《World of Eden》 Vol.1 Chapter 0 - Prologue Aldamedia, the strongest kingdom in the west continent of Eden. One day, that very same kingdom disappeared off the map. In its place, an enormous crater which left a scar onto the world. The event was named Heaven¡¯s Fall. No survivor was found and the event was classified as unknown. People only remembered the event by the huge pillar of light that brightened the world that night. *** Early morning, the dew on the forest leaves which meets the rays of the sun. The birds chirping soundly as they feed their little ones. The serene sound of the wind breezing slightly through the air. A fresh aroma of food wafted slowly throughout a small cabin within the wood. ¡°Nrg¡­¡± A small girl with pink hair tied into two small ponytails slowly grumbled while smelling the food in the air. ¡°Sana, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Yseif Deucar Kadrille, a young man with a sharp looking face endowed with slightly brownish-red hair and a small tail tied at the back. Pearl black eyes which seems to shine like the night sky. Covered in clothing befitting a farmer. He slowly walked over to the bed beside the open window and looked at the small girl wriggling cutely inside her blanket. The bed was a queen size bed enough to fit two people on it. The base is made out of maple wood and the mattress is made of soft wool. The blanket was made out of pure cotton seemingly soft, fluffy, and warm by the look of Sana¡¯s smiling and snuggling face. ¡°Sana, the food will get cold if you sleep in any longer.¡± ¡°Nrgggghh¡­¡± Not know whether to laugh or cry at the little girl, Yseif sighed to himself. In order to perk her awake, Yseif quickly whispered the menu onto her ears. ¡°We have rabbit jerky today with eggs and bread.¡± *Swoosh* Sana quickly kicked the blanket away and stood upright. She slammed into Yseif¡¯s jaw, causing him to fall over moaning in pain. Holding down the pain on her head with her two small hands and holding in her tears from leaking, she demanded from Yseif. ¡°Pa!! Rahh-beet je-kee!!¡± Ysief rubbed his chin while standing back up. Looking at his daughter trying to hold in her tears and puffing up her face, Yseif laughed out loud and ruffled the little girl¡¯s hair into a mess. Sana Deucar Kadrille, daughter of Ysief. Sparkly wide emerald eyes like her mom¡¯s. Wearing a one piece white dress, her face filled with excitement and a plumpness of fat. Round faced with a slightly pink-ish hue on her cheeks. ¡°Nyihihi¡± Feeling a little tickle-ish, Sana started giggling off. Yseif picked Sana onto his arms and brought her to the table to eat. She felt very light as Yseif held her. Hidden within this forest, stood a small wooden cabin which Yseif and Sana live in. Within the cabin is a bed, a fireplace made of ceramic, a dining table, and a cooking area. The cabin is one huge room with three windows located east, west, and across the cabin entrance. ¡°Let¡¯s go fishing today Sana, I¡¯ll show you how to catch fishes.¡± Yseif said while eating his breakfast. ¡°Fee-shzez!, Pa, fee-shzez!¡± She mumbled with food stuffed in her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll see them very soon, so swallow your food before you talk.¡± Yseif said.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Yseif smiled at his daughter running in circles excitedly. It¡¯s been 5 years since Sana was born. Yseif has been raising Sana by himself for 5 years. She has grown from a little baby to a toddler now. Sana is his lifeblood, his reason for living, his inverted dragon scale. If anything ever happens to Sana, Yseif may just destroy the world for her. ¡°You got everything Sana?¡± ¡°MmM, MmM.¡± Sana quickly nodded her head. ¡°Wheeeee!!¡± Yseif picked Sana up and sat her on his shoulder. Holding onto her two small arms making sure she doesn¡¯t fall, they set out towards the river. Her small feet dangling hanging down from his shoulders. *** *Splash* *Splash* ¡°Gyahaha, Pa, fee-shzez!¡± Smiling while watching Sana playing in the pond separated from the river, Yseif adjust the fish cooking over the fire. The fishes were skewered on wooden sticks and placed in a pyramid shape over the fireplace. He turned them over and over again so they can fully cook on all sides. ¡°Come Sana, time to eat and warm up before you catch a cold.¡± ¡°Aye!!¡± Sana ran out of the pond and straight towards the fireplace. Her small feet adorned with water shoes and in her hands was a fishing net. On the wrist of her hand, a sapphire carved jewel was inscribed onto a golden bracelet. It was a gift left behind by her mother. Wobbling from side to side while walking over the pebbles and rocks on the shore side, she treaded over to the fireplace. *Drip* *Drip* ¡°Achoo!!¡± Yseif grabbed Sana and put him in his lap while covering her in a towel. He held her close to the fireplace to warm her up and fed her fishes from time to time. Sunset, the rays of the glimmering sunlight started to slowly fade away. Sana slowly breathing quietly in her sleep. Yseif is currently packing up the items to get ready to head back. *Snap* Yseif turned around and saw a brown Demon Bear sneaking up on the fireplace. Sana was still soundly sleeping. The brown Demon Bear stopped and stared straight into Yseif¡¯s eyes. The brown Demon Bear¡¯s size was twice as big as Yseif. Standing on all four, it was two heads taller than Yseif. After seeing the Yseif is not a threat, the brown Demon Bear ignored Yseif and started again towards Sana and the fireplace. Seeing as he was ignored, Yseif let out an ounce of his killing intent. Feeling the pressure of the killing intent, the brown Demon Bear stopped and looked up at Yseif again. ¡°Scram¡­¡± Yseif lightly told the brown demon bear The image that the bear is seeing is of a majestic beast. Fear written all over its face, the brown Demon Bear turned around and ran away as quickly as possible. It will die if it had stayed any longer, the Demon Bear thought. Seeing that the brown demon bear ran away, Yseif reeled in his killing intent and picked up the packed items onto his back. With everything packaged tightly into his bag, he walked over to Sana and picked her up into his arms. At a slow pace, he walked back towards the small cabin. The sunlight almost all faded out, the stars started to shine brightly. The cold breeze blowing against the lone person carry a small girl and a big bag on his back. Looking upwards while walking, the lone person hummed a melodic tune. ¡°The stars are bright in the sky¡± ¡°Oh how the time flies¡± ¡°The kids growing one by one¡± ¡°The same but aged sun¡± ¡°It wakes and it sleeps¡± ¡°The shadow goes and the shadow creeps¡± ¡°The world spins but not for me¡± ¡°For I have sinned too much to see¡± ¡°The things I hold dear next to me¡± ¡°For I am too bloodied to be¡± ¡°May the gods bless my innocent one¡± ¡°For this life, I am almost done¡± ¡°My tears shall wash my pain¡± ¡°To my loved one which kept me sane¡± ¡°My heart is no fake as it is real¡± ¡°With a smile, I enjoy my last meal¡± ¡°¡­¡± While humming, a tear drop slowly drips onto the little girl. The little girl opened her eyes feeling the moisture. What she saw was a face in sorrow. Not understanding what is going on, she brought her hands up and wiped the tears away. ¡°Pa?¡± The lone person smiled and wiped away his remaining tears. ¡°It¡¯s nothing Sana, let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± The small girl snuggled closely into the lone person¡¯s chest while they entered the lone cabin within the woods. The moonlight shining brightly onto cabin¡¯s doorway. The door slowly closed and the night sound reverbed quietly throughout the forest. Chapter 1 - Encroaching Darkness Sunrise, the sunrays gently shining through the forest. The forest trees swaying left and right dancing along with the wind. The early birds once again chirping and feeding their little ones with worms and the like. The faraway breeze carrying a chilling morning across the forest. Within a lone wooden cabin, two people are peacefully sleeping on the bed. The sunlight glaring brightly onto the young man¡¯s face from the window while the wind whispers into his ears. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Yseif slowly opened his eyes and looked at his sleeping daughter cuddled in his arms. Smiling, he shifted his body aside and got off the bed without waking her up. Yseif got dressed into his normal attire for going to the village. The outfit was black in color, leather made top, slightly baggy cotton pants, a pair of boot and glove, and a short sword on his left side. Yseif, looking like any other adventuring youth, started preparation to head out. ¡°Tamara¡­¡± *Swoosh* A shadow appeared next to Yseif. It was swift and silent, like an assassin. ¡°Take care of Sana while I¡¯m away.¡± ¡°Arf Arf¡± A magic circle shone under Yseif¡¯s legs. The circle was a star shaped pentagram surrounded by two circles, enclosing the pentagram within it. With a slight bright light and a puff, he disappeared, leaving only the shadow at the location by itself. Tamara, a small black dog which was raised by Yseif since it was born. Its fur glossy black and its eyes pearl dark like the abyss. It was the first pet that Yseif¡¯s wife loved so he took care of it. Even after she was gone, he still took care of Tamara until she grew unintendedly stronger. Through the countless years spent together, Tamara and Yseif shared an unshakable bond. Tamara obediently became Yseif¡¯s shadow. *** Yseif appeared on the outskirt of the small village, Hamada. Hamada is a tribal village situated on the outer ring of the Bermudian Kingdom. Around the outer ring are other similar villages situated across the plains. The Bermudian Kingdom is a subordinate of the Balestein Empire, the strongest empire currently after the Aldamedia Empire disappeared. Balestein Empire is situated westward from the Heaven¡¯s Fall crater. Because the Aldamedia Empire does not exist anymore, the Balestein Empire started their movement into the Aldamedia territories. The Bermudian Kingdom is in charge of guarding the border between the Balestein Empire and the Demon¡¯s territorial barrier. Eastward of the Bermudian Kingdom is the Demon¡¯s territorial barrier while the Balestein Empire is located westward. Hamada is as noisy as ever with kids running and role playing as monsters and adventurers. The elders setting up stalls to sell merchandise while the travelers were touring through the village. The stalls were set in a neat formation, not cluttering up the space for people to walk through nor blocking the dirt path going towards the houses. The village usually gets up early to work so the village was always lively early in the morning. As Yseif walked into the village, he heard many chattering about a new group of heretics. Heretics, those who goes against Goddess Raella¡¯s teachings and blessings.