbers to overwhelm them!¡± A commander started shouting orders. ¡°Shut up will ya?¡± *Bam!* ¡°Why don¡¯t you come fight us, huh?!¡± He was punched so hard by Rory that his head spun around like an owl¡¯s and died instantly. ¡°Weak! Weak! Weak!¡± Rory started sending people flying with kicks and punches while shouting. He was shot a couple times, but that didn¡¯t faze him in the least as those that fired at him soon perished under his attacks. ¡°You¡¯re too weak, Sacred Church!¡± He charged forwards like a bull, running over anyone in his way. ¡°S-Stop him!¡± *Bam!* At that moment, Serket started to do the same. Everyone that came in contact with her was immediately beaten to a plump without mercy. The two were like two mad bulls, no rhinos, charging through a field of sheep. ¡°Sinners! Taste our blades!¡± Two strong looking soldiers stood in their way holding two giant swords. They immediately sprung towards them swing their swords at their heads. *Bam!* They connected, which caused the men to smile triumphantly. ¡°?!¡± Over the smile left their faces when they looked at those they attacked. ¡°They caught the blades with their teeth?!¡± That¡¯s right. Both Serket and Rory stopped the blades with their teeth. The men looked in their eyes only to see a savage look. It was at that moment that they knew they fucked up. *Crunch!* Rory and Serket shattered the swords with a bite and pounced towards their attackers with their hands stretched out. They caught them by their face and looked them in their eyes and laughed. ¡°You¡¯re out of your league, boy.¡± They said together before lifting the men and slamming their heads together so hard their head burst and Rory and Serket¡¯s hands touched. The two who stood side by side turned and looked towards a giant machine with a metal panel facing the city. ¡°That¡¯s the machine?¡± Rory asked while wiping the blood from his face. ¡°Yeah. If we destroy that, then our forces can march on them without worry of their anima being reflected back at them.¡± Serket said while wiping the blood from her hand. The two seemed like demons to those around them so everyone was too scared to carelessly attack them. ¡°It¡¯s pretty far away, and is surrounded by a lots of guards. Do we have kill our way through?¡± ¡°I have a better idea.¡± She looked at Rory. ¡°When was the last time we¡¯ve played catch?¡± Rory smiled because he knew what she meant. He leaped into the air and Serket followed behind him. ¡°What are they doing?¡± The soldiers asked. They saw Serket stretch out her palm and Rory landing on it. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­!¡± They all started to figure out what they were going to do. Serket drew her arm back while still lifting Rory. ¡°Go!¡± She then threw him with so much power that there was a sonic boom. Rory cut through the air like a jet and crossed over the sea of enemies in a second. *Bam!* He crashed into the machine, no, he used the momentum from being thrown to turn his body into a weapon and destroyed it. Once the machine was destroyed, he stood up with some blood flowing down his cheeks, and threw a thumbs up. ¡°Mission accomplished.¡± 49th Night: The Church’s Counterattack! Once they destroyed the machine, both Rory and Serket started to immediately retreat. Neither of them wanted to be overwhelmed by the numbers. Their aggressive and brutal attacks were to shock the soldiers and made them weaker than they should be, but what would happen when they get over the shock? The two knew the answer and immediately retreated. There was also a eerie feeling that they¡¯ve been getting from the moment they destroyed the machine. They couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. They immediately used their anima techniques and left as fast as they came. ¡°Boss, they destroyed the machine.¡± Not too far away, a group watched everything played out with smiles on their faces. ¡°I believe they took less than five minutes, it¡¯s my win.¡± Said one of the soldiers in this group. They all wore white like everyone else, but they wore white masks with gold decorations and blue Seven point star on their clothes. These people belong to the church¡¯s dark group, Aficionado. ¡°Eleleth, do you real intend for the boss to pay you?¡± Asked one of the soldiers. ¡°Of course. We made a bet and he lost, isn¡¯t it common sense for him to pay?¡± Eleleth asked, who seemed to be a woman from her voice and figure. ¡°She¡¯s right, Harut. The boss lost, so he should pay up. You¡¯re babying him too much.¡± Said the shortest of the four. ¡°Marut, how can you say that? We should respect our boss and show leniency to a mere bet.¡± Said the biggest of the four. ¡°You mean favoritism.¡± Eleleth replied. ¡°Either way, we should do something. We just lost a very expensive tool you know.¡± Said Marut. ¡°What should we do, Boss? Should we start our counterattack?¡± He asked the one who they¡¯ve been referring to as boss over and over again. He was normal build and gave off the smallest impression of the group. ¡°Let¡¯s see, a counterattack now would do good.¡± He said. ¡°Where is the priest that control the church here? Timothy was it?¡± He asked. ¡°He¡¯s on stand by with Dex.¡± Answered the big Harut. ¡°I remember he said that he had a secret weapon. I believe he was referring to a survivor of the Ultimate Believer project, right?¡± Eleleth nodded. ¡°He¡¯s pretty strange, but he¡¯s very powerful.¡± She said. ¡°Good, tell them to get ready.¡± Said the boss. ¡°We¡¯re using them?¡± Marut asked with an amused tone. ¡°Of course. No one eats for free, everyone has to work. That includes us too.¡± The boss then relayed an order. ¡°March forward and cleanse this world of the two who just slaughtered our god¡¯s children!¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Dumah!¡± The army responded to their leader, to Dumah¡¯s command. And it was like this, the Sacred church truly started to move. ¡°Oh, boss. I still want my money though.¡± Eleleth said with a laugh. Serket and Rory had quickly returned to the city. Once they returned they received the praises of those who watched them fight. ¡°That was amazing!¡± Said Amelia. ¡°You guys were unstoppable.¡± Said Christi. Despite being praised, the two didn¡¯t show any signs of pride or even arrogance. All that could be seen on their faces were caution. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± Rory said. As if to respond to his suspicions, the beating of a drum suddenly resounded. *Bam!* The number of beating drums suddenly started to increase by the second. The two recognized these as war drums. ¡°They¡¯re going to attack, with no hesitation at all?¡± Everyone thought that the army would panic after losing their precious machine, but instead of panic they were charging towards their enemy not long after. ¡°Was this influence by rage? If so, then we¡¯re fine. If not, we might¡¯ve underestimate the one leading them.¡± Said Serket. At that moment, the ground started shaking. Rory checked the cause with his Sensor and frowned. ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡± The moment he said that, the sky was filled with people carrying all kinds of weapons. ¡°They have a squad that consist of people with Flying Type Animus.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Everyone then saw a group of soldiers lifting cannons while flying in the air. These cannons needed several people to man, and possessed unbelievable firepower. Of course, they all had people manning them, while being lifted into the air with the cannons. ¡°Take cover!¡± As if that shout was a signal, the people with the machine guns started raining bullets down on the city. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the cannons also started firing at the city. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* The city was immediately set ablaze by the flames from the Cannon fire, while soldiers were mowed down by bullets by the hundreds. It was like hell on earth. ¡°Fuck!¡± Xavier and the others immediately started to scatter to avoid the gunfire. At the same time, the soldiers on the ground started to invade the city while firing their own weapons at city¡¯s forces. They were being attacked from air and ground. The death toll immediately skyrocketed. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± That¡¯s when the laughing voice could be heard coming from within the hell that was once the city. ¡°Roar!¡± Suddenly a gigantic 8-headed black dragon rose from the flames with Rory standing on it. ¡°This is how it should be Sacred Church!¡± Rory waved his hand and the dragon began spitting black flames and lightning at those in the sky. *Bam!* Dozens of people were turned into ash, while dozens more fell out of the sky screaming in agony. ¡°Let¡¯s see which one of us will survive this time!¡± He jumped in the air and swung his fist to the side. *Bam!* Suddenly it was like he hit an invisible wall as shockwaves could been seen in the air. *Bam!* An instant later, everything that was in the direction he swung his hand, started emitting cracking sounds. Weapons broke apart, while persons¡¯ bodies began moving stiffly before being forcibly bent out off shape, which shouldn¡¯t have been possible for the human body. Whether it be weapons or people, they all fell broken from the sky. ¡°Did he just transferred a Quake Fist through the air itself and hit his opponents with a power rivaling an earthquake?¡± Reina who had just arrived after racing over, was shocked out of her mind after seeing what Rory did. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such high level Anima control in my life.¡± Even Xavier was impressed. ¡°Roar!¡± Rory¡¯s Black Orochi continued to caused destruction to the church forces. One started to wonder if he could fight the war by himself. ¡°That idiot!¡± Serket on the other hand wasn¡¯t pleased with Rory¡¯s performance. ¡°He¡¯s so caught up in battle that he forgot that he can¡¯t control himself that well!¡± She wanted to do something, but before she could she felt a strong gaze on her body. ¡°Who?!¡± She turned around and saw a group of masked people walking into the city. She immediately recognized their uniform. ¡°The Aficionado?¡± She then squinted her eyes as if to get a better look at them. ¡°?!¡± She was immediately shocked when she sensed a strong holy power residing in all four of them. ¡°Sacred Kin?!¡± As if they heard her voice, they all looked in her direction. Even though they were behind masks, she felt like they were all smiling at her. ¡°For the Aficionado to send Sacred Kin to the front lines, that means that they really came with the intention of destroying Rory and this kingdom.¡± She said. ¡°The one at the front seems extremely dangerous. He must be the one leading this crusade.¡± She said while look at Dumah, who lifted his hand into the air. *Rumble!* The entire city then started to shake as it was covered by an invisible pressure. ¡°Wha?!¡± Everyone who felt it were shocked beyond their minds. It felt like a god had descended upon the earth. ¡°Hm?¡± Rory frowned when he felt like his body was being pressured. He looked down and immediately spotted the Aficionado members. He stared specifically at Dumah. ¡°This is Heavenly Suppression, a high level Sacred Anima technique. If I remember correctly, all in a certain distance will feel natural fear and reverence towards the user. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve last seen it being used.¡± He nodded as if understanding something. ¡°So a Seraph has grace us with his presence. No, maybe he¡¯s a Cherub from the level his Heavenly Suppression is at?¡± He said as if he wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Either way, he¡¯s a part of the heavenly order.¡± While Rory was talking to himself, he felt like the area had suddenly became hotter. He looked up and his eyes widened when he did. He saw a pillar of fire descending from the sky at an alarming rate. The pillar was so big that it looked like it could devoured a football field. ¡°This bastard! He¡¯s trying to destroy the city in one go!¡± Rory shouted. In an instant, he was face to face with flames. He immediately controlled his Black Orochi to intercept it. *Bam!* The Black Orochi clashed head on with the flames and caused an explosive sound to ring out in the air. Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the battle in the air. Before their eyes, the Black Orochi started to crumble as if it couldn¡¯t handle the immense power of the flames. *Bam!* And then it suddenly collapsed and the flames hit Rory head on. It immediately forced him out of the air and he crashed into the ground. The flames suddenly spread like tidal waves once they hit the ground devouring countless people and buildings, completely destroying them. This time the city really looked like a sea of flames. *Bam!* Suddenly a gigantic scorpion emerge from the sea of flames. This scorpion was maybe from red Wild Anima. This scorpion contained the entirety of the army of the royal faction. Even people from the rebel army were in it. This scorpion was obviously made by Serket. Everyone was surprised to be alive after seeing the flames surrounding them. They once again recognized the power of the queen. ¡°Richard!¡± At Serket¡¯s shout, Richard appeared standing on the sea of flames completely unaffected. ¡°You called, Madam?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Get rid of this fire and those rude bastards by extension!¡± Serket shouted. It was obvious that she was angry. ¡°As you wish.¡± As he was about to carry out Serket¡¯s order, Richard¡¯s arm was grabbed by a hand. This hand came from underneath the flames he was standing on. Before long someone crawled out of the flames like it was water and stand on it like it was earth. This person was Rory who¡¯s entire body was on fire. ¡°Ha..Ha¡­hahaha.¡± He then slowly started to laugh. It was a low but eerie laugh. Whoever heard it felt like it came from the pits of hell. After a while he finally stopped laughing. He then looked at the masked Aficionado members and smiled. ¡°Fire huh? I can guess that to you fire burns away contamination.¡± He lifted his hand in front of him. He clenched his fist and in an instant the sea of flames was extinguished. Even so, Rory¡¯s body was still in fire. ¡°Any evil hit by that flame will be burnt until they¡¯ve been cleansed.¡± Dumah suddenly said, as if he wanted to explain why Rory¡¯s body was still burning. ¡°Thanks for the info.¡± Rory showed a bright smile. ¡°Here¡¯s a show of gratitude.¡± *Bam!* The ground under Rory cracked open and dark anima started flowing out of his body in waves. Everyone around him felt like they were being slowly dragged to darkest pits of hell. Even the Aficionado reacted with shock after witnessing the sinister anima. ¡°What the hell? The Devil King is supposed to be human right? Then why does his dark anima rivals that of a Night Kin.¡± Asked Eleleth. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like a Night Kin, and we couldn¡¯t sense any darkness that a Night Kin had before this¡­.So he should be human?¡± Not even Marut was sure if what he said was right. All they knew was that Rory¡¯s anima wasn¡¯t something a human should be able to produce. The entire ordeal confused them. ¡°He¡¯s coming.¡± Dumah alerted his comrades when he saw Rory take a step forward. The ground underneath him started to dry up like it was dying. In fact, everything around him looked like they were having their life sucked out them. ¡°All of you will die!¡± Rory spoke with a coarse voice and bloodshot eyes, before leaping forward. ¡°Calm down!¡± *Bam!* However, he couldn¡¯t reach the targets of his fury. Serket intercepted him and slammed her fist on his face. His entire upper body was immediately buried underground. This action came as a shock to everyone, whether friend or foe. ¡°You idiot! Are you planning on destroying everything and then yourself in a fit of rage?!¡± She shouted at Rory. However, she didn¡¯t receive an answer because Rory was no longer conscious. Even his anima disappeared. She dragged him from underground by his leg and threw him towards Richard. ¡°Take care of him. It¡¯s your job to begin with, so stop neglecting it.¡± She said angrily. Richard nodded and then brought Rory away. Seeing that Serket faced the church forces. ¡®Rory completely lost control of himself back there. If he had pushed a bit further then he would revert to the him of the past.¡¯ As Serket thought that, she remembered the cold, emotionless eyes of a young boy who held everything in contempt. Things like compassion, ideals, and morals meant nothing to that boy. He was truly a heartless monster of child. ¡®Once he was done killing the church army, he would mostly like turn his attention to his allies and start killing them too.¡¯ Serket clicked her tongue in irritation. ¡°Even after a century, I¡¯m still babysitting him. Also, taking him out will weaken our forces.¡± She then made a decision and clenched her fists. ¡°Guess I have no choice but to fight in his stead. I¡¯ll have to trouble that person if they can vouch for me with Sacred Army if things go south.¡± She then spoke so that those behind her could hear. ¡°Although I can¡¯t push it too far or the Sacred Army will come looking for me if I killed Sacred Kin, I¡¯ll help you guys.¡± She turned and faced everyone else. ¡°Time to win back your country!¡± 50th Night: Richard’s Bet After they saw that the monster that was Rory was removed, the members of the church forces all sigh in relief. However, they soon started to feel a sense of dread again. That was because they may have gotten rid of one monster, but a bigger monster remained. It was the monster who took down the terrifying Rory, Serket. ¡°Who is that woman?¡± Eleleth asked. ¡°She has a similar feeling to the Scorpion-men. She also seem to be able to use their anima style.¡± Said Marut. ¡°The Scorpion Queen.¡± Dumah suddenly said. ¡°?!¡± The rest of the Aficionado were shocked when they heard that. ¡°You mean the comrade of the Human Sovereign? That¡¯s her?¡± Harut asked. Dumah nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not well known, but it¡¯s believed that she¡¯s the overseer of Pandemonium, and the guardian of the Devil King.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s quite the resume.¡± Said Eleleth. Dumah suddenly stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll take her on. You guys continue to lead our forces.¡± He placed his hand on his mask and took it off in front of everyone. He had a face that could only be described as heavenly. He had pale blue hair, and eyes which looked like it was made from the purest glass fragments. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Serket looked at him in silence. ¡®This guy will be trouble. He¡¯s not someone who can defeat me, but he¡¯s not someone I can capture alive either.¡¯ She thought. She looked into his pale blue eyes, which looked like nothing could cause it to waver. ¡®This guy, he¡¯s a part of the Heavenly Order as well as a member of the Aficionado, meaning that his faith and determination is abnormal. I will have to kill him if I want to stop him. However, that would give the Sacred Army a reason to kill me. Yet, if I leave him alone he might slaughter most of our forces.¡¯ She smiled. ¡°Looks like I have no choice.¡± She suddenly appeared in front of Dumah. ¡°I¡¯ll need you to leave this war immediately!¡± *Bam!* She slammed her palm on his chest. ¡°¡­..?!¡± Dumah¡¯s face was instantly covered in shock. Serket¡¯s anima immediately started invading his body. ¡°Animus: Scorpion Lock!¡± *Clang!* The sound of metal colliding came from Dumah¡¯s chest. He looked and the image of a scorpion design lock appeared there. Chains suddenly started rushing forth from the lock and wrapped themselves around Dumah. ¡°Boss!¡± The other Aficionado members started rushing towards him. At that moment, Xavier intercepted them and blocked their path. ¡°I¡¯ll have you stay away from my queen!¡± He stomped the ground and pillars of metal erupted out of it, and formed a cage around them. ¡°Go!¡± Serket smiled at her husband and quickly grabbed Dumah and leaped into the hair. In a second, she was already gone. ¡°You little!¡± Harut destroyed the wall with a fist and charged forward. ¡°Give the boss back!¡± Harut roared. ¡°No can do!¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Xavier swung his fists with all of strength behind it. *Bam!* Harut blocked it with his hand, but he was blown back a little. ¡°None of you will past!¡± Xavier shouted. ¡®This is bad. Mother used the Scorpion Lock, now not only did she sealed that Aficionado member, she also did the same to herself. That¡¯s the double sided power of her animus.¡¯ Christi thought. As the one who inherited his mother¡¯s techniques, he had a good idea of his mother¡¯s ability. Serket has many animus for various situations, she also possess a seal technique, the Scorpion Lock. This technique is really a double edge sword, but it is a very powerful sealing technique. ¡®She must¡¯ve determined that their leader wasn¡¯t someone who could be taken alive¡­¡­Father, knew her situation and gave her an opportunity to escape.¡¯ Liam thought. ¡°That¡¯s good and everything, but now we lost both our strongest fighters. That¡¯s why father step forward.¡± He sighed. ¡°We were already greatly outnumbered too.¡± A serious look appeared in his eyes. ¡°Looks like its time we get involve.¡± He turned around and looked at those around him. Because they were shielded from Dumah¡¯s flames by Serket, everyone who belonged to the royal faction was together. However, Liam didn¡¯t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. ¡°You bastards!¡± Harut roared and started approaching Xavier and the others. The pressure he gave off made them all feel like they were being crushed under an invisible foot. ¡°Calm down, Harut.¡± At that point, Marut stood in front of him and blocked him. ¡°The boss will be fine. You should know his power already. If we wait, he¡¯ll make his way back to us.¡± He said. ¡°There¡¯s no need to charge at them recklessly. Look!¡± Marut turned around looked at Xavier. ¡°Even someone as insignificant as this is enough to hold you back. This is all because you lost yourself in your emotions.¡± ¡°Insignificant?¡± Xavier smirked with an angry glare behind his mask. ¡°Your brother is right, Harut.¡± Eleleth stepped forward and said. She then placed her hand on her mask and took it off. ¡°These people isn¡¯t worth you getting worked up over.¡± She said. Her face was graceful as it was beautiful. She also had pale blue hair and eyes, and a beauty mark near her bottom lip. ¡°They¡¯re just lambs ready for slaughter.¡± She displayed a mischievous smile. Harut and Marut also removed their masks. Just like Dumah and Eleleth, they had pale blue hair and eyes. This was the trademark characteristic of the Sacred Kin. ¡°This is bad.¡± Amelia gripped her sword tightly as she stared at the Sacred trio. ¡°These three are incredibly strong.¡± She muttered. ¡°This is really bad.¡± Liam mumbled while looking at his comrades. They all looked scared stiff, and looked like they wanted to run. ¡®Well, them wanting to run isn¡¯t surprising. Other than these three, there¡¯s an entire army behind them ready to sweep us away in an instant.¡¯ He clicked his tongue. ¡°This couldn¡¯t be any worst.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°?!¡± Liam quickly turned to his side when he heard a voice he didn¡¯t expect to hear. ¡°Richard?¡± He saw Richard standing beside him with a smile. ¡°Hm?¡± The Aficionado also noticed his return. ¡°That guy, didn¡¯t he leave with the Devil King?¡± Richard started walking past everyone and headed towards them. They continued watching him until he stood in front of them. ¡°What¡¯s up with this guy?¡± Eleleth asked. ¡°Alright, it looks like your good enough.¡± Richard suddenly said. He then turned around and looked at Amelia and Reina, before smiling. He then turned back around and looked at the Aficionado members. ¡°How about a bet?¡± He asked. ¡°Huh? A bet?¡± Richard nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a simple bet. I¡¯m betting that the four of you will died at the hands of the group behind me.¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Eleleth suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°Are you right in the head? Them beat us? And what¡¯s this about a bet?¡± ¡°If you win then you can crush this country as you please.¡± Richard ignored her and said. ¡°Such nonsense!¡± Harut stood in front of him as if trying to intimidate him. ¡°We were going to cleanse this heretic country anyway. Why are you acting like this is all up to you?¡± He asked. ¡°What? You¡¯re unsatisfied?¡± Richard however seemed unfazed by his pressure. He lifted a finger. ¡°Then how about I throw in Rory¡¯s location as well?¡± ¡°?!¡± His words shocked everyone there. He ignored them and continued. ¡°Rory is currently incapacitated. Even a child can kill him as the way he is. Isn¡¯t this the perfect chance to get rid of an enemy?¡± ¡°What are you saying?!¡± Amelia got flustered and shouted. ¡°Are you selling Rory out?!¡± ¡°Me? Whether he end up in their hands is up to all of you.¡± Richard said without looking at her. ¡°If you lose, he dies. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Amelia looked furious. ¡°Hey. What makes you think that you that we¡¯ll just agree to such a bet when we have the advantage?¡± Marut asked. ¡°We can easily destroy this country as it is now. As for the Devil King¡¯s location, we can just beat it out of you.¡± He said. ¡°Advantage?¡± Richard suddenly looked confused. ¡°Since when did you have the advantage?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The trio looked at each other confused. ¡°?!¡± When they looked in front of them again, Richard was gone. He had moved away from them without them noticing. *BOOM!* They heard a loud explosion behind them and quickly turned around. ¡°?!¡± They were once again shocked. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± They saw countless corpses laying in a crater. Richard was seen standing at the edge of that crater. The soldiers all looked frightened as they stared at him. This alone was proof that he had killed their comrades. ¡°What did he do?¡± Eleleth asked in shock. ¡°By advantage, were you perhaps taking about numbers?¡± Richard looked at the trio and asked. ¡°If so, I can easily cut it down to make things even if you want.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Everyone was silent in response to his words. They all felt like he wasn¡¯t bluffing. He could really even out the numbers if he wished. ¡°This guy is extremely dangerous.¡± They all thought. ¡°So, what will you do?¡± He asked. ¡°¡­.Fine. We agree to the bet.¡± Marut said. ¡°But first tell us what you get if we lose.¡± ¡°Your lives.¡± Richard instantly answered with a smile. ¡°If you lose you die. It¡¯s simple.¡± He said. ¡°I see. Then it¡¯s no different that what we originally wanted.¡± Marut turned around and faced royal faction. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you people can do.¡± ¡°Wait. He said four of us, didn¡¯t he?¡± Eleleth said. ¡°Who¡¯s the fourth?¡± *Swoosh!* At that moment it felt like a blizzard appeared out of nowhere, as strong winds blew and the temperature started to fall rapidly. Snow and wind started concentrating between the church forces and the royal faction. They quickly took the form of a human that could only be described as cold. ¡°Oh?¡± Marut smiled when he saw who it was. ¡°You¡¯re late, Eis.¡± He said. Eis looked at everyone with a warm smile despite his cold presences. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late.¡± He looked at the royal faction and spoke. ¡°Who do I kill?¡± 51st Night: The Battle Begins! ¡°Father, is it really alright letting him go?¡± On the outskirts of the city, Dex and Timothy stood and looked towards the capital. ¡°That guy is powerful, but he¡¯s a little¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lord Dex. I¡¯m perfectly aware that Eis isn¡¯t of stable mind.¡± Timothy smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why his involvement will throw everything out of whack.¡± In the city, Eis stood between the two sides which were facing each other. He had an innocent smile on his face, as he looked towards the Aficionado members. ¡°So he¡¯s the fourth?¡± ¡°His anima is as cold as always.¡± ¡°This could work.¡± The trio spoke one after the other while sizing Eis up. ¡°I was told that I must kill some people going against the Sacred God. Where are they?¡± Eis asked. ¡®What a stupid question. It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re behind you.¡¯ Marut thought to himself. Even so, he lifted his hand and pointed. ¡°It¡¯s them. Kill as many as you can.¡± He said. Eis looked at Amelia and the others. ¡°So this many people defy our god?¡± He spoke with a blank face. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. You all must learn to love god, otherwise he won¡¯t love you.¡± He then swung his arm towards them. A large iceberg appeared out of thin air and rushed towards them. *Bam!* This iceberg was hit with a strong burst of flames which caused it to evaporate instantly and cause fog to cover the battlefield. ¡°Hm?¡± That moment a sword pierced out of the fog appeared inches away from Eis¡¯s head. However, the sword was stopped by a wall of ice. ¡°Ignite!¡± Suddenly, the sword released a burst of flames which destroyed the ice. The sword then resumed its path towards Eis¡¯s head with Amelia behind it. ¡°Looks like you refuse my punishment.¡± Eis reached out and grabbed the tip of Amelia¡¯s sword. To her surprise, she couldn¡¯t budge any further. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then a more severe punishment is in order.¡± *Crackle!* Amelia heard a strange sound and looked at her sword. ¡°?!¡± Her sword was being frozen before her very eyes. She immediately let it go, but the sense of danger didn¡¯t leave her. *Clang!* It was at that moment that a chain wrapped around her and pulled her back. While she was being pulled back, she looked and saw the spot she was standing at covered with ice. Even her sword looked like it was made of ice instead of metal. ¡°That was close. You almost died back there.¡± Said Reina. She was the one who pulled Amelia out of danger with her chain. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have recklessly charge in. Can¡¯t you tell?¡± Reina looked at Eis as she scolded Amelia. ¡°That guy is a monster.¡± She said. ¡°Hm? She escaped divine punishment again?¡± Eis let go of the frozen sword and let it fall to the ground. The moment it did, the sword broke into pieces like it was made of glass.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. A chill ran down Amelia¡¯s spine when she saw that. ¡°Wow, he has skills.¡± Said Eleleth. She looked back at Richard who seemed to be enjoying the show. ¡°Question.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Richard responded. ¡°Do we have to kill everyone to win the bet?¡± Eleleth asked. Richard shook his head. ¡°Just the main cast. The background characters aren¡¯t really important.¡± He answered. ¡°In other words, we just need to kill the big guns?¡± Eleleth asked. ¡°Correct.¡± Richard replied. ¡°That works out better for me. Now I don¡¯t have to waste my time on the bugs and instead can focus on the rodents.¡± Harut said while eyeing Xavier. ¡°Then lets divide up the work.¡± Marut stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll kill them all.¡± After saying that he rushed towards his first target, James. ¡°Bring it!¡± James lifted his sword and rushed towards him as well. ¡°Idiot!¡± Marut smiled and lifted his arm in front of him. His palms started to glow. ¡°Die!¡± A white anima blast was shot from his palms and headed towards James. James saw it, and decided to cut it with his sword since he didn¡¯t believe he could dodge it. *Bam!* The sword and blast clashed and caused an explosion. James was seen flying back with his clothes in tatters. ¡°Whew~. I thought that would kill him. He has a little skill after all.¡± Marut said with a calm tone. James on the other hand was shaking from head to toe. ¡®I stopped it, but how could such a weak looking anima blast have that much power?¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡°Once more.¡± Marut rushed towards him again and fired another anima blast. James releases his anima and poured it into his sword and was about to swing. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± However, he suddenly stopped and instead avoided it with all he could. ¡°Hm? He avoided it. I thought that he was the confrontational type. I might be wrong.¡± Marut said. James quickly rushed over to Liam. ¡°What is it? Why did you use Brooks¡¯ animus to call me over?¡± James asked. ¡°Brother, how about a truce?¡± Liam asked. ¡°You should¡¯ve realized that the enemy is strong and was only playing with you. If he wanted to, he could¡¯ve killed you with the first attack.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think he was bragging when he said he would kill us himself.¡± James said. ¡°Fine, we¡¯re all screwed anyway.¡± James agreed. ¡°Good. Now I can consider you my comrade.¡± Liam said. ¡°Now my animus can affect you too.¡± He said. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re scheming something.¡± Eleleth approached Marut and said. ¡°Why won¡¯t you attack them?¡± She asked. ¡°The same reason why you and Harut haven¡¯t.¡± Marut looked in a certain direction. ¡°I can feel the Scorpion Queen¡¯s gaze locked on me. Her killing intent is making me nervous.¡± He said. *Bam!* They heard an explosive sound and looked to their side. There they saw Eis attacking Amelia and Reina. He created giant spikes of ice and sent them flying at the two, who maneuvered out of the way to attack him. However, whenever they got close to him, they were assaulted by the cold and their movements would slow down. Seining that, Eis waved his hand and countless ice arrows fired at them. The two had to retreat and avoid the arrows at the same time. They of course couldn¡¯t avoid them all, and got hit a few times. They stood far away from Eis breathing heavily. Eis on the other hand, haven¡¯t moved an inch from where he stood in their entire exchange. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t he impressive. He¡¯s able to shake off that monster¡¯s killing intent and attack with a clear mind.¡± Eleleth said. ¡°I guess we should do the same.¡± She jumped in the air and aimed a kick at where Liam and James were. ¡°Marut, I¡¯ll be taking your prey!¡± Her foot started flowing with Sacred anima, which caused those in its path to feel like they were destined to be trampled. ¡°?!¡± *Bam!* However, Eleleth was hit from the side and had to change her course. She landed away from the princes and looked at her attacker. ¡°My brothers seem to have already chosen their opponent, so allow me to do the same.¡± Christi said as he walked towards Eleleth. ¡®This kid¡­.He feels similar to the Scorpion Queen.¡¯ Eleleth thought while sizing him up. ¡°Greetings Sacred Church. I¡¯m Christi, your former puppet.¡± After he said that, his body released a venomous Wild Anima. ¡°Is that so?¡± Seeing that, Eleleth smiled and lifted one leg slightly in the air and took a fighting pose. ¡°Then allow me to cut your strings so that you never move again.¡± ¡°Looks like everyone is choosing their opponents.¡± Harut said to Xavier. ¡°Then let¡¯s get this started, Rodent.¡± He said. ¡°I know you see this wolf mask. Allow me to show you how ferocious we are!¡± Xavier pounced towards Harut with his fists clenched. ¡°Bring it!¡± Harut rushed towards him with his entirely body glowing with Sacred Anima. The two quickly stood in front of the other and threw their fists. *Bam!* Shockwaves spread out and blew away their surroundings. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Loud sounds resounded as they slugged each other with neither backing down. However, it wasn¡¯t an equal fight. ¡°Ugh!¡± Xavier was taking far more hits than his opponent; and every hit felt like it could end him. ¡°Ahhh!¡± He roared and hit Harut with an uppercut. ¡°Is that all you got?¡± *Bam!* Harut hit him across the face and sent him flying. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Allan quickly got behind him and caught him. ¡°Do you realize your place, Rodent?¡± Harut looked at Xavier and said. ¡°You bastard!¡± Electric sparks started emitting from Allan¡¯s body in his rage. ¡°Oh? Do you want to fight?¡± Harut started approaching the two. ¡°B-Bring it¡­¡± Xavier struggled out of Allan¡¯s grasp and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll smash that ugly face of yours!¡± Allan stood next to him and took a fighting position. Harut frowned. ¡°Rodents really to love to group up together.¡± He said. Meanwhile Reina and Amelia still couldn¡¯t reach Eis and could only try to attack him from a far. The cold wind around Eis would immediately weaken or extinguished Amelia¡¯s flames, thus rendering her attacks useless. He also had a strong ice wall around him as well creating countless projectiles to fire at them. He looked at peace while doing all this. ¡°Tch. I don¡¯t want to admit it, but he¡¯s just toying with us.¡± Reina said. ¡°I have a proposal. We¡¯ve been attacking separately and it¡¯s not getting anywhere, so how about we attack together?¡± She asked. ¡°Tsk! The very idea instantly made me sick to the stomach.¡± Amelia said. ¡°That makes two of us.¡± Reina said. ¡°I don¡¯t like you, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Too much is on the line.¡± Amelia glanced at Richard as she spoke. She then looked back at Eis and stood side by side with Reina. ¡°Let¡¯s go, lizard.¡± ¡°Hmph. Don¡¯t fall behind, you stupid cat!¡± 52nd Night: Sacrifice & Rage While Amelia and the others were engaged in battle with the Aficionado, Serket who had removed their leader from the battle was now leaning on a wall looking at the captured Dumah. ¡°Scorpion Queen, you do realize that what you¡¯re doing is punishable by death, right?¡± Dumah asked calmly. ¡°Of course, I also know that it¡¯s enough for the Sacred Church to consider me their enemy.¡± Serket replied. ¡°And yet, you still do it. Is it for your new family or your old?¡± Dumah asked. ¡°Why should I answer that? Just sit here until everything is over.¡± Serket replied. Dumah shook his head. ¡°You surely don¡¯t believe that your family can defeat us. After all, those three are decently ranked members in the church forces. One alone would be enough to lead this crusade. They¡¯re pretty strong.¡± ¡°Just as you have confidence in them, I have confidence in my own people.¡± Serket replied. ¡°Then, do you have confidence in your technique?¡± Dumah asked while indicating the chains wrapped around him. ¡°Do you believe that you can keep me immobile forever? It would¡¯ve been better if you had killed me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not rare for someone to ask for death when facing one of my techniques, but it¡¯s the first that one have done so with a calm expression.¡± Serket said. ¡°You people from the Heavenly Powers really are freaks. You don¡¯t even fear death.¡± ¡°Death is just a form of relief. Why should it be feared?¡± Dumah replied. ¡°But we¡¯re not the only one who don¡¯t fear death. You¡¯re quite bold yourself, calling a sinner like the Devil King your son.¡± He said. ¡°I heard that the Devil King fought the current Beast Emperor of Draconic Race, Zahak, before he became an emperor a century ago. It¡¯s quite natural that he would sustain serious wounds from meeting such an entity, but it looks like he¡¯s a walking time bomb now that he can¡¯t control himself.¡± Dumah smiled. ¡°If you were smart, it would be better to kill him before it¡¯s too late.¡± *Bam!* Dumah was suddenly kicked in the face so hard that he was sent flying through a couple buildings that were barely standing. He bounced off the ground a couple times before stopping at someone¡¯s foot. He looked up and saw Serket looking down at him coldly. She stepped on his face and spoke to him with a chilling tone. ¡°No matter what he becomes, I will never kill my own child. I also won¡¯t tolerate anyone telling me to do so.¡± She started to put some weight under her step. *Crack!* The ground under him started to have cracks in them. ¡°Is that so? My apologies.¡± Dumah said with a calm tone. ¡°Tsk.¡± Serket clicked her tongue and took her foot off him. She then threw him to the side like he was garbage and then walked away to sit in a corner. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Dumah quietly lay on his face and didn¡¯t say another word to her. Unnoticed by Serket, he showed a mischievous smile. Meanwhile, the intense battles between the Aficionado members and the royal faction had started. The combine forces of the first and the second prince was facing off against Marut. The one who served as the vanguard was James, while he was being backed up by the Brooks Sisters and Black Bull. Liam was stationed in the back observing the situation and giving out instructions. James rushed towards Marut, who easily deflected his sword with his palms. He stepped in and swung his sword with all of his strength, however Marut was agile and was able to jump over it. *Bam!* That¡¯s when something extremely heavy slammed into him and forced him out of the air. He looked and saw that it was Emily Brooks. ¡®Heavy!¡¯ He shouted as he was forced into the ground. He was able to stop her and was getting ready to strike her. However, he sound saw someone moved and grabbed her in a flash. His eyes was able to see clearly that it was Harley Brooks. ¡°Hm?¡± *Bam!* A black demonic bull smashed into him immediately after his attention was drawn by the sisters escaping.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Oh? That was a decent effort.¡± Marut said, after instantly blocking Omar¡¯s strike. ¡°However¡­.¡± He quickly circled around to Omar¡¯s back and placed his palm on his spine. ¡°Decent will only get you a Nice Try.¡± *Bam!* ¡°?¡± At that moment, Marut had released a blast of anima, but Omar¡¯s back didn¡¯t burst open as he expected it to. He looked and saw that there was a thick layer of anima protecting Omar. This anima however, didn¡¯t belong to Omar. He turned around and saw Liam stretching out his hand. It was obvious that this was his doing. *Bam!* Being distracted again, Omar was able to attack him with the Black Bull which forced him back and into the path of James¡¯s sword. ¡°Tsk.¡± He swung his hand up in a chop and blocked James¡¯s attack. At that moment, Omar and the Brooks Sisters attacked him from behind and the sides. ¡°Annoying!¡± He lifted his foot and fired lightning speed kicks attack them and sent them flying. ¡°Tsk!¡± He clicked his tongue again when he saw that they were shielded by Liam¡¯s anima again, so the damage they received was minimal. ¡°You annoying pest!¡± Marut shouted and blew James away and charged towards Liam.He saw Liam lifted his hand in the air. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* At that moment, Marut was assaulted by a bombard of Cannon fire. This came from Brooks and his men who were station further back. ¡°Damn it!¡± The cannon fire was blocked by Marut quickly covering his body with Sacred Anima and crossing his arms in front of him. His body was being moved back inch by inch, but he barely took any damage. ¡°You pest!¡± He roared and started to advance towards Liam, step by step, while enduring the cannons. When he reached relatively close, he saw Liam dropped his arm. Immediately after the cannon fire ceased. ¡®As I thought, they¡¯ll have to stop if I¡¯m too close to their commander.¡¯ Marut thought. ¡°Now you¡¯re mine!¡± He focused part of the anima he was using to defend himself to his feet and shot towards Liam in a flash. He arrived in arms reach of him and smiled victoriously. That¡¯s when he saw Liam smiled back at him. *Boom!* Marut heard a cannon firing and was immediately hit with something extremely heavy and too huge to be ammo. He was able to get a quick look, and saw that it was Emily. ¡°Wha?!¡± That was all he could shout before being blown away. *Bam!* He was sent flying hundreds of meters away, cutting through the air like an arrow. After a few seconds his body momentum finally started to decrease and he bounced off the ground and even crashing through several structures. He finally stopped after being forced all the way back to the city walls. ¡°¡­¡­¡± He laid out on the ground motionless with blood seeping from his body. However, he was still conscious. ¡®What the hell just happened?¡¯ He asked himself. He then remembered Liam¡¯s face. ¡°That bastard¡­.!¡± He immediately realized that Liam was the one that caused someone like him to suffer this much. If it wasn¡¯t for him shielding everyone with thick anima, he could¡¯ve easily killed those he hit. ¡®I¡¯m sure that he¡¯s the one who¡¯s telling them how to attack me.¡¯ He concluded. However the biggest surprise was when he used the army to attack Marut. The rules Richard set was that they didn¡¯t need to kill everyone just the main players, but he never said that you couldn¡¯t use your pawns to attack. Liam obviously realized this and took advantage of it. However, even that was a diversion. The real attack was Emily. ¡°That girl animus makes her heavy, I figured that out when fighting her, but could there be more to it. Otherwise, she couldn¡¯t survive being fired from a cannon.¡± He suddenly realized something. ¡°Could it be that her animus also grants her high defensive abilities? It¡¯s true I never got a clean hit on her, so I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± He then realized that Liam purposely showcased his ability to deploy anima shields on others to prevent Marut from finding out about Emily¡¯s defensive abilities. But to actually fire her from a cannon¡­. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± He sat up and slowly got to his feet. Blood flowed from his wounds and fell to the ground as he did so. ¡°Heh.¡± He showed a smirk. However, the veins in his head started pulsating and his expression looked like that of a furious demon. ¡°I¡¯m gonna slaughter them all.¡± He immediately disappeared from where he stood after saying that. ¡°Did that do it?¡± Omar walked up to James and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he should have taken a lot of damage.¡± James replied. ¡°Emily, are you alright?¡± Liam approached Emily and asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± Emily stood up and said. ¡°Sorry for putting you through that.¡± Liam said. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. I¡¯m always honored to be of use of you.¡± Emily said. ¡°I see.¡± He turned around and spoke to Brooks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the rough way I treated your daughter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s happy just to be able to aid you.¡± Brooks said. ¡°Your Highness!¡± At that moment, one of the many scouts that Liam had set up to look out for Marut, shouted. ¡°He¡¯s-¡± Before the scout could finish, Marut appeared behind Liam. ¡°First, I¡¯ll get rid of you!¡± Marut swung down his hand in a chop towards Liam, who was late in turning around. ¡°Hm?¡± In that moment, Emily who was beside him pushed Liam out of the way and stood in front of the attack. She steel herself for the attack, but she suddenly felt someone drag her out of the way. *Bam!* She looked and saw Marut¡¯s hand slicing through someone¡¯s body like it was a butter. ¡°Father?!¡± She screamed out in horror as she saw her father¡¯s upper body being separated from his lower body. By that time, Liam had already turned around to see the same horrifying scene. ¡°Brooks!¡± He wailed as he watched Brooks¡¯s severed upper half spinning in the air before descending to the ground. To him everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Whether it was Marut¡¯s hand or Brooks blood spraying about. Even the smile that slowly formed on Brooks face. He even saw his lips move and a very familiar voice reached his ears. ¡°Liam, please take care of my daughters.¡± That was the last time he heard Brooks¡¯s voice. The moment Brooks¡¯s body hit the floor, time starter moving again. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Liam looked at the body of his long time friend and comrade in silence. The one who broke this silence was Harley who saw her father die protecting her sister. ¡°You bastard!¡± She roared and rushed towards Marut. Liam saw it. He saw a smile appeared on Marut¡¯s face before he turned around to face Harley. ¡°No!¡± He saw Marut thrusting his palm towards Harley¡¯s head and screamed. *Bam!* At the last second he saw someone tackle Harley and pushed her out of the way. It was Black Bull Omar. He then saw James appearing from behind Omar swinging down his sword with a roar. *Bam!* Marut blocked it with his palm and then hit James with the other. *Bam!* ¡°Guh?!¡± Blood sprayed from James mouth after receiving the hit. However, he clenched his teeth and slammed his fist on the side of Marut¡¯s face. ¡°Too light!¡± Marut grabbed him by the face and slammed James head into the ground. ¡°You¡¯ll be the second to die!¡± *Bam!* Marut was then hit in the back of his head with a kick which caused him to look up. *Bam!* He received a heel to the face after looking up and slammed on the ground. This gave James the chance to escape his grasp. Marut looked up and saw who attacked him. ¡°YOU BASTARD!¡± He saw Liam with bloodshot eyes and crying tears of blood. ¡°?!¡± This intense look of rage sent a chill down Marut¡¯s spine. ¡°I WILL DESTROY YOU!!¡± Liam roared while throwing a fist at his face. *Bam!* Marut was able to blow him back with a kick, but that was something he did on pure instinct. An action born from fear. He looked and saw Liam fell on the ground, only to raise to his feet like a mad beast. He shot towards Marut, who instantly decided to flee. However, he was attacked from behind by Harley who sent him towards Liam with a kick. ¡°Ahh!¡± Liam clenched his fist and slammed it in the center of Marut¡¯s face. *BOOM!* A deafening sound resounded as Liam¡¯s fist clashed with Marut¡¯s face. Marut was hit so hard that his body spun in the air and slammed into the ground a dozen meters away. Liam stood with his body emitting a raging red anima. His normal calm and in control persona was nowhere to be found. All that was left was the aura of a mad beast. ¡°Stand up, you fucker!¡± 53rd Night: Puppet’s Pride ¡°Liam?¡± Christi who was locked in battle with Eleleth, felt a raging anima that he recognized as his brother¡¯s. ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted!¡± Eleleth jumped in the air and aimed a kick at him. *Bam!* He blocked the kick with a scorpion tail that was made from anima. He formed another stinger and made it attack Eleleth from the side. She jumped back to move away to avoid the attack. ¡°You¡¯re pretty strong for a brat.¡± Eleleth said. ¡°Compared to you, your brothers are nothing.¡± Christi frowned when he heard that. ¡°Hm? Could it be I hit a chord?¡± Eleleth asked with a teasing tone. ¡°I appreciate it if you refrained from insulting my brothers.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that you won¡¯t even have a corpse after I kill you.¡± Christi said. ¡°Oh? Aren¡¯t you scary? How did someone like you become our puppet?¡± *Bam!* At that moment, several scorpion stingers came at her at the same. Eleleth skillfully avoided them and approached Christi. She swung her long leg like a whip, aiming at his head. Christi duck under it and thrust his palm towards her chin. ¡°?!¡± Eleleth quickly moved her head back and a knife shot past her face. She swung her foot upwards while bending back and kick Christi under his chin. ¡°Ugh!¡± The impact made his sense of balance chaotic, which gave Eleleth the chance to stomp him in the chest. *Bam!* He was forced back a few meters with his chest burning. Eleleth rushed forward again with a smile and aimed a jumping axe kick at him. Christi¡¯s anima erupted and formed a huge scorpion armor around him. *Bam!* Eleleth¡¯s heel slammed on the armor, but was unable to breach it. ¡°What amazing anima control!¡± Eleleth praised. She distanced herself from him again to avoid a sneak attack. ¡°You really are special.¡± She rushed towards him like an arrow and swung her leg at him. Christi in the scorpion armor, blocked it with his arm and threw a punch at her face, which she dodged by bending backwards. She hit him under the chin with a jumping knee strike, which caused him to stumble back a few steps. Her Sacred Anima then started concentrating around her feet, causing them to lit up like stars. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* She then rained down kicks to his chest. Her feet were like machine guns rapidly firing shots as Christi received several kicks every second. ¡°Guh?!¡± The scorpion armor shattered and the kicks, then fell on Christi¡¯s chest without mercy. His body swayed from left to right like he was getting shot. ¡°Time for the finisher!¡± Eleleth stopped and then poured her strength in her right leg. By this time, Christi was too beaten up to move. She swung her leg like a whip and it slammed on Christi''s chest. *Bam!* ¡°Guh?!¡± Christi was blown back and sent crashing into a wall. ¡°Hm? I thought the impact would be stronger than that.¡± Eleleth said after she saw that the wall Christi crashed into wasn¡¯t destroyed. ¡°Well, either way the puppet¡¯s string must¡¯ve been cut.¡± She said. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Christi leant against the wall with his body aching and vision fading. He felt like he was drifting between the boundary of life and death. ¡®This is bad¡­..I can¡¯t move. I¡¯m going to get killed if this continues.¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡®Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be bad to die like this¡­.¡¯ He conscious started to fade. ¡°Did you hear? Prince James is already training with the veteran soldiers in the military. He¡¯s not quite there yet, but the veterans all believe that he¡¯ll have a bright future.¡± His mind was brought back to a time when he was young. He was walking around the palace when he heard some servants talking among themselves. ¡®I heard that Prince Liam is already studying with some of the kingdom¡¯s best scholar. Apparently, normal royal tutors can¡¯t keep up with his questions and has to hand it over to someone more qualified.¡± Said one of the servants. ¡°Man, I gotta say that I¡¯m proud to have such talented princes as my masters.¡± ¡°I know what you mean. Just thinking about what they¡¯ll be like when they¡¯re older just gives me goosebumps.¡± ¡°The kingdom¡¯s future will be bright as long as one of them become kingdom.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, there.¡± They said. ¡°The problem is¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Prince Christi.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± Hearing his name being mentioned, Christi had a confused expression. ¡°I know that he¡¯s the youngest and everything, and is still only a child¡­.¡± ¡°But when Prince James and Prince Liam were his age, they had already shown signs of their genius and talents. While the Third Prince has shown no such talent. He¡¯s normal.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being normal, but¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just disappointing that he¡¯s not a bright star like his brothers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s underwhelming really.¡± The servants all nodded in agreement with each other. ¡°Hey, come check it out!¡± At that moment another servant came running along. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Prince James and Prince Liam are competing in a chess match!¡± ¡°Really? Let¡¯s go check it out.¡± ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± ¡°Prince Liam of course.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t count Prince James out. He could pull off an upset.¡± The servants started to walk briskly while discussing with each other, leaving Christi behind. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Christi was left with his thoughts. He silently recalled what the servants said about him and how they praised his brothers. ¡°Chris.¡± At that moment, he heard someone call out to him. He turned around. ¡°Mother.¡± It was Serket. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why the long face?¡± Serket approached him and asked. ¡°Mother, am I no good? Am I undeserving of being a prince?¡± He asked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You and father are so amazing, and my brothers are praised as geniuses¡­..I¡¯m the only one who seems plain.¡± Hearing him say that, Serket placed her hand on his head. ¡°What nonsense are you saying? You¡¯re very special, at least to me. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Christi didn¡¯t answer. The words of the servants kept playing in his mind. The next couple days, Christi having overheard the servants¡¯s conversation, started to notice that the way people looked at him and his brothers were different. The smiles that people showed him, now looked fake and forced. All he could see was disappointment in their eyes. Even his brothers who he had always looked up to, seemed like they saw him as nothing but an insect. This all too much for him to bare as a child. He started to get depressed, and it even reached the point where he stopped associating with others and kept to himself. He was slowly but surely withdrawing into his own world. One night when he was tormented by nightmares and went in search of his mother for comfort, he overheard a conversation between his parents. ¡°Did the church send another messenger?¡± His mother asked. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re becoming persistent.¡± His father answered. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re running out of patience though. I noticed that they no longer act humble, and started speaking with a threatening tone.¡± ¡°Just be careful. The church tends to employ crude tactics to get what they want. I understand you not wanting to tarnish what your ancestors built, but keep that in mind.¡± Said Serket. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. If push comes to shove, my beautiful wife will handle it.¡± ¡°Stop relying on me for everything. You¡¯re a man aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡± After hearing everything, Christi decided not to disturb them and went back to his room. ¡®What¡¯s going on with the church?¡¯ He asked himself. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°?!¡± At that moment, someone appeared before him from the shadows and frightened him. ¡°Now don¡¯t be frightened, Prince Christi.¡± The person who looked like they were made from shadows, took out a pendent and showed him. ¡°I¡¯m from the Sacred church. Can we talk?¡± ¡°The church?¡± The person nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Christi said while backing away. ¡°?!¡± That¡¯s when an overwhelming pressure fell on him and caused his feet to be rooted. He couldn¡¯t move or speak. ¡°Now, now. I won¡¯t bite.¡± The person said with a smile. ¡°How about we change locations?¡± The person didn¡¯t wait for a response and took Christi away. He took him to an underground room in the church that was some distance away from the palace. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± ¡°God, help us!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± In the dark room, Christi was chained to a chair and gagged and was forced to watch a clip on a tv. On the screen was footage of people being murdered in the most cruel ways, buildings being set ablaze, women being raped, and all kinds of heinous acts. Christi was watching these clips for several hours now. The person might have done something to him, because he couldn¡¯t close or avert his eyes from the screen. By this time, his body was trembling from head to toe, and tears ran from his eyes. He couldn¡¯t speak, but his breath and heartbeat was had sped up. It was a horrible sight. ¡°Horrible, isn¡¯t it.¡± The person stood behind him and spoke into his ear. ¡°You must be wondering why those people were suffering. You see, they¡¯re all sinners who refused to give themselves to the Sacred God and instead bit his hand when he tried to reach out to them. That is a grave and unforgivable sin, so it¡¯s obvious that they must be punished.¡± The person said. ¡°Did you know, your country is on the verge of experiencing this as well. Why you ask? Because your father wishes to oppose us and disregard god¡¯s teachings.¡± Christi¡¯s heartbeat started to accelerate when he heard that. The fear he felt instantly doubled. ¡°Hey, do you see those heads on the spikes? That¡¯s the royal family.¡± They said while point at the screen. ¡°Aren¡¯t they beautiful? Do you think your family would look even better? I bet they would. Especially, your beautiful mother.¡± The heads on the spikes soon turned into that of his parents and siblings before his eyes. *Rattle!* His tremble started to get worst, and even the chair he was tied to looked like it was going to turn over. The tears from his eyes increased and he had the strong urge to vomit. ¡°Now, now. Calm down. There¡¯s a way to stop this from happening.¡± The person held onto the chair and whispered into his ear. ¡°All you need to do is to become king. If you do, you can give the kingdom over to us. If you¡¯re successful, then nothing will happen to you and your family.¡± They said. ¡°I heard that your brothers are both geniuses, then you¡¯ll need to work hard won¡¯t you?¡± The person laughed. ¡°So will you do it?¡± At that moment, Christi regained his ability to move and speak. Even so, no sound came from his mouth other than groans and small cries. In the end, all he could do was nod. ¡°Good.¡± After that, he was freed and returned to the palace. ¡°Good luck, Prince. We have high expectations of you.¡± The person said before disappearing in the dark. The next couple days, everyone in the palace realized that something had changed in the third prince. He no longer locked himself away and started to walk around again. However, he no longer smiled and gave off a strange aura. All those who interacted with him all felt uneasy. He even personally requested his mother to train him. He tried hard in his academics as well. He soon started to excel in both combat and academics. However, he never looked satisfied. All those around him felt like he was an abyss endlessly sucking in everything around him. Eventually, everyone started to fear him. Especially after he merciless and effortlessly killed an assassin who came after his life. One day when he was sent to his kingdom borders to investigate a string of robberies and murders happening around there by his father, he came across the bloody body of a young girl who looked like she was a little bit younger than him. He checked the surroundings and saw that there were countless bodies of adult men around her. From their attire and weapons, they seemed to be thieves, the same ones he came to eradicate. He approached the girl in order to see if she was alive. *Swoosh!* The moment he did, a knife slashed towards his throat. He was able to move away in the last second and distanced himself. He looked and saw the girl sprung to her feet while gripping a dagger. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± He silently looked at her before speaking. ¡°Did you kill these thieves?¡± He asked. The girl however didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I am the third prince of this nation, Christi Marigold. I demand an answer.¡± He said while showing his royal insignia. ¡°They tried to rob and rape me, so I defended myself. That¡¯s all.¡± The girl finally answered. ¡°If you wish to arrest me, then you have to kill me first!¡± She shouted before rushing towards him. He avoided her attacks and circled behind her to disarm her. ¡°?!¡± However he was blown away by a claw made of anima, which came from her back. He was cut across the chest. ¡°Looks like this won¡¯t be easy.¡± He said and moved to approach her again. ¡°Hm?¡± However, he soon saw the girl fall to her knees and breathing heavily. ¡°Was she injured?¡± He asked himself. *Growl!* When approached her he heard her stomach growling. ¡°¡­..She¡¯s just hungry? She must¡¯ve not eaten for a while.¡± He said to himself. He then look around. ¡°But she was able to take down all these men by herself? That¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t fall here.¡± He say the girl struggle to her feet and faced him. ¡°I can¡¯t fall until I meet him!¡± She shouted. Christi silently looked in her eyes. He saw that she had eyes that reminded him of his own. Eyes belonging to someone who would be willing to do anything to accomplish their goals. For some reason, he started to feel like she was kindred spirit. He unknowingly smiled. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­..Reina.¡± Reina answered after a while. ¡°Reina huh? Well, Reina it looks like you too have a goal you would do anything to achieve. However, as you are you¡¯ll die by the end of the day. Since it¡¯s seems like you have no food or home.¡± He stretched his hand out towards. ¡°This is good timing. I was looking for a powerful and strong willed subordinate.¡± He then spoke- ¡°Help me save my country, and I promise you that I will provide a home where you can be safe.¡± ¡°¡­..!¡± At that moment, Christi¡¯s eyes opened and his consciousness returned. ¡°How could I forget what I was fighting for?¡± He started to struggle to his feet. ¡°Hm? You¡¯re still kicking? Looks like your puppet strings are harder to cut than I thought.¡± Eleleth said, as she prepared to bombard him with even more kicks. ¡°Yeah¡­..I might be a puppet to you bastards¡­.¡± He finally struggle to his feet and released his anima again. This time it was far stronger than before. ¡°But even puppets have their pride!¡± He charged towards her. ¡°Hmph. The desperate actions of a dying man.¡± He shot towards with a smile on his face. ¡°Allow me to make it so that you won¡¯t move again!¡± She jumped in the air and aimed a kick at Christi¡¯s head. Christi stopped and gathered all of his anima into his fist. His fist then turned into a scorpion stinger. He then took a deep breath and roared. ¡°Roc!¡± *Clang!* At that moment, some chains appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around Eleleth and pulled her back a little to decreased the force behind her kick. ¡°Wha?!¡± She looked and saw Roc some distance away holding onto some chains. She started to wonder where he came from. She then remembered when Christi was hit by her, he strangely didn¡¯t break through the wall as she expected. ¡®He must¡¯ve hidden himself and caught him back then!¡± She thought. However, she didn¡¯t get much time to think because she was now in front of Christi. ¡°Feel my pride, Scared Church!¡± *BOOM!* Christi slammed his fist in her stomach and forced the stinger to pierce through her back, before she was blown away. Blood sprayed across the sky as she was sent flying back through the air. She crashed into the ground with a huge hole in her stomach and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Christi looked at her while breathing heavily. ¡°How¡¯s that? My foolish pride!¡± 54th Night: Sacrament ¡°Hm?¡± Harut suddenly stopped what he was doing and put on a confused expression. ¡°There¡¯s been a change in both Marut¡¯s and Eleleth¡¯s anima.¡± He said. ¡°This is¡­..They were severely injured?¡± He mumbled to himself. ¡°Those two must¡¯ve let their pride get the better of them and let their guards down.¡± He looked at the two in front of him. Both Xavier and Allan were badly injured and were breathing heavily. Harut himself had some injuries as well, but not on the same level as the other two. ¡°They might be rodents, but even rodents can be deadly when grouped up together.¡± He said. He then rushed forward and slammed his fist in Allan¡¯s stomach and then avoided an attack from Xavier, and countered with an elbow strike to the face. The two fell to the ground, groaning in pain. He then stomped on them one after the other. ¡°That¡¯s why you need to kill them with everything you have before they evolve past your understanding.¡± ¡°Allan¡­.¡± Laying on the ground, Xavier looked at his partner gasping for air as blood flowed from his body. During the fight, Allan has used his body to shield him over and over again. As such, Allan is now in a miserable state where it was strange that he was alive. ¡°Dammit! Why is this guy so strong?!¡± Xavier shouted in frustration. ¡°Why? Because I¡¯m superior.¡± Harut said. ¡°I¡¯m from the superior race, had a superior upbringing, and most importantly, my faith is superior to yours.¡± *Bam!* He stomped on Xavier¡¯s face and forced him who was trying to sit up, back to the ground. ¡°So why would I lose to you, Xavier Marigold?¡± The wolf mask on Xavier¡¯s face shattered and fell off, revealing Xavier¡¯s face under Harut¡¯s foot. ¡°We¡¯ve long known that the rumors about you being captured was false. It¡¯s just that the boss wanted to humor the Devil King.¡± Harut said. ¡°But that same boss was captured by your wife and to make it worse, you blocked my path preventing me from reaching him.¡± An angry expression appeared on Harut¡¯s face. ¡°All those actions are worthy of you dying ten times over.¡± He started to increase the pressure on Xavier¡¯s head. *Bam!* That¡¯s when a powerful blast of lightning hit Harut and forced him off Xavier¡¯s head. The two of them looked to the side and saw Allan on his feet, slouching over with blood draining from his body, and breathing heavy. ¡°Get your foot off my king!¡± He shouted and formed a lance in his hand. He threw it, which Harut avoided by jumping in the air. ¡°What a persistent rodent!¡± Harut aimed a stomp at his head, which Allan responded to by creating another lightning bolt. *Bam!* Allan thrust the lightning bolt at Harut¡¯s foot and an explosive sound rang out when they clashed. ¡°Too weak!¡± Harut¡¯s foot destroyed the lightning bolt, and he spun around and swung his leg aiming to behead Allan. ¡°Iron Wolf Fang!¡± *Bam!* At that moment, Xavier with his entire body covered in iron slammed his fist on Harut¡¯s defenseless face, and sent him flying. ¡°Allan, you alright?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± Allan answered with his body trembling. ¡°Allan, my animus isn¡¯t battle orientated, so I¡¯ll need you to use yours.¡± Xavier turned his back to Allan. ¡°So, I¡¯ll buy you some time to recover enough to use it.¡± After saying that, Xavier rushed towards Harut who was also rushing towards him. He covered his entire body in Iron Skin, while reinforcing it further with metal made from anima. He became twice as bulky, and looked a metallic warrior. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mr. Superior!¡± Xavier pounced at Harut and roared.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. *Bam!* He punched Harut across the face, but Harut increased his anima around him and replied with a heavy blow to the stomach. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Even when covered in reinforced steel, Xavier felt the force of his attack clearly. He, however clenched his teeth and replied with an uppercut. Harut then hit him with a knee strike and then a hook. Xavier¡¯s body started to sway, but he held his ground and hit Harut with all he had. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Allan sat on the ground watching his king battle an enemy that clearly was out of his league. He couldn¡¯t help but to recall an old memory. ¡°Looks like King Reynard really let you have it this time.¡± It was when he was a teen and was assigned to be Prince Xavier¡¯s guard. He spoke to Xavier, who was laying on the ground covered in bruises, in front of him. ¡°Ow, that old bastard¡­..He should learn to control his temper. I mean what if he had bruised my handsome face. My fans would cry for days.¡± The young Xavier sat up and said. ¡°Rather than the king learning to control his temper, I think you should stop causing trouble.¡± Allan replied. ¡°When did I caused trouble? All I did was sell an old vase that was in the treasury.¡± ¡°That was a family heirloom.¡± ¡°So? No one was using it.¡± Xavier argued back. ¡°To begin with, why are you lecturing me? Who was it that caused hell in the palace trying to escape after trying to steal the national treasure?¡± ¡°Ahem. T-That was a long time ago.¡± Allan said while looking rather embarrassed. ¡°But you¡¯re the crown prince, the future king of this country. You should start acting with more self control.¡± He said. ¡°Self control? I don¡¯t even want to be king. A king has no freedom and is more like a trapped bird rather than a ruler. I want to be free. Free from expectations, duties, obligations.¡± Xavier stood up and looked towards the sky. ¡°So you¡¯re not going to become king?¡± Asked Allan. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll become it. If I don¡¯t, then my deal with my father will be nulled.¡± ¡°Do you mean the one that I won¡¯t be executed if you inherit the throne?¡± Allan asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand though. You hate the idea of being king, yet you sold your freedom to save me. Why? It was I who betrayed your trust and tried to rob you.¡± ¡°Well, I did practically kidnap you off the street and brought you here, so I think we¡¯re even.¡± Xavier replied. ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t excuse what I¡¯ve done. You saved my life back then, I acted ungrateful towards you. You shouldn¡¯t give up your life for me.¡± Xavier turned around and looked back at Allan. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that although freedom is sweet, I doubt I could enjoy it alone. So I figured I rather be trapped with you than be free by myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Allan silently smiled as he recalled the old memory. *Bam!* ¡°Ugh?!¡± Meanwhile, Xavier was trying his best to hold back Harut, who was getting impatient and started to rain down heavy hits on his body. ¡°I think I¡¯ve recovered enough.¡± Allan slowly got to his feet and said. ¡°Now it¡¯s my time to return the favor!¡± His anima suddenly released in an explosive fashion. The anima around him slowly turned electric. Before long Allan was surround by electricity. ¡°Animus: Lightning Knight!¡± The lightning rushed towards him and started mold around him. A light flashed and illuminated the entire area. When the light faded Allan appeared wearing an lightning armor, holding a lance, and riding a lightning horse. ¡°In the name of my king, I will destroy his enemies!¡± Allan roared. He and his horse disappeared into a lightning bolt and circled around to Harut¡¯s back. He thrust the lance at Harut¡¯s back. Harut surprisingly dodged it and even turned around to attack Allan. However, Allan was nowhere to be seen. *Bam!* A bolt of lightning descended on Harut and caused him great pain and paralyzed him. ¡°I knew that you were going to dodge beforehand.¡± Allan appeared from a lightning bolt pointing his lance at Harut. ¡°You can use Future Sight, right?¡± Harut had his eyes glowing while he tried to move. ¡°You may know that it¡¯s coming, but if you can¡¯t avoid it, it will only cripple you in fear. I¡¯ve learnt that the hard way while fighting against you.¡± Allan said with his eyes glowing. This was proof that he was also using Future Sight. ¡°Ugh!¡± Harut tried to move but his body just wouldn¡¯t listen to him. *Bam!* That¡¯s when Xavier slammed his fist in the back of Harut¡¯s defenseless head. Harut fell to the ground. Xavier picked him up with one hand. ¡°I¡¯m gonna enjoy beating the shit out of you.¡± He said with blood flowing down his face. *Bam!* He slammed his fist in Harut¡¯s face and the hit him with an uppercut and two hooks. Harut fell to the ground and Xavier saddle him and continued to rain down hits on him. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* ¡°?!¡± That¡¯s when Allan received a precognition from his Future Sight. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± *Bam!* Suddenly Xavier was sent flying off Harut with a punch. Harut stood up and rushed towards him. *Bam!* A lightning blast blew him back and stopped him from reaching Xavier. Allan then suddenly appeared before him and thrust the lance into his chest. *Bam!* Harut was devoured by a huge lightning blast and sent flying through the air. ¡°Not yet!¡± Allan and his horse turned into a lighting bolt and charged into the air. He appeared above Harut and thrust the lance down on his chest again. *Bam!* A large lightning bolt forced Harut down to the earth, and exploded when he crashed into the ground. ¡°Hah! Hah! Hah!¡± Allan floated in the air with his breath heavy. ¡°This form is exhausting when I¡¯m at full health, but it¡¯s hellish when I¡¯m so injured.¡± He said. ¡°I should finish this now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡± ¡°?!¡± Allan looked down and saw Harut standing up. He had some serious looking injuries, but he still looked lively as if the injuries were nothing to him. ¡°Hm? Is it time already?¡± Richard who was watching the battles, suddenly said. He spread his senses to observe the various battles. ¡°Looks like all three of them were pushed into a corner. Two are on their deathbed, while one is forcibly entering it.¡± He smiled. ¡°Alright, from here on out the real battle will begin.¡± At that moment, Marut who was destroyed by a raging Liam, started to twitch. His body then started to glow a golden light. The same was happening to Eleleth who had a hole blown in her stomach by Christi. ¡°Wha?¡± Both Christi¡¯s and Liam¡¯s parties were shocked when they saw the two Aficionado members being lifted into the air like they were being pulled by something. *Flash!* A blinding light flashed and covered the entire city. ¡°What the?!¡± Even Amelia and Reina who were locked in battle were blinded by the light. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± She shouted. ¡°This is¡­..Sacrament! And three of them?!¡± Serket who was holding Dumah captive was shocked when she saw the light. ¡°This is bad! They can¡¯t handle three Sacraments at once!¡± She shouted. ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡± She looked at Dumah who had a smile on his face. ¡°To think that they could force my subordinates to use their Sacraments to survive. Well, it looks like Harut voluntarily allow himself to enter it.¡± Dumah said. ¡°So what are you going to do, Scorpion Queen? Your precious family will die.¡± Back at the battlefield, the golden light began to fade. After a while, Amelia could see again. ¡°?!¡± When she looked at the other battlefields, she was shocked beyond belief. She saw the three Aficionado members hovering off the ground while surrounded by a holy light. Their hair had turnt the purest white, their eyes were gold, and their skin were covered in glowing markings. ¡°Sacrament.¡± Eis muttered with a smile. When Amelia heard that, she remembered when Rory was telling her about the Sacred Race. ¡°Just like the Night Kin they possess superior physical and anima abilities. They also possess a holy form called Sacrament, where they gain a boost in all abilities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Sacrament?¡± Amelia felt a shiver when she looked at the Aficionado members. They all seemed like superior existences in her eyes. She wasn¡¯t the only one shocked, those who have been fighting them were dumbstruck. That was because no matter how severe the injury they received before, they all didn¡¯t have a single injury on them now. Not only that, their anima was far more powerful than before. ¡°What the hell?¡± Allan looked at Harut who looked at him coldly. ¡°Good job on reaching this far, human.¡± He said. ¡°But this is where you learn the difference between us.¡± A couple miles away, close to the mountains that belonged Serket, and was being used to shelter the citizens. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Rory who was leaning on a tree silently opened his eyes. The moment he did, a stifling darkness released from his body. The look in his eyes was cold and terrifying. After some time, his eyes and body returned to normal and he stood up. ¡°Sacrament?¡± He said and showed a smile. ¡°Interesting.¡± 55th Night: Desperate Escape ¡°The holy form, Sacrament.¡± Eis looked at the Aficionado members with admiration and reverence. ¡°Did you two know? To us worshippers of the Sacred God, witnessing this form is the best thing we could ever ask for.¡± He looked Amelia and Reina and said. ¡°Just seeing it makes me filled with energy.¡± Suddenly the area started to get colder, even a thin layer of frost started to appear on the land. ¡°You getting even more energetic would be a problem for us.¡± Said Reina. ¡®Shit! We¡¯re not even done here and those three are now displaying unbelievable anima. This couldn¡¯t get any worse.¡¯ She cursed in her heart. ¡°Hm¡­.Their sacrament isn¡¯t bad, but it is a bit lacking compared to what I expected. The Aficionado a century back had more impressive forms.¡± Richard said while watching everything from afar. Behind the Sacred church forces all had excited expressions on their faces. This was a big difference to the solemn faces they had earlier after their leader was taken, and Richard took control of their lives. It was like they had forgotten everything bad, and only felt the urge to worship the Sacred race. *Bam!* At that moment Liam¡¯s anima increased explosively again. ¡°Who cares if you¡¯ve changed forms? I¡¯ll still slaughter you for killing Brooks!¡± He shouted as he approached Marut. ¡°I admit that you possess terrifying power and potential, but it won¡¯t go the way you want.¡± Marut moved his hand after speaking *Bam!* Liam was suddenly hit with a blast of Sacred Anima. He was blown back, but quickly dug his feet in the ground to stop himself. ¡°Cough?!¡± Liam coughed up a mouth full of blood. ¡°See? Just a wave of my hand rendered you to this.¡± Marut said. ¡°So what?¡± Liam wiped the blood from his mouth, and said. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t change the fact that I will rip you apart.¡± He said with a beastly look in his eyes. *Bam!* At that moment, something crashed in front of Liam. He looked and saw someone. ¡°Christi?!¡± He shouted in shock. ¡°Looks like you had a rough time as well, Marut.¡± That¡¯s when Eleleth appeared floating beside Marut. ¡°No, I was caught off guard that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I see. Me too. These guys are pretty tricky, aren¡¯t they?¡± That¡¯s when she threw someone in front of Christi. It was Roc who had all of limbs broken and twisted out of place. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Christi looked at his friend who was laying beside him with a sad expression. Despite having the power to kill the two of them, Eleleth only played with them and even went as far as torturing them. ¡°The reason you two were forced into such desperate situations was because you let your guards down.