《Gods & Mortals》


 Prologue: Precious Life

    The End of humanity was fast approaching...


    Do you know the difference between a monster and a human? Monsters are imperfect. This simple yet haunting truth defined an era of chaos and despair, an era that began with humans and monsters coexisting, side by side, on the same soil for decades, even centuries. But what unseen force shattered this equilibrium? What prompted the monstrous to turn against the mundane, to unleash unbridled fury upon humanity, showing no mercy regardless of circumstance? The answer is as enigmatic as it is disturbing: Monsters are imperfect.


    A mother, her heart pounding with the terror only a parent fleeing for her child''s life could understand, raced onward. She was driven by an urgency to shield her precious daughter from the ravenous onslaught of creatures who cared not for innocence.


    "Make haste, Maggie!" The woman''s voice trembled as she urged her daughter to move faster, to keep pace with her frantic strides. For days, they had dodged the relentless pursuit of these abominations, all in search of a fabled sanctuary rumored to exist nearby. A sanctuary where the last remnants of humanity clung to hope amidst the world''s cataclysmic transformation. Implausible as it seemed, the woman had no choice but to believe. Survival depended on it.


    "Yes, Mother," Maggie replied, her young voice strained with exertion.


    They pressed on, the harsh sun beating down upon them like an unrelenting adversary. Hour after grueling hour passed as they scoured the landscape, their desperation matched only by the arid desolation surrounding them.


    Their quest led them to a cavern''s mouth, a potential refuge from the relentless pursuit. Weariness gnawed at them, and they decided to rest ¨C a respite that proved short-lived.


    Within the dim recesses of the cave, the woman''s blood ran cold as her eyes locked onto a sight that defied comprehension: a slumbering monster, a creature of darkness and dread. Fear surged within her, her maternal instincts propelling her into motion.


    "Maggie, move not," the woman whispered, her voice laden with caution. The sight of the dormant beast ignited a primal dread, and she rushed to cover her daughter''s mouth, willing her to silence.


    As they withdrew towards the entrance, dread congealed within her heart anew ¨C another monster lay in a nearby alcove, its presence unnoticed until now. A collision sent shockwaves through the chamber, jolting the beast awake. The cavern''s silence was shattered by a guttural roar, summoning its brethren from slumber.


    In the frenzied moments that followed, mother and daughter fled, their survival hinging on sheer desperation. The girl stumbled, her strength waning, and the woman halted her flight to lift her fallen child. But time betrayed them, and the pursuing fiends closed the gap.


    A sense of inevitability gripped the woman, despair intertwining with fierce determination. In the shadow of imminent doom, she gazed upon her daughter, tears mingling with sweat upon her cheeks.


    "I am sorry, Maggie. In the end, I could not protect you," her voice quavered, surrendering to the inescapable fate hurtling towards them.


    As the mother clung tightly to her daughter, despair looming over them, a beam of light, about three meters wide, appeared from the sky between them and the menacing monsters. Just as the nearest creature advanced, trying to breach the light, a figure descended from the heavens, landing squarely on the monster. The impact not only killed the creature but shattered its body into fragments scattered across the area.


    This dramatic intervention shifted the woman''s attention from her protective embrace to the unexpected occurrence before her eyes.


    Her gaze met the sight of a figure crouched before her, its back turned, and in its left hand, something resembling a flag impaled through the remains of the creature. Rising upright, the figure turned its attention to the woman, as if assessing the situation. Her apprehensive eyes met those of the figure, revealing a form reminiscent of a typical human male.


    Though sharing the human physique, this being exuded an imposing presence, standing at an impressive height of eight feet, like the monsters. Clad in resplendent armor of pure gold and boasting deep blond hair, the figure emitted an aura of both awe and dread. His eyes, devoid of pupils, were an unsettling shade of pure white, sending shivers down the woman''s spine as they locked onto her. After a fleeting moment, during which the woman admired this divine-looking man, he spoke.


    "Are you injured, mortal?" the man inquired, his gaze partially on her and partially on the newly arrived monsters. A brief pause elapsed before the woman realized she had not passed into the afterlife. With a subtle shake of her head, she silently conveyed to the man that she and her child were unharmed.


    The other approaching monsters watched as their comrade''s corpse disintegrated into ash, and the man''s armor expelled the spilled blood as though it had never been there. Sensing the man''s influence on the situation, one of the monsters charged toward him.


    The monsters regarded the man as if he were a mere human, underestimating his power due to his appearance. As the advancing monster bore down on the man, the woman recoiled in terror while cradling her child. Meanwhile, the man''s focus remained on the woman, seemingly oblivious to the imminent threat.


    As the monster''s claws lunged for the man''s head, an eerie stillness enveloped the scene, as though time itself had frozen. The woman, clutching her child, shut her eyes tightly in shock. When she dared to reopen them, she witnessed an astonishing sight.


    The man remained unchanged, his head still inclined towards her, as if the monster''s attack had never occurred. Astonishingly, the monster seemed perplexed, unable to move further. Its razor-sharp claws failed to breach the man''s skin, akin to thrusting a sheet of paper against unyielding diamond. The man''s countenance remained unblemished, and his nonchalant expression revealed the inexplicable truth¡ªhe far surpassed the monster''s might.


    With deliberate motion, the man shifted his focus onto the immobilized monster, compelling it to cower in trepidation. The intensity of his gaze weighed down upon the creature, as though it bore the weight of the world. It felt an invisible force attempting to bring it to its knees.


    And then, the man spoke once more.


    "You dare assault your creator?"


    His words echoed with authority, reducing the demon to its knees, responding to his mere utterance.


    While the man''s voice soothed the woman, easing her anxiety, the same could not be said for the monsters. He then raised his index finger, still gripping the flag''s pole, causing the monster before him to disintegrate into dust, meeting a swift demise.


    Words could not capture the whirlwind of emotions coursing through the woman. Her sentiments oscillated between relief for her savior''s arrival and apprehension at the overwhelming power emanating from him. The man''s focus shifted to the last remaining monster, which recognized its impending doom.


    For the first time, a human watched as a monster trembled in fear, desperately fleeing for its life. Yet, its fate was inevitable. The man, casting a glance at the retreating creature, released his left hand from the flag''s hold and thrust it into the air.


    What initially appeared as empty space suddenly fractured, forming a portal as if the man''s hand reached into a pocket dimension. Retrieving his hand, he emerged with a bow, pulling back an ethereal string. From nowhere, an arrow materialized in the customary position.


    Though the monster had vanished from the man''s line of sight, it did not deter him from releasing the arrow. The projectile traversed the distance, piercing the creature''s head and bringing about its swift demise.


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    The monsters lay defeated, vanquished by a human-like entity, although it was unmistakably clear that this was no ordinary human. Turning his gaze toward the woman and her child, the man locked eyes with her. Filled with awe and trepidation, the woman awaited his next move or words.


    "Woman, fear not, for I am here to save you," the being assured. "Travel one mile north, then slightly northeast. You''ll find a concentrated gathering of humans there, a haven where you shall remain safe for the time being."


    Though a multitude of questions welled within her, the woman found herself incapable of vocalizing them. The man continued, "I understand your curiosity, but your safety takes precedence. Make your way there. Given that they are the last surviving humans on this planet, I shall come to your aid once my duty is fulfilled."


    As the man spoke these words, a luminescent spark ignited behind him, gradually forming a halo that encircled his upper back without touching his armor. Simultaneously, angelic wings unfurled from his back, majestic and awe-inspiring, yet they too refrained from contact with the halo. Assuming a poised stance, the man prepared for departure as the woman managed to find her voice amidst the astonishment.


    "What is your duty?" she inquired, driven by an urge to comprehend the motivation behind her rescuer''s actions.


    "To eradicate all the monsters from this world," came his response.


    With those resolute words, he launched into the sky, swiftly disappearing from view.


    The man had vowed to rid the world of its monstrous scourge. While the notion seemed implausible, the woman recognized that such a feat posed no challenge for a being of his stature, perhaps even a trivial undertaking. Recalling the safe haven''s location and directions, she shifted her focus back to reality, cradling her unconscious daughter, and embarked on the journey to the designated refuge.


    After hours of traveling, following the directions given by the divine figure, and holding her unconscious daughter in her arms, a glimmer of hope sparked within the woman. She believed that the man''s words could be the key to resolving all her troubles. Upon reaching the designated location, a heartwarming sight greeted her¡ªa gathering of her fellow humans, united in this secluded refuge.


    Over a year had passed since the harrowing encounter with the monsters, and more than six months had gone by since she had last seen another human besides her daughter. The emotions welling up within her were overwhelming as she observed the faces of her companions, their eyes reflecting both fear and sorrow. Despite the somber circumstances, tears of elation streamed down her cheeks, mingling with tears of relief and contentment. The heavy burden of a lifetime spent fleeing had finally been lifted. Embracing her daughter, she was led forward with kind smiles and a sense of false cheer, finding solace in a place of rest for both herself and her child.


    As minutes stretched into hours, and the sun began to set, a sense of tranquility settled upon her. However, amidst the peace, the man''s cryptic words echoed persistently in her mind.


    "Could it have been a mirage? The heat truly was intense, after all," she wondered aloud, her voice wavering as she grappled with disbelief, trying to rationalize the extraordinary events.


    She toyed with the idea that the divine man might have been nothing more than a figment of her desperate imagination.


    As the sun cast its final rays, bathing the gathered humans in a warm golden hue, an unexpected disturbance shattered the calm. A roaring wind swept through the entrance of the cave, heralding the arrival of an enigmatic object from the heavens. Though uncertainty held the crowd captive, the woman''s intuition guided her actions. Without hesitation, she ventured out to investigate, her heart pounding with anticipation. And there he stood¡ªthe man who had intervened in their darkest hour. His armor remained unblemished, his pure white eyes emanating an aura of both intimidation and reverence, his wings gracefully retracting.


    Awestruck and bewildered, the assembled humans emerged from the cave to behold this otherworldly being. The air was thick with silence, collective disbelief rendering them motionless.


    And then, the man spoke.


    "Mortals, humans, rejoice, for I have purged your realm of the scourge known as the monster kind. The imperfections of their souls were intolerable to us. Today, I declare that this world is now yours. All creatures shall bow beneath you, and you shall rise above all living entities in this realm. The Main World now belongs exclusively to humankind, in contrast to the monsters who once shared this domain. But be assured that we, your creators, will watch over you closely."


    His proclamation left the crowd momentarily speechless, their minds grappling with the incredulity of his words. The idea of ridding the world of monsters sounded like a fantastical tale, challenging the boundaries of reality. However, in the presence of this divine figure, doubt seemed to dissipate. His words held an undeniable authority that resonated with everyone listening.


    As realization settled in, cheers and cries erupted, filling the air with jubilation. The weight of constant vigilance lifted, and humanity basked in the prospect of a life free from the monsters'' terror. This unparalleled relief transformed into a fervent celebration, an expression of gratitude towards the man who had emerged as their savior.


    Then, the man unveiled his identity as Siege, the God of War, one of the thirteen creators of their world. He delved into their history, revealing that the monsters had preceded humankind, born of the creators'' initial attempts. Yet, imperfections marred the monsters, prompting the subsequent creation of humankind. Both species coexisted, intended to learn from one another, leading to the monsters'' evolution along a path of flawed imperfection.


    However, the monsters'' progression took a sinister turn, their flawed nature growing more pronounced with each passing century. The gods, who had pledged non-interference regardless of any outcome, broke their vow after being unable to bear the outcome any longer, choosing to intervene for the first time. Their intervention proved decisive, culminating in the eradication of the monsters. Siege then assured humanity that such darkness would never again plague their existence.


    The humans pleaded for the presence of the god who stayed with them through seven days of celebration. During this time, Siege shared tales of their creation and the divine pantheon known as Higher World that safeguarded their realm. He praised humanity as the gods'' perfect creation, explaining how humans resembled their makers. This newfound understanding forged a deep connection between mortals and gods.


    As the final day approached, the woman''s child approached Siege with a humble gift¡ªa shard of stone that had once been her beacon of hope in moments of fear. She entrusted it to him, a symbol of her unwavering faith in his protection.


    Accepting the stone, Siege crafted a necklace, a tangible reminder of their shared journey. And then, as the sun cast its last glow over the horizon, Siege readied himself for departure, wings outspread. He offered humanity a future unburdened by monsters and pledged their eternal guardianship.


    With the radiant being''s departure, a new chapter unfolded for humankind¡ªa world free from the shadows of the monster kind and illuminated by the divine presence of their creators.


    As the ages passed, months turned into years, years into centuries, and centuries into millennia. Time''s currents swept humanity along, witnessing the progression of eras. However, as the eons rolled by, humanity''s connection to the gods who had once intervened began to fade. The direct witnesses of divine acts had long since passed, and the deities slipped into the realms of myth and fading memory.


    The gods, residing in their ethereal realm of Higher World, observed this evolution. Though they refrained from direct intervention in mortal lives, they recognized the importance of humanity retaining awareness of their existence and benevolent vigilance. Thus, Sage, the God of Mind, devised a plan to bridge the gap between gods and mortals, fostering a new alliance for the ages.


    The concept of the Demigod emerged¡ªa fusion of godly essence and mortal humanity. This entity would embody the understanding, emotions, and empathy of a human, combined with subtle abilities drawn from the divine realm. The Demigod''s purpose would be to safeguard humanity, offering protection without the direct intervention of the gods themselves.


    This decision addressed a crucial aspect, balancing the delicate equilibrium between the gods and the world they protected. The gods had discovered that their presence on Main World¡ªEarth¡ªwas limited by the delicate balance of forces. If more than two gods existed on the earthly plane, the fabric of reality would strain under the weight, endangering both the world and its inhabitants.


    However, the creation of a Demigod, bridging both godly and mortal realms, circumvented this limitation. These hybrid beings could coexist harmoniously in numbers, ensuring their positive influence without destabilizing the world. The potential for multiple Demigods to work together made this an even more sensible course of action.


    Sage proposed that Demigods should be conceived through the union of gods with humans. This method ensured that the Demigods, having lived mortal lives, would possess a deep understanding of humanity. These offspring would experience firsthand the myriad facets of human life, empathy, and trials.


    The grand plan unfolded as the gods agreed to temporarily suppress their divine presence, allowing them to dwell on Main World as mortals for a time. Sage emphasized that as long as they refrained from unleashing their collective divine might, the world would remain stable. A specific location was chosen for their temporary abode to foster familiarity and unity among the Demigods when they came of age.


    With this framework established, the gods embarked on their mission. Arriving on Earth, they integrated into human societies, gradually settling into their roles. Each god sought a suitable human partner, one who could nurture and raise the child independently in their absence. Once the child was conceived and nurtured, the gods would return to Higher World after a full year on Earth, preserving the balance of forces and avoiding undue strain on the world.


    Years passed, and the fruits of this endeavor became evident. Fifteen Demigods were born into the realm of mankind, beacons of hope and guardianship. Their purpose was twofold: to shield humanity from any anomalies that threatened the realm and to guide humans toward the righteous path, preventing a resurgence of the monstrous scourge that had plagued history.


    This generation of Demigods became the sentinels of humanity, entrusted with a divine legacy to guide, protect, and ensure the harmonious intertwining of both gods and mortals.

 #1: I am NightShade

    The night air was punctuated by the metallic rattle of spray cans, their sound echoing through the air like a clandestine symphony. The darkness above acted as a protective cloak, shielding his activities from any prying eyes that might have been tempted by curiosity.


    This creation was destined to become the cornerstone of his legacy, but he knew that this was a sentiment shared by all genuine artists - an unending aspiration to surpass their past achievements with each stroke of creativity.


    As the spray cans unleashed their colorful contents onto the surface, the intensity of the sounds seemed to mirror the fervor within his soul. With each precise movement, he neared the completion of his latest masterpiece. While the location was a common spot for pedestrians, tonight held a unique stillness, an absence of passersby that allowed his artistry to flourish undisturbed.


    As the final echoes of the spray cans faded into the night, his creation stood before him - a genuine work of art, a testament to his talent and dedication. However, the emotions that stirred within him were not what one might have expected.


    Despite the achievement before him, an undercurrent of dissatisfaction coursed through his veins. A true artist was never truly satisfied, always striving to exceed their own limitations. The knowledge that he could have pushed further, done better, haunted his thoughts. Yet, the constraints of time held him captive, compelling him to etch his signature logo onto the wall, a final flourish.


    Seated before his completed artwork, a mixture of admiration and discontent warred within him. He acknowledged the quality of his creation, but the hunger for perfection still gnawed at his spirit. With a sigh, he allowed himself a moment of reprieve, his gaze fixed on the artwork as if seeking answers.


    His own murmured words broke the silence as he lay on his back, staring up at the endless expanse of the night sky. "NightShade, huh..." The name, a moniker given by the world, hung in the air. It was a title that carried both accolades and expectations, a paradoxical blend of fame and anonymity.


    A mere week had passed since the press had christened him with the moniker "The graffiti artist that only strikes at night." To be honest, he considered it a rather unremarkable feat, given that it was precisely when most artists chose to create. Yet, what set him apart and captured the media''s fascination was his canvas - the sprawling urban expanse of the city itself. Remarkably, what might have taken hours for others, he could achieve in the span of thirty minutes, rendering the creative process an awe-inspiring spectacle.


    His gaze remained locked on the expanse above, a canvas of stars that seemed to hold both his secrets and the world''s. The name that clung to him, "NightShade," carried a duality he couldn''t ignore. He wasn''t perturbed by the ambiguity it brought, nor the polarized opinions that followed - admiration for his art mingling with accusations that likened him to a terrorist. What truly troubled him was a gnawing sense of incompleteness, an elusive understanding that danced just beyond his grasp.


    Despite his abode being a considerable seven miles from his current location, it posed no hindrance to his weekly forays into the city. His reputation had solidified around his unwavering consistency, his creations adorning the cityscape with a frequency that painted him as an icon. Not merely confined to the city''s limits, his influence stretched across the entire state of New York.


    In the span of a few months, he had metamorphosed into a paradoxical figure, revered and reviled in equal measure. Though he remained unperturbed by the divergent perceptions, it was far from the motivation that fueled his creative fervor.


    Yet, even as his thoughts roamed the vastness of the night sky, a subtle shift occurred. The clouds, once obscure and unassuming, seemed to take on an ethereal luminance, casting an otherworldly glow. This transient spectacle jolted him from his reverie, grounding him back to the realm of the present. Swiftly, he retrieved his bag from its resting place in a nearby alleyway. Within the confines of his bag lay his phone, which he reached in for.


    "Shit..." His muttered expletive hung in the air, a desperate plea to the hands of time as he gazed at the digital display. The precious minutes had slipped through his fingers like grains of sand, and panic surged within him. He had to act swiftly before it was too late.


    As the first tendrils of morning light stretched across the horizon, he steeled himself. The world seemed to hold its breath, a moment suspended in uncertainty. Clutching his graffiti-laden bag in his left hand and his skateboard in his right, he felt the thrill of urgency course through his veins. There was no room for hesitation. With eyes clenched shut, he drew a deep breath before he began moving.


    The sun''s rays finally painted the world in shades of gold, but his expression had changed, appearing breathless. Dropping his skateboard to the ground, he stood before his suburban dwelling, just a few meters away from home. He had traversed an impossible distance, leaving behind the very city that had witnessed his presence less than a second before.


    His inexplicable speed was a puzzle he chose not to unravel, its enigma adding to the tapestry of his existence. He had ventured nearly seven miles before the sun could even inch above the horizon, a testament to the unnatural power that coursed through his veins.


    It was a power that defied explanation, and he harbored no desire to delve into its origins. The possibility of experimentation and exploitation depicted in movies served as a stark deterrent, a chilling reminder of the perilous path that lay ahead if he were to unearth the source of his abilities in a wrong manner.


    Yet, within the bounds of his power, he had gleaned two certainties. The first was that his formidable speed came at a cost - his stamina, endurance, and inherent limitations remained unchanged. His newfound velocity merely compressed the distance he covered within the constraints of his physical capacity. It was a paradoxical gift, a fleeting surge of power that left him spent and drained.


    Secondly, and perhaps most crucially, his extraordinary capabilities were intrinsically tethered to the sun''s celestial journey. As long as the radiant orb occupied the sky, his power lay dormant, a dormant force awaiting the cover of darkness to reawaken.


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    The intricacies of this weakness were both fascinating and frustrating. Even in locales where the sun''s direct gaze was averted, his abilities remained locked, a constraint that ebbed and flowed with the shifting tides of time and geography. The enigmatic boundaries of his power eluded easy comprehension, a reminder of the complexities that underscored his existence.


    In this fleeting moment, by a stroke of luck, he had outrun the sun''s ascent, granting himself a precious window of opportunity. He had escaped the tyranny of daylight, allowing his extraordinary talents to persist for a few moments longer to escape any possible detection before it was too late.


    Skating the final stretch, he reached his doorstep, his chest heaving as he gasped for air while seated on the steps temporarily before turning back to the door. The key slipped into the lock with practiced ease, and the door inched open, each movement calculated to minimize noise and intrusion. Stepping inside, his gaze fell upon the figure sprawled on the living room couch ¨C his mother, her form nestled in the embrace of slumber.


    A pang of guilt swept over him as he took in the sight. Her concern had kept her awake, waiting anxiously for his return. A sigh escaped his lips, laden with a mixture of gratitude and regret, as he moved upstairs and returned with a blanket before walking quietly toward her. Tenderly, he draped the blanket over her form, an offering of comfort to ease the unease that his nocturnal escapades inevitably stirred within her. "I don''t deserve you," he murmured softly, his voice carrying the weight of his emotions as he regarded her sleeping visage.


    Ascending the stairs once more, he shed the graffiti-stained attire that bore witness to his endeavors. The familiar black hoodie, joggers, and mouth mask found their place in the laundry pile, awaiting their turn for cleansing. The shower offered a brief reprieve, cleansing not only his body but also his spirit, washing away the residue of the night''s fervor.


    Draped in a fresh pair of joggers alone, he settled onto his bed, a rubber ball finding its way into his grasp as he bounced it around his room. The rhythmic bounce reverberated through the room, a soothing cadence that mirrored the ebb and flow of his thoughts. With each rebound, his mind drifted to the persistent sensation that had accompanied him for months, since his last birthday ¨C an indescribable feeling, neither a void nor a bouquet of roses, but a call to a purpose he couldn''t quite decipher.


    As the ball continued its dance around his room, always returning to his grasp after every displacement, his contemplation merged with the tranquility of the room as he gazed at the ceiling above him. The weight of his musings grew heavier, tugging at the corners of his consciousness. Gradually, weariness crept in, a gradual descent into the realm of slumber that had become a familiar companion.


    "Maybe, but honestly it''s better to tell him. No point stretching it," a voice suddenly echoed, stirring him from sleep.


    Familiar surroundings dissolved, replaced by an otherworldly realm, an unsettling detachment from Earth surrounded by bright light and thick white fog. Rising from an unfamiliar state, three colossal figures glanced back at him¡ªall about eight feet tall.


    "What the..." he began, a strange recognition seizing his thoughts.


    "He''s remembering something," one of the strange beings, who appeared closest to him, muttered as they looked to see if he was alright. Their anticipation lingered, awaiting his response.


    The close colossal being then called out to him in concern- "Klaus, Klaus, Klaus, Klaus..." "Klaus!!!" Suddenly, he opened his eyes and sat up in bed, fully awake.


    It was all a dream.


    This marked the third occurrence this month of such a dream, prompting him to contemplate seeking a therapist. After a brief stretch, he was interrupted by another knock on his door, accompanied by the call of his name.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: *softly* Shade, is that you?


    Shade: Yo Klaus. You up, bro?


    Klaus: *standing from his bed and stretching* I guess.


    Shade: Well, It''s morning. Time to get ready for school.


    Klaus: I''ll be down in a bit.


    Shade: Alright. Wanted to wake you up just in case. Also, Mom''s making breakfast downstairs so hurry up before yours gets cold.


    Klaus: Sure.


    Shade''s footsteps faded as he moved away from the door, prompting Klaus to check the time; he had only slept for about an hour and a half, and it was already 8:45 am. In response, he swiftly took a shower, brushed his teeth, and began to dress up. Staring into the mirror at his messy deep-black hair, he began remembering the peculiar dream. He then acknowledged the futility of dwelling on its meaning and chose to push it from his thoughts.


    Descending the stairs, the tantalizing aroma of sizzling bacon and sausages greeted Klaus. Advancing towards the dining room, he spotted Shade already eating while fixated on the television. A quick turn brought him to his mother, who had just completed the egg preparation, her attention shifting to him as he entered.


    CONVERSATION


    Mother: Morning honey, how was your night?


    Aware that she was well aware of his nocturnal activities yet chose not to address them, a sense of unease settled over Klaus.


    Klaus: Same as always.


    Mother: *smiling* Well, I hope that means it was great. Anyway, your breakfast is already on the table so eat up before it gets cold, okay?


    Klaus: Sure.


    Before walking to the table, Klaus returned his attention to his mother.


    Klaus: Mom?


    Mother: Yes, honey?


    Klaus: I''m sorry.


    A brief silence lingered between them before she approached, placing her palm gently upon his shoulder. "It''s alright, Klaus. Just make sure to give me a heads-up next time, alright?" Her smile radiated warmth as she spoke, her words laced with understanding.


    While it didn''t alleviate Klaus''s feelings of guilt, he recognized her lack of concern and refrained from burdening her with unnecessary remorse.


    "I will, Mom," he assured her.


    With her returning to the kitchen, he turned as his internal thoughts queued, "I truly don''t deserve you."


    Reaching the dining room, he settled beside Shade, both engrossed in the 9 o''clock news as they consumed their breakfast. The mention of NightShade appeared, unsurprising given its frequency in the media, though his latest creation seemed to have yet to capture the headlines. A smattering of unrelated news stories followed, none particularly pertinent to them.


    Concluding their meal, they aided their mother with the dishes, preparing to depart for school. As they did, an intriguing news piece seized their attention, drawing their focus amid the morning''s preparations.


    "The masked international criminal known as X has struck again, claiming the life of the minister of finance in France last night. Witnesses report that he just casually walked in during the minister''s conference, committing the murder and vanishing after walking out of sight," the news anchor announced.


    "Wow, this X guy moves quickly. Wasn''t he in South America just a week ago?" Shade remarked to Klaus.


    "No rest for the wicked, I suppose," Klaus concurred.


    "I suppose," Shade agreed, rising from his seat after completing his part in the morning routine as they readied themselves for school.


    After bidding their mother farewell and stepping out of the house, Shade turned to Klaus with a weightier question.


    "Yo Klaus, do you think his actions are justifiable, even if the minister wasn''t a good person?" His usually vibrant tone was tinged with introspection, indicating the matter was weighing on his mind.


    "I don''t know. But no matter the circumstances, taking countless lives can never be justified," Klaus replied firmly, eliciting a small smile from Shade.


    "Yeah, I guess you''re right," Shade acknowledged, the shadows of their conversation lingering as they embarked on their journey to school.

 #2: The Girl of Hearts

    Klaus and Shade were always polar opposites, each embodying a distinct aura. While Shade radiated perpetual cheer and concern, Klaus often appeared draped in gloom, seemingly indifferent. Oddly enough, these divergent personalities served as no barricade; rather, they forged a unique connection. Their rapport was unmistakable, their care for one another unwavering.


    Klaus always looked out for Shade, offering assistance when needed, always striving to evoke the radiant smiles characteristic of his brother. And reciprocally, Klaus understood that Shade harbored the same intentions.


    In contrast to his infrequent smiles, Shade was unwavering in his quest to uplift Klaus, prioritizing his comfort and joy.


    To some, their bond might seem more akin to best friends than brothers, elucidating Klaus''s unwavering commitment to assuaging Shade''s concerns¡ªparticularly in the face of disconcerting news.


    Upon their arrival at school, the corridors thrummed with students navigating toward their lockers and classrooms. In their final year of high school, Klaus and Shade shared this status, albeit not the same class, prompting them to part ways upon reaching the premises.


    Klaus deftly maneuvered his skateboard, coasting along the hallways en route to his designated locker.


    "Teacher just ahead," a passing student alerted him as he neared a classroom along the way. Swiftly, Klaus dismounted and cradled the skateboard in his grasp, mere seconds before the teacher glanced outside to discern the source of the skating sounds.


    Their gazes locked momentarily as the teacher inquired, her voice tinged with suspicion, "I hope that wasn''t you?"


    "No, ma''am," Klaus retorted respectfully while continuing his stride. Observing her retreat to the classroom, he released his skateboard and resumed his determined course.


    He then reached his locker before depositing his bag and retrieving the necessary books for his initial class¡ªmath.


    Klaus''s relationship with math was a peculiar one; it wasn''t a question of proficiency but rather a matter of effort. Consistently earning scores above the norm, he found himself relatively untroubled. Even in moments when his attention wavered in class, his mind embarking on a tangent, the assurance of success remained unwavering. While perfection wasn''t the aim, a solid eighty out of a hundred was consistently deemed satisfactory.


    Having successfully navigated the rigors of his preceding class, Klaus segued into the subsequent session¡ªa general lecture on History that was held at the auditorium. The day seemed typical, yet distinct in subject matter.


    The day''s discourse centered on the topic of ancient deities, the Gods that had once held dominion over human reverence. The teacher delved into the annals of antiquity, recounting tales of mankind''s initial communion with the divine entity.


    Amidst the lecture, a ripple of laughter traversed the class.


    "A God?" someone interjected, skepticism lacing their tone. "How do we know the story is true?"


    The teacher met the query with a thoughtful response. "Even if proof is not present, there is still room for belief."


    Little to no humans retained faith in the existence of Gods on Earth, a sentiment reflected within the classroom. Concrete proof was lacking, even the mythical monsters expounded upon by the teacher were eradicated without a trace, creating skepticism rather than conviction.


    "Sir, do you believe that the Gods exist?" another voice chimed in.


    "I am only here to teach you what is given to me. My personal opinion shouldn''t matter," he countered, an air of uncertainty underscoring his words.


    Yet, amid this discourse and contemplation, Klaus had succumbed to slumber. His few hours of reprieve did little to curb his fatigue, culminating in this moment of unintended rest.


    "Maybe, but honestly it''s better to tell him. No point stretching it," a voice suddenly echoed, stirring Klaus from sleep.


    Familiar surroundings dissolved, replaced by an otherworldly realm, an unsettling detachment from Earth surrounded by bright light and thick white fog. Rising from an unfamiliar state, three colossal figures glanced back at Klaus¡ªall about eight feet tall.


    "What the..." he began, a strange recognition seizing his thoughts.


    "He''s remembering something," one of the strange beings, who appeared closest to him, muttered as they looked to see if he was alright. Their anticipation lingered, awaiting his response.


    The closer colossal being then called out to him in concern- "Klaus, Klaus, Klaus, Klaus..." "Klaus!!!"


    He immediately jolted awake, Shade''s tapping rousing him from the trance. "Wake up, dude, class is over," Shade''s voice broke through. Klaus swiftly comprehended that it had been a dream, the same recurring one. "Weird," he mumbled, rising to his feet and exiting the auditorium alongside Shade.


    As they strolled out, Shade directed his attention toward Klaus.


    CONVERSATION


    Shade: So what did you think?


    Klaus: About what?


    Shade: Y''know, the whole thing about Gods and stuff.


    Klaus paused on the spot for a bit, and Shade halted too, glancing at him.


    Klaus: I think it''s a ridiculous story.


    Shade: Really? Wow. Though, I personally believe there''s a chance of possibility.


    Klaus: Don''t you think that''s just you hoping there''s a celestial being protecting you instead?


    Shade: I mean, sure. But to be fair, even if there''s no proof of their existence, it doesn''t necessarily prove their nonexistence either.


    Klaus: I guess you have a point. But personally, I do not believe in such a convenient story. This world isn''t that great, to begin with, so if there truly is a God or a bunch of them watching over us, they''re doing a horrible job.


    Shade: *giggling* Well, I suppose you''ve already formed your opinion on the matter.


    Klaus: *sighing* I guess.


    After walking for a while, they once again went their separate ways to their respective classes.


    Shortly after, the break time arrived before their final class. Klaus made his way to his locker, swapping out his used books and collecting the ones he needed.


    Amid his locker routine, a growing murmur swelled through the hallway, becoming increasingly audible. The students seemed captivated by something, their focus converging on a particular spot. At first, Klaus remained indifferent, his attention undistracted.


    However, the crescendo of chatter and the advancing clamor prompted him to pivot and inspect the source of the commotion. A trio of girls had emerged into the spotlight of attention, yet it was evident that the fervor was centered around a single individual among them.


    Recognizing the focal figure, Klaus swiftly averted his gaze, returning to his locker and concentrating on his own tasks.


    The girl glided down the corridor, a magnetic aura that drew the attention of virtually every onlooker. Her name passed through hushed conversations as they gazed, ensnared by her presence. Yet, this was routine for her¡ªa regular day, seemingly unaffected by the attention.


    But amid the spectacle, she discerned something amiss. Amid the sea of eyes fixated on her, there was one individual who displayed an utter lack of concern for her actions.


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    Drawing nearer to Klaus, she observed his unwavering focus on his locker, meticulously organizing his books. This behavior provoked an unsettling response within her¡ªa flicker of irritation. It was as if her anticipated admirer was withholding the attention she usually commanded.


    However, this peculiarity also sparked her curiosity. Why was it ineffective on him? Driven by intrigue, she beckoned her two companions and approached Klaus.


    "Hey, Klaus," one of her companions addressed him, their trio halting at his locker. He pivoted toward the girl who spoke, responding with a casual, "Hey, Madison." Without investing additional attention, he resumed his task.


    A smile played across Madison''s lips at his response. However, sensing her friend''s distaste for his dismissive demeanor, she subtly pouted and averted her gaze, concealing her smile as though chastised. It wasn''t long before the main girl initiated a conversation.


    "Oh, you must be Klaus Walker?"


    Klaus remained unresponsive.


    At this juncture, a trace of irritation tinged the girl''s demeanor, yet she maintained her composure¡ªaware that all eyes were fixed on their interaction, she was determined not to yield ground.


    Continuing, she introduced herself, "I don''t think we''ve met in person. My name is..."


    "Rose Valentine. I know," Klaus interjected.


    A warm smile graced Rose''s features, bolstered by his knowledge of her identity. "So, you know who I am?" she inquired, her sense of control gradually restoring.


    "The girl that everyone can''t keep their eyes off. The most beautiful girl in the entire school."


    Klaus''s compliment elicited an unrestrained smile from Rose, reassured by his praise. However, her sense of control was short-lived, extinguished by his final statement.


    "Is that what you wanted to hear?"


    That sentence pricked like a thorn. Her expression underwent a rapid transformation as her gaze flitted nervously around, noting that all eyes were fixated on her. An acute sense of embarrassment surged within her. Rose''s friends were quick to sense her discomfort and chimed in.


    "Come on, Klaus, that''s not nice," they interjected, their reproach directed toward him.


    Klaus appeared somewhat puzzled by their response, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise. The extent of the situation''s impact wasn''t fully apparent to him; he hadn''t intended to be hurtful, he just simply didn''t care.


    As a few moments ticked by, Rose managed a smile. The surrounding spectators held their breath, captivated by the unfolding scene that had hushed the corridor.


    Turning her attention back to Klaus, Rose continued, "Aww, come on. You don''t have to say all that. Honestly, I''m not interested in such claims." Pausing for a beat, she locked eyes with him and pressed further, "But what I''m really interested in is what YOU think about it."


    At the very instant those words left her lips, something utterly unexpected transpired. As Klaus met her gaze, he discerned a peculiar change in her pupils¡ªa shift from their original blue to a luminous shade of pink.


    Klaus was taken aback by the unexpected occurrence. His initial assumption was that his eyes were playing tricks on him, yet upon a second glance, his certainty grew. The change was real.


    Perplexity filled him as he struggled to comprehend the phenomenon. "Wait, what?" he exclaimed, his amazement evident.


    At the same time, Rose''s astonishment mirrored his own. Her countenance shifted, reflecting her surprise at his reaction, which had deviated from her anticipation. She grappled with understanding why her usual approach hadn''t yielded the desired result. "Why didn''t it work?" she pondered inwardly.


    Swiftly recovering her composure, she adopted a smile once more. Aware of the many onlookers present, she chose to downplay the situation. "Never mind," she continued, unfazed. "You''re a pretty interesting person, Klaus. Perhaps I''ll be seeing you soon."


    "Don''t hold your breath," Klaus thought to himself, though he elected to keep his thoughts private, aware that voicing them could amplify the situation needlessly.


    With Rose''s departure, accompanied by her friends, Klaus was left to his own thoughts. It only took a few moments for another student to approach him.


    "You''re so lucky! You received a compliment from THE Rose Valentine." The comment merely served to ruffle his feathers further.


    Before that particular day, Klaus had maintained a deliberate distance from Rose, avoiding any interactions or connections. Her sporadic school attendance didn''t prevent her from acing her classes, a fact that had intrigued him. Rose personified the type of individuals he harbored disdain for¡ªthose who exuded a need for control or believed themselves superior. He held an inherent dislike for such people, sensing an air of arrogance in their demeanor. Klaus was acutely aware that individuals like Rose rarely let matters rest, and thus, he anticipated that she wouldn''t simply let the incident earlier go by unnoticed.


    With the school day concluded, Klaus retrieved his bag from his locker, stowing away his books for the day, and set out to meet Shade.


    As his locker creaked open, an unexpected note fluttered to the ground. The message "Call me <3" was inscribed alongside what appeared to be a phone number. While he had half-expected such a note, he had hoped for a less conspicuous situation. Unfortunately, hope often clashed with reality.


    Klaus harbored a deep aversion to being thrust into the spotlight. He eschewed excessive attention, which was precisely why Rose grated on his nerves. However, his popularity remained indisputable within the school''s confines.


    Navigating his social realm was a paradox. He retained widespread popularity, seen as dependable and trustworthy by his male peers, and garnering attention from the opposite sex due to his undeniable attractiveness. Yet, Klaus rarely indulged in socializing, his invitations to parties a common occurrence despite his predictable absence. His peers respected his preference for solitude, consciously avoiding placing him in situations he found uncomfortable.


    It was possible that underneath his enigmatic veneer, everyone discerned the inherent goodness within him.


    After he was done at his locker, Klaus met up with Shade and headed back home.


    Upon returning home, Klaus retrieved his laundered clothes and, alongside Shade, tackled a few household chores in preparation for their mother''s return. Once the tasks were accomplished, Shade retreated to the living room for some television time, while Klaus, acutely aware of his pressing need for rest, opted for a much-needed nap. Weary, he climbed the stairs and nestled himself into bed.


    Later that evening, Klaus stirred awake, the clock reading 8:30 pm, a testament to the exhaustion that had gripped him. With renewed vigor after a quick shower, he opted to recline by his bed. Retrieving his rubber ball, he absentmindedly bounced it around the room, only to abruptly halt.


    Stretching out on the bed, his feet hovering over the edge, Klaus directed his gaze upward, fixating on the expanse of the ceiling. Deep in thought, his mind began to churn.


    Shifting his gaze towards his bag resting on the table near his door, a bit of a distance from where he lay, Klaus extended his arm to retrieve it. In a puzzling twist, a note seemed to materialize within his palm as he reached out. This was the same note Rose had left in his locker earlier.


    Swiftly, almost instinctively, he rose from his position, extracted the note from his bag, deftly secured the bag''s closure, and hung it on its designated hook ¡ª all within a fraction of a second. The swiftness was hardly astonishing given the nocturnal hour.


    Yet, there was an underlying strangeness to the situation. Klaus hadn''t been swayed or charmed by Rose''s gesture, but a gnawing curiosity had taken root. It wasn''t the flattery that intrigued him; rather, he was fascinated by the peculiar occurrence during their encounter in the hallway. He was certain he had witnessed her eyes illuminate with an otherworldly hue.


    Recalling the interaction, he mused over her subsequent response to his astonishment. It led him to ponder whether it was his perception at fault or if she had indeed manipulated something visible. Adding to the intrigue was the absence of chatter about the occurrence among their peers.


    "What exactly was that?" he wondered aloud, his determination firm to uncover the truth behind the enigmatic display.


    The predicament he faced was that a straightforward call to inquire about the incident wouldn''t suffice. Should she truly have orchestrated it, she''d likely disavow any knowledge; conversely, if she hadn''t, his outreach might be misconstrued as a pretext to engage with her, adding further to his unease. So, he opted to let the matter go.


    "Persisting would only be too stressful," he reflected.


    As he compressed the note between his fingers and discarded it into the waste bin, his phone rang, the caller ID displaying an unfamiliar number. His initial inclination was to disregard the call, yet as the same number persisted in its attempts, he chose to answer, a hint of curiosity overcoming his initial reluctance.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: Hello?


    Rose: So... were you thinking about me?


    Klaus was taken aback by the synchronicity of her call, aligning closely with his thoughts.


    Klaus: How''d you get my number?


    Rose: Oh, don''t worry about that. I have my sources.


    Klaus: What do you want, Rose?


    Rose: You ask a lot of questions, don''t you?


    A few seconds went by without a response.


    Rose: Look, Klaus, I just wanna say that you have the wrong idea about me.


    Klaus: And what idea might that be?


    Rose: Really, another question? Anyway, look, I''m aware of how I come across at school, and I understand that I can come off as a bit self-absorbed. But that''s not truly who I am. It''s one of those things you do to maintain a certain level of status, you know.


    Klaus: And why should I believe you?


    Rose: Urgh. Okay, fine, you''re right. You have no reason to. But that''s why I called you. I knew you''d see the note and still choose not to call because that''s just who you are. And that''s why I find you interesting.


    Klaus: You find me not caring about you interesting?


    Rose: You can''t blame a girl who''s literally the center of attention in the entire school.


    Klaus: *sighing* I guess not.


    Rose: Finally, a response that isn''t a question. Anyway, wanna hang out?


    Klaus: Not really.


    Rose: Oh come on, it''ll be fun. *smiling* I promise not to flirt.


    Klaus: Not exactly what I''m concerned about.


    Rose: Come on, Klaus. Just for a few hours.


    Klaus: It''s getting late, Rose. Maybe some other time.


    Rose: Booooo. Anyway... I''ll be at Luigi''s in case you change your mind. *smiling* And who knows, you might get to know a few mysteries about me. Toodles.


    Then she hung up.


    Klaus felt that something was still amiss. Why did she genuinely want to hang out with him? What was her objective?


    However, he sensed that her words weren''t a complete fabrication, or at least they didn''t come across that way. Her giving him the green light to seek the answer to what had transpired indicated that she was aware it had occurred. He believed she was conscious of the situation, and by this point, he was nearly a hundred percent convinced that it wasn''t merely a product of his imagination.


    But he also understood that he couldn''t just meet up with her for the first time and abruptly discuss her eyes glowing. Thus, he surmised that her intention in saying that was to encourage him to meet with her, even though the topic might not be broached, and she might even deny it.


    At the moment, he wasn''t truly invested in the scenario, so he decided to pass on the opportunity. He reclined on his bed, once again gazing at the ceiling, and hoped, this time, to slip into a state of slumber.

 #3: Lucid Dream

    CONVERSATION


    Rose: So... what made you change your mind about coming, after all?


    Klaus: I guess my curiosity couldn''t let me sleep.


    Rose: Well, that''s fine with me since you''re here. So... I guess this is kinda like our first date, huh?


    Klaus: I thought you said you wouldn''t flirt?


    Rose: I thought you said you weren''t concerned about it?


    Klaus: *sighs*


    Even though Klaus initially resisted the idea of meeting with Rose, sleep proved elusive due to his mounting curiosity, especially given that he had napped through the evening. His mind couldn''t let go of the events from earlier in the day, and eventually, the overwhelming need to understand overcame him.


    This level of curiosity was unusual for him. He had never before been so intensely drawn to something. Recognizing the significance of this, he concluded that there must be a reason behind it. With this realization, he decided to give in and follow his impulses. He quickly changed into appropriate attire and retrieved his skateboard, which was always ready for his outings. His destination was the restaurant where he had agreed to meet Rose.


    However, before stepping out, he knew he had a responsibility to fulfill. He approached his mother''s room and gently knocked on the door. She was engrossed in some work files at her desk, so he aimed to be brief and not disrupt her focus.


    "Mom, I''m heading out," he informed her.


    She looked up, smiled, and responded with gratitude. "Thank you."


    "It''s no problem. I''ll be back soon," he assured her before closing the door behind him. With that, he embarked on his journey to the restaurant, guided by a need to unravel the mysteries that had taken hold of his thoughts.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: So what did you want to talk about?


    Rose: Oh, come on. Don''t be in such a rush. How about we start with a proper introduction since we never really had the chance to do so before?


    Klaus let out a slight sigh. He realized her intentions and didn''t want to get involved. So, he wondered why he was there in the first place.


    Klaus: Really?


    Rose: I''ll go first. Hi, I''m Rose Valentine. It''s REALLY nice to meet you. Now your turn.


    Klaus: *sighs* Fine. My name is.....


    Rose: Oh, come on. You need to say it the way I did.


    Klaus: Really?


    Rose: Really.


    Klaus: *sighing deeper* Hi, I''m Klaus Walker. It''s nice to meet you. I guess.


    Rose: I''ll take it.


    Klaus and Rose engaged in conversation, although it felt more like Rose doing most of the talking while Klaus mostly sighed in response.


    Despite his reservations, Klaus recognized that he needed to endure her monologue if he wanted to uncover what had occurred.


    A part of him remained skeptical, suspecting that she might be manipulating him into giving her attention she hadn''t received otherwise. Yet another part of him considered that if she truly possessed the ability he had witnessed, it might offer some explanation for his unexplained power.


    Klaus'' prevailing trait was his apathy. He held an indifferent attitude towards almost everything, even when it concerned him personally.


    Given this characteristic, when he discovered his extraordinary ability, he hadn''t felt compelled to dig deeper into the unanswered questions. So, why was he there now? This question lingered in his mind.


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    Was it genuine curiosity, or was there something about Rose that compelled him to interact with her beyond his usual disinterest?


    "Is there something about this girl that sets her apart from the rest?"


    Klaus suddenly found himself fully focused on her words, snapped out of his drifting thoughts by the intriguing question she posed after nearly an hour since his arrival.


    CONVERSATION


    Rose: So, what do you think?


    Klaus: About what?


    Rose: Please tell me you were listening the entire time.


    Klaus: Sorry, I spaced out. I guess.


    Rose: You say that a lot, don''t you?


    Klaus: I guess.


    Rose: Ha ha. Anyway, I was talking about the graffiti artist who became extremely popular in the last month. What''s his name again? Night Spade?


    Klaus: I think it''s NightShade.


    Rose: *smiling and leaning forward* So you do know him.


    Klaus: I guess.


    Rose: *sighs* Well... I was wondering why the police and higher-ups could never catch or even find them. Because it seems the only information anyone has is that he, or she, wears all black and a hoodie. What do you think?


    Klaus: What do I think in what context?


    Rose: You know, how he''s able to create all that artwork without being detected. I mean, he''s the only solo street artist who operates in the city.


    Klaus: I dunno. Maybe he''s trained or something.


    Rose: I mean sure. But sometimes I wonder if it''s more than that. I think he has some sort of UNNATURAL abilities that allow him to avoid getting caught.


    Hearing that left Klaus curious about her intentions. Simply discussing the topic had already unsettled him, and the direction it was taking seemed even more concerning.


    Klaus: Don''t you think that''s kind of ridiculous to suggest?


    Rose: Originally. But if there''s anyone that should know if it''s possible or not, it should be me.


    Upon hearing this, Klaus''s suspicion grew. He was increasingly convinced that the girl was anything but ordinary. He had a strong sense that whatever was responsible for his own unique abilities was somehow connected to her as well.


    "What do you mean by that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he waited to see her reaction. As he questioned her, Rose seemed to realize she might have shared too much and backtracked a bit before continuing.


    "Guess you''ll have to figure it out eventually," she said with a grin aimed at Klaus. She was well aware that this curiosity would likely keep him from ghosting her after their encounter.


    Klaus didn''t take long to let the topic go, not wanting to reveal more than he intended. They quickly shifted the subject to something else, avoiding any further potential complications.


    About two weeks had passed since their initial meeting, and not much had changed in their daily routines.


    Rose understood that Klaus wouldn''t be keen on engaging with her at school due to the attention it might attract. So, she maintained their initial arrangement of talking outside school hours, allowing them to stay in touch.


    As time went on, Rose found herself growing increasingly attached to their conversations. She even sometimes prioritized chatting with Klaus over hanging out with her friends or attending social events.


    Klaus, on his part, didn''t mind her presence as long as she respected his boundaries. He didn''t exactly despise these occasional interactions, but he wouldn''t label them as the highlight of his week either.


    However, there seemed to be an unexpected consequence of Klaus spending more time with Rose. His strange dreams started occurring more frequently.


    Before their meetings, Klaus had his sporadic dreams involving giant men and mysterious scenarios about three times a month. But ever since their initial encounter, these dreams had escalated to happening three times a week.


    The increase in frequency was starting to take a toll on him. The dreams were becoming so common that he often found himself with a headache whenever he tried to recall them.


    "Maybe, but honestly it''s better to tell him. No point stretching it," a voice suddenly echoed, stirring him from sleep.


    Slowly, he opened his eyes, only to find himself immersed in the recurring dream of the colossal men that haunted his sleep most frequently.


    Familiar surroundings dissolved, replaced by an otherworldly realm, an unsettling detachment from Earth surrounded by bright light and thick white fog. Rising from an unfamiliar state, three colossal figures glanced back at him¡ªall about eight feet tall.


    "What the..." he began, a strange feeling of control over his thoughts.


    "He''s remembering something," one of the strange beings, who appeared closest to him, muttered as they looked to see if he was alright. Their anticipation lingered, waiting for his response.


    Then.... he woke up.


    This time, the instance of the dream took an unexpected turn. Unlike the usual experience where he felt powerless and devoid of control, this time his movements felt more tangible and vivid. Despite this intensified sensation, the dream''s purpose remained elusive to him, leaving him just as baffled as before.


    The time displayed on the alarm clock read 1:00 am, a stark reminder of the sleepless hours he was spending grappling with these mysteries. A growing urgency pushed him to seek answers before these persistent dreams took a toll on his well-being.


    However, he knew he couldn''t just approach a therapist and say, "Hello, I''m unusually fast at night, and I have strange dreams involving giant men."


    So, he reverted to his tried-and-true method of clearing his mind.


    After dressing and packing his graffiti bag along with his skateboard, Klaus had already arrived at a location he deemed suitable for his creative outlet.


    This particular building tucked away around a corner seemed devoid of any spectators, providing the seclusion he needed for his activities.


    Street art wasn''t about seeking attention for Klaus; it was his method of mental release. Whether the area was bustling with people or deserted, his priority was to find solace from his haunting dreams. This outlet had been effective at dispelling the troubling visions, at least for a while.


    Arriving at his chosen spot, he paused to catch his breath after the run before immersing himself in his work. As he progressed through his creation, the rhythmic sound of spray paint was disrupted by an unexpected voice from behind.


    "You''re him, aren''t you? You''re NightShade."

 #4: Wallpaper

    As those words reverberated behind him, Klaus found himself immobilized, gripped by a sense of shock and uncertainty.


    "You''re him, aren''t you? You''re NightShade."


    The voice, utterly unfamiliar, left Klaus in a state of bewilderment. How could it be otherwise? He was far from home, after all.


    At this moment, Klaus was adrift, unsure of his next move. He had a vague inkling of who might be speaking.


    Busted, he thought.


    Escape was a feasible option, but Klaus recognized the pitfalls. Employing his unfamiliar ability in front of a police officer would only invite unwelcome attention, potentially escalating the situation into a full-blown issue.


    For Klaus, staying under the radar was paramount, whether as NightShade or in his everyday life. There was only one course of action he deemed suitable: compliance.


    Dropping the spray can and raising his hands in plain sight, Klaus heard the approach of multiple sets of footsteps. The situation had escalated beyond his expectations.


    It seemed escape was a near-impossible task without the use of his abilities. His mind raced, concocting plans as he feigned surrender. However, the execution had to be impeccable.


    As he slowly lowered himself to the ground, maintaining the illusion of compliance, he seized a fleeting opportunity to turn and catch the officer off guard. Yet, this officer was no ordinary law enforcer.


    In his attempt to subdue the officer, Klaus was met with an unexpected countermove. In a swift and precise motion, his left arm was deftly maneuvered over his shoulder while his right was firmly controlled. Before he could react, he found himself tackled to the ground, immobilized in a manner that defied his resistance.


    He had been utterly overpowered.


    These maneuvers were far from ordinary; it was as though this individual had dedicated a lifetime to mastering them. Stunned by the rapid turn of events, Klaus lay helpless, his thoughts a mix of hope and apprehension. He could only pray that this person''s intentions were not hostile.


    In the face of such overwhelming force, Klaus''s once-confident demeanor had been entirely eclipsed.


    At this juncture, two distinct possibilities lay before him. Either he would be apprehended and transported to an investigative facility, where he would undergo unmasking and rigorous interrogation by higher authorities, attempting to glean the secrets behind his uncanny escapades. Or, he would risk local headlines of a deluded individual claiming to have witnessed a being moving at the speed of thought.


    Klaus was well aware of the stakes he was gambling with by utilizing his extraordinary abilities. However, the ramifications of being apprehended reached beyond his personal fate; his mother''s well-being was also in jeopardy. He felt cornered, compelled to proceed down the perilous path he had embarked upon.


    Just as he was steeling himself to make a desperate move, even in the face of his immobilization and the inevitable strain it would exert on his captor''s arms, a new voice resonated in the scene, injecting an unexpected note of reassurance.


    "Ease up, man. I think he''s got it."


    In that instant, Klaus''s intuition solidified. These were not law enforcement officers. While his face was still pressed against the ground, he couldn''t visually identify the interlopers.


    "Oh, I''m sorry," the individual restraining him muttered, loosening his hold and releasing Klaus from his restrictive grip.


    Slowly, Klaus lifted his head as he gazed at the strangers who had intervened. He quickly recognized that these were fellow graffiti artists, evident by the masks adorning their mouths, much like his own. However, what set them apart was the emblematic "W" logo emblazoned on their hoodies.


    As he shifted his gaze, he took note of three individuals¡ªhis initial sense of vulnerability now giving way to a semblance of relief. The immediate pressure to confront his plight head-on had dissipated, although he still harbored a sense of unease, particularly due to the dismissive demeanor of the person who had so expertly restrained him.


    "I''m so sorry, man. I instinctively reacted when you lunged at me before my mind had a chance to register," the individual closest to him admitted, conveying a level of sincerity that left Klaus in awe.


    "How could someone move with such grace and precision purely on instinct?" he mused to himself as one of the two figures at the back of the group approached with concern etched on her features.


    "Hey, really sorry about that. Is your arm okay?" her voice, distinctly feminine, held a compassionate undertone as she inquired.


    The realization dawned on Klaus that they were simply a collective of street artists, not adversaries.


    "I''m fine," he responded, offering a nonchalant shrug that gently pushed her hand away from his shoulder blade.


    Unyielding in her concern, the girl persisted, inspecting the affected area. In surrender, Klaus allowed her to examine the discomfort he was experiencing. After a brief interval, they initiated introductions.


    "I''m Karma. This is Ghost, and the lady is Aura," the individual who had apprehended Klaus earlier spoke up, breaking the silence and fostering a sense of camaraderie among them.


    CONVERSATION


    Karma: Again, really sorry we got off on the wrong foot.


    Aura: You''ve got to relax once in a while, K. He''s actually hurt.


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    Klaus: I said I''m fine.


    Ghost: She''s just tryna help, dude. Relax.


    Karma: Anyway, we just revealed who we are. So tell me... are you really NightShade?


    Klaus: I don''t remember ever claiming that name.


    Karma: But it''s what you''re addressed as by the public, correct?


    Klaus: *sighs* I guess.


    Karma: Hmm, so I guess my intuition was correct.


    Aura: Wow. Who knew you''d be right?


    Klaus: How did you know I was here?


    Karma: It''s actually a funny story...


    Ghost: He claimed that something informed him that you, specifically, were here. Like it was calling him to you.


    Karma: I guess you can call it some sort of a hunch.


    Klaus: But how were you sure it was me specifically?


    Karma: I can''t really explain it in detail. But it was kinda like something was leading me directly to you. Even though we haven''t met before.


    Karma said it with such a stoic expression that made it sound very convincing.


    Ghost: I hope you realize you sound like a crazy person.


    Karma: Oh. I spaced out there a bit, haha.


    Klaus was feeling bewildered at this point. He had been unexpectedly confronted by a group of people who acted as if their meeting was somehow predestined.


    Everything seemed puzzling.


    "So, what''s your plan now that you''ve found me?" Klaus inquired, his curiosity piqued.


    Given that they hadn''t provided much information about themselves, he was unsure about their intentions. But Karma''s statements had already intrigued him.


    "To be honest, I''m not entirely certain. I was following what appeared to be orders, so I''m currently at a loss as to what comes next," Karma admitted.


    At this point, Klaus was beginning to lose interest in continuing his artwork. He simply wanted to return home.


    "Well, if that''s the case, I''ll be heading out," he declared, indicating his intention to leave.


    After a brief moment of contemplative silence, Karma came up with an idea.


    CONVERSATION


    Karma: Wait. Given the way things unfolded, maybe it''s a sign for us to meet and for you to consider joining us.


    Ghost: Whoa, join us?


    Klaus: And why should I do that?


    Karma: I''m not big on prophecies or destiny, but I can''t ignore the urge to get to know you.


    Klaus: Well, I''m flattered, but I''m not doing this for clout. I''m not like you guys.


    After this statement, they all turned to Klaus, the silence hanging in the air for a few seconds.


    Aura: We never claimed we do this for clout. You might not believe it, but I personally do this to clear my mind. I''ve faced challenges in my life, and this is the most effective way for me to release some stress.


    Karma: That''s why we''re a team. We''re not like other artists, and something tells me you''re not too.


    Klaus was left without words. After learning that they shared the same motivations for their street art, he found himself at a loss for a response.


    Karma: How about this, if we help you finish your current work and you like the cooperation between us, then you''d consider it?


    Klaus took a few seconds of thought before responding.


    Klaus: *sighs* I guess.


    Karma and Aura seemed pleased with his response, while Ghost appeared less enthusiastic. Nevertheless, with Karma''s approval, Ghost fell in line.


    Working alongside them on the mural Klaus had initiated, he found solace in their company. The collaborative effort cleared his mind more effectively than working alone.


    Upon completion, the result exceeded his expectations. He marveled at how closely their assistance aligned with his vision.


    "So, what''s your answer?" Karma inquired.


    "Fine," Klaus conceded.


    His response brought smiles all around, even from Ghost, swayed during their collaborative endeavor. With a grin, Karma announced, "Congratulations, you''re officially part of Wallpaper."


    Klaus found the name creatively fitting, so he raised no objections. He questioned whether he needed to don their logo on his hoodie, but Karma assured him it wasn''t necessary.


    As they sprayed both their logo and his onto the artwork, cementing the collaboration, they reclined on the rooftop together, engaging in conversation.


    Despite Klaus''s aversion to attention, he found a certain comfort when conversing with them, and the nagging ache in his head seemed to have abated.


    Soon after, they exchanged contact information, ensuring a means of staying in touch for potential future meet-ups.


    Subsequently, they bid each other farewell, dispersing to their respective homes. However, Klaus remained behind.


    Lost in contemplation, he pondered, "Why did conversing with them feel so different?" "Why was Karma directed to me?" Numerous questions swirled in his mind, yet, as usual, he opted against pursuing them, deeming it too burdensome.


    As he snapped back to reality, a voice called out to him from below.


    "Hey, you up there!"


    This time, he was certain it was the police. He realized he had been lost in thought for so long that the sun was already beginning to rise.


    He was in trouble.


    Swiftly getting to his feet, the officer called for backup. Panic surged within him as he sought a secluded spot where he could activate his ability without being observed. He dashed past a gathering crowd, with the officer in pursuit, and scanned his surroundings for a suitable location.


    However, no such spot presented itself. The officer''s footsteps and the wail of sirens closed in on him. He sprinted desperately, almost reaching the city''s edge. People stared as he darted past, his focus on outpacing his pursuer and deploying his ability before sunrise.


    Finally, luck seemed to favor him. An empty alleyway materialized ahead. He dashed into it just as the sun''s first rays broke over the horizon.


    Fortunately, he managed to reach a suitable location just in time ¨C his school.


    Although the school was situated close to the city, he understood that he couldn''t freely roam the area yet, given the faint echoes of sirens that still reached his ears.


    He slipped into the school premises, driven by desperation to conceal himself. However, he realized he couldn''t loiter there for long without risking capture, especially with the impending school day.


    Then an idea struck him ¨C the school''s lost and found section.


    Though it was far from an ideal solution, he recognized the necessity of changing out of his NightShade attire to avoid suspicion. He hastily selected a set of clothes from the lost and found bin, swallowing his pride as he slipped them on. With his NightShade outfit stashed inside his locker, he emerged in his new disguise.


    Though the clothes were ill-fitting and uncomfortable, he knew he had no choice. The alternative was walking back home as NightShade, with the authorities still potentially in pursuit.


    Deciding against using his skateboard, which could draw more attention, he embarked on the journey home, hoping his makeshift disguise and the morning''s chaos would suffice to obscure his identity.


    Upon arriving home, he immediately discarded the borrowed clothes and indulged in a lengthy, refreshing shower.


    This time, he had the foresight to leave a note for his mom by her door, informing her of his absence to prevent unnecessary worry and her having to sleep on the couch.


    With school about to commence shortly, he managed to catch a brief hour of sleep before being roused by Shade.


    Once at school, he gathered the borrowed clothes into a bag and efficiently returned them to the lost and found, ensuring no trace of his earlier disguise remained.


    Double-checking that his NightShade attire was secure in his locker, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    The school day seemed interminable, each passing second feeling like a small eternity. He impatiently awaited the end of his class, eager to return the clothes home and alleviate his exhaustion from the previous night''s encounter with law enforcement.


    Finally, the bell signaling the end of the class rang.


    Rising from his seat with urgency, he hastened to his locker to retrieve the graffiti attire, aiming to do so discreetly. Yet, to his astonishment, the clothes were nowhere to be found. Frozen in disbelief, his mind raced to process the situation.


    "How?" he questioned aloud, his voice betraying his incredulity.


    He wrestled with the reality before him, hoping against hope that he had simply misremembered and misplaced the clothes in his fatigued state, perhaps inadvertently leaving them in the lost and found.


    As he prepared to shut his locker and validate his theory, his eyes caught something unexpected¡ªa note.


    "I know your secret. Meet me in the chemistry lab after school."

 #5: Untrue Love

    Klaus''s steps toward the laboratory were fraught with unease. He had no idea what or who awaited him, yet the note left in his locker seemed to direct him there. His mind pondered the potential individuals behind it, while his body tensed in preparation for any possible scenario.


    His thoughts involuntarily drifted to a familiar figure, but he shook it off, realizing that the repercussions could be dire if it were someone who could reveal his NightShade identity. The prospect of enduring endless attention and chatter until graduation loomed over him, eclipsing any concerns about preserving his secret.


    A more distressing possibility lurked in his mind¡ªa teacher discovering his alter ego.


    The lab''s entrance revealed an empty room, devoid of any presence. He stood there, contemplating whether the person was late or possibly had forgotten about the meeting altogether. Both options posed their own set of complications, and frustration began to creep in.


    His tension mounted further as a voice sliced through the silence, confirming his suspicions.


    "So it really is you."


    Her tone was unmistakable, a voice he had grown accustomed to during their interactions.


    "Of course, you''re the one behind this," Klaus muttered, a mix of exasperation and resignation.


    Turning around, his prediction came to fruition as he locked eyes with a figure he knew all too well. Long blonde hair with delicate pink highlights adorned her, a distinctive feature that stood out before any other aspect of her appearance.


    CONVERSATION


    Rose: I had my suspicions, but I never thought I might have been right.


    Klaus: I just need to understand what you were doing in my locker in the first place.


    Rose: Well, I was just passing by the hallway this morning and I saw you hesitantly looking into your locker as if you wanted to see if something was there. And as I got closer, I noticed it was clothes.


    Klaus: That still doesn''t explain why you''d open my locker.


    Rose: Well, true. But earlier this morning, I heard the news that NightShade had a situation with some field cops where he ran around a few blocks close to our school till they couldn''t spot him anymore. And coincidentally, I see you trying to stuff dark clothes in your locker. I guess my curiosity got the best of me.


    Klaus: Your locker isn''t even on that side of the school. What were you doing there?


    Rose smiled


    Rose: I''ll never tell.


    Klaus was well aware of Rose''s tactics. Since they started spending time together, he noticed how she had a knack for conveniently appearing in various aspects of his life.


    What puzzled him was how this all began. Before their initial encounter, they were practically strangers.


    So why the sudden interest?


    His hunch wasn''t too far from reality. It seemed that over time, Rose''s curiosity about him had grown unexpectedly, even catching her off guard.


    Rose had always been accustomed to being the center of attention and felt near perfection in her own right. That''s how people treated her, after all.


    But encountering something unique in a sea of uniformity can spark intrigue. And that''s exactly what Klaus was to her¡ªa mysterious deviation.


    Rose couldn''t quite pinpoint why Klaus fascinated her more than anyone else. What she was certain of, however, was the unusual soft spot she had developed for him, a sentiment she hadn''t experienced with anyone else in her circle.


    As Klaus mulled over the current situation, he began to contemplate whether it was worth continuing to hide his identity from Rose. He realized that even if she knew he was NightShade, it didn''t necessarily mean she was aware of his special ability.


    After a brief internal debate, Klaus decided that there was little harm in revealing this aspect of himself to her. However, he couldn''t help but consider the possibility that Rose might not have uncovered his ability despite identifying him as NightShade.


    With a composed demeanor, he replied, "Well, I never really went by that name, but if you''re referring to the artist responsible for the works we''ve been discussing, then yes, it''s me."


    Klaus acknowledged that her awareness of his alter ego might not significantly alter his life. He realized that Rose wasn''t the type to create unnecessary drama for attention. Among all the people at school, she was the one person who would crave more attention the least.


    Furthermore, he recognized that her knowledge, whether shared or not, wouldn''t pose a greater problem than their already established friendship. No matter what she might have revealed to others, the potential issues were no different than those he was already prepared for.


    "Oh wow, I thought this would be much more challenging," Rose exclaimed, a sense of surprise evident in her voice. She continued, "But why exactly are YOU doing this? I mean, you never struck me as a fame-chasing guy."


    Klaus saw no need to deceive her. He felt a peculiar obligation to be truthful, even though she may not have earned it entirely.


    "That''s because I''m not in it for the fame. I do it to quiet down these stupid nightmares about giant people."


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    A moment of silence enveloped them as Klaus gazed directly at Rose, who was visibly taken aback. Then, in an unexpected turn, Rose murmured something that Klaus never would have anticipated.


    "You have them too?"


    At this point, Klaus mirrored Rose''s astonishment. Both were so bewildered that neither could utter a word for nearly ten seconds. Eventually, Rose broke the silence.


    "I thought I was losing my mind. And it all began around two months ago."


    Klaus''s mind raced as he posed a question, his curiosity piqued.


    "Was that, by any chance, around your birthday?"


    "Yes," Rose responded, her expression marked by a mix of amazement and confusion. "How did you know?"


    "Because that''s when they started happening to me too," Klaus revealed, the shared realization bridging the gap between them.


    At that moment, Klaus became convinced that there was a connection between them. It shed light on his curiosity toward her and his willingness to establish a friendship.


    It seemed increasingly likely that their shared experiences were the driving force behind their connection.


    Klaus recognized the need to disclose his abilities to her. While he understood that he remained relatively safe, given her lack of concrete evidence, he also saw this as a unique opportunity to gain insight into the mysterious occurrences that were unfolding within him


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: I have one question for you. And your response will determine my response to yours.


    Rose: I don''t understand.


    Klaus: What I''m saying is that the way you answer this question will determine what I say or do afterward.


    Rose: Okay, but now I''m starting to feel a bit under pressure.


    Klaus: Well, I''m just going to ask. Do your eyes glow pink when you try to make other people fall for you?


    Rose was taken aback, not by the intensity of the question, but by how precisely Klaus had described the phenomenon.


    Klaus had witnessed her perform this once, and with careful contemplation, he pieced together exactly what she was attempting based on the situation.


    When he had unintentionally provoked her, she resorted to her supernatural technique after realizing her normal approach wasn''t effective. This could also explain her surprise when her usual tactics didn''t yield the expected result with him.


    This interpretation aligned with Klaus'' assessment of their interaction, and to be honest, he comprehended the circumstances quite well.


    All that remained was her confirmation of this theory, though he wasn''t expecting an honest response.


    So, why did he react so instinctively when it''s not his typical behavior?


    The reason was his intuition; he sensed that she was seeking answers just as eagerly as he was. Moreover, her curiosity about the giant figures likely pushed her into a mindset where she felt compelled to tell the truth.


    After what felt like an eternity of silence, Rose finally broke it with her response.


    CONVERSATION


    Rose: I knew I couldn''t hide it from you any longer. I''ll explain it in detail, but only on one condition.


    Klaus: And what is that?


    Rose: You have to tell me about yours.


    Two thoughts occupied Klaus'' mind. He found himself at a crossroads where he didn''t have to confess to possessing supernatural powers. This left him with two choices: to either fabricate a lie or to divulge the truth. But he understood that by concealing this aspect, he would not only forfeit the opportunity to understand her ability but also potentially miss a crucial clue regarding the origin of his own.


    Klaus: Fine, I guess.


    Rose: Okay. Well, if I want to explain everything from the beginning, it all started when I was five.


    Klaus: That young, huh?


    Rose: Yup. I was once part of a beauty pageant, and it came down to me and another girl in the finals. Naturally, I was expected to win, but the woman organizing the event seemed to have a strong dislike for me for some odd reason. In the end, they announced me as the runner-up, and I couldn''t accept it. I decided to meet with the woman to voice my concerns. During our conversation, she revealed the reason behind my loss was her dislike of me, and it infuriated me. I yelled in frustration with my eyes tightly shut. When I finally opened them, her irritated expression had transformed into the expression of someone who had just seen the love of their life. She suddenly adored me. She even rushed back on stage during the closing ceremonies to declare me the winner and humiliate both her and the other contestant. Initially, I couldn''t comprehend the change, but as I grew older, I began to realize that I was different from other people.


    Klaus: You knew you could get whatever you wanted.


    Rose: Well, that was until I met you. Even using the ability didn''t work on you. I didn''t understand at first, but now I think I do. You''re just like me.


    Klaus took a deep breath before responding.


    Klaus: So basically, you can make someone fall in love with you by just staring into their eyes and making your eyes flash pink. Am I correct?


    Rose: I don''t MAKE them flash pink. It''s more like they flash pink when I use the ability if that makes sense.


    Klaus: I guess.


    Klaus felt a mixture of shock and nonchalance. The revelation he just heard was incredibly hard to believe, yet he found himself less surprised than he thought he would be. Perhaps his growing familiarity with the extraordinary had dulled his capacity for shock.


    His response came out almost reflexively, "I don''t believe you."


    To be honest, who would?


    Rose appeared taken aback by his response, a slightly startled expression crossing her face.


    "Well, I''d prove it but it doesn''t work on you, now does it?" she retorted.


    He wouldn''t have allowed it even if it were possible.


    But then a thought struck him.


    "What about the janitor outside? If your... ability doesn''t result in brain damage or permanent effects, why not demonstrate it on him?" he suggested.


    It seemed like a reasonable idea, and Rose seemed to agree.


    "Alright!" she replied with determination, leading him outside to the janitor to put her claims to the test.


    Approaching the man, Rose met his confused gaze, leaving him wondering about their intentions.


    Politely, she inquired, "Excuse me, sir. I find myself without the means to return home. Would you perhaps have some spare change to assist me?"


    A sense of dejection settled over the man, believing that they might be mocking him. Yet, as her pupils illuminated in a vibrant pink hue, his response shifted dramatically.


    "My queen, all I possess is seventy dollars, but you''re welcome to take whatever you desire from me. If you wish, I''ll gladly surrender my entire wallet," his words flowed as if under a spell, his posture assuming a near-worshipful stance, as though he stood before a goddess.


    Klaus found himself at a loss for words after witnessing the rapid transformation in the man''s behavior upon meeting Rose''s gaze. The man''s eyes had taken on a faint pink tint as if he had fallen under some enchantment woven by her.


    In a swift move, Rose began to slip the man''s wallet into her bag, only to be halted by Klaus''s firm grasp on her hand. He shot her a guilt-laden look, prompting her to relent and return the man''s belongings.


    With a deft motion, she reversed the effects of her ability, leaving the man with memories of the encounter. His confusion was evident, yet he dismissed it as mere imagination and resumed his duties.


    As they stepped out of the school, Rose turned to Klaus, seeking confirmation, and he nodded in agreement.


    This interaction affirmed Rose''s perception: Klaus''s composed demeanor in the face of her supernatural ability suggested that he was unfazed by the inexplicable and the extraordinary.


    "So what''s your supernatural power?" Rose inquired, her curiosity piqued. Klaus sensed that there was much left to discuss, yet time was slipping away, and he was already late. He realized that words alone wouldn''t suffice to convey his abilities, so he chose a different approach.


    "Let''s meet up again tonight. That''s the only way I can explain what I can do," Klaus proposed, aware that this was the only way to truly convey the nature of his abilities.


    Rose''s initial response was one of discontent. She felt a sense of unfairness, as she was opening up about her abilities while he wasn''t reciprocating. However, upon understanding his reasoning, she relented and agreed.


    Although Klaus had never contemplated this course of action before, he found himself providing Rose with his address, agreeing to meet her under the cover of nightfall.

 #6: Quiet Motion

    The approach of nightfall brought with it a sense of anticipation for Rose. She lay on her bed, thoughts consumed by the impending meeting with Klaus. Her gaze remained fixed on the clock, each tick resonating in her mind.


    Agreeing to rendezvous with him at 9:00 pm, she resolved to wait patiently. But the waiting wasn''t easy for anyone, particularly in her situation. A flood of questions swirled in her mind, wondering what lay ahead.


    She had finally encountered someone who shared her status of having unique abilities.


    As the clock''s hands converged on nine, her heart skipped a beat. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes momentarily, collecting herself before opening them again. Determined, she set off for the designated location.


    Upon reaching his house, which was a considerable distance from her own, Rose hesitated before pressing the doorbell, her anxiety palpable. The suspense was becoming unbearable; she was eager for the revelations that awaited her.


    The door swung open, revealing a woman who had been interrupted from her evening activities. As Rose realized who stood before her, she introduced herself with a touch of uncertainty.


    "Good evening, ma''am. I''m sorry to intrude. I''m here to see your son."


    Meeting her gaze, the woman''s features softened into a warm smile. Her response was equally friendly.


    "Oh, hello there. You must be a friend of Shade''s."


    "Actually," Rose clarified, "I''m here to see Klaus. We''re friends from school, and we had plans for this evening."


    A momentary pause followed before Klaus'' mother continued the conversation.


    "Well, isn''t that interesting? I''m Natalie Walker, Klaus'' mother, as you probably gathered. Nice to meet you."


    Natalie was taken aback by the presence of this striking young girl at her doorstep, claiming to be here for Klaus. While she knew her son had his own unique charm and enigmatic appeal, he generally avoided attention and preferred to keep to himself.


    Hearing Rose''s explanation left Natalie momentarily speechless. Summoning Klaus seemed like the best course of action to address the situation and confirm his awareness.


    Shade ascended the stairs to find Klaus and deliver the news. Klaus, in turn, made his way downstairs, acknowledging the unexpected development.


    "Oh, it''s you," Klaus muttered upon laying eyes on Rose.


    "Oh, come on. Don''t be like that," Rose quipped, offering a playful smile.


    His mother chimed in, seeking confirmation as well as understanding the unfolding situation. "So, you know each other?"


    Klaus let out a sigh and mumbled, "I guess."


    Rose, mirroring his sigh, playfully retorted, "There you go again with your ''I guess.''"


    Keen on keeping the interaction brief, Klaus turned his attention back to his mother. "Sorry, Mom. We''ll be heading out for a while. Is that okay?"


    After a brief pause, his mother nodded, granting her approval as the two of them embarked on their intended outing.


    Watching them depart, Klaus'' mother mused aloud, "I should start expecting the unexpected at this point." A small giggle escaped her lips as she reentered the house, a sense of amusement lingering in her wake.


    Klaus and Rose walked side by side, enveloped in an awkward silence. Rose was unsure how to broach the topic of Klaus''s abilities, and Klaus himself was seemingly lost in his thoughts, avoiding conversation. The evident tension between them refused to dissipate, casting an undeniable weight over their interaction.


    Then, breaking the silence, Klaus spoke up. "Well, I think we''re far enough. Hop on," he declared, extending his arms in a manner that suggested he was offering to carry her.


    Rose found herself momentarily speechless, her face flushing with surprise. "W-What do you mean?" she stammered, her gaze dropping to the ground to avoid his eyes.


    "Have you ever seen my graffiti work up close?" Klaus asked, his tone remaining casual despite the unusual offer.


    Rose shook her head, a mixture of confusion and curiosity swirling within her. She struggled to understand his intentions.


    "There''s a piece I think came out great, about eight miles from here. So hop on and I''ll take you there" Klaus inquired, his hands still extended for an imaginary embrace.


    Rose was a jumble of conflicting emotions and unanswered questions. Why was he so insistent on carrying her? How could he possibly carry her in his arms across the city to an artwork that was eight miles away? Her mind buzzed with these unspoken thoughts, leaving her unable to voice her concerns.


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


    Then, before she could object, he uttered a phrase that sent a jolt through her, weakening her resistance and stirring a strange sense of submission.


    "Trust me."


    Klaus had never displayed such sincerity toward Rose during their time together. When he uttered those words, it felt as though he had finally granted her access to a part of himself that he kept guarded.


    Drawing closer to him, Rose allowed herself to be lifted into his arms. Her cheeks were aflame with embarrassment, and she found it difficult to meet his gaze. He instructed her to close her eyes briefly, which heightened her curiosity.


    With closed eyes, she listened to his guidance, and then, as he prompted her, she opened her eyes again.