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Did you know that the Church of Balestein has found another village of heretics in the outer ring?¡± ¡°I heard that one of them managed to escape from the Church.¡± ¡°Shh, don¡¯t say it too loud, you may get executed for it. The Church is very strict about its teachings.¡± ¡°But that heretic must be strong to be able escape the encampment of the Church.¡± ¡°I heard that the heretic was very scary looking, like a demon.¡± ¡°Mah, that¡¯s so scary.¡± ¡°Shh, we¡¯ve got a customer now.¡± Yseif walked onto the same stall he always goes to. In this village, he is known as Vorn, a hardworking and loving brother who is taking care of his sister by himself. As his sister is sick, the brother would always provide for his sister. They live outside the village because the house they¡¯re currently in is in memory of their parents. ¡°Ma¡¯am 3 rabbit jerky and the same vegetables please.¡± ¡°Oh, Vorn, same ole¡¯ thing again huh¡­¡± ¡°Your sick sister must really like eating rabbit jerky, you get those every time.¡± ¡°Haha, my sister loves eating it, so I appreciate you guys always providing them cheaply.¡± ¡°You must be careful living outside of the village by yourself with your sister.¡± Suddenly, Yseif looked away from the stall and towards the distant mountains. After a slight pause, he turned back to the stall owners. The elderly couples were busy gathering and packaging the vegetables. They were arguing and fighting over which ones were the freshest. At this sight, Yseif just smiled. ¡°Thank you for the advice Ma¡¯am, but I must get going before my sister wakes up¡± ¡°Take care of yourself too¡± ¡°Will do¡± Yseif walked off after buying his groceries and rabbit jerkies. Watching the young man walk away, the two elderly couple looked at his back. His back was wide and steady but somehow, the couple felt the loneliness hidden deep within. ¡°He is so young yet so caring for his sister.¡± The old women said with a hint of lament. ¡°Must be tough living by himself taking care of his sister.¡± The old man chimed in. ¡°If only he¡¯d accept our proposal to take care of them.¡± The old women remarked. ¡°Ha, what can we do when he declined?¡± Shrugging his shoulders, the old man curtly replied. ¡°¡­¡± Walking away from the village, Yseif once again used magic to reappear at the cabin. The whole trip wasn¡¯t very long so Sana is still sleeping soundly. Yseif threw a rabbit jerky into his shadow and it disappeared immediately in thin air. ¡°You can go back to sleep now Tamara.¡± ¡°Arf Arf.¡± *Swoosh* Tamara disappeared with a puff of smoke. She came silently and she disappeared silently. Sana soon woke up to the smell of food and another day passed by for the father and daughter pair. After Sana went to sleep and night fell, Yseif quietly got up and left the cabin while leaving Tamara to guard over Sana. Midnight, the moonlight brightly lighting up the shadows of night. The sound of flowing water echoed through the woods. The breeze slightly colder than usual. Yseif walked towards the river where Sana and he were fishing before. Within the eerie night, blood flowed down the river slowly causing the water to be dyed in deep shades of blue. A shadow of a body can be found on its shore, not moving nor breathing. Chapter 2 - Growing Darkness Yseif frowned when he saw the body. It was a body of a Demon kin. Its skin color was dyed in blue. Covered lightly by purple scale, the body has a deep wounded cut across its chest. On the back, a cut made by a thin but sharp weapon can be seen. The face was filled with the regret of not knowing how it died. ¡°The front wound is surely Tamara¡¯s work but this wound on the back¡­¡± Yseif mumbled. The front wound had a deep gouge made by claws. Three scratch marks can be seen going from the left shoulder to the right side of the waist. The color of the blood slowly degrading into shades of black. The back wound was a neat cut. There was no hesitation in the cut. As the cut was able to damage a Demon¡¯s body, the attacker must certainly have a strong level of power. Ordinary mercenaries or bandits would not be able to wound a Demon. Yseif then thought of what he heard while he was in Hamada Village. ¡°The Church¡­¡± After pondering the issue for a while, Yseif decided to burn the body. The whole body was burned except a golden spherical object which wasn¡¯t destroyed. ¡°This is¡­¡± After a slight pause in Yseif¡¯s thought process, he stepped on the object and it was instantly destroyed into powders. The wind scattering the powders away. Yseif felt a slight movement of mana when he destroyed the core. Although faint, he still could sense its origin. ¡°Goddess of Light, Raella¡­¡± ¡°This is becoming troublesome¡­¡± *** Somewhere within the Balestein Empire, an old man with full white hair wearing a bishop robe was reading through reports. The candle light on the walls swaying left and right. The shadows dancing within the room. *knock* *knock* *knock* ¡°Come in¡± The door to the room opened and a Pastor quickly scuttled in. The Pastor got down to one knee. With one arm cross over his chest, the Pastor quickly reported. If one was to see this, they would think that the Pastor was a knight under the Bishop. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve got an emergency report to make¡± The Bishop stopped what he was doing and finally looked up towards the Pastor. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Sir, the magic that we endowed on the Demon¡¯s core has been broken through and the core destroyed¡± ¡°WHAT?!¡± The Bishop stood up and slammed the table causing the papers and supplies on the table to scatter. The force quickly blew out the candles within the room. Darkness fell onto the room. Instantly, the Bishop snapped his fingers and the candles lit back up, relighting the room. The Bishop regained his senses and calmly sat down. The Pastor didn¡¯t dare move an inch. ¡°You¡¯re saying the magic blessed by Goddess of Light, Raella, has been nullified?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t have the answer at this time b-but the trace on the Demon¡¯s Core did disappeared.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± An awkward silence enveloped the room. After a while, the Bishop finally spoke again. ¡°Do we have an idea where the Demon¡¯s core disappeared at?¡± ¡°Sir, the last place we traced to was the forest bordering the Demon¡¯s territorial barriers¡± ¡°That forest huh¡­¡± ¡°S-sir d-do we¡­¡± The Bishop lifted his hands, cutting off the Pastor mid-speech. ¡°We finally have a hint at where the entrance to the barrier is, move the forces at once¡± ¡°Y-yes Sir!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you how to move them, just take 50 decently strong ones¡± ¡°Use mercenaries too so we don¡¯t stand out too much¡± ¡°I will handle the rest of the work¡± ¡°I-I will get to it Sir!¡± ¡°You¡¯re dismissed¡± ¡°Yes Sir¡± The Pastor quickly stood up and walked out of the room. The door closed behind the Pastor. The Bishop got up and walked towards his window. Looking out of his window and overlooking the Empire, the Bishop was in deep thought. ¡°Someone who is strong enough to break through Goddess Raella¡¯s blessing¡­¡± ¡°Can it be¡­¡± ¡°No, only a blessing can nullify another¡¯s blessing¡± ¡°Other than that exception¡­¡± ¡°The others would not interfere¡­¡± ¡°Who can it be¡­¡± *** Morning, Yseif once again made breakfast for Sana. Potato stew with bread, hot vegetable soup, and her favorite, rabbit jerky. Watching Sana eat her food excitedly was Yseif¡¯s happiness and glory. Putting down the utensils, Sana sat lazily on her chair rubbing her plump stomach. ¡°Pa, yum-mee fuu-d!¡± ¡°Glad you loved it¡± Yseif smiled and replied. After letting Sana digest her food, Yseif suddenly ask her. ¡°What do you want to do today Sana?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Sana brought a finger to her chin and acted as if she was deeply in thought. She saw Yseif do it many times and wanted to copy him. At this scene, Yseif just laughed to himself while allowing her to continue. ¡°Buhg ca-cheen!¡± Sana¡¯s eyes sparkled while proclaiming. Yseif nodded his head and prepared an outfit and tools for her. They set out, caught, and let loose many bugs. Sana screaming happily while chasing and catching the bugs. Yseif trailed behind her to make sure she doesn¡¯t get injured. At sunset, they finally returned to the cabin. Yseif gave Sana a bath and they¡¯ve finally prepared to go to sleep. ¡°Pa, tell me stoor-wee¡± Sana requested. Yseif went along and told her one of the many fairytales in the world. Sana listened carefully at the start but then quickly dose off. Yseif tucked her inside the blanket and watched her sleep happily. Looking at his daughter, he can see the many similarities with his wife. After a while, Yseif finally closed his eyes and lightly went to sleep. *** Within the darkest of night, a mass movement of personnel are slowly moving towards the Demon¡¯s territorial barrier. A rumbling of footstep marching through mountains and plains in the dead of night. The lighting of campfires blurring out the shadows of darkness. And so, they¡¯ve finally reached their destination. Chapter 3 - Arriving Darkness Outside of the forest, there were many campfires lighting up the area. Warriors and mercenaries dressed as bandits. The segregation of the mercenaries and the warriors is evident. The warriors didn¡¯t want to hang around people like the mercenaries. The warriors felt they were more superior to the mercenaries who lived like rats. The mercenaries didn¡¯t care whether or not they were liked. They get paid to do the job and they get it done. Their life is simple and easy. If you die, it¡¯s because you were weak. They live by the law of the jungle, it¡¯s survival of the fittest. ¡°Get ready to move out, the night will be at its darkest in half an hour¡± the Pastor ordered. The mercenaries gave a nod and the warriors were already starting to pack. The campfires were put out while torchlights were made of wooden sticks. After half an hour, the group of 50, 15 warriors and 35 mercenaries, stepped into the forest with the Pastor trailing behind them. *** Within the cabin, on the bed, Yseif instantly opened his eyes. With a frightening look on his face, Yseif disappeared from the cabin. Situated with the shadow on the corner of the room, Tamara sat up on high alert. The forest was eerily quiet. There was no breeze, no nocturnal insects crying, the trees did not rustle, and the moonlight somehow seemed dimmer than usual. Steady footsteps echo through the forest. The torchlights like will-o-wisps, moving in a line one after another. *Snap* *Crackle* The group of invaders quickly formed into small circular formations, weapons drawn, and on high alert for whatever to come. Walking out of the shadows and onto the lighted area, the beast stood on four legs with its fangs bare. *Growl* One after another walked out of the shadows. A pack of 20 Single-Eye Demon Fang formed a circular formation around the invaders. Each Demon Fang had silver furs which glistened within the lighted area. One cyclopoid eye and a horn on top of its head. Paws which are as big as its forearm. *Swoosh* One Demon Fang rushed towards the nearest human to it. As the starting sign, the other Demon Fangs started to attack the human invaders relentlessly. ¡°Retaliate! Defend! Counter! Attack!