¡± Harut appeared behind and said. He held Xavier and Allan by their legs like they were toys. ¡°Oh? What do you have there, brother?¡± Marut asked while looking at the half dead men that Harut was carrying.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Just a puny king and his mutt. I was going to kill them, but I thought that even rodents have families. So I thought they would want to spend their last moments together.¡± He threw Xavier and Allan in the air, and they were caught by James and Omar. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve met them, you all can die together.¡± He said. ¡°Shit!¡± Amelia cursed when she saw the predicament that everyone else were in. ¡°Christi! Roc!¡± Reina immediately rushed towards them. ¡°No can do.¡± *Bam!* At that moment a wall of ice appeared and block her path. She looked back at Eis with a furious look. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt them. It¡¯s the will of God.¡± Eis said. ¡°Fuck your god!¡± Reina roared and released her wild anima. She threw a punch and instantly shattered the ice wall. ¡°?!¡± Eis was shocked to see his wall destroyed that easily. He then tried to trap her again. *Roar!* But at that moment, her anima molded into a dragon and carried her towards the Aficionado members. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What the?¡± They turned around after noticing Reina. ¡°Get away from them!¡± She roared. ¡°Fool.¡± Marut waved his hand and a light shot forward and cut Reina¡¯s anima dragon in two. However, Reina jumped in the air at the last second to avoid it. She then rushed towards them. ¡°Heh!¡± Eleleth rushed towards her and aimed a kick at her head. ¡°Move!¡± *Bam!* Reina slammed her fist on Eleleth¡¯s leg and even blew her back. ¡°What?!¡± This naturally shocked her. ¡°That girl has a massive amount of anima and strength.¡± Said Harut. ¡°I just realized that she¡¯s a Megal too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get rid of her.¡± Marut said. ¡°Well, Eleleth is about to.¡± Suddenly Eleleth appeared over Reina, swinging her leg down. *Bam!* However, she was blown away by a powerful blast of flames. ¡°Who-?!¡± *Bam!* Before she could finish speaking a giant bolt of lightning fell on her and caused a loud explosion. ¡°Dammit! Who the hell was that?!¡± Eleleth got up and roared. ¡°That would be me.¡± At that moment, Amelia appeared in front of her with her palm pointing at Eleleth¡¯s face. ¡°Animus: Elemental Queen.¡± *Bam!* A burst of lightning, flames, and wind was released from her palms and hit Eleleth head on. ¡°Christi! Roc!¡± Meanwhile, Reina made it over to where the others were. She looked at their wounds and gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°I will slaughter you!¡± She turned and looked back at Marut and Harut. ¡°Oh? Now where have I hear-¡± Before Marut could continue he was kicked in the face by Reina. ¡°Y-You!¡± He got mad and grabbed her feet and slammed her on the ground. ¡°Ah!¡± Reina groaned in pain, but quickly pounced at Marut again. *Bam!* But she was kicked away by Harut who was nearby. She bounced off the ground a bit, but quickly stopped herself and rushed towards them again. ¡°This girl¡­.She¡¯s tough.¡± Harut said. She attacked him, but was attacked from behind by Marut. He slammed his palm on her back and blew her away. ¡°What?¡± However, to his surprise Reina quickly got to her feet again. *Bam!* At that moment, the earth opened up and two giant fist attack them from behind. Harut destroyed them with a backhand strike without looking back. He looked and saw Amelia looking at him, while trying her best to fend off Eleleth¡¯s attacks. Because of Amelia controlling too much elements at once and constantly mixing and changing their properties, Eleleth found it hard to get a clean hit on her, even with her Future Sight. However, she was able to place life threatening pressure on Amelia. So when Amelia distracted herself by sneak attacking Harut and Marut, she found an opening. ¡°Die!¡± *Bam!* She stomped in Amelia¡¯s chest and forced her out of the air and into the ground. Eleleth then started to repeatedly stomp her deeper into the ground. Luckily, Amelia had erected a barrier consisting of countless elements to temporarily block Eleleth¡¯s attacks. However, that barrier soon started to show cracks. She then tapped the ground, and slipped deeper underground to escape Eleleth. ¡°Wha?!¡± ¡°Quick, stop her!¡± Harut shouted after seeing what Amelia was gonna do. At that moment, everyone started falling inside holes that popped under them. Before any of the Aficionado members could do anything, everyone was gone. ¡°Dammit!¡± Marut shouted. ¡°Wow. Good going, Elia.¡± Richard said while clapping. ¡°Grr!¡± Harut looked at him and glared. ¡°Isn¡¯t this against the rules? They ran away.¡± He said. ¡°Rules? I never said that you couldn¡¯t run away. I just said you need to kill each other. Don¡¯t get mad at me that my girl tricked you.¡± Richard replied. ¡°Your girl? What do you mean by that?¡± Marut asked. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± Richard replied. ¡°You know, I¡¯m getting tired of this bastard.¡± Eleleth walked up and said. ¡°Can¡¯t we just kill him? It¡¯s the three of us and we¡¯re all in our Sacrament forms. I think we can do it.¡± ¡°Four if you count him.¡± Marut pointed at Eis and said. ¡°What, you want to take out your frustrations on me?¡± Richard stood up with an amused expression. ¡°Of course. We¡¯re proud Sacred Race members. There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll take orders from a human.¡± Eleleth said. ¡°Proud Race?¡± Richard started laughing. ¡°Very well. Come at me if you wish.¡± He started walking towards them with a smile. ¡°However, make your decision wisely.¡± An evil grin appeared on his face. ¡°Because it might be the last decision you ever make.¡± ¡°?!¡± The three them suddenly felt like the world had fallen onto their shoulders. They couldn¡¯t take a step no matter how much they tried. It took all their strength to stay on their feet. Even breathing was hard. ¡°W-What the hell is this?¡± Harut asked with a trembling voice. ¡°Is this really from his presence alone? I feel like I¡¯m going to be crushed to death.¡± He looked up at the approaching Richard, and he swore he saw a giant approaching rather than a man. Every step he made felt like his heart was being stepped on. It didn¡¯t take long for Richard to stand in front of, but to him it felt like forever. ¡°Well? Are you going to attack or not?¡± Richard asked, but none of them could answer. Seeing that Richard placed his hand on Harut¡¯s head. ¡°?!¡± Harut suddenly felt like a small ant that was being touched by a giant¡¯s hand. Just the simplest push could end his life. His body trembled before the monster in front of him. Not just him, the other three looked like they all was about to wet themselves in fear. For the first time in their life, they felt more inferior than a speck of dirt in the wind. ¡°I see. Then you should work hard on finding them, okay?¡± Richard said with a playful tone before walking away from them. As they watched him walk back to where he sat and spectated everything before, unimaginable terror crept into their very souls. They all asked themselves the same question. ¡°Just who is that monster?¡± 56th Night: Commencing The Final Round ¡°Good job, Amelia.¡± James said to Amelia. They with the rest of the royal faction and even some rebel forces, were currently deep underground. This was thanks to Amelia using her animus to bring everyone underground, to escape from the desperate situation they were in. ¡°Hah~! Hah~!¡± Amelia sat on the ground breathing heavily. She had obviously used up quite a bit of anima after using her animus. ¡°But it¡¯s amazing that you could do all this in an instant. You even carved out an underground cave with paths towards the surface that provides ventilation.¡± Said Omar. ¡°Those bastards! I want to kill them!¡± Said Liam as he kicked the walls. ¡°Calm down, Brother. You¡¯re the brains here, if you lose your calm, what will happen to us?¡± Said James. ¡°Shut up! That bastard killed Brooks! Harley and Emily are orphans now because of him! And you¡¯re telling me to stay calm?!¡± Liam shouted back. ¡°It¡¯s alright Your Majesty, really.¡± That¡¯s when the Brooks Sisters walked up to him and started to appease his anger. ¡°We¡¯re angry too, more than anyone¡­..¡± ¡°But, dad wouldn¡¯t want you to lose your life because of him.¡± The sisters said to him. That¡¯s when Brooks¡¯s last words rang in his ears. ¡°Liam, please take care of my daughters.¡± After remembering them, Liam clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do my best to stay calm.¡± He said, and looked at the sisters. ¡°But mark my words, I¡¯ll personally see that the one who took your father away from you will die.¡± The sisters nodded with teary eyes in response to his words. ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done.¡± Christi said while standing up. ¡°Christi don¡¯t push yourself.¡± Reina went beside him to help him stand up straight, however he rejected her help. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He looked around at everyone and spoke. ¡°A lot of us are heavily injured while the enemy¡¯s in tip top shape. This is going to be desperate from now on.¡± ¡°Then are you suggesting we give up?¡± James asked. ¡°I would never. I want to destroy them as much as all of you. Maybe even more.¡± He lifted his hand beside his head and covered it in Wild Anima. ¡°And this is proof.¡± He suddenly used his fingers and stabbed them into his own neck. ¡°Christi?!¡± This action naturally shocked everyone. Christi ignored their shock and continued to speak. ¡°The enemy is out of our league, which means that only with desperate actions we¡¯ll have a chance of victory.¡± Everyone could see something being pumped into him as he spoke. ¡°This is no longer the time to worry about our lives. If we lose we¡¯ll just die either way, so why not bring them down with us?¡± They could see black veins appearing on his skin. These veins wiggled like worms under his skin, giving him a grotesque look. After a while, he finally pulled his fingers from his neck and his body stopped trembling. ¡°I just injected a numbing poison into my body. This way, I will no longer feel pain.¡± He said. ¡°The pain was getting in the way, so I removed it. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that my injuries are cured, since I can¡¯t patch myself up like mother.¡± He explained. ¡°Brothers, you two have your expertise while I have my own. I think to survive this, we all need to work together and use our individual talents to the fullest.¡± He said. ¡°I agree. Besides, there¡¯s no telling how long we can hide down here.¡± Said James. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m afraid of the enemy we¡¯re facing. They¡¯re extremely terrifying¡­.¡± He clenched his fists. ¡°However, I am a leader, a conqueror, and a king. I can¡¯t show my soldiers my pathetic side.¡± A determine look appeared on his face. ¡°As such, I will fight until the end.¡± He said. ¡°Attaboy.¡± ¡°Father?! You¡¯re awake?¡± Everyone looked at Xavier who laid on the ground with a smile. ¡°Yeah, that bastard didn¡¯t kill us and only played with us.¡± He looked over at Allan, he had some very severe injuries. ¡°Allan, even when his body was broken, still tried his best to act as my shield¡­..¡± He grimaced. ¡°Christi, hit me with that paining killing poison too.¡± ¡°Your majesty, are you sure?! If you continue to fight with your injuries you¡¯ll die!¡± Of course, Xavier¡¯s request was met with opposition. ¡°I won¡¯t die. I¡¯ve survived my wife, so those bastards won¡¯t be able to kill me.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Xavier laughed with a pained tone. ¡°Christi, do it.¡± He said. Christi nodded and immediately stabbed his fingers into his father¡¯s chest. ¡°Since you¡¯re more injured than I am, I¡¯ll need to inject the poison into a larger artery.¡± He said. ¡°T-That¡¯s fine.¡± Xavier replied. ¡°That Harut guy seems to be on another level from the others, as it stands you¡¯re the only one who can handle him. You might be my father, but you¡¯ll need to continue fighting even if you might die.¡± Said Christi. ¡°Fine by me.¡± The pain on Xavier¡¯s face gradually disappeared and his breathing became normal. Christi soon removed his fingers, and Xavier sprung to his feet like he wasn¡¯t injured. ¡°Learning your mother¡¯s technique was the right decision. Since poison and medicine are two sides of the same coin, poison can be used to heal if used properly.¡± He said. ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡± Christi asked Liam. ¡°First, would be to boost our strengths a little.¡± Liam replied. ¡°Is there a way to do that?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Liam released his anima and clasped his hands together. ¡°Animus: Pawn Promotion.¡± Bright lights fired from Liam¡¯s body and covered the Brooks Sisters, James, Christi, Xavier, and Black Bull. ¡°Hm?¡± Everyone covered with the light suddenly felt like their overall strength had increased. Some more than others. ¡°This is my Animus: Pawn Promotion. I¡¯m able to temporarily increased the strength of those I consider my comrades. The closer I am to you, the more I can boost your strength.¡± Liam explained. ¡°Really? That¡¯s incredible.¡± Said Omar. ¡°However, since I¡¯ve barely interacted with you two, I can¡¯t do the same for you.¡± He said to Amelia and Reina. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s fine. We have our own methods.¡± Reina said. ¡°However, such an incredible animus must have drawbacks.¡± Christi said. ¡°Yeah. The power I give you, is from me converting my life force into anima. In other words I¡¯m giving you all a part of my lifespan.¡± He said. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± They became silent when they heard that. They all knew that such an animus wasn¡¯t something one would use lightly. However, Liam didn¡¯t hesitate to give so many people a piece of his life just to obtain victory. That alone testified for his desire for victory. ¡°So now that we¡¯ve gotten a bit more strength, how should we do this?¡± Omar asked. ¡°I¡¯ll take Harut.¡± Xavier said. ¡°If I lose to same person twice, Serket is probably gonna divorce me.¡± He said with a laugh. ¡°Then let¡¯s go with who we were fighting before.¡± Liam said. ¡°Christi, will you be alright alone?¡± Reina asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Eleleth is indeed stronger than me, but I was taught the Boomslang style by you. I might can¡¯t beat her head on, but I can assassinate her.¡± He said with a smile. ¡°I see.¡± Reina then looked at Amelia, who looked a bit better now. ¡°Are you ready?¡± She asked. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll use my animus again from the start when fighting that winter bastard. So I suggest you do the same.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t have an animus.¡± Reina replied. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Just haven¡¯t created one yet. However, I have other ways to finish an opponent.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Amelia didn¡¯t protest or say anything in response. That was because since she only developed her animus, she had no right to criticize Reina. *BOOM!* That¡¯s when they felt their surroundings tremble after the sound of a loud explosion reached their ears. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Looks like they sensed us underground and is trying to force their way down here.¡± Said Xavier. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for the final round.¡± James said. ¡°Amelia Rosa, only bring those fighting to the surface and leave the rest down here. But make sure to reinforce the area, so that it won¡¯t collapse on them.¡± Liam said. ¡°I was planning on doing that anyway.¡± Amelia once again entered her Elemental Queen form, and was surround by a rainbow colored glow. She placed her hand on the earth surrounding them, and it started to glow as well, but returned to normal soon after. ¡°There, the soil is now as firm as steel, it won¡¯t crumble that easily.¡± She said. She then opened up a path leading to the surface. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± All who were returning to the surface entered the path and raced upwards. *BOOM!* The moment they appeared on the surface again, the explosions became extremely clear. ¡°Hm?¡± The Aficionado members noticed them the moment they appeared. Surrounding them were deep craters. It was obvious that they were trying to dig underground. ¡°Oh? They came out?¡± Eleleth said with a smile. ¡°Looks like they gave up on living.¡± She said. ¡°Stay on your toes.¡± Harut warned. He then looked at them with a solemn expression. ¡°The aura around them is different than before.¡± At that moment, everyone that came to the surface moved at the same time. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Xavier shouted. His body immediately became metallic as he charged towards his enemy. *Bam!* At that moment, giant pieces of metal burst out of underground and wrapped around him. The metal stuck to his body like a second skin, making him bulkier and taller. ¡°?!¡± Before long Xavier have turned into a muscular 16ft tall metal giant. The giant had a large X in the center of its chest. ¡°Ohhhh!¡± The iron giant released a loud roar. ¡°King X is ready for battle!¡± Xavier shouted. ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± Even his own children were shocked by the form he had taken. ¡°Harut!¡± Xavier shot forward like an arrow and crashed into Harut. *Bam!* ¡°Ugh!¡± Harut groaned as he struggled to keep Xavier from running him over. *Bam!* However, he was sent flying by a kick from Xavier. It looked like he had kicked away a ball rather than a person. ¡°Brother!¡± Marut shouted. ¡°Hm?!¡± He sensed that his life was in danger and looked up. There he saw Liam and James attacking him from the front. ¡°Animus: Conqueror¡¯s High!¡± James shouted. All the fear he felt disappeared and excitement replaced it. His strength had once again increased. He swung down his fist towards Marut. ¡°Die!¡± Marut leaped towards them and kicked James in the chest and dug his feet in his chest. ¡°?!¡± However, to his surprise James grabbed onto his foot with an excited smile. ¡°That didn¡¯t hurt in the less.¡± James said. Marut looked up and saw Liam¡¯s fist reaching his face. He tried to move back, but James held on to his fist too tight. Instead of escaping, James swung him upwards so that he could be closer to Liam. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± *Bam!* Liam¡¯s fist slammed into his face and forced his body backwards, but James still held on to his leg. ¡°Die!¡± *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Liam started raining down punches on Marut¡¯s face like he was in a frenzy. Marut hit him with a laser which ripped off a piece of side, but Liam ignored it and continued to savagely attack Marut, while they fell towards the ground. ¡°Enough!¡± *Bam!* Marut released his anima and blew Liam away. He expected to blow James away as well, but James surprisingly held on. ¡°What the hell are you?!¡± Marut started burning James hands that held on to him, until he could see his flesh peeling away. However, James only smiled in response. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of losing your arms?!¡± Marut asked. ¡°Afraid? I no longer possess such an emotion.¡± James answered and lifted Marut over his head and slammed him into the ground. *Bam!* Marut slammed his palm on James chest and hit him with a blast of anima. James shirt and piece of his flesh was burnt off. ¡°Ha!¡± James headbutt him with a laugh. The two faces were now extremely close, so Marut could look in his eyes. ¡°Conqueror¡¯s High, that¡¯s the name of my animus. When activated not only do I receive a boost in strength, I lose all my fear and sense of pain. Only thing is left is my thirst for conquering my enemies and pure excitement towards a powerful enemy.¡± ¡°?!¡± A shiver ran down Marut¡¯s spine when he heard that. Only an insane person would create such an animus. ¡°I created it when I started to fear my brothers¡¯s talent and power. It¡¯s so that I would never surrender to them, even in death.¡± James lifted Marut by his face and flung him. ¡°Compared to the fear I felt towards them, you¡¯re nothing!¡± He shouted with a laugh. *Bam!* At that moment, a black bull crashed into him and pushed him away. He then heard the sound of something cutting through the air. He saw Harley Brooks shot past him, he immediately knew what would happen next from experience. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Like he expected, Emily Brooks crashed into him like a bullet train. ¡°We¡¯ll send you to our father!¡± She shouted. Meanwhile, Eleleth was in a heated battle with Christi. She sent a barrage of kicks at him, but he moved out of the way with agile movements. He then ducked around her kicks, and circled around him. ¡°?!¡± Eleleth immediately felt like there was a large snake wrapping around her to devour her. She quickly spun around and avoided a blade that was aimed at her right eye. *Bam!* She kicked Christi away, but felt something wrapped around her leg. She looked and it was a chain. Christi pulled the chain and dragged her towards him, robbing her of her balance. Eleleth then saw Christi pouncing on her, thrusting a dagger at her neck. In fear, she released her Sacred Anima to the max and blew him away. Christi formed a scorpion tail with his anima and stabbed it in the ground to stop himself. He then use it to propel him towards her. ¡°This kid is dangerous!¡± Eleleth shouted. Suddenly dozens of scorpion tails rushed towards her. She moved to avoid them. She noticed that whatever those stingers hit, eroded and shrieked. Christi shot towards her with his body lowered. She tried to kick him under the chain, he jumped back to avoid it, and threw a hidden dagger with a chain attach to it. ¡°?!¡± Eleleth bent backwards to avoid it. ¡°Guh?!¡± That¡¯s when she felt something pierce through her back. She looked and saw a stinger piercing through her stomach. ¡°Ah!¡± She roared and released her anima to make the stinger dissolve. She then distanced herself by leaping backwards. She held her stomach and started cleansing the poison that was injected in her. Fortunately for her, her Sacred Anima was strong against poison elements. Even so, the injury she got wasn¡¯t to laugh at. Christi walked towards her with a cold smile on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sacred Church. I¡¯m going to show you just how dangerous my comrades techniques are.¡± Meanwhile, Amelia and Reina was facing Eis. Eis showed them a untainted smile and said- ¡°Have you finally decided to accept the punishment for your sins?¡± Reina and Amelia smiled in response. ¡°No, we¡¯re just here to kill you.¡± ¡°Prepare yourself, Fanatic! You¡¯ll meet your god pretty soon!¡± 57th Night: Lodon & Megal Unleashed! ¡°I see that you still haven¡¯t learned your lesson.¡± Eis waved his hand and a giant ice spear appeared beside him. ¡°Then let me guide you!¡± He swung his hand and the ice spear shot towards them. Amelia lifted her hand in front of her and stopped the spear. ¡°Huh?¡± This caught Eis off guard. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can manipulate ice.¡± Amelia said. The spear suddenly turned into vapor. ¡°My turn!¡± She stomped the ground and it started to move like it was alive. Waves of earth rushed towards Eis. Eis slammed his hands together and a cold wind blew over the area and the waves of earth unbelievably froze. ¡°Oh!¡± He stretched both hands to the side and formed two giant ice swords. He leaped into the air and swung them down onto Amelia and Reina. *Bam!* The earth trembled when those giant swords slammed down. ¡°Hm?¡± He turned to his side and saw Reina attacking him with a punch. He thrust his hand towards her and a giant iceberg shot at her. ¡°Wha?!¡± *Bam!* The iceberg slammed into her and forced her into the ground. *Rumble!* *Bam!* Suddenly a lightning bolt fell from the sky and hit him. Amelia appeared floating above him with electricity dancing around her. She looked and saw an ice orb protecting Eis. ¡°Tsk!¡± She clicked her tongue and started throwing thunderbolts towards Eis. ¡°Heh.¡± Eis smiled and lifted his hand above him, while Amelia¡¯s bolts failed to penetrate the ice orb. ¡°Huh?¡± Amelia noticed that she was surrounded by vortexes of cold air. ¡°Shit!¡± Suddenly the vortexes started firing ice bullets at her. She quickly deployed a fire barrier around her. ¡°?!¡± However, her fire barrier actually started freezing. She tried to increase the power of her flames, but it was no use. The more the ice bullets hit her flame barrier, the faster her flames started to freeze. ¡°As I thought, his ice manipulation is monster-like. Not even my flames created using my animus can stop him.¡± The temperature around her started to fall drastically, as the ice approached her. *Bam!* That¡¯s when the iceberg that Reina was forced under, suddenly exploded. From it, came a giant hand made of Wild Anima. The hand turned into a claw and slashed at Eis¡¯s ice orb. *Bam!* The ice orb shattered and Eis was slapped into the ground. Another giant hand appeared, formed a fist, and forced him further into the ground with a punch. The vortexes around Amelia disappeared and she was saved from being frozen alive. ¡°You alive, Stupid Cat?¡± Amelia looked down and saw Reina on the ground surrounded by raging Wild Anima. ¡°I was fine. I didn¡¯t need your help, lizard.¡± She snapped back and made her flames reignite. ¡°Is that so? For a second, I thought you were about to become a popsicle. My bad.¡± Reina replied with clear sarcasm. ¡°Hm?¡± That¡¯s when the ground started trembling. *BOOM!* The ground under Reina burst open and a giant ice sword burst out. She jumped to avoid it, but the sword was too huge and too fast to avoid. She had to form a barrier around her and took the sword head on. ¡°Ugh!¡± The sword lifted her in the air so fast that Amelia was barely able to react to her passing by her and being forced up into the sky. Amelia looked up and saw a giant ice pillar falling towards Reina, who was on the top of the sword. ¡°Get out of there!¡± She shouted at Reina. However, Reina wasn¡¯t able to move fast enough to heed her warning. *BOOM!* The ice pillar and the sword clashed with Reina caught up between them. They both broke apart and caused car size lumps of ice to fell towards the earth. ¡°I was just trying to set you two on the right path, and you repay my kindness with malicious intents?¡± Amelia looked down and saw Eis looking up at her. He was covered with wounds, and was bleeding all over. His white clothes was a mess, and he had a frown on his face. ¡°Since you two want to be like that, I¡¯ll do things the hard way.¡± He formed a sword in his hand and leaped into the air. In an instant, he was rushing towards Amelia swinging his sword. ¡°Bring it!¡± Amelia formed a flame sword in her hand and met his charge. *Bam!* The swords clashed and fire and ice started dancing around them. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could actually fight with your own hands, rather than relying on your powers.¡± Amelia said. ¡°It¡¯s just that you two weren¡¯t worth me fighting seriously.¡± Eis replied. ¡°Oh, really?!¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The two parted and rushed towards each other again. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* They clashed with their swords while maneuvering around in the air. Amelia used wind to fly around, while Eis froze the water vapor in the air to make footing for him to move around with. Amelia slashed at his side, which he blocked by lowering his sword. He then forced her sword back and thrust his sword at her windpipe. Amelia used her flame sword to parry it, while taking a step towards him. She aimed a knee strike at his midsection, but he blocked it with his own knee. She didn¡¯t let that stop her and swung her sword at his pivot leg. *Bam!* The sword hit a thick sheet of ice that appeared out of nowhere protected Eis¡¯s leg. She was then hit with an uppercut, and had to back off. Eis then pounced at her while thrusting his sword at her face. Amelia quickly moved back and avoided the sword by a few inches. ¡°This guy is better at close combat than I thought.¡± She muttered to herself. ¡°I see.¡± Eis then chased after her and spoke as if he understood something. ¡°I¡¯ve figured out the full extent of your strength.¡± He nodded and said. ¡°You¡¯re far inferior to me.¡± He pointed at her. ¡°You didn¡¯t even realize that I had already cut you.¡± ¡°What are you¡­?¡± Amelia looked at her body and was shocked. Her right shoulder had a deep wound in it, and the blood that should¡¯ve sprayed from it was frozen solid. ¡°When did¡­.¡± She was suddenly assaulted by pain in the shoulder. ¡°When we fought just now, I used my full strength for a moment and that¡¯s the result.¡± Eis said. ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice¡­¡± Amelia muttered. ¡°Oh.¡± Eis suddenly swung his sword above him. Blood sprayed and Reina appeared above him. He reached out with his other hand and grabbed her by her throat. ¡°It¡¯s not that I couldn¡¯t sense you, it¡¯s just that you weren¡¯t that much of a threat.¡± Frost started appearing on Reina¡¯s body while she was being held by Eis. ¡°Ah!¡± Reina swung her hand that turned into an iron claw and slashed Eis. She cut him across the face. ¡°Ugh?!¡± He released her and held his face. ¡°That arrogance will be your downfa-¡± *Bam!* ¡°Guh?!¡± Reina was unable to finishing speaking before letting out a agonizing groan. That was because an icicle was thrust through her stomach before she could react. ¡°Reina?!¡± Amelia shouted. ¡°Insolent!¡± Eis gripped his sword and cut Reina across the chest with his sword. Blood sprouted out of the long wound, but was instantly frozen. Reina fell from the sky and crashed into the ground. Amelia wanted to chase after her, but Eis obstructed her path. ¡°I¡¯m fed up of the two of you.¡± He thrust his sword towards her. Amelia quickly deployed the rainbow colored barrier used to block powerful attacks. *Bam!* The barrier stopped Eis attack. ¡°?!¡± However, the barrier soon started freezing. *Shatter!* The barrier suddenly broke like glass, and Eis sword stabbed into Amelia. Her body started to stiffen and frost covered her body. Her eyes became dull as well. ¡°Take it with you.¡± Eis released his sword and Amelia fell from the sky with it still inside her. *Bam!* She hit the ground like she was a statue. Her skin became paler and more frost covered her body. ¡°Beg the Sacred God for forgiveness when you reach the other side.¡± Eis looked down on the two and said with a cold tone. Neither of them showed any signs of movement or life. They were frozen with the same expression on their faces. Eis gave them one last look of contempt and turned away from them. ¡°Now to help out the others like father ordered me to.¡± He looked at the other battles that was going on and noticed that all the Aficionado members were in disadvantageous situations despite they being in their sacrament forms. This was because their opponents were fighting without care for their lives, and were literally doing everything they could to kill their enemies. Harut was having a hard time contesting with Xavier¡¯s iron giant form and had to be on the defensive. Marut was being overwhelmed by the desperate and insane actions of Liam and the others. While Eleleth couldn¡¯t get a grasp on Christi, and was being preyed on by someone weaker than her. ¡°I¡¯ll help them right away.¡± Eis said and was about to move away. ¡°?!¡± But just as he was about to do that, a chill crawl up his spine. This was odd considering that his body was designed to be like ice itself. That meant that he wasn¡¯t cold, and that something else caused the chill. He quickly realized that it was something else. He turned around and looked at the two, who should be dying. He looked and saw that the both of them were surrounded by an incredibly beastly Anima. He soon saw the two come to life. They both slowly stood up. Amelia removed the ice sword that was in her stomach, while Reina removed the icicle that was in hers. They both threw them to the ground. Soon, the frozen blood from the large wounds on their bodies thawed and blood started pouring from them. When Eis saw that, he was shocked because it indicated that they were able to counter the freezing effect of his powers. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Amelia and Reina silently stood there with their hair messy and covering their faces. The two rubbed their bloody wounds with their hands as if examining them. Eis could then see them frowning. Their frown soon turned into a scrawl. ¡°Say, Lizard. This bastard really messed us up, didn¡¯t he?¡± Amelia suddenly asked Reina. ¡°Yeah, he really did.¡± Reina replied. ¡°How do you think we should repay him?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± The two then used their bloody hands to sweep their hair back and fully reveal their face. ¡°?!¡± Eis was frightened when he saw their faces. There was some whiskers like markings on Amelia¡¯s face; while under Reina¡¯s eyes there were two markings that ran from the edge of her eyes down to her jaw bones, like it was showing the path of two tears. Yet, these changes weren¡¯t what frightened Eis. Despite there not being any other physical changes other the markings, he just couldn¡¯t recognize their faces of the two as humans. He felt like he was looking at the faces of two apex predators. ¡°What should we do to him? Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± The two predators showed angry smiles which matched the savage look in their eyes, and spoke in unison. ¡°We tear him apart, that¡¯s what!¡± Eis created two swords and took an attacking stance on reflex when he heard that. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like his life was in serious danger. The two seemed amused by his reaction and shot forward at the same time. Eis clenched his swords and rushed towards him. ¡°Die!¡± Amelia¡¯s fingernails turned into claws, and she used them to slash at him. Eis blocked it with his swords, and realized that her attacks suddenly became heavier. ¡°!¡± He turned to the side and saw that Reina was attacking him from the side. He jumped over her attack and stomped the air. *Bam!* A block of ice rushed to crush her head. Reina punched it and destroyed it with ease, and then destroyed the ice spears that was shot towards her under the camouflage of the ice block. *Bam!* Eis was attacked from the side by Amelia, who he blocked with a wall of ice. ¡°Stop hiding and come die!¡± Amelia roared and shattered the thick wall with a punch. She rushed towards him and slashed her claws again. He blocked her but, she twisted her body and kicked him on the side of the head. ¡°Ugh!¡± He was forced to the side a few meters. He then sensed someone behind him and turned around with a slash. His sword hit air, causing him to look down. *Bam!* Reina, who stooped down jumped and headbutt him under the chin. He sent her flying with a punch to the chest. ¡°Rah!¡± *Bam!* Amelia kicked him from behind and hit him with an uppercut when he turned around. The uppercut forced him into the air a few meters. *Swoosh!* That¡¯s when he saw something appeared above him. It was Reina. *Bam!* She stomped him out of the air and into the ground. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* She started to jump on his chest like it was a trampoline, while laughing. A giant hand made of ice soon slapped her away. ¡°?!¡± Eis had to suddenly roll for his life, and avoided Amelia trying to smash his head in with a punch. The ground cracked up when her fist hit the spot he was moments ago. He stood up only to get kicked away by Reina. ¡°Ugh!¡± He twisted his body in the air and landed on his feet. The moment he did, he saw Amelia and Reina attacking him from the sides. He had to desperately leap back to avoid their punches. The two then immediately change directions and chased after him. Eis desperately swung his swords to fend the two off. He formed two ice cannons behind him and made them blow the two away. Only then he finally got some breathing space. He looked at the two who laid on the ground and trembled. Instead of humans, it felt like he was being hunted by two wild animals. Unsurprisingly, he saw the two get up again. He backed away when he saw the savage look in their eyes. For a moment he thought he saw the images of a sunset colored tiger and a giant white and red reptile. ¡°Just what the hell are they?¡± He asked himself. He then saw the two disappeared from where they stood. ¡°?!¡± In an instant he was cornered from the two attacking him from two different directions. His body moved before his mind could, and he jumped and twisted like roller in the air. The two attacking him past him from above and below. When his feet touched the ground, he tried to attack them from behind by making his swords extend and thrust towards their necks. ¡°?!¡± But unbelievably, the two avoided the attacks by leaping into the air with a backflip, and past over him. They landed at his side and clenched their fists. ¡°Shit!¡± Eis erected two thick walls of ice in desperation. *Bam!* The girls threw their strongest punches and slammed them against the walls. *Bam!* The walls instantly crumbled in front of their hammer like fists. When Eis saw that, he could see the two fists slowly advance towards him, however the fists were like like two meteorites and struck bone deep fear in him. He couldn¡¯t move no matter how much he tried. At death¡¯s door he asked himself once more- ¡°Just what the hell are these two?¡± *BOOM!* The fists hit Eis¡¯s face from two different directions causing the power behind them to clash and explode. His head burst into pieces and the girls¡¯s fists collided. His headless body fell lifelessly to the floor, announcing his death and defeat. ¡°Oh, that kid from the Ultimate Believer project actually lost? That¡¯s pretty surprising.¡± About a couple hundred meters away, someone was watching the battle between Amelia and Reina versus Eis. This person was the leader of this crusade, Dumah, who was supposed to be captured by Serket. ¡°Harut and others are having trouble as well? This is a unexpected turn of events.¡± He folded his arms and said. ¡°I know it took longer than expected to escape, but I didn¡¯t see this coming at all.¡± He then started to walk towards the battlefield. ¡°I guess I should get to work.¡± 58th Night: Dumah’s Overwhelming Power ¡°¡­¡­¡± Amelia and Reina silently looked down at Eis¡¯s headless body, while breathing heavily. The two had activated their ancestral bloodline and stole the victory by hunting Eis together. However, they still suffered serious injuries before that, injuries that had yet to heal. They may be experiencing the high of activating their bloodline, but once the adrenaline runs out, the full extent of those injuries will be clear. ¡°We should hurry and finish this.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I agree. Let¡¯s help the others and be finished.¡± Reina said. ¡°That sounds like a good plan. Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°?!¡± That¡¯s when they heard an unfamiliar voice not too far away from them. No, they heard the voice before even though it was only today. They looked and check to confirm their bad feeling, as expected, their nightmares were confirmed. ¡°Hi there.¡± They saw Dumah waved at them with a friendly smile. When they saw him, they immediately distanced themselves from him. ¡°Good instincts. As expected of the apex predators of the human race.¡± Dumah praised. ¡°We usually look down on the human race, but Lodons and Megals are exceptions. That¡¯s because they¡¯re more beasts than human. As proof, the last 5 leaders of the Human Race belonged either to the Lodon or the Megal bloodlines.¡± He slowly approached them. ¡°You two were truly praiseworthy. Neither of you have fully awakened your blood, but you can already become so strong from merely activating a small amount of your bloodline. You two may be rare talents among your people.¡± The more he approached them, the more the two retreated. ¡°Where¡¯s Serket? I thought she had you trapped.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Oh, the scorpion queen is having a nap somewhere.¡± Dumah replied. ¡°You¡¯ll be doing same pretty soon.¡± Suddenly, he stood in front the girls as if he had always been there. They didn¡¯t get time to react. He reached out his hands and stopped in front of their faces. ¡°On second thought, I¡¯ll leave you two for last.¡± He then walked past them and headed towards the others. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The two stood in silence as if they couldn¡¯t figure out what just happened. They could literally feel their deaths just now. Yet, they were powerless to resist. They looked back at Dumah approaching the others and trembled. Dumah walked with casual steps as if he was going to have a stroll. No matter how close he got to the battlefield, there wasn¡¯t any indication of anyone noticing him approaching. Before long he stood at the very center of the battlefield, yet no one paid any attention to him, like he was a ghost. Amelia and Reina were dumbstruck when they saw that, because they could clearly see him yet no one else seemed to be able to. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± They asked themselves. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s the infamous silence of death?¡± Richard, who was watching Dumah, looked intrigued. ¡°I heard that there was a kid with a very interesting ability among the recruits in the Sacred Army a few decades back. It was then speculated that this recruit had later joined the Aficionado for the Sacred church. Looks like this kid was Dumah. Not only did he join the Aficionado, he even entered the Heavenly Order, which oversees the church in its entirety.¡± He said. ¡°Hmm¡­.What should I do?¡± He then looked at Amelia and Reina. ¡°I think this is far out of their league.¡± Dumah stood in the center of the battlefield and observed everything around him. As if he had understood something, he nodded and moved towards the battle closest to him. This was the battle between Marut and the forces of Liam and James. ¡°?!¡± Both sides came to a halt when they saw him appear out of thin air between them. ¡°Boss!¡± Marut looked happy to see Dumah, especially considering the situation he and the rest of the Aficionado were in. ¡°Marut, looks like the three of you are in trouble.¡± Dumah said with a smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t this guy the boss? Why is he back, and where¡¯s mother?¡± Liam asked himself. Dumah turned and faced them. ¡°Could it be that you can¡¯t handle them, Marut?¡± A sharp look appeared in his eyes. ¡°If not, I can kill them for you.¡± ¡°?!¡± Everyone backed off in the face of his gaze. It was like they instantly sensed the difference between them and Dumah. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I can handle them myself now that you¡¯re here.¡± Marut said. ¡°Is that so?¡± Dumah looked back at him. ¡°Then explain to me why you didn¡¯t use the army to just overwhelm them and destroy them in one swoop?¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He asked. ¡°That¡¯s because of him.¡± Marut pointed towards the army, where Richard was sitting. Upon seeing that he was pointed out, Richard waved at Dumah in a friendly way. ¡°He pressured us into fighting in this stupid manner. If it wasn¡¯t for him, we would¡¯ve already ceased the city.¡± Marut explained. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Dumah silently looked at Richard, and Richard did the same. After a while Dumah spoke- ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Marut was confused by what he said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked. ¡°What I mean is, I don¡¯t think I can beat that.¡± ¡°?!¡± Marut was shocked to hear this, after all Dumah was a member of the Heavenly Order that controls the church. For him to declare that he can¡¯t defeat an opponent was a very big deal. Especially when he said it so casually as if it was a well known fact. ¡°Lieutenant General? Or maybe General?¡± Dumah started to mutter. ¡°Are you comparing him to those in the Sacred Army?¡± Marut asked with a pale face. ¡°Yeah.¡± Dumah replied. That simple reply sounded like a death sentence from Marut¡¯s point of view. A General or Lieutenant General is strong enough to fend off both the church and royal forces with ease. In fact, a General was more than enough to completely destroy this country. If Richard was really someone of that level, then he would be like a god among men. ¡°Ah, but don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t attack us.¡± Dumah suddenly said. ¡°He and I already came to agreement.¡± ¡°An agreement? When?¡± Marut asked. ¡°Just now.¡± That¡¯s when Marut figured it out. ¡®They must have communicated through Ajna.¡¯ He thought himself. ¡°Since you said that, I can feel more relieved.¡¯ Marut said with a sigh. ¡°I can take care of these bastards once and for all.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± Dumah said and started to approach the princes. ¡°You guys can take a rest, I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± He said. Marut didn¡¯t argue because he believed that Dumah must have his reasons. So he decided to relax. ¡°Watch out. This guy is trouble.¡± Said Liam. That¡¯s when he saw something appear beside him. He looked and saw Dumah sticking his hand into James¡¯s stomach. ¡°That¡¯s one.¡± Dumah said. ¡°Broth-¡± *Bam!* Before he could finish shouting, Liam was sent flying by Dumah¡¯s back hand. He felt his bones broke under the immense pressure. ¡°That¡¯s two.¡± Dumah said as Liam crashed into the earth with several broken bones. ¡°Hm?¡± He wanted to move to his next target, but he suddenly felt his hand being grasped. He looked and saw that James was holding his hand with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re still stuck at one.¡± He said. ¡°I see, you¡¯re under the effect of an animus that nullifies pain. However, I don¡¯t see fear in your eyes while facing me, so it looks like it rids you of fear as well.¡± Dumah shook his head. ¡°What a na?ve action to take.¡± He lifted his hand while it was still inside James and was being gripped by him, thus lifting James along with him. ¡°Fear and pain are essential to our survival. It allows us to learn our limits and not to recklessly push past them. Throwing them away for mindless power is only something a simpleton would do.¡± He said and lifted James overhead. ¡°Learn the error of your ways.¡± He swung down his hand and slammed James on the ground. *Bam!* James hit the ground so hard that it cracked. ¡°Oh? Even after that you still cling to me?¡± Dumah said after seeing James still holding him. ¡°Just so you know, even if you don¡¯t feel it, your body is still receiving damage. You can still die.¡± He said. ¡°I know, but I still won¡¯t let go!¡± James shouted. That¡¯s when black bull and the Brooks Sisters started to attack Dumah from the side. ¡°Why? Because I¡¯m this country¡¯s future king!¡± James shouted and put all of his strength in holding Dumah. ¡°King?¡± Dumah lifted his hand and destroyed Omar¡¯s black bull before grabbing him by the face and slamming him to Harley, who was attacking him from the side. He then turned around, and punched Emily in the stomach so hard that he forcibly deactivated her animus and destroyed her defense. ¡°Blegh?!¡± When the punch dug into her stomach, Emily started vomiting on the spot while holding her stomach. ¡°What¡¯s a king before a god? Do you think that just because you¡¯re king you can defy our god¡¯s teachings?¡± Dumah grabbed Emily by the hair and lifted her up. He then brought James beside her. ¡°Look king, save your subjects.¡± He said. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m not that girl¡¯s king.¡± James said. ¡°He is.¡± At that moment Liam appeared behind Dumah attacking him with all of his power condensed in one fist. ¡°I see. My mistake.¡± Dumah threw Emily like a doll and turned and blocked Liam¡¯s fist. *Crack!* ¡°Ahhhh?!¡± Liam screamed out in agony as his hand was crushed by Dumah. Dumah grabbed him by his collar and lifted him in the air. ¡°First prince James and second prince Liam. I heard about you two and rivalry you share.¡± He looked at James. . ¡°The first prince who was hailed as a prodigy and natural born leader.¡± He then looked at Liam. ¡°The second prince who received the same praises.¡± He then smiled. ¡°I heard that you two hated each other though. I¡¯m surprised that you can actually work with each other. Especially you Prince James. I heard that you really feared your brother because he possessed talents that you didn¡¯t and would be constantly compared to him. Did you perhaps had an inferiority complex towards him, since his birth made it hard for you to inherit the throne, even though it should¡¯ve been your birthright?¡± ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly talkative.¡± James said with a scrawl. ¡°Really? I was just curious, so I asked. But don¡¯t be embarrassed. Prince Liam also feared you because of the same reasons you feared him. But there¡¯s someone you two both feared the most.¡± *Bam!* At that moment, Dumah was kicked square in the face. ¡°Let my brothers go!¡± Christi shouted. ¡°Speaking of the devil.¡± Dumah seemed unfazed by Christi¡¯s kick and said. ¡°B-Boss, I¡¯m sorry! He slipped away from me.¡± Eleleth came running with wounds all over her body. It seemed that Christi was really close to assassinating her. ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. It works out better for me like this.¡± Dumah said. *Bam!* Christi suddenly formed a scorpion tail and blocked a knee from Dumah. ¡°It seems you have an hack for perceiving danger.¡± Dumah said. He circled around Christi in an instant. ¡°But you¡¯re not fast enough to stop me.¡± He lifted his leg and slammed it on top of Christi¡¯s head and forced him to the ground where he stepped on his head to keep him down. Like this he had James in one hand, Liam in the other, and Christi at his feet. ¡°?!¡± Seeing that, James tried to release his grip, but soon realized that he couldn¡¯t no matter how much he tried. ¡°With children captured, it¡¯s obviously the job of the parent to rescue them. Isn¡¯t that right, King Xavier?¡± Xavier in his iron giant form rushed towards Dumah in rage after seeing his sons captured. ¡°Wait, you rodent!¡± Harut was chasing after him to prevent him from reaching Dumah. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Harut. Leave him be.¡± Dumah said. ¡°A-As you wish.¡± Hearing that Harut left Xavier alone. ¡°You bastard! Let them go!¡± Xavier roared and threw his man sized fist at Dumah in a fit of rage. ¡°That won¡¯t do king.¡± *Bam!* Suddenly a fist shaped impression appeared in Xavier¡¯s iron armor and he frozen in placed. ¡°Calm down a little.¡± *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Countless fist marks appeared on Xavier¡¯s armor in an instant, bending it out of shape. It crumbled, and Xavier was revealed standing there with fist marks all over his body. He fell to his knee with his eyes wide open. ¡°Blegh?!¡± He threw up a mouthful of blood, and started bleeding from his nose and ears as well. He then silently fell on his face, and laid motionlessly on the ground. ¡°?!¡± When the princes saw their father in such a beaten up state, it was as if something snapped inside them. ¡°You fucker!¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you!¡± ¡°Ahhhh!¡± They all roared and tried their best to break free from Dumah, but it was useless no matter what they did. Dumah clearly outclassed them. ¡°N-No way¡­..¡± Even Amelia and Reina felt powerless in front of Dumah¡¯s dominance. ¡°I did say he can¡¯t push it too far, but to think that he didn¡¯t kill a single one of them. I must¡¯ve scared him more than I thought.¡± Richard said while watching everything unfold. At that moment- *BOOOM!* The entire city started trembling after a deafening explosion resounded. No, it felt like the whole country was trembling. Richard looked towards his east, and saw a gigantic pillar of sinister anima raising to the sky. ¡°Huh? He¡¯s awake already?¡± He said when he saw it. ¡°Wait, this isn¡¯t a simple show of power. I can sense intense rage in that anima!¡± He stood up and cold sweat started to cover his body. He quickly looked at Dumah, who too seemed frightened looking at the pillar. ¡°What did you do to Serket, you fool?!¡± Richard roared towards him. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Dumah didn¡¯t answer and only looked at the pillar dumbfoundedly. ¡°Tsk!¡± He clicked his tongue he saw that. ¡°Of all the things you could¡¯ve done, you just had to touch his reverse scale.¡± A few minutes earlier, a couple miles away from everyone else. Rory was walking towards the battle when he came across someone laying on the ground. He approached them and when he got a good look at who it was, it was like time had came to a stop. ¡°Ser¡­ket¡­?¡± He saw Serket laying in a pool of her own blood, motionlessly. The longer he looked at her the blanker his mind became. After a while, the image of Serket overlapped with that of another woman with dark skin white hair. ¡°Mother?¡± At that point, it was like reality started crumbling around him. After that- *BOOOM!* The darkest day in this country¡¯s history had began. 59th Night: Insatiable Rage ¡°W-What is that?¡± Everyone was shocked silly when they saw the emergence of the pillar of sinister anima. Just looking at it made one feel mad, and depressed. It covered the entire city with an oppressive pressure. Just breathing felt painful to everyone affected by it. No one could move from where they stood. They just could stare at the pillar that seemed like the gateway to hell itself. ¡°T-This¡­.This is someone¡¯s anima?¡± Reina asked with a shocked voice. ¡°Can Anima really be that evil?¡± Amelia asked. This was the first everyone here have ever seen such Anima. They started to wonder if this person was really human or a demon from the darkest abyss in hell. After a while, the pillar of anima disappeared along with the oppressive aura. ¡°Huh?¡± Richard was confused when he saw this. ¡°He didn¡¯t snap completely¡­..?¡± He muttered. ¡°Could it be that he still has a little self restraint left?¡± *BOOM!* As if to answer his question, a long streak of dark anima cut through the sky and crashed into the church¡¯s forces. Body parts were blown everywhere and cries of agony were short lived before the silence of death took over. Richard looked and saw a wasteland of death caused by the scattered corpses, and someone standing silently in the center. Their body was covered with a quiet yet eerie dark anima, and it felt like even the air itself was trembling in its presences. This person was Rory. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± He didn¡¯t speak or move. He just stood there silently with his head down as if looking at the floor. ¡°R-Rory?¡± Seeing him, Amelia hesitantly called out to him. However, she didn¡¯t receive a reply as if he didn¡¯t acknowledge her existence. ¡°Good. If he looks like that, then he¡¯s not completely out of control.¡± Richard said after observing Rory. ¡°However, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that far off.¡± He said. ¡°It looks like something indeed happened to Serket, but I doubt she¡¯s dead. Killing her is extremely hard even for me. But, I doubt the current Rory can come to the same conclusion in that state.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Should I just watch how things play out, or should I stop him first?¡± He asked him. ¡°Hm?¡± That¡¯s when he noticed that Rory was looking at him. The two¡¯s eyes met and they stared at here other in silence for a while. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Have it your way.¡± Richard suddenly spoke with a tone of resignation. ¡°You can rampage all you want until your satisfied. I¡¯ll clean up after.¡± He then started to walk away. He looked at Dumah and the others one last time and laughed. ¡°Whatever happens, is your own fault. Remember that.¡± After saying that, he disappeared. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± After Richards sudden disappearance, Rory silently stood there with dark anima dancing around him. ¡°Gulp.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t move a finger, his presence was enough to suffocate everyone there. They all felt like something terrible was about to happen. ¡°Sound the retreat.¡± Dumah suddenly said. ¡°Huh?¡± The Aficionado members were confused by what he said. ¡°Did you not hear me?! We¡¯re retreating now!¡± Dumah shouted. ¡°Yes!¡± The Aficionado members all quickly took out a whistle and blew it. A deafening sound rung out and spread to every corner of the kingdom. ¡°A retreat?¡± When the soldiers who were left behind in the rural areas of the country heard it they were all confused. That was because the signal was for a sudden retreat instead of a victory like they thought they would hear. Some even question if it was a mistake. However, for the soldiers who were on the scene at the capital, the signal for a retreat was like music to their ears. The monster which stood before them was too terrifying despite him remaining motionless.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Retreat!¡± They all started to run with all that they had to leave the city. Dumah released the princes and turned and face his comrades. ¡°Run and don¡¯t look back!¡± He shouted. ¡°Yes!¡± They all started to retreat with all their strength. The only one that remained was Dumah. He looked at the silent Rory and spoke. ¡°The reason you haven¡¯t attacked yet is because your comrades are still in the area, right?¡± He asked. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re trying your best to keep calm. I appreciate it, because my comrades can escape while I hold you off.¡± ¡°Escape?¡± Rory suddenly spoke for the first time and faced Dumah. ¡°?!¡± Dumah and everyone else shuddered when they saw the expression on his face. He wore a smile, a smile that only the devil himself could wear. They all felt like that smile was like a vacuum that sucked out the souls of all who saw it. ¡°There¡¯s no escape for anyone.¡± He said. Rory suddenly shot in the air like a rocket and headed towards the escaping army. *Bam!* In a second he landed in front of the army. ¡°?!¡± They all stopped when they saw him. ¡°Hear my voice, Sacred Church.¡± He started walking towards them. His voice rung in the ears of everyone in the city. It was like have a swarm of bugs crawling in your head. ¡°You have committed a grave sin. It¡¯s sin so great that there¡¯s no coming back from it.¡± His smile grew wider. ¡°Even if your god forgives you, I won¡¯t.¡± *Bam!* Suddenly a powerful force crashed into the army causing those of the front to burst into pieces. Arms, legs, heads, eyes, countless body parts started dancing in the air. Rory was seen walking through this storm of body parts with slow steps. The more steps he took, the more bodies burst apart and their limbs joined the others and danced in the air. ¡°Ahhh!!!!¡± The army made an U-Turn and and started running in the opposite direction in order to escape Rory. ¡°Heh.¡± Rory smiled as they retreated in terror. Soon those in the city could see the army of soldiers running for their lives. They quickly reentered the city and screamed for their leader. By this time, the storm of body parts halt and limbs started raining down around Rory along with droplets of blood. The blood drenched Rory¡¯s body and made his red hair even redder. The blood flowed down his face and down his cheeks. He looked like a demon from hell. ¡°Hahaha.¡± He suddenly started laughing and increased his walking pace. He then broke out in a sprint and pounced at the army. ¡°Fight him! Overpower him with numbers!¡± No one knew who shouted that order, but they all carried it out without hesitation. They didn¡¯t want to die, so Rory had to die instead. ¡°Die!¡± Rory concentrated his anima at his hands and swung them like they were claws. *Bam!* Giant streaks of dark anima rushed forth and ripped the soldiers in pieces, along with carving up the earth. The soldiers continued to run to fight their enemy like they had lost their senses. Rory grabbed them one by one tore them to pieces with his bare hands. He took the hand of a soldier and forced it down the throat of one of his comrades. He ripped out the intestines of another, and used it to strangle a woman while using her as a shield to stop the attacks of others. He threw her away and swung his hands again and bodies exploded into pieces and rained down onto the earth. He stomped the ground and spikes burst out skewered countless soldiers and lifted them in the air and let their blood drain and nurture the earth. His dark anima transformed into countless tentacles and wrapped around the soldiers¡¯s necks. They lifted the soldiers into the air and strangled them until their necks broke. The sea of enemies parted with Miko walking and slaughtering everyone in his way. Soon Dumah eyes could meet with his from a far. It sent a chill down his spine. ¡°How cruel¡­..¡± Rory¡¯s actions were so terrifying that even his ¡°comrades¡± started to fear him. ¡°Now, how should I kill you?¡± Rory asked with a sinister grin. ¡°Stay away from the boss!¡± Suddenly Harut appeared from under a heap of corpses and threw a punch at Rory. *Bam!* His fist hit a barrier of dark anima, and couldn¡¯t reach Rory. Rory looked at him and smiled. ¡°Harut!¡± Suddenly Marut pushed his brother to ground. A light shot past them and devoured two thirds of a soldier¡¯s body. *Bam!* Dumah attacked Rory at that time with a flaming sword. The sword cut into his shoulder, but couldn¡¯t move any further. ¡°?!¡± Suddenly Rory¡¯s faced paled and the dark anima surrounding him disappeared. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± He roared in agony. ¡°All darkness will be burnt away by my sword!¡± Dumah shouted and the flames started seeking into Rory¡¯s body. ¡°Eleleth!¡± Dumah shouted. ¡°Yes!¡± Eleleth jumped in front of Rory looked into his eyes. ¡°Animus: Tears Of Peace!¡± Suddenly golden tears flowed from her eyes. ¡°?!¡± The moment Rory saw that, all the anger and bloodlust he felt started to diminish. His mind was entering a tranquil state. He no longer felt like wrecking havoc. ¡®Good. Eleleth¡¯s animus erases all negative feelings of whoever sees it. This will make it easier to kill him.¡¯ Dumah thought. ¡°Marut, Harut! Kill him while I¡¯m holding him back!¡± Dumah shouted. ¡°Yes!¡± The two moved towards Rory and attacked him with their strongest attacks. *Bam!* Suddenly Rory thrust his hand through Harut¡¯s chest. ¡°?!¡± The Aficionado members were shocked when they saw that. ¡°Harut?!¡± None were more surprised than Harut himself. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and looked at the hand in his chest. He looked at Dumah. ¡°B-Boss, run away¡­¡± *Rip!* Suddenly Rory tore his heart out and crushed it in front of Dumah¡¯s face. Harut¡¯s body fell to the ground. ¡°I was trying my best to keep my control after everything you¡¯ve done¡­.and yet you had to push it.¡± Rory held Dumah¡¯s flame sword and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore. If this country is destroyed, then so be it.¡± A dark mist like Anima started leaking from the wound on Rory¡¯s shoulder. His body was once again covered with dark anima, but this time it felt far more sinister and evil. It felt like the anima that came from the pillar that pierced the sky earlier. The anima covered Rory until his body was no longer visible. Only a dark silhouette remained. He looked at Eleleth who was scared stiff in front of him. The silhouette showed her a beastly smile. ¡°B-Boss-¡± *Swoosh!* Before she could finish speaking, her body was separated from her body. The silhouette swung its hand and beheaded her. *Thud!* Her head fell at Dumah¡¯s feet. He looked down and saw a scared expression on her face as she blinked for the last time. ¡°You bastard!¡± Marut rushed towards him in anger. ¡°No!¡± *Bam!* Rory simply slapped him away like a fly. However, this backhand also shattered all of his bones and rupture some of his organs. He flew and landed in front of where Liam and the other princes were. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Liam looked at him with a smile on his face. Marut despite his situation was still alive, if only barely. Liam stooped down and silently started to stab his face with a knife. He cut out his tongue, puncture his eyes, cut off his ears, before slitting his throat vertically and crush his windpipe. Like this Marut suffered a gruesome death in front of those he belittled. Dumah saw his death and flew up in rage. ¡°Rory!¡± He pulled his sword and started swinging it onto Rory¡¯s body in a fit of madness and rage. Long cuts appeared on Rory¡¯s silhouette form, but the cuts quickly sealed back up an instant later. Seeing that only made Dumah lose his sanity. ¡°Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!¡± He cursed while continuing to cut Rory to no prevail. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Rory stood there as if allowing him to do as he wish. However, that too was another blow to Dumah¡¯s sanity. He grew even more frantic and continued to cut Rory. As if he had grown bored, Rory reached out his hand and gripped his head. ¡°Let me go! Let me go! You bastard!¡± Dumah shouted. ¡°The sacred church will never forget this humiliation! We will hunt you down to the end of time! You hear me, Devil King?!¡± *Splat!* As if he had enough of Dumah¡¯s rant, he silently crushed his head and threw him to the side. ¡°¡­¡­.He won¡­¡± Amelia said after a long silence. ¡°Then is the war over?¡± *Bam!* Suddenly she heard a loud explosion behind her. She looked and saw that a part of the mountain in the distanced was blown apart. She looked back in front of her and saw that Rory was stretching out his hand. It was obvious that he had been the one to destroy it. ¡°Rory?¡± ¡°Raaaahhhhh!¡± A terrifying howl came from Rory¡¯s mouth, causing the earth to tremble. Cracks started appearing in it, and dark anima started to burst the earth open. ¡°This isn¡¯t good! He¡¯s out of control!¡± 60th Night: Rory’s True Power *Rumble!* ¡°Tsk. Looks like he still lost control in the end.¡± Said Richard. He was standing in front of a body which laid in a puddle of blood. This body was Serket. Richard stooped down and looked at the body. ¡°Looks like he attacked her heart directly. He probably used his ability to sneak attack her.¡± He said while examining the body. He placed his hand on the back. ¡°Her heartbeat stopped. Looks like she entered a state of suspended animation. I think one of her animus allows her to temporarily die in return her regenerative abilities will boost.¡± He said before starting to shake her. ¡°While I think it¡¯s great that you¡¯re getting some beauty sleep, your son is out there about to destroy this country. I¡¯ll appreciate it if you could stop him, so I don¡¯t have to do it myself. I don¡¯t want to reveal my true identity yet, after all.¡± He said while shaking Serket. *BOOM!* At that moment a large explosion occurred near him. ¡°Well¡­.That can¡¯t be good.¡± He said. At the same time, Rory¡¯s anima caused meter wide cracks to spread throughout the city. The wall surrounding it came down like snow in an avalanche. ¡°What crazy power!¡± ¡°Is this the true power of the man hailed as the Devil King?¡± Amelia and others witnessed the destructive caused by Rory. The scariest thing was that a scream from him was enough to cause the city to crack open. ¡°What about those hidden underground?¡± Reina asked Amelia. ¡°I¡¯m trying to bring them back to the surface before he crushes them to death.¡± Amelia said. A hole opened up in the ground and people were seen running out of it clearly frightened. Amelia rose those who couldn¡¯t move to the surface herself as well. ¡°What should we do about him?¡± James asked. ¡°First, we need to evacuate. There are too many injured among us.¡± Liam looked at his brother. ¡°You included. Your animus is keeping you standing, but your injuries are severe. You could drop dead any second.¡± He said. ¡°It¡¯s the same for all of us.¡± Christi said. ¡°But where can we evacuate to? He looks like he¡¯s about to destroy the entire city.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we need to evacuate. Father is in a bad state as well. ¡° Liam said. *Boom!* Another wave of anima came from Rory, and everything around him started to be crushed in waves, one after the other. It looked rings of destruction were forming around him. ¡°Shit!¡± Seeing that, everyone became pale. ¡°Hah!¡± At that moment both Reina and Amelia released their full power and formed a barrier to block Rory¡¯s power. *Bam!* A massive wave of anima hit the barrier and cracks started to instantly appear. ¡°Ugh!¡± The two gave it their all to withstand the overwhelming power. ¡°Ahhh!¡± The markings on their faces started to glow a burning color, as they released beastly roars. The barrier suddenly became strong and was barely able to withstand the wave of power until it faded away. ¡°Wow, they actually blocked it.¡± Liam said in shock. ¡°Those two really are amazing.¡± Christi said. Meanwhile, Reina and Amelia were both breathing heavily and had their hands on their knees. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do that again, you?¡± Amelia asked Reina. ¡°No way. I don¡¯t even know how we were able to withstand that in the first place.¡± Reina replied. ¡°Hot¡­..My body feels like it¡¯s overheating.¡± Amelia said while she wiped the sweat from her face. ¡°Me too. My blood feels like it¡¯s boiling in my veins.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Reina replied. The two didn¡¯t seem to realize that the markings on their faces were of burning color, and that some marks were appearing on their necks. Even though they were barely visible. ¡°Huh? He¡¯s on the move.¡± Reina said. They saw Rory turned his back to them, and started to move in the opposite direction. ¡°Is he leaving?¡± ¡°That would be the best thing we could ask for.¡± Said James. ¡°Raah!¡± Rory suddenly clenched his fist and threw a punch in front of him. Everyone there swore they saw ripples appearing in the air for a split second. *BOOM!* Suddenly a devastating force rush forth and flattened everything in one direction. It destroyed the earth and left a gigantic trench in its wake. No, it was better to call it a gorge. ¡°¡­..!¡± Everyone could only scream in silence, since no sound could come their mouths when they saw the power Rory just displayed. No matter how far they looked, they couldn¡¯t see the end to the gorge. It looked like it stretched on for forever. They saw Rory jumped and started to walk in the gorge. He walked and no longer paid them any attention. ¡°¡­..Did he just create a road for himself to walk on?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Even when out of control, his haughty personality is still the same.¡± She said. ¡°This is our chance! Take the injured and the weak to hide in the mountains. It was attacked earlier but at least it looks safe now!¡± James suddenly ordered. ¡°Yes!¡± The frightened soldiers regained their wit when they heard their commander¡¯s voice. Even those who betrayed him and sided with church followed his orders so naturally that no one found it out of place. ¡°The princes should go back with them and treat your wounds.¡± Black bull Omar said. ¡°Nonsense. We can still keep going.¡± Said James. ¡°Keep going? You intend to chase after Rory?¡± Liam asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. If he¡¯s left like that, he¡¯ll deal serious damage to the country. We have to stop him.¡± Said James. ¡°That¡¯s madness. Please return.¡± Omar said. ¡°Liam, Christi; our parents aren¡¯t here. Is this the time that we, their sons, protect the nation in their place?¡± James pleaded to his brothers. ¡°Go back, Christi.¡± Reina suddenly said. ¡°This cat and I are the only left who can still fight. We¡¯ll try to stop Rory.¡± She said. ¡°That¡¯s dangerous.¡± Christi replied. ¡°True, but it¡¯s the choice that makes the most sense. Besides, I doubt he¡¯ll kill her.¡± Reina pointed at Amelia. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone who can stop him, it¡¯s her. I¡¯m just going to back her up.¡± She said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Amelia didn¡¯t say anything and deactivated her animus and chased after Rory. Reina simply nodded at the princes and followed her. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it to them. We need to protect our people and our father.¡± ¡°Guess we have no other choice.¡± The princes said before retreating to the mountains. Elsewhere, Rory was randomly destroying everything around him. *BOOM!* He swung his arm to the side, and a forest a mile away was blown up. He stomped the ground and cracks spread for miles causing countless landforms to crumble or be alter in some way. He stretched his hand above his head and black clouds covered the sky. He swung down his hand and bolts of lightning descended from the sky and struck and ended countless lives. Suddenly, giant twisters slowly descend from the sky and rampaged through the lands. ¡°I heard that you could alter the weather with anima, but this is first I¡¯ve actually seen someone do it.¡± Reina said. She and Amelia were following behind Rory, but they were unable to get even a mile near him. Too many destructive forces surrounded him. ¡°With this level of strength, he might be able to destroy the country by himself.¡± Amelia said. This was her first time seeing someone wield such terrifying power. She started to wonder if Rory was on the path to godhood he told her about a while back. ¡®Only someone on the path to become a god can be this strong.¡¯ She thought to herself. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. We shouldn¡¯t be admiring him. We should find a way to stop him.¡± She said. ¡°I know that, but just how do we do that? My instincts tell me that if we go any closer we¡¯ll die without leaving a corpse behind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t respond to Reina¡¯s question. She also had no idea how to stop Rory. She didn¡¯t even know if she could. ¡°Maybe if I can get the chance to talk to him?¡± She asked herself. ¡°Huh? Looks like he encountered some people.¡± Reina said. ¡°What? Is it a village? A lot of citizens stayed at their homes after all.¡± Amelia asked. Reina shook her head. ¡°This¡­.This is an army, and it has the church¡¯s insignia on their banners?¡± ¡°What?¡± Meanwhile, not too far away from Rory. ¡°Lord Dex! Someone is approaching us!¡± A soldier reported to Dex. ¡°If it¡¯s not one of us, kill them!¡± Dex mercilessly ordered. When Dumah sounded a sudden retreat, Dex along with Father Timothy realized that things went south and quickly retreated. They, however received orders from the church¡¯s higher ups to return to the front lines and kill Rory. The two wanted to disobey the order, but if they did, they would be executed as traitors. Luckily, the higher ups weren¡¯t completely heartless. They sent reinforcements that they had been stationed in the neighboring countries as a precaution. These reinforcements plus the soldiers, who were left in the rural areas by Dumah, made the total size of the army nearly 10,000. With such a huge number, Dex was confident that they could kill Rory. ¡°Fire!¡± The soldiers listened to Dex and fired all of their weapons at Rory who was approaching them. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Loud explosions echoed in the area. ¡°This is bad! If they attack him like this, we won¡¯t be able to bring him to his senses!¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Should we help him?¡± Reina suggested. ¡°Do you really think we can do anything against that number? We just have to hope that Rory can do something about them.¡± Bullets, lasers, and explosives bombarded Rory without mercy. The army didn¡¯t hold back in the least. They fired everything they had to eliminate the enemy in front of them. They became even more aggressive after they saw their target was still approaching them. ¡°That¡¯s him! That¡¯s Rory! Kill him with everything you have!¡± Timothy roared. He already guessed that his son had perished and wished to destroy Rory and this blasted country. The army¡¯s attacks however didn¡¯t seem to affect the current Rory. They hit him point blank, but his steps didn¡¯t slow down, and there was no damage seen on his shadow like body. ¡°Is he a monster?¡± Dex¡¯s skull felt numb as he watched Rory tanked the countless attacks. That¡¯s when Rory suddenly stopped. ¡°Is he finally going to fall?¡± Dex asked excitedly. Rory silently lifted his left hand in front of him and pointed a finger at them. A black light started to gather at his finger tips. Meanwhile lightning bolts hit the army, along with his twisters. The army tried their best to stay strong but against disasters of this level, that was easier said than done. ¡°Keep firing! It¡¯s only one mortal! He¡¯s not a god!¡± Dex roared frantically. However, what happened next was like the heavens mocking him. *Bam!* A lightning bolt him directly and made his skin melt and charred. He fell dead on the ground and never spoke again. The black light gathering at Rory¡¯s fingertips formed an orb the size of a fist by this time. Those in army saw it, they also saw a smile appear on Rory¡¯s shadowy face. And then- The world blacked out. *Flash!* Suddenly the world around Amelia and Reina had lost its color completely. The world was now a colorless drawing. There was no sound or sense of feeling either. It was like reality itself had crumbled. They looked and saw the church forces, who now looked like sketches, bend out of shape before disappearing completely. After a while, color returned to the world. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± When they looked in front of them, Amelia and Reina were so shocked that their brains had stopped processing what their eyes saw. It took a while before they could understand what they were looking at. In front of them only Rory could be seen. There was no army in front of him. In fact, there was nothing in front of him. Only an abyss like hole which stretched as far as the eye could see. In the abyss, a black static could be seen every now and again. Other than that, nothing else could be seen in it. After a while the two finally accept they reality before their eyes. Rory had erased 10,000 people along with the very ground they stood on from existence. They finally understood that they just witnessed the power Rory wielded in his prime, and why he was so terrifying in the eyes of the world back then. The man in front them was beyond common sense, yet this man and his comrades lost to a single person back then. The two couldn¡¯t even imagine how powerful that person was then, much less now. 61st Night: Crusade’s End After displaying his full strength, Rory stood in place and started to laugh. His laugh didn¡¯t sound like it came from one person, it was like a group of people were laughing together. Not only that, the laugh made all who heard it felt like they were about to lose their minds. ¡°He¡¯s corrupting our minds?!¡± Amelia said as she and Reina held their heads. Their minds were become fuzzy and it became hard to think. They both back away with all of their strength at the same time. When they moved almost a mile back, they finally escaped the effects of Rory¡¯s dark anima. ¡°This is no joke. How are we supposed to stop him, when just being near him makes you go crazy?¡± Reina asked while covered in cold sweat. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we gotta do something or else this country is a goner.¡± Amelia replied. She could tell from the power Rory just showcased that he alone could destroy this country. She had to admit that she now saw Rory in a new light. ¡°To have such power which you can¡¯t control, yet you still can act carefree¡­..Just how thick skinned are you?¡± She mumbled to herself. ¡°We gotta do something, but I can¡¯t think of anyway to stop him.¡± ¡°I might have a solution.¡± The girls heard a familiar voice behind them and turned around. ¡°Richard.¡± ¡°It is I.¡± Richard gave a courtesy bow and said. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Amelia asked. It was obvious that she was very anger at everything Richard did. ¡°Why? I¡¯m here to stop Rory, of course.¡± He said and approached the girls. ¡°Rory is now in a state where he¡¯s using power that the current him still can¡¯t handle. If left alone, his body will crumble under his own power.¡± ¡°Why do you care? Didn¡¯t you already sellout him out earlier?¡± Reina asked. She too was angry towards Richard. If Richard had helped them earlier, then they wouldn¡¯t have to fight so desperately and suffer so much damage. ¡°But if I did that, you two wouldn¡¯t have grown as much as you did in a short amount of time.¡± He suddenly said. ¡°Wha?¡± Reina was shocked to see him directly respond to her thoughts. ¡°Ajna¡­.You can use it too.¡± Amelia glared at him and said. She didn¡¯t want him peeking into her heart, especially now when she didn¡¯t know if she could trust him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be that cautious of me.¡± Richard smiled when he saw the girls expressions. ¡°You won¡¯t believe it, but I¡¯m the last person who would want to harm you two in this whole country. After all, you two were handpicked by me.¡± ¡°Handpicked?¡± The girls were confused by what Richard meant. ¡°You¡¯ll understand in the future. Just know that everything I allowed to happen today, was all for your own benefit, and Rory¡¯s as well.¡± ¡°You¡­.Just who the hell are you?¡± Amelia asked. She had the feeling for a while now, but Richard seemed somewhat familiar to her. Not only that, the more he spoke the faker he looked to her. It was like the person in front of her was a mere illusion, and the real person was hidden behind that illusion. ¡°Me? I¡¯m just a clown, no one important.¡± Richard replied. ¡°Now then, I think it¡¯s time to save Rory from himself.¡± He walked past the girls and started to walk towards Rory with a smile. Despite the horrifying power that Rory wielded, Richard walked towards him like he was a friend and that he would never harm him. ¡°Hm?¡± Suddenly he stopped. ¡°You¡¯re up faster than I expected.¡± At that moment, someone appeared behind him. It was Serket, who were bloodstained clothes. ¡°Move, Pierrot. This is were a mother comes into play.¡± She said. ¡°As you wish, Queen.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Richard instantly gave her way and she walked towards Rory who was still laughing uncontrollably. She stood in front of him and frowned. Rory noticed her and stopped laughing. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± He looked at her in silence and then swung his hand to slap Serket away. Serket didn¡¯t even flinched as the hand rushed towards her. Just as the hand was about to hit her, it stopped. ¡°Good. It looks like even in a deranged state, you know that you can¡¯t strike me seriously.¡± Serket said. The girls were shocked that she was able to standing in front of the current Rory without a hint of fear. She even talked down to him. She placed her hand on his shoulder. ¡°While I find it sweet that you got this angry because of me, I don¡¯t want you to destroy yourself.¡± She showed a motherly expression. And then- ¡°So return to normal, you stinking brat!¡± She suddenly slammed Rory on the ground so hard that cracks at least a meter thick spread through the area. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The girls were speechless after seeing what Serket did. ¡°Your expressions says that you thought that Serket would hug and console Rory to calm him down.¡± Richard said with a laugh. ¡°Unfortunately, stuff like that only happens in the movies.¡± He started to mock the girls. ¡°The only way to stop him is to beat the shit out him until he settles down. But I admit that it¡¯s fortunate that he won¡¯t attack those he considers family. However, how can a hug pacify someone like that?¡± He laughed. ¡°You won¡¯t stop causing me trouble until the end, will you?¡± Serket said as she flung Rory, who had returned to normal over her shoulder. . When they saw that it was safe, the girls approached them with Richard following behind them. ¡°Is he okay?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°He¡¯ll probably be sore for a couple days, but other than that he should be fine. His body haven¡¯t suffered any permanent damage either.¡± Serket replied. ¡®Even so, I heard that he was able to control himself somewhat. So I guess he¡¯s recovering from his injuries. Give him some time and he should be able to control his strength like he once did.¡¯ She thought to herself. ¡°Are you okay, Your Highness?¡± Reina asked. Serket was covered in her own blood, so it was normal to be concerned. ¡°Yeah. I got careless and that brat was able to get one up over me.¡± Sometime back. When Serket was still holding Dumah captive, she suddenly felt the release of Aficionado Sacrament forms. This had shaken her a lot, because she knew that her love ones would need to go to the extreme to win against these forms. There was even a high chance that some of them would die. She didn¡¯t want that so she started to panic. ¡°Huh?¡± That¡¯s when she felt a warm liquid on her skin. She looked and saw that blood was flowing from her chest. ¡°What?¡± This shocked her because she didn¡¯t felt like she got hurt, yet her heart was definitely stabbed. The blood flowed rapidly and she started to feel weak from blood loss. ¡°I was finally able to get an opening.¡± She looked in front of her and saw Dumah smiling at her. ¡°You¡­an animus?¡± Serket fell to her knees and asked. At that moment, the Scorpion lock restricting Dumah vanished. Seeing that, Dumah stood up and walked in front of Serket. ¡°It¡¯s called Silent Death. I can silently inflict wounds on my target, and they won¡¯t even notice. The more I¡¯m able to concentrate, the more severe the wounds I can inflict. Dumah explained. Serket looked and saw that more wounds were opening up on her body, causing her, who was already feeling weak to collapse on her stomach. Her lips moved but no words came from her mouth. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re even too weak to talk, so let me answer your obvious question.¡± Dumah spoke with a smile. ¡°Why could I still use my anima while under the effects of your animus? It¡¯s because my Silent Death only requires a small amount of anima to use, so small that I might as well didn¡¯t need anima to use it.¡± He said. ¡°Where did I get that small amount of anima? You should already figure it out.¡± ¡®I see. When I was distracted the effects of my animus had weakened but only for a little bit. So little that I didn¡¯t notice. Since my animus is so powerful it requires lots of concentration. I¡¯m a veteran anima user, so concentrating in battle is child¡¯s play to me; yet, even I can get distracted.¡¯ Serket thought. She remembered when Dumah said she should¡¯ve killed Rory, she realized that he just wanted to test if he¡¯s able to disturb her concentration, and if her animus affects would weaken in any way when she¡¯s distracted. When he realized that was indeed the case, all he had to do was wait. After all, he was confident that his comrades could distract her by putting her family in desperate situations. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s time for me to reenter the stage. See ya, Scorpion Queen.¡± That was the last she saw of Dumah. ¡°I let my guard down and almost died as a result, but that brat was too cocky. He thought that I was that easy to kill. I have several ways to survive having my heart crushed much less stabbed.¡± Serket boasted. ¡°Dumah had such a skill? That explains why he could move in silence, and go unnoticed even when he¡¯s close by.¡± Said Reina. ¡°But wait, if he could silently inflict damage on others, why didn¡¯t do so against Rory?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°He probably couldn¡¯t concentrate when facing a raging Rory. So his animus was useless.¡± Serket replied. ¡°Either way, thanks to this brat going on a rampage, this crusade should be finished now with our victory.¡± She smiled. ¡°We beat the Sacred Church.¡± ¡°I suddenly feel beat.¡± Amelia fell on her butt and said. ¡°Don¡¯t start relaxing yet. We still have some clean up to do.¡± Serket led the girls back to the capital, while carrying the unconscious Rory over her shoulder. When they arrived, she sighed at her destroyed city. She turned to the direction of her mountain. She then raced over there. ¡°Mother!¡± When the princes saw the girls return with their mother, they were delighted. ¡°Jamie!¡± Serket however wasn¡¯t delighted. She saw her sons with various wounds, James looking the most severe. She stooped down and started to treat them frantically. ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡± She asked while attending to James wounds. ¡°He¡¯s over there.¡± Liam pointed to a spot that was crowded and surrounded with people. These were servants and doctors who were attending to those who were severely wounded. Xavier, being the king had the most skilled and experienced among them attending to him. ¡°He got hurt pretty badly.¡± She looked and saw Allan, Roc, and others being treated. ¡°Father¡­..Father¡­.¡± She looked and saw the Brooks Sisters crying over their father¡¯s dead body, with the Brooks family servants. Even now his satisfied expression was still fresh. ¡°I see that we also lost a lot of people.¡± She said while glancing at Liam. ¡°Was it worth it?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Yeah, I thinks so. At least the country still stands. If it wasn¡¯t for this troublesome brat, we might¡¯ve lost more.¡± Serket replied. ¡°Also, I doubt the church will send more people for another crusade.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Because they¡¯ve already gotten what they wanted from this war, the confirmation of Rory¡¯s current strength. Now that they know that he¡¯s still as strong as ever, they¡¯ll have to think twice before entering into a war with him.¡± Serket replied. ¡°Also, they know that my family and I aren¡¯t pushovers and are willing to fight them to the death. So they¡¯ll most likely declare this country a heathen nation. When that happens, the church will cut all connections to us and advise their believers to stay clear from here.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound all that bad to me.¡± Reina said. ¡°Considering everything they¡¯ve done, I doubt the citizens would accept them again.¡± Serket nodded. ¡®Well, even if that happens I¡¯ll ask her to do something. Considering all the crap she did during this war, I doubt she¡¯ll refuse. If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll ask Arisa to pressure the Sacred Army.¡¯ She thought to herself. ¡°Either way, with this Rory¡¯s return will become a hot topic worldwide.¡± She looked at Amelia and Reina. ¡°Well, you guys will have it rough too.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± They looked at her with confusion. She smiled when she saw that. ¡°You¡¯ll knew pretty soon.¡± 62nd Night: Reaction & Departure A few days after the crusade, the news of the war between the Sacred church and the Marigold royal family had spread to every end of the world. There was one reason for this, it involved Devil King Rory. Rory had disappeared from the world for over a century, yet he was still considered a popular figure. The reason was because the world still felt the effects of some of the actions he and the rest of Pandemonium had done. So him suddenly reemerging sent the world in a frenzy. Especially since, he announced his return by fighting against the all mighty Sacred Church. Many questions started to rise. Where was Rory all this time? What had he been doing? What about the rest of pandemonium? Is he making a comeback? Everyone racked their brains to try and figure out the answer to these questions. Somewhere in a vibrant country. There was a certain cave that led to an underworld world filled with countless reptile people. ¡°M-My Liege! My Liege!¡± A thin child that looked like it was part reptile ran through the underworld shouting. He held a newspaper in his hands as he ran towards the leader¡¯s home. ¡°Hmmm¡­.What is it Kirk? I still have a hangover from last night.¡± Hearing the child calling for them, the leader of this underworld partially opened his and peeked out. Other than his reptilian eyes, none of his physical features could be seen. ¡°My Liege! This is big news!¡± The child, Kirk lifted the newspaper so that the leader could see it. ¡°?!¡± The leader¡¯s eyes budged out in shock when he saw the picture of a familiar figure. ¡°BOSS?!¡± Somewhere exist a forest country where animals and the beast race lived in harmony. This forest was ruled by one king. He had countless races under his rule and was feared and revered by all the surrounding countries, despite his true name and appearance being a mystery. This king, who wore a mask and hunting attire, was currently sitting on the corpse of a giant hydra which he hunted for his breakfast. He was looking at a newspaper. ¡°Devil King Returns?!¡± This was what the title read. The king smiled when he saw Rory¡¯s picture. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re finally back.¡± He stood up and threw the paper to the side. He took a deep breath and then shouted- ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting forever, Boss!¡± *BOOM!* His shout sent out powerful shockwaves which caused countless trees around him to burst apart. ¡°The day we once again rampage through the world is near! However, that¡¯s only if you¡¯re still strong! If you¡¯re weak I¡¯ll kill you with my own hands and rampage in your honor!¡± His voice held so much power that it causing the entire forest to shake. ¡°That is the least I can do for my brother!¡± At a certain house on the outskirts of a certain city. There were countless children running about playing. A woman wearing the attire of a Scared Church nun, sat and read a newspaper. ¡°Looks like he and Sacred church still hate each other guts.¡± The woman said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure the others are thrilled to hear of your return.¡± ¡°Sister, what are you reading?¡± That¡¯s when a young girl came up to her and spoke to her. The sister smiled and put the down the paper. ¡°Nothing, darling. How about we play with the others?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The young girl held the sister¡¯s hand and helped her up out of her chair. The sister and the young girl walked hand in hand. The sister took one last glance at the paper. She smiled and shook her head. ¡°Well, if our paths cross again then we¡¯re definitely bond by fate.¡± In a certain bar, somewhere in the world. ¡°Did you hear?¡± ¡°Yeah, the devil king is apparently back.¡± ¡°Damn, I always thought that he was an urban legend, but I saw some of damages he caused in the Marigold Kingdom¡­.He¡¯s a beast.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s real then the rest of pandemonium is real as well.¡± ¡°Looks like they¡¯re making a comeback.¡± ¡°What do you think, Howard?¡± A group men asked the bar¡¯s waiter, who was cleaning up a table. ¡°Hm? About what?¡± Howard asked. ¡°About Pandemonium. Do you think they¡¯re making a comeback?¡± ¡°Who knows? It depends on what the others think. The devil king doesn¡¯t own them after all.¡± Howard finished cleaning up the table and went outside to throw away the trash. Once he did, he stood in silence and gripped his face. He pulled and his face was torn off. He was wearing a mask. His radiant green hair and pointy ears were the only thing that could be seen from behind. ¡°Looks like things will get busy again.¡± After saying that ¡°Howard¡± disappeared into the shadows, never to be seen again. At a certain graveyard. Someone was walking back and forth in a trouble matter. In front of them was a newspaper with Rory on it. ¡°Ahhh, what should I do? What should I do?¡± Their voice sounded like they were panicking. ¡°They¡¯ll come find me, I just know it!¡± The person held their head and started screaming. ¡°If they do I might try to kill them!¡± At a large stadium in a certain country. A woman sat in a room reading the article on Rory. She had an excited yet cruel smile on her face. ¡°Damn, that Rory. To think that he was having so much fun and left me out of it.¡± She rubbed a pair of swords beside her. ¡°I want to cut up those church bastard too, you know.¡± She put down the paper. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to cut him to pieces when I see him.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, everything is ready.¡± She heard a knock on her door. ¡°Coming.¡± Her voice and demeanor instantly had a drastic change. She now seemed harmless. She stood up and walked out of the room. The moment she did, cheers could be heard coming from the stadium. Marigold Kingdom. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Rory slowly opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling above him. ¡°Oh, sleeping beauty¡¯s finally awake.¡± He turned his head and saw Amelia next to him. ¡°How long have I been out?¡± Rory asked.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°About a week.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s pretty short.¡± ¡°Do you normally stay asleep longer than that after losing control?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be strange if I was out for a month. However, I would only go to sleep after wrecking havoc and finding a safe place to rest. So I don¡¯t have to worry about being defenseless.¡± He explained. ¡°So, how many people did I kill?¡± ¡°Who knows? You completely erased an army from existence. It was impossible to know the exact amount.¡± ¡°And the country? Does it still exist?¡± ¡°For the most case.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rory sat up. ¡°Serket?¡± ¡°She¡¯s busy leading the reconstruction of the city. I¡¯ll tell her that you¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°You do that.¡± Amelia quickly left the room and went to call Serket. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Rory got out of the bed in silence and noticed that he was wearing some pajamas. Since it was black and white, he knew that Serket was the one who changed him. ¡°Just a week, huh?¡± He clenched his fist. ¡°As I thought¡­.¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m able to use more of my strength now. Looks like my theory about me regaining more control over my strength the more I lose control was true.¡± He started to hop in place. ¡°I wonder if I should just lose control again a few more times. Maybe I¡¯ll regain full control then.¡± He threw a kick and stopped his leg in the air. He smiled. ¡°Just kidding. If I did that, I would hurt them. I¡¯ll just have to take it easy.¡± He brought his foot down and said. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s drink.¡± Over the next couple of days, Rory was forced by Serket to help and fix the city. With the help of those two and numerous citizens, the city was near full repair. With that being the case, Rory made a decision. ¡°It¡¯s time to leave.¡± He told the others. ¡°Where¡¯s the rush? You could stay a bit longer.¡± Said Serket. ¡°Yeah, Liam¡¯s wedding is coming up. Can¡¯t you wait till then?¡± Asked Xavier. He was still covered in bondages, and could barely walk on his own. ¡°Sorry. While I do love to see a beautiful brides, I find weddings boring and tedious if I¡¯m not sleeping with the bride. Well, in this case brides.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Man, you¡¯re really scummy, you know that.¡± Said James. He too had yet to recover from his injuries. ¡°Is there a reason you need to leave right now?¡± Liam asked. He didn¡¯t seem to mind Rory¡¯s ill joke. ¡°I¡¯m a free spirit, Liam. If I¡¯m chained down to one place too long I feel like I¡¯m going to die. I have to keep moving.¡± Rory replied. ¡°So when are you leaving?¡± Christi asked. ¡°Hmm¡­..Now.¡± ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that a little too sudden?¡± Amelia protested. ¡°I¡¯m a in the now kind of person. I live for the moment!¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to as long as I said it.¡± Rory started laughing. He then stood up. ¡°Besides, it would become a problem if people knew where I was. I need to stay on the move.¡± ¡°I see. Then it can¡¯t be helped then. Besides I¡¯m already used to your whimsical behavior.¡± Serket stood up and walked up towards him. ¡°Give me a shout if you need me.¡± She put her hand on his shoulder. ¡°Why would I need a fossil¡¯s help?¡± Serket smiled and started to crush his shoulder with a vice grip. ¡°Ow, ow, ow! I¡¯m sorry! It was a joke! A joke!¡± Rory cried out. Serket let him go and gave him a worried look. ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t die on me.¡± ¡°Hmph. I won¡¯t die before you.¡± Rory answered with a cocky tone. Serket nodded. ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°Same to you.¡± Around a hour later. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe we¡¯re leaving so suddenly.¡± Amelia complained. She and Rory were currently walking down a path that led to the nearest border, where they could leave the country. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Didn¡¯t you want to travel the world?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I guess I was starting to think of that place as my home.¡± ¡°Oh? If that¡¯s the case, why did you turn down James proposal?¡± Before they left, James stun everyone by suddenly proposing to Amelia. Amelia didn¡¯t take a second to turn him down. He got turned down faster than it took for him to go on his knee. ¡°You completely shattered his spirit.¡± Rory said with a laugh. ¡°He¡¯ll bounce back. He¡¯s strong willed after all.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°I admit that I admired him, but I didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of marrying him.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re already stronger than him. So there¡¯s not much he can offer you, who seeks strength.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me sound like a shallow person who only loves strong people.¡± ¡°Why not? I¡¯m that kind of person.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re so hated. That and you¡¯re a prick.¡± ¡°Speaking of strong.¡± Rory stopped and looked up ahead. He saw someone walked out from behind a tree. It was Reina. ¡°Tsk.¡± Amelia clicked her tongue in irritation when she saw Reina. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ve come to say goodbye.¡± Rory ignored her and said. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I was fired.¡± ¡°Fired? I see. Christi let you go.¡± Reina nodded. Just before Amelia and Rory left, Christi called Reina. ¡°What? You want me to go with Rory?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve completed my goal, and it¡¯s time for you to complete yours.¡± ¡°But, what about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. After this whole ordeal, I¡¯m a lot closer to my brothers now, so I doubt another fight for the throne will break out. My mother is also here, so everything will be fine.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t be so sure.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss. We¡¯ll watch over the Prince in your stead.¡± Roc walked into the room with the rest of Boomslang and said. ¡°You¡¯ve devoted so much to protect us, so now is the time we allow you to be free.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± ¡°Reina, will going with them bring you closer to your goal?¡± Christi asked her. ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°Then go. Our agreement was just until I protected my country anyway. You¡¯ve already helped me do it. So you don¡¯t need to worry about us anymore.¡± He and all of Boomslang smiled at her. ¡°Go and live your life, Reina Megal.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s what happened.¡± Rory said after hearing Reina¡¯s recollection. ¡°I¡¯m always up for traveling with another beauty, but¡­.¡± He looked at Amelia, who was glaring at Reina, and then back at Reina, who was glaring back at her. ¡°Can you two even travel together?¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± Both of them said at the same time. ¡°I see. So you can. Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Rory completely ignored them and continued walking. Behind him, the two girls were bumping shoulders as they walked. Eventually they start to fight it out. Rory then had to separate them, and walk between them. It looked like a scene of a father stopping his daughters from fighting. ¡°Hahaha.¡± Back at the city walls, someone was watching the interaction among the three and laughed. This person was Richard. ¡°How do they look?¡± Serket walked up behind him and asked. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re off to a fun start.¡± Richard replied. He leant on the wall, while watching Rory in the distance. ¡°Looks like everything went the way you wanted.¡± Serket said. Richard nodded. ¡°There was some mishaps, but everything turned out fine.¡± ¡°I see. Even though my sons and husband almost died, I¡¯m glad that your plan went as planned.¡± ¡°Oh, please. You know that I would never put them in real danger. The only reason they¡¯re alive is because of me.¡± ¡°True. But you must understand my anger when I saw their pathetic states.¡± Serket glared at him. Richard didn¡¯t look at her, but he felt the pressure she was giving off. ¡°Well¡­..I¡¯m sorry.¡± He apologized after a while. ¡°I¡¯ll only accept that apology because you couldn¡¯t help it. If it was someone else, they would¡¯ve died. You better be glad that I raised you as my own.¡± Serket folded her arms and said. ¡°By the way, why don¡¯t you stop using that appearance now. I don¡¯t think it has any meaning now.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Richard¡¯s figure started to distort right in front of Serket¡¯s eyes. Soon his body started to break apart into light particles leaving behind a body with of a smaller and more slender frame. This didn¡¯t shock Serket in the least. She silently watched as ¡°Richard¡± faded away and someone else appeared. Soon who stood in front of Serket was Richard, but a woman. She had short darkish purple hair, a voluptuous figure, and was dressed in a revealing leather jacket and a skirt. On her chest was a tattoo of a demon. This was the woman who had transformed into a female guard and made Rory and Amelia meet each other, way back at the Buchse Kingdom. ¡°Well, it¡¯s still not your real form, but it¡¯s the one the world¡¯s most familiar with so I¡¯ll let it slide, Mio.¡± Serket said. The woman, Mio, was a member of pandemonium (the demon) with the position of the Heart, while Rory was the Brain. In other words, she was the second-in-command of Pandemonium as well as the one who had the role of being the demon¡¯s (Rory) heart. She was the mysterious Richard, who once controlled the previous war. ¡°I apologize for all the trouble I caused, Mother. It¡¯s just that whenever I take a form, my personality matches that form. Even now, this form is that of a scheming seductress. Hence I can only think about manipulating everything while in it.¡± Said Mio. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t get mad. That¡¯s just how your animus works.¡± Serket said. Mio smiled, and then the aura around her changed again. It now had a mischievous feeling, which made her feel like a trickster. ¡®Looks like her new personality has already taken over.¡¯ Serket thought after sensing the change. ¡°But it really does feel good to see a good plan come together.¡± Mio turned her attention back to Rory. ¡°Amelia and Reina has grown just as I hope they would.¡± ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re the one who put Amelia in that back bush country.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny it. I placed her there under the care an old friend of mine. Too bad he died though. I always told him that he wasn¡¯t cut out to be king.¡± Mio sighed. If Amelia was here, she would finally realized why the king of buchse country took so good care of her who was a foreign orphan. ¡°I can understand why you put her there after what happened at her country, but why did you make her meet up with Rory? I doubt he arrived there by coincidence and met her by chance.¡± ¡°Because I thought they needed each other. Amelia needed a home and Rory needed a heart, especially after finally regaining control over himself again. I dropped him in that country for that purpose.¡± ¡°Then why not reunite with him?¡± Mio shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ve already failed him. We have no right to call ourselves his family anymore.¡± ¡°So you gave him a new family?....I think I¡¯m starting to understand what you¡¯re planning.¡± Serket said. ¡°Some years ago, Reina, who was Rei¡¯s grandniece stumbled into this country, a country that I was the queen of. She even met my son, who claimed that his father gave him the order to go to the border, when neither Xavier or I had no recollection of giving such an order.¡± Mio smiled when she heard Serket¡¯s mumblings. ¡°You, you guided Reina here and then guided Rory and Amelia here to meet her.¡± Mio nodded. ¡°Reina was a pitiful child, so I felt I needed to grant her happiness. That¡¯s were Christi came in. I also wanted to groom her for the day she would also join Rory¡¯s family. I led Rory here by waiting until he was drunk and showed him my true appearance. He would always chase after me no matter which direction I went, and Amelia would follow him.¡± This was the reason why Rory and Amelia took over a month to reach the next town after leaving Buchse. They were being led in the direction of this kingdom. When they past thrift Grace Town, Mio didn¡¯t need to lead them any further. ¡°Mio¡­¡­You¡¯re like last boss level.¡± Serket said. Mio laughed. ¡°I told you, this form is great at manipulating everything.¡± She clenched her hand. ¡°I Can¡¯t stop controlling everything even if I wanted to.¡± She smiled. ¡°Amelia and Reina, those two were handpicked by me to be Rory¡¯s family, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be more in the future.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to replace Pandemonium, aren¡¯t you?¡± Mio turned and faced Serket. ¡°We can no longer be Rory¡¯s family, so the least we can do is become stepping stones for his new family. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°But what about Rory? Do you think he¡¯ll accept that?¡± ¡°He already has.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Serket was confused. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange that he didn¡¯t realized who I was? If you could with a glance, then why couldn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°True. Your animus doesn¡¯t work on Pandemonium members, after all.¡± Mio nodded. She recalled the first day Rory and Amelia came to the palace. The moment he saw Richard, he stopped and stared at her for a while, and even warn Amelia that not everything is what it seems. ¡°He knows, and accepted what I was doing. Or rather, I think he sees this as a game between us.¡± She turned and looked back at Rory. The moment she did, she saw him look back towards her direction and showed a sly smile. ¡°This is a game to see who will give in first. Will I successfully replace us and fade away, or will he win us back and keep both his old and new family?¡± Despite being separated by several miles, the two could feel each other¡¯s gaze and intentions. The two then whispered in unison- ¡°I will get you back.¡± ¡°You will leave us behind.¡± Marigold Saga End!!! Comeback Saga Begins!!!! 63rd Night: New Life ¡°Hey, Stupid Cat.¡± ¡°What, lizard?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I want to know.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°How the hell did we end up in this situation?!¡± Reina shouted at the top of her lungs. She and Amelia were currently inside a cage, which was suspended over a cliff, and had a raging sea underneath them. ¡°How? Did you hit your head?¡± Amelia asked. She looked rather relaxed considering the fact that they were hanging for their lives. ¡°Let me refresh your memory.¡± After they left the marigold kingdom, Rory, Amelia, and Reina travelled east until they came across a crossroad which led to two different countries. Rory proposed that they decide which direction to take with a flip of a coin. They did, and went on the winning path. That path led them to an isolated town, similar to the one they went to before reaching the Marigold Kingdom. There Rory hit it off with a clearly shady guy, and went drinking together. He later came back with all the guy¡¯s possessions, saying that the guy tried to rob him, so he retaliated by robbing him back. He didn¡¯t stop there. He made the guy bring him to his home, where he proceeded to rob him of everything he had. This guy was, however a lackey to some crime lord. That crime lord declared war on Rory. ¡°Anyway, we destroyed the gang, but we were arrested and sentenced to death. Rory ran away leaving us behind, but not before telling us to get caught. He said that there¡¯s something he wanted to test out. So we did as he said, and now we¡¯re here carrying our sentences. We¡¯re suppose rot in this cell.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Thanks for the flashback, but we¡¯ve been here for days right? Where¡¯s that bastard?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite laid back about this.¡± ¡°Yeah. Experience can do that to you.¡± She stretched her hand to the side and caught a bird flying by, by forming a hand out of fire to catch it. The bird squirmed in pain, but was quickly put out of its misery when it was nearly burnt to a crisp. Amelia brought the bird to her mouth, and started to eat it. This was how she and Reina survived these couple days. ¡°I no longer get worked up by what that idiot does. You¡¯ll get used to it soon.¡± She said while munching on a drumstick. ¡°Besides, we can escape from the cage easy.¡± ¡°You do know that these bars are made from Animite, right?¡± ¡°Ani-what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same material used to build those anima absorbers that the Sacred church brought during the war. It¡¯s very resilient against Anima. Meaning that we can¡¯t break out with anima, and will have to use our physical strength.¡± ¡°Rory!¡± Amelia suddenly grabbed the cage bars and began shouting. ¡°Rory, you bastard! You get here right now! Free me from in here!¡± ¡°What happened to your experience?¡± Reina mocked her. ¡°Fuck experience!¡± Amelia tried bending the bars, but it couldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Crap¡­.I suddenly feel the urge to use the bathroom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in your head. You¡¯re just panicking.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Amelia drew her sword. ¡°I¡¯m gonna cut it.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work. Animite is incredibly hard. Unless you¡¯re a master swordsman, you won¡¯t be able to cut it without Anima.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to despise this Animite thing.¡± Amelia grumbled. ¡°Hm?¡± Something caught her eyes and made her look down at the ocean. She saw a huge shadow in the water. ¡°Say¡­..Do sea monsters exist?¡± ¡°What are you asking all of a sudden? But if you must know, there are several intelligent sea races, so in a way, yes.¡± Reina replied. ¡°I see.¡± Amelia could see the shadow growing larger as if it was emerging. She could now see that it was shaped like a giant snake. ¡°What have you been looking at for a while now?¡± Reina walked over and looked down and saw the giant silhouette. ¡°Nope.¡± She turned her back to it and sat in a corner. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything. There¡¯s nothing circling menacingly underneath us while we¡¯re trapped in this cage.¡± She closed her eyes and said.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Ha¡­Hahaha. I guess you¡¯re right. I must be seeing things from being in here for too long.¡± Amelia also took a seat in a corner and closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be gone by the time we wake up.¡± *Bam!* Suddenly an explosive sound came from underneath them. The two slowly opened their eyes and saw a gigantic snake creature looking at their cage. ¡°Nope, nope, nope, nope.¡± That was all they said as the creatures eyed them. ¡°Roar!¡± It roared and caused them to cover their ears. ¡°Shit! This is no time to be in denial!¡± Reina shouted. *Bam!* The snake slammed its head into the cage, and caused it to swing from side to side. ¡°Ah, fuck it! It¡¯s kill or be killed!¡± Amelia pointed her sword at the snake. ¡°Bring it!¡± ¡°Roar!¡± The snake roared again, but it didn¡¯t attack this time. ¡°Hm?¡± The girls soon noticed that it looked like it was in pain. ¡°I said sit boy!¡± *Bam!* They heard a loud sound coming from behind it, along with someone¡¯s Voice. It roared out in pain and fell back down. It was then that they could see who it was. ¡°Rory?!¡± They saw Rory on the snake¡¯s head, with his hand lodged inside its neck. He was partially naked and was only wearing a loincloth. ¡°You¡¯re still resisting, huh?¡± *Bam!* Rory hit it with another punch, which caused it to roar in agony. It fell back into the ocean were the girls saw it twisting in pain. ¡°What is he doing?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Like always, I have no idea. But I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something either stupid or dangerous. Hell, if it¡¯s a good day, maybe both.¡± *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Explosive sounds rang out from the ocean as Rory and the snake¡¯s battle was coming to an end. After a while, the girls saw the snake rise up towards them again. But with some knots on its head. It was obvious that it took a beating. ¡°Hey, girls.¡± Rory was sitting on one of the knots, with all smiles. ¡°I got us a new ride.¡± ¡°Ride? That thing?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a transit snake. They¡¯re a species of giant sea serpents that can travel extremely fast through the ocean, even in the deepest depths of the ocean. It can move at 300 km/h. Fast, right?¡± ¡°¡­.Yeah. But how are we going to ride that thing?¡± ¡°Like this.¡± Rory tapped his hand on the snake¡¯s head and it opened its mouth. ¡°The inside of a transit snake is really soft and ventilated. That¡¯s because it absorbs oxygen from the water through its skin, where it becomes fresh air inside. Also, it has no liquids which could cause you to melt inside it. In the old days, these bad boys would be customized and turn into living vehicles.¡± He said. ¡°You mean, you want us to travel in that thing? No way!¡± Reina protested. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I spent hours beating the shit out of him. He¡¯s tamed. Besides, do you know how long it took to find one these things? Even though I knew they lived somewhere around here, it still took a few days. You¡¯re either riding in this snake or I¡¯ll show you my snake.¡± Rory said with a laugh. ¡°You say travel, but where are we going?¡± Amelia asked. Rory smiled and spoke- ¡°To the Kashmir Continent.¡± Shortly after, Rory freed the girls by pulling the cage on top of the cliff, and breaking the Animite bars with his bare hands. His physical strength, once again impressed the girls. ¡°Why are we going to the Kashmir Continent?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°There¡¯s an acquaintance there who I want to meet with. The situation has gotten a bit odd, so I need their help with something.¡± Rory replied while petting the transit snake. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the Kashmir Continent. Apparently it¡¯s like one flat plain with no mountains or hills.¡± Reina said. ¡°That¡¯s in the past. There are a lot of artificial hills, mountains, and valleys now. But it¡¯s still mostly like a flat plane. Or rather, just a huge forest. There¡¯s greenery everywhere, despite the countless cities and settlements there.¡± Rory replied. ¡°And we¡¯re taking¡­..this thing?¡± Amelia looked at the giant snake again. She started wondering if people really rode in these snakes in the past. ¡°Hey, you said that people used to customize these things, how?¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to show you.¡± Rory made the snake open its mouth, and suddenly dove inside it. The girls waited in silence to see what he was going to do. ¡°Rah?!¡± Suddenly the snake released a cry of agony. It started wiggling its body in pain, and even slammed its body on side of cliff, every now and again. ¡°What is he doing?¡± The girls were perplexed about what was going on inside the snake. After a while, things started to calm down and the snake leant on the cliff, looking exhausted. ¡°Finished.¡± Rory opened the snake¡¯s mouth and walked out. ¡°Want a tour?¡± After being persuaded by a persistent Rory, the girls entered the snake via its mouth. When they got inside, they were shocked. Inside looked like it was a room rather than inside a living thing. There were furniture made out of weird materials. There was even a fireplace. ¡°If I had the equipment, I would¡¯ve created a generator so that we can have electricity.¡± Rory said. ¡°How did you do this?¡± ¡°I used his flesh. I carved pieces of it and turned it into furnitures, so that we won¡¯t ride in discomfort.¡± Rory tapped the walls of meat beside him. ¡°Their flesh is soft yet durable. When removed, they harden a little bit and can be used as material to make stuff like furniture. Also, they have high regenerative abilities so the carved up flesh will grow back in an instant.¡± He explained. ¡°Amazing. Inside is moist at most. It really doesn¡¯t have any digestive juices.¡± Reina said while touching the flesh that was being used as a ground. ¡°These snakes like plants can live on sunlight and water alone. They only eat as a habit, and even when they eat, it¡¯s plants. So there was no danger of you being eaten by it.¡± Rory said. ¡°Now then, its time for us to gather some supplies for our trip. Like food and drinks, wood and gasoline for light, and other living essentials. We¡¯re going to be in here for almost a week.¡± ¡°Wait. What about when we need to use the bathroom or bathing?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Just tell me when you need to do that and I¡¯ll make the snake go to the surface. There are several uncharted islands along the way. You can go there and do your business. Of course, you can just buy chambers and do it in here. Just go to the back of the snake. I have no such fetishes like watching you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go to the islands!¡± The girls spoke in unison. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Wait. There should be conventional ways to travel from one continent to the other. Why must we use this snake?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Oh, I forgot.¡± Rory put his hands inside his loincloth and took something out. The girls looked at him with disgust, but he didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Why are you even wearing a loincloth in the first place?¡± ¡°To put myself in the hunting mood.¡± Rory threw three flyers in their direction. They avoided them and made them touch the ground. ¡°?!¡± When they looked at the ground, they were shocked to see their faces and name on wanted posters. ¡°These were issued worldwide a few days ago. The Sacred Army has publicly declared you two as enemies of the Sacred Race.¡± Rory spoke with a proud tone. ¡°Elemental Queen, Amelia Rosa; wanted for conspiring with Devil King Rory to defy the Sacred Church and killing its members, as well as countless innocents in the Marigold Kingdom.¡± ¡°Crimson Claw, Reina; wanted for conspiring with Devil King Rory to defy the Sacred Church and killing its members, as well as countless innocents in the Marigold Kingdom.¡± The girls read their crimes listed on their posters. ¡°They even gave you two aliases, that¡¯s quite the achievement for your first wanted poster.¡± Rory said. ¡°This isn¡¯t right? How do they even know about us? Didn¡¯t the news report that everything was done by you?¡± Reina said. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the Sacred Army¡¯s intel. They can find out what you ate for dinner last week if they want. Well, they can¡¯t find anything out about me unless I want them to.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Look, you even got bounties.¡± Rory picked up the posters and said. Amelia had a 50,000,000 Ani bounty, while Reina had a 47,000,000 bounty. ¡°Wait, our crimes are the same, so how is it that my bounty is less than hers?¡± Reina took the poster and protested. ¡°That¡¯s because Amelia has been with me the longest, so they deem her more of a threat to the world than you.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Amelia smirked at Reina when she saw their bounties. That just pissed Reina off even more. ¡°Well, if they knew about your origins, your bounties would of definitely been higher.¡± Rory took up a wanted poster of himself. ¡°Well, I doubt you¡¯ll catch me up though.¡± ¡°Devil King Rory; too many crimes to count. Recent crimes involves taking over a country, destroying two armies of the Sacred Church, killing several Sacred Race members, etc.¡± The girls read his crimes and looked at his bounty. ¡°7, 500,000,000 Ani?!¡± They were both shocked out of their minds. In comparison to his, their bounties looked like chump change. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯ve done a lot bad things back in my day.¡± 64th Night: Continents Of The World Rory and the girls took a few days to gather up everything they needed for their trip to the Kashmir. Rory also finished customizing the Transit Snake, and they all were currently in it. ¡°You guys ready to go?¡± Rory asked. The girls nodded, and Rory faced forward and looked towards the front of the snake. His body gave off a sudden golden glow, which also covered the entire snake. It disappeared and Rory showed a smile. ¡°Submerge!¡± He shouted an order, and the snake roared in response before diving. Once they dove, the girls could feel the temperature inside dropping, but only by a little bit. ¡°How does this snake know where to go? Did it go to the Kashmir Continent before?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m steering it.¡± Rory sat on one of the furniture and replied, while reading a comic he bought. ¡°Steer it? How?¡± ¡°With one of the Regal Powers, Link.¡± Link, like Future Sight and Sensor was one of the powers which proved that one had the qualifications of a king. While Future Sight grants Precognition and Sensor is like a radar, Link allows the user to link their senses with a living thing. ¡°I¡¯m seeing what it¡¯s seeing, while directing it where to go.¡± Rory explained. ¡°You can do that? That¡¯s insane.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°It¡¯s not really hard to do once you¡¯ve mastered Link. You only need to get the living being¡¯s permission, and you¡¯ll be able to link to it. However, I don¡¯t really need permission. I can forcibly hijack their senses and control them if I want.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that with us.¡± The girls could imagine all kind of stuff Rory would make them do if he hijacked their senses and control them. ¡°But if you can use Link like that, then isn¡¯t it the best out of the four Regal Powers?¡± ¡°That depends on the person. Personally, while Link can be terrifying if used by a master, I prefer Ajna, because it deals with the spirit.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Speaking of which, Reina, are you able to use any of the Regal Powers?¡± ¡°I can use Sensor and Future Sight.¡± ¡°You can use both?¡± Amelia was shocked to hear this, because that meant that Reina was a Two Directional King, who could rule in two directions at once. ¡°I figured as much. Considering the lifestyle you¡¯ve lived before, unlocking Future Sight and Sensor isn¡¯t surprising. In fact, it¡¯s said that those two are the easiest to awaken and most common Regal Powers.¡± ¡°Why does it feel like you brought down my value just now?¡± Reina was displeased with Rory¡¯s attitude. ¡°I¡¯m not, really. I have a certain saying about the Regal powers and the type of people who unlocks them as their first power. Sensor is for those who are sensitive to their environment, and Future Sight is for those who are sensitive to change. All in all, those two powers are awakened by people who makes it a habit to observe their surroundings. That¡¯s why most warriors unlock these powers first.¡± The girls nodded because they could understand the logic behind that. Rory continued. ¡°As for those who active Link, I believe those people are free spirits or whimsical like a beast. They see things on a boarder scale, and have a natural thirst for adventure. This is the reason why they can resonate which other living things to the point they can see things through their mind.¡± ¡°Then, what about Ajna? Are you going to say that those are kind-hearted people?¡± Rory shook his head at Amelia¡¯s question. ¡°Kindhearted? From what I can see, all those who¡¯ve unlocked Ajna as their first power are all manipulative.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. His response came as a surprise to the girls. ¡°Even though it has to do with matters of the hearts?¡± ¡°It¡¯s specifically because of that reason.¡± He replied. ¡°Think about it? To be able to truly manipulate others, you must understand the heart, the spirit, and the mind to some degree. You must be able to figure out people¡¯s desires and emotions in order to make them do as you want. Doesn¡¯t Ajna seem like the perfect power to do that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. Just because they¡¯re manipulative, doesn¡¯t mean that they¡¯re evil. The so-called Kindhearted people can also manipulate others and bring more good than harm. For example, let¡¯s say one of them wants to prevent a war? They can manipulate those fighting to prevent that outcome, and still remain pure. It all comes down this really.¡± He paused and then said- ¡°Good or evil doesn¡¯t really exist. It all comes down to people¡¯s desires in the end, and how others response to them. So Ajna is both good and evil, it just depends on how you look at it.¡± The girls thought about what he said, and had to admit that what he said made sense. ¡°Then was Ajna the first power you awakened?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Me?¡± Rory smiled. ¡°Yeah. Ajna was the first power Rory unlocked.¡± According to Rory, the trip to the Kashmir Continent would take nearly a week. This was because the Kashmir Continent was extremely far away from the Raknor Continent that they were on before. It was now their second day under the sea. They were about 10,000 meters underwater. Even so, they didn¡¯t feel any pressure, and the snake was holding up rather well. ¡°Say, how many continents are there?¡± Amelia asked, while doing some push ups to keep herself fit. ¡°What kind of question is that? Surely someone your age would know how many continents they are in the world.¡± Reina mocked her. ¡°I know of 4, but there were so many things which I didn¡¯t know about or was ignorant towards, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there were more than 4.¡± ¡°Nonsense. There are indeed four. Raknor, Kashmir, Astra, and Caspian.¡± ¡°Actually, there are indeed more than four.¡± Rory said. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± The girl¡¯s reactions were surprise and excitement. ¡°Well, you two not knowing isn¡¯t that surprising since the others are more of a legend than accepted facts.¡± Rory replied before putting up some fingers. ¡°The Human Continent, Raknor. The Wild Continent, Kashmir. The Sky Continent, Astra. The Water Continent, Caspian. These are the four that you and most of the world are familiar with. However, that¡¯s only because the Sacred Race erased the existences of the others from the minds of the public and history itself.¡± ¡°They can do that? How?¡± ¡°How? Destroy every document that lists the continents and write new ones, kill those with proof that those continents exists, and enforce false information until its accepted as the truth. There are many ways to do this if you rule the world. It¡¯s literally a case of the winners are the ones who write history.¡± He said. ¡°Anyway, after the disappearance of both the Sacred God and the Night God, the Sacred Race decided to hide the existences of a few continents.¡± He then looked at the girls and asked a question. ¡°Humans live on Raknor, Beasts dominate Kashmir, both Astra and Caspian are seen as neutral zones. Then, what about the Sacred and Night Races? Where do they reside?¡± ¡°?!¡± A look of shock appeared on the girls faces. They just realized that they never actually thought about it. The Sacred race ruled the world so it was thought that they lived where ever they chose. While the Night Race were mysterious, and were thought to be hiding in the shadows of the world. So not many actually gave a lot of thought about the whereabouts of those two races. Rory smiled when he saw there reactions. ¡°Licht and Noctis, these are the names of the continents where the Sacred and Night race lives, respectively. Just so know, these are also the names of the Sacred King and Night King, who rule each race.¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say. They¡¯re not places anyone can just go.¡± Rory showed a sly smile. It was obvious he didn¡¯t intend to reveal the locations of these two continents to the girls. ¡°Fine. Then they¡¯re only 6 continents then?¡± Rory shook his head again. ¡°There¡¯s also the Taboo Continent aka the Ancient Continent.¡± ¡°Taboo?¡± The girls were confused by the naming choose of this Continent. ¡°I can¡¯t really speak much about this Continent since I¡¯ve never seen it. However, it¡¯s the continent that¡¯s said to hold the key to the world. As for what that means, I don¡¯t know. Many believe that it has something to do with Godhood.¡± ¡°Why would they think that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because, both the Sacred and Night God are said to originate from there.¡± ¡°Wha?! Both gods came from the same place?!¡± ¡°People must be swarming it!¡± Rory shook his head. ¡°Going to that Continent is considered suicide. It¡¯s way too dangerous. So much that even I didn¡¯t dare go there with the strength that I had back then.¡± The girls were once again shocked to hear that. They¡¯ve both witnessed Rory¡¯s real strength, yet, even he didn¡¯t carelessly go to the Taboo Continent. That speaks volumes as to what kind of place it truly was. ¡°Do you believe that the key to Godhood is on that continent?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Who knows? It might be, but I love my life too much to try it. I won¡¯t go there until I¡¯m 100% certain I can make it back alive.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°When I¡¯m a god.¡± Rory started laughing after saying that. He then stopped reading the comic in front of him. He has been reading a lot of them since they entered the snake. ¡°Godhood huh? It¡¯s something that no one has been able to achieve in thousands of years, and only two in millions. It would be fun to reach it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem confident about becoming one. Aren¡¯t you already on the path?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Yeah. But the path is long and endless. Not to mention that they¡¯re others further up the path than I am. If one of them do become a god, do you think that they¡¯ll let their former rivals live? I wouldn¡¯t. I would slaughter everyone on the path to become a god. This is so that I won¡¯t end up like the Night God.¡± He replied. ¡°Well, if I want to live a long life, I have no choice but to become a god before everyone else.¡± ¡°You speak as if there might be a new god soon.¡± Reina said. Rory smiled and- ¡°Not might, there will.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This generation is by far the most gifted of all the previous ones after the gods disappearance. The chances of a god being born in this generation are almost certain.¡± The girls gulped when they heard. Rory laughed and said- ¡°The battle for Godhood could happen any day now.¡± 65th Night: Kashmir Continent The time inside the snake seemed to have lasted forever, but eventually, a week had passed. ¡°We¡¯re going to reach the Continent soon, right?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Yeah, I can already see it.¡± Rory replied. ¡°See it? Now that I think about it, how do you know where to steer the snake to reach the continent? I mean, I don¡¯t believe that you memorized the ocean floors.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because I¡¯m using Sensor to track where we are; while navigating towards the continent.¡± ¡°¡­..You know, I shouldn¡¯t have asked. I forgot that I get a headache whenever you do the impossible. There¡¯s a limit to how much you should go against common sense you know.¡± Amelia spoke and sighed. ¡°Hey, how long until we¡¯re there. I want to leave this snake already.¡± Reina complained. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Rory repeated. ¡°So quick?¡± ¡°Do you want to leave or not?¡± ¡°I want to leave.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Rory then pointed upwards with his finger. The snake immediately started to ascend towards the surface. After a while, the girls felt like their bodies were now lighter. They immediately realized that they were now out of the ocean. ¡°We¡¯re on the surface. Let¡¯s go have a look.¡± Rory made a hand sign and the snake opened its mouth, which caused sunlight to seep in. He walked towards the mouth with girls behind him. Once they were outside, they needed time to let their eyes adjust to the brightness. ¡°?!¡± When their eyes did adjust, they were left completely baffled and shocked at what they saw. ¡°I-Is that a tree?!¡± Amelia shouted with shock. In front of them was a tree so big, that only the word ¡°Godly¡± could be used to describe it. It stretched so far up into the sky, that seeing the top was impossible. The most one could see was a branch, and considering how large it looked despite being partially covered by the clouds, was a testament for its size. ¡°Just its trunk alone stretch towards the horizon¡­.¡± Reina said. ¡°What? Is this your first time seeing the Kashmir Continent?¡± Rory asked. ¡°This is the Kashmir Continent?! This tree?!¡± The girls shouted in shock. ¡°Well, this is just the base. The real Continent is at the top.¡± Rory pointed towards the sky and said. ¡°I heard that the Kashmir Continent was filled with trees, I heard nothing about it being a tree itself.¡± Reina said. ¡°Well, it being filled with trees isn¡¯t false. The ¡°trees¡± are just twigs though.¡± Rory said with a laugh. ¡°Is there land up there?¡± Amelia asked while still staring at the tree. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know the details, but I there¡¯s all kinds of theories that explains why this tree is so huge and why it holds up a Continent at the top of it, and how did people start living there in the first place. But since I can¡¯t say which ones are correct with confidence, I created my own rule when facing the unknown.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Just say fuck it, and be on your way.¡± The girls didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. Amelia looked around for a bit before asking- ¡°Hey, how are we going to reach the top? I don¡¯t see anything that could bring us up there.¡± ¡°Easy. We climb.¡± ¡°Ok, I¡¯m done here.¡± Reina turned around and walked back inside Snake. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m climbing that.¡± Amelia followed her and went back inside. ¡°Where¡¯s your sense of adventure?¡± ¡°The only adventure I will be having is an exploration of hell, if I attempt to climb that thing.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°Have fun on your suicide mission.¡± Said Reina. ¡°Hmmm¡­.What if I told you two that this was the birth place of the Lodon and Megal tribes? And if you go there, you¡¯ll be a step closer to achieving your goals?¡± The girls stopped when they heard that. ¡°Go on.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°Reina, your goal is find and kill Rei right?¡± ¡°How did you know? Ajna?¡± ¡°Whenever I brought him up, you would always get upset; so I figured that you hated him. I believe that Rei¡¯s past sins came back and took everything from you.¡± Reina had a furious expression on her face. It was as if she had remembered something unpleasant. Rory only nodded and looked at Amelia. ¡°And you, Elia. Your current goal should be to find your origins. Sol isn¡¯t located on Kashmir, but if there¡¯s any place the Lodon ran to when they scattered, it would be this Continent; the Wild Continent.¡± He grinned. ¡°The Kashmir Continent is where your ancestors originated before spreading their seed across the world. In other words, this is your motherland. Can you imagine all the benefits you could receive from going there? There¡¯s a chance that you¡¯ll understand your roots better and grow tremendously stronger. Even so, do you still wish not to go there?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± The girls didn¡¯t respond immediately. Rory¡¯s persuasion made going to the continent really tempting. The two did indeed lust for strength, and that lust was incredibly strong. But there was one problem. ¡°How are we going to climb this tree?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°I mean, can it even be climbed? Isn¡¯t there any other way?¡± ¡°Of course, there other ways like using a transit shuttle. However, we¡¯re wanted criminals. We can¡¯t use such legitimate means. Well, that¡¯s unless you don¡¯t mean fighting Bounty Hunters and members of the Sacred army.¡± Rory stretched his hand out. ¡°I¡¯m all game if you want to. We can set this whole continent a fire.¡± The girls instantly remembered the recent war with the Sacred Church, and shivered. They didn¡¯t want to experience another war like that so soon. ¡°But climbing this thing is impossible.¡± ¡°Really? I thought it be a good chance to train you two. I mean, if you¡¯re able to climb this, your physical strength will skyrocket. Then you wouldn¡¯t need anima to deal with the normal person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not training! That¡¯s suicide!¡± ¡°But Serket made me do it when I was 15.¡± Rory said with a confused face. It was as if he couldn¡¯t understand why the girls couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°¡­.I¡¯m starting to see why Rory was such a monster.¡± ¡°Queen, just what kind of training did you give him?¡± The girls started find newfound fear towards the scorpion queen. ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Rory suddenly rushed towards the girls and scoop them up in his arms one by one. ¡°Wha?!¡± ¡°Put me down!¡± They couldn¡¯t react in time and were easily captured. ¡°Hold on.¡± Rory leaped from the snake¡¯s mouth and landed on a nearby, giant tree root. He then turned and looked back at the Transit Snake. ¡°You¡¯re free to go.¡± ¡°Rahhh!¡± The snake roared joyfully before submerging back into the ocean. Looks like it was happy to finally rid itself of the group. ¡°What a cold hearted fellow. And after everything I¡¯ve done for him too.¡± Rory said with a sigh. ¡°Oh, well.¡± He turned and faced the godly tree. ¡°Put me down!¡± ¡°This is embarrassing!¡± Amelia and Reina, who he was holding by his sides, tried to struggle free but couldn¡¯t break free from his grasp. ¡°Settle down. Since you two can¡¯t climb up, I¡¯ll have to do it for you.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re planning on carrying all of us up to the top?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not heavy at all. Well, at least not compared to the boulders that was tied to my back when climbing this thing as a kid.¡± ¡°First of all, that¡¯s cruel. Second of all, I don¡¯t feel better after being compared to a boulder!¡± Reina shouted. ¡°Just give it up.¡± Amelia said beside her. ¡°Once his mind is set, there¡¯s nothing you can do. All you can do is pray for the best.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say such ominous things with deadeyes!¡± ¡°Alright, ready?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Go!¡± *BOOM!* Rory shot upwards like a rocket, even causing the root he was standing on to burst apart. ¡°Ahhhhhh! Why did I follow this idiot?!¡± Reina¡¯s screaming voice could be heard echoing through the area. Meanwhile, approximately 1000ft in the air. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Rory was running up the godly tree with his steps causing explosive sounds, while leaving inches deep footprints in the bark. If one was to see him from a far, he would look like an ant racing the tree, carrying two other ants with it. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± The girls who were being held by him, couldn¡¯t help but scream in horror. Even Amelia who had seemed to given up hope earlier, was screaming with tears running from her eyes. ¡°Damn you, Rory! I swear I¡¯ll kick off the top of this tree later!¡± Amelia shouted angrily. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Rory only laughed in response to her outburst. *Bam!* He was incredibly fast. So fast that he wouldn¡¯t lose to any vehicle on land. He past birds and all kinds of creatures flying around or living on the tree. They were all frightened and shocked to see a being move that fast. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re reaching the clouds! After this, it¡¯s just the homestretch!¡± He provided the girls with an update. However, they were too busy screaming to hear him. He quickly reached the clouds and immediately saw the top of the tree with its godly branches stretched out. A single leaf was about the size of a bus, while the branches stretched for miles. ¡°Alright! Last spurt!¡± *Bam!* Rory suddenly squeeze out all of his strength into his last step and shot upwards. He covered he and girls with anima and forced through the leaves and branches. For a while all the girls could see was green, but eventually they saw the light of day again. *Bam!* They forced through the last cluster of leaves and flew up into the air. When they look, they could see a world of trees, weird creatures, rivers, and nature everywhere. This was the Kashmir Continent! Rory landed on the ground, with the girls before releasing them. They looked and saw that they had actually forced themselves through even the ground to make it here. They calmed themselves down and looked around in amazement. Suddenly- ¡°?!¡± They were suddenly overwhelmed with severe pain, and past out soon after. 66th Night: Paradise For The Wild ¡°¡­..Mhmmm¡± When Amelia opened her eyes, she had to close them back because the light was too bright. She opened them again and gave her eyes time to adjust. Once she did, she saw that she was laying on a bed of flowers. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡± Rory soon appeared in her sight, looking down on her. ¡°Where am I?¡± She sat up and asked. ¡°The Kashmir Continent. Did you already forget?¡± She then remembered being brought up the godly tree by Rory. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I passed out after we made it to the top.¡± ¡°About that, I might have to apologize, because that might¡¯ve been my fault.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely your fault.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The moment you start off by saying that, it¡¯s definitely your fault.¡± ¡°Hmm, I guess your right.¡± Rory didn¡¯t look sorry in the slightest. ¡°What did you do?¡± Amelia asked with a sigh. ¡°Well, I kind of climbed too fast and then didn¡¯t allow your bodies to adjust to the altitude and the thin air around you. So when I came to a stop, you were hit with a severe case of shortness of breath, close to suffocating. But luckily I stepped in and handle it.¡± ¡°Why do you look so proud when you¡¯re the cause in the first place?!¡± Amelia angrily shouted. ¡°Well anyway, you¡¯re suffering from high altitude sickness because you¡¯re not used to being so far above sea level. For the time being, your body won¡¯t be able to perform at its best and you¡¯ll be in a weakened state until you¡¯ve fully adapted.¡± Rory spread his arms wide. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here for you. If you want me to hold you, protect you, caress you, and shower you with affection, I¡¯m your guy.¡± He said boldly. ¡°I still can¡¯t understand why you can shamelessly say such things after almost accidentally killing us.¡± Amelia sighed as if giving up. ¡°By the way, where¡¯s the lizard?¡± She asked, after realizing that Reina wasn¡¯t around. ¡°Oh, she woke before you so I told her to have a look around.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Amelia stood up. ¡°Ugh..¡± She Immediately realized that her body felt significantly heavier, and it became hard to move. ¡°How long does it normally take to adjust to up here?¡± ¡°It depends on the person, but I heard that a few days would be enough.¡± ¡°How long did you take when you first climbed up here?¡± ¡°Around 15 minutes. But I didn¡¯t really feel all that restricted back then either.¡± ¡°Monster.¡± Rory laughed when he heard that. ¡°I get that a lot.¡± He said. ¡°But look at it this way. If you two train up here for some time, you¡¯ll be far stronger when you return to the lower continents. So coming here really is a golden opportunity.¡± ¡°Golden Opportunity, huh?¡± Suddenly the two heard a rumbling sound coming towards them. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Soon they heard a scream and saw someone running out of a thicket. It was Reina. ¡°Hey, lizard. What¡¯s¡­..wrong?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Amelia had to stop midway through her speech, when she saw what Reina was running from. It was huge, scaly, had two heads, and was on all fours. It looked a giant two-headed lizard. ¡°What the fuck is that?!¡± Amelia exclaimed. ¡°Help me! My body feels too heavy! It¡¯s closing in!¡± Reina pleaded. ¡°Oh? Is that a Bacura Lizard? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve last seen one.¡± Contrary to the girls'' panic expressions, Rory looked at the monster with excitement.¡± He walked forward and block the lizard¡¯s path, allowing Reina to reach where Amelia was. ¡°Pssst!¡± The lizard hissed at him, while sizing him up. ¡°Rory, just what is that thing?!¡± Reina asked him. ¡°It¡¯s a Bacura Lizard. They¡¯re pretty common in the wild on this continent.¡± Rory turned and said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re completely harmles-¡± Rory was unable to finish what he was saying, because his upper body was inside one of the lizard¡¯s mouths. ¡°Eh?¡± The girls watched as the lizard lifted Rory off the ground with his legs kicking, before completely swallowing him. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± There was nothing but silence between the two parties as they stared at each other. And then- ¡°Run!¡± The girls started running for their lives. The monster roared and quickly followed behind them. ¡°Harmless, my ass! Didn¡¯t he just get swallowed?!¡± Reina shouted. ¡°This is why I hate lizards!¡± Amelia looked at Reina. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you do something? Aren¡¯t you guys related? Maybe he¡¯s just trying to court you?¡± ¡°Fuck off, bitch! I¡¯m not related to that thing!¡± ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s white and you have white hair. It¡¯s not good to deny your heritage.¡± ¡°I see that being around Rory too long makes you an idiot like him!¡± Reina shouted angrily. ¡°If you have time to question my heritage, go stop that thing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t use my anima properly since I came here.¡± ¡°Oh, you too.¡± The two sighed in unison and then came to a halt. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can cut it with my sword.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I¡¯ll search for its weak points and attack them.¡± Said Reina. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Go!¡± The two rushed towards the lizard, ready to bet their lives on their next attack. *BAM!* That¡¯s when the lizard was devoured in a pillar of fire, which looked like it came from inside it rather than from the outside. The lizard, that was now roasted, collapsed on the ground. ¡°What a rude, lizard.¡± One of its mouth opened and Rory stepped out from inside it. ¡°It¡¯s pretty stupid too, for not being able to realized that it was clearly outmatched.¡± He kicked the corpse and said. ¡°?!¡± He suddenly turned around and stopped a sword with his hand, and a dagger with his fingers. ¡°You have some nerve bringing us to such a dangerous place only to get eaten, and leave us behind.¡± Amelia said. ¡°You should be punished for this.¡± Reina added. ¡°While being punished by the two of you seem like an exciting experience, I¡¯m more of the punishing type rather than the punishable.¡± Rory flicked the sword and dagger from their hands and pulled them closer to him. ¡°Then again, they say every sadist is a secret masochist. Maybe you two can draw out the masochist within me.¡± ¡°Go die.¡± ¡°Drop dead.¡± ¡°Is that so? How unfortunate.¡± He let the two them go and laughed when he saw their scornful expressions. ¡°Now with all jokes aside, we have a dilemma.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Rory pointed at the roasted lizard. ¡°How are we going to divide this guy up?¡± ¡°Divide? Don¡¯t tell me you intend to eat that thing?¡± Reina asked with a disgusted expression. ¡°Why not? It¡¯s perfectly good meat. It would be a shame to waste. Besides, it¡¯s considered a delicacy in many parts of this continent.¡± ¡°This thing?¡± Amelia looked at the lizard and frowned. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°You can take it all.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s too bad. You guys don¡¯t know what you¡¯re missing.¡± Rory then proceeded to eat the lizard in front of the girls. ¡°Well, there goes any chance of me sharing a kiss with him. Not that the chances were high in the first place.¡± Amelia said, and Reina nodded in agreement. After around 30 minutes, Rory had finished eating. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he ate the entire thing.¡± ¡°For someone who claimed that they can survive on alcohol alone, he can sure eat.¡± The girls looked at Rory, who was wiping his mouth, with amazement. ¡°That hit the spot.¡± He said. ¡°Now then¡­..What do we next?¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t we supposed to be the ones to ask that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have any plans?¡± Rory shook his head. ¡°I have a plan to meet up with someone, but other than that I¡¯m completely clueless. It¡¯s not someone I can just meet whenever I want after all. Certain criteria needs to be met. But other than waiting until the right time, I have no other plans on the continent.¡± ¡°There¡¯s gotta be a limit to how irresponsible one can be you know.¡± Amelia said with a sigh. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, then let¡¯s look for Rei.¡± Reina suddenly said. ¡°Rei? Ah, the one who created the Boomslang Style.¡± Amelia suddenly looked like she just realized something. ¡°Wait, he¡¯s here?! They¡¯re members of Pandemonium on this continent?!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Rory didn¡¯t answer completely and looked like he was pondering something. After a while, he spoke. ¡°There¡¯s indeed a chance of there being Pandemonium members on the continent. In fact, I think they are at least three.¡± ¡°That many? How are you sure?¡± ¡°Instinct, and my experience I guess.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an unreliable answer.¡± Amelia looked at Reina after saying that. ¡°How do you know he¡¯s here?¡± ¡°I just know it.¡± Reina replied with a sharp look in her eyes. ¡°So you¡¯re both going off feeling. If there are indeed members nearby, who would it be?¡± Amelia asked Rory. ¡°Adonis, Tigris, and maybe Rei. Adonis and Tigris shouldn¡¯t be that hard to find, but Rei is on a completely different level. If he doesn¡¯t want to be found, then even I will have an extremely hard time finding him.¡± He looked at Reina. ¡°Also, finding him won¡¯t grant you your revenge. You¡¯re not nearly strong enough to beat him. In fact, I doubt you can even touch his shadow as you are now.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re telling me to give up, you¡¯re wasting your time.¡± ¡°I would never try to convince someone to not pursue their personal vendetta. I just don¡¯t want you to careless throw your life away.¡± ¡°Would Rei really kill her if he knew who she was?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°In a heartbeat. As long as he¡¯s paid to, or you¡¯re someone that threatens his life, Rei would kill you regardless of who you are.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want to meet him.¡± Reina said stubbornly. ¡°Then, how about this? Work on getting strong enough to reach him, once you are I¡¯ll make you to meet him.¡± ¡°¡­..Alright.¡± Reina nodded after thinking some for a bit. She could always run away and search for Rei herself if Rory breaks his promise. For now, there¡¯s a lot of benefits from being around someone as strong as him. ¡®Is probably what she¡¯s thinking.¡¯ Rory thought with a smile. ¡®Well, whatever. I¡¯m sure Mio will make them meet eventually.¡¯ He looked at the two girls and smile. ¡°Alright, lets go tour this wild continent.¡± 67th Night: Cugine City The three started exploring the Wild Continent of Kashmir with eagerness. For the girls this was a new experience, since the two grew up on Raknor which was a human and normally civil Continent. Here they saw many things that they¡¯ve only heard of in stories, and get to interact with them. However, considering that they can¡¯t move their body as they like yet, it would¡¯ve naturally been a hellish experience to be in a place like this. Thankfully, they had a knight to protect them. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± Currently that knight was severely drunk, and was running through a field of flowers naked. ¡°You know, when you told me a month ago that I would get used to seeing this scene, I thought that you¡¯re crazy; but surprisingly his naked appearance doesn¡¯t affect me anymore.¡± Reina said. ¡°I told you.¡± ¡°Sometimes I wonder if this is all a ploy to get us immune to his naked body, so that if he strips with the intention of doing something to us, we¡¯ll won¡¯t think anything of it and let our guards down.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Amelia froze when she heard that. ¡°¡­..You know, despite that being a stupid theory which shouldn¡¯t be possible 100% of the time, I just can¡¯t deny the chance that you¡¯re right.¡± She said. ¡°The fact that we can¡¯t deny it says something about his personality.¡± ¡°The fact that despite all of this, we still follow this man and let him protect us, also says something about us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The two started to review their life choices. ¡°Anyway, where did he even get alcohol?¡± Reina asked. ¡°He apparently ran into a wild flower that spits pollen, which intoxicates whoever inhales it.¡± ¡°Let me guess. He purposely allowed himself to inhale the pollen.¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± The two sighed again. ¡°Well, what should we do? Surely, we can¡¯t just let our knight run around like that.¡± She saw Rory looking at a tree like he wanted to make out with it. ¡°No matter how much of a disgrace he is¡­..¡± ¡°I guess we have to sober him up.¡± ¡°You know a way how?¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured it out while I was in the Marigold Kingdom.¡± Amelia walked to Rory and turned him around to face her. And then- *Bam!* She kicked him in the nuts. ¡°?!¡± Reina was shocked when she saw that. Rory let out a silent scream, and tumble over on the ground with an agonizing look. ¡°He once tried to bring me to bed when he was drunk, that¡¯s when I figured this out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s when you kicked him in the nuts?¡± ¡°No. I did that after he called me by a different woman¡¯s name. My mind went blank, and I just did it.¡± ¡®Doesn¡¯t that mean you were jealous?¡¯ Reina asked in her mind. ¡°Anyway, after saying I wasn¡¯t Arisa, I kicked him in the nuts. That¡¯s when he came sober.¡± ¡°Well, yeah. Any guy would get sober after that.¡± Reina said. ¡°But I don¡¯t think he can have kids after that.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ve just done the world a big favor. We wouldn¡¯t want him to multiply after all. This level of scum should stay unique. Besides, he¡¯s likely been messing around for 150 years. If he could have kids, I¡¯m sure he would¡¯ve already.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯m sure that if he heard everything you said, he would feel more pain than when you kicked him in the nuts.¡± Reina said. ¡°Do you perhaps have a grudge against him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been with him for over six months, what do you think?¡± Reina didn¡¯t say anything more after that and just looked at the pitiful Rory and sighed. After rolling in pain for a while, Rory really got sober and put on back his clothes. They were now walking with Rory glaring at Amelia¡¯s face, and she ignoring him. ¡°Hahaha.¡± Reina laughed awkwardly while standing between them. ¡°Just so you know, it¡¯s not that I can¡¯t have children, I just don¡¯t want any.¡± Rory spat out. ¡°Anything you say.¡± Amelia didn¡¯t seem convinced in the least. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, huh?¡± He looked at Reina. ¡°Reina lend me your eggs! We¡¯ll make a child as proof!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to turn this into an opportunity to sexual harass me!¡± Reina shouted angrily. ¡°Tsk. She¡¯s smarter than I thought.¡± Rory mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll just pretend I didn¡¯t hear that.¡± Reina said beside him. ¡°Eunuch, are there any settlements nearby?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°It seems that I must make you experience with your body what I do to women like you.¡± ¡°Do that, and I¡¯ll really make you an Eunuch.¡± Amelia pulled her sword and said. It was like sparks were flying between the two. ¡®I don¡¯t know if this is them just messing around, or some weird sexual tension between them¡­..¡¯ Reina thought. The three walked for a while until Rory suddenly came to a stop. ¡°That¡¯s odd. Since when have there been a city in these parts. Especially one of that size.¡± ¡°A city? Where?¡± ¡°About two miles away. I spread my Sensor to the limit to see if I could find any settlements, and found it.¡± ¡°Wait. You can sense things two miles away?¡± ¡°Five miles is my limit. What about it?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just forgot that common sense doesn¡¯t work with you.¡± Said Reina. ¡°Normality is for the weak!¡± Rory passionately declared. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s head there and check out this new city.¡± They continued walking for a while until they reached a cliff. They looked ahead and saw a city about a mile away. ¡°It looks surprisingly modern.¡± Amelia said while looking at the tall buildings in the distance. ¡°I think that¡¯s a bit rude. Just because it¡¯s called the Wild Continent, that doesn¡¯t mean that this place is filled with savages. In fact, a lot of beastmen are far more intelligent than humans.¡± Rory said. ¡°All I¡¯ve seen before this were wild and dangerous creatures. Not much of a first impression if you ask me.¡± ¡°Anyway, its great that we¡¯ve found a city. That means that we¡¯ll be able to have a roof over our heads.¡± Said Reina. ¡°Yeah, we should have a large amount of money after all.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That¡¯s when Rory suddenly looked like he just remembered something. Seeing that, the girls had a bad feeling. Especially Amelia, who had some experience with money problems because of him. ¡°What is it?¡± Reina asked nervously. ¡°I just remembered that I forgot our money in the Transit Snake.¡± He replied. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Amelia rested her hand on his shoulder. ¡°What, do you have some extra cash?¡± ¡°No, but I know how to get some.¡± Amelia said with a bright smile. ¡°Lizard, get some rope. We¡¯re cashing in on his bounty. I¡¯m sure we can live lavishly if we collect the bounty on his head.¡± She said while strongly gripping his shoulder. It was obvious that she was furious. ¡°Calm down. If we do that, we¡¯ll be captured too. Did you forget that we also have bounties on our heads?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Amelia then looked at Reina with a weird gaze. ¡®Why do I feel like she¡¯s considering turning in my bounty as well?¡¯ Reina thought to herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I had some money stashed away in case Rory screwed up.¡± She said. ¡°Really? How much?¡± ¡°Around 100,000 Ani.¡± ¡°Alright, lets go!¡± Rory wrapped his arms around her shoulder and starting walking with her. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I had a sugar mama. Hey, can you buy me some alcohol? I was planning to steal some, but since you have the money might as well use it.¡± ¡°You really have no dignity do you?¡± ¡°Dignity is just something cowards use as an excuse to not do what¡¯s needed to be done.