    They were no longer where they had been before. The surroundings had shifted dramatically, and Rose''s expression shifted along with it. Confusion, amazement, and disbelief mingled on her face in a jumble of emotions.


    For a few moments, she struggled to process the sudden change, until realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. The enormity of what had just happened hit her all at once.


    "You... and we... but we were... and... but how?"


    Stunned and rendered nearly speechless, Rose grappled with the shock of the situation. In the blink of an eye, they had traversed eight miles.


    Seated on the ground, Klaus took a moment to catch his breath, while Rose continued to grapple with her astonishment, trying to make sense of the impossible.


    Finally recovering his breath, Klaus confirmed her suspicions. "So yeah, I can move at an incredible speed, but only during the night. And the toll it takes on me is the same as if anyone else had covered the distance."


    Rose remained in a state of disbelief. Klaus had covered eight miles in the blink of an eye, and he managed to catch his breath in just a minute or two. It defied all logic and understanding.


    Still grappling with the enormity of what she had witnessed, Rose found herself torn between doubt and a strange intuition that told her Klaus was telling the truth.


    After a flurry of questions and a tumultuous whirlwind of confusion, Rose gradually settled into a state of relative calm. They both reclined on the roof, their gazes fixed upon the street art that Klaus had collaborated with Wallpaper to perfect.


    CONVERSATION


    Rose: So you''re fast at night, huh?


    Klaus: I guess.


    Rose: How long have you known?


    Klaus: It was about a few years ago. I can''t be more specific than that.


    Rose: Wow. This is just so insane, I''m speechless.


    Klaus: At least now you know how I get away so easily.


    Rose: I guess that''s true.


    They remained quiet for a while, their gazes alternating between the sky and the artwork on the wall.


    Rose: How about your brother? Shade, was it?


    Klaus: Yeah, and I don''t think it''s the same with him.


    Rose: But it doesn''t make sense. Aren''t you guys brothers?


    Klaus: Yeah, but we''re not related by blood.


    Rose: Wait, WHAT?


    Klaus: Not many people know, but Shade is my adopted brother. My mom adopted him when we were just babies, so we grew up essentially like biological siblings.


    Rose: Wow, that''s a shocker.


    Klaus: Well, it should be, considering you''re the first person I''ve told.


    Rose was left speechless by Klaus''s openness. He was sharing his life with her for the first time, and the revelation made her happier than she had anticipated.


    Before learning about his abilities and getting to know him better, Rose had been irritated by Klaus. Out of everyone she wanted to attract, he was the one who didn''t pay her much attention. That irritation had driven her to engage with him in the first place.


    It had started as a challenge to make the most popular nobody in their school fall for her, even though he was known to resist such advances. However, over time, she found herself genuinely enjoying their time together. It was almost as if their friendship was destined.


    "Maybe even more than friends," a fleeting thought crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it in disbelief.


    Rose had never experienced this kind of connection with anyone. It wasn''t solely because Klaus was the only person not easily swayed by her attention, but rather, he was someone she felt comfortable around, someone she could lean on.


    As she drifted back from her thoughts to the present moment, she noticed her eyes locked with Klaus''s. His concern was evident as he asked, "Are you okay?"


    Startled, she averted her gaze in embarrassment, her cheeks flushing.


    "I-I''m fine," she stammered in response.


    After a while, Klaus recognized an opportunity to gain insights into the origins of their abilities, and he decided to ask Rose.


    "So, do you have any idea what might have caused all of this?"


    She turned, gazing back at the sky, her expression serious. "I''m not certain, but I do have a theory," she replied.


    "I believe it''s connected to the giant men we see in our dreams, considering we both experience them."


    As she mentioned it, Klaus recalled her earlier mention of those dreams. While he couldn''t quite grasp the connection, her point intrigued him, and he wanted her to elaborate on her theory.


    "I think there''s a possibility that it''s related to entities beyond human, hence the appearance of the giant men," she explained.


    Klaus had a look of confusion, as he was beginning to understand her perspective.


    "Do you mean Gods?" he asked.


    Rose turned to him, her explanation continuing. "In the books and stories, the Gods were often depicted as larger than humans, sometimes around eight feet tall. This description matches the figures in our dreams."


    Klaus responded with skepticism in his tone. "But that''s impossible."


    "Why do you say that?" Rose questioned.


    "Because the Gods aren''t real."


    A moment of silence hung in the air as Rose gazed at him, clearly perplexed.


    "After all that you''ve experienced, do you still think it''s impossible for the Gods from the stories to exist?" she asked, her tone curious.


    Klaus found himself at a loss for words. She had a valid point.


    "I guess not," he mumbled, his gaze shifting to the sky.


    He pressed on, uncertain. "But are you genuinely convinced of this theory? Or do you simply want it to be true?"


    Rose fell silent for a moment, contemplating her response before finally answering.


    "I suppose it''s a bit of both."


    Subsequently, they lingered on the rooftop for a while, soaking in the atmosphere before finally deciding to call it a night and return to their respective homes.


    For Klaus, the evening had shed light on some of his queries, though he knew he still had much to uncover about his own abilities. He was surprised by his newfound zeal for understanding, a fervor he hadn''t experienced before.


    In an unfamiliar twist, he found himself feeling a sense of relief as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He believed, even if only temporarily, that he could slumber without the haunting grip of peculiar dreams.


    Following a quick shower to cleanse himself from the night''s excursions, Klaus slipped into bed, ready to embrace a peaceful sleep, free from the influence of enigmatic visions.


    Or so he thought...

 #7: The Final Calling

    Klaus jolted awake, his heart racing.


    The echoes of his heavy breaths reverberated in the silence that enveloped the room.


    It was as if he had emerged from a vivid dream, yet the details slipped through his grasp.


    The night outside was serene, its tranquility contrasting with the turmoil within him.


    Gazing at his right palm, Klaus struggled to steady his breathing. The confusion about the dream lingered, a puzzle he couldn''t solve.


    With an uncertain resolve, he rose from his bed.


    As he stood, a surge of anxiety coursed through him again, as though he was an observer in his own body.


    Unbeknownst to him, he stepped outside, each footfall increasing his unease.


    It felt as though his actions were being directed by an external force, a sensation that stoked his fear.


    He walked further, propelled by an invisible tide he couldn''t control.


    The fear deepened, a knot of uncertainty constricting his chest. He didn''t comprehend what was unfolding; he only knew he had to halt this involuntary movement.


    Finally, he arrived at a spot¡ªan alleyway, located a significant distance from his home.


    His steps halted as he faced a wall adorned with a painting of a right palm, accompanied by the phrase "BELIEVE THE UNBELIEVABLE."


    Klaus stared at the artwork, his confusion mounting as he grappled with the enigma of his experience.


    And then... he awoke.


    The same labored breaths echoed, but this time, Klaus held the reins of his own body.


    The occurrence felt dreamlike, yet it carried a weight of authenticity that eluded simple explanation.


    He had possessed full awareness, experiencing it not as a fleeting dream, but as a tangible reality before being jolted awake.


    It puzzled him immensely, leaving him to grapple with the unsettling sensation of encountering a memory, a remnant from the recesses of his mind.


    However, he was certain he''d never set foot in that alley before, making the whole affair even more bewildering.


    Sitting on his bed, lost in thought, Klaus entertained the idea of reaching out to Rose.


    Though it was quite late, he hesitated initially, unsure if it was the right time to call her.


    He sensed a link between their abilities and the peculiar experience he''d just had, making him consider seeking her insights.


    Just as he was about to dial her number, a call notification lit up his phone''s screen ¡ª it was from Rose.


    Curiosity piqued, he accepted the call, wondering what could have prompted her to contact him at this hour.


    Her voice rushed through the line, laden with urgency and a plea for help, striking Klaus with a mixture of concern and surprise.


    "Klaus, please. I need you. Come quickly?"


    In response to her urgent plea, Klaus had already made his way to Rose''s front door. His knuckles rapped against the wood with a sense of urgency.


    As his knocks grew more insistent, he was on the brink of considering more forceful action, when the door''s lock clicked, and it swung open.


    Standing before him was a woman who he deduced to be Rose''s mother. She regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and bemusement, seemingly unfazed by the urgency in his demeanor.


    "Hello, can I help you, sweetie?" she greeted him warmly.


    Klaus, still somewhat caught off guard, managed to compose himself and reply, "I''m sorry, ma''am. I was wondering if Rose is home."


    The woman smiled kindly, putting him at ease. "No need for formalities, sweetie. I''m Brianna. And Rose is upstairs, sleeping."


    She continued, her tone friendly, "You seem to be new. I haven''t seen you before."


    Klaus, his initial anxiety subsiding, nodded. "Sorry, I''m Klaus Walker. Rose called me urgently, so I rushed over."


    Emerging from behind, Rose approached them with a relieved smile. "Hey, Klaus, I''m glad you got my text," she greeted him, her expression conveying a mix of gratitude and concern. She ushered him into the house with a welcoming gesture.


    Klaus followed her lead, stepping inside the house as Rose''s mother spoke up, her tone friendly and teasing. "Ah, you must be the famous Klaus I''ve heard so much about."


    A mixture of surprise and embarrassment crossed Rose''s face as she exclaimed, "Mom!" Her mother chuckled, offering a playful apology for her comment.


    Caught amid this exchange, Klaus found himself a bit uncertain about the situation. He wasn''t sure whether to feel puzzled by why he was urgently summoned or slightly irritated by the way Rose seemed to have called him in a hurry.


    Noting that Rose mentioned a text instead of their actual call, he assumed there might be a reason she wanted to keep something from her mother. Preferring not to escalate the situation in front of her mom, Klaus decided to go along and maintain a calm demeanor in the living room.


    Guiding him to her room, Rose swiftly locked the door behind them, creating an environment of privacy.


    Klaus was on the brink of questioning why she had summoned him so urgently, but before he could utter a word, Rose collapsed onto the floor.


    His initial annoyance quickly transformed into genuine surprise and worry. He rushed to her side, a concerned expression overtaking his features, as he observed her weakened state, which contrasted starkly with her earlier demeanor.


    A wave of concern washed over him, and he knelt beside her.


    "Are you okay?" he inquired, his voice reflecting his genuine worry as Rose slowly opened her eyes and gazed at him.


    CONVERSATION


    Rose: Yeah, sorry, I''m fine.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Klaus: What happened to you?


    Rose: *panting slightly* I don''t know. I''m just feeling a bit lightheaded from my sleep.


    Klaus: Are you sure you''re fine?


    Rose: Don''t worry about me.


    She smiled at him, noticing his concerned expression.


    Rose: Seems you got here pretty quickly, huh?


    Klaus: Considering the way you called me, I felt like I had to.


    Rose: Well, I''m glad you care this much about me.


    Klaus: Please, don''t use this as a chance to flirt.


    Rose: *smiling* No, I mean it. Thank you.


    As she said it, Klaus felt a bit taken aback by his actions.


    Before this moment, he had never felt such genuine concern for anything in his life, at least not as far back as he could remember.


    So, why had he reacted so swiftly upon hearing her distress?


    He couldn''t fully grasp the reason, but a sense of relief washed over him when he realized that she wasn''t in a critical condition. In response, he found himself smiling back at Rose, perhaps for the first time, and he quietly uttered the words, "No problem."


    Rose was taken aback by his reciprocated smile, a sight she had never witnessed before. The surprise of it sent a warmth through her, mingled with the realization of just how strikingly handsome he was.


    Her cheeks flushed crimson, her heartbeats resonating audibly in her ears. She found herself captivated, her gaze locking onto his. Her lips involuntarily parted as if she had fallen into a trance, the urge to draw closer to him growing with each passing moment.


    However, her reverie was shattered when Klaus suddenly stood up, his concerned expression leading her to believe he thought she was unwell. He disappeared briefly into the bathroom, reappearing with a warm towel which he placed gently on her forehead.


    As the sensation of the towel''s warmth brought her back to reality, Rose realized how lost in her thoughts she had been. Playing along with his assumption, she softly muttered her gratitude, "T-Thanks," holding the towel to her forehead.


    After a brief moment, Klaus finally found the opportunity to voice his question.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: So, why did this happen?


    Rose: I''m not sure, but I think it has something to do with the dream I had before waking up.


    Klaus: Was it about the giant men?


    Rose paused a bit.


    Rose: Not exactly. It was more like I had full consciousness of myself. Like it...


    Klaus: Wasn''t a dream... right?


    They exchanged glances, both seemingly sharing a general understanding of why the same phenomenon had occurred to them.


    Klaus: Was it, by chance, like you were conscious, but had no control over your own body?


    Rose: Exactly. So, you too?


    Klaus: Yeah. But I don''t think I feel as bad as you do right now.


    Rose: I guess I just got unlucky, haha.


    Klaus: I guess.


    A brief moment passed before Klaus continued.


    Klaus: So what was it about?


    Rose: If I recall correctly, I woke up and left the house, arriving at what appeared to be a nearby park. I stopped in front of a tree, then extended my right hand, positioning my palm towards the tree. After that, I woke up with a pounding headache and a sense of fatigue.


    Klaus: Wow. It''s a bit similar to mine, but not exactly.


    Rose: You think it has something to do with the Gods?


    Klaus: I''m still not convinced about that theory, but I do think there''s a connection between the dreams.


    Observing her condition, Klaus then continued.


    Klaus: But for now, I think you should rest. Try to get some sleep... though I''m not sure it''ll help. But at the very least, don''t overdo yourself.


    Rose: I said I''m fine.


    Klaus: I know you did, but I also know what it means. Even when you were with your mom, you tried to present a facade of being alright. And I''m quite familiar with that kind of act. But you don''t have to do that with me, so just get some rest and we''ll talk about it tomorrow, okay?


    Some seconds flew by before Rose responded.


    Rose: Sure, okay.


    After assisting her to her bed and ensuring she was comfortably tucked in, he made his way back home.


    Shortly after his departure, Rose''s mother entered her room and found Rose asleep on her bed. She had sensed that something was amiss with her earlier, prompting her to check on her.


    Approaching her daughter, she gently placed her hand on Rose''s forehead, her expression reflecting a mix of emotions. "He''s quite the catch, isn''t he? And seems like a real keeper too. I hope you''ll treat him right this time," she murmured to herself before withdrawing her hand and heading toward the door.


    As she exited the room, Rose opened her eyes and gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought about the recent events. She grasped the significance of her actions towards Klaus and came to understand that her initial resistance stemmed from it being an unprecedented experience in her life.


    As she continued to look upward, she recognized that the source of her distress wasn''t solely the impact of the dream, but her genuine emotions for Klaus. With the passage of seconds, tears welled up in her eyes, gradually and then in a rush. She spent more time crying and reflecting until eventually, exhaustion overcame her, and she succumbed to slumber.


    A week had elapsed, and it had been several days since Klaus had last seen Rose. He had presumed that her illness was still keeping her away, and out of concern, he refrained from contacting her until she had fully recovered. However, as the seventh day arrived, he felt a growing urge to check on her well-being.


    Deciding to visit her home after school, he approached her front door. Upon knocking, Rose''s mother answered, and Klaus inquired about Rose''s condition. To his surprise, he received unexpected news.


    "Sorry, dear, but she''s not at home. She''s gone to visit her dad for a while," her mother explained.


    With this new information, he understood why Rose hadn''t been available. Accepting the situation, he thanked her mother and made his way back home.


    After completing his usual after-school tasks alongside Shade, he returned to his room. Shade had other matters to attend to, so he left the house. With no specific plans, Klaus decided to take a nap before the rest of the family returned home.


    During his nap, the recurring dream revisited him once more. This time, the path he walked was illuminated, guiding him toward the alley. As he woke up, it was already well past midnight.


    Klaus perched on the edge of his bed, deep in thought as he pondered the recurring dream. It was the second time he had experienced this peculiar dream, yet it felt distinct from the other. There was a sense of tangibility about it as if the path he had traversed within the dream held a connection to reality.


    With newfound determination, Klaus rose from his bed. He retraced the pathway he had followed in his dream, navigating through the bustling streets with a focused expression. Passersby couldn''t help but notice his intense demeanor, prompting curious glances in his direction.


    Finally arriving at the alleyway he had seen in the dream, Klaus entered cautiously. His eyes scanned the surroundings, seeking any sign or clue that could shed light on the significance of this place. And then, his gaze locked onto something eerily familiar ¨C a poster depicting a right hand, the very image that had appeared in his dream.


    As he read the words written above the hand, a mixture of intrigue and confusion colored his expression.


    "Believe the unbelievable, huh," he muttered to himself.


    The passersby who observed him from outside the alley exchanged puzzled glances, wondering about the young man''s purpose in this seemingly ordinary location.


    As he lifted his right hand, his gaze remained fixed on the painted palm. A strange compulsion seemed to pull at him, urging him to place his hand atop the depiction.


    With a mixture of anticipation and confusion, he gradually extended his hand toward the painted surface. Each movement was deliberate, cautious, as if he was expecting some form of response from this seemingly ordinary artwork.


    Finally, his palm came into contact with the painted hand. For a moment, nothing happened. Klaus''s brow furrowed in bewilderment, his thoughts echoing the sentiment of confusion.


    What had prompted him to do this? And what was he expecting to happen? The rational part of him questioned the purpose behind this action. Yet, he couldn''t shake off the feeling that there was something more to this than met the eye.


    Just as the bystanders, who had curiously observed him from a distance, started to disperse, dismissing him as eccentric, Klaus felt an unexpected sensation coursing through his palm. A tingling, almost electric, feeling seemed to radiate from the point of contact.


    And at that moment, something began to happen.


    In an instant, his very form seemed to disintegrate, the world around him blurring into a chaotic haze. Panic surged within him, a desperate urge to scream locked within a body that no longer obeyed his commands. It was a sensation he had never known, an experience so foreign and terrifying that he couldn''t even comprehend the nature of his fear.


    The seconds ticked by, each one stretching like an eternity, as his senses seemed to dissolve and his being fragmented. And then, just as abruptly as it began, the tumult ceased.


    His awareness seemed to return in a hazy jumble of sensations. Slowly, his surroundings came into focus, and he found himself standing on solid ground once more. He clutched at his head, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief.


    His body had vanished, consumed by some inexplicable force. But now he stood, whole and intact, his consciousness returning from a journey he couldn''t fathom.


    Rising unsteadily, he began to move forward, his steps tentative and uncertain. His mind replayed the surreal spectacle he had just experienced, grappling with the utter lack of rational explanation. It was an enigma beyond his understanding, a phenomenon that defied the laws of his known reality.


    As his gaze swept over his new surroundings, realization dawned upon him. This place was foreign, unlike anything he had ever seen. A whisper of words escaped his lips, the barely audible voice of his disbelief.


    "This... isn''t... Earth."

 #8: A World Above Earth

    "Where am I?"


    "What is this place?"


    "What even happened?"


    Klaus found himself surrounded by an expanse of thick white fog, his mind swirling with countless questions about his sudden shift in circumstances.


    The events leading up to his abrupt relocation remained shrouded in mystery, leaving Klaus perplexed as he stood in this unfamiliar realm. Time seemed to have become an enigma, as the rapid changes he had experienced defied his understanding.


    With cautious steps, Klaus wandered through the mist, hoping to glean some insights from his surroundings. The lack of recognizable landmarks only deepened his confusion, rendering his efforts futile.


    Despite the bright illumination that bathed the scene in an ethereal glow, Klaus couldn''t shake off the uncanny sensation that something was amiss. The skies overhead should have been a source of comfort, but the absence of the sun created an unsettling paradox.


    As he stood there, grappling with these bewildering occurrences, Klaus couldn''t help but acknowledge that the past hour had ushered in a series of inexplicable events, of which this surreal landscape was just the latest installment.


    As time trickled on and Klaus''s hope of finding any semblance of assistance waned, a sudden voice broke through the solitude beside him.


    "Well, there you are. You know, it took me nearly a whole minute to track you down."


    Klaus''s surprise at hearing another voice was palpable. He hadn''t encountered anyone in what felt like an eternity, making the appearance of this voice both unexpected and intriguing. The notion that someone was nearby seemed almost impossible, given the apparent emptiness that stretched for miles around him.


    Turning hesitantly towards the source of the voice, Klaus''s eyes met those of a regular-looking young man ¨C a fellow human, just like him. The stranger''s brown hair framed his face, and a friendly smile adorned his lips as he casually waved his right hand in greeting.


    Amid his confusion and the surreal circumstances, Klaus managed to stammer out, "Uhh... who are you?"


    The stranger let out a chuckle, a hint of embarrassment in his expression. "Ah, my bad. I totally skipped the introduction part, didn''t I?"


    Taking a theatrical deep breath, he struck a somewhat heroic pose and continued, "The name''s Falcon. Ace Falcon."


    A moment of puzzled silence hung in the air, Klaus''s face reflecting his bewilderment. Then, as if unable to contain himself any longer, the stranger erupted into laughter.


    "Man, I knew it sounded cheesy, but seeing your reaction ¨C priceless. Totally worth it," he said between fits of laughter.


    Klaus found himself utterly adrift in this strange encounter.


    Ace''s laughter persisted for a while before he finally managed to compose himself and continue.


    "But, seriously, I''m Ace. And my mission is to bring you back ¨C well, not back, but to show you where we all are."


    From the moment Klaus had inexplicably vanished to this bewildering conversation with Ace, a cascade of questions had flooded his mind. However, the sheer complexity of the situation left him unsure of where to begin or if he should even address this enigmatic figure standing before him.


    Before he could voice his thoughts, a sudden occurrence disrupted his focus.


    With a speed that defied his understanding, Ace transitioned from several yards away to a position directly beside Klaus on his right, as if he had teleported instantaneously.


    "You know, you don''t look like one of us," Ace remarked casually.


    Klaus felt a shiver of unease coursing through him. The rapid movement Ace had just executed was beyond comprehension, leaving Klaus further mystified by the reality unfolding around him.


    Stammering in astonishment, Klaus managed to utter, "Wait, how did you..."


    Ace''s expression morphed into one of confusion, mirroring Klaus'' bewilderment. "Are you sure you''re ACTUALLY one of us? I mean, you must be, considering you''re here. But honestly, extraordinary feats like this shouldn''t astonish you," Ace retorted.


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


    Klaus''s growing realization struck him like a revelation. He recognized that given the context he was now in, there was little rationale behind being taken aback by such extraordinary occurrences.


    Exhaling deeply, he replied, "I guess."


    Several moments elapsed before Klaus had a realization, a question that demanded an answer.


    "When you say ''us,'' who exactly are you referring to?" he inquired.


    Ace''s gaze turned thoughtful as he responded, "You know, the other guys. The ones like us who are waiting at the main location."


    Klaus''s mind whirred as he pondered Ace''s words. The idea that there were more individuals possessing abilities similar to his own was starting to solidify.


    "So, there really are more people out there," Klaus mumbled to himself, the concept beginning to sink in.


    Observing Ace''s remarkable speed, Klaus couldn''t help but marvel. He recognized that Ace''s capability to move with such remarkable speed, potentially even matching his own, was an eye-opener, especially considering the unusual absence of the sun that had already hindered his own powers.


    A more pressing thought occupied his mind ¨C the realization that if someone like Ace existed, possessing the same foundational power but expressed differently, there could be a multitude of other unique abilities within their community. This, in turn, meant the possibility of finally obtaining the comprehensive answers he sought.


    As his thoughts coalesced, Klaus recognized the logic in accompanying Ace to the main location. It was likely that more comprehensive information awaited him there, beyond what Ace alone could provide.


    Without warning, Ace appeared at Klaus''s left side, casually slinging his right arm around Klaus''s shoulders.


    "Anyway, let''s hit the road cuz I don''t have all day. Well, technically I do, but... y''know what I mean," Ace declared, offering Klaus a friendly smile.


    Klaus, seeing no reason to decline the invitation, chose to play along for now. The prospect of gaining deeper insights into this perplexing world compelled him to release a resigned sigh and follow Ace''s lead.


    As they ventured forward, Klaus utilized the journey to dissect the unfolding situation.


    The variance in Ace''s speed compared to Klaus''s own intrigued him. Ace''s rapid movement appeared almost effortless, unlike Klaus''s, which occasionally depleted his energy. The dissimilarity was puzzling ¨C Ace''s speed was seemingly superior, as he didn''t rely on the absence of sunlight and could sustain his pace over extended periods.


    Furthermore, there were subtleties in Ace''s speed that Klaus hadn''t experienced. Ace''s swift motion produced a faint rustling of air, akin to the sound created by an object whizzing past, whereas Klaus''s rapid movement was eerily soundless, resembling a form of teleportation. Yet, despite these disparities, Klaus recognized that both of them were propelled by raw speed, running from point A to B.


    Another observation Klaus made was Ace''s remarkable charisma. Klaus seldom cared to invest in relationships, which hindered his understanding of others'' personalities. However, Ace''s friendly demeanor was unmistakable, manifesting through his loquacious nature. While Klaus typically regarded forging connections as more bothersome than advantageous, he acknowledged that acquiring answers took precedence over personal stress.


    Ace, on the other hand, couldn''t help but be intrigued by Klaus. His reserved nature stood out in stark contrast to Ace''s habit of launching into conversations without much forethought. Despite the dissonance, Ace found Klaus intriguing and genuinely cool, possibly because of their shared age.


    After a stretch of silence, Ace made the conscious decision to break the ice


    CONVERSATION


    Ace: So, you''re an anomaly, right?


    Klaus: Excuse me?


    Ace: Oh, no, that''s just what I call them, you, us... you get what I mean, right?


    Klaus: *quietly* Right.


    Ace: Well, it''s either that or ''Weirdos''. And I dunno about you, but I find such a name to be offensive.


    Klaus: So your power is speed, huh?


    Klaus didn''t see any reason to waste time on small talk and chit-chat, so he got straight to the point, seeking information.


    Ace: Yessir. I woke up like this. No, literally, I just woke up one day and found out I could run as fast as that bird that goes ''beep-beep'' from the looney tunes.


    Klaus: Who?


    Ace: Never mind. But how about you? What are your powers?


    Klaus didn''t see any reason to be dishonest. Judging by the situation, he sensed that there was no reason not to trust Ace, so he responded.


    Klaus: Well, it''s complicated.


    Then Klaus explained his abilities in detail to Ace. And after a brief moment of constant laughter from Ace, he continued.


    Ace: So you still get exhausted from running, AND it''s only at night? Dude, you really got the short end of the stick.


    In about half an hour, the duo finally reached a massive golden gate. Klaus wasn''t entirely surprised, given the fantastical nature of their surroundings.


    The gate''s surroundings mirrored the ethereal, cloudy environment, but once it swung open, a new world awaited inside.


    Within this area, several buildings were scattered around, forming what appeared to be a small, perfect city. Cinemas, parks, sports stadiums, and other structures lined the streets. Additional places, such as material gathering sites and armory-like zones, remained hidden from Klaus''s view for now.


    Positioned at the heart of the city, the gate functioned as a portal to a utopian dream for Klaus. Everything seemed flawlessly designed, a depiction of an ideal world. However, something felt off ¨C there was an eerie absence of people.


    As he ventured deeper into the city, Klaus couldn''t shake his unease about the emptiness. Yet, a more pressing question needed answering.


    "What... is this place?" he inquired, his voice filled with awe.


    Ace grinned and responded, "Oh, welcome, Klaus Walker, to Higher World, the realm of the Gods." He paused before adding, "Well, technically, you''ve been in Higher World ever since you got transported here. So, I guess, welcome to, uh... some city."


    Amid Klaus''s observations, he asked Ace about the lack of inhabitants, but even Ace was uncertain.


    Before long, Ace guided Klaus to their temporary lodgings, where all of them were staying for the time being.

 #9: Godly Mortals

    "So, how many of them are there?" Klaus inquired, seeking further clarification.


    "Well, we were fifteen before you, and I believe you''re the last one, so you can do the math based on that."


    With that, they eventually arrived at their destination. The setting was a capacious room, with dimensions akin to a park and approximately six corners.


    As they entered, Klaus observed several individuals present, all appearing to be around his age.


    "Those are the others, right?" he quietly asked Ace.


    "Yup, that''s them. Though some aren''t here at the moment."


    Klaus and Ace proceeded into the room, with Ace guiding him toward an individual who appeared to have the role of overseeing them until further instructions.


    Following Ace''s lead, Klaus observed as Ace engaged in a conversation with this individual.


    "Yo XVII, here he is," Ace announced.


    XVII turned towards Klaus and responded, "Thank you, Ace Falcon. We will initiate the final preparations shortly."


    From the tone of XVII''s voice, Klaus deduced that this entity wasn''t human; rather, it resembled a robot. Despite its human-like appearance, its identity as a machine was revealed through its voice.


    Klaus couldn''t help but inquire, "What do you mean by ''final preparations''?"


    His curiosity was strong, driven by the need to understand why they were gathered there.


    "I understand your curiosity. However, I am limited to conveying messages. The information you seek will be provided when the event begins," XVII replied.


    It seemed Klaus had reached a dead-end in his quest for answers. He resolved to wait patiently until the enigmatic "final preparations" commenced, hoping that they would shed light on the mysteries surrounding this unusual situation.


    After the reporting was concluded, Ace suggested the idea of introducing Klaus to the others who shared their circumstances.


    Guided by Ace, Klaus accompanied him to meet these individuals, and he quickly recognized that they were far from identical.


    Observing the group, Klaus realized that most of them bore a similar perplexed expression, indicating their shared uncertainty about their situation. It became evident to him that extracting essential information from them might prove futile.


    Ace then led Klaus to the first person for an introduction.


    The individual before him was attired in a peculiar full-body metallic suit, a sight that left Klaus puzzled. Although he couldn''t fathom the purpose behind the outfit, he chose to disregard it for the moment. The suit had a reflective, metallic sheen, encompassing the person''s entire form.


    CONVERSATION


    Ace: Hey, Siren, this is Klaus Walker, the last of us anomalies.


    Siren: You need to stop calling us that, Ace.


    Ace: Whatever, dude. Just introduce yourself.


    Siren: Sure.


    The individual named Siren then turned towards Klaus, taking a moment before proceeding to introduce himself.


    Siren: Uhh, h-hey there. My name''s Mason, but you can just call me Siren. I-If you want to, that is. It''s nice to meet you, Klaus Walker.


    Klaus sensed a somewhat shy demeanor from the person, but it didn''t bother him too much, so he didn''t mind.


    Klaus: You can just call me Klaus, and it''s nice to meet you too... I guess.


    After a while, Ace then asked.


    Ace: I''m sure you''re curious about why he''s wearing the suit.


    Klaus: I guess.


    Siren then glanced downward, seeming somewhat sensitive about the question, so Klaus decided to drop the topic. However, Siren indicated that he was okay with discussing it, but it stirred up painful memories. Despite that, he went on to explain his situation to Klaus.


    Siren: When I was young, I had an extreme sensitivity to sound. Even the slightest noises felt like deafening screams to my ears, so my mother and I had to move far away from civilization because of it. As I grew older, one day, a plane flew over our home, and the intense noise caused a great deal of strain and distress to my body, making me feel incredibly uneasy. It was later discovered that my body was absorbing the sounds around me, and over time, it accumulated the need to discharge that energy. Due to the large amount of absorbed sound over the years, the discharge would result in a powerful sonic boom capable of causing massive destruction and draining my own life energy. I thought it was going to be the end for me until I saw a light from the skies before losing consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself in the suit, and my body was stable. My mother explained that I had to wear the suit for safety because it not only absorbs the surrounding sounds but also manages the discharge of sound energy from my body, preventing the catastrophic consequences I once faced.


    Listening to Siren''s story left Klaus feeling uneasy. The hardship Siren and his mother had endured, living isolated from civilization and being confined to a suit for survival, weighed heavily on Klaus'' heart. He wanted to express his sympathy, but he knew it meant nothing, so he remained silent, absorbing the gravity of the situation.


    While engaging in conversation, Klaus heard a familiar voice addressing him. It was who he expected ¨C Rose. Turning his attention towards her, a mix of shock and relief crossed his face. Shock because he hadn''t anticipated seeing her here, and relief because she seemed to be well, unlike the last time they met.


    "Hey, Rose. I''m glad to see you''re okay," Klaus expressed sincerely, his smile reflecting his genuine concern.


    Rose blushed slightly, returning a smile and affirming that she was indeed fine. As their interaction unfolded, Ace observed their familiarity with an analytical gaze.


    "It seems like you lovers know each other," Ace chimed in with a smile, playfully teasing them.


    Rose''s response was swift, laced with hesitation and a touch of embarrassment. "Oh, shut up, Ace."


    Ace then explained to Rose that he was introducing Klaus to the others, prompting her to decide to join the group.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Approaching another individual, Klaus experienced an odd sensation in their presence. It wasn''t negative, but rather a sense of mature wisdom and respect that seemed to radiate from them. The person had long, golden blonde hair and a humble countenance, coupled with an undeniable attractiveness ¨C a common thread among them all in this unfamiliar realm.


    "Hey there. I''m in the process of introducing Klaus Walker to everyone. Would you mind sparing a moment of your attention?" Ace addressed the stranger with a level of articulation that surprised Klaus, given the apparent similarity in age between Ace and the stranger.


    "Certainly, not an issue at all. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Walker," the stranger responded, his voice carrying a hint of an accent reminiscent of medieval times.


    "I am Lance Knight. Happy to make your acquaintance," he continued, extending his hand for a handshake.


    Klaus reciprocated with a handshake, meeting Lance''s gaze. "Likewise," he replied, acknowledging the courteous gesture.


    CONVERSATION


    Ace: Lance here is a member of the military''s war personnel back on Earth, serving with the United States.


    Klaus: Wait, what?


    Lance: He''s correct. I work for the war front as an advisor and director to the generals of the main force, alongside my twin brother Arthur.


    Klaus: Wait, how old are you exactly?


    Lance: Currently, my brother and I are seventeen, which is why we weren''t allowed to be soldiers on the battlefield and were designated as advisors.


    Klaus was left in disbelief upon hearing this. How could someone as young as him already be a member of the military forces, let alone a core one?


    While Ace and Rose were engaged in conversation with Lance, Klaus had a realization. A pattern seemed to emerge in terms of their extraordinary abilities.


    "Sorry, Lance, could you tell me about your abilities?" Klaus inquired.


    Lance turned toward him before extending his right arm. Almost immediately, something peculiar began to occur around his hand, as if an object was materializing out of thin air. When he finished, a tangible sword, seemingly made out of thin air, appeared in his grasp.


    Klaus was taken aback, yet his surprise was tempered by the validation of his theory.


    "I can access the Divine Arsenal," Lance explained. "It''s a pocket dimension where every weapon ever created exists. By channeling my energy, I can materialize any weapon from within it and use it in our world."


    Lance''s revelation sent shivers down Klaus'' spine. He hadn''t anticipated encountering such surreal powers among the group, assuming they were all just enhanced humans with heightened capabilities.


    Listening to Lance''s account, Klaus could sense the formidable force that Lance must be, given his military background and battle experience. His abilities rendered him virtually invincible on the battlefield.


    After spending some time conversing with Lance, Ace led Klaus to a girl seated in a corner. The girl had dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail, and she rolled her eyes slightly as Ace approached her, seemingly unfazed by his antics.


    CONVERSATION


    Ace: How''s a going, Mia?


    Mia: What do you want, Ace?


    Ace: *smiling* Oh, c''mon, don''t be like that. I''m showing my friend Klaus here around, so I thought, why not introduce him to my favorite person?


    Mia: You say that about everyone.


    Ace: Well, everyone''s my ''favorite person''.


    Mia: *rolling her eyes* Whatever.


    Turning her attention to Klaus, she maintained a sarcastic tone as she continued.


    Mia: Hello, I''m Mia Brown. It''s so nice to meet you.


    Klaus paid little heed to her demeanor, opting not to engage, which seemed to provoke a hint of anger from her.


    Ace: A-Anyway, Mia is also the daughter of a prestigious family residing in the United States.


    Klaus: I figured.


    Enraged by his statement, Mia then continued.


    Mia: So what else do you want to know, Klaus? I''m guessing you don''t need anything else.


    Her narcissism left a bitter taste in his mouth, so he knew he had to end their conversation promptly.


    Klaus: Let me guess, you possess some kind of hunting abilities or remarkable accuracy. That''s your specialty, isn''t it?


    Mia was taken aback.


    She couldn''t fathom how he had managed to deduce her abilities from just a brief conversation.


    Then she took a breath, understanding the reason, and smiled.


    "No surprise there, the bow was a dead giveaway."


    A hunting bow was slung over her shoulder, and she had momentarily forgotten about it. However, she realized that it was undoubtedly what had given Klaus the clue. Although his accuracy was striking, she thought of it as a lucky guess.


    "That and your name spelled backwards," Klaus mused to himself before he continued addressing Mia.


    "Look, I don''t really care about you, to be honest. So just tone it down a notch," Klaus stated plainly.


    He wasn''t one to seek companionship, so there was no desire on his part to forge a connection with someone like Mia.


    Initially, Mia''s expression shifted to irritation or anger at his response. But when she caught sight of his unwavering, serious demeanor¡ªwhich was quite typical for him¡ªshe felt a touch of embarrassment. She averted her gaze, sighing softly as she mumbled, "Fine."


    Rose had been trailing along, but she wasn''t particularly invested in the ongoing conversation. Instead, she often let her mind wander or busied herself with her phone, which surprisingly had a strong signal in the unfamiliar area.


    Suddenly, though, a voice broke through her detached state.


    "Chill, Papi. A cutie like you shouldn''t get worked up, you know?"


    Upon hearing the voice, Rose hesitated, her heart sinking with a mixture of dread and anticipation, even though she was fairly certain of the speaker''s identity.


    As her gaze met the source of the voice, the newcomer wrapped her arms around Klaus'' shoulders from behind. With a subtle movement, the girl maneuvered her face closer, locking her gaze with Klaus'' own.


    Almost instantly, Rose''s expression shifted, her features contorting to a mix of surprise and recognition. The unmistakable sight of black hair with purple tips cascading down the girl''s shoulders confirmed her suspicions, leaving no doubt in Rose''s mind.


    "Oh, Iris... um, What''s up?" Ace chimed in as he too noticed Iris'' unexpected appearance.


    CONVERSATION


    Iris: Ay, Dios m¨ªo, Ace. Where did you find this papacito?


    Klaus didn''t even know what to say or do, but he didn''t like that Iris was so close to him, so he reacted by responding to her, telling her to move back a little.


    Iris: Come on, Papi, don''t you like my peque?a compa?¨ªa?


    Hearing that made Rose annoyed.


    Rose: Hey, you heard him, Iris. Give him some space.


    Iris: Oh relax, puta. It''s none of your business.


    Rose: What did you call me?


    Ace: Ladies, ladies, calm down.


    After a few seconds of silent staring between Iris and Rose, Iris finally released Klaus and walked ahead of him before she continued.


    Iris: Anyways, Papi, I''m Iris. Nice to meet you.


    Iris then extended her hand to him, and after a moment''s pause, he shook it.


    Klaus: *sighing* Klaus Walker.


    Klaus couldn''t help but notice Iris''s Spanish cultural influence from her accent and language use. She sent out a warm smile at Klaus, while Rose''s gaze remained hostile from the sidelines.


    As they stood there, Klaus began to feel a nagging curiosity. He needed to clarify something that had been bugging him.


    "So, Iris, what exactly makes you a supernatural?"


    "Anomaly, you mean," Ace muttered under his breath.


    "Well, I have the power to conjure flames wherever I gaze," she explained to the group.


    Iris then turned her gaze towards a nearby trash can, and almost instantly, it burst into flames. After a few seconds, the fire vanished as abruptly as it had appeared.


    Klaus approached the trash can to confirm that it had indeed been scorched by fire. Impressed by her ability, he couldn''t help but wonder about the connection. However, the fact that she had to look at the location to ignite it made things clearer.


    After spending a while introducing everyone, Ace had covered all the individuals that were currently present.


    "I think that''s everyone for now. The others might be exploring or still at the apartments," Ace remarked.


    "Apartments?" Klaus questioned.


    "Yeah, some of us have been here for a full day already. Well, technically twenty-four hours, considering it''s always morning here. But you catch my drift," Ace replied.


    As they were making their way back to their seats, Klaus noticed an unfamiliar figure entering the building. This realization struck him as he acknowledged that he hadn''t met this individual yet. The person walked straight to a corner of the room, drawing Klaus''s attention.


    "Who''s that?" Klaus inquired, prompting everyone''s gaze to turn toward the guy who sported a distinctive black metallic mask.


    The enigmatic stranger''s brown hair was partially visible, with the mask covering the lower half of his face from his nose down to his neck.


    Ace''s usual hyperactivity seemed to subside as he glanced in the direction of the newcomer. The stranger''s aura wasn''t merely intimidating¡ªit was genuinely menacing, sending waves of unease through those nearby.


    "Uh, well¡­" Rose struggled to find the words, visibly taken aback by the unsettling presence of the stranger.


    Even Ace, who typically wore an upbeat expression, appeared subdued in the face of this individual''s presence. The room was unusually hushed.


    After a moment, recognition struck Klaus like a bolt. He realized he had seen the mask and the body armor the person was wearing before.


    As the pieces fell into place and Klaus identified both the attire and the person, a sense of disbelief and apprehension surged within him. He found it hard to fathom that such an ominous figure had a place in this seemingly sacred environment.


    "I think I know him¡­" Klaus managed to utter, his heart racing at the revelation.


    "That''s¡­ X."

 #10: Mortal Gods

    "X!"


    The name sent shivers down spines, a haunting echo that struck fear into anyone on Earth who recognized it. X had risen to infamy within years, for all the wrong reasons. He became the stuff of nightmares, a cautionary tale told to children, a presence that unnerved those in power.


    "You can''t escape X, no matter how far you run."


    X stood as a dark specter over corrupt governments and influential figures with malevolent intentions, forcing them to second-guess their actions. But did his trail of death hold any objective justification?


    Klaus couldn''t believe he was face-to-face with the real X. It was as if he had encountered the embodiment of fear, a stark contrast to meeting a revered idol. And then a startling thought dawned on him ¨C if X was here among the demigods, did that mean he was their age?


    X sat calmly, casually resting his handgun on the table, casting a shadow of unease. Ace''s voice broke the momentary silence, bringing everyone back to reality.


    "Well, I guess I can introduce you to him," he said, his tone revealing a mixture of reluctance and determination.


    Klaus sensed Ace''s internal struggle, the conflict between his reservations and his desire to show composure. Despite the underlying tension, Klaus decided to proceed with the plan.


    Rose''s skepticism was palpable, her expression reflecting doubt about the wisdom of this encounter. However, Klaus''s agreement to join Ace compelled her to reluctantly go along with their intentions.


    Approaching X''s table, they were met with a brief glance from the enigmatic figure. X''s gaze lingered for only a few seconds before he averted his eyes, an inscrutable demeanor that sent shivers down Klaus''s spine. The tension in the air was almost tangible as the group stood before the imposing presence of X, a figure whose reputation preceded him in the most unsettling way.


    "Uhh, hey there, pal... friend... my man." X didn''t even turn to see who was talking, much less respond.


    Ace then continued, "W-Well, I was showing the new guy around and was introducing everyone to him. So I was wondering if you wouldn''t mind..."


    X didn''t even look the least bit ready to reply to the one-sided conversation Ace had going on.


    "And... I''m talking to myself," Ace mumbled to himself.


    Klaus was annoyed by this action.


    He didn''t understand why X wasn''t responding, but it irritated him that X didn''t seem to care about their presence.


    Although, he hadn''t expected much more from someone with a reputation for being a manslayer.


    "Can you at least try to be less ignorant and respond?" Klaus said to X in annoyance.


    Rose''s eyes widened, her grip on Klaus tightening as she leaned in and whispered, "Whoa, careful."


    X''s irritation flared in response to Klaus''s statement.


    He shifted his gaze to Klaus, a glance so intense it could bore holes through metal. Klaus felt a small quiver of uncertainty, but he stood his ground, returning the gaze with a determined stare.


    However, X suddenly turned away, as if dismissing their existence once again.


    "I have no reason to converse with walking corpses."


    X had finally spoken, but at that moment, Klaus couldn''t help but wish he hadn''t.


    The initial fear that had gripped him now paled in comparison to the seething anger bubbling inside him.


    Before anyone could react, Klaus lunged forward, his fingers curling around the fabric of X''s shirt. Rose moved swiftly to intervene, attempting to defuse the tension that had suddenly engulfed them all.


    Then suddenly, everything changed instantly.


    In the blink of an eye, Klaus found himself several meters away from X, with Rose beside him. He looked back at X to see him brandish his handgun, his face contorted with rage.


    But there was more to this. Right next to X stood Ace, his hand firmly on the gun, pushing it down.


    "Chill out, bro. He was just joshing you," Ace''s words came out with a disarming smile, an attempt to ease the escalating tension.


    X had reacted swiftly to Klaus''s movement, retrieving his gun in response.


    Ace, sensing the dangerous escalation, wasted no time. He pulled Klaus and Rose away from the volatile situation, creating a physical barrier between them and X before things could take a more impulsive turn.


    For a few moments, silence hung in the air, punctuated only by intense stares exchanged between X and Klaus. Eventually, both sighed in unison. X returned to his seat, and Klaus realized there was little point in pushing the matter further.


    Yet, amid this tense atmosphere, Rose found herself utterly perplexed. Her confusion wasn''t rooted in X''s reaction but in Klaus''s uncharacteristic display of concern.


    However, Klaus''s motives were clear to him. He''d always harbored a deep-seated resentment for the reasons behind X''s killings over the years. It had always irked him whenever the news flashed headlines of X assassinating presidents or prime ministers, then slipping away unscathed.


    Sure, they might have been corrupt leaders, perhaps undeserving of their positions, but they didn''t deserve death in Klaus''s eyes. He seldom interacted with people, leading most to assume he cared about little beyond his own interests. Yet, he carried a silent burden¡ªa sense of caring for humanity as a whole, a sentiment he seldom revealed but couldn''t quite suppress.


    After the unsettling encounter with X, they collectively decided to shelve their plan for introducing the new member, accepting that if it was meant to happen, it would unfold naturally.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Resuming their places at the table, they settled in as XVII announced that the "event" was about to commence.


    As they waited patiently, Klaus''s attention was suddenly drawn to a voice beside him, but it didn''t sound entirely human. It had a distinct artificial quality as if it emanated from a highly advanced device.


    Turning toward the source of the unusual voice, Klaus found himself face to face with a figure clad in a hoodie, the hood obscuring most of their head. However, what set this individual apart was the complete helmet they wore, a striking contrast to Siren''s more conventional headgear. This was no mere helmet; it resembled a full-head mask, with a unique feature: a black screen that seamlessly blended into the mask''s surface.


    What made it even more intriguing was that, as the person drew closer, it appeared as though the front of the mask displayed eyes and a mouth, their movements mimicking those of a real person. These digitalized features were portrayed with white pixels on the screen, creating an eerie, almost surreal effect.


    As the masked stranger spoke once more, the mask faithfully replicated the facial expressions and gestures one would expect from a flesh-and-blood person. It was uncanny, almost like a digital persona had come to life.


    Klaus had a hunch that the stranger was human due to their uncovered hands, which allowed their human flesh to remain visible. This, combined with a voice modulator that lent a male digitized tone to their speech, created an unsettling but fascinating fusion of human and artificial elements.


    "What''s up? My name''s Link, but you probably know me as Codex," the enigmatic stranger introduced himself, his voice resonating through the digitalized mask that Klaus found both impressive and disconcerting.


    "Codex?" Klaus echoed, his curiosity piqued. The name was unfamiliar to him.


    "You know, Codex. The biggest, and funniest, streamer/gamer known all over the world? Come on, surely you''ve heard of me. Right?" Link''s tone brimmed with a mixture of confidence and expectation.


    Klaus''s bewilderment was evident. The name Codex held no significance to him, and he felt rather out of place being approached by someone who seemed to be a celebrity.


    "Sorry, I''m not really plugged into that scene, I guess," Klaus replied, his voice tinged with apology.


    "Wow, so no one actually knows me around here?" Link proclaimed, raising his voice slightly to ensure his words reached the ears of those around them.


    "Talk about being a global sensation, am I right?" he continued, his tone shifting back to a more casual level.


    Klaus remained captivated by the intricacy of the mask''s design, marveling at how it replicated every nuance of expression and speech.


    Even more astonishing, after Link''s statement, the screen on the mask transformed. First, it depicted a crying emoji, holding the image for a few seconds before morphing into the shape of a heart, breaking in a repeating pattern of three frames, akin to a GIF.


    The level of detail was truly remarkable, capturing the attention of everyone present.


    "Well, I wouldn''t exactly call you a celebrity, Lincoln."


    As Klaus glanced behind Link, he caught sight of a girl making her way toward them, her presence commanding attention.


    "Oh, shut up, Quinn. What do you know? And quit using that name," Link shot back, his response accompanied by the sound of the girl''s laughter, a melodious exchange that hinted at a shared history between them.


    Turning her attention to Klaus, the girl''s demeanor remained one of friendly conversation.


    "Sorry for my brother''s rather inflated sense of self. He can be a handful."


    "Oh my Gods, not this again," Link interjected, a virtual glare etched onto his mask, the visual equivalent of an exasperated eye roll.


    "Please ignore my bitch of a twin sister," Link continued, his tone filled with annoyance.


    "Manners, Lincoln," the girl responded, prompting a sigh from Link in response.


    With a gracious smile, the girl redirected her focus to Klaus and the others, poised to make a proper introduction.


    CONVERSATION


    Quinn: Forgive my unprofessional introduction. My name is Quinn Atlas. It''s nice to meet you."


    Klaus then nodded in response.


    Quinn: I can see that you''re not much of a conversationalist, and that''s perfectly okay with me. By the way, I''ve heard that you were the final one needed for us to move forward with the event. Hopefully, this means we''ll finally uncover the origins of our abilities.


    Ace: Yup, he''s the last one according to XVII.


    Quinn: I see. Then that''s great.


    Klaus had a question in mind, seemingly unfazed by the topic of their ongoing discussion.


    Klaus: You''re here so that means you''re supernatural like us. But what exactly are your abilities?


    Quinn smiled at him before she turned to respond.


    Quinn: Well, in essence, I possess an intellect that far surpasses the peak of a normal being. Though, the same can''t be said for my brother.


    Link: Can you NOT be like that right now? And you do remember I''m older by a few seconds, right?


    Quinn: And for the six hundred and a second time, I know.


    Klaus: I''m guessing yours has to do with technology, right?


    Klaus said as he turned to Link.


    Link: Yup. I can control and manipulate any electronic or electric devices around me at will. So basically, I can make your alarm clock ring without any batteries in them.


    Klaus was genuinely taken aback by the multitude of unique abilities among the group.


    He couldn''t help but feel that he didn''t quite deserve the right to seek more answers. After all, some individuals viewed their powers as more of a burden than a blessing and managed to look past them with grace. Unlike his own ability, which didn''t seem to be constantly active, he could only imagine the curiosity that must weigh on those whose powers were ever-present.


    As he snapped back to reality after drifting into thought, Quinn turned to him once more, delivering a piece of advice.


    "By the way," she began, her tone a mixture of caution and concern, "do your best to avoid getting mixed up with X."


    She continued, "I know it''s common knowledge, but trust me, it''s not worth it, no matter the reason, to engage in any kind of conflict with him."


    Klaus was well aware of this, but given Quinn''s claim of being exceptionally intelligent and her earnest warning, he knew he couldn''t take her words lightly.


    He sighed and mumbled, "I guess."


    There were still several people within the group whom Klaus had not yet met, but the truth was, he had little desire to do so. His primary motivation in engaging with them was to gain insights into others with abilities like his and understand how they navigated their lives.


    What troubled him, however, was the realization that X was the only other person who exhibited even a hint of antisocial behavior. It left him uneasy, contrasting sharply with the others who seemed adept at keeping their powers from influencing their social interactions and everyday conversations.


    And almost immediately after his mind had been flooded with so many thoughts in such a short span, something unexpected unfolded.


    Amid the chatter that had filled the room, a sudden hush descended, enveloping everyone in complete silence. Heads turned in unison, eyes fixated on the same spot¡ªa phenomenon that even affected Klaus.


    As they collectively shifted their gaze, their curiosity was rewarded.


    Out of nowhere, a beam of light materialized, piercing through the seemingly infinite expanse of the bright skies, and illuminating a small area at the entrance of the room.


    Every occupant of the room, including Klaus, was drawn into the mesmerizing display, their expressions reflecting a mix of puzzlement and awe.


    Then came the second occurrence.


    Klaus experienced a strange sensation, an unusual current that seemed to course through his body and nerves, urging him to move in a way he hadn''t intended. An unbidden impulse compelled him to kneel.


    As he glanced around, he realized he wasn''t alone in this experience. The others shared the same compulsion.


    Gradually, as the brilliant light began to dim, they all sank to their knees, like loyal subjects before a sovereign ruler. A sense of powerlessness settled over them; it was clear that they were caught in the grip of an unexplainable force.


    As Klaus shifted his gaze forward, he beheld the reason behind their involuntary obeisance.


    His eyes widened, disbelief coursing through him.


    "So it was true," he murmured softly to himself, his voice tinged with realization.


    "They truly do exist."


    Caught off guard and bewildered, Ace couldn''t help but voice his confusion. "Who is that?"


    Summoning his breath, Klaus managed to respond to Ace, his voice carrying an almost reverent weight.


    "A God."

 #11: Answers

    Do you know the difference between a human and a god?


    Truth be told, not many pondered this distinction.


    Perhaps it was because some folks simply didn''t believe in the existence of gods, while others lacked definitive visual proof of when these divine beings originally appeared.


    Yet, Klaus was now certain that one stood before him.


    Fear? No, not quite.


    It was more like sheer disbelief.


    Have you ever witnessed something with your very eyes and still questioned its presence, doubting its very existence?


    Well, this was akin to that sensation.


    In an instinctual act, everyone bowed in unison as the radiant light filled the room, bathing them all in its ethereal glow.


    Klaus, however, managed to steal glances at everyone''s reactions amid the surreal moment.


    Most mirrored his own¡ªutter confusion.


    Yet, scattered among them were those with different expressions, ones that seemed to anticipate something significant. Lance, Quinn, and a guy seated toward the back, with grayish hair and silver eyes, all wore this peculiar look.


    Still, others exhibited a range of reactions to this unexpected development.


    Klaus shifted his gaze and noticed X, whose eyes blazed with pure rage. Klaus understood that X was profoundly frustrated, unable to stand, and forced into this submissive posture.


    In a way, it struck Klaus as a comedic sight, seeing X''s futile attempts at resistance and his eventual resignation to immobility. However, Klaus didn''t have the luxury to dwell on such trivial matters.


    His attention turned upward as the light fully dissipated, allowing him to witness what was unfolding.


    This was when the disbelief truly began to settle in.


    "A God?" Ace''s voice echoed with confusion as he sought clarity on the matter. "I thought they weren''t real?"


    "So did I," Klaus replied, his gaze still firmly fixed in a state of disbelief.


    "Am I seeing things? Could this truly be the answer I''ve been seeking?" Klaus mumbled, his thoughts tangled in confusion.


    He struggled to accept that this could indeed be the case.


    And then, as if hit by an oncoming truck, realization crashed over him.


    Perhaps this was the reason why he''d never known his father. Maybe his mother''s vague responses and excuses whenever he inquired about his father were all tied to this truth.


    "Was she aware of this?"


    Could it be that his father was truly... a God?


    Within a matter of seconds, Klaus''s mind was flooded with a million questions.


    While it wasn''t an absolute certainty, Klaus felt a deep conviction that the man before him was a God.


    This despite his disbelief.


    The man possessed all the physical attributes of a human: hands, fingers, feet, legs, and a head. Yet, it was the details that set him apart. His eyes lacked pupils, and his towering height defied human norms.


    But how did Klaus arrive at this conclusion? What made him so certain that this man was indeed a God?


    Was it the eyes, devoid of pupils?


    Was it the sheer scale and presence of the man?


    Klaus mulled over these thoughts, the culmination of dreams, discussions with Rose, and the validation from Quinn earlier. All of these factors led him to a definitive conclusion: the man before them was not mortal.


    And amidst his intense contemplation, the man finally spoke.


    "It appears Siege''s counsel to decrease my presence was wise."


    His words sent shivers down everyone''s spines, freezing them in place as they absorbed the weight of his statement.


    The man extended his arm, his voice resonating with an air of authority. "Rise, mortals."


    With those words, the spell binding everyone seemed to lift, and they stood up, their movements almost guided by an unseen force.


    Every eye remained fixated on the man, their gazes brimming with awe.


    His appearance carried a tinge of intimidation, cloaked in a silver suit of armor that exuded an air of regality.


    Flowing brown hair framed his face, lending him an imposing yet almost heroic visage.


    "This doesn''t match the God from the tales."


    Klaus turned slightly, catching Quinn''s hushed whisper. "His appearance doesn''t align with what I know."


    Klaus lacked any historical context; he''d consistently dismissed such accounts. Thus, he couldn''t corroborate Quinn''s observation.


    "It seems that only a few among you are familiar with our existence. And even fewer are aware of Siege''s initial manifestation."


    "But I shall provide explanations in due course," the man declared.


    The murmurs that had swelled around the room subsided as the man''s proclamation hung in the air.


    Each person held their unique reasons for seeking answers about their extraordinary abilities.


    After a brief pause, the man chose to reveal his identity.


    "For those who are unaware or in disbelief, I am the entity you mortals refer to as a God. I stand as one of the Gods responsible for the creation of all realms inhabited by mortals. I assume the role of protector for these realms and all that they encompass."


    He took a deliberate pause, allowing his words to resonate.


    "In addition, I hold the title of Guardian over this very realm before you, known as Higher World¡ªthe world of the Gods. Among all my divine peers, I possess the highest rank within this realm."


    As his words echoed, glances were exchanged among the assembled, each individual processing this startling revelation.


    This God wasn''t just any God; he had asserted his claim to the highest echelon of divine authority.


    Amid the collective shock, one prevailing belief united them: this man was speaking the truth.


    The man''s narrative resumed, drawing everyone''s attention back to him.


    "I am Zenith, and I hold the mantle of the God of Higher World, as well as the God of Nature."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The room was now as hushed as a cemetery, a stillness that mirrored the weight of the revelation.


    For several moments, words seemed to elude everyone.


    "So, you''re truly real?" Klaus finally spoke, addressing Zenith with a mixture of wonder and disbelief.


    "Indeed," Zenith affirmed, his voice resonating with a tranquil assurance.


    Curiosity was etched across Rose''s features as she voiced her question. "Then what exactly are we?"


    Zenith paused briefly, gathering his thoughts before he began to elaborate.


    He recounted the narrative from its inception, starting with Sage''s idea and tracing their journey back to Higher World.


    While some members of the assembly found solace in the answers they sought, others were less than pleased.


    "You are all the descendants of both Gods and Mortals. You embody the future of the realms and stand as intermediaries between the Gods and Mortals. You are known... as Demigods."


    The weight of the revelation left Klaus unsure if he truly felt relief.


    "Demigods?" Link chimed in.


    "Well, I guess the term ''anomaly'' is now officially retired," Ace muttered wryly.


    Rose retorted, "No one ever really used that term, you know."


    Klaus, deep in thought, grappled with unexpected emotions.


    He hadn''t anticipated being taken aback by a circumstance he had already suspected. He considered that perhaps the experience wasn''t as shocking for others, given the existence of their abilities. However, he was now struggling with a profound sense of disbelief, which seemed ironic given that the initial revelation of his abilities hadn''t fazed him in the slightest.


    Following a brief exchange of murmurs among the newly discovered demigods, a quiet settled over the group.


    Zenith''s gaze swept across them, assessing their collective presence.


    "It appears that not all of you are aware of the specific God from whom you are descended," he addressed them.


    Turning to XVII, who stood nearby, Zenith continued, "Before we proceed with anything else, we should arrange meetings between each God and their respective child."


    "Yes, master," XVII acknowledged.


    Zenith then shifted his attention back to the assembly, his stern expression softening into a smile.


    "I am truly pleased that this day has finally arrived."


    As he concluded his statement, a halo materialized behind him, casting its luminous glow over the area.


    A description that comes close is that of a hollow ring of radiant light. The halo''s enormity was notable, hovering vertically above his back.


    Without warning, enormous wings sprouted from his back, and he used them to lift himself into the air, departing from their location to return to the domain of the Gods.


    Shortly afterward, XVII made an announcement. Each demigod would be individually summoned and transported to the realm of the Gods, allowing them to finally meet their biological fathers.


    Klaus''s mind was abuzz with a whirlwind of thoughts.


    Uncertainty mingled with potential happiness or sorrow. However, he recognized that he had finally obtained answers to the myriad questions that had long plagued him¡ªabout his abilities and his father.


    "Interesting fact about the Gods: they all take on male forms," came a voice, interrupting Klaus''s contemplation.


    Turning toward the source, he recognized the owner of the brown, curly hair and the familiar voice¡ªQuinn.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: What?


    Quinn: Yup. So, before creating the realms, the Gods had no gender identity since they didn''t need to reproduce. So, when they created humans, they initially fashioned them in their image, identical to themselves.


    Klaus: Oh, wow.


    Quinn: Women were created somewhat later, with a more distinct design. So, in a way, you could say we''re the Gods'' final masterpiece.


    Klaus was taken aback, although it wasn''t something that would completely astonish him since it made sense.


    Quinn: Also, that explains my theory of why every person here hadn''t met their father.


    Klaus: Wait, you knew?


    Quinn: Not completely but I was a bit on track.


    Klaus: You seem to know a lot about the Gods.


    Quinn smiled before responding.


    Quinn: Yeah, unlike the rest of the population, I had a hunch it was true, so I got into studying about them all.


    After a while, Ace, Rose, Quinn, and Klaus found themselves gathered together, awaiting the summons that would allow them to finally meet their fathers for the first time. Amid anticipation, they engaged in conversation, speculating about the identities and natures of their respective divine parents.


    "I already have a feeling about who my dad is¡ª the God of Mind," Quinn began, looking at the others, a hint of speculation in her gaze.


    She turned her attention to Rose, offering her thoughts on her possible lineage, "Considering your abilities and the rather clich¨¦ name, I''d hazard a guess that you might be the daughter of the God of Emotion."


    "Emotion?" Rose questioned, her curiosity piqued.


    "Well, there isn''t a dedicated God of Love, so that''s the closest approximation," Quinn explained.


    Ace chimed in next, noting that he could discern his probable connection to the God of speed.


    Quinn responded with a correction, "There isn''t exactly a God of speed, but I''m assuming you mean the God of Motion."


    With attention shifting to Klaus, Quinn admitted uncertainty. What made Klaus a mystery was that his familiar abilities were rendered unusable in the Higher World''s constant daylight. Only Rose, having been a witness, knew the truth.


    "From what I can deduce, there are two likely options," Quinn said thoughtfully. "The God of Motion, which was my initial assumption for Ace, or... the God of Darkness."


    Klaus let out a sigh, his thoughts aligning with the notion.


    Given that his abilities exclusively manifested at night, Quinn''s assumption seemed plausible.


    Curiosity got the best of him as Klaus inquired, "So, how many Gods are there exactly?"


    "Based on my knowledge, there are thirteen," Quinn replied.


    Klaus requested that she list all the known God positions, and she duly complied, providing him with the comprehensive roster.


    His gaze drifted downward as he delved into contemplation.


    "I guess darkness does seem to hold the strongest likelihood," he mused.


    Abruptly, a voice sounded, directed specifically at Klaus and addressing the conjectures they had been discussing.


    "I don''t think that''s the case."


    Klaus''s eyes widened as he recognized the voice¡ªutterly familiar yet almost unbelievable.


    He couldn''t dismiss the truth; it was the voice of someone he knew too well.


    As he turned, his incredulity proved warranted¡ªstanding before him was none other than Shade.


    "Shade?" Klaus''s voice held a mix of astonishment and disbelief.


    In a world teeming with supernatural revelations, his adopted brother''s sudden appearance left Klaus bewildered.


    "How...?" Klaus''s words trailed off, his confusion palpable.


    A warm smile played on Shade''s lips as he replied, "Well, maybe because I''m a demigod, just like you."


    Klaus rose from his seat, the surreal nature of the situation sinking in. He approached Shade and enveloped him in a heartfelt hug.


    Reasons aside, Shade''s presence affirmed his status as a fellow demigod.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: So how long have you known?


    Shade: Well, for a while. Before you found out about yours as well.


    Klaus was shocked as Shade continued.


    Shade: A few years ago, I discovered that I possessed the power to manipulate shadows. I could create and manipulate shadows of objects at will. When I first realized this, it frightened me a bit. However, I sensed that it was somehow connected to me, so I chose not to make a big deal out of it to both you and Mom.


    Klaus had no words.


    Shade: I didn''t initially notice your abilities until you began graffiti recently. I thought you might be experiencing the same nightmares as I did and were using street art as a way to cope. But, initially, it was just an assumption on my part, until I observed something unique about you.


    He then took a break before he continued.


    Shade: I noticed that your shadow started to fade away.


    Rose: What?


    Klaus was confused upon hearing that.


    Klaus: Wait, how?


    Shade: Well, I wasn''t entirely sure either. But I did notice that it was gradually fading because there came a point when it completely disappeared.


    Rose, Ace, and Quinn directed their attention to Klaus, who was left speechless.


    Shade: Since I possessed the power to create and manipulate shadows, I realized that to ensure no one would discover your uniqueness, I had to do something. So, I created a shadow and substituted it for your fading one.


    Words couldn''t describe how shocked Klaus was.


    Quinn: Wow.


    After a few seconds, Shade continued once more.


    Shade: And through the shadow, I also found out that I could sense your well-being and track your movements, as it was constantly linked to you.


    Quinn: So like a guardian angel?


    Shade: I suppose you could say that.


    After taking a few more seconds to gather his thoughts, Klaus finally comprehended everything Shade had revealed. However, what troubled him was the realization that unlike himself, who had Rose''s support, Shade had gone through this experience alone.


    "You should''ve at least told me," Klaus responded, his concern evident.


    "Yeah, I had intended to, until I found myself here somehow," Shade replied.


    Once Shade had settled into a seat, his attention was drawn to Rose, and he recognized her from their shared school.


    "Hey, I think I''ve seen you before at school," Shade remarked.


    "Yeah, I guess this is our first time finally meeting. I''m Rose Valentine," she introduced herself.


    "Shade Walker, nice to meet you."


    "Oh, I know who you are; I''m a friend of your brother," Rose added.


    Shade''s response was tinged with confusion, "Friend? Wait, aren''t you that popular girl everyone talks about?"


    Rose responded with a smile and a nod, confirming his suspicion. Shade then glanced at Klaus, who found himself momentarily speechless.


    "Wait, really? Wow?" Shade''s astonishment was palpable.


    He was taken aback that his typically reserved brother, who avoided attention from anyone, would be friends with someone as popular as Rose.


    "You continue to surprise me, even to this day, brother," Shade remarked with a smile.


    Klaus let out a sigh, opting to withhold his input on the discussion.


    Immediately after this, Klaus''s name reverberated throughout the area.


    "Klaus Walker."


    He turned to see that XVII had called his name and continued with urgency,


    "Klaus Walker, you are the first to meet the Gods. Let us make haste and depart for the realm of the Gods."


    Klaus rose from his seat and followed XVII out of the room, leading him toward what appeared to be a teleportation platform.


    Standing together upon it, they were instantly transported to a distinct segment of Higher World, entirely different in appearance.


    Surveying his surroundings, Klaus recognized that he was on the brink of encountering his father for the very first time and gaining a deeper comprehension of his capabilities.


    A moment of awe passed before Klaus finally inquired,


    "So, this is where the Gods reside?"

 #12: A Brighter Path

    Klaus entered a temple-like structure.


    "Is this the place?" he questioned XVII as they drew closer step by step.


    "Affirmative. However, it appears my journey concludes here. I have been instructed that you are to proceed from this point onward on your own."


    Klaus wasn''t exactly thrilled about going alone, or even going at all. He was still grappling with the concept of the "Gods Being Real."


    Yet, if there was one thing he held a faint desire to uncover, it was the truth about his father. He recalled that his mother had been left on her own and always depicted his father as a weak individual who quivered at the thought of a family.


    His mother''s evasion tactics had led him to assume that this was indeed the case. But now he was being told that the man he never met, yet always resented, was far from ordinary¡ªan ethereal entity tasked with safeguarding humanity.


    He felt lost in a maelstrom of conflicting beliefs.


    Stepping into the temple, a blinding brilliance radiated within the room. The entire space was bathed in light, obscuring Klaus'' vision to the extent that he could only discern a few feet ahead.


    Then, something inexplicable happened.


    As he pressed forward, an intense headache gripped his head, causing him to stagger. Struggling to maintain his balance, he collapsed to the ground, succumbing to unconsciousness.


    What followed were fragments of memories flooding his mind. He seemed to be reliving moments from his life.


    He entered his home to find his mother asleep on the couch. His eyes fell upon his graffiti-stained attire, suggesting he had returned in those clothes. He retrieved a blanket from upstairs and carefully covered his mother, attempting to ease her comfort.


    After a shower, he changed into sweatpants and settled onto his bed. Everything felt extraordinarily ordinary, like an unembellished reality. He toyed with a rubber ball next to his bed, bouncing it off the walls and catching it with practiced ease.


    Then, suddenly, the same agony from the headache revisited him.


    "Maybe, but honestly it''s better to tell him. No point stretching it," a voice suddenly echoed, stirring him from sleep.


    Familiar surroundings dissolved, replaced by an otherworldly realm, an unsettling detachment from Earth surrounded by bright light and thick white fog. Rising from an unfamiliar state, three colossal figures glanced back at him¡ªall about eight feet tall.


    "What the..." he began, a strange recognition seizing his thoughts.


    "He''s remembering something," one of the strange beings, who appeared closest to him, muttered as they looked to see if he was alright. Their anticipation lingered, awaiting his response.


    The close colossal being then called out to him in concern-"Klaus... Klaus... Klaus, are you okay?"


    The headache gradually subsided, and Klaus''s grasp on his fleeting sanity began to solidify once more.


    The man before him extended his hand, offering assistance, and Klaus accepted, allowing himself to be pulled up.


    "I''m fine," Klaus assured, his voice tinged with a hint of calmness. "Just a little bit of d¨¦j¨¤ vu."


    Realization washed over Klaus as he comprehended that he stood before three actual Gods.


    He managed to keep his composure, though his eyes twitched momentarily before he regained his cool demeanor.


    "As long as you''re all right. Anyway, we were discussing whether you''d like to guess your father. But I suppose you lack enough information about us, correct?" the foremost God inquired.


    "C-correct," Klaus stammered, his response directed at the divine figure before him.


    "I told you these little games are rather unnecessary. These mortals do not seem to grasp the situation well enough," another God chimed in from the rear.


    Klaus felt compelled to navigate this interaction with tact and respect, unlike his usual demeanor. Standing before celestial beings prompted a certain decorum he couldn''t ignore, especially given the possible consequences of missteps.


    "I could give it a try... I guess," Klaus offered, the informal tone of his response causing him to instantly regret his choice of words.


    The Gods collectively turned toward him, their expressions registering surprise as if his response hadn''t been expected.


    A chuckle escaped the one nearest to him, breaking the tension. "Well, then, why not give it a shot?" he encouraged.


    Klaus''s gaze swept over the trio of Gods before him, each distinct in their own right.


    The first God stood directly in his line of sight. His long, jet-black hair cascaded to the right, partially obscuring his right eye. An enigmatic smile graced his lips, a contrast to his edgy appearance. This one seemed the calmest, radiating an air of composure that set him apart. Clad in black armor, his entire ensemble exuded a sleek, metallic-black sheen.


    Adjacent to him was the second God, his hair also ebony, though not as deep as the first''s. His countenance bore curiosity, as his gaze was fixed on Klaus. Unlike the first God''s matte-style black armor, his own was a paler hue, almost white, with a subdued shine that hinted at a quieter strength.


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    Completing the trio was the third God, positioned to Klaus''s left and slightly behind the first. This one sported spiky, golden blond hair that swept back dramatically. A stoic expression adorned his features, evoking an air of heroism reminiscent of comic book protagonists. Unlike his counterparts, this God was adorned in a resplendent golden armor ensemble, distinguishing him with an aura of regal power.


    Klaus''s assessment of each God was swift and thorough, his decision forming in the recesses of his mind. While the three shared similarities, none bore a striking resemblance to him. Relying solely on reason, Klaus made his determination.


    His gaze fixed on the figure directly before him, he voiced his choice, "It''s you, isn''t it?" His finger pointed at the God before him.


    Logically, it made sense that his father among them would be the one in closest proximity. The others appeared as if accompanying the central figure, consolidating his options.


    The blond God positioned behind, his arms folded across his chest, couldn''t resist chiming in. His words struck Klaus like a blow, casting doubt on his earlier assertion.


    "You know, for a child portrayed as bright, you do have moments of dullness," the God remarked, his tone a mixture of amusement and light mockery.


    Klaus''s confidence wavered. Could he have been wrong? The possibility gnawed at him, clouding his certainty.


    The God beside the one who had spoken intervened, his voice gentle, "Forgive him, Siege. He''s meeting us for the first time."


    Approaching Klaus with a shift from neutrality to a welcoming smile, the God continued, "I''m pleased to finally meet you, Klaus. My name is Sol, and I am your biological father."


    The revelation caught Klaus off guard. The identity of his father had been a mystery, and he hadn''t anticipated that the one with the white armor would hold that position. Yet, considering the interaction between the Gods and his observations, it seemed to align more coherently.


    Sol went on, introducing the other figures present, "This is Siege," he indicated the God in gold armor, "and the one in front of you is Abyss."


    Klaus pondered for a moment, a pressing question on his mind that he couldn''t keep unvoiced.


    "If I may ask," he began tentatively, "what titles do each of you hold?"


    Sol took a step forward, causing Abyss to retreat slightly. With his attention turning back, Sol explained, "Siege is the God of War, and Abyss is the God of Darkness."


    Sol turned back to Klaus, his demeanor sincere, "As for myself, I am the God of Light."


    "Light?" Klaus''s mind raced, trying to reconcile this information. It seemed utterly incongruous with his abilities, leaving him perplexed.


    Caught in a whirlwind of thoughts, Klaus found himself enveloped in a momentary silence as he grappled with the newfound revelations.


    Observing Klaus''s confusion, Sol took it upon himself to offer further clarification, intending to illuminate the connection between his abilities and his title.


    CONVERSATION


    Sol: It appears you''re somewhat puzzled about how your abilities connect to my divine power.


    Klaus took a second before responding.


    Klaus: I guess.


    Sol: Well, allow me to explain. The reason your abilities don''t function during the daytime and particularly at night is precisely due to their inherent connection to light.


    Klaus was baffled by this statement.


    Klaus: How? I don''t understand.


    Sol: Think of your power like a lit matchstick. When the sun is shining, its light becomes insignificant compared to the much brighter sunlight. But when the sun sets and darkness prevails, the matchstick''s light becomes more prominent and meaningful. That''s why your power only manifests at night for now.


    Klaus couldn''t quite comprehend the intricacies of it, but the explanation resonated with him. It was remarkably straightforward, yet surprisingly elusive to grasp.


    Klaus: So, if I understand correctly, my powers function primarily at night because that''s when my innate light is at its peak intensity?


    Sol: Precisely.


    Klaus: But why can''t I control or manifest this light energy at will, as I would expect?


    Sol: Simple. Because you''ve never attempted it. Every demigod typically first accesses their power through dreams that become real, preexisting knowledge of their abilities, or in high-pressure situations where they desperately need to use them. In your case, you''ve never consciously tried to manifest light before.


    Klaus grasped the concept Sol was explaining, yet there was one aspect that left him slightly puzzled.


    Klaus: But something else doesn''t add up. How come my current power has nothing to do with light?


    Sol: The current ability you possess is quite unique. Unlike many other demigods, your power extends beyond mere conjuring or summoning. You possess the capability to mimic the properties of light itself, which is the reason behind your remarkable speed¡ªequivalent to the speed of light.


    Klaus found himself grappling with the reality of what Sol was explaining. While everything Sol said sounded unbelievable, deep down, Klaus understood that this was the truth he had been seeking.


    The influx of information hit him all at once, and he needed a moment to process his racing thoughts. For nearly a full minute, Klaus remained silent, staring at his hands with a mixture of curiosity and astonishment.


    "Are you going to waste your first moments with your father by rambling about your abilities and staring at your palm in disbelief?" Siege''s voice broke through Klaus'' thoughts, and he turned to see Siege''s intense gaze, his eyes devoid of pupils, making the sight even more unsettling.


    "It''s alright, Siege. I''ll take it from here," Sol intervened.


    Siege relented with a sigh. Without another word, he unfurled his massive white wings and flew away so quickly that Klaus couldn''t even discern the direction he''d taken. Following suit, Abyss departed, leaving Klaus and Sol alone for their father-son talk.


    Klaus felt a rush of emotions, considering his mother''s loneliness and the truth behind his father''s departure. He had harbored resentment towards his absent father, but now he understood the gravity of his father''s responsibilities.


    Klaus struggled to find words to break the silence that lingered between them.


    "I''m sorry," Sol''s voice cut through the quiet, surprising Klaus.


    Klaus was taken aback. He had never expected to hear an apology from his father, let alone consider accepting it.


    "I know you were angry about me leaving Natalie, and no explanation can excuse my departure, no matter how vital. All I can offer, Klaus, is my apology."


    The weight of those words settled heavily on both Klaus and Sol. Despite Klaus'' usual emotional detachment, tears slightly welled up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, maintaining his composure.


    "I understand your role in the grand scheme of things. You don''t need to apologize. I''ve come to realize its significance."


    A sense of mutual understanding washed over them, the tension between father and son finally dissipating. Not inclined towards physical gestures of affection, they opted for a firm handshake, a symbolic gesture of reconciliation.


    "I guess It''s time for you to return," Sol said after a brief, heartfelt exchange.


    "I guess," Klaus replied.


    Once their conversation concluded, Sol guided Klaus toward the exit of the temple. There, Klaus was reunited with XVII, and together they returned to the gathering place of the demigods.


    XVII pointed Klaus to a building that resembled an apartment building. It would serve as his temporary residence while the Gods continued to meet with the other demigods. Despite the perpetual morning in Higher World, Klaus felt the exhaustion settling in from his eventful day.