¡± All kinds of orders were given out. The group was expecting dangers but not in this amount. The Pastor stood at the back line and watched the flow of the battle. A Demon Fang tried to sneak up on the Pastor; it swiftly leapt from the shadows and swiped its left paw out. *Ka-chink* the sound of a sword being sheathed ringed out. The Demon Fang¡¯s lopped head rolled across the battlefield. Another Demon Fang leapt to attack the Pastor. The Pastor pulled the sword from its sheath, slashed four times, cutting off each of the Demon Fang¡¯s limb. With a swift wide sweep, the Pastor lopped another Demon Fang¡¯s head off before it even reached the ground. Cleaning the blood off the sword, the Pastor sheathed the sword and once again watched the battle flow. His breathing calm and no exhaustion can be seen on the body. The flow of the battle steadily became organized and efficient. The Demon Fangs were being eliminated one by one. The human side was slightly better off but there was still some loss. Four warriors and seven mercenaries were dead. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Awooooo!!¡± Hearing the cry, the surviving six Demon Fangs regrouped and cautiously glared at the human group. The warriors and mercenaries also regrouped and faced the Demon Fangs. *Snap* *Crackle* *Snap* the sound of branch breaking and twigs snapping echoed. The human invaders nervously looked towards the direction the sound came from. The Demon Fangs split into two group and created an opening in the center. Walking out of the shadows, another beast appeared. This beast was twice as big as the Demon Fang. Two horns protruding from its head. Dark red furs with a tinge of purple at the end of its tail. Instead of one eye, this beast has two. Golden pupils which glows noticeably in the dark. Standing on four legs with small scaled spikes on its back, the Hellblood¡¯s glare caused an intangible pressure in the air. At this scene, the Pastor finally had a serious face on. Facing Demon Fangs was still within the tolerable range, but a Hellblood is another different story. ¡°Back away, I¡¯ll take care of the Hellblood¡± The Pastor said. ¡°You guys take care of the small fries¡± The warriors and the mercenaries made an opening for the Pastor and the Hellblood. The Hellblood could tell that the human in front of it was considerably strong. The human easily slayed his minions so the Hellblood was on high alert. Hiding away in the shadows and watching the scene unfold before him, a young looking man closely watched the battle. Unbeknownst to both parties, the young man has been there since the beginning. *** Back at the cabin, another intense fight was happening. Tamara was bleeding profusely facing her enemy. Three wounds scattered on her body and a deep scar on her right eye. She can barely stand upright to hold her position. ¡°Hoho, I wasn¡¯t expecting this when I was just surveying¡± the enemy said. ¡°To survive this long against me, you must have a strong master, as you are a Nightstalking Hound¡± ¡°Grrr¡± Tamara growled. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me; this is my hunting grounds and you¡¯re the intruder here¡± the enemy lightly stretched and said. ¡°Come! Let¡¯s go another round!¡± the enemy demanded. Tamara pulled herself together and leapt towards the enemy once again. ¡°Too slow¡­¡± the enemy sighed. With a wide sweep of his arm, the enemy¡¯s backhand attack slammed into Tamara¡¯s head and sent her flying. Tamara smashed into the trees and was having trouble breathing and getting back up. ¡°You gave a good fight, but it isn¡¯t enough¡± the enemy gave one last look at the black dog laying by the tree. Slowly, the enemy treaded towards the cabin. Tamara still struggling to get back up and stop the enemy. Without any strength, she tries to drag herself on the ground. The enemy stopped 25 ft. away from the cabin and noticed the irregularity around the cabin. ¡°A magical barrier¡­a strong one at it too¡­¡± The enemy took in a deep breathe. The enemy then drew power into its arms and smashed down at the barrier. *Crash* The barrier broke down. Inside the cabin, Sana is still sleeping heartily without a care of the outside world. Even with all the fighting occurring outside, none of it affected her sleep. The barrier was the stoppage to all the events happening outside. ¡°It took quite a bit of power to break that barrier down, let¡¯s see what¡¯s so important to be protected by it¡± the enemy pondered. Walking into the cabin, the enemy saw a small girl sleeping by the bedside window. ¡°Awoooooo¡± Tamara gave out a sorrowful howl. The young man hiding at the battlefield has already disappeared. Chapter 4 - Spreading Darkness Staring straight into the Hellhound¡¯s eye, the Pastor was on high alert. The Hellhound, likewise, was very cautious of the Pastor. The pressure was very intense for the others in the surrounding. Unable to keep still under the pressure, a warrior took a step back and stepped on a branch. With that, it signaled the start of the fight. Even with the Hellhound¡¯s enormous size, it was faster than the Demon Fangs. Swiftly, a giant paw came swiping at the Pastor. The Pastor took a deep lunge, lowering his entire body and pulling the sword out of its sheath at the same time. The swipe flew over the Pastor¡¯s head missing by a hair length, meanwhile, the Pastor performed an upward cut towards the belly of the Hellhound. Using the momentum from the swipe, the Hellhound, while midair, curl its body to one side and barely dodged the cut. Taking a distance, the Hellhound retreated to reorganize itself. The Pastor, not allowing anytime for the Hellhound to take a break, charged towards the Hellhound while he has the advantage. *Clank* *Tink* *Swoosh* the sounds of battle echoed. A human fighting a giant hound made an unbelievable scene. The Hellhound dodged left to right, counter block with its extremely hard paws, used its tail to sneak attack, and used its head to bite the human. Its speed was extremely fast but despite that, it still accrued some injuries. Light cuts and gashes can be seen on the Hellhound¡¯s body. The Pastor wasn¡¯t too well off himself either. His left arm had a claw scratch, his right leg bruised by the Hellhound¡¯s tail, and his hair disheveled. The Pastor took a step back to take a breath. He reorganized his posture and received a liquid bottle from one of the warrior. Gulping down the liquid, the Pastor seems to be recovering at a rapid pace as it can be seen by the naked eyes. The Hellhound was once again at an disadvantage. ¡°Bring me the Light-Bearing Sword¡± the Pastor requested. The Light-Bearing Sword is a holy artifact of the Church to fight against Demons. With its holy affinity, it is the nemesis of the Demons. The sword also have the blessing of Goddess Raella, allowing a user of the artifact to bring about 150% of their potential. A warrior brought the sword to the Pastor and in turn, took the Pastor¡¯s old sword with him. The Hellhound can sense the unconcealed energy radiating from the sword. It felt its danger senses rapidly sending warning signals to run. But as a leader of the Demon Fangs, it has its own pride to uphold. Not retreating, the Hellhound faced the danger head on. The Pastor enabled the Goddess¡¯ blessing and he felt stronger than ever. His body was overflowing with power; feeling as if he is now invincible, the Pastor once again engaged in battle. The Pastor dashed towards the Hellhound, with the sword emitting a light white glow, the Pastor swung the sword downward at the Hellhound. The Hellhound leapt to the side to dodge as fast as it can but it was still within the sword¡¯s crossfire. *Kaboom* the sound of an explosion roared. The Hellhound¡¯s tail was cut at the end tip, bleeding profusely. On the other end, the forest behind the Hellhound was obliterated into chunks of debris. A wide cone shape damage can be seen from above with the Pastor being the start point. ¡°Awooooo!!¡± the Hellhound wailed in pain. The Pastor followed up the downward strike with a horizontal cut, causing the forest trees 10m out to all be cut into halves. At this point, the Demon Fangs and the others have already retreated back a monumental amount of distance. Only the Hellhound and the Pastor was left on the battlefield. The Hellhound was unable to react to the horizontal cut and was sliced open on the left side of its body. Going limp, the Hellhound fell down onto the ground. Panting and whimpering, the Hellhound can be seen to be on its last breath. The Pastor walked slowly and steadily towards the Hellhound. Lowering his gaze to look at the Hellhound, the Pastor raised the sword for one last strike. *Kashas* the sword stabbed into the Hellhound and its breathing finally stopped. Cleaning the blood on the sword, the Pastor turned towards the Demon Fangs. The Demon Fangs were nowhere to be seen. Seeing as the Pastor has won the fight, the others returned to the battlefield. Turning around, the Pastor was about to reconvene with the others when a thumping loudly sounded.