¡± ¡°Can you stop saying shameless things while trying to past it off as words from the wise?¡± Amelia said while following behind them. After walking for some time, they arrived at the entrance to the city. They saw a sign that showed the city¡¯s name. ¡°Cugine City? Now I¡¯m certain that this city didn¡¯t exist when I came here 100 years ago.¡± Rory said while reading the sign. ¡°So it¡¯s a relatively new city then?¡± Amelia looked at the walls in front of here. They seemed to be serving as the borders of the city. ¡°It¡¯s kinda strange seeing a city that isn¡¯t a part of a country. What would you call it? A city country? A stand alone city nation?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no use wracking our brains over it. Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Rory said and started walking towards a booth that was at the entrance. ¡°Hello, welcome to Cugine City. May I see your passports? You can¡¯t enter the city if we don¡¯t register you.¡± A woman at the booth said. ¡°What if we don¡¯t have any and want to force ourselves inside?¡± Rory asked with a sly smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend, sir. Anyone who enters the city illegally will be hunted down by the city¡¯s law enforcement.¡± ¡°And if I was somehow to escape them?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re free to do as you please.¡± The woman answered with a smile. ¡°Then we¡¯ll take our chances.¡± After saying that the Rory leaped over the wall and entered the city. The girls looked at each other before doing the same. ¡°Have a nice trip.¡± The woman said after seeing that they were gone. She waited a little bit before standing from her seat. ¡°Now then, I guess it¡¯s time to go.¡± She gripped her face and tore it off. She was wearing a mask. ¡°Mio was right. Rory really came here to see GuanYin.¡± The ¡°woman¡± took off her wig and her green hair started shining under the sun. She tied it into a ponytail and her pointy ears could be seen. She then tapped her voice box and cough. ¡°Looks like he and Mio are really going through with this crazy game of theirs.¡± The voice changed to that of a man. ¡°The real question is whose side should I join?¡± The man stood there with his back turn to the city. His facial features were hard to see for some reason, despite the fact that his face should be clearly visible. The man remembered the two girls who were with Rory as Reina and Amelia, who he saw in the news. ¡°But still, Mio has some bad taste setting up Rory with my grandniece. Also, isn¡¯t Amelia that woman¡¯s¡­..Well, their not my business anyway.¡± After saying that, the man disappeared without a trace. 68th Night: Land Of The Beasts After jumping over the wall, the trio landed inside Cugine City. ¡°Woah.¡± ¡°Woah, indeed.¡± Their first impression of the city could be summed up with one word, Modern. The city looked as modern as one could get. There were vehicles like cars driving everywhere, people dressed in suits and casual wear, gadgets like phones looked commonplace as almost everyone was seen walking with them, and lastly, there were dozens of skyscrapers and countless apartment buildings. With one look they could tell, Cugine City was an independent metropolis. There was also one other thing that stood out about the city. ¡°There¡¯s barely any humans.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s to be expected.¡± Rory replied to what Amelia said. ¡°Unlike Raknor, Kashmir is the domain of the Wild. In other words, it¡¯s the den of the beastmen races.¡± He looked around the city with a smile on his face. Catfolk, Dogfolk, Rabbit People, Satyr, Lamias, Centaurs, Dwarves, Elves, Harpies, minotaurs. There were countless types of beastmen wherever he looked. ¡°In this place, humans are the odd ones out. Well, you two should be fine.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a Lodon and a Megal. While you¡¯re technically humans, in the eyes of the beastmen, you¡¯re just evolved beasts. Look.¡± Rory pointed. There were persons who spotted them and looked a bit surprised, but that was only for a second. After they saw the girls¡¯s hair and eyes and sensed the ferocity inside them, they ignored them. ¡°I see. So they see us as one of them.¡± Rory nodded. ¡°Then what about you? Will they harass you?¡± ¡°Me? That won¡¯t happen. Beastmen have sharp senses and good instincts. One look at me and they¡¯ll know. I¡¯m not someone they can act dominant with.¡± He said proudly. ¡°Anyway, lets go for a walk. There¡¯s no point in us standing here all day.¡± Saying that, Rory walked away from the wall and officially entered the city. The girls quickly followed behind him. ¡°But I gotta say, it¡¯s been some time since I¡¯ve last been in an unfamiliar place, and somewhere that I don¡¯t have the least idea how it came about. It¡¯s surprisingly a refreshing feeling.¡± Rory said with his arms folded behind his head. ¡°What about Buchse?¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Amelia frowned when she heard his reply. ¡°Hey, handsome.¡± At that moment, someone walked up to Rory and started a conversation. It was a man with cat ears and tail. He was a member of the Catfolk race. From his ears and tail, it looked like he was a panther model Catfolk. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m handsome. What can I do for you?¡± Rory replied with a bright smile. ¡°Are you perhaps new in town?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We¡¯re here for sightseeing.¡± ¡°I knew it. Then would you like to hear a business proposition? I¡¯m sure a man like yourself would like some extra vacation money.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds tempting. As it stands, I¡¯m currently broke.¡± ¡°I see, I see.¡± The man rubbed his hands together and spoke. ¡°Then would you like to sell your friends to me?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Amelia and Reina were enraged when they heard that, and looked like they were ready to attack the man. They stopped when Rory lifted his hand to stop them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Could you repeat that?¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Rory asked with a smile and head tilt. Girls could sense anger boiling inside him. However, the man didn¡¯t seem to sense it. Or rather, he simply ignored it. ¡°You see, human girls are a big hit in gentlemen clubs in this city. Especially Lodons and Megals. Their beautiful hair, eyes, and enchanting auras just turn us on.¡± ¡°Is that so? Hm, I understand. I completely get it. Elia and ReRe are especially beautiful. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if they could make the purest souls want to taint them.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s ReRe?¡± ¡°I think he means you.¡± Amelia answered Reina. ¡°Huh?¡± Reina pointed at herself with disbelief, and Amelia nodded. Rory continued. ¡°However, my friend. They¡¯re mine. My Elia. My ReRe. Do you understand?¡± ¡°I understand, mister; but in our business everyone has a price. Just name it and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to pay it. Despite how I look, I work directly under one of the Three Dons. So I have quite a bit of capital.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rory nodded as if he understood something. ¡°When you put it like that, I¡¯ve thought up a price.¡± ¡°Really? Then let me hear it.¡± Rory smiled and placed his hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The lives of every single person in this city.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Rory smiled at him and repeated. ¡°The lives of every single person in this city. Your bitch of a mother, your whore of a wife, and your slut of a daughter. If you can give me all of their heads along with everyone else, I¡¯ll consider your proposal.¡± Rory¡¯s grip on the man¡¯s shoulder strengthened. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t get your hopes up.¡± ¡°Y-You, you don¡¯t know of the Three Dons of Cugine City? Are you perhaps not from this continent?¡± ¡°Three Dons? Who the fuck are those scrubs? Why would I know about some stinky brats, much less fear them?¡± Rory replied. ¡°Now then, Fodder A. What¡¯s your answer?¡± He showed a devilish smile. Seeing that, the man lost his cool. He approached Rory thinking that he could use the infamous reputation of the Three Dons, but he would never have thought that there was someone on this continent who didn¡¯t know them. Like they said, ignorance is a bliss; however, ignorance could also be terrifying. Because you don¡¯t know any better, you wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do something stupid and dangerous. Rory didn¡¯t know the Three Dons, so he wouldn¡¯t care about killing one of their men, much less a conman like him, who was just pretending to work for the Dons. ¡°Gulp.¡± The man instantly knew that he was in deep shit. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Cat got your tongue? If so, I can kill every cat around here until I get it back for you.¡± Rory said with a smirk. ¡°No, no. My mistake. Forget I said anything.¡± After he said that the man ran off. ¡°Are you just going to let him go?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Yeah. If I killed him in public it will cause unnecessary attention. Even if he¡¯s a conman, everyone would get flustered. I want to enjoy my peaceful life with you two a bit longer.¡± ¡°Whenever has life been peaceful with you?¡± Amelia retorted. ¡°I¡¯m interested in these Three Dons he spoke about. It sounds like they¡¯re pretty influential if it¡¯s expected that the whole continent would know about them.¡± Said Reina. ¡°Hmm¡­.I¡¯m not particularly interested though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s surprising. I thought you would want to find out who they are and plunge this city in war.¡± ¡°Wait, how did finding them lead to war?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you always do? You get interested in some people, find them, torment them, torment us, and then burn the place to the ground.¡± ¡°Stop making it sound like I¡¯m a warmonger.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± The girls asked in unison. ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m a peace loving individual who just wants to spend his days with one titty in his mouth and two in my hands. You know, every man¡¯s boyhood dream.¡± ¡°I think only you would have that as your boyhood dream.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not interested in these Three Dons, so let¡¯s just ignore them.¡± ¡°Wait, why didn¡¯t that man recognize us? Weren¡¯t our faces spread worldwide?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Maybe because the news hasn¡¯t reached here yet, or maybe because we¡¯re in the open walking around casually, despite being wanted, he didn¡¯t even begin to imagine that it was really us and only thought we looked familiar? Who knows?¡± ¡°Well, I believe this a good chance. We should disguise ourselves.¡± ¡°You want me to hide this handsome face? Impossible. That would be an act against the heavens.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t your ego has a limit?¡± ¡°Ego? What ego? I¡¯m just fabulous.¡± Reina felt the urge to stab him, but let it go in the end. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to maintain your peaceful life with us? Wouldn¡¯t that disappear if our identities become known?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Rory started to think. He started to measure what was more important. His love comedy lifestyle with the girls, or his duty to bless the women of this world with his handsome face. If the girls knew what was going on in his head, they would¡¯ve lost even more respect for him. ¡°Hmn! Fine, the heavens will weep, but my life with you two takes priority!¡± He declared. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should feel honored or angry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, me too.¡± The girls sighed in unison. Around 15 minutes later they found a clothes store and decided to buy some outfits. ¡°So we¡¯ll each create our own disguise and come back here so that we can judge each other.¡± Reina said, while they stood at the center of the store. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± They all went their separate ways, to pick out what they wanted. After a hour they all returned to the center of the store. ¡°What do you think?¡± Asked Reina. She was dressed in a grey and red hoodie, with a white shirt underneath. She had a necklace of a star, a black wristband, gray joggers that was enough to hide her curves, and a pair of white sneakers. ¡°Wow, you totally look like a boy. You even cut your hair short.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°No, this is a wig. I made it the same color as my hair. I¡¯m used to disguising myself as both genders, so this was a cinch.¡± Reina said. ¡°You don¡¯t look bad either.¡± Amelia took a completely opposite route from Reina. She was dressed in a knee length floral skirt, a stylish pink blouse, white flats, a flower necklace, and a small handbag. She looked like a cute and pure girl. Just looking at her made one want to protect her. ¡°You¡¯ve abandoned your tomboyish look. Even I couldn¡¯t recognize you.¡± Reina said. ¡°Thanks, but where¡¯s Rory.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± They saw someone walking up to them. ¡°How?¡± That was the first thing the girls said when they saw him. In front of them was a dark skin man with a handsome face and a beauty mark under his right eye, black hair, which was swept back and tied into a braid, green eyes, and a slightly muscular build. He was dressed in a black three piece suit, with a white undershirt and black tie, a pair of white gloves, and a pair of shades. ¡°Is that really you, Rory?¡± Amelia asked. The man, Rory, smiled and took off his shades. ¡°You¡¯re not the only ones who can disguise themselves.¡± When he did that he immediately drew the attention of the surrounding people, regardless of gender. The current Rory gave off the aura of a ruler among men, that would charm all those who looked at him. Seeing that he laughed, and then winked at the girls. ¡°Be careful now. Don¡¯t fall for me, I¡¯ll only break your heart.¡± 69th Night: Settling ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Look at them.¡± In the middle of Cugine City, a lot of people were chatting and pointing in the same direction. They pointed at a group which stood on the corner of a street trying to catch a cab. Who stood there were three humans, who each possessed an undeniable charm. On the left stood a boy, who was dressed casually yet stylishly. He was handsome yet boyish, and possessed a charm to attract women of all ages. On the right was a woman who despite being extremely attracted couldn¡¯t be described with the words beautiful or sexy. One could only feel like that words like cute, adorable, and lovely would be the right words to describe her. Any other words would made you feel like you were tainting her with worldly desires. The one in the center was someone completely different. He was handsome indeed, but what really stood out about him was his aura. Even though he was not doing anything special, this man made everything around him look inferior. As if only him was just, like only him was to reign supreme. No one could properly describe it, but that was how they felt when they looked at him. A ruler among men, a god among kings, that¡¯s the impression he gave. ¡°I know that they don¡¯t know who we are, but don¡¯t you think us attracting this much attention defeats the purpose of disguising ourselves?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°It¡¯s actually the opposite. While it¡¯s true we¡¯re attracting attention, it¡¯s the good kind of attention. This will allow us to merge into society more easily.¡± Reina answered. ¡°She¡¯s right. We¡¯re giving off a good impression, which is a good thing. That¡¯s because those who give off good impressions tend to go unnoticed after all, or should I say that they¡¯re quickly forgotten. Well, that¡¯s in comparison to those give off bad impressions anyway. People tend to remember the bad things about someone more than they remember the good. This is why a hero can turn in a villain with one mistake.¡± Rory explained. ¡°The attention will die down, for now just enjoy it.¡± He wave at a group of women who were watching him from across the street. They all started to act bashfully after they saw that. ¡°I think your explanation would be credible if it was just the two of us, but you draw too much attention. You¡¯re not on the level where you¡¯ll die down. You¡¯re on the level where people would make fan clubs and cults about you.¡± Amelia said. ¡°What¡¯s up with your charisma and aura? Are you using anima to charm people or something?¡± ¡°No, this is just my true self.¡± ¡°True self? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, you can say that if you feel charmed by me, then that just mean we¡¯re on two different planes of existence. We¡¯re on different levels of life. Although I can only now do this again after recovering more of my true power.¡± ¡°What?¡± The girls became confused after hearing what he said. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to think that hard. Let¡¯s just say that there¡¯s many sides to a person.¡± Rory pointed at himself. ¡°This side is just my side that¡¯s on the path to Godhood. Demigod Rory, if you will.¡± He then burst out laughing. The girls still didn¡¯t completely understand what he was trying to say, but they decided to let it go. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°We should probably look a place to settle down. In a place like this, there are countless places to stay.¡± Rory replied. ¡°But considering our current image, it would be fitting if we live in one suitable of our status. Well, publicly assumed status.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t have that much money, and we¡¯re only relying on Reina¡¯s savings.¡± ¡°No money, then what do you call this?¡± Rory took out a wallet filled with Ani notes. They were all 5000 Ani notes too.¡± *Author Note: Again, Ani is the world¡¯s currency.* ¡°Where did you get that?¡± ¡°I stole it.¡± He shamelessly answered.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°What about that Demi-God stuff earlier?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t gods always steal stuff from mortals, calling it a trial? I¡¯m just doing the same.¡± Rory said while stopping a cab. He got in with a smile on his face. The girls looked at each other and then entered as well. The people on the street watched the cab drive away until they couldn¡¯t follow it any longer. ¡°Yo, mister. I have a question.¡± Rory spoke to the driver, who was a Minotaur. ¡°We¡¯re new to town so we don¡¯t have any place to live. Could you suggest to us the place you believe is most fitting for us?¡± The Minotaur driver looked at Rory and widened his eyes in shock. He was instantly overwhelmed by Rory¡¯s presence. ¡°The Golden Breath Villa.¡± He quickly said. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s where the richest and most influential people in this city resides. It¡¯s like a domain for royalty. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d fit right in.¡± ¡°Hm¡­.I see. Then take me to that place.¡± ¡°Rory.¡± Reina wanted to say that they most likely couldn¡¯t afford such a place, but Rory stopped her by placing his fingers on his lips. ¡°Driver, take us there. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°L-Leave it to me!¡± The driver suddenly became excited when he heard that. He sped up and drove the three deeper into the city and brought them to the Golden Breath Villa. When they arrived, they were a bit taken back. What they saw was a huge golden gate that read Golden Breath on it. The walls were made of marble with gold dust mixed into it. From what they could see from their position, the villa was very vast and was filled with mansions of various designs. All the houses had a golden light surrounding them. The villa looked like some place gods would live. ¡°This is the Golden Breath Villa? It¡¯s amazing.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Thanks, mister. Here¡¯s a tip.¡± The girls saw Rory step out of the cab and gave the man a couple 5000 Ani bills. The cab ride here didn¡¯t have cost a quarter of a single one of those bills. When the man saw the bills, he held them and looked at them with disbelief. ¡°T-Thank you! Thank You!¡± The man shouted excitedly. The girls existed the vehicle and watched the man drive off. ¡°Why did you give him so much money? We¡¯re not even certain we can afford to live here as it is.¡± Reina asked. ¡°You worry too much.¡± Rory pointed at himself. ¡°I¡¯m Demigod Rory. Everything will be fine.¡± He then turned around and walked to where the gatekeeper was. ¡°Is he planning on using that alias from now on?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± The girls followed behind him and three approached the gate. ¡°Hello.¡± Rory spoke to a Satyr guard, who was busy playing on a gadget. ¡°Do you have an appointment? You can¡¯t visit anyone without an appointment.¡± The guard answered without looking at him. Rory and the others came here in a cab, so to the guard, they weren¡¯t anyone important. He didn¡¯t even feel the need to see their faces. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then please return to where you came from.¡± Rory didn¡¯t get upset and only smiled. ¡°That would be a problem. I¡¯m here to buy a home.¡± ¡°Buy a home? Ha, you can¡¯t just buy a home here.¡± ¡°But I can.¡± ¡°Look here! I¡¯m telling you-?!¡± The man finally looked and saw Rory¡¯s face. Like the others he was immediately stunned. ¡°You were saying?¡± Rory asked with a smile. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. You wanted a home right? I¡¯ll get in contact with the manager, right away.¡± ¡°You do that.¡± Rory watched as the guard desperately tried to contact his superiors. He was obviously overwhelmed by Rory¡¯s presence. ¡°You know, rather than say he¡¯s a god, he seems more like the devil to me.¡± Amelia said. After a while, some people in suits came from the smaller gate beside the giant one. They first appeared with arrogant expressions, but when they saw Rory and the girls they lost every ounce of arrogance. They quickly walked up to them and greeted them. ¡°Good afternoon, my name is Jane and I¡¯m the manager of this prestigious villa.¡± The woman at the front approached them and greeted them with a smile. She looked like she was in her late twenties or early thirties, had a pleasing face and figure, and had white snakes for hair. ¡°A gorgon? A high ranking beastman on the par of vampires, and werewolves.¡± Rory said with a pleased look. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen one in a while. What¡¯s a beautiful thing like you doing in a place like this?¡± ¡°With all do respect, could you please refrain from prying into my private life.¡± The woman answered. The girls were shocked when they heard her response, this was the first they¡¯ve seen anyone defy Rory since he took this form. They started to wonder if it was because she was from a high ranking race. ¡°I see. My apologies. We¡¯re here for a residence in your villa.¡± ¡°Then may I ask for some proof of identity for all of you, as well a proof of income. We also do a background check on everyone that applies here, I hope that¡¯s alright with you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not from here.¡± Rory replied. ¡°That¡¯s okay. We have an impressive information network. If you exists, we¡¯re sure to find information about you.¡± Jane replied with a confident tone. ¡°I see.¡± Rory nodded as if he understood something. The girls started to wonder what he was going to do. ¡°If you¡¯re that confident, then I have to oblige.¡± Rory dug into his pocket and took out a coin and flicked it at her. Jane caught it calmly and looked at it. ¡°?!¡± She was so shocked and frightened that she dropped the coin, and fell on her bottom. ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± All of her subordinates immediately rushed towards her. ¡°You, what did you do?!¡± They all looked at Rory with enraged looks. ¡°Nothing. I just showed her who I am.¡± Rory answered calmly. ¡°T-T-T¡­..¡± Jane pointed at the coin on the coin while stuttering. ¡°The coin, pick it up at once!¡± She shouted. ¡°The coin?¡± The men all looked at the coin on the ground. It was made of gold and was embedded with diamonds, but what really caught their eyes was the lotus that was engraved on it. ¡°The Holy Mother?!¡± The men suddenly fell to their knees and started bowing in front of the coin. This shocked the girls because these people were clearly worshipping the coin. ¡°Idiots, I said to pick it up!¡± Jane got up angrily and carefully picked up the coin. She then started to inspect it. The longer she looked at it, the more her body trembled. ¡°It¡¯s real.¡± She muttered. She then looked at Rory. ¡°May I be as rude to ask, where did you get this?¡± ¡°Where? I got it from Guanyin herself.¡± ¡°?!¡± The woman and her subordinates were shocked again, but they saw Rory and felt his godly aura, they felt that he was speaking the truth. The man in front of them was definitely a great figure. Someone who was acquainted with the holy mother. ¡°Hurry and prepare the best mansion you can find! If you don¡¯t find any that¡¯s acceptable then you can take mine!¡± Jane ordered. The subordinates quickly ran to carry out her order. She then turned around and faced Rory with a bright smile. ¡°Your Majesty, right this way.¡± The girls stood and watched this whole thing with confused expressions. Despite not revealing his identity, Rory is being treated as like a king. They stared at the coin in Jane¡¯s hand and asked themselves a question. ¡°Just who is this Holy Mother, and what does she has to do with Rory?¡± 70th Night: The World Powers Jane¡¯s subordinates did as she asked. They went around and prepared the best mansion they could fine. Incidentally, there was someone already living there, but they were kicked out and given a different residence against their will. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± When the girls saw the previous resident being forced to move, they felt strange. They knew that for that person to live in such a place, then they must have quite the background. Yet, they were kicked out like a mutt. It just made their curiosity towards the coin Jane was holding, increase. ¡°Your Majesty, is this place to your liking?¡± Jane asked with a tone of servitude. ¡°Yeah, its perfect.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Then Your Majesty¡­.can I please get your name?¡± ¡°My name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m out of line, it¡¯s just that we would like to celebrate the occasion of someone like yourself coming to visit! If I¡¯m overstepping my boundaries, I deeply apologize.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t really a big deal.¡± Rory answered. ¡°You can call me Aniket.¡± The girls were puzzled because that was the first time they¡¯ve ever heard that name. ¡°I see, Lord Aniket. Welcome to the Golden Breath Villa.¡± Jane said. ¡°Thanks. Oh, you can keep that coin if you want.¡± ¡°R-Really?!¡± Jane immediately became flustered when she heard that. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s my only one.¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± Jane started bowing over and over again. Even the tiny snakes which made up her hair, bowed in gratitude. It was an amusing scene. After talking and making a few more arrangements, Jane left with her subordinates leaving Rory and the girls. ¡°Now then¡­..¡± Rory turned towards one of the couches and leaped onto it and immediately turned on the tv in front of him. He instantly switched from a regal man to a slob. ¡°Rory.¡± The girls sat on seats, which were across from him. ¡°What is it, ReRe?¡± ¡°First off, stop calling me that. Second, what the hell just happened? How did we get the best mansion in a place like this without paying a single cent?¡± ¡°That¡¯s incorrect, ReRe. I actually overpaid for this place. That¡¯s why Jane and her workers will supply us with everything we need from now on. Money, food, clothing, entertainment. So there¡¯s no need to hold back. You can pig out like me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pigging out too much if you ask me.¡± Amelia retorted. ¡°What is that coin you gave to that woman? Who is this Holy Mother they spoke about?¡± It was obvious that Jane¡¯s behavior changed, the moment Rory showed her the coin with the lotus on it. ¡°Ah, that would be Guanyin. She¡¯s the person I came to this continent to meet. I used her coin to shut that woman up.¡± ¡°Guanyin? Why does that name feel so familiar?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Well, Amelia aside, you should¡¯ve at least heard the name before.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°After all, she¡¯s the goddess of the Beast Race.¡± ¡°?!¡± The two were shocked when they heard that. ¡°By goddess, do you mean like the Sacred God and Night God?!¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s not a True God like them. She¡¯s a just a God by name.¡± Rory answered while watching tv. ¡°The Goddess of mercy, the holy mother; that¡¯s what everyone called her. She¡¯s their source of faith.¡± ¡°So the Beastmen don¡¯t worship the Sacred God? I didn¡¯t even know that they were other religions still existing in this world.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Of course they are. I mean mortals will never stop creating objects of fear and admiration to escape from reality. It¡¯s just that the Sacred Race eradicates them on a regular basis. You should know how the church feel about heretics by now.¡± The girls nodded as they remembered the events of just over a month ago. ¡°Besides, the ones who worship the sacred god are mostly the sacred race and humans. Beastmen have their own sets of beliefs and morals that just don¡¯t fit with those of the Sacred race. That¡¯s why the Beastmen chose their own God.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s Guanyin?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°Guanyin was known for her merciful and holy demeanor. Many people came to love her and soon began to worship her. One thing led to another and she became the patron of the Beastmen. Well, she has the strength to back it up.¡± ¡°Then does she rule the beast race?¡± ¡°What?¡± This time Reina was the one who was confused by Amelia¡¯s question. ¡°That can¡¯t be. The Beastmen have the Beast Emperors that rule them.¡± ¡°Beast Emperors? Never heard of them.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°You know, I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re feigning ignorance. There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t know about the Beast Emperors.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate how isolated her country was.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Rory said with a laugh. Amelia frowned when she heard that. ¡°Well, I never did actually explain how the world works, did I?¡± He suddenly muttered. ¡°Elia, you believe that the Sacred Race is the sole ruler of the world right?¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that the case?¡± Amelia asked a bit annoyed. ¡°Well, you¡¯re right and you¡¯re wrong.¡± Rory noticed her irritation, but still continued. ¡°The Sacred Race, or more specifically, the Sacred Family that rules them are the strongest faction in the world. That¡¯s without a doubt. But they aren¡¯t the only faction. After all, the world¡¯s a pretty big place. Only a god could have full control for thousands of years.¡± ¡°And the Beast Emperors are one.¡± He nodded. ¡°There are four factions that collectively rule the world.¡± He started listing them with his fingers. ¡°The Sacred Family, The Night Family, The Beast Emperors, and The Human Sovereign.¡± ¡°One for each race.¡± Reina added. ¡°This goes without saying, but the Sacred King and Night King heads their respective factions while the Sacred Family and Night Family is like the royal family of their race.¡± ¡°Hm, wait didn¡¯t you say the names of the Sacred and Night king back during the tournament at Marigold? What were they called? Noctis and Licht?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. Those are their titles, not their names though. They mean Night and Light respectively. Pretty straight forward right?¡± Rory said with a laugh. ¡°So the Sacred King stands at the top of the world right?¡± ¡°For the time being.¡± ¡°I can understand the Night King since he¡¯s most likely a descendent of a god and is probably on par with the Sacred King, but what about the Beast Emperors and the the Human Sovereign? How are they able to compete with the previous two?¡± ¡°How? With pure power that¡¯s how.¡± Rory answered. ¡°Then you¡¯re saying that they are people outside of the night king who can rival the Sacred King?¡± ¡°Not just the Sacred King, they rival the entire Sacred and Night Race by themselves.¡± ¡°?!¡± Amelia was shocked to hear this. She couldn¡¯t believe that they were people who could hold an entire race at bay. ¡°Tell me about them.¡± She eagerly wanted to know as much about those beings as she could. ¡°Alright, I guess I should start with the Beast Emperors since that¡¯s what led to this.¡± Rory replied. ¡°You see, when both the Sacred god and the night god was in the world their kin suppressed the other races, and even enslaved them at one point. The other races couldn¡¯t do anything, because they didn¡¯t have the backing of a god. However, everything changed when the two gods simultaneously disappeared. Their kins waged a battle to see who would claim the world which the Night kin lost, because the Sacred God tried to wipe them out before he disappeared, leaving them weakened.¡± This was the first not only Amelia, but Reina has heard of this story. ¡°After claiming the world, the Sacred Kin continued suppressing the other races and continued to do so for thousands of years, but one day a beastman appeared who they couldn¡¯t suppress. Someone that they couldn¡¯t control no matter how they tried. Eventually, this beastman went on to fight the then Sacred King and walked away alive. He also fought the Night King who wanted to recruit him, and survived. That beastman then went on to free the Beast races from the Sacred kin grasp, and ruled over them as their emperor. That was the first Beast Emperor.¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t imagine how powerful that beastman was, and how domineering he was. ¡°His life was however short lived and he died young, leaving the Beast races vulnerable. Or that was suppose to be case. Apparently, the time of peace that beastman gained them was enough for the Beastmen to produce two more persons of similar strength. They went on and did the same thing as the first Beast Emperor and fought the Sacred and Night Kings to prove their strength. Even killing them both.¡± ¡°The ruler of the world was killed?!¡± Both girls were shocked. ¡°Well, yeah. Throughout history several Sacred and Night Kings have been slain by a Beast Emperor or Human Sovereign. But it¡¯s also vice versa.¡± Rory answered calmly. ¡°Anyway, despite the death of those oppressing them, the Beast races didn¡¯t have long to rejoice because both the Sacred and Night Kings were replaced with successors stronger than the previous ones. As you can guess, the situation got bad. The two new Beast Emperors quickly found out that they couldn¡¯t sacrifice everything to protect the Beast Races like their predecessor, so they made a decision. Instead of protecting all Beastmen, they¡¯ll only protect their own races.¡± ¡°So they left everyone else for themselves?¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty cruel, don¡¯t you think?¡± The girls said. ¡°You think so? I think that they were only facing reality. They couldn¡¯t protect everyone, so they chose to protect those close them. It¡¯s not that uncommon.¡± Rory replied. ¡°Besides, even though the other races were abandoned, other races started producing their own Beast Emperors over time. These Beast Emperors like the others, chose to protect their race alone. After a while, Beast Emperors became common? No, common isn¡¯t the right word. Frequent would be better. Anyway, it soon became common sense for a Beast Emperor to protect their own race. It even reached the point where an agreement that each Emperor would respect each other boundaries and stick to their own, was created.¡± ¡°So a Beast Emperor is like the king of a race?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°So what qualifies you to be recognize as a Beast Emperor?¡± ¡°You have to be recognized as being on par with the current Sacred and Night king. As to how you prove that, the quickest way is to fight both of them head on and survive. Another way is to accomplish a feat that only a Beast Emperor could do.¡± ¡°Like?¡± ¡°Killing another Beast Emperor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite the requirements.¡± ¡°Of course. Beast Emperors are members of the beast races who stands at the pinnacle of specific races, and are acknowledged by both their race and other races as the supreme ruler of their individual race. To defy one, is similar to going against their entire race. You need to do at least that much to be recognized as one.¡± Rory said. Amelia was silent for a bit and suddenly asked a question. ¡°What if they are two persons from the same race with such qualifications?¡± ¡°They can only be one emperor per race. This is to prevent confusion. As such, those two persons would have to fight to declare who¡¯s stronger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s insane.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? The strongest people in any world are always insane.¡± Rory said with a laugh. ¡°Then does every race has an Emperor?¡± ¡°Nope. There are countless types of Beastmen, but the amount that actually produced an Emperor can be counted on both hands. The others have to find asylum elsewhere. And that¡¯s where Guanyin comes in. She¡¯s so influential that she convinced the other races to not and try and suppress the Beastmen again.¡± ¡°Is she an Emperor?¡± Rory laughed when heard that. ¡°Nope. She¡¯s a monster, but she isn¡¯t at an Emperor¡¯s level. If anything, she¡¯s on Serket level.¡± ¡°Wait, then an emperor is stronger than Serket?¡± ¡°They¡¯re miles apart.¡± The more she heard about them, the harder it became for her to imagine how strong an Emperor was. ¡°Speaking of the queen, I just remembered something. Didn¡¯t she say that the one who defeated Pandemonium singlehandedly was Emperor Zahak?¡± Reina asked. Amelia noticed that when she spoke the name Zahak, she trembled a little. ¡°That bag of bones has a big mouth.¡± Rory responded. ¡°Then it was really Zahak?!¡± ¡°Who is Zahak?¡± Amelia asked ¡°He¡¯s the Emperor of the Dragon Kin! He¡¯s said to be the most violent and destructive of the current Emperor¡¯s. I heard he once marched into the home of the Sacred King and challenged him to a duel, which ended in his defeat. However, the Sacred King was unable to kill him no matter how he tried.¡± ¡°That sounds like him.¡± Rory said. ¡°Why did you guys pick a fight with an Emperor?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t pick a fight. We were actually on good terms when we first met, it¡¯s just that he and I had an argument about something stupid, and our egos clashed. Even then, it didn¡¯t need to escalate that far, it¡¯s just that Zahak wanted to prove his strength to the world.¡± ¡°Prove his strength? Wasn¡¯t he already an Emperor?¡± ¡°No. He was an unknown brat at the time. He became famous after destroying us. You can say that we were his first stepping stone to becoming an Emperor. When I heard that he killed the previous Emperor of his race, I wasn¡¯t surprised in the least.¡± The girls noticed that talking about Zahak was starting to annoy Rory so they changed the topic. ¡°Then what about the Human Sovereign? I¡¯ve heard people mention that title a couple times at the Marigold Kingdom. The Sacred Church members even called Serket the comrade of the Human Sovereign.¡± ¡°The Human Sovereign is the strongest human who is seen as the guardian of the human race. Their like the Beast Emperors, someone who can rival the Sacred and Night King. Their history is pretty much the same as the first Beast Emperor. Only thing, it¡¯s the human race who elects their next Sovereign from a list of qualified candidates. They can¡¯t afford for strong members of their race killing each other after all.¡± Rory explained. ¡°Then they¡¯re Serket¡¯s comrade?¡± ¡°They¡¯re best friends, who grew up with each other. The only difference is that this generation Human Sovereign was a monster even for that bag of bones to keep up with.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°This generation Sovereign is the strongest in history.¡± ¡°What? Are you sure?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°It¡¯s without a doubt. After all, they fought the current Emperors, Sacred King and Night King, multiple times and was able to walk away every time. There were even times when they fought several of them at once.¡± Rory then smiled and said. ¡°Just so you know, this generation¡¯s Sacred and Night King along with the current emperors are the strongest in history as well. Not even the generation before or during the disappearance of the two gods could compare.¡± That¡¯s when the girls remembered what Rory said about this generation. ¡°This generation is by far the most gifted of all the previous ones after the gods¡¯ disappearance. The chances of a god being born in this generation are almost certain. The battle for Godhood could happen any day now.¡± After hearing what Rory said, his words seemed to be a foreshadowing of something terrifying. The battle for godhood! 71st Night: Living Like A God It was now a few days since Rory and the girls arrived at Cugine City. During that time, Rory didn¡¯t leave their mansion, contrary to what Amelia and Reina expected. Instead, he spent all his time lazing around on the couch and watching television, while maids provided by Jane took care of his every need. ¡°So this is what a failure looks like. Well, I guess he was always a failure.¡± Amelia said while watching Rory. ¡°What I want to know is how can he still have that godly aura while doing stuff like this?¡± Said Reina. ¡°Lord Aniket, its almost dinner time. Do you have anything you want us to prepare for you?¡± One of the maids asked Rory. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Rory had a pondering expression on his face, while rubbing the thigh of a maid who was on his lap. It was an envious sight. ¡°Then how about something cooked by you ReRe?¡± ¡°Huh? Why would I cook for you?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m your future husband. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to learn my taste sooner rather than later?¡± ¡°You¡¯re delusional if you think I¡¯m cooking for you, and you¡¯re crazy if you think that I¡¯m marrying you in the future.¡± Reina replied. ¡°Is that so? How unfortunate.¡± ¡°Then, wifey #1, what about you?¡± ¡°Who the hell is wifey #1? I¡¯m not cooking either. If you¡¯re hungry then go cook for yourself.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°You two aren¡¯t any fun.¡± Rory frowned. He then made the maid get off his lap and stood up. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll cook something.¡± He then started walking towards the kitchen. ¡°Please stop, my lord. We¡¯ll prepare something for you. Just give us the word.¡± ¡°Nah, its fine. I haven¡¯t cooked anything in a while, so I want to do it myself.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The maid didn¡¯t stop insisting since she would only come off as annoying. ¡°Can he cook?¡± Reina asked Amelia. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The only thing I¡¯ve seen him cook is that lizard a couple days back.¡± They decided to not think about it that much and instead see what Rory was watching. ¡°As I thought, it¡¯s the news again. It¡¯s all he¡¯s been watching since we¡¯ve came here.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Could he be collecting information?¡± ¡°With this station? Everything about it seems outdated.¡± ¡°Not everything that glitters is gold.¡± Rory¡¯s voice came from the kitchen. ¡°And just because something looks like coal, doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s not actually a diamond underneath.¡± ¡°What, are you saying that we shouldn¡¯t judge by appearances?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That station is the oldest on this continent. Also, unlike the others which are secretly connected to the Sacred Army, it only reports genuine news.¡± Rory replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the Sacred Army controls news networks even on this continent.¡± ¡°Even though this continent isn¡¯t under their complete control, the army still has a strong presence. Well, not compared to the Beast Emperors and Guanyin.¡± Rory walked out of the kitchen and said. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m finished. Do you guys want something to eat?¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°You¡¯re finished already?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too fast?¡± The girls said before walking into the kitchen. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± They saw a dish with shredded meat that smelled like it was seasoned with a lot of spices, and sauces. It was mixed with a soft and delicious looking broad pasta. ¡°It¡¯s Pappardelle with duck rag¨´. It was Serket favorite.¡± Rory gave the girls a plate each. They took it and smelled it. The smell made their mouth water. They used a fork and tasted it. ¡°Mhm!¡± Their faces lit up when the meals taste burst in their mouth. ¡°This is ridiculously delicious.¡± ¡°The meat is so tender too.¡± The girls praised Rory. ¡°How did you make this so fast? It¡¯s so delicious too.¡± ¡°When I was younger, Serket suddenly had the idea of using cooking to train my Anima control. I was forced to cook countless meals that required a delicate hand and with a time limit too. I had to use anima to apply the heat and cook ingredients to perfection in a few minutes.¡± ¡°Again, what kind of childhood did you have?¡± ¡°I think the queen just wanted some fancy dishes and used training as an excuse.¡± Amelia and Reina replied respectively. ¡°Girls, what are you waiting for? I made your share as well.¡± Rory said to the three maids that were still in the living room. ¡°You cooked for us as well?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯ve been taking care of me these last few days, so it¡¯s obvious I should return the favor. I¡¯m the type of guy who only feels good if my partner feels good, after all.¡± The maids looked at each other before entering the kitchen. Rory also gave them so plates he had prepared for them. They took it and eat it. ¡°Mhm!¡± Just like Reina and Amelia, their faces lit up and they started eating faster without regard for their appearances. ¡°Heh.¡± Rory watched all the girls eating happily with a smile on their faces. ¡°I made five beautiful women¡¯s face light up with delight. Not a bad afternoon if I must say so myself.¡± He then walked out of the kitchen. The girls were too happily eating to realize something out of place. Despite initially saying that he was going to cook something to eat, Rory hadn¡¯t eaten anything himself and only allowed the girls to eat. ¡°Now then.¡± He sat back in front of the tv and listened carefully to the news. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± A female anchor asked her cohost. ¡°That¡¯s right. This news is authentic. The next Emperors Conference will be held in the next two years, and this time the Human Sovereign, Arisa Lodon is said to have been invited. Whether she accepted the invitation or not is not yet known.¡± Rory¡¯s eyes sharpened when he heard that. ¡°The Emperors Conference is where all the Beast Emperors put aside their differences and have a peaceful meeting, yet, Arisa, who is human is invited? This smells fishy.¡± He mumbled to himself. ¡°There¡¯s also something else I would like to report.¡± The male cohost wasn¡¯t finished yet. ¡°There¡¯s a report that Emperor Yashar will be announcing his retirement at the next conference.¡± ¡°?!¡± Rory sprung from his seat when he heard that. There was clear shock on his face. ¡°What did he say?¡± He mumbled. ¡°What?! That can¡¯t be true!¡± Even the female anchor was shocked. ¡°How can the Immortal Emperor just retire?! It¡¯s against the Laws of the Emperor to retire!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true in most cases, but we¡¯re talking about the oldest living Emperor here, the teacher of dozens of emperors from previous generations until now. He¡¯s different. He has the world¡¯s respect, so no one would disrespect him and force him to remain an emperor.¡± Said the male anchor. ¡°Then what about the merfolk? Who is going to protect the mermaids and mermen? Even if he¡¯s a well respected person, that doesn¡¯t mean that the other races won¡¯t take advantage of his retirement to enslave his race.¡± ¡°Apparently his son, Triton, will take up his throne.¡± ¡°Triton? I¡¯ve never heard of him before.¡± Rory started to think. ¡®Could it be that Yashar announced his retirement because he¡¯s confident that his son can replace him as an Emperor? In the first place, is that even allowed?¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡°This is nonsense. The other Emperors won¡¯t accept a rookie into their ranks that easily. It would make their rank look like a joke. The Beastmen would be the laughingstock of the world.¡± The woman said passionately. She obviously didn¡¯t want to see her people be ridiculed. ¡°That¡¯s right. The title of Beast Emperor isn¡¯t even inheritable in the first place. Emperors like Lotan and Bennu might not care, but Zahak and Mihos won¡¯t take that lying down. What about Arisa? If she¡¯s there during such a tense meeting, then all hell will breaks loose. This continent might even fall from the sky.¡± Rory muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Emperor Yashar is thinking, but this definitely wont end well if he goes through with it.¡± Said the female anchor. ¡°I agree, but in the end what can we do about it? The Emperor¡¯s are all egoistic¡­I mean proud warriors. There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll listen to those below them.¡± ¡°He just called the Emperors egoistic on air. If this was a popular network I¡¯m sure that he would be shitting himself.¡± Rory laughed a bit before changing the channel. ¡°To think that something like an emperor retiring may happen in the next two years¡­.¡± He leant back in his seat. ¡°Hm? Wait¡­¡­If Yashar is confident that his son can become an Emperor, doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s stronger than me?¡± He stood up again. ¡°Oh, hell nah. That can¡¯t be right. How old is his son anyway? I didn¡¯t hear about him having a son a century ago. Then he¡¯s far younger than I am? And stronger than me too? At this rate, he might be more handsome too.¡± Rory took a mirror and looked into it. ¡°Nah. Even gods envy my beauty.¡± He then casually threw the mirror away. ¡°Either way, I can¡¯t tolerate being weaker than someone else just because their daddy was a big shot.¡± He clenched his fists. ¡°Alright! Time for a good old training arc!¡± He shouted. ¡°Are you a handsome man who loves woman?¡± Rory¡¯s attention was suddenly caught by an advertisement on the tv. ¡°Do you really really love women? So much that you wished that there were more of you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re speaking to me on a spiritual level.¡± Rory replied to the tv. ¡°Then come down the Harem Garden! The #1 gentleman¡¯s club on the continent! We have girls from every race, ready to show you heaven. Come down now and try our breast fountain, where you pour champagne on the girls breasts and watch as another girl drinks it!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­..¡± Rory took a serious pose as if he was deciding something very important. ¡°Also for a limited time only, you can order your own harem! You just need to pick who you want and you¡¯ll be a harem king for the night. If you¡¯re lucky, you might obtain them permanently.¡± ¡°Elia, ReRe, I¡¯m going out!¡± Rory turned off the tv and said. ¡°The fate of the world can wait another day.¡± He took his coat and spoke with a just and heroic tone. ¡°Tonight, I¡¯ll live like a god!¡± 72nd Night: I’m Perfect, Right? The Golden Breath Villa. It was now around a month since the trio moved to the Cugine City, and started living in this villa. During that time, the trio spent their days relaxing as if they were on vacation. It could be said that they were still recovering from everything that occurred in the Marigold Kingdom, and their journey to reach the Kashmir Continent. However, it seemed like vacation time was over. *Bam!* The Golden Breath Villa was a very large place. It had a lot of recreational centers as well, where the residents could play around. Currently, Rory and the girls were at one of these centers. *Bam!* An explosive sound resounded in the building. This sound was caused by Rory hitting the air with his palms. He was dressed in a track pants, and a tank top. He messed up his slicked back hair, which gave him a different charm than before. He now seemed more casual and laid back. ¡®It¡¯s becoming harder to see his current look as a disguise.¡¯ Amelia thought to herself. Rory¡¯s original red hair, blue eyes, and fair skin now seemed like a memory of the past. ¡°Did you see what I just did?¡± Rory asked Amelia and Reina. The three maids that were assigned to them were standing in a corner watching them. ¡°You threw a palm strike and caused a sonic boom. It¡¯s nothing new for you.¡± Amelia responded. ¡°So that¡¯s how you see it? What about you ReRe?¡± ¡°It looked like you sent a wave of anima from your palm, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± Rory nodded. ¡°Looks like the difference in experience is showing.¡± Amelia frowned when she heard that. ¡°Was there something special about your palm strike?¡± ¡°Of course. You should¡¯ve witnessed how special it is firsthand.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Amelia started to scan through her memories. After some time, she recalled something. It was when she first met Rory and he saved her from her country¡¯s knights. ¡°Looks like you remembered.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°Have you two ever heard about the Crimson Palm Arts?¡± The girls looked at each other and then shook their heads. ¡°I guess it isn¡¯t as famous as it was 100 years ago. I wonder if it¡¯s because of the Blood Devils School¡¯s destruction?¡± Rory mumbled to himself. ¡°I guess it would be better to demonstrate it to you two using a living being.¡± Amelia became distressed when she heard that. She recalled how Rory destroyed the bodies of countless people with his palm strikes, and immediately wondered if he was going to slaughter people like that again. ¡°I haven¡¯t tried this in a while, but with my current strength I should be successful.¡± Rory closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A green glow appeared around his body matching his structure, and he started to concentrate his anima outside his body. Soon the glow grew so large that it looked like someone made of green light was standing behind him. The green silhouette moved from behind him and slid to his side. The light disappeared and someone was left in its place. The girls were shocked when they saw who it was. ¡°There¡¯s two Aniket?¡± Beside Rory was another him, that was identical from head to toe. ¡°A clone?¡± Reina asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is a technique called Body Projection. You use anima to create a physical copy of yourself. In other words, a clone. However, it¡¯s mostly used as a distraction because they¡¯re hard to control. Because of that they don¡¯t really have much combat use.¡± Rory touched the clone. ¡°It¡¯s pretty solid. I¡¯m impressed by myself.¡± He laughed after praising himself. The maids who were watching them were pale with shock. This was the first time they¡¯ve seen someone clone themselves. They were now more convinced that Rory was someone great. ¡°Now then¡­.¡± Rory positioned the clone in front of him and stepped back. He took a deep breath and then took a quick step forward and thrust his hand forward. *Bam!* His palm hit the clone¡¯s chest and left a hand print which was a few inches deep.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°If this was a living thing, it would¡¯ve died instantly just now.¡± Rory pulled his hand back and readied his next palm and thrust it. *Bam!* That palm left a hand shaped hole in the clone. Rory then started to hit the clone with a barrage of palm strikes. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* The sound that came from his strikes became louder after every strike, and the damage to clone increased. Before long the palms started ripping the clone apart. A palm hit the shoulder and blew off that shoulder with the arm attached. It hit the leg and turned it into paste. After a few more strikes, nothing was left of the clone but pieces of meat. ¡°Ugh!¡± The maids who were watching felt the urge to vomit, but held it in by placing their hands over their mouths. As for Amelia and Reina, they had experience with gore, so they were able to control themselves. However, they had to admit that Rory¡¯s palms created a gruesome scene. ¡°Brutal, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Rory asked. ¡°That¡¯s the Crimson Palm Arts. Normally my hands would be stained with my enemies blood making them crimson. This is where the name came from.¡± Amelia recalled how Rory¡¯s hands were crimson with her country¡¯s knights¡¯ blood back then. It was a horrifying sight. Rory snapped his fingers and the disembodied clone turned into particles and disappeared. ¡°Do you now see what¡¯s special about my palms strikes?¡± Rory asked. ¡°What is that move?¡± Reina asked. She never saw such a brutal palm technique before. ¡°A martial art that uses the palms. It works by concentrating your anima into your palm equally through every vein, muscles, and joint. This requires mastery of Anima Control to the highest level. The user becomes able to exert incredible force from their palm strikes also, the anima you released from the previous strike will ricochet off the target after destroying it, and combine with the next strike, making it continuously stronger.The more consecutive strikes you''re able to get, the more powerful the next strike will be. The force doubles after every strike. It''s the most powerful when used with combos.¡± Rory explained. ¡°It¡¯s an art designed to kill, and is pretty effective when fighting a group of people; because just hitting someone will make the next strike stronger, which can be used to kill in an instant.¡± Rory proved this when he destroyed countless enemies in seconds back at the Buchse Kingdom. ¡°You¡¯re planning on teaching us this art?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Yeah, and some others. The world could change for the worse any second now, and I need to prepare you two for it. You¡¯ve gain back control of your anima so I thinks it¡¯s time.¡± Rory created another clone after saying that. ¡°The Crimson Palms Art looks like a high level technique, did you create it?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Nope. I have to admit that my imagination isn¡¯t that great to develop something like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you downplay yourself.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Well, when facing an Emperor¡¯s prestige, even I have to show humility.¡± ¡°This art was created by a Beast Emperor?¡± ¡°Yup. It¡¯s a part of a larger art called the Blood Devil Arts. It was created by an Emperor from the Vampire Race, and practiced at the Blood Devil School. The Beast Emperor is dead though, and the school was destroyed, so his art was lost in the world I guess. The one that killed him and took his place probably hid its existence.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to teach us something created by an Emperor.¡± The girls became excited when they heard that. Even the maids who were listening from the corner were excited. They were born and raised on this continent, the Beast Emperors were like gods in their eyes, along with Guanyin. So witnessing something created by them, was equivalent to seeing something created by a god. ¡°Excuse me, Lord Aniket?¡± One of the maids stepped forward and called out to Rory. The girls recognized her as Emilia, the maid that Rory seemed to favor a lot. He apparently enjoyed her sitting on his lap. ¡°Yes. What is it?¡± ¡°Can I ask which Beast Emperor are you referring to, when you spoke about the one who replaced this technique¡¯s creator as emperor? Could it be the Scarlet Flower, Empress Camilla?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± The maids were elated. It seemed that they admired that specific Emperor. ¡°You three are vampires, right? I¡¯m sure hearing about Camilla makes you excited.¡± Rory said. The girls looked confused as they didn¡¯t know who Camilla was, and why just mentioning her name made them happy and proud. Rory didn¡¯t explain and continued on with their training. The days went by and Rory¡¯s training with the girls became a daily routine. Other than teaching them high level techniques, he also helped them train their Regal Powers as well. As for Amelia, he thought her the fundamentals necessary to use the powers in hopes that she would unlock them. Another thing he did, was to spar with them. He would take them on at the same time to improve their teamwork, and he would fight them individually and point out what they needed to work on. All in all, Rory worked seriously without playing around. ¡°This is creepy.¡± This was the response he got from Amelia. ¡°What¡¯s creepy?¡± ¡°The way how you¡¯re acting like an actual human being. I¡¯m not used to it.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯m always a decent human being.¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Reina suddenly burst out laughing when she heard that. Rory looked at her in shock wondering if he said something funny. ¡°Oh, you were serious?¡± Reina said after seeing his expression. ¡°You know, I feel like I¡¯m loosing more of your respect.¡± ¡°We never respected you in the first place.¡± The girls said in unison. ¡°I mean you sexual harass us.¡± ¡°You get us in weird and difficult situations.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always scheming something.¡± ¡°You chase every girl with a pretty face.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an exhibitionist.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an alcoholic.¡± ¡°You¡¯re irresponsible.¡± ¡°And despite claiming to love us on numerous occasions, you¡¯ve never actually showed us any such action that could back it up.¡± After listening to everything the girls said, Rory- ¡°I am not apologizing.¡± He showed zero remorse and declared boldly. ¡°But when I think about it, you girls are weird. Why follow someone like me? I mean, I¡¯m a gift sent from heaven, but still.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know a more arrogant person¡­.¡± Amelia said. In the end, the girls never answered Rory¡¯s question. Rory didn¡¯t seem to mind as if he had already known the answer. Later that night, in a popular club that served as a brothel, laughter echoed through the building. ¡°Hahahaha! Drink! Drink! Everybody drink!¡± Rory shouted while sitting on a couch with several women around him. ¡°To life!¡± He lifted a glass of champagne and toasted. ¡°To life!¡± Everyone in club toasted with him with smiles on their faces. ¡°Everyone here is my friend! So drink and be merry! Forget your problems and enjoy life! All drinks on me!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Everyone in the club cheered and drank in Rory¡¯s honor. He was the center of the party as well as the life of the party. Music was playing and everyone was having a fun time dancing and drinking. It was a lively event. ¡°Sigh.¡± Suddenly Rory looked dejected. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lord Aniket?¡± One of the girl leant closer to Rory and rubbed his thighs. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been thinking lately.¡± Despite looking sadden, Rory¡¯s hands were excitedly touching the women¡¯s bodies, which betrayed his expression. ¡°Girls, be honest. Am I a failure of a human being?¡± He asked with a pitiful expression. ¡°What are you talking about Lord Aniket? You¡¯re a kind and wonderful man.¡± ¡°You¡¯re handsome.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡± ¡°And you have the presence of a king.¡± The girls started to flatter Rory one after the other. ¡°I see. Then I¡¯m perfect.¡± All the girls froze when they heard that. ¡°I-I wouldn¡¯t say perfect, but you¡¯re a catch¡­..I guess?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s forget this boring chat and start enjoying ourselves.¡± The girls started clinging to Rory and started to be more aggressive. It was obvious that they wanted to distract him. ¡°Wait¡­.I¡¯m perfect right?¡± 73rd Night: Drunk Encounter After spending a good amount of time at the Harem Garden, Rory left in a drunken state and started to walk the streets with wobbly steps. Of course, the girls at the Harem Garden offered to call him a cab, but Rory rejected their offer saying that he could make it home fine. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± He groaned as he rocked side to side with every step. The streets were still a bit lively despite it being late at night, so he decided to take the alleys to avoid people. Just to note, Rory had no idea where he was going. He was just walking in random directions, but he walked like he was confident in where he was going. *Bam!* He walked and hit over some trash cans and almost fell on his face a few times. *Swoosh!* That¡¯s when a blade was suddenly thrust towards his head. He caught it in his drunken state and threw who was holding to it over his shoulder. They slammed into some trash cans and hit their head on the ground. ¡°Hm?¡± Rory looked at the unconscious person with a confused expression. ¡°Who¡¯s that and why did he suddenly crash into those trash cans?¡± He showed an intoxicated smile. ¡°I know, he must be drunk. He can¡¯t hold his liquor and started knocking cans over. Hahaha! Light weight!¡± He pointed his finger and laughed a little bit before walking away. He was completely unaware that he was attacked and that he reacted on reflexes and took the attacker out. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that our guy?¡± Soon some people dressed in pink and black clothing came running. They quickly discovered their unconscious comrade and started to look for who attacked them. ¡°Look around! That bitch must have allies like we thought! Don¡¯t let them get away!¡± They scattered and started to search the alley. ¡°Hm? Why did it get noisy all of a sudden? Are the rats throwing a party or something?¡± Rory stopped and looked back after hearing a lot of noise coming towards him. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m in a good mood.¡± He stretched his palm out and a flame started flickering in it. ¡°I¡¯ll smoke them out!¡± He threw the flame and it spread through the entire alley and hit those in pink and black. They were either blown out of the alley with their clothes on fire, or they were burnt to a crisp. ¡°Looks like I got them.¡± Rory said when peace returned to the alley. He resumed his walk through the alley, unaware that he just killed some people. ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Someone was standing on one of the roofs, surrounding the alley, with a smile on their face. They watched the drunken Rory continued on his drunk stroll. ¡°He easily took out Pearl St. Clair men. He¡¯s either fearless or a fool.¡± Rory continued to walk until he was about to exit the alleys. ¡°Hm?¡± He stopped when he saw something at his feet. It was a woman in a pink dress. She laid on the ground with blood oozing out of her. Seeing the woman, Rory stooped down and took a closer look at her. The intoxicated look in his eyes had disappeared and he looked completely sober, like he wasn¡¯t drunk in the first place. ¡°She looks like she was shot.¡± He flipped the woman over and stuck his fingers into the wound, just above her hip. ¡°Ahhh?!¡± The woman immediately screamed out pain. Rory, however ignored her, and took the bullet out of the wound. He looked at the green and gold bullet with the initials, PS on it.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°This is an Animite bullet. It was designed to pierce through Anima and hit the body directly¡­..This is very expensive.¡± He looked at the woman again. ¡°What did you do that made someone use such an expensive bullet, just to kill you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± The woman didn¡¯t answer, and only groaned in pain. Rory looked at her with a strange look. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I can leave a beauty for dead.¡± He scooped the woman into his arms and lifted her off the floor. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home to treat you. However¡­..¡± Rory¡¯s body suddenly started to give off an overwhelming pressure. Even the walls around him started to crack. ¡°If you¡¯re planning anything, I¡¯ll advise you to just give it up.¡± He then showed a smile. ¡°Otherwise, everything will be fine.¡± From start till finish the woman didn¡¯t say a word, but she looked a lot much paler than before. Rory did as he said and took the woman to the Golden Breath Villa on foot. When the guard saw him with a wounded woman and seemingly had traveled here on foot, the guard immediately notified Jane, who ran the Villa. ¡°Lord Aniket, are you okay?!¡± Jane quickly arrived at the gate with her group. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just found this injured woman on the streets and brought her back here to treat her. Although, since I don¡¯t know who she is, this might bring you trouble in the future. So, I¡¯ll apologize beforehand.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine! There¡¯s no amount of trouble worthy of you apologizing to me.¡± ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll carry her to my residence. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Lightning immediately covered Rory¡¯s feet. He then disappeared in a spark of lightning, leaving Jane behind. ¡°Madam, is that really okay? We don¡¯t know the identity of that woman. What if she¡¯s linked to someone troublesome? Won¡¯t discovering her ruin the Villa¡¯s reputation?¡± One of her subordinates asked Jane. ¡°Even if she is someone from a bad background, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± She took out Guanyin¡¯s coin that Rory gave her. ¡°As long as we have this, the Villa won¡¯t die no matter how much it¡¯s destroyed.¡± Elsewhere, Rory arrived at his mansion with the wounded woman under his arm. He opened the door and as he expected, he saw the three maids standing at the doorway. They bowed gracefully. ¡°Welcome back, Lord Aniket.¡± ¡°Girls, I would like to treat this injured woman. If Elia and ReRe asks, tell them I¡¯m in my room.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Rory then nodded and carried the woman to his room. ¡°Was that Aniket?¡± Shortly after, Amelia and Reina came out of the living room. ¡°Yes. He just came back and said he¡¯s going to his room.¡± Answered the head maid, Emilia. ¡°Really? That¡¯s strange. When he normally comes back drunk, he usual cause a huge commotion. Him going to bed quietly is odd.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Maybe he isn¡¯t feeling that well? Although, I doubt it.¡± Reina added. ¡°He said that he needed to treat someone in his room.¡± ¡°He came back with an injured person?¡± ¡°Yes. An unconscious woman.¡± ¡°Unconscious¡­.¡± The image of Rory attempting to ravish a defenseless woman appeared in the girls¡¯ mind. ¡°¡­..Nah. Not even him would do something that low.¡± Reina said. ¡°I agree, but¡­.¡± The two couldn¡¯t completely believe in Rory. ¡°Let¡¯s go check.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The two then went upstairs and raced towards Rory¡¯s room. When they arrived they saw that the door was partially opened. They looked at each other before deciding to peek inside. ¡°?!¡± When they looked inside they saw an unconscious woman on the bed, and Rory facing the bed, with his coat on the ground and taking his shirt off. ¡°Stop right there!¡± They bragged in and quickly approached Rory. ¡°Oh, you two are still awake.¡± ¡°Forget that, what were you about to do just now?¡± Rory looked at the woman and then himself. ¡°Ah, you two seem to be misunderstanding something.¡± He took off his shirt ignoring their dagger like stares. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing myself on her, it¡¯s against my policy to force myself on woman. I¡¯m simply healing her.¡± He formed a blade with his anima and used it to make a deep cut in his arm. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Healing her.¡± Rory then turned the woman on her side and made his blood drain into her wound. ¡°Ugh?!¡± The woman groaned out in pain and her body twitched a little. The girls stared at her and noticed that smoke was coming from her wound. The wound then started closing before their eyes. ¡°Amazing¡­.¡± ¡°You can heal people with your blood?¡± They looked at Rory and asked. ¡°Well, in this form I can.¡± Rory answered before flipping the woman on her back. ¡°This woman, is she human?¡± Amelia asked. The woman had brown hair that flowed to her hips, a seductive figure that was wrapped around perfectly in her pink dress, and a mole on the left side of her face, just below her lips. Her skin was brown and she looked entirely human. ¡°No. She¡¯s a Were-Coyote. The cousins of the werewolves. They can shapeshift and do everything a werewolf can. The only thing is that they¡¯re extremely cunning and can be even more violent than a werewolf. But werewolves are still larger and much more powerful.¡± Rory looked at the woman. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. ¡°Where am I?¡± She asked. ¡°Hi there. We met earlier, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll remember.¡± Rory spoke with a smile on his face. ¡°Y-Yeah. Thank you for saving me. I would¡¯ve died without your help.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem. It¡¯s my duty to protect beautiful women like yourself.¡± He held out his hand and helped her sit up. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Reina asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡± The woman looked around again. ¡°Um¡­.Where an I?¡± ¡°At the Golden Breath Villa.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± The woman was shocked to hear where she was. ¡°Then, may I ask who are you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Rory puffed out his bare chest proudly. ¡°I¡¯m Aniket. This city¡¯s most handsome man.¡± ¡°Aniket? Lord of the world?¡± *A/N- the literally meaning of Aniket is lord of all, lord of the world, and homeless (meaning the world is his home).* ¡°That¡¯s correct. I¡¯m this world¡¯s lord.¡± Rory laughed proudly. The woman on the other hand looked at him funnily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s always like that. It¡¯s best to just ignore him and don¡¯t let him get to you.¡± Amelia told the woman, who nodded in response. ¡°By the way, who are you?¡± Amelia asked her. ¡°Me?¡± The woman placed her hand on her chest and then- ¡°My name is Fraus Apate.¡± 74th Night: Pearl St. Claire ¡°Fraus?¡± Rory and the girls stood in front of the woman called Fraus. ¡°I see. Then, Fraus, why were you being hunted by those people in the alley? They even went to the length of using an Animite bullet. They really wanted you dead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I left the Pink Spiders.¡± ¡°Pink Spiders? Who are they?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the Pink Spiders? Could it be that you¡¯re foreigners?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°But from your reaction I take it that they have to do with these Three Dons I heard about.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that they have to do with the three dons, they are the official gang of one of the Three Dons, Pearl St. Claire.¡± ¡°St. Claire?¡± Rory looked like he was reminded of something. ¡°Does she have something to do with the St. Claires from the Dark Elf Nation of Ensom?¡± ¡°Ensom?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a country of Dark Elves. It was created by a former elven Beast Emperor. It¡¯s a haven for Dark Elves. As long as they¡¯re there, they don¡¯t need to worry about being enslaved.¡± Rory answered Reina. ¡°If I remember correctly, St. Claire is the family name of one of the royal Clans.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if Madam Pearl is a part of that family, but she¡¯s indeed a dark elf.¡± Fraus added. ¡°And you left her gang, and now she wants you dead?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Rory didn¡¯t say anything and stared at Fraus for a while. He then shrugged. ¡°If that¡¯s the story you¡¯re going with, then have it your way.¡± He walked over to a cabinet in a corner of the room, and took out a bottle of hard liquor and two glasses. ¡°You had a rough night, so I¡¯m sure a drink would do you good.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask her anything else? I¡¯m sure she¡¯s lying.¡± Amelia protested. ¡°I know, but I¡¯m too sober to care about all that.¡± Rory¡¯s reply confused Fraus, but made Reina and Amelia have a headache. ¡°I was having a nice little drunken adventure that I¡¯m 100% sure would end with me waking up in a strange woman¡¯s bed. But because of those pink bastards, I was sobered up and came to my senses. It¡¯s such a waste of all the liquor I drank earlier. So I¡¯ll honor them by get drunk again.¡± ¡°Your logic already makes you sound like your drunk.¡± Reina protested. ¡°Fraus, if you wish to repay me, be my drinking buddy for the night. These two are too uptight to join me. I¡¯m sure a free spirit like yourself wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m a free spirit?¡± ¡°I have a good eye for people.¡± Rory passed a glass to Fraus, who took it with a smile. ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll be your drinking buddy. It¡¯s least the I can do.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sure your presence will make this drink taste like it was made by the gods.¡± Reina and Amelia watched Rory interact with Fraus with complicated expressions. They couldn¡¯t tell if he was being serious or he was just messing around. In the end, they left the room and decided to not think about it too much.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I¡¯m sure he can handle one woman.¡± This was the conclusion that they came to. After being left alone with Rory, Fraus started to feel nervous. She wasn¡¯t nervous because she was alone with a man, she was nervous because of who the man was. ¡°Heh.¡± Rory showed her a gentle smile, but this didn¡¯t make Fraus feel at ease. Her instincts told her that one wrong move will lead to her demise. She had to thread carefully with this man. ¡®This guy is trouble.¡¯ The next morning, when Reina and Amelia came down from their rooms and entered the kitchen, they saw Fraus talking happily with the maids. ¡°Oh, Good morning.¡± Fraus greeted the girls. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± Amelia asked. She clearly wasn¡¯t as carefree as Rory. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t have anywhere to go, so Aniket said I could stay here for a bit.¡± ¡°What?¡± The girls were caught off guard by that information. ¡°Where is that idiot?¡± ¡°Lord Aniket said that he¡¯s going out and left early this morning.¡± One of the maid, Capri, answered Amelia. ¡°Tsk. I can¡¯t believe he did that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elia. I won¡¯t be staying long. I¡¯ve already started making preparations to leave. I¡¯ll be gone in a few days.¡± Said Fraus. She took up an apple and bit it. ¡°How about as a show of good faith, I make one of my specialities? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love it.¡± Without waiting for the girls reply, Fraus started preparing to bake something. Reina and Amelia looked at each other before watching her do as she please. Meanwhile, Rory had taken a car that was given to him by Jane, and was now driving through the city. He was playing a CD he found in the car. The singer had an energetic and lovable voice. Hearing this voice made one want to dance. Rory had the CD jacket in his hand and glanced at the cover, while driving. On the cover was an adorable girl dressed in flashy clothing, and had a big smile on her face. ¡°So she¡¯s the #1 idol in Yamato? Hahaha, her current appearance fit this voice perfectly.¡± He threw the case aside and focused on the route the gps was giving him. After driving for a while, he came to a stop. He stopped in front of a tall pink building with a giant spider design covering multiple floors. The spider was made out of tint, so those inside could see through it. ¡°So this is Pearl St. Claire¡¯s agency. Talk about making a statement.¡± He parked his car and came out, immediately attracting the attention of many people. He ignored them and leisurely walked towards the entrance. There he saw a few men in pink and black suits, standing guard. They didn¡¯t stop him, and allowed him to enter. Once the automatic doors opened and he walked in, Rory¡¯s nose was embraced by an enticing scent. It made one feel like they were a field filled with flowers. ¡°Not bad.¡± He said while looking around the lobby. There were many people walking around or sitting in the waiting area. There was no difference between it and any agency. Pleased, Rory approached one of the assistances at the desk. ¡°Good morning. Welcome to Spider Banking.¡± The assistant greeted him with a lovely smile. ¡°Hello, my name is Aniket and I¡¯m interested in investing in your business.¡± ¡°I see, may I ask how much are you willing to invest?¡± Rory took out a silver card and placed it on the counter. ¡°I want to transfer everything on this card to a new account at this bank.¡± The woman took up the card and smiled again. ¡°Thank you. Please wait here while I go check the card.¡± The woman left with the card after that. ¡°Now then¡­..Is she here?