    Entering the room, Klaus wasted no time in collapsing onto the bed. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts churning. The weight of the day''s revelations and interactions weighed on his mind. Despite the constant daylight outside, his body yearned for a deep and restful sleep.


    As he lay on the bed, his thoughts swirled around the newfound knowledge of his abilities and his father''s role in the celestial scheme. With a thoughtful expression, he stretched out his hand, gazing at it and attempting to see the connection between himself and the power he had yet to fully understand.


    "Light, huh," he whispered to himself, contemplating the implications of this revelation as he drifted into a well-deserved slumber.

 #13: Loved Ones

    The gentle rustling of trees and the soothing breeze created an environment conducive to deep slumber for Klaus. It was a restful sleep, a rare respite from the usual headaches and nightmares that plagued him. As he lay down, the absence of these disturbances provided a comfort he hadn''t experienced in a while.


    Time flowed silently, minutes melting into hours, and what began as a brief nap extended into a profound slumber. For the first time in ages, Klaus awoke without the usual pounding in his head or the weight of haunting dreams. The sensation of normality surprised him as he sat on the bed, taking in the unusual feeling of restful sleep. Gazing out of the window, he confirmed what he had suspected: the eternal daylight of Higher World.


    Stepping outside, Klaus contemplated how long he had slept and whether anyone was still around. Mia''s presence caught his attention as he noticed her sitting on a nearby bench. He had no intention of engaging in conversation, his aversion to chatter clear, but Mia''s call for his attention was clear.


    "Hey, gloomy boy. Can''t even spare a ''hello''?" she quipped, her voice carrying a playful tone.


    Klaus, however, remained uninterested, continuing to walk past her without acknowledging her presence. This only served to ignite her frustration, prompting her to raise her voice and address him once more.


    "Can you at least TRY to respond? Don''t be so shy!"


    Halting in his tracks, Klaus turned and walked towards Mia, meeting her gaze head-on with a straight face. His deep yellow eyes locked onto her light brown ones, an intensity radiating from his gaze as he leaned closer. The momentary contact sent a shiver down her spine, her cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and unease.


    "You''re too loud," Klaus muttered, his words carrying an undertone of mild irritation. With that, he turned his attention forward and resumed his stride.


    Stunned by the encounter, Mia was momentarily speechless. It took her a few seconds to regain her composure before she snapped back to reality. Determined not to be dismissed, she swiftly got up from the bench and hurried to catch up with Klaus. Positioned in his path, she stood her ground and faced him directly.


    CONVERSATION


    Mia: Okay, fine, I''m sorry. But can you at least BE a little less harsh? Gosh.


    Her tone had shifted significantly from its initial playfulness, adopting a more measured and tolerable quality. Considering this change, Klaus saw no immediate reason to continue ignoring her.


    Klaus: What do you want?


    Mia: Mia. My name''s Mia, remember?


    Klaus: *sighs* What do you want, Mia?


    Mia: Nothing. Just trying to get some information.


    Klaus: That doesn''t sound like ''nothing''.


    Mia: Anyway, you were the first person who met with the Gods, right?


    Klaus: Sure?


    Mia: Well... according to that first God guy, he said that we were supposed to meet up with our fathers. Did you?


    Klaus felt a sense of confusion. He had assumed that everything should have been concluded by that point, and Mia should have experienced what he did. However, lacking complete information, he chose to set aside his concerns for the time being.


    Klaus: I guess.


    Mia: Wow. And it''s been almost six hours since then.


    Klaus noticed the concerned expression on Mia''s face. While he wasn''t particularly concerned, he couldn''t help but wonder if her worry might be an opportunity to gather information from her without her realizing it.


    Klaus: You seem worried. Why?


    Mia: So you do care about little ol'' me. How adorable.


    Klaus felt a bitter taste in his mouth but chose not to react as she carried on.


    Mia: Well, we were all sent back to our rooms and informed that we would be called one by one. But that was around five hours ago. It doesn''t seem like it should be taking this much time to get to my turn.


    Klaus was taken aback by the fact that they hadn''t finished by that time. However, he remained curious about what had transpired before he woke up.


    Klaus: So you haven''t met your father yet?


    Mia: No. Though, they''re probably saving the best for last, to be fair.


    With no more information to gain from Mia, Klaus decided it was time to head back to the apartment. Lying on his bed, he mulled over the events of the day. The supernatural occurrences, the revelation of gods, and the mysteries of his own powers all swirled in his mind.


    "The current ability you possess is quite unique. Unlike many other demigods, your power extends beyond mere conjuring or summoning."


    Klaus couldn''t shake Sol''s words. He pondered the uniqueness of his abilities and wondered why he was different from the rest of the demigods.


    His situation, however, wasn''t exactly enviable. He had witnessed extraordinary abilities in people like Lance and Ace, as well as a mysterious aura in individuals like X and Quinn. Meanwhile, his powers didn''t come at his beck and call, with the constant illumination in Higher World making things worse.


    Although he comprehended the logic behind the dimming of his powers in the day and their brilliance at night, he wasn''t content with being practically powerless during the day.


    As he lay there, Klaus stretched his hand toward the ceiling, his thoughts focused on the idea of creating light from his palm. It was a task that wasn''t as straightforward as walking or eating, so he understood that it would require substantial effort.


    Concentrating intently, he pictured a scenario where light emanated from his hand. A peculiar phenomenon unfolded before his eyes ¨C the area around his palm seemed to brighten slightly compared to the surroundings. The light was faint, almost imperceptible, yet Klaus felt a surge of accomplishment. It was a small step toward unraveling his true potential.


    Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He stood and answered, finding Shade and Rose on the other side before inviting them in.


    CONVERSATION


    Shade: Hey, bro. how''re you doing?


    Klaus: I''m okay... I guess.


    Shade: I stopped by to see how you were doing after I met with my dad, but you were sound asleep, and I didn''t want to disturb you.


    Klaus: Yeah, I haven''t had a good night''s sleep in a while.


    Rose: Or rather, a good day''s sleep.


    Klaus: Hello to you too, Rose.


    Rose: *smiling* Hey, Klaus.


    They entered the room, with Shade taking a seat at the desk near the door, and Rose settling onto the bed beside Klaus.


    Shade: By the way, you ended up finding out who your dad was too, right?


    Klaus: *sighing* Yeah.


    He reclined on the bed, with his feet remaining to the sides, and both of his palms resting behind his head.


    Klaus: Sol, the God of Light.


    Shade: Light?


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    Rose: Wait, what? How?


    The shock in both Shade and Rose''s eyes spoke plenty as silence filled the room.


    Shade: How does that even make sense?


    Klaus: "The current ability you possess is quite unique. Unlike many other demigods, your power extends beyond mere conjuring or summoning.". Those were the exact words he told me.


    Rose: But why is that? Does that mean you''re unique, or something?


    Klaus closed his eyes in silence for a few seconds.


    Klaus: I don''t know. But I sure as hell don''t feel unique.


    He proceeded to recount all the information that Sol had shared with him about his abilities and the reasons behind their limitations in Higher World.


    Shade: Wow. Well, at least it makes sense, somehow.


    Rose: You should''ve tried to get more information about it.


    Klaus: I would, but given the circumstances of just meeting my father for the first time, I don''t think it would be quite appropriate to bombard him with unnecessary inquiries. At least, that''s what Siege suggested.


    Shade: Oh, he was there with you too?


    Klaus: Unfortunately.


    Shade: Yeah. He really is an intimidating being.


    Rose: Well, He wasn''t around during mine, so I guess I got lucky.


    Klaus: Speaking of, who ended up being your fathers?


    Rose: Mine was as Quinn said. Zeal, the God of Emotion... or something like that.


    Shade: Same for me. The God of Darkness, Abyss.


    Klaus: Oh, I actually met Abyss during my meeting.


    Shade: Now that you mention it, Sol was there for mine as well, alongside Siege.


    Klaus: Huh. Maybe they''re close.


    Rose: Wait, why was my dad alone when I met him? That''s kinda unfair.


    After a few moments, a heavy silence settled in the room. Klaus shifted, sitting up and gazing down at the floor before he finally voiced his thoughts.


    "Do you both feel alright about the fact that they left us behind and now expect us to simply welcome them back into our lives?"


    The room became thick with tension as both Rose and Klaus exchanged glances, their expressions mirroring the unease in the atmosphere.


    "Well, we can''t exactly defy literal Gods, can we?" Rose replied, her voice reflecting the complexities of the situation.


    Words seemed inadequate to capture the emotions that hung in the air; they all shared a sense of something difficult to articulate. Fortunately, the tension was broken when an announcement echoed throughout the building. XVII''s voice resonated throughout the area, compelling the demigods to assemble at the central meeting place, an arena situated not far from where Klaus had arrived.


    As the demigods congregated, taking their seats, XVII stood before them, a figure of authority. His words carried a weight that was felt by everyone present.


    "By now, you should have all met your biological fathers, who are here with us. However, we understand that you may also desire to know the other Gods beyond your immediate parentage. Therefore, the Gods have decided to present themselves to you."


    With his statement concluded, a spectacle unfolded that seemed almost surreal. Beams of light pierced the air, converging in front of the demigods. In an instant, multiple Gods materialized on the stage, their presence dazzling and overwhelming.


    Klaus was overcome by the sheer magnitude of their existence, his body immobilized by their mere presence.


    Each God possessed distinctive features, yet a shared resemblance bound them together, like a clan of brothers. Their attires varied, with some adorned in formidable armor while others appeared in casual attire as if they had come from a relaxed gathering. The demigods, including Klaus, were left speechless, confronted by the most powerful entities in existence.


    "Your introductions have shown your compliance and your willingness to gather here in Higher World despite the challenges it posed. We are cognizant of the tensions born from our absence in your lives. We do not ask for your forgiveness, but rather your understanding of our roles in the grand tapestry of existence. As an expression of gratitude for your cooperation, we wish to introduce ourselves to you, not just as parents, but also as guides and mentors."


    As Zenith completed his statement, he walked forward and continued.


    "I am Zenith, the God of Nature and Higher world."


    After him, the rest of the Gods continued.


    "I am Sol, the God of Light."


    "I am Abyss, the God of Darkness."


    "I am Siege, the God of War."


    "I am Blur, the God of Motion."


    "I am Zeal, the God of Emotion."


    "I am Sage, the God of Mind."


    "I am Siris, the God of Sight."


    "I am Sonar, the God of Sound."


    "And I am Ultion, the God of Retribution."


    With fluidity, ten Gods introduced themselves to the gathered demigods. The air was filled with a mix of awe and curiosity as each deity revealed their identity.


    Yet, something seemed amiss. Klaus''s memory resurfaced Quinn''s mention of thirteen Gods in total. This meant that three of them were conspicuously absent from this presentation.


    "Regrettably, Nekro, the God of Fire, and Torrent, the God of Water, could not join us currently due to their duties. They extend their regards despite their absence," the announcement from Zenith clarified.


    While this accounted for two absences, the other lingered in the air, causing Klaus to feel an itch of curiosity. He hesitated to voice his question, assuming Quinn might have been mistaken about the count.


    However, his assumptions were challenged by an unexpected interruption.


    "Uhh, excuse me, God people?"


    Klaus''s attention shifted to Mia, who had managed to find her voice amidst the presence of the Gods.


    "I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but I haven''t had the pleasure of meeting my father yet. So who is it?"


    Initially, Klaus presumed this to be a minor oversight, easily explained by the chaotic nature of the event. Yet, as he observed the Gods exchanging glances, he realized there was more to the situation than met the eye.


    Klaus had come to believe in the authenticity of the Gods'' words, despite his recent introduction to their existence. He recognized that their response would be an honest one, and the truth behind Mia''s situation was about to be unveiled.


    Zenith stepped forward, taking the role of explanation upon himself.


    "Initially, we intended to handle this matter privately, but circumstances demand that we address it openly."


    Zenith''s gaze rested upon Mia, a weighty expression adorning his features.


    "Mia Brown, your true birth name is Mia Woods, and you are the daughter of Flage, the God of Hunting."


    A mumble from Shade prompted Klaus''s acknowledgment.


    " Flage? As in camouflage?"


    "I guess so," Klaus quietly replied.


    Curiosity lingered on Mia''s face as she surveyed the Gods.


    "Alright then, where is he?"


    Zenith''s demeanor betrayed a certain unease as if he were navigating a conversation that held unanticipated challenges. He continued, driven by the necessity to reveal the truth.


    "Your father is not among us. To clarify, his whereabouts are unknown to any of the Gods at this time."


    The shockwave of revelation rippled through the gathered demigods.


    "Seventeen years ago, when you were born, your father departed Main World in response to the untimely passing of your biological mother. Since then, no God has been able to locate him across the expanse of the universe. It was, in part, his own request that we did not pursue his location."


    The words hung in the air, a blend of complexity and uncertainty. Klaus''s mind whirred with questions and thoughts as the truth of Mia''s lineage, shrouded in mystery, was finally unveiled.


    Mia was left utterly speechless, her confusion etched across her face as she absorbed the shocking revelation. However, Zenith had more surprises to unveil, ensuring that the waves of astonishment continued to wash over the demigods.


    "But you are not the only child of Flage," Zenith declared, his voice carrying a sense of gravity that mirrored the magnitude of his words. "You are also the separated but biological twin sister to the one you all know as X."


    The arena was thrown into a state of unparalleled shock. Every gaze pivoted toward X, who had maintained his head-down posture, his mask concealing his emotions. Although his facial expressions remained hidden, the intensity of his eyes revealed that the news held little significance for him, and he continued to focus on the floor from his seat at the back.


    "Ar-are you s-serious?" Mia stuttered in disbelief, her eyes shifting from Zenith to X.


    Zenith affirmed with a nod, confirming the unexpected truth.


    Following this revelation, Zenith expressed gratitude to all the demigods for their cooperation and announced that they would soon have the opportunity to reunite with their loved ones in Main World. With that, the Gods departed from the arena.


    The news of X and Mia''s connection left everyone at a loss for words. However, X remained an enigmatic figure who kept to himself, making it difficult for anyone to approach him for further insight. Consequently, the demigods dispersed from the arena without incident.


    Ace leaned in to whisper to Klaus, finding some levity in the situation. "At least now we know his last name is Woods too."


    Then, something unexpected occurred. Mia approached X, who was still seated, and initiated a hesitant conversation.


    "Um, h-hey there... um... brother. I-I''m Mia, and I hope we can become c-c-close to each other."


    Klaus watched in astonishment as Mia''s typically confident demeanor dissolved into shyness. Her cheeks reddened, and her fidgety fingers betrayed her nervousness. She appeared like a child seeking approval from a parent or an idol.


    Klaus had a sense of what X''s response would be, and it didn''t bode well for Mia. As X stood up and walked away without acknowledging her, Klaus felt a pang of sympathy for Mia.


    A sense of helplessness washed over the onlookers as they watched Mia standing there, still flushed with embarrassment.


    Klaus decided to give her some space, instructing Rose and Shade to leave her be as they departed the arena, leaving Mia to contend with her feelings.


    As the demigods reached their expected destination, XVII bid them farewell and led them to a platform that would teleport each of them back to the location they had been transported from in Main World before venturing to Higher World.


    One by one, the demigods descended back to the familiar planet, Earth, and their respective homes.


    Klaus found himself back at the alleyway with the palm poster he had touched before ascending to Higher World. With no one around, given the time of night, he took the opportunity to make his way back home.


    As he approached his front door, Shade appeared shortly after. Together, they walked in, and their mother, seated on the couch despite the late hour, noticed them. She swiftly rose, rushing to embrace them both with profound love.


    "You''re both back, I''m glad," she exclaimed, tears of joy in her eyes.


    "Did you both meet them?" she asked Klaus and Shade after more seconds of embrace.


    Both nodded, answering her question. Natalie''s expression shifted as tears of regret rolled down her cheeks.


    "I''m sorry for lying to you all these years. I''ve let you guys down."


    Klaus turned to his mother, speaking with sincerity, "You never let us down. You''ve always been there for us no matter what. We should be apologizing for leaving without saying anything."


    Klaus'' words were surprising to both Natalie and Shade. It was uncommon for Klaus to express his feelings openly, making their impact all the more meaningful. Natalie embraced him tightly, touched by his heartfelt words.


    "I''ll always love you, Klaus," she whispered.


    Shade privately mused how much Klaus had changed recently, becoming more open and communicative with them.


    "I guess Rose is somehow having a positive influence on him," he reflected, acknowledging her role in his transformation.


    Gazing up at the night sky, a sight they hadn''t experienced for a long time, they eventually retired to their respective rooms. Klaus settled on his bed, reminiscing about the surreal events that felt like a dream or a movie.


    As he lay there, contemplating the prospect of drifting into slumber, his phone rang.


    Initially hesitant to respond, Klaus realized that his recent sleep had left him surprisingly refreshed and not very exhausted. With a reluctant sigh, he approached his table and cast a quick glance at the name of the caller.


    "Karma."

 #14: Real Emotions

    As soon as Klaus saw the caller''s name on his screen, he immediately understood the reason for the call.


    "Hello?" Klaus answered as he picked up the phone.


    "Hey, NightShade. I was wondering if you''re free tonight. It''s been a while since we''ve all hung out, and I''ve been out of town for a few days. Thought it''d be cool to catch up with everyone."


    Klaus took a moment to consider the invitation. He didn''t have any pressing plans, but recent encounters with the Gods and Demigods had left him feeling a bit self-conscious.


    "What if they''re watching me now?" Klaus pondered in frustration.


    Ultimately, he decided he didn''t really care. He wasn''t about to let the Gods dictate how he lived his life.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: Sure, Where are we meeting?


    Karma: We can meet up where we first met you if that''s fine.


    Klaus: Fine. I''ll be there in a few seconds.


    Karma was shocked by Klaus'' comment.


    Karma: Seconds?


    Klaus: Yeah, I''m already around the area.


    Karma: You''re around with your graffiti stuff?


    Klaus took a second before responding.


    Klaus: My apartment''s a bit close, so I can just head back home and get it.


    Karma: Oh, that makes sense. Well, we''ll be expecting you.


    Klaus: Alright.


    Klaus found himself without a legitimate excuse, so he simply spoke what came to his mind. Since he didn''t have a personal connection with them, he wasn''t too concerned about the response.


    After grabbing his graffiti attire, spray can bag, and skateboard, he instantly arrived in the vicinity. To keep things plausible, he skated the last few blocks, aiming for authenticity.


    Klaus noticed an interesting difference in his burst of speed compared to his usual pace. While he still felt the energy drain from using his ability, he wasn''t getting as winded as before. The exertion seemed to be becoming more familiar, leading to improved endurance. It was as if his body was adapting to the intense energy expenditure.


    As he entered the alleyway, he was greeted by Karma, Ghost, and Aura. Aura offered a wave, with a hint of a smile visible behind her mask.


    "Hey, NightShade. It''s been a while," Aura greeted warmly as Klaus dismounted his skateboard and approached the group.


    "Hey, Aura," Klaus replied, recalling her name on the spot.


    Ghost, on the other hand, seemed less enthusiastic about Klaus''s arrival. He didn''t offer any words of greeting, and Klaus, equally unbothered, walked past him toward Karma, unintentionally leaving Ghost feeling somewhat embarrassed.


    CONVERSATION


    Karma: Hey, NightShade. It''s been a minute, hasn''t it?


    Klaus: I guess.


    Karma: So, how have you been? Anything new?


    Klaus: Not really.


    Karma: Well, honestly, there isn''t much happening these days.


    After a while, Ghost discreetly beckoned Karma aside to have a private conversation. Meanwhile, Aura approached Klaus and struck up a conversation with him.


    Aura: Hey, so you''ve been away for a while?


    Klaus: I guess.


    Aura: You really DO say that a lot, don''t you?


    Klaus: I guess.


    Aura: Haha, very funny. But I hope you''re okay.


    Klaus: I am.


    Aura: I dunno, you seem a bit sleep deprived. At least more than usual.


    Klaus: I''m fine, relax.


    Aura: Alright, I believe you.


    Klaus found himself bewildered by Aura''s genuine concern for his well-being, even though she didn''t technically know his identity. However, he chose not to dwell on it too much, considering it was harmless.


    Eventually, the entire crew regrouped and made their way to the designated location where they planned to work on their art. For Klaus, this presented an opportunity to free his mind from the unsettling memories of Higher World, and he poured more passion into his work than usual.


    The crew collaborated seamlessly, covering each other''s weak points and blind spots as if they shared a single mind. After approximately an hour of concerted effort, they stood back, satisfied with their latest masterpiece.


    As Klaus stared at the finished piece, his thoughts wandered to his future and the decisions he would have to make in the coming years. The realization that he was a child of a God brought with it the weight of potential obligations and destiny. This made Klaus question whether he would be content being bound by a predetermined path, as opposed to pursuing his own desires. He contemplated whether returning to Higher World was the right choice for him.


    Suddenly, Aura broke his reverie by waving her hands in front of his face and playfully suggested that if he wanted to drift into thought, he should do so while lying down and gazing at the artwork. Karma liked the idea and proposed that they all do the same.


    So, they settled in the alleyway, sprawling on a piece of cardboard salvaged from a nearby box, fixating their gazes on the intricate artwork.


    Just as they began to immerse themselves in this collective contemplation, voices reached their ears from the alley entrance. The crew had caught the attention of law enforcement, leading to increased police patrolling during those hours.


    A group of five cops approached, abruptly disrupting their serene moment of imagination. In a swift response, the crew gathered their belongings and stood up, ready to leave. The cops had effectively blocked their exit from the alley, but the crew''s experience and parkour skills were not to be underestimated. They promptly made their escape.


    Although the initial batch of cops had been eluded, more reinforcements were on the way, with the officers radioing for backup under the pretense that they were pursuing "Wallpaper." The crew increased their pace, now pursued by over ten determined cops. Facing a situation they hadn''t encountered before, the crew was unsure if they could successfully evade capture.


    While Klaus understood that he could easily slip away, he found himself oddly unwilling to abandon his companions and escape on his own.


    He reasoned that part of the motivation was the fear of drawing attention to himself as a superhuman graffiti artist and becoming headline news. However, he acknowledged to himself that a deeper sense of loyalty held him back from leaving his crew behind.


    The situation escalated, with the police deploying vehicles in their pursuit, underscoring the urgency of their capture. The growing presence of law enforcement made evasion more difficult, as their paths were blocked at every turn.


    Spotting an abandoned building, Klaus proposed taking refuge there temporarily, allowing them to regroup and devise a safe exit strategy. The group readily agreed and hurried inside, leaving the pursuing officers to comb the surrounding area while they strategized.


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    Karma, the apparent leader of the crew, seemed unusually uncertain, even behind his mask. Sensing the need for direction, Klaus stepped up to the task.


    "Why not split into two teams? It would confuse the cops and provide a better chance for at least half of us to escape," Klaus suggested, offering a pragmatic solution.


    Ghost, appearing flustered, countered, "Wait, why? Are you just trying to decrease your own odds of getting caught?"


    Karma then responded calmly, dismissing the suspicion, "No, it''s a valid strategy. Dividing into teams might disrupt the police''s pursuit, enabling us to escape through opposing routes. We''re surrounded here; this could give us an edge."


    Karma supported Klaus'' plan, and despite Ghost''s reservations, he reluctantly agreed, opting for the divided teams'' approach.


    Karma inquired, "So, who goes with whom?"


    Klaus suggested, "Aura, you go with Karma. He''s possibly the most skilled, and pairing with the weakest link could enhance our chances."


    "Uhh, ouch!" Aura winced in response to Klaus'' pointed words regarding her skills.


    Klaus, realizing the unintended impact of his comment, swiftly interjected, "Sorry about that, but we need to assess the situation objectively."


    Her surprise at Klaus'' unexpected apology was palpable, but Aura swiftly brushed it aside, assuring him, "O-Oh, it''s fine."


    Ghost raised another concern, proposing a different team arrangement. "I don''t know NightShade well, and our chemistry might not work. How about the three of us go one way, and he goes alone?"


    Karma insisted that they stay true to the initial plan, emphasizing their team dynamic, but Klaus surprisingly supported Ghost''s idea, acknowledging their incompatibility. Karma, swayed by Klaus'' argument, showed willingness to consider the alternative.


    Aura then suddenly stepped in, sharing her perspective. She believed that Klaus was adept at parkour and evasion, making him a suitable companion. With her assurance, she accepted the role of going with NightShade, leaving Ghost with a surprised expression at the proposition. Before they could further debate, a cop unexpectedly entered the room, alerting others to their location.


    Given the circumstances, they hastily adopted Aura''s suggested team formation and fled the building to implement their plan.


    Following Klaus''s plan, the split worked like a charm. The diversion caused by their divided presence created enough confusion to grant them an escape route, distancing themselves from the pursuing police officers. Yet, they weren''t entirely in the clear, with a few determined officers still on their tail. Evading capture remained their immediate goal, and they knew they had to outwit their pursuers before regrouping later.


    As Klaus and Aura dashed through the streets, their urgency was palpable, driven by the need to shake off the relentless pursuit. However, their evasive maneuvers appeared to be insufficient against their persistent pursuers.


    The chase persisted, and the foot-bound officers started to show signs of fatigue and eventually retreated, ceding the pursuit to the officers in the vehicles.


    Simultaneously, Aura''s stamina waned under the pressure of maintaining the pace. Her struggle to keep up with Klaus cost her considerable energy.


    With limited room for respite, a pivotal moment arrived when Aura slipped while attempting to cross an open road. Her right ankle twisted painfully due to the speed of her fall.


    Klaus had already made it to the other side, and upon realizing Aura''s predicament, he immediately turned back to her. At that moment, a speeding car, unaware of her presence in the dimly lit night, bore down on her.


    Locked in a gaze of shared fear, Klaus and Aura found themselves helpless as the car rushed toward her. The heart-stopping impact resonated as the car collided with Aura.


    Moments hung in suspension, the nearby pedestrians startled by the sudden noise and rushing to the scene.


    The driver, his eyes filled with dread, had tried to hit the brakes upon noticing Aura, but time was against him. The tragic outcome seemed unavoidable ¨C she appeared to be fatally struck.


    Yet, amid the aftermath, a remarkable turn of events unfolded. Just as Aura closed her eyes, prepared for the impending embrace of death, a sudden collision sounded from her side.


    Summoning an extraordinary burst of speed, Klaus had lunged forward, his left hand enveloped into the front of the car as he shielded Aura from the shattering debris of the impact with his back.


    With a swift motion, Klaus straightened, assessing the situation. He noticed Aura''s injured ankle and wasted no time. He gathered her into his arms, defying the chaos around them, and began sprinting anew as the newly arrived officers were left stunned by the scene of pedestrians.


    "Oh Gods, I may be screwed for that," Klaus thought to himself as he carried Aura across the street, leaving behind the confused pedestrians who had gathered and the driver who was too bewildered to comprehend what had just transpired.


    Coming to a halt on the other side before the pursuing police could close in, Klaus turned his attention to Aura.


    "Are you okay?" he asked, his worry apparent despite the shards of glass embedded in his back and the bleeding wounds on his arm.


    As Aura heard his concerned words, she was taken aback. "How can he still care about me at this moment?" she wondered, her gaze dropping to his injured arm.


    Despite the evident pain he was in, Klaus''s focus remained on her well-being. She wiped away the tears that had welled in her eyes and nodded, too shocked to question how Klaus had reached her so swiftly.


    "Ok. I need you to do something for me," Klaus began, and Aura, her confidence in him unwavering, nodded again in agreement.


    "I need you to close your eyes while I carry you so that we can be able to escape."


    Aura wanted to ask why but realized that Klaus''s confidence indicated there was a good reason. She nodded once more, complying with his request.


    Klaus secured his graffiti bag over his shoulder, making room for his skateboard, which partially protruded from the bag. Gently, he lifted Aura into his arms and turned his face to hers, silently signaling for her to proceed with his instructions. Aura closed her eyes, trusting Klaus.


    Klaus moved with the careful gait of an ordinary person, concealing his true abilities. He traversed the streets, taking his time to appear like any other pedestrian fleeing the scene. However, when the moment came to cross the street, where the police cars were positioned, he unleashed his burst speed to pass through undetected.


    His immense speed remained virtually silent and left no traces, making it impossible for the pursuing officers to notice. For Aura, who still kept her eyes tightly shut, the transition was seamless, as the shifts between his normal pace and light-fast dashes happened faster than the blink of an eye.


    After what felt like an eternity, they finally eluded the police, capitalizing on the opportunity to exit the city and head to the suburbs.


    Arriving there, Klaus instructed Aura to open her eyes, and she complied.


    Upon gazing around, she realized that Klaus had successfully led them out of the city, and they were now perched atop a building in the suburban area.


    Rushing to Klaus, Aura embraced him tightly, her tears flowing freely as she expressed her remorse for causing him such pain and effort.


    Turning her attention to his injured left arm, she noted the torn hoodie and the visible wounds. Klaus gently withdrew.


    "First, let me help you with your leg. You can worry about me after that."


    Aura was on the brink of voicing her objections, but Klaus continued, his tone resolute.


    "I know you''ll probably protest and try to be stubborn, but just this once, don''t argue."


    Perplexed, Aura was at a loss for words, so she consented with a silent nod amid her tears.


    With Aura biting down on a makeshift cloth through her mask, Klaus expertly reset her ankle. Then, he allowed her to tend to his injuries.


    Although Aura lacked proper equipment, she was meticulous in removing glass shards from his bleeding back. Afterward, she removed her hoodie, tearing it into makeshift bandages to clean and dress his wounds. She fashioned a makeshift sling to support his injured arm and stem the bleeding.


    Shortly thereafter, a call from Karma came in, confirming that both he and Ghost had successfully evaded the police. Klaus shared the same news for himself and Aura.


    As the sun began to rise, the group decided it was best to retreat to their respective homes and lay low for a while until the heat died down with the police. Klaus ended the call, prompting Aura to ask why he hadn''t spoken about what had just transpired. He replied that it would serve no purpose and would only burden him with more stress, so he chose not to address it.


    Aura was bewildered by Klaus''s ability to maintain composure despite his injuries. She resolved not to press the matter, understanding that he had endured a great deal to present himself in such a composed manner.


    After a brief moment, Klaus proposed that they part ways for now. He inquired whether her slightly bruised ankle could bear her weight or if she required assistance. Aura promptly assured him she was capable of walking without aid.


    Commenting on her actions earlier, Klaus remarked that she needn''t have torn her hoodie to help him and that he was fine. This comment unexpectedly triggered her frustration, leading her to raise her voice in exasperation.


    CONVERSATION


    Aura: Promise me!


    Klaus: Huh?


    Aura: Promise me you''ll go to the hospital and get better.


    Klaus: I said I''m fi...


    Aura: Just promise me... PLEASE.


    Aura''s head drooped in shame, realizing the trouble she had caused Klaus.


    "I don''t make promises that I can''t keep..." Klaus began, his voice steady. "But I promise that I''ll be fine, so don''t worry too much about me."


    Completing his reassurance, he gently placed his right hand on her shoulder, offering a gesture of comfort before heading toward the door that led back into the building, preparing to leave.


    "Make sure you get back home safely. And I''m sorry again about your hoodie," Klaus muttered as he exited the building.


    With no words left, Aura simply watched him depart.


    Having worn an undershirt beneath her hoodie, Aura was fortunate that she could still walk back home without drawing undue attention. A few moments later, she began her journey as the sun began to cast its early light.


    Meanwhile, Klaus made his way back to his house and settled on the front porch, lying down on his stomach. He understood that his mother would be worried if he entered the house in his current condition, marked by injuries and scars. So, he took a moment to contemplate his next steps.


    A creak sounded as the door swung open, revealing Shade stepping out, a first aid kit cradled in his hands. He approached Klaus, who gazed up from his prone position on the porch.


    "You seem a little troubled, brother," Shade remarked with a smile as he drew near.


    "What gave it away?" Klaus retorted with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, prompting a soft chuckle from Shade.


    Settling down beside Klaus, Shade opened the kit, extracting tools and supplies needed to cleanse Klaus''s wounds and provide the necessary care.


    Klaus''s curiosity got the best of him. "How did you know?"


    Shade pointed at Klaus''s shadow, which suddenly shifted back toward Shade, leaving a patch of shadowless ground beside Klaus.


    "I did mention the shadow, didn''t I?" Shade replied knowingly.


    "And about those cameras around where you used your abilities," Shade continued, "I made sure to cloak them with my shadows when the incident occurred. So the world is still in the dark about NightShade''s superpowers."


    Klaus turned his gaze to Shade. "How long have you known it was me?"


    "Same time I realized you were heading out for some graffiti work. Connecting the dots to NightShade''s elusiveness wasn''t too difficult," Shade replied, infusing a touch of humor into the situation.


    Shade then playfully pondered, "You know, I''ve wondered what name I''d use if I were a graffiti artist. My name''s kinda taken already, isn''t it? I know, how about NightWalker?"


    A faint chuckle escaped Klaus as Shade''s remark elicited a genuine smile.


    "Don''t worry, Mom''s asleep. You can come in without a fuss once we''re done," Shade reassured Klaus.


    "Thank you, Shade," Klaus said sincerely.


    Shade took a brief moment before responding, his voice warm, "That''s what brothers are for."

 #15: A Necessary Choice

    "Klaus! Klaus, you okay?"


    Rose''s concerned voice pulled Klaus back from his thoughts, causing him to turn his attention toward her.


    "I''m fine," he reassured her.


    "Bro, you really need to stop taking your sleep time for granted," Shade chimed in, his tone carrying a hint of playful admonishment.


    Klaus let out a sigh, acknowledging Shade''s words. "I guess," he conceded, allowing himself to recline on the rooftop they were lounging on. His gaze was fixed on the vast expanse of stars above, their twinkling lights creating a mesmerizing tapestry in the night sky.


    Time had moved forward by approximately two weeks since the intense encounter with Wallpaper. Klaus''s injuries had already fully healed, their remnants fading away like distant memories. The celestial heavens spread out above them, offering a breathtaking display of stars. Rose, Shade, and Klaus sat in comfortable silence on the roof of the Walker household, their eyes uplifted to the cosmic wonders above, each lost in their contemplations.


    CONVERSATION


    Shade: So... how long do you think it''ll be before we''re called back there?


    Rose: You mean Higher World? I''m not sure, but I think it''s close.


    Shade: Yeah, I just hope it''s not tomorrow because I really want the graduation ceremony to go well.


    Rose: Yeah, I''ve been eagerly awaiting tomorrow so I don''t have to worry too much about going to school anymore.


    Shade: Says the girl who only shows up to school like three times a month.


    Rose: *giggling* Well, that''s more than enough of my presence, is it not?


    Rose turned to Klaus.


    Rose: How about you, Klaus? Are you excited for tomorrow?


    Klaus & Shade: I guess.


    Shade: *laughing* Yeah, I figured you''d say that.


    Klaus: To be honest, a lot has happened that makes school mean so little to me.


    Rose: Yeah, I guess you''re right. But still... I think it''s fun to still act like we''re normal humans sometimes.


    Klaus: *sighs* If you say so.


    After a brief moment of silence, they moved on to a new topic.


    Rose: Oh yeah. I heard about your arm from a reliable source. Are you okay?


    Klaus: I''m fine. It was just a little scratch.


    Rose: Not from what Sha... I mean... my source described.


    Shade: Hey, I said not to rat me out.


    Klaus: I mean, who else could''ve told her?


    Shade: Damn, you''re right.


    Rose: So what exactly happened?


    Klaus: Nothing. Just got unlucky and had to risk my arm.


    Rose: Oh.


    Shade: That, and he did it to save a girl.


    Rose: Wait... a girl?


    Klaus: I didn''t say that.


    Shade: Yeah. Some cute girl in his graffiti group.


    Rose: Woah woah woah... there''s a girl in the group?


    Shade: Yup. *smiling* You seem a little uneasy about the topic, Rose.


    Rose: *blushing* W-What? Me? No. I''m just surprised, is all. But why didn''t you tell me?


    Klaus: I don''t really consider that as necessary information to pass on.


    Rose: R-Right, haha. Anyways, how did you know about it, Shade?


    Shade: The shadow I created for Klaus is also connected to his emotions, allowing it to mimic a genuine shadow. So, when he began to feel uneasy about something, the shadow alerted me. I used this connection to observe what was happening.


    Rose: Wait, so you can recon with your shadows?


    Shade: Yeah, kinda. With that, I was able to observe what occurred toward the end when he injured his arm.


    Klaus: Isn''t that basically just stalking?


    Shade: In my defense, you don''t have a natural shadow, so I had to create one for you to avoid any questions. Besides, I was concerned you might be in a dangerous situation, so I wanted to assess whether I should be worried.


    Rose: Well, I think it''s a good thing and Klaus is just being grumpy.


    Shade turned to Rose before displaying a devious smile as an idea came to mind.


    Shade: Oh, yeah. By the way, Klaus ended up kissing the girl he saved.


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    Rose''s cheeks quickly turned red, her eyes widening in surprise.


    Rose: W-W-What! Wait, why? I mean... you don''t need to tell me that.


    "He''s kidding," Klaus said nonchalantly, not even bothering to turn his gaze toward Rose.


    Rose responded hesitantly, "Oh, I knew that. It was obvious."


    After a period of silence, Klaus broached a question that left both Rose and Shade feeling uneasy.


    "Do you guys genuinely want to return there if we''re called?"


    Rose exchanged a glance with Shade, their expressions betraying uncertainty. Rose mustered a forced smile and replied, "I mean, yeah. After all, it''s our duty, right?"


    Klaus sat up and turned to her, looking directly at her face in silence.


    "I guess," he said after a sigh, before getting up to head back into the house.


    Shade and Rose sat in silence for a few moments before Shade turned to Rose, saying, "To be fair, he just asked what every demigod was thinking."


    "Yeah," Rose replied as she stood up and headed home.


    However, Shade remained deep in thought, contemplating whether Klaus had a point and if they should return to their so-called duties if they were unsure about them.


    The next day marked the long-awaited graduation ceremony. It was a momentous occasion attended by numerous parents and relatives. Klaus, being a senior, was bidding farewell to the school. This also meant he would have more free time without the burden of school projects and assignments.


    The event took place on a Saturday morning and lasted about three hours. Klaus wasn''t particularly concerned about it, as he had no aspirations for awards or recognition. Being above average was satisfactory for him. He begrudgingly wore the graduation gown and cap, feeling like he had already done his part by donning them.


    During the awards section, Shade couldn''t help but tease Rose as she received an award for the best in Chemistry. "Someone that literally has less class time than the janitor," he whispered to Klaus as Rose went up to accept her award, eliciting a chuckle from Klaus.


    Finally, after some time, the event came to a close.


    Upon exiting the venue, Klaus and Shade made their way over to where their mother was patiently waiting.


    Natalie sported a wide grin, complimenting their appearance in the graduation gowns.


    As she took in their dapper attire, Natalie requested them to stand together for some photos. She fished out a camera from her bag and snapped numerous shots, capturing the moment. Klaus eventually signaled that they had enough pictures.


    Just as Natalie was about to stow the camera, her gaze landed on Rose passing by. An idea struck her, and she decided to invite Rose to join them for a few snapshots.


    "Hey Rose, would you mind posing for a few photos with the boys?"


    Rose halted mid-stride, her heart racing as she glanced between Natalie and Klaus. In school, she and Klaus had agreed not to talk to reduce attention, and she had been content with that arrangement, knowing they could hang out later. Natalie''s unexpected callout threatened to disrupt their dynamic and expose their connection to everyone passing by.


    With all eyes on her, Rose debated whether to maintain her school persona and brush off Natalie''s request or to be true to herself. Uncertain of her course of action, she looked to Klaus for guidance.


    "Yeah, come on, Rose. It''s fine," Klaus piped up, surprising everyone around them with his casual response.


    Rose was taken aback by his openness, realizing that he was willing to talk to her in school. Grateful and encouraged, she chose to embrace the opportunity and be her genuine self.


    "Sure thing, Natalie," Rose replied with a smile.


    Approaching Klaus and Shade, she greeted Shade with a wave and a friendly "Hey." Then, turning to Klaus, she mirrored his wave and heard him say, "What''s up."


    The unexpected warmth in his response sent a surge of happiness through her, and the shock from bystanders was palpable. They posed for a few photos, and Klaus, once again, had to remind his mother to tone down the excessive picture-taking.


    With the group photos completed, Natalie decided to give the trio some space and instructed them to meet up at the car. She intended to let them enjoy time with their friends without her presence.


    As she walked away, Rose seized the moment. Since their connection was no longer a secret, she mustered the courage to make a request.


    "Hey Klaus, do you mind taking a photo with just me?" she inquired, extracting her phone from her gown pocket.


    All eyes naturally turned to Klaus, drawn by the unfolding scene.


    Klaus let out a sigh, momentarily closing his eyes. When he opened them and met Rose''s gaze, he gave in.


    "I guess."


    As they snapped a few shots together, a girl dashed out of a nearby room and made a beeline for Klaus, eagerly requesting her turn.


    "Um, hey, Klaus. Could I get a photo with you too?"


    Another girl emerged from the same direction, protesting, "Hey, I was going to ask first!"


    Shade couldn''t help but burst into laughter, approaching Klaus with amusement dancing in his eyes.


    "You''re quite the celebrity, aren''t you?"


    Blushing, the first girl whispered to Shade, "Shade, please, you''re embarrassing me."


    Shade''s laughter only intensified, but Klaus realized there was no escape. He resigned himself to taking the pictures.


    Word spread, and gradually more students approached, hoping to capture a snapshot with Klaus. They had been apprehensive about asking initially, assuming Klaus wouldn''t be open to the idea.


    Within an hour, Klaus and Shade posed for photos with nearly all their classmates. Each time another person requested a group picture, Shade chuckled knowingly. He understood Klaus couldn''t say no.


    After the flurry of photos, they reunited with Rose and her mother, who also expressed a desire to capture a memory with Klaus. She hugged him affectionately and took several selfies.


    Following that, Shade approached Rose with a proposition. He suggested they meet later that day to discuss their thoughts on Higher World.


    With the day''s festivities concluded, they bid farewell to their high school years.


    As the evening sun began to set, Rose arrived at Klaus'' home, finding him sitting on the porch. They engaged in a heartfelt conversation, the warmth of their words carried by the gentle breeze. Soon after, Shade joined them outside.


    After some casual discussions, Shade decided to address the pressing question that had been looming in the back of everyone''s minds.


    "So, are you guys leaning towards going back to Higher World, or are you thinking of pursuing college instead?" he inquired, his eyes moving between them.


    A heavy silence followed, the weight of their choices palpable. A few months ago, their aspirations for further education had been disrupted by the unexpected call to Higher World. Although the Gods had left the decision to them, the responsibility they held was not one to be taken lightly.


    Shade finally spoke up, his voice contemplative yet resolute.


    "I''ve been thinking about it, and I believe I''ll choose to return to Higher World. It''s true that we didn''t ask for this, but we have a unique purpose that only we can fulfill. It might not be a choice we made, but it''s a responsibility we have to accept."


    Rose nodded, her agreement evident in her expression.


    "I feel the same way. It might seem a bit selfish to pick anything else when we have this gift and the opportunity to make a difference."


    Their eyes then turned to Klaus, who seemed unswayed by their convictions.


    "We weren''t given a choice, and I can''t ignore that fact. While I understand our irreplaceable roles, I also believe there are other demigods and Gods who can protect the world without my direct involvement. Given the circumstances, I don''t think I''ll return if I have the option."


    His words left Rose and Shade momentarily speechless. It was clear that Klaus held firm to his stance and trying to convince him otherwise would be futile.


    However, Klaus wasn''t finished. He continued, sharing a change in perspective that had come to him after interactions with their schoolmates.


    "At first, I had these thoughts. But as I reflected and saw how much we matter to others, it felt odd to imagine living a normal life while knowing I could have made a greater choice. Yes, we were handed this power without asking, and it''s an unfair situation. Yet, I see it as an opportunity to protect those I care about, even if our relationships aren''t perfect."


    Rose''s gaze shifted between Shade and Klaus, seeking confirmation from Klaus''s statement.


    "So... you''re saying you''ll also choose to return to Higher World?" she asked, her tone seeking validation.


    Klaus sighed, a mixture of resignation and determination in his voice.


    "Yeah."

 #16: Glorious Return

    "Sentient."


    The word carried numerous definitions, but the one that Klaus found most fitting was the existence of consciousness.


    The ability to be aware.


    Lying on his bed as he often did, Klaus delved into his thoughts. He pondered over his experiences, beliefs, and even his relationships. Everything that held significance in his life held that meaning solely because of his awareness.


    Such a seemingly small topic held profound meaning for him as he gazed at the ceiling, as though peering beyond it.


    It had been roughly a month and a half since his high school graduation, and not much had occurred in the interim. A few outings with Shade and Rose, together or individually, were the extent of it.


    Since their last meeting, Wallpaper hadn''t made an appearance; the authorities were still keen on capturing either of them.


    Klaus had previously agreed to undertake the responsibilities thrust upon him, but with the passing of time and no new information, he began to wonder whether he was excluded from returning to Higher World.


    In truth, it wouldn''t bother him too much, but having become somewhat invested in the plan, he found the idea of being abruptly disregarded rather irksome.


    As Klaus continued to recline on his bed, almost succumbing to the edge of slumber, an unfamiliar beam of light spawned across the room. It resembled the shimmering path that had appeared before he first journeyed to Higher World.


    Promptly, Klaus rose from his bed and donned a more relaxed ensemble of a hoodie and pants. He swung his door open and had already arrived at the terminus of the radiant path.


    He was consistently grateful for the swiftness his speed provided.


    The pathway concluded where he expected ¨C the alley adorned with the poster depicting the palm painting.


    With a practiced hand, he pressed his palm to the poster''s surface, already knowing what to do. After a few seconds of pedestrians passing by, Klaus eventually vanished.


    Upon opening his eyes, he realized that, unlike his previous experience, he now stood before the gateway that led out of the city, the same location Ace had guided him to during his last visit.


    "I''ll never get used to this," Klaus mumbled while holding on to his head, a slight ache forming from the transition between realms.


    "I apologize for any disorientation you experienced during your transit, Klaus Walker."


    Turning, Klaus found XVII positioned by the gate, seemingly awaiting the arrival of all the demigods.


    "It''s fine... I guess," Klaus replied softly.


    He then inquired about the peculiar timing of his arrival, "By the way, why does it take some time before I start to transport to here?"


    "Depending on your given state, the transition only occurs when you are out of sight for a duration significant enough that your absence wouldn''t be perceived as unusual."


    Klaus didn''t feel compelled to delve further into the matter, as XVII''s explanation held a certain logic. He accepted it as it was.


    After a brief period, XVII furnished him with a key to his previous room and directed him to the location. With the other demigods yet to appear, XVII remained at the gate.


    Fatigued, Klaus decided to retire to his designated room. He aimed to rest up before the others arrived.


    After a few hours of sleep, Klaus woke up to the faint murmur of voices echoing in the hallways outside his room. He groggily got out of bed, realizing he had been asleep for approximately seven hours, signaling early morning in the real world.


    Stretching softly, Klaus rose from his bed. However, a growing annoyance stirred within him as the murmuring continued to disrupt the tranquility. He made up his mind to investigate the source of the disturbance.


    As Klaus stepped into the corridor, his eyes fell upon two unfamiliar individuals engaged in a conversation within the room opposite his, their door ajar. Sensing his presence, they halted their discussion and the one closer to Klaus extended an apology.


    "Apologies for the noise, friend," he offered with a warm smile. "We seemed to have become a bit too spirited in our conversation."


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    Klaus took a moment to study the stranger.


    The person had long, blue hair, neatly braided down his back, the braid extending just past his shoulders. His physique was impressive, accentuated by the T-shirt he wore. His deep blue eyes met Klaus''s gaze, and his height was notable without being overly imposing.


    Klaus''s attention was also drawn to the earring adorning the stranger''s right ear ¨C a gemstone with a slim, pyramid-like shape suspended from the piercing, tip pointing downward.


    "It''s no problem," Klaus responded, his tone carrying an undertone of indifference.


    "Yeah, my friend here was just telling me about this peculiar disk-shaped delicacy on Earth called Peter Zah," the blue-haired guy continued.


    "It''s called Pizza," the second individual chimed in, offering the correct term with a chuckle.


    "Ah, yes, my mistake," the blue-haired individual conceded with a light-hearted grin.


    Klaus''s curiosity stirred, tempted by a slew of questions. Yet, he resisted the urge, realizing their discussion was none of his concern.


    Before parting ways, the two boys insisted on proper introductions.


    "I''m Trent," the blue-haired guy announced with a genial smile.


    "And I''m Tyler Justice," the other introduced himself, his brown hair and greenish eyes framed by a casual hoodie.


    "Klaus Walker," Klaus responded courteously, offering his name in return.


    After the introductions were exchanged, Klaus made his way back to his room, but he paused as he heard a comment from one of them.


    "I feel like I''ve heard your voice somewhere before."


    Klaus turned back to see Tyler deep in thought, his fingers on his chin. Unsure of the connection, Klaus watched him closely, uncertain if Tyler recognized him.


    "Oh, you''re the one who went up against X last time, right?" Tyler continued.


    Klaus let out a sigh, the recognition not quite what he had anticipated. He responded and began to head back to his room.


    "I guess."


    Tyler''s expression showed lingering doubt, but he shrugged it off and continued chatting with Trent.


    Once back in his room, Klaus took a refreshing shower and then slipped into the clothes neatly arranged in the wardrobe ¨C a selection that matched his style and size.


    After some time, an announcement echoed through all the rooms, instructing them to gather at the location of their previous meeting, at the epicenter. Following the directive, Klaus joined the others, the atmosphere charged with anticipation.


    As they waited for everyone to assemble, the event commenced.


    Once again, the demigods knelt under the weight of the pressure as a radiant beam of light illuminated the podium ahead. Zenith instantly descended with his wings unfurled, only to retract them gracefully.


    "Rise," Zenith commanded, and the burden eased as the demigods returned to their feet.


    "Welcome back, demigods. We, the Gods, wish to express our gratitude for your decision to return. Be assured that your choice to heed the call of duty will not be in vain."


    Glances exchanged among the demigods as Zenith paused briefly before continuing.


    "With that, you are now acknowledged as true demigods."


    Klaus felt a subtle unease, but he held fast to his resolve, knowing his decision was firm.


    The room filled with delighted smiles and cheers from most, a genuine joy evident on their faces. Yet, a select few, including Klaus, remained reserved.


    As the cheers subsided, a voice emerged from the crowd, directed at Zenith.


    "Now that we''re demigods, what do we do?"


    Klaus turned his attention to Quinn, the source of the question. Zenith responded with a smile, addressing her inquiry.


    "The other Gods and I have deliberated and come to a decision that serves both the purpose of acquainting you all with your powers on a fundamental level and providing entertainment for all present. We call it... the Cosmic League."


    Confusion etched across everyone''s faces as they awaited Zenith''s explanation.


    "Each of you will be paired with an instructor to aid in grasping your abilities and potential. You will be granted a week for preparation. The games shall commence seven days hence, starting immediately after the Golden Ball descends at the epicenter here, heralding the dawn of a new day."


    "With the fortunate count of sixteen," XVII added, moving closer to Zenith, "the Cosmic League will comprise four teams of four, each led by a designated team leader."


    "Team leader?" Klaus pondered internally. The realization weighed on him ¨C a role in the event required giving or receiving orders, a prospect he wasn''t keen on.


    After a brief pause, a question emerged from the crowd, echoing the collective concern.


    "How will you determine the leaders for each team?"


    XVII turned to Zenith, anticipating a response that had been planned. Zenith took a moment before addressing the query.


    "It is straightforward. Recognizing that many of you lack combat experience, our criteria for selecting leaders is based on those with the most battle capabilities."


    A mixture of reactions rippled through the crowd. Some understood the rationale, acknowledging the logic of capable individuals leading. Yet, others debated whether they needed strength or strategy in their leaders.


    However, with the decision coming from the Gods, the majority leaned toward trusting their judgment for the event.


    "Can you provide an overview of the events we''ll participate in?" Shade inquired.


    "We''ve decided to reveal the specifics on the day of the league itself, so unfortunately, I can''t offer that information now. Any other questions?"


    Silence filled the room.


    "Very well. As previously mentioned, you''ll have a week to train under your assigned instructors, who will guide you in mastering your abilities at a foundational level. The league aims to enhance your proficiency by engaging in on-the-fly battles, enhancing your adaptability and strategic thinking."


    With that statement, Zenith departed, leaving the gathering to return to the realm of the Gods.


    Right after, XVII continued.


    "Your individual mentors will be designated following the forthcoming announcement. The four demigods chosen by the Gods, recognized as the most potent among your ranks, arranged from the least to the mightiest, are... Trent, Lance Knight, X,..."


    Although XVII had mentioned that the order went from weakest to strongest, he had included X as the second, indicating the existence of a demigod even mightier.


    The room was a mixture of astonishment and disbelief as the demigods collectively shifted their gaze between X and XVII. A hushed quiet enveloped the space, all attention concentrated on the final name to be spoken.


    And at last, XVII uttered the final name.


    "... and Ash Brimstone."

 #17: Manifesting Light

    "Ash Brimstone."


    The name resonated through the gathering, capturing everyone''s attention. Eager gazes swept the room, searching for the enigmatic figure who bore this name. Klaus, too, found himself intrigued by the unexpected presence of Ash Brimstone.


    However, the name remained unanswered in the crowd as silence enveloped the room, punctuated only by murmurs of curiosity.


    "It appears Ash still remains in Under World, tending to duties alongside his father," XVII''s words broke the hush, eliciting startled reactions from those present.


    "Under World? It''s real?" Rose voiced her astonishment, echoing the sentiments of many.


    "Indeed, it exists," XVII confirmed. "It is the realm overseen by Nekro, the God of Fire, and inhabited by the demon kind."


    "Demon kind?" Shade''s bewilderment mirrored that of others. "Yeah, my head''s already hurting."


    "Yes," XVII continued. "The demon kind is the second creation of the Gods, succeeding the monster kind that once roamed Main World millennia ago, before the advent of humankind. However, realizing the imperfections of the Monster kind, the Gods, led by Siege, eradicated them, leaving Humans as the predominant race on Earth. The demons, on the other hand, find their home in Under World."


    "Demons, real demons..." Rose mused silently, surprised by the revelation.


    The news reverberated through the assembly, stirring a chorus of reactions that took some time to settle. Amid the hubbub, a question emerged from the crowd, shifting the focus once again.


    "If Ash resides in the Under World, does that mean he''s not human but a demon?"


    Quinn''s inquiry hung in the air, drawing the gaze of many towards XVII for an answer. The response only deepened the intrigue.


    "Indeed, that is correct," XVII affirmed.


    The revelation that Ash Brimstone, the unexpected powerhouse, was not even human but a demon left everyone stunned. However, before the topic could unravel further, a voice interjected from the midst of the crowd.


    "The Gods have no sense of battle if they truly think their ranking is accurate."


    A weighty silence settled over the room as the unidentified individual emerged from the crowd, striding purposefully toward XVII.


    "If you expect me to sit back and accept that those other three names hold a higher rank than mine in terms of strength, then both you and the Gods must be delusional."


    The declaration sent shockwaves through the assembly, leaving Klaus and the others astounded. The audacity of someone questioning the Gods and labeling them as "delusional" was unexpected and unprecedented.


    As the stranger approached XVII, his commanding presence became evident. Tall and well-built, his muscular physique exuded an aura of strength earned through rigorous training. His golden blond hair featured a subtle fade on the left side, while the longer portion cascaded over his right ear, partially concealing his right eye. The inflection in his speech hinted at a distinct accent, adding to the air of mystery surrounding him.


    "Rest assured, our assessments are accurate. There is no need for concern," XVII responded, meeting the stranger''s gaze with calm assurance.


    "I assure you, they are not," the newcomer retorted, his tone brimming with conviction.


    The escalating tension left everyone on edge, uncomfortably aware of the brewing confrontation.


    "If you believe that the Gods'' rankings are more nonsensical than your personal fantasies, then you are truly beyond delusional," another''s biting words sliced through the atmosphere from behind.


    A stunned hush fell over the gathering, all eyes turning towards the individual who voiced such a harsh indictment.


    And, as anticipated, the speaker of these words was none other than X, seated at a chair near the exit, far from the center of attention.


    "What did you say?" the blond teenager challenged X, his voice edged with indignation as he confronted the source of the statement.


    "I don''t repeat myself, especially to livestock," X replied calmly, his icy gaze meeting the blond''s defiant stare.


    The retort ignited a spark of fury in the blond, propelling him toward X. Simultaneously, X stood his ground, the tension palpable as the two faced off.


    Locked in a confrontation of wills, their intense gazes clashed. Curiously, Klaus noted that the stranger''s hand trembled ever so slightly, a minute sign of the emotions bubbling beneath the surface.


    However, the same couldn''t be said for X. A visible disdain contorted his features, expressing his complete lack of patience for the encounter.


    As the standoff persisted, neither side willing to yield, Klaus discerned a silent escalation¡ªthe strangers'' fists clenched, and X''s hand hovered near his waist, resting near the concealed firearm.


    Amid this unspoken clash, the room brimmed with tension, awaiting the next move that would determine the outcome of their unanticipated confrontation.


    "That''s enough, Arthur," a voice cut through the tension, prompting Klaus to turn and see Lance approaching the two fiery demigods.


    "Continuing down this path will only result in more embarrassment for you," Lance continued, his tone carrying a firm authority.


    "Brother, I''m confident I can handle him," the blond stranger now identified as Arthur responded defiantly.


    "If you genuinely believe so, then you clearly do not belong on the ranking list," Lance retorted, his words laden with a hint of disappointment.


    A flicker of shame crossed Arthur''s face as he lowered his gaze, gradually unclenching his fists.


    "Very well, brother," Arthur conceded with a tinge of anger, storming out of the room.


    Lance turned his attention to X and approached him, offering a comment on the unfolding situation.


    "I apologize for my brother''s outburst. I hope you can understand his frustration."


    X''s reaction was indifference itself; he merely dropped his hand and exited the scene, leaving Lance to his own devices.


    The room was left in stunned silence, the realization dawning upon the witnesses that these two, Arthur and X, were true heavyweights among them, a cut above the rest. It was a stark reminder that attempting to interfere would''ve been futile except it was Lance.


    "Talk about a spectator''s POV, huh?" Ace''s playful whisper reached Klaus''s ears, eliciting a wry smile.


    XVII intervened, redirecting the attention and quelling the building tension.


    "Each of the sixteen demigods will be assigned a personal trainer who will assist in refining your abilities over the next seven days. These trainers are tailored to match your unique powers and will guide you in managing your energy expenditure during training. Trainers from I through XVI are awaiting you at the entrance of the room, and they will inform you of your respective assignments."


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    With XVII''s announcement, Klaus and the others began to disperse, heading toward the waiting androids who bore a resemblance to XVII in physical nature. Each android sported a roman numeral from 1 to 16 on their foreheads, indicating their assigned roles.


    Klaus was beckoned by the android marked with "IV" on its forehead, while the rest of the demigods found themselves aligned with their designated trainers, indicated by various numerals.


    In hindsight, Klaus realized that these androids were designed to share similar appearances, body structures, and genders as their respective demigods. This thoughtful design facilitated clear communication and understanding between each individual and their designated android, allowing for more effective explanations and analysis of training scenarios.


    "Hello Klaus Walker, I will be your personal trainer for the duration of your training from here onward. If you would like to practice how to harness your power as well as strategic approaches that suit your body type, I will be your go-to individual to assist with them all."


    Klaus lingered in silence for a few moments before breaking it with a resigned "Sure."


    The prospect of someone else''s presence, especially for the purpose of training, didn''t sit well with Klaus. He was accustomed to solitude and independence, making the idea of being guided by another person somewhat uncomfortable.


    However, beneath his initial resistance, Klaus recognized the greater purpose that had brought him here. He was determined not to let his pride impede his ability to prevent unfavorable outcomes. Reminding himself of this, he resolved to follow the path that the Gods had set out for him, hoping to uncover more about his power to manipulate light.


    After a couple of minutes, Klaus and IV arrived at a room located a bit away from the residential area. Stepping inside, Klaus was taken aback by the room''s entirely white interior, devoid of visible walls. This design, he guessed, allowed individuals to harness their abilities without endangering others or the surroundings.


    IV''s voice cut through the quiet. "I''ve been informed that you have yet to fully manifest your light abilities, is that correct?"


    "I guess," Klaus responded, his uncertainty evident.


    "That''s precisely what I''m here to help you with," IV stated optimistically. "By the end of our training, you should be able to manipulate light at your will, and perhaps even exceed expectations given your unique nature."


    "Unique nature?" Klaus inquired. "What do you mean?"


    "I''m not at liberty to disclose all the details just yet, but you are indeed distinct in a few ways. This is why you can harness not only raw light but also its various properties."


    Klaus felt a wave of unease at the notion of being singled out. Not everyone yearns to be unique among a specially chosen group, and he was no exception. Nonetheless, Klaus realized that his reservations were secondary to the larger goal he had committed to.


    "As long as I can make a difference for a few people, the rest doesn''t matter," Klaus reassured IV, his genuine concern evident.


    IV''s smile was both knowing and appreciative. "Exactly," he murmured, recognizing Klaus''s inherent altruism despite his outward demeanor.


    "Now, let''s delve deeper into the mechanics of your ability. You possess control over light, effectively serving as your own light source. This attribute grants you heightened abilities in the absence of light, making you incredibly fast at night. However, with proper training, you can surpass the power of even the sun itself, rendering time of day irrelevant to your potential."


    "Surpass the power of the sun," Klaus repeated softly. The statement was awe-inspiring, albeit daunting. It hinted at months, perhaps even years, of rigorous training and refinement. Each revelation from IV seemed to chip away at Klaus''s initial enthusiasm, leaving him apprehensive about the magnitude of the task ahead.


    Still, he decided to persevere¡ªfor now, at least. As long as the training didn''t compromise his sense of self or his objectives, Klaus was willing to embrace this new journey, no matter how challenging it might become.


    Six days had elapsed since the gathering of the demigods and the commencement of their training. Klaus had thrown himself wholeheartedly into mastering his powers and honing his skills. This unwavering dedication had kept him in solitude, rendering him practically aloof from the other demigods for the entire period.


    Both Rose and Shade had become distant figures in his daily routine. Once his training sessions concluded each day, Klaus would either retreat to the cafeteria for sustenance or head straight to his bed for much-needed rest.


    Nonetheless, those six days of rigorous training had not been in vain. They had yielded progress that Klaus found gratifying as he reflected on his journey thus far.


    Upon concluding his final training session with IV, who had been his dedicated instructor, Klaus decided to make his way to the cafeteria. As he traversed the corridors, he found himself glancing down at his palms, a sense of achievement washing over him. The strides he had taken in understanding and mastering his abilities were discernible, and he carried this realization with pride.


    Suddenly, an intense luminosity emanated from all directions, converging upon his arms. The brilliance enveloped his palms, swirling with incredible intensity as it adhered to his limbs. The light obeyed his command, a testament to the progress he had achieved in manipulating it. With a practiced gesture, Klaus guided the luminous cascade, directing it to spiral outward before retracting it. Remarkably, the brilliance neither impaired his vision nor posed any discomfort¡ªan aspect that resonated with his unique connection to light.


    Arriving at the cafeteria, Klaus''s thoughts were momentarily diverted as he spotted Rose, who had evidently also concluded her training session.


    CONVERSATION


    Rose: Oh, hey, dream boy.


    Klaus: Hey, Rose. Haven''t seen you in a while.


    Rose: Awwww, you were worried about me.


    Klaus: Don''t make this weird.


    Rose: *giggling* Just messing around. So what''s been going on with you? How was training?


    Klaus: It was okay, I guess.


    Rose: Wouldn''t be you if you didn''t say that. Well, mine went great. Manage to understand and control my powers now.


    Klaus: I thought you already had control over it?


    Rose: Yeah, but now I managed to perfect the ability. Instead of just making someone fall in love with me, I''m now able to control the person''s entire emotions.


    Klaus: So, like, making them hate someone close to them?


    Rose: Yup. That, and I can increase the extent of my control, basically compelling the person to fight for me or even sacrifice their life if necessary.


    Klaus: Wow.


    Rose: Yeah. How about you? Any luck with your light abilities?


    Klaus: I guess you can say that. Just managed to learn how to control the light around and manipulate it.


    Rose: Oh, cool. Though, I guess light isn''t really built for offense, is it?


    Klaus: Guess not.


    And just as Klaus finished speaking, a set of hands covered his eyes from behind. With a playful giggle, a voice chimed in with a teasing question.


    "Guess who, baby."


    The voice carried a hint of flirtatiousness and a subtle Latina accent, giving Klaus a clear clue about the person''s identity.


    "Iris, I presume," Klaus replied knowingly.


    The hands retreated from his eyes, instead wrapping around his shoulders from behind. Iris leaned in, her head appearing beside his left shoulder, a mischievous smile on her lips.


    "You know me so well," she remarked, her grip tightening as she pressed herself against him.


    This display of affection left Rose feeling both angered and annoyed by Iris''s audacious behavior.


    CONVERSATION


    Rose: Can''t you see we''re in the middle of a conversation?


    Iris stared back in annoyance, responding to Rose.


    Iris: Oh, beat it, flat chest.


    It took a brief moment for Rose to fully absorb the statement, her expression shifting abruptly from distaste to fury.


    Rose: *gasps* I''ll have you know that I''m a solid C cup and that''s the perfect size.


    Iris: Sure, surfboard.


    This made Rose extremely furious.


    Rose: Y''know what, screw you. At least I''m not a flabby whore like you.


    Iris: Oh, you wish you had these double D''s.


    Rose: Dream on, cow.


    Iris: Vaca? Oh, I will cut you, puta.


    Rose: Bring it on, bitch.


    As they exchanged grins, Klaus grew tired of their needless chatter and had already departed before they could even register his absence.


    Rose: See, you scared him away.


    Iris: Oh, I''m sure you''re already used to boys running away from you.


    Rose: You wanna go, bitch?


    After a few more heated exchanges, they both left. By then, Klaus had already acquired his food and returned to his room.


    The next day, Klaus and the others rose early as they were instructed to. They all prepared and headed for the arena location that had been provided to them the previous day by their instructors, immediately after their training.


    Upon arrival, Klaus found that most of the other demigods were already seated, awaiting the presence of the Gods to announce how the event would proceed.


    After a few minutes, the remaining demigods arrived and joined the others, all sitting and waiting for further instructions.


    As XVII approached the front of the arena and declared that the seven days of training had officially concluded, indicating the drop of the golden ball, the unmistakable force compelling everyone to kneel indicated the arrival of a God.


    This time, when a beam of light appeared in front of the arena and all the demigods knelt, a swirling motion of the air around them followed. The God descended and landed directly on the main stage.


    The intense light emanating from the wings of the God spread throughout the entire field. His bright wings covered his eight-foot-tall body as he landed with one knee on the floor and his palms touching the surface. The brightness was blinding, making it impossible for the demigods to see him clearly.


    As he rose from his landing position, his halo, which had been hovering behind him, vanished, and his wings retracted into his back. At this point, the demigods could already discern the identity of the God, especially from Klaus''s response.


    "Father."

 #18: The Cosmic League

    "It''s Sol, the God of Light," Rose whispered to Klaus.


    "Uhh..." Klaus responded.


    "Oh, forgot. I''m just preaching to the choir here," Rose said, realizing that it was Klaus'' father so he would''ve already known.


    "Greetings, demigods." Sol began, capturing the attention of all the demigods.


    "I see you all have been occupied for the past seven days, and I want to begin by commending each of you for your dedication and hard work. Your commitment to self-improvement to safeguard humanity is truly inspiring, and I hope your individual aspirations will come to fruition."


    A collective smile spread across their faces as Sol continued.


    "With that said, I am here to declare the commencement of the Cosmic League, along with its regulations, game formats, and team compositions. To start off, I will unveil the team names and reveal the individuals comprising each team."


    This was the moment everyone had been anticipating. Being thrust into a team-based competition without prior knowledge of your teammates could be quite daunting.


    Many participants had previously relied on their personal skills to succeed, without considering strategic collaboration due to the random nature of team formation. Additionally, some wished not to be grouped with certain individuals for personal reasons.


    "As outlined a week ago, you will be divided into four teams of four. These teams are Team Solar, Team Lunar, Team Astra, and Team Stellar. Now, I invite the team leaders to step forward as I announce the names of their respective teams and members."


    At this juncture, all eyes were laser-focused.


    "Let''s begin. Representing Team Lunar is... Trent."


    Trent responded to his name by stepping forward, positioning himself as instructed. Klaus immediately recognized him from their prior encounter. He was the one with the distinctive blue single-braided hair and an earring on his right ear.


    "Representing Team Solar is... Lance Knight."


    Lance advanced to his designated spot as his name was called.


    "Representing Team Stellar is... X."


    With his name mentioned, X moved towards his designated position.


    "And finally, representing Team Astra is... Ash Brimstone."


    Sol''s announcement triggered a flurry of searching gazes, as everyone sought to identify the enigmatic figure named Ash. It was widely known that he was endorsed by the Gods as the most powerful among them.


    Everyone waited, in hopes that they would finally see the so-called strongest among them, and they finally did.


    In a matter of seconds that followed, a demigod within the crowd surged to his feet, as if staking his claim to the name.


    Klaus fixed his gaze on this figure, and in that instant, he recognized an undeniable strength radiating from him.


    This was Ash Brimstone, his dark greyish hair cascading over his head, his stature reaching about six feet. Yet, it wasn''t his physical presence that captivated Klaus ¨C it was his eyes. Ash''s eyes were a harmonious match to his hair in color, but what truly set them apart was the lack of stillness in his pupils.


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    To delve deeper, within the depths of his pupils, there swirled a seemingly ethereal haze, like tendrils of smoke caught in a dance.


    However, aside from this remarkable peculiarity, Ash blended seamlessly with the others in the crowd, a guise of normality that caught Klaus off guard. He distinctly remembered the Gods hinting at Ash''s dissimilarity from the rest of the demigods ¨C he was not human.


    As Ash navigated his way toward the appointed spot, a question that echoed in the minds of many found voice amidst the onlooking assembly.


    "Wait, wasn''t Ash supposed to be a demon or something?" Siren''s query held the curiosity that rippled through the demigods'' thoughts.


    Hearing this, Ash let out a sigh, his response emerging in hushed tones.


    "Our existence is intricate."


    His voice carried a gentle, hollow resonance, akin to the divine cadence of the Gods'' words, although with a more muted quality.


    However, Ash showed no inclination to further unwrap his cryptic words, causing the other demigods to tacitly agree to shelve the topic for now.


    After a brief lapse of time, Sol''s voice reclaimed the attention of the assembly, marking the continuation of the proceedings as he revealed the team assignments for each of the demigods.


    "And now, I shall proceed to designate each demigod to their respective teams;


    Shade Walker... Team Solar.


    Tyler Justice... Team Stellar.


    Quinn Atlas... Team Astra.


    Rose Valentine... Team Lunar.


    Riley Greene... Team Solar.


    Arthur Knight... Team Stellar.


    Ace Falcon... Team Astra.


    Klaus Walker... Team Lunar.


    Link Atlas... Team Solar.


    Iris Haze... Team Stellar.


    Siren... Team Astra.


    And Mia Woods... Team Lunar.


    Now, I kindly request that each individual take their place beside their respective leaders."


    As he wrapped up his speech, every demigod began to find their teams and gather together.


    Rose wore a contented smile upon realizing she was on the same team as Klaus. However, it was evident that not everyone shared her enthusiasm. Some demigods seemed less than thrilled with their teams, sensing a lack of synergy. Despite this, they all remembered the Gods'' advice about forging unexpected chemistry and chose to keep their complaints to themselves.


    "Now, let''s delve into the events and rules of the Cosmic League," Sol announced, regaining the crowd''s attention. "The league comprises three distinct game modes: Capture the Flag, Breach, and Last One Standing."


    "In Capture the Flag, each team defends their flag within a vast map, striving to prevent others from seizing it. The first team to possess more than one flag will be declared the victor. So, remember, defense holds as much importance as offense. All four teams will participate in this mode."


    "Next, we have Breach. In this mode, two teams alternate between offense and defense. The attacking team''s objective is to breach the defenses and reach an alarm located at the rear of the defensive team''s territory within a ten-minute time limit. If the timer runs out, the defensive team claims victory."


    "The final event is Last One Standing, where two teams face off, and the last remaining member or members determine the winner."


    Sol then shifted to outlining the universal rules applicable to all the events.


    "Firstly, there shall be no lethal actions, such as causing fatal injuries or dismemberment. Likewise, unnecessary violence, including torture, is strictly prohibited."


    "Secondly, each player will wear a small button on their chest, known as a ''lifeline,'' symbolizing their life. When this button is pressed or struck, it will turn red, signifying the player''s elimination from the ongoing game."


    "Lastly, if all players on a team have their lifelines turn red, that team automatically loses the current game mode."


    The avalanche of information left everyone a bit overwhelmed, but Klaus distilled it down to a simple mantra in his mind: "Stay alive at all costs."


    "I hope each of you is prepared to give your best," Sol continued with a hint of uncertainty in his tone. "That is all I can hope for, I guess."


    "He really is your dad, isn''t he?" Rose whispered to Klaus with a playful giggle.


    "And now, as I depart," Sol declared, "you will all be transported to the arena for the first game, Capture the Flag."


    With those words, Sol''s departure was marked by the sudden appearance of a brilliant halo and large, radiant wings sprouting from his back. He vanished almost instantly, leaving the area bathed in the afterglow of his dramatic exit.


    Shortly after a few seconds passed, during which everyone''s vision slowly returned, an astonishing phenomenon unfolded. Their bodies began to fade away, vanishing into nothingness.


    Klaus gazed at his own hand as it dissolved as if caught amid a surreal dream.


    In what felt like an eternity compressed into a mere moment, Klaus''s eyes snapped open in a panic, his breaths coming in rapid succession.


    The weight upon his body felt nearly unbearable as he struggled to rise.


    Then, a rush of memories flooded back, events that had transpired not mere seconds ago but felt like ages past.


    Gradually, as reality reasserted itself, Klaus became aware of a profound truth that would remain a mystery to anyone else.


    "Where am I?"

 #19: Deadliest Attack

    "Kid... Hey, kid, wake up. Are you alright?" The words echoed through a demigod''s mind, a voice filled with concern cutting through the haze. "Those troublemakers didn''t know what hit them when they decided to mess with a little kid. Can you hear me?"


    Suddenly, the memory surged into his consciousness, seeming to stretch time though it had only been a matter of seconds. And in response, X''s eyes fluttered open, snapping him back to the present almost instantly.


    He rose from his place, the dream ¨C or more accurately, a fragment of his past ¨C fading away like morning mist. As his surroundings came into focus, he realized he was in a room, accompanied by three other demigods on the floor: Iris Haze, Tyler Justice, and Arthur Knight.


    His thoughts pieced together the before and after of their transportation, reminding him that they now occupied an arena ¨C the stage for their upcoming trials.


    Gradually, the rest of Team Stellar stirred, awakening from the disorienting effects of their journey one by one. Their collective groans were almost symphonic, a chorus of headaches reverberating through the air.


    X, too, felt the ache, though he regarded it with an odd detachment, not quite labeling it as true pain.


    As the discomfort waned, Iris moved towards a window that overlooked the expanse beyond. A realization dawned ¨C they stood atop a towering structure. Nearby, a prominent flag caught their attention at the end of the room, a reminder of the game mode they were embroiled in.


    Sol''s words resurfaced in their minds ¨C to win, a team must possess more than one flag, necessitating the capture of rival flags.


    "Alright, mis amores, it''s time to strategize. Any ideas?" Iris voiced the need for teamwork, a call to collective effort.


    Tyler joined her, his voice brimming with optimism. "I''m with Iris. Our team''s got potential, we can win this."


    Arthur added his consent, surrendering to the necessity of collaboration.


    Yet, X seemed distant, unmoved by their discussion. Seated by the open window, he let his gaze roam the surroundings.


    Gazing around, he observed the absence of other towers on the horizon. This implied that their team might be the sole tower occupant or that the arena was so immense that no other tower was within sight.


    Considering the latter as the likelier scenario, X found the lack of additional towers inconsequential. His attention returned to the landscape, noting that approximately eighty percent of it was covered by sprawling forests, broken up by occasional clearings and bodies of water.


    "X, we need to be on the same page here," Iris called out, attempting to draw him into the team''s discussion.


    As she moved closer, attempting to engage X, she couldn''t help but notice his pupils were contracted, resembling the reaction to a sudden flashlight or the intense focus of a hunting bird of prey.


    "What the..." Iris voiced.


    Her confusion was palpable, but before she could probe further, X''s attention shifted northwestward, his pupils returning to their normal size. He spotted another tower in that direction, several miles away.


    His gaze reverted to normal as he adjusted to the other side of the window, then without hesitation, he leaped outside.


    Hurriedly, Iris reached the window, realizing the drop would be significant. To her bewilderment, X was nowhere in sight at the tower''s base.


    X''s departure left Arthur seething with frustration. The plans for strategizing shifted, prompting him to exit the tower through the door leading to the ground.


    "Ay dios mios," Iris exclaimed, exasperated, turning her attention to Tyler.


    "Well, I guess we can double down on defending the flag and hope one of them returns with an opponent''s flag. It''s our best shot," Tyler proposed.


    "That''s what I get when half the team consists of muscle-bound thinkers," Iris retorted, frustration coloring her tone. Tyler''s chuckle offered a small respite amid the tension.


    "Klaus," Rose called out, snapping him from his reverie as he stared out of the tower''s window. "You alright?"


    "I guess," Klaus replied, his headache gradually dissipating.


    The other members of his team had also risen and were assessing the situation regarding the Capture the Flag game mode.


    Trent then seized the group''s focus as he began to formulate a strategy.


    CONVERSATION


    Trent: I''m certain that many, if not all, of the teams will consider this strategy, but I believe it''s best to divide our team into two groups¡ªone for offense and the other for defense. We can assign two people to stay behind and safeguard our flag, while the remaining two attempt to capture the flag of another team.