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* The Pastor faced the Hellhound once again, but it wasn¡¯t moving nor breathing. *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* It was already a cold night, but now it felt even colder. The dead silent night made the thumping more eerie. *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* An intangible amount of pressure fell on the Pastor and the others. Everyone fell onto their knees under the heavy pressure pressing on them. *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* A dark and evil aura enveloped the Hellhound, covering its whole body in a purple and black mist. *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* Slowly, the Pastor and the others watched the supposedly dead Hellhound get back up on its leg. The wounds on the body has already stopped bleeding. Its fur colored in shades of purple with black striped on each end. The tail longer than before with the cut part of the tail recovered. Eyes glowing deep red, the Hellhound stared at the group of humans. ¡°A-a-a¡ª¡° ¡°A Mutated Spectral Dark Hound¡± the Pastor cut in with a frowned face. Spectral Dark Hounds are hybrid Demon-Beast borne from infusing dark miasma with the magical core source of a hound-type beast. They are tiers higher than a Hellhound. One Spectral Dark Hound can cause the downfall of a low-leveled kingdom. That¡¯s to show how much firepower one enemy can cause. ¡°Why did one show up here¡­¡± the Pastor was impatiently thinking. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any dark miasma that are recorded here in this forest¡­¡± the Pastor mumbled to himself. The forest surrounding the Spectral Dark Hound started to slowly wither away. The humans started to suffocate under the intense darkness. Without any more thinking, the Pastor pulled out a necklace with a bright blue crystal enshrined on it. Instantly, the Pastor bit down on the crystal. *Crack* The crystal broke like ice and another power flowed out to counteract the dark pressure. The warriors and the mercenaries can finally move again. ¡°Why do you ha¡ª¡° ¡°That¡¯s not sup¡ª¡° ¡°You stole the wea¡ª¡° Before any of the warriors of the Church can complete their sentence, they were stabbed in the back by the mercenaries. Each and every warrior was killed off. ¡°To use it at this time¡­¡± one mercenary said. ¡°As long as he keep his promise, we¡¯ll do our job¡± another mercenary said. ¡°What¡¯s done is already done¡± another mercenary chimed in. A bright light showered the Pastor. In the dead of night, the bright light was very noticeable. While a pillar of light suddenly brighten the night, something walked out of the light. Four angelic white wings on his back. White hair coming down to his back, eyes glowing with a golden radiance, and with skin as pale as white, the person held onto a sword and faced the Spectral Dark Hound. ¡°This is what true power feels like¡­¡± the person said. The mercenaries were in awe of the power the person is emitting. They can feel the power crawling through their skin. ¡°En garde!¡± The person yelled and charged at the Spectral Dark Hound. *** Meanwhile, back at the cabin, a young man appeared next to a bloodied black dog. The dog was slowly breathing, almost like its life force was going to disappear. The young man gave the black dog a pat on its headand then with a dark frown,swiftly entered the cabin. The little girl that was supposed to be soundly sleeping is nowhere to be seen. "SANA!!!!" a loud roar shook the Heaven and the Earth trembled. Chapter 5 - Lingering Darkness If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. st Squadron Demon Army. I command everyone within the limits of this border¡± Demon Dux introduced himself. Chapter 6 - Raging Darkness Yseif adjust himself and landed on the ground. Although he was sent flying by the force, he was not injured whatsoever. Dux stood up from the ground and patted the dirt off his armor. The blood-red armor did not have a scratch on it. It was still polished and glossy like how it was before. The cape draped over his shoulder still fully intact with no cuts or scrapes. ¡°That was a hit that I wasn¡¯t prepared for at all¡± Dux said. ¡°¡­¡± Yseif stood his ground and did not say anything. ¡°Let¡¯s try this one more time¡± Dux prepared himself. The force that pushed Yseif away was now released again from Dux. The force turned from something transparent to a purple-red color. Covering Dux¡¯s body like a bubble, Dux¡¯s aura now feels like a sharpened sword prepared to kill. ¡°Here I come¡± Dux proclaimed. *Swoosh* Dux disappeared from his position. Swiftly, Yseif ducted and a wind pressure swiped over his head. The pressure pushed past Yseif and destroyed the huge rock 15 meters away. While dodging, Yseif countered with a rotating kick. Dux parried the incoming kick towards the ground and shoulder charged Yseif. Using the momentum of the downward parry, Yseif used Dux¡¯s shoulders as leverage to flip over to Dux¡¯s backside. Facing back to back with Yseif¡¯s hands on Dux¡¯s shoulder, Yseif gripped and tossed Dux over his head. *Swooosh* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Dux flew across the ground. He tossed and turned, bouncing up and down. The cloud of dust clearing away. At the end of the trail, no one was there. *Boom* another explosion happened. After another dust cloud cleared away at Yseif¡¯s position, Yseif can be seen on one knee with his arms crossed over his head. Dux¡¯s arms were pushing downwards towards Yseif. The ground was depressed further into the Earth, causing a crater. Dux¡¯s left shoulder pad was shattered showing his conditioned muscle. His cape now torn and ragged. Kicking at Yseif, Dux used the force to push himself back. Yseif used the force of the kick to roll himself away from Dux. ¡°What a great fighter you are¡± Dux complimented. ¡°No one had ever survive in a hand to hand combat with me¡± Dux said satisfied. Taking off his broken armor, Dux dropped the armor onto the ground. *Boom* the armor caused a loud noise. ¡°That armor weighed me down a lot¡± Dux said. Showing off his well-grounded and conditioned upper body, Dux held his hands up into a fighting position. His hands covering part of his face and guarded his chin. ¡°Again!¡± Dux yelled. *Ziinnng* Dux made the first move again. This time Dux fought head on. With part of his armor off, Dux was now faster than he was before. Yseif, instead of dodging, dashed towards Dux. Yseif swung his fist in a straight punch against Dux. Dux reciprocated by also sending a straight punch. Infused on Yseif¡¯s punch was a lingering dark energy.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. *Bang* the two fist collided. A blast of energy shot past Dux¡¯s face. It was a wave of pitch black energy. A wide grassland of area was destroyed and the grass in the surroundings withered away. The dawn of sunlight speckled onto the battlefield. With Dux¡¯s back facing the first light of sunrise, Yseif stood in front of Dux. Kneeling on one knee, Dux¡¯s half left of his body was totally destroyed. It¡¯s as if his left side was eaten away. Blood streamed out of his body. ¡°You are good¡­No, you are great!¡± Dux laughed. ¡°Where is the girl?¡± Yseif questioned again. ¡°She should still be at the cabin¡± Dux said. ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything to her, I just sent her away with some of my maids until you arrive here¡± ¡°Once you arrive, my aura was the signal for my maid to bring her back¡± Dux continued. ¡°I just wanted to fight you again¡± Dux smiled. ¡°Again?¡± Yseif asked seeming confused. ¡°Hahaha, you should get going¡± Dux pushed on. Looking at Dux carefully, Yseif felt a familiarity but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint just what it is. After a pause, Yseif looked at Dux one more time, and then turned around. *Swish* Yseif disappeared from Dux¡¯s sight. *Thump* Dux fell on his back, sprawled on the ground. The morning sunrays shone onto his face. The battlefield was now quiet. The morning breeze returned and blew across Dux¡¯s face. ¡°I was glad¡­to have¡­met you again¡­¡± ¡°You were¡­like a father¡­¡­to me¡­¡± ¡°To die¡­by your hands¡­is my blessing¡­¡± ¡°I really¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will...going fir¡ª¡° Dux¡¯s breathing stopped while he mumbled his last words. The blood on his face now seems drained. His wounds still bleeding profusely. In the end, Dux died with not a frown on his face but the best smile he can put on. The sunrays painted the battlefield like a picture of a fallen warrior. *** Dashing swiftly back to the cabin area, Yseif was worried. During his way back, he¡¯s been having a bad omen that something is not right. Yseif seemed uncomfortable, his face frowning again and his feelings unsteady. When he arrived at the cabin, the place was a wreck. The cabin was partially destroyed. Outside was filled with bloods in shades of blue and red. Running inside the cabin, Yseif saw Demons sprawled all over the ground. They were dressed in frilly black and white dress. ¡°These are¡­the Demon Maids¡­¡± Yseif mumbled. ¡°Where is Sana?!¡± Yseif looked around, inside each and every corner of the cabin, outside the cabin, even in the nearby forest. No trace of Sana can be seen. Frantically searching, Yseif was now in a panic. ¡°PA!!!!!¡± a screamed echoed across the forest. *Snap* Something has just been released from its cage. The beast is now free. The creatures trembled and cowered in fear. The skies darkened and thunders roared. The wind howls as it fiercely blow. The Earth cries as it felt pained. ¡°ARGH!!!!!¡± The beast roared across the world. All the living beings felt the rage of the beast. Chapter 7 - Intensifying Darkness Travelling across the world, the women wearing the plain white dress felt the rage of the howling beast. The scenes in front of her rapidly changing in a blur. She is like a ghost, silent and unnoticeable. On the pale white face of her¡¯s, there was a frown, a seemingly sad and worried frown. ¡°You mustn¡¯t openly release that power¡± the women grumbled. ¡°What can cause you so much pain?¡± she wondered. ¡°Please, let me make it there¡­¡± the women prayed. *** Within the garden with four women surrounding a tea table, another discussion was ongoing. ¡°I knew it, I knew it, I knew, I KNEW IT!!¡± the first women screamed. ¡°Why at this time¡­¡± the second women chimed in. ¡°¡­¡± the third women is seems to be thinking of something. The fourth women on the table curled into a ball and shook. It¡¯s like she was afraid of something. ¡°That thing is still there HAHAHAHA!¡± the first women seems almost crazy. *** Behind the clouding mist, the obscure person can be seen preparing something. ¡°You cannot be left wild¡­¡± he said. *** The being with the black wings on his back just smiled. ¡°Curse the world for me¡± he thought to himself. *** The Pastor watched as the forest was destroyed piece by piece. The destruction inching closer and closer to his location. He felt the intensity of the raging roar the most. If it wasn¡¯t for his protection, the mercenaries around him would¡¯ve been completely wiped out. *Boom* *Boom* *Boom* the destruction now faster than before. Behind the Pastor, the mercenaries were forcing along a Demon Maid holding onto a small girl. The small girl had cuts and bruises on her pink skin. Her hair disheveled and her dress torn. She was unconscious but gripping tightly against the Demon Maid. ¡°Move it you Demon spawn!