¡± Rory closed his eyes and focused his sense. At that moment, it felt like an invisible pulse was released from Rory¡¯s body. It was like everything in a two mile radius was now covered in a dome, and he could see everything from a Birdseye view. He scanned all of the floors one by one until he came across a massive presence on the floor at the center. In his head, Rory could see someone ferociously opening their eye as if looking back at him. ¡°Oh? She was able to discover me? Not bad.¡± Rory immediately withdrew his senses and opened his eyes. He was just in time to see the woman hurriedly come back to the counter. ¡°Sir, our manager wishes to speak with you. Could you please lend him a moment of your time?¡± Rory showed a small grin. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, lead the way.¡± The woman led Rory out of the lobby and towards an elevator, which is exclusively used by staff. He hummed a playful tune while standing in the elevator. The female assistant on the other hand looked very nervous. ¡°Is there something the matter?¡± Rory asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Really? You look tense. If you like I could give you a massage.¡± ¡°Hahaha. I¡¯m fine, sir. Thanks for your concern.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rory didn¡¯t speak for the rest of the time he spent in the elevator. After a short time, the elevator stopped and the door opened. When he stepped out he was standing in a huge office with a few furnitures like a desk, a couch, and some chairs. There was a large fish tank with some exotic fish inside. On the rug was a huge spider mark, and the room itself was white. ¡°Nice place.¡± Rory looked around and said. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± The woman nodded and closed the elevator door, leaving Rory alone in the office. He looked around and didn¡¯t see anyone, so he took a seat on the couch to relax himself. ¡°Sorry for the wait.¡± After a while, a short chubby man walked in. ¡°Hello, Lord Aniket. My name is-¡± ¡°Not you.¡± Rory cut off the man. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the one I want to meet. Leave.¡± Rory gave the man a sharp look which made the man step back on reflex. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I offended you in any way. But I¡¯m-¡± *Bam!* A crack suddenly appeared on the door behind the man. It looked like it was hit with a powerful force. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± The man was unable to speak. He simply stood there cowering. *Kacha!* That¡¯s when the door opened again and a woman walked in. She had a beautiful face expect for the eyepatch over her right eye, and the scar around that area. She was a dark elf which meant she had dark skin, black hair, gold eye, and a slim figure. Her eyepatch had a pink spider bejeweled on it, and she was dressed in a slit brown dress with floral design near the bottom, and white heels. ¡°Madame!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± The man nodded and left Rory with the woman. ¡°Sorry if you were insulted with being greeted by a proxy.¡± The woman smiled and said. ¡°I¡¯m Pearl St. Claire. The owner of this establishment.¡± 75th Night: The Meeting ¡°I¡¯m Pearl St. Claire. The owner of this establishment.¡± Pearl introduced herself and offered her hand for a handshake. Rory got up from the couch and walked over and shook her hand. ¡°My name¡¯s Aniket. Nice to meet you.¡± Pearl looked at him with a sharp gaze before releasing his hand. ¡°Please take a seat, Aniket. Then I¡¯ll discuss the reason I called for you.¡± Rory sat at a chair which was in front of Pearl¡¯s desk, while she sits behind the desk. ¡°First off, Let me tell you my concern.¡± She looked at Rory asked- ¡°Do you realize how much money was on the card you gave us?¡± ¡°5 billion Ani.¡± ¡°So you do?¡± Pearl sighed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we can¡¯t accept that much money, Aniket. It¡¯s too much for us to handle, especially since we¡¯re privately owned. One mistake and this bank will crash and burn. As such, we must decline.¡± ¡°I see. I thought that considering the nature of this bank, you would have no problem taking it.¡± ¡°I assume that you¡¯re referring to my identity as one of the Three Dons. I assure you that despite my background, this bank is a legitimate business.¡± ¡°I see. Then how about this? I want you to clean the money for me.¡± ¡°You mean to launder your money? It¡¯s dirty?¡± ¡°Of course. Did you think it¡¯s easy to earn that much money through legitimate means?¡± ¡°True, but here I was thinking that you were a prince or something.¡± Rory laughed when he heard that. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong. I¡¯m indeed royalty, but I¡¯m not on good terms with my family for a while now.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re a prince who turned to a life of crime ?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really mean to at first, it kinda happened. Before I knew it, I became an international criminal. Life is funny sometimes.¡± ¡°I see. I know what you mean.¡± Rory leaned over with a smile. ¡°So, will you clean this money for me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to clean so much money, Aniket.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s beyond your abilities?¡± ¡°Not exactly, but I need to know how much are you willing to give me if I clean your money.¡± ¡°How about a billion?¡± ¡°?!¡± Pearl couldn¡¯t contain her shock. ¡°A billion? You¡¯re willing to give me 20% to clean your money?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s like you said, it¡¯s not easy to clean that much money. So I think you deserve at least that much.¡± Pearl couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. ¡°Aniket, are you perhaps from the Sacred Family?¡± ¡°Hahaha. I¡¯ll leave my origins up to your imagination.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Rory replied. ¡°So, will you do it?¡± ¡°Of course. It will take some time, but it can be done.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be staying at the Golden Breath Villa. If you need me, you can just ask Jane. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll happily show you the way.¡± ¡°The Golden Breath Villa¡­.I have a home there myself. I guess that makes us neighbors.¡± ¡°I see. Then, if you¡¯re in the neighborhood, please drop by any time.¡± Rory turned around and started walking away. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± He suddenly stopped and turned around to face Pearl again. ¡°I recently met an interesting woman.¡± ¡°Woman?¡± ¡°Yes. I met her in an alley just last night. She was suffering from being shot with a bullet made from Animite.¡± Pearl''s eyes narrowed when she heard that. Under her gaze, Rory dug into his pocket and took something out and toss it at her. She caught it and saw that it was the bullet that Rory took out of Fraus¡¯ body. ¡°Do you have her now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She was suffering so I patched her up. I told her to stay at my place for a while.¡± ¡°Can I come see her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that she isn¡¯t healthy enough to have visitors yet. Maybe in the future.¡± ¡°I see¡­.How unfortunate.¡± There was now killing intent in Pearl¡¯s eyes. Rory smiled when he saw that. ¡°Oh, yeah. She said that she was being chased by some scary people. Something about leaving their group, but I hardly think that¡¯s enough of a reason to try and kill her. Do you have any ideas as what she could¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°Who knows? She might¡¯ve stolen something very important. I think it would be best that you see if you can find what she stole and return it to the owner.¡± ¡°Some important huh? I think you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ll ask her?¡± ¡°Why? Would that be the smart thing to do?¡± ¡°It would be safe thing to do. After all, you don¡¯t want to be caught in the middle of her problems.¡± Rory nodded as if he had understood something. ¡°I see. I guess you¡¯re right.¡± He smiled at Pearl. ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± After saying that, Rory left the room but not before flashing Pearl one last smile. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± After he left, Pearl sat in silence behind her desk. ¡°That guy¡­..He¡¯s dangerous.¡± She knew that Rory was clearly taunting her and even boldly declared that he had the person she wanted. ¡°He didn¡¯t need to tell me about Fraus, but he did¡­.For what reason? Fear?¡± She shook her head. She couldn¡¯t sense the slightest hint of fear from Rory. In fact, she sensed amusement. After recalling their conversation, it felt like Rory was toying with her. But she couldn¡¯t figure out his reason. ¡°There¡¯s also that large amount of money¡­.He wasn¡¯t afraid to lose it at all and even gave away one-fifth of it like it was nothing. Not even the filthy rich would give away a billion to a total stranger that easily.¡± She felt like the man she just met was someone outside her realm of understanding. As if he was Chaos himself. ¡°Is he Fraus¡¯ ally? I mean he is sheltering her. But why give out her location to the one who wants to kill her? A trap? He wants to bait me to attack him?¡± Pearl grabbed her head. ¡°Ahh! I can¡¯t figure him out!¡± She leaned back into her chair. ¡°I feel like he¡¯s harder to deal with than Lucas and Tony.¡± An old memory of a beast of a man, who looked like the incarnation of savagery, flashed on her mind. His image overlapped with Rory¡¯s. ¡°They are a bit similar¡­.Aniket and Salvatore.¡± Meanwhile, Rory had left the bank and had entered his car. He had a big smile on his face while sitting in the car silently. ¡°Pearl St. Claire huh?¡± The memory of an energetic dark elf child flashed in his mind. ¡°It looks like they are indeed related.¡± He started the car and drove out of the parking lot. ¡°I got carried away and ended up teasing her too much. I can¡¯t believe I mistook her for Steph.¡± He laughed. ¡°I originally intended to repay the St. Claire family for the debt I owed them back then too. I hope I didn¡¯t make her my enemy.¡± With a big grin on his face, he drove home. When he entered the mansion he took off his coat and said- ¡°My Harem, your king is home. I wish to embrace one of you. Who will it be?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± He got silence in return. ¡°Hmm¡­.That¡¯s strange. I would normally be bashed by ReRe and Elia for being too cocky. It¡¯s embarrassing if no one heard me.¡± He said while making his way to the kitchen, where he sensed everyone. When he entered, he saw the women passed out on the floor. ¡°What the?¡± He quickly approached them and looked around. Everyone except Amelia was knocked out cold on the ground. ¡°Hey, ReRe. What happened?¡± He started shaking Reina, but there was no sign of her waking up. ¡°A-Aniket¡­..¡± ¡°Emilia.¡± Rory approached the head maid, who looked barely alive. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Elia¡­..Cake¡­.¡± ¡°Huh? What about Elia and cake?¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong with it.¡± That¡¯s when Amelia entered the kitchen holding a paper bag. ¡°Elia, What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing really. Fraus just baked an apple cake, which was surprisingly delicious. I said that I wanted to give it a try and baked one myself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­..You poisoned them? Elia, I know that there¡¯s a lot of women around me lately, but there¡¯s no need to poison them out of jealousy.¡± ¡°Who the hell is jealous?!¡± Amelia shouted with a red face. ¡°I didn¡¯t poison them. I baked a normal apple cake following the recipe and this was the result¡­¡­¡± ¡°An apple cake?¡± Rory looked and saw a half eaten cake with apple topping on the table. ¡°Lord Aniket¡­.Destroy that cake!¡± Fraus who was laying next to the oven shouted with the last of her breath. ¡°You guys are exaggerating. There¡¯s no way it can be that bad.¡± Rory took a slice of the cake and ate it. *Thud!* He immediately collapsed on the floor with his eyes rolled to the back of his head and froth coming from his mouth. That day Amelia defeated Rory for the first time, and it was a oneshot by cake. 76th Night: The Men In Suits Golden Breath Villa. ¡°Ugh¡­..¡± Rory was laying in his bed, twisting and turning while covered in cold sweat. He looked like he was having a nightmare. ¡°Ugh¡­..Grandma¡­.I don¡¯t wanna go to the other side¡­..¡± He groaned in his sleep. ¡°Grandma!¡± He flew up out off his sleep and sat up, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. ¡°Oh¡­.It was only a nightmare.¡± He placed his hand on his head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that my dead grandmother was trying to lure me to the afterlife¡­¡­Wait¡­¡± He paused. ¡°I don¡¯t have a grandmother¡­.Then who the hell was that?¡± He looked completely puzzled. ¡°Lord Aniket.¡± At that moment, one of the maids, Sade, knocked on the door and entered his room. ¡°Sade, what happened? My memory is fuzzy¡­.the only thing I remember is apples.¡± ¡°You ate some apple cake and passed out, My lord. You slept for over three days.¡± ¡°Apple cake¡­..¡± Rory felt there was something there, but his mind just couldn¡¯t process it as if he was trying to suppress a traumatic memory. ¡°Are the others okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Everyone is fine now after drinking the medicine, Ms. Elia bought.¡± Rory remembered that the last time he saw Amelia, she was holding a paper bag. It must¡¯ve had medicine inside. ¡°I see. You can go down now. I¡¯ll be downstairs after changing.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Sade bowed and left after closing the door. After she left Rory climbed out of bed and started to get dress. ¡°Ugh¡­.My stomach still hurts.¡± He rubbed his stomach for a bit, before leaving the room and headed downstairs. When he reached the living room, he saw all the girls gathered together expect for Amelia. He looked around and saw someone stooping down facing a corner. ¡°Wow, this the first time I¡¯ve seen someone actually make the room feel gray with their mood.¡± Rory mumbled to himself. He looked at Reina, who shook her head helplessly. Seeing that, he sighed and walked over to the corner where Amelia was. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± He looked at her silently and then placed his hand on her. ¡°Well, you know¡­.Everyone has their strengths and weakness. It¡¯s nothing to get depressed about. Just don¡¯t ever enter the kitchen again and everything will be fine.¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Amelia suddenly sprung to her feet and started strangling Rory. ¡°Okay, okay! I apologize!¡± Rory begged while trying to pry Amelia off him. After some time, Amelia released him and looked down with an embarrassed expression. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Fraus can do it so why can¡¯t I?¡± Rory placed his hand on her shoulder again. ¡°There¡¯s no need to compare yourself with others. Everyone has stuff that they can and can¡¯t do.¡± He paused a little bit before saying- ¡°After all, you¡¯re the first person to oneshot a Demi-God level being with cooking.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Ahh!¡± Amelia once again pounced at Rory and started strangling him. Sometime later, the two were sitting on the couch together. Rory had finger marks around his neck, from him getting strangled. ¡°So¡­.Lord Aniket. Where did you go a couple days back?¡± Fraus asked in an attempt to change the topic. ¡°I was out dealing with some business.¡± Rory said while rubbing his neck. ¡°By the way, Fraus. Isn¡¯t it time you go join whoever you¡¯re working with?¡± Fraus didn¡¯t answer immediately and showed a smile. ¡°I would like to, but I¡¯ve grown attached to you all over these couple days. It would sadden me if I just left, especially after everything you¡¯ve done for me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything major. I saw a beauty in need and the gentleman in me couldn¡¯t ignore you, so I helped you out.¡± ¡°Even so, you saved my life.¡± Rory became silent for a while. ¡°Speaking of beauties, I met a really interesting one before I was poisoned.¡± Amelia glared at him, but he kept a serious expression. ¡°Oh, what she¡¯s like?¡± Fraus asked. ¡°You should know her.¡± Fraus eyes slowly widened as a trace of fear appeared on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± Rory nodded. ¡°I met Pearl St.Claire.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Reina asked. ¡°I thought that you weren¡¯t interested in the Three Dons.¡± Amelia and Reina''s reactions were that of pure curiosity, but Fraus looked like she had accidentally bitten a bug. Rory noticed that and found it amusing. ¡°I originally didn¡¯t, but I had something I wanted to confirm regarding her origins.¡± ¡°You did mention something about knowing someone with the same family name as hers.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Yeah, I know that they were related. But I didn¡¯t just go there to confirm that. I also had some real business that I needed her help with.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°Money Laundering. I had some money I wanted her to clean. Some money had saved up.¡± ¡°You had money saved up? How much?¡± ¡°5 billion Ani.¡± ¡°5 billion?!¡± All of the girls were shocked out of their minds after hearing the amount. They couldn¡¯t believe that someone this close to them had that much money. ¡°Wait. You had that much money and we¡¯ve been paying for everything when we were traveling together?!¡± Reina and Amelia stood up and glared at him. ¡°Well, I mean just look at me. I¡¯m a catch. It would be weird if I didn¡¯t have a sugar mama or two right?¡± ¡°Su..gar¡­.ma¡­ma?!¡± The girls were so angry that they had trouble pronouncing their words. They stood in place as if they were having a meltdown. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Rory looked back at Fraus. ¡°Pearl and I talked about some stuff when we met.¡± He smiled. ¡°I kinda hinted to her that I had you here.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± Fraud stood up. ¡°Do you know that Pearl can send people here to have us all killed?!¡± ¡°Yeah. I think she hinted at something like that.¡± Rory laughed. ¡°This isn¡¯t a laughing matter, Aniket! Why would you do that?!¡± Fraus was both angry and frightened. ¡°Because I was curious. Why did one of the Three Dons go to the length of arming her men with Animite bullets to kill you? When I asked her, Pearl said that members of her gang could leave whenever they wanted; but she couldn¡¯t let you leave.¡± Rory stood up. ¡°She hinted that you stole something important to her when you left.¡± ¡°¡­..I did no such thing.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Amelia, Reina, and the maids all noticed a mood shift in Rory. He now gave off the feeling of a predator. Fraus also noticed this, which made her extremely nervous. ¡°I¡¯m just curious though. What could you have stolen that was so important that Pearl was willing to go through a lot of effort to recover it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to believe that it had a lot of value.¡± Rory grinned. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to desire it for myself.¡± ¡°?!¡± Fraus suddenly looked like she had realized something. ¡°You¡­Could it be that the reason you took me in and let me stay here is because you wanted to rob me?¡± Rory showed a devilish smile in response. Seeing that, Fraus started to step back. ¡°I told you when we just met didn¡¯t I?¡± Rory took a step towards her, which made her take several steps back. ¡°If you¡¯re planning anything, I¡¯ll advise you to just give it up.¡± Cold sweat started soaking Fraus¡¯ body. When she looked at Rory¡¯s eyes she felt like a dark hand was squeezing her heart. She clenched her teeth and then sighed and relaxed her body. ¡°And I really liked this place too.¡± Under everyone¡¯s eyes, they saw her stick her hand in her cleavage and took out a mic. ¡°Move in!¡± She shouted. *Bam!* Suddenly the front door was kicked in and dozens of men in black suits and skull masks ran in and pointed their weapons at Rory and the girls. Simultaneously, more men came from the back and some were seen even coming from upstairs. Rory and the girls were completely surrounded. ¡°What the hell?! Who are these guys?!¡± The girls were shocked by the sudden turn of events. Rory, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem shocked at all. ¡°Well, This isn¡¯t good. With this many Animite guns aiming at us, I don¡¯t think that even I could survive this with my current strength.¡± He lifted his hands up and started chuckling. ¡°It¡¯s as you said, not even you can take this many Animite bullets and survive. So, I want to stay where you are and let me leave.¡± Fraus said. ¡°Do what you want, it¡¯s not like I can stop you.¡± Rory shrugged his shoulders and said. Fraus looked at him in silence for a while before walking away. The men in suits quickly covered her back and escorted her out of the mansion. They all then began disappearing from Rory¡¯s sight. ¡°They¡¯re already gone. They¡¯ve been trained well.¡± Rory put down his hands. Reina and Amelia immediately moved towards the doors. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Rory asked them. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to chase her?¡± ¡°No, not really?¡± ¡°Why? They just invade our home and you want us to let them go?¡± ¡°If you want to chase her go ahead, but I¡¯m not going to.¡± Rory then started to walk away ignoring the girls'' upset expressions. ¡°They were able to sneak up on me to the point I could only sense them when they were going to attack. Was it a concealing type Animus?¡± He laughed a bit to himself. ¡°Interesting.¡± Later that day, somewhere in Cugine City. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯ve returned.¡± Fraus was inside a dark room which looked like an office. She was kneeling in front of a desk while offering something to the person sitting behind it. ¡°With this, Madame will be one step closer to surpassing the Three Dons, Benito Mussolini, and the Black Dogs to rule this city as your own!¡± 77th Night: Main Characters ¡°I¡¯m seriously, seriously sorry! Please forgive my incompetence!¡± It was now a day after Fraus left the mansion. Jane was on all fours groveling in front of Rory while trying to desperately apologize. ¡°Hey, get up already. I already told you it was fine.¡± Rory lifted her off the floor and made her stand up. ¡°But I allowed for such a thing to happen to our most honorable guest. No amount of apologies can fix that!¡± ¡°You know, I said it was fine. If you continue to apologize any further, you¡¯ll only annoy me.¡± ¡°¡­..I see. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡±You¡¯re apologizing again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Jane didn¡¯t say anything and stood there silently. ¡°You¡¯ve checked the cameras, right? Do you have any idea when they entered the villa?¡± ¡°No. They just appeared out of nowhere. Even our latest technology couldn¡¯t see through their camouflage. So we believe that a powerful Anima Master was involved.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very likely.¡± Rory nodded and then paused for a bit. ¡°Do you have any ideas of who they were? Like if they were connected to the Three Dons in any way?¡± Jane didn¡¯t answer immediately and looked like she was pondering something. ¡°I doubt that they¡¯re connected to the Three Dons. This villa is a bit special, so not even them would do something like this here. If any of them would, it would be Tony Gambino, but I can¡¯t see him going through the trouble of breaking into the villa and retreating without committing any violent acts.¡± ¡°I see. So this place is indeed special.¡± Rory mumbled the last question to himself. ¡°Anyway, just keep a lookout in case they try to sneak in again. If you see them, don¡¯t do anything and contact me. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do as you instructed!¡± Jane answered with an energetic tone. ¡°You can leave now. Oh, you look tired. Try to get some rest and not tire yourself out so much.¡± ¡°Yes, thanks for your concern.¡± Jane left soon after, and Rory headed back to the living room. ¡°Tsk!¡± Outside the door of the mansion, Jane clicked her tongue with an irritated expression. ¡°Just Who was that arrogantly trespass into my wonderland?¡± A sharp look appeared in her eyes, as well as the eyes of the little white snakes which made up her hair. ¡°They¡¯ll pay for trampling over the Golden Breath¡¯s reputation!¡± ¡°Hahaha. She¡¯s really pissed.¡± Rory muttered as he entered the living room. ¡°Ladies, I have talked with management and they¡¯ve ensured us that what happened yesterday won¡¯t happen again.¡± Rory sat down between the maids Emilia and Sade and put his arms around their shoulders. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t need to worry if we had chased after Fraus.¡± Amelia muttered. She was obviously still upset about how Rory handled the situation. ¡°Why didn¡¯t we chase after her?¡± Reina asked, she was upset too. ¡°It¡¯s not that we didn¡¯t, I simply decided not to and you two stood still.¡± Rory started caressing the maids cheeks with his own. His attitude made the girls even more upset. ¡°Mhm?¡± Rory noticed their glares and sighed. He took his arms from around the maids and sat up.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Say, Elia. How¡¯s your training coming? Have you¡¯ve unlocked any of the Regal Powers?¡± Elia was caught off guard by his sudden question, so she didn¡¯t answer immediately. ¡°Yeah. So far I¡¯ve unlocked Sensor.¡± ¡°How large of an area can you sense?¡± ¡°About a couple meters.¡± ¡°And what about Future Sight? Can you use it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve unlocked it, but I still have trouble using it during battle.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll get better with practice.¡± He looked over at Reina. ¡°The Regal Powers you use are Sensor and Future Sight, right? Have you¡¯ve improved either of them recently?¡± ¡°¡­¡­My Sensor can now cover a dozen meters more than it could before. My current range is over 100 meters now.¡± ¡°And your Future Sight?¡± ¡°It¡¯s basically the same.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rory nodded. ¡°Now back to your question. Why we didn¡¯t chase Fraus? Again, I chose not to chase her. I never said you couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that basically the same thing as saying we shouldn¡¯t?¡± Elia asked. Rory didn¡¯t answer and just stared at her. ¡°What?¡± Elia was being creeped out by his unwavering gaze. ¡°Say, Elia. What am I to you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you hitting on her now?¡± Reina asked. ¡°I¡¯m asking you the same thing, ReRe. What am I to you?¡± ¡°¡­..You, are you seriously asking us this?¡± Reina saw that Rory wasn¡¯t laughing or seemed like he was playing around. It looked like he seriously wanted to know. ¡°Since you have trouble answering, let me offer some choices.¡± He stood up. ¡°Am I your god? Am I your king? Or am I your owner?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said that me not going was basically the same thing as telling you not to chase Fraus. So I want to know, are my words absolute to you? If I tell you to go die, would you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why have you two stop thinking for yourselves?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about this situation alone. For a while now, you two have stopped thinking for yourselves and follow my every whim, despite how reluctant you seem on the surface. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit weird?¡± The girls didn¡¯t answer, they just listened to what Rory was saying. ¡°I do not own your lives. I¡¯m not your god or your king, so why are you following my every whim with no questions asked.¡± ¡°Then, do you want us to defy you more?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°No. I want you two to act like main characters and step out of the background. There¡¯s a saying that everyone¡¯s the main character of their own life, yet it seems that I dictate your lives for you.¡± A cold and detached atmosphere surrounded Rory. ¡°While I enjoy it whenever things go as I want it, I find people who always move the way I want them to, boring.¡± He looked at the girls with cold stare. ¡°I tend to lose interest in those people rather quickly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Silence filled the room. A thick tension formed between everyone, and the girls found it hard to breathe. ¡°Well, I doubt that will happen with you two.¡± Rory showed a smile and sat back down between Emilia and Sade. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re special to me after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But seriously though. You two should really start relying on me less. I mean, I drag you in dangerous situations all the time. If I didn¡¯t bring Fraus here, you wouldn¡¯t have been held at gunpoint yesterday. If you had brought your foot down and kicked her out, you wouldn¡¯t have been as troubled.¡± The girls remained silent. What Rory said was right. Just because he was powerful and wise, despite his personality, they relied on him for everything. However, Rory was a shady person. Most of the time they couldn¡¯t tell what he was truly thinking, and he always seemed to be plotting something. It was obvious that if they truly want to survive, they needed to think for themselves and don¡¯t rely on him. They need to step out of the background and become main characters. ¡°We won¡¯t chase after Fraus.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s too dangerous. We don¡¯t know who she really is and if we foolishly chase her, we might end up losing our lives.¡± Reina replied. Rory nodded with satisfaction. ¡°If that¡¯s what you decided, then do what you want.¡± Meanwhile, at the entrance of the city, a man dressed in white suit three-piece suit with a black undershirt and tie, and a briefcase in his hand, walked towards the toll booth. ¡°Hello, sir.¡± A toll booth attendant greeted the man the moment he reached the booth. ¡°Hello, I would like to enter the city.¡± ¡°I see. Then, could I have an ID? I need it to verify it in our system to see you¡¯re eligible to enter.¡± The man dig into his pocket and took out a card and gave it to the booth attendant. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± The smile dropped from her face the moment she looked at the card. She then looked at the man with a hint of fear in her eyes. ¡°Um, sir? What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my Killing Permit that I got from the Sacred Army. With it, I won¡¯t be held accountable for any murder I commit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± The woman silently looked at the name on the permit. ¡°Um¡­Mr. Lucian Erebus? I¡¯m afraid that you can¡¯t use this to register.¡± ¡°I see. And I really wanted to enter like a normal citizen too.¡± Lucian walked passed the booth which alarmed the attendant. ¡°Sir?!¡± ¡°Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Lucian suddenly leaped over the wall and landed on the other side of it. ¡°This is bad. This is bad. I need to connect the Black Dogs!¡± She took a phone in the booth and dialed the emergency number. Back at the mansion, Rory was sitting alone on the couch in the living room with his eyes closed. ¡°Hm?¡± He opened eyes to see the head maid, Emilia standing in front of him with a smile on her face. She silently sat on his lap, which he didn¡¯t reprehend her for. ¡°Did you really have to tease them that much?¡± She wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°I only said what was needed to be said.¡± ¡°True, But you really scared them today.¡± ¡°Then I should have been able to open their eyes.¡± Rory places his hand on the side of her head. ¡°You know, I could just crush your head right now, right?¡± ¡°I know, but I would stop your heart before that.¡± Rory laughed and then leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°I wonder what the future holds for us? I¡¯m both excited and afraid to find out.¡± Later that day, Reina was walking in the yard of their residence when Amelia approached her. ¡°Lizard, I want you to help me with my training.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Reina looked at her with a strange look. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been around Rory too long because that¡¯s the most impolite way someone has every asked me a favor.¡± She sighed. ¡°Well, I guess it fits us.¡± She looked at Amelia seriously. ¡°Fine, but only if you help me with my own.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± The two started walking towards the recreational center and began their journey to improve themselves. 78th Night: Benito & Cesare Cugine City was an independent city, which meant that it was a city that didn¡¯t belong to any country and had its own government. When one hears Cugine city, they immediately think of the renowned Three Dons. These Dons were infamous across the entire Beast Continent. The reason for this is because these three persons were believed to be solely responsible for why Cugine city could remain outside of every country¡¯s influence. However, this wasn¡¯t the case. The Three Dons emerged a mere 20 years ago, but Cugine city has existed for twice that long. There was a different reason why this city remained on touched. If you had asked a random person who ruled the city, they would most likely say the Three Dons. That wasn¡¯t wrong. The city was divided into territories which belonged to the Three Dons, however, not all of the city¡¯s territories belong to them. There were areas known as neutral zones, where none of the Dons could throw their weight around. These areas were ruled by the official ruler of the city. The mayor! It was night time in the city. A white limousine was driving through one of the neutral zones. In the back, someone was sitting and enjoying a bottle of red wine with a pleased expression on their face. It was a man who had a slim figure, dressed in a gray and black vest suit, with slicked-back gray hair, a handsome face, and green eyes. He looked human in this city filled with beasts. This was the mayor of Cugine city, Benito Mussolini. ¡°Mayor Mussolini, we¡¯ll arrive at your office in a few minutes.¡± The limo driver spoke to Benito through the intercom in the vehicle. ¡°I see. Thank you for the update.¡± Benito put down the glass he was drinking from and started to straighten his appearance. ¡°A man of great power must always look the part.¡± He muttered while checking his hair in a mirror. ¡°Alright. Everything seems to be okay.¡± After a little over five minutes, the limousine pulled up in front of a skyscraper with the initials BM on it. ¡°Mayor Mussolini, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± The driver, who was an orc, got out of the vehicle and opened the door for Benito. Benito stepped out of the limo and straightened his suit while looking around. ¡°Thank you.¡± He tipped the driver and walked towards the building. ¡°Mr.Mayor.¡± He was greeted by a pair of doormen, who opened the door for him. ¡°Goodnight, Gentlemen.¡± After giving them a simple greeting, Benito entered the building. ¡°Good evening, Mayor.¡± He received even more greetings from his employees inside. ¡°It looks like everyone is working hard. Keep it up.¡± He waved to his employees and said. ¡°Mayor!¡± He heard a panicked voice and turned around to see a cat-folk woman running towards him. ¡°From your expression, I take it that you have bad news?¡± Benito calmly said to the woman. ¡°Mayor¡­.He¡¯s here to see you.¡± The woman spoke with a trembling tone. ¡°He?¡± Benito looked confused for a bit, and then it was like he got an idea. ¡°Do You Mean Cesare?¡± ¡°¡­..Yes.¡± A serious expression appeared on Benito¡¯s face. ¡°I see. Where is he?¡± ¡°Your office. He¡¯s been there for a while now. I think he¡¯s starting to get impatient.¡± Benito placed his hand on her head and started petting her, which she seemed to enjoy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll handle him.¡± He then walked past the secretary and headed towards the staff elevator, which led to his office. ¡°The Mayor is something else. If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep that wild beast under control for so long.¡± The secretary said, while watching Benito enter the elevator. ¡°Sigh.¡± Inside the elevator, Benito was silently waiting for the doors to open with a frown on his face. After around 30 seconds the doors opened and he stepped out and into his office. His office was very spacious, had some luxurious furniture, and had a pleasant smell. ¡°There he is.¡± He looked around and saw someone sitting at his desk, with his feet on the desk. He was fair skinned, really muscular, had a buzz cut, gold beastly eyes, and was dressed in full black. Just like Benito, he looked like a human.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Cesare, how many times do I have to tell you? If you¡¯re coming here, don¡¯t walk through the door. Take the secret passage I told you about. My subordinates are seriously afraid of you.¡± Benito said to the man. ¡°Hmph. If they¡¯re afraid that¡¯s their problem. I¡¯m not a criminal, so I don¡¯t need to hide.¡± ¡°In some ways, you¡¯re worse than a criminal.¡± Cesare took his foot down and stood up from Benito¡¯s desk. ¡°Anyway, Benito. I was getting tired of waiting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you told me you were coming.¡± The two walked passed each other and sat in places across from each other. Benito sat at his desk, while Cesare sat on one of the chairs in the office. ¡°You should¡¯ve known that I was coming. You¡¯re the mayor, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Being the mayor doesn¡¯t mean that I keep track of everything. That¡¯s your job.¡± ¡°My job is to slaughter and rid this city of criminal trash. Get it right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard someone describe their own job in such a crude yet proud way. You hardly sound like the Chief of police, Cesare Mori.¡± ¡°But I am, and I love being it.¡± Cesare suddenly started laughing. ¡°The Black Dogs are the sole reason why those three brats haven¡¯t started a full-blown war among each other. The citizens should be grateful that I created such a dependable police force.¡± ¡°They¡¯re grateful, but they¡¯re also afraid of you. Your wild behavior and extreme tactics when dealing with criminals gave you a bad reputation. You should try and fix that.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, Benny, I¡¯m not a politician. I don¡¯t need the public¡¯s support or love. As long as I rid this city of scum, people will be forced to acknowledge me.¡± ¡°So the end justifies the means, huh?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Benito sighed. ¡°Sometimes I wonder why I appointed you the head of police?¡± ¡°Because you knew that I¡¯m the man for the job.¡± Cesare leaned back in his chair. ¡°I mean, even I know that I¡¯m a bit off the rockers, but I¡¯m the best man to handle those three crazy brats.¡± He showed a savage smile. ¡°You just need to give me the okay, and I¡¯ll go and slaughter them for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Benito didn¡¯t answer and only changed the topic. ¡°Anyway, Why did you come here today?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t pay my childhood friend a visit?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°So cold, but I love that about you.¡± Cesare sat up. ¡°Benito, what¡¯s this I hear about illegal entries a few months back? Why wasn¡¯t I informed about this?¡± He had a serious expression on his face. ¡°Oh, you heard. The reason I didn¡¯t tell you is because the situation was weird.¡± ¡°Weird?¡± ¡°Yeah. We discovered the toll booth attendant, for that day, passed out in her room, after she was reported missing for days. When she came to, she said that she was on her way to work when she saw a shadowy figure appear before her. She doesn¡¯t remember anything after that.¡± ¡°Then there was no booth attendant that day?¡± ¡°No, according to our cameras there was. And it was that same attendant, or rather her imposter.¡± ¡°The cameras couldn¡¯t see through their disguise?¡± ¡°No, it was an extremely high-level disguise. We couldn¡¯t see their true identity with our technology.¡± ¡°I see. Then did that imposter helped some people enter illegally?¡± ¡°No, the imposter only talked with those who entered illegally. They entered on their own by jumping over the wall. Their faces were hidden by a similar technique to the one the imposter used. We soon lost track of them the moment they entered the city.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Cesare stayed silent for a bit before talking again. ¡°I¡¯ll have my pups keep a look out.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± ¡°Oh, since we¡¯re on the topic, there¡¯s been another illegal entry. However, this time we know who it is.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Lucian Erebus.¡± Benito stood from his seat when he heard the name. ¡°The Twilight King?!¡± Cesare nodded. ¡°Why is he here?¡± ¡°No idea. He tried to come in legally, but jumped over the wall when he was told he couldn¡¯t use his killing permit as an ID.¡± ¡°¡­..That strange behavior does sound like him.¡± Benito said. ¡°So do you know where he is now?¡± ¡°Yeah. My pups are keeping tabs on him. So far he¡¯s only walking around like he¡¯s sightseeing.¡± ¡°¡­.Well, he¡¯s not one to cause meaningless destruction. Let¡¯s leave him.¡± ¡°Nah. I wanna know why an infamous bounty hunter who earned the recognition of the Sacred Army is here. I¡¯m going to continue observe him.¡± ¡°Fine, But don¡¯t provoke him.¡± ¡°No promises.¡± Benito felt the urge to strangle his friend, but held back at the last second. ¡°Is there anything else you wanted me to know?¡± ¡°Yeah. I received word that Lucas Emilio and Tony Gambino met.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Benito was once again shocked. ¡°What do you mean they met? When?¡± ¡°A few days ago.¡± ¡°Impossible, those two haven¡¯t met directly since their falling out during the mafia wars.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s true.¡± Cesare sounded a bit excited which Benito immediately noticed. ¡°¡­¡­Did they fight?¡± ¡°If they did, there would be a third Mafia War going on right now.¡± Benito nodded acknowledging Cesare¡¯s words. ¡°Do you have any idea what they discussed?¡± ¡°No idea, but it seems that you have an idea though from your expression.¡± Benito nodded. ¡°I heard from my spies at Spider Banking that someone tried to invest 5 Billion Ani in the bank.¡± ¡°5 billion?! I could buy a lot of bullets and bombs with that!¡± ¡°Why are those the first things you thought about buying?¡± Benito shook his head. ¡°Anyway, I heard that instead of investing it. he had it cleaned and even offered a billion to Pearl as payment.¡± ¡°What? Isn¡¯t that too much for money laundering?¡± ¡°Yeah. I believe Tony and Lucas heard about this and had a meeting to discuss Pearl getting a powerful backer.¡± ¡°I see. The power balance between those three would crumble if pearl received that much money out of nowhere. By the way, who¡¯s the rich bastard?¡± ¡°He¡¯s known as Aniket. Other than the fact that he lives at the best mansion at the Golden Breath Villa, nothing else is known about him.¡± ¡°The golden breath villa? He must have quite the background.¡± Cesare suddenly thought of something. ¡°When did he appear?¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. I also think that he might be one of those who entered illegally. However, until we know who he is, we shouldn¡¯t provoke him.¡± ¡°Why are you acting so docile? This might be another obstacle in your way, you know. There¡¯s already those three brats, if this guy joins in as well, then you¡¯ll never truly own this city.¡± Cesare stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t want to own this city.¡± ¡°Who are you trying to kid? I know you better than anyone.¡± He approached the desk. ¡°A snake with always be a snake. You¡¯ll never submit to anyone, you must always be on top.¡± He smiled. ¡°Back when Salvatore Riina ruled this city like a god and those brats were only rookies, you waited and waited for the chance to take this city. When Salvatore died, you took the seat of mayor believing that it was finally your time, but the Second Mafia War happened and those three brats rose up and surpass you.¡± He leaned over and stared Benito in the eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to believe that you¡¯re not frustrated. There¡¯s no one who hates the Three Dons more than you. So just give me the word.¡± He stepped back and placed his hand on his chest. ¡°Just give me the word and I¡¯ll open the path to the top for you. I¡¯ll wage war and rip open the throats of everyone in your way. Let¡¯s walk the bloody path, Benito Mussolini.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Benito looked at Cesare in silence before sighing. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. If I do what you want me to do, I wouldn¡¯t be any different from Salvatore.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? He¡¯s the only one to stand at the pinnacle of this city. An invincible man who was hailed as the Beast Incarnate. Someone who was seen as a future Beast Emperor. What¡¯s wrong with being like him?¡± ¡°He was a dictator.¡± ¡°And you aren¡¯t?¡± Cesare laughed. ¡°You¡¯re more like a king than a mayor, I mean just look at this place. Which mayor has a 15 story office?¡± He grinned. ¡°You¡¯re one step away from being a dictator and you know it.¡± Cesare stepped back. ¡°But the Three Dons are in your way.¡± He then started to leave. ¡°If you make your decision you know where to find me. Oh, as for Aniket I¡¯ll have my pups keep a look out. If he¡¯s like the Dons then I¡¯ll have them sick him.¡± He waved behind him without looking back. ¡°Later, Mayor.¡± Left alone in the room, Benito clenched his fists and a smile appeared on his face. ¡°A dictator, huh?¡± A sharp light appeared in his eyes. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not a bad profession change.¡± 79th Night: Amelia & Reina Golden Breath Villa, recreation center. *Bam!* Explosive sounds echoed out in the dojo section of the center. The two figures were moving at an incredible speed while fighting against each other. These two were Amelia and Reina. *Bam!* Reina stopped a palm strike from Amelia with a palm strike of her own. The clashes between the palms caused a shockwave to spread out in the room and cause the air to vibrate. Reina leaped back and swung her arm in front of her. *Bam!* Suddenly, it was like she hit an invisible wall as shockwaves could be seen in the air. Amelia leaped to the side and avoided the shockwaves. Behind her, a bench was hit with the waves and immediately burst apart like a balloon, after bending out of shape. ¡°She can use the Quake techniques now.¡± Amelia smiled and stretched her hand out in front of her. A ball of anima appeared in front of her. She threw it up and kicked jumped up as well. ¡°Killer Shotgun!¡± She kicked the ball and it instantly burst into smaller bullets of Anima. ¡°Like that will work!¡± Reina clenched her fist and swung her arm in front of her. *Bam!* Shockwaves traveled through the air and hit the bullets of anima. The Anima bullets paused in the air and started twisting and bending out of shape before exploding without coming close to Reina. ¡°Hm?¡± She looked and saw that Amelia disappeared. ¡°Oh? She¡¯s gotten good at concealing herself.¡± She spun around and swung her leg behind her. There, Amelia appeared and stooped under the kick and thrust her palm towards Reina¡¯s chest. ¡°?!¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes widened when her hand passed through Reina like she was a ghost. *Bam!* She felt a blow to the back of her head, and her vision became blurry. She fell on the ground with her body stiff. ¡°That¡¯s how you truly conceal your presence.¡± Reina looked down on her and said. ¡°You make your opponent believe that you¡¯re there when you¡¯re actually somewhere else aiming at their necks.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Amelia started to force herself up with a painful groan. ¡°Wow, I hit you with the intention of temporarily paralyzing you, but as expected, your will is abnormal.¡± Reina praised Amelia while she was forcing herself to stand up. She silently lifted her leg and swung it down. *Swoosh!* Her foot hit the ground, completely missing Amelia. ¡°You can¡¯t move physically, so you use wind to move.¡± She looked and saw Amelia floating in the air. ¡°Ugh, my body still feels numb.¡± ¡°Well, I hit your cerebellum so that might be the reason.¡± Reina said with a laugh. ¡°You damn lizard, that was brutal.¡± ¡°What was brutal was you trying to hit me with the Crimson Palm Arts. If that had hit, I would¡¯ve lost a lung.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve live with one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really tempted to hit you with a Quake Fist to the head.¡± Reina said. Amelia controlled the wind and allowed her feet to touch the ground. ¡°Oh, I can move again.¡± ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re really to starting to become a monster you know.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Says the woman who can casually cause earthquakes.¡± ¡°Hey, it took a lot of effort to pull it off. Even now it still consumes a lot of Anima to use it once.¡± ¡°Still, I can¡¯t use it yet.¡± ¡°Yeah, But you¡¯re better at using the Crimson Palm Arts than I am. That¡¯s why Rory said that he might teach you the rest of the Blood Devil School¡¯s techniques.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really want to learn it though. It may be an emperor¡¯s techniques, but I think it will influence me too much if I learn them all.¡± ¡°Well, Rory did say that those who master the arts turn into devils.¡± Reina sat down on the ground. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s talk a break. I¡¯m exhausted.¡± Amelia sat down as well. ¡°Sure. Why not?¡± Meanwhile, somewhere in the city. ¡°This is really a modern city. I wonder if there are many places like this on this continent? I heard that the Beast Continent was mostly wilderness, so I thought that there would be more villages than cities¡­..Maybe I was being narrow-minded? I¡¯ll try my best to prevent such stereotypical thoughts in the future.¡± A man dressed in a black and white suit and carrying a briefcase was walking through the crowded streets of the city. He was tall, slim built, had white hair, dark skin, and golden eyes. He was the man known as the Twilight King Lucian Erebus. ¡°Um, excuse me.¡± He stopped a harpy who was walking next to him. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Could you tell me where I can find a nice place where I can eat and stay?¡± ¡°Ah, you mean a hotel?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve been here for a while, but I was too busy searching for someone that I didn¡¯t notice that I hadn¡¯t slept or ate in a while.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The woman looked at him weirdly. ¡°I thought that you would know.¡± Lucian looked at the woman from head to toe. ¡°You might be dressed simple, but your perfume is from an expensive brand. Also, your shoes are a limited edition classic, and your purse is made from genuine leather despite not being flashy.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s some impressive observation skills.¡± The woman was surprised by how Lucian was able to dissect her outfit with one look. ¡°Are you perhaps from the upper class?¡± ¡°Well, I am royalty.¡± Lucian said with a small chuckle. ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s a funny joke.¡± The woman then took out a paper and wrote something down. ¡°This is the address to a nearby hotel. It¡¯s a really good one and is cheap as well, so it won¡¯t hurt your pockets too much.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Lucian took the paper and smiled. He and woman talked for a bit before parting. Lucian didn¡¯t head towards the hotel immediately and continued roaming around. ¡°They really don¡¯t know when to quit.¡± He mumbled while looking behind him through the corner of the eye. Behind him, around 200 meters, there were some men dressed in black. Their eyes were locked on Lucian¡¯s every move. ¡°I guess they¡¯re a part of this city¡¯s police force. They¡¯re annoying but I guess I can¡¯t just kill them. Well, I can but the repercussions would be a pain in the ass.¡± He mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll just leave them for the time being.¡± *BOOM!* Suddenly a deafening explosion occurred in the middle of the city. When Lucian looked, he saw a building not too far away from him on fire. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°It might be dangerous! Let¡¯s get away from here!¡± The surrounding people started to panic and run in the opposite direction. Only Lucian stood in place, completely unaffected. ¡°Oh? A gas leakage?¡± He sniffed the air and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t smell any gas.¡± Behind him, those who were tailing him sprung into action and started evacuating the citizens. ¡°Impressive.¡± Lucian praised them and turned his attention back to the burning building. He looked in the sky and saw some black particles. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s soot¡­..This smell¡­.Gunpowder?¡± He started looking around on the rooftops. He closed his eyes and focused his senses. At that moment, it felt like an invisible pulse was released from Lucian¡¯s body. It was like everything in a two-mile radius was now covered in a dome, and he could see everything from a Birdseye view. He scanned all of the buildings around him one by one until he came across several presences on the roofs of a few buildings. He opened his eyes and looked towards those roofs, there he saw some men pouring black powder out of some sacks and into the air. ¡°So it was an act of terrorism. This can cause trouble for me later.¡± He lifted his hand and pointed up in the air. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m interrupting your fun.¡± *Swoosh!* Hurricane-like winds suddenly swept through the city and blew all the gunpowder up in the air and outside the city¡¯s reach. ¡°Wha?! Ahhhh?!¡± The men who were sprinkling the powder were lifted off their feet and dragged into the sky. They were like leaves in the wind as they were blown outside the city, never to be seen again. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± He brought down his hand and continued his stroll. ¡°Now, where is that hotel?¡± Back at the recreational center. *Bam!* A burst of flames spread through the dojo causing the temperature inside to rise. ¡°Wow, her fire leveled up quite a bit.¡± Reina said while standing in the center of the flames, looking at Amelia who had created the flames. Reina had activated her Wild Anima and used it to see herself from the from the flames. Amelia, on the other hand, was surrounded by a rainbow-colored glow and a crown mark in her palms. She was using her Animus, Elemental Queen. ¡°This is Animus is really something else.¡± Reina released the condense Anima around her and looked like she was inside a dragon¡¯s head. ¡°It makes the best spar partner too!¡± She explosively kicked off the ground and charged at Amelia, who quickly conjured dozens of lightning balls around her. She waved her hands and the lightning balls all charged towards Reina. *Roar!* The dragon head around her released a deafening roar, and Reina leaped into the air. She started to kick away the lightning balls like they were ordinary balls and then stretched her arm out towards Amelia. Dozens of anima dragons charged at Amelia. ¡°Windbreak!¡± Amelia stretched her hand in front of her and storm like winds condensed into a single pillar and ripped the dragons apart and hit Reina. ¡°Ugh?!¡± The wind pillar forced Reina back until she slammed into a wall. ¡°So annoying!¡± Wild anima wrapped around Reina¡¯s arm and transformed it into a metallic dragon arm. She roared and swung her claws and ripped the wind pillar apart. ¡°?!¡± However, she was immediately greeted by a gigantic bull made of fire and earth. ¡°She¡¯s really going all out!¡± Reina transformed her other arm into a metallic dragon¡¯s arm and used both of them to forcibly stop the bull by its horns. ¡°Oooooooohhhhh!¡± She roared and lifted the bull and threw it back at Amelia, who avoided it by moving like the wind. *Bam!* Reina slammed her metallic fists together and glared at Amelia. The two then resumed their battle. ¡°Whew~. They sure are going all out.¡± Rory who was hiding in the shadows watching the girls looked at them with satisfaction. ¡°But I gotta say though.¡± He placed his hand on the ground. ¡°Despite how wild they¡¯re getting, this place doesn¡¯t have a scratch on it. It must¡¯ve been made with some pure Animite. It would probably take my entire Demigod strength to destroy it.¡± He smiled. ¡°Just what kind of person could¡¯ve built this villa? They gotta be extremely rich and powerful.¡± He stood up. ¡°I¡¯m dying to know.¡± 80th Night: Girls’ Night Out Golden Breath Villa, Recreational Center. ¡°Hah~! Hah~! Hah~!¡± ¡°Hah~! Hah~! Hah~!¡± Amelia and Reina were laying on the ground soaked in sweat and breathing heavily. ¡°Ah, man¡­.I¡¯m dying here¡­I¡¯m so gonna die.¡± ¡°S-Stop¡­.being a baby¡­.¡± ¡°Says the woman who can¡¯t lift a finger¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous¡­¡± Amelia¡¯s right hand started trembling as she attempts to move it. In the end, she could only lift of index finger. ¡°S-See? How¡¯s that?¡± ¡°¡­..You¡¯re strangely competitive about stupid things aren¡¯t you?¡± Reina struggled and sat up, still breathing heavily. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna put on a brave front like you. I¡¯m exhausted. So much that it¡¯s getting harder to find the energy to breathe. As such, I propose we take a break before one of us drop dead.¡± Amelia also struggled to get up. ¡°For once, I agree with you. I¡¯m starting to have illusions of my old king telling me to stay away from the light. That can¡¯t be a good sign.¡± ¡°¡­.You think?¡± Reina looked at her arms and frowned. ¡°We¡¯re soaked in sweat.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. I feel so uncomfortable with my skin so sticky.¡± ¡°Oh? So you have some feminine sides to you.¡± ¡°What do you mean, some?¡± Reina started laughing. ¡°Hey, do you wanna go take a bath?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Together? If so, I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I meant separately, but I guess I don¡¯t mind bathing together with you. I¡¯m up for it if you are?¡± Reina nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go. We can compare our bodies too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Rory would cry if he found out that we bathe together without him seeing.¡± Amelia laughed. Elsewhere. ¡°?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lord Aniket?¡± The head maid, Emilia asked Rory, who suddenly stood up with a pale face. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m missing a historic moment in my harem.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Back at the recreational center. Normally a lot of people uses the recreational center on a daily basis, however, once Rory or the girls wish to use it the place would be vacated for their use. Because of this, the girls were never disturbed whenever they used one of the facilities at the recreational center. This was the same for when they wanted to use the female shower rooms. Currently, there was the sound of running water coming from the shower areas. The showers were built without anything to separate them, so if more than one person showered at the same time, they would be able to see each other¡¯s naked body with a turn of their heads. ¡°But I gotta say, you got an impressive body, Amelia.¡± Reina said while looking at Amelia wet body. Amelia¡¯s body was as Reina described, impressive. Her skin was smooth and beautiful like a polished gem. Her body was well-toned, yet had a curvy shape. Her washboard abs were pleasing to look at, and her hips and waist can drive people mad with lust. Her legs were toned and had an attractive thigh gap. Her breasts were perky and full of volume, and looked extremely arousing with them being partially covered by Amelia¡¯s wet sunset hair; especially her pink nipples. ¡°I can tell that even if you didn¡¯t work out as much as you did, you would still be blessed with a goddess¡¯ body.¡± There was an intense look in Reina¡¯s eyes when she scanned every crook of Amelia¡¯s naked appearance. ¡°Well, your body is pretty good too.¡± Reina¡¯s body was different from Amelia¡¯s curvy one. Her body was petite but had a mesmerizing charm to it. Her skin was white and looked as soft as a cloud. Her breast were smaller than Amelia¡¯s, but they were just as if not even perkier and arousing, with the water dripping off the tips. Her stomach was flat and well-done, and her limbs were petite. But her waist had a nice feminine curve. Her slightly pointy ears, which was proof of her elven lineage, peeked out of her wet silver and red hair. If Amelia looked like a sexy seductress, then Reina looked like an enchanting fairy. ¡°My petite body is because of my elven blood, so I¡¯ll never have a curvy body like you. However, I¡¯m glad my body is the way it is. This way I can disguise as both sexes with no problems.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°I see. It¡¯s the ideal body for your profession, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The girls showered in silence for a bit before Reina spoke up. ¡°You know, we haven¡¯t really been out much since we been here, huh?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever left the villa since we¡¯ve moved in.¡± ¡°Yet, that idiot goes out every night to play and come back in the morning with a face full of smiles.¡± Just remembering Rory¡¯s smiling face made Reina want to punch it for some reason. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit unfair?¡± She said. ¡°Hey, How about we go out?¡± Amelia suddenly suggested. ¡°Out?¡± ¡°Yeah, I never been to a lively metropolis like this. I think it would be a waste not go out and enjoy it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea, but where would we go? Clubbing?¡± ¡°Like Rory? That doesn¡¯t sound that bad. I¡¯ve never really been out partying before.¡± ¡°Really, despite being so young? That¡¯s a waste.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve wasted my youth.¡± ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± Reina laughed. ¡°Besides, you''re only about 20 years old. You¡¯re still young. Well, I¡¯m only 21 myself.¡± She paused for a bit and then smile. ¡°Let¡¯s do it. Let¡¯s go out clubbing.¡± ¡°Do you know any clubs in the city?¡± ¡°No, but we can just drive around and go to random places all night. I¡¯m sure that what that idiot does all the time.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­That doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea.¡± Reina nodded. ¡°We can even dress up nice and let some guys hit on us just to spite Rory. If we¡¯re lucky, we might really find a guy we like.¡± Elsewhere. ¡°?!¡± Rory who was being given a massage at one of the villa¡¯s massage parlors, suddenly jump up and frightened to masseur. ¡°Is there something wrong, my lord?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­.¡± Rory put on a serious expression. ¡°I feel a disturbance in my harem.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Back at the shower room. ¡°But, Reina. You¡¯re supposed to be disguised as a guy. Did you forget?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± Reina thought about it for a bit before saying- ¡°Then I¡¯ll try to pick up girls instead.¡± Amelia stepped back when she heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you swing that way?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never actually been in a serious relationship with either sex, just what¡¯s needed for my assignments. But I have experience with both sexes. I don¡¯t mind either way.¡± ¡°Then did you suggesting bathing together so that you could seduce me?¡± ¡°Hey, give me some credit. I¡¯m not Rory. If I wanted to seduce you¡­¡± Reina suddenly disappeared from where she was and reappeared behind Amelia, with her arms around her waist. ¡°I would be direct like this.¡± She whispered in her ear. ¡°I see. So could you unhand me?¡± Reina released her with a frown. ¡°I thought that you would be more freaked out. Could it be that you¡¯re not as pure as I thought?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just gotten used to being touched.¡± ¡°Oh? So you and Rory really have that kind of relationship.¡± ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s mostly one-sided.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Should I call the police?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The Sacred Army would be better.¡± ¡°Ok, that came out wrong. My mistake.¡± Amelia had a flushed face. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re surprisingly fun to tease.¡± Reina touched her hair. ¡°I think I¡¯m beginning get why Rory loves teasing us. It¡¯s cute.¡± She started laughing. ¡°Are we going out or not?¡± Amelia frowned and asked. ¡°Yeah. Tonight.¡± Reina smirked. ¡°And we¡¯ll make sure that idiot doesn¡¯t find out.¡± Later that night, a red sports car pulled up in front of a club by the name of Griselda¡¯s. Everyone was immediately drawn to it and started to wonder just who was driving it. The driver¡¯s butterfly door opened, and someone stepped out. It was a handsome teen who had a childish face and white hair that turned red near the ends. He was dressed in a gray bomber jacket with a red dragon on the back, a red shirt underneath, dark jeans, and red and gray sneakers. His overall outfit was stylish and gave off a boyish charm. His red eyes swept the crowd before he went around to the other side of the car and opened the door and helped a woman out m. She was very beautiful with her sunset hair that was curled at the ends. She was dressed in white bolero, a pink halter tank top blouse, and floral bubble dress with white stilettos. These two were Reina and Amelia respectively. They borrowed a car from Jane and drove around the town going to random entertainment spots before arriving at this one. ¡°So this is the place we¡¯ve heard about earlier?¡± Amelia looked at the club that had a long line at the front door. ¡°Looks like it really popular.¡± ¡°Which makes it perfect to have a good time. There gotta be a reason why it¡¯s popular.¡± Reina said. She set the alarm on the car and shut the doors with the key remote and the two of them walked towards the entrance. ¡°Goodnight.¡± They were immediately greeted by one of the men stationed at the door. He looked at them from head to toe before speaking. ¡°Your names? Are you one the list?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. We just came here not too long ago, and only heard about this place earlier tonight. So I¡¯m afraid we didn¡¯t make an appointment.¡± Reina explained. ¡°Then, I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯ll have to wait in line like the others. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± The doorman obviously was cautious when dealing with the two. He didn¡¯t know their origins but from their transportation and clothing, it looked like they had quite a bit of money. After all, the car was well known in the city. It was a rental used by those living at the Golden Breath Villa. ¡°I see. We don¡¯t mind.¡± After saying that, the girls then proceeded to go to the back of the line. ¡°Wait. You there, beautiful woman.¡± They, however, stopped when someone called out at Amelia. ¡°Yes?¡± The two of them turned around, but the one who answered was Reina. Amelia was obviously with her, yet someone still called out to her, that was a direct disregard of Reina¡¯s presence. She didn¡¯t like being challenged. When they turned around they saw a man dressed in a sharp black suit, with his blonde hair combed back. Behind him were some rough looking men. ¡°Not you. I¡¯m talking to the woman beside you.¡± Said the man. ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t butt in kid!¡± ¡°Be a good little rich boy and scram!¡± The thugs behind the man started verbally attacking Reina. ¡°Scram?¡± A sharp look appeared in her eyes. She was about to say something but she calmed down and look at Amelia. ¡°Elia, these fine men are talking to you.¡± ¡°So it seems.¡± A playful smile appeared on Amelia¡¯s face. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Bugsy. I saw that you couldn¡¯t get in the club because of your partner''s incompetence and felt that it was a waste that a delicate woman like you had to wait in line.¡± ¡°Delicate?¡± Reina almost burst out laughing but held it in when Amelia glared at her from the corner of her eye. ¡°So how about it? Do you want to come in and party with me?¡± ¡°You should take this one in a lifetime offer, lady!¡± ¡°Bugsy is one of the underbosses under one of the Three Dons, Tony Gambino. You won¡¯t regret spending a night with a man like that!¡± Buggy¡¯s boys started hyping him up in an attempt to persuade Amelia. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good.¡± Amelia answered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m good.¡± She repeated. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not that cheap that I would leave the person I¡¯m with to chase another man because of his ¡°backing¡±. Second, I don¡¯t like small men who need others to sell his image. Finally, you¡¯re not my type.¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Reina burst out laughing. ¡°You showed him no mercy, Elia!¡± She looked at the furious Bugsy. ¡°A little heads up, Buggy the clown. Your boss may be one of the Three Dons, but our man is far scarier than all the Dons combined. So fuck off before we squish you like the bug in your name.¡± ¡°You bastards!¡± The men behind Bugsy pulled out some weapons and pointed them at the girls. The girls immediately took a fighting stance. Despite being insulted, the one who looked nervous was actually Bugsy himself. ¡°No, you morons! Stop! Did you forget where you are?!¡± He shouted. ¡°I agree. Did you forget where you were, Bugsy?¡± Someone walked out of the club and looked at everyone who looked like they were going to fight. He looked like a teen, had red flaming hair, burning red eyes, an enchanting face, and a red gem in the middle of his forehead. He was wearing a short stylish red and gold Changshan with gold lotus designs, a black pants, and black boots. ¡°What¡¯s going on out here, Bugsy?¡± Bugsy looked at the teen with a pale face and spoke his name. ¡°Shancai.¡± 81st Night: Griselda ¡°Shancai?¡± The girls looked at the teen who stood at the club entrance. The impression they got from him was ¡°Hot¡±. Not in a sexual way, but hot like flames. The boy looked like the personification of flames itself. It was like his very presence made the surrounding temperature rise. ¡°This kid¡­.He¡¯s dangerous.¡± Reina whispered to Amelia, who nodded in agreement. ¡°Well, Bugsy. Answer my question.¡± The boy showed a bright smile. ¡°What¡¯s going on out here?¡± ¡°Its nothing but a big misunderstanding. It¡¯s nothing for you to worry about.¡± Bugsy spoke with a nervous expression. This didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the girls. Their curiosity towards Shancai only increased. ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Shancai looked at the girls and then at Bugsy and his crew. ¡°Ming, What really happened here?¡± The bouncer who dealt with Amelia and Reina earlier stepped out with his hands locked in front of him and bowed his head. ¡°Those guest arrived here not too long ago and were informed that they needed to wait in line. They easily agreed to cooperate, but before they could Bugsy came and started making trouble for them. They got offended and a conflict arose between the two parties.¡± The bouncer quickly reported what happened to Shancai while talking with the utmost respect. ¡°I see.¡± Shancai smiled at Bugsy. ¡°Well, Bugsy. Is what Ming said true?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Bugsy didn¡¯t immediately answer. He only kept his head down and clenched his teeth. ¡°Hey, brat! Don¡¯t get cocky!¡± That¡¯s when Bugsy¡¯s crew started acting up. ¡°Keep in mind who you¡¯re dealing with here!¡± ¡°We¡¯re directly under The Godfather of Arms, Tony Gambino!¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± One of the thugs pointed at him. ¡°You¡¯re just a bodyguard! Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± ¡°I see, I see.¡± Shancai nodded with an amused expression. ¡°Do you agree with them, Bugsy?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­They¡¯re just messing around. There¡¯s no need to pay them any mind.¡± Bugsy looked like he sucked on a sour lemon when speaking. ¡°Heh.¡± Shancai gave a small chuckle and stretched his hand out. ¡°?!¡± Bugsy¡¯s face immediately paled when he saw that. ¡°Either way, you caused a commotion here so you need to leave.¡± ¡°Wait, Shancai. It¡¯s my bad. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Bugsy started apologizing. ¡°Leave.¡± *Bam!* Suddenly all the men behind Bugsy were blown back with sparks coming off their bodies. They were blown so far back, that their figures disappeared into the night. ¡°Dammit!¡± Bugsy drew his gun and lifted it to fire at Shancai. *Bam!* The same thing that happened to his crew, happened to Bugsy himself. Soon only Amelia and Reina stood before. Both of them had their eyes widened to the max as if they had just seen something unbelievable. ¡°Now then, customers.¡± They broke out of the trance when Shancai spoke to them. ¡°I would like to apologize for the rude reception you received on your first visit to our establishment.¡± Shancai places his right hand over his left fist and bowed. ¡°The owner would like to meet with you directly to and apologize as a show of goodwill. Of course, you¡¯ll be allowed to enter free of cost.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Amelia and Reina looked at each other. They both wanted to decline, but something told them that it wouldn¡¯t be easy. ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll take up your offer.¡± Reina said. ¡°Thank you. Follow me.¡± Shancai turned and entered the club, and the girls hesitantly followed behind him. Inside the club was crowded as you would expect from a popular night club. There were a lot of people dancing, drinking, and laughing together. It had a real comfortable feeling, which the girls couldn¡¯t explain. Shancai brought them through the club and to the back, where they saw a door. Shancai stopped in front of the door and paused for a bit, before entering. He then stood one side and gestured for them to enter the room. The girls looked at each other and took a deep breath. They then proceeded to enter the room. When they entered, Shancai closed the door behind them and stood in a corner. In front of them was a desk with someone sitting behind it. ¡°Welcome to Griselda¡¯s.¡± The chair that was facing the opposite way turned around and a woman holding a phone in her hand turned around and faced them. She had fair yellowish skin, jet black hair and narrow eyes, a beautiful oval-shaped face, and an illuminating smile. ¡°My name is Griselda, and I¡¯m the owner of this fine establishment.¡± She said. ¡°Beautiful.¡± Amelia mindlessly muttered. Griselda smiled. ¡°Thank you. It means a lot hearing that from someone as beautiful as you.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such features before¡­.it¡¯s really beautiful.¡± Reina added. It was the first the two have ever seen someone with yellowish skin and narrow eyes like Griselda. They immediately thought that she was a foreigner from somewhere far away from here. ¡°You¡¯re quite charming yourself, despite dressing like a male.¡± ¡°?!¡± Reina suddenly felt a jolt in her body. She never expected for her disguise to be seen through by someone she just met. The only other time that ever happened was when she first met Rory. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so alarmed. I won¡¯t tell anyone. I¡¯m sure you have your reasons after all. Though I¡¯m not one to pry.¡± Griselda said. Reina looked at her again from head to toe. This time she ignored the oddly attractive features and looked at the vibe and aura of the person herself. ¡®This woman¡­..What is she?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t tell whether Griselda was human or a beastman. However, she could tell that whatever she was, she was strong. ¡°Griselda, Shancai said that you wanted to apologize?¡± Amelia spoke up in an attempt to ease the tension. ¡°Yes. You were rudely mistreated by a regular of ours, so I feel that I need to apologize on his behalf.¡± She bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. So there¡¯s no need to lower your head.¡± Reina said. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll have a bad impression of a place because we ran into an idiot. Idiots are everywhere, there¡¯s no helping it if you ran into one anywhere.¡± Amelia added. ¡°I see. Thank you for being understanding.¡± Griselda lifted her head and said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard, but Bugsy is under one of the Three Dons, Tony Gambino.¡± She placed her hand over her chest. ¡°But there¡¯s no need to worry about him. I¡¯ll make sure that he doesn¡¯t bring you trouble in the future.¡± ¡°Really? Are you one of the Three Dons or something?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Goodness, no. Pearl is the only female don. I¡¯m only a simple club owner.¡± ¡°A simple club owner who can hold back one of the Three Dons¡¯ men?¡± Amelia looked skeptic. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things simple people are capable of if they put their minds to it, you know?¡± Griselda showed a sly smile and gestured to Shancai in the corner. ¡°Besides, I have Shancai with me. As long as he¡¯s here, even the most difficult of tasks become simple. He¡¯s a simple man that simplifies everything. I call him Simcai because of this.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± Shancai spoke up. ¡°I was thinking of starting now.¡± Griselda said with a laugh. ¡°Anyway, you can rest assured that after tonight, there¡¯s nothing to be feared.¡± ¡°We appreciate the offer, but we can handle ourselves.¡± Amelia said. ¡°We have a very scary dog at home that we can sick at them if needed to.¡± Reina added. ¡°I see. Then at least be careful.¡± Griselda looked at Shancai. ¡°You two can returned to the club and enjoy yourselves. Everything will be available free of cost for you, just for the night.¡± ¡°Really? Thanks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I just hope you can make it up to me by stopping by time to time.¡± ¡°Sure. That¡¯s no problem.¡± A few minutes later, Amelia and Reina were brought back to the club by Shancai, who immediately returned back to Griselda¡¯s office. ¡°See? I told you that they were interesting.¡± At that moment, Fraus faded in out of nowhere and stood in front of Griselda¡¯s desk. ¡°You were right. They don¡¯t even fear the Three Dons.¡± Griselda said. ¡°I would really like to have them.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to talk to their owner.¡± Fraus said. ¡°They didn¡¯t back down against Bugsy despite knowing who¡¯s backing him. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s their personalities, or it¡¯s because of who is backing them.¡± Shancai pondered. ¡°Is this Aniket guy really all that?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s a monster.¡± Fraus said with a complicated look on her face. ¡°When I saw him in the alley the night you were injured I could tell.¡± A sharp look appeared in Griselda¡¯s eyes. ¡°That man was a beast. He had a similar scent to Salvatore. The scent of a monster.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Shancai stood in the corner contemplating something. ¡°Aniket¡­Aniket. Why does that name seem so familiar?¡± Later that night, the girls left Griselda after enjoying themselves. They didn¡¯t get hit on or did they hit on anyone because of what happened with Bugsy, but they had a good time by themselves. They were currently driving through the city heading back to the villa. ¡°Man, that was fun.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to understand why Rory party that much.¡± ¡°Be careful, Elia. He who stares in the abyss will be stared back at by the abyss.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to become like him.¡± The smile dropped from her face and she looked at the side view mirror on her side and saw two cars behind them. ¡°Anyway, What are we going to do about them?¡± ¡°It looks like their buggy the clown¡¯s friends. They move quick.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± Reina smiled and opened the compartment over on the passenger¡¯s seat. She took out two loaded handguns and gave Amelia one. ¡°We¡¯ll follow Rory¡¯s example.¡± The two girls smiled at each other. *Screech!* Reina suddenly aggressively turned the steering wheel, which caused the car to drift and face the cars behind her. ¡°We shot first and ask questions later!¡± ¡°Sounds good!¡± *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* The girls opened fire at the two cars without mercy. The sudden attack caught those behind them off guard and caused them to crash into each other. *Screech!* Reina put the car in reverse and stomped on the gas pedal, and escaped moving backward. She then put it back into drive and aggressively turned the steering and made the car switch positions, and drive away. The girls put away the guns and laughed. ¡°This will definitely cause Rory some trouble.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Why should we care? He¡¯s been causing us trouble like all the time. Tonight¡¯s payback.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± The two laughed again and drove in the direction of the Golden Breath Villa. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Behind them, one of the survivors of Bugsy¡¯s people took out a phone despite being on the verge of death. They dialed a number, but then- *BOOM!* The two cars exploded killing everyone inside. Someone approached the cars. It was the Chief of Police, Cesare. ¡°You scum have some nerve causing trouble in the mayor¡¯s area.¡± He showed an ugly grin. ¡°Repent in hell, Scum.¡± Not too far way, Griselda who saw everything from start to finish, stood on a rooftop looking in the girls¡¯ direction. ¡°They have balls. I give them that.¡± Her black eyes turned gold and beastly. ¡°Things are about to heat up.