    Rose: I suppose that''s the play here. But who exactly will we have to attack?


    Trent: Given the Gods'' assertions about my supposed strength, I believe it would be wise for me to remain on the defensive side to better our protection.


    Klaus: That''s a fine idea, but we still need a strong offense to win.


    Trent: I guess you''re right. Do you have anything in mind?


    Klaus took a second to think before giving his opinion.


    Klaus: As you said, all teams will split with defense and offense. But how about we don''t do that and instead bend the odds to favor one over the other?


    Mia: You mean, like, more of offense?


    Trent: Or more of defense. I think I understand. Rather than evenly distributing our chances, we could opt for a defensive strategy with three team members while allowing our strongest or most stealthy member to attempt to get another team''s flag.


    Klaus: That''s true... However, with the assumption that each team has its strongest member on defense, this can be quite risky. Also, you were the least formidable among the leaders, so we can''t take chances with those odds.


    Mia: Woow, that''s a bit harsh.


    Trent: But he''s right. *smiling* So what''s your final verdict, friend?


    Klaus took a few moments before he came up with an idea.


    Klaus: Trent, was it?


    Trent: Correct.


    Klaus: If I recall, you''re the son of Torrent, the God of Water, right?


    Trent: Correct again.


    Klaus: I know this might sound strange, but do you possess any ability that allows you to traverse through bodies of water?


    Trent: Well... yes, actually. I have the ability to transform my body into water. By leaving a small portion of myself in a water state behind, I can use it as a method of returning to that location regardless of distance.


    Klaus: Exactly. So, this means that you could focus on offense. And if the situation becomes intense during a battle, you have the option to retreat to the tower.


    Trent: That can work.


    Rose: Wait, how did you know he had that ability?


    Klaus: I didn''t. It was a matter of whether he could do it or not, so I took the gamble.


    Rose: Wow, talk about convenience.


    Klaus: You can also choose to return to the tower using the ability if you''re desperately needed for defense as well... assuming you can know the tower''s state.


    Trent: If someone makes contact with the water, then I will receive a signal to come back.


    Klaus: Great.


    Mia: So who''ll join Trent on the offensive team?


    Trent: I think it''s best I go with Mr. Walker.


    Klaus: Klaus is fine.


    Trent: Oh, apologies friend.


    Klaus: But why choose me? I mean, you have better odds with Mia, who''s the demigod of hunting. Given that the terrain is mostly trees and forests, having a hunter as our offensive player seems like our best option.


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    Trent: You may have a point, but I believe that offense doesn''t exclusively involve attacking within the forests. We can opt to evade other attackers until we reach another team''s tower, where the dense forest terrain won''t be as critical. At that point, we''ll require more offensive power.


    Klaus: But who''s to say she doesn''t have more offensive power than I do?


    Trent: Because I''ve witnessed your training before, and I know what you''re hiding.


    Rose and Mia redirected their attention to Klaus, who stood with his arms folded, leaning against the nearby wall. With a sigh, he proceeded.


    Klaus: So you saw, huh?


    Trent: Not completely, but enough to trust your offensive might.


    Klaus recognized that attempting to argue his way out of this would be a tiresome endeavor, so he chose to acquiesce and join Trent as the offensive duo for their team.


    With the plan settled, Trent pressed his right hand against a section of his left arm, promptly transforming a portion of it into water, but still retaining the arm. With that, a small puddle formed at the back of the room, providing a means for him to return should the offense prove challenging.


    "Aww, and here I was hoping to team up with Klaus," Rose muttered under her breath as Klaus and Trent left the tower, venturing into the forest ahead.


    As they ventured deeper, Trent and Klaus pressed on, their goal to avoid encountering members of opposing teams to minimize the risk of defeat. They also had to be vigilant about the lifeline buttons on their chests; if these were pressed or damaged, elimination was guaranteed.


    To determine if another team''s tower was within range, Trent periodically propelled a droplet of water, formed from his right eye, upwards. This gave him a vantage point to survey the surroundings, utilizing the water droplet''s perspective before it would drop.


    After a while, their quiet progress was disrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Ace and Quinn appeared ahead of them.


    While Trent initially contemplated remaining hidden and letting them pass, Klaus noticed their trajectory and deduced that they were heading directly for their own team''s tower. The path Ace and Quinn were taking aligned precisely with the path Klaus and Trent had followed. It seemed they were not proceeding blindly, but instead, they knew the tower''s location.


    As Klaus relayed this information, the conclusion was evident: They couldn''t allow Ace and Quinn to reach their tower unchallenged.


    With no other viable option, they prepared for a confrontation.


    They rushed forward, and Ace swiftly evaded Trent''s initial attack, pulling Quinn along with him.


    "Well, well, it looks like you two took up the offensive role for your team," Quinn remarked, visibly surprised that Team Lunar had positioned their strongest member away from their flag.


    "Well, knowing you guys, I''m sure you have a contingency plan for when your defense is compromised," she continued.


    Klaus recognized that among the demigods they could encounter, Ace and Quinn were formidable opponents. Ace''s speed posed a significant challenge, and Quinn''s intellect was equally potent.


    "You were heading directly to our tower, weren''t you?" Klaus inquired, already aware of the answer.


    Quinn responded with a wry smile. "Impressive observation, Klaus. But can you guarantee victory in this face-off?"


    "Perhaps I can''t face you both alone, but I''m not,"


    As his words settled, Trent elevated his hands above his head. In an instant, a copious torrent of water surged forth from his palms, ascending towards the heavens. Quinn and Ace gazed upwards in intrigued bewilderment.


    As the water flowed, it fragmented into minuscule droplets resembling a gentle rain shower, enveloping the entire upper expanse.


    Trent lowered his hands, and the tiny droplets surged toward the ground at remarkable speed, homing in on Quinn and Ace while avoiding Klaus.


    These water droplets possessed enough force to inflict substantial damage upon the surrounding trees, breaking them and stripping them of leaves to an unsettling extent. Remarkably, Ace and Quinn remained unscathed.


    Acting quickly, Quinn erected a psychic force field around herself and Ace, offering a slender shield against the impending deluge.


    "You almost got us," she muttered, acknowledging that their protection had teetered on the edge. Had Trent shifted his focus away from the terrain, he could have potentially overwhelmed their defense.


    Then a realization dawned on her ¨C Trent had been concentrating on the terrain.


    This revelation hinted that his aim wasn''t necessarily to incapacitate them outright; his intent lay elsewhere. Quinn pieced it together.


    Suddenly, a puddle formed around Ace, coalescing into a pool of water beneath his feet, attempting to immobilize him. However, Ace managed to extricate himself just in time, evading before the water could fully solidify.


    Capitalizing on Ace''s movement behind a tree for cover, Klaus saw an opportunity to strike. The environment, laden with water that Trent could manipulate, favored his control. He prepared to launch an attack with his left fist to eliminate Ace. However, Ace launched a swift counterattack, aiming for Klaus''s lifeline instantly.


    In a fraction of a moment, Klaus utilized his right hand to redirect Ace''s assault, deflecting him with remarkable speed.


    Ace regrouped with Quinn, acknowledging his own lapse in caution. "I guess your claim about being fast at night wasn''t a bluff," he admitted, acknowledging Klaus''s swift reaction and evasion.


    "I''ll admit, I now understand why you rank among the strongest demigods," Quinn acknowledged Trent, realizing the challenge was even greater than she had initially assumed. "You might have succeeded... if it hadn''t been me you ran into," she continued before Klaus suddenly noticed the absence of Ace.


    As Klaus shifted his focus to warn Trent, he suddenly noticed Ace directly behind him, poised to strike his lifeline button.


    Klaus''s sense of despair was evident until he observed Ace''s motion abruptly halted. Looking downward, he saw a watery arm ensnaring Ace''s hand, accompanied by the spreading expanse of water on the ground.


    Reacting with speed and dexterity, Klaus retreated as multiple watery appendages emerged from the floor behind Ace, attempting to surprise-press his lifeline button.


    Yet, Ace''s agility saved him from this trap. He noticed the impending threat almost instantly, responding by moving his arm and body with such rapidity that the watery hand gripping him turned to steam, dissipating around him.


    Quinn conjured a protective barrier around Ace''s feet, enabling him to traverse the water puddles Trent had strategically positioned to hamper his movement. With determination, Ace sprinted through the puddles, heading straight for Klaus, who stood nearby.


    Klaus once again managed to narrowly evade Ace''s assault, noticing that Ace''s initial burst of speed had surprisingly diminished. This decline made it easier for Klaus to evade Ace''s intended strike before Ace returned to Quinn''s side.


    The drips of water falling from the partially damaged trees punctuated the growing silence between the two teams.


    Breaking the stillness, Klaus spoke. "This fight has revealed something to me," he declared, his words slicing through the quiet.


    "Quinn, you''re able to telepathically communicate with Ace to warn him of attacks from his blind spots, aren''t you?" Klaus questioned, his gaze fixed on Quinn.


    Quinn''s face lit up with an impressed grin as she regarded Klaus. "Your perception is as sharp as I''d expected," she replied.


    "And Ace, it appears that I can now react to your speed. Does this imply that you experience fatigue?"


    A smile curved Ace''s lips, a response to Klaus''s keen observations. However, Klaus wasn''t finished.


    "Actually, it''s the opposite. You show no signs of exhaustion even after covering that considerable distance. So why do you appear slower now compared to earlier, when I might have been eliminated if not for this?"


    Ace''s smile softened, recognizing that Klaus''s analysis was more astute than he had initially thought.


    "You analyze well, Walker. How about I share my perspective too, if you don''t mind?" Quinn interjected.


    "You accompanied Trent, indicating a deliberate choice, especially since you came with him instead of the daughter of the God of Hunting. Knowing someone like you, I''m aware you prefer to negotiate your way out of strenuous scenarios. So, what made you join Trent? Also, why haven''t you used your ability yet?"


    Ace turned to Klaus, the realization dawning upon him as he grasped Quinn''s point.


    "He''s holding back, isn''t he? He''s hiding his true ability to catch us off guard," Ace responded, his understanding deepening.


    "You don''t miss a beat, do you?" Klaus agreed, aligning with Quinn''s intent.


    "But you''re mistaken on one count, Ace... I didn''t intend to catch you off guard."


    As Klaus concluded his statement, he raised his left hand high into the sky. The collective attention shifted to him, and they all discerned an ethereal radiance enveloping his upraised hand.


    Klaus extended his palm, causing the luminous energy to gather and swirl at a remarkable pace, coalescing into what resembled a sphere of solar radiance.


    Quinn, witnessing this display, was taken aback by Klaus''s ability, noting the ball''s increasing size.


    Yet, as her gaze remained fixed on Klaus, another sensation crept into her awareness.


    A distinct presence made itself known within the battle, despite the apparent absence of anyone else nearby.


    What was more disconcerting was that this presence seemed directed toward her, heightening her sense of unease.


    Reacting swiftly, she abandoned her telepathic communication method, instead shouting an urgent warning to Ace.


    "Ace, TAKE COVER!"


    With those words, she sprinted behind a tree, concealing herself from the northern vantage point ¨C regardless of Klaus, who stood to her west.


    Ace acted in tandem, finding refuge behind another partially intact tree located not far from Quinn''s position.


    Klaus, noting the coordinated evasion, inferred that a new demigod had entered the fray, prompting Quinn''s abrupt alteration of tactics. The switch from telepathic communication to vocal commands intrigued Klaus, leaving him with a lingering suspicion that Quinn possessed unshared knowledge.


    Driven by curiosity, he urged Trent to replicate the maneuver, seeking cover at a greater distance from Quinn and Ace, yet maintaining a defensive stance toward the north.


    "He''s here. The sensation was faint, but unmistakable," Quinn stated, her expression tinged with an unusual degree of alarm.


    "Who?" Trent inquired, catching snippets of her conversation.


    "X," Quinn disclosed, her urgency overshadowing any reservations about sharing information with another team. "He''s positioned directly north of us."


    Klaus was taken aback by Quinn''s openness. He sensed she held back certain details.


    "Why does his presence here matter?" Klaus pressed, seeking clarity from her.


    Quinn exhaled a sigh, revealing the reason for her sudden alarm.


    "Because our time in this battle is about to end," she confessed, her words laden with a sense of impending doom.


    Quinn''s words hung in the air, shrouding the surroundings in a profound silence, save for the faint patter of water droplets.


    Klaus harbored numerous questions, his mind buzzing with curiosity.


    "Why does she fear X so much?" Klaus pondered.


    Before he could fathom Quinn''s apprehension or react to it, the stillness was shattered by an abrupt, deafening gunshot that reverberated across the entire area, possibly even farther.


    Swiveling to assess the source of the disturbance, Klaus witnessed Ace''s lifeline abruptly turning red, even though Ace was positioned against where X was presumed to be. A rubber bullet had impacted the lifeline before plummeting to the ground.


    Ace wore a bewildered expression as his lifeline was pressed, and in an instant, he began to fade, vanishing entirely.


    Ace had been eliminated and transported back to the pre-game lobby.


    "How?" Trent stammered in astonishment, attempting to comprehend the unexpected turn of events. Klaus and Trent exchanged uncertain glances, sensing that something grave was unfolding.


    Quinn''s eyes reflected a mix of dread and resignation, foretelling the dire outcome awaiting them.


    "We''re done," Quinn murmured, her voice filled with despair. "I can''t believe my theories were all true."


    "What''s happening?" Trent inquired, brimming with curiosity. "How did he hit Ace from the north without a direct line of sight?"


    Quinn''s wry smile emerged as she embarked on an explanation.


    "Because he had a line of sight."


    Klaus and Trent exchanged puzzled looks as Quinn elucidated the improbable sequence of events.


    "X gained a line of sight on Ace''s lifeline through a water droplet that descended from a tree directly in front of him. Just before the droplet reached the ground, X got a visual line through the droplet, which acted as a reflection of Ace''s lifeline. So he fired at the droplet, somehow redirecting the bullet directly onto Ace''s lifeline."


    Disbelief washed over Klaus and Trent, their minds grappling with the staggering revelation.


    "Impossible," Trent murmured, aghast.


    "Exactly," Quinn replied. "But his ability defies the understanding of physics and logic."


    Klaus''s curiosity was piqued. "What ability are you referring to?"


    "The ability to strike a target as long as there is a visual line of sight. Accuracy that never misses. An ability that strikes fear into the hearts of all, one that has earned X his reputation among humanity as the deadliest person..."


    "True Accuracy."

 #20: True Meaning of Fear

    The resonating clang of metal filled the air as X meticulously reloaded his high-caliber sniper rifle. The whispering winds rustled through the surroundings, shrouding everything in a momentary stillness that enhanced X''s focused state.


    Positioned prone, his eye aligned with the scope, X gained a comprehensive view of the southern expanse where Klaus, Trent, and Quinn were situated, approximately four and a half miles away.


    Surveying the terrain, he noted that his energy reserves had dwindled more rapidly than he had foreseen. The toll of his ability on his body was staggering, even when utilized for a mere fraction of time.


    Despite his waning energy, X chose to maintain his sniping posture, his resolve unwavering. He held his vantage point, awaiting the opportune moment for his next shot.


    X had identified a ranger tower-like structure strategically positioned at the center of the arena. From this vantage point, he had successfully scouted the majority of the forested terrain. This reconnaissance led him to the confrontation between Team Lunar and Team Astra, located over three miles from his position.


    Aware that his capacity for utilizing his ability was dwindling, he understood that he had just one more chance before exhaustion rendered him immobile. He recognized the urgency of seizing a clear opening.


    "We''re doomed," Quinn muttered under her breath, acknowledging the near-impossible odds they faced.


    Klaus found himself unsettled by Quinn''s reaction, an unexpected manifestation of her distress.


    "Calm down," he urged her, his mind racing to formulate a solution.


    X''s ability to strike Ace despite Ace''s extraordinary speed rattled Trent, who recognized that outrunning X was improbable. Hope appeared to dwindle until Klaus took the lead.


    Amid the prevailing sense of inevitability, Klaus recalled a crucial factor.


    "Trent, I think you should teleport back to the tower," Klaus reminded him, pointing out the potential escape route Trent possessed.


    Given the circumstances, Trent''s teleportation could provide a direct retreat to the tower for him, eluding X.


    "And what about you?" Trent inquired, concern lacing his voice.


    "At this point, having more team members around is better," Klaus answered, acknowledging the slim odds of his own escape.


    After a brief contemplation, Trent recognized the practicality of Klaus''s proposition. Accepting the dire situation, he initiated his teleportation.


    Back at Team Lunar''s tower, Trent had used the puddle of water he had left behind to create a sigil-like mark at the tower''s apex. Illuminated by a faint blue aura, the mark emitted a radiant glow. Within its center, water coalesced, forming a structure resembling a rising arm.


    Meanwhile, at Klaus''s location, Trent''s original form liquefied, gradually transforming into water. This metamorphosis began with the same water-formed arm that emerged from the tower''s mark. Gradually, his entire being underwent the change, turning into a fluid state directly before Klaus''s eyes.


    With a sigh, Klaus shifted his gaze to Quinn, who appeared to have regained a measure of composure during the intervening moments.


    "Seems it''s just us now," Klaus mumbled, his countenance maintaining its remarkably calm and collected demeanor.


    "So it seems," Quinn replied, a hint of regained confidence returning to her expression, though it was tinged with a sense of facade.


    "Though, in reality, we''re just prolonging the inevitable," she continued, acknowledging their challenging circumstances.


    Klaus took a moment to ponder before responding, his reply carrying a glimmer of uncertainty.


    "I''m not entirely sure about that."


    Quinn''s confusion was palpable as she regarded Klaus, attempting to decipher the meaning behind his words. She sensed a hidden implication in his statement.


    "Wait, you have a plan?" Quinn inquired, curiosity lacing her voice.


    "I guess..." Klaus replied thoughtfully.


    Quinn fell silent, her attention fixated on Klaus. His claim of having a plan held her intrigue, a beacon of hope in a dire situation that seemed devoid of alternatives.


    Klaus turned his gaze northward, toward the presumed location of X. Amidst his thoughts, he realized the precarious nature of his plan ¨C a single opportunity to execute it correctly, and the risk of elimination loomed should he fail.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: The plan isn''t entirely foolproof, but what other option do we really have? Although, assisting you isn''t a priority, given that we aren''t teammates.


    Quinn: Guess you aren''t ignorant of that fact, huh?


    Quinn then cheekily returned her smile. Klaus pondered the situation for a few more moments before deciding what to do about Quinn and whether he should include her in his rescue plan.


    Klaus: I''ll help you, but we''re gonna strike a deal.


    Hearing this made Quinn a bit skeptical, but she knew her options were slim at that moment.


    Quinn: Fine. What are your terms?


    Klaus: It''s pretty simple, really. I know that you and Ace were making your way to my team''s tower earlier. Given your expectedly sharp intellect, it''s likely you deduced that my team might be the weakest among your opponents. But that''s kind of an issue for me if I let you continue in the game. Can you see where this is going?


    Quinn''s expression shifted as she heard Klaus lay out his conditions. She had a feeling he might figure out their intentions, but she had hoped it wouldn''t come to this.


    Klaus: And out of all the demigods, you''re likely the only one I believe will honor their word, so just saying yes is enough for me.


    And he was correct. Quinn wasn''t the type to backtrack on her promises, so if she agreed, it would be sincere. However, she understood that by accepting, she would be altering the potential for her team''s victory.


    Quinn: And what if I decline?


    Klaus: Well, I''m pretty sure you can''t. I already know that one of your abilities has telekinetic traits, meaning you can choose to manipulate the trees and potentially obstruct X''s line of sight. However, you chose not to do this, probably recognizing that moving the trees would cause more water droplets to fall to the ground, giving X an advantage rather than a hindrance. Also, I believe that you can use telepathic communication to signal others from your team for assistance, but from your initial reaction, I''m guessing your range may not extend far enough to reach your tower where your teammates are.


    Quinn glanced at him with a subtle grin.


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    Klaus: But you already knew that the second X sniped Ace, and you panicked because you knew I was your only way out. Also, if we both do get eliminated, your team loses fifty percent of their members, and mine, only twenty-five percent. So you need this chance for survival more than I do.


    Quinn let out a sigh in frustration.


    Klaus: But you already knew that.


    Quinn struggled to maintain a composed expression despite realizing that Klaus''s deduction was entirely accurate.


    Quinn: You''re too smart for your own good, Klaus Walker?


    Klaus: I''m sure you get that a lot.


    After a lengthy conversation, Quinn found herself compelled to yield to Klaus''s wishes.


    X maintained his vigil through the sniper scope, his focus locked onto Klaus and Quinn''s concealed location. He sensed their attempt to strategize an escape, deducing it from the extended time they spent in cover.


    Yet, X remained unswayed. His singular goal was a clear, unerring shot.


    Suddenly, his attention was captured by a small, yellowish spherical object ascending from Klaus''s vicinity, into the sky. X instinctively reacted, activating his True Accuracy with a mere thought. His pupils contracted, endowing him with pinpoint precision to discern the small orb''s attributes.


    However, before X could discern its nature as a ball of light, the solar ball came to a sudden halt. In the blink of an eye, an explosive burst of light engulfed the area between X and his targets. The intense illumination took X by surprise, particularly amplified by his True Accuracy and the focus of his scope.


    Overwhelmed by the blinding glare, X withdrew his gaze and disengaged the ability, left with only residual vision after the luminous flare.


    Aware that time had elapsed since the deployment of the solar flashbang, X endeavored to regain sight through his scope, hoping to find his targets. Yet, his hopes were dashed as both Klaus and Quinn had vanished from view.


    Weakened by the strain of sustaining True Accuracy, X could barely move. He remained on the ranger tower to recuperate, aiming to restore his strength and reduce his vulnerability before reentering the fray.


    The footsteps of Arthur reverberated through the expansive forest encompassing the battlefield. His search for rival team members had been fruitless, leaving him isolated for an extended period.


    Finally, after covering considerable ground, Arthur stumbled upon a tower-like structure. As he entered the tower, a pair of staircases greeted him, mirroring the layout of his initial spawn point.


    Ascending the steps, Arthur reached the tower''s pinnacle, where the coveted flag awaited. Yet, an odd sensation compelled him to dodge an incoming assault launched from the direction of the flag. Reacting swiftly, Arthur leaped back, narrowly evading the attack.


    Rising to his feet, Arthur turned toward the origin of the assault.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t let you have that." the stranger muttered, revealing their identity to Arthur.


    "Siren, I assume?" Arthur responded, a flicker of recognition lighting up his features.


    "Correct," Siren affirmed, his right knuckle still clenched and aimed at Arthur.


    Arthur continued, "The son of the God of Sound, huh? That attack just now, a sonic boom generated from your hands?"


    "I''m not particularly interested in chatting at the moment if that''s fine," Siren replied tersely.


    Clad in his all-encompassing suit, Siren''s expressions remained inscrutable. His right hand remained fixed on Arthur, displaying three small boxes on the back of his palm. One of them emitted a blue light and emitted a faint, charge-like sound.


    "It seems he''s about to attack again," Arthur thought to himself as the second small box on Siren''s hand lit up, accompanied by a higher-pitched sound.


    As the third box glowed with blue light, producing the final, highest-pitched sound, an intense force, propelled by a deafening sound, surged from Siren''s knuckle directly toward Arthur''s lifeline. It was as if Siren had harnessed the power of sound within his body and unleashed it toward the precise location his hand was pointed at.


    Observing this rapidly advancing force, which appeared to have exceeded the speed of sound, Arthur reacted almost instinctively, narrowly evading the sonic boom aimed directly at him. As he hit the floor, a powerful explosion-like noise erupted behind him, and when he turned to assess the damage, a section of the wall appeared broken through.


    With this, Arthur realized the destructive potential of Siren''s sound-based attacks, ones that he couldn''t afford to underestimate.


    Struggling to regain his footing, Arthur found himself the target of another charged shot from Siren. Reacting swiftly, he narrowly avoided the attack once more.


    Siren unleashed multiple supersonic assaults, and Arthur dodged them all with agility and determination. However, he couldn''t elude the final shot, which struck his back and sent him sprawling to the ground.


    Seeing his adversary immobilized, Siren ceased his attacks, the parts of his suit on his arms emitting a powering-down sound, signaling a temporary cessation of hostilities.


    Arthur took a few moments to rise to his feet, brushing off the dust from his left shoulder, which had impacted the ground during his fall. He turned his attention to Siren, whose concealed emotions were masked by his suit.


    "You''re strong," Arthur acknowledged. "Those attacks could incapacitate almost anyone on contact."


    "But regrettably, I''m your opponent."


    With those words from Arthur, Siren wasted no time. He immediately charged another shot and fired it straight at Arthur. However, this time, Arthur casually extended his right forearm to intercept the shot.


    Siren, momentarily taken aback by what he saw, realized that Arthur''s arm bore no mark or injury from the attack, even though the force had shredded the sleeve of his shirt where the shot had landed.


    "What?" Siren exclaimed in disbelief. Before he could react, Arthur was already closing the distance between them at a rapid pace.


    Panicking, Siren recognized that he needed to amplify the intensity of his attack, even if it meant risking potential harm to both Arthur and himself.


    "How would you like ten percent, then?" Siren shouted, doubling the intensity from five percent to ten and unleashing it at Arthur.


    Undeterred, Arthur thrust his right palm forward to intercept the attack, his momentum unbroken.


    "Impossible," Siren muttered as Arthur reached him without being affected by the blast.


    Attempting to launch another point-blank attack before Arthur reached him, Siren found his suit overheating, forcing it to go offline for a ten-second cooldown.


    Unfortunately for Siren, ten seconds was an eternity when facing Arthur. In those moments, Arthur surged forward, his fists raised, and struck at the location of Siren''s lifeline.


    Siren tried to shield himself with his arms, but the force behind Arthur''s blow was far beyond ordinary human strength. The impact sent Siren hurtling into the wall several yards away, his back slamming into it.


    Pain radiated through Siren''s body as his arms felt as if they were shattered. The force of that single attack nearly knocked him unconscious. He struggled to move his arms, feeling the strain of his injuries.


    "Any more of your last attack could have been a problem, so I had to end it quickly," Arthur remarked, shifting his stance as if preparing for another strike despite the distance.


    "But I appreciate your effort," Arthur concluded as he swung his fist forward, unleashing a powerful gust of wind that struck the space between him and Siren.


    The force of the wind slammed into Siren''s lifeline, causing it to instantly turn red. The impact was so forceful that it propelled Siren through the wall and out of the tower.


    Luckily, Siren was spared from further damage and was transported away from the battlefield before his body could hit the ground.


    After his intense battle with Siren, Arthur took a moment to catch his breath. His breathing gradually normalized as he walked toward the flag that still stood in the center of the room.


    "Guess I have to bring this back to the base and secure the win," he muttered to himself, extending his hand toward the flag.


    However, just as his fingers were about to grasp it, a voice cut through the air from behind him.


    "What do you think you''re doing?"


    Startled, Arthur spun around to see who had spoken, only to find no one there. Perplexed, he scanned the room, searching for any sign of the mysterious voice.


    He brushed it off as his imagination playing tricks on him, but the voice spoke again, echoing around the room.


    "Looks like your time in this competition is about to end."


    This time, Arthur was certain that someone was present with him.


    "Show yourself!" he shouted, his gaze darting around the room, seeking the source of the voice.


    "Your heart is racing. Is that fear I see in your eyes?" The voice taunted, causing Arthur to whirl around even faster.


    "Fear? You must be joking. Why don''t you come out and face me, coward?" Arthur retorted, his impatience growing as he yearned for the stranger to reveal themselves.


    Then, after a brief pause, the voice echoed once more, this time from directly behind him.


    "Boo."


    Startled, Arthur instinctively swung his arm in the direction of the voice, but upon a second of witnessing who it was, his target dissolved into smoke and disappeared.


    "A-Ash Brimstone," Arthur muttered, recognizing the presence. He realized that the tower he was in belonged to Team Astra.


    After uttering the name, he noticed that the room had become enveloped in smoke, obscuring his vision. Arthur then raised his arms, positioning himself in an offensive stance.


    "You think I''m afraid of mere smoke?" he retorted, challenging Ash.


    "Even the mighty fear what they don''t understand."


    These words shattered Arthur''s composure. He turned frantically, attempting to locate Ash and heightening his senses in preparation for the next attack.


    "Reveal yourself, coward! You''re not in control here!" Arthur snapped, his impatience or perhaps fear making his words harsh.


    Ash''s voice echoed once more, "That is unnecessary since the battle has already concluded."


    In that instant, Arthur''s lifeline abruptly turned red, a shocking realization washing over him.


    "What?" Arthur exclaimed, astonished by the sudden turn of events.


    Despite no apparent contact or force, his lifeline had been pressed, eliminating him from the game. Even his readiness for Ash''s attacks hadn''t been enough.


    Arthur dropped to his knees, a profound sense of disappointment settling over him as his form began to fade away.


    "How?" he asked, his eyes falling upon Ash, who materialized before him in an ethereal form before vanishing completely.


    Ash''s response lingered in the air as the smoke dissipated, leaving no trace behind.


    "I''m stronger."

 #21: Sun vs Moon

    As the intricate sigils of water on the floor began to radiate a soft glow, Trent began to spawn back, his form slowly materializing from what appeared to be fluid before solidifying into his human shape.


    Gradually, Trent found himself fully back at the base. The transportation process seemed to have taken its toll on him, as he sank to the ground, gasping for breath.


    Concerned by his state, Rose swiftly approached him, offering her assistance. "Are you alright?" she inquired.


    Trent managed a reassuring smile. "I''m fine," he assured her between breaths. "Just needed a moment to catch my breath."


    "I hope you''re right," Rose replied, extending her hand to help him up.


    Taking Rose''s offered hand, Trent recounted his experience to her, describing the process of his transportation.


    "Wait, so there''s a chance that Klaus might still be out there?" Rose''s worry was palpable.


    Trent nodded thoughtfully. "While it''s not a certainty, there''s a possibility."


    Rose''s determination shone through. Despite her concern for Klaus, she realized the larger implications. "We can''t ignore the fact that capturing a flag is essential for victory. Even if Klaus is out, we have to push forward. And I think I should be the one to go."


    Mia interjected from the sidelines, her practicality evident. "Sending you out recklessly to save your boyfriend won''t help the team. We can''t afford to lose another member without a clear plan."


    Rose''s response was resolute. Turning to Mia with unwavering determination, she stated, "Regardless of Klaus''s status, our goal remains to capture a flag. If Klaus is still active, we might work better together. Trent and you are the strongest option for defense, especially since we''re still yet to be attacked. Our best chance is for me to try and disrupt other teams while they''re attacking."


    Trent recognized Rose''s strategy-minded approach. Her focus wasn''t solely on Klaus, but on maximizing the team''s chances.


    Indeed, at this stage, only the strongest contenders would remain in the game. Teams with weak defenses would be vulnerable if the remaining teams focused on attacking their bases. Trent understood that Rose''s motivation was twofold: her emotions for Klaus and her commitment to the game''s strategy.


    Finally breaking the silence, Trent consented, "Alright, I''m in."


    Mia''s frustration was evident. "Really?"


    Trent''s reasoning was clear. "For now, it''s the best option."


    Rose''s face lit up with a grateful smile, and she nodded in agreement.


    After a brief moment of preparation, Rose set off, aiming to locate Klaus or seize another team''s flag.


    "Should we be letting her go?" one voice pondered.


    "Why not? Our primary objective is capturing the flag. Decreasing their numbers works in our favor," another voice responded.


    "Fair point, though she might be headed to our base."


    A confident tone from the second figure responded, "That''s where Lance comes in."


    The figures emerged from the shadows, revealing themselves as Shade and Riley. They then ascended towards Team Lunar''s tower.


    Mia voiced her doubts to Trent within the tower. "Are you sure letting her go alone is the right decision?"


    Trent''s conviction remained strong. "She might not be the strongest, but she''s very resourceful. Plus, not many teams know about her power."


    Curious, Mia shifted the topic. "Speaking of powers, how can you transport your clothes as well when you do your teleporting thing?"


    Trent explained, "I can change the properties of nonliving matter, turning it into water and back. When I placed the mark earlier, it also replicated my clothes as well. It''s similar to creating a water clone."


    "Damn, that''s hella powerful," Mia remarked.


    Trent nodded, revealing the cost. "Indeed, but it''s very energy-intensive."


    Mia''s curiosity grew. "So, if you could do the same with other things..."


    Trent finished her thought, "I could turn them into water and back, given enough energy."


    "Wow, impressive," Mia admitted.


    In a sudden shift, Trent''s expression tightened as he swiftly pivoted toward the tower''s entrance.


    "We''re under attack," he alerted Mia, who instantly readied her bow, an arrow drawn and aimed at the entrance.


    Soon enough, Shade and Riley entered the scene.


    Observing their readiness, Riley commented, "Impressive, Trent. Seems we actually should be more cautious around you."


    Trent responded, his stance poised for confrontation. "I can''t say if we were specifically targeted, but don''t underestimate my team."


    Riley exchanged a glance with Shade, a shared understanding passing between them. "Don''t forget the plan, Shade."


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    Shade nodded, assuming a crouched position, his hands pressed against the floor.


    Mia and Trent attempted to move forward, only to find themselves frozen in place, unable to move.


    Perplexed, Mia voiced her confusion. "What''s happening?"


    Trent, looking downward, recognized that his shadow was darker. "It''s our shadows. Shade''s manipulating them, which affects us."


    Shade''s unique power allowed him to control the shadows of both Mia and Trent, effectively reversing their real-world movements with those of their shadows.


    Trent continued explaining, "And we can still communicate because our shadows lack features like mouths or eyes."


    Seizing this control, Shade guided Mia''s shadow to release her bow and fling her quiver out of a nearby window. With a sinister intention, he then attempted to press Mia''s lifeline, expecting her elimination.


    Desperately, Mia struggled against Shade''s influence, fighting to prevent him from reaching her lifeline.


    In a critical moment, Trent summoned a small bead of water from his finger, expertly aiming it at Mia''s hand. The droplet struck her palm, diverting it from her lifeline and keeping her in the game.


    The strain on Shade was apparent. His arms trembled under the pressure of maintaining control over both shadows.


    Recognizing Shade''s vulnerability, Trent mustered his strength to resist, amplifying the strain on Shade, who teetered on the brink of losing his grip on them.


    Amid this clash, Riley perceived Shade''s struggle. Closing her eyes momentarily, she muttered two words.


    "Gaia State."


    When her eyes opened, roots of trees burst forth from the ground ahead of her, small leaves adorning them. A pointed gesture from Riley aimed them at Mia and Trent, directing the roots to ensnare them.


    The roots wrapped around the pair, restraining their movements right as Shade lost his hold on them. The pair was ensnared by the roots, and a portion of these roots started inching closer to their lifelines.


    Riley''s power seemed overwhelmingly dominant.


    Yet, Trent remained steadfast, summoning a heightened concentration of water. The water surged from his fingertips, effortlessly slicing through the roots binding Mia and him, leaving them unscathed.


    Turning towards Mia, Trent''s urgency was palpable as he shouted, "Take the shot!"


    Mia responded without hesitation. Snatching a branch from the ground, she wielded it like an improvised arrow, wielding her bow and racing forward to take the shot.


    Riley''s realization dawned on her, prompting her to summon much thicker tree roots that began sprouting throughout the room.


    The trees rapidly ascended, attempting to ensnare both Mia and Trent in their grasp. However, Mia refused to yield.


    She continued to maneuver adeptly, skillfully evading the encroaching roots while searching for an opportunity to strike. Yet, each potential opening was swiftly shut down by Riley''s formidable ability.


    Riley''s prowess exceeded their expectations.


    Before Mia''s hope could waver, Trent turned to her with determination.


    "I''ll create an opening for you; just make sure your shot lands."


    Mia affirmed her understanding with a nod, diligently dodging the surging roots as they surged toward her with unwavering ferocity.


    Trent extended his right hand, positioning his index and middle fingers forward in a gesture resembling a gun. Gradually, water gathered at his fingertips, accumulating into a significant mass.


    As Trent released his concentrated water, it ruptured and broke through the roots and branches with astounding velocity, shattering them in its path.


    The water surged toward Riley through the roots, who narrowly evaded its trajectory. The attack shattered through the wall behind her and pressed forward until it gradually lost momentum and subsided.


    Riley swerved away from the assault just in time, only to realize that Mia had closed the distance during the chaos, slipping through the openings caused by Trent''s attack.


    More roots emerged between Riley and Mia as she tried to halt Mia''s pursuit.


    "Does she have unlimited stamina or what?" Mia pondered briefly before a realization struck her. Her focus shifted.


    Just before the gap between Riley and Mia vanished, Mia drew her bow with the twig as her makeshift arrow, aligning her aim with Riley''s lifeline.


    Suddenly, in an instant, her eyes constricted, taking on a focused intensity, and she released her shot.


    It was True Accuracy.


    As the shot was taken, it immediately struck Riley''s lifeline. Riley was caught off guard by the astonishing swiftness of the attack.


    The astonishment that rippled through the onlookers was evident; no one had anticipated such an impeccable shot, except for Mia.


    "How?" Riley exclaimed in disbelief, fading away as her lifeline was pressed.


    Mia smiled faintly as she collapsed onto the floor, instantly succumbing to unconsciousness.


    Evidently, the toll of the ability was considerable, enough to induce fainting after a single use.


    In this manner, Team Lunar triumphed by eliminating one of their adversaries.


    Yet, before Trent could revel in their success or attempt to aid Mia, Shade emerged from the shadows and promptly pressed her lifeline¡ªbefore Trent could traverse the remaining tree barriers to assist her.


    "You!" Trent exclaimed in realization.


    "Sorry, it seemed like the logical course of action," Shade responded.


    Determined, Trent sprinted toward Shade, navigating the miniature jungle that separated them.


    But Shade''s energy was spent; the previous onslaught had drained him significantly, not to mention the vast power disparity between them.


    As Trent approached, Shade, lacking the strength to face Trent head-on, darted through the breach in the wall created by Trent''s prior attack, seeking escape.


    Arriving at the breach, Trent looked down to find that Shade had vanished. Resigned, he returned to the vicinity of the flag, sitting beside it, attempting to recuperate from the intense expenditure of energy.


    With a sigh, Shade muttered to himself, "Fleeing the scene, unlike me," as he retreated into the depths of the forest to find a moment of respite and strategize his next move.


    Finding a resting spot beside a tree, his panting gradually subsided. He had narrowly evaded danger¡ªso he thought.


    As he collected his thoughts, contemplating the best course of action, a distant shot reverberated throughout the forest. His gaze shifted downward, revealing that his lifeline had been struck.


    "What?" Shade questioned, bewildered, before his form began to dematerialize.


    "Are you kidding me?" He managed to exclaim, his voice fading as he vanished completely.


    Unexpectedly, several miles away, X remained perched atop the ranger tower, maintaining a clear line of sight to Shade''s lifeline. X deactivated his True Accuracy, taking only a few seconds to catch his breath, underscoring his mastery of the ability and showcasing the distinct skill gap between him and Mia.


    Meanwhile, deep within the forest, Rose pressed on in her quest to locate Klaus.


    Having received a warning about X''s position, Rose guarded her lifeline with her hands and steered clear of the areas Trent had instructed her to avoid. This strategic approach reduced the search area for Klaus, making her task somewhat easier.


    After what felt like an extended journey, Rose arrived at another tower. With her priorities shifted from locating Klaus to seizing the flag from this rival team, she approached the tower with determination.


    Just as she was about to enter the tower, a tap on her shoulder caused her to startle, instinctively turning her pupils pink in a bid for heightened awareness. But it was Klaus.


    "Klaus," Rose exclaimed in relief, her tension dissipating. "You scared me."


    "Why are you here?" Klaus inquired, curious about the circumstances.


    "I was sent to check on you and provide an extra pair of hands," Rose explained, giving Klaus the idea that Trent must have thought it through before allowing her to assist.


    "Well, since you''re here, might as well help me capture this team''s flag," Klaus suggested.


    Rose nodded in agreement, their focus now aligned.


    Together, they ascended the tower, only to be met by the demigod who guarded the tower upon entry.


    "Greetings, Klaus Walker," the figure greeted, rising from their seat and approaching the duo deliberately.


    Klaus immediately assumed a defensive posture, recognizing that this encounter would prove more challenging than usual.


    "Lance Knight."

 #22: Elegant Knight

    Lance Knight.


    Renowned as one of the strongest and most seasoned demigods among them, a war genius at the mere age of seventeen, and a mastermind of battle tactics. These were the tales whispered about him, and Klaus knew that facing him wouldn''t be a walk in the park.


    "Seems fate has brought us to this, Klaus Walker," Lance remarked, advancing slowly toward Klaus.


    Every rational instinct in Klaus urged him to find an escape route, but his pride and determination kept him rooted in place.


    "Seems like we''ll have to face him head-on," Rose remarked to Klaus, well aware that their words were easier said than done.


    "Seems that way," he replied tersely.


    Klaus wasn''t necessarily frightened of Lance; it was more about being cautious. Much like X, Lance possessed extensive training and battle experience, while Klaus had only trained for a week. Miracles seemed unlikely.


    Then, suddenly, the door leading to the room swung open, and someone entered.


    "Hey, Lance, my drones managed to pinpoint X''s location before they were destroyed. He might be on the move now, so I can''t guarantee his current location."


    All eyes turned to Link, who was accompanied by three small bird-like drones hovering around him as he approached Lance.


    "Oh, seems we have guests," Link remarked after spotting Klaus and Rose.


    "Battling X will have to wait," Lance declared. "For now, our current task takes precedence."


    Klaus already had reservations about facing Lance alone, but with Link''s presence, he knew that their slim chance had diminished even further.


    He understood that his and Rose''s skills were questionable in the eyes of someone assigned as a leader and ranked above Trent, whose power Klaus had personally witnessed.


    As Link walked beside Lance, ready to assist in the battle, Lance stretched his arm in front of Link, indicating that he should wait.


    "Let me handle this. I want to face Klaus Walker on my own."


    Link was surprised by Lance''s decision and curious about his leader''s specific interest in battling Klaus, but he trusted Lance''s judgment more than anyone else on the team.


    "Fine, suit yourself," Link replied with a shrug, accepting Lance''s choice. Link returned to his seat on the sidelines, his mask displaying a face of indifference.


    Rose turned to Klaus, her concern, evident upon seeing his expression. She knew what he was thinking, and she wasn''t thrilled about it.


    "Please don''t tell me you want to face him alone," she pleaded, hoping for a different answer.


    "I don''t want to," Klaus admitted, "but I have to. For now, we need to fight on his terms and find a way to gain an edge in the battle. If he truly wanted us eliminated, he could have done it the moment we walked in."


    Klaus believed that Lance was a formidable adversary, and it worried Rose why he was so determined to fight alone. However, she also had faith in Klaus''s judgment and decided to support his decision, for the time being.


    "Alright, but if I see an opportunity or you need help, I won''t hesitate," Rose affirmed as she took a few steps back, ready to intervene if necessary.


    A smile graced Lance''s face as he stepped closer, recognizing that Klaus was honoring his request for a one-on-one duel.


    "It will be an honor to face you," Lance said, his tone respectful and earnest.


    With those words, Lance extended his hands, and gradually, a tangible sword formed out of thin air and nestled into his grasp.


    "Divine Arsenal, huh," Klaus muttered quietly.


    Not possessing a weapon of his own, Klaus knew that a direct assault would be perilous.


    After a brief moment, Lance released the sword, and it promptly vanished into thin air before touching the ground.


    "Apologies. Considering the rules, I guess it''s best not to employ dangerous weaponry," Lance explained, spawning a wooden staff on his palm.


    Klaus felt a twinge of belittlement at this gesture. He couldn''t help but think that if he was putting his all into the fight while Lance wasn''t reciprocating, a potential defeat would be all the more embarrassing.


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    It also meant that regardless of the outcome, their team would automatically lose in the battle of strength.


    Yet, Klaus understood that complaining was futile. His odds of victory were better this way, so he chose to ignore the implied slight.


    As Lance assumed a poised stance, Klaus seized the opportunity to attack.


    Rapidly, Klaus launched a series of punches, each one following immediately after the other.


    But not a single strike found its mark. Lance gracefully evaded every attack, almost as if it were second nature.


    "I must commend you. For someone who only recently entered the realm of battle, your technique is remarkable," Lance commented, effortlessly sidestepping each of Klaus''s attempts.


    Klaus couldn''t quite gauge whether Lance''s words were meant to piss him off or not. Despite Lance''s words, his actions told a different story of ease and control.


    "Doesn''t seem that way, does it?" Klaus retorted in frustration, his irritation growing.


    Lance merely smiled, responding to Klaus''s remark, "That''s because you lack one critical thing..."


    Before Lance could conclude his statement, he transitioned from defense to offense in a seamless motion. He swung his staff in a circular arc, halting Klaus''s impending attack and redirecting it. Simultaneously, he used his free hand to pivot Klaus around, leveraging his momentum and then launched his palm toward Klaus''s lifeline.


    In a single moment, Lance ceased his strike, stopping just short of eliminating Klaus.


    "...elegance," Lance finished his sentence with a serene air.


    At that moment, Klaus grasped the situation, quickly retreating from Lance to regain his defensive position.


    Klaus''s mind was consumed by a profound sense of fear as he realized that his survival was solely due to Lance''s will.


    His frustration mounted even higher, cementing the belief that their team''s victory was an improbable feat.


    "Why are you toying with me?" Klaus questioned Lance, his frustration evident.


    "Toying?" Lance responded calmly. "You misunderstand. I''m merely enhancing the dynamics of the battle."


    Klaus was at a loss, uncertain whether Lance''s actions were intended to be provoking or not. Yet, at this juncture, such nuances seemed insignificant as Klaus felt the odds were firmly stacked against him.


    Lance pressed on, "However, if you insist on a more straightforward battle, then so be it."


    With that declaration, Lance lunged at Klaus without hesitation, his staff sweeping through the air as he transitioned into an offensive stance.


    Klaus evaded several of the strikes, but the rapid onslaught overwhelmed even his nimbleness. Lance''s sudden alteration in tactics threw Klaus off balance, making evasion increasingly challenging.


    Swiftly, Lance''s staff struck Klaus''s foot with remarkable force, sending him sprawling to the ground. Before Klaus could react, Lance pivoted the staff, aiming for Klaus''s lifeline with the opposite end.


    Just in the nick of time, Klaus managed to interpose his hands, halting the staff inches away from his lifeline, the pointed edge dangerously close.


    Undeterred, Lance attempted to apply more pressure, seeking to overpower Klaus. Despite the strain, Klaus maintained a tenacious grip, his determination on display.


    "Impressive," Lance muttered, admiring Klaus''s fortitude as he recognized the immense willpower at play.


    Meanwhile, Rose could no longer stand by idly. Witnessing Klaus''s imminent elimination, she sprinted towards them, her intention to help, overriding her knowledge that the odds were against her.


    However, one of Link''s drones intervened, colliding with Rose''s side and propelling her into the adjacent wall with painful force. The impact knocked her unconscious instantly.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t let you interfere," Link declared as he advanced toward Rose''s unconscious body, preparing to strike her lifeline.


    Observing the unfolding chaos, Klaus realized that defeat seemed inevitable. The odds were overwhelmingly against them, with Link closing in on Rose''s lifeline and Lance on his own.


    But Klaus refused to capitulate. He wasn''t prepared to concede defeat so readily.


    With a determined breath, Klaus assessed the situation, detecting a potential avenue to explore. He closed his eyes momentarily, inhaling deeply. When he reopened them, concentrated beams of dazzling light emanated from his pupils, filling the room with a blinding radiance, regardless of where he directed his gaze.


    The brilliance was so intense that it obscured even the closest objects, rendering them invisible in the glare. The force of the light felt almost searing as if something within Klaus''s eyes had been profoundly affected before enveloping the surroundings.


    As the radiant light bathed the surroundings, Klaus seized the opportunity. With Lance''s vision obscured, he swiftly evaded the trajectory of Lance''s staff and deftly seized it. He hurled the staff towards Link, altering the direction of his hand''s trajectory away from Rose''s lifeline.


    Klaus''s actions confirmed his ability to perceive despite the blinding brilliance that enshrouded the room and the area outside the windows.


    Taking advantage of the situation, Klaus rushed to Rose''s side, carrying her protectively. He guided her towards the exit, his mind weighing the potential risks of attacking versus the safer path of retreat. He understood that, even with their momentary vulnerability, both Lance''s intuition and the presence of Link''s drones posed significant challenges. With energy draining from him continuously, Klaus''s calculated decision leaned towards a strategic withdrawal. Successfully, he and Rose managed to escape the perilous situation.


    Once the radiance from Klaus''s vision dissipated upon his exit, it took a few moments for Link and Lance to regain their full vision.


    "What a cheeky move," Link remarked, his mask mimicking squinted eyes as he held on to his head, wincing slightly.


    "To think he had the energy to illuminate the entire room," Lance mused, a mixture of admiration and acknowledgment in his tone.


    "Well, at least they got away. Lucky them," Link added, his mask momentarily displaying a boot-up power bar before returning to its typical expression.


    Lance''s smile was one of comprehension as he walked back to his initial position and settled himself once more. He conveyed his insight confidently.


    "Oh, they haven''t retreated."


    Link''s surprise was palpable. "What do you mean? I''m not following."


    "They didn''t run away; they''re simply just planning their next move," Lance elucidated.


    Curiosity laced Link''s voice as he inquired, "How are you so sure?"


    Lance''s response was layered with certainty. "Because it''s Klaus Walker. Given his nature, he won''t allow himself retreat, even if it spells certain defeat."

 #23: Charmed

    "Rose... Rose... Rose..."


    With those words echoing in her ears, Rose stirred awake and found herself face to face with Klaus. The throbbing ache in her head and stomach reminded her of the drone''s impact, and she instinctively held her head and abdomen in pain as the memories flooded back.


    "Klaus?" she croaked, her voice strained. "Are we out of the game?"


    "No," Klaus answered, helping her sit up against the tower''s wall. Rose''s confusion was palpable ¨C she couldn''t understand how they were still in the competition after their encounter with Team Solar.


    "I thought I was dead for a moment because all I could see while unconscious was a bright light," Rose remarked.


    "You don''t say," Klaus responded, realizing what had caused her temporary blindness.


    After a brief pause, Rose managed to get to her feet, assuring Klaus that she was okay and suggesting they continue their escape. But as she started to move towards the forest, she noticed Klaus wasn''t following.


    "What''s the matter?" Rose asked, puzzled by his hesitation.


    "We can''t leave," Klaus stated plainly, his resolve evident in his voice.


    Her expression shifted from puzzlement to realization in an instant. She knew exactly what he was trying to convey.


    "Oh no, no, no. Do you seriously believe we can just waltz back in there and turn the tide after what just happened?" Rose''s frustration was palpable as she already concluded that they were outmatched.


    Klaus paused, aware that he wasn''t thinking logically. He understood that fleeing would be the wisest choice, yet the thought of running from a challenge gnawed at his principles. He might not have been a natural fighter, but he was unwilling to let obstacles dictate his actions. Running away wouldn''t help him grow.


    "Rose, you''re free to go back if you want. I won''t hold it against you," Klaus began, his tone sincere. "But I can''t walk away. I can''t just run from this fight."


    Rose took a moment to digest his words, and a hint of surprise crossed her face. "You seem to care a lot about this. That''s so unlike you."


    He met her gaze with an unexpected confession. "Guess I''m not as apathetic as before."


    The ensuing silence was awkward, lingering for a few seconds before Rose asked the inevitable question.


    CONVERSATION


    Rose: So, what''s the plan?


    Klaus took a few seconds to realize something they hadn''t used.


    Klaus: I think I have an idea we haven''t used yet, and it might be our best chance right now.


    Klaus extended his index finger and aimed it directly at Rose.


    Klaus: You.


    It took Rose a moment to fully comprehend what Klaus was saying.


    Rose: Me? How the heck am I supposed to help in defeating freaking Lance Knight?


    Then, Klaus lifted his finger higher and directed it toward her eyes.


    Klaus: That''s because we haven''t used your ability yet. Your Love Charm.


    Rose: *smiling* Is that what you call it?


    Klaus: Does it matter?


    Klaus responded to help her regain focus, which she managed to do.


    Rose: Right. But I don''t think it''s going to work. Last I checked, my ability doesn''t work on demigods.


    Klaus: That''s what I thought at first.


    Klaus responded before taking a brief pause.


    Klaus: Throughout the training week, I didn''t solely dedicate my time to training; I also took the opportunity to gather information about most of the other demigods, including you, from IV. And I managed to uncover the explanations behind your abilities.


    Rose: Wait, really? Why didn''t you tell me?


    Klaus: I wasn''t sure if you would end up as an opponent, so I refrained from revealing any advantages I might have. That''s also why I had a certain level of awareness regarding Trent''s teleportation ability and Quinn''s psychic capabilities as well.


    This made a lot of sense to Rose, even though she still pouted her face at him a bit for not telling her.


    Rose: So what did you find out?


    Klaus: "This ability grants the user control over the emotions of their target. It''s triggered when the user establishes direct visual contact with the target, enabling them to transmit signals to the target''s cerebral cortex, effectively replacing the amygdala''s role in controlling emotions. However, it''s effective only when the target''s mind is receptive, meaning if they remain oblivious to the ongoing ability. If the target becomes aware of the ability before its activation, it becomes ineffective, and they can resist its effects." That''s the gist of it, as he explained it to me.


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    Rose needed a few seconds to process everything since she had many questions.


    Rose: Wait, wait, wait. So, basically, if I make eye contact with someone, and they know about this ability, it won''t affect them?


    Klaus: I guess. And since no one knows about your power, it can give us an advantage.


    Rose: Oh, wow. But wait, If I remember correctly, the ability didn''t work on you when we first met. How come?


    Klaus responded without delay, demonstrating his knowledge of the answer to the question.


    Klaus: I asked the same question. IV explained that your ability didn''t work on me because, as long as my vision remains clear, my light-based nature triggers a subconscious ability to counteract its effects. Basically, as long as my vision is clear, the ability''s effects won''t be able to transmit to me.


    Rose was confused by the explanation, but it made sense.


    Klaus: He also said that a strong mental fortitude may negate the effect. So it might not work on people like Quinn, whose neural capabilities are above normal.


    Rose: Wait, doesn''t that mean we should be wary about Link too, considering they''re siblings?


    Klaus: Guess there''s only one way to find out.


    With Klaus''s explanation completed, Rose finally aligned herself with the plan. Despite her skepticism and uncertainty about its success, she recognized the need to try, considering her role as a demigod.


    Before heading back to the tower, Rose grasped onto a detail in the explanation that seemed unclear and sought clarification to clear her doubts.


    "Wait, you said the ability doesn''t work on you as long as you have clear visuals or something. Doesn''t that mean it just doesn''t work all the time?"


    Klaus turned toward her and responded, "Yes, as long as I have my contacts on."


    "Contacts? You wear contact lenses?" Rose exclaimed, leaning in to examine his eyes closely.


    "Yeah, I usually wear them, but the solar attack I used earlier for us to escape seemed to have fried them. So, I''m not wearing them right now."


    Rose was visibly surprised. Despite knowing Klaus for months, she had no idea he wore contact lenses.


    "Your eyesight''s poor? That''s something I never would''ve guessed," she commented.


    "It''s not exactly bad eyesight, but more like I see the world brighter than usual. These specific contacts help me regulate it. I guess it makes sense to me now that I know the nature of my powers," Klaus explained.


    Rose focused on his pupils, noticing a brighter shade of yellow than usual. "Yeah, I can see it," she responded after her observation.


    Concerned about his ability to battle in this condition, Rose asked Klaus if he would be okay, to which he affirmed. With their strategy fully outlined and discussed, they headed back into Team Solar''s tower.


    Upon entering, they found Lance and Link awaiting their return.


    "I told you they wouldn''t flee," Lance said to Link confidently, then turned his attention to Klaus. "Let''s hope your strategizing wasn''t in vain."


    "Guess we''ll find out," Klaus replied, preparing to face Lance in battle to create an opening for Rose to utilize her ability.


    Lance opted not to use any weapons, attacking Klaus with his fists instead. The battle choreography unfolded, with Klaus evading Lance''s attacks as he tried to defend himself.


    "You''re quick to adapt," Lance acknowledged, recognizing Klaus''s improved movements and defense.


    Klaus then transitioned to an offensive stance after dodging one of Lance''s strikes, causing Lance to shift to a defensive posture.


    The fight played out like a captivating performance, showcasing their skills in a choreographed dance of combat. However, it remained evident that Klaus was putting in maximum effort to match Lance''s prowess.


    Amid his ongoing clash, Klaus abruptly turned his attention toward Rose, signaling that the moment had arrived. Responding to his cue, Rose sprang into action, rushing toward them with the intent to utilize her ability on Lance.


    Link, realizing Rose''s intentions, swiftly intervened, echoing, "Oh no, you don''t." He dispatched two of his drones towards her. Rose, now vigilant, dodged the drones'' pursuit, evading them with agility as she closed the distance between herself, Klaus, and Lance.


    As the drones, along with Rose, headed towards Klaus, he deftly stepped back and grabbed them mid-air, crashing the drones into each other and effectively dismantling Link''s creations. Capitalizing on the smashed drones, Klaus swung the wreckage at Lance, who narrowly evaded the makeshift attack, momentarily perplexed by Rose''s presence.


    In response to Klaus''s renewed offensive, Lance initiated a counterattack. Klaus adeptly dodged, creating an opening for Rose. With determination in her gaze, Rose engaged her ability on Lance, locking eyes with him before his retaliatory strike could land.


    Instantly, Lance froze in his tracks, his hand suspended near Rose''s face, while his eyes shifted to a deep shade of pink. The success of her ability was apparent.


    However, the jubilation was short-lived. Lance''s pupils swiftly reverted to their original sky-blue hue, and with an impulsive strike, he smashed his fist into Rose''s face, sending her tumbling to the side and nearly rendering her unconscious once again.


    "Rose!" Klaus exclaimed in alarm, witnessing her effort fall short.


    "Seems I narrowly escaped your grasp," Lance remarked, his left hand touching his head as he acknowledged the effects of Rose''s ability.


    Klaus was left pondering how Lance had managed to thwart Rose''s ability. He wondered whether Lance''s mental fortitude had proven too robust for her or if he had somehow detected the impending attack. Given Lance''s evasion, Klaus leaned towards the latter explanation.


    With a mix of admiration and slight frustration, Lance addressed Klaus, "That was an exhilarating plan you attempted. But it seems you''re all out of ideas. Can you not fight anymore?"


    Meanwhile, Link approached the incapacitated Rose, preparing to strike her lifeline and remove her from the equation.


    As Link closed the distance toward Rose, nearing her lifeline, she abruptly opened her eyes, locking her gaze directly onto where his eyes should have been behind the mask''s display. Her eyes radiated a vibrant shade of pink once more.


    Link''s advance came to a sudden halt, mirroring the effect of her ability on him.


    "Wait," Klaus softly advised Rose before they reentered the tower, just a few minutes earlier. "It''s possible that Lance''s knowledge of others might make him less susceptible to your ability. If that''s the case, be prepared to face his attack head-on."


    Rose nodded, absorbing Klaus''s counsel as she understood the importance of being ready for any outcome.


    "Also, when we escaped earlier, I used light to blind our surroundings. Though Link''s face is covered, his eyes are still vulnerable to blindness. So, if you have the opportunity, your ability might work on him regardless of the mask."


    In the present moment, Rose reflected on Klaus''s advice, hoping that his insights would prove accurate. As events unfolded, it seemed that his predictions were indeed on point.


    Link''s approach halted, and his screen turned black. After a brief pause, a sequence of dots emerged on the screen, resembling a loading process. Subsequently, a pink heart icon materialized on the screen, and Link dropped to his knees in front of Rose.


    Emulating a humorous, medieval knight''s voice, Link playfully quipped, "My queen, I await your command."

 #24: The Victor

    The dynamics of the entire match underwent an abrupt transformation as Link dropped to his knees, symbolically submitting to Rose''s influence.


    Klaus and Lance both shifted their attention to the unfolding scene, recognizing that Rose''s ability had indeed taken effect.


    "It worked," Klaus acknowledged inwardly as he made his way toward them.


    Lance, rather than showing any eagerness to defend his fallen teammate or continue attacking, displayed a keen interest in the unfolding events. His demeanor conveyed that he was intrigued by what might transpire next.


    "What will you do next, Klaus Walker?" Lance contemplated as Klaus approached Rose.


    Rose greeted Klaus with a smile, elated that their plan and her ability had proven successful. She acknowledged that their decision to deploy this risky strategy had paid off, particularly considering the uncertainty surrounding Link''s susceptibility to it.


    "Quick, let''s eliminate him before Lance intervenes," Rose urged, her tone laced with urgency, as Link rose from his kneeling stance, exposing the entirety of his lifeline¡ªan opportunity for Rose to strike.


    Klaus, however, intervened, prompting Rose to halt in confusion. "Wait," he called.


    Baffled, Rose questioned, "What''s wrong? We need to eliminate him quickly to gain the upper hand."


    Klaus countered her rush, "No, we don''t."


    Rose''s bewilderment lingered, but Klaus explained his rationale: "Since he''s under the influence of your ability, we can turn him into an ally against Lance instead of eliminating him outright."


    Klaus''s proposition made sense. Given that Rose''s ability didn''t demand as much energy from her, they could strategically enlist Link''s support and together challenge Lance. This shift from a two-on-one to a three-on-one scenario was a shrewd tactical maneuver.


    "You''re right," Rose concurred, comprehending the strategic advantage Klaus was proposing.


    Meanwhile, Lance smiled, audibly catching their conversation as he observed their exchange.


    The momentum of the battle was perceptibly changing, favoring them due to their numerical advantage.


    "So, the battle now evolves into a three-on-one confrontation," Lance declared, addressing them. "So be it."


    As he concluded, Lance raised both his hands, conjuring two identical staffs, albeit slightly shorter than the ones he previously wielded.


    "I''m not certain this is a fair fight anymore," Lance quipped, his comment hinting at the complexity of the situation.


    With that, he surged toward them, prompting Rose to command Link to target Lance''s lifeline. But the implication of his previous statement was becoming clear.


    With astonishing precision and grace, Lance maneuvered his weapons, effortlessly evading all incoming attacks from his opponents. His counterattacks were equally daunting, often catching them off guard. His movements flowed like water, executed with ease and a subtle smile.


    Klaus couldn''t hide his frustration as he realized that the current situation resembled their earlier defeat.


    "We''re still no match for him," he silently acknowledged.


    As they persisted in their efforts to find an opening, Lance''s expression shifted from a smile to a stern focus, causing Klaus to sense an impending change.


    "This is becoming repetitive," Lance commented before discarding both of his weapons, which promptly dematerialized. Immediately, he conjured a long spear, adopting a lethal stance with its pointed end slanted slightly toward the ground.


    Link, still under Rose''s control, rushed toward Lance, but what followed unfolded so swiftly that it left everyone in a state of shock.


    In a split second, Lance used the spear to deflect Link''s arm and delivered a powerful blow to Link''s head. The impact appeared to have disrupted Link''s mask display, causing it to glitch after the hit. Before Link could hit the ground, Lance swiftly pierced his lifeline with the sharp end of the spear, instantly eliminating him.


    Link''s body began to dematerialize, vanishing from the battlefield, leaving everyone bewildered and Rose trembling in fear.


    "What... What just happened?" Rose exclaimed, utterly baffled by the rapid turn of events.


    The sheer speed and precision of Lance''s actions had shaken her deeply. She felt a sense of hopelessness about the outcome of the battle.


    However, as she turned to Klaus, she noticed that he wore his usual calm expression. At first, she assumed he was in shock, but it quickly became apparent that he was anything but dazed.


    "I saw it," Klaus murmured, causing Rose''s eyes to widen in surprise.


    "I saw every single move. Don''t be frightened, Rose. We can still win."


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    "How?" Rose asked, her confusion palpable.


    "Because I still haven''t used it."


    Lance''s smile widened upon hearing their conversation, sensing that he had finally provoked a reaction from Klaus.


    "Holding back led you to eliminate your own teammate. Doesn''t that affect you?" Klaus asked Lance, taking determined steps forward.


    Lance approached Klaus, responding to his query, "Only true warriors can strike down an ally compelled by the enemy. Besides, it appears you were holding back as well."


    "Holding back? You''ve misunderstood," Klaus clarified, his tone resolute. "I wasn''t holding back; I simply hoped not to resort to this, considering that his move requires a tremendous amount of energy."


    Lance''s smile grew, his purpose seemingly achieved.


    "Say what you will, but a battle only becomes true when both sides exert their full efforts. Otherwise, it''s mere child''s play," Lance declared.


    Finishing his statement, Lance assumed the stance he had taken before, his focus intense and unsettling.


    Observing Klaus closely, Rose awaited his response in silence.


    Then, Klaus closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as he channeled his concentration.


    In that suspended moment, Rose watched, sensing the impending climax of their confrontation.


    Klaus opened his eyes, lifting his dominant left hand high above his head.


    Suddenly, from nowhere yet everywhere, light flowed directly into Klaus'' open palm, creating a mesmerizing dance of illumination.


    The light continued in an oscillating rhythm, weaving around Klaus'' hand, forming a radiant sphere.


    The battlefield stood in awe, astonished by Klaus'' profound mastery of his abilities, a revelation previously unknown to all.


    The luminous sphere expanded steadily until it reached around ten inches in diameter. The influx of light particles ceased, and the Solar Ball remained suspended above Klaus'' palm. The effort was evident from Klaus'' subtly hastened breath and quickened heartbeat.


    "I guess this is the best I can do for now," Klaus acknowledged, turning toward Lance to convey that the attack was ready.


    Lance maintained his vigilance, poised for the impending clash, and questioned, "Is this truly your limit?"


    Klaus responded with his characteristic demeanor, "Seems so."


    Lance then prepared himself, and after a tense pause, he unleashed his strike.


    Lance lunged at Klaus with such swiftness that Rose struggled to follow his movements.


    However, as Lance thrust his spear toward Klaus, aiming to strike his lifeline and eliminate him, Klaus astoundingly evaded the attack, leaving Lance bewildered.


    Lance''s expression shifted as he grasped that Klaus had not only dodged his assault but had something else in store.


    Klaus employed his left hand, still clutching the Solar Ball, and dashed toward Lance''s lifeline with unwavering determination.


    Lance had little hope of evading the impending strike by himself as the radiant ball connected with him.


    Upon contact, the Solar Ball abruptly detonated, propelling Lance forcefully into a distant wall, shattering it upon impact. The explosion filled the room with blinding light, causing excruciating pain and disorienting its target at the same time.


    Klaus collapsed to the ground, clutching his left hand, still feeling the repercussions of the intense force unleashed by his attack.


    Rose rushed to Klaus upon seeing the severe bruises and partially open cuts on his left palm and wrist.


    "What in the world was that?" Rose exclaimed.


    "Compressed light," Klaus replied, leaving Rose utterly astonished.


    "Not a lot of people are aware, but light possesses relativistic mass, and photons can be treated as a gas in certain conditions, meaning it can be compressed. During the week of training, I focused on honing my light manipulation skills, seeking a way to wield it effectively in combat. While my initial mastery allowed me to control light, it had no offensive power. I needed a way to harness it as a weapon. So, I developed the ability to extract ambient light from my surroundings and condense billions of photons into a compact, spinning orb. This gave it the necessary force and pressure to create a devastating explosion upon impact."


    "Well, that somewhat explains the bruises," Rose remarked, her slight understanding and admiration growing for Klaus''s revelation. She was genuinely surprised by his dedication during their week of training. She hadn''t expected him to take the event seriously, especially given his initial reluctance to even return. Many of their peers, including herself, had slacked off during that week, so Klaus''s commitment stood out.


    "Still, you could''ve seriously injured yourself. You didn''t need to push so hard for a game," Rose continued, concerned about his injured arm.


    "I guess," Klaus replied, managing to catch his breath and stand up.


    "So, compressed light."


    As the words echoed in the room, both Klaus and Rose turned their attention to the area where Lance had been. Their gaze landed on a figure clad in full armor, completely concealing their identity.


    It was Lance.


    Lance had summoned a full suit of armor before Klaus''s attack could come in contact with him, which had absorbed much of the impact. Although the armor was destroyed where the solar ball had struck, it had protected Lance''s lifeline, leaving it exposed but unharmed.


    "You''re still here?" Rose asked, her frustration evident upon seeing Lance''s presence.


    "So, when the ball of light makes contact with an object, the part of its shell making contact is affected since light is absorbed by other objects but itself. This causes the contacted surface of the attack to rupture, allowing the highly compressed contents within to burst out of the hollow shell, creating an explosive effect. It''s genius," Lance commented, immediately understanding the nature of the attack.


    Klaus remained quiet while Lance proceeded to debunk the attack.


    "Also, the ball of light isn''t reactive on you because your body is recognized by it as a source of light, so it doesn''t trigger an explosion upon your contact. Additionally, since the explosive force is directed away from you, the damage you experience from the explosion will be considerably less than that inflicted on your opponent."


    Klaus'' expression already validated Lance''s claims. With a single attack, Lance comprehended Klaus'' ability entirely, aided by the explanation Klaus had earlier provided.


    Lance dematerialized the armor he wore, brushing off the debris of the shattered wall from his shoulders as he respawned the same spear from earlier.


    "It seems there''s no longer a reason to hold back," Lance announced, assuming his stance once more and lunging towards Rose.


    Lance''s spear instantly struck Rose''s chest before anyone could realize it, hitting her lifeline and sending her flying a short distance before she vanished from the arena.


    Klaus'' eyes widened, realizing that he couldn''t react at all to save Rose. With her elimination, Lance returned his attention to Klaus.


    "With no more distractions, let us finally conclude this battle," Lance declared, resuming his stance.


    Klaus understood the slim chances he had, but he was determined to give everything he had to secure victory. Ignoring his previous injuries, he raised his left arm again, attempting to summon another Solar Ball.


    As they stood poised for another clash, a horn-like sound resonated across the battlefield, catching their attention.


    They both turned in confusion, only to realize an unexpected development that was unfolding before them.


    They were disintegrating.


    As they faded from the arena, a voice echoed, revealing the explanation of what was happening.


    "The winner of the current game has been determined."

 #25: Man of no ID

    Klaus''s eyes snapped open as he realized he and Lance had been transported back to the lobby, the same place they had been before the event commenced.


    The expected headache followed suit, causing him to wince as he instinctively clutched his head, though the pain soon abated.


    "What just happened?" he mumbled to himself, attempting to grasp the situation.


    "A victor has been determined," Lance replied, standing up with an apparent indifference to the headache that had affected Klaus.


    Klaus pivoted and saw all the demigods present, from those like Ace who had been eliminated to Trent, who had not.


    "It seems that way," Klaus agreed with Lance''s assessment.


    He shifted his gaze to Iris, who appeared to be rousing from slumber, yawning and stretching as she took in her unfamiliar surroundings.


    "Is it over yet?" Iris queried, realizing she was no longer in the same place she had dozed off.


    "Looks like it," Tyler responded, indicating that he, too, had been napping, judging by his stretches.


    Klaus''s attention was drawn to Rose, and he moved toward her to assess her well-being.


    "Are you alright? You took quite a hit from Lance earlier," he inquired, his concern evident.


    "I''m fine. The pain seems to have subsided after teleporting back. Though this headache isn''t making things any better," Rose replied, wincing slightly due to the teleportation''s aftereffects.


    At that moment, XVII entered the room, causing hushed conversations to erupt.


    "Greetings, demigods. The Capture-the-Flag game mode has now officially concluded and your performances exceeded the Gods'' expectations. I also want to express my gratitude for your dedication to the games. Rest assured, your efforts will not go unnoticed."


    His words garnered mixed feelings among the contestants, some taking comfort in his appreciation while others felt differently.


    XVII paused briefly before continuing, maintaining the suspense.


    "Now, for those who aren''t aware of the outcome, I shall reveal the winning team of the first game. And the victors are..."


    The room held its collective breath as everyone awaited his announcement, the tension palpable.


    "...Team Astra."


    A silence engulfed the room before scattered applause slightly broke out in honor of the victorious team.


    Ash approached the forefront, signaled by XVII as the captain of the winning team. Ace, Quinn, and Siren followed suit, heeding XVII''s call.


    With that settled, Klaus voiced a question that likely echoed in the minds of others.


    "So, how did they manage to win?"


    Confidence seemed to have abounded in each team, as Klaus was sure that both Team Solar and his team still had their flags intact. A brief conversation with Trent earlier had confirmed as much.


    Quinn stepped forward, taking the opportunity to elucidate the sequence of events that led to their victory.


    "Well, following the X incident where our teams split up, I remained in the forest area, trying to keep a low profile. It occurred to me that instead of fleeing, I might gather some information by using the ranger tower X had stationed himself on as a vantage point. However, I noticed that X wasn''t leaving the tower or showing any signs of departing at all. I couldn''t understand why. That was when it hit me ¨C there was an additional flag there at the summit of the ranger tower."


    Klaus wore a perplexed expression. If he correctly grasped Quinn''s words, the situation was divergent from what anyone might have anticipated.


    "After some minutes, or maybe an hour, he was spotted by what looked like one of Link''s drones. In response, he decided to alter his position. So, I used this opportunity to secure the flag and take it back to my team''s base to verify its significance. Turns out, it counted."


    All the other teams stood flabbergasted. None had been informed that more than four flags were in play, rendering the notion of discovering extra flags on the map inconceivable.


    "Each team defends their flag within a vast map, striving to prevent others from seizing it. The first team to possess more than one flag will be declared the victor."


    Klaus looked over to see that Link had made the statement.


    "Those were the rules given to us by Sol," Link continued, "I guess I never really thought about it that way."


    "I''m surprised you remember every single word," Quinn remarked playfully to her brother, a quirky smirk playing on her lips.


    "You''re not the only one with a perfect memory, you know," Link retorted with a hint of exasperation, not willing to let her teasing slide so easily, especially considering she already knew the fact.


    "Anyway, that''s how we managed to secure the victory," Quinn concluded, offering a concise summary before rejoining her team amidst the crowd.


    While some were grappling with the concept, many recognized that the error lay in their assumptions rather than a flaw in the game''s design. The realization brought a level of acceptance, even if a few lingering doubts remained.


    Klaus made his way over to Quinn, eager to delve deeper into the details of the situation.


    "So, did X know about the flag''s presence and deliberately choose not to act, or was he unaware?"


    Quinn''s smile hinted at a more nuanced scenario as she began to explain.


    "Well, one theory suggests that he might have been aware of it but didn''t see it as worth the effort to claim and return to his tower. Instead, he could have opted to camp out there and thwart anyone else''s attempts to grab it. It''s the likelier explanation, though to truly understand his motives, we''d need to hear it straight from him, and you know how that goes."


    Quinn''s playful tone had Klaus sighing in agreement.


    "I guess."


    After further discussions, XVII announced that considering the extensive physical and mental strain they had endured traversing the sprawling map and engaging in battles, the participants would be granted a respite before the next event. This next game mode would be a single team-versus-team format, taking place in a smaller setting and minimizing the potential exhaustion.


    Furthermore, XVII disclosed plans for a simulation campsite area, where teams could mingle and unwind. The idea resonated well with everyone, and they embraced the opportunity for some relaxation.


    After some brief conversations, the demigods found themselves transported to a simulated night in a wooded area reminiscent of a campsite, complete with an array of food and drinks and other camp-related objects.


    "What were your thoughts on the fight?"


    As events unfolded in the arena, a figure observed from a different location, seemingly studying a screen displaying the arena''s layout during the Capture the Flag game mode.


    "I''m impressed by how swiftly he has learned in just seven days. He''s truly an exceptional being," another voice commented from behind the observer.


    "Yes," the first figure responded. "Despite being clearly outmatched by his opponent."


    "His opponent was your son, after all. There are few who can rival him," the second figure pointed out.


    The observer''s gaze remained fixed on the screen, showing Klaus'' strategic maneuvers against Lance during their final confrontation. The solar ball technique, a testament to Klaus'' ingenuity, was of particular interest.


    "You are an intriguing mortal, spawn of Sol," the observer mused, pausing the replay before leaving the room, their intentions shrouded in mystery.


    Klaus materialized within the campsite, accompanied by his teammates Rose, Trent, and Mia. Before them stood four spacious tents, complete with beds, and a warm campfire flickering at the center of the arrangement.


    The unexpected sight of the night sky was a notable feature, given that Higher World''s eternal daylight rendered such an occurrence simulated rather than natural. Klaus couldn''t help but appreciate the change of scenery, even though his inability to sprint hinted at the artificial nature of the night sky.


    While the others in his team gravitated towards the campsite for mingling, dining, and relaxing, Klaus chose a different path. His lack of appetite and reluctance to engage in social interactions led him to remain in his tent, seeking solace in solitude.


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    He lay on the bed, staring upwards as his mind delved into deep contemplation. One question had monopolized his thoughts since the conclusion of the first challenge: "Was it even possible to emerge victorious in that battle had Team Astra not secured the win?"


    The answer to this question was all too evident, and Klaus couldn''t escape the reality. The fight had accentuated his feelings of inadequacy and powerlessness. No matter how much he attempted to adapt to Lance''s tactics or discern a sliver of opportunity, Lance swiftly dismantled any semblance of hope.


    Despite the obvious historical context of Lance''s prowess, Klaus couldn''t help but feel a profound sense of inferiority, as if he were at the mercy of his opponent. Even though he knew he had given more effort than usual, it had amounted to nothing in the face of Lance''s dominance.


    Disappointment in himself hung heavily over Klaus, casting a shadow on his mood. Lost in his thoughts, he remained motionless until Rose entered the tent, her keen perception detecting his despondent state.


    "Hey, dream boy. You okay?"


    "I''m fine," Klaus responded curtly, his tone betraying his reluctance to engage or open up.


    Rose, undeterred by his terse reply, continued, "I know you''re probably beating yourself up about what happened at Team Solar''s tower, but you''ve got to realize that you can''t expect to take down a war titan when you''re just fresh out of high school."


    Klaus recognized the truth in her words, yet he was hesitant to embrace such a simple explanation for his defeat. The weight of his inadequacy loomed large in his mind.


    "Look, I get it hurts, but you should view this as an opportunity to grow rather than as a setback."