¡± one mercenary whipped at her. *Smack* a deep red scar appeared on the Demon Maid¡¯s back. Shielding the little girl from harm, the Demon Maid braced herself for another lashing. *Smack* this time the Demon Maid fell onto one knee. ¡°Keep it moving! GET UP AND WALK!¡± another mercenary yelled at her. The Demon Maid stood up and started walking again. The chains on her legs rattling with each step she took. ¡°I mustn¡¯t let any harm come to the young princess¡± she constantly told herself. Suddenly, the Pastor shouted at the mercenaries. ¡°BATTLE FORMATION NOW! THE ENEMY IS HERE!¡± *BOOOOM* the forestry in front of the Pastor was blown away. In front of the group, a human stood there. Instead of a humanly aura it emitted, it was more fierce, more evil, and more dark than anything they¡¯ve met or seen. The Pastor spread his wings and with thewhite glowing sword in his hand, he charged at the enemy.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The enemy, without warning, swung his arm in a wide sweep. Pulling up the sword to block the attack, the Pastor was sent flying. *Boom* *Crash* *Bam* a line of trees were decimated following along the Pastor¡¯s flight. With the Pastor out of sight, the enemy turned towards the mercenaries. Specifically, the enemy glared right at the mercenary lashing at the Demon Maid holding, for dear life, onto a small girl. ¡°SANA!!!!!¡± the enemy screamed and disappeared from his location. *Splash* *PsSs* one by one the mercenaries¡¯ heads went flying causing geysers of blood to overflow. Swinging down towards the Demon Maid, the person had no hesitation. The Demon Maid looked towards the person and a smiled appeared on her face. Relaxing to her fate, she closed her eyes. ¡°Grand Master Yseif¡­¡± she mumbled. Before the attack can hit the Demon Maid, something flew in between Yseif and the Demon Maid. *Kachink* a white sword stabbed onto the ground a couple steps away. ¡°Your enemy is me¡± the Pastor showed up again. He had blood on his mouth and his arms were bleeding. His white hair showered in dirt, mud, and leaves. One of his wing was ripped and dyed in red. Looking around, all his men were killed. Not one of the mercenaries were spared. ¡°Dammit!¡± the Pastor growled. Yseif turned his attention from the Demon Maid to the Pastor as he is more of a threat. *Ziiing* Yseif appeared right in front the Pastor. His face only inches away from the Pastor. With a swing, Yseif swiped at the Pastor. The Pastor stepped backwards leaning back away from the swipe and recalling the sword. *Fwinnngg* the sword flew towards the two. Yseif spun in a circle; the sword flew past Yseif and onto the Pastor¡¯s hand. The Pastor swung the sword consecutively sending out waves of energy towards Yseif. To reciprocate, Yseif swung his arms consecutively sending out waves of black energy. Black and white energies collided in mid-air causing massive air explosions. Not considering the surroundings, Yseif did not see that the Demon Maid and the little girl were hit with the aftermath. The Demon maid flew into a tree and was knocked unconscious. The little girl laid next to her. *** Speeding along, the women in the white dress started closing in onto the specific wave of energies being emitted. ¡°I can sense it¡­¡± ¡°He is fighting with someone¡­¡± ¡°The power isn¡¯t fully released yet¡­¡± ¡°I can still make it in time!¡± *Zoom* with a bright light glowing under her feet, her speed increased. Sweat perspiring on her forehead and drying off with the wind, her hair continues toflutter along with the wind. ¡°I¡¯m almost there¡­¡± she whispered. *** The battle in the forest still ensuing. Yseif stopped his energy attacks and stepped to the side to dodge the incoming attack. Reaching his right arm into a void, Yseif pulled out a weapon. The weapon was clad in a dark violet aura. Mixed with the weapon¡¯s innate pitch black color made the weapon seemingly dangerous. The Pastor felt the intensifying pressure of the weapon. It was a long black halberd. The pole wrapped in chains and a red-tailed tassel hung at its end. The front tip of the halberd has two axe shaped head on the left and right side. The fine pointed spearhead at the center. ¡°I have to end this now¡± the Pastor thought to himself. Stopping his consecutive attacks, the Pastor took a step back and transitioned into a sword stance. He held the sword in a reverse grip. The sword pointed towards his rear and while in a lunging motion, the Pastor charged energy onto the sword. The Light-Bearing Sword¡¯s glow grew brighter and brighter. The shape of the glow also expanded in size. The air in the area was being sucked towards the Pastor. Yseif stood there, like a statue guardian deity guarding a pathway. The halberd held upright with the spearhead pointing towards the sky. The Pastor dashed forward with the sword light trailing behind him. Yseif also dashed forward with the halberd being held horizontally on his back. The Pastor swung his sword horizontally, causing a wide sweep. Yseif slashed diagonally downward at the Pastor. Half way through the Pastor¡¯s attack, his power suddenly cut off. The energy that he had dissipated as if it did not exist in the first place. ¡°Why¡­¡± the Pastor cried out. *SLASH* the halberd flowed through the Pastor. A rain of blood showered down onto the forest. Drenched in the rain of blood, Yseif stood on the ground. The Pastor¡¯s body cut in two steps away from Yseif. Turning around, Yseif walked towards the Demon Maid. *Shiiinngg* a white pillar of light fell down onto Yseif and locked him in place. A women wearing a plain white dress, curly blonde hair, and jade blue eyes gracefully landed onto the ground. The ethereal aura emitted from the women showered over Yseif¡¯s dark aura. Yseif turned his head over his shoulder. Looking at the women, their eyes locked at each other¡¯s. *** Back at the Balestein Empire, the Bishop opened his eyes. Sitting at his table with one hand holding up his chin, a light knock echoed in the room. *Knock* * Knock* * Knock* a finger knocked against the wooden table. ¡°In the end, that one didn¡¯t work either¡­¡± he mumbled. ¡°Too bad I¡¯ve lost another test subject¡­¡± he smiled. Chapter 8 - Unconcealing Darkness While Yseif and the women were still locking eyes, the Demon Maid regained part of her conscious. She grumbled as she tried to hold herself steady. The pain was too much for her to handle. With Yseif already being here, she lost all the bravery and strength she had before. Noticing the movement of the Demon Maid, the women turned her attention towards the Demon Maid. Black short hair fashioned in a bob cut. The black hair glistening with the rays of the sunlight shining upon it. Fitted with a round face and oval shaped eyes, her deep purple colored iris contrasting with her white skin. Adorned in a one piece frilly white and black dress, although torn, the dress still contoured to her body shape. The chains on her feet shackling her to a metal spherical shaped ball. The wounds of lashes colored her back red. From there, the women turned towards the small girl lying unconscious next to the Demon Maid. The small girl also has wounds on her body. Her hair unkempt and her floral white dress tainted in dirt and mud. The dried tear streak on her face showed that she cried. Seeing as the women turned her attention towards Sana, Yseif moved to block her line of sight. The women sighed and finally found the reason for this man¡¯s outbreak. ¡°Someone stupid enough to touch his inverted dragon scale¡± she thought. ¡°Ra¡­Raella¡­¡± Yseif mumbled. With her heightened sense, she heard exactly the words that Yseif mumbled. ¡°You still remember me¡­¡± Raella sighed. As the Demon Maid was closer to Yseif, she heard his mumbling clearly. Hearing the women confirm her identity, the Demon Maid was trembling. The female war god, the nemesis of all Demons, the religious faith of the humans, the Goddess of Light, Raella. Ethereal, eternal, powerful, and courageous, that¡¯s what the humans believe. Now that the real Goddess is before her, the Demon Maid felt extreme dangers to her very being. Feeling the Demon Maid¡¯s stiffness, Yseif blocked the pressure pushing against her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for attacking you, I lost myself for bit.¡± Yseif told her. ¡°You were trying to protect Sana and yet I almost¡­against my benefactor¡­¡± he said depressed. ¡°A-a-a-¡­¡± the Demon Maid tried to say something but no words came out. Still facing Raella, Yseif asked her. ¡°You are here for me?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± she smiled back ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that grumpy face, I¡¯m not going to eat you or anything¡­¡± she sighed. Looking at the weapon that Yseif is holding, Raella swapped from a carefree face to a serious one. ¡°You¡¯ve pulled the weapon out¡­¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve no excuse¡­¡± Yseif replied. ¡°Since the weapon is already drawn, one sealed is broken¡­¡± she told Yseif. ¡°¡­¡± Yseif kept quiet. ¡°If she was here, what would she say?¡± ¡°Do not mention her here! She would understand me!¡± Yseif rebuked. ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Raella nonchalantly replied. ¡°¡­¡± Yseif frowned in quietness. ¡°I know what you meant, but you didn¡¯t need the weapon did you?¡± Raella interrogated. ¡°¡­¡± Yseif¡¯s frown became darker.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Now, now, stop making that scary face¡­¡± Raella sighed. ¡°Since I know that you are here, the others will also¡­¡± she informed Yseif. ¡°I will leave here and disappear from the world again¡­¡± Yseif answered her. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s that easy? This isn¡¯t the first time now. They will not let you go again.¡± Raella explained. ¡°What do you want me to do?! What do you expect from me?! I¡¯ve lived quietly until now! Sana was safe and I was happy! Yet in just one day, ONE DAY! Our happy life crashed down!¡± Yseif shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve already lost Leina, I even destroyed her hometown, I couldn¡¯t even protect her but she protected me instead! Today, I almost lost Sana, I almost lost my very own daughter and you are telling me why I broke my own seal?! Why I broke my promise with her?! Why I am not allowed to retaliate in kind to those who ruined our peaceful life?!! You tell me! Who is in the right?! Who should I blame for this situation?! Is it me?! Is it the fault of my very existence again?! Am I wrong?!! If you know so much, then you TELL ME THE ANSWER!!