¡± 82nd Night: Tony Gambino Golden Breath Villa, Recreational Center. It was currently early in the morning, dawn had only broken. While most people would be sleeping at this time, there was someone who was already up and about. That person was none other than Rory. He was currently dressed in only a robe. The robe was white and didn¡¯t seem a bit special. It was an ordinary robe. ¡°Now then¡­¡± He pulled down the torso part of his robe and let it hang from his waist. His upper body was in the open. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. *Bam!* Suddenly Anima burst from within his body and surrounded him. The color of the Anima was green which meant that it was Neutral Anima. He opened his eyes and looked at his body. ¡°Alright. Everything seems okay.¡± He clenched his fists. ¡°Let¡¯s take it a notch.¡± *Bam!* Even more, Anima rushed out of his body. The Anima covered a decent amount of the dojo and was swirling around him like it was alive. He started to look around. ¡°This is my limit with this Anima nature¡­..It¡¯s far better than when I was at the Marigold kingdom. It¡¯s pretty close to my prime too.¡± He smiled. ¡°Then what about when I use my true strength?¡± The nature of his Anima started to change. It darkens and started giving off a sinister vibe. The mass of Anima swirling around him made it look like he was being embraced by a ghoulish monster. *Rattle!* The furniture in the dojo started rattling and small cracks started appearing in them. It was like they were being suppressed by an invisible pressure. ¡°This is good. This level of power would¡¯ve caused me to go out of control earlier, but it really feels like my own power again.¡± He grinned. ¡°I was right. The seal is wearing off. I think I might be able to draw out my full strength now.¡± He spoke with an excited tone. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a go!¡± *Bam!* His Anima has explosively increased in volume and pressure. The entire recreational center started shaking like it was hit by an earthquake. The fact that it could withstand the pressure that Rory gave off was very impressive. If he was outside, he might¡¯ve flattened a section of the villa already. Markings started appearing on Rory¡¯s body. They were like vine arts that came together in his abdominal area, where they formed a spiral. ¡°Good the seal is acting up but I¡¯m still under control.¡± Rory grinned. ¡°Then let¡¯s take it up to the limit!¡± *BOOM!* A godly pressure descended upon the center, no the entire villa. Every building started to shake vigorously. This accompanied by the stifling pressure forced everyone in the villa to wake up. ¡°What the hell?!¡± This included Amelia and others back at the mansion. ¡°Amelia!¡± Reina Who was still in her pajamas ran into Amelia¡¯s room with a pale expression. ¡°Do you recognize this sensation?!¡± She frantically asked. ¡°How could I forget this suffocatingly terrifying pressure?¡± She jumped out of bed. ¡°Where¡¯s Rory?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I checked his room but he wasn¡¯t there. If he was, I think this place would¡¯ve been blown away already.¡± Amelia nodded. She recalled this sensation from that battle back in, the Marigold kingdom. Back then Rory seemed like he could judge all life in this planet. It was as if he was an enraged god who could look down upon the world. That was the same feeling the girls were getting now. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did he lose control again?¡± At Villa¡¯s manager mansion, Jane was also forced out of her sleep after feeling the pressure of Rory¡¯s Anima. However, she wasn¡¯t panicking like the others. Rather she seemed like she was pondering something. ¡°This is Lord Aniket¡¯s Anima? From the sensation, this is Dark Anima. This volume of dark Anima is abnormal though.¡± She was currently operating a monitor. After a short while, the feed of Rory inside the recreational center was being shown to her. ¡°This is¡­.¡± She zoomed in on the marks on Rory¡¯s body.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Seals? This is the sealing techniques of Freyr. Why is it on Lord Aniket¡¯s body? And it seems to be a very complicated type too.¡± Jane entered deep thought. ¡°Frey¡¯s sealing techniques can only be used by elves, and this type seems like a branch that dark elves use¡­.I did hear a report of him going to meet Pearl St.Claire, who is a dark elf. Could she have something to do with it?¡± She silently looked at the screen trying to understand the marks on Rory¡¯s skin. ¡°Hm?¡± That¡¯s when she noticed something odd. Rory was looking straight at the camera without blinking. ¡°Wait, he couldn¡¯t have figured out that I was watching him right? No, he¡¯s causing a huge commotion. He obviously expects that I would use the cameras to check out the situation. But why is he looking at the camera now? Could it be that he¡¯s able to sense my movements?¡± Jane looked at Rory¡¯s eyes that were being projected on the screen. They were saying one thing. ¡°Pry too deep and die.¡± ¡°?!¡± She immediately shut off the monitor and stepped away from it. ¡°What was that just now?¡± She held her chest and felt that her heart was indeed beating. ¡°Did my heart stop just now? From a glare through the monitor?¡± Cold sweat covered her body. ¡°He¡¯s the real deal. He¡¯s a real Demigod like my master.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, my master is one of the world¡¯s strongest they aren¡¯t on the same level. They aren¡¯t but¡­.¡± There was something that was unreasonably terrifying about Rory. Back at the recreational center, Rory had a satisfied look on his face. He then resumed what he was doing. ¡°?!¡± Suddenly his body stiffened. ¡°What the hell?¡± The marking on his body started moving like they were serpents and concentrated at his stomach. The marks moved into a swirling motion and fused together forming a crucifix. ¡°WHAT THE FUCK?!¡± Rory suddenly looked enraged. This affected the nature of his Anima and the godly pressure suddenly increased causing cracks to appear in the Animite plates on the ground. ¡°Safety?! There¡¯s a fucking safety on the seal?!¡± Veins started pulsating in his head and his grip tightened to the point that his nails dug into his skin. ¡°WHY THE FUCK DID A SAFETY MECHANISM ACTIVATE WHEN I WAS JUST ABOUT TO BREAK THE SEAL, STEPH?!¡± He roared so loud that his voice, which didn¡¯t resemble that of a human, shook the whole building by itself. The Anima around him seemed to be going wild as furniture started exploding and the Animite walls started to have small cracks in them, despite supposed to being an anti-Anima material. This was proof that Rory¡¯s Anima had entered a realm outside of mortals, but it was also proof that he hadn¡¯t ascended to the level of a god or was close. Otherwise, the Animite wouldn¡¯t only have small cracks in them. ¡°Calm down.¡± At that moment, all emotion disappeared from his face. It was like he was a completely different person. ¡°Calm down before I make you disappear for a bit.¡± All of his Anima disappear in an instant, and he stood there with a deadpan expression. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± He silently fixed the robe he was wearing and left the center. He headed back to the mansion without saying a thing. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± When he entered the girls were already waiting for him. ¡°Lord Aniket, is everything alright?¡± The head maid Emilia asked. ¡°¡­..It¡¯s nothing.¡± He then started heading upstairs. ¡°Wait, Aniket.¡± Amelia called out to him. ¡°What happened?¡± Rory didn¡¯t reply and only headed upstairs. ¡°What the hell?¡± The girls were puzzled by everything that happened. Later that day, one of the neutral areas downtown. A man dressed in a suit was walking down the street with a frown on his face. After walking for a while, he bumped into a woman which caused her to drop her phone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t watching where I was going.¡± The woman apologized and stooped down to take up her woman. ¡°Sorry?¡± She heard the man speak and looked up. That¡¯s when she found herself looking into a gun nozzle. ¡°Saying sorry has no meaning to the victim.¡± The man smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why I won¡¯t say sorry for what I¡¯m about to do.¡± ¡°W-Wait!¡± The woman shouted. ¡°Too late!¡± She shut her eyes and then- *Bam!* The sound of a gunshot resounded. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± However, the woman wasn¡¯t the one who was shot. She opened her eyes and looked up to see the man pointing his gun in a different direction. ¡°Oh? You avoided that.¡± The man grinned. ¡°As expected of a Black Dog.¡± The woman looked behind her and saw another man dressed in black with his face hidden behind a fang designed balaclava. ¡°The Black Dogs.¡± The woman looked at the man like he was her savior. ¡°Hahaha! Well aren¡¯t you glad, Black Dog? Normally the people would avoid and badmouth you, but it¡¯s time like these that you¡¯re appreciated. All you need is an evildoer like me and you¡¯re suddenly a hero.¡± The man started laughing. ¡°You, What do you think you¡¯re doing? Drawing a gun on a defenseless woman?¡± The Black Dog officer spoke. ¡°Discipline¡­.or that I would like to say, but I just felt like putting a hole in her pretty face. Is that so wrong?¡± *Bam!* The officer immediately kicked the man in the head. ¡°Of course, scum!¡± ¡°Nice kick!¡± *Bam!* The man fired his gun at the officer but he moved out of the way and released his claws, and pounced at the man and slashed him across the chest. ¡°Ow! Fuck!¡± The man fired at the officer and hit him in the shoulder. ¡°Die!¡± The officer bore the pain and slashed his throat. ¡°Ugh!¡± The man stepped back and held his ripped throat. He had a painful expression on his face, but he soon lifted his head and smiled at the officer. He then pointed his gun at the woman. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± The officer jumped in the way and the woman hid behind him as if to make sure he took the bullet for her. ¡°Heh.¡± *Click!* The man pulled the trigger but only a click could be heard. The gun was empty. The officer saw the man laugh ignoring his own blood that was slowly drowning him. ¡°Stupid mutt, in their eyes you¡¯ll always be nothing but a disposable shield. That is what he wants to say.¡± The man turned around when he heard a voice coming from behind him. He looked at who was behind with shock. The woman and everyone around them also did the same. The man was tall, muscular, fair skinned, had black hair, fierce red eyes, and the face of warrior. He looked completely human was dressed in a vest suit and was wearing a red fur coat. ¡°T-T-T-Tony Gambino.¡± The officer said. ¡°Ciao.¡± *Bam!* Tony pulled out a gun and blew out the officer¡¯s brains in an instant. ¡°Ahhh?!¡± The woman screamed in panic after witnessing the murder. ¡°Silence, woman. You¡¯ve served your use as bait to lure out the dogs. Scram.¡± After saying that, Tony ignored her and approached the man who was surprisingly still alive after having his throat ripped out. ¡°Good work, Johnny.¡± He placed his gun in the man hand. ¡°Your reward. Go and return to the manor before your Animus wears off.¡± The man nodded and then quickly left. Tony then turned around and saw dozens of people dressed like the officer he killed. They were all members of Black Dogs. ¡°Tony Gambino, What is the meaning of this?¡± One of the officers asked. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning? Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± *Bam!* Suddenly dozens of Black Dog officers exploded and their body parts rained down heavily like hail, with Tony standing where they were before they exploded. The blood and body parts strangely didn¡¯t touch him as if he was being protected by something. ¡°You know what this means, don¡¯t you?¡± Tony smiled and looked at the large man not too far away from him. ¡°Right, Police Chief Cesare?¡± ¡°Tony, Tony, Tony. I knew that you were wild but killing my pups in front of me?¡± A huge grin appeared on Cesare''s face, contrasting the bulging vein in his head. ¡°You have some nerve, Godfather.¡± ¡°Says the man who killed my men couple nights ago.¡± Tony smiled and took something out of his pocket. It was a silver bullet. ¡°You know what this means right? I deliver these to all of my targets before I put a hit on them.¡± He threw the bullet and Cesare caught it. Cesare looked at the bullet and saw that his name was on it. He looked up and saw that Tony was gone. He clenched his fist tightly. ¡°Consider it delivered, Don.¡± 83rd Night: Pearl & Rory It was a bright afternoon. A black sports car pulled up in front of Spider Banking. The valet approached the car and greeted the driver when he came out. ¡°Good morning, Lord Aniket.¡± ¡°Morning.¡± Rory threw him the keys for the car and approached the bank¡¯s entrance. He was let in by the doormen, and he walked inside. ¡°Good morning, Lord Aniket.¡± The moment he entered he was greeted by all who worked inside. The customers inside all looked a Rory with curiosity. They were curious about his identity since every employee immediately greeted him upon arrival. Considering who the owner is, they were certain that he was a foreign big shot. ¡®Oh? I¡¯ve only been here once and they all remembered my face. I mean, I¡¯m beautiful, but it looks like Pearl had them memorize my appearance.¡¯ Rory thought to himself. ¡°Is the madame in?¡± He called a worker aside and asked. ¡°Yes. The madam is in her office. She¡¯s already been informed of your arrival and instructed us to send you to her if you asked for her.¡± ¡°I see. That makes things easier.¡± ¡°Do you need help reaching her office?¡± ¡°No, I remember how to get there.¡± Rory walked passed the worker and headed towards where the private elevator was. He quickly reached it and entered inside. Once inside, he waited for it to bring him to his destination. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. ¡°Welcome, Aniket. It¡¯s been a while.¡± He saw Pearl wearing a yellow slit dress, and had her long white hair wrapped into a bun. She was standing in front of her desk. ¡°You¡¯re quite beautiful today, Pearl. Like a beautifully polished gem. Truly fitting of your name.¡± He stepped out of the elevator and into the office. ¡°I knew that you were a man of words, Aniket. Please have a seat.¡± ¡°Thank you, but I rather stand.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Pearl leaned on the desk. ¡°Just so you know, the money isn¡¯t ready yet.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°You might not think so, but to everyone else, the money you gave me was a large sum. It will take some time before it¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°I see. Well, not that it matters anyway.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter? Why does it feel like you don¡¯t care about the money at all?¡± ¡°Oh, I care. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s not that important at the moment. I came here for other business.¡± Rory then started to unbutton his shirt. ¡°?!¡± Pearl immediately drew a gun from out of the slit of her dress and pointed it at Rory. ¡°Aniket, I might run a prostitution ring but that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m a prostitute myself.¡± She looked at him with a sharp gaze. ¡°Please leave.¡± ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding something here, Pearl. I have no interest in prostitutes. I¡¯m unable to enjoy being intimate with someone who is only in it for the money. Despite my behavior, I¡¯m a hopeless romantic.¡± Rory said in a relaxed manner. ¡°Besides, I want to keep the relationship between us purely professional. Oh, that doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re not attractive. This is more of a moral thing.¡± ¡°¡­Then why are you stripping?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I need you to check for me. It¡¯s just that I need to strip to show it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Pearl looked at him suspiciously for a while before lowering the gun. ¡°Thank you.¡± Rory then proceeded to take off his shirt. Pearl watched his every move with a sharp gaze. ¡°Please, you''re making me blush.¡± Pearl rolled her eye at his joke. Rory stopped smiling and put on a serious face. Soon pearl saw a crucifix mark appear on his stomach. ¡°?!¡± When she saw it, her body had some kind of weird reaction. ¡°This is¡­..¡± She started to approach Rory without a care in the world. She stopped in front of him and placed her hand on his stomach. ¡°¡­¡­..¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Rory didn¡¯t take the opportunity to joke around like he normally would. He just allowed her to do as she please. Pearl rubbed her hand up and down Rory abs while staring at the crucifix. ¡°This is a seal¡­. That¡¯s strange, it¡¯s the first I¡¯ve seen it but it feels so familiar.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it was created by those in the St. Claire family. Being a kin of the clan, it will naturally resonate with your blood and soul.¡± ¡°St. Claire¡­.It definitely feels like I¡¯m spiritually linked to it.¡± Pearl slowly rubbed the seal. ¡°What I¡¯m requesting from you is-¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I said I refuse.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even ask you yet.¡± ¡°True, but I can tell it has something to do with this seal.¡± She stepped back and looked at Rory with a sharp gaze. ¡°This is a powerful seal, hence it must¡¯ve been difficult to create. I refuse to mess with it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Honestly, because I don¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know nothing about you. I don¡¯t even know who you really are.¡± ¡°I see. You dug around huh?¡± Rory looked amused. ¡°That¡¯s right. I tried to see if I could find out more about you, but I came up blank. There was no one named Aniket that could¡¯ve possibly been you. So that means that it¡¯s a false name.¡± She returned to her desk and leaned on it. ¡°Also I don¡¯t even know what you really look like.¡± ¡°Whew~. I¡¯m surprised. You were actually able to see through my disguise.¡± ¡°My eye is a little bit special even among my race.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too bad you only have one though.¡± Pearl glared at him angrily which caused Rory to laugh in response. ¡°Your concerns are reasonable, however, there¡¯s a problem. I absolutely need your help.¡± A sharp look appeared in his eyes. ¡°So how about this? I¡¯ll show you my true identity, then you¡¯ll decide if you want to help me or not.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Deal.¡± Rory nodded. He then closed his eyes and his body started flowing. He was engulfed in light for a bit. The light disappeared and Rory stood there in his original form. ¡°Devil King Rory?!¡± Pearl once again aimed her gun at him, but this time she looked a bit terrified. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with this? I showed you my true form as I promised.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Pearl shouted. ¡°You, why did you come here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m free to go wherever I want.¡± ¡°Leave! Leave this city at once!¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite harsh don¡¯t you think. We¡¯re partners after all.¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯ll return your money in full, just leave!¡± ¡°¡­..You¡¯re really cautious of me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re a walking disaster! A demon who brings destruction everywhere he goes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯ll have you know that my mother says that I¡¯m an angel.¡± ¡°Stop fucking around!¡± Rory suddenly stopped smiling. ¡°Sigh. I¡¯m not really that dangerous you know.¡± ¡°Then explain what happened in the Marigold kingdom?! You took the country hostage and started a war that claimed the lives of countless people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the church¡¯s propaganda. They¡¯re the one who wanted to ruin the country. As a beastman, you should know of the church¡¯s love for manipulating information.¡± ¡°Then are you saying that you didn¡¯t do all the things they said you did a century ago?¡± ¡°Oh no. That¡¯s all me.¡± *Bam!* Pearl fired a shot which grazed Rory¡¯s face and cut it. ¡°Animite huh?¡± He wiped the blood leaking from his cut with his finger. ¡°You, if you stay here you¡¯ll definitely destroy this city! I can¡¯t allow you to do that!¡± ¡°You really love your city, huh?¡± Rory started approaching her. *Bam!* Pearl fired at him again, that¡¯s when he disappeared. Pearl didn¡¯t panic hand quickly turned to her side and threw a kick. *Bam!* Her kick clashed with Rory¡¯s palm causing a shockwave to spread out and shatter the glass windows. ¡°Oh?¡± Rory was surprised. He disappeared again. This time Pearl fired at her right, and Rory appeared there ducking under the bullet and charging at her with a tackle. ¡°?!¡± He suddenly jumped to the side and a thin light flashed were he stood. The ground and ceiling suddenly split in two. ¡°That¡­¡± He looked down and saw a long cut on his torso. He looked back at Pearl and saw that she was wearing a weird glove on her free hand. When he looked closer he could see something sparkling around the fingertips. ¡°Wires? She used wires to cut the ground and the ceiling?¡± ¡°They''re made from Animite. Meaning that they can cut through the Anima protecting you and hurt you directly.¡± Pearl put away the gun and said. There Rory saw that she was wearing another glove. ¡°She uses those gloves to control the wires. That¡¯s quite some skill if I couldn¡¯t avoid it.¡± Rory stood up straight. ¡°And here I thought that you were afraid of me because I¡¯m stronger than you. You¡¯re pretty much a monster yourself.¡± ¡°Tony and Lucas aren¡¯t any weaker either. So there are three monsters here who can harm you.¡± Pearl shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s some more like Cesare, Benito, Shancai, etc.¡± ¡°Shancai?¡± Rory seemed like he heard the name somewhere before but he couldn¡¯t recall where. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I won¡¯t be able to take this city that easily?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s perfect. I had no interest in it in the first place.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look I know that you don¡¯t want to fight. After all, this building isn¡¯t made of Animite. If you and I fight, countless will die and this building will crumble.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I really don¡¯t want to fight. I just wanted to confirm your strength and I¡¯m pleased. You can probably help me out.¡± ¡°I told you already. I refuse.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty. Currently, I¡¯m on vacation, so I¡¯m not really up to anything besides partying and messing with women. But I have plans for whenever I leave this place. For that, I need this seal to be removed. If it¡¯s removed I¡¯m able to continue my vacation, but if I can¡¯t remove it I¡¯ll become irritated, and that¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m simply explaining the situation to you as it is. Help me and everything will be fine. I promise on my life that I won¡¯t do anything to harm this city unless you permit me too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Pearl looked at him with serious eyes. ¡°You know I survived this long by not trusting people¡¯s words and only my instincts.¡± ¡°And what does your instinct say now?¡± Pearl relaxed her body. ¡°It says that you mean me no harm.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m in debt to your relatives. It against my moral code to harm you without a valid reason.¡± ¡°Then, does that mean that you volunteered to have that seal placed on you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t go into details though.¡± Pearl started to approach him. She looked at the crucifix on him again. ¡°So you want me to help you get rid of this seal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°My parents left the clan before I was born so I don¡¯t really know their techniques.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. You just need to tell me what you can get from it. I¡¯ll figure out the rest.¡± Pearl silently stared at the seal for a long time as if she was in a trance. ¡°It seems like your power was sealed off.¡± Rory nodded. ¡°This seal was designed to seal away your power and slowly loosen over time allowing you to gain access to more of it as you go along. However¡­.it looks like the caster underestimated your power. The seal couldn¡¯t handle it all and a safety mechanism kicked in. This mechanism is preventing you from undoing the seal and regain your full strength.¡± ¡°I know that already. What I want to know is the condition to remove the safety. There has to be one.¡± ¡°¡­..I can¡¯t really tell because of how complicated it is¡­.But I think it has something to do with death.¡± ¡°Death¡­.¡± Rory started to clenching his fists and grinding his teeth. ¡°Are you saying that the seal will only be undone after death?¡± His voice was very coarse. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure.¡± Rory took a deep breath and started putting on the shirt he took off. His appearance returned to that of Aniket, he then preceded to take his leave. ¡°Thanks. Ah, Fraus is no longer with me. She¡¯s somewhere in one of the neutral areas downtown.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°Well, I owe you.¡± The elevator opened and he stepped inside. ¡°Also, that woman was rude enough to invite strange men in my home. She needs to be punished. But since I¡¯m on vacation, I¡¯ll let you handle it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. Bye.¡± Rory waved goodbye and the elevator doors slowly closed. Pearl was left alone with her thoughts. She remembered examining Rory¡¯s seal. There was a point where she was looking past the seal and noticed something. ¡°Rory¡¯s body is weird. That¡¯s not the body of a human or even a mortal. It was something far more sinister. Just what is he?¡± She said to herself. She thought about it some more and suddenly realized something. ¡°Did he say see you tomorrow?¡± 84th Night: Meeting Again Spider Banking. ¡°Say, could you tell me what you¡¯re doing?¡± Pearl was in her usual office at the bank. She was sitting around her desk looking at the person relaxing in one of her couches while playing a game. ¡°What you ask? I¡¯m playing a game.¡± Rory responded. He was currently in his original form as Rory and not as Aniket. ¡°I can see that, but what I want to know is why you¡¯re playing a game in my office like it¡¯s the natural thing to do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m bored. My companions have become independent and are living their own lives, and I¡¯m mostly active at night. So my day schedule is free.¡± ¡°And you decided to hang out here?¡± ¡°Yeah. I get to relax and look at a dark-skinned beauty. What more does a man need?¡± ¡°Leave.¡± ¡°Come on, I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°No. Having you here will bring nothing but trouble.¡± ¡°I promise on the Sacred god¡¯s name that I won¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± Rory places his hand on his chest and said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a famous blasphemer in the eyes of the Sacred Church?¡± ¡°¡­¡­If I say yes, can I stay?¡± Pearl held her head and looked like she wanted to scream. ¡°I¡¯ve never met someone this annoying.¡± ¡°You should meet Adonis. He¡¯s a natural at annoying people.¡± ¡°I can barely handle you. Do you think I want to meet any more Pandemonium members?¡± Pearl sat up. ¡°Alright. What¡¯s your deal? What is it that you truly want?¡± ¡°I want in on the fun.¡± ¡°You want in? On what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t realized that tensions are growing in the city.¡± Rory smirked. ¡°A War is gonna break soon. A big one. I want in on it.¡± ¡°I thought you were on vacation?¡± ¡°I am, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking for your permission. If I wasn¡¯t I would¡¯ve gone ahead and kicked off the war myself.¡± ¡°You really are a warmonger. I¡¯m starting to regret ever meeting you.¡± ¡°Ouch. That hurts my heart.¡± Rory said with a painful expression. ¡°So, the fact that you¡¯re asking me is because you want to fight on my side?¡± ¡°Bingo. I don¡¯t know the others, and I owe you one so why not fight for you? It isn¡¯t a bad deal right? Enlisting someone like me as your help.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. However, you¡¯re a demon in human skin. I can¡¯t just take your help so easily.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do this. If war happens I won¡¯t get involved unless you ask for my help. If you do, I will destroy any enemy that stands before you regardless of who they are.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Deal.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°I¡¯m pleased that you could trust me enough to believe I¡¯ll keep my word.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in it for you Anyway? Do you really enjoy war that much?¡± ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t particularly enjoy war itself. I just enjoy a good fight. It doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be anything grand scale. A simple spar would do. My reason for entering this war is because there are two people I want to mature from it. They will most likely end up on separate sides from me, but that would be ideal.¡± Rory showed a gentle expression. ¡°That way they¡¯ll be forced to experience the true hardships of walking this path.¡± Griselda¡¯s, later that same night. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re back.¡± Reina and Amelia were greeted by Ming the bouncer for the popular night club, Griselda¡¯s. ¡°Yeah. After thinking about it for a while, this place is where we enjoyed ourselves the most.¡± Amelia answered. She was dressed in a yellow slit dress, a pair of white heels, and a beautiful necklace around her neck. ¡°Since we¡¯re bored, I hope that you guys can entertain us.¡± Reina added. She was dressed in a white hoodie with some tribal marks on it, a pair of denim jeans, and a pair of sneakers. Again, she disguised herself as a man. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The madam has already declared you important guests. We¡¯ll do everything in our power to make sure you enjoy yourselves.¡± Ming bowed and said. ¡°Griselda did?¡± The girls looked at each other in confusion. They knew that this wasn¡¯t because of the incident the other day. It must¡¯ve been for a different reason. The problem was that they couldn¡¯t figure out the reason. ¡°Honored Guests, you may enter.¡± Ming made way for them to enter and spoke with a respectful tone. The girls decided to not think about it too much and entered the club. Their goal for the night was to enjoy themselves and just that. After they entered, Ming took out a communicator.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Mr. Shancai, the guests that you asked about has returned.¡± Inside the back room of the club, Shancai was leaning on a wall with a communicator in his hand. ¡°I see. Good work, Ming.¡± He spoke into it and looked at the two women in the room. One was Fraus who was dressed in a white buttoned-up blouse, white jeans, and white stilettos. She looked pure in her full white outfit. The other was Griselda who dressed in a black spaghetti strap dress. ¡°Fraus, you¡¯re up. Since you said that you could convince them, you better produce some results.¡± Shancai said. ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Fraus smiled and headed outside the office. Shancai looked at Griselda who had a bright smile on her face. ¡°You look like you¡¯re enjoying yourself. That¡¯s rare.¡± ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m a boring woman who can¡¯t have fun.¡± Griselda was obviously displeased by Shancai¡¯s tone. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not far from the truth.¡± Shancai casually moved his head to the side and a black feather passed his head and lodged into the wall. Griselda who still had her hand in the air from throwing the feather like a dart looked at him with a grudgeful glare. ¡°You know, you¡¯ll never become popular with that attitude.¡± ¡°Say that to my fan club. I hear that there are over 500 members. Wouldn¡¯t you call that being popular?¡± Shancai spoke with a mocking tone. ¡°Tsk. Women really have bad taste in men.¡± Griselda turned her attention away from him and mumbled. Meanwhile, in the club, Amelia and Reina were at the bar counter ordering drinks. ¡°Give me a Manhattan cocktail please.¡± ¡°I would like a Bloody Mary.¡± The two ordered their respective drinks and took a seat at the bar. ¡°A Manhattan and a Bloody Mary, huh? So that¡¯s what you two like.¡± They heard a voice and looked beside them. ¡°Fraus?!¡± They immediately sprung to their feet. ¡°Wait.¡± Fraus lifted her hand and stopped them. ¡°I know what you wanna say, but is this really the right place?¡± She smiled. ¡°Shancai will get made if we wreck the place you know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± At the mention of Shancai, the two calm down. They had to admit that they had no confidence towards being able to beat him if he got angry. ¡°Come on, sit sit. This is a bar, have a drink and be merry.¡± Fraus gently slapped the counter and said. The girls looked at each other and nodded. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why? Because you let a group of suspicious men break into where we were staying and point guns at us.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°But can you blame? I had no choice. You saw it didn¡¯t you? I was being threatened by Lord Aniket. I was the victim.¡± ¡°Victim? You had them stationed there. Meaning that you were planning to use them to do something.¡± Reina said. ¡°I was only protecting myself and you guys as well. I was on the run from one of the Three Dons. Even though lord Aniket was there, I couldn¡¯t trust him. Can you blame me for arranging some insurance?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Besides, if it was up to me I would¡¯ve stayed with you all there at the mansion. It¡¯s just¡­.Lord Aniket had other plans.¡± Fraus had a complicated expression on her face. ¡°Aniket was indeed acting odd then.¡± Reina suddenly said. ¡°He isn¡¯t the type to lust after things. I mean, he obviously doesn¡¯t care about vanity, yet he wanted to rob Fraus. I don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your drinks. Please enjoy.¡± The bartender put down two drinks in front of the girls and turned to Fraus. ¡°Lady Fraus, What will it be tonight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a bad mood so I¡¯ll take something a bit heavy. Give me a White Russian.¡± ¡°Coming right up.¡± The bartender then turned around to get what he needed to prepare the drink. ¡°Lady Fraus? It looks like you¡¯re a respected person here.¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Well, I work here.¡± ¡°What?¡± This came as a shock to the girls. Who would¡¯ve thought that they accidentally came across where Fraus was hiding. ¡°Then Griselda?¡± ¡°My boss.¡± The bartender finished making Fraus¡¯ drink and gave it to her. She took it and immediately took a sip ignoring the girls¡¯ shock. ¡°I knew she wasn¡¯t normal from the way she spoke about blocking one of the Three Dons for us.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Well, she¡¯s far more dangerous than the Three Dons.¡± Fraus swirl her drink in her hand with a smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two going to drink? Liquor doesn¡¯t taste as good if you¡¯re not drinking with someone.¡± The girls looked at each other and retook their seats. They were a bit interested in Griselda. She had Fraus, who could steal from one of the Three Dons and Shancai who was incredibly strong. She couldn¡¯t be anyone simple. ¡°Speaking of bosses, how¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°You still want to know about him after he practically chases you out?¡± Reina asked. She realized that Rory might have purposely chased Fraus away back then. As for why, she couldn¡¯t figure out the reason. ¡°Well, he did save my life. He might be a brute, but at least I¡¯m alive because of him.¡± ¡°Hmph. He really is a brute.¡± Amelia frowned and took her drink and practically poured it down her throat. This caused the other girls to widen their eyes. Reina looked at her drink and soon did the same with a frown. The two looked very upset about something. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Having relationship problems?¡± Fraus asked with a bitter smile. ¡°That bastard has been acting strangely cold lately. Bartender, another but make it stronger!¡± Amelia shouted at the bartender. ¡°Yes.¡± The bartender calmly nodded. ¡°C-Cold? I find that hard to believe. It looked like he couldn¡¯t love you two any more than he does already.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Reina suddenly looked irritated. ¡°Bartender, give something stronger! Like she¡¯s having!¡± She pointed at Fraus and said. ¡°Coming up.¡± Bartender still remained calm. Looks like he had experience with dealing with these kinds of situations. ¡°That bastard hasn¡¯t talked to us in over a week. He only gave simple replies whenever we asked him something. It pisses me off.¡± Reina complained. ¡°Not only that, he¡¯s barely home too. I mean he normally hangs out at night but he isn¡¯t even home in the day anymore.¡± Amelia nodded. The two took their drinks from the bartender and chug it down like the first ones. ¡°I see.¡± Fraus had a troubled look on her face. ¡°You guys kinda sound like wives who believe that their husband is cheating on them.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± The two of them stood up and came up close in Fraus¡¯s face. ¡°Who would marry that guy?!¡± ¡°That insensitive bastard!¡± They shouted. They then turned around and again. ¡°Bartender!¡± ¡°Yes, Yes. I have some new drinks right here.¡± The bartender placed the drinks on the counter with a smile. ¡°Oh, good job.¡± The girls took the drinks with flushed faces and was about to drink but stopped and looked at Fraus. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you drinking?¡± ¡°Ah, no. I was just busy watching you two.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up with that?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who told us to drink?¡± The girls approached Fraus with menacing looks. ¡°Now that I think about it. That idiot¡¯s attitude suddenly changed after you left.¡± Amelia said. ¡°Now that I think about it, you¡¯re right. Could it be that you¡¯re the cause?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The girls surrounded Fraus. ¡°As punishment, I think you need to spend the night with us.¡± Reina said as wiggled her fingers. She looked like a rich young master who wanted to play with an innocence woman that caught his eye. ¡°That isn¡¯t a bad idea.¡± The two of them approached Fraus with an intoxicated look in their eyes. ¡°Oh no! They¡¯re drunk!¡± Fraus caught on what was going on, but she was too late. The two pounced at her and started pouring their drinks down her throat. ¡°Hahaha! Drink! Drink!¡± ¡°Feel our pain!¡± The two laughed and said. The bartender stood behind the counter placing more drinks on the counter every time the girls ran out of liquor to drink. He was all smiles as if he was amused by the scene. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The girls laughed as they played with their victim getting more and more drunk together. Fraus had long lost track of how many glass of liquor she was forced to drink. Surprisingly enough, she didn¡¯t mind it for long and started drinking with the girls willing. They poured each other drinks down the other¡¯s throats and even started sharing drinks mouth to mouth, and would laugh immediately after. As if they had forgotten everything, the three of them went on to enjoy themselves in the club becoming the life of the party. They danced, laughed, and sung together while making sure to get a drink in occasionally. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Someone was standing in a corner of the club looking at them without much expression on his face. He was Shancai. He looked at the bartender who gave him a thumbs up. (No. I know I told you help them loosen up with some drinks, but don¡¯t you think you overdid it?) Shancai thought to himself. The girls were on the dance floor, dancing seductively with each other. After watching them for a while he turned around and walked back to Griselda¡¯s office. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Griselda immediately asked when he came in. ¡°¡­.Alcohol is a hell of a thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± 85th Night: White Tiger ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Amelia groaned while opening her eyes. She immediately felt a massive headache when she tried to get up. She lay back down and stared at an unfamiliar ceiling. ¡°Where am I?¡± She mumbled after much difficulty. ¡°Hm?¡± She turned her head and saw that someone was sleeping beside her. ¡°?!¡± She was immediately alarmed because she couldn¡¯t tell who it was because their head was covered with a blanket. ¡°Huh? Um¡­Eh?¡± She tried to process the information, but her brain just couldn¡¯t comprehend her situation. ¡°C-C-Calm down, Elia. It might not be what you think. First, let¡¯s confirm whether you¡¯re naked or not¡­¡± She took a deep breath and lifted the covers and looked at her body. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She silently leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. (I¡¯m as naked as the day I was born!) Her voice echoed in her head like roaring thunder. ¡°Ahh~. It¡¯s over. I got drunk a slept with a stranger. I¡¯m no different from Rory. No, it¡¯s worse because I was a virgin.¡± She mumbled with lifeless eyes. ¡°?¡± She felt some movement on the opposite side and looked to her left. There saw a different bump under the covers. ¡°?!¡± It was like her brain exploded in that moment and her body shook like she was hit with an attack. (Forget about being like Rory! I¡¯m a fully certified bitch!) Her thoughts once again thunder in her head. ¡°What an unbelievably outrageous way to lose my virginity! I can¡¯t look Rory in the face after this!¡± That¡¯s when she felt something rub against her foot. She sat up and saw a pair of legs sticking out of the covers. These feet weren¡¯t her own nor did they belonged to neither of the two persons beside her. That only meant one thing. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± At this point, Amelia¡¯s eyes were already dead. She swung her hand to the side and created a blade out of Anima. ¡°¡­..At this point, I can only kill them and kill myself.¡± As she was about to carry out the act, the person on her left got up with a groan. ¡°Ugh¡­.Can you shut up? I have a killer headache.¡± ¡°Reina?!¡± On her right was the sleepy Reina. She sat up and allowed the covers to fall off her and revealed naked torso. ¡°What?¡± Amelia gestured for her to look down. She did and looked at Amelia in silence. ¡°¡­¡­Well, it was bound to happen eventually.¡± ¡°Like hell it was!¡± ¡°Can you two shut up?!¡± At that moment, Fraus who was to her right got up and shouted angrily. She held her head. ¡°You guys forced me to drink, so the least you could do is let me sleep.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. She complained. ¡°She¡¯s also naked.¡± ¡°Oh, I did good.¡± Amelia and Reina said respectively. ¡°You know, I¡¯m starting to think that you¡¯re not much different from Rory.¡± Amelia frowned and said to Reina. She then held her chest and sighed in relief. ¡°Anyway, this is good. I don¡¯t have to commit murder-suicide now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Both girls were both confused and shocked by her words. ¡°Hm? Wait¡­.Then who¡¯s at my feet.¡± Reina and Fraus also realized that someone was at the end of the bed. As they were about to lift the cover, the final person got up and looked at everyone with a sleepy look. ¡°Griselda?!¡± The girls minus Fraus were shocked to see who it was. ¡°Good morning.¡± Griselda smiled and looked at them. ¡°Well, this is surprising even for me.¡± Reina said. ¡°Last night was pretty fun, having three beauties for myself.¡± Griselda said with a smile. ¡°Um¡­.did we?¡± Amelia asked hesitantly. ¡°Yeah. You guys were pretty wild too. I guess you were pretty pent up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t count.¡± Amelia chanted to herself over and over again. ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything¡­.Tsk.¡± Reina clicked her tongue in irritation which made Amelia look at her funny. (I think I need to keep an eye on this one.) ¡°Fraus, you don¡¯t seem too shaken up by this.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m used to it. Madam, loves to play around with pretty women after all.¡± ¡°¡­.I see. I¡¯m surrounded by horny women.¡± *Knock Knock!* They heard a knock at the door. ¡°Oh, that must be Shancai.¡± Griselda said. ¡°Shancai? Does he knows about this?¡± ¡°Yeah. He brought you guys here after you passed out at the club. I came in to check on you when you guys were playing around. I couldn¡¯t contain myself so I joined in. Oh, you also throw up on him.¡± Griselda said. ¡°Ahh~!¡± Amelia held her face which was burning red and screamed. That¡¯s when the door opened and Shancai walked in. ¡°If you¡¯re awake at least respond.¡± He said ignoring the girls who were hiding their bodies under the covers. ¡°If you¡¯re done playing around, get dress so that we can talk about some serious business.¡± ¡°Come on, I wanted to play around again.¡± Griselda complained. Shancai looked at her pleading expression and coldly said- ¡°Don¡¯t make me roast you.¡± After saying that, he left. ¡°Okay, everyone! Let¡¯s get dress so that we can discuss some stuff!¡± Griselda then climbed out of the bed and started searching for her clothes. ¡°I wonder who¡¯s the boss.¡± Reina mumbled to herself. The girls washed up and got dressed before leaving the room. When they got out they saw Shancai reading a newspaper while leaning on a wall. ¡°You took too long.¡± He handed the paper to Griselda. ¡°Is there something in it?¡± She looked at the title and frowned. ¡°Silver Bullet declares war on the Black Dogs!¡± That was what the title read. ¡°Silver Bullet are Tony Gambino¡¯s gang right?¡± Amelia and Reina looked over Griselda¡¯s shoulder and read the paper. Griselda fold it up and tuck it away. ¡°Looks like it really isn¡¯t the time to be playing around.¡± She mumbled. She then turned and face the girls. ¡°Fraus was supposed to handle this last night, but you already know what happened.¡± She smiled. ¡°Amelia Rosa, Reina Megal. Let¡¯s talk some business.¡± Amelia and Reina immediately put themselves on guard. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use. We have video footage of you two calling each other¡¯s names and cursing Devil King Rory.¡± Shancai lifted a smartphone playing a video of the girls cursing Rory while shaking the unconscious Fraus. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The girls didn¡¯t have anything to say. ¡°Alcohol is a hell of a thing.¡± Shancai said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m never drinking again.¡± Amelia cursed and Reina nodded in agreement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like we want to blackmail you or anything.¡± Griselda said. She suddenly popped up behind the girls and wrapped her arms around their shoulders. ¡°?!¡± The girls were shocked because they couldn¡¯t even see when she moved much less react to it. ¡°But to think the cute girls I saw accompanying the Devil King in the newspapers would appear in front of me like this.¡± She looked at the girls and then pulled them closer to her. ¡°I think this is fate.¡± She said while laughing. (This woman, I can¡¯t beat her.) The girls thought to themselves. ¡°But it would explain why lord Aniket was so terrifying. It was the Devil King all along.¡± Fraus had a complicated expression on her face. ¡°I now know why Aniket sounded so familiar. It was Rory. I haven¡¯t seen him in forever.¡± Shancai said. ¡°Huh? Shancai, you know the Devil King?¡± Griselda was surprisingly the one who asked. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve met a few times, but that was before he became Rory. So he might not remember.¡± ¡°What do you mean became Rory?¡± Amelia asked. Shancai didn¡¯t answer, which made her frown. ¡°Wait¡­.Rory became known as Devil King Rory over a century ago¡­.How old are you if you met him before that?¡± ¡°Aniket and I are around the same age.¡± (Another fossil!) The girls shouted in their heads. ¡°Hm? Why do I feel like you¡¯re thinking something really rude?¡± ¡°Never.¡± The girls quickly replied. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re not here to talk about Shancai¡¯s past.¡± Griselda butted in. ¡°I have a proposition for you two.¡± ¡°What kind?¡± ¡°How would you like to join White Tiger?¡± ¡°White Tiger?¡± ¡°Byakko is fine too.¡± ¡°Griselda, you¡¯re getting ahead of yourself.¡± Shancai interrupted. He then went on to explain. ¡°In this city, there are several forces. Pearl St.Claire¡¯s Pink Spider, Tony Gambino¡¯s Silver Bullet, Lucas Emilio¡¯s Golden Fly, and Cesare Mori¡¯s and Benito Mussolini¡¯s Black Dogs. They make up the Three Dons and this city¡¯s law enforcement.¡± He pointed at Griselda. ¡°There¡¯s another independent force quick on the raise that wants to topple them all and stand at the top.¡± ¡°That¡¯s us, White Tiger.¡± Griselda added. ¡°We¡¯ll defeat everyone and rule this city.¡± 86th Night: Cugine City Origins ¡°Defeat everyone?¡± Griselda¡¯s words came as a shock to Amelia and Reina. They immediately realized that this woman who owned a popular club was planning on taking on the top dogs in the city. Normally that would seem ridiculous, but when you have someone as powerful Griselda is that woman, they couldn¡¯t find it funny. ¡°¡­.Why do you want to conquer the city?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Hm¡­.Conquer isn¡¯t the right word. It¡¯s more like liberating.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Seeing that the girl didn¡¯t know what she meant, Griselda released them and took a few steps back. ¡°Tell me, girls, what do you think of Cugine City?¡± ¡°What do we think? Well, it seems like a city that has many different sides to it.¡± Amelia replied. ¡°While there are some dangerous elements here and there, there¡¯s a lot of good things about it as well.¡± ¡°In other words, it¡¯s just like any other city.¡± Reina added. ¡°That¡¯s good answers, but I wouldn¡¯t give it a full mark.¡± The look in Griselda¡¯s eyes changed and she no longer seemed like that beautiful woman who loved to play around. ¡°This city is consumed by darkness. Not just one darkness, but multiple darknesses coming together. The mayor, the police force, the Three Dons, and finally me. Our darknesses came together and devoured this city.¡± She smiled. ¡°Did you know? This darkness is nothing compared to the darkness that devoured everything 20 years ago? That darkness wasn¡¯t the combination of many dark desires like the one that clouds the city now. That darkness was purely from one individual.¡± She paused a little before bitterly speaking the name. ¡°Salvatore Riina, the man known as the Don of all Dons.¡± ¡°Salvatore Riina?¡± Amelia mumbled the name. Griselda nodded. ¡°Salvatore was the untouchable beast who ruled this city with an iron fist. Back then the city generated more money because of his countless criminal operations. Yet, the people were miserable. That was because his unreasonable dictatorship crushed the lives of countless people.¡± She looked up at the ceiling. ¡°The day Salvatore was brought to an end, that was the happiest day of my life. It was probably the happiest day of many persons¡¯ lives as well. There were peace and the darkness engulfing the city vanish. But it came back in different forms.¡± She looked back at the girls. ¡°I intend to liberate the city from this darkness once more. For that to happen, I want to crush those who stand at the top.¡± ¡°What will you do next? Will you rule the city?¡± Reina asked. Griselda shook her head. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t free this city. My hands have been tainted in too much blood for me to lead this city.¡± ¡°Every great leader had to stain their hands in blood every now and again.¡± Amelia said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that. For me, a great leader will find ways to make everyone happy without meaningless slaughter. After I take the city, I want to find such a person and have them take the reins and steer the city in the right direction. When I find them, I want to stand behind them and give them the push they need.¡± ¡°That sounds difficult. Suppose the person you pick isn¡¯t right for the job like you thought?¡± ¡°Then I would replace them.¡± ¡°Then what if you were wrong again? Are you willing to continue replacing them until you find the right person? That would be equivalent to tying your life to this city forever.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to do that. I¡¯m willing to live in the shadows and quietly watch over this city for all of eternity.¡± ¡°You sound like you want to become a god.¡± Reina said. Griselda looked stumped for a bit, but she soon burst out laughing. ¡°Hahaha! I guess I¡¯m really trying to become a god.¡± She placed her hand over her chest. ¡°But you know, I¡¯m willing to become a god or even the devil if I can protect this city.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The girls remained quiet for a bit. Griselda was obviously serious. She was willing to do anything to watch over the city. ¡°Why do you love this city so much?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Believe it or not, I once hated this city and prayed for its destruction over and over again. But when I was at my lowest with no one to rely on, it was the people of this city that saved me and gave me the will to survive. I want to repay them for that.¡± ¡°¡­..I see.¡± Griselda¡¯s words were sincere, there was no trickery behind them. She honestly loved this city. ¡°¡­..Can you give us some time?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°We can¡¯t just make an important decision like this.¡± ¡°Alright. I know I¡¯m asking for much, but please consider it.¡± The girls nodded with serious expressions. (Looks like things are about to get really messy.) Elsewhere, Rory was still hanging around with Pearl in her office. This time he was examining a gun in his hand. ¡°This thing is pretty well made. Was it really made in this city?¡± ¡°Yeah. Tony hired some genius gunsmith named Cole. He and his apprentices have made guns that rival some of the top weapons makers in the world.¡± ¡°Cole, huh? Do you want to kill him?¡± ¡°Cole?¡± Rory nodded. ¡°If you did wouldn¡¯t Tony lose a big asset? It would surely weaken him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Cole is never that far from Tony. To kill him you need to kill Tony first.¡± ¡°I see. So he knows how to protect his most valuable assets. That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Good?¡± ¡°Yeah. If your competition was stupid it wouldn¡¯t take much to destroy them if I stepped in.¡± Rory put down the gun. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to brag, but I¡¯m a super genius. My intellect rivals gods.¡± ¡°That easily surpasses bragging. You¡¯re just blowing your own horn.¡± Pearl swung her hand and a wire wrapped around the gun in Rory¡¯s hand. She pulled it out of his hand and caught it. ¡°Stingy much.¡± Rory said with a frown. ¡°Like I care.¡± Pearl rolled her eyes and put the gun away. ¡°Say, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been curious about for a while now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This city. It didn¡¯t exist back when I roamed this continent. Where did it come from and who built it? There¡¯s also the Golden Breath Villa. It obviously has some impressive background considering that it¡¯s pretty rich.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? I thought that someone of your status would¡¯ve already known who created this city before you came here.¡± Pearl suddenly smiled, when he saw her smile Rory got a bit upset because it was a mocking smile. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that for the last couple weeks you¡¯ve been besting me in everything we compete in like chess, sharpshooting, trivia. It just feels good to know something you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Are you going to tell me or not?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? The big bad Devil King doesn¡¯t like to be teased.¡± Pearl burst out laughing. ¡°Well, the city and the Golden Breath Villa kinda have the same origin.¡± She started talking after seeing that Rory was getting upset. ¡°The Villa was built in the city less than a year after it was created, by the same person who created the city.¡± ¡°Then how are you guys able to do as you in the city but can¡¯t touch the villa?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because the city was made for anyone to come and live freely. The villa on the other was made to entertain its founder. Touching it is like touching their toy, and no sensible person would do that.¡± ¡°And who is that?¡± Pearl smirked. ¡°You just boast that you were a super genius. Don¡¯t tell me that you can¡¯t think of anyone.¡± ¡°Golden Winter Lion, Mihos.¡± Pearl¡¯s eyes opened wide after hearing Rory¡¯s answer. She then frowned. ¡°If you knew then why act you didn¡¯t?¡± Rory shrugged. ¡°I had my suspicions, but I wasn¡¯t sure.¡± ¡°How did you figure it out?¡± ¡°Well, a city like this couldn¡¯t just pop up out of nowhere. A powerful force needed to be behind it. Considering that this is the wild continent, Kashmir there¡¯s only one force who could do something like creating an independent city.¡± ¡°The Beast Emperors.¡± Rory nodded. ¡°If it¡¯s a Beast Emperor then it would explain why everyone was scared of the messing with the villa. However, the current state of this city is what made me doubt my own deduction. But if the city was created just to house the villa, then it makes sense. The question was now which emperor would build such a thing.¡± ¡°How did you arrive at Emperor Mihos? Any emperor would do the same thing.¡± ¡°True. The emperors are egotistic bastards like myself. Any of them would build a city like this just for the fun of it and abandon it.¡± (You just called yourself an egotistic bastard¡­..Well, at least he knows.) ¡°The reason I figured that it was Mihos is actually pretty simple.¡± Rory lift up a finger. ¡°It¡¯s the name of the villa.¡± ¡°The villa¡¯s name? Golden Breath? What¡¯s special about it?¡± ¡°I said it earlier, didn¡¯t I? Beast Emperors are egotistic bastards. Which means that if they were going to create something they care about, they would mostly name it something that represents them.¡± ¡°Represent them¡­.Golden Breath¡­.Golden Winter Lion¡­I see.¡± Pearl looked like she got it. ¡°Golden. Of all the Emperors Mihos is the only one with Golden in his alias.¡± ¡°Also, in the old days winter was considered the cold breath of gods. So it had to be him.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. You¡¯re actually smart.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ignore that comment. But I only figured it out this way because I didn¡¯t know who it was. Since you were in the know, you would¡¯ve noticed the obvious connection.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Rory has an amused smile on his face. ¡°But the Golden Winter Lion, huh? With such a terrifying man behind them, I¡¯m surprised Jane took my bribe. Well, she probably wanted to step up in life as well.¡± He mumbled. ¡°Have you¡¯ve ever met Emperor Mihos before?¡± Pearl asked. ¡°Yeah, a few times.¡± ¡°What¡¯s he like?¡± ¡°Cold and intense.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking. Everyone who met him for the first time always has the same impression. He¡¯s cold and intense.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s the Emperor of all the Werecats and the most powerful ice user in the world so I guess it makes sense.¡± ¡°That bastard, just standing in front of him made it feel like I was being attacked by a pride of lions. If you¡¯re not mentally prepared, his frosty and wild aura will either freeze you to death or rip you apart. Of all the Emperors I met, he and Zahak are probably the most violent.¡± Rory¡¯s mood started to sour when he remembered Zahak who was responsible for defeating the entirety of Pandemonium. ¡°Meeting an emperor, huh?¡± ¡°What? Do you idolize the Emperors?¡± ¡°Of course, I especially like Bennu. I heard that she¡¯s incredibly beautiful when she flies across the sky. Some say that the sun follows wherever she goes.¡± Rory smiled when he saw the girlish expression on the normally harden Pearl. (I guess that she¡¯s starting to see me as a friend.) He thought. He looked at her eyepatch and frowned. ¡°You could¡¯ve probably moved my heart if it wasn¡¯t for that eyepatch.¡± Pearl looked at Rory who looked a bit upset. ¡°Say, the person who took your eye, are they still alive? If so, I might need to pay them a visit and have them answer for damaging a beautiful gem like yourself.¡± Pearl shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s not alive anymore.¡± She started staring in space. ¡°That monster is long gone.¡± A memory of a burning building surface in her mind. Around her were countless dead bodies and blood everywhere. She looked at the two boys beside her and screamed their names. ¡°Tony, Lucas?!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re the three rookies who have been causing trouble in my city.¡± In front of her was a mountain of a man. A beast walking on two legs. The beast looked at the trembling Pearl and laugh. ¡°It¡¯s time for you brats to know your place.¡± She tried to escape but it was no place. The beast had held her in his grasp. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Reminded of the memory from long ago, Pearl¡¯s eye started to ache. ¡°Salvatore Riina.¡± 87th Night: Lucas Emilio ¡°Salvatore Riina?¡± Rory thought about the name but he couldn¡¯t recall ever hearing it before. ¡°If you didn¡¯t know about this city then the chances of you knowing about Salvatore is slim.¡± Pearl said seeing his expression. ¡°Salvatore was a monster, to say the least. A lot of people, Beast Emperors included, thought that he was destined to be an emperor.¡± ¡°Oh? Then he must¡¯ve been quite something. Tell me, was he evolved?¡± Pearl didn¡¯t answer immediately it seemed that Salvatore was a traumatic memory. ¡°Forget I asked.¡± Rory decided to change the topic. ¡°I heard a funny rumor once.¡± ¡°Rumor?¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard that the Three Dons were originally best friends who grew up together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Pearl answered immediately. ¡°I wasn¡¯t born here. My parents lived in the woodlands among a village of high elves, who accepted them when they were on the run. They came here when I was around two to find work. However, they died in a gas explosion at the factory they worked when I was only six. I met those two, Lucas and Tony around that time.¡± Despite grimacing when recalling her parents'' death, just mentioning meeting Tony and Lucas made her smile. This didn¡¯t miss Rory¡¯s eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you had an ordinary falling out. You don¡¯t look like someone talking about her enemies but a girl reminiscing about her friends.¡± Rory smiled. ¡°It looks like this whole Three Dons thing is more complicated than it seems.¡± At the same time, outside of Spider Banking. A man dressed in black and white and holding a briefcase stood across the street looking at the building. He was the man known as the Twilight King, the bounty hunter acknowledged by the Sacred Army, Lucian Erebus. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± He silently stared at the building as if he was observing something. After a while, he showed a bright smile. ¡°Found you.¡± ¡°?!¡± Rory suddenly stood up in Pearl¡¯s office. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± He turned around and looked out the tinted windows. He looked around and spotted a man dressed in and black and white tuxedo. It was Lucian. ¡°Pearl, come here for a bit.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Pearl walked over to the window and Rory pointed at Lucian who was across the street with a smile on his face. ¡°Do you recognize that man?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Pearl looked at Lucian with a confused expression. ¡°He does look familiar.¡± ¡°Think hard and try and remember.¡± Pearl noticed that Rory was a bit flustered and felt that she should try and help him out. So she looked at Lucian and tried her best to remember. ¡°Ah!¡± Her hard work paid off. ¡°Lucian Erebus the Twilight King!¡± ¡°Did you say Erebus?¡± Pearl nodded. ¡°He¡¯s a famous bounty hunter. They say that his strength rivals a General in the Sacred Army.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. (A General?) Rory nodded while looking at Lucian. (Makes sense. In my prime, I was in-between a Sacred General and Lieutenant General¡­.This guy is indeed above me in strength. If we fought I would lose 7 out 10 times.) ¡°I wonder why someone like that is¡­.¡± Pearl immediately realized something. ¡°He¡¯s here for your bounty?¡± She saw that Rory had a very serious expression and thought that was the case. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s here for my bounty. This is something personal.¡± A dangerous grin appeared on Rory¡¯s face, which frightened Pearl. The aura around was similar to a beast which reminded her of the man who traumatize her years ago. ¡°Pearl, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lucian and Rory has similar wild grins on their faces. ¡°Looks like I have to break our promise.¡± He drew a circle on the glass and that portion of the glass was cut clean and fell down and shattered on the ground. ¡°I might have to wreck this city after all.¡± He stepped through the window and had half of his body outside the building. ¡°Rory, wait!¡± Pearl tried to grab him but she was too slow. Rory jumped outside side. ¡°If we don¡¯t meet again, take care.¡± *Bam!* He shot through the air like a rocket causing an explosive sound to ring out. He quickly appeared in front of Lucian and prepared to throw a kick. ¡°?!¡± However, before he could fully swing his leg, Lucian¡¯s forearm was pressing on his neck. He was hit with a lariat. At that moment it felt that time froze for the two of them. Rory has yet to feel the force of the attack he was hit with. ¡°Consider this a greeting.¡± *Bam!* Rory was flung into to the air and Lucian was right behind him. He slammed his fists in Rory¡¯s stomach and turned him into a rocket. *Bam!* All the windows in the surrounding buildings shattered and hurricane-like winds blew countless people off their feet. Pearl looked and realized that Rory was nowhere to be seen. She soon realized what happened when Lucian flew outside the city leaving a white path in the air. ¡°Rory was punched outside the city?!¡± Same time somewhere in the city. Someone was looking up at the sky observing the white streak of light that was stretching across. It was a tall muscular dark-skinned man with golden hair and eyes. He looked human and was dressed in a dazzling white suit with a golden fly on the back that sparkled under the sun. ¡°Don, is something the matter?¡± The man was walking with a group of well-dressed individuals. One of them asked him such a question after seeing him staring in the sky. ¡°No, something just caught my attention.¡± The man replied while turning his head from the sky. ¡°Have you¡¯ve found them yet?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re inside that apartment.¡± One of the men pointed at the apartment across the street from them. ¡°I see.¡± The man suddenly leaped across the road and landed on the other side of the street. He pulled his arm back and threw a punch. *BOOM!* The entire building shook and thick cracks spread across it like glass and everything started crumbling down. People started panicking and trying their best to escape. Waves of dust spread out but neither it or the falling debris could dirty his clothes. He stood there calmly with his hands in his pocket. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± After everything came crumbling down, several groans could be heard coming from under the debris. The man started walking on the debris ignoring the limbs of people trying to get out. He walked straight over to where he saw a thick arm and pulled out the person who was attached to it. It was a bald-headed black man. He was covered in blood from head to toe. ¡°Ricky, long time no see.¡± ¡°Lucas Emilio¡­.¡± The man, one of the Three Dons, Lucas looked at the man and smiled. ¡°Ricky, you stole some of my products. Where are they? If you answer honestly, I¡¯ll leave your family alone.¡± Lucas smiling face and beaming golden eyes made Ricky feel like there was no oxygen around him. As if he was in deep space. ¡°I sold it!¡± ¡°To who?¡± ¡°El Blancas! I sold it to the El Blancas!¡± ¡°El Blancas?¡± Lucas nodded. Without saying anything more he threw Ricky up in the air and smashed his head like a watermelon with his fist. He then wiped off his hand with a handkerchief and turned to face his men behind him. ¡°Send I message to El Blancas. They have until tomorrow to give me back my drugs and pay me for emotional distress. If they refuse they can no longer do business in my territory and I¡¯ll also put out a bounty of 100,000 Ani on each of their heads.¡± ¡°Yes, Don.¡± A couple men ran off to complete the tasks issued out by Lucas. Lucas looked back at the headless Ricky. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, Ricky. I thought that we could make lots of money together. But you allowed a moment of greed to get in the way of your long term wealth.¡± He turned around and walked away. ¡°Pay for the funeral expenses. I remembered that he had a bright kid, look after him for a bit, but don¡¯t make it known where the money came from.¡± ¡°Yes, Don.¡± Lucas continued walking. ¡°People are stupid sometimes. My gang is different from Tony¡¯s you don¡¯t need to leave it in a body bag. And while you can¡¯t just walk away like Pearl¡¯s, all you need to do is pay. Buy back your freedom and I won¡¯t harass you or interfere in your life. Yet, idiots still choose to flee.¡± He sighed. ¡°It must be because I¡¯ve softened up a bit. People tend to forget the days when I rolled dozens of heads a day.¡± He stopped. ¡°Could that be it, Tony?¡± Standing in front of him was his childhood friend and fellow Don, Tony Gambino. ¡°A soft boss is a frequently disrespected boss.¡± Tony replied. ¡°But you have balls, Lucas. To think you would run wild in my territory. It seems I¡¯m the soft one.¡± ¡°I thought my old friend would understand.¡± ¡°I do mind, Superfly.¡± ¡°Then, my apologies, Godfather.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± They then moved at the same time. Tony drew his silver Glock while golden brass knuckles appeared on Lucas¡¯ hand. Tony pointed his gun at Lucas¡¯ head while Lucas¡¯ fist was resting on Tony¡¯s temple. ¡°Pearl would probably cry if she saw us now.¡± Lucas said. ¡°Pearl? I don¡¯t know that bitch.¡± Tony smiled. ¡°I told you this already when I answered your request to meet. You two are dead to me. Currently, there¡¯s nothing I want more than to put a bullet in your heads.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°I already tried to make things right countless times already. Can¡¯t it go back to how it was before?¡± Rage flashed in Tony¡¯s eyes for a second before quickly disappearing. He sighed and brought down his gun to side and turned his back to Lucas and walked away. ¡°Silver Bullet has a no-nonsense policy against traitor. That should answer your question.¡± He left leaving Lucas with a sour expression. 88th Night: Decision *BAM!* On the wild continent Kashmir, majority of the continent was uninhabited. That was because the continent was too big and also Beastmen had a survival of the fittest rule so many died on a daily basis. These uninhabited places, as well as the scarcely populated places, are known as the wildlands. Currently, in a wildland deafening explosions echoed through the area. *BAM!* Another explosion was created, causing large plots of the ground to lift up into the air and be blown away. *BAM!* Two streaks of light were clashing against each other with a blinding speed. One was white while the other was black. They collided, forced each other back, and collided again. Each time they clashed a huge portion of the wildland was uprooted and blown to pieces. ¡°Hah~! Hah~!¡± Rory appeared from the black streak breathing heavily. His clothes were torn to pieces, his hair was messy, and blood stained his body. He looked worse than a homeless person. ¡°Grr!¡± He clenched his teeth and leaped into the air to avoid the white streak. The white streak bent immediately after missing him and went straight at him. ¡°Ah!¡± Rory lifted his right leg up and swung down his heel with all of his strength. *BAM!* His heel clashed with the white streak and forced it into the ground. ¡°Black Orochi!¡± He stretched his fingers out and the black Orochi appeared behind him with all eight heads gathering Anima in their mouths. Rory swung his arm down and the Orochi fired eight lasers from its mouth at where the white streak had crashed. *BOOM!* A huge explosion further destroyed the wildlands leaving a massive crater in the ground. ¡°That was pretty good.¡± Lucian suddenly appeared by Rory and avoided a palm strike that Rory was laying in wait to use. He then slammed his hand on Rory¡¯s chest. ¡°Twilight Palm.¡± *BAM!* Black and white light burst out of Rory¡¯s back. ¡°Cough?!¡± He threw up a huge amount of blood and started falling towards the ground. Lucian grabbed his face and accelerate his fall by pushing him down. *BAM!* Rory¡¯s head smashed into the ground and caused it to burst open. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve caught you.¡± Lucian said with a bloody grin. He wasn¡¯t much better half than Rory. He too looked worst than a homeless man. However, he was obviously far more lively. ¡°You¡­.damn¡­..bastard!¡± Rory grabbed his arm that was pressing his head into the ground. ¡°Hahaha! You can still keep going?!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Dark anima rushed out of his body and Rory lifted his upper body forcing Lucian back. *BAM!* Lucian punched him in the face with his free hand to force him back down, but Rory didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Quake World!¡± *BAM!* Tsunami sized shockwaves rush out of Rory¡¯s body and spread in every direction. ¡°Cough?!¡± Lucian coughed up a mouthful of blood which splashed on Rory¡¯s face. The area they were in started to look like they were in an abstract painting. Everything was being bent out of shape before bursting under the pressure. Lucian¡¯s body started to twist and bend as well. It looked like he could break at any moment.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What a powerful attack.¡± He grinned while blood seeping from his nose, mouth, and eyes. ¡°As expected of you.¡± He swung his arm which carried a white light down across Rory¡¯s chest. A large cut appeared and blood sprayed from it almost endlessly. The shockwaves instantly started to weaken. Lucian was able to stand up and lift Rory off the ground. He threw him up like a doll. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can use Quake Techniques!¡± He swung his arm when Rory was right beside him and hit him with a quake fist. *BAM!* ¡°?!¡± However, it¡¯s Lucian¡¯s arm that instantly bent irregularly until his bones started sticking out of his flesh. His arm fell down at his waist swinging side to side. ¡°Huh?¡± While Lucian was shocked, Rory fell on the ground breathing heavily. Lucian looked at his now worthless arm with shock. ¡°Reverse Quake. You sent my own Quake attack back at me.¡± His grin only became bigger. ¡°This is god level talent. I¡¯m amazed that someone with unlimited potential when he was back home hasn¡¯t become a god yet. Looks like the road to godhood is far more difficult than I thought.¡± ¡°¡­.S-Shut up and fight..¡± Rory struggled to his feet. His blood has already stained the earth permanently. Yet there was a strong will to fight in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are or how you know who I am, but I¡¯m gonna send you packing, brat.¡± His Anima once again increased. He kicked off the ground with godly speed and instantly appeared in front of Lucian. Lucian shouted with his arms spread wide. ¡°Come, my idol! Let¡¯s force this continent out of the sky!¡± *BAM!* A massive explosion devoured the wildlands and shook everything dozens of miles near it. Cugine City, Golden Breath Villa. ¡°Welcome back, Madam.¡± Amelia was greeted by the three maids Emilia, Sade, and Casey the moment she stepped inside the mansion. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± She looked around the mansion as if she was searching for something. ¡°Aniket isn¡¯t here.¡± Reina walked downstairs and said while sucking on a popsicle. ¡°It¡¯s been over a week now.¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± ¡°No. That idiot might just be messing around again.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m worried.¡± Reina sat on the couch and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I¡¯ve gotten use to seeing his face, but I just can¡¯t calm down.¡± ¡°¡­..I know how you feel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re being honest.¡± Reina said with a small chuckle. ¡°Shut up. After you were being so honest, I would seem heartless if I continued to deny it.¡± Amelia also sat down at the couch. ¡°Ahhh, dammit! Where did that bastard go?!¡± She shouted in frustration. ¡°And here we have something important to discuss with him too.¡± Reina sighed and took a bite of the popsicle she was eating. ¡°Griselda¡¯s offer huh? I think we¡¯ve made them wait long enough.¡± ¡°I was about to say the same thing, but I can¡¯t really focus at all like this.¡± Reina placed her hand over her chest. ¡°Whenever I think about the chance of Rory leaving us forever, my chest tightens and my heart aches. It¡¯s pretty painful too.¡± ¡°That idiot won¡¯t leave us. No matter how much of a bastard he is, he would never abandon us¡­..right?¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re not sure yourself?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°If I may.¡± The head maid, Emilia spoke up. ¡°There¡¯s a chance that lord Aniket has something urgent to deal with and had to leave temporarily.¡± ¡°Urgent? Like what?¡± ¡°Could he have gone to meet Guanyin? He did say that he was waiting on something before he could meet her.¡± ¡°He did say that, didn¡¯t he? Maybe that something happened earlier than he expected. So he had to leave?¡± ¡°That is possible.¡± Emilia said with a nodded. ¡°Either way, Lord Aniket isn¡¯t an ordinary individual. I don¡¯t see him dying just like that.¡± ¡°Dying? Why did you mention him dying?¡± Amelia asked with a frown. ¡°Well, this is the Kashmir Continent. There are countless monsters crawling about. Some who would make Lord Aniket look like a baby in comparison. I¡¯m just saying-¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Amelia shouted. Her eyes had a beastly look to it which reminded one of a fierce tigress. ¡°Aniket won¡¯t die. No matter what.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Emilia smiled and stepped back and bowed. ¡°My apologies. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡± The other two maids behind her also bowed as well. ¡°That¡¯s okay. You were just trying to help.¡± Reina said. She stood up. ¡°But you¡¯re right, Elia. That idiot won¡¯t die no matter what. So we shouldn¡¯t waste our time worrying over nothing.¡± Amelia also stood up and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet, Griselda.¡± Griselda¡¯s. Because it was currently daytime, there wasn¡¯t the usual long line to get in. However, the bouncer named Ming was still waiting at the door. ¡°Honored Guests.¡± He cuffed his hands in front of him and bowed. The girls imitated him, since they realized that it was respectful form of greeting someone. Seeing the girls imitate him, Ming smiled. ¡°Madam is waiting in the back. You may go and meet with her.¡± ¡°Thanks, Ming.¡± The girls walked inside the club and saw that it was empty like they expected. Inside where a lot of people wearing suits talking among themselves while they drank, smoked, and entertained each other. When they saw the girls they nodded as a form of greeting. ¡°Looks like these are Griselda¡¯s people.¡± Amelia mumbled. She looked around and noticed that there were a lot of weapons like guns and swords casually laying around. These were things you wouldn¡¯t find in the club at night. The girls approached the back door that led to Griselda¡¯s office and knocked on it. ¡°Come in.¡± Griselda¡¯s melodic voice could be heard coming from inside the office. The girls looked at each other and nodded. Reina opened the door and the two walked in together. The moment they entered they could see Griselda sitting behind her desk with Fraus bracing her butt on it. Shancai was standing in the corner like he normally would. ¡°From the looks on your faces, looks like you two have made your decisions.¡± The girls nodded in unison. ¡°After thinking about it individually and talking it out together, we¡¯ve decided that we want to help you.¡± Griselda didn¡¯t looked elated like one would think she would, instead she asked a question. ¡°Your reason?¡± ¡°Our reason is simple, we just want help you because we like you.¡± Reina answered. ¡°We don¡¯t know the people of this city and honestly we don¡¯t really care about them, but seeing you trying so earnestly to help them make us want to help you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll overlook the attack at the mansion since it was partial Rory¡¯s fault.¡± Amelia looked at Fraus and said. ¡°So your reason isn¡¯t to help strangers, it¡¯s to help the person you like.¡± Griselda nodded with a smiling face. ¡°Mhm, Mhm. I like it. I¡¯m fine with that.¡± She stood up and walked around her desk and approached the girls. ¡°I knew I wasn¡¯t wrong about you too.¡± She hugged them while laughing. ¡°Welcome to Byakko, Amelia, Reina.¡± The girls smiled and spoke in unison. ¡°Thanks for having us.¡± 89th Night: Game On! In Cugine City, the Golden Breath Villa was undoubtedly the greatest place to live or even visit. This was because of the love Beast Emperor Mihos had to put into building and maintaining this place. However, there exists a place in the city that even though it couldn¡¯t rival it, it came pretty close. This place was known as the Silver Bullet Estate. The Silver Bullet Estate was located in the territory of Tony Gambino. As one could guess from the name, the estate was owned by Silver Bullet which was headed by Tony himself. ¡°Don, we¡¯ve received reports that the Black Dogs has been cracking down on your operations.