    Hearing those words from someone like Rose surprised Klaus. It wasn''t that he considered her feeble-minded, but he had always perceived her as a prima donna who prioritized herself over others.


    Seating herself on the edge of the bed, Rose continued, "Why not come out and join the rest of us? There''s plenty of food and drinks, and it might help take your mind off things for a while. What do you say?"


    Closing his eyes and letting out a soft sigh, Klaus pondered her offer. After a moment of introspection, he relented, realizing that it might indeed be beneficial.


    "Fine... I guess."


    Klaus stepped outside and was immediately greeted by a highly intoxicated Mia. She was dancing around the campfire, singing along to the song playing from her phone. Trent was also getting a kick out of the scene, watching Mia''s antics and laughing heartily.


    Noticing Klaus and Rose, Trent invited Klaus to join in their impromptu dancing session, which he referred to as the "strange act called DANCING." Klaus settled by the campfire with Rose, engaging in conversation amidst the occasional interruptions caused by Mia''s joyful outbursts.


    "Is she supposed to be drinking at her age?" Klaus questioned, knowing they were all underage for alcohol consumption.


    "Well, technically, we all are. Apparently, a demigod''s mind ages about 1.25 times that of a human, so we''re essentially around twenty-one years old. That''s why many of us seem more mature for our age," Rose clarified.


    "You sound a lot like Quinn right now," Klaus teased Rose, leading to her laughter and admission that Quinn had shared the information.


    Klaus then shifted his attention to Trent, who was thoroughly enjoying the festivities, even if he seemed unfamiliar with certain aspects of normal behavior.


    "How about you? You were drinking as well?" Klaus inquired.


    "Correct, though it doesn''t affect me in the same way as it does Miss Mia," Trent responded.


    "How so?" Klaus then inquired, deliberately ignoring the fact that Trent had referred to her as "Miss."


    "Given that my physical composition can be primarily water, the outcome is more akin to diffusion. Like the saying everyone uses, ''It''s like peeing in the ocean,''" Trent explained matter-of-factly.


    "No one says that," Rose giggled, finding Trent''s interpretation amusing.


    "I distinctly recall hearing it from my friend Tyler once," Trent insisted.


    Klaus found Trent''s conversational style a bit unusual, making him feel out of place compared to others.


    "You seem quite curious and confused about ordinary Earthly matters. Don''t you live in Main World?" Klaus inquired genuinely.


    Trent''s expression underwent a sudden change upon hearing the question, transforming from a smile to one of sadness.


    "If you''re uncomfortable answering, you don''t have to," Rose intervened, sensing Trent''s sensitivity.


    Trent offered a somewhat forced smile and assured them it was alright. He then turned his gaze toward the fire and began addressing Klaus''s query.


    "I''m not entirely certain. But, I assume that I return to Main World and live there."


    His response left everyone perplexed. It was baffling why he wasn''t sure about where he lived.


    "I''m confused. Do you not remember returning or what?" Rose sought clarification.


    "It''s more like I lose consciousness every time I leave Higher World. Not only that, but I also lack significant memories of myself before my initial encounter with the Gods."


    "What!" Rose exclaimed, utterly shocked. "How is that possible?"


    "So you''re saying you have no recollection of your identity on Earth?" Klaus summarized Trent''s revelation.


    "That seems to be the case," Trent admitted, his gaze locked onto the flickering flames.


    Even Mia, who had been dancing energetically, paused in response to the empathy she felt for Trent.


    Trent glanced around, realizing that he had inadvertently brought down the mood. He quickly put on a smile and tried to lighten the atmosphere.


    "So, technically, I''m just Trent with no ID," he said with a chuckle.


    Klaus felt a twinge of empathy for Trent, imagining how challenging it must be for him to grapple with his missing memories.


    Mia walked over to Trent and playfully pulled him to his feet.


    "Well, then make the best memories you can here in Higher World," she encouraged him.


    Trent''s smile widened, and he nodded in agreement. He joined Mia in dancing to the next song that played from her phone.


    Meanwhile, Rose and Klaus sat together, engrossed in conversation. As the night continued, everyone enjoyed themselves by singing, dancing, and sharing heartfelt discussions. Eventually, they decided it was time to call it a night. Although Klaus opted for sleep while the others were more active, he still felt a sense of camaraderie and fun in the evening''s events, something he seldom felt.


    Lying on his bed, Klaus''s lips curved into a slight smile as he reflected on the quirky and entertaining moments that had unfolded. He began to drift into slumber, but his peace was interrupted when Rose entered his tent.


    "Hey, Klaus. Are you awake?"


    "What do you think?" Klaus asked sarcastically.


    Rose chuckled softly, acknowledging the obvious. She explained that she couldn''t sleep and wanted some company, prompting Klaus to offer his companionship.


    As they conversed, the stark contrast between their first meeting and their present interaction became strikingly apparent.


    CONVERSATION


    Rose: Remember when you couldn''t stand me?


    Klaus: Couldn''t?


    Rose: Haha, very funny. At least now you can realize that I am not as bad as you once thought.


    Klaus then sat up and turned to her.


    Klaus: You''re right. I misjudged you.


    Rose blushed after Klaus leaned in to say his words directly to her face.


    Rose: Uhh..... thank you.


    Silence filled the room as Rose looked down in slight embarrassment.


    Rose: Uhh... Klaus?


    Klaus: Yeah?


    Rose: W-What exactly do you think about me right now?


    The room fell silent for a moment before Klaus decided to humor her with a response.


    Klaus: Do you really want to know?


    Rose: Yeah.


    Klaus let out a sigh and reluctantly chose to respond.


    Klaus: Well, I think you''re fun. You make me step out of my comfort zone and try the things I wouldn''t typically consider. At first, I saw this as a burden to me, but now I see that spending time with you is a significant source of my motivation to actually try as a demigod to protect others. I find you charming, quirky, and consistently cheerful, qualities that contrast with my demeanor. And now I can honestly say that trust you.


    After Klaus finished speaking, Rose found it difficult to meet his gaze. Her heart raced faster, her breathing quickened, and her face flushed with embarrassment.


    Her fingers fidgeted nervously, playing with each other as a mix of anxiety and self-consciousness took hold of her.


    After a few moments, Rose managed to gather her thoughts and respond to Klaus.


    "I think you''re amazing. To be honest, I wasn''t too fond of you at first. But I realized that my initial dislike was probably because you stood out from the rest. And maybe that''s exactly what I needed. I believe you''re a good person, even if you try to hide it most of the time. And sometimes, I feel privileged to see that side of you."


    Klaus responded to Rose, dismissing her words as mere attempts to say something about him in return.


    "You don''t have to say all that crap," he said.


    "I mean it," Rose insisted, determined to express her genuine feelings.


    "Thank you," Klaus replied, meeting her gaze with a smile.


    As they locked eyes, Rose''s heart raced even faster. She recalled the first time he smiled at her, back when he visited her house. A similar moment was unfolding, but Rose was resolute in not letting the opportunity slip away this time.


    Without hesitation, she leaned in, her lips meeting his in a sudden and passionate kiss.


    For a brief moment, Rose felt euphoric and lost in the sensation. However, unlike her expression, Klaus pulled back in confusion.


    "Uhh... what''s happening, Rose?" Klaus asked, clearly taken aback.


    Determined not to back down, Rose knew she had to reveal her true feelings, no matter how vulnerable it made her.


    "Klaus, there''s something I need to tell you," Rose confessed, taking a deep breath before continuing.


    "I''ve had a crush on you for a long time. At first, I denied it, because I''d never felt this way about anyone else before. But as time went on, I couldn''t ignore it anymore. Klaus Walker, I have feelings for you, and I really, really like you."


    Klaus was at a loss for words. He hadn''t anticipated this confession from Rose. He wondered if she was playing a prank, but then he considered her actions and their interactions, realizing how different she was with him compared to others.


    At that moment, he saw her feelings clearly, surprised that he had not seen them prior.


    Yet, Klaus wasn''t sure how to respond. He wasn''t accustomed to thinking of people romantically, and Rose''s confession caught him off guard.


    "I don''t know how to respond to that," Klaus admitted, his expression, the same as always.


    Hearing Klaus''s response left Rose devastated. Her eyes welled up with tears, and they began to stream down her cheeks. She had interpreted his words as rejection, though Klaus''s intent was quite different.


    Klaus truly didn''t know how to navigate this situation, as it was entirely unfamiliar territory for him.


    Seeing Rose''s reaction, Klaus felt a pang of guilt. He didn''t want to hurt her, even inadvertently. He moved closer to her, attempting to provide comfort or at least some explanation for his response.


    "Rose, let me explain," Klaus started, hoping to clarify his feelings, but as Rose turned to face him, their eyes met, and something extraordinary happened.


    "I love you."


    The words that had never left Klaus''s mouth before suddenly spilled out, shocking Rose. Her eyes widened in surprise, but then her attention shifted to something even more unexpected.


    Klaus''s pupils had turned pink.


    Realization struck Rose like a bolt of lightning. She had unintentionally activated her love charm as a defense mechanism to shield herself from the pain of Klaus''s response. Her ability was activated without her awareness, ensnaring Klaus.


    She recalled that he had mentioned the condition for her abilities to work on him during the first event. His eyes needed to be in less-than-optimal condition, which was the case at that moment since he wasn''t wearing his contacts.


    "Klaus?" she uttered, her voice tinged with shock as she realized the implications of her unintentional action.


    Klaus, his expression warm and falsely genuine, repeated his earlier statement.


    "I said I love you, Rose."


    In Rose''s clouded state of mind, this was almost too much to process. The words she had longed to hear felt surreal, her fantasies merging with reality. Her judgment became skewed, and she momentarily forgot about her accidental manipulation of his emotions.


    "I love you too," Rose responded, her heart swelling with happiness. A smile graced her lips as she leaned in for another kiss, lost in the moment.


    Klaus, under the influence of Rose''s charm, followed her lead, his emotions heightened beyond his control. Their lips met, and the kiss deepened into a passionate exchange.


    Driven by the intensity of her feelings, Rose''s actions grew bolder. She removed Klaus''s shirt, their connection fueled by the overwhelming ecstasy she was experiencing.


    Rose took charge, pushing Klaus onto the bed and shedding her own top. Her desire and emotions fueled every movement.


    Yet, despite the outward appearance of their interaction, something within Klaus felt hollow. He was aware of the situation, but it was as if his own essence had been overridden. The physical sensations were there, but the emotional connection he would have naturally felt was strangely absent.

 #26: Broken Bonds

    Klaus opened his eyes.


    For a few seconds, he couldn''t tell if it was reality or a dream that he was in, as his grasp on his presence felt completely off. It didn''t feel normal.


    He took a moment to gather himself, sitting up from his lying position, wondering why he felt like his body wasn''t his.


    Then, it hit him.


    He was naked.


    "What?" he whispered slowly, turning to the side of his bed, bewildered by why he was on the edge.


    As he turned, and his eyes fell upon what, or rather who was there, memories of the previous night flooded back.


    "Rose," Klaus muttered, identifying the person as Rose, who was fast asleep and also seemed to be naked under the sheet.


    Everything hit him like a truck all at once, emotions ranging from confusion to surprise to rage.


    "Wake the hell up!" Klaus shouted as Rose immediately awoke from her slumber in confusion.


    By this point, Klaus had already stood up from the bed and put on the pants he wore the night before, searching for his shirt.


    "K-Klaus?" Rose mumbled in confusion until her eyes widened, remembering what had happened the night before.


    "What did you do to me?" Klaus demanded angrily as Rose sat up, using the sheets to cover her chest while looking at him.


    A few seconds of silence passed as Rose knew she couldn''t answer. Klaus, however, was in no mood to be patient.


    "Answer me!" he continued, his voice raised to a level Rose had never heard from him before. He was angrier than she''d ever seen.


    "I''m sorry," Rose said, her voice trembling. "I don''t even remember everything that happened."


    "Look me in the eyes and tell me you don''t truly remember," Klaus insisted, fully aware that she was lying.


    Tears welled up in Rose''s eyes, and she began sobbing openly, her shame and regret evident.


    "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry. I''m sorry."


    Klaus realized the situation had escalated too far and that further confrontation could attract unnecessary attention. He took a deep breath, trying to quell his anger, and put on his shirt before heading toward the tent''s entrance.


    Before leaving, he turned to Rose, who was still crying uncontrollably.


    "You know, I genuinely thought you were everything I said yesterday. But I was wrong about one thing. I never should''ve trusted you."


    With that, he walked out of his own tent, leaving behind the shattered remnants of their friendship.


    As Klaus sat by the campfire, the simulated sky gradually shifted to mimic a sunrise. An alarm sounded, rousing all the demigods still asleep. An announcement followed, signaling their return to the lobby arena. Within minutes, every demigod was transported back to the arena.


    As all the demigods arrived at the arena, they were met by XVII, who awaited their return.


    "I hope you all enjoyed your break?" he said, and the general crowd seemed to agree that it had been quite enjoyable.


    But for Klaus, everything felt like a static flatline. He didn''t feel like himself at all. The events of the previous day had taken a toll on him, and it was clear that it hadn''t been his day.


    However, as he finally snapped back to reality, XVII proceeded to announce the commencement of the second game mode.


    "As explained by Sol hours ago, the next game mode is called Breach. This is a team vs. team style game with one team identified as defenders and the other as attackers. The defending team is expected to prevent the attacking team from breaching the location and hitting the alarm located at the back of the room within ten minutes. When the timer expires, the defending team will automatically win the game, so the attacking team is expected to work on time management as well as strategy. The same general rules apply, with the lifeline and the absence of killing, fatal wounding, or torturing."


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    After the recap, the demigods patiently awaited XVII''s next words.


    "The game mode will also hold four matches, where each team will be allowed to play both on the offensive and defensive positions. And now, I will announce the first set. For the first game, the defending side will be Team Solar. And the attacking team will be Team Stellar."


    Following his announcement, the two teams stepped forward, their respective team captains, Lance and X, standing in front of them.


    "The second game will have Team Astra on defense and Team Lunar on offense, so both teams can decide to spectate or do as they desire until then."


    Klaus heard the news but was utterly disinterested in the event at this point. His morale had taken a severe blow after his fight with Lance, and the situation with Rose had shattered his trust in those around him.


    He retreated to his apartment building and entered his room, lying on his bed as he stared at the ceiling, trying to clear his head of the mounting stress. He began to question himself.


    "Do I truly want to be someone who can care for the people on Earth?"


    His trust in people was waning, and he couldn''t help but feel inadequate compared to the other demigods.


    After what felt like just a minute, Klaus heard an announcement stating that the second game was about to begin. He was surprised at how quickly time had passed and realized he had been on his bed for about twenty minutes.


    Heading back to the arena, he arrived just as the two teams that had battled were returning to the arena.


    From their expressions, he could tell which team had won.


    "That was weak, team. We all could have done so much better than that," Lance remarked to his disheartened teammates.


    Riley, with a mischievous grin, couldn''t resist a taunt. "Well, maybe we would have had a better chance if Shade hadn''t been eliminated so early."


    Shade defended himself, pointing out Riley''s aggressive play at the beginning. "What! I got eliminated trying to clean up your sloppy moves from the start."


    Riley, still smiling, seemed unapologetic. "What moves?"


    Link, nursing the remains of his destroyed drones, voiced his frustration. "I didn''t want to say it, but I honestly don''t think X should be allowed to play these games. That guy''s impossible to even hit. Just look at what he did to my babies."


    Klaus, listening to their banter, deduced that team Stellar had emerged victorious in the previous battle.


    A few minutes later, XVII announced the start of the next battle and called the teams to gather.


    As Klaus joined the gathering, he couldn''t bring himself to look in Rose''s direction. She gazed at him with guilt in her eyes, but he ignored her completely, blocking out her presence. They were then transported to the battleground.


    Outside where team Lunar had spawned, Trent took charge, rallying the team to devise a plan. He asked for ideas from the team, but Klaus appeared disinterested, his motivation at an all-time low.


    Trent, concerned by Klaus''s detachment, decided to inquire about it. "Klaus, what seems to be the problem?" he asked, drawing the team''s attention to Klaus.


    Klaus, still without making eye contact, curtly replied, "Nothing."


    Trent was worried, but he sensed that Klaus preferred solitude based on his expressions. He respected Klaus''s unspoken request and redirected the team''s focus.


    Rose, unable to lift her head due to embarrassment, blushed deeply at the mention of Klaus''s name. She didn''t want to add any unnecessary stress to his situation, making their complex relationship even more complicated.


    After some deliberation, Trent came up with a plan for the team to follow. They entered the building, and as soon as they did, the timer in the center of the room began counting down from the ten minutes they had been allotted.


    As they entered, they were met head-on by team Astra, who guarded the alarm at the far end of the room.


    "Greetings, team Lunar," Quinn greeted them with an unexpected calmness, given the fast-paced nature of the game.


    Trent signaled to Mia, who nodded in understanding. She swiftly drew an arrow from the quiver strapped to her left thigh, preparing to take a shot.


    Quinn smiled as Mia released the arrow, True Accuracy absent from the shot. But to everyone''s surprise, the arrow disappeared. In the blink of an eye, Ace appeared beside Quinn, the arrow present in his right hand.


    "You know I didn''t need your help?" Quinn remarked to Ace, her smile showing a hint of amusement.


    Ace grinned in response. "Yeah, but that was a grand entrance, wasn''t it?"


    Siren joined them from behind, ready to join the impending battle. However, there was one more presence everyone on team Lunar was awaiting.


    Once they were all prepared, Ash finally made his entrance, stepping menacingly and fearlessly into the room from the rear where the alarm was located. All eyes turned to him as he stood beside the alarm.


    "Now, that''s a grand entrance," Quinn quipped, with Ace looking on somewhat jealously.


    "Guess he''s finally here," Trent acknowledged, and they knew they had to be more strategic.


    Ash surveyed his opponents, closed his eyes briefly, and then reopened them after a few seconds.


    "Good luck," he said, and as he finished speaking, he spread his hands wide open at his sides.


    Suddenly, an intense billow of smoke rushed out from both his palms and his body slowly began to fade into the swirling mist. In a matter of seconds, the entire back room was engulfed in smoke, and Ash had vanished from sight, leaving everyone in the room disoriented.


    "It looks like it''s game over for you guys," Quinn commented wryly as she realized what Ash had done.


    Following this dramatic moment, both teams charged toward each other, ready for battle.

 #27: Clouded Thoughts

    Team Lunar and Team Astra found themselves back in the arena, a clear sign that the second battle had concluded. The atmosphere spoke volumes about the outcome, and it wasn''t a pleasant one.


    A collective sigh emanated from Team Lunar as they descended from the spot where they had materialized, their spirits as heavy as the air. Despite the lingering headache, they couldn''t even muster a chuckle about it.


    "We gave it our all, team," Trent voiced, his tone reflective. "But there was no countering Mr. Ash''s smoke manipulation."


    "Clearly, YOU did amazing. You took them all on single-handedly at the end and brought down two of them. The rest of the team was just lackluster," Mia chimed in with a hint of self-assuredness. "Except for me, of course."


    Klaus, his frustration palpable, interjected, "Says the girl who didn''t land a single shot."


    Mia hesitated for a moment, her embarrassment evident. She finally retorted, "Well, at least I contributed something to the fight. You might as well have been absent."


    Klaus knew deep down that Mia was right, but he chose to brush off her comment.


    "Besides," Mia added, her voice softer, "I didn''t want to use my ability. I was afraid it might kill me."


    Trent intervened to mend the strained atmosphere, "Let''s not dwell on the negatives, my friends. We all did our best. It''s essential to acknowledge our mistakes and aim to improve next time."


    Soon, XVII entered the arena, ready to reveal what was next on the divine agenda. "As per the Gods'' wishes, you all have a one-hour break before the next set of challenges. You are free to spend your time as you see fit until then."


    As everyone dispersed, before Klaus could depart, XVII approached him and initiated a conversation. "Klaus Walker, it appears your father has summoned you."


    Klaus sighed, aware that there was no evading the demands of the divine beings.


    After a while, Klaus and XVII were transported to the realm of the Gods, where Klaus was directed to the meeting point with Sol.


    As Klaus entered the room, he immediately found himself on his knees, a reaction that Sol noticed and promptly suppressed.


    "Welcome, Klaus," Sol began, his presence commanding.


    Klaus acknowledged the greeting with a simple wave, his demeanor subdued. Sol continued, "How has the tournament been for you?"


    Klaus replied with a hint of disappointment, "I''ve been better."


    Sol nodded, understanding the weight of Klaus''s emotions.


    "The outcomes of battles don''t always align with our desires. It''s our duty to turn inconveniences into fuel for what lies ahead," Sol advised, offering a semblance of solace.


    Klaus yearned for the games to be over but recognized the wisdom in Sol''s words. He remained silent, allowing Sol to proceed.


    "Well, I called you here to give you something you need," Sol said, extending his hand.


    A small vortex of light materialized above Sol''s palm, eventually revealing a small pod. Sol explained, "I believe you lost this during the battle with Team Solar."


    It was a pair of contact lenses, not just any, but the exact ones Klaus had been using. He hadn''t noticed the lack of clarity in his vision due to his frustration and anger until Sol brought it up. Klaus accepted them gratefully, removing them from the pod and placing them in his eyes.


    "Thank you," Klaus expressed his gratitude.


    "It''s the least I can do for you. After all, I''m the one who creates them for Natalie to give to you," Sol revealed, leaving Klaus surprised by this revelation.


    After a brief conversation, it was time for Klaus to return. Before he departed, Sol called his attention one last time.


    "Klaus, keep your head held high. I know you''ll find a way out of your current plight," Sol assured him, demonstrating that he was aware of Klaus''s situation but chose not to intervene directly.


    As Klaus returned to his apartment, frustration weighed heavily on him. "Why didn''t Sol address the situation if he knew what Rose did?" he pondered.


    Lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, Klaus''s mind began to drift. He seemed to be in a trance, his eyes open yet unseeing, when a knock on the door jolted him back to reality.


    Klaus made his way to the door and opened it, revealing Quinn. She entered without waiting for an invitation and greeted him, "Hey, Walker. How''s it going?"


    Klaus, still standing by the open door, responded curtly, "What do you want?"


    Quinn tried to maintain her cheerful demeanor as she continued. "Come on, can''t I just say hi to a good friend of mine?"


    Klaus, demonstrating his astute perception, cut to the chase, "She asked you for help, didn''t she?"


    Quinn''s smile faded, and she admitted, "You really are too perceptive for your own good."


    "Says you," Klaus retorted as he walked back, sitting on his bed, awaiting Quinn''s explanation.


    For a few moments, silence enveloped the room, before Quinn finally broke it.


    CONVERSATION


    Quinn: You know... she told me everything that happened.


    Klaus kept his silence, causing Quinn''s decision to continue.


    Quinn: But it wasn''t her intention. You know that, right?


    Klaus''s expression immediately shifted upon hearing the absurd statement.


    Klaus: Are you serious right now?


    Quinn: I understand that it was bad, and to be honest, I don''t blame you for being upset. But when she approached me, tears streaming down her face, unable to complete a full sentence without sobbing, I realized just how much it meant to her.


    Klaus: That doesn''t change what happened.


    Quinn: Yes, and you''re correct. However, you have to realize that she''s someone who''s too accustomed to getting her way. When you have feelings for someone, it can lead you to make unwise decisions just to be with them, so I''m not shocked about what she did. And I know you''re aware of this too.


    Quinn attempted to offer a rational perspective, but the discussion only appeared to be fueling Klaus''s anger even further.


    Klaus: Why exactly are you here, Quinn? What do you plan to get out of helping her?


    Quinn went silent for a few more seconds, knowing the truth.


    Quinn: Look, Walker, she messed up. To be completely honest, there''s just no way to sugarcoat it, I tried. But, in all honesty, she wasn''t the one who requested that I come here. All she did was seek advice on how to handle the situation, and I gave her an honest answer: that all she can do now is hope for your forgiveness.


    Klaus laid back on the bed and faced the ceiling as Quinn continued.


    Quinn: I''m not here to ask your forgiveness on her behalf because I don''t have the authority or the right to alter your opinion, as I''m not directly involved. However, I can literally sense the pain you''re experiencing after being betrayed by one of the very few people you allowed into your life. So, you''re wondering why I''m here, right? It''s because I understand how painful this is, especially for someone as reclusive as you, and I don''t want this incident to hinder your growth as a demigod.


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    Klaus acknowledged Quinn''s wisdom. It hurt, yes, but he realized it didn''t have to be the sole reason for him to disregard his responsibilities.


    In a mere moment of reflection, Klaus confronted the reality of his actions in the previous battle, fueled by anger. He comprehended that if he had stuck to his role, his team would have had a better shot at victory, and that was what truly mattered.


    Moreover, Klaus grasped that everyone had to start somewhere, and although it appeared that Lance, X, and Ash had surged ahead, it didn''t mean he couldn''t catch up.


    "You''re right," Klaus murmured to Quinn, surprising her with his acquiescence.


    "Wait, really? So you''ll continue giving your all?" she asked in astonishment.


    Klaus sighed and reluctantly responded, "I guess."


    Quinn beamed, realizing she had broken through his initial resistance. She knew he had been in denial before her intervention, but ultimately, it was Klaus himself who made the decision to move forward.


    "Well, let''s head back to the arena then," Quinn suggested.


    Klaus, puzzled, questioned, "Wait, why?"


    Glancing at the time, Klaus was shocked to discover he had been away for nearly an entire hour. He chose to ignore it and, alongside Quinn, made his way back to the Arena of Valor.


    Before reaching their destination, Klaus turned to Quinn, feeling compelled to express his gratitude. "Thank you," he said sincerely.


    Quinn smiled, recognizing that Klaus wasn''t one to freely offer thanks. "I''m always happy to help," she replied before heading to rejoin her team.


    After a few minutes, as all the other demigods gathered at the arena, XVII proceeded to announce the next set of games.


    "It should be evident by now which team will play offense or defense, but the order and opponents will be revealed shortly," XVII clarified.


    Klaus''s team, having previously played on offense against Team Astra, was slated for defense in the upcoming game.


    "Now, I will reveal the order. The second batch will begin with Team Astra on offense against Team Stellar on defense, leaving the final game of the second round between Team Lunar on defense and Team Solar on offense."


    After XVII''s announcement, the teams grouped up and prepared to depart for the location.


    XVII emphasized, "While it''s not mandatory to spectate the games, I strongly advise it, as both team leaders are the highest-rated among the demigods."


    X was well known for his unwavering resolve and surreal tactical prowess, and Ash hadn''t suffered a single defeat since his introduction as part of the demigods. It was a clash between an unstoppable force and an immovable object.


    Realizing that returning to his apartment was not an option, Klaus decided to seize the opportunity to witness the strength of the strongest among them.


    Shortly after the teams departed, a large screen appeared at the arena stage, offering a view of the battleground where the participating teams would compete.


    As Team Stellar assumed the defensive role, they awaited Team Astra''s strategy and entry onto the battlefield before the countdown began.


    This room differed from the one in Klaus''s previous match, consisting of three distinct sections.


    After thorough strategizing and planning, the game finally commenced.


    Team Stellar''s strategy appeared promising, designed for potential effectiveness. Tyler and Iris occupied the first section, Arthur in the second, and X in the final room where the alarm was situated. Team Astra, on the other hand, seemed to favor a straightforward approach, advancing to confront Team Stellar one-on-one until they reached the alarm.


    As they approached Iris and Tyler, Quinn took on Iris while Siren confronted Tyler, leaving the rest of the team to move forward.


    Klaus observed both teams making decisions and executing them with speed and precision. However, his attention soon focused on the duel between Quinn and Iris.


    He recalled Iris''s ability to conjure fire wherever she looked, a detail that had momentarily slipped his mind, perhaps because he rarely witnessed her using it¡ªuntil her confrontation with Quinn.


    Initially, it seemed Quinn held the upper hand, employing her telekinetic abilities to manipulate objects around her and hurl them at Iris. To everyone''s surprise, Iris expertly dodged each projectile, revealing a level of skill that caught them off guard.


    "I guess flirting isn''t the only thing she''s good at," Shade commented, his team and Klaus''s team riveted by the fight.


    Iris was indeed impressive, but another real standout of the ongoing battles was Tyler.


    This realization led people to notice that Tyler and Iris were almost absent in the first game mode. Klaus recalled that they even appeared to be asleep after Quinn had claimed the first victory by retrieving the fifth flag.


    "To think I assumed that those two were just slackers from the first event," Klaus remarked on the situation.


    "Well, to be fair, they didn''t have much to do. X had complete oversight of their tower, so they knew he would handle any threats to the flag," Riley explained, demonstrating her awareness of the prior events.


    "And here I thought they were just lucky," Klaus continued as they watched Tyler''s battle with Siren.


    Riley paused for a moment before addressing Klaus again. "Uhh, by the way, I don''t believe we''ve officially met before. I''m Riley Greene, daughter of Zenith," she said, extending her hand toward Klaus.


    Klaus hesitated briefly but decided to shake her hand, finding it less cumbersome. "Klaus Walker," he replied.


    "I know. You''re the son of Sol," Riley continued, indicating her knowledge of his identity.


    "I... uhh, heard about your duel with Lance directly from Lance himself. It seems you really gave him a challenge," Riley added, realizing that conversing with Klaus was a bit challenging.


    Klaus, knowing the reality, responded truthfully before returning his attention to the screen, "It appears you were lied to. He just went too easy on me."


    "I wonder," Riley murmured, also turning her attention back to the screen.


    Returning to the battle, Siren unleashed supersonic charged shots at Tyler, who initially struggled to dodge and even suffered some hits. However, as time passed, his evasions became second nature.


    The dynamics of their battle shifted dramatically from its initial state, which favored Siren. Moreover, for every attack Siren launched, Tyler countered and responded almost instantly.


    Tyler appeared not to employ any visible abilities, yet it was evident that he was growing stronger as the battle endured.


    "It''s as if he''s adapting to the fight," Riley observed with curiosity.


    Lance then offered an explanation, drawing the attention of those around them.


    "The son of Ultion, the God of Retribution," he declared.


    "If my knowledge serves me correctly, that would imply an ability to exact vengeance for a wrongful act. So, for every attack with malicious intent aimed at him, he would respond similarly. However, in his case, he enacts retribution against the intent of the wrongful act rather than the act itself."


    This revelation left everyone stunned.


    Trent added, "That means the more malicious or anger-fueled the intentions behind the attacks, the stronger his ability becomes."


    "Casting judgment even before the action, where is the elegance in that?" Lance expressed his disapproval of the ability.


    And indeed, Lance''s words reflected the reality of the situation. The more Siren''s frustration grew, the more potent Tyler''s retaliations became.


    However, the attention shifted abruptly from this battle to the previous one as something unexpected occurred.


    Quinn had maintained a slight edge in her battle with Iris, primarily because she could use her telekinesis to stall, wearing Iris down from dodging debris before she exhausted her own powers. Quinn''s ability to sense danger, as evident in the first game with X, meant she could react and evade Iris''s attacks when she switched to an offensive stance¡ªor so she believed.


    While Iris dodged the rubble debris hauled at her, Quinn remained alert for any possible move from her opponent. But out of nowhere, fire suddenly ignited on Quinn''s right arm, as her hand briefly disrupted the connection between Iris''s visuals and her lifeline. The flames burned through Quinn''s sleeve, causing her to scream in agony. She swiftly summoned a force field from her skin to extinguish the fire.


    This unforeseen development left everyone in shock, as they had been certain Quinn would sense the attack.


    Quinn, on her knees with her left hand clutching her right, endured the searing pain in her hand for a brief moment.


    Iris spoke apologetically, "My apologies, Mija. But my target was your lifeline."


    Quinn remained silent, overwhelmed by both pain and genuine surprise.


    In her thoughts, Quinn questioned herself, "Why didn''t I sense it?"


    Quinn was baffled. How had Iris managed to send an attack her way without triggering her danger senses? She was confident that her ability was still active and should activate regardless of her awareness.


    It became clear that the issue didn''t lie with her ability.


    Then, a sudden realization hit her. "What if there was no danger in the first place?"


    Despite the pain from her burns and her exhaustion from using unexpected force to extinguish the fire, Quinn stood up.


    "Oh, mami, I wish you''d make this easier for me," Iris stated, seemingly eager to conclude the battle.


    Quinn then suddenly stood tall, leaving her lifeline surprisingly exposed for Iris to strike. Iris smiled as she wasted no time in gazing at Quinn''s lifeline, instantly igniting it, seemingly eliminating Quinn from the game.


    Or so everyone believed.


    As everyone turned their attention to Quinn, they noticed that her lifeline, though still burning, remained intact.


    "What?" Iris, and likely everyone else watching the battle, exclaimed in confusion as Quinn smiled.


    "It seems like she placed a force field around her lifeline, there''s no other explanation," Iris thought to herself, smiling back at Quinn in an attempt to mask her concern.


    "Why isn''t it burning?" Trent asked the others while spectating, echoing their shared assumption. "Is it some kind of force field?"


    Lance chimed in, "I doubt it. A force field would require a significant amount of energy to continuously maintain against an attack, and knowing her, she wouldn''t make unnecessary moves."


    "So how is she doing it?" Riley inquired, as they continued to watch the battle, hoping for more answers.


    Klaus, too, attempted to comprehend what was happening, searching his memories for clues that might explain the mystery.


    Iris ceased the fire on Quinn''s lifeline, devising a risky plan that could secure her victory. "That annoying barrier of yours, let''s see how long you can keep it up," Iris confidently remarked. Almost immediately after, Quinn appeared to burst into flames.


    Hearts raced as it seemed like the fight was escalating too quickly, and there was a genuine concern that Quinn might end up seriously harmed or worse.


    Then, Klaus noticed something. Quinn was still smiling. Not only that, but she was also calmly walking toward Iris, seemingly unharmed by the blazing flame.


    "How is this even possible?" Trent exclaimed. "She''s completely unscathed."


    Klaus examined the situation closely, desperately attempting to decipher the enigma. "Even Miss Haze appears shocked," Trent continued as something struck Klaus.


    He recalled his initial conversation with Quinn, the discussion about the recurring theme among the demigods. He also recollected his first interaction with Iris.


    Then, it all fell into place.


    As he turned his attention back to their battle, Klaus realized something had changed in just a few seconds.


    "What the hell," Klaus whispered softly, his gaze fixed on the screen in shock, capturing everyone''s attention.


    "What happened?" Trent inquired.


    Klaus then delivered an answer that left everyone astonished.


    "I see what''s happening."

 #28: False Reality

    "I see what''s happening."


    The demigods present turned in shock and confusion, eager for Klaus to clarify.


    "Care to explain?" Lance inquired with curiosity.


    Klaus sighed before moving closer to the screen, making himself visible to everyone.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: Initially, I thought Quinn might be using one of her abilities. But then I began to wonder, what if it was Iris? I had always been skeptical of Iris having pyrokinesis since it didn''t seem to align with her identity as the child of the God of sight, Siris. Then it hit me.


    Lance: She''s not creating fire, but instead, giving the illusion that she is.


    Klaus: Exactly.


    As everyone turned their attention back to Quinn, the blazing fire still surrounding her, their eyes suddenly and briefly glowed purple, unbeknownst to them, before returning to their original color. Right after that, the fire that had been visibly engulfing Quinn disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place.


    Mia: What? But how?


    Klaus: It seems her ability isn''t to create fire but instead to create illusions, making people perceive a false reality where they see something that isn''t actually present.


    Everyone found that to be a plausible explanation for what had transpired.


    Lance: That explains why she looked directly into my eyes during our first meeting.


    Trent: Seems like she did the same for us all.


    Riley: And here I thought I was just a really good flirt.


    Mia: But hold on, if she''s creating illusions, then why and how was Quinn initially affected by the fire at the beginning of their fight? Because I''m sure as hell she was.


    Mia made an excellent point that had everyone''s attention, leaving them pondering. However, it appeared that Klaus had some inkling of an idea.


    Klaus: I can''t say for certain, but there''s a possibility that the illusions she creates become real as far as the target perceives them. Meaning if any of us had tried to touch the fire on Quinn, even though it wasn''t harming her, it would affect us as long as we believe it exists.


    The shock evident in everyone''s eyes indicated that none of them could have anticipated this turn of events.


    Link: That''s just overpowered.


    Before anyone could fully grasp the implications of Iris''s ability revelation, their attention was abruptly redirected by Shade.


    "Wait, look at that," Shade exclaimed, pointing at another screen displaying the second room, situated between Iris and X.


    It appeared that Ash had managed to pass through Arthur, leaving Ace to detain their opponent while Ash attempted to reach the alarm.


    Ace was doing a commendable job keeping Arthur under control, and it was evident that Arthur was seething with anger at Ash''s ability to slip through him. However, he was powerless to act due to Ace blocking his way. Arthur was finding it challenging to eliminate Ace or even land a hit on him due to Ace''s remarkable speed.


    Klaus also couldn''t help but notice that Ace seemed even faster than during their previous battle in the first game mode. This raised questions in his head about how Ace''s ability truly functioned.


    However, the primary focus was on the newly unfolding battle.


    Ash versus X.


    All eyes were now fixed on the final screen as Ash entered the room, with X positioned towards the back where the alarm was located.


    "It appears the moment we''ve all been waiting for has arrived," Lance announced, signifying the long-anticipated battle was underway.


    Ash strode into the room while X moved slightly forward.


    "So, I finally get the chance to put you down," X remarked as he readied his handgun.


    Ash remained unfazed, his gaze locked on the alarm button behind X.


    "We came here for that," Ash replied, pointing at the alarm button.


    X''s irritation was evident as he aimed his gun at Ash.


    "Then try to get past me."


    With that, he fired his handgun at Ash''s lifeline. The sheer force of the shot left everyone wondering how X could still hold the firearm; it felt like firing a rocket launcher with just one hand.


    Everything unfolded in the blink of an eye. Before the spectators could fully comprehend what had occurred, Ash had caught the fired bullet between his left thumb and index finger.


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    He studied the bullet for a moment before closing his hand around it. After a few seconds of moving his fist, he opened his palm, revealing that the bullet had transformed into smoke, dispersing into the air.


    X''s fury intensified as he once again aimed his handgun at Ash.


    "Try pulling off the same magic trick again," X challenged, his eyes constricting, signaling the activation of True Accuracy.


    In response, Ash promptly transformed his entire body into smoke before X could fire the bullet that would have eliminated him instantly.


    As X pulled the trigger, the bullet, although still hitting its intended mark, passed through the smoky form and embedded itself in the wall behind Ash.


    The dense, wispy smoke then moved in a swift, almost dash-like motion, repositioning Ash before reforming him at a different location.


    "Are you finished with your cheap parlor tricks?" X vented his frustration with Ash''s passive combat style.


    "It seems to be efficient enough," Ash calmly retorted.


    X''s frustration had been simmering throughout the battle due to Ash''s nonchalant demeanor, and this response pushed him over the edge.


    He abandoned his firearm and charged toward Ash, opting for hand-to-hand combat as ranged attacks proved ineffective.


    X''s fighting style against Ash was nothing short of incredible, shocking all the spectators.


    While X was known for his exceptional battle sense, it was typically attributed to his long-range sniping and weapon tactics. No one had anticipated that his close-quarters combat would be just as impressive.


    X unleashed a flurry of punches and strikes against Ash. Ash managed to evade some of the blows, and for those he couldn''t dodge, he simply transformed the affected part of his body into smoke, causing X''s fists and attacks to pass through harmlessly.


    Although technically X''s attacks weren''t landing, it was evident that he held the advantage, as he focused solely on offense while Ash needed to allocate his energy to both dodging and transforming into smoke.


    Klaus noticed that X''s movements were deceivingly forceful, giving the impression that he exerted great effort when in reality, he didn''t.


    "He truly is a master of combat," Lance commented, acknowledging X''s battle expertise.


    "It makes you wonder what he''s been through in his life," Trent added, echoing the thoughts of many.


    Lance stepped forward with a smile on his face and addressed the screen.


    "I''d love to battle him in a one-on-one someday," he declared, his anticipation evident.


    Everyone briefly imagined the intensity of such a battle before returning their attention to the ongoing fight.


    "Although I have to say, it seems like X might be the strongest offensive player, while Ash leans more toward defense, judging by the way this battle is unfolding," Trent observed, making a valid point.


    "Yeah. It''s surprising because Ash was hailed as the strongest among us, yet X seems to outshine him in offense," Link added, sharing Trent''s curiosity.


    "Offense isn''t the sole determinant of strength," Trent and Link turned to see Lance as the source of this statement.


    "Just because someone excels in offense doesn''t automatically make them the stronger of the two. Many other factors come into play, and a strong defense is one of them," Lance explained, reinforcing his point.


    "I suppose you''re right," Link conceded.


    "Though I don''t think Ash''s impressiveness is limited to defense alone," Klaus chimed in from the back, redirecting everyone''s focus to the ongoing battle.


    As they laid eyes on the scene, one thing became immediately apparent: a considerable amount of time had passed, yet Ash appeared as energetic as ever, not showing the slightest hint of fatigue.


    In stark contrast, X seemed to be running low on energy, despite exerting far less effort than Ash.


    Recognizing this, X took a step back, realizing that his strategy to exhaust Ash had been ineffective.


    "What the hell are you?" X exclaimed, his frustration evident as he took a moment to catch his breath and regain some lost energy.


    "Your endurance is impressive. Unfortunately, transforming my body into smoke hardly exhausts me," Ash replied, deciding not to keep this information to himself.


    Ash''s gaze shifted to the timer, and he immediately noted that there were only two minutes left for his team to reach the alarm.


    X also glanced at the timer, reaching the same conclusion, before turning his attention back to Ash.


    "Two minutes is more than enough for me," X declared as he charged back toward Ash.


    It was evident that X was solely focused on ending the battle, resuming his relentless assault, while Ash continued to evade and employ his smoke abilities. However, their desires for the outcome of the battle were not the same.


    As X continued his relentless onslaught, a sudden, resounding sound echoed throughout both the battlefield and the spectator lobby, signaling the end of the match.


    Turning their attention to the alarm at the end of the room, X and the spectators saw a figure entirely composed of smoke, an exact replica of Ash, standing beside the button.


    During the battle, Ash had cleverly employed his smoke-based abilities. When X made contact with him, Ash had accumulated the residual smoke from the impact and formed a cloud, crafting a hollow clone of himself to reach the alarm button when X least expected it.


    "I had no idea he could do that," Trent commented as they all watched the battle''s conclusion.


    Naturally, this outcome left X furious, knowing that their battle had not technically reached a resolution.


    "You chose the coward''s way out of the battle," X accused Ash.


    "We came here to win, not to indulge in combat," Ash calmly retorted.


    X holstered his handgun and began walking toward the exit.


    "Guess I expected too much from a measly demon," he muttered in disappointment, exiting the room.


    Ash, however, remained unfazed, his expression never changing throughout the battle and the entire event.


    "It seems the victor has been decided," Trent remarked.


    "Has it really?" Klaus questioned, recognizing that the fight had never reached a definitive conclusion.


    "Now that I think about it, considering the dispassionate demeanor, Ash is like a more intensified version of you, Klaus," Shade remarked, drawing parallels between his brother and Ash.


    Klaus let out a weary sigh, recognizing that some of the others seemed to share this perspective. He chose not to respond or contest the statement.


    Turning his attention back to the ongoing battles, it appeared that Quinn had managed to strike Iris'' lifeline, and Tyler had done the same with Siren. However, before they could engage each other, the alarm had been activated.


    Meanwhile, Ace continued to excel in keeping Arthur under control, even though he knew he could strike Arthur''s lifeline if needed.


    After a while, both Team Astra and Team Stellar were transported back to the Arena of Valor, reuniting with the rest of the demigods.


    Following some brief conversations and interactions among the demigods, it was time for the final match of the Breach game mode.


    "As previously announced, teams will play both defense and offense through this game mode, meaning the final match will feature Team Lunar on defense and Team Solar on offense," XVII announced, reminding the final teams of their roles.


    Klaus made his way to the transportation podium alongside his team, ready to teleport to the battlefield for the showdown of the second event.


    Just before being transported, a voice echoed in Klaus''s mind.


    "Don''t forget what we discussed, Walker. Don''t let trivial matters hinder your growth as a demigod."


    Klaus turned to Quinn, who greeted him with a knowing smile, confirming his suspicion that she was behind the message.


    "I won''t," Klaus thought silently in response, and Quinn''s smile widened slightly, indicating she had heard his reply.


    With both Team Solar and Team Lunar confirming their readiness, they were transported to the new battlefield location.

 #29: Desired Rematch

    As Klaus slowly opened his eyes, he realized that he was in a different location from the last battle. The room had a different layout and style, but it still had three distinct sections of rooms, with the alarm at the end of the room they spawned in.


    "Klaus, you okay?" Trent asked as he approached Klaus.


    "Yeah, the headache is starting to subside," Klaus replied, with Trent''s help to get up.


    Mia and Rose were also regaining consciousness. Soon, Team Lunar was fully awake and ready to discuss their defensive strategy.


    Team Solar, their opponents for this round, was likely already awake and planning, so Team Lunar needed to act quickly.


    "Any ideas?" Trent asked his team, hoping for some input.


    But it seemed like everyone was at a loss, lacking the motivation they once had. They exchanged looks, with Klaus seemingly disinterested.


    "Come on, my friends. We can''t afford to repeat the same mistakes every battle. What happened to the drive we had during the Capture the Flag event?" Trent voiced his concerns about their recent losses affecting their performance.


    They all knew Trent was right, but addressing the issue wasn''t easy.


    Then Klaus remembered Quinn''s words.


    He knew that if he didn''t give his all in this battle, he''d never hear the end of it from her. So, he decided to set aside his personal problems and focus on becoming a better team member because deep down, he knew she was correct.


    "I might have a plan."


    Everyone turned their attention to Klaus, intrigued by his statement. Trent smiled, seeing a spark of determination in his teammates.


    "Well, go on, light boy," Mia urged, her anxiety apparent.


    "At this point, we''re familiar with each other''s abilities. So, we should be able to coordinate effectively. My suggestion is to have two members guarding the alarm room and the other two positioned in the room before it."


    "But that means abandoning the first room," Trent pointed out.


    "Exactly. Instead of spreading ourselves thin, we can concentrate our efforts in a smaller area for better results," Klaus concluded.


    "I see. That does make sense," Trent acknowledged.


    "The only thing left is deciding the pair-ups," Mia added.


    "Well, I''m fine with pairing with anyone. How about you guys?" Trent inquired.


    Rose hesitated briefly as she turned her gaze slightly towards Klaus. She knew there was some tension between them, and she suspected that Klaus might not want to work with her.


    "I can team up with Mia at the frontlines, and then we can have you and Klaus at the back since you two are the stronger pair," Rose suggested.


    Trent couldn''t help but notice the underlying tension between Rose and Klaus, and it made him apprehensive.


    "Are you sure about this? I mean, it was you and Klaus who faced off against Lance," Trent pointed out.


    Klaus, sensing where the conversation was headed, decided to intervene.


    "She''s right," Klaus chimed in. "You''re the strongest on the team, so you''d be better at the rear. Besides, considering it was both of us who took on Ace and Quinn, I think there''s somewhat of a chemistry."


    Trent accepted Klaus''s reasoning, understanding that Klaus was not one to make decisions without careful consideration.


    "Well, if you''re both okay with it," Trent conceded.


    Rose, however, assumed that Klaus did not want to partner with her by choice, and her spirits sank.


    Before the teams could separate to their assigned positions, Klaus called Rose aside for a private conversation. As they stood face to face, silence hung heavily between them, intensifying the tension.


    "I''m sorry."


    Klaus''s unexpected words shocked Rose. She never anticipated hearing an apology from him.


    "I''m not good with these things. And because of that, I pushed you away and overreacted to the situation. So for that, I''m sorry."


    Tears welled up in Rose''s eyes as Klaus''s words reached her heart.


    "Please don''t say that. I''m the one who should be apologizing, and you know that. So please don''t blame yourself for reacting the right way," Rose replied, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt for her actions.


    "But all I ask is for you to forgive me. For everything to return to the way they were," Rose continued.


    "In all honesty, I can''t guarantee that things would be the same between us, or that I can ever trust you the way I did," Klaus admitted, causing Rose to lower her gaze.


    "But at the very least, I do forgive you for what you did," Klaus added, slightly lightening the atmosphere.


    "I''ll take what I can get," Rose replied with a faint smile, wiping away her tears.


    "But can you tell me one thing?" Klaus began. "Was using your ability on me intentional?"


    Rose paused for a moment before responding, "Truthfully, my intention wasn''t to use it on you. But I did become aware that you were under its influence after a while. Part of me wanted to stop, but the other parts...the other parts of me..."


    "I get it," Klaus interrupted, understanding the complexity of the situation.


    Realizing that their opponents would arrive soon, Klaus decided to cut their conversation short. They both headed to their assigned positions and, after some strategizing, the final game of the Breach mode commenced.


    Team Solar cautiously entered the first room, only to find it empty. They proceeded to the second room together, moving as a cohesive unit.


    As they stepped into the second room, they were immediately confronted by Mia and Rose. Mia wasted no time and launched three arrows toward Team Solar, but Link''s drones intercepted them effortlessly, rendering the attacks harmless.


    "All we have to do is stall as much as possible before the timer runs out, so make sure to give it everything you''ve got," Mia instructed Rose, resuming her relentless arrow barrage.


    Rose understood that her role was to support Mia strategically, watching her blind spots and making sure the enemy couldn''t easily predict their moves.


    Mia continued to fire arrows rapidly, with only a brief pause as she swapped arrows from her quiver. Her accuracy and speed were truly remarkable, effectively keeping Team Solar pinned down.


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    Lance, after dodging a few of Mia''s arrows, raised his arm as if to activate an ability. However, before he could do anything, Riley interrupted.


    "Wait, Lance. You don''t have to waste your energy. We''ll handle things here, so you and Shade can go ahead."


    Mia briefly halted her barrage, clearly annoyed by Riley''s comment. It seemed like Riley was implying that Lance''s involvement was unnecessary and energy-consuming.


    "You think I''ll let you go through without a fight?" Mia retorted as she reached for another arrow. She had about twenty left in her quiver, and her arrows were lightweight and slender, allowing her to move with agility.


    Before Mia could attack again, Riley placed her hands on the floor, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.


    "Gaia State."


    As she uttered these words, trees and branches erupted from the floor and rapidly filled the entire room. Various types of trees sprouted, even covering the gap between Team Solar and Team Lunar. The branches reached all the way up to the ceiling, obstructing the line of sight between the teams.


    Mia and Rose swiftly dodged the emerging branches, but it was evident that Riley''s power was formidable.


    "I''m starting to believe she actually has unlimited energy," Mia commented, impressed by the extent of the ability.


    With no clear sight of the enemy, Team Lunar began to worry. However, after a few moments, some of the trees retracted back into the ground, revealing Riley and Link in the distance.


    "So you''re not smart enough to use the distraction as an advantage to advance, it seems," Rose taunted as they approached.


    "Well, if we did, you would eventually catch up, making the odds worse for our team. So I''d rather place my hopes on Lance to finish things uninterrupted," Riley explained her strategy.


    "I guess we''ll find out if it was a good idea," Mia remarked, readying her bow.


    Riley then turned to Mia, her smile indicating she had a particular goal in mind.


    "So I get to have my revenge on the person that got me out of the first mode," Riley declared with a mischievous grin.


    "Seems like the same fate falls on me as well," Link added, referring to Rose, who had played a role in his elimination in the earlier game.


    Link''s drones surged towards their opponents, while Mia fired her arrows at them. However, it became apparent that his drones were well-prepared for her attacks, as her arrows failed to damage or slow them down.


    Mia deftly dodged the first drone, but the second grazed her arm. Meanwhile, two other drones, totaling four, made a beeline for Rose, attempting to strike her as well.


    Fortunately, Rose proved nimble and managed to evade the drones effectively, drawing on her previous experience.


    The drone that had hit Mia''s arm ignited her fury. She wielded her bow as a makeshift weapon, attempting to strike the drones. She swung it rapidly, trying to connect with one of them, but the drones'' motion sensors aided them in evading her attacks.


    Suddenly, tree branches emerged from the ground around Mia, ensnaring her feet and reaching for her arms.


    "You!" she exclaimed, directing her anger at Riley, who had initiated the entangling branches.


    Mia swiftly retrieved a sharper arrow from her quiver and used its tip to shred the encroaching branches, freeing herself.


    Before one of the drones could return to attack Mia, Rose intercepted it, wielding what appeared to be batons in both hands, smashing the drone to the ground with a single swing.


    "Damn, when did you get those beauties?" Mia inquired, admiring the pink rose design that complemented the deep blue color of the batons.


    "I had XII design weapons for me after the first game mode since my abilities don''t help too well offensively," Rose explained.


    "Why didn''t you use them in our first fight with Team Astra?" Mia questioned.


    "I wasn''t in the right frame of mind earlier," Rose replied after a moment of reflection.


    Their conversation was abruptly cut short as Link''s drones continued to assail them, and Riley employed her roots in an attempt to ensnare them.


    Mia managed to disable one more drone after a connected attack, leaving two more for Link to control. Realizing this, Link decided to alter his strategy.


    "Pixel, initiate protocol Lullaby," he commanded.


    In a matter of seconds, a response suddenly came from Link''s headgear.


    "Protocol L initiated."


    The drones then immediately began to transform, morphing into a more streamlined configuration, now armed with tranquilizer darts.


    "Stay on guard. This is going to get tough," Mia warned Rose. She readied her bow, armed with the few arrows she had left, while Rose adjusted her batons for a more effective grip.


    "They''re here."


    Klaus and Trent shifted their attention to the room''s entrance as Lance and Shade entered gradually. The presence of the enemy cast a heavy atmosphere over Team Lunar, as they understood that every decision they made from that point would be crucial in determining the game''s outcome.


    "Greetings, adversaries," Lance greeted with a smile as he approached Klaus and Trent. "I am hopeful this fight will display the true elegance of battle."


    With those words, a small spear materialized in Lance''s right hand, about five feet in length, which he gripped firmly.


    Shade and Klaus exchanged nods, acknowledging each other''s presence and battlefield roles.


    And with that, the battle between the elite members of each team commenced.


    Trent extended his index finger, thumb up, directing it toward Lance as a small amount of water coalesced around the tip. With precision, he fired the water droplets one by one at Lance, attempting to inflict damage.


    Lance effortlessly evaded all of the attacks. He moved his head and body fluidly, sidestepping the incoming water projectiles. The final shot was deflected as he swung his spear with practiced finesse.


    In the meantime, Shade and Klaus were locked in combat, exchanging swings as they aimed for each other''s lifelines. The siblings appeared to be evenly matched, with Klaus holding a slight advantage due to his training and prior experience.


    However, in the confrontation between Trent and Lance, it became evident that Lance was gaining the upper hand, overpowering Trent with his physical prowess.


    Klaus noticed his teammate''s predicament and attempted to come to Trent''s aid before he could be eliminated. But he found it challenging to disengage from his battle with Shade, who was giving him no openings.


    Fortunately, Trent wasn''t out of the fight yet. As he struggled against Lance''s close-quarters attacks, he quickly adapted and switched tactics. He retreated, moving to a safer distance while firing drops of water from his fingers at Lance.


    Lance managed to counter all the shots, but they still forced him to keep his distance, allowing Trent to retreat toward Klaus.


    Sensing the danger, Shade placed his palms on the floor beneath him. Trent immediately shouted a warning to Klaus, realizing what Shade intended to do. As Trent finished his statement, his body froze in place, and his shadow darkened.


    The same fate also befell Klaus... or so it seemed.


    Shade removed his hands from the floor and began advancing toward Klaus. Suddenly, Klaus moved from his location and rushed at Shade intending to strike his lifeline.


    Shade barely managed to interpose his arms in front of his lifeline as Klaus slammed his fists into them, sending him sprawling to the ground. Shade immediately realized his error.


    "I can''t believe I thought that would work when it''s a shadow I created," Shade commented, clarifying why Klaus'' shadow was left behind as he rushed at Shade.


    Lance swiftly intervened to prevent his teammate from being eliminated. Recognizing the timed nature of the game mode, he understood the need to end the battle swiftly. While the option to focus solely on hitting the alarm still existed, Lance''s principles guided him to finish the battle honorably.


    "Apologies, but it appears I must conclude this battle shortly," Lance declared as he gracefully crouched and assumed a stance reminiscent of his earlier confrontation with Klaus, although not entirely the same.


    This stance had his right hand placed at the front of the spear and his left hand at the back, distancing from the earlier stance which had his left hand in the middle. Not only that, but the tip of the spear was now slightly slanting toward the floor from its position.


    Klaus knew that this was going to be almost impossible to evade, and he also knew that Lance was probably going to be able to switch styles if they managed to do so, making their chances even slimmer. But he couldn''t give up.


    "I won''t cower," Klaus murmured to himself. "I will not lose the same battle twice."


    Klaus then walked forward, ahead of Trent, as he raised his left arm to the sky, similar to what he did at the first event.


    Lance then realized what he was attempting to do, and a slight smile crossed his face, maintaining his striking stance.


    "Your determination is credible, Walker. Let''s just hope your capabilities can back it up," Lance said to Klaus.


    As Klaus took a deep breath, he closed his eyes, clearing his mind from all the clouded thoughts he''d had. He thought about the reason he was there and why he decided to be a demigod in the first place, and he attempted to use this as a way to fuel his hunger for victory.


    And as he opened his eyes while also exhaling, light gradually flowed directly to his palm once again, as it did before. The ball of light grew gradually, catching everyone''s attention. Lance noticed that the rate at which the ball of light grew was faster than the last time, making him wonder.


    And as the ball kept growing, it was clear that it was not the same as the last time. The ball of light grew at an exponential rate, getting bigger and bigger than the previous second.


    Trent turned to Klaus as he noticed the signs of exhaustion on Klaus'' face. He knew that Klaus was pushing himself past his capabilities, which worried him slightly.


    "Why is Klaus so determined to win?"


    But he knew from the first few times he was around Klaus that Klaus wasn''t just an ordinary person.


    As the flowing light finally came to a stop, and Klaus halted the process of building his attack, it was clear to everyone that the amount of energy required to make such an attack was tremendous.


    Klaus was panting heavily, and it slightly echoed around the room, surprising Shade, who had never seen Klaus so out of breath in his life.


    "You truly are magnificent, Klaus Walker," Lance proceeded to say as he retracted his initial stance to pay respect to the effort Klaus had made.


    Everyone looked in awe as the ball of light, around four feet in diameter, dropped gradually onto Klaus'' palm, surpassing the first time he had used the ability in battle by over four times in size.

 #30: Evolved

    The gasps for air ceased as the substantial ball of solar energy gently settled onto Klaus'' outstretched left palm.


    Everyone on the battlefield gazed in sheer amazement, and a smile graced Lance''s face. He was clearly relishing the spectacle. Lance even abandoned his initial stance to acknowledge the formidable power before him.


    "You truly are exceptional, Klaus Walker," Lance remarked, still fixated on the luminous sphere.


    After a few moments, he returned to his stance, offering his thoughts, "Let''s hope this time it serves its purpose."


    With that, Lance charged towards Klaus, eager to witness how Klaus would respond. Although Klaus was no longer panting heavily, he remained incredibly fatigued. In his depleted state, everything appeared as a blurry haze as Lance closed in.


    Realizing he couldn''t react effectively, Klaus desperately searched for a solution, but time was running out.


    As Lance drew nearer, an extensive wall of water abruptly surged upward, separating Lance from Klaus. Trent was the mastermind behind this watery barrier, his hands raised high above his head.


    "Take this opportunity to catch your breath, Klaus. Rest as much as you can," Trent advised Klaus, buying him precious moments to recover his energy.


    Klaus gratefully obeyed, still clutching the weightless Solar Ball made of pure light. It was so insignificant that it felt almost absent when held.


    Lance turned his attention to Shade, who knew his role. Shade extended his arms forward, guiding his shadow to dart towards Trent.


    Trent swiftly realized the shadow''s menacing approach, dodging its path. He then aimed his right index finger at Shade while maintaining the water wall.


    Rapidly, Trent fired a barrage of water bullets from his fingertip toward Shade. Although this tactic kept Shade on edge, the shadow remained a threat. It responded to Shade''s hand movements, allowing him to control its trajectory.


    In the blink of an eye, the shadow lunged at Trent''s shadow before grabbing on and immobilizing it, with Trent mimicking his shadow''s movements. It felt as if an unseen force held Trent down, rendering him immobile.


    Whatever Shade''s shadow did to another figure''s shadow mirrored its impact on the person. So, if his shadow were to attack Trent''s shadow, Trent himself would feel the blow.


    Seizing this opportunity, Lance perceived a chance to eliminate Trent while he was incapacitated. He charged at Trent, his spear aimed at Trent''s lifeline.


    As Lance approached, Trent conjured a deluge of water around his body, causing it to spill in all directions. Lance was forced to retreat once more as the water inundated the area, even covering both his and Shade''s shadows. This released Trent from his paralyzed state.


    "What an absurd amount of water," Shade remarked, astonished by Trent''s ability to create so much, despite the energy it required.


    The room quickly filled with water, submerging the bottom of Lance and Shade''s feet.


    Trent then employed the water to immobilize his adversaries by securing their feet. Lance and Shade struggled to free themselves, but the water held them in place.


    "Now!" Klaus shouted, and Trent promptly lowered the water barrier that had separated Klaus from Team Solar.


    With the path cleared, Klaus sprinted toward Lance, seizing the opportune moment to confront his formidable adversary head-on.


    Lance swiftly comprehended their actions and devised a counterstrategy.


    As Klaus advanced, Lance gripped his spear like a javelin and aimed it at Klaus'' massive light attack. He recalled Klaus revealing that the ability would detonate upon contact with anything other than himself. Therefore, if the spear struck the attack, it would explode before Klaus reached them.


    Before Klaus could reach them, Lance thrust the spear toward the energy sphere, waiting for the inevitable outcome.


    But Klaus executed a rapid 180-degree spin, using his back to intercept the speeding spear. The tip of the weapon punctured Klaus'' skin and propelled him slightly along its trajectory.


    Before being overwhelmed by the intense pain, Klaus hurled the ball of light, utilizing the rotational motion he had generated while spinning, directly at Lance.


    "What?" Lance exclaimed in astonishment, shocked that Klaus chose to endure his attack and had somehow launched the Solar Ball, as this hadn''t happened in their previous fight.


    Upon contact, the Solar Ball emitted a devastating burst of light particles, creating an unexpectedly massive force and engulfing the entire room in blinding radiance.


    Klaus, his body wracked with pain, managed to rise after the colossal explosion. However, the stabbing wound in his back could not be ignored. He placed his hand on the embedded spear and, with a grimace, yanked it free, staining his shirt with his blood.


    Klaus turned to Trent, who had been partially blinded by the blinding light but was otherwise unharmed.


    "Are you okay, Trent?" Klaus inquired from a distance.


    "I''m fine. Partially blinded, but I''ll be okay," Trent replied, rubbing his eyes.


    "That was quite an attack, though. Creating something like that must be exhausting," Trent commented.


    "You have no idea," Klaus replied as the blinding light from the attack gradually subsided.


    "You have got to be kidding me," Klaus exclaimed in disbelief as he turned to see a large shield-like object with its bottom embedded in the ground and its top shattered due to the solar ball''s force.


    Standing behind the shattered shield were Shade and Lance, both wearing armor.


    Lance approached, his helmet vanishing to reveal a smile.


    "You nearly had us there, Walker," Lance acknowledged, while Shade''s armor also disappeared, signaling their return to the Divine Arsenal.


    The remnants of the massive shield and the portion still standing also vanished into the arsenal dimension.


    Klaus, barely able to stand and with a blurry vision from exhaustion, felt his frustration grow upon realizing his opponents were still on the battlefield. However, he was determined not to lose to Lance again.


    Without hesitation, Klaus picked up the spear that had been thrust at him earlier and charged at Lance.


    "Klaus!" Trent exclaimed, trying to prevent Klaus from acting recklessly.


    But Klaus had made up his mind.


    As Klaus closed in on Lance, he swung the spear directly at Lance''s face, attempting to incapacitate him or achieve a similar outcome.


    Lance noticed the attack, and just before Klaus could execute his plan, the spear in Klaus'' hand vanished. Lance had returned the weapon, along with the other objects he had sent earlier.


    As Lance finished, he turned his gaze towards Klaus. A sudden change in his smile indicated that Klaus had realized Lance''s oversight. Klaus recognized that Lance had sent everything back except for the spear, likely due to the chaotic events that transpired after he hurled it at Klaus.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    With this realization, Klaus knew he had a brief window of opportunity before Lance noticed and recalled the spear as well. He charged at Lance, using the attack to distract Lance and divert his focus from his original intent.


    Lance gazed down at Klaus'' right hand, but it was already too late to react. The inevitable had occurred.


    Witnessing this turn of events, Klaus pressed Lance''s lifeline, effectively eliminating him from the game.


    The expression of shock on Trent''s face was evident as Lance gradually vanished from the area. Before his departure, he mustered a final smile at Klaus, accompanied by some parting words.


    "Outstanding performance, Walker. This fight truly displayed elegance."


    Following his statement, Lance completely disappeared.


    Trent, finally realizing that their most formidable adversary had indeed been eliminated, rushed over to Klaus.


    "Oh my Gods, you actually did it," Trent exclaimed.


    "I guess," Klaus responded, collapsing onto his knees from sheer exhaustion.


    Not only Team Lunar but also the other teams spectating from the arena were stunned by Klaus''s achievement. He had managed to eliminate one of the four strongest competitors among them. This was truly an unexpected turn of events, especially considering it was the first time that anyone other than the leaders themselves had succeeded in eliminating one of them.


    "Wow, he actually did it," Quinn muttered while staring at the screen.


    "I''m really impressed," Tyler added.


    The rest of Teams Stellar and Astra also chimed in with their expressions of amazement back at the spectator''s area.


    At the back of the crowd, X remained silent, gazing at the screen intently, proving that he had witnessed the entire situation. However, he eventually closed his eyes, sighed, and muttered something under his breath.


    "Fools."


    Before anyone could react, a loud sound reverberated through the room.


    Klaus and Trent turned towards the alarm, suddenly remembering that Shade was still on the battlefield. They had been so focused on eliminating Lance that they had completely forgotten about Shade.


    "How?" Trent asked Shade, puzzled.


    While it was true that they had momentarily forgotten about Shade, he had also been absent when Lance was eliminated, making it even more challenging to recall his presence.


    "Well, before Lance returned the armor from me, after your devastating attack, he advised me to stay concealed until the ideal moment arose. At first, I was confused. Then, I noticed that both of you were focused on eliminating him after the light had subsided. So, I used the opportunity to create a pool of shadows and quickly entered it, remaining hidden for a brief period," Shade detailed.


    "You can do that?" Trent inquired.


    "Only for a few moments because I can''t really breathe while inside it. And if I had stayed too long before coming out, I would gasp for air, revealing my presence. So I had to stay in it just the right amount of time before exiting after the shadow got to the alarm."


    Everyone was astounded by Shade''s unexpected revelation. He had played psychological games with his opponents and contributed to his team''s victory.


    Klaus, upon hearing his brother''s explanation, was more impressed by the cunning maneuver than upset about their loss, causing a faint smile to cross his face.


    Afterward, all the participating teams were transported back to the Arena of Valor.


    The teams exchanged greetings and discussed the recent and previous battles, forming a sense of camaraderie among the demigods through their battles and sparring sessions.


    Quinn approached Klaus, who appeared to be with Rose and Shade.


    "It seems like you took my advice," she remarked.


    "So it seems," Klaus replied.


    "Let''s hope you won''t need me to pick you up the next time you''re down," Quinn added with a smile.


    The second event had come to an end. After a few minutes, XVII entered the arena.


    "Greetings, demigods, and congratulations on completing the second game mode of the Cosmic League event. The Gods have been watching and are impressed by your motivation and performance in the current games. They anticipate your performance in the final game mode."


    All the demigods focused on XVII as he continued.


    "Before the final game mode, you will be given two hours of leisure time to do as you desire until its commencement. You may all depart until summoned."


    With XVII''s conclusion, the demigods dispersed to their respective locations.


    Klaus headed to his room for some rest before the final event, given the anticipation surrounding it. As he lay on his bed, he heard a knock on his door. He felt a slight frustration, as he hadn''t expected any company before returning to battle. Additionally, he was still slightly fatigued from creating the second-grade solar ball used against Lance.


    "Who''s there?" Klaus asked from his bed.


    "Oh, may we come in, brother?" Shade''s voice responded.


    "We?" Klaus muttered to himself but decided to open the door, not wanting to make it more complicated.


    Upon opening the door, he found Shade and Ace entering his room.


    "Wow, I like what you''ve done with the place," Ace remarked.


    "It''s the same as how I met it," Klaus replied, puzzled.


    "Hmm, maybe it''s just the eerie vibes you emit," Ace continued as he took a seat on the chair by the desk.


    Although Klaus hadn''t expected guests, he decided to go along with it since it was harmless. He wasn''t in the mood for sleep, so resting on his bed while engaging in conversation was sufficient for him.


    CONVERSATION


    Ace: Y''know you really surprised everyone by eliminating Lance.


    Shade: It surprised me too.


    Klaus: Well, it was obvious he could have evaded the attack if he wanted to.


    Ace: What do you mean?


    Klaus paused before his explanation.


    Klaus: When he noticed that Trent and I were both fixated on eliminating him, he deliberately made himself the point of focus so Shade could hit the alarm. He understood that if he dodged the attack, it would only prolong the battle, reducing their chances of winning the game because of the time limit.


    Both Ace and Shade were surprised that Klaus noticed Lance''s actions and felt bad that he focused more on that than on eliminating him.


    Shade: Even if that''s true, it doesn''t change the fact that you''re still the only one who has beaten one of the leaders besides themselves.


    Klaus turned to the ceiling slightly, exhaling softly.


    Klaus: I guess.


    A few seconds of silence followed Klaus'' statement before he recalled something that had caught his attention earlier.


    Klaus: By the way, Ace, I noticed a lot of inconsistencies in your speed during this tournament. Do you mind explaining why?


    Ace: Well, I would, but Quinn strongly advised me not to spill how my powers work until the end of the event. Y''know, to prevent the countering and stuff.


    Klaus: I guess that''s fair.


    After a few more discussions about their previous battles and shared experiences during the event, the time had come for the final event to begin.


    An alarm resonated throughout the apartment building, signaling the demigods to return to the Arena of Valor. Klaus, Shade, and Ace heeded the call and made their way there. Once they arrived, they took their seats, patiently waiting for further instructions on the tournament. Soon, XVII entered the arena.


    "And now, let''s recap the final event for clarity, along with a few words," XVII announced from the stage.


    Suddenly, a potent and familiar force filled the arena, causing all the demigods to kneel. A powerful gust of wind descended from the sky as a figure landed at the center of the stage.


    It was a God.


    As all eyes lifted to identify the God, they were greeted by an unfamiliar deity, one they had encountered only briefly during the introduction of the gods.


    "Greetings, demigods. It''s a pleasure to meet you all once again," the God began, his voice gentle and soothing, putting everyone at ease. He then eased the force that had made the demigods kneel, allowing them to rise.


    "For those who have forgotten, I am Ultion, the God of Vengeance. I''m here to announce the start of the final event of the Cosmic League. But before we proceed, the Gods and I have a few words to share."


    Every demigod present focused intently on Ultion, eager to hear the Gods'' thoughts on the event so far.


    "We want to express our appreciation for all the effort each of you has put into this event. We understand that many of you have experienced a shift in your lives, moving from comfort to challenge. We acknowledge your dedication, regardless of the inconveniences you''ve faced. And we hope that your enthusiasm will continue, as we Gods are genuinely impressed with each one of you."


    Ultion''s words of encouragement resonated with the demigods, bringing smiles to their faces. They felt relieved and reinvigorated, looking forward to the final game mode.


    "Now, let me reiterate the rules of the final event, known as ''Last One Standing.'' Two teams will face each other in any style they choose. There will be no time limit, and the event will occur in a designated location. Each team''s goal is to eliminate the other by striking their opponent''s lifelines. The last team with at least one member remaining on the battlefield will be declared the winner."


    The rules seemed straightforward, but they anticipated that it would be a challenging battle. Eight demigods fighting simultaneously in a confined area without a time limit posed a formidable challenge.


    "The same prohibitions from previous rounds still apply, which means no fatal injuries or torture of opponents. Additionally, there will be no second round; each team will have one chance to battle."


    Ultion ensured that everyone understood the rules before continuing.


    "The teams that did not face each other in the Breach game mode will compete in this round. So, I will now announce the matchups. The first battle will be between Team Lunar and Team Stellar, and the second will feature Team Solar and Team Astra."


    Klaus knew that this would be a significant challenge. He''d be facing X in a single location for the first time, and as it was the final game mode, it promised to be the toughest yet. However, he chose not to dwell on it too much and walked to the stage alongside his team and Team Stellar.


    With that, Ultion bid them farewell and vanished with his wings, returning to the realm of the Gods. XVII prepared both teams before they were transported to a new location.


    The remaining demigods, awaiting their battles, were granted the opportunity to watch the ongoing match on a large screen displayed on the stage.


    As Klaus opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings, he immediately recognized where they were.


    "A colosseum."

 #31: The Final Event

    As Klaus opened his eyes, he found himself face-to-face with Trent.


    "Rise and shine, friends," Trent quipped, and the rest of the team gradually stirred.


    "I guess this headache isn''t growing on me after all," Rose remarked, holding her head, mirroring her teammates'' discomfort.


    Klaus surveyed their surroundings, a sense of recognition dawning upon him.


    "A colosseum?" he questioned, puzzled.


    "It appears so," Trent confirmed as they all took in the familiar yet freshly appearing arena.


    While the arena bore a striking resemblance to the Roman Colosseum, there were noticeable differences. The middle section was relatively clear, reminiscent of a battlefield, but scattered debris and remnants of large rocks littered the outer edges.


    However, Klaus noticed something amiss amidst the team''s astonishment.


    "Quick, take cover! Now!" he commanded in a firm tone, prompting his team to swiftly find shelter behind the rocks around them.


    A few moments of confusion and silence ensued after their action until suddenly, a powerful gust of wind struck the rock behind Mia, who hadn''t taken proper cover from the direction of the danger. It was evident that Klaus''s warning had just saved them from losing a team member.


    "What in the..." Mia exclaimed as they all turned towards the source of the wind, revealing Team Stellar a good distance away.


    Arthur had clenched his fists and unleashed a powerful punch in their direction, propelling the gust of wind akin to an invisible blow. The impact had even cracked the rock Mia had initially sought refuge behind, forcing her to change her hiding spot.


    Team Lunar hadn''t anticipated that both teams would spawn simultaneously, and if not for Klaus''s quick thinking, they might have already lost a member.


    "You missed," X remarked to Arthur. "Pathetic."


    His words incited anger in his teammate, but Arthur chose to ignore the taunt as he moved forward with Iris and Tyler.


    "It''s fine; we''ll stick to the plan and create some space," Tyler stated to X as they continued to advance toward Team Lunar.


    As Klaus cautiously peeked out, he observed their opponents closing the gap. An idea for defense struck him, and he turned to his team.


    "They''re getting closer. Trent, how about using your water-finger blasts to stall them?"


    Trent agreed and aimed his index and middle fingers toward the opposing team, firing small water droplets from his fingertips while remaining behind cover.


    Arthur moved ahead of his team, shielding them from the barrage of water bullets with his right palm placed in front of the water attacks.


    Meanwhile, Mia readied her bow and reached for an arrow in her thigh quiver, intending to provide support. But before she could act, Klaus halted her, ordering her to remain calm and not expose herself prematurely.


    Klaus scanned the surroundings, contemplating their opponent''s strategy.


    "I had a feeling. They''re creating space for X to snipe one of us."


    The rest of the team was shocked by Klaus''s revelation but recognized the danger it posed.


    "Well, I could take a quick shot since the rest of them are out in the open and can''t dodge," Mia suggested, seeing an opportunity to eliminate one of Team Stellar.


    Klaus, however, knew the stakes.


    "Do you really think you can peek and fire an arrow before X eliminates you?" he inquired, emphasizing the perilous situation.


    "Klaus is right. The fact that the rest of his team is baiting for him means he won''t hesitate to eliminate any of us," Rose added, crediting Klaus''s argument.


    Trent chimed in, "Not only that but it''s rumored that every shot X takes with his sniper ends in a hit."


    This reputation was also solidified during the first event when both of his sniper shots found their mark, eliminating Ace and Shade.


    It wasn''t just X''s formidable presence that concerned them, but also Arthur and the advancing Team Stellar. Klaus knew they needed to formulate a plan quickly, and a memory from their previous battle came to mind.


    "Trent, do you have enough energy to create a water barrier like you did last time against Lance?" Klaus asked.


    "Of course," Trent responded. "But I''ll have to be standing while doing it, and I''ll be completely out in the open."


    "I''ll create the opening you need," Klaus continued, recalling a strategy to address their predicament.


    As Arthur approached Team Lunar, still blocking Trent''s water bullets, he clenched his left fist, preparing for another wind-breaking attack as he closed in.


    However, just as Team Stellar closed in on Team Lunar, a small ball of light was shot a few meters ahead of them, from Team Lunnar''s location. The moment they noticed its presence, the ball detonated, bathing the entire area in an immensely bright light. This affected Arthur, Iris, and Tyler, who were directly in front of it, as well as X, whose vision was partially impaired by the flash of light due to his focus through his sniper''s scope.


    Seizing the opportunity, Trent created a massive, towering wall of water that split the entire colosseum in half, effectively separating the rest of Team Stellar from their captain, X.


    Amid the confusion, Team Lunar rushed toward Team Stellar, hoping to eliminate them while they were disoriented.


    Klaus and Rose went after Tyler, with Mia charging at Iris. This lineup seemed advantageous for Team Lunar in the heat of the moment.


    As Klaus and Rose closed in on Tyler, he regained his bearings after the initial flashbang and switched to an offensive stance, taking on both opponents at once.


    Arthur engaged Trent in combat. Despite Trent''s water wall, it was evident that Arthur''s immense strength put him at a disadvantage.