¡± Yseif continued. Surprise by Yseif¡¯s outbreak, Raella was stunned. She was not expecting this reaction at all. ¡°Y¡ª¡° Right when Raella was about to say something, a strange occurrence happened. Yseif went stiff all of a sudden. The light of his eyes seemed blank. The world went still for a second. *** A dark void. An endless, edgeless, and dull world appeared in front of Yseif. Filled with nothing but black colored water flowing endlessly across all direction. There was no sun, no stars, no moon, a sky didn¡¯t even exist. All around him was just void after void of darkness. ¡°Do you want revenge?¡± a voice echoed. Yseif looked around; there was no one but him here. ¡°Do you want to kill everything?¡± the voice continued. Frantically, Yseif tried to pinpoint the direction of the voice. ¡°Do you want to build the best world for your daughter?¡± ¡°Do you want to eliminate all the threat against you?¡± ¡°Do you want to give everything to your daughter?¡± ¡°Do you want the truth?¡± ¡°Do you seek answers?¡± ¡°Do you feel anger?¡± The voice constantly shot out questions. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± Yseif asked the void. A shadow of Yseif appeared before him. It was like looking at a reflection. Everything from the hair to the feet was exactly the same. The shadow looked at Yseif and said. ¡°I am you. You are me. We are one and the same. You are the body and I am the power. I can give you everything and I can take everything. All things fear me so they fear you. I can give you the answers that no one else can.¡± ¡°Answers?¡± Yseif questioned. ¡°You are aware of what you are but do you know why you exist? Do you know why you have overwhelming power? Do you know why the world tries to eliminate you? Do you know the reason behind Leina¡¯s death?¡± ¡°¡­¡± tempted, Yseif pondered his choice. ¡°Think about it, you were just peacefully living with your daughter and yet, troubles comes to find you. Did you think it¡¯s a coincidence? Did you think no one knew where you were at?¡± ¡°They are coming, do you think you can protect Sana without me?¡± the shadow asked. He raised his hand and held it in front of Yseif. ¡°Take my hand, I can give you the power to protect Sana. Leina would understand your choice.¡± The shadow persuaded. Sana was everything to Yseif. After he lost Leina, the world was bleak. Sana was the only one in the world which can bring him happiness. The world doesn¡¯t matter if Sana is not there. ¡°Without Leina and Sana, the world can just be destroyed¡± Yseif thought. He lifted his hand andshook the shadow¡¯s hand. A smile appeared on the shadow¡¯s face. ¡°I will grant you your wish¡± the shadow said. *** Raella stared as Yseif¡¯s darkness energy intensified. ¡°Shi¡ª¡° *BOOOM* Raella was cut off in her cursing. Yseif¡¯s aura exploded. Raella flew pass Yseif, grabbed the Demon Maid and Sana on each hand, and made some distance. Around Yseif, the forestry was destroyed into a crater. The crater growing in size as Yseif¡¯s aura expanded and intensified. Even though it was still morning, in the sky, it was as if night fell. The world went dark. The pinnacle of darkness have emerged from its slumber. Chapter 9 - Overflowing Darkness Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Chapter 10 - Dissipating Darkness This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Side Story 1 - Dux Lauriael Imatin ¡°Ha, ha, ha!¡± Roars of laughter rang loudly, blocking out my cries for help. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* They stepped, kicked, and jeered at me, who was curled up on the ground to protect myself. ¡°Ugh¡­Nrgh¡­¡± The only sound my voice can make. ¡°Ha, I¡¯ve had enough fun, let¡¯s go grab some food to eat.¡± The voice of the person I hated the most said. I watched as they turned away. My body hurts like hell. The blood flowed from my head to my eyes, blocking out part of my vision in colors of blue. My already tattered clothes covered in dirt and footprints. My arms bruised from all the injuries they¡¯ve inflicted on me. Laying with my back on the ground staring at the sky, I tried to recover my breath and ignore the pain I¡¯m feeling. Sometimes, I wondered why I was even born. Because my Mother was human, I was born a half-blood. Although blood of a Demon flows through my body, I am different from others. My skin isn¡¯t blue like the others and my eyes were a deep shade of black. Most Demons have fierce purple looking eyes but not me. This is the reason why I am an outcast. This is the reason why I am picked on. My Mother died giving birth to me. From what my Father said, my Mother was too weak from the start. I have never seen her face nor heard her voice even once. When I was three years old, my Father never returned from his battle. At my age, I didn¡¯t even cry when he died. When I was of age to learn, I¡¯ve mostly forgot my Father¡¯s face and voice, just like my Mother. To me, that became the norm. I was raised by my Grandfather instead. Once I¡¯ve reached the age of six, my Grandfather wanted me to enroll in school to learn. He believed that as a male Demon, I must learn how to fight, how to be strong, and how to lead troops like he used to. He used to be the Commander of the 1st Demon Army. And so, I started my school life. Everything went well until I reached the age of eight. My Grandfather died of old age. People started to stare at me with eyes of envy, jealousy, greed, and contempt. Even at my age, I knew what was going on in their minds. They wanted the territories that was passed down to me. They wanted the fortune I held. That¡¯s when the bullying started. Khevstin Galark, he was the same age as me and his Father was the nemesis of my Grandfather. My Grandfather had told me many times before, to watch out for the Galark Family. He¡¯d drilled it many times into my head and now I can see why. When I still had the protection of my Grandfather, no one bothered me even when I was a half-blood. But when he was gone, everyone acted differently. ¡°Hey look, it¡¯s the half-blood.¡± They whispered. ¡°Look at that fake Demon strutting around.¡± They jeered. ¡°I bet his blood¡¯s been faked this whole time.¡± They mocked. ¡°You don¡¯t belong here, we should just executed an abomination like you.¡± They barked. When my Grandfather died, he told me one last thing. ¡°Dux, don¡¯t hate yourself, you are you. Let people say what they want, let people do what they do, you are strong so don¡¯t fall to their level. Keep your head held high and you will be graced with success.¡± He said. I¡¯ve always wondered why I¡¯ve never cried once for my relatives who died. Was I just born with the lack of tears? Was I just a heartless person? Do I not feel anything for those close to me? I think about it all the time. *** I closed my eyes and slowly, I inhale and exhale the cold air around me. The pain have finally subdue. I opened my eyes again and the skies were already starting to get dark. ¡°For how long have I laid on this cold dirt ground?¡± I wondered. Carefully, I used my hands to push against the ground to leverage myself up. Although the pain had already greatly diminished, it doesn¡¯t mean the pain isn¡¯t there. Using my arm to leverage myself from tree to tree, I wobbled back to my own exclusive cabin. The cabin wasn¡¯t very big. It was one story high with the necessary bathroom, cooking facility, and living room. I had this built so I can stay away from all the other people. At first, my caretakers was against it, but for some reason, they finally accepted it. I already know the reason why. Without me there, they can splurge all they want using my fortune. I couldn¡¯t care less of what they do. I have no use for the fortune I hold. On the bright side, it¡¯s taking a load off my shoulders. I don¡¯t have to worry about people coming after my fortune with me in the way. Wounded as I was, I laid down on my bed. The moonlight shone through the window and into the lonesome cabin. It¡¯s very quiet. It was too quiet. It was quiet to the point that I can hear myself breathe. But I was too tired. My conscious started to fade. My eyes were very heavy. My vision started to blur. Without me knowing when, I fell asleep. *** I had a dream. It was a very vivid dream. I know this is a dream because I dreamt of it many times. It was the same dream over and over again. In this dream, I have a Mother. In this dream, I have a Father. In this dream, I was very happy. Every day was filled with laughter, happiness, and warmth. Although it is a dream, I could feel the warmth of my parents. I can feel a type of love that they have. I can feel their protection over me. It was a dream that I wished would continue forever. But like every dream, there is an end. This dream continues to follow the same pattern every time. We wake up and eat breakfast. We go out to work the farms. My Father would teach me how to fight during break times. My Mother would sit at the porch to watch us smiling. During lunch time, my Mother would bring out packaged food for us to eat. Before the sun fall, we would start to tread back home. My Mother would prepare dinner and my Father would sit down to relax. I would head straight to take a shower. After eating dinner, we would sit by a tea table to play board games and chat. Once night fell, we would all head to bed. My Mother and Father would sleep on the left and right side while I would sleep in between them. It was the most happiness filled day that I¡¯ve seen. But when I close my eyes to sleep in the dream, I would always wake up in the real world. Same as every other day I have the dream, I would wake up to a dark ceiling. The silent but lonely cabin was the only one keeping me accompanied. This have happened many more times than I can count on all my fingers. Looking out the window, it was the same view I¡¯ve always seen. Except this time, instead of the pitch black night only shone by the moonlight, there were floating flames wandering the night. No, to be more specific, they were torches lighting up the woods in the night. ¡°GET OUT HERE YOU FAKE!¡± A voice sounded. It¡¯s that hateful voice again. I got up, still hurt from the afternoon, and struggled to walk outside. Pushing the door open with the little strength I have, what appeared in my vision were many of the townsfolk surrounding my cabin. Not trying to seem weak, I stood upright and faced the crowd. With my heart beating quickly, I asked the crowd. ¡°Can I help you?¡± ¡°Yes you can, by getting out of everyone¡¯s sight.