¡± Inside the estate, Tony was sitting under a tree lining up something on a table in front of him. The estate was big enough to hold three soccer fields, was surrounded by 10ft high walls, had only one entrance which was a gold gate with a silver bullet in a crest and the letters SB on each side of the gate. Other than the area Tony sat, the estate was covered with men carrying high power guns and dressed in sharp suits. ¡°I see. Give me a damage report.¡± Tony ordered without looking at his beautiful assistant. ¡°Last week they raided multiple of our warehouses and seized our weapons. That cost us 200 million Ani. Five days ago, they started offering quite a few of our clients protection from us free of charge, costing us 350,000 Ani from extortion. They¡¯ve arrested nearly a hundred of our cadets from our militia and grant them a station bail of a combined 1 million Ani. Also, some of our clients have heard that they were targeting anyone doing business with us and has expressed their desire to part ways with us. That cost us 300 million Ani.¡± ¡°So in total, they¡¯ve cost me half of a billion Ani in only a month. As expected of the police force. If I didn¡¯t know any better I would think this is the hardest they¡¯ve worked since they were founded.¡± Tony continued to line up something on the table in front of him while praising his enemies. ¡°Don, What should we do?¡± ¡°What? Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± Tony stood up and looked at what he lined up on his table. They were Silver Bullets with names engraved on them. Lucas, Pearl, Benito, Cesare, Griselda, Shancai, Fraus, and Aniket. These eight names were on the bullets that were in front of him. He had a final bullet in his hand that he put down in front of all of them. Tony. He smiled and turned to his assistant. ¡°Gather everyone up and tell them to meet in front of the mansion. ¡°Yes, Don.¡± Around 15 minutes later, Tony was at the door of his 10 story mansion with countless people standing in front of him. They all looked relaxed, but they didn¡¯t show any openings that could be exploited. When all these people gathered together they seemed incredibly intimidating. ¡°Yo, guys.¡± ¡°Yo, Don!¡± The men replied in unison. ¡°What is our motto?¡± ¡°Death to all traitors! Death to our enemies! Death to ourselves!¡± Tony nodded at the lively responses he got. ¡°When we say death to ourselves, we don¡¯t mean suicide. We mean we¡¯ll do what we love until it kills us. And what is that?¡± ¡°To do what the fuck we wanna do!¡± He nodded. ¡°We of Silver Bullet are all the same. We lived meaningless boring lives. We¡¯ve only found pleasure in danger. We only feel alive when we¡¯re dying. Because of that everyone fears us and call us maniacs. Men, are we crazy?¡± ¡°Fucking insane!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Tony and his men burst out laughing. After a laugh, Tony put on a serious expression. ¡°Bugsy.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± Upon being called on, Bugsy, the man who Reina and Amelia almost got in a fight with at Griselda¡¯s club, stepped forward and kneeled in front of Tony. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to look at him. ¡°Bugsy, I heard that you cowered in front of Shancai and even let him beat up you and your squad.¡± ¡°Don, it was all because of a misunderstanding. Also, it was Shancai, since you ordered us to leave him alone I wanted to give him face.¡± ¡°Bugsy. You were afraid of him, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­..I was. I apologize.¡± ¡°For what? Being afraid? Everything feels fear so I¡¯m not angry about that.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Bugsy looked up at Tony with a smile. ¡°But what I¡¯m upset about is that you ordered your men to trail someone and ended up losing them to that Cesare. Those men weren''t supposed to die that way. If we die, we die a glorious death not because of unnecessary orders that lead to a meaningless death.¡± The smile on Bugsy¡¯s face froze and then tensed up when he found himself looking into Tony¡¯s gun nozzle.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°As such, Bugsy you don¡¯t deserve an honorable death.¡± *Bam!* Tony didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. He blew off Bugsy¡¯s head and then put away his gun. Everyone was silent after seeing the death of an underboss. ¡°I will not tolerate any foolish deaths. We are gangsters, we go out guns blazing. We all came together because we want to live and die as gangsters. Am I right?¡± ¡°Yes, Don!¡± ¡°Let me remind you. The only way to leave Silver Bullet is in a body bag!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Some people came up and removed Bugsy¡¯s body from in front of Tony. ¡°Now for the main reason, I gathered you all.¡± He looked around and smiled. ¡°Guess what boys, the Black Dogs have gotten tired of living. They want us to put them down with a shower of bullets.¡± Everyone started smiling. ¡°Let¡¯s grant their wish!¡± He waved his hand in front of him. ¡°I hereby declare a red alert! All of you are hereby free to do whatever you want!¡± His voice echoed in the estate. ¡°Kill, rob, destroy, do whatever you want! Don¡¯t care about territories, from now on everywhere in Cugine City is your playground!¡± The men started clenching their guns with trembling hands as wide grins appeared on their faces. They all looked like an army of demons getting ready to invade heaven. ¡°Silver Bullet¡­.!¡± A wide grin also appeared on Tony¡¯s face. With an insane look in his eyes, he shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°RUN WILD!¡± ¡°YES, DON!¡± That day, the excited voice of thousands of gangsters shook the estate and the surrounding area. Pink Spider Territory, Spider Banking. ¡°It¡¯s been almost two weeks.¡± Pearl was sitting in her office looking outside her window. This was the last place she saw Rory. He apologized to her gently and then spoke like a warrior marching to his death. Just remembering the scene made her feel depressed. ¡°Hah~.¡± She sighed and picked up a handheld game. It was something Rory left behind. ¡°He was annoying but at least I was never bored when he was around.¡± She looked at the game. ¡°Now that I think about it when was the last time I spent time idling with someone before he came here?¡­.. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was sticking around because he could see how lonely I was and took pity on me.¡± She put down the game. ¡°Lucian Erebus is a very powerful person. Rory might not survive against him¡­..should I go help?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± At that moment, she heard a new voice. She turned to the side and saw a blond woman with red eyes, and dressed like a maid. ¡°Madam Pearl, it¡¯s a pleasure meeting you.¡± The maid lifted the ends of her skirt and did an aristocratic bow. ¡°I¡¯m Lord Aniket¡¯s maid, Casey.¡± ¡°Aniket¡¯s?¡± ¡°Yes. Could you please get rid of these wires?¡± Casey stretched her hand out and pluck a barely visible wire in front of her. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Pearl looked at her silently before pulling her hand back. At that moment, dozens of wires that covered every inch of the room retreated back into the glove she was wearing. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Speak. What does a maid want from me?¡± ¡°I heard that you were friends with my master so I thought that I would share some information with you.¡± Casey smiled. ¡°Tony Gambino and Cesare Mori are planning to start a Third Mafia War.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not possible. We-¡± ¡°You guys have an agreed arrangement. The Three Dons and the Black Dogs won¡¯t directly clash in order to prevent the destruction of the city. However, Tony and Cesare want to break this agreement.¡± ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± ¡°You have no reason to. Just call your spies in Silver Bullet¡¯s territory and they¡¯ll tell you this.¡± Casey smirked. ¡°That place is now a living hell though.¡± Casey ¡¯s smile immediately reminded Pearl of Rory. It was terrifying and had pure madness lurking behind it. ¡°Madam, you lost everything at the hands of Salvatore Riina. Your eye, your home, your lover and you¡¯re friend. Now your friend is about to attempt to take what you have left, your life. What will you do? Will you turn to Lucas and plea to him, as an ex-lover, to help save your friend from the ghost of Salvatore that possesses him? Or will you choose to free him from his suffering through death? Either way, I¡¯ll most likely enjoy the show.¡± ¡°You¡­Who are you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Casey showed a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m a simple maid, my lady.¡± At the same time, Golden Fly¡¯s territory. This territory was unrivaled when it came to how much income it generated. There were countless illegal business that ranged from drugs to slave shops. You could find anything you want in this district. As long as you had money you could get anything you wanted. In this district, there was a tower with a golden fly on it. This was the headquarters of Lucas Emilio¡¯s criminal empire, The Superfly. ¡°What did you say?¡± Lucas looked at the maid in front of him who called herself Sade. ¡°I said that your life and the life of everyone you care about is at risk. The Black Dogs and Silver Bullet are going wild and their madness will soon spread to this district. I think it¡¯s best that you prepare for battle.¡± ¡°Bullshit. You expect me to run from Tony and Cesare?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t win against them. Tony Gambino is too crafty. He will easily predict and counter all of your moves.¡± ¡°What a rude bitch. You suddenly appeared out of nowhere and insult me. If this building wasn¡¯t worth a lot I would¡¯ve smashed your head in the wall until it broke.¡± ¡°I¡¯m merely speaking the truth.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Lucas turned his back to Sade and looked through his window. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, Tony. You¡¯re not Salvatore.¡± He mumbled. ¡°Hm?¡± He spotted something flying towards him from a distance. His eyes widen when he was able to make out what it was. ¡°A missile?!¡± *BOOM!* A huge explosion erupted at Superfly after being hit by a sudden attack. Meanwhile at the Golden Breath Villa. Jane was sitting in a room in front of a monitor. ¡°Master, we confirmed the reports about a catastrophic battle that occurred in the wildlands close to here. The fighters are Devil King Rory who posed as Aniket and stayed here and the Twilight King Lucian Erebus.¡± On the monitor was the picture of a Golden Lion. ¡°Hmm¡­.Who¡¯s winning?¡± The voice that came from the monitor was deep and dignified. ¡°I was told that they¡¯ve fought dozens of times in the last week we¡¯ve been monitoring them. We don¡¯t know about the week before that but our scores are Lucian 8 and Rory 2.¡± ¡°I see. So the Twilight King is too much for that brat.¡± The voice sounded a bit disappointed. ¡°Master, why haven¡¯t the Twilight King killed Rory yet? He had plenty of chances to do so yet he allows Rory to recover before fighting him again.¡± ¡°Despite never meeting before this, their relationship is very complicated. Neither can kill the other or they¡¯ll immediately be killed.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Killed by who?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. Only people like myself are allowed to know these matters.¡± ¡°As expected of a Beast Emperor.¡± Someone appeared in Jane¡¯s room and walked up to the monitor. ¡°Emilia?¡± Jane looked at the head maid, Emilia with shock. She couldn¡¯t tell how she appeared here. ¡°Emperor Mihos, its nice to meet you. My name is Emilia. I¡¯m a maid employed by Jane here.¡± ¡°You¡­..Hahahahaha!¡± Golden Winter Lion, Mihos suddenly burst out laughing. Jane didn¡¯t know what caused her normal serious master to laugh so vulgarly. ¡°I see, I see. I wondered how Lucian found that brat Rory, but it was you.¡± He started laughing again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Your Excellency is talking about, forgive me.¡± ¡°Hmph. A shrewd one as always I see. Jane!¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Jane suddenly stood up and saluted for some reason. Realizing where she was, she slowly lowered her hand. ¡°Leave Cugine City and return home immediately.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Do I need to repeat myself?¡± ¡°No, master. I just couldn¡¯t understand the order.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing complicated about it. Just leave immediately. Otherwise, you¡¯ll get caught in a vicious game.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it vicious. I¡¯m merely helping my master.¡± Emilia said with a bow. ¡°Regardless, it seems fun to watch. Now I have something to do while I wait for the next Emperor¡¯s Conference. The time when I get to slaughter that infuriating woman, Arisa Lodon will be here in no time.¡± ¡°I hope I can keep you entertained.¡± Emilia bowed and said. She then smiled. ¡°All the players are assembled¡­.Let the games begin.¡± 90th Night: Chaos Spider Banking, Pearl¡¯s office. ¡°What? Superfly was attacked?!¡± Pearl shouted after receiving a report over the phone. ¡°Yes, Madam. I¡¯m standing in front of the ruins of Superfly now. The building collapsed and countless are either dead or missing.¡± Pearl¡¯s hand that was holding the phone started trembling. ¡°It¡¯s just as that maid said¡­¡± She bit her lips. ¡°What about Lucas? Where is Lucas Emilio?!¡± ¡°Lucas survived and was carried off by his men. I believe that he¡¯s receiving treatment.¡± ¡°He¡¯s injured?¡± ¡°I guess so. He stopped the missile from causing widespread damage by stopping it himself. However, it looks like even he couldn¡¯t block a warhead so suddenly. Especially since the tip was made out of Animite so his strength was immediately negated when he touched it.¡± ¡°Wait¡­.How do you know that?¡± For several seconds Pearl could only hear silence from the other end of the phone. ¡°That¡¯s because I told him.¡± ¡°?!¡± Pearl¡¯s body tensed up when she heard the new voice. She was very familiar with it. ¡°T-Tony¡­.¡± ¡°Yo, Pearl. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve spoken. Sadly, it has to be in this situation.¡± Tony¡¯s voice was calm, terrifyingly calm. ¡°Tony, do you realize what you¡¯re doing?! No matter how close the two of you were, Lucas won¡¯t forgive this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m counting on.¡± Pearl could hear Tony smirking. ¡°Tony!¡± ¡°Pearl, even after all these days you¡¯re still the same. You can¡¯t think straight when you¡¯re flustered and some obvious stuff are no longer apparent to you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Think about it? You were talking to your subordinate just now and now you¡¯re talking to me.¡± ¡°¡­..What did you do to him?¡± Pearl¡¯s eyes became cold. ¡°Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. You¡¯re still missing an important detail here. I just said that I told him about what was used to attack Lucas. Then doesn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s been on my side?¡± Pearl¡¯s eyes slowly widened as if she just realized something terrifying. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve finally got it. Just like how you and Lucas have spies in my faction, I have people in your factions. The only difference between you two and myself is that I actually know every spy in my faction.¡± *Ding!* At that moment the private elevator that connected Pearl¡¯s office to the other floors opened. She looked and saw a few of her employees strapped with all kinds of explosions. ¡°!¡± She swung her hand and strains of light passed her employees and they all were sliced in two from the waist down. There were strings where their corpse were with blood dripping from them. ¡°From your silence, it looks like you just killed your subordinates.¡± Pearl turned her attention back to the phone. ¡°I see that you¡¯re still quick to panic when facing the unexpected.¡± She heard him laugh. ¡°The explosives are faked and those weren¡¯t my spies. Just people who had their families abducted. I told them all they needed to do to have their family returned to them was to wear those dummies to your office.¡± ¡°Wha¡­.¡± Pearl looked at the corpses. Upon closer look, the bombs looked like props. Tears came at her eyes as she clenched her teeth. ¡°Toooonnnnnnnyyyyyyy!¡± She roared. ¡°Calm down, Pearl. It was a mere demonstration. I wanted to show you that I can make your empire crumble whenever I want. The number of spies and hostages I have are unknown. How and when I¡¯ll attack are unknown. But, I¡¯ll let you know this¡­.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Pearl paused as if she wanted to hear what he was about to say. It was at that moment, that she felt like the building was shaking. Before she could react- *BOOM!* The floor underneath her burst open and red hot flames rushed at her. *BOOOM!* Not too far away from Spider Banking, Tony Gambino stood on a roof with a smile on his face. He had just witnessed the building exploding. He was currently watching debris falling from the sky and people screaming and fleeing for their lives. He brought the phone he was holding to his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s a bomb at the basement of your building.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± As expected he got no response from the other side of the phone. He smiled and threw the phone away. He looked at the man beside him. ¡°So, How did it feel working on the frontlines, Cole?¡± The man had gelled black hair, a pair of square glass, an average face, and was dressed like a salaryman. This was Cole, Tony¡¯s weapons maker. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty nice feeling seeing your inventions causing this much destruction. It makes working for that woman undercover worthwhile.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t like Pearl?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dislike her. I just find her boring. All she does is cope up in her office. She isn¡¯t like the gangster I heard about during the last Mafia War.¡± ¡°Hahahaha.¡± Tony laughed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. She and Lucas mellowed down compared to when they were in their prime. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t take me much to kill them as they are now.¡± ¡°But that would be boring, right?¡± Tony nodded. ¡°This is a mere wake up call. They¡¯ll be out for a while but they¡¯ll definitely come back with a vengeance.¡± He turned his back to the building. ¡°After all, they¡¯re not weak kids anymore. They¡¯re Dons for a reason.¡± Tony and Cole disappeared from Pearl¡¯s district leaving chaos behind. Griselda¡¯s, Amelia and Reina came here after being called by Griselda. They were currently in the club. In the club, there were lots of people who the girls didn¡¯t know. They assumed that these were all members of Griselda¡¯s White Tiger. ¡°I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Pearl St. Claire and Lucas Emilio were both attacked and seriously wounded by Tony Gambino¡¯s attacks.¡± Griselda spoke with a serious tone fitting of a leader. Her words didn¡¯t cause much of an uproar because what she said were already known across the city. People were already trying to leave the city in an attempt to avoid the backlash of Tony¡¯s actions. ¡°I have more. Cesare Mori is trying to take this opportunity to seize the injured Pearl and Lucas. However, he¡¯s yet to seize them. The two¡¯s whereabouts are currently unknown.¡± There was a heavy atmosphere in the room. ¡°I guess it¡¯s already started.¡± Amelia mumbled. ¡°It has. So far only we and the mayor Benito have yet to make any moves. I want that to change.¡± Griselda looked at everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°Byakko (White Tiger) will now step out of the shadows and make our presence known.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the plan, Boss?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll aim for the rampaging Silver Bullet. They¡¯re causing too much meaningless destruction. We can¡¯t just leave them alone.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Reina spoke up. ¡°That order I cant follow it. It¡¯s against my policy to follow orders based on anger.¡± ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m being too emotional?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Reina looked Griselda straight in the eyes and answered. ¡°While the order itself isn¡¯t wrong it¡¯s too predictable. From the fact that he¡¯s able to outsmart and play with his fellow Dons, Tony Gambino is definitely talented when it comes to warfare. Silver Bullet is currently running wild, but there must be a reason.¡± ¡°A diversion.¡± Amelia added. ¡°Tony is forcing everyone to pay attention to his rampaging gang. This way he can use the chaos as a cover and move freely. If we focus on his gang, he¡¯ll attack us like he attacked Pink Spider and Golden Fly.¡± ¡°That does sound like something he would do.¡± Griselda started to think. ¡°Then, let¡¯s leave Silver Bullet to the Black Dogs. They already have a blood feud, so they¡¯ll natural go after them. Cesare is probably on Tony¡¯s trail right this moment.¡± The girls were impressed by how fast Griselda changed her plans after hearing their thoughts. This proved that she was open-minded, capable to accepting and correcting her mistakes, and able to be decisive when needed. ¡°Then let¡¯s do something Tony wouldn¡¯t expect.¡± She smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s add to the chaos.¡± Neutral Area, Mayor¡¯s office. ¡°That damn Cesare!¡± The mayor of Cugine City, Benito Mussolini slammed his fists on his desk as he cursed. ¡°He went and started a war with Tony Gambino of all people. Everyone knows that man is a lunatic. Unlike Pearl and Lucas who hid after Salvatore destroyed them, Tony worked directly under Salvatore. He¡¯s pretty much another Salvatore Riina. Picking a fight with him will only lead to mutual destruction!¡± He slammed his fists on the desk again. ¡°You can¡¯t war with a madman!¡± His eyes became reptilian as he grind his teeth together. ¡°Hah~.¡± He suddenly sighed and sat back in his chair. It was like he wasn¡¯t mad anymore. Almost as if he simply stopped caring. ¡°Looks being a mayor really doesn¡¯t suit me.¡± He stood up and walked from behind his desk. ¡°What¡¯s great about being the mayor anyway? No one respects you and you¡¯re seen as a pitiful figurehead. In this city only those who are gangsters earn respect.¡± He unfastened the tie around his neck and threw it on the ground along with his jacket. He rolled up his sleeves and entered his private elevator. He stood inside waited for the doors to close and for the elevator to bring him down to the lobby. When the doors opened he stepped outside. ¡°Mayor!¡± The moment he stepped out he was greeted by several of his subordinates. ¡°Mayor, it¡¯s a disaster!¡± ¡°The gangs of the Three Dons and the Black Dogs are running wild!¡± ¡°Lucas Emilio and Pearl St. Claire are MIA!¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Mayor!¡± Benito looked at his flustered subordinates with an apathetic look. It was like all their words fell on deaf ears. He looked around a bit before pushing past his subordinates. He walked towards a man standing in the corner. ¡°Danny, you smoke right?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± ¡°Which brand?¡± Benito ignored the various gazes he was receiving. ¡°Jamie¡¯s. It¡¯s a cheap brand.¡± ¡°Do you have any on you?¡± ¡°I have a pack¡­¡± The man took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Benito immediately snatched from him and put a cigarette in his mouth. ¡°Mayor, you smoke?¡± ¡°I used to before I started wearing this mask.¡± Benito used Anima to light the cigarette and took a draw. ¡°Ohh~.¡± He puffed the smoke in the air. ¡°That hit the spot.¡± ¡°Um, Mayor¡­..¡± Everyone was looking at his strange behavior with concern and shock. Benito took one more puff before saying- ¡°I quit.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m resigning from being mayor. I don¡¯t want to be a politician any more. I¡¯m returning to my roots.¡± Before anyone could say anything Benito walked out of the building. ¡°Mayor.¡± His driver approached his car and was about to open his door. He had to stop and caught something that Benito threw at him. It was a stack of cash. ¡°You¡¯re fired. Take that and leave.¡± Benito pushed passed the driver and entered the car and drove away. ¡°Huh?¡± The driver froze in place and watched as the car drove off. In the car, Benito took out his phone and made a call. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. Yeah, I¡¯ve decided to take you up on that offer¡­.What changed?¡± Benito smirked. ¡°Nothing much. I just felt like returning to my roots.¡± 91st Night: Third Great Mafia War? With Silver Bullet running wild and the attacks on Pearl St. Claire and Lucas Emilio it became obvious to everyone in the city that a Great War was brewing. There was also the fact that the Black Dogs were crazily clashing with Silver Bullet, the city was in chaos. However, just when everyone thought it couldn¡¯t get any worse, the unexpected happened. The mayor, Benito Mussolini had suddenly resigned from his post and was nowhere to be found! ¡°I never expected Benito to just quit like that. Is this a trap?¡± Fraus read the paper and asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but Benito and Cesare are supposed to be on the same side so it could be a distraction.¡± Griselda replied. In front of her was a laptop with a flash drive inserted into it. ¡°Oh, so this is what Fraus stole from Pearl?¡± Reina and Amelia were looking at what was being displayed on the laptop. It was a bunch of files with blueprints of various buildings, spreadsheets with countless personal data on various people, and what seemed like account information. ¡°This is Pearl¡¯s personal data bank. It possesses information that would be useful in a fight to take the city. On here she has information on various warehouses and safe houses of not only Silver Bullet and Golden Fly but even the Black Dogs as well. If we use it correctly we can swoop in and rob all the other factions of everything they have.¡± Fraus explained. ¡°I went through great lengths to get my hands on this. Years of work.¡± ¡°I see why pearl wanted to kill you so badly. This is practically her trump card.¡± Reina was impressed with the amount of intel Pearl was able to gather on her enemies. This was surely hard to obtain. ¡°So here¡¯s the plan.¡± Griselda drew everyone¡¯s attention to her. ¡°The only gang that¡¯s active at the moment is Silver Bullet who is preoccupied with the Black Dogs. Pink Spider and Golden Fly have yet to make their move but they¡¯ll surely retaliate to the attacks on their bosses. This will most definitely lead to the Third Great Mafia war. Our job is to prepare for the war that¡¯s to come by robbing and weakening our enemies as much as possible. Our enemies have quantity on their side, but we have quality on ours. We must make use of that and get a head start.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°We will now assign everyone with their duties.¡± In the woodlands outside of Cugine City. There was a silver car parked in the open with someone leaning on it and smoking a cigarette. This person who looked uncharacteristically shabby was the former mayor of Cugine City, Benito Mussolini. ¡°They¡¯re late.¡± He looked at his watch and said. ¡°No, I¡¯ve been here for a while now.¡± He suddenly saw a black fog appear in front of him. From it, he saw someone appear. This person was dressed in a black tuxedo, wore a skull mask, and had long white hair and dark skin. From the body line, this person was a woman. ¡°I was just observing you to see if you¡¯re indeed Benito.¡± Benito didn¡¯t seem shocked by the masked woman¡¯s appearance. He leisurely took the cigarette from his mouth and blow out some smoke. ¡°Do I look that different to you?¡± ¡°Yes. The Benito I know is a man who could only be described as sophisticated. The current you seem like you don¡¯t have a care in the world.¡± The woman circled around Benito as if examining him. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Is this what you¡¯re really like?¡± ¡°Who knows? People have many sides to them, I¡¯m just showing the world a different side of me that they haven¡¯t seen before.¡± The woman nodded in agreement. ¡°Now I see why Thanatos was interested in you. Looks like it was the right decision to volunteer to be the one that monitors you.¡± The woman spoke with a cheerful voice. ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll take your words as a compliment.¡± Benito stretches his hand out. ¡°So, where¡¯s the thing that you guys promised to bring me?¡± ¡°Impatient are we? It¡¯s not like the war kicked off already. You can still take it easy.¡± ¡°War? I have no time to fight in stupid wars. I want to capture this city in one swoop. Why fight a drawn-out battle when you can crush your enemy before he can even react?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you still want to prevent a Third Mafia War? Hmm¡­..I don¡¯t know how I feel about that.¡± ¡°Anput, are you going to help me or not?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m still going to help you. After all, what I¡¯m about to give you will surely make things interesting.¡± Anput took out something from inside of her tux. It was a flute made from a black bone. This was Benito¡¯s first time seeing this flute. ¡°Here.¡± Anput threw the flute and he caught it. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± He stared at it with a confused expression. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A present from Thanatos. It¡¯s called the Undead Flute.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Undead Flute?¡± Benito started examining the flute. The material it was made from was a bone, but he couldn¡¯t tell what kind of creature it came from. There was also the fact that it was pitch black. What creature has black bones? ¡°Could it be from the Dead Sea?¡± ¡°No. Thanatos made it himself. Don¡¯t look down on it, you¡¯re holding something countless people would fight for. Go on, give it a blow. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll realize it¡¯s value then.¡± Benito examines the flute once again before placing his mouth on it. *Craw!* ¡°Huh? What kind of sound is that?¡± Benito looked at the flute again. ¡°Hm?¡± That¡¯s when he felt an odd presence beside him. He looked to his side and his eyes immediately widened. ¡°?!¡± His face paled and his body started to tremble. ¡°Well, amazing right?¡± Anput sounded like she enjoyed his reaction. ¡°T-This¡­Impossible¡­..How?¡± ¡°Hey, Hey. What are you saying, Benito? Impossible? I can¡¯t believe you actually used that word knowing full well who we are.¡± She placed her hand on her chest. ¡°There¡¯s nothing impossible for us. If it hasn¡¯t been done yet, we will do it eventually.¡± ¡°This¡­.¡± Benito looked at the entity beside him again. After a while, the shock and horror changed to delight. ¡°This is exactly what I needed! With this, I¡¯ll reign at the top!¡± He couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. He even looked like he wanted to jump for joy. He gripped the flute in his hand tightly and grinned. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re satisfied with our gift.¡± ¡°Satisfied? I¡¯m more than satisfied.¡± He lifted the flute over his head. ¡°I¡¯ve won!¡± Anput nodded while looking at him. (Well, this will only change the nature of the Third Mafia War, not prevent it.) She thought. ¡°Either way, this will be fun.¡± Cugine City. Golden Fly¡¯s Territory. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re pretty amazing when it comes to disguises.¡± Fraus was walking with an elderly man who was using a cane to walk. Believe it or not, this man was actually Reina. ¡°Thanks, But is it really alright for you to walk around without disguising yourself?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m the least known member of White Tiger. I normally act behind the scenes.¡± ¡°Yet, Tony Gambino knows who you are.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s different. I had a run-in with him before I worked for Griselda.¡± ¡°A run-in?¡± ¡°I tried to rob him after a night of passion, but I failed. That was how I used to get by. Sleeping with people and then robbing them of all they had.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why you were the perfect candidate to go undercover in the Pink Spiders. You were already a prostitute so you didn¡¯t need to act.¡± ¡°Former prostitute.¡± Fraus added. ¡°I left that life after I was saved by Griselda. She saved me from Tony and took me in.¡± ¡°Why risk angering a Don for you?¡± ¡°I asked her the same thing. She said that because she had always wanted someone to save her back then, so she couldn¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°Does that mean she too was¡­¡± Fraus shook her head. ¡°Griselda wasn¡¯t a prostitute¡­.She suffered a much dark past¡­..Anyway, this is the place.¡± They stopped in front of an apartment building. ¡°According to Pearl¡¯s data, Lucas hid a large sum of cash in four of the rooms in this building. It¡¯s apparently his emergency fund. Our job is to steal that money for ourselves.¡± Fraus explained. ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done. The entire building is filled with enemies. I think they are around 50 of them.¡± Reina focused her senses at the building. ¡°Did you use Sonar?¡± Reina nodded. ¡°Can¡¯t you use it?¡± Fraus shook her head. ¡°I can use Future Sight and Link though.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s three Regal Powers between the two of us. It would be ideal if either of us could¡¯ve used Ajna. That way we¡¯d be able to get a better read of our opponents.¡± ¡°Are they strong?¡± ¡°None of them are stronger than either of us, but their strength isn¡¯t something to laugh at either. It will definitely be challenging to rob this place.¡± ¡°We are the ones who are most fit for silently robbing someone. You¡¯re different but I¡¯m not the combat type. If we attack them in the open and other Golden Fly members get wind of what¡¯s happening and rush here, I¡¯ll only become a burden to you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Reina looked at her and smiled. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I said that it will be challenging but not impossible. Your Animus allows you to trick one''s senses right?¡± Fraus nodded. ¡°It¡¯s called False Cover. However, it can¡¯t be used to trick that many people. Five is my limit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. You were able to even deceive Rory and hid your comrades in plain sight in the mansion. Then it will be effective here.¡± The men who stormed the mansion when Fraus left the men didn¡¯t just suddenly appear. They were there all the time. It¡¯s just that Fraus used her Animus to trick Rory and girls¡¯ senses so that they don''t perceive them. ¡°Here¡¯s what I want you to do.¡± A few minutes later a knock came from the entrance of the building. When one of the men inside opened the door to see who it was, they saw a woman and an elderly man with a cane. ¡°Good afternoon. I¡¯m currently looking for a place to rent for me and my grandfather. Could you tell me if there¡¯s-¡± ¡°There¡¯s no apartment that¡¯s free at the moment. Please try somewhere else.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The woman and the elderly man smiled and walked away. The man stood at the doorway and watched them closely before closing the door. ¡°Well?¡± He turned to his comrade who was standing at the window still observing the woman. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything weird about them. They went to the apartment building across the street after leaving here.¡± ¡°Keep your eye on them. We can¡¯t afford to make any mistakes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Meanwhile, Fraus was smiling while walking with ¡°Reina¡± beside her. ¡°Reina really is impressive. She came up with such a plan instantly. All I need to do is walk around a bit before going to the designated area.¡± Let¡¯s rewind a bit. ¡°Here¡¯s what I want you to do. There are only four people keeping watch on this side of the building. I want you to use your Animus on me before we head over there. If you do it in front of them there¡¯s a chance that they¡¯ll notice the change.¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll act like relatives looking for an apartment to rent. I just need them to open the door, once they do I¡¯ll slip in. Make it so that they¡¯ll think I¡¯m still in front of them. I have my own ways to stay invisible so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Why not just wait close by and sneak in the moment they open the door?¡± ¡°Who knows if they have ways to enter and leave the apartment without going through the front door. I¡¯ll be waiting forever, plus there¡¯s a chance that more people might come over and increase the security. So we need to act now before that happens. All I need is a chance to slip in. The other places I can use to enter the building is heavily guarded. Only the front door has a small amount of people protecting it. They¡¯re probably using a cover to not draw attention to the building. If that¡¯s the case, they¡¯ll definitely open the door if we knock. After all, no one expects for the enemy to come through the front door.¡± ¡°But can you handle 50 people by yourself?¡± Reina smiled. ¡°Who do you think I am? I¡¯m the leader of the great Boomslang.¡± Present time. Reina was currently using Mirage Step to blend in with the surroundings and move through the building. (The first room is just up ahead.) She drew a dagger and spread her senses to inside the room. There were around 10 people in the room. She threw the dagger that had a wire tied to the handle and made it hit the door and drew it back. The men inside heard the knock and cautiously stepped out. Reina took that chance to slip inside the room. ¡°There¡¯s no one there?¡± The man who opened door looked around with a confused expression before re-entering the room. ¡°?!¡± When he looked inside, he saw his comrades all gagged and wrapped in wires. ¡°What the hell?!¡± ¡°Shh¡­¡± Suddenly he heard a voice behind him. He tried to turn around but he felt that something was wrapped around his neck. He looked down and saw that it was a thin wire. ¡°Don¡¯t move or say anything. Otherwise, the head comes off.¡± Reina whispered in his ear. ¡°I thought that this was going to be harder but it looks like I underestimated how much I¡¯ve grown since I¡¯ve left the Marigold Kingdom. If it¡¯s like this I can definitely kill 100 of you guys without making a sound.¡± A grin appeared on her face. ¡°Looks like hanging around a monster will make you a monster too.¡± At the same time in a wildland 200 kilometers away from Cugine City. A bloodied man with dark skin and white hair leaned on a tree breathing heavily. His clothes were reduced to rags and barely covered his private area. He was practically naked. This man was the Twilight King Lucian. ¡°I must say that I wasn¡¯t disappointed. I heard about your situation but never thought that you can push me this far with your powers sealed.¡± He looked at the man laying in a pool of blood in front of him. He was dressed in rags as well and had countless wounds across his body. This was Rory. Lucian stood up and approached Rory. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to end this. Don¡¯t you agree, Aniket?¡± 92nd Night: Fading Figure Cugine City, Neutral Area. While Reina and Fraus were targeting Lucas Emilio¡¯s money, Amelia was about to start the mission that was assigned to her. She stood in front of a two-story black building. On it were the words Black Dogs. This was the headquarters of the city¡¯s police force. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no going back after this. We won¡¯t be able to live peacefully once we attack here.¡± She mumbled. ¡°Well, we¡¯re about to go to war with every faction in the city. We can¡¯t do that by being law-abiding citizens can we.¡± Beside her stood Shancai, who looked like the personification of fire, as always. Amelia was partnered up with him for this mission. ¡°The Black Dogs May be this city¡¯s police force and although their motives are just, their actions aren¡¯t. Griselda is afraid that if she leaves them alone then Cesare Mori will do something that would disrupt the city again.¡± ¡°Is he really that dangerous?¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s a madman, to say the least. He too was a victim of Salvatore Riina¡¯s tyranny. However, he lost himself and was driven mad by his own rage. Now he¡¯s willing to do anything to destroy everything that Salvatore left behind. Criminals.¡± ¡°You seem very knowledgeable about this when you¡¯re not from this city.¡± ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m not from this city?¡± ¡°Because you know Rory. Rory said that this place didn¡¯t exist when he was around.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.I pretty much know where this conversation is going.¡± Shancai turned his attention to the building in front of him. ¡°For now, let¡¯s focus on what we¡¯re supposed to do. I¡¯ll answer your questions after.¡± He stretched his hand out and Amelia saw a deep red flame flickering in his palm. She didn¡¯t know why but she could tell that this flame wasn¡¯t normal. ¡°The reason why the two of us were partnered together is because we have the most firepower in the group.¡± He stepped forward and swung his arm. The flame left his palm and transformed into a lotus. The lotus hit the building and immediately grew big enough to devour it. Amelia stood in shock as she saw the building trapped inside the fire lotus. She could see the building melting before her eyes. (Amazing. It would take me several attacks even using my animus to destroy the building. Yet, he¡¯s melting so casually.) The concrete building was like ice cream on a hot summer day. It was quickly reduced to a puddle. Shancai waved his hand again and extinguished the flame. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The building was only a cover. The real base is underground. Prepare for battle the moment we enter.¡± Shancai started walking towards their target. Amelia nodded and followed after. At the same time, Silver Bullet¡¯s territory. *Bam!* A building suddenly exploded flinging several people who were nearby into the air. These people were members of the Black Dogs and were all wearing dog masks and were dressed in black. ¡°Fuck! They¡¯re bombing their own buildings! These guys are insane!¡± ¡°Yahoo!¡± They looked and saw dozens of people riding towards them on bikes. ¡°Light them up, boys!¡± The bikers pulled out their guns and started firing at the Black Dogs. ¡°Shit! They¡¯re using Animite bullets! Look for cover and return fire!¡± Gunshots echoed through the area as both parties released an onslaught of bullets on their opponents. Several of the bikers were flung off the bikes and dropped dead on the ground. The same for the Black Dogs Who would have their heads blown off whenever they peeked out from behind what they were using as cover. ¡°Run wild boys!¡± The Black Dogs heard a shout and looked up to see dozens of people diving off buildings and head towards them. ¡°Dammit!¡± Desperate the Black Dogs started to retreat. The silver bullet members chased after them. Some even going as far as throwing rocks at the dogs for the fun of it. ¡°You people sure have some nerve.¡± The Black Dogs stopped when they saw a man appear in front of them. ¡°Chief!¡± It was there leader Cesare Mori. Cesare walked passed them with a big grin on his face. ¡°To think that you bastards would chase down my pups and even threw stones at them¡­.You got balls!¡± ¡°Cesare!¡± The silver bullet members looked overjoyed when they saw the enemy leader. ¡°Let¡¯s go to hell together, Cesare!¡± They started behaving even more frantic as they came closer to him. ¡°Go to hell by yourself!¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Cesare charged towards them like a mad bull with a crazy look in his eyes. *Bam!* He crashed into the group and sent many people to fly and destroyed many of their bikes. ¡°Ohhh!¡± He spun around and swung his leg like a whip, slamming it into several Silver Bullet members and sent them flying with broken bones. ¡°Haha!¡± Several laughed as they pounced at Cesare with their weapons in hand. They were all hit in the face by Cesare¡¯s ultra-fast attacks and had their faces destroyed. ¡°Guys, move!¡± A man appeared with an RPG on his shoulder which he pointed at Cesare. ¡°I¡¯m gonna blow this dog to smithereens!¡± As he was about to squeeze the trigger to fire the rocket, Cesare appeared directly in front of him. ¡°Too slow.¡± Cesare swung his hand and the man was instantly beheaded. He then took his body and threw it into a group of his comrades. ¡°You trash can''t beat me. I¡¯m this city¡¯s justice!¡± Cesare beat his chest and said. ¡°Justice? Hahahaha!¡± The thugs around him started laughing. ¡°Fuck justice!¡± ¡°Fuck the police!¡± They all pounced at him with crazed expressions. ¡°And most of all, fuck you!¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Cesare chuckled a bit and drew something out of nowhere. It was a giant hammer. ¡°Taste the justice you curse!¡± He swung the hammer with a roar. *BOOM!* Everyone around him burst apart and flesh and blood surrounding him like he was caught in a storm of carnage. He twirl the hammer a little and then rested it on his shoulder. ¡°Have fun in hell, scum.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to tell them to have fun.¡± Cesare turned around and saw several dead corpses on the ground. It was the corpses of his men he was just protecting. Standing in front of their corpses was Tony Gambino. ¡°Cesare, we¡¯re all going to hell together.¡± ¡°Tony!¡± Cesare immediately charged towards him wielding his hammer. He leaped into the air and swung it down with all of his strength. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not time yet, Cesare.¡± *BOOM!* The building closest to them suddenly exploded and flung Cesare who was midair across the street. *BOOM!* The building he landed next to also exploded, thus flinging him again. *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* All the buildings down the street started exploding one after the other without pause. Soon the entire street was on fire. ¡°Tony!¡± Cesare got up with his hammer and looked around. ¡°This is boring, Cesare! It¡¯s still not enough!¡± Tony¡¯s voice reached Cesare¡¯s ear while the surrounding was being devoured by flames of the explosions. ¡°Don¡¯t get impatient, my friend. Once I turn this city into hell, then I¡¯ll take you on. I¡¯ll take you all on. We¡¯ll all go to hell! Everyone in this city will all go to hell!¡± His voice echoed in the fiery hell which surrounded Cesare. ¡°Tony Gambino!¡± *BOOM!* Explosions drowned out Cesare¡¯s angry voice. Underneath the building that served as the Black Dogs¡¯ base. The sounds of gunshots and explosions echoed in an open space underground. Amelia and Shancai were in the middle of fighting the black dog agents. ¡°There are less than I expected.¡± She said while dodging the attacks of the dogs and attacking in return with blasts of various elements. ¡°Most of the Black Dogs are currently in Silver Bullet¡¯s district trying to get it under control. I believe that only a quarter were left here to defend the place.¡± Shancai looked like he was casually strolling through the battle. The attacks of his opponents couldn¡¯t reach him because of a layer of flames that surrounded him and burn everything away. Anyone who was within 20 meters radius of him was rolling on the ground screaming from pain. (He¡¯s using heat to cook their insides¡­.) Amelia was shocked by the power that Shancai displayed. She was even more shocked by how casual he was when doing it. (He¡¯s definitely not inferior to Rory.) *Swoosh!* She heard something cut through the air and past her ear and soon felt a slight sting on her cheek. She placed her hand there and saw that she was bleeding. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re finally using their Animite weapons. Be careful. Their attacks will penetrate your Anima cloak. You¡¯ll have to avoid them and not take them on.¡± Shancai gave her a warning before lifting his hand in the air. A giant lotus made of flames appeared over his head. ¡°Bloom.¡± The lotus suddenly started growing in size, devouring everything around. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Screams of pain resounded as the underground was flooded with flames. ¡°¡­.Guess I¡¯ll get serious too.¡± Various elements started dancing around Amelia as she rushed to attack her enemy. Around 30 minutes later, the two had left the underground space after they finished their mission. ¡°Tony Gambino expected us to try and stop him first, so we did something he would never expect. We attacked the ones he¡¯s currently fighting with.¡± Amelia mumbled. She had blended into the crowd along with Shancai and was leaving the area. ¡°I understand that this will throw Tony and Cesare off, but won¡¯t this benefit Tony?¡± ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s okay. In a battle royal the moment you take out an enemy your other enemies will surely receive some benefits from your actions. As such you shouldn¡¯t hold back worrying about aiding your enemies. It¡¯s fine to aid them, as long as you¡¯re standing in the end everything is fine.¡± Shancai replied. ¡°Besides, the Black Dogs can¡¯t gain momentum no matter what. They¡¯re the only side in this war who can move freely because of their public persona as law enforcers. If they gain too much confidence in themselves they¡¯ll really get out of control.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Griselda sent us to humble them?¡± Shancai smiled. ¡°What can be more humbling than having your bases crushed by two people? This should wake them up from any high that they may be getting from clashing with Silver Bullet. This will send them a message. ¡®Don¡¯t get ahead of yourselves, you stupid dogs¡¯, or something like that.¡± ¡°You seem to be enjoying this, Shancai.¡± ¡°Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t.¡± A big smile was on Shancai¡¯s face. ¡°By the way, you wanted to know about Rory, right?¡± Amelia slowly nodded. ¡°Just So you know, I wasn¡¯t his friend or anything. I¡¯m merely his acquaintance so I might not be able to give the answers you want¡­He¡¯s friends with my master though.¡± ¡°Master? You don¡¯t mean Griselda, right?¡± ¡°Of course not. A little girl like that can¡¯t be my master. I¡¯m just helping her out. That¡¯s all.¡± Amelia became quiet for a bit. She wanted to know who Shancai¡¯s master was but she had a feeling he wouldn¡¯t tell her. ¡°Then, can you tell me what you know about Rory?¡± ¡°Well, that depends on what you wanna know.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°There are some things surrounding him that would cost most people their lives if they knew about it.¡± Shancai words were serious. ¡°¡­..Then could you tell me how you two met?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I guess.¡± Shancai started to think a little before speaking. ¡°I met Rory when we were just about to become teenagers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a long time.¡± Shancai nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, I can¡¯t really connect the Rory you know with the one I¡¯m used to. When you talk about Rory you talk about a scum bag of a man with charisma.¡± ¡°He was different then?¡± Shancai nodded. ¡°My first impression of Rory was¡­.Surreal? Incomprehensible? I can¡¯t really think of the right word. Otherworldly¡­.could work.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it?¡± Shancai turned and looked at Amelia. ¡°Basically he was nothing I¡¯ve ever seen before. To be honest, I was really afraid of him.¡± Amelia immediately remembered the scene of Rory losing control and rampaging about in the Marigold Kingdom. ¡°¡­..I think I know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± Shancai immediately shut down her claim. ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± ¡°Because I doubt you¡¯ve ever seen the real person behind Rory.¡± Amelia had a confused look on her face. ¡°As I thought, he hasn¡¯t shown you his true face.¡± Shancai turned his head from her. ¡°On second thought, I shouldn¡¯t be blabbing about his business. So you¡¯ll just have experience it on your own.¡± ¡°Huh? Wait!¡± Shancai lifted his hand to stop her. ¡°But I¡¯ll tell you this.¡± A serious look in his eyes. ¡°The first thing that I thought when I saw that person was ¡°How is something like this existing in this world. This isn¡¯t something that should be on this plane¡±.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Amelia didn¡¯t know what to say after hearing Shancai¡¯s words. She just knew that the figure of the man she¡¯s haven¡¯t seen in a long time is starting to fade before her eyes. 93rd Night: Origin Of Hatred This was a story that took place over 30 years ago. It all started when a young dark elf couple came to Cugine City in search of work. They came to the fairly new city after they heard that the place was overflowing with job opportunities. They brought their two year old daughter and settled down in the city. Little did the young couple know is that this place had already became the playground for a beast of a man. When they came, the city was indeed overflowing with job opportunities, but they were all shady jobs. The couple desperate to make a future for their daughter took on several of these jobs. Ironically, this led to their downfall. ¡°Pearl St. Claire?¡± The daughter of the two, who was now six, was standing in front of a group of men who looked shady no matter how you looked at it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but your parents passed away earlier today.¡± They told the young girl. How did a young girl like her to react to lost of her parents? Naturally, she cried and screamed. Of course she would. For this young girl her parents were her world. However, the girl¡¯s tears didn¡¯t move the men in the least. After they told her what they needed to they immediately left. Suddenly, the young girl found herself without support. Since she couldn¡¯t provide for herself the young girl was forced from her home and into an orphanage. It was there she met the two who would change her life forever. ¡°Hey, you.¡± She was sitting alone in a corner crying with her head down when she heard someone call out to her. She looked up and saw two boys standing in front of her. One was overweight had rough skin, black hair, a face resembling a pig, and red eyes. He was an orc. The other had dark skin, sharp teeth, horns, and looked like humanoid bull. He was a Minotaur. ¡°You¡¯re that kid with the strange name right? What was it¡­.St. Claire?¡± The Minotaur boy asked. The girl didn¡¯t respond and silently looked at him and then his friend beside him. ¡°Ah, I guess you won¡¯t talk to people you don¡¯t know just like that, huh?¡± The Minotaur boy pointed to himself. ¡°I¡¯m Lucas. Lucas Emilio.¡± He then pointed at the orc boy beside him. ¡°This is Tony. Tony Gambino. We call him Fat Tony around here.¡± ¡°¡­..I¡¯m Pearl.¡± The girl responded. ¡°Pearl huh?¡± Lucas and Tony stretched their hand out towards her. ¡°Nice to meet you, Pearl St. Claire.¡± Pearl quickly became friends with the two boys and she came to learn more about the two. Tony was the grandson of the old woman who ran the orphanage, while Lucas came here with his sister when their relatives could no longer afford to raise them. All three of them had lost their parents at a young age. Maybe it was because of this that Pearl was able to become close friends with them. For the first time since her parents¡¯ death, Pearl felt alive. Her years at the orphanage quickly rolled on and before she knew it, Pearl was already a teenager. ¡°Hey, Pearl.¡± A girl who was a little bit younger than her was sitting beside Pearl who was eating and watching television. The girl despite being thin was also a Minotaur like Lucas. She was his little sister, Bella Emilio. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You like my brother, right?¡± ¡°Pfft! Cough! Cough!¡± Pearl started coughing after choking on her food. ¡°W-Where did that come from?¡± ¡°I mean you¡¯re always looking in his direction and smiling, so I figured.¡± Bella suddenly hugged pearl from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure you two will get together soon.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way I¡¯m planning on confessing to Fat Tony.¡± ¡°Tony?! You like him?¡± Bella frowned. ¡°Whats with that reaction? What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just he¡¯s¡­.energetic?¡± ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m sure you mean he¡¯s a troublemaker and quick to pick fights. You think he¡¯s too much for me right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Bella started laughing. ¡°I¡¯m just joking.¡± She released Pearl and moved back a little. ¡°I know how Tony can be, but I still love him. I mean, despite my frail body he always treated me like an ordinary person. Unlike you and my brother. Besides, Lucas isn¡¯t that much different from Tony you know. They¡¯re both troublemakers. They just fought with a gang last night.¡± She sighed. ¡°Sometimes I wonder how you¡¯re friends with them.¡± ¡°I wonder too.¡± One day life suddenly changed for the trio. Tony¡¯s grandmother passed away causing the orphanage to be shut down. The trio plus Bella found themselves without a home. However, they didn¡¯t plan to become beggars who had to depend on charity to survive. ¡°Let¡¯s start a gang.¡± The one who proposed that was Lucas, who was a bit more muscular since he became a teen. ¡°A gang?¡± He nodded at Pearl. ¡°This City is a cruel one. In order to survive you must be strong enough to fend for yourself using every means possible. You must be prepared to get your hands dirty. I¡¯m sure none of us here wants to see each other starve to death, right? Then we must get our hands dirty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m up for it.¡± Tony was the first to agree. He was still overweight and had rough skin, but his face was looking a bit more human.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°I don¡¯t want any of you to die.¡± He looked at his his friends and his eyes stopped on Bella for a bit. ¡°If my brother and Tony is gonna do it, then I definitely will too.¡± ¡°The same goes for me.¡± Pearl added. ¡°Then looks like we¡¯re up for business.¡± Lucas looked around and spoke. ¡°Our gang will be called Predator!¡± Predator, this gang which made of entirely teenagers quickly made a name for themselves. They debuted on the scene after crushing a small gang of teens like themselves and took their base for themselves. This quickly drew the attention of a much bigger gang that ran the gang they destroyed. They were obviously targeted. However, this was the biggest mistake that gang had ever made. ¡°Hey, did you hear? Aqua Beats got destroyed by a new gang called Predator.¡± ¡°What? No way!¡± ¡°I heard that Fat Tony and Mad Bull Lucas are a part of it.¡± ¡°Really? Those two have always been monsters.¡± ¡°I heard that they have two girls in their gang as well. A dark elf name Pearl and Lucas¡¯ sister Bella. Lucas¡¯ sister can¡¯t really fight but she¡¯s pretty smart. I heard that she came up with a trap that cut Aqua Beats man power in half. While Pearl is said to rival Tony and Lucas when it comes to fighting.¡± ¡°Damn. Looks like a new star is on the rise.¡± It only took little under six months before Predator was consider one of the top gangs. This was undoubtedly the fastest a gang had ever risen in power. By the time they were 18, Pearl, Tony, and Lucas had already earned enough money to buy their own mansion in the Golden Breath Villa. However, every story had its ups and downs. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± ¡°Bella?¡± Pearl looked at her friend who was walking beside her before suddenly stooping down and started coughing. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. This is normal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Pearl looked at her in silence. It was obvious that Bella¡¯s body was getting weaker and weaker. Yet, she smiled and stooped down in front of Bella. ¡°The date of your surgery is coming up, please hang in there until then.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m fine, really.¡± Bella stood up, Pearl did the same. ¡°Bella is getting worse?¡± Later that night, Pearl approached Lucas about his sister. ¡°Yeah. I think we should keep her home until it¡¯s time for her surgery.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll like that.¡± ¡°What if we have Tony stay with her?¡± ¡°¡­..That could work. She is willing to do anything for Tony.¡± Bella had a disease known as Anima Deficiency. Her body was unable to absorb Anima as fast as the average person. As such, her body will grow weaker overtime as her body will need more Anima to function properly. What made it worse was that she was in the Kashmir Continent which was stationed countless feet above sea level. Unlike everyone else around her she¡¯s unable to adapt to the atmospheric conditions. This will ultimately lead to death if nothing is done. ¡°Her surgery will replace the Anima core in her body with an artificial one that will help her absorb Anima like an average person. Once that happens, she¡¯ll grow stronger over time. The surgery was expensive but it¡¯s worth it if it allows her to live a long life.¡± Pearl said. The Anima core was a spherical organ located near the stomach of all animals. It was what granted them the ability to manipulate and store Anima. Only those who were extremely skilled could repair or replace one. Hence Bella¡¯s operation really cost a lot. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Tony will surely spend time with her. He loves her more than me her brother does after all.¡± The time for Bella¡¯s operation came quickly. She was brought to the best hospital in the city and all the best doctors and staff were brought out to assist with her operation. The trio went to see her just before the operation. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Pearl asked. ¡°Like shit. They shoot me up with so much drugs that I can¡¯t feel anything.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s only temporary.¡± Lucas said. Tony walked up to her and held her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare die on me. I won¡¯t be able to contain myself if you do.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine. Im a part of Predator after all.¡± The trio smiled. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no need to worry then.¡± Bella¡¯s operation started a hour later. The trio sat in the waiting lounge and waited for the operation to finish. Even though the doctors told them that it would surely take at least half a day, they still chose to sit and wait. It was now the sixth hour since the operation began. ¡°Move! Move!¡± While they were waiting they heard a loud voice. They looked and turned towards the entrance. The door was forced open and a group of men barged in holding a bloody man. ¡°Doctors! We need doctors!¡± A burly man shouted at a nurse. ¡°The doctors will be here soon, sir. Please calm down.¡± ¡°Shut up! Do you know who this is?!¡± The man pointed at the bloody man. ¡°This is Paul Gotti!¡± ¡°Paul Gotti?¡± ¡°Salvatore Riina¡¯s Righthand man?¡± ¡°What happened to him?¡± The surrounding people started mumbling to themselves. ¡°If he dies everyone here will feel the Beast¡¯s rage! You got it!¡± The man shouted. ¡°Give me every doctor you have! He must be saved no matter what!¡± ¡°T-That isn¡¯t possible sir. Most of our doctors are in the middle of an important operation. We still have an adequate amount available but all of them is-¡± *Bam!* The nurse was suddenly kicked across the room. ¡°Shut it! I said we want every doctor here!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The trio watched the scene with racing hearts. They of course knew who Paul Gotti was and even more Salvatore who was the ruler of this city. But if they really got all the doctors while Bella was in the middle of an operation then Bella will undoubtedly die. The Anima core wasn¡¯t something to mess with that easily. One wrong move will lead to death. It goes without saying that abandoning the operation midway will kill the patient. ¡°¡­..!¡± Before they knew it, all three of them were on their feet. They knew that Salvatore wasn¡¯t someone they could afford to offend, but they couldn¡¯t just watch and let Bella die. ¡°Oi, what¡¯s the hold up?¡± As they were about to move, their bodies frozen when they heard a deep and powerful voice. Under everyone¡¯s shocked gaze, a man walked in. He was over two meters tell, his body was made up of rock hard muscles, his skin was fair, his hair was black and long, and he had a well groomed beard. ¡°Salvatore Riina!¡± Everyone in hospital felt their heart skip a couple beats. Cold sweat covered their bodies. Salvatore looked around with his beastly golden eyes. ¡°Don, these people refuse to give us every doctor they have.¡± The man who kicked away the nurse reported. ¡°I see.¡± Salvatore took a breath and closed his eyes. He then opened them slowly. ¡°?!¡± At that moment it felt like the entire hospital was transported to the bottom of the ocean. No one was able to move or breathe. *Bam!* Soon every doctor who was in Bella¡¯s operation room ran out still in their surgery attire. The moment they saw Salvatore they ran up and kneeled before him. ¡°Don, how may we help you?!¡± Salvatore pointed at the bloody Paul Gotti. ¡°My pal had a run in at the Golden Breath Villa. I need you to patch him.¡± ¡°Right away.¡± ¡°Wait! What about Bella?!¡± Tony shouted. ¡°Hm?¡± Salvatore looked at him and the others. ¡°Who the hell is Bella?¡± ¡°Ah, he¡¯s talking about a girl we were working on just now. Don¡¯t worry, Don. The girl isn¡¯t important. All that¡¯s important is Mr. Gotti.¡± ¡°Not important?!¡± The Three suddenly drew their weapons in anger. ¡°You fucker!¡± When the doctors saw their furious expression they all started to cower. ¡°Hey.¡± Salvatore stood in front of them. ¡°This is a hospital. There¡¯s no fighting allowed.¡± *Bam!¡± Suddenly the three were sent crashing into a wall with fist prints on their chests. ¡°Bella¡­.¡± They all fell on the ground and soon last consciousness. ¡°Heh.¡± Salvatore smiled and turned his attention to the doctors. ¡°Go on. Get to work.¡± ¡°Yes, Don!¡± The doctors made the thugs carry Paul Gotti into Bella¡¯s operation room. A thug soon came out holding Bella over his shoulder. He smiled and threw her in front of the trio. Her stomach was cut open and there were still tools inside her. Salvatore looked at the four and smiled before heading towards the room. ¡°Wait¡­.¡± He heard a voice and turned around to see the trio holding onto Bella¡¯s body with trembling hands and tears flowing from their eyes as they glared at him. (Oh? They were able to regain consciousness quite quickly. Looks like they have potential.) Salvatore thought as he looked at them. ¡°What is it? My friend is battling for his life in there. I¡¯m sure you of all people can understand.¡± He said with a chuckle. ¡°Sal¡­va¡­tore.¡± Tony slowly struggled to his feet while Lucas gritted his teeth and held Bella¡¯s body. Pearl was trying to console him but she looked like she was about to fall apart herself. Salvatore looked in Tony¡¯s eyes and saw immense rage and hatred. (This boy¡­..His killing intent is impressive. There isn¡¯t a hint of fear in him.) ¡°Salvatore Riina, I promise you this.¡± Tony took something from his pocket and threw it at Salvatore who caught it. When he looked down it was a silver bullet. ¡°I will kill you!¡± Salvatore looked at him and smiled. ¡°Do it if you can.¡± ¡°Madam¡­Madam!¡± Pearl opened her eyes and saw a white ceiling above her. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± One of subordinates¡¯ face popped above her. She looked around and saw that she was lying on a bed. ¡°Madam, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°¡­..Like shit.¡± Pearl sat up and saw that her body was bandaged up. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°We were attacked by Tony Gambino. He blew up the bank with everyone in it.¡± At that moment her conversation with Tony on the phone replayed in her head. ¡°!¡± She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. ¡°Tony!¡± ¡°Madam, please take it easy. Because of the surprise attack your body had sustain some serious injuries.¡± Her subordinate approached her and tried to calm her down. ¡°That bastard is gonna pay for this!¡± Because she was ambushed, Pearl was unable to erect a barrier to shield herself when the bomb exploded. If she was any weaker or if Tony had used a stronger bomb, she would¡¯ve died. ¡°That bastard made me live on purpose.¡± She could feel the eye she lost ache. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bella. I¡¯m going have to kill the one you love!¡± 94th Night: Return Of The Dons Over twenty years ago, Pearl St. Claire, Tony Gambino, and Lucas Emilio all challenged the then ruler of Cugine City Salvatore Riina. At the time doing such a thing was seen as plain suicide, but the three were indeed talented. They maneuvered against Salvatore and his men in ways never before seen. They held nothing back, they attacked anyone who was affiliated with him no matter their gender or age. There was an incident when Tony Gambino walked into the hospital they met Salvatore and started killing everyone in it. He walked in and started firing at everyone he saw. Hospital staff, patients it didn¡¯t matter everyone was forced to taste lead. He, however, spared the doctors who were supposed to operate on Bella and dragged them by their hair outside of the hospital. Tony lined up the doctors and their nurses after breaking their limbs and ordered his subordinates to bring some people in front of him. The doctors were shocked to see that he had captured their families. ¡°The jobs of doctors is to save those in need right?¡± He took a scalpel and slit the throat of one of the doctors¡¯ daughter in front of him. ¡°Can you save them, Doctor?¡± Tony ignored their screams and used his scalpel to cut open the doctors¡¯ family members right in front of them and had his men force them to watch as their loved ones bleed to death. This was all done in broad daylight and in front of a large mass of people. This incident earned Tony notoriety that didn¡¯t have before. He was now seen as a madman. Tony wasn¡¯t the only who had committed insane acts. Lucas kidnapped one of Salvatore¡¯s business partners and beat him to death with his fists in the middle of town. Pearl also destroyed a couple of Salvatore warehouses were he stored his money. All of these actions made the town realize something. These three teens had all lost their minds. Predator which they headed were even more feared. Even members of the gang were afraid of their insane bosses. But none were more insane than Tony. Salvatore has several buildings that he used to run his criminal empire. One of them that he frequents the most was called the Beast. That day a bike rode up in front of the Beast. The rider had something strapped to his back. This rider was none other than Tony himself. He pulled the covers off the RPG that was strapped to his back and aimed it at the building before pulling the trigger. *Bam!* The rocket blew open the front entrance which caused many people to run out. When he saw them Tony didn¡¯t run he instead calmly reloaded the RPG and fired it at the crowd coming at him. After he saw that no one else was coming, he left. Incidents like this continued to happen as it seemed like the trio was hellbent on destroying everything connected to Salvatore. Of course, a man like Salvatore couldn¡¯t allow such disrespect to continue. *BOOM!* One night the main base of Predator was completely destroyed. The culprit? Salvatore himself. He didn¡¯t send any of his men to do it, Salvatore went to settle everything himself. ¡°Oh? I thought that you Three would have already ran away.¡± Salvatore smiled as he looked at the trio in front of him. ¡°Run away? Me?¡± Tony was at the head of the three. He showed a beastly smile. ¡°I won¡¯t run Salvatore. There are only two places left for me to go.¡± He pulled two silver pistol from his waist. ¡°Hell or six foot under!¡± ¡°Tony, don¡¯t rush in!¡± Lucas shouted at Tony but his words fell on deaf ears. Tony ran towards Salvatore. ¡°Heh. I like you!¡± Salvatore charged at him and threw a punch, Tony ducked underneath it and aimed his gun at Salvatore¡¯s chin. *Bam!* He was kicked away before he could pull the trigger. He immediately felt like his bones were breaking. Salvatore charged at him and lifted his leg to stomp him into the ground. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Lucas jumped in and slammed his fist in the side of Salvatore¡¯s head. ¡°Nice punch.¡± *Bam!* Salvatore hit him with an uppercut to the midsection. ¡°Guah?!¡± He immediately puked up whatever was in his stomach. Salvatore spun around and swung his leg like a whip. ¡°Hm?¡± His leg, however, hit the air. Pearl had wrapped wires around Lucas and dragged him towards her. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Tony fired his guns and bullets of Anima hit Salvatore¡¯s body and bounced off him like there were rubber balls. ¡°Tsk!¡± Tony put his guns together and Amina started gathering in front of him. A huge beam was launched from the guns and charged at Salvatore. *BOOM!* A huge explosion devoured everything in a 100m radius and left a trail of destruction in its wake. *Swoosh!* Tony heard something cutting through the air and turned around. He immediately realized that a fist was only a few inches away from crushing his head. He immediately saw why he still alive. Salvatore¡¯s arm was wrapped with wires. He looked and saw Pearl behind Salvatore holding tight onto the wires she was using. ¡°Argh!¡± Her body was trembling and all the veins in her body were swollen. It was obvious that she was using her full strength to stop Salvatore. ¡°Oh? I thought that you were the weakest of three but you have some considerable arm strength.¡± Salvatore said. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Tony immediately started bombarding him with Anima bullets. Lucas was also repeatedly hitting him with his fists. ¡°Heh.¡± In response, Salvatore chuckled. ¡°These are some good attacks, but¡­!¡± He suddenly vanished and Pearl found herself being pulled into the air.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. *Bam!* Tony was kicked away likes ball and even bounced off the ground a few times before crashing into a car 300m away. Salvatore vanished again. ¡°Stop, Dammit!¡± Pearl roared as she tried her hardest to pull the wires that were wrapped around Salvatore¡¯s arm. The wires started slicing up her own hands from her gripping them too tight but she still didn¡¯t give up. ¡°?!¡± Salvatore suddenly popped up in front of Lucas. He thrust his hand forward and hit Lucas across the face. ¡°Blegh?!¡± Several of Lucas¡¯s teeth flew out of his mouth and he fell on the ground with his body twitching. ¡°Lucas?!¡± Salvatore looked back at Pearl. He swung his arm overhead, Pearl was also flung into the air. He then swung down his arm towards the ground. *Bam!* Pearl was slammed onto the ground so hard it looked like she was about to fuse with the earth. ¡°Do you know why I came here myself?¡± Salvatore spoke to the three who were on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s because I wanted to clearly show you the difference between myself and you.¡± He smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no way any of you can beat me. I mean, you¡¯re not even Evolved. What makes you think you basic Beastmen could compete with an Evolved Beastman like me?¡± *Bam!* He lifted his arm and blocked a punch from Tony. ¡°Salvatore!¡± Tony roared with bloodshot eyes. ¡°You¡¯re really something, you know that.¡± Salvatore punched him and grabbed his arm and held him up like a doll. ¡°I wonder how tough you¡¯ll be after I do this?¡± Salvatore placed free hand on Tony¡¯s shoulder while holding his arm up. ¡°Wait! What are you doing?!¡± Pearl screamed. ¡°This.¡± *Tear!* ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± ¡°Tony!¡± Pearl and Lucas looked at Tony in shock, they then looked at what Salvatore was holding. It was Tony¡¯s arm that he just tore off like it was made of paper. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± Tony rolled on the ground and screamed. ¡°You bastard!¡± Lucas roared angrily and tried to stand up but his body just wouldn¡¯t listen to him. ¡°Now, now.¡± Salvatore walked up to him stepped on his leg. ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡± He swung his hand down. ¡°Ahhhhhhh?!¡± Lucas screamed out his agony and looked down to only see that his right leg was cut off from the hip. ¡°Lucas!¡± Pearl screamed in horror. Salvatore turned his attention to her. ¡°Now then, what should I take from you?¡± He started walking towards her. He stretched his arm towards her. ¡°It¡¯s time for you brats to know your place.¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± Pearl started to crawling away from the approaching Salvatore. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t run.¡± Salvatore popped up beside her and kicked her in the side and turned her over. ¡°Such pretty eyes.¡± She watched in horror as his huge fingers came closer. ¡°I¡¯ll just take these instead.¡± ¡°No, please stop¡­..Lucas, Tony, Bella, mommy, daddy¡­.¡± She clenched her teeth. ¡°Help!¡± ¡°This world is cruel, darling. It¡¯s not all the time that someone will save you when you¡¯re in trouble.¡± Salvatore places his fingers on her right eye. ¡°For example, now.¡± ¡°AHHHHHHHH?!¡± Pearl¡¯s scream echoed in the area. She rolled on the ground with her hand over her right eye. Blood was seeping from between her fingers while her pants became wet. ¡°Did the pain make you piss yourself?¡± Salvatore started laughing. He stood there and laughed as he listened to the three different screams around him. After nearly a minute he stopped laughing. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll put you out of your misery now.¡± He started approaching Pearl again. This time she didn¡¯t even have the strength or the courage to try and get away. ¡°If you want to blame anyone blame your parents for bringing you here.¡± He said. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Pearl trembled as she watched him approach her. She resigned herself for death. ¡°SALVATORE RIINA!¡± That¡¯s when a roar echoed in the area. Salvatore looked and saw and the one-armed Tony on his feet. ¡°Oh?¡± Salvatore was surprise to see Tony standing much less facing him. (This boy¡­.unlike the others his eyes aren¡¯t dead yet.) A big grin appeared on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch her! If you want to kill someone, bring it! I¡¯ll die with you!¡± *Flash!* Tony¡¯s body suddenly started glowing with a golden light. When Salvatore saw this his eyes widen. ¡°He¡¯s evolving?¡± Before everyone¡¯s eyes, Tony¡¯s body started to shrink and he became slimmer. His rough skin became soft and smooth and his face became less ugly and was replaced by a handsome human face. Tony no longer looked like an orc but instead looked like a human. ¡°Hahahaha! Amazing! This is amazing! To think that you¡¯ll evolve in a situation like this! I knew it! You¡¯re a special boy aren¡¯t you?!¡± Salvatore laughed hysterically and said. ¡°Tony evolved?¡± Pearl and Lucas momentarily forgot their pain and looked at their friend in shock. ¡°Salvatore, let¡¯s continue this battle!¡± Tony held his one arm up and looked completely ready to fight. ¡°Hahaha! Even though you have one arm you still want to fight?¡± Salvatore pointed at him. ¡°Since you¡¯ve evolved most of your injuries have healed but you can¡¯t regain your lost limbs through evolution. Besides, you just evolved while I¡¯ve evolved for over a decade now. You can¡¯t hope to beat me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! I won¡¯t let you kill any of my friends!¡± ¡°Then how about a proposition? A way for all of you to live.¡± He pointed at Tony. ¡°Kid, work for me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Work for me and I¡¯ll spare your friends.¡± Tony opened his mouth to answer but Salvatore cut him off. ¡°Before you speak take a look at your friends again and think.¡± Tony looked at Pearl who was still trembling and Lucas who looked like he could pass out any second now. He saw the fear in their eyes and realized something. He might be willing to die here but his friends weren¡¯t. They still wanted to live. He couldn¡¯t help but remember Bella who die so suddenly. He didn¡¯t want to see any more of his loved ones die again. ¡°T-Tony¡­Don¡¯t.¡± Lucas whispered to him. Tony clenched his teeth. He clenched them so hard it seemed like they were about to shatter. ¡°I¡¯ll work for you.¡± ¡°Tony!¡± Salvatore smiled. ¡°Smart choice.¡± He walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. ¡°Welcome to the family, Tony Gambino.¡± Tony said nothing and only clenched his teeth and cried. Seeing him like that Lucas and Pearl also found themselves with tears flowing down their cheeks. That day Tony Gambino joined Salvatore Riina to protect those close to him. Scared of Salvatore and feeling guilty for Tony selling himself to his most hated enemy, Pearl St. Claire left Cugine City and wouldn¡¯t return for more than a decade. As for Lucas Emilio, the lost of his best friend and sister became too much for him to handle. He stumbled down a spiral of drugs and greed and disappeared into the darkness of the city. As for Tony himself, he became known as Salvatore¡¯s Bullet. His main hitman and later on his righthand man. These three walked down different paths and would only meet again after Salvatore¡¯s death. However, by that time they were all different from before and immediately ended up as each other¡¯s enemies. They were later known as the Three Dons of Cugine City. Present day. ¡°Don.¡± Lucas Emilio was staring into the distance reminiscing the past when one of his subordinates came up to him and bowed. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°W-Well, we¡¯ve received news that one of our safe houses was robbed of all of its cash. The men who were stationed there were found either dead or incapacitated.