    Meanwhile, Iris was locked in a battle with Mia, who used her bow as a makeshift weapon, attempting to strike Iris''s lifeline and eliminate her. Iris displayed decent evasion and defense skills, but she knew she couldn''t win the battle by simply dodging.


    Klaus and Rose, in their battle against Tyler, struggled to land hits. Tyler''s agility and evasive maneuvers made him a difficult target. It seemed as though he had prior training in moving as such, which piqued Klaus''s curiosity about his background before Higher World.


    "This guy''s insane," Rose whispered to Klaus, frustration mounting as her attacks continued to miss.


    Tyler not only dodged their strikes effectively but also started to counterattack, landing blows on both opponents. It was a stark contrast to their initial struggle.


    Then, it hit Klaus. He remembered something.


    As Rose swung her batons at Tyler, he sidestepped her attack and swiftly struck her at the back of her head, delivering a blow that briefly incapacitated her. She collapsed onto the floor, nearly falling over her own lifeline.


    Reacting swiftly, Klaus intervened before Tyler could exploit Rose''s vulnerable state. He resumed his assault, attempting to press Tyler''s lifeline. But this time, his strikes were hitting their mark.


    Tyler and the rest of Team Stellar watched in bewilderment as the tide of the battle shifted abruptly in Klaus''s favor.


    "How''s he suddenly winning?" Iris wondered aloud before refocusing on her own duel with Mia.


    Klaus continued to dodge Tyler''s attacks while maintaining his offensive. Eventually, as Tyler swung his right hand toward Klaus''s lifeline, Klaus used the side of his left arm, along with the left side of his torso, to hold on to Tyler''s arm. With his right arm, he quickly generated a small grade-one Solar Ball and slammed it onto Tyler''s lifeline.


    The shock on Team Stellar''s faces was palpable as Tyler was propelled several meters away from the explosion. A brief burst of light filled the area, but Klaus had designed the attack to eliminate his opponent without having to generate the blinding light that typically accompanied his solar balls, so the effect was still tolerable to his teammates.


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    Team Stellar watched as Tyler collapsed to the floor before he disappeared from the Colosseum.


    Klaus approached Rose as she regained consciousness. "Are you okay?" he asked.


    "Yeah. Did we win?" Rose responded as Klaus helped her to her feet.


    Klaus nodded, indicating that he had eliminated their opponent.


    "How?" Rose asked understandably confused.


    "Well, I just managed to counter his ability," Klaus explained before he turned his attention to the ongoing battles.


    Klaus recalled how Tyler''s ability worked when he observed Team Stellar fighting Team Astra. It seemed that the more frustrated or vengeful someone felt towards Tyler, the stronger he became, enhancing his combat skills to overcome opponents. It aligned with the theme of his power, which was retribution or vengeance.


    So, Klaus had a thought: "What if you didn''t hold a grudge or feel the need to eliminate him?" His theory turned out to be correct, as it appeared that Tyler''s ability had no effect when there was no strong emotional charge behind it.


    Now that Team Lunar had a numerical advantage, Klaus decided to assist Trent in his battle with Arthur. Rose also chose to help Mia in her battle.


    The strategy of creating a barrier to isolate X had worked in their favor, allowing them more freedom of movement.


    Klaus joined the fight between Trent and Arthur, noticing that Trent was holding his ground despite the presence of the water barrier.


    Arthur excelled at defending against his opponents, but he struggled to transition into an offensive stance. Trent eventually whispered his idea to Klaus, and Klaus nodded in agreement. Arthur, unaware of their plan, continued to fight.


    Suddenly, Klaus appeared to engage Arthur by himself, drawing Arthur''s attention away from Trent. While Klaus seemed to hold his own, it was clear that Arthur had the upper hand in a one-on-one battle, especially considering his background.


    Arthur switched to an offensive stance, quickly gaining the upper hand. Klaus knew he was outmatched, but he was fulfilling his role well.


    Eventually, Arthur landed a powerful blow on Klaus''s chest, sending him several meters away and nearly knocking him off his feet. Klaus knelt on the ground, clutching his chest in pain.


    Realizing that he couldn''t take many more hits from Arthur, Klaus knew he had to act. As Arthur approached him, he heard Iris shout a warning.


    "Behind you, Arthur!"


    Arthur turned to see Trent with his palms joined together, index and middle fingers pointed forward, gathering a significant amount of water in front of him. In less than a second, Trent fired the attack at Arthur.


    The attack was faster than Trent''s usual water bullets, and Arthur wasn''t sure if he could evade it. He crossed his forearms in front of himself, between the attack and his lifeline.


    The water attack dealt some damage to Arthur''s arms upon contact before losing momentum and falling to the ground as a small puddler. Arthur began to pant slightly, indicating the effort he put into fortifying his body against the attack.


    "Nice try," Arthur taunted, after successfully blocking the attack.


    However, before Arthur could react, the puddle of water on the ground suddenly formed into a hand that shot up and rushed directly at his lifeline. Before Arthur could evade, the watery arm struck his lifeline, instantly eliminating him and making him the second member of Team Stellar to be eliminated.


    Team Lunar had become an unstoppable force on the battlefield, their performance exceeding expectations as they maintained a flawless record with no losses so far. Klaus approached Trent with a warm smile on his face, acknowledging his teammate''s exceptional performance.


    "Damn, you did it. Nice job," Klaus praised, extending a helping hand to assist Trent to his feet.


    Trent''s surprise at Klaus''s compliment was evident, and it filled him with a sense of accomplishment. It was a significant moment for him.


    "You know, you''re a skilled fighter though. It''s no wonder you''re one of the captains," Klaus continued, highlighting Trent''s abilities.


    "Thank you, Klaus. I appreciate it," Trent responded with genuine gratitude. He was genuinely touched by Klaus''s words.


    Klaus then extended his hand for a handshake, and Trent eagerly accepted it. However, as their hands met, Klaus''s actions took a shocking turn. He swiftly withdrew his hand and lunged towards Trent''s lifeline.


    "What the..." Trent exclaimed in confusion as he witnessed Klaus seemingly eliminate him. Confusion and disbelief filled him.


    "Trent! Snap out of it!" a voice shouted desperately.


    But it was already too late. Trent''s purple eyes returned to their natural deep blue, and he realized the truth. The person he thought was Klaus was actually Iris.


    During the earlier chaos of battle, Iris had used her powers strategically. When Klaus unleashed his flashbang Solar Ball, temporarily blinding everyone, Iris had utilized her illusion ability. As Team Lunar peeked out, they unwittingly looked into her eyes, falling under her illusion even though Iris was blinded. While Mia and Rose believed they were battling Iris, they were instead battling one another while Iris silently worked on dismantling Trent''s water barrier and assisting X in breaking through.


    Iris was skilled at creating convincing illusions, but it required immense concentration and energy to maintain them. She had opted to focus on assisting X and removing the water barrier, conserving her energy for critical moments rather than engaging her team in battle, which would have drained her quicker.


    However, when Arthur was eliminated, Iris knew she had to act to level the playing field. She also hoped that eliminating Trent would dissolve the water barrier, allowing X to rejoin the battle.


    "Stay vigilant with Iris. We''re all aware of her ability to create illusions through eye contact, so keep that in mind. And remember, anything can be fake, so always be prepared to break free," Klaus cautioned his team before Trent erected the barrier that separated X from the rest. He was well aware of Iris''s cunning nature and her potential to ensnare them with her illusions, even without their knowledge.


    But Iris''s illusions were not easy to break free from. Even Klaus, who had warned his team about her abilities, had initially fallen under her spell but managed to break free earlier.


    The key to escaping her illusions was knowing precisely what was real and what was fake. Unfortunately, their initial strategy had not accounted for this, and they were unaware of the nuances of Iris''s power.


    Mia and Rose couldn''t help but feel annoyed and disappointed when they realized they had been under Iris''s illusion earlier.


    "I was wondering why Klaus was suddenly so nice," Mia remarked.


    However, by the time they broke free from the illusion, X had already smashed through the water barrier with his bare fists. Trent had been eliminated, and although the water wall had vanished, it made little difference now that X was already free.


    The balance of the battle had once again shifted dramatically. Team Lunar had lost their strongest member, while Team Stellar had gained theirs.


    X confidently strode forward, leaving Team Lunar in awe. They understood that they needed a miracle to win, even with a numerical advantage.


    "I''ll take him on," Klaus declared amid the silence.


    "What?" Mia exclaimed.


    "You guys take care of Iris and try not to fall into her illusion again. There''s no time limit in this game mode, so I knew we''d eventually have to face him," Klaus continued.


    "But fighting him alone is a surefire way to lose," Rose protested.


    "Well, do we have any better ideas?" Klaus retorted, and Mia and Rose were left speechless.


    "If I can hold him off for a while before you guys can eliminate Iris, maybe we stand a chance against him. But if we gang up on him now, we''ll leave Iris too open, and that would be even worse."


    Klaus had a point. They were well aware of the extent of X''s power, but Iris''s abilities were even more concerning. They had to ensure she couldn''t use her illusions on them again, as that would spell automatic defeat.


    With Klaus''s determination and the hope of repeating their success against Lance, Team Lunar split into their respective battles, hoping this plan would grant them victory.


    Yet, facing X was no easy feat.


    Their battle was so one-sided that it could hardly be called a battle at all.


    Klaus threw punches at X, hoping to hit his lifeline, but none connected. In contrast, X transitioned effortlessly from defense to offense, landing numerous blows on Klaus.


    Klaus was outmatched.


    Unlike Lance, who often assessed his opponents, X was a true marksman, specializing in ending fights before they began. He was a ruthless fighter.


    This fight was no different from any other X had been in.


    He easily evaded Klaus''s attacks while making his punches increasingly difficult to deal with. Eventually, it turned into a one-sided beatdown, with X relentlessly attacking and Klaus struggling to defend.


    Klaus managed to throw a punch, but X caught it with his hand and responded with a powerful gut punch.


    Klaus crumpled to the floor, writhing in pain, and feeling somewhat light-headed. It was apparent that X intended to pummel Klaus, evident from his choice to punch Klaus in the gut rather than directly at his lifeline on his chest.


    "Let''s put this so-called resilience to the test," X remarked as Klaus lay on the ground.


    Summoning all his determination, Klaus struggled to his feet, attempting to throw another punch. But X effortlessly sidestepped and seized Klaus''s arm. With a powerful yank, X dislocated Klaus''s dominant hand''s shoulder instantly.


    Klaus cried out in agony, collapsing back onto the floor. He couldn''t believe he hadn''t managed to land a single blow on X.


    "Isn''t this torture? X should be disqualified," Riley voiced concern for Klaus as team Solar and Astra watched the battle from the sidelines.


    "It may seem that way, but as long as Klaus attempts to fight back, it doesn''t qualify as torture," XVII explained to the spectators. "If Klaus were to yield and X continued, then X would be immediately eliminated from the game. For now, X is simply testing his opponent''s limits."


    Although technically correct, it still felt like what X was doing was not right.


    "Klaus, that''s enough!" Rose shouted to Klaus as he continued to rise after each beating. His dominant hand was dislocated, and bruises covered his body, yet he persisted in getting back up.


    Even Iris, despite being on X''s team, felt the brutality of their battle and tried to get X to stop. But the same determination that drove Klaus also blazed within X, urging him to extinguish Klaus''s spirit.


    Gradually, Klaus appeared to be running out of steam. It took him longer and longer to regain his feet until, eventually, he couldn''t manage it anymore.


    He fell to his knees, his eyes gradually closing. He fought to keep them open, but it was only a matter of time before he would lose consciousness. X approached Klaus, picked up his sniper rifle, and aimed it directly at Klaus''s head.


    Spectators watched with bated breath, curious about what would happen next. It was evident that Klaus was defeated.


    "Do you yield?" X inquired with his sniper still trained on Klaus''s forehead.


    Klaus lacked the strength to speak, his pupils dimming. Yet, he remained unwilling to surrender.


    "Tell me, what makes you fight?" X asked, perplexed by Klaus''s unwavering determination.


    Klaus glanced up at X, anger filling his eyes. The light in his pupils flickered as he struggled to keep them open. X sighed, lowering his sniper to Klaus''s lifeline.


    As the shot rang out, the force pushed Klaus to the ground, and his lifeline was severed, eliminating him from the game.


    "So infuriating," X muttered as he watched Klaus slowly fade away.


    The spectators felt a mixture of irritation and helplessness. Despite Klaus''s incredible determination, it amounted to nothing in the face of X''s superior combat skills. It felt unjust, but it was the harsh reality of combat in the real world.


    "No matter how much determination you possess, defeat is inevitable when you''re the weaker fighter," Lance remarked, his heart heavy as he watched the brutal battle.


    But before anyone could react, a sound caught their attention. As X looked down at his lifeline, he realized he had been eliminated.


    Shock rippled through the onlookers as they tried to make sense of what had happened. Their confusion ended when they focused on X''s lifeline, realizing it had been struck by an arrow.


    Turning their attention to where X was looking, they saw Mia, her eyes filled with tears after witnessing what had transpired between her brother and Klaus.

 #32: Victory, at What Cost

    Mia had always looked up to X, considering him the planet''s best marksman. She had been nervous around him ever since she discovered they were siblings. She longed to impress him, to prove her worth as his sister.


    However, as she watched Klaus being pummeled, her body acted on its own, following her emotions, not her thoughts.


    Tears streamed down Mia''s face as True Accuracy faded from her eyes, returning them to their original state. Exhausted from using her ability, she gradually lost consciousness and sank to her knees. Taking down their most formidable opponent made her feel like she had accomplished a great deal.


    "I can''t believe she eliminated him," Siren remarked, with team Solar and Astra watching X''s gradual disappearance.


    Mia had completely lost consciousness by now, and her body began to fall to the side.


    But it wasn''t over.


    X''s eyes blazed with rage as he turned toward Mia.


    "You!" he exclaimed, realizing what had happened.


    X''s form slowly disintegrated as he was transported out of the arena. However, before he vanished completely, he drew his sniper rifle and aimed it at Mia, whose unconscious body was about to hit the floor.


    His eyes, still filled with fury, narrowed as he briefly activated True Accuracy. He fired his sniper rifle at Mia just as the vanishing process reached the upper part of his body, erasing him from the Colosseum instantly.


    As he disappeared, his shot traveled instantly, hitting Mia''s lifeline before her body even touched the floor.


    He had eliminated her before vanishing completely.


    "Wait, is that allowed?" Ace asked from the sidelines.


    "Technically, the rules do not explicitly state that you cannot eliminate an opponent before leaving the battlefield, so I assume it is permitted," Quinn explained. She turned to XVII for confirmation, and he nodded in agreement. "Precisely."


    A few moments passed in silence before Shade mumbled a thought aloud.


    "Who would''ve thought that X would let his guard down even once."


    "Do not misunderstand..." Lance, presumably, replied to Shade''s statement.


    "...if you noticed, X could have reacted to Mia''s attack and even dodged it, given his expertise."


    "What?" Shade asked. "I don''t understand. Why didn''t he?"


    "If I were to speculate, it might be because of that ability they share," Lance responded to Shade.


    "True Accuracy," a voice chimed in between Shade and Lance as Quinn walked up to them.


    "From what I''ve read about X''s legends and my analysis, this is an ability that grants the user essentially perfect aim. As long as there''s visual contact, they will always hit their target," Quinn explained.


    Everyone present listened intently to her explanation. It became clearer why X was renowned as the best marksman on Earth and why he was so feared, especially at his age.


    Their curiosity about the ability was interrupted as their attention refocused on the screen.


    "It seems the final battle is about to begin," Lance announced as Iris and Rose approached each other. They were the last members of their respective teams, making the outcome of this battle decisive.


    As Rose and Iris clashed in their battle, a sudden noise echoed through the spectator''s area. The demigods turned to see its source, and they realized that the eliminated members of teams Lunar and Stellar were reappearing on the transportation podium.


    This was different from previous games, where eliminated players weren''t allowed to witness the final moments of their battle.


    The other teams approached the returning players, sparking conversations and complimenting the quality of the battles that had taken place.


    Shade hurried over to check on Klaus, who should have been with them but was conspicuously absent.


    "Where''s Klaus?" Shade asked, puzzled.


    "I have no idea. I thought he''d be here too," Trent replied with concern. "Mia isn''t here either."


    "Klaus Walker and Mia Woods were transported to a medical facility due to their unfavorable conditions. They will be treated there and sent back shortly," XVII announced, apparently receiving this information.


    The remaining demigods chatted briefly before returning their attention to the ongoing battle between Iris and Rose.


    Neither Iris nor Rose appeared to be experienced fighters, and both seemed cautious about using their abilities. They likely realized that relying on their powers, which required a lack of knowledge about them, would be a hindrance. Additionally, both abilities consumed a considerable amount of energy and necessitated visual contact, making them less practical in this situation.


    The fight continued with both fighters tiring from dodging and attacking, and it was difficult to discern who had the upper hand.


    Then, the same alarm sound that had gone off earlier echoed again, signaling the return of Klaus and Mia to the transportation podium.


    "Klaus!" Shade called out, relieved to see his brother.


    "And Mia," Mia added, realizing she wasn''t the center of attention. "At least try to act happy to see me," she muttered to herself.


    "Are you okay?" Shade asked Klaus.


    "I''m fine," Klaus replied as he approached the other demigods.


    Quinn smiled in relief and addressed Klaus. "You know, you didn''t have to push yourself that hard, right?"


    Klaus maintained his usual nonchalant expression but seemed more serious than usual as he responded, "I know. I just didn''t want to lose to him."


    Suddenly, Klaus turned his gaze towards X, who was standing across the area away from the other demigods.


    "Wait, what? How is he here? I thought we lost?" Klaus exclaimed after glancing at the screen, which showed Rose and Iris still battling.


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    "After you were transported out, Mia managed to eliminate X," Shade confirmed.


    Klaus turned to Mia, who couldn''t stop smiling at her accomplishment. She had become one of the few people to eliminate one of the top four demigods and was the only one to eliminate X.


    "How did you do it?" Klaus inquired, causing Mia''s confident smile to shift awkwardly as she recalled how she had caught X off guard with her True Accuracy.


    "Well, it wasn''t easy, but you know, I managed to prevail, as expected," Mia replied confidently, though she quickly turned her head away.


    X''s menacing glare in her direction made her whistle and hum nervously, hoping to change the subject.


    "Why are you here, then?" Klaus asked Mia, guessing that she had been sent to the same place he had for treatment, considering her belated return.


    Mia tried to steer the conversation away from herself. "Look, Iris and Rose are finishing up," she said, pointing to the screen, hoping to divert everyone''s attention. Klaus didn''t press further, as long as X was eliminated, and they had a chance to win.


    As Klaus and the other demigods redirected their focus to Iris and Rose, they observed both fighters gasping for air and clearly exhausted. Neither appeared to have the upper hand, considering they had only been introduced to the whole fighting process about a week prior. Their performance was understandably similar.


    "Give it up, Mija. You don''t look so good," Iris managed to say between breaths, her hands resting on her thighs.


    Rose, still catching her breath, retorted, "I could say the same about you," and began to move toward Iris. Iris, noticing Rose''s approach, got back on her feet and rushed toward her opponent.


    Rose swung her batons at Iris, who barely managed to evade the attacks. However, Rose wasn''t aware of Iris''s true intentions.


    As Rose continued her assault with her remaining energy, she mustered enough force to deliver a powerful swing at Iris, striking her on the arm.


    Iris didn''t handle the attack well; she fell to the floor upon impact, struggling to remain conscious. Through gritted teeth, she muttered, "Maldita puta," while her other hand held onto the damage''s location. Rose took a few seconds to recover her breath before advancing toward Iris to eliminate her.


    But as Rose drew nearer, a smile spread across Iris''s face. She stood up and rushed at Rose, her eyes turning purple, signaling the activation of her ability. In her hand, she held a small steel rod, which she hurled at Rose, attempting to catch her off guard.


    Rose, however, reacted swiftly upon recognizing the activation of Iris''s ability. She realized that the steel rod was a creation from Iris''s illusion. But before she could fully grasp the situation, she was struck directly in the gut by the rod Iris was wielding.


    "What the? I thought she noticed the illusion?" Ace questioned from the spectator''s area.


    "It appears Haze is not as dull as she seems," Lance explained as he caught on to what had transpired.


    Iris flashed her eyes to trick Rose into thinking she had created an illusion, causing Rose to lower her guard. The metal rod she used to attack was genuine, not a product of her illusion. This unexpected blow proved to be devastating, knocking Rose unconscious. Exhaustion from the battle and the powerful strike left her incapacitated.


    Rose slumped to the ground after the impact, seemingly sealing the victory in favor of Team Stellar.


    However, it wasn''t quite the end.


    After what appeared to be the conclusion of the battle, Rose gradually regained consciousness. She clutched her aching stomach, the intense pain subsiding slightly but still palpable.


    "Rose," a voice called out to her. She turned to see Klaus and the others.


    Apparently, before Rose was eliminated or struck by the attack, she managed to press Iris''s lifeline with the tip of her baton, a detail that played out on the spectator''s screen where she was as well. This meant that although Iris had landed a devastating attack, it had no bearing on the battle''s outcome since she was eliminated first.


    "Are you okay?" Klaus asked as he helped Rose to her feet from the transportation podium where she had reappeared.


    "I''m fine," Rose replied with a smile, her right hand still on her stomach.


    "Wow, she actually did it," Mia mumbled as Team Lunar gathered around Rose, congratulating her for her performance. The other demigods also seemed impressed by the outcome of the battle, recognizing that she had subconsciously hit Iris''s lifeline, even after being outplayed by her opponent.


    After a while, Klaus approached Rose with something important on his mind.


    "There''s something I want to tell you, Rose," Klaus began as Rose looked at him, anticipation in her eyes.


    Klaus paused briefly, his eyes closing momentarily as he gathered his thoughts. Then he whispered something to himself before continuing, "I guess it''s better I just do it."


    With those words, Klaus leaned in, closing the gap between himself and Rose, sealing a kiss that took her completely by surprise.


    Rose was utterly taken aback, wondering what was happening. She turned around, and her teammates wore amused smiles.


    "Did you have to do that here?" Mia chuckled as she walked away with Trent.


    Klaus leaned back a bit, their foreheads still touching, their eyes locked.


    "I know it might seem sudden, but after the fight, I couldn''t stop thinking about you," Klaus confessed to Rose, whose face turned increasingly crimson with each word.


    Their eyes remained locked as Klaus said something that caused Rose''s heart to flutter.


    "Rose, I think I love you."


    Rose couldn''t believe her ears. Her deepest desire had come true, and Klaus seemed genuinely sincere. She gazed into his eyes to ensure she hadn''t accidentally used her ability on him, but it appeared not to be the case.


    After a few moments of soul-searching eye contact, Rose leaned in once more, locking lips with Klaus.


    "What on earth is happening?" Lance asked, bewildered.


    "I have no idea. And I''m not sure I want to know," Trent replied, staring at the screen with Lance and the other demigods.


    "I think they might have both placed each other under their abilities," Riley theorized as they all watched Iris and Rose kissing passionately in the Colosseum.


    "I''m guessing Iris managed to place Rose under her illusion when she landed the hit. But Rose, perhaps in a subconscious act, activated her ability before getting knocked out, catching Iris off guard," Quinn added as she analyzed the situation.


    "I mean, I''m not complaining about what''s happening, am I right?" Ace quipped with a mischievous tone.


    "But I don''t get it," Link chimed in. "For Iris, it makes sense she can''t break free, but what exactly is Rose seeing that she''s making out with someone and not realizing it''s an illusion?"


    And as Link posed his question, Rose comically said something that shed light on the situation.


    "I love you too, Klaus."


    With that statement, all eyes turned to Klaus.


    "Oh my Gods," Klaus uttered, placing his palm on his face in embarrassment.


    Rose continued kissing Klaus for a while, and she began to grow concerned when Klaus showed no sign of stopping. Seconds turned into minutes, and her unease escalated.


    "I never knew Klaus enjoyed kissing this much," she thought to herself, too caught up in the moment to fully analyze the situation.


    Then, something odd happened. Rose briefly opened her eyes and noticed that Klaus appeared to be getting tired for some reason. She also observed the surroundings flickering as if they were unstable, and the other demigods behaving strangely, much like they had been doing minutes before. That''s when it finally hit her.


    "Wait, this is an illusion," she realized. In an instant, she pulled back, her eyes flashing purple as they reverted to their original color. The setting reverted to the Colosseum she had been in. She also understood that the Klaus in her illusion was actually Iris, who had fallen victim to her love charm.


    It seemed that maintaining the illusion had drained Iris of an immense amount of energy, as it involved not only altering the environment but also creating multiple background characters and changing her visual appearance. This explained why the illusory Klaus had appeared increasingly exhausted over time.


    Realizing what had occurred and the possibility that the others had witnessed it, Rose''s expression shifted to one of profound shame.


    However, before she could say anything, she approached Iris and tapped her lifeline, eliminating her opponent from the game. As Iris was transported away, Rose and Team Lunar were declared the winners of the match.


    After being transported back to the arena and regaining consciousness, Rose was greeted by the other demigods. The shame she felt was evident, and she found it difficult to meet anyone''s gaze.


    To her surprise, Mia and Trent rushed over, wearing smiles, and congratulated her on winning the battle.


    "Nice job, Rose. You did well," Trent praised her.


    "Yeah, and even though you gave us quite a show, we still came out on top," Mia added, not trying to conceal what had transpired.


    Rose then turned to Klaus, realizing that he probably knew what she had experienced in the illusion, though his expression remained unchanged, as stoic as ever.


    "Um, Klaus, I just want to say..."


    "It''s fine," Klaus interrupted. "You don''t have to say anything."


    A few moments passed before Klaus continued, "On the bright side, we finally won a match. So, good job."


    A smile crept onto Rose''s face upon hearing this, and she nodded in agreement.


    After a few minutes of light conversation, XVII approached the stage and announced that the remaining teams should prepare on the transporting platform.


    Team Solar and Astra gathered around, ready to be transported to the Colosseum for the final battle of the Cosmic League.

 #33: Battle Strategies

    Riley''s eyes snapped open as she found herself in the heart of the Colosseum.


    Instantly, she sprang into action and rushed to her teammates, remembering that there was no room for delay in this game mode. Lance was already awake, leaving Shade and Link as her focus.


    The urgency was palpable; they had to prepare swiftly before the enemy could thwart their plans.


    "I could dash in and catch someone off guard, you know," Ace proposed to the team as Team Astra''s consciousness and strategic intent became evident.


    Quinn turned her attention to Ash, curious about his response. It seemed that, for him, the task at hand took precedence over the details of their plan.


    "Just to be safe, I suggest we refrain from any reckless actions we might regret later," Quinn advised, after a quick assessment of their odds.


    "Is there anything we need to know about this team before progressing?" Siren asked to gain information ahead of time.


    Quinn briefly closed her eyes before opening them back and sharing insights with Siren and the rest of her team.


    "Lance is the greatest threat since his knowledge of battle is second to none and his ability can be a problem since we don''t know how much energy it takes or how many weapons he can spawn at the same time. I''d say the best way to win against him is to either fight him all at once or for someone to duo with Ash to fight him.


    Riley''s greatest feat that I have witnessed is her stamina. I''d say it''s possibly the most among all the demigods so far, so don''t battle her with the intent to wear her out or test her endurance.


    Shade is the most cunning among them all, so you have to make sure you know where he is at all times when you''re engaging. He could also be hiding in his shadows and can control you through yours, so be wary of that.


    As for my brother... just don''t let him outsmart you. He may look dumb but he''s probably the most unpredictable person on the team since I don''t have any advice to give against him."


    Ace appeared surprised by Quinn''s emphasis on Link, but he chalked it up to just be sibling bias. Siren nodded in agreement with Quinn''s counsel as he prepared himself for the upcoming battle. Ash seemed indifferent to the advice but still lent an ear, perhaps out of respect for Quinn.


    "We''ll stick to teamwork until it proves ineffective. If that happens, we should consider pairing up or maintaining visual contact," Quinn suggested after a moment.


    It appeared that Team Astra had a well-thought-out strategy to secure their desired victory.


    "It''s starting," Ash whispered, grabbing the team''s attention, and refocusing them on their opponents.


    As they turned, they realized that Team Solar was already awake. One member, Riley, had her palms pressed firmly against the ground.


    Suddenly, the entire Colosseum trembled violently as massive tree roots burst forth from the ground, growing higher and higher from various spots in the area.


    Quinn acted quickly, generating force fields to shield her entire team. However, the relentless roots encroached upon the barriers, obscuring their vision and scattering Team Astra.


    "Can you all hear my voice?" Quinn asked, attempting to establish telepathic contact with the rest.


    "Yes," Siren replied. "It seems they intended to split us up."


    "To think she had enough energy to envelop the entire Colosseum with roots. That''s beyond impressive," Quinn remarked privately to the others.


    "What''s our plan now?" Ace inquired, realizing that their initial strategy had faltered before the battle had even commenced.


    "For now, we need to regroup," Quinn responded. She didn''t receive a verbal response from Ash, but she sensed his strange presence in their mental conversation, reassuring her of his well-being.


    Meanwhile, on Team Solar''s side, they stood atop a massive root that elevated them above the turmoil. Riley, however, had pushed herself to the brink of exhaustion, collapsing to her knees while remaining conscious.


    "Are you alright?" Shade, concerned for her well-being, asked.


    "Yeah, just went a bit overboard, haha," Riley replied as she gently laid on her back. "I think I''ll rest here for a while."


    "You did well. Take this time to recover while we proceed with the rest of the plan," Lance reassured Riley, who gave a thumbs-up before closing her eyes, fully aware that the battle was far from over.


    Lance turned his attention to Shade, maintaining his instruction. "You know what to do."


    "On it," Shade replied, stepping forward to where Riley had placed her palm to summon the roots. He then pressed his hand onto the root they were standing on, closing his eyes in concentration.


    After a few tense seconds, Shade opened his eyes, signaling the completion of his task.


    "One is positioned northwest of our location, at a good distance from the others. It seems to be a male, from what I can discern. The others are mainly in the northeast, with one slightly separated from the rest. Though, I think they''re unaware of their proximity to one another for the time being," Shade reported as he rose to his feet.


    Shade had harnessed his ability to track the shadows cast by the growing roots, enabling him to gain insight into the activities transpiring above the shadowy network. Although the immense energy required limited his use of these shadows for reconnaissance, it proved more than sufficient for their current needs.


    "Great work, Walker," Lance commended Shade.


    "We can wait for Greene to rejoin us while you proceed with the next phase," Lance added, shifting his attention to Link, who was positioned behind them.


    "Is it my turn now?" Link inquired, to which Lance nodded, affirming Link''s query. Link took a deep breath before gracefully leaping off the root they occupied, executing a superhero-like landing on the Colosseum''s ground.


    "Northwest, correct?" Link sought confirmation as he stood up.


    "Correct. We''ll proceed with the plan once Greene is mobile," Lance confirmed.


    Link then continued forward, articulating a command. "Pixel, initiate protocol Eliminate."


    Almost instantaneously, a response echoed, "Protocol E initiated."


    Immediately, the screen on Link''s mask dimmed, and soon after, crimson pixels mimicking menacing eyes illuminated the screen, bestowing Link with a menacing appearance.


    As he advanced, even with the roots obstructing his path, two diminutive drones suddenly appeared beside him. Just before he reached the tangle of roots, the drones unleashed laser beams, vaporizing the vegetation and creating an opening for his passage.


    "It''s almost impossible to get out like this," Ace thought as he attempted to cut through the tangle of roots that ensnared him.


    "Well, we can''t have you depleting all your energy before facing the enemy," Quinn responded to him via telepathy.


    "You know I don''t use much energy while running, right?" Ace countered as he continued to sever the roots by vibrating his hand at a high frequency.


    "Doesn''t matter. Just stay vigilant," Quinn cautioned him, well aware of his tendency for recklessness. "We''re quite spread out at the moment, so focus on regrouping for now."


    Suddenly, Quinn sensed an unwelcome presence approaching Ace''s location. "Ace!" she urgently called out. "Something''s headed your way."


    Ace pivoted as he detected a faint, drilling-like sound growing louder and nearer. He readied himself for what was to come as the menacing noise intensified and finally punched through the root right in front of him with concentrated lasers.


    It was a drone.


    "Enemy life form detected, initiating protocol E," the mechanized drone intoned. Immediately, a small gatling gun emerged from its underside, spraying a barrage of rubber bullets toward Ace.


    Naturally, this posed no threat to Ace as he deftly caught each bullet with his bare hands, tossing the previously caught ones to the ground as he caught the newly fired ones. He had already formulated a plan for seizing an opportunity that was sure to arise.


    As the drone eventually ceased fire, Ace sprinted toward it with astonishing speed, aiming to demolish it with his fists. However, just as he closed in, another drone materialized to his right, slamming into him mid-stride with tremendous speed and causing him to slam into the roots beside him.


    "Ace, you okay?" Quinn inquired telepathically, sensing the jolt that ran through his mind.


    "I''m fine," he responded, slowly rising to his feet while cradling his right side, where the impact was made.


    A grin spread across his face as he surveyed the two drones before him. "This is getting fun," he remarked.


    The presence of the encircling roots around the arena constrained Ace''s mobility, making evasion challenging. To create an advantageous opening, he knew he had to enhance his abilities, contrary to Quinn''s advice.


    "Sorry, Quinn, but I have to use Nitro here," Ace thought.


    "Alright, but just don''t be reckless. My brother can be very intimidating when he''s serious," Quinn replied. "Even though I can''t tell him that." she thought to herself.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The drone that had previously fired gave off a sound like it was reloading, prompting Ace to act swiftly. But before the drones could fire again, Ace vibrated both his hands and moved in a dynamic dance, slicing through the roots that confined him almost instantly.


    The drones then retracted their weapons and swiftly replaced them with another one from a different chamber. Ace stood his ground, grinning at the drones as they readied their attacks. As they unleashed their firepower, Ace vanished, reappearing behind them, and causing both drones to crash to the ground immediately after.


    Ace had moved at such incredible speed that he was already behind the drones before his assault had even registered. He then turned to the fallen drones, confirming their destruction.


    "Guess I''m done," Ace quipped.


    Moments later, footsteps echoed from where the first drone had appeared, and from the path it had cleared, Link emerged, walking slowly toward Ace.


    CONVERSATION


    Link: Your speed is impressive. I didn''t expect you to outpace my drones.


    Ace took Link''s statement as a compliment and decided to respond.


    Ace: Oh, thanks, man. Your drones were pretty amazing too.


    Link looked at Ace in confusion as his display reverted from the intense one to his usual one.


    Link: Bro, what are you doing?


    Ace: What do you mean?


    Link: What do I... What do you mean what do I mean? Why are you ruining the moment?


    Ace: Wait, what? You complimented me so I responded.


    Link: That wasn''t a compliment. It was supposed to be a dramatic line.


    Ace: Yeah, about you complimenting my speed, right?


    Link: No, I... well... I guess you''re right. But that wasn''t the point.


    Ace: Well, specify next time.


    Link: How the hell am I supposed to do that?


    Ace: Look, I dunno. I was just trying to be nice, man.


    Link: Y''know what, you''re right. It may have been a bit confusing on your end. I apologize.


    A short period of silence followed after the last statement.


    Ace: So, you wanna do the entrance again?


    Link: Nah, there''s no point. The mood''s already ruined.


    Ace: You sure? Seems like you do. And I really don''t mind, to be honest.


    Link: Really?


    Ace: Sure, go for it.


    Link: Oh, thanks, man.


    Link retraced his steps before returning from the pathway he had emerged from moments earlier, now sporting the more menacing appearance.


    "Your speed is impressive. I didn''t expect you to outpace my drones," Link conceded.


    Ace, determined not to spoil the moment, kept his silence as Link proceeded.


    "I suppose I''ll have to take you seriously now."


    With those words, Link extended his right hand, index finger pointing forward and positioned like a firearm.


    Ace swiftly noticed a metallic-looking material encasing Link''s hand like a glove. Before he could react, Link discharged a small round from his fingertip toward Ace.


    Ace effortlessly intercepted the attack but observed that the fired projectile was a small ball with a liquid substance covered around it that smudged across his fingertips. Gradually, Ace''s strength waned, and fatigue set in.


    "What''s this?" Ace inquired as he collapsed to the ground on his knees.


    "What do you think?" Link retorted, advancing toward Ace, intent on eliminating him.


    As Link drew nearer, Ace closed his eyes for a brief second, his entire body vibrating. When he reopened them, he lunged at Link with the purpose of elimination.


    Link used his hands to block Ace''s sudden assault but remained bewildered by how Ace could still move after being in contact with his tranquilizing bullet.


    "How?" Link questioned.


    "What do you think?" Ace replied.


    Ace had accelerated his entire body, expediting the tranquilizer''s effects from roughly four hours to a mere second. He rushed at Link, aiming to catch him off guard and incapacitate him.


    However, as his hand neared Link''s helmet, a metallic shard suddenly shot out from between them, forcibly gripping Ace''s hand and pushing him backward. More pieces of metal fastened onto his legs, causing him to fall to the ground.


    Ace realized that the remnants of the drones he had previously destroyed were responsible for restraining him. He attempted to rise but found it challenging to move under the weight of the metal. Nevertheless, he refused to give up and made a feeble charge at Link, his diminished speed struggling against the metal''s resistance. Link easily sidestepped Ace''s attacks.


    "Ace..." a voice resonated in Ace''s mind. "...aim for his helmet."


    Ace grasped the idea that damaging or shattering Link''s helmet might break his control over the drone pieces attached to his limbs. He persisted in his assault on Link, who appeared unconcerned by the attacks.


    "It''s futile," Quinn conveyed to Siren through their telepathic connection, dismissing the plan by Siren to disable Link''s helmet.


    CONVERSATION


    Siren: What do you mean?


    Quinn: The outcome of the battle was determined when Link got a hold of Ace. Also, destroying his helmet would be futile considering it''s just a piece of metal with a screen.


    Siren: What?


    Quinn: Don''t misconstrue my brother. His command over technology doesn''t rely on an AI or similar system; it stems directly from his mind. So as long as his brain functions¡ªand I do have my doubts about that¡ªhe''ll retain control over any technology within his proximity. The visual display you see is simply his manipulation of the screen to output what he wants.


    The shock on Siren''s face was evident.


    Siren: But what about the name he addressed when we watched his fight against Rose and Mia? Pixel, if I recall.


    Quinn: You could argue that it''s essentially an imaginative construct he devised to think on his behalf when he''s not in the mood to do so. To be honest, I''d categorize that as sheer laziness, given that it''s still information originating from his own mind.


    As Quinn finished, Link had already pressed Ace''s lifeline to eliminate his adversary from the game.


    "He''s been eliminated," Quinn informed the rest of Team Astra, sensing Ace''s consciousness departing the location.


    "It looks like Link emerged victorious," Shade relayed to Team Solar, tracking their movements from the shadows beneath them and sensing Ace''s elimination.


    "I suppose he wasn''t all talk," Lance remarked to Shade.


    Just as he finished speaking, Riley stirred, rousing from her unconscious state.


    "Damn, how long was I out?" Riley inquired.


    "Long enough for Link to eliminate someone," Shade replied.


    Things appeared to be proceeding according to plan for Team Solar. Suddenly, Shade detected something through his shadows near Siren and Quinn, diverting his attention to that area.


    Siren was fuming. Ace''s elimination was the result of their separation, and it infuriated him, even though his suit concealed his facial expressions.


    Siren wasn''t physically near Quinn and Ash, but he had a sense of their approximate positions due to the resonating sounds of their heartbeats. His heightened sense of hearing allowed him to discern the locations of almost everyone on the battlefield. He could pick up sounds from a broad range, granting him an understanding of the entire Colosseum.


    "Quinn," Siren began, "it''s highly uncertain we can win while entangled in these roots, right?"


    "True, but we can''t do anything about it for now," Quinn replied.


    "That might not be entirely accurate," Siren continued. "From what I sense, we''re closer to the edge of the Colosseum''s radius, meaning about eighty percent of the battlefield is ahead of us."


    "Where are you going with this, Mason?" Quinn inquired, concerned about his tone.


    "Do you believe that Ash and you can secure victory?" Siren asked.


    Quinn grasped Siren''s intention but recognized there might be no alternative.


    "Yes," she replied. "But is there no other way?"


    Siren hesitated briefly, then acknowledged the reality. "It seems not."


    With that decision made, Siren focused on his suit, adjusting a small dial on the side of his right arm. He turned the knob incrementally, producing a low sound that grew louder with each twist.


    When Siren finished, he brought his hands together, pointing toward the battlefield ahead, where the rest of the action unfolded. A faint sound preceded a slightly louder one.


    "Forty percent should be enough," Siren thought to himself. He then communicated with his team. "Ash, I''m sure you can hear me. Quinn believes in your ability to win, and so do I. Ensure victory."


    After a brief pause during which his suit charged, Ash''s response came in.


    "We will."


    As the third, even louder sound queued, an immensely powerful blast of sound waves erupted from the arms of Siren''s suit, surging forward in a wide radius. The force advanced, obliterating every root in its path and taking the uprooted plants with it. The speed of the attack surpassed the sound barrier as it broke through the sound barrier while advancing.


    This was the force Shade had detected earlier heading their way. Given the strength of the attack, capable of forcibly displacing the roots from the ground, it appeared unstoppable.


    As the force, accompanied by all the uprooted vegetation ahead, reached the edge of the Colosseum, it shattered through the walls, demolishing nearly half of the arena''s boundaries and carrying away the dislodged plants from the battlefield as the sonic force gradually subsided.


    "Mason! Mason, are you alright?" Quinn called out as Siren collapsed immediately, losing consciousness. Quinn was still entangled in the roots, which Siren''s attack hadn''t reached. However, she was close to the edge, so she used her psychic abilities to forcefully tear apart the roots between her and her fallen teammate.


    As she reached the edge, finally glimpsing the light from the top of the Colosseum, she stumbled upon the entire Team Solar, with Link''s drone firing at an unconscious Siren''s lifeline.


    "NO!" Quinn shouted as she witnessed her second teammate disappear from the arena. Their team had lost half of its members due to the roots splitting them up, and it seemed like she might be the next to go.


    "How are you all still standing after that attack?" Quinn asked in shock, knowing that Siren''s attack should have been fatal.


    "What''s the use in telling you?" Link retorted, realizing it was pointless.


    Suddenly, Quinn''s face lit up with a knowing smile.


    "It was Shade, wasn''t it?" she began. "Considering your team''s previous battle, he could enter his shadow. So what''s stopping him from taking others with him?"


    Lance smiled, acknowledging her astute deduction as she continued to analyze the situation.


    "Besides, he looks more exhausted than the rest of you, probably because he used his shadows for information on the attack beforehand, and also created a shadow pool where Lincoln was since he was far away from the rest."


    "You''re quite the investigator," Link replied to Quinn as she turned her gaze to him.


    "You know what? I''d have a retort if I weren''t so impressed by what you pulled off. Riley used her roots to separate us, you took on Ace, knowing his speed advantage wouldn''t be significant in an enclosed area, and you forced Mason to exhaust himself, all while having a backup plan with Shade. It was all part of your strategy, right?"


    All of Quinn''s analyses were consistently accurate, and this time was no different. Team Solar knew she was a threat due to her knowledge and telepathic abilities, which could link her teammates regardless of their physical separation. That''s why Lance had assigned Link to devise their team''s plan, given his familiarity with Quinn as his sibling.


    However, there was one thing Quinn wasn''t aware of. Although their plan appeared flawless, it didn''t account for what to do if Ash intervened at any point, or after.


    Link understood the vulnerabilities of Ace and Siren¡ªrange and energy output, respectively. He also knew that Quinn''s tactical advantage would be ineffective without visual confirmation of her teammates'' locations and actions. But Ash was the wildcard.


    Ash consistently emerged victorious in every battle he entered, even against formidable opponents like X. That''s why their team relied heavily on splitting their opponents to secure victory.


    This meant they had to eliminate Quinn promptly before Ash could find a way out of the roots.


    "Apologies for the abrupt ending, but your elimination is necessary," Lance declared as he extended his right hand, forming a lengthy wooden spear.


    Before Quinn could react, Shade used his Binding Shadows to immobilize her. Lance then charged at her, striking her lifeline and eliminating her from the game.


    "Whoa..." Trent exclaimed in surprise from the sidelines as Teams Lunar and Stellar watched the outcome of the battle. "Lance was significantly faster than when he faced us, Klaus."


    "I guess," Klaus responded as he observed Quinn dematerialize from the Colosseum.


    "It''s surprising that someone like Quinn got eliminated without making any moves," Tyler remarked in astonishment.


    "I wouldn''t say she did nothing," Klaus noted. "We''re unaware of her telepathic communications with her team and what information she conveyed."


    "But do you think it was enough to secure her team''s victory?" Mia asked Klaus, already knowing the answer.


    "Guess not," Klaus replied with a sigh.


    Although Klaus was accurate, the reality remained that whatever Quinn did wasn''t sufficient to prevent her team from losing over half of its members. At this point, it seemed almost certain that Team Solar had won the game since none of their members had been eliminated. However, everyone knew that Ash couldn''t be discounted, so they awaited his emergence from the concealed area.


    A few seconds after Quinn''s elimination, a billow of smoke emerged from the roots, and Ash gradually materialized from within it.


    "The final boss," Link remarked to his teammate as he prepared for whatever lay ahead.


    Ash proceeded slowly as Team Solar stared directly at him. He closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath before gradually reopening them. The smoky aura that constituted his pupils fixed on the general vicinity of his opponents as he took a few moments to analyze the situation since he lost contact with Quinn.


    "So, I''m the last one standing," Ash stated, his expression unwavering.


    His calm and composed demeanor made Lance highly cautious. He whispered to his team to remain vigilant and prepared for anything. Then Ash continued, uttering something that puzzled both his adversaries and everyone witnessing the final stage of the battle.


    "It seems you finally get to have a turn in battle... Drake."

 #34: His Manifestation

    "Drake?"


    The air grew tense as the pivotal moment between Team Solar and Team Astra unfolded. Ash''s dispassionate demeanor left his opponents on edge, uncertain of his next move. Caution prevailed as they opted for a defensive stance, avoiding hasty actions that might jeopardize their advantageous position.


    However, Ash''s utterance of a single name gave rise to confusion rather than caution.


    "It seems you finally get to have a turn in battle, Drake."


    And as Ash concluded, his serene expression contorted into one of apparent agony. He fell to his knees, clutching his head with both hands and emitting pained grunts. His teeth clenched as the audible struggle played out before Team Solar.


    Riley voiced the collective confusion, asking, "What the hell is going on?"


    Lance maintained his composure, advising his team, "Do not get distracted. It might be a trap, so keep your guard up." His grip tightened on the spear he had conjured, ready for any threat.


    Suddenly, everyone''s focus on Ash intensified when they realized something unnatural was unfolding.


    "What the..." Klaus whispered as he stepped closer to the forefront of the screen, accompanied by the other demigods. Even X fixed his gaze on the display as he witnessed Ash''s hair slowly transitioning from its usual dark grey to a vibrant vermilion hue, starting from the roots.


    "Lance, what do we do?" Riley inquired, her uncertainty mirrored in her teammates'' expressions. Their well-laid plans hadn''t accounted for this unforeseen turn of events.


    Lance''s steady response reassured his team, "Stay calm. Whatever is happening, it''s better to be on defense. You cannot lose if he does not attack, so just stay where you are." He knew that wearing a worried expression would only cause his team to panic further.


    Ash''s grunts grew louder and then gradually softened as his hair completely changed color. His hands and skin also appeared different, taking on a paler hue than usual. However, he was too distant for most to discern these details.


    Eventually, his screams subsided.


    With his hands still covering his face while on his knees, Ash''s condition remained a mystery to onlookers. Lance wrestled with his options, debating whether to maintain his position or disregard the ongoing battle to check on Ash''s well-being.


    The tense atmosphere continued to hold the spectators and combatants alike in its grip. Ash''s right eye peeked through the slender gaps between his fingers, but it remained closed. His face was angled toward the ground, leaving everyone watching with bated breath.


    Then, in a surprising turn, Ash gradually extended his left hand, still trembling slightly. His right hand still obscured his face, and his heavy breathing resonated through the air. His outstretched hand was directed toward Team Solar, specifically Link, and it shook with uncertainty.


    "You sure he''s fine, dude?" Shade asked, expressing his concern.


    Suddenly, Ash''s hand ceased shaking as he opened his visible eye, exposing a black sclera with vertical yellow pupils, reminiscent of a cat''s eye.


    Immediately after this strange occurrence, an explosion erupted at Link''s chest, obliterating his lifeline and sending him hurtling several meters back. The team watched in disbelief as Link was rendered unconscious and began to dematerialize.


    "What the hell???" Riley exclaimed, her gaze shifting between the dematerializing Link and the enigmatic Ash.


    With the shocking turn of events, Ash rose from his kneeling position, his breathing transitioning from soft giggles to maniacal laughter, all while revealing his dramatically altered appearance.


    Black eyes with yellow pupils, vermilion hair, and very pale skin, almost ash in color, but the most shocking among the changes that occurred were the two horns that had sprouted on Ash''s forehead, about ten centimeters in length and curving upward.


    "What the hell is that?" Shade asked in undeniable shock. Whatever it was, everyone was certain this was not Ash.


    "I guess my hunch was right," a voice echoed from the spectator''s location, and everyone present turned toward the transport podium. There, Quinn, alongside the rest of the eliminated members of Team Astra, had been transported back and was doing fine.


    "You''re all back," Trent replied with a smile.


    "What hunch?" Klaus asked instantly, not wanting to waste any time on what was going on.


    Quinn walked forward to where the demigods were with the rest of her team, and she decided to explain quickly.


    "Well, when Riley cast her ability on the arena, the only way we could communicate with each other was through my telepathy since I could link our minds together. But while doing so, I noticed something... There wasn''t a sole mind in Ash''s head."


    "What?" Mia asked. "You''re saying he has, like, a parasite in him?"


    "I don''t think it''s that easy," Quinn responded. "Ever since I watched the recording of the battle between X and Ash, I wondered why Ash was stated to be the strongest since X had the upper hand and would probably have won if the rules weren''t present. Then I had a thought. It''s normal for someone''s defensive capabilities to trump their offensive, but why was Ash solely..."


    "What are you trying to say?" Arthur cut in immediately, making Quinn realize that she had started her bad habit of over-explaining again.


    "What I''m saying is... what if it''s two minds in the same body?"


    The demigods stared in shock and confusion before their attention was caught once more by the laughter that had filled the battlefield. And for the first time, he spoke.


    "It''s been so long since I felt the sensation of reality," the creature, who didn''t appear to be Ash, stated. "You really should consider letting me out more often."


    The creature''s voice held a jagged tone, almost resembling that of a patient in an asylum.


    "Who are you?" Lance inquired, his gaze fixed on the entity.


    A silence hung in the air as the creature stared at the sky as if lost in thought. Its grin had transformed into an idle expression. Eventually, the entity said something.


    "Fine. Since you strongly insist."


    With that statement, its grin returned, and it focused its attention back on Team Solar as if it were responding to itself.


    "Ash?" Riley asked the creature, seeking answers.


    "Ash is currently unavailable. This is the presence of Drake," the creature identified itself.


    Drake extended his hands outward, revealing long, sharp, talon-like nails. He arched his body forward, akin to a predator preparing to pounce.


    "At Ash''s request, I''m not allowed to kill or fatally wound my opponents," Drake revealed before his sinister grin widened. "But that doesn''t mean I can''t have some fun."


    With the conclusion of his statement, an invisible yet thunderous explosion erupted at Drake''s location. Before Shade could react and shift his gaze downward, Drake was already before him, claws aimed directly at Shade''s lifeline.


    There seemed to be no hope for Shade, as he struggled to react to the impending attack. In a flash, Lance appeared to Shade''s left, swinging the spear he held, and striking Drake several meters to the right. The sequence of events occurred so rapidly that Shade was left momentarily bewildered before realizing that he had narrowly avoided elimination.


    "Focus, Shade," Lance admonished him. Shade closed his eyes, shaking his head before responding, "Right. I''m sorry."


    "You were able to react," Drake stated as he rose from his crouched position, fixating his gaze directly on Lance with curiosity. "Interesting."


    Lance turned his attention to his weapon, realizing that his spear had shattered upon contact with Drake. Without hesitation, he flung the pieces of the broken spear, and they vanished into thin air before contacting the ground. On his other hand, a brand-new, pristine spear materialized.


    "Greene!" Lance called out, his focus unwavering on Drake.


    "On it," Riley responded, swiftly placing her hands on the ground. A swarm of roots surged forth from the earth ahead of her, charging at Drake with ferocious intent. However, Drake appeared entirely unfazed by their approach.


    Before the roots could reach him, Drake slightly tilted both of his palms forward while maintaining eye contact with Lance. In an instant, a vicious blaze engulfed the oncoming roots, reducing them to ashes before they even had a chance to touch him.


    Riley paused in shock but quickly redoubled her efforts, conjuring more roots from the ground.


    "The same trick?" Drake remarked, his smile diminishing. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, accompanied by the sound of another explosion, reminiscent of the earlier encounter. As he advanced, the roots once again ignited and disintegrated before they could reach him. Drake continued his relentless charge, swiftly closing the distance to Riley. These events transpired in the blink of an eye, and Riley turned in disbelief at his sudden proximity.


    In the blink of an eye, Drake reached Riley, who was still crouched on the ground. He unleashed a devastating kick with his right leg directly onto her left shoulder, while she was still crouched, sending her tumbling a short distance away. The force of her fall caused her to roll over her lifeline, resulting in her elimination from the game.


    Surprisingly, Drake was seen holding Lance''s spear back at his current location. It was evident that Lance had tried to intervene and prevent Riley''s harm but had been unsuccessful. Drake turned his head to Lance, a smile playing upon his lips before he used his fists to crush the spear once more. Lance retreated upon witnessing this, and soon enough, the shattered spear vanished into thin air, as it had before.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "It appears this won''t be an easy battle," Lance remarked, extending his right arm forward. Gradually, a long greatsword, reminiscent of the medieval weapons wielded by knights, materialized out of thin air as Lance firmly grasped it.


    "I hope you''re prepared," Lance declared to Drake, his demeanor exuding intimidation.


    Drake''s smile expanded once more, and he emitted a maniacal giggle before launching himself at Lance in combat.


    Sparks erupted from the clash between Lance''s blade and Drake''s claws, their combat skills bordering on the supernatural. Drake effortlessly evaded some of Lance''s attacks, and Lance reciprocated with equal agility. Shade marveled at how Lance handled the hefty sword with such apparent ease as if it were a mere dagger.


    However, one fact was undeniable: Shade struggled to keep up with the fierce battle.


    On occasion, Shade attempted to intervene and strike at Drake when an opportunity presented itself. Yet, he found himself easily dismissed by his opponent. Drake swiftly reacted to Shade''s swings, countering them while remaining locked in combat with Lance. The lightning speed of the two fighters left Shade with little room to employ his shadow abilities effectively, as Drake was in near-constant motion.


    "I''m utterly useless," Shade lamented internally as he stood in shock, observing the intense battle unfold before him.


    Finally, at a certain point, Lance managed to employ his sword to propel Drake backward, pushing him a short distance away. Before Drake could regain his footing, Lance appeared before him and swung his blade vertically at his opponent.


    The audience was astounded, fully aware that Lance''s attack had the potential to severely injure or even worse, given its force and the nature of the weapon. As the sword drew nearer to Drake, he extended his right forearm, placing it between his face and the oncoming strike. And upon contact, the sword snapped in two.


    "Whoa," Trent exclaimed. "He just blocked a sword with his bare arm."


    "C¨®mo es eso posible?" Iris questioned, her eyes locked onto the screen.


    The astonishment on everyone''s faces was palpable as they continued to watch. Yet, it became apparent that Lance was unfazed by this development.


    "Seems like your skin is tougher than usual," Lance remarked.


    Drake collected himself, rising to his feet with his customary smile.


    "Not so much that," Drake replied. "This is just standard demon-kind skin."


    "I suspected as much," Lance said as he tossed the broken blade aside, returning it to the Divine Arsenal.


    "So... what will you do next to entertain me?" Drake inquired, visibly reveling in their battle.


    Suddenly, Drake''s movements halted, his expression shifting to one of surprise.


    "Oh..." Drake muttered, turning his gaze slowly toward Shade, who had his palms on the ground, indicating his use of his Binding Shadow ability.


    "Where is the destruction in such a cowardly ability?" Drake taunted, still keeping his eyes fixed on Shade.


    "I''m not concerned with that," Shade retorted. "My only goal is to win."


    As Shade finished his statement, Drake managed to move one of his fingers, pointing it directly at Shade. In an instant, a massive explosion erupted at Shade''s location, forcing him to release his ability and inflicting significant damage.


    "These explosions..." Iris inquired from the spectator''s vantage point. "How is he able to do that?"


    The same question seemed to occupy everyone''s thoughts as they observed the unfolding spectacle on the screen, attempting to decipher the mystery. However, as was often the case, Quinn had a notion of what might be transpiring.


    "I have a theory," Quinn started.


    "You always do," Klaus murmured softly.


    "I think, based on what I''ve observed," Quinn began, "there are two consistent elements preceding the explosions. First, visual contact with the target area, and second, what appears to be specific hand gestures directing the attack."


    It seemed like a reasonable hypothesis. Although the mechanics behind Drake''s abilities remained a mystery, the focus was on understanding how he executed them.


    The consensus among the observers was that Drake could conjure not only explosions but also flames, given his actions against Riley and her roots.


    Returning to the ongoing battle, Lance rushed with concern as Shade was forcibly pushed back, clearly suffering from the blast Drake had unleashed. Drake, however, wore a malevolent grin, seemingly unperturbed by the chaos he had initiated.


    "Are you alright?" Lance inquired of Shade.


    "I-I''m fine," Shade responded weakly.


    Lance''s expression shifted as he glanced at Shade and then back at Drake.


    "I don''t think you should intervene further," Lance stated without even looking at Shade as he rose to his feet. "You''re not strong enough."


    This reality had been evident from the outset, but Lance vocalizing it compounded Shade''s discomfort as he lowered his head in distress.


    "I may not be able to defeat him under these rules," Lance continued, "but I can wear him down before I''m eliminated. Then, you can face him with better odds. For now, trying to battle him while also defending you would be too demanding."


    Lance''s rationale was sound, although it underscored Shade''s incompatibility with the role he was thrust into. It felt as if he could have been substituted with anyone, and the strategy might have functioned, possibly even more effectively. Shade accepted this fact without objection.


    "So that''s your strategy," Drake interjected suddenly, revealing that he had been eavesdropping on their conversation. "You intend to exhaust me to secure a victory. Where''s your thrill for battle?"


    Drake''s words resonated with Klaus, evoking memories of their own battle. In that duel, Lance had countless opportunities to defeat Klaus but had instead chosen to relish the fight and extend it. However, the situation appeared different in this battle, leaving Klaus puzzled until a realization struck him.


    "What if he''s genuinely savoring this?" Klaus mused.


    During Klaus''s clash with Lance, it was plausible that Lance had perceived him as less formidable, leading to a more relaxed approach. Yet, considering the vast difference in combat capabilities between Drake and Klaus, it seemed Lance was still deriving enjoyment from the battle, albeit in a distinct manner. It occurred to Klaus that Lance might have initially planned to relish the fight while ensuring he had the means to secure victory when needed.


    Lance swiftly conjured another blade and closed in on Drake.


    "Again with these gimmicks?" Drake taunted, effortlessly avoiding Lance''s strikes. He deftly sidestepped a swing and directed his hands at Lance, attempting to unleash an explosion. However, before the blast could erupt, Lance summoned a shield, positioning it precisely where Drake had aimed. He then utilized the shield to bash Drake, sending him flying back.


    A sly grin returned to Drake''s face, and his signature laughter filled the air as he rushed toward Lance. Their duel resumed, but this time, it appeared that Lance was adopting a more defensive stance, likely following his strategy to wear down his opponent.


    After a brief exchange of blows, Drake detected a shift in Lance''s approach.


    "You''re not treating this seriously," Drake remarked, his smile fading.


    Lance responded with a knowing grin. "You already understand my intentions, don''t you?"


    This response irked Drake, causing his smile to significantly diminish. "I see," he muttered, turning his attention to Shade, who was observing from the sidelines. "Then I suppose I''ll have to eliminate him first."


    Drake extended his hands toward Shade, prompting Lance to rush to his teammate''s defense with his shield raised. However, it became evident that Drake had a different plan in mind.


    "Gotcha," Drake murmured, suddenly appearing beside Lance and kicking him away.


    Shade pivoted, realizing the unexpected turn of events, and attempted to employ his shadow manipulation to restrain Drake.


    "This again?" Drake scoffed, advancing before Shade could make contact with the floor. He swiftly launched a blow at Shade''s chest, targeting his lifeline. Drake used the force of his fist to lift Shade from the ground before slamming him back down. Lance watched the sequence unfold as he rose to his feet, witnessing an unconscious Shade dematerialize.


    "I guess you''re the last one standing," Drake declared, breaking into laughter.


    "I guess so," Lance replied, his expression now grave as he advanced toward Drake. "It seems I need to take this more seriously."


    With that statement, Lance extended his right hand outward, employing the familiar motion of summoning a weapon from the Divine Arsenal. Gradually, an unfamiliar golden lance materialized in mid-air, its lengthy steel point gleaming menacingly. The lance well surpassed six feet in length, towering over Lance himself, and featured a sleek design with a lengthy, slim red cloth tied to the beginning of its tip, measuring approximately three feet in length.


    "Impossible," Arthur exclaimed, drawing everyone''s attention at the spectator''s location to him. His statement left them puzzled, and Siren inquired about the cause of his shock.


    "What''s happening?" Siren asked, seeking an explanation for the sudden astonishment.


    Initially reluctant to answer, Arthur eventually decided to divulge the gravity of the situation.


    "Be grateful that you all are among the privileged few about to witness my brother''s true strength," he said.


    "True strength?" Klaus inquired, seeking clarity.


    Arthur redirected his gaze back to the screen before elaborating, "I''ve only witnessed it once, but observe as he wields the greatest weapon in his arsenal... Camelot."


    "A spear?" Drake remarked, appearing somewhat unimpressed. "It seems you''ve regressed in your weapon choices."


    "If that''s what you believe," Lance responded calmly, "then come... and witness true mastery."


    Lance assumed a stance unlike any he had previously demonstrated, and a smile crept across Drake''s face as he burst into maniacal laughter, charging toward Lance.


    "Impress me, Lance Knight. Make my presence here worthwhile."


    Once more, Drake and Lance clashed in combat. Lance''s fighting style was a departure from his previous engagements, characterized by grace and fluidity. The noticeable gap between their abilities quickly vanished.


    "What''s going on?" Trent wondered aloud. "How did the gap between them close so suddenly just by changing weapons?"


    "Fool," Arthur replied with folded arms, never taking his eyes off the screen. "A man is more frightening by his mastery of the weapon he wields. My brother has mastered every weapon in the Divine Arsenal, but his mastery of Camelot exceeds them all by an incomprehensible margin. It is only natural that his ferocity has multiplied several times over."


    "Has he always spoken in such an archaic manner?" Rose asked Klaus, her curiosity piqued.


    "I guess," Klaus replied expectedly.


    The battle raged on, and Drake appeared taken aback by the transformation in Lance''s abilities.


    "He''s noticeably faster, and his strikes carry more power. It''s as if he''s a different person," Drake reflected, acknowledging Lance''s newfound strength.


    Despite Lance seemingly gaining the upper hand, he struggled to land direct hits on Drake, who adeptly evaded his attacks. Nevertheless, the intensity of the battle and the idea that Lance might have the upper hand brought a wider smile to Drake''s face as he continued the fierce exchange with Lance. Their battle continued similarly until Lance managed to land a heavy strike on his opponent.


    Drake raised both forearms to block the vertical strike from Lance, anticipating either blocking the attack or breaking Lance''s weapon. However, Lance''s strike possessed greater force than Drake had anticipated. It caused damage to Drake''s arm and sent him hurtling back several meters.


    "He landed a hit," Ace noted, drawing attention to the successful strike.


    After a brief interval, the sound of the transporting pod echoed in the background of the spectator''s area, revealing Riley and Link''s return.


    The demigods warmly welcomed the returning participants and commended them on their impressive performance. Shade was conspicuously absent, leading them to assume he was receiving medical attention.


    Lance approached Drake, who was slowly rising to his feet, still sporting a mischievous grin.


    However, as Lance closed the gap between them, the surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins began to subside. It suddenly dawned on him what was happening and how far he had taken the battle. In response, he promptly retracted Camelot back into the Divine Arsenal.


    Drake, observing Lance''s actions, grew immediately puzzled and questioned his opponent''s motives.


    "What are you doing? Why did you return it?" Drake questioned.


    "Because I had not intended to wield Camelot for minor scenarios like this tournament. It is reserved for use only in dangerous situations."


    Lance''s reply took Drake by surprise and ignited his anger. His smile vanished, replaced by a stern frown, and he stood up, locking eyes with Lance.


    "So you''ve decided not to take this battle seriously anymore?" Drake''s voice had shifted from its earlier maniacal tone to a deeper, more menacing one.


    "So it seems," Lance responded, summoning a greatsword once more and charging at Drake.


    Drake''s demeanor had undergone a noticeable transformation. He appeared more serious, driven by anger rather than passion. As Lance closed in on him and swung his sword, Drake effortlessly evaded the attacks, barely shifting his body but managing to dodge them all. After a while, Drake let out a sigh and made a decisive statement.


    "Then I see no reason to continue this fight."


    With that declaration, Drake swiftly launched a blow at Lance''s lifeline with his fists, and Lance barely managed to use the side of his sword to block the attack.


    "I still have some fight left in me," Lance retorted, his passion for the battle still burning.


    However, as Drake responded, Lance''s eyes widened as he processed the words.


    "What good is your passion when you''ve already been eliminated?"


    Lance turned his gaze to his lifeline, which had turned red, indicating his elimination.


    "How?" Lance inquired as he slowly began to dematerialize. "I was certain I blocked your attack."


    "I suppose it was my fault for trying to savor the battle," Drake responded, his crazed smile returning, indicating that he hadn''t necessarily been going all out during their duel.


    Eventually, Lance completely vanished from the Colosseum.


    "Ash... it seems my presence is no longer necessary," Drake remarked, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.


    Gradually, Drake''s body, along with his other distinguishing features, began to revert to its original state before he finally exhaled and transformed back into Ash once more.


    When Ash opened his eyes, they were completely white, devoid of pupils, akin to those of the Gods. After a moment, tiny particles of smoke converged at the spot where his pupils would be, eventually forming them.


    Finally, after a brief period, Ash and Team Astra were announced as the victors of the battle.

 #35: Conclusions

    The Cosmic League had reached its conclusion, and Ash and Lance found themselves transported back to the arena.


    Several other demigods rushed to greet and commend them on their performance, eager to ask Ash about Drake. As expected, Ash remained reserved, offering only minimal responses.


    Moments later, Shade returned to the arena, his demeanor noticeably subdued compared to the others.


    "Are you okay?" Klaus inquired, approaching his brother with concern.


    Shade, sensing Klaus''s worry, quickly adopted a brighter demeanor. "Don''t worry about me. I''m fine," he reassured with a smile.


    Though Klaus sensed Shade''s attempt to alleviate his concern, he respected his brother''s choice and left it at that.


    As conversations continued, XVII finally made his appearance on the arena stage.


    "Greetings, demigods. I commend each of you for your remarkable performance in the Cosmic League. Your efforts have been truly impressive," he announced.


    The demigods, relieved to receive praise, responded with cheers and smiles. However, XVII had more to say.


    "But my words alone may not suffice," he added ominously.


    With those words, a powerful energy filled the arena, forcing all the demigods to their knees. Suddenly, a light descended from the sky, heralding the arrival of a mysterious being.


    "Hmm..." the God began, as the demigods struggled to even lift their heads to see who it was.


    The force was overwhelming, paralyzing every demigod with its intensity. It was possibly the most frightening power they had encountered. After a moment, the God eased the pressure, allowing the demigods to rise to their feet.


    The God''s golden blond hair matched the gold-plated armor he wore. In his right hand, he held a flag, reminiscent of the ancient stories told by early humans.


    "Oh damn," Quinn whispered. "It''s¡ª"


    "Siege," Klaus interjected, causing Quinn to pout slightly.


    All eyes were fixed on Siege, the God of War, who surveyed the demigods with an authoritative gaze.


    "Greetings, demigods," Siege began.


    Every demigod listened intently, eager for his words.


    "As XVII already mentioned, I want to congratulate you all, not just for completing the event, but for exceeding the expectations that the other Gods and I had."


    Although it echoed XVII''s sentiment, coming from Siege, it felt more significant to the demigods.


    "There will be no announcement of a general victor or superior team, as there was no intention of having a final result. However, it is noteworthy that teams Solar, Stellar, and Lunar each secured a win, while team Astra won all their battles."


    This left the demigods who weren''t part of team Astra feeling a bit down, glancing at one another before Siege continued.


    "That being said, there was one demigod whose performance was unanimously recognized by all the Gods as the most exceptional. Thus, we acknowledge Klaus Walker as the Most Valuable Player of the event."


    Everyone turned to Klaus, who remained unperturbed by the announcement, his gaze steady on Siege, saying nothing.


    "How the hell was he MVP?" a voice rang out, turning everyone''s attention to Arthur. "I barely even noticed him at all."


    Silence fell over the room as everyone awaited Siege''s reaction. The God of War turned his gaze to Arthur, who was standing to his left. Without warning, Arthur fell to his knees, writhing in apparent agony, as if an immense weight had suddenly been placed on his back.


    "You may be my son, but you will speak only when spoken to," Siege declared, his tone icy.


    Fear rippled through the assembled demigods as they watched Arthur trembling on the ground. Siege''s unyielding expression only heightened the tension, rendering everyone speechless.


    After a moment, Siege turned his attention back to the group, and Arthur''s pain instantly ceased. Arthur remained kneeling for a few seconds before he managed to stand.


    "For clarification," Siege continued, "the choice was not based on general performance or total eliminations, but on the extent to which the demigod exceeded the projected expectations."


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    The explanation made it clear that the Gods'' decision was based on who had surprised them the most, considering the diverse backgrounds and varying advantages among the demigods. No one dared to challenge Siege''s statement after witnessing what had happened to Arthur.


    "Once again, on behalf of all the Gods, I would like to thank you all for your efforts in making the Cosmic League a success. In light of some of your complaints, we understand that team battling is not suitable for everyone. Therefore, we will be organizing a more intense tournament that will test each demigod''s individual skills. You can look forward to participating in this event a month from now."


    A few seconds of silence followed as the demigods processed the news of another upcoming tournament. Instead of feeling down, the demigods seemed energized, eager to prove their skills in the next event.


    "Finally, the transportation pods will be available to return you to Main World tomorrow. Until then, you are free to do as you wish in Higher World. After your departure, you will be welcome to return to Higher World anytime and utilize the training facilities as you see fit. Your personal instructors will also be available should you need them," Siege concluded.


    With that, Siege''s wings unfurled, and he took off, returning to the domain of the Gods.


    "So basically, we''re allowed to throw a party before tomorrow?" Iris asked, glancing at XVII with a hopeful smile.


    "I believe there''s no rule against that," XVII replied, prompting cheers from the demigods.


    Excitement buzzed through the group, most of whom were eager to unwind after the grueling event. The prospect of a party was met with enthusiasm, although a few, like X and Ash, remained indifferent.


    Iris took charge of organizing the event, choosing the main hall on the ground floor of their apartment building as the venue. XVII, supportive of the idea, granted her access to food and drinks and helped her set everything up. A few hours later, the party was in full swing.


    As expected, Klaus opted out of the festivities. He lay on his bed, lost in thought about the Cosmic League and his surprising MVP title. To him, it felt unearned compared to the efforts of others, but he decided to accept the recognition this time.


    A knock at the door interrupted his musings. He got up and called out, "Who is it?"


    "It''s me, open up," a familiar voice answered. Klaus sighed and opened the door to find Rose and Shade standing there. They walked in and took a seat, breaking the silence after a few moments.


    "So... are you going to the party?" Shade asked.


    "What do you think?" Klaus responded, heading back to his bed.


    "C''mon, Klaus. We just finished the biggest tournament of our lives so far. The least you can do is unwind from all that stress and have some fun," Rose urged.


    Even though this was true, Klaus didn''t see any difference between going to the party and resting on his bed. The party seemed more stressful than relaxing to him.


    "I guess we all unwind in different ways," Klaus continued as he lay back down.


    Rose and Shade exchanged a glance, understanding there was no convincing him. They decided to leave him be.


    "Well, if that''s what you want," Rose said, heading out of the room.


    Shade stopped at the door and turned back to his brother, who stared silently at the ceiling. "You know, you really should try talking more to the other demigods. A lot of them want to get to know you better, but they think you''d find their presence annoying."


    "Why are you telling me this?" Klaus asked, his gaze still fixed on the ceiling.


    Shade chuckled softly. "Because I know that''s what you want too."


    With that, Shade headed to the party, joining Rose, who had gone ahead.


    "Do you think he''ll show up?" Rose asked as they reached the venue.


    "I guess there''s only one way to find out," Shade replied as they stepped inside.


    The party was already roaring with music from outside, and inside, the volume was even louder. The place was more impressive than they had imagined, with a vibrant, typical party vibe. The room was dark, filled with strobe lights flashing to the beat of the music that enveloped the entire hall.


    Though not a lot of people were there, a significant number of demigods had shown up, with the notable exceptions of X and Klaus.


    "Wow, Iris really outdid herself," Shade remarked, looking around. "If anyone knows how to throw a party, it''s her."


    Rose had a frustrated look, still not fond of Iris, but she couldn''t deny the party was amazing.


    "Oh, you guys made it," came a barely audible voice from the back. Quinn walked over to Shade and Rose. "Honestly, I''d be shocked if Ash showed up and you guys didn''t."


    "Ash showed up?" Rose replied, surprised. "Wow."


    "I know, right? Guess that leaves just X... and Klaus," Quinn continued. "Did you try convincing him?"


    "Yeah," Shade responded. "Honestly, I''m not sure if he even heard me."


    Quinn''s expression fell for a moment, but she quickly shrugged it off and continued partying, with Shade and Rose joining her.


    After a while, the door opened.


    It was Klaus.


    Klaus walked into the hall, the loud music blasting through his ears. As he entered, the other demigods gradually noticed his presence.


    "He actually showed up," Shade whispered, a smile spreading across his face.


    Klaus, unsure of what to do, headed straight to the bar and sat down. He glanced around, feeling out of place. Before long, Iris walked up to him.


    "Hey, Papi. I see you actually showed up," Iris said with a grin.


    "I guess," Klaus responded.


    "Well, I''m glad you came. And while you''re here, how about we have some fun?" Iris continued.


    She walked up to the bar counter and grabbed a bottle of tequila, pouring two glasses. She held one glass and handed the other to Klaus.


    "I don''t drink," Klaus said, looking at Iris.


    "Well, there''s a time for everything," Iris insisted, still holding out the glass. Klaus gave her a skeptical look before she continued.


    "Oh, come on, don''t be a puto. Just have fun and let loose. Just this once, okay?"


    Klaus took a moment to consider. He hadn''t planned on drinking, just like he hadn''t planned on showing up at the party, yet here he was. He didn''t even know why he was there, but he felt that since he was, he might as well try to relax.


    "Fine," Klaus said with a sigh, reaching out and taking the cup of tequila from Iris. He raised the glass to his lips and downed the entire contents in one go.


    "Whoa," Iris said, surprised. "I didn''t expect you to drink it all."


    She smiled and chugged her own drink before pouring another round for both of them.


    "See, this is fun," Iris said, beaming at Klaus.


    Klaus wasn''t really listening. He''d never consumed alcohol before and wasn''t prepared for the strength of it. He knew it would be potent, but the reality hit harder than he imagined. Yet, for some reason, he took the cup Iris handed him and gulped down the drink again.


    Klaus kept drinking, feeling his coordination slip away. Then it finally hit him.


    He was drunk.

 #36: Home

    Klaus woke up, slowly opening his eyes. It seemed to be morning, though in the Higher World, with its perpetual daylight, it was hard to tell. His clock read 7:30 AM, which was enough of a clue for him. He winced at the throbbing headache, pressing his hand against his forehead to dull the pain.


    "I really need to stop waking up like this," Klaus muttered to himself, his eyes still heavy with sleep.


    Usually, the bright light was a struggle every morning as he tried to adjust, but recently, it seemed less bothersome. As he managed to sit up, a realization hit him: he was naked. This familiar scenario filled him with a sense of dread. Hesitantly, he turned his head to the side to see if someone was next to him.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," Klaus groaned, spotting a girl beside him.


    His raised voice stirred the girl, who let out a groan of her own before turning towards him. Her black hair made it hard for him to recognize her at first, but he realized that there was only one demigod with such distinct hair. His eyes widened as she spoke.


    "Oh, morning, papi," Iris greeted, sitting up and rubbing her eyes with the side of her hand.


    "How the hell did this happen?" Klaus demanded, trying to get out of bed before remembering his state of undress.


    "Oh please, I''ve seen it all yesterday. Very impressive, by the way," Iris teased as she stretched. "So, what don''t you remember?"


    "Everything. And put some clothes on, for Gods'' sake," Klaus snapped, turning away as he realized she was also naked.


    Iris sighed and reached for her underwear beside the bed, while Klaus did the same for his clothes.


    "Well," Iris began as she dressed, "we drank, got fucked up, and you suggested we head to your room. And here we are. That''s the basic summary of what happened."


    "Please don''t tell me we did what I think we did," Klaus said immediately.


    "I mean, I was just as messed up as you, but yeah, I remember that happening," Iris replied, meeting his gaze.


    Klaus felt a surge of conflicting emotions. He wanted to be angry, but the only person he could blame was himself. Iris had been just as wasted as he was. He felt the need to clarify his intentions, to make it clear that what happened was a mistake and that he never meant for anything like this to occur between them.


    "Look, Iris, you have to understand that what happened wasn''t my intention," Klaus began as Iris stood up and continued dressing. He waited for her response, bracing himself for her reaction. What she said next took him completely by surprise.


    CONVERSATION


    Iris: Oh relax, papi. I don''t even swing that way.


    Klaus: What?