¡± That annoying voice from Khevstin sounded out again. ¡°But this is my home¡­¡± I tried to fight back. ¡°This is OUR land; it¡¯s not for someone like you to be in¡­¡± He smirked. ¡°I was also born and raised on this land¡­¡± Steadily I tried to rebuke him. *Swoosh* A rock flew through the air. *Thump* It smashed onto my head. Looking at the direction, it was tossed it by a small girl. She was hiding behind her Mother like she was scared. ¡°It really hurts¡­¡± I mumbled. The wound from this morning was cut opened again and blue blood flowed the side of my cheeks. It¡¯s not the wound that hurts, it¡¯s my heart. The small girl was someone who I¡¯ve seen was the most graceful and loving girl that I¡¯ve met. I even fell in love with her. She was the only one who offered a hand to help me when I just started school. Even when I turned eleven this year, she was only two years younger, at the age of nine. She was known to be the kindest and loving girl in town. Yet, she was the one who threw that rock at me. ¡°Do you get it now? None of us wants you here.¡± Khevstin smiled. ¡°YEAH! GET OUT! WE DON¡¯T WANT AN ABOMINATION LIKE YOU!¡± The crowd started. Some started throwing out more rocks. I stood there, taking in all the injury that they threw at me. ¡°This really hurts¡­¡± I whispered to myself. Everyone who I knew, everyone who I don¡¯t know, those who never cared, those who used to care, they were all here. I recognize these faces. Yet, here they all are, pushing me to leave, to leave my home in this freezing cold winter season. They are asking me to disappear, to die, all because I am different. The rocks continue to hit me. I lost count of how many times I was hit. I lost count of who threw what rock at me. ¡°Why only me¡­¡± I thought to myself. Looking at the crowd, every kid had someone adult with them. Be it either their parents, aunts, uncles, brothers, or sisters, there was someone protecting them. I am here alone, hurt, and weakened. I looked at the person in front of me. He picked up another rock. Swinging his arm back, he let go of the rock and it flew at my face. I closed my eyes and bit my lips. I awaited the pain that would follow. ¡°¡­¡± The pain did not come. Instead, in this cold night, I felt warmth. Something that I¡¯ve not felt in a long time. Slowly opening my eyes to take a peek, he held me in his arms. A young man with a sharp looking face endowed with slightly brownish-red hair and a small tail tied at the back. Pearl black eyes which seems to shine like the night sky. He held me in his arms and blocked all the rocks flying towards me. ¡°Why¡­?¡± I asked in a quiet voice. ¡°Because¡­hm¡­let¡¯s see¡­you feel similar to me¡­¡± He said while ignoring the rocks hitting him. He appeared out of the blue. The townsfolk stopped throwing rocks after seeing that it was ineffective. Looking at his figure, the warmth I feel, the protection I wished for, the indifference that he showed even when I¡¯m different, some moisture leaked from my eyes and flow along my cheeks. ¡°This¡­is tears?¡± I mumbled. This is the first time that I cried. Even when my Mother was not there, even when my Father died, even when my Grandfather died, I did not cry. Yet, I am now crying. Everything I bottled up for the past seven years finally have somewhere to go. I held tightly onto the stranger and voiced the frustration, the pain, the feelings, the hurtfulness that my heart feels, and all the things I¡¯ve been through by crying it all out. He just lightly patted my head while I cried. ¡°Who are you?¡± Khevstin carefully asked. Turning around, the young man smile and replied back. ¡°Ask the person who is now running here.¡± The crowd turned to look behind them. Running towards them was a man. Blue scaled with deep violet eyes. His hair was dark blue, running down to his shoulders. His pointy ears pointing out from his gloomy and old looking face. With shadows under his eyes, it seems as if he was struggling over something all night. He was wearing a leather top with a jacket and leather pants with a pair of black boots on. It seems he was in a rush to get dressed for outdoor. ¡°DAD!¡± Khevstin shouted in surprise. *Pant* *Pant* *Pant* ¡°S-Sir, please let me know next time you decide to run off¡­¡± The man known as Khevstin¡¯s Father, Renard Galark, said while catching his breath. ¡°No one was in town and I sensed something fun happening so I just decided to take a look.¡± The young man said with a shrug. Renard¡¯s face darkened at that remark. The young man turned to look at me. He then turned to look at the crowd. With a smile, he said, ¡°Since you guys don¡¯t want this boy, how about I take him with me?¡± The crowd was astonished. The same with me, I was surprise. ¡°Hmph, take him away then, I don¡¯t ever want to see him again.¡± Khevstin sneered. The young man then asked me a question. ¡°How about it? Do you want to travel with me?¡± With a moment of silence, I finally responded.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°MhM, please¡­let me go with you¡­¡± I quietly mumbled. The young man turned towards the crowd once again. ¡°There you have it, he will be going with me.¡± He proclaimed. ¡°Also, since I have nothing else to do here, I will be setting out now.¡± The young man said. Grabbing onto my hand, he told me to hold on tightly and with that, I felt as light as a feather while we flew in the sky. It was my first time coming in contact with magic. With a laughter for the first time in my life, I screamed my lungs out. *** In our journey, I once asked the young man for his name. ¡°Hm¡­this time I¡¯m going by the name of Imatin therefore, you can call me by that name.¡± He said with a carefree attitude. ¡°Imatin¡­¡± I mumbled. I will never forget this name in my life. Imatin showed me how big the world was. There were so many race. Humans, Demons, Elves, Dwarfs, Beasts, and others which are living under the radar. I never knew the world was this big. He taught me how to read, how to write, and how to survive. This world called Eden was a vast and majestic world that I¡¯ve never knew. On the East Continent was where we currently are, the Demon Territories. In the West Continent, the majority of the race was the Humans. In the South, the Dwarfs and others that can survive the cold lives there. In the North, it was always much warmer and filled with life so the Elves, Beasts, and other nature loving ones lives there. We hunted Demon Beasts, we enjoyed ourselves in different towns, we camped out in the mountains, we built a house near a river, and we even got involved with a war. I watched Imatin fight. It was beautiful, like an art. He was overwhelmingly strong. Anywhere he went, everyone kneeled to his power. He single-handily overturned the tides of a war because he felt bored. He fought an old dragon. The battle lasted three days and two nights. I¡¯ve had the taste of dragon meat for the first time in my life that night. It was hard to chew, thick, and not juicy, but eating with Imatin made the meal very delicious I thought. We traveled around the Demon Territories for more than eight years. During that time, I learned how to fight, how defend myself, how to use my fists since I seem to don¡¯t have the talent for magic. I thought back to what my Grandfather told me before he died, and I finally believed his words. I am finally graced. When I turned twenty, everything changed again. When I returned from a hunt, Imatin has disappeared. The only thing he left in the house was a letter. ¡°To Dux, I¡¯ve traveled with you for eight years. You are now twenty years old this year. You are now a grown man in the Human Culture. I know you are a Demon and Demons will live on much longer than a Human. Although I am considered not to be a Human also, there have been some issues which I cannot bring you along. I¡¯ve left you with some money and a token. You can use that token to sign up for the military in the 1st Demon Army Division. You can decide to follow in your Father¡¯s and Grandfather¡¯s footstep to rise in power. Once you reach high enough, we may have a chance to meet again. The Demon Army will not ignore that token as there is only one that exist in this world. It will grant you one chance, but it is up for you to take it. May we meet again in the future boy¡­No, young man. - Imatin¡± Although I knew it would come a time when we would part ways, when it does come, it still leaves a bitter taste. I can still vividly remember the night we spent under the stars. ¡°Imatin, why did you pick me up that time?¡± I asked. ¡°When I saw the situation, I had a similar feeling¡­¡± ¡°A similar feeling?¡± ¡°You were an outcast in that town. You excluded and picked on because you were different.¡± ¡°Were you also the same Imatin?¡± ¡°For me?...Hm¡­In my case, I did not know who I was or why everyone hated me¡­¡± ¡°Gradually, I got used it¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I was silent. ¡°But because I saw the face you had, it reminded me of how I use to feel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bitter feeling, to feel like you are useless and have no reason to be born in this world.¡± Imatin continued. ¡°I use to curse the world, hated it, and wanted to destroy it, so I searched for power.¡± ¡°When I find out about my own powers, I¡¯ve already lost the motivation I had before.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why I took you with me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I questioned. ¡°So you can find out about your very own power, about why you exist.¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡­see¡­¡± I mumbled *** It was an enjoyable memory for me. All these time I¡¯ve spent with Imatin was the best of my life. Therefore, I will be strong. I will grow stronger. I will become someone that you can be proud of. I will become someone who reached for the top. I reached out to grab the token and the money Imatin left me. Walking towards the Capital of the Demon Kingdom, Narseilivia, I started my own journey. In front of the Instructor recruiting people for the 1st Demon Army, I made my way in line. There were whispers and comments on my half-blood but I am already used to it over the years. ¡°Next!¡± The recruiter yelled. I walked up to the recruiter sitting behind a table. The recruiter scanned my body with his eyes. With a look of contempt, he questioned me. ¡°What are you doing here half-blood?¡± He asked. ¡°I want to try out for the Army.¡± I boldly stated. I was met with jeers and laughter but I ignored them. ¡°Why should we recruit a half-blood like you?¡± The recruiter interrogated. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a token. Lightly putting it on the table, the token became visible for everyone to see. The recruiter¡¯s face changed color at the sight of the token. ¡°W-W-What¡¯s your name?¡± The recruiter asked. ¡°Dux Lauriael Imatin!¡± I stated proudly. Dux for my given name. Lauriael is my family name. Imatin for the person who showed me the world. ¡°W-W-Welcome to the 1st Demon Army!¡± The recruiter saluted and said. *** Many years flew by, close to 75 years to be exact. While serving in the military, I secretly searched for information on Imatin. Although he said that was not his real name, I still searched. Finally, I¡¯ve got a lead. Someone with similar frame, build, hairstyle, hair color, similar overwhelming power, and similar attitude matched my search. He went by the name of Yseif Deucar Kadrille. The Demon God assigned me to the Demon¡¯s Territorial Barriers to seek out that man. It was a blessing in disguise. Without showing my smile, I nodded and upheld this task that I was given. I was told that he has a daughter, who was still very young. Because of that, I decided to bring only my trusted maids. ¡°Aleena, Trushia, Luli, and Feniel, follow me!¡± I commanded. ¡°Yes Sire!¡± They bowed and obliged. *** In the forest, we found a wooden cabin. I was met with a black dog. That dog was very strong. Even after growing as strong as I am, the dog was a tough opponent. I smiled. Of course, even something like a dog being with Imatin must be special. ¡°Hoho, I wasn¡¯t expecting this when I was just surveying.¡± I said. ¡°To survive this long against me, you must have a strong master, as you are a Nightstalking Hound.¡± ¡°Grrr.¡± The black dog growled. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me; this is my hunting grounds and you¡¯re the intruder here¡± I commented while lightly stretching. ¡°Come! Let¡¯s go another round!¡± I demanded. The black dog pulled itself together and leapt towards me once again. ¡°Too slow¡­¡± I sighed. With a wide sweep of my arm, the backhand attack of my arm slammed into the black dog¡¯s head and sent it flying. The black dog smashed into the trees and it seems to be having trouble breathing and getting back up. ¡°You gave a good fight, but it isn¡¯t enough.¡± I gave one last look at the black dog laying by the tree. Slowly, I treaded towards the cabin. The black dog was still struggling to get back up and stop me. ¡°How loyal it is¡­¡± I thought. Without any strength, it tried to drag itself on the ground. Ignoring the black dog, I stopped 25 ft. away from the cabin and noticed the irregularity around the cabin. ¡°A magical barrier¡­a strong one at it too¡­¡± I then took in a deep breathe. I drew power into my arms and smashed down at the barrier. *Crash* The barrier broke down. ¡°It took quite a bit of power to break that barrier down, let¡¯s see what¡¯s so important to be protected by it.¡± I pondered. Walking into the cabin, I saw a small girl sleeping by the bedside window. She was snuggling closely in her blanket without a care in the world. ¡°Maids!¡± I called. ¡°Yes Sire!¡± They responded. ¡°Take care of this little princess. No harm must come to her. If she is in any way injured, I will deal with you myself! Treat her as you would treat me.¡± I threatened. ¡°Yes Sire!¡± The Maids replied without asking any questions. Like how Imatin raised me, I picked these Demon Maids up and raised them. They are dutifully loyal to me even if I am a half-blood. ¡°Take her somewhere safe. Once you feel my aura, send her back here immediately.¡± I commanded. ¡°We will take upmost care Sire!¡± The Maids said in unison. After that, I left a letter on the dinner table in the cabin and left. *** While I was waiting around, I felt the Demon Barrier break. I knew he had arrived. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet him.¡± I smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that quick of a reaction when I just got back¡± I appeared before the young man. ¡°Just got back?¡± the young man questioned. ¡°Ah, right, right...I just came back from exploring the forest, found a pretty neat cabin by the way¡± I said while smiling. From my remark, the young man¡¯s aura of darkness intensified. ¡°That¡¯s¡­some pretty looking stuff you got going on¡± I praised. I knew he was strong already, but it seems he got even stronger since we¡¯ve last seen each other. ¡°My name is Dux Imatin, General of the 1st Squadron Demon Army. I command everyone within the limits of this border¡± I decided to introduce myself without my family name. I wanted to respect the name that I¡¯ve borrowed from him. ¡°And you are?¡± I asked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yseif¡­¡± He replied. ¡°Where is the girl from the cabin?¡± He questioned with a dark frown. ¡°Hm, ah, that girl, she¡¯s probably being thrown somewhere to be sold as a slave¡± I grinned and told a lie. *Swoosh* ¡°If you ca¡ª¡° *Kaboom* before I finished my words, my head got slammed onto the ground. I felt the ground shatter and break into cobwebs. ¡°I¡¯ve no time to play with you.¡± I heard him say in a deep voice. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± I laughed and complimented under his hand. ¡°That way it¡¯ll be fun!¡± I excitedly proclaimed. With that, I released the Demon aura that I¡¯ve trained over the years, blowing him away 15 meters into the air. This was the power that I found after many years of training and practice. This was the power that I obtained following your words. He adjust himself and landed on the ground. Although he was sent flying by the force, he didn¡¯t seem injured whatsoever. I stood up from the ground and patted the dirt off my armor. ¡°That was a hit that I wasn¡¯t prepared for at all.¡± I said. ¡°¡­¡± He kept quiet. ¡°Let¡¯s try this one more time¡± I prepared myself once again. I release the force that pushed him again. The force turned from something transparent to a purple-red color around me. Covering my body like a bubble, I condensed aura making feel seem like a sharpened sword prepared to kill. ¡°Here I come!¡± I proclaimed. *Swoosh* I swiftly moved from my position. Quickly, he ducted and dodged my attack over his head. The pressure pushed past him and destroyed the huge rock 15 meters away. While dodging, he countered with a rotating kick. On reflex, I parried the incoming kick towards the ground and shoulder charged him from my stance. Using the momentum of the downward parry, he reacted by using my shoulders as leverage to flip over to my backside. Facing back to back with him, I felt his hands on my shoulders. He then gripped and tossed me over his head. *Swooosh* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* I flew across the ground. I tossed and turned, bouncing up and down. While the dust cloud formed, I used that advantage to jump up. *Boom* another explosion happened. My arms were pushing downwards towards his. He was pushed to one knee with his arms crossed over his head. The ground was depressed further into the Earth, causing a crater. ¡°He is still very good at fighting.¡± I thought. My left shoulder pad was shattered from being tossed and it showed my conditioned muscle. My cape was torn and ragged. He kicked at me, pushing himself away. I also used the force to push myself back. ¡°What a great fighter you are.¡± I complimented. ¡°No one had ever survive in a hand to hand combat with me.¡± I said satisfied. Taking off my broken armor, I dropped the armor onto the ground. *Boom* the armor caused a loud noise. These armor were for me to use while training to improve my strength. ¡°That armor weighed me down a lot.¡± I commented. I held my hands up into a fighting position. My hands covered part of my face and guarded my chin. ¡°Again!¡± I yelled. Although I am almost exhausted just from that earlier bout, I have to give my all. *Ziinnng* I made the first move again. This time I fought head on. With part of my armor off, I was now faster than I was before. Instead of dodging, he dashed towards me. He swung his fist in a straight punch against me. With a smile, I reciprocated by also sending a straight punch. Infused on his punch was a lingering dark energy. I already knew what that power is. I already knew I will not survive the hit. But since the Demon Barrier was already broken, if I went back, I would have to pay the price. If I was to die anyways, I¡¯d rather it be in his hands. *Bang* our two fist collided. A blast of energy shot past my face. It was a wave of pitch black energy. The dawn of sunlight speckled onto the battlefield. With my back facing the first light of sunrise, he stood in front of me. I can feel the warmth again pulsating from my back. Kneeling on one knee, half left of my body was totally destroyed. Blood rapidly streaming out of my body. ¡°You are good¡­No, you are great!¡± I laughed. ¡°Where is the girl?¡± He questioned me again. ¡°She should still be at the cabin.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything to her, I just sent her away with some of my maids until you arrive here.¡± ¡°Once you arrive, my aura was the signal for my maid to bring her back.¡± I continued to explain to him. ¡°I just wanted to fight you again.¡± I lightly said while smiling. ¡°Again?¡± He asked seeming confused. ¡°Hahaha, you should get going.¡± I pushed on. It¡¯s better if he forgot me. He has a daughter. It¡¯s been many years since I¡¯ve have the same feeling when I¡¯m with him. He looked at me carefully. After a pause, He looked at me for one more time, and then turned around. *Swish* he disappeared from my sight. *Thump* I fell onto my back, sprawled on the ground. The morning sunrays shone onto my face. The battlefield very quiet. The morning breeze blew across my face. It was pretty cold this morning I lamented. ¡°I was glad to have met you again, Father.¡± I struggled to whisper. ¡°You were very much like a Father figure to me.¡± ¡°To die, to be killed by your hands is not something I regret. It is my blessing for having to be able to meet you one more time.¡± ¡°I really loved you. I really cherished all the things you¡¯ve shown me.¡± ¡°I really missed you when you left. I really really¡­¡± I paused to catch my last breath. I already know this will be the end. ¡°I will be going first to meet the Madam of that child Father. I will tell Madam the stories of our adventures when we meet.¡° With that, my heavy eyes closed. I showed and gave him the best smile I could as a goodbye gift. Even though you don¡¯t remember me, I will always remember you. Those Maids would be fine without me as I use to be like them. They will grow up, beautiful and graceful, like that girl use to be. Remember world, I am¡­¡­No my name is¡­ ¡°Dux Lauriael Imatin¡±