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The man was shocked by how casual Lucas was despite losing a large sum of his money. ¡°You expected me to be mad?¡± ¡°¡­.Yes.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t blame you. Everyone knows about my love for money. I mean I did anything just to make a profit 10 years ago. I sold drugs and even people. I killed my competitors and robbed them of everything they had. I even dabbled in slavery. I¡¯m the worst kind of person.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± The subordinate remained quiet and listened. ¡°Back then, something must¡¯ve been wrong with me. When I lost everything to Salvatore Riina I tricked myself that I wasn¡¯t strong enough. For some reason, I believed that everything would¡¯ve been alright if I was richer. I could¡¯ve hired a powerful master and made him kill Salvatore. I could¡¯ve arranged for my sister to have her surgery earlier so we wouldn¡¯t have to lose her like we did. I could¡¯ve saved the orphanage I could¡¯ve happily lived with everyone I cared about. All of these could¡¯ve been done if I had enough money.¡± He looked up at the sky. ¡°Eventually I stop seeing people as people and saw them as something with a price tag. Money became my only comfort, it was the only thing I had faith in.¡± He laughed a little. ¡°Hey, did you know? When Salvatore died and Pearl returned to the city I ignored her because I thought she would stand in my way to make more money. But that¡¯s not the worst thing I did. After everything was over Tony came to me saying that things could return to how it was. I looked my best friend in the eye and said¡­.¡± He showed a self-mocking smile. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to make me money I don¡¯t need your friendship.¡± Lucas remained silent as if he was recalling the despair in his friend¡¯s eyes that day. ¡°For me to say that to someone who sacrifice everything just for me to live¡­.¡± He touch his right leg which was artificial. ¡°I deserve to lose more than just this back then.¡± ¡°Don¡­..¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m drowning in self-pity I¡¯m just reminding myself that everything is my fault and that I need to fix things myself. Pearl became a Don just to stop Tony and me from doing anything stupid like killing each other, but that can¡¯t be stopped anymore.¡± A fierce look appeared in Lucas¡¯ eyes. ¡°I made him like this so I need to put an end to him as his friend.¡± At same time, Pearl was thinking something similar. ¡°Because I ran away leaving them those two turned into what they are today. I have a responsibility of ending them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what those two are probably thinking.¡± At the same time, Tony was sitting on the ruins of a destroyed building in his district. ¡°They both feel guilty and feel responsible for everything. What idiots.¡± He played with a bullet in his hand. He turned to the side and looked at the woman standing not too far away from him. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so too, Griselda?¡± Griselda showed Tony a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t really care about what Pearl and Lucas are thinking since I¡¯ve never really interacted with them that much, but you¡¯re different Tony.¡± Tony smiled and showed her the bullet he was playing with. It had her name on it. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll get to deliver this first.¡± Griselda smiled. ¡°Unfortunately, I have to decline your present; but as a way to make it up to you I¡¯ll end you here.¡± Tony stood up and faced Griselda. ¡°Let¡¯s have a fun reunion, Haruka Yamaguchi.¡± 95th Night: Tony & Griselda ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve heard someone called me by that name.¡± Griselda smiled at Tony. ¡°Other than Shancai, you¡¯re probably the only one that knows that the one who possesses that name is still alive.¡± ¡°I guess I should consider it a honor.¡± Tony drew two guns from his hoisters. ¡°The two of us took down Salvatore together, yet you stand in front of me as enemy.¡± A wild grin appeared on his face. ¡°Isn¡¯t life hilarious?¡± Griselda stretched her hand to the side and a cluster of black feathers appeared out of nowhere and formed a ringed staff in her hand. The staff was made of black wood with a golden ornament at the top with six rings and a point tip like a spear. ¡°The Shakujo staff huh? It¡¯s really the favorite weapon of your race, I see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve used it, so I might be a bit rusty.¡± Griselda held the staff beside her and took a fighting stance. ¡°Liar.¡± Tony charged at her with both guns in hand, she smiled and leaped towards him. ¡°Let¡¯s go see Salvatore, Haruka!¡± ¡°Go see him yourself!¡± Tony fired his guns at Griselda who was above him, she twisted her body and avoided and then thrust the tip of her staff Tony¡¯s head. Tony lifted the gun in his left hand and used it parry her staff while taking a step closer with his other gun aiming at her. *Bam!* Griselda kicked his wrist and caused him to fire into the air. Tony smiled and kicked her in the midsection forcing her back. He then chased after her and fired several shots at her. Griselda brought her staff in front of her and spun it as fast as she could. The shots were deflected and she once again thrust her staff at Tony¡¯s head. ¡°Woah!¡± Tony ducked under the attack but the staff was just a diversion. The real attack came the moment he ducked. *Bam!* Griselda hit him with a knee strike to the face which caused him to fall on his back. With his face redden, he looked up to see the staff once again aiming for his head. He rolled out of the way and the staff created a hole in the ground where his head was. Tony sprung to his feet and fired guns at her again. Griselda didn¡¯t avoid them, she ran into the bullets¡¯ path and blocked the bullets again. She quickly closed the distance between she and Tony and swung the staff at his neck. Tony leaped back to avoid the attack. When his feet touch the floor, the tie around his neck fell to the floor. It was cut while he was avoiding Griselda¡¯s last attack. ¡°Whew~. Rusty huh?¡± He said after seeing the tie on the ground. ¡°Yes, I am. Otherwise it would¡¯ve been your head and not your tie on the ground.¡± ¡°Hahahaha! You¡¯ve grown cocky over the years. Did receiving the blessings of Shancai¡¯s master boost your confidence?¡± Tony took off his jacket and let it fall to the ground. He was now only in his black dress shirt and pants. ¡°Fighting you with these is a waste of time.¡± He threw his guns away. ¡°What¡¯s this? The Godfather of Arms is going to fight without a weapon?¡± Griselda was amused. ¡°I¡¯m called that because of my arms dealing businesses across the continent, not because of my fighting style. Besides, I haven¡¯t used my real guns yet.¡± He stretched his hands out and two guns with grenade launchers on them appeared in his hands. It was a pair of Colt AR-15s with M203 grenade launchers on them. Griselda gulped on reflex when she saw the weapons. In response, Tony smiled and said- ¡°Say hello to my little friends!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Tony immediately made the power of his weapons known. He fired the guns with a mad laugh. These guns were materialized by Tony¡¯s Anima so their firepower outclassed normal guns an hundred times over. Each shot made the earth shake. ¡°Dammit!¡± Griselda didn¡¯t think of trying to block these shots with her staff despite it being made from Anima as well. She immediately started running and tried her best to avoid the attacks. The bullets from Tony¡¯s gun were like missiles. They tore apart anything they touch without exception. Concrete were like frail dried up leaves in front of them. Griselda leaped into the air and a pair crow wings appeared on her back. She used these wings to fly up into the air. ¡°As expected of a Tengu, you¡¯re quick to take to the air.¡± Tony said with laugh. He didn¡¯t fire at Griselda who was in the air instead he looked at her with amusement. Griselda clicked her tongue in irritation. ¡°That bastard, he¡¯s looking down on me. He¡¯s really like Salvatore in that regard.¡± A golden light appeared at her index finger¡¯s tip. She used that finger to draw something that looked like a letter in front of her.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Om!¡± *BAM!* ¡°Guh?!¡± Tony suddenly found himself on his back with his body laying in a ¡°???¡± shaped crater. It felt like his body was being pressed down by an invisible force. *Crack!* He could hear his bones cracking under the pressure. ¡°This is the lotus arts of the Pure Land¡­.¡± Tony smiled. ¡°I guess you earned more than just Shancai¡¯s master¡¯s blessing! You even learn some of her teachings. But¡­.!¡± Wild Anima started pouring out of Tony¡¯s body like crazy. His muscles bulged as he slow got to his feet. ¡°But that¡¯s not enough to stop me!¡± He roared and lifted his guns in the air. *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* He fired dozens of blasts from the grenade launcher on his guns. The blast lit up the sky and scorched the air with massive explosions which caused the surroundings to tremble. ¡°Hm?¡± Tony looked up and saw another strange symbol in the area. ¡°Reflection!¡± Griselda swung her arm to the side and the sky lit up once again as a maelstrom of flames descended from the sky causing Tony¡¯s eyes open wide with shock. *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* The flames crashed onto the earth and caused mass destruction on the ground. The rubbles in the area were blown away, the ground was burn black and filled with large craters and smoke covered the area. ¡°How did you like the taste of your attack multiplied by 2?¡± Griselda said. ¡°Roar!¡± The area started to shaking again as a loud roar resounded from within the smoke. A powerful gust blew away the smoke revealing Tony standing in the same spot with only a few burns on his clothes. ¡°¡­..You monster.¡± ¡°You have to become a monster to live under one for a decade, Haruka.¡± Tony said with a laugh. ¡°Hm?¡± He looked to the west. ¡°Looks like our little skirmish attracted the others. Well, I¡¯m finally warmed up so I guess it¡¯s perfect time.¡± *BAM!* A golden light fell from the sky and landed right beside Tony. The one who emerged from that light was Lucas Emilio. ¡°Lucas, how you¡¯ve bee-¡± *BAM!* Before he could finish Tony was punched in the face by Lucas and was sent flying through a few buildings over 200m away. ¡°I¡¯m not here to talk or make jokes, Tony.¡± Lucas started cracking his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m here to kill my best friend.¡± The rubble which collapsed was lifted up and move to the side. Tony appeared and started dusting off his clothes. ¡°A punch right in the middle of me greeting you. Talk about lacking manners.¡± ¡°Then what would you call this?¡± *BAM!* A giant piece of concrete was suddenly dropped on top of him. It crack into two and Tony stood there with his fist in the air. He looked up and saw Pearl standing on some rubble not too far away from him. ¡°Yo, Pearl. Haven¡¯t seen you in forever. How¡¯s business?¡± ¡°It bombed.¡± ¡°Hahahaha! That¡¯s a pretty good joke. Did getting blown up give you a sense of humor?¡± Pearl suddenly appeared in front of him swing her fist, Lucas appeared at his side doing the same. ¡°Om!¡± Two letters appeared in front of the two and caught them by surprise. *BAM!* They were hit with a repulsive force which made them feel like they were hit by a truck. They were forced to back off from Tony. They looked up at Griselda who was hovering in the sky. ¡°Hey, I saved your lives just now so what¡¯s with the glares?¡± Griselda said with a frown. ¡°Haruka, you did something unnecessary.¡± Two giant machine gun appeared behind Tony. ¡°I was just gonna put a few holes in their bodies. No one never dies from that.¡± He said with a laugh. ¡°Besides, aren¡¯t they your enemies too? Why save them?¡± Tony looked at Pearl and Lucas and saw that they were bleeding from their mouths after Griselda ¡°saved¡± them. (She was able to wound them¡­.Cunning as ever I see.) ¡°Who are you?¡± Pearl spit the blood that was gathering in her mouth and asked. ¡°No one important. I just want you Three and Cesare dead, that¡¯s all.¡± Griselda spread her arms open and countless Shakujo staffs appeared behind her. ¡°For the good of this city, You three must die!¡± She pointed downwards and the staffs descended towards the earth like black rain. The Three Dons could feel danger from each and every one of those staffs. Tony lifted his guns and used the machine guns behind him to tear the staffs coming his way to pieces. Pearl used her wires to cut them into pieces while Lucas threw countless fast jabs into the air and destroyed them. Griselda didn¡¯t look discourage at all and made a seal with her hand. ¡°Bloom!¡± The broken pieces of the staffs started glowing. Seeing this, Tony immediately started to run. *BOOM!* Suddenly the staff pieces exploded and caused a massive explosion which devoured everything for almost a mile. Griselda hovered in the sky and looked at the ground which was now covered by a sea of flames. ¡°They all escaped. As expected of those three.¡± She immediately flew higher into the air as if she wanted to disappear. ¡°I¡¯m outnumbered so it¡¯s time to retreat.¡± She suddenly turned into a black streak and traveled across the sky. Tony was hidden and watching her retreat. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to take my leave here as well. Taking those two on can wait until I kill Cesare¡­..Speaking of which, I¡¯m surprised he didn¡¯t join in.¡± Tony smirked. ¡°He didn¡¯t kick the bucket did he?¡± At the same time, somewhere in the city. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Someone was laying on the ground covered in wounds and was bleeding heavily. They coughed a little before starting to crawl. Since they were bleeding, they left a trail of blood as they moved forward. ¡°What¡¯s this? I never knew you were a snail, Cesare.¡± Someone walked towards the crawling Cesare with a smile on his face. ¡°You must be snail or at least a slug since you¡¯re leaving such an obvious trail when you move.¡± Cesare turned around and looked at the person mocking him. ¡°Benny¡­¡± Benito looked down on Cesare and smiled. ¡°But this is the first I¡¯ve seen you like this Cesare. Looks like I was right to accept help from those guys.¡± ¡°Who was that masked woman?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the one wearing the skull mask, she¡¯s called Anput. Now that I think about it, I never mentioned it to you did I?¡± Benito stooped down beside Cesare. ¡°You see I came in contact with a very mysterious group a couple years back. One of them appeared in my office one night and we immediately got along. Well, it¡¯s mostly because I couldn¡¯t hope to defeat him so I did my best to please him. Anyway, he really liked me so he offered me his services free of cost.¡± Cesare turned his head and looked behind Benito. There he saw something that shouldn¡¯t exist in this world, yet it stood right before his eyes. ¡°Oh, this? Amazing isn¡¯t? I never thought that I would be able to have such a thing under my control. It really makes you think doesn¡¯t? Just what is death really?¡± Benito started laughing. ¡°But I have to thank you, Cesare. You made me realize that I really wasn¡¯t cut out to be a politician.¡± A cold smile appeared on his face. ¡°A dictator is more fitting.¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Cesare suddenly started laughing. ¡°You really are something, Benny. You¡¯re really the scum of the earth.¡± He showed a big grin. ¡°You¡¯re gonna make me like that thing aren¡¯t you?¡± Cesare asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine, do it! As long as I get to destroy those brats I don¡¯t care what happens to this life of mine. However, Benny. Don¡¯t you dare waste my life. If you¡¯ve come this far, you better see it out to the end!¡± *Bam!* A huge hole appeared in Cesare¡¯s chest and blood gushed out of his mouth. His eyes became dull but his mouth still curved upwards. He died with a smile on his face. ¡°I was intending to do just that.¡± Benito whispered. ¡°Wow! You really did it, you really killed your friend!¡± The woman with a skull mask and was dressed in suit, Anput appeared out of nowhere near Cesare¡¯s body. ¡°Can you use it?¡± Anput nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fresh so I can use it. But I gotta say, your greed is on a different level for you to kill your friend.¡± ¡°Does your organization not approve of people like me?¡± ¡°No, we love working with your kind. It¡¯s always fun to see your rise.¡± ¡°And my downfall?¡± ¡°Of course. That¡¯s fun too.¡± Benito smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t fall no matter what.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hubris, Benito Mussolini.¡± Anput immediately answered. ¡°For everything that rises must fall back to the ground.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll become the exception. I won¡¯t fall no matter what. Even if I have to borrow the power of devils I won¡¯t fall.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to break it to you, but you¡¯re already borrowing the power of devils.¡± Anput stooped down and started examining the body. ¡°After all only devils can do the things we do.¡± Anput started playing with the hole in Cesare¡¯s chest. ¡°Speaking of devils¡­.¡± She looked towards the north. ¡°Looks like the Devil King is back in business. I really wanted Lucian to kill him too. I guess it was too much to ask.¡± The sound of her smiling could be heard from beyond the mask. 96th Night: All Out War! ¡°Tsk! They got away.¡± Pearl who hid to avoid Griselda¡¯s attack appeared from out of the dust clouds with a scrawl on her face. ¡°Tony, I¡¯ll definitely get you and that woman too.¡± ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve been having fun without me, Pearl.¡± ¡°?!¡± Pearl heard a familiar voice and quickly turned around. There she saw a man with flaming red hair, blue eyes, dressed in black pants and white shirt, with a playful smile on his face. ¡°Rory?!¡± ¡°Yo!¡± Rory waved at her. Pearl quickly approached him and halted when she took a better look at him. ¡°¡­..You¡¯re beaten up.¡± Rory had his left side of his face bandaged up, his arm was also bandaged up and was in a slinger, and if you looked at his shirt collar you could see that some bandages were peaking out. ¡°Beaten? I was completely destroyed.¡± Rory said with a laugh. ¡°Then what about Lucian Erebus?¡± ¡°Tsk. I don¡¯t wanna talk about it.¡± Rory suddenly had an irritated expression. (Well, he¡¯s alive so that¡¯s a victory in its own right.) ¡°Anyway, Pearl. Looks like things became really interesting while I was gone.¡± Rory showed a smile. ¡°Tell me the details.¡± Elsewhere, after completing their tasks Amelia and Reina returned to Griselda¡¯s only to find that the place was completely destroyed. ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Shancai looked at the building that was in ruins and frowned. He could see many body parts sticking out from under the rubble and bloodstains on the ground. ¡°The fact that there¡¯s no bystanders making a crowd is strange.¡± He stooped down and placed his hand on the ground and closed his eyes. The girls saw a red ring appeared underneath him. The ring expanded and rapidly stretched far enough to cover the entire district. ¡°What¡¯s up, Shancai?¡± Fraus approached him asked. ¡°Everyone in this district is gone.¡± ¡°What?¡± What he said confused the girls. ¡°What do you mean gone? Are you saying the district is deserted?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡± Shancai stood up. ¡°Everyone left and our base was destroyed¡­.There¡¯s something incredibly strange about this.¡± He approached the ruins and lifted up a big piece of concrete and dragged someone out of the ruins. ¡°Ming!¡± It¡¯s the bouncer who was always at the entrance of the club. ¡°He¡¯s still alive but he¡¯s beyond saving.¡± Shancai placed him on the ground and said. He then placed his hand on his chest. *Bam!* Ming¡¯s body jerked as if he was hit with a shock. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Amelia asked.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°I¡¯m giving his heart a jump start.¡± *Bam!* Ming¡¯s body jerked again. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± He suddenly started coughing and his eyes opened soon after. ¡°Ming, I¡¯ll be direct with you. You¡¯re organs have been practically destroyed and you¡¯ve lost too much blood. Once you close your eyes again you¡¯ll enter the karmic cycle once more, but before you go tell me what happened here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ming stared at Shancai for a while before smiling. ¡°I see. So my time has come.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shancai nodded. There was no grief on either of their faces. It was like this was expected. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened¡­Only thing I remember is that two people walked up to the club entrance and asked if the boss was in. When I answered that she was out a bright light enveloped me and then I blacked out.¡± ¡°Can you describe them?¡± Shancai asked. Amelia looked down and saw that a puddle of blood was forming under Ming. Seeing that she looked away and bit her lip. ¡°¡­.It was a man and a woman¡­..I know the man but I don¡¯t know the woman¡­.She wore a skull mask.¡± ¡°?!¡± Shancai¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Did she dress in a tuxedo?¡± Ming weakly nodded his head. Shancai gritted his teeth. ¡°Who¡¯s the man?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Benito¡­Mussolini¡­Hey, Shancai¡­.I¡¯m feeling tired¡­.Can I sleep now?¡± ¡°Yeah. Have you good rest.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­.Tell the boss¡­.Thanks.¡± Ming closed his eyes and never opened them again. ¡°¡­.Yeah. I¡¯ll be sure to tell her.¡± ¡°Ming¡­¡± The girls looked at Ming who laid on the ground with a smile on his face. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Shancai silently lifted Ming¡¯s body and placed him on top of the club ruins. He created a flame lotus in his palm. ¡°Ming¡­.Everyone¡­May your journey in the other world be a glorious one.¡± He blew on the locus and it flew out of his hand and landed on top of Ming. Ming¡¯s body instantly caught fire. The fire spread to the rest of the ruins and a huge fire engulfed everything. The fire was crimson and burned silently. The crimson flame came off as a beautiful and righteous one. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡± Shancai turned around and said. ¡°Benito Mussolini¡­.How dare you kill Ming?!¡± Fraus clenched her fists with tears in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s the guy who quitted being Mayor right? Why did he attack us?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Why else? He¡¯s taking part in this war.¡± Shancai answered. ¡°And as it stands he might come out the winner.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because he has some really dangerous people backing him.¡± He looked at Reina and Amelia. ¡°Think of it as being backed by a group on Pandemonium¡¯s level.¡± ¡°?!¡± Shancai walked past the girls whose faces were dyed in shock. ¡°The disappearance of everyone in this district makes sense now too.¡± The girls followed behind him while he spoke. ¡°There¡¯s no telling where this war is going now.¡± *DONG!* Everyone suddenly halted. ¡°A bell?¡± Amelia and the girls started looking around. ¡°It sounds pretty close, but it also sounds like an echo for some reason.¡± Reina said. ¡°Hey, Shan-¡± Fraus was about to call out to Shancai but paused when she saw his shoulders trembling. The Amelia and Reina noticed this and became curious. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± They approached him and were shocked to see that he was sweating pretty hard. He even had a nervous smile on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t have any more time to waste. We don¡¯t have anymore time left, Griselda!¡± Shancai looked at the girls with an intense look in his eyes. ¡°No more beating around the bush! From now on it¡¯s all out war!¡± ¡°¡­..Eh?¡± Shancai started walking so fast that it was like he could break out into a sprint at any moment. ¡°Huh? Wait up!¡± The girls started chasing after him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Elsewhere, Benito was making his way through the city when he noticed that the person who was following him all this time had stopped and was looking towards the direction of the sun. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Anput?¡± The skull masked woman stood there in silence for a while before speaking. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± ¡°Huh? Did you mean that bell? Yeah, I heard it. It sounds pretty far away though. Must¡¯ve been someone hitting a huge bell or something.¡± ¡°Bell?....I see so that¡¯s what you heard¡­..I guess you¡¯re still too weak to hear them.¡± ¡°Weak? What¡¯s this all about? What did you hear?¡± Anput remained silent before shaking her head. ¡°Never mind.¡± She looked back at him. ¡°I guess this is where we part ways.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this all of sudden? Part ways?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t afford to be caught in her aura after all. I¡¯ll be purified.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not making sense.¡± Anput pointed at the flute Benito was holding. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. It¡¯ll return to Thanatos once you die, so have fun until then.¡± ¡°Have fun?¡± ¡°And with that, I¡¯m off.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Benito stretched his hand out but Anput disappeared in an instant. ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed and gripped the flute tightly. ¡°What¡¯s up with that woman?! What does she mean when I die?! Did she just throw me away to the side like that?!¡± He looked towards the sun that Anput was looking at. ¡°Also, What the fuck does that bell signifies?!¡± Elsewhere, Rory was also looking towards the sun. ¡°I¡¯m curious, Pearl. Did you hear that just now?¡± ¡°Heard what, the bell?¡± Rory shook his head with a smile. ¡°I guess only those on the path of godhood can hear it after all.¡± He looked at Pearl. ¡°You¡¯re strong but the fact that you haven¡¯t mastered the Regal Powers will always be a stumbling block in your way.¡± ¡°¡­.Then, what did you hear?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m still hearing it even now.¡± He closed his eyes and had a peaceful look on his face. ¡°The hymns of the Pure Land can even soothe my devilish soul.¡± He stood there for a while breathing gently. When he opened his eyes there was an intense look inside them. ¡°Pearl, it looks like there¡¯s a sudden time limit on this war.¡± A grin appeared on his face. ¡°We¡¯ll have to end this war today. Regardless of who the winner is.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to rule this city, as long as I can put my friends at peace nothing else matters.¡± Pearl stretched her hand out. ¡°Rory, please lend me your strength.¡± Rory looked at her hand and held it. ¡°Sure, But don¡¯t regret it later when everything is reduced to rubble. After all, I¡¯m in a rush here.¡± Elsewhere, Griselda was flying through the air when a beautiful hymn started playing in her head. ¡°The Pure Land is opening its gates? What bad timing!¡± She suddenly started racing through the air like a jet. ¡°There¡¯s no time! Everything has to be settle as soon as possible.¡± She clenched a locket around her neck. ¡°Mother, Father. Give Haruka strength¡­..This is all out war!¡± 96th Night: The End Of An Era This is a story that many don¡¯t know about. A story about how two defeated souls conquered their oppressor and in return ended an era in Cugine City. It takes place after Salvatore Riina had destroyed the future Three Dons and obtained one of them as his subordinate. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± After being defeated by Salvatore, Tony was brought away from his comrades and into Salvatore¡¯s army of beasts. He was currently being briefed on his duties by one of Salvatore¡¯s men. ¡°Listen, you¡¯ve caused us quite a bit of trouble when you went against the Don. You did some pretty messed up things too, so it¡¯s natural that you¡¯ll be hated at first. However, if you make a name for yourself and display your loyalty to the Don for all to see you¡¯ll become a superstar in no time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tony didn¡¯t respond and only stared at his ¡°comrade¡± with hatred. (This kid still haven¡¯t had his spirit broken¡­.Is this the difference between an Evolved Beastman and everybody else?) The Panther Beastman who was briefing him coughed. ¡°Anyway, just do what you¡¯re asked and you¡¯ll survive.¡± The Beastman wanted to pat Tony¡¯s shoulder as a show of good faith but something told him that he might lose his arm if he did. So he stepped back and walked away. ¡°What a dangerous brat.¡± He mumbled while walking away. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Tony stood silently in a corner while people moved around in the building known as the Beast. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Memories of his battle against Salvatore kept flashing in his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely kill him.¡± ¡°Oh? Looks like the newbie is overflowing with hate for his boss.¡± He turned his head and saw that there was a woman sitting not too far away from him. She was tall, had a light yellowish skin, narrow eyes, and black hair. She was dressed in a sparkling slit red dress and was wear lipstick to match. (A foreigner? From her looks she¡¯s from the water continent of Caspian.) ¡°Woman, Who are you? One of Salvatore¡¯s whores?¡± The woman immediately frowned. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you rude?¡± She then smiled. ¡°But you¡¯re not wrong.¡± She stood up and started approaching Tony. ¡°I¡¯m just like you, Tony Gambino. I defeated soul who has fallen into the grasped of a beast.¡± She stopped right in front of him. ¡°Many of us here are. Look around, doesn¡¯t everyone look like walking corpses?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to look to see that. It¡¯s already obvious from the mood.¡± Tony replied. ¡°I see. Then let me give you some advice. You should give up taking him on. Salvatore is not someone you can defeat.¡± Tony looked at the woman in silence before smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll say the same to you.¡± ¡°¡­.I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re the only here that doesn¡¯t quiver or have a look reverence when talking about Salvatore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because Salvatore and I have a relationship beyond those things.¡± Tony looked at her from head to toe. ¡°A sex slave huh? I heard that he has quite a few.¡± He pointed at her right foot. There were the letters SR with a beast under it. ¡°That¡¯s the mark of the beast, right? All of Salvatore¡¯s property has one. The fact that you have one means that you¡¯re his property aka his slave.¡± ¡°¡­.You¡¯re quite observant.¡± ¡°I can say the same about you.¡± The two stared at each other in silence for a while before turning their back to each other and walked away. ¡°Haruka Yamaguchi.¡± Tony stopped and looked at the woman¡¯s back. ¡°That¡¯s my name. I hope you remember it, Tony Gambino.¡± She then walked towards an elevator and disappeared inside it. ¡°Haruka Yamaguchi, huh?¡± Tony smiled for a bit before a serious look appeared in his eyes. ¡°Salvatore¡­.!¡± Tony¡¯s days as one of Salvatore¡¯s soldiers started off with a bang. On a mission to silence a reporter who had apparently been badmouthing Salvatore any chance he got, he found himself surrounded by his own ¡°comrades¡±. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± He nonchalantly asked. ¡°You, you¡¯re responsible for my father¡¯s death.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I killed a lot of your people when I went against Salvatore what¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± The men became enraged. ¡°We¡¯ll avenge our families and comrades here!¡± They all pulled out their weapons and started to move closer towards Tony, who only sighed. ¡°Idiots. An ambush only works if your target doesn¡¯t see it coming.¡± He pulled his guns from his waist. ¡°Since you miss your family so much, I¡¯ll send you to meet them.¡± ****** Later that night, Tony was once again at the Beast having a drink at the bar inside. ¡°I heard that you killed your own comrades.¡± Haruka appeared and sat beside him. ¡°Did you get punished?¡± ¡°I finished my mission, so Salvatore didn¡¯t mind.¡± Tony gulped down the liquor in the glass before him. ¡°Well, that sounds like him.¡± Tony peeked at her after refilling his cup. ¡°Looks like Salvatore is rough in bed.¡± He pointed at her back. ¡°There¡¯s some claws marks showing.¡± ¡°You have no tact do you?¡± Haruka ordered a drink with a frown. ¡°But I¡¯m surprised. You have a lot of freedom for a sex slave. I heard you guys would normally be locked away until Salvatore calls for you.¡± ¡°Seriously, you don¡¯t hold anything back do you? Do you like stepping on the feels of others?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just my way of handling stress I guess.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like Salvatore in that regard.¡± *Crack!* The glass in Tony¡¯s hand cracked from being squeezed too hard. ¡°My bad.¡± ¡°No¡­.If I¡¯m going to survive here I need to learn to keep my emotions in check.¡± Tony put the glass down. Haruka took sip of her drink and then spoke. ¡°About me having so much freedom, it¡¯s because I¡¯m not your ordinary sex slave.¡± She looked at Tony. ¡°I give Salvatore what no one else gives him?¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A challenge.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°All the other girls just bow down and submit themselves to him, but I don¡¯t.¡± *Crack!* This time it was Haruka¡¯s glass that cracked. ¡°I¡¯ll never bow down to that monster.¡± Her body trembled a little before she took a deep breath to calm down. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the same reason why Salvatore holds you in such high regards. You¡¯ll never submit to him, so it¡¯s fun to see what you¡¯ll do to spite him. For someone like him, I guess that¡¯s what gives him pleasure these days.¡± ¡°Sadistic bastard.¡± Tony took another drink. ¡°Like you¡¯re one to talk.¡± Haruka took a drink as well. ******** ¡°Haruka Yamaguchi?¡± The next day, Tony started asking about Haruka after becoming curious about her. ¡°Yeah. She seems special.¡± ¡°Listen man, I know you¡¯re new and a lot people hate you but I don¡¯t want to see you walk that road.¡± The one who said that to him was his first ¡°comrade¡± he met when becoming Salvatore¡¯s subordinate. ¡°That woman is like a poisonous rose. She¡¯s indeed beautiful but she has thorns, thorns that can lead to your demise.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll decide that for myself. Just tell me about her.¡± Tony remained unmoved by his comrade¡¯s warning. ¡°Fine. Can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± He then began to narrate Haruka¡¯s past. ¡°Have you¡¯ve heard of the tribes of Caspian?¡± ¡°Yes. The Yamato Tribe, the Han Tribe, and the Joseon Tribe. Whether they are Human or Beastman all who comes from the Continent of Caspian belongs to one of these tribes. They all have light yellowish skin, narrow eyes, and black hair like Haruka.¡± Tony¡¯s comrade nodded. ¡°Haruka is from the Yamato Tribe and she¡¯s from a special Birdfolk race called the Tengu. A few years ago a gang came all the way from Yamato to this continent just to join hands with Salvatore Riina. They were called the Yamaguchi Sect and they were what those of Yamato calls the Yakuza. The result of their partnership was total destruction for all who came from the Yamaguchi Sect.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The Don didn¡¯t like the deal they were proposing and killed them all except for their leader¡¯s daughter who he grew fond of.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s Haruka.¡± He nodded. ¡°Since then that girl has made it her life mission to defy the Don to the very end. She even caused the deaths of a lot of our talented youths by seducing them into trying to free her by killing the Don.¡± He pointed at Tony. ¡°Be careful, Tony. That girl might be targeting you now.¡± ¡°Targeting me, huh?¡± Tony showed an amused smile. ****** Later that night, Tony once again visited the bar within the Beast. As he expected, he saw Haruka again. She came up to him when he was drinking alone at a booth. ¡°Yo, I was waiting for you.¡± Tony greeted Haruka before she could say anything. ¡°Is that so? That makes me happy.¡± Haruka smiled and took a seat. ¡°I heard about your past today.¡± ¡°¡­.I see. And?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious, are you really trying to seduce me into killing Salvatore for you?¡±Stolen story; please report. Haruka looked at him in silence a bit before bursting out laughing. ¡°You seriously lack tack you know that.¡± She wiped the tears from her eyes and shook her head. ¡°I admit that I have done so many times before but I didn¡¯t have any intention of doing so with you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you already hate Salvatore guts and is planning to kill him. There¡¯s no need to try and turn you against him since you never were with him in the first place.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a smart woman.¡± Tony lifted his glass as if to toast to her. ¡°Even if you had tried to seduce me it wouldn¡¯t work anyway. I already have a woman I love.¡± ¡°I see. Then I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t try.¡± Haruka suddenly stopped smiling. ¡°Then let me cut to the chase. Tony Gambino, help me kill that bastard.¡± ¡°Why should I work with you? What¡¯s in it for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Salvatore¡¯s favorite. I know things about him and his empire that most don¡¯t. You¡¯ll never find a better ally.¡± ¡°But why do you need my help? You¡¯re an Evolved Beastman right? And I can see that you¡¯re strong. If you get the chance you can ambush him and kill him yourself.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t realize how much of a monster that man is. I¡¯ve tried killing him myself more times than I can count but he always just laugh it off like I¡¯m a child throwing a tantrum. Also, I¡¯m not evolved. My race is the descendant of an Evolved Beastman so we care born with the abilities of an Evolved Beastman But we can¡¯t hope to compare to our ancestor. You and Salvatore who evolved on your own has far more potential then me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t Tell me you didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really get the Evolution stuff. I don¡¯t even know how I evolved myself.¡± Haruka looked at him with shock. (He doesn¡¯t know¡­.This guy could be a real prodigy in disguise¡­) Haruka thought. A huge smile appeared on her face. ¡°Tony, I¡¯m certain now. If you and I work together we can take down Salvatore.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you have a plan in mind?¡± Haruka nodded. ¡°However, it will require a lot of will power from the both of us since we¡¯re going to have to kill our hearts.¡± ¡°¡­..I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°We must become his most treasured toys, and we can only do that by giving our all to please the man we hate the most in the world.¡± ******* ¡°Hey, did you hear? Tony went on a rampage again.¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard that he found out that some gangs were planning on forming an alliance to take down Salvatore and wiped them out singlehandedly.¡± ¡°And this is after he destroyed a vigilante group who was going around attacking our guys.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been on a roll lately. I heard that he¡¯s being promoted to an Underboss.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Well, he does have the talent.¡± ********* ¡°Tony.¡± Tony was walking in the lobby of the Beast when someone called out for him. ¡°Paul Gotti.¡± Paul Gotti was Salvatore¡¯s righthand man as well as the person Salvatore interrupted Bella¡¯s operation for. When Tony saw him he had the urge to rip his spine out, but he controlled himself. ¡°Salvatore wants to see you. He¡¯s at the suite on the top floor.¡± ¡°Reason?¡± ¡°He¡¯s your Don. You don¡¯t need to know the reason.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Tony walked past him ignoring Paul glaring at him. ¡°Damn, brat.¡± Paul turned away and left the building. Tony looked back at him and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m so gonna enjoy putting a bullet in your skull, fucker.¡± Tony entered an elevator and went to the top floor. Once he got there, he headed straight to the only room on the floor. He walked up and knocked on the door. ¡°Come In.¡± He cliched his teeth when he heard the voice coming from beyond the door. He took a deep breath and entered the room. As expected he saw Salvatore in the room. He was sitting on the bed practically naked. Tony turned his eyes and saw Haruka under the covers. Their eyes met only for a second before he turned away and faced his hated ¡°boss¡±. ¡°Tony, I heard that you¡¯ve been working pretty hard lately. What¡¯s up with that?¡± Salvatore asked him with a grin. ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just doing what I agreed to. So you better keep your end of the deal.¡± He fearlessly glared at Salvatore. ¡°Hahaha! I see, I see! And here I thought you finally recognized my superiority and wanted to show your loyalty.¡± ¡°Loyalty? Ha! The only thing I¡¯m loyal to is my desire to put a bullet in your head.¡± He pointed at Salvatore. ¡°The moment you let your guard down, you¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°Hahahaha! That¡¯s fine by me! That¡¯s how you should be.¡± Salvatore showed a sly smile. ¡°If you had said that you were submitting to me, I would¡¯ve immediately lost interest in you. I would¡¯ve killed your friends to make you hate me again.¡± ¡°Try it. It¡¯s your funeral.¡± Salvatore laughed again. Haruka watched their interaction from under the covers. (Good, Tony. Show him that you still hate him but is willing to work for him. That way he¡¯ll find you more and more interesting. Salvatore loves to break others but once the thrill from breaking them wears off he no longer has any use for them. Our only chance at survival is to continue to oppose him and keep him entertain all while gaining his affections. As long as he¡¯s fond of us, we¡¯ll have countless chances to strike him down.) She thought. ¡°Oh, I heard that you¡¯ve been talking with Haruka here.¡± Salvatore suddenly pulled the covers off Haruka and revealed her naked body to Tony. ¡°How about it? Do you want a go at her?¡± Tony looked at Haruka for a long time. He had to admit that she had an amazing body but he still turned his gaze away. ¡°We were simply discussing how to decorate your head once I cut it off. Other than that I have zero interest in her.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s interesting. Haruka has seduced quite a lot of people in trying to kill me, but you¡¯re the first to not show any interest in her.¡± ¡°I have no interest in used goods.¡± ¡°!¡± This time Haruka had an enraged look on her face. ¡°Hahaha! Aren¡¯t you harsh to say that to her face?!¡± Salvatore found his remark funny and burst out laughing. ¡°Can I go now?¡± ¡°Sure. Make sure to work hard!¡± *Pah!* Next day Tony was greeted with a slap from Haruka the moment he saw her. ¡°Well, I deserve that.¡± He rubbed his face and said. ¡°You sure do!¡± She immediately started to choke him with a blushed face which Tony didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°Can we just move on to the next phase?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Haruka released him and turned away. ¡°I¡¯m already on it.¡± ******** ¡°Hey, did you hear?! Paul Gotti was almost assassinated!¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard that his wife got killed instead.¡± ¡°They say that it¡¯s a bombing at his home.¡± ¡°I heard something pretty strange¡­..They say that the don might¡¯ve had something to do with it.¡± ****** ¡°With this everything is in place.¡± Tony listened to everyone gossiping with a smile on his face. ¡°Salvatore!¡± At that moment, Paul burst through the entrance with a furious expression. ¡°Salvatore, where are you?!¡± ¡°Boss, Calm down!¡± Some of Paul¡¯s men tried to stop him but they were pushed aside pretty easily. ¡°Salvatore, get down here!¡± ¡°What are you making a racket for, Paul?¡± ¡°My house¡­.My house was attacked last night.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve heard. I have people looking into it.¡± ¡°Looking in to it?¡± Paul¡¯s body started trembling. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me!¡± He pointed at Salvatore. ¡°I caught the bomber last night when he tried to flee! And it was Sonny!¡± ¡°Sonny?¡± ¡°But Sonny is an underboss. Why would he attack a capo like Paul?¡± ¡°Not only that, Sonny only moves when he¡¯s ordered by Paul or¡­.¡± The room suddenly became silent as if everyone came to the same conclusion. ¡°I wanted to kill the bastard but I made sure to torture him first! That¡¯s when he said he was ordered by you to kill me!¡± Paul shouted. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Salvatore suddenly started laughing which made Paul even more enraged. ¡°What nonsense. If I wanted you dead I would¡¯ve done it myself rather than send Sonny.¡± ¡°I believe so too, but what if you didn¡¯t want to kill me? What if you only wanted me to be your enemy because you¡¯re looking for a thrill?!¡± Salvatore stopped smiling. Paul continued. ¡°You can¡¯t say that you wouldn¡¯t do it, because we both knows that you¡¯re the type to pick fights with even your family just for the fun of it! That¡¯s how you killed your brothers after all!¡± Salvatore looked at Paul for a while and then looked at Tony. He then showed a smile. ¡°I see. I can¡¯t argue with you there. So?¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So what are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°?!¡± Everyone was shocked. The Don was publicly provoking his righthand man and was even looking down on him. And after being accused of murdering his wife as well. ¡°Salvatore!¡± Paul gritted his teeth and then turned as back on Salvatore. ¡°You¡¯ll regret this!¡± ¡°Hahahaha! I¡¯m looking forward to you trying.¡± Paul left while Salvatore still had a smile on his face. He smiled and then looked at Tony. ¡°Tony, we need to talk.¡± Salvatore brought Tony to a section of the building where they could be alone. ¡°You set me up, didn¡¯t you? Why? Surely you don¡¯t think having Paul as my enemy would kill me?¡± ¡°Of course not. He was simply in the way.¡± ¡°Oh? Explain.¡± ¡°In order to make sure you don¡¯t break your promise and go after my friends I need to be as close to you as possible. Not only physically, but in status too. He was in the way of that.¡± Salvatore nodded with an amused expression. ¡°So? What if I suddenly get enraged and kill you here?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m far more valuable to you than Paul. He may be an Evolved Beastman as well but he can¡¯t compare with me in talent and potential. I¡¯m a far better candidate to be your righthand. Besides¡­¡± ¡°Besides?¡± ¡°If you were the person to kill someone like me who can keep you entertained for something like this, then I wouldn¡¯t be alive today.¡± Salvatore grinned. ¡°I like that answer. For that I¡¯ll pardon this incident since I got some fun out of it.¡± Salvatore started walking passed Tony. ¡°But if it happens again I¡¯ll take your other arm. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be interesting to see how you¡¯ll kill me with two fake arms.¡± He laughed and walked away. ¡°Tsk! Cocky bastard!¡± ******** Paul Gotti didn¡¯t waste anytime getting his revenge. He gathered up all those who hated Salvatore and his tyranny within the organization and broke off and formed his own gang. Just like how Tony and his friends did he led an aggressive assault on Salvatore¡¯s empire. ¡°The west side of downtown was taken!¡± ¡°Several of our bases were destroyed!¡± ¡°I just got word that another underboss has been killed!¡± ¡°Damn, the cowards who were hiding in the shadows have joined up with Paul!¡± ¡°Fuck! Paul is attacking all of our weak points!¡± ¡°So this is the amount of damage a former Capo can do to us when they defect, huh?¡± Everyone was panicking and having trouble defending against Paul Gotti who knew the ins and outs of Salvatore¡¯s empire. ¡°Tony.¡± Salvatore approached Tony while everyone was frantic. ¡°You¡¯re up. Since you¡¯ve made this mess, go clean it up.¡± He said with a smile. Tony didn¡¯t say anything and started walking away from Salvatore. He took his guns and shouted. ¡°Anyone¡¯s who free and itching for fight, follow me!¡± ¡°!¡± Everyone looked at him in shocked for a while before some started following behind him. Before everyone knew it there was a large crowd following Tony¡¯s back. ¡°There¡¯s a chance we may die, so fight with no regrets! If you don¡¯t have anything to fight for then fight for the fun of it! Life is short so even if you cant shine like a star then become a firework which draws everyone¡¯s attend away from those stars, even if it¡¯s only for a second!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The men behind him roared. ¡°Men, tonight we¡¯ll show the world what true gangsters are like!¡± ¡°Ohhh!¡± With everyone in high spirits Tony left the building with a huge smile on his face. Haruka watched this with a strange look on her face. ¡°Tony might have more talent for being a leader than I give him credit for¡­.¡± Tony quickly got results. He attacked all of Paul¡¯s new associates and made sure to use the cruelest methods he could think of to send a message. When they saw how terrifying Tony was, all of those who were swept along with the flow and joined Paul Gotti all started leaving his sides. After successfully weakening Paul¡¯s forces, Tony then entered an all out war with those faithful to Paul. This is where things became really intense. Tony¡¯s side suffered heavy casualties, which were mostly on purpose, weakening Salvatore¡¯s forces as well. The war with Paul Gotti entered a deadlock by the third month. Both sides were just losing men but the war was nowhere near over. After a decade of fighting and with Tony moving up to Salvatore¡¯s righthand and Paul Gotti establishing himself as the second don everyone thought this great mafia war would never end. Or that was how it seems. ¡°Tony was killed by Paul?!¡± News that Tony had fallen to an ambush quickly spread around. With many people confirming his death with their own eyes, Tony¡¯s death was quickly accepted as a fact. ¡°Tsk. I guess he bit off more than he could chew. He had more talent and potential than Paul but he lacked the experience that Paul had.¡± Salvatore clicked his tongue his irritation as he looked down on the body in front of him. It belong to Tony Gambino. His body was riddled with Animite bullets which was what had ended his life. After confirming Tony¡¯s death himself Salvatore went back to his room. There he saw Haruka with reddened eyes. She looked like she was crying. Salvatore knew what her crying face was like so he knew that she wasn¡¯t faking it. ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you mourning his death?¡± He approached her with a smile on his face. ¡°While it¡¯s true that I lost a valuable toy, if he that¡¯s all he amounted too then he wasn¡¯t the man I thought he was.¡± Haruka got and swung her hand but Salvatore caught it before she could slap him. ¡°You¡¯re really angry aren¡¯t you?¡± He brought his face closer to hers. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you were in love with him or something?¡± He then pulled her closer. ¡°Or could it be that he was your final hope to escape my clutches?¡± ¡°?!¡± Haruka looked at him with watery eyes. She bit her lip and her body quickly became limped and she fell to the ground. ¡°Huh?¡± Salvatore looked down on her and saw that her eyes were lifeless. ¡°Did her spirit finally break?¡± He clenched his teeth in frustration. ¡°To think that I would lose both my beloved toys in one day.¡± He started to underdress himself. ¡°I have no use for a lifeless doll but since you¡¯re so beautiful I¡¯ll use you one last time before throwing you away.¡± He lifted Haruka and threw her on the bed before starting to underdress her as well. ¡°Since I¡¯m really pissed off today I won¡¯t be holding back. If you¡¯re lucky you might die from ecstasy.¡± He looked at her on last time before unfastening the buttons on her blouse. ¡°Huh?¡± That¡¯s when he saw something written on her chest. ¡°Goodbye, scum bag- Tony Gambino.¡± At that moment he felt a stinging sensation near his lower abdomen. He looked down and saw a syringe stuck in his stomach. He looked up and looked at Haruka who was grinning. ¡°I finally caught you.¡± ¡°Y-You¡­Bitch!¡± He swung down his fists with anger. *Bam!* Before his fist could hit Haruka, it was hit by a bullet. ¡°Ah!¡± He pulled his hand back and Haruka quickly escaped from underneath him. Salvatore turned around and saw Tony pointing a gun at him. ¡°Tony!¡± He roared. ¡°Yo, I went to hell but it seems the devil wants you first.¡± Tony smiled. ¡°So he sent me to come get you.¡± ¡°Tony!¡± Salvatore tried to pounce at him but his body suddenly felt heavy. ¡°Wha?!¡± *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Tony opened fire without mercy hitting him in the chest and stomach. Salvatore stepped back with his blood gushing out. ¡°Say, Salvatore. Do you remember my girlfriend Bella Emilio? You probably don¡¯t do you?¡± Tony said. ¡°You see she was in surgery when you interrupted it and killed her. Do you want to know what she was in surgery for?¡± Tony pointed at his stomach. ¡°It was to fix her Anima Core.¡± ¡°?!¡± Salvatore suddenly looked down at where the syringe that Haruka lodged in him was. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­.What did do to my Anima core?!¡± ¡°Nothing much, we just injected liquified Animite into it.¡± Haruka answered. ¡°What do you think will happen if a material that absorbs and eat away at Anima is inject into the organ that controls the Anima in your body?¡± She grinned. ¡°Anima Deficiency or at least something close to it. It¡¯s the same thing that my girl had.¡± ¡°You¡­You bastards!¡± Salvatore roared and beastly red Anima started pouring out of his body. ¡°Cough?!¡± Suddenly blood gushed out of his mouth. ¡°Woah, be careful there. Your Anima Core is in a delicate state. Using too much Anima might cause it to explode.¡± Haruka said before pouncing at him and kicking him across the room. ¡°It¡¯s moments like this I wish I had I dick so that I could fuck you like you did me all these years.¡± She broke a nearby table and held one of its foot in her hands. ¡°I guess this will have to do. It¡¯s much more impressive than yours anyway.¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Salvatore tried to get to his feet. *Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!* Tony shot him in the knees and caused him to kneel over. ¡°Hey, an attractive woman wants to fuck you. What kind of man you¡¯d be if you decline, even if what she¡¯s into is a bit kinky.¡± He showed a wild grin. ¡°Fuck this!¡± To their surprise, Salvatore suddenly took his hand and stabbed it into his chest. ¡°No!¡± *Bam!* Tony shot him in the head but by that time Salvatore had already ripped his own heart from his chest. ¡°I¡­win.¡± He keeled over and died with a smile. ¡°FUCK!¡± Haruka roared at the top of her lungs. She pounced on Salvatore¡¯s body and started punching it. ¡°Get up, you fucker! You don¡¯t get to die with a smile on your face! I still haven¡¯t paid you back for everything you¡¯ve done!¡± She angrily beat down on his body while tears flowed down on her cheeks. ¡°You ruined my life! You son of a bitch! Get up!¡± Tony looked at her crying put his guns away. ¡°Let¡¯s go Haruka. I¡¯m sure the others heard the commotion and is coming up to check.¡± ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!¡± *Pah!* Tony slapped her across the face. ¡°Get up and move!¡± She looked at him with a crying expression. ¡°Don! Don! What¡¯s going on in there?!¡± The sounds of people were drawing closer. ¡°Tsk.¡± Tony took Haruka in his hands and held on to Salvatore¡¯s corpses and jumped through the glass window. He held on tight to Haruka and released Salvatore¡¯s body and watched as it plummet to the ground. He looked around and grabbed on a flagpole. The pole only stopped him for a second before snapping, but that was all he needed. He twisted his body and kicked off the side of the building and flew across the street where they landed on a roof. ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck.¡± Haruka was still cursing in his arms while crying. He stood up and carried her to the edge of the roof and pointed down. ¡°Look! We weren¡¯t able to pay him back for everything, but we still ended Salvatore Riina. He doesn¡¯t even have a decent corpse! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll never past on like that!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Look, dammit!¡± He forced Haruka to look at Salvatore¡¯s disfigured body. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She stared at him while tears continued to flow. ¡°We¡¯re free, Haruka.¡± She looked up at Tony. There was a smile on his face but she could see the tears in his eyes. That¡¯s when she realized that she wasn¡¯t the only feeling frustrated about how everything ended. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Haruka forced herself out of his arms and fixed her clothes. ¡°As long as you¡¯re fine.¡± Tony continued to smile. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going back to my friends. It¡¯s been a decade but I¡¯m sure that our bonds are still there.¡± He stretched his hand out towards her. ¡°Do you wanna come? If you join us I¡¯m sure we can take this city before Paul obtains everything for himself.¡± Haruka shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m¡­.going to leave this city. There¡¯s too much memories here. I need to go find myself again¡­.I need to reclaim that innocent girl that Salvatore destroyed.¡± ¡°I see. I hope we meet again. After all, I consider you a dear friend.¡± ¡°Me too. I consider you my dearest friend, Tony.¡± Haruka took his hand and grasp it tightly. ¡°Until we meet again.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ********* After that, Haruka Yamaguchi left Cugine City and returned as Griselda with a boy called Shancai ten years later during the reign of the Three Dons. Finding out what her dear friend had turned into she became depressed. Her spirits soon lifted after she met some really warm people in the city. She soon revolved herself to take this city which housed so many terrible memories for her and change it something better. Present day, Griselda was flying through the city after battling Tony. She could still hear the holy hymns playing in her head. These hymns were like a countdown for her. It was telling her that she had only one chance left to do what she must before the Pure Lands open to the world. ¡°?!¡± She suddenly dove downwards to avoid something that flew right at her. She looked up and saw that a car was falling out of the sky. She realized that someone had thrown a car at her. She looked around and saw three men standing on the ground. She recognized all three. One was Benito Mussolini, the other was Cesare Mori, and as for the final person. ¡°No¡­.way..¡± She saw something that shouldn¡¯t exist in this world any longer. She witnessed its demise with her own eyes. Yet¡­It was on the ground waving at her. ¡°Yo, Haruka. I¡¯m back from hell. But I gotta say, you became quite the woman.¡± ¡°Salvatore¡­..Riina!¡± Salvatore grinned when he saw Griselda¡¯s expression. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± 97th Night: The Dead Rises ¡°Salvatore¡­.¡± It was like her soul was sucked out of her body. Griselda couldn¡¯t stop herself from staring at Salvatore who she saw die right before her eyes. ¡°?!¡± Suddenly she turned into a black streak across the sky as she escaped with everything she had. ¡°Hahahaha! She ran away just from seeing your face. She must really hate you.¡± Cesare, who was supposed to be dead as well, mocked Salvatore. ¡°Wow, she¡¯s fast. I don¡¯t think I can catch her.¡± Salvatore ignored Cesare and looked in Griselda¡¯s direction. ¡°You should¡¯ve at least try. That woman is a very dangerous existence.¡± Benito said. Salvatore looked at him with a frown. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me that, I know that more than anyone. She did kill me after all.¡± He peeked at the black flute in Benito¡¯s hands. ¡°But I gotta say, you sure accepted help from a dangerous group of people, Benito. That thing isn¡¯t something that should exist in this world.¡± ¡°You say that, but you¡¯re obviously planning to steal it. Just so you know, even if you got a hold of this flute you¡¯ll never be free from its spell. It¡¯s my Anima that was used to summon you from the dead, so I¡¯m your master until you return to being a corpse.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotten cocky, brat. I still remember when you two used to cower whenever I met your parents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s in the past, Salvatore. You¡¯re no longer the invincible tyrant, you¡¯re nothing but my puppet.¡± Benito pointed the flute. ¡°Now onward, the two of you! We have a war win and people to kill!¡± Salvatore and Cesare¡¯s eyes became dull and they started marching like lifeless robots. Benito watched them with a pleased expression. ¡°With these two everything is under my control.¡± Meanwhile, Griselda was shooting through the air like a rocket. ¡°What the fuck?! What the fuck?! What the fuck?!¡± She screamed at the top of her lungs. She brought her hands in front of her and saw that they were shaking. She clenched them and brought them into her chest. ¡°Calm down. There must be some logical explanation for all of this. The dead shouldn¡¯t be able to come alive right?¡± (It can.) ¡°?!¡± Griselda stopped when she heard a familiar voice in her head. ¡°Shancai?! Where are you?!¡± (Look down.) Griselda quickly looked down and saw Shancai and the girls on the ground below her. She descended and landed in front of him breathing heavily. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re pale.¡± Fraus approached her and tried to wipe the sweat from her face but Griselda stopped her. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Looks like you ran into a ghost.¡± Griselda suddenly grabbed Shancai¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Shancai, whats going on?! Why did I just see Benito Mussolini with Salvatore Riina?!¡± ¡°Wait, did you say Salvatore?! Isn¡¯t he dead?!¡± Fraus instantly reacted to Salvatore¡¯s name. Amelia and Reina were surprised as well because they had heard about Salvatore but they also heard that he was killed by Tony Gambino. ¡°Calm down. First, you need to know what happened to the base and then I¡¯ll explain the situation.¡± ¡°Did something happen at the base?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Shancai then explained that Benito had destroyed the club and killed everyone in an instant. ¡°Benito!¡± Griselda spoke Benito¡¯s name with such intensity that it sounded like she was chewing it. ¡°He used Salvatore, I¡¯m sure of it. Ah, that¡¯s right! Shancai explain what¡¯s going on!¡± Griselda got close to him and said. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll try to keep it simple.¡± Shancai took a deep breath and then said- ¡°I believe Benito Mussolini acquired the support of a certain organization.¡± ¡°What kind of organization?¡± ¡°To simply put, they are a group of mercenaries. They can act as soldiers in war, spies, kidnappers, even thieves. They¡¯re pretty much like Pandemonium which makes sense since they are deeply linked to them.¡± ¡°Deeply linked to Pandemonium¡­.Then Rory is involved?¡± Amelia asked. Shancai shook his head. ¡°Rory isn¡¯t involved, none of the current memories of pandemonium is involved in this incident. That¡¯s what I at least believe. The members of this organization don¡¯t move in groups after all. They act solo and for their own selfish reasons. Of course it isn¡¯t strange for two or more of their members to temporarily share a common goal and working together.¡± Shancai looked towards the sun. ¡°Well, with the Pure lands opening I doubt that they¡¯re in this city anymore. They would suffer major damage after all.¡± ¡°Shancai, stop beating around the bush.¡± Griselda looked at him seriously. ¡°Tell me straight, what are we dealing with? Who are they?¡± Shancai glimpsed at the sun again before speaking. ¡°They¡¯re called Kur, and they¡¯re an organization whose true goal is to master necromancy and produce a True God of Death.¡± Wildlands outside of Cugine City. The masked woman Anput was traveling on a motorcycle which had a skeletal design. ¡°Hm?¡± She stopped her bike when she saw that there was a group of people standing blocking her path. ¡°Maids?¡± Who blocked her path were three women dressed in maid uniforms. Anput didn¡¯t recognize these women but they were the three maids who were assigned to Rory¡¯s mansion in the Golden Breath Villa. ¡°Hello, Anput. It¡¯s been a while.¡± The head maid Emilia stepped forward and greeted Anput. ¡°Who are you?¡± Anput started focusing all of her senses on Emilia, after a while a look of shock appeared on her face under the mask. Emilia smiled when she saw that. A bright light covered her and the other two maids, when the light disappeared two of the girls were gone and only one person blocked Anput¡¯s path. She had short darkish purple hair, a voluptuous figure, and was dressed in a revealing leather jacket and a skirt. On her chest was a tattoo of a demon. ¡°Mio Amore?!¡± Anput started to reflexively back way on her bike. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t run now. Not after you threw all of my plans into chaos.¡± ¡°Plans? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Really? You people are as careless as ever. You didn¡¯t even check who was in this city before you got involved in its matters. Rory wasn¡¯t the only pandemonium member there.¡± ¡°I see. Now I know how Lucian ended up there. You led him there didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? You know the relationship those two have, don¡¯t they have a right to meet?¡± Mio put her hand on her waist and said. ¡°But is this okay, Anput? Does Kur really want to make Rory upset?¡± ¡°Hmph. That man isn¡¯t the same person he was before. There¡¯s nothing to fear from him now. I¡¯m even stronger than him at the moment.¡± Mio nodded. ¡°Indeed, because he gave it his all to repel Zahak, Rory received the most severe injury back then. That injure caused his strength to become unstable so even though he¡¯s regain full control he¡¯s no stronger than he was 100 years ago. In fact, he¡¯s definitely the weakest member of Pandemonium at the moment.¡± ¡°See? What¡¯s there to fear from him? I¡¯m more afraid of you.¡± Anput pointed at Mio. ¡°A General in the Sacred Army isn¡¯t someone to mess around with after all.¡± Anput took off her mask and revealed her beautiful face. She was dark skinned, had white hair, and slit golden eyes. ¡°For us Night Kin, you people of the Sacred Army are our worst enemies. You are also known for your dirty tactics.¡± ¡°Are you afraid I have an army on stand-by?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you did. Sacred Generals can deploy armies without any authorization from anyone after all. If you want to use an army to get rid of me it¡¯s more than possible.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t waste our resources like that. So relax.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t trust the words of a woman who betrayed her old comrades and join the enemy. If Rory ever finds out that you joined the Sacred-¡± Anput was unable to finish her words because she suddenly felt like she was at the bottom of the ocean. Her body felt sluggish and she couldn¡¯t breath. ¡°My relationship with Rory is none of your business. You¡¯re lucky that I haven¡¯t killed you yet for messing up my plans.¡± ¡°¡­..Do it and Thanatos won¡¯t be quiet.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t fear Thanatos.¡± ¡°But you do fear Nergal. I can¡¯t kill you but Nergal can, also it will ruin your relationship with Samedi.¡± ¡°¡­.You sure know how to talk.¡± Mio turned her back to Anput and started to walk away. ¡°Tell Samedi that he needs to know where he stands. Before he was Kur, he was Pandemonium.¡± Anput smiled put back on her mask. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell him.¡± Anput immediately rode her bike in the opposite direction and left. ¡°Is that alright?¡± A voice rang out in the Wildlands. There was no telling where it was coming from. ¡°While things aren¡¯t going how I planned, the result should be the same or even better. Fighting the undead should be a great experience for Amelia and Reina.¡± Mio answered. ¡°I see. But Lucian Erebus, where did he go?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask about your Grandniece but you¡¯re asking about him.¡± ¡°Reina isn¡¯t my problem.¡± Mio smiled and pointed towards the sun. ¡°He went to where we¡¯re going now,.¡± ¡°The Pure Lands huh? I haven¡¯t met Guanyin in a while.¡± ¡°Me too. It should be fun. Right, Rei?¡± The same time in Cugine City in Silver Bullets District. *BAM!* Buildings started coming down one after the other. Someone was seen crashing through them causing them to collapse. This person twisted their body and stopped themselves by planting their feet in the ground. ¡°Whew~! What a punch, Lucas.¡± Tony wiped the blood from his mouth and said. Lucas walked through the destroyed district with two golden brass knuckles on his hands. ¡°There¡¯s more to come, Tony.¡± ¡°Really, then can I feel some of those as well?¡± The two heard a new voice and turned and saw Pearl with Rory standing behind her. Rory stepped out and faced the two with Pearl. ¡°But we¡¯re just an injured man and a woman, so please hold back a little.¡± A huge smile appeared on Rory¡¯s. ¡°Or come at us with everything you got. Either way is fine.¡± 98th Night: Vs The Three Dons ¡°Pearl¡­.¡± Tony and Lucas looked at Pearl and who stood beside her. ¡°The Devil King, huh?¡± Tony showed a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten yourself quite the backing, Pearl.¡± ¡°I originally didn¡¯t plan to use him but you¡¯ve pushed my hand, Tony.¡± ¡°Devil King, this matter doesn¡¯t involve you.¡± Lucas said. ¡°True.¡± Rory immediately admitted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m only here to make sure this war ends as soon as possible. You three can duke it out without minding me.¡± He smiled. ¡°After meeting you all in person and peeking into your hearts, I have nothing to worry about.¡± He walked away from Pearl¡¯s side and sat on a piece of rubble nearby. ¡°I¡¯ll just watch from here.¡± He nodded at Pearl, who faced her former friends. ¡°What, he isn¡¯t fighting? What a disappointment.¡± Tony glanced at Rory and said. ¡°Well, at least I still have you two.¡± He faced his friends and pulled his weapons. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this once and for all.¡± ¡°That was my intention from the beginning.¡± Lucas lifted his fists up, while Pearl silently took a fight stance. ¡°Go!¡± The three charged at each other simultaneously. Tony fired two shots at Pearl and Lucas, Pearl swung her hands and wires shot out of her gloves towards the two, while Lucas threw a double punch at his opponents. *BAM!* The three¡¯s attacks clashed and canceled each other out with a loud explosion. Lucas rushed towards Tony with his fist glowing gold. Tony smirked at him and threw his guns in the air just before Lucas fists could reach him. He threw a punch and hit Lucas in his face before Lucas could hit him. Lucas was propelled back with a bloody nose. ¡°Did you forget, Lucas? I might use guns but you¡¯ve never beaten me in a fist fight.¡± Tony moved his head and then grabbed Pearl¡¯s wires with his Anima coated hands. ¡°Also Pearl, did you forget that I was the one you used to practice using your wires?¡± ¡°What you¡¯re talking about is in the past.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Tony looked around and saw that he was surrounded by a web of wires. ¡°When did she¡­.?¡± ¡°This is the present, Tony!¡± A crackling sound reached Tony ears. He looked and saw static running through the wires that surrounded him. ¡°Static Web!¡± *Boom!* Electricity came from all directions and hit Tony, instantly immobilizing him. ¡°Ugh!¡± Tony could feel electricity traveling through all parts of his body. If he hadn¡¯t reacted quickly and protected his organs with anima he would¡¯ve died already. However, he still couldn¡¯t move as he pleased. ¡°Tony!¡± That¡¯s when he heard Lucas voice. ¡°Clinch your teeth because you might lose them!¡± Peeking at the corner of his eye, Tony saw a golden brass knuckle approaching his face. ¡°Ah?!¡± However, it never came. He saw Lucas being electrocuted and immobilized as well. ¡°Pearl!¡± ¡°What, I never said I was planning on teaming up with you to take Tony down.¡± Pearl looked at the two with a cold gaze. ¡°Ending the both of you was always my intention.¡± Pearl stomp her feet on the ground and wires covered in electricity, wrapped together and formed two spikes. These spikes stabbed into both Tony and Lucas. ¡°Guh?!¡± Blood gust out their wounds and even more electricity flowed into their bodies. ¡°Whew. Cold and merciless. Attagirl.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The spectator, Rory clapped and said. ¡°She pinned them down with cunning and effective attacks rather than flashy and overbearing moves. She could be a great assassin.¡± He looked around and noticed that they were people spectating from the shadows. They were most likely members of the three gangs. ¡°If a scuffle with these people break out, this war may get needlessly longer.¡± He stood up and clenched his uninjured hand and then swung it to the side. *Bam!* Green waves of Anima flew in the direction he swung his fists and hit the mountains of rubble. The rubble was instantly reduced to dust and people were seen being blown away like leaves in a storm. ¡°This war can¡¯t needlessly continue any longer. It must end now.¡± Black Anima coated his fingers and transformed into a giant five headed snake. ¡°Orochi Improvised Version: Hydra.¡± The five-headed snake looked down on all who were hiding in the shadows. ¡°Anyone interferes will become snake food. Got it?¡± After saying that, Rory retook his seat. ¡°¡­.Thanks.¡± Pearl looked at him and said. ¡°No problem.¡± He smiled and got comfy. (He looks like he¡¯s enjoying a show.) Pearl faced Tony and Lucas. They both had painful expressions on their faces. Because of the wires that had pierced into them, they had a difficult time protecting their insides from the electric current which was flowing directly into their bodies. ¡°Damn, I always knew that you were secretly a sadist, Pearl!¡± Tony tried his best to move his body but the electricity was preventing him from controlling his body. ¡°Looks like this isn¡¯t time to play around!¡± *Pulse!* Tony¡¯s entire body started pulsating and his limbs started expanding one after the other. His overall body doubled in size and his skin became rougher and tougher, and his face turned into one resembling a wild pig. He had taken his orc form. ¡°Ahh!¡± He roared and started moving again. He used his hand and tore the wires from inside of him. ¡°?!¡± This shocked Pearl. Tony charged at her ignoring the fact that he was being electrocuted. Pearl stomped the ground and even more wires pierced towards him. ¡°Such little tricks¡­.!¡± He swung his arm and a powerful shockwave destroyed the wires. ¡°Are a waste of time!¡± Tony quickly appeared in front of Pearl drew his arm back to punch her. *BAM!* He was punched from behind before he could. Lucas, who had reverted to his Minotaur form, had sent him flying to the side. Pearl looked and saw that there was a pair of golden gauntlets on his hands. The gauntlet had three slots on them like a slot machine. ¡°Animus: Lucky Shot.¡± Lucas hit his fists together and the slots started rolling. The slots on his right fist stopped on the number ¡°3¡± while the one on his left stopped on the word ¡°Speed¡±. ¡°How lucky.¡± He lifted his hand in front of him and turned to Pearl. *Bam!* Pearl suddenly felt a sharp blow to her stomach. She looked down and saw that Lucas¡¯s gauntlet was pressing into her stomach. ¡°Couldn¡¯t react?¡± ¡°You-¡± *Bam!* Pearl was hit under the chin and was forced off her feet and into the air. ¡°Oh? That was a fast punch.¡± Rory commented. ¡°However, it wasn¡¯t as heavy as the one Tony was hit with. Did he hold back or¡­¡± He stared at the gauntlets and the slots on it. At that moment, Tony was seen walking towards Lucas with his jaw hanging down. He used his hand to shift it back into place. ¡°Impressive Animus.¡± *Bam!* Lucas suddenly appeared in front of Tony and punched him a couple times in a span of a second. Tony head leant back and he froze in place. ¡°It didn¡¯t work.¡± Tony brought his head forward and smiled at Lucas. ¡°Was that it?¡± ¡°Hm¡­.Tony is a level above them. He¡¯s just playing around with them even now.¡± Rory commented. *Bam!* Lucas was sent flying after being uppercut by tony. ¡°Now that, Superfly, is how you throw a punch.¡± Tony started walking towards Pearl who was laid out on the floor. ¡°A woman who got scared and abandoned her friends and chose to save herself.¡± Tony stopped and looked at Lucas who was also laid out on the ground. ¡°A man who in his weakness decided to shut out everything and threw away his girlfriend and best friend in the process.¡± Tony had a puzzled look on his face. ¡°Why are you two trying so hard? Guilt? Pity? Love? If so you¡¯re just wasting your time. I no longer see you two as anything more than a way to entertain myself. A joke, if you will.¡± Pearl and Lucas immediately became angry which Tony noticed and frowned. ¡°What, did I make you angry? If that¡¯s the case then that is strange because you guys don¡¯t have the right to be angry.¡± Pearl and Lucas slowly got to their feet and glared at tony. ¡°Stop fucking around Tony. You¡¯re going to take us seriously.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve messed up so we must clean up our messes.¡± A dull look appeared in Tony¡¯s eyes. ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll take you seriously like you wanted and hit you with all of my anger and resentment. Just don¡¯t die too fast, or it will be injustice.¡± Red raging Anima started seeping from Tony¡¯s body. ¡°Animus: Loose Cannon.¡± *BAM!* Anima rushed outside of Tony¡¯s body like a flood and covered the entire area. Cracks started appearing in the ground and the debris surrounding him were lifted into the air and started circling around him. Tony¡¯s huge body contracted to size of a normal human, but his rock hard muscles looked like they packed even more power. His skin became red like tomato and steam started coming off his body. ¡°This is me being serious.¡± Tony looked at the two and then disappeared from where he stood. *BAM!* He appeared in front of Lucas and lodged his fist in his stomach. ¡°Guh?!¡± Lucas bent over and vomited more than a mouthful of blood. Tony grabbed his face and then forced his head and entire upper body into the ground. ¡°Woah!¡± Rory rose to his feet in shock. ¡°So this is his true strength. It¡¯s pretty impressive.¡± Tony turned and looked at Pearl and started walking towards her. Seeing that, Pearl took a fighting stance. ¡°Ah, I forgot. I can¡¯t let her die.¡± Rory sighed. ¡°And it was getting good too.¡± ¡°Rory.¡± He suddenly heard a voice behind. Hearing the voice made him frown. He turned around and faced the person behind him. ¡°What is it, Lucian?¡± Lucian stood behind him with a smile on his face despite being bandaged up. ¡°There¡¯s a bit of a situation.¡± ¡°If you came here instead of going to the Pure Land and wait like I told you, then it must be serious.¡± Lucian nodded. ¡°Kur got involved with this city.¡± ¡°Say what?¡± ¡°Kur got involved with this city.¡± ¡°I heard you the first time.¡± Rory suddenly had a headache. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Anput, but it looks like she was here on Thanatos behalf.¡± ¡°So, did they steal a corpse or did they reanimate one?¡± ¡°The latter.¡± Rory made an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Salvatore Riina?¡± ¡°Yup. How did you know?¡± ¡°I once asked Pearl where he was buried so that I could go and piss on his grave, but when I went there I found out that his corpse wasn¡¯t there. So when you said Kur was here he was the only high level corpse I could think of that would draw their attention.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another corpse though. It¡¯s of the police Chief for the city. The ones controlling them is the mayor of the city.¡± ¡°So the mayor is using the corpse of a don and the police chief to terrorize the city? Sounds like a bad horror flick to me.¡± ¡°What are we going to do? Should I kill those three and reanimate their corpse to counter them?¡± ¡°Zombie vs zombie? The fact that you thought of that isn¡¯t surprising in the least.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the old you do that?¡± ¡°Hey, the current me would still do it you know? It¡¯s just that if we play with necromancy too much the Sacred Army will have a fit. They might deploy a General if they heard that we were involved. I don¡¯t want to bring that kind of drama to Guanyin¡¯s place.¡± He looked at Pearl who was trying her best to avoid being hit by Tony. ¡°Also, the elf is a friend and relative of one of my benefactors. I can¡¯t just turn her into a zombie.¡± Rory looked at Lucian. ¡°By the way, you can use necromancy?¡± Lucian nodded. ¡°It¡¯s one of the applications of Dark Anima so I was taught the basics.¡± ¡°Really? Your standing is higher than I thought. I thought that you being a Hybrid would¡­.¡± Rory shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re getting off topic. Go ahead I¡¯ll handle things here.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lucian turned into a beam of light and shot across the sky. Rory turned his attention to the Three Dons and smiled. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s spank some brats.¡±