    Iris: Yeah well, between you and I, I''m more into chicas than chicos.


    This news came as a complete shock to Klaus, especially considering who was saying such.


    Klaus: Wait, are you serious?


    Iris: Yup.


    Klaus: Then why do you try to seduce every guy you see?


    Iris: Why else? Cuz it''s fun.


    Klaus: You''re weird, you know that?


    Iris: Yeah well, you just slept with this weirdo.


    Klaus: Please don''t remind me.


    Iris then proceeded to laugh as she continued her dressing up.


    Iris: You get really tipsy when you''re drunk, don''t you?


    Klaus: Guess I have to work on my tolerance on that.


    Iris: Mr. MVP and his weakness is a bit of alcohol. Kinda funny, isn''t it?


    Klaus: *sighs* I guess.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    A few seconds passed as Iris continued to dress. Meanwhile, Klaus''s thoughts drifted back to his conflict with Rose. After what had just happened with Iris, he realized he couldn''t justify the anger he''d felt toward Rose.


    "Guess I''m no better than she is, huh," Klaus whispered to himself softly.


    "You mean Rose?" Iris responded, having overheard him.


    "You know about that?" Klaus asked, surprised Iris was aware.


    "You''re also very talkative when you''re drunk," Iris replied, confirming how she found out before continuing. "So, are you gonna apologize to her or something?"


    "I guess," Klaus responded, feeling the weight of his own hypocrisy.


    "Quinn wasn''t kidding, you really love saying that," Iris remarked as she finished dressing and headed for the door. "Anyway, this was fun. Let''s do it again sometime."


    "Really?" Klaus asked in annoyance, but Iris just laughed as she left the room.


    After Iris was gone, Klaus decided to take a shower before heading back to Main World. Once he was done, he dressed up and headed out of his room, locking it and taking the key to the lobby of the building. There, he was met with Rose, who seemed to be the last demigod at the apartment alongside him.


    "Hey, Klaus. Didn''t expect you to still be here," Rose started.


    Klaus felt the need to be honest with her about what had happened. After greeting her, he told Rose about the night with Iris. Her expression showed sadness, but she tried her best to remain calm.


    "Oh wow," Rose replied. "I didn''t expect that."


    "I felt you had to know, and I just want to say that I''m sorry for overreacting the way I did," Klaus continued, hoping his apology would make things right.


    Rose felt a pang of disappointment, but she realized Klaus didn''t really owe her an apology, given her own actions towards him were far more egregious. His calm demeanor about the situation made her feel even worse.


    "Thank you, Klaus. But truth be told, I don''t deserve the apology considering what I did. Plus, it''s not like we''re dating or anything," Rose managed to say, though her smile felt forced. Klaus felt the weight of her words but decided to let it go.


    After their conversation, Klaus and Rose made their way to the transportation podium to return home. There, they encountered Ace, who seemed in no hurry to leave Higher World.


    "Yo, what''s up, K?" Ace greeted Klaus.


    "K?" Rose teased, laughing as Klaus sighed.


    They chatted for a bit before Klaus broached the question on everyone''s mind.


    "Why are you still here, Ace?"


    Ace paused before responding with a smile. "I''m sure you caught my fight with Link. Showed me I''m too slow so I''m sticking around to train and get faster."


    Klaus was surprised by Ace''s determination, seeing him in a new light. "That, and I''m pretty much on my own. Home''s pretty much wherever I am."


    Rose''s concern peaked. "What about your mom?"


    Ace''s expression shifted. "It''s complicated. Long story short, I''m kind of on my own."


    Both Klaus and Rose felt a bit of sympathy for Ace upon understanding what he meant. Ace noticed their concern and brushed it off, laughing as he asked them not to worry. They chatted a bit longer, during which Klaus scribbled something on a piece of paper.


    Eventually, Rose headed for the podium and disappeared, leaving Klaus alone with Ace. Klaus approached the podium, but before he departed, he tossed the piece of paper to Ace.


    "Just in case you get bored in Main World," Klaus said, his voice trailing off as he vanished.


    Ace unfolded the paper and found an address scribbled on it, realizing Klaus'' intent.


    "I guess he does have a good heart after all," Ace murmured to himself, pocketing the paper before darting back to the apartment building, disappearing from sight.


    Klaus reappeared in the familiar alleyway, his usual entry point into Main World. The throbbing headache, which always accompanied the transportation, was gradually becoming more tolerable. The noise of cars and people bustling around signaled that it was still afternoon, the sun high in the sky.


    Wasting no time, Klaus headed home. He knew his mother would be worried since he had been gone for about ten days. Shade had left Higher World before him, so Klaus was sure his brother was already there. As he entered the house, his mother turned to him and rushed over, enveloping him in a tight hug.


    "How have you been, Klaus? I hope you''re alright," Natalie said, her voice filled with concern.


    "I''m fine, Mom," Klaus replied, trying to extricate himself from her embrace.


    From the kitchen, Shade chuckled at the sight of their mother holding Klaus so tightly. Natalie eventually noticed Shade''s amusement and let go, laughing and apologizing at the same time. Though she still looked worried, the relief of seeing both her sons safe and unharmed shone through.


    After a lengthy conversation and catching up, Klaus finally retreated to his room. He sighed deeply as he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind awash with thoughts.


    He reflected on how much he had accomplished in just a few days and wondered if he could have achieved even more with additional training. The MVP title, awarded to him, gnawed at his thoughts. Did he truly deserve it?


    "Why me?" he pondered, recalling the feats of the other demigods, even those not considered the strongest like Riley and Quinn.


    As he delved deeper into his thoughts, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen to see the name: "Karma."


    The timing of the call seemed oddly convenient, given he hadn¡¯t received any calls while in Higher World. Curiosity piqued, he decided to answer.


    "Hello?" Klaus said as he picked up the phone.


    CONVERSATION


    Karma: NightShade. How''ve you been?


    Klaus: Good... I guess.


    Karma: Glad to hear that. I apologize for not calling all these days. I had to go on a trip and I just got back a few hours ago.


    Klaus: It''s fine.


    Klaus didn''t mind the lack of contact so it wasn''t an issue to him at all.


    Karma: Anyway, I called because I want to meet up with everyone to discuss some things. Do you think you can make it?


    There was no reason for Klaus to decline since there wasn''t anything he was doing at the moment.


    Klaus: I guess.


    Karma: Great, I''ll send you the address of the location and we''ll meet up there.


    Klaus: Sure.


    After ending the call with Karma, Klaus received the address. He gathered his things, got dressed, and picked up his skateboard before heading out of his room.


    "Mom, I''m heading out for a bit," he called outside his mother''s room.


    "Okay, Klaus. Don''t be out too long," Natalie responded from the other side of the door.


    "I won''t," he assured her before leaving the house.


    Skating through the city in the afternoon sun, Klaus couldn''t rely on his abilities to get there faster, so he made his way to the address at a normal pace. When he arrived, the semi-abandoned building gave him pause, but he pushed aside his skepticism and went in.


    Inside, Klaus'' eyes widened in surprise at the sight before him.

 #37: Unmasked

    Klaus'' eyes widened as he looked around the room. He was in complete awe, taking in the vibrant paintings and intricate graffiti that adorned every surface.


    "Wow," Klaus mumbled, his head turning constantly as each glance revealed something even more impressive than the last.


    "Hey, NightShade," a voice called from another room. Karma emerged, walking toward Klaus. "You made it."


    Still admiring the artwork, Klaus responded, "Yeah, I did."


    "Oh yeah, it''s your first time seeing our main base," Karma remarked, noticing Klaus'' fascination with the art.


    "These works, they''re amazing," Klaus said, finally tearing his eyes away from the walls.


    "Yeah, we come here to practice, kill time, or when the cops get too heavy in the city," Karma explained.


    Klaus nodded, finding the explanation reasonable. "So why was I called here?" he asked after a moment.


    "Don''t worry about that for now," Karma replied. "Let''s wait for the rest of the team."


    After a few minutes, Ghost arrived at the building. His expression soured upon noticing Klaus'' presence, but he accepted it with a resigned sigh. Shortly after, Aura rushed into the building, dropping her bag by the entrance and hurrying over.


    "Sorry I''m late," Aura said, slightly out of breath. "I had a family thing I couldn''t get out of."


    "It''s alright," Karma replied. "As long as everything''s fine."


    "Yeah, all good," Aura responded, joining the group.


    She gave Klaus a friendly smile and whispered, "Hi." Klaus nodded in response.


    Once everyone had settled, Karma stepped up to address the group. "First off, I want to thank you all for coming on such short notice. I know we haven''t done any work for over a week because I was out of town, but I''ll be around more consistently from now on."


    "Out of town?" Klaus whispered in surprise, this being the first he¡¯d heard of it.


    "Yeah, he mentioned it before he left," Aura explained. "Didn''t you get the text?"


    "I don''t really read my texts," Klaus admitted, quickly scrolling through his phone and finding the message. He looked back up as Karma began to explain further.


    "Anyway, the reason I called everyone here today is that we''ve been working together for a while now. It''s been about half a year or so, and well over two months with NightShade. Given all the scenarios we''ve been through, I see you guys as family now."


    Klaus reflected on how long it had been since he joined Wallpaper, realizing it had been much longer than he thought since the whole Higher World situation.


    "And with that in mind, I figured it was time for us to finally reveal ourselves to each other."


    The announcement took everyone by surprise.


    "What?" Ghost exclaimed, eyes wide with shock. Even Klaus was taken aback. Not because the idea was shocking, but because he hadn''t realized that none of them had revealed their true identities before he joined.


    "Look..." Karma continued. "I realize this may come as a shock. You don''t have to do it if it makes you uncomfortable, but I feel ready, so I''m going ahead with it regardless."


    A few seconds of silence followed. Karma''s determination to reveal himself, even if no one else did, made it hard for them to refuse.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "I''m okay with it," Aura said, breaking the silence. "I mean, it would''ve happened sooner or later."


    Klaus and Ghost exchanged glances before Ghost spoke up. "It''s not like I was against it, I was just surprised."


    Everyone then turned to Klaus, who hadn''t said anything yet.


    "You don''t have to, but do you think the request is okay?" Karma asked him.


    Klaus scanned the room, seeing everyone looking at him, awaiting his response. He sighed before giving the expected reply.


    "I guess."


    Karma''s face lit up with happiness, seeing they were all on board. Klaus felt there was no point in hiding his identity from them since it didn''t seem like a threat. He wasn''t sure if he didn''t care or if he was just comfortable enough with them to do so at the moment.


    "Great, so in what order do we go?" Karma asked the team.


    Everyone exchanged hesitant glances, not wanting to be the first. Klaus, noticing the reluctance, suggested, "Since you guys were a team before I joined, it would make more sense if you all went before me."


    "Or you just want to go last," Ghost muttered.


    "But he''s right," Aura said. "We¡¯ve been here longer, so we should start first."


    Ghost sighed heavily. "Fine, then I''ll go first."


    "Then I can go next," Aura added, meaning Karma would go before Klaus.


    They all agreed with this plan, deciding not to waste any more time.


    "You can start by unmasking and then share a bit about yourself," Karma clarified.


    "Fine," Ghost said as he stepped forward.


    After a brief pause, Ghost finally revealed himself, removing the mask that covered the lower half of his face and dropping his hood. He had wavy black hair that wasn¡¯t too long¡ªsomething they already knew since he¡¯d been seen without his hood before. His brown eyes and decent-looking face were now fully visible.


    "Hi," Ghost began. "My name is Cody Simmons, also known as Ghost. I''m sixteen. I dislike overcrowded places, and I like art and music."


    After Ghost finished, he stepped back, and Aura moved forward, removing her mask and hood.


    Initially, Klaus wasn¡¯t fully invested in learning the identities of his teammates. He had spaced out a bit when the unmasking began. However, as Aura stepped up and revealed herself, she inexplicably drew his full attention.


    Aura had jet-black hair that reached the back of her neck, held together by a red scrunchie. Her deep blue eyes perfectly matched the T-shirt she wore under her black hoodie. What made Aura truly stand out was her stunning beauty. Klaus found himself staring in disbelief; she was possibly the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, which was surprising considering he had encountered girls with divine genetics. Notably, Aura appeared to be makeup-free, which made sense given the nature of their activities and her use of a mask.


    After a moment, Aura began her introduction.


    "Hi, my name is Avalon Smith. I actually just turned seventeen a few weeks ago, so there¡¯s that. I don¡¯t really have any dislikes, except for pineapple pizza¡ªit sucks. My likes are painting, reading books, and basic outdoor activities."


    When Aura finished, she returned to her place. A few seconds of silence followed before Karma stepped forward to break it.


    "I guess it''s my turn," he said, moving to the center of the group.


    "Wait," a voice muttered, drawing everyone''s attention to Klaus. Karma stopped in his tracks and turned to face him, sensing Klaus had something to say.


    "Can I go ahead instead?" Klaus asked. Karma was surprised but decided to accommodate Klaus'' request.


    "Sure, NightShade. Go ahead," Karma said, stepping back.


    Klaus walked forward, feeling everyone''s eyes on him. It seemed strange that he wanted to go before Karma, but the truth was that he just wanted to get it over with. He was getting bored and wanted to move on to something else.


    As Klaus reached the front, he removed his mask and hood, revealing himself to the rest of Wallpaper for the first time. Just as he revealed himself, he heard a whisper.


    "Oh my God, you''re hot."


    Klaus and the rest of the team turned to Aura, who had muttered the words. Realizing everyone had heard her, she turned bright red, laughing nervously and looking away.


    "D-Did I say that out loud?" Aura stammered, her embarrassment evident.


    Klaus understood her awkwardness and tried to ease the situation, but his attempt only made it more embarrassing for Aura.


    "I''d say the same for you," he replied.


    Aura''s eyes widened as she processed Klaus'' comment. Ghost, not enjoying the direction of the conversation, quickly stepped between Aura and Klaus, attempting to end the topic.


    "Hey, you didn''t introduce yourself yet. Go ahead and do that," Ghost said, turning to Klaus.


    Klaus sighed. He had hoped to skip that part of the introduction but knew he had to follow through.


    "I''m Klaus Walker. I''m seventeen. I don''t have any likes, and I don''t have any dislikes."


    With that, Klaus moved back to his initial spot. But before he could get there, a statement drew everyone''s attention once again.


    "Wow, I was actually right."


    Everyone turned to Karma, who was walking toward Klaus. "I had a hunch, but I didn''t expect it to be true."


    Klaus stared at Karma in confusion, trying to piece together what he meant, But Karma''s next words left him in shock.


    "We met before, in Higher World."


    Klaus''s eyes widened. He knew what this statement from Karma meant.


    "Who are you?" he asked as Karma stepped to the front of the team. Karma raised his hand, placed it on his mask, and slowly took it off.


    As Klaus saw Karma''s face, recognition hit him hard. He couldn''t believe he hadn''t realized it sooner.


    "It''s you."

 #38: Genuine Resolve

    Klaus stood in utter shock as he saw Karma¡¯s true face. He never expected that a fellow member of Wallpaper, especially the leader, would also be a demigod.


    The realization hit Klaus like a ton of bricks. He couldn¡¯t believe he hadn¡¯t recognized Karma¡¯s voice and body structure earlier. The brown hair and green eyes now seemed so obvious. But the idea that a demigod could also be his graffiti group leader was so far-fetched that he had subconsciously dismissed any possibility of it.


    "How?" Klaus said softly, staring at Karma, who was revealed to be Tyler Justice.


    "I could say the same about you," Tyler responded with a smile.


    The two looked at each other in astonishment, realizing they had met before their departure to Higher World. For a few seconds, Klaus couldn¡¯t believe it was real until he was finally certain.


    "Wait, you guys know each other?" Avalon, formerly known as Aura, asked, looking between Klaus and Tyler.


    Klaus and Tyler turned to Avalon, then back to each other, before Tyler laughed and decided to explain.


    "Yeah, we met a few times when I was out of town," Tyler explained.


    "And what is this Higher World you mentioned earlier?" Cody, formerly Ghost, asked, suspicion in his voice.


    Tyler glanced at Klaus before continuing with his explanation. "It¡¯s just a nickname for the place where my family stayed. I met Klaus there a few times."


    Cody didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced, but for some reason, he felt that Karma was telling the truth.


    After what seemed like a roller coaster of emotions, Wallpaper had finally revealed themselves to each other. Klaus chatted with the rest of the team for a while until Tyler eventually decided to call the meeting to a close.


    As Klaus was heading home, he heard a voice behind him attempting to grab his attention.


    "Hey, NightSh... I mean Klaus."


    Klaus turned to find Avalon hesitantly trying to grab his attention. He stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. Seeing this, she took a deep breath and pressed on.


    "Oh, um... I know you''re a busy guy, and you don''t have to say yes if you don''t want to, but I feel like I still need to thank you for what you did a month ago. You know, saving me from that car."


    "It''s fine, you''re not obliged to do anything you don''t want to," Klaus replied, turning to continue on his path home.


    After a few seconds of silence, Avalon decided to persist. She hurriedly rushed after him.


    "Actually, I want to. It''s not out of guilt; it''s my own choice."


    Klaus stopped and turned to face her once more.


    "What exactly?" he asked.


    Avalon took another deep breath before she finally spoke.


    "W-Would you mind if, uh, we went out to dinner sometime?"


    Klaus''s expression instantly shifted to one of utter confusion.


    "Huh," he asked, turning to face Avalon. Her words caught him off guard, understandable given the circumstances.


    "Yeah, not like a date or anything. I-I mean, that''d just be weird, right? Considering we technically just met... haha. Anyway, what I''m trying to say is... I couldn''t do this before since we hadn''t revealed our identities yet, but now that the opportunity is here, I want to repay you for what you did, if you let me."


    Klaus genuinely didn''t feel like accepting her offer. It felt like unnecessary stress, so he decided to decline.


    "Yeah, I think I''m gonna pass. But thanks for the offer," Klaus responded as he continued walking.


    "Oh, come on, it''ll be fun," Avalon persisted. "We can do it Saturday night."


    "Today''s Saturday," Klaus commented.


    "Oh, well, it can be next week. If you''re not busy then," Avalon continued.


    It was evident that Avalon was not going to let Klaus get out of this without trying everything she could. Even though Klaus wasn''t planning to do anything at that time, he didn''t feel like going out to dinner. But as he stared directly into Avalon''s eyes, witnessing her soft expression as she awaited his response, he knew there was no way he was going to say no.


    "Fine," Klaus finally responded after a deep sigh.


    A big smile filled Avalon''s face as she swung her fists in joy.


    "Nice, I''ll text you the details and everything before then," she said before waving Klaus goodbye and heading home.


    Klaus couldn''t shake the feeling that his decision might not have been the wisest, but strangely, it didn''t bother him as much as it usually would have. With that thought lingering, he made his way back home.


    Upon reaching his house, Klaus found Shade seated on the front porch, head bowed. As Klaus approached, Shade looked up, a smile spreading across his face.


    "Finally, you''re back," Shade greeted, rising to meet Klaus.


    "Yeah," Klaus replied, settling onto the stairs beside his brother, who joined him.


    CONVERSATION


    Shade: Lemme guess, Wallpaper meeting?


    Klaus: More or less.


    Shade: Cool, so any issues, new art, or what?


    Klaus: Not exactly, Karma just wanted us to reveal our identities to each other.


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


    Shade: Oh wow. Honestly, I''m more surprised that it took this long, to be honest.


    Klaus: And it turns out Karma was actually Tyler.


    Shade''s expression turned to that of surprise before he responded.


    Shade: Wait, Tyler Justice? The demigod?


    Klaus: Yeah.


    Shade: Wow. Small world, am I right?


    Klaus: I guess.


    Shade: I figured you''d say that.


    After Shade''s playful giggle, Klaus found himself smiling in response. But as Shade''s gaze drifted skyward, his cheerful demeanor slowly ebbed away.


    "What''s on your mind, Shade?" Klaus inquired, noticing his brother''s unusual mood.


    Shade kept his eyes fixed on the heavens as he replied, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy.


    "I was actually waiting for you to come back, so I could say goodbye."


    Klaus''s heart skipped a beat at the unexpected revelation, his eyes widening in disbelief.


    "What?" he exclaimed.


    Shade''s smile returned as he turned to face Klaus directly.


    "Relax, brother. It''s only for a month. But it''s good to see that you do care," Shade reassured him.


    Though Klaus felt a wave of relief wash over him, confusion still lingered in his mind.


    "Don''t make jokes like that. But seriously, why are you leaving?" Klaus pressed for an explanation.


    Shade rose from his seat, his expression turning serious, a rare sight for Klaus.


    "You watched the final battle between our team and Ash, didn''t you? It was clear to everyone the class difference between Lance, Drake, and I," Shade began, his tone heavy with self-reflection. "I was weak, easily outclassed, and couldn''t even keep up with any of them. That feeling of total worthlessness, it hurt, you know."


    A heavy silence hung in the air, punctuated only by the soft rustle of leaves.


    "I know what you mean," Klaus finally confessed, breaking the stillness. "I felt the same way when I fought against X. The pain of being clearly inferior to your opponent. I kept getting up, hoping to finally do something significant, but all I did was just delay my defeat by a few seconds."


    At that moment, Klaus felt a profound empathy for Shade, realizing the depth of his brother''s struggle. The pain he felt in his own battles paled in comparison to Shade''s, leaving Klaus with a better understanding of his brother''s agitation.


    "So, what exactly are your plans?" Klaus inquired after a contemplative pause.


    "Well, I spoke with VI, and he provided me with coordinates to a place where I can refine and master my abilities," Shade elaborated, outlining his intentions.


    "So, you''re planning to head there and spend a month honing your skills," Klaus summarized.


    "Look, I know it might seem impulsive, but you don''t need to worry about me," Shade reassured him.


    "It''s okay. I support your decision," Klaus affirmed, surprising Shade with his immediate support.


    Shade hadn''t anticipated Klaus''s swift understanding, but he was grateful for his brother''s endorsement of his pursuit for strength.


    "Thank you," Shade acknowledged. "And don''t worry about Mom; I caught up with her at work and managed to sway her opinion, albeit just barely."


    "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, brother," Shade remarked after a while of silence before extending his hand for a handshake.


    Instead of a handshake, Klaus got up and embraced his brother, taking a moment before responding with a simple, "I guess."


    After a brief interlude, Shade bid farewell and embarked on his journey.


    As Klaus entered the house and settled on the sofa, he noticed the sun setting, indicating that it was already evening. With the television playing softly in the background, Klaus lay in silence until an interruption from the local media news team caught his attention.


    "We interrupt this program to provide some tragic news regarding the vice president of the European Parliament''s passing. According to the available information, the vice president was assassinated, having been shot directly between the eyes. At present, there are no leads or suspicious persons within a ten-mile radius. However, there is speculation that the masked vigilante widely known as X may have been respo...."


    Immediately, the television was cut short by Klaus who turned it off, preferring silence over the name that was being mentioned. His mother had just arrived from work so he decided to stay with her for a while until she was ready to head to bed as it got dark.


    As Klaus lay on his bed, he stared at the ceiling like he always did before drifting into thought. He felt like there was something he was supposed to do that he was ignoring, but he decided to drop any thoughts about the Gods and demigods in the meantime.


    Abruptly, the melody of his ringtone pierced the silence of the room. Initially reluctant to interrupt his reverie, Klaus hesitated, assuming it was likely Rose attempting to engage him in some trivial matter. However, as the persistent chiming persisted, curiosity got the better of him, compelling him to investigate the caller''s identity.


    Klaus'' phone suddenly appeared from the top of his desk to the palm of his left hand, indicating the use of his Burst Speed. He checked the name of the caller, only to realize that it was an unknown number. Klaus was even more hesitant in answering the phone, so he decided to dismiss it and drop the phone at the side of his nightstand. But as the number kept calling, he became fed up and decided to answer.


    "Hello?" Klaus asked in frustration.


    "Ah, finally! You picked up," the voice on the other side of the line responded.


    Judging by the extremely unique style of speech, as well as the tone, Klaus could almost instantly identify the person even though it was through the phone.


    "How the hell did you get my number," Klaus asked.


    "Really? You''re asking ME that question?" Link responded as Klaus let off a sigh after hearing his response.


    "What do you want, Link?" Klaus asked, trying not to waste any time understanding why Link kept calling him.


    "Well..." Link continued in a cheeky tone. "I got bored, so I decided to check out the closest demigod around my area based on satellite maps. And it turned out that you were the closest person, so I decided to give you a call."


    "A call for what exactly?" Klaus asked.


    "You''re not making this any easier for me, y''know." Link continued as his tone of voice seemed to sound a bit higher.


    Link then took a second before he finally explained why he was calling.


    "From the explanation I''d already given, I''m sure you''ve already pieced out what I wanted to say, but yeah, I decided to call so we could hang out."Link said.


    "Link, it''s 9:30 pm. I''m sure most would agree that this isn''t the right time for hanging out." Klaus responded with a slight sign of exhaustion in his voice.


    "Not now obviously," Link then cut in and said. "I meant tomorrow. And I checked your schedule and it doesn''t seem like you''ll be busy."


    "Ever heard this concept called privacy?" Klaus then asked Link in response to his statement.


    "Don''t blame me, man. Hacking a phone for me is just like blinking. Also, you''re not making it any harder with your accounts having the same password."


    "Are you kidding me?" Klaus chanted in frustration to Link.


    "Alright, alright, I''m sorry. So you still down to hang out tomorrow?"


    And as Link asked the question, Klaus dropped the phone. Link called one more time, but Klaus decided to turn his phone off, dropping it back on his nightstand immediately after. But in less than a minute, the phone somehow proceeded to power back on and ring once more.


    This made Klaus extremely frustrated as he instantly rushed downstairs, dropping his phone in between the sofa cushion in the living room and returning, all in under a second. He knew, based on what had just happened, that just putting his phone on mute would not be enough to prevent Link from calling so he was sure that this was his best option.


    Klaus lay in silence for a few more seconds until suddenly, a digitalized sound queued from his window. Immediately, what seemed to be a small drone swooped into Klaus'' room as if flew and landed on his desk.


    "Oh my Gods," Klaus whispered to himself as the top of the drone flew open, displaying what seemed to be a hologram of Link above it.


    "Hey, what''s up?" the hologram of Link said to Klaus.


    "Are you serious right now?" Klaus responded in annoyance.


    "Look..." Link started. "I know how you are. And I know you won''t accept my offer unless I pester you."


    "You''re not making my decision any easier, you know that, right?" Klaus said to Link''s hologram.


    "Yeah, but I''m making you have one at least," Link replied.


    Klaus knew that he definitely wouldn''t have agreed if Link had simply just asked, and he was also aware that Link would continue to pester him if he declined the offer.


    "*sighs* Fine, alright," Klaus finally responded. "Seems like I just keep getting forced to do stuff today," he whispered to himself.


    "Yes," Link cheered out. "You can come by tomorrow morning and we''ll hang out. I''ll leave the drone here so tomorrow it''ll guide you to my address."


    "Alright, now can I please have some sleep," Klaus then stated.


    "Right, see ya," Link responded.


    After Link''s response, the hologram turned off and the dome of the drone closed. The drone also seemed to power down as it remained on Klaus'' desk. And finally, after what seemed to be too long for comfort, Klaus managed to get some sleep.

 #39: Unexpected Luxe

    Klaus was awakened by his alarm at exactly 9:30 am. The sounds of chirping birds filtered through the window as he stretched out a hand to silence the alarm. He got up, stretched, and ran his fingers through his hair, giving it the usual tousled look he preferred.


    As Klaus turned toward the door, memories of the previous night flooded back. His gaze fixed on the drone sitting atop his desk, reminding him of the events that had transpired.


    With a sigh, Klaus headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. After brushing his teeth and getting dressed, he grabbed his skateboard and approached the dormant drone on his desk.


    Puzzled, Klaus inspected the drone. "What do I do now?" he wondered, searching for a power switch.


    "Oh, you''re done," a voice suddenly emanated from the drone as it powered up without Klaus doing anything.


    The drone then gently floated off the desk, and Link''s voice sounded once more.


    "Just follow the drone, and it''ll lead you to the house."


    Klaus exited his house with the drone leading the way to Link''s home.


    At first, Klaus didn''t mind following the drone, but as they reached more crowded areas, he noticed the curious stares directed at him.


    It made sense; the drone''s sleek, futuristic design was uncommon. Klaus, however, despised any form of attention. Seizing the first opportunity, he asked Link to stop the drone and simply narrate the directions instead. Despite Link''s initial complaints about the inconvenience, he eventually agreed.


    After several minutes of skateboarding and following Link''s directions, Klaus arrived at a gate.


    "We''re here," Link''s voice announced from the drone before it flew over the gate and proceeded ahead. Klaus took a moment to absorb his surroundings, feeling a wave of confusion wash over him.


    The gate was towering, but there wasn''t a house in sight. Klaus also realized it had been a while since he''d passed any other homes. It felt like the entrance to a secluded estate, far removed from any nearby neighborhoods.


    Klaus approached the gate, pondering his next move. As he neared, the gate slowly and silently began to open sideways. He waited until it was fully open before cautiously stepping through.


    Once he was inside, the gate closed behind him just as gradually. The eerie lack of anyone in the vicinity surprised him, but he shrugged it off¡ªit didn''t even rank in the top twenty strangest things he''d encountered.


    Following the path from the gate, Klaus soon noticed a change in the surroundings. Outside the gate, it seemed like an abandoned area, but inside, the scenery suggested otherwise.


    Gardens of vibrant flowers flanked the walkway on both sides as Klaus continued. Buildings began to emerge in the distance, signaling the end of the path. The more he saw, the more Klaus realized this wasn''t what he had expected.


    Rows of garages appeared, each housing some of the most expensive vehicles imaginable, from sleek sports cars to opulent limousines and motorcycles far beyond the means of 99% of the world''s population.


    Nervousness crept in as Klaus worried he might be trespassing in a place far above his social status. He slowed his pace, considering retreating, when he finally encountered someone ahead on the path.


    "Ah," the person, a woman in a black dress, began. "Welcome to our humble abode. You must be Mr. Walker."


    Klaus remained speechless but nodded, relieved to know he wasn''t in the wrong place.


    "Splendid. Master Lincoln awaits your presence at his house," the woman continued before walking ahead, indicating for Klaus to follow.


    Klaus followed the woman as they walked forward. The surroundings were a clear testament to luxury and wealth, something even the most oblivious person would notice. Klaus hadn''t expected such opulence from any of the demigods, but he never judged them or cared enough to do so.


    Eventually, they arrived at the front of what appeared to be the main house. The woman turned to the left and pointed to another house a few feet away.


    "Master Lincoln resides in that house. He informed me that he would be awaiting your presence in the living room," she said. Klaus nodded and moved towards the indicated location.


    Reaching the front of the house, Klaus knocked on the door. Despite this being a secondary house, its size was unbelievable.


    After a few seconds, the door opened by itself, and Klaus stepped inside. The interior had a highly technological look. Roombas were moving around various rooms, and a few drones were flying about.


    Klaus walked into what seemed to be the living room, featuring a large screen on the wall, several luxurious sofas, and a coffee table at the center. Link was lying on one of the sofas, engrossed in a television program.


    "Finally, you''re here," Link said as he noticed Klaus.


    "I guess," Klaus replied, walking deeper into the room to take a seat.


    Link sat up and stretched, with the screen on his head imitating a booting sound and displaying a loading bar before turning to Klaus, who still seemed slightly in shock.


    "Lemme guess, you didn''t expect all of this," Link remarked.


    "You could say that," Klaus responded, placing his skateboard on his lap.


    "Pixel," Link started, "help our guest with his stuff."


    "Understood," a voice responded from nowhere before a drone swooped in and landed in front of Klaus.


    "May I assist you with your board and shoes?" the drone asked.


    Klaus removed his shoes and placed them alongside his board on the flat surface of the drone. The drone then lifted off and flew out of the room.


    "So, what do you want to do now?" Link asked Klaus as soon as the drone departed.


    "Wasn''t this your idea?" Klaus retorted.


    "Fair enough. I have some PCs upstairs. Wanna play some games?" Link suggested.


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    Seeing no better option, Klaus agreed.


    Link led Klaus into a large room dimly lit with LED lights along the walls. The room housed about five different PC setups equipped with the latest hardware, along with several console setups. Klaus was initially surprised, but having already decided to expect the unexpected, he quickly adjusted. Before long, Klaus and Link were deeply engrossed in their game.


    Link had chosen an online first-person shooter game. Although Klaus wasn''t particularly invested in or good at video games, he decided to give it a shot. As they played, Klaus gradually got the hang of it.


    At first, he struggled to move the mouse accurately due to his lack of experience. However, after a few minutes of practice, he began to get the hang of it. His heightened senses and quick reflexes helped him transform from a complete novice into someone who was accused of hacking due to his rapid improvement.


    "Damn, you pick up quickly," Link commented.


    "Shut up and focus," Klaus shot back, surprising himself with his unexpected interest in video games.


    Link laughed, recognizing that Klaus was genuinely invested.


    They played for a few hours, with Klaus constantly competing for the top spot against Link and ultimately losing. Their opponents either raged in the match chat or simply quit in frustration.


    Klaus noticed that many players, both on their team and the opposing team, recognized Link''s username, Codex, and claimed to be huge fans. Link had mentioned earlier that he wasn''t streaming to avoid stream snipers, ensuring a smooth experience for Klaus.


    This made Klaus realize how significant Link''s online presence was. It was clear that Link hadn''t been exaggerating. However, Klaus wasn''t someone who cared about online fame, which explained why he didn''t recognize Link when they first met.


    After a few hours of gaming, Klaus and Link decided to call it a day.


    "Wow. Looks like you have a hidden passion for video games," Link remarked as he got up.


    "I guess," Klaus replied, surprised by how much he had enjoyed it.


    A drone flew in, carrying a tray with beverages. Link grabbed a soda, while Klaus opted for water.


    "Water?" Link asked.


    "I''m not really a fan of sodas," Klaus explained.


    "You know, we demigods have perfect metabolisms. Most things don''t affect our physical condition," Link said.


    "I never said that was the reason," Klaus replied, opening his water bottle and taking a sip.


    Feeling refreshed, Klaus considered leaving, but Link suggested they watch a movie first. Link led him to a massive theater-like room in the basement. He suggested an action movie, and Klaus agreed, as he rarely watched anything.


    The movie started, and while Klaus didn''t love it, he didn''t hate it either. A few minutes in, a voice sounded from the door.


    "I never thought anyone would accept Link''s offer, let alone you, Walker."


    Klaus turned to see who had spoken. As the person walked into the room, he recognized them.


    "What are you doing here, Quinn?" Link asked, pausing the movie and turning on the lights.


    "I heard you had a friend over, but I didn''t expect it to be someone I found interesting," Quinn replied.


    She approached the duo and waved at Klaus, who gave a slight nod in return.


    "So, what do you want to do now?" Link asked, clearly frustrated by her intrusion.


    "Well, if you must know," Quinn began, "I have a ton of questions and interesting conversation topics for Klaus here, so the movie will have to wait. Plus, he didn''t seem that into it. Right, Klaus?"


    Both Link and Quinn looked at Klaus, awaiting his response.


    "Does it matter?" Klaus said, unsure how to react.


    Quinn smiled, interpreting his answer as agreement. She took a seat near them and launched into a series of conversation topics.


    CONVERSATION


    Quinn: By the way, I''ve always wanted to know how your Solar Ball ability worked completely, Walker. Care to share the knowledge?


    Klaus: You realize we have an upcoming tournament soon, right? So what''s the point in feeding you information?


    Quinn: Fair point, but I doubt knowing how your ability works would give me any form of advantage against it, don''t you think?


    Klaus: I guess not.


    Quinn: Great. So care to explain?


    Klaus: *sighs* Well... keep in mind that light particles, or photons, have relativistic mass, which is mass gained when an object is in motion. Though you probably already knew that.


    Quinn: Yeah, but keep going.


    Klaus: Anyway, I gather over trillions of photons from the surrounding area and compress them in a rotational motion using photons that I create myself. This way, when the ball comes into contact with something, it has a noticeable effect, given that objects absorb light.


    Quinn: Ahhh... so the ball itself isn''t the reason for the impact, but rather the speed of the trillions of photons inside that gather that much momentum and disperse upon contact?


    Klaus: Basically.


    Quinn: Damn, that''s beyond genius. The fact that you came up with that is genuinely impressive.


    Klaus wasn''t one to respond to flattery so he just remained silent after Quinn''s statement.


    Link: Though, you mentioned earlier that you also create your own photons, and from scratch, I presume. So how much exactly do you make?


    Quinn: Look who''s invested in the conversation.


    Link: Oh, shut up.


    Klaus: Well, not a lot, to be honest. I only create the photons that make the exterior that compresses the other present particles into a ball. This is why I''m able to hold the attack and also why the other untapped particles in the area don''t affect it. Also, manipulating light isn''t too tasking, but creating it from scratch is what takes a massive toll on my stamina.


    Quinn: Guess that explains my next question on why you always look so exhausted after every solar ball.


    This conversation gave Link and Quinn a better understanding of Klaus'' offensive ability, but Quinn still had a few more questions.


    Quinn: Also, I heard that you move insanely fast at night, and I can believe that after what I''ve seen from your reaction speed with Ace and a few videos on your battles. Care to elaborate on how?


    Klaus: Not completely sure about that myself, but what Sol said was that I can''t just manipulate light, I also can acquire all its properties when I''m the strongest light source present.


    Link: Wait, so that means that you''re...


    Quinn: ...as fast as light. Damn.


    Klaus: I guess.


    Link: Thanks for cutting me off, by the way.


    The group chatted for a while, sharing details about their powers and getting to know each other better. Klaus wasn''t deeply invested in the conversation, but he listened and contributed when necessary. They also discussed the upcoming individual tournament and the need to continue their training.


    Klaus thought he might not return to Higher World due to his lack of interest in the tournament, but Quinn advised him otherwise.


    "If you plan on continuing as a demigod, it''s better to lose with style than embarrass yourself by not showing up," she said.


    During the conversation, Klaus remembered something that had puzzled him when he arrived at their home.


    "By the way, it seems like it''s just you living here, Link. Do you mind explaining why?"


    Link and Quinn exchanged a glance before Link responded.


    "It''s complicated," he said, the expression on his mask changing.


    "He''s not exactly on speaking terms with our mom," Quinn interjected.


    "Hey, it''s not your story to tell," Link protested.


    "Yeah, well you were taking too long," Quinn replied.


    Link sighed and turned back to Klaus. "Well, she''s right. My mom and I had a heated argument about my decision to play games full-time, so I moved out. I originally wanted to get a new place, but Quinn suggested I just build a separate home on the lot for various reasons."


    "Family name, I assume?" Klaus asked, understanding their last name was possibly very powerful.


    "That, and to soften the blow of me moving out on my mom," Link clarified.


    The explanation made sense, showing why he was so close to the main home but never showed any sign of going there during Klaus''s visit.


    "Believe it or not, Link hasn''t even locked eyes with our mom in about two years, let alone stepped foot in the main house," Quinn added, indicating the depth of the rift.


    "But do you ever miss staying there?" Klaus asked suddenly.


    Link paused before answering. "I''d be lying if I said I don''t."


    Sensing the topic might be too heavy, Klaus decided to change the subject to avoid making things uncomfortable.


    After a few more hours of conversation, the day gradually turned into night.


    Klaus retrieved his things from Link''s drone, said his goodbyes to the Atlas twins, and headed home. As he passed the main gate of their residence, he quickly arrived at his own house.


    Realizing he hadn''t expected to stay so long at Link''s place, Klaus hadn''t brought his house key. After knocking for a few minutes, Natalie finally opened the door.


    "You''re back," Natalie said.


    "Yeah. Sorry, I didn''t expect to stay this long, so I didn''t take the key," Klaus explained.


    "Oh, it''s alright. I don''t mind," Natalie responded with a smile. "I just thought you had gone to see your dad again."


    Klaus took a moment, knowing he would have to leave her again eventually if he wanted to return to Higher World. For now, he decided to leave the topic behind and assured her he would let her know when. Then, he helped her with the laundry that was piling up.


    After finishing the laundry and taking a shower, Klaus finally headed to his room and straight to bed.

 #40: Casual Outing

    It had been six days since Klaus last hung out with Link and Quinn.


    Klaus decided to spend his time at home helping his mother with house chores and running a few errands before planning his return to Higher World. With Quinn and Link already departed, he found it easier to focus on helping at home without any distractions.


    Even though it was the weekend and Natalie had the day off, Klaus insisted on doing all the hard work, urging her to rest. After completing a bit of housework, he noticed they were running low on food and decided to go grocery shopping.


    While Klaus was at the supermarket, his phone rang. He pulled it out to check the caller ID and saw the name "Aura" displayed on the screen.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: Hello?


    Avalon: Hey, Klaus. Did you see the messages I sent you?


    Klaus: Messages?


    Avalon: Yeah, I figured you wouldn''t read your texts. It''s Avalon, by the way.


    Klaus: Avalon?


    Avalon: Are you seri... it''s Aura.


    Klaus: Oh.


    Avalon: Yeah. Anyway, I sent you the details of the location for the da... I mean thank-you dinner.


    Klaus: Right, I forgot about that.


    Avalon: I know you did, that''s why I called. By the way, it''s by 7 pm and I''ll meet you there.


    Klaus forgot about the dinner completely and had no intentions of going out that evening so he felt like trying to talk his way out of it.


    Klaus: Well, I have a lot of house chores to do today, and I promised my mom that I''d get them done by the end of the day, so I don''t know if I''ll make it.


    Avalon: Oh no no no. You''re not talking your way out of this. I''ve already made reservations and you gave me your word last week.


    Klaus: I don''t really remember giving you my word.


    Avalon: Still. Please, just... let me do this one thing.


    Avalon''s dedication to the dinner made Klaus feel like there was no way out of it so he had to give up and accept it.


    Klaus: *sighs* Fine.


    Avalon: Yes, thank you. I''ve sent you the location, as mentioned before. So I guess I''ll see you there.


    Klaus: I guess.


    After that, Klaus ended the call and resumed his grocery shopping.


    Later that night, after finishing all the house chores and errands, Klaus decided to get ready for the dinner. He took a shower, styled his hair, and put on his contact lenses. Not one for dressing up, he opted for a pair of black jeans, a white long-sleeve shirt, and black shoes.


    As Klaus walked out of his room, he ran into his mother in the kitchen.


    "Going somewhere?" Natalie asked.


    "Oh, I forgot to mention it earlier. But yeah, a colleague of mine asked me to join them for dinner," Klaus replied.


    Natalie smiled, giving him a nod of approval. "That''s fine. And you''re free to come back late, depending on what kind of outing this is," she said, a playful smile on her lips before heading upstairs.


    Klaus sighed, grabbed his skateboard, and headed to the location he was given. The sun had just set, so he considered using his Burst Speed to get there quickly but decided against it to avoid arriving sweaty and exhausted.


    Once Klaus arrived at the restaurant, he saw the name "Luigi''s," matching Avalon''s description. He approached the booking desk and inquired about Avalon''s reservation. The hostess confirmed it and directed him to the table. Avalon hadn''t arrived yet, so Klaus sat down to wait.


    A few minutes passed, and Klaus started to get bored. He knew he was at the right place since the reservation was confirmed, but he began to wonder if Avalon, after all her nagging, had actually stood him up. He checked his messages but found nothing. Just as he was contemplating leaving, he felt a tap on his back.


    Turning his head, Klaus locked eyes with Avalon. She wore a red dress that complemented her signature scrunchie, now wrapped around her right wrist instead of in her hair, which flowed freely and made her look even more beautiful. She also wore heels, but Klaus noticed she seemed unaccustomed to walking in them as she made her way to his side.


    "Hey, Klaus," Avalon greeted with a bright smile.


    "Hey," Klaus replied, his eyes fixed on her.


    Noticing his stare, Avalon stretched her arms sideways and did a little twirl, showing off her outfit. "So, what do you think?"


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Klaus paused for a moment before finally responding, "You look amazing."


    Avalon''s face instantly turned red as she blushed. "Oh, t-thanks," she managed to say, taking her seat, still taken aback by the compliment.


    A while later, a waiter arrived at their table to take their orders. Klaus chose something simple, while Avalon went for a fancier option, deeming it a special occasion.


    After a few minutes, their food arrived, and they began eating. Avalon started to feel that her choice of a thank-you dinner wasn¡¯t ideal, as Klaus seemed more interested in the food than in her. The distance between them at the table made it difficult to connect, and her regret grew when she noticed Klaus yawning. They had brief conversations, but it wasn¡¯t enough for Avalon to get to know him better.


    Sensing this, Avalon suddenly had a brilliant idea and sped up her eating.


    "Aren''t you eating a bit too fast?" Klaus asked.


    "Yeah, I just remembered something we can do after dinner," Avalon responded while quickly devouring her meal.


    "After? I thought this was it," Klaus said, puzzled.


    "Well, that was the plan, but I think dinner is kinda boring, and there''s still a lot of time left before the day ends. Don''t you think?" Avalon explained.


    Klaus sighed and agreed with an "I guess."


    After finishing their food, they split the bill at Avalon''s request and headed to her next planned destination.


    Klaus had no idea where they were headed as he held his skateboard and followed Avalon''s lead. They chatted briefly, and soon enough, they arrived at their destination. Klaus looked up and saw a bowling alley.


    "I know it''s not the most exciting spot for a date, but it might be fun. Who knows?" Avalon said.


    "Date?" Klaus asked.


    "I said casual outing. Weird, you must''ve heard wrong," Avalon replied cheekily before heading inside.


    Klaus had never bowled before and wasn¡¯t planning to start now, but Avalon insisted. After a bit of pouting from Avalon, he finally gave in. Although Klaus eventually got the hang of it, he was no match for Avalon.


    Watching Avalon bowl multiple strikes was impressive to Klaus. She seemed like she could compete in professional leagues and win.


    "Where did you learn to bowl like that?" Klaus asked Avalon after their first set.


    "Oh, it''s from my dad," Avalon replied with a smile. "He''s been a huge bowling fanatic for a long time, so he started teaching me when I was little."


    "You loved bowling when you were little?" Klaus inquired.


    Avalon''s expression softened as she paused before responding. "Not really. I don''t know if I mentioned this, but I''m an only child."


    This revelation surprised Klaus. "My dad always wanted a son, but he got me instead. So he had only me to compensate for doing father-son activities, and it took him a while to let that mentality go," Avalon explained.


    Klaus felt a pang of sympathy for Avalon. He could see that talking about her father was difficult for her, and it made him feel even worse. "I''m sorry to hear that," he said gently.


    "Nah, I''m kidding," Avalon suddenly responded, her expression shifting to a playful smile. "I mean, the story is true, but I''m actually the one who always begged him to play more than not."


    "Seriously?" Klaus said as Avalon laughed and grinned at him.


    "I mean, I didn''t lie," Avalon said. "Also, it''s not ideal to trauma dump on the first date."


    "First date?" Klaus asked again.


    "I said on the first casual outing. You really need to get your ears checked," Avalon replied with a mischievous smile.


    Though she was teasing, Klaus didn''t mind at all. In fact, it made him feel better every time he saw Avalon smile at him that way. They continued bowling for a while longer before deciding to call it a day. They hadn''t been keeping track of the scores, but Avalon couldn''t resist joking about how she had beaten Klaus.


    Checking her watch, Avalon noticed it was nearly 11:00 pm. She was about to say goodnight when Klaus surprised her with a question. "Is there anywhere else you want to go?"


    This shocked Avalon, as it meant Klaus was actually enjoying himself and didn''t want the night to end yet. Smiling, she answered, "I still have one more place we could visit."


    They left the bowling alley, and Avalon ordered a taxi to take them to their next destination. After a short drive, they arrived at an aquarium. Avalon darted into the building, explaining that it usually closed very late, so they still had some time to explore.


    Though Klaus wasn''t particularly interested in aquatic life, he decided to humor Avalon. They entered the building, and the left-hand wall was entirely glass, showcasing a multitude of fish and other sea creatures of various sizes.


    Avalon began to excitedly explain what she knew about the different creatures, surprising Klaus. He hadn''t expected her to be so fascinated by marine life, and her enthusiasm made him more interested than he usually would be. As they wandered through the exhibits, Klaus asked questions, and Avalon eagerly answered, sharing her knowledge and passion with him.


    "Why do you know so much about sea life?" Klaus eventually asked Avalon, curiosity evident in his voice.


    "Well, I plan to be a marine biologist one day," Avalon responded with a smile. "So, I occasionally study it before I head to college."


    That made sense to Klaus, so he decided not to ask any more questions. They continued observing the sea creatures and chatting, enjoying each other''s company. Eventually, it was time for the aquarium to close. Klaus checked his phone and was surprised to see that it was already midnight. He hadn''t expected to be out this long.


    As they walked out of the building, Avalon mentioned that her house was just a few blocks away and that she could walk home. She waved Klaus goodbye, but to her surprise, he insisted on walking her back.


    They walked for a while, talking about various things and getting to know each other better. Finally, they arrived at Avalon''s home. They stood at the front door, still talking, until Avalon decided to wrap it up.


    "I had a really fun time," Avalon said to Klaus.


    "So did I. The date went really well," Klaus replied, smiling at Avalon for the first time.


    Avalon''s face turned red instantly. Klaus appeared almost twice as handsome with a smile on his face, and her heart started racing as she realized he had just called it a date. Suddenly, she had an idea that she decided to share.


    "Uhh, Klaus. How about we... uhh... How about we do this every Saturday? I mean, I don''t have anything going for a while, and if you''re not busy, that is."


    Klaus knew he had to depart for Higher World soon, and he would be too occupied with training to commit to such a regular outing. But for some reason, his response had nothing to do with his thoughts.


    "Sure, why not."


    Avalon beamed with happiness, thanking him and giving him a hug. She then proceeded to the front door, opened it, and waved Klaus goodbye.


    After Avalon went inside, Klaus stood there for a moment, wondering why he had accepted her request. It wasn¡¯t just because of his commitments to Higher World; he felt it might be unnecessary stress for him. But despite this, he didn''t regret accepting it. He felt a strange sense of contentment, and he decided to let it go as he walked up to his house from Avalon''s home in less than a second.


    Klaus entered quietly, noting that his mother seemed to be asleep, so he decided not to disturb her. He initially planned to take a shower, but after heading to drop his clothes in the laundry, he was surprised to find little to no sweat on his body. Despite running all that distance, he felt less tired than usual.


    Lying on his bed, Klaus thought for a while before deciding he would take breaks on Saturdays to keep his promise to Avalon. It wasn''t that he cared that much; he just wasn''t someone who would say one thing and do another, or at least that''s what he told himself.


    The next day, Klaus woke up a bit later than usual. His mother had already cooked breakfast and was taking a break, watching television.


    "Morning, Klaus," Natalie said.


    "Morning," Klaus responded as he headed to the dining table to eat.


    After breakfast, Klaus explained to his mother that he had decided to go to Higher World to train. Natalie wasn''t too bothered; she had expected it. She expressed how much she cherished that he had put his duties on hold to assist her for the week he was home.


    After a heartfelt moment and a few hugs from Natalie, Klaus departed for Higher World. He arrived at the usual spot for his transportation, waiting for the pedestrians to leave the area. Placing his hand on the poster for a few seconds, Klaus'' body slowly began to dematerialize, eventually vanishing from the location.

 #41: Signs of Dedication

    Klaus opened his eyes as he materialized in the transportation pod located near the epicenter of the city.


    In front of him stood the magnificent golden gate, positioned at the exact center of the entire city. Atop the gate was the ball that perpetually ascended and descended, marking the passage of time. The ball was about midway through its cycle, aligning with Klaus¡¯s departure from Main World at around eleven in the morning.


    As Klaus continued to gaze at the gate, he recalled that it led to the outskirts of the city¡ªthe parts of Higher World that were shrouded in an endless, foggy whiteness, reminiscent of their training rooms. With more time to ponder, he realized it was akin to how people in Main World viewed space, but with a different, more tangible grasp.


    Deciding to cut his musings short, Klaus proceeded towards the Arena of Valor. He needed to check in with XVII to get in touch with IV and commence his training, making a detour to his apartment unnecessary.


    On his way to the Arena, Klaus accidentally bumped into one of the demigods. As she turned to face him, Klaus knew that his journey would be delayed.


    CONVERSATION


    Quinn: Oh hey, Klaus. I see you finally chose to show up.


    Klaus: So it seems.


    As Klaus responded, he continued on his path to the arena.


    Quinn: I''m guessing you''re headed to XVII so you can go ahead and train immediately, correct?


    Klaus: Oh wow, what gave it away?


    Quinn: Haha, very funny. Anyway, it''s not surprising, considering the dedication of those who came back.


    Klaus was surprised by Quinn''s statement which made him ask his next question.


    Klaus: So I''m guessing not everyone came back then?


    Quinn: Yeah. Most of us did, but a few people, like X and Ash, didn''t.


    Klaus: I figured.


    Quinn: Same. But it''s still impressive how much effort everyone is putting into their training. I guess people didn''t like their performance too much in the Cosmic League and wanted to redeem themselves.


    Klaus: I guess.


    Quinn: I mean, even Lincoln. He''s been working hard lately on upgrading his drones ever since he found that weird metal at the resource facility.


    Klaus: Resource facility?


    Quinn: It''s this place where you can find a lot of raw materials that you can use for anything you want. When he was there, he found this material that had the typical properties of metal like its weight and tensile strength, but he claimed that one of its properties was that the material had its own electric charge, which was revolutionary to him. He seemed extremely happy about it and hasn''t left his training room since then, except to get food.


    Klaus was shocked that even Link was that determined to harness his abilities.


    Klaus: I guess everyone really is focused on getting stronger, huh?


    Quinn: I guess so.


    After the last statement, Klaus continued once more on his path to the arena, but it didn''t seem like Quinn was done.


    Quinn: Hey, relax. We haven''t seen each other for a while, so how about we catch up for a bit?


    Klaus sighed as he turned around to respond.


    Klaus: Didn''t we see each other by this time last week?


    Quinn: Yeah... but don''t you think that''s more than enough time for me to gather a lot of information from the Cosmic League to disclose?


    Klaus paused for a moment, analyzing Quinn''s words. He knew that when someone like her made such a statement, it meant she had discovered something significant, especially given the grin on her face.


    Even though it was clear she was using it as an excuse to bug him, Klaus had grown somewhat accustomed to it. Quinn always saw him as someone to share her gossip with, and besides, extra information never hurt.


    "Fine," Klaus responded with a heavy sigh, turning his attention to Quinn, who wore a manipulative smile. "What do you want to say?"


    "Well..." Quinn began. "I''ve been watching some replays and doing a lot of research since the league, particularly about the final battle between Lance and Ash. I got curious about how Ash had a completely different mind inside his head that could trade places with him, depending on the conditions. He called it Drake."


    "Learn to take breaks in your sentences," Klaus softly commented, but Quinn continued undeterred.


    "So, I wondered why that was the case since it didn''t align with his father being the God of Fire. Then it hit me. Humans and gods have almost identical physical properties and features, which is why our appearance remains that of a human. But for demons, assuming Drake''s appearance is that of a typical demon, it''s safe to say that demons and gods don''t share the same physical properties. This might be why there are two different minds in one body, with Drake being the demon part and Ash being the god part. It also explains why Ash''s pupils are white with a bit of smoke as pupils."


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "How sure are you about all this?" Klaus asked.


    "At the end of the day, they''re just assumptions, but it''s not like I can confirm anything from someone who barely says up to ten words in a sentence," Quinn replied with a smile. "Plus, Ash didn''t show up for training, so I''m guessing he has some duties back in Under World."


    The truth was, Quinn''s theories sounded plausible to Klaus, but without Ash present, they couldn''t confirm anything.


    "Another thing I discovered was how Drake could spawn explosions. It''s clear he can conjure fire by waving his hands at a location¡ªlike when he burned Riley''s roots during their fight. After watching his battles a few times, I noticed that the explosions always occurred exactly where his eyes were focused. I wondered why he needed both visual contact and his hands pointed at the location to create the explosions, so I tackled the ability with pure logic. I guess, similar to reality, to cause combustion out of thin air, one possible method is to fill the area with oxygen. This means there''s a possibility Drake can create an invisible, combustible area filled with oxygen wherever he concentrates his vision."


    Quinn turned to Klaus, noticing he seemed lost in thought.


    "I''m guessing you stopped listening," Quinn said.


    "He creates combustible fields of oxygen where he stares and combines it with his flames to cause an explosion. Isn''t that easier to say instead?" Klaus replied, surprising Quinn that he had been paying attention.


    "And that''s why I choose to gossip with you," Quinn said with a smile.


    After a while, Quinn decided to change the topic.


    "Enough about my unmatched intellectual analogies. What about you? Anything new?"


    "Not really," Klaus replied.


    Quinn smiled, studying him for a moment before responding. "How about Avalon?"


    Klaus raised an eyebrow in surprise. "How do you know about that?"


    "You realize that a simple thought that brushes through your head is enough to narrate an entire story to me when I read your mind?" Quinn explained.


    "You and your brother really need to learn about invasion of privacy," Klaus replied with a frustrated sigh.


    Before the conversation could continue, Klaus suddenly felt two hands resting on his shoulders from behind, and palms covering his eyes.


    "Guess who, papi," the person behind him said.


    "You realize you''re the only one who does this, right?" Klaus responded. "Also, the Spanish accent isn''t making you any more incognito."


    "Oh come on, papi," Iris started as she walked around to face him. "It''s a Latina accent, not Spanish."


    Klaus looked a bit confused, so Iris elaborated.


    "I speak Spanish, but I''m not Spanish. I''m Brazilian," Iris explained.


    "They don''t even speak Spanish in Brazil," Quinn said.


    "Yeah, well my family does," Iris explained. "My mom is half Columbian as well, from her mother''s side, which is why."


    Klaus didn¡¯t have much to say; he hadn''t expected her to be Brazilian. It wasn¡¯t that he had assumed she was Spanish or anything else; he simply hadn¡¯t given it much thought.


    "Didn''t expect you guys to be friends," Quinn stated, watching them both.


    "Klaus has a soft spot for me, what can I say," Iris replied, smiling at Klaus.


    Quinn looked at the two of them for a while, something clearly brewing in her mind. After a few seconds, her eyes widened as she blurted out her realization.


    "Wait..." Quinn said, drawing Iris and Klaus¡¯s attention again. "You two had sex."


    Klaus closed his eyes, placing a palm on his forehead, releasing a heavy sigh. Iris, meanwhile, smiled at Quinn. That was all Quinn needed to confirm her suspicions.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: Do you have to say everything you think of out loud?


    Quinn: Yes. And I still can''t believe it.


    Quinn still seemed a bit confused so Iris decided to share a bit more about what happened.


    Iris: To be fair, we were both hammered so it wasn''t his fault entirely.


    Quinn: Even though. Damn, at this point you''re probably gonna end up sleeping with all the girls in Higher World.


    Klaus: Can you not say that?


    Quinn: *giggling* What? I''m just wondering why girls flock desperately to you despite your attitude.


    Klaus: Been wondering the same thing.


    Quinn: Especially someone like Iris here, who doesn''t even swing that way.


    Iris: I''d ask how you know that, but what''s the point?


    After a few more minutes of conversation, Klaus managed to steer the topic away from the awkward revelations and, eventually, he excused himself to continue with his initial goal of training.


    He headed to the Arena of Valor to find XVII, who was happy to assist. XVII explained that IV would be waiting for him in the training room. With this information, Klaus set off towards his destination.


    On his way, he unexpectedly bumped into Lance, whose presence surprised him. Klaus hadn''t anticipated seeing certain people return for training, and Lance was one of them. He had assumed that Lance would not see the need to train further, which only amplified his surprise.


    As Klaus continued walking, he remembered something and stopped in his tracks, catching Lance''s attention.


    "Lance?"


    "Ah, Walker," Lance said, smiling as he noticed Klaus. "It seems you chose to train at Higher World as well."


    Klaus remained silent for a few seconds, causing Lance to notice his unusually moody demeanor.


    "Is something troubling you?" Lance asked, concerned.


    "Shade," Klaus finally replied. "You didn''t have to say what you did to him."


    Lance looked confused. "What I said?" he asked, seeking more clarity.


    Klaus''s frustration grew as he realized Lance didn''t remember, but he decided to continue.


    "You didn''t have to tell him that he was weak, whether it was true or not," Klaus said, as Lance''s eyes widened in realization.


    "Oh. I had not intended to hurt him," Lance explained. "The heat of battle required bluntness at the moment, but believe me, I did not say that with ill intent."


    This was what Klaus needed to hear. Lance''s reaction and explanation made it clear that he hadn''t intended to harm Shade, and that was enough for Klaus to drop the issue. As he turned to leave, Lance stopped him.


    "Where is he now? I would like to apologize if I can."


    "He''s not here right now," Klaus responded.


    "Oh," Lance said. "Then I will make sure to do so when I encounter him again."


    Klaus nodded, waving his hand dismissively. "Sure, why not." He then continued towards the training room.


    Lance, feeling a deep sense of disappointment in himself, understood why Klaus was upset and respected his protective stance over his brother. After a moment of reflection, Lance resumed his own path.


    Klaus walked into his training room, immediately spotting IV waiting patiently.


    "Welcome back, Klaus Walker," IV greeted as Klaus stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.


    Klaus took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. "You know why I came back to Higher World, right?"


    "To train, correct?" IV responded, watching Klaus intently.


    Klaus hesitated, then continued, "During the Cosmic League, I tried my hardest not to be a burden to my team. I thought I was doing well keeping up until I eventually wasn''t. First was Lance... then Ash... and then X. I was completely outclassed."


    IV''s expression softened with understanding. He could see the frustration and determination in Klaus''s eyes. Klaus looked down at his left palm, lost in thought, before meeting IV''s gaze again.


    "But I know I can do better," Klaus asserted.


    IV nodded. "Your ability isn''t tailored for offense, yet you made it work somehow. If you still desire to push yourself further, I am certain you can overcome any adversary."


    Klaus appreciated IV''s confidence in him, though he knew it would be easier said than done. His dedication to improving wasn''t just about his duties as a demigod; it was also fueled by his intense dislike of losing.


    "So," IV began, "what do you plan to do for training?"


    "I want to master my abilities and surpass my current state," Klaus replied after a brief pause.


    He then had a specific question in mind. "My solar ball ability seems to be my best option for offense, especially considering my speed nullification in Higher World. But creating light particles to make it function is extremely exhausting. Is there a way to relieve the stress on myself?"


    Klaus knew that while the solar ball was his most effective offensive ability, its energy demands were unsustainable.


    "The truth is, there''s no way to prevent stamina loss when creating light from your own energy," IV explained. "However, if you consistently practice, your body can get used to the energy required, reducing the impact on your stamina over time."


    This was encouraging news for Klaus. "An example is your burst speed in Main World. When you first achieved that ability, your maximum distance was much shorter than it is now, correct?" IV asked.


    "I guess," Klaus admitted.


    "The same applies to all your abilities," IV continued. "The more your body strains itself, the more it adapts, making the strain less over time."


    Klaus nodded, understanding that mastering his techniques through continuous practice was a sound strategy.


    "Are you ready to begin your training?" IV asked finally.


    Klaus recalled his brutal battle with X, each punch a reminder of his current limitations. He remembered the pain not as a source of bitterness but as a driving force to push beyond his current self.


    "Yes," Klaus affirmed with determination. "I must get stronger."

 #42: Order Personified

    Two weeks had passed since Klaus began his rigorous training regimen. True to his plan, he concentrated on mastering his abilities, while also honing his brawling skills. IV followed all his requests, assisting him throughout his training, and ensuring Klaus was satisfied with his progress.


    Despite his intense focus on training, Klaus kept his promise to Avalon. Every Saturday, he descended back to Main World to help his mother with household duties, but mostly to spend time with Avalon. He would return to Higher World on Sunday nights, feeling a sense of fulfillment that was becoming more profound each week.


    Avalon was always delighted to see Klaus and made sure each meeting was better than the last. Their time together became a cherished respite for Klaus, a way to relax after the brutal week of training. With each outing, their bond grew stronger.


    Klaus perceived their outings as a way to indulge his human side, compensating for the simple joys he missed out on growing up. Yet, Avalon was the only one who made him feel this way, sparking his curiosity about why she had such an effect on him.


    Immersed in his training, Klaus barely interacted with other demigods, who were similarly focused on their own progress. The absence of Shade continued to bother him, but he trusted his intuition that his brother was safe.


    Six days remained until the upcoming tournament. Klaus was training with IV when IV suddenly paused, receiving a transmission from the Gods. After a brief conversation, IV turned to Klaus with a message.


    "The Gods require your presence, Mr. Walker," IV informed him.


    Klaus, though curious, accepted the summons without question.


    "Ultion will be awaiting your presence at the epicenter of Exalted City, where the Golden Gate is located," IV continued.


    Klaus remembered the Golden Gate from his first arrival. It was the entrance he and Ace had passed through to enter the city now known to him as Exalted City. He headed to the designated location, standing by the gate and waiting for Ultion.


    "The God of Retribution, huh," Klaus muttered, recalling Ultion''s title.


    Suddenly, a tremendous force pressed down on him, driving him to his knees. A sound signaled the arrival of an entity landing in front of him. It was Ultion.


    Ultion''s large white wings retracted as he rose from his landing position. His gaze fell on Klaus, who was kneeling.


    "My apologies, Klaus Walker," Ultion said as the force gradually faded, allowing Klaus to stand.


    Klaus observed Ultion closely. With brown hair and green eyes, Ultion resembled Tyler, making it clear where Tyler got his looks from. Aside from that, Ultion had the same divine presence as the other Gods.


    "Greetings, Walker," Ultion began. "It seems IV transmitted our request."


    "I guess," Klaus responded.


    "I''m sure you''re wondering why you have been summoned?" Ultion asked.


    Klaus nodded.


    "All the Gods, including myself, have come together regarding your performance in the Cosmic League and have decided to reward you for achieving the MVP title," Ultion announced.


    Klaus was taken aback by Ultion''s announcement. The Cosmic League had concluded three weeks prior, and the timing seemed odd. Every time Klaus was reminded of his MVP title, it stirred frustration and self-doubt, as he felt he had done nothing to earn it.


    "We have decided to reward you with a privilege that other demigods have yet to receive," Ultion continued. "But it is your choice to accept this reward or not."


    Klaus pondered the offer. He felt undeserving of the title, which made his decision seem straightforward. However, he knew declining a gift from the Gods would be foolish. His curiosity about their plans for him also played a role in his choice.


    "I accept," Klaus replied.


    "Excellent," Ultion said. "Proceed to the transportation podium here at the epicenter and keep these coordinates in your mind."


    Ultion handed Klaus a piece of paper with coordinates.


    "This is the location of the domain of the Gods," Ultion explained. "I will depart and meet you there so we can proceed with the reward."


    Klaus nodded and walked to the transportation pod nearby. He focused on the coordinates as instructed and began dematerializing. Meanwhile, Ultion spread his wings and took off to meet him.


    Klaus opened his eyes, feeling a minor headache from the transport. Before he could orient himself, a voice addressed him from behind.


    "Good, you have arrived."


    Turning, Klaus saw Ultion, who had already arrived.


    "Y-Yeah," Klaus responded.


    "Follow me. I will guide you to the location," Ultion said, leading the way.


    Klaus took in his surroundings as they walked. The location reminded him of his first arrival in Higher World and his initial meeting with his father. Though misty, it was easier to navigate compared to his earlier experiences.


    As they continued, the scenery began to change. He saw rooms, decorative features like fountains and benches, and patches of trees and grass resembling a park. Eventually, Ultion stopped in front of a room.


    "This is the place," Ultion said, stepping aside for Klaus to enter alone.


    Klaus approached the door, noting its logo. It depicted two swirling ghosts, one black with white eyes and a menacing expression, the other white with black eyes and a gentle expression. It resembled a yin-yang symbol from Main World.


    Klaus realized he had seen this logo before¡ªon the flag Siege always carried. This piqued his curiosity about its significance, but he quickly refocused and entered the room.


    Klaus walked into the room, his eyes straining to see in the darkness. He moved forward cautiously until a voice startled him from the right.


    "You must be Klaus Walker."


    Klaus turned slowly, trying to make out who was speaking. He saw two entities seated on separate chairs, their gazes fixed on him. His heart raced as he struggled to understand who they were.


    Judging by their stature, they appeared to be around the same height as the Gods, though their appearances were entirely different. Klaus had never encountered beings like these before.


    "He seems confused. I''m not surprised, considering his mortal trait," one of them said, noting Klaus''s speechlessness.


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    "Ease up on him a bit. Our existence is still news to him," the other replied.


    Klaus scrutinized the two beings. Not only were they different from the Gods, but they also contrasted with each other.


    The first entity, who had spoken first, had a pale, almost dark grey skin tone. His eyes were entirely white, similar to the Gods, but his mouth was filled with sharp, vicious teeth like a predator. He had black hair, and the most striking feature was the bright ring halo hovering over his head, unlike the Gods'' halos that typically appeared behind them.


    The second entity was almost the opposite of the first, with a lighter skin tone than both the Gods and humans. His teeth were normal, and his eyes were a dark grey, nearly matching the first one''s skin color. Instead of a halo, this entity had two long, dark horns curving from the sides of his head, along with whitish hair. The being''s horns contrasted with the ones Klaus saw on Drake, appearing longer and growing from the sides of his head as opposed to Drake''s, which spawned from his forehead.


    "Have you concluded your analysis?" the one with horns asked, snapping Klaus back to reality. Klaus nodded, unable to speak.


    "Finally," muttered the one with the halo.


    "Very well. Allow us to formally introduce ourselves," the horned one said. "I am known as Horns, the God of Passive Order."


    "And I am known as Halo," the second one continued. "The God of Aggressive Order."


    Klaus was at a loss for words, staring at the two supposed Gods as they looked back at him.


    "Uh, I''m Klaus Walker," he mumbled under pressure.


    "We already know that," Halo replied, a distasteful look on his face.


    "He''s nervous, Halo. Relax a bit," Horns said with a smile.


    Klaus remained confused about their presence, so Horns continued.


    "First off, I would like to congratulate you on becoming the most valuable player of the Cosmic League event. Your wit and determination were beyond impressive, leading us to award you the title."


    "You awarded me?" Klaus asked, bewildered.


    "Does it surprise you?" Halo commented.


    "Affirmative," Horns replied. "We were privileged to make that decision after watching the entire event alongside the Gods."


    Klaus was stunned. He hadn''t expected them to make such a significant decision. But given how they were presented by the other Gods as his reward, it started to make some sense.


    After a moment of contemplation, Klaus finally voiced a question that had been nagging him.


    "By the way, is there a reason both your appearances contrast so much with the other Gods?"


    Horns smiled, clearly pleased by Klaus''s growing confidence and curiosity.


    "Yes, there''s a reason," Horns replied. "Unlike what you might expect, we are creations of the other Gods."


    "Creations?" Klaus echoed, puzzled.


    "During the purging of the monsters, the Gods created us to provide an objective solution to the crisis," Horns explained.


    "Wait, monsters? They were real?" Klaus asked, his surprise evident.


    "Your ignorance is not surprising," Halo interjected.


    "Allow me to elaborate," Horns continued, cutting off Halo''s curt remark. "Millennia ago, monsters were the first mortals created by the Gods to inhabit Main World. After a few decades, the Gods sought to perfect their creation ability, so they made another set of mortals¡ªthe demon kind. In their third attempt, they decided to create beings similar to their image, resulting in the creation of humankind."


    Horns paused, giving Klaus time to absorb this new information before continuing.


    "The Gods initially intended to create a separate world for humans, but they realized managing multiple worlds would be excessively burdensome. Thus, they decided that humans and monsters would share Main World. This arrangement lasted for centuries, until it didn¡¯t."


    "The monsters went on a killing rampage against humankind, didn''t they?" Klaus interjected, piecing the story together.


    "Correct," Horns affirmed, impressed by Klaus''s deduction. "The Gods had ignored the monsters'' aggressive tendencies, believing they were stable. But as predatory creatures, the monsters began to see humans as prey. The Gods had vowed not to interfere with mortal affairs, believing mortals should dictate their own futures. However, when the monsters began to decimate humankind, it seemed humans were denied that chance."


    Klaus nodded, understanding the Gods'' dilemma. He also knew that if humans depended on divine intervention, even in modern times, it would stifle their growth and independence.


    "So when this crisis erupted in Main World, the Gods were unsure how to respond. That¡¯s when they created us," Horns continued.


    "They could not make a decision themselves so they decided to offload their burden onto us," Halo stated bluntly.


    "They sought to ensure the right decision was made," Horns corrected. "They created us to weigh both options and choose the better one."


    "And you concluded that the monsters were too dangerous and flawed to coexist with humans, who shouldn''t be punished for the Gods'' decision to have them share a world," Klaus deduced, impressing both Gods.


    "Excellent deduction, Klaus Walker. You really are a bright child," Horns praised.


    "I guess," Klaus responded modestly.


    "Seems mortals aren''t just walking liabilities," Halo commented.


    "Halo!" Horns exclaimed, glaring at his counterpart.


    "Relax," Halo said dismissively. "It was only a compliment."


    Klaus couldn''t tell if he should be happy or not, so he chose to ignore the comment. As he did, he noticed another inconsistency about the Gods before him compared to the others he had met. Deciding to address it, he asked another question.


    "I''ve noticed that we demigods usually fall to our knees in the presence of the other Gods. That doesn''t seem to be the case here."


    "That is correct," Horns replied.


    "Is there a reason why?" Klaus inquired.


    "That is because we do not possess Dominion-Over-Creation," Horns explained.


    Klaus''s confusion was evident. He had never heard of this term before, so he asked for clarification.


    "Dominion-Over-Creation?"


    "Of course you are unaware," Halo remarked, a hint of disdain in his voice.


    "We were requested to answer his questions," Horns reminded Halo, his tone patient. "The least you can do is try to obey."


    Halo¡¯s anger was clear, but he turned to face Klaus and sighed before speaking.


    "The Gods created everything, everywhere, in every realm. From the land you walk on to the air you breathe, to the heart beating inside you. As the name suggests, the Gods have dominion over everything they have created, both living and not, which is why all living beings must bow to their creators. We did not create this world or any other, therefore, we do not have dominion over another God''s creation."


    The explanation made sense to Klaus. It clarified why the Gods had such power over the demigods and everything else, considering they made it all.


    After a few seconds of silence, Halo, growing frustrated, decided to ask a question of his own.


    "Do you have any more questions, Walker?"


    Klaus shook his head slightly, indicating he had none.


    "Good, because I have one for you," Halo continued.


    Horns turned to Halo, and both he and Klaus awaited the God''s question.


    "You feel undeserving of the title bestowed upon you by two of the wisest beings created by the Gods. You feel the only reason you took on your duties as a demigod is because of your desire to care for a world you generally couldn''t care less about. So let me ask you this one question, Klaus Walker. Do you think you are a good person for this world?"


    Both Gods focused on Klaus, awaiting his response. Klaus thought deeply about the question. He reflected on everything he had done that might justify a positive answer, as well as the actions that suggested otherwise. He knew his answer would shape how the Gods perceived his identity, but it felt like he was more concerned about what he thought about himself.


    After a long moment of contemplation, Klaus finally responded.


    "I don''t know what you expect me to say, but my answer is no. I don''t think I am."


    "Of course, that¡¯s your response," Halo commented, his voice tinged with disappointment as he turned his eyes away and leaned back.


    Halo had anticipated this answer, assuming Klaus would choose the more "humble" response in the face of the Gods. This assumption only served to irritate him further.


    "Why do you think so?" Horns suddenly asked, sensing there was more to Klaus'' statement than they knew.


    Klaus took a few moments before giving his reason. "Because as long as I know I can be a better person than I currently am, I will never address myself as one."


    As Klaus concluded, Halo and Horns exchanged surprised glances. Halo turned back to Klaus, anger momentarily flashing in his eyes, but he noticed the genuine dimness in Klaus'' gaze. Klaus'' expression was sincere, dispelling any notion that he was merely being humble.


    "You surprise me, mortal," Halo remarked before turning his face away from Klaus.


    Horns was equally surprised, having never heard Halo speak about mortals without disdain. He was also impressed by Klaus'' genuine self-assessment.


    "At the end of the day, it is your action toward becoming a better version of yourself that matters," Horns said to Klaus. "Never forget that."


    Klaus nodded in agreement as Horns smiled. The topic weighed heavily on Klaus, as he believed being a demigod meant putting others before himself. But deep down, Klaus struggled to care about anything, no matter how hard he tried.


    "Do you have any more questions?" Horns asked, bringing Klaus out of his thoughts.


    Klaus replied that he did not, signaling the end of their meeting.


    Klaus walked to the door as Horns raised his hand slightly, signaling goodbye. Halo remained silent, his face turned away since his last statement, so Klaus didn''t expect any parting words from him.


    Exiting the room, Klaus found Ultion waiting.


    "Are you finished?" Ultion asked.


    "I guess," Klaus responded.


    Ultion then guided Klaus back to the transportation pod, where Klaus returned to the Exalted City.


    The experience was strange and unsettling, but Klaus felt grateful to have learned about the ancient past and a few things about himself. The ball above the Golden Gate at the epicenter was higher than average, indicating it was already nighttime in Main World so Klaus decided to head to the apartment building to rest for the day.

 #43: A New Tournament Commences

    A few days passed since Klaus met the twin Gods of Order.


    Klaus focused religiously on his training since it was the final week before the commencement of the next tournament. He wanted to make sure that he would be certain that he covered every aspect of his training multiple times so he made sure to redo everything during the final week.


    It was about two days left before the event would commence. Klaus took a long break that day to recover himself before proceeding to train around evening time in Main World time. He decided that since this was his last day of training, he would make the best of it and train until he could no longer do so, then recover the next day before the commencement of the event.


    Unfortunately for Klaus, as he continued to train, he was unaware of the passing of time that his final day of training crept into the next day. Furthermore, he continued to train vigorously, still unknowing of the fact, that by the time Klaus had decided he was finally done and could no longer move a muscle to keep training, it was already almost evening time once again in Main World.


    Since it was always daytime in Higher World, and also the fact that the training rooms were constantly lit with a white background, Klaus could not tell the time while he was training. His dedication to keep going also prevented him from checking his watch during this moment. He was also self-deprived of food since his body as a demigod could function properly without eating for a few days.


    Klaus took a second to relax before he finally managed to muster the strength to head to the apartment building. IV waved him goodbye as he thanked his instructor for all the assistance he had received.


    Klaus lay on his bed, with his breathing still audible, as he attempted to force himself to sleep before the tournament that was supposedly the next day. He closed his eyes and relaxed his mind as he slowly proceeded to drift into a state of slumber.


    Suddenly, before Klaus could sleep off, a sound aired around his room, alerting him to his phone. Klaus was confused about what it was for about a second before remembering something so critical.


    "It''s Saturday."


    He had forgotten about his plans with Avalon.


    Klaus turned off his alarm as he picked up his phone to check for any messages that he had received within the last few hours. He checked his messages as he realized that she had sent him the details of the location she had planned for them to meet.


    Originally, Klaus decided to just message Avalon, telling her that he couldn''t make it due to some circumstances. But as he checked the time to realize that it was already fifteen minutes to 7:00 pm and that Avalon would already have been heading to the location, he felt like delivering such a message would be insulting to her.


    Klaus thought of what to do about the situation since he was barely forcing his eyelids to stay open. His pupils were even dimmer than they normally were, which highlighted how exhausted he was. But after all the thinking, Klaus got up from his bed and headed for the transportation podium to Main World.


    Klaus knew that thinking about what to do would just waste time and since he was not asleep yet, as well as promised her to always show up, he had to force himself to meet her regardless of his state.


    Klaus got on the transportation podium and eventually teleported to Main World. The headache was more unpleasant to him as he rushed to where Avalon had planned their meeting instantly. Since he was so used to his burst speed, and that the location was not too far from the poster he usually spawned at, Klaus did not sweat on the clothes he had on. The stress from the running still had an impact on him, which was even worse with his state of deprived slumber.


    When Klaus arrived at the front of what seemed to be a cinema, he instantly noticed Avalon standing around the front of the building. Klaus made sure he did not appear to be as tired as he was since he knew that it would just be a pain to explain if Avalon found out.


    Avalon turned to his location as Klaus gradually walked up to her.


    "Hey, Klaus," Avalon said as she waved at Klaus. "I thought you were gonna bail."


    This statement made Klaus a bit uncomfortable when he realized that he was thirty minutes late for some reason. This was possible because of the time it took him to decide to show up, as well as get ready before heading to the transportation podium back in Higher World. Klaus also felt a bit bad for making Avalon stand and wait for half an hour because of him.


    "I''m sorry," Klaus replied. "I guess I lost track of time."


    Avalon smiled at Klaus as she responded that it was okay, before continuing with her plans for the day.


    "Anyway, I have a lot of things and places planned for today. We can start here at the cinema, then we can head to an indoor go-kart track that I recently found out about. Oh yeah, we can stop to get some Chinese food at this really good place I''ve always wanted to go to. Then we can..."


    In the middle of her statement, Avalon suddenly noticed something odd before continuing.


    "Actually, I have a better idea," Avalon suddenly said to Klaus as she turned to her phone to order a ride to the location she had in mind.


    Klaus was surprised by her statement but decided to just go through with it for the day.


    They drove for minutes as Avalon decided not to reveal her intended location as usual. And after a while, they finally arrived at the spot. It was a scenic view of the city from a mountaintop with a few benches around. There was also a lot of graffiti work on the benches and the cemented floor, which made the place look more beautiful.


    "Where are we?" Klaus asked.


    "Well, let''s just call this my special place," Avalon responded. "It''s basically where I come to when I''m feeling down or lonely."


    Klaus'' eyes were fixated on the beautiful scene of the city from where they were. The view was phenomenal, but the art around was even more impressive to Klaus.


    "Did you do all this?" Klaus asked as he stared at them one by one.


    "Y-Yeah," Avalon replied. "They''re not that good, but they were really fun to do."


    "They''re amazing," Klaus suddenly said to Avalon as his eyes were still scrolling around, impressed by the view.


    Avalon blushed for a bit before remembering why she brought them there. She then shook her head back to reality before heading to one of the benches and taking a seat. Klaus was still looking around for a few seconds before she called for his attention. He turned in confusion as Avalon tapped her lap while smiling at him.


    "What''s going on?" Klaus asked.


    "Well," Avalon started. "I noticed when you showed up that you seemed to be less energetic than usual, which says a lot since you''re not typically energetic at all. It made me wonder if you are exhausted from doing something earlier, especially since you mentioned that you lost track of time. So instead of all the ideas I previously had, I decided to take you here where you can rest for a bit."


    Klaus'' eyes widened by this statement as he looked at Avalon. Avalon had just canceled her plans just because she realized that he was exhausted. Klaus did not expect that to happen, but he was snapped back to reality as Avalon called for his attention once more.


    Klaus walked to the bench where she was seated as he sat beside her. Avalon tapped her lap once more, making Klaus realize what she was indirectly trying to say. Klaus didn''t want to do it at first, but he knew that he could not convince her, and judging from his extremely exhausted state, he was too tired to make a big deal out of it.


    Eventually, Klaus rested his head on Avalon''s lap.


    Time passed as Klaus closed his eyes, with Avalon slowly caressing his hair. Everything felt so unreal for both of them.


    Klaus had forgotten the feeling of true comfort since he took on his duties as a demigod until this moment. He felt like he was in a dream where, for some reason, he didn''t want to leave anytime soon. Eventually, Klaus slowly drifted into a state of slumber that he knew he needed.


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    As for Avalon, she felt like she could sit like that for hours if it meant she would continue to be with Klaus.


    The silence lasted minutes before Avalon suddenly worded out something.


    "Klaus..." she started. "I don''t know if you''re awake to hear me right now, but if you are, you don''t have to say anything in return for what I am about to say."


    The silence continued after Avalon''s statement as it seemed Klaus was asleep. Avalon then took a deep breath before she finally said what she had always wanted to tell him.


    "I think I have feelings for you."


    Once again, silence filled the area as Avalon continued to smile and caress Klaus'' hair. She knew she could never manage to say what she just said to him while looking him in the eyes, or even if he was fully conscious, so she was completely content with the silence that came after.


    "Thank you."


    Avalon''s eyes widened as she realized that Klaus was awake, or at least enough to hear what she had said. Her face turned red as she processed this information, as well as his confusing response to her statement.


    As Klaus heard what Avalon had said, he felt a bit off. It wasn''t that he didn''t reciprocate the feeling she had, but he felt like he was unsure if he did as well. Klaus felt conflicted by her statement that he genuinely had nothing to say in response.


    It almost felt like what had happened between him and Rose back in Higher World.


    Except this time, it felt a bit different.


    Even though Avalon had mentioned that she did not want him to respond, he still felt like he had to say something to her to show that he heard the statement. Even though this wasn''t the best response, he felt it was enough to indirectly tell Avalon that he understood her feelings and did not disregard them.


    Avalon and Klaus stayed like that for hours, almost reaching midnight. Klaus was able to get a few hours of sleep and Avalon was more than happy to accompany him. And after that, they decided to call it a day and head home.


    Klaus apologized to Avalon for having to spend the entire date on her lap, but she claimed that she was not bothered by it, so he decided to let it go.


    Klaus headed home as he walked in. Natalie was still up and was on her reading desk with a few papers when Klaus walked in. She was surprised by his presence, but still rushed to hug him. He talked with his mother for a while before he headed to his room to finally sleep.


    The next day, Klaus got up early since he knew that the tournament was starting early. He waved Natalie goodbye before heading to the poster and transporting back to Higher World. He felt so much better from the sleep so he immediately headed to the arena.


    A lot of demigods had already arrived at the arena and a few were just arriving alongside Klaus.


    "Hey, dream boy," Klaus heard as he turned to see Rose. "You missed me after these few weeks, didn''t you?"


    "Hey, Rose," Klaus responded to her.


    Rose looked at Klaus as she smiled in confusion after realizing something odd.


    "You seem to be in a better mood than usual. I''d expected you to ignore me or something," she said.


    "Guess I''m just excited for the tournament," Klaus replied.


    Rose felt like it was something other than that, but she decided to drop the topic and move on.


    "Speaking of, how did your training go?" Rose proceeded to ask.


    "It was alright, I guess," Klaus responded as they proceeded to walk closer to the arena.


    Going in, Klaus and Rose ran into a few other demigods. Everyone stood and talked for a bit since they had the same plan of waiting for XVII to announce anything about the event. The stories of each other''s training made it clear that a lot of them focused immensely on getting stronger for the tournament.


    A few seconds later, Rose noticed that Klaus was not as focused on the conversation as everyone else. Klaus seemed to be scouting around, possibly looking for something or someone. Then she realized why he was doing so after noticing his slight frustration.


    "Don''t worry, he''ll be here," Rose said to Klaus, knowing that he was looking for Shade.


    "Yeah," Klaus responded.


    Klaus still felt worried since he had not seen his brother for a month, but he decided to go with Rose and be patient.


    After a few minutes, XVII finally arrived at the arena. He walked to the middle of the arena, where the stage was, and he proceeded to announce what he had for the demigods.


    "Greetings, demigods," XVII started. "I assume you all have been keen on your training. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the effort that you all have placed in preparing for this event. Everything you all have done is easily beyond both the Gods and my expectations before your arrival."


    XVII then paused before continuing.


    "But with that being said, may I allow another presence to pass information about the tournament."


    After XVII was done, he moved back a few distances before, suddenly, a tremendous force filled the entire area.


    The demigods dropped to their knees as usual as a sudden landing sound echoed around the area, unlike the usual silence the Gods had when landing. After a few seconds, the demigods were able to be relieved of the force as they got up to notice that an unfamiliar God was present.


    The God had long auburn hair that reached his shoulders and deep blue eyes. The God''s appearance was a bit strange to Klaus since it did not match any of the other demigods at all, making it even harder to determine who the God was. And after the god turned his head, looking around the room, he finally spoke.


    "Greetings, demigods," The God started.


    The God''s words felt like a lullaby to the demigods. Immediately after hearing his voice, the demigods were barely able to stay still as their vision suddenly became blurry and their knees weak. A few other demigods were able to persist, but it was clear that the God''s voice was powerful.


    Noticing this, the God immediately cleared his throat before continuing once more.


    "Apologies, I am not used to conversing with you all," the God continued.


    His words sounded a lot better and softer so they all focused on what the God had to say, awaiting his reveal.


    "You might not all know who I am yet, so may I start by introducing myself. I am Sonar, the God of Sound."


    This made why his voice having so much power make sense to Klaus and the other demigods. Everyone seemed to be content with his reveal so Sonar decided to continue


    "First off, as XVII mentioned, all the Gods are proud of the effort you all put into becoming the defenders of the realm and also the effort you put into your training for this event. On behalf of all the Gods, I would like to appreciate you all and encourage you all to keep up the good work."


    Sonar''s words were like music to everyone''s ears. It felt like a siren song was played to them as they all smiled and nodded their heads, excluding a select few.


    "That aside, I know you all cannot wait for the tournament''s commencement so without any more delay, I will now announce the event''s format."


    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on the God as he cleared his throat once more before proceeding to relay the rules and information to the demigods.


    "The name of the tournament is the Divine Tournament, and these are its rules. As mentioned before, this is an individual tournament where each demigod will fight another in a head-to-head match. Considering the convenience of you all being sixteen in number, the tournament will be a round-of-16 bracket, where the winners will progress into the quarter-finals, and then semi-finals, before the remaining two victors will head to the finals. The match will have no timer as well. And the way to win your opponent in battle... is to kill them."


    Every demigod present opened their eyes in utter shock as they stared in disbelief at Sonar. They all took a few seconds to process what was just said to them. The Gods never lied or had any history of making jokes, so this meant that Sonar''s statement was not a bluff or a joke. They were fighting to the death.


    "K-Kill?" Rose asked in confusion.


    "That is correct," Sonar said, confirming everyone''s questions.


    "Wait, but how are we supposed to do that?" Tyler asked in disbelief.


    Muttering filled the area as all the demigods could not believe that this was happening. They all trained to win the event, but they also did not expect to murder another demigod to do so.


    Sonar looked around as he noticed the confusion in everyone, except one, as he decided to elaborate.


    "Demigods, relax," He said as all the muttering instantly stopped. "Allow me to conclude."


    Not a single sound played before Sonar finally continued.


    "While it is true that you are to kill your opponent in battle, they are not going to die. The soul and body of the defeated will be transferred to the medical facility, where they will be mended and prevented from dying completely as long as they remain in the arena."


    This explanation made more sense to everyone, but it still meant that the battles were to be as extreme as possible so it was still alarming.


    "This tournament is more fatal than the previous because similar to reality, there are no training wheels later on in life, meaning that there are possibilities where you can face a near-death experience and will have to muster all your strength to overcome such an obstacle. Another reason is for us to understand the capabilities of every single one of you, ranging from your strength to endurance, and even perception, and the best way concluded was to remove any limit to the battles."


    The reasoning behind the event made perfect sense. And since the demigods wouldn''t truly die on the battlefield, it was even more logical for the Gods to remove any possible limit in the battle. Even though this was not what everyone had expected, Klaus still knew that this was truly the best way for the Gods to receive information as well as push all the demigods even further.


    After all the demigods finally accepted the fate of the tournament, Sonar turned to XVII before speaking to him.


    "The order of the first set will be transmitted to you. And after each set, we will relay the battles for the next one." Sonar said to XVII.


    "Understood," XVII responded.


    Sonar then stretched his right hand as suddenly, the layout of the entire arena proceeded to change.


    The stage proceeded to widen extremely, creating more room for the battles. The floor was also leveled at the center, making it seem like a fair battleground. He also raised the spectator''s stand slightly, similar to the colosseum that was used in the final event of the Cosmic League, to give a more general view of the arena.


    An invisible barrier also spawned around the entire battlefield to negate any attack from the inside to affect any of the spectators. The barrier was also the source that would cause the demigods who were to die to be transported to the medical facility instead.


    Sonar also explained that in the case that the winning demigod was too fatigued to exit the barrier after thirty seconds, the barrier would also transport them to the medical facility for aid as well.


    After Sonar was done with his creations and explanations, he said his farewells before growing his wings and departing for the domain of the Gods.


    The demigods were still uneasy about the format of the tournament, but they all decided that there was nothing they could do about it. XVII then walked ahead of them to pass on the information that had just been transmitted to him.


    "I will now announce the first battle that will commence with the Divine Tournament."


    All the demigods focused on him as XVII paused before announcing the first battle.


    "The first battle is... Lance Knight vs Ash Brimstone."

 #44: The Proceeding Battle

    The highly anticipated Divine tournament had commenced, and the demigods eagerly awaited the chance to showcase their newly acquired powers and abilities. Despite the somewhat rigorous regulations of the tournament, the excitement among the participants was palpable as XVII announced the first battle.


    "Lance Knight vs Ash Brimstone."


    The names of the contenders, Lance Knight and Ash Brimstone, elicited a gasp of recognition and awe from the gathered demigods, who were well aware of the prowess of these two titans among their ranks.


    "Oh, wow," Quinn commented as all the demigods looked at each other.


    The anticipation was so great that even the typically composed Quinn could not contain her excitement, and all attention was fixed on the idea of the battle, which promised to be a thrilling encounter in the tournament.


    Lance rose from his seat and strode into the arena, causing whispers to fill the spectator''s room as everyone waited for the battle to begin.


    "I can''t believe we''re starting with such a heated battle," Rose whispered to Klaus.


    Suddenly, XVII closed his eyes for a few seconds, indicating that he was receiving information from the Gods. When he opened his eyes, XVII walked ahead of the demigods and announced something to them.


    "Apologies, it seems that Ash Brimstone is unavailable at the moment."


    The demigods were confused about why Ash Brimstone was absent.


    "I assumed that this tournament was mandatory for all the demigods, is it not?" Quinn asked.


    "Affirmative," XVII replied. "However, it seems that Ash Brimstone has duties in the Underworld alongside his father, Nekro. Therefore, he will not be able to participate."


    The idea that Ash Brimstone had more important duties to attend to elevated his status in the eyes of the other demigods. It was a testament to his power and prestige.


    "What does this mean for our battle?" Lance asked XVII.


    "Due to the unfortunate absence, it would appear that Ash Brimstone will have to be disqualified from the event. So you may proceed to the next round," XVII said to Lance.


    Lance''s expression dimmed, and he appeared disappointed that he wouldn''t get to battle Ash.


    "There is no elegance in such victory," Lance commented with a sigh. "But it seems I have no choice." With that, he left the arena.


    The news of Ash''s absence was disappointing to almost all the demigods. The anticipated battle was expected to set the pace for the rest of the tournament, but now they would have to wait for the next battle.


    Lance returned to his seat, and everyone awaited XVII''s next announcement. And after communicating with the Gods, XVII walked ahead of the demigods once again to announce the next battle.


    "I will now announce the next battle," XVII said, and the demigods paid close attention.


    "The next battle is... Quinn Atlas vs Shade Walker."


    Klaus heard his brother''s name as his interest slightly grew. "Shade?" he questioned under his breath. Quinn also seemed to be interested in the battle as a smile filled her face upon hearing her opponent. She then got up and walked into the arena.


    After a few seconds, Klaus turned his head left and right, searching the entire area for his brother''s presence, but he didn''t seem to find it.


    "Is Shade not here yet?" Rose whispered to Klaus.


    "I''m not sure," Klaus responded in a worrisome tone about his brother.


    Everyone felt slightly frustrated once more as they realized that the current battle had the potential to be canceled once more.


    "Oh no," Quinn muttered under her breath.


    Once again, XVII then closed his eyes, relaying information to the Gods about the current situation. The demigods waited patiently on what would happen next as XVII finally opened his eyes.


    "It would seem that Shade had just arrived at Higher World a few minutes ago and had to stop by the apartment building to prepare for the event," XVII explained. "He will be here shortly."


    Klaus was concerned that Shade would not be able to appear for the event, or that an even worse fate had fallen upon his brother, so hearing Shade''s whereabouts after a full month caused him to let out a sigh of relief.


    The rest of the demigods in the arena patiently awaited Shade''s arrival, and after a few more minutes, he finally showed up.


    "Sorry I''m late," a voice muttered at the back of the arena where the entrance was.


    All the demigods turned their attention to the location as their eyes stopped at Shade''s presence. Klaus turned to see his brother after such a long time but was taken aback by Shade''s appearance.


    Shade wore a black T-shirt and a pair of black pants at the moment. Unlike his usual curly hair, Shade had grown it long and straight, almost reaching his shoulders. Shade''s eyes also had a darker appearance around them, as if he had not been getting enough sleep. But despite these changes, Shade looked more handsome than ever, leaving Rose in awe as she, and the other demigods, stared at him.


    "Oh my," Rose mumbled as she continued to stare at Shade who was walking closer to the rest of the demigods.


    "Damn, he does look hotter," Siren whispered.


    "I know, right," Link responded. "He''s like one of those ''You vs The Guy She Tells You Not To Worry About'' dudes."


    As Shade walked closer to the battlefield, he noticed Klaus at his left and decided to see his brother before commencing with any other thing.


    "Sorry I''m late," Shade muttered.


    "It''s good to see you again," Klaus responded, still taken aback by his brother''s appearance.


    After a few seconds of staring at each other, Klaus walked forward and hugged Shade, a gesture that came as a surprise to both Shade and the other demigods. Klaus had never been one to show his emotions so openly, especially in front of others, which made his actions stranger than they were supposed to be.


    "I guess missing you wasn''t one-sided," Shade said to Klaus with a smile, happy to see his brother again after such a long time.


    Although Klaus had a lot of questions and things he wanted to talk about, Shade knew he had to cut things short since his presence was needed in the arena.


    "Please excuse me, as it appears that my presence is required on the battlefield," Shade said to Klaus as he headed toward the entrance of the arena''s battleground.


    Klaus was surprised by Shade''s tone, which was not something he was used to hearing from him. Klaus watched Shade walk into the battlefield slightly worried, but curious as well about the kind of training his brother went through.


    Shade walked into the arena as he made his way toward Quinn.


    "I see you''ve been busy," Quinn said, flashing a smile at Shade.


    "I presume the same can be said for everyone here," Shade replied.


    "True," Quinn responded. "You look good, by the way. The emo style suits you."


    "I didn''t have any intention in mind about my appearance, but I''m glad I look okay," Shade continued with a smile on his face.


    As XVII drew closer, he continued to announce the process of the battle.


    "The battle will commence once the sound of the alarm is queued, so fighters, please get ready."


    Quinn and Shade both nodded their heads in confirmation before turning their focus back to each other. After a few moments, the sound of the alarm filled the arena, and the battle began.


    Shade and Quinn readied themselves as they proceeded to size each other up. They both walked sideways to their right, possibly awaiting the other to attack first. A few seconds went by and this continued slightly before Quinn finally stopped and placed a smile on her face.


    Shade, upon seeing this, then stopped as well as they both stared at each other. Eventually, a smile suddenly lit up from Shade as well as they both stood, staring at each other with smiles.


    "Uhh... What''s going on?" Rose asked.


    A few more seconds passed before Klaus decided to analyze what was happening and came up with a deduction.


    "I''m guessing she''s talking to him telepathically," Klaus then said to Rose as the rest of the demigods turned to him.


    "I forgot about that," Mia mentioned as she understood that this was the case.


    Shade and Quinn stood in psychic conversation for almost, if not over, a minute more before Shade''s smile slightly increased once more, proceeding with Quinn closing her eyes and turning to XVII who was at the front of the other spectators.


    "I forfeit."


    Everyone''s eyes widened as they heard these words come out of Quinn''s mouth.


    "What?" Tyler commented. "But nothing even happened."


    "Is that even allowed with such rules?" Rose asked as XVII walked forward, locking eyes with Quinn.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Are you sure?" XVII asked.


    "And the way to win your opponent is to kill them. This was what Sonar said. However, it was never stated that this was the ONLY way and was instead addressed to be the ideal one, am I correct?." Quinn then asked XVII.


    "You are correct," XVII confirmed.


    The demigods were in complete surprise. Quinn had just found a loophole in the brutality that was supposed to be portrayed in each battle.


    "Is there any penalty except losing that game after forfeiting?" Quinn then asked XVII.


    "There is not," XVII answered.


    "Then I forfeit," Quinn concluded as she proceeded to walk towards the exit of the stage.


    This entire situation felt extremely strange to the rest of the demigods. Some of them felt the situation was worth it since they had just come across the knowledge that a forfeit was possible. But a few of the others still felt that the lack of a battle to refer to meant that they had yet to witness a genuine fight and that there was still a possibility that they would be the next fighter.


    But all in all, the second battle had just concluded, and it seemed that Shade would proceed to the next round.


    "Then it means that Shade Walker proceeds to the next round," XVII then stated, proving this point.


    Quinn and Shade walked out of the arena as Quinn walked by Klaus and the others to take her seat. Shade also walked to his brother to continue their reunion. Klaus was still very baffled by the outcome of the match and wondered why Quinn decided to forfeit, so eventually, he decided to ask the question everyone else seemed to have.


    "What exactly did she tell you in there?"


    Shade knew that Klaus was going to ask the question since he knew that people would be curious, but he seemed to already have an answer in mind so he immediately replied.


    "I''m sorry, but for now, I don''t think I can disclose that information," Shade said to Klaus.


    "She made you promise not to say, right?" Klaus then asked Shade. "I''m assuming as well as the information of where you were this past month."


    "Nothing gets past you, huh," Shade said with a slight smile, confirming Klaus'' statement. "But yeah. At least for now, if you don''t mind."


    Klaus then sighed as he decided to ignore all the questions he had per Shade''s request.


    A few murmurs flew around the spectator''s location as everyone awaited XVII''s statement regarding the matter of the tournament. Even though the availability of a forfeit was beneficial to them, a few other demigods eventually realized that this would also slightly reduce the intensity of the entire tournament.


    Finally, XVII walked ahead of the demigods before announcing the information he had.


    "I will now announce the next battle."


    This meant that there was nothing to be said about the situation and it confirmed any doubts either of the demigods had about what the Gods thought about it. All the demigods then disregarded it as they awaited the announcement of the next battle.


    "The next battle is... Arthur Knight vs Trent."


    The demigods waited for Trent and Arthur proceeded into the arena''s stage. The enthusiasm for the battle was not as high as expected due to the two previously failed battles that occurred, so the demigods decided to wait for the battle to commence before they would gain any more interest.


    Trent walked into the arena with a smile on his face as he seemed to be excited about the match. Arthur, on the other hand, had a straight look on his face as he did not plan to enjoy the fight, but rather give it his all to progress, unlike the other battles.


    "Fighters, get ready," XVII said to the battle members.


    "Good luck," Trent said to Arthur as they awaited the alarm.


    Arthur''s silence was enough to show everyone that he was going to take the battle more seriously than they had expected, so they all decided to wait for the bell as well.


    And after the alarm rang, both fighters rushed at each other.


    The battle between Trent and Arthur commenced as the two fighters clashed punches with each other. Trent managed to swing a few hits at his opponent, but Arthur easily evaded the attacks, throwing his punches back at Trent.


    The battle seemed to grab the interest of the other demigods as they continued to swing at each other while defending the other''s attacks.


    "It''s dead even," Rose whispered to Klaus. "Arthur''s quite impressive."


    "I don''t think it''s as close as you think," Klaus then responded to Rose, making her focus more on what was happening.


    Upon focusing, as well as the information she had before the battle, Rose realized that something was off about Arthur.


    "Wait, he''s not using his strengthening thing," Rose said in awareness.


    Even though they seemed to be even, Arthur was clearly not using his ability to harden his punches and attacks. Eventually, Trent managed to get an opening on Arthur as he swung his right fist directly toward Arthur''s face.


    Suddenly, Arthur instantly crouched, evading the attack that Trent had expected to land before he then clenched his right fist and launched his punch at Trent.


    Arthur''s attack was too fast for Trent to react to, but he managed to place his palm at the attack''s trajectory, softening the blow on his chest. However, the power that Arthur placed in that single punch was so devastating that it launched Trent off his feet and back a significant distance.


    A few spectators sighed in surprise as Trent fell to the ground. It didn''t feel like someone could get up from such a tremendous blow.


    "I can tell you''re not a weak person," Arthur then stated as he walked towards Trent.


    Trent held on to his chest as he struggled, but managed to get up on his feet.


    "So I''m told, haha," Trent managed to say as he closed his eyes slightly in pain while managing to stay standing.


    Trent then turned his face to the location of the pain before placing both his palms on the location. Eventually, a small amount of water appeared at the location and it seemed to ease the pain he had at that location. But before he could continue his rejuvenation process, Arthur rushed back at Trent, not giving him a chance to heal completely.


    Trent continued his battle with Arthur, managing to clash a few punches with his opponent. But this time, Arthur was using his Hardening ability, meaning that his body and punches were way stronger than they were, making Trent''s attacks and blocks much more difficult to perform without taking significant damage.


    "I guess Arthur''s winning now," Shade said.


    "I guess," Klaus replied as he continued to watch the battle.


    It didn''t make sense to him. He remembered that Trent was claimed to be stronger than Arthur during the Cosmic League event since Trent was a captain and Arthur wasn''t. XVII also mentioned that this decision was made by the Gods with the certainty that they were above the other demigods who were not assigned as captains.


    "Does that mean Arthur was able to close the gap between them within a month of training?" Klaus thought to himself as he continued to watch the battle unfold.


    It was clear that Arthur was superior in the fight as most of the landed attacks were his. But Trent was still doing a very good job maintaining his defenses, even though that seemed to be his best option at that moment.


    Soon enough, Trent realized something that might make things easier for him as after a few more clashes and punches, he managed to create a small distance between them.


    "Switching to ranged attacks..." Lance then stated at the spectator''s section. "...great idea."


    It was clear that Arthur had the advantage in close combat, so switching the battle to range was the best option for Trent, especially since he was also stronger with range than not.


    Trent placed his left hand forward as he pointed his index and middle finger together at Arthur as he normally does when using his water bullets. Water proceeded to shoot out of his fingers in rapid succession as they darted at Arthur.


    As all the shots of water reached Arthur, he instantly placed the palm of his left hand in each of the shots of water''s path, blocking every one of them. He blocked them so effortlessly as he walked forward gradually while still using his palm to block all the drops of water as if they weren''t there. A few drops managed to hit Arthur in the chest, but all they did was create holes in his shirt as he continued his walk forward unfazed by the attack.


    Realizing the forward movement, Trent then jumped back twice, creating more space between them, before placing both palms together. He then placed both the index and middle fingers of each hand forward, creating a bigger and more concentrated amount of water at his fingertips. With this, he continued to fire his water bullets in their stronger state as they appeared to be even faster.


    Arthur instantly realized the attacks heading his way and he instantly stopped in place. He then opened both his palms wide for a brief moment before clenching both fists. and as each shot of water reached him, Arthur used his fists to punch everyone away from him in rapid succession.


    Trent continued to fire the water bullets, but Arthur continued to punch every shot away as well. The benefit of range did not seem to have that much effect on the battle since Arthur''s defense was still beyond impressive.


    Realizing this factor, Trent decided that instead of firing multiple shots of water, he would instead create an even more concentrated bullet of water, similar to what he had done in the Capture the Flag event against Riley and Shade. With this idea, Trent stopped his rapid shots as he concentrated the attack, with the water on his fingertips growing with every passing second.


    Arthur realized this, knowing that he had to do something before the large attack was shot, so he immediately unclenched his left arm and stretched his right to the side of his chest, mimicking the same stance he had when he fought Siren in the Capture the Flag game mode. Arthur stayed in the stance for a few seconds before finally launching his fists from a distance at Trent, who was about done charging his attack.


    Suddenly, a mighty gushing wind launched at Trent in full force, breaking through the attack and going through it before hitting Trent''s hands. The force caused Trent to move back a few distances, injuring his arm as well upon contact. The attack that Trent was charging also got destroyed, causing it to pour to the ground.


    After this, Arthur continued to send a barrage of multiple windbreaking attacks once more. Trent managed to dodge them barely as he realized that Arthur was just as strong in range as he was in close combat.


    Things were not looking good for Trent.


    "He''s getting overpowered," Klaus mumbled.


    "Yeah," Shade replied. "Looks like he can''t hold on for much longer."


    Arthur continued to launch the attacks at Trent, with Trent managing to evade them. But as this continued, one of the launched attacks managed to hit Trent''s left arm. This attack was so devastating that it completely ripped Trent''s left arm from below his elbow.


    The horrifying sight of Trent''s left hand falling to the ground disturbed a lot of the demigods.


    "Oh, my Gods!" Rose exclaimed after seeing the gory view.


    Trent fell to his knees instantly as the pain only continued to grow. Arthur managed to stop his attack as he took a second before continuing to walk forward to his opponent.


    Trent placed his right palm on the severed part of his body as he created a small body of water there to prevent his blood from spilling, turning the blood around the injury into water as well.


    "It seems that this is where you fall," Arthur said to Trent as he proceeded closer.


    The pain Trent felt was excruciating. His mind started to get hazy as he tried his best not to lose touch with reality.


    "I expected better from one of the so-called strongest among the demigods," Arthur then proceeded as he stopped in front of Trent. "I guess the Gods were wrong after all."


    Hearing these words made Trent feel more pain in his defeat. He felt that he had let the Gods down with his performance. Trent started to feel light-headed as Arthur stopped in front of him, raising his fist to the sky, awaiting his decision of a forfeit or not.


    Then something just snapped.


    "Do you yield," Arthur asked Trent as he awaited his response with his fist still in the sky.


    But before Trent could answer, he took a deep audible breath. Suddenly, water proceeded to flow around him as instantly, the water arose everywhere in a circle beside him, blocking Arthur from him. Arthur jumped backward as he also noticed that the water continued to spawn in a wider range, almost reaching him.


    "What is happening?" Shade asked as everyone stared at the battlefield.


    Klaus took a second to analyze what was going on with Trent, but could not come up with any other idea than what he did.


    "I guess even Trent can feel anger for being too weak," Klaus stated, still keeping his focus on the battle.


    Arthur stared for a second before deciding to attempt another windbreaker attack, but the launched attack did nothing to the water that continued to vortex around Trent.


    Eventually, the water finally slowed down before dropping to the floor, revealing Trent once again. But this time, as all the demigods locked eyes with Trent, they noticed that not a single scratch from the constant attacks remained on Trent. Not only that, but the severed arm had somehow reattached to Trent as his appearance looked almost exactly like the first time he entered the stage before the battle.


    Trent''s eyes remained shut as the water that soaked his clothes started to drip off, leaving his clothes dry. Arthur''s confusion made sense since everyone present also wondered what was happening.


    "I apologize that I was not able to give you the battle you desired," Trent then finally stated before he opened his eyes and stared directly at Arthur.


    "But I promise that this changes now."


    As Klaus looked at Trent from the spectator''s area, his eyes lit up slightly in surprise. This was the first time that he had ever seen Trent with a straight face. Nobody had any words for what had happened or even an idea for what was to come, so they all kept quiet and stared.


    "I will be the judge of that," Arthur then stated before he started moving at Trent.


    Arthur got to Trent and proceeded to swing physical attacks at his opponent. Trent then continued to dodge the attacks which seemed to be easier than before. It was almost like he had not wasted his energy at all, but the same could not be said for Arthur.


    "What the heck is going on?" Iris rightfully asked back at the spectator''s area.


    Everyone had the same question as they looked to see who had an idea of what was going on. Then almost choreographically, everyone turned their face to Quinn.


    Quinn realized that they were awaiting any ideas she had so she sighed slightly before finally responding.


    "Well, the only ideas I have right now are the same as what Klaus had previously mentioned. It''s possible that the frustration of not living up to the expectations the Gods had for him caused him to enter an unfamiliar state of mind."


    The explanation felt fair, even though it was only an assumption from Quinn. But she didn''t seem to be finished with her statement.


    "Although, I still don''t understand how he was able to regain all his energy and severed his arm like that. Not sure how he did that."


    This was true. Trent had regained all his strength in an instant which didn''t seem possible for any of them so it made a few of them question him. But before any more sentences could be made, everyone''s attention was gained by Shade.


    "Wow, look," Shade said to the others as he pointed at the arena.


    Everyone turned their attention as they witnessed something different from before they had turned away.


    "Wow," Quinn stated as everyone saw Arthur on the floor.


    "He actually landed a punch."

 #45: Realm Breaker

    "He actually landed a blow."


    Everyone was shocked as they witnessed Arthur fall to the ground. Trent instantly launched another attack at his fallen opponent, but Arthur instantly regained his footing and managed to evade it.


    With this, Arthur decided to take a few steps backward to understand the situation.


    "How is his movement so different from before," Arthur thought for a second before rushing back into battle.


    Arthur swung punches at Trent, with Trent evading them quite easily. Trent seemed to remain on the defensive in the fight, but it was clear that the gap between them initially had reduced.


    Arthur continued his attack as he swung his hand directly at Trent''s head, but Trent instantly placed his left forearm in the way of the attack. But surprisingly, Trent''s arm was able to completely stop Arthur''s attack, even though Arthur had his Harden ability active.


    "What!" Arthur exclaimed in surprise before realizing that Trent had created a patch of water around his forearm.


    "He''s enveloping his arm with constantly flowing water, causing the attack to soften upon contact," Shade commented, deducing the idea of why Trent was able to defend Arthur''s attack.


    Arthur threw a few more punches but immediately knew that more would be pointless. With this, Arthur then moved back, clenching his fists before launching a windbreaker attack once more.


    Trent then placed his palm ahead of himself facing up before he proceeded to raise it slightly. Instantly, a sizable pool of water spawned on the floor ahead of him and rushed upwards. This pool of water proceeded to come in contact with the wind attack, causing the attack''s trajectory to move upwards alongside the water.


    This made Arthur a bit agitated as he realized that the battle had completely changed from just a few minutes ago. Before this, it was Arthur who had the advantage in close combat and range, but now, Trent seemed to close the gap due to the exponential growth of his defenses.


    "What exactly did you do to yourself?" Arthur asked Trent.


    "I''m not sure," Trent responded. "But I guess I just decided to take the battle more seriously."


    Hearing this made Arthur even more agitated than before.


    "Oh..." Arthur said as he clenched both his fists once more. "Then may I respond in kind."


    As Arthur concluded this statement, he raised his left hand and moved it backward, farther than he usually does for the windbreaker. Immediately, he then launched his fist forward once more directly toward Trent.


    Trent created the water pool he had previously used ahead of him once again, but as the water covered the space between him and Arthur, a heavy attack suddenly appeared on Trent''s right side, hitting him off his feet and dealing noticeable damage.


    "W-What!" Trent chanted as he fell slightly to the ground briefly.


    Arthur launched the same attack once more before Trent could completely regain his footing, but Trent managed to see the attack coming and decided to move away instead, jumping to his left. But as he jumped, he instantly realized that the attack ahead had vanished. Once again, the same force appeared at his left, where he had just jumped, as the attack came in contact with him and launched him to the opposite side once more.


    "What the hell is going on?" Rose asked at the spectator''s area.


    Nobody could understand what was happening. Everyone saw the attack launched from Arthur and knew he only launched one, but for some reason, the attack seemed to have appeared from a completely different direction than its launch.


    "Any ideas?" Klaus asked softly as he turned his head to Quinn.


    Quinn took a few seconds before she finally responded.


    "Not right now."


    This was surprising to Klaus that she was unaware of the nature of the ability, but it made slight sense since the ability was only done twice at that moment so he decided to continue spectating the battle.


    Trent slowly picked himself up after receiving the two launched attacks head-on. He instantly turned his face back to his opponent, realizing that Arthur was charging yet another attack.


    Trent knew that he had to somehow counter the incoming attack even though his last two attempts failed. Not wanting to take any more chances, he then created a large spherical shell of water around him, using the water as a cover from all possible angles.


    "Even though it''s necessary, I shouldn''t be cutting my vision from my opponent," Trent thought to himself as he awaited to hear a sound of contact between the attack and his water shield.


    A few seconds went by before something strange proceeded to occur. As Trent waited for the little seconds that the barrier was on, a sudden occurrence appeared inside the barrier and directly behind Trent.


    This was the windbreaker attack that Arthur had launched.


    The attack instantly appeared behind Trent, hitting him immediately on contact and launching him out of the water shell he had created. This meant that the attack Arthur had launched had somehow gone through Trent''s water shield without dealing any damage to it.


    Klaus and the other demigods watched as Arthur punched the attack before Trent had placed the barrier. But Klaus noticed something different between the initial windbreaker Arthur normally used and this one.


    After focusing on the attack, Klaus realized that it vanished immediately Arthur launched it, almost like it wasn''t even created at all, unlike the others. However, the attack would somehow appear from another direction at Trent''s location, almost like it was teleporting there.


    Trent managed to get on his feet after a few seconds of agony from the attacks he had just received. He knew that any more of those would cause him to get knocked out or even worse so he had to come up with some kind of idea to prevent the attack from harming him.


    But as Trent turned his focus to his opponent, he realized that Arthur was panting from the backlash of the attacks he had been launching. The ability Arthur was doing seemed to require a sizable amount of energy from him, causing him to resort to heavy breathing to catch his breath.


    Trent then saw this as an opportunity to fight on even terms with Arthur since they both seemed to be beaten up from the attack. He then rushed at his opponent as Arthur also swung back, creating an even clash between the two.


    "I get it."


    A voice suddenly muttered those words in the spectator''s area as all the demigods turned in its direction. Klaus turned only to notice that it was Iris who had stated this.


    "You do?" Quinn asked in surprise since she seemed to be unable to understand what was going on herself.


    Iris took a second as she turned her head around, looking at every single demigod and realizing that they all had their eyes on her. She then smiled before she managed to explain what she had noticed from the battle.


    "Well, from what I''m able to pick up, it seems that Arthur is using a stronger force on his range attacks, making them even stronger than before," Iris started.


    "Yeah, well that''s pretty obvious, isn''t it?" Mia then responded.


    "Relax mija, lemme finish." Iris stated to Mia before proceeding. "Anyways, I seem to have an idea of what might be causing his ranged attacks to appear from different locations instead. The attack may be too powerful in nature that it''s breaking reality in a way and altering its flow due to that. But while the ability traverses, it eventually slows down and reverts to its original state, causing it to appear in a different direction. It''s almost like..."


    "...The ability''s shifting its dimensional nature." Quinn suddenly cut in as her eyes widened in realization. "I get it now. Iris, you''re a genius."


    Iris smiled before responding to Quinn. "Yeah. That and I guess I''m able to see a few things clearer than normal."


    "Probably because you''re the daughter of the God of Sight," Tyler clarified before Quinn then took their attention to explain what she understood.


    "You know, I had somewhat of the idea that Iris had mentioned, but I just thought it was too outlandish for anyone to do so. But I guess nothing should surprise me at this point. Basically, what Arthur is doing based on this theory is punching the space ahead of him so hard it creates a force that shifts its plane into a different dimension; specifically the fourth dimension."


    "So it''s changing into a fourth-dimensional force?" Link asked.


    "Exactly. Similar to how humans can perceive the world in the second dimension, the force perceives the world in the third dimension. This is possibly why the object seemed to go through Trent''s barrier without harming it. It''s kind of like a person jumping off a 2D plane and lands at another location. If a 2D being perceives this on the paper, it will be like the person''s feet disappeared and reappeared due to the change in dimensional direction."


    "I don''t get it?" Ace commented.


    "All you need to know is that it changes dimensions," Klaus replied.


    "Yeah," Quinn commented. "The attack cannot maintain its momentum indefinitely because it is a force rather than an object. This causes it to eventually decelerate and return to the visible realm. Arthur directs the attack''s path from point A to point B, and the attack''s emergence from any direction is due to this predetermined path. To ensure that the attack stops precisely before reaching Trent, Arthur must apply the precise amount of force required for it to decelerate at the correct moment."


    "I guess that makes sense," Ace said. "But why exactly does it change direction?"


    "Because it can," Link then commented after seemingly analyzing the attack by constantly playing it back to himself in his mind.


    "Arthur sends the force in a straight path, but if there is a change in dimensional planes, the attack may also change direction. This is because Arthur doesn''t have complete control over the initial change in direction. It''s similar to placing a finger on a piece of paper and moving it forward. If you switch to three dimensions, you have more options to move your finger in various directions."


    "Yes. And If a second-dimensional being were to observe the finger being moved from the two-dimensional plane to the three-dimensional plane, they would only see the finger disappear and then reappear in the same location. However, they would have no control over where the finger would reappear since it is beyond their dimensional perception." Quinn then buttressed.


    A few seconds of silence filled the spectator''s area as all that could be heard was the ongoing battle between Arthur and Trent.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there."The attack changes dimensions and reverts due to its nature of requiring momentum to be there in the first place. So that''s why we cannot see the attack until it reappears around Trent, am I correct?" Klaus then eventually said.


    "Yes," Link and Quinn responded simultaneously.


    Klaus then sighed before continuing, "You Atlas twins and making simple things more complex than they need to be."


    "Whatever do you mean?" Link softly said as he turned his head before displaying a musical note on his head mask as he whistled in ignorance.


    "Nerds," Riley quickly said with a smile on her face.


    After everyone finally returned their focus to the battle, they noticed Trent and Arthur still swinging attacks at each other while also defending.


    "Damn, they''re still dead even," Rose commented as the rest of the demigods watched.


    The battle continued as both fighters started to pant heavier by the second. Eventually, their attacks started getting slower and slower as well. Until, simultaneously, Trent and Arthur stopped right in front of each other, unable to do anything else but breathe heavily.


    "It would appear that you are a stronger fighter than I had assumed," Arthur managed to word out to Trent.


    Arthur''s compliments didn''t seem to make a difference to Trent as he continued to breathe, with his expression not changing at all.


    And after a heavy sigh from Trent, as he closed his eyes for a bit, he instantly moved back a large distance before he finally opened his eyes. With this, he stretched both of his palms to his sides before, instantly, water proceeded to rush from them rapidly. Trent''s pain in pushing himself even further was evident as he grunted with each second that the water continued to gush from his hands.


    "Woah," Quinn exclaimed at the spectator''s area. "He still has that much energy?"


    The water continued to flow as it gradually proceeded to consume his entire half of the battlefield.


    "How is he even able to create such an amount of water?" Tyler asked.


    "Well, I have a theory about that," Quinn then replied. "I assume that he possesses the capability to use his energy to transform inanimate objects into water and back to their original form. This could be the reason he was able to restore his sleeve after losing his arm, or how he retained his clothes after using the runic teleportation during the Capture the Flag game in the Cosmic League. Currently, it appears that he''s utilizing this ability by converting the air molecules in his surroundings into water particles."


    "The AIR?" Ace exclaimed. "Damn, people are full of surprises, right?"


    Arthur looked forward as he noticed that everywhere around Trent had water concentrated at that location. The water was so much it filled half of the arena and continued to rise. Everyone wondered how Arthur was going to evade such a situation, but no one had any ideas so they just awaited the outcome of the battle.


    Klaus stared at both fighters before realizing a strange fact.


    Arthur was smiling.


    Although Trent seemed to have the upper hand, the smile on Arthur''s face was evident as Klaus focused more on the battle, knowing that Arthur was probably enjoying the battle.


    "Amazing. You are still able to produce such amounts of water with such low energy," Arthur chanted with a smile as Trent seemed to start blending with the water.


    Arthur then clenched his fists before he stared forward at the water body, still retaining his smile. The water then proceeded towards Arthur like a tsunami as Trent controlled the water to rush towards his opponent while still in. The water rushed with haste towards Arthur as he stretched both his hands outwards, opening his clenched palms and awaiting the water to reach.


    "I will admit it now, Trent," Arthur then stated. "You truly are a formidable foe."


    As the water body reached his location, Arthur instantly slammed both of his palms together ahead of him, where the water was rushing from. Instantly, the water that rushed at him proceeded to separate in two due to the force from the impact between his palms.


    The splitting water continued before, in the middle of the parting location, Trent suddenly emerged and launched himself at Arthur one more time, hoping to finally conclude the battle. The water continued to rush as Trent jumped out at Arthur, with his opponent realizing this and deciding to retaliate.


    "I can''t see anything," Rose commented at the spectator''s lounge indicating that the water was so high that no one could see the outcome.


    All the other demigods waited for the water to reduce or dematerialize to see what was going on in the battle. Eventually, the water managed to slowly turn back to its original state being the air around them. This was possibly due to the fatigue that Trent would be feeling from using such a tasking amount of energy.


    The water slowly reduced before the demigods managed to see what was going on in the arena.


    "It seems the victor has been decided," Lance said with his arms crossed.


    Klaus took his time to analyze what was going on before the water continued to drop, revealing the fighters in a clearer state. With this, Klaus was able to realize that Arthur had launched his fists directly through Trent''s chest as the two fighters stood there in exhaustion.


    "Oh my Gods," Mia stated in shock at the sight.


    After such a heated battle, the sight of Arthur''s arm impaling Trent was still too gruesome for most of the demigods, especially since many of them barely saw such a thing in their normal lives.


    "You were a powerful opponent," Arthur stated to Trent. "But it seems I managed to come out on top."


    Trent''s vision was blurry and his presence was unclear. Nobody could tell if he had already died since all he did was stare at the sky, not moving once.


    "At least it''s finally over," Quinn said. "He did well so he deserves to rest."


    A few of them seemed to agree with Quinn''s statement so they all accepted the outcome of the battle. Everyone seemed to be content with the match and the outcome and rated the match as a perfect battle between both fighters.


    But before anyone could realize it, Trent gradually proceeded to move his head back, turning his focus back to Arthur.


    "What!" Arthur asked in confusion, with his fist still through Trent.


    Trent then used his left hand to hold Arthur''s hand that went through him in place. after this, he instantly stretched his right hand to the sky before water proceeded to materialize over his palm.


    "How is this possible?" Klaus asked in confusion. "How is he still alive?"


    "I don''t know," Quinn responded, indicating her lack of knowledge as well.


    Arthur attempted to pull his right hand out of Trent, but he seemed to be having a difficult time doing so. He also couldn''t use his Harden technique since he was too exhausted to do so at that moment. But Trent continued to hold on to Arthur''s hand while still having the energy to create a large ball of water with the other hand. This continued as the straight face on Trent seemed to be a frightening sight at this point.


    But as Trent managed to create a ball of water big enough to deal significant damage to his opponent, his eyes suddenly locked with Arthur''s, which caused him to see a reflection of himself through Arthur''s pupils. This caused Trent to snap back to reality almost instantly, causing him to realize what he was doing and how much energy he was utilizing.


    Trent''s right hand then fell, causing the created attack to fall to the ground and spill like normal water. Trent then turned to the other demigods who were spectating the battle, as well as XVII, as he proceeded to mutter a few words.


    "I give up."


    Every demigod''s eyes widened in surprise at Trent''s statement.


    "What?" Shade asked.


    "Are you certain," XVII asked Trent.


    Trent then pulled Arthur''s arm out of his chest as Arthur also seemed to be too stunned to comment on what was happening. Suddenly, water proceeded to flow from around Trent''s body and directly at the opening that was made, reforming his skin and other damaged organs from the water particles that continued to form around the hole.


    "I am certain," Trent then responded to XVII as he slowly sat on the floor, allowing the water around him to continue the reforming process.


    "Then it means that Arthur Knight proceeds to the next round," VII then announced.


    "I genuinely have no words for what is going on right now," Siren stated as all the demigods watched Trent gradually heal his fatal injury in minutes.


    "Why did you do that," Arthur then suddenly asked Trent. "The battle was not over."


    Arthur walked forward to Trent who was still seated on the floor with both palms placed behind, keeping him in a resting position.


    "To be honest, I think I lost sight of what I was fighting for, so I thought there was no point in going any further," Trent said to Arthur before continuing. "Besides, your last attack would have killed anyone else, so I thought it wouldn''t be fair to continue anymore."


    Even though Trent was right, the fact that a forfeit was made meant to Arthur that the win was still not his to decide. With this, Arthur then crossed his hands as he continued away from Trent before saying a few words.


    "And here I thought you were a worthy opponent. Guess I was wrong."


    As Arthur stated this, he proceeded to walk away from Trent.


    Trent smiled as he lay on his back due to the energy he had exhausted. After taking a few steps, Arthur also seemed to lose his balance as he fell to his knees supposedly not realizing that he had also exhausted a tremendous amount of energy during the battle.


    They both stayed on the ground before, suddenly, they eventually appeared to be dematerializing, similar to the other game modes during the Cosmic League after a battle. Soon enough, both fighters had vanished from the arena and appeared at the medical facility a few meters from the Arena of Valor.


    "The next battle will commence when both Trent and Arthur Knight complete their treatment and return to the arena," XVII then stated before walking back to his initial location.


    "That was something else, wasn''t it?" Link stated as the demigods turned back to themselves in conversation.


    The battle had concluded and Arthur would proceed to the next round like XVII had mentioned, but a few lingering questions remained in Klaus'' head about the battle. But Klaus still decided to ignore his thoughts and await the presence of Trent and Arthur so that the next battle would proceed.

 #46: Blurry Roses

    The conclusion of the exhilarating battle between Arthur and Trent was well above the expectations of all its spectators. Although a few people felt that the outcome felt slightly undeserving, most of the demigods would still agree that the battle would remain in their memories for a long time.


    All that remained before the second battle''s commencement was the presence of both fighters from the medical facility.


    Klaus waited patiently for Arthur and Trent''s arrival so that the event would continue. He felt a bit uneasy knowing that there was a possibility his name would be called next. The demigods continued to talk among themselves, mostly about their experiences from training and their surprise at how dedicated they were. But eventually, after a few minutes, Trent and Arthur walked back into the arena.


    Trent walked in with a smile as a few of his fellow demigods greeted him and commented on his performance in the battle. Although he felt that he was undeserving of their praise, Trent still happily accepted their gratitude.


    Arthur also received a few comments from the demigods, but his lack of interaction with them made his welcoming feel slightly more forced than Trent''s. Although, it was not like he wanted their praise to begin with since all he cared about was what Lance had to say.


    "You did good, brother," Lance stated to Arthur. "But you were sloppy, and your battle style at the end lacked elegance."


    "I apologize, brother," Arthur responded. "I will use this as a learning opportunity to grow."


    Lance sighed slightly before turning his focus to Trent.


    "You did well, Trent. Your strength ranked among the elites was truly not a mistake," Lance said to Trent.


    "Thank you, my friend," Trent then responded. "I appreciate your compliment."


    This action made Klaus slightly confused. He noticed how strict Lance was with his brother, but knew that this was not how Lance normally acted to the rest of the demigods, including himself. He wondered why this was the case, but after a few seconds of thought, he decided to drop it considering it was none of his business.


    "There you are, chico," Iris suddenly chanted as she moved towards Trent and hugged him tightly. "You were amazing."


    "Thanks, Iris," Trent responded with a smile to her. "Although, I don''t think I deserve all this praise."


    "Nonsense, you shocked us all" Iris continued with a smile to him before lowering her voice. "Frankly, I think you would''ve won if you would''ve kept going, but I guess we''ll never know."


    Trent responded with a cheeky laugh before Iris then turned her attention to Arthur, who was a bit farther from the crowd.


    "You too," Iris stated. "You also surprised me with your power."


    "If my display of power came as a surprise to you, then your earlier assessment of my power would be substandard," Arthur responded.


    Iris then walked closer and stared at him with a smile and stretched her right hand out for a handshake.


    "You won the battle and performed well, mijo. At least be happy about that," she then continued to Arthur.


    Arthur saw her gesture and initially decided not to respond. But he knew that she was right and that he didn''t need to feel too bad about the way he won so he decided to humor her. He then turned to her as he raised his hand as well, reciprocating the handshake with Iris.


    "Now, was that so hard?" Iris said to him with a smile on her face.


    Arthur then pulled his hand back before turning his face from her, disregarding her statement and awaiting the next announcement from XVII.


    And after a short duration, XVII finally walked to the front of the spectators.


    "I will now announce the next battle," XVII proceeded.


    All the demigods watched patiently, awaiting the announcement of the next two fighters from XVII.


    "The next battle is... Rose Valentine vs Iris Haze."


    Iris smiled after hearing her name before proceeding to the entrance of the stage.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," Rose said softly after hearing her name paired with Iris.


    It wasn''t that Rose hated Iris, it was more like she couldn''t stand her. For some reason, Iris just always struck Rose a careless type that loved to party and have fun by flirting with others, but these were also traits that Rose possessed chronically as well so she wasn''t sure why exactly Iris annoyed her.


    Rose eventually proceeded from her seat and walked towards the arena''s stage as well, entering after Iris. Both fighters faced each other at the center of the battlefield, awaiting the commencement of the battle. The smile on Iris'' face made Rose feel more annoyed because she knew that Iris was going to do something that would annoy her, but she decided not to lose her calm and focus since these things could affect her performance in battle.


    "I hoped chica here''s gonna put up a good fight?" Iris stated with a smile to Rose.


    Rose decided to ignore her opponent as XVII eventually requested their confirmation of being ready.


    And after a few seconds, the alarm rang and the fourth battle commenced.


    Iris took her stance as she awaited Rose''s attack and Rose also did the same. A few seconds went by before Rose then eventually stretched both her palms. In doing so, Rose revealed two rings that were on the middle finger of both her hands.


    The rings were identical and were slick, deep blue. And around the ring was a reddish-pink slim design that wrapped around the body of the ring. After revealing her ring for a brief moment, Rose then clenched both her fists before taking another stance.


    Suddenly, on her hands, a metallic-like object proceeded to form what seemed to be two batons, completely different from her previous ones. These batons had the same deep blue color, similar to each other, but the body of the batons appeared to be more sturdy and strong, even though her grip on the weapons revealed that they were lighter than the previous ones. Also, along each baton was a design of what seemed to be a prickly stem, with a rose at the tips, all in a deep pink color.


    The weapon''s transformation surprised the other demigods since they could not understand how the weapons were created from mere rings.


    "Woahh," Ace said. "What sorcery is this?"


    A lot of the demigods didn''t seem to understand how Rose was able to create these weapons since there was no logic to it, but it seemed like one of them had an idea.


    "It''s celestial metal."


    The demigods turned to notice Link as he continued to explain their nature.


    "What''s that?" Mia asked.


    "Metal that can be compressed and morphed while still maintaining natural metallic properties like its tensile strength," Link stated.


    "How do you know of such a thing?" Klaus asked in curiosity.


    "During the training for this tournament, I occasionally visited the resource facility. And there, I came across a certain metal that appeared to be similar to any other kind of metal, but had a lot of unfamiliar properties as well," Link explained.


    A lot of them still found the information surprising since some questions were still present.


    "That''s cool and all, but she just spawned weapons from her rings. Isn''t that a bit too much compression for realism?" Tyler asked.


    "True. This leaves me with the idea that it''s possible these weapons were not made by her, but rather, possibly created by a God." Link then continued.


    This made more sense to them, especially since they were aware that any of the Gods were capable of shifting matter into another form as shown when Sonar recreated the arena from itself. So these weapons might have been created using the metal Link had mentioned, but were modified by one of the Gods, possibly Zeal, per Rose''s request.


    Rose held on to her weapons tightly as she awaited Iris'' next move.


    "Damn, those are some pretty cool sticks," Iris said to Rose before taking a pause and continuing. "Though I have one question. Why bring blunt weapons to a death match."


    As Iris stated this, she immediately placed her palms by the side of her waist, instantly pulling what seemed to be two sleek daggers from the pockets at the sides of her pants.


    This action made Rose slightly concerned about if the blades were real or not so she attempted to decipher this by checking if she was under the illusion of its presence. After a few seconds of nothing happening, she immediately realized and concluded that these were real weapons and that she had to be careful.


    Rose still stayed in her defensive position so Iris knew she had to be the one to engage, which she did.


    Iris and Rose proceeded to swing their weapons at each other in an attempt to eliminate their foe. The two metallic weapons clashed constantly as each swing from one of them was either evaded or blocked by the other. But Rose knew that, unlike her opponent, she had to worry more about getting cut or stabbed by Iris'' blades.


    The two continued to clash in a very heated battle as Rose seemed to be extremely focused on the match in order not to be eliminated. This made Iris curious about whether she could do much more for Rose than hand-to-hand combat.


    "You seem to be more quiet than usual, mija," Iris stated to Rose with a cheeky tone. "I''m surprised your mouth is even capable of closing."


    "Can you shut up and take this seriously for once?" Rose asked Iris, knowing that her opponent was trying to make her lose focus.


    "Oh sure, like you''re one to talk," Iris then continued.


    A few more seconds of clashes occurred before Rose responded.


    "What do you mean by that? I''m not like you who just can''t stop meddling with others," Rose replied.


    "Flirting isn''t meddling," Iris said. "Learn the difference."


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Oh, sure. And btw, flirting is MY thing, so learn to be original," Rose responded.


    "YOUR thing?" Iris asked after backing up from the fight. "Don''t make me laugh. And you literally cannot think you''re original after copying my hairstyle."


    Rose was blonde with a light shade of pink at the tips of her hair, which was coincidentally similar to Iris, who had black hair with purple tips. Even though Iris'' hair was slightly shorter than Rose''s, they both normally had their hair flowing down to their shoulders. Although at this moment, Iris had tied her hair together with a hair band.


    But it seemed like Iris'' previously made statement had ticked Rose off as immediately Iris said it, Rose stopped her assault instantly to argue.


    "YOUR hairstyle? Bitch, what are you on?" Rose stated. "I''ve had this hairstyle before I even saw your dumb face, so don''t even try to be smart right now."


    "Oh please, don''t give me that crap," Iris responded, also stopping her attacks. "Immediately you saw this beautiful chica you knew you were outmatched, so you had to settle for my hairstyle."


    "You want to compare beauty now?" Rose expressed. "Oh, you wish you were even half as pretty as me."


    "Why would I wish to be beneath such a puta," Iris also expressed with anger.


    The battle seemed to have shifted from physical to verbal as the spectators continued to watch in confusion.


    "What is even happening?" Lance asked as the two fighters continued to talk about their looks.


    "Seems they''re comparing looks," Ace responded. "I mean it''s technically still a battle, right?"


    The demigods continued to spectate as Rose and Iris continued to argue. Eventually, Iris suddenly smiled before she managed to say something that caused Rose to back off a bit.


    "If you think you''re better than me, then why didn''t you end up in bed with Klaus as I did."


    Immediately after this statement was made, back at the spectator''s area, all the demigods instantly turned to Klaus.


    "You have got to be kidding me," Klaus chanted in frustration at his name being mentioned again. "Why do I always have to be involved?"


    Hearing Iris say this made Rose quiet for a bit, but since she had already known about the situation, she was not as surprised as Iris had expected.


    "H-He was drunk, that''s why," Rose managed to say.


    "So you DID know about it?" Iris then said with a smile on her face.


    Rose seemed to be unable to keep eye contact with Iris. The topic felt too heavy for her to talk about, so she didn''t appear to be as enthusiastic as she was a few seconds prior.


    This action made Iris a bit curious as to why Rose''s reaction seemed off, so she decided to press on.


    "You seemed to flutter every time Klaus was brought up. Care to elaborate, Mija?" Iris stated.


    Rose''s face gradually started turning red all of a sudden before she managed to get a few words out.


    "Can you just drop it and continue the battle?" Rose replied.


    Iris knew that she had gotten Rose exactly where she wanted, so she persisted in her statement.


    "Wait, don''t tell me. You have a crush on papi, don''t you?" Iris said.


    Rose, as well as the rest of the demigods, continued in silence. Rose could not say anything since she knew that Iris was right, but she didn''t want to talk about it, especially after what had happened the last time she did.


    "So have you told him about it yet?" Iris asked. "Don''t worry, I can help you out if you like."


    Iris then placed her left palm beside her mouth, hiding it from the spectator''s area before coming closer and whispering something to Rose.


    "Especially since I can vouch that you''re a very good kisser."


    This statement made Rose more furious and she instantly rushed at Iris, continuing her assault.


    Iris proceeded to dodge the attacks effortlessly since Rose''s anger caused her attacks to be a bit sloppy.


    "Did that hurt your feelings?" Iris cheekily asked. "Y''know, I''d expected you to be happy that I''m trying to help you get with the guy of your dreams."


    Iris stood for a few seconds after stating this as she realized that Rose had stopped her passionate assault and was now standing in utter embarrassment. This made Iris wonder why and if it was due to what she had just said.


    Then it hit her.


    "Wait," Iris started. "Unless you already HAVE gotten with him."


    The demigods present in the spectator''s area immediately turned to Klaus once more after Rose''s silence persisted before Iris'' statement.


    "I give up," Klaus muttered without even turning his focus from the battle and remaining quiet immediately after his statement, making the others continue to watch the battle as well.


    "Wow, I didn''t expect that," Iris then continued. "Good job, I guess."


    Rose took a second before she finally decided to continue her attack on Iris. Even though this battle seemed to be going nowhere, Rose was still not ready to continue to verbal battle and wanted to move on from the topic.


    "Just drop it and fight," Rose stated to Iris as she continued to swing.


    "Oh c''mon, mija. I''d expect you to be happy to talk about this," Iris stated before pausing and continuing. "Unless... Unless the situation wasn''t mutual."


    "Shut up," Rose muttered immediately after Iris finished her statement.


    Rose had stopped moving and had closed her eyes in slight embarrassment at the topic as well as anger towards Iris.


    "Ohh, I see. So the situation wasn''t as fun for him as it was for you, huh?" Iris said as she walked closer to Rose with a smile on her face.


    "What exactly is Iris trying to achieve from this?" Shade asked back in the spectator''s area.


    "I''m guessing she''s trying to break her opponent down with verbal assault, making it easier for her when she finally switches up to physical," Quinn responded after a few seconds.


    "But isn''t this a bit too much?" Tyler asked.


    "Yeah. I think she''s trying to exploit her opponent''s emotions. I''m guessing she was able to see through what had happened between Klaus and Rose and used the information to her advantage in breaking Rose down," Quinn then continued.


    A few seconds passed before Quinn then stated something that caught the other demigods'' attention.


    "Though, I really wouldn''t recommend such an action."


    "Why not?" Shade asked in curiosity.


    "I dunno. But It''s just strange to me that someone is trying to use emotional manipulation on the child of the God of emotion, y''know," Quinn stated.


    Immediately after this statement was made, all their attention was drawn instantly to the battlefield as they all turned to witness what was occurring.


    Iris continued to make the same comments, with Rose continuing her request for Iris to shut up. But as this continued, Iris eventually crossed a line that she possibly shouldn''t have.


    "You know what, mija. I guess after this battle I''ll try to ask Klaus which one of us he preferred more."


    As this statement was made, Rose couldn''t take it anymore.


    "SHUT UP!" Rose screamed as she instantly reopened her eyes, revealing her anger towards Iris. But this was not all she was revealing.


    "What the..." Mia stated at the spectator''s area as Rose revealed her crimson red pupils to the rest of the demigods.


    Rose''s face was just as red as it was previously from the statements Iris made, however this time, it was clear that this was due to her rage, rather than being flushed from the topic.


    Rose''s breathing escalated as she stared at Iris in pure rage. Her grip on the batons she wielded was firm as her eyes remained locked with Iris.


    "You know what," Rose then stated. "I''ll just make you."


    As Rose finished her statement, she darted at her opponent at an unbelievable speed. Rose swung her batons at Iris in a hasty manner, with her opponent barely able to evade and block them.


    "What is this?" Iris asked with what seemed to be the first time that her eyes widened in shock. "She''s faster and stronger."


    Rose''s rage was evident as she continued to swing at Iris, hitting her now more than she did prior.


    Klaus looked at what was going on in curiosity as he tried to understand why Rose had suddenly gotten the upper hand.


    "Uhh, what just happened?" Ace asked in confusion. "Her pupils are all red now and she''s stronger."


    "I guess Rose got fed up with Iris and let her rage get the best of her," Quinn stated.


    As Klaus heard this statement, his eyes widened as he suddenly remembered something.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: There''s something I''ve always wondered. Why is it that some of the other demigods seem to have more power than others? Is it just training and experience, or something more?


    IV took a second to think about what he could say to answer Klaus'' question.


    IV: There are a lot of factors that can make someone stronger than another both in general and at a given moment.


    Klaus: So the latter being something like an adrenaline rush?


    IV: Exactly. While it is correct that both experience and commitment to improving oneself are influential factors in making one demigod more effective in combat than another, a shift in mindset can also be a decisive factor that can turn the tide of battle. Happiness, fear, pride. These are typical examples. But there is one particular emotion that holds more significance for demigods than any other.


    "Rage."


    Although her multiplied strength seemed to be an outcome of the ability she was utilizing, the rage Rose felt in the battle might have caused her to awaken it.


    Iris attempted to swing her daggers as well, but Rose did not seem the least bit worried by this as all the attacks that Iris swung, Rose took them head-on, regardless of the injuries she received. This caused Iris to continue her attacks, but her actions were almost immediately nullified as she was in a state where all she could do was defend instead.


    "Why can''t I find an opening?" Iris thought to herself as she used her daggers to defend herself from Rose''s vicious swings of her batons.


    Iris continued to defend her opponent''s attacks until she realized that her daggers were breaking with each clash she and Rose made. This was very surprising to her, especially since Rose''s batons seemed to be taking the impact extremely well.


    "Guess it really is celestial metal," Link stated in the spectator''s area.


    "Wow," Trent commented. "It''s that strong?"


    "According to what I know, it''s approximately seven times stronger than diamonds back on Earth," Link explained.


    "What! That''s crazy," Ace commented in shock at the information.


    "Yeah, well that''s not the only thing crazy about it," Link then whispered to himself before continuing to spectate the ongoing battle.


    Iris knew that she was not going to be able to take any more blows from Rose, and her weapons had been completely broken at this point, so she wondered what else she could do that could assist her in the battle. And she only had one thing in mind.


    As Iris barely continued to evade Rose''s attacks, she instantly closed her eyes for a second, before opening her eyes and revealing her deep purple pupils as she stared into Rose''s eyes.


    Iris knew that this was the best thing she could do, especially since she was all out of options, so she planned to create something that she could use to attack Rose before her opponent realized it was an illusion. She had also hidden the purple color of her eyes from Rose and the other demigods as she normally does, so no one knew that her ability was active.


    But as she attempted to pull out anything that would act as a weapon, Iris noticed something extremely strange.


    "Why isn''t it working?"


    The demigods spectated as Iris attempted to do something about the attacks, but saw that all her actions were futile.


    "You''d have expected Iris to try using her illusions at this point," Trent commented.


    Quinn then squinted her eyes a bit as she tilted her face slightly forward, continuing to spectate the battle.


    "Weird," she then commented. "It''s almost as if she''s trying so hard to do so, but isn''t able to."


    This statement caused Klaus to focus on the battle a bit more as he realized that Iris was attempting to create a weapon out of nowhere but was ultimately failing to do so. This idea caused Klaus to wonder what was going on with Iris and why the battle was so one-sided. Then he had an idea that may have made the outcome slightly more understandable to him.


    "Is it possible that her eyes have something to do with it?" Klaus asked as he turned to Quinn.


    Quinn took a second to think before she finally responded.


    "I have a theory about that. It''s possible that similar to her usual ability to send psychic signals to her target, making them fall in love with her, it''s possible that this one does the opposite and repels any psychic signals sent at her. And since Iris requires her target''s belief before spawning an illusion, it''s safe to say that she is probably unable to create one as long as Rose''s eyes remain that color."


    "If that is the case, then it makes this battle more one-sided than before," Lance immediately commented as they continued to spectate the battle.


    Iris'' attempts to create any possible illusion were unsuccessful, and due to this, she knew that she could not keep up any longer. Rose continued to attack Iris with stronger and faster attacks, which meant that Iris was not going to last long on defense against her opponent.


    And eventually, Rose swung a devastating attack with her baton that caused Iris to fall to the ground, with which Rose then launched herself at her opponent, picking up a piece of the remains from one of Iris'' previously used daggers on the floor and holding it directly at Iris'' neck.


    Iris stared as she saw the anger in Rose''s eyes. Silence briefly filled the arena as the outcome seemed to be determined by whether Rose was able to manifest the capability to kill her opponent. But this didn''t seem to be a difficult task for Rose as immediately, she raised the shard he held on to and attempted to swing it at Iris.


    However, before Rose could land the deciding attack, a statement was made to the entire arena.


    "I forfeit."


    This was a bit more surprising than everyone had expected as these words flew out of Iris'' mouth. Iris felt that there was no reason to continue a losing battle, especially since her abilities couldn''t help her, and her opponent seemed to have multiplied in strength and agility during battle. Even though she genuinely didn''t want to lose to someone like Rose, and for the second time as well, she knew that there was genuinely nothing she could do.


    As Iris stated her previous words, Rose immediately stopped her attack.


    "Are you certain?" XVII asked Iris.


    "I guess," Iris then responded after which XVII immediately announced Rose to be the victor.


    "It seems that the battle is over," Shade said to Klaus.


    "Watching that gave me a headache," Klaus then responded.


    Rose dropped the broken piece she was holding and picked her batons from the ground before pressing what seemed to be a button on the handle of each of them. After she pressed it, the weapons instantly proceeded to shrink and change form, eventually reverting to the rings she had on at the beginning.


    "Yup, definitely celestial metal," Link softly worded after watching this action.


    After a while, Rose''s eyes eventually reverted to their initial sky-blue color. But immediately this occurred, Rose instantly fell to the floor in agony and noticeable exhaustion. Rose continued to breathe heavily as it was clear that the strain of using the ability she had just used was more than she had anticipated.


    Eventually, Rose and Iris, still on the ground due to exhaustion, suddenly proceeded to dematerialize as they were being transported to the medical facility.

 #47: A Hunters Desire

    "Your daughter truly is an impressive fighter."


    A statement was made back at the domain of the Gods.


    "The fact that she can keep such an ability active is frankly remarkable," another God commented to the God spoken to.


    Rose and Iris had been transported for a few minutes as the other demigods awaited their presence before the continuation.


    "I think she did a really good job," Shade eventually commented to Klaus.


    "I guess," Klaus responded.


    "So that means you''re happy that she won, right?" Shade then asked Klaus with a smile.


    Klaus took a few seconds before he responded.


    "I guess."


    And after a few more minutes, Rose finally returned to the Arena of Valor. As Rose walked in first, she headed to the location of Klaus and Shade, where she initially was. Although, similar to her first battle with Iris, she could barely look Klaus in the face after such a topic was mentioned during her battle.


    "Congratulations, Rose," Shade started.


    "Thanks," Rose responded with a smile that she couldn''t stop after looking at Shade for some reason.


    After a few seconds of silence, Rose then turned her attention to Klaus as she attempted to make things less stressful than Iris made it to be.


    "Klaus, I..." Rose started.


    "You performed well," Klaus instantly said cutting her off from what she was going to say. "I''m proud of you."


    Klaus was not one to talk about things like this, and he wasn''t fond of expressing his emotions about such a topic, so he usually decided to let matters like this float into the air and disappear. And this was perfectly fine for Rose, at least for the meantime.


    After a few more minutes of small talk with Rose and Shade, Iris finally returned to the arena. Upon Iris'' entrance, she gradually walked in with what seemed to be a smile on her face.


    Klaus turned his attention to Iris'' appearance as he noticed her smile in surprise. He had expected her to be a bit less joyful, but after all, it was Iris. Then something happened to him.


    As Iris turned her focus to Klaus, she stared at him as she let out a brighter smile. As Klaus locked eyes with Iris, the comical headache he had gotten from their fight suddenly spawned back. It was almost like a pulse of pain as he held on to his head in slight agony. Even though the pain was not anything serious, he knew that it was there.


    Eventually, XVII finally walked ahead of the demigods to announce the next battle.


    "I will now announce the fighters of the next battle," XVII stated as the demigods paid attention.


    Klaus'' sudden ache didn''t seem to subside and it felt a bit strange to him why this was the case. He held onto his head as he continued to pay attention to XVII.


    Suddenly, it appeared that Klaus'' eyes started to get blurry and his head started spinning, making him feel dizzy.


    "What is going on?" Klaus thought to himself as he tried to understand why he was feeling this way.


    "The next battle is..."


    Before XVII could continue his statement, Klaus'' vision almost immediately changed, causing him to see only a deep purple color. Klaus'' eyes were still open, or at least that was what it felt like to him, yet all he could see was purple.


    This lasted for a few seconds before Klaus eventually started to regain his sight, as well as relief from the ache he was feeling earlier. But as he regained his vision, Klaus instantly noticed that something was off.


    As Klaus took his time to analyze what was going on, he noticed that Iris and Rose were still in the arena. However, Rose was stationary as Iris seemed to be moving a bit. Not just that, but as Klaus turned his focus to the other demigods, he also noticed the same reaction Rose had on the rest of them, excluding XVII.


    "Damn, I guess it''s getting weaker now," Iris then said as she turned her face in the arena to Klaus with a smile.


    Eventually, Klaus was alerted back to the other demigods as their vision proceeded to revert from the purple pupils to their normal state.


    "W-What the heck just happened?" Quinn commented as she held onto her head in the realization of the situation.


    All the demigods seemed to have finally returned to their senses, but they knew that something was off. Suddenly, the sounds of giggles slightly echoed around the arena as everyone turned to the battlefield, realizing that Iris was the one and that Rose still seemed to be under the strange situation that had just occurred since her pupils were still purple.


    "I am so confused right now," Link commented on the situation.


    Rose''s eyes then finally reverted to her natural pupils as immediately this occurred, she fell to her knees in exhaustion. Her sighs were audible as she proceeded to gasp for air. Iris then walked up to her opponent as Rose seemed to be unable to do anything. Iris then placed her right hand on her hair and pulled out a needle from it and pointed it directly at Rose''s neck.


    "So what now, chica? Do you forfeit?" Iris asked Rose.


    Rose was still completely confused about what had just happened. One moment she was laughing with Klaus, awaiting the announcement of the next battle, and another moment she was on her knees on the battlefield, gasping desperately for air and unable to move.


    "I... I forfeit." Rose managed to whisper.


    "Are you certain?" XVII then asked Rose.


    Rose turned her head up as Iris continued to smile, but she knew that there was nothing she could do in that state so she nodded her head in agreement.


    "The winner of the battle is... Iris Haze," XVII then announced.


    The confusion among the demigods had never been more noticeable as everyone turned to each other to understand what had just happened. It seemed like what Klaus had witnessed was the same thing that the others had, making it even more strange since this was not how Iris'' illusions worked prior.


    Iris still had her smile on, but she seemed to be weaker than expected so after XVII''s announcement, she fell to the floor unconscious. After, both Iris and Rose were transported to the medical facility.


    "It''s like deja vu, but not," Ace commented after the fighters got transported.


    "What exactly do you remember?" Quinn then asked Lance who was beside her.


    "Rose had used some sort of Rage Charm on herself giving her the win, and the next battle was already announced by XVII. Then after a few moments, everything turned back to the beginning of their fight like nothing happened," Lance then explained to Quinn, confirming that they had the same experience.


    Klaus remembered that XVII had not announced the next battle, but he remembered that he somehow was able to return to reality before the rest, so he was possibly cut out of that part.


    Quinn placed her index finger and thumb on her chin, attempting to critically analyze what had happened, but she didn''t seem to have any luck.


    An ability that tricks the five senses of a person, enabling them to feel, smell, taste, see, or hear something that isn''t truly there. The ability to make a person''s body burn from fire that is not present, making the target''s skin behave as if this was not the case, or the ability to inflict wounds with a blade that only exists to the opponent. This was the simple explanation of Iris'' abilities that seemed to be the general knowledge at this point. But somehow, what had just happened was completely different from what everyone was aware of.


    "I think I have an idea of what is happening," Shade suddenly mentioned, dragging the attention of all the demigods.


    "I''m sure that everyone is already aware that this is not the same as Iris'' usual ability," Shade started. "From what I can understand, it''s possible that Iris was able to place everyone under an illusion, but instead of us perceiving something that wasn''t there, we instead perceived an entire reality that wasn''t there."


    This statement came as a shock to everyone as Shade continued to explain.


    "We all know that it felt genuine. Perhaps Iris can deceive the cerebral cortex into perceiving that an action has been performed when in reality, the body just stands stationery."


    "That makes sense," Quinn stated. " So it''s an illusion that makes the entire brain perceive a False Reality."


    "That is beyond scary," Link commented.


    "Yeah, but how did she get all of us? Because I''m sure she didn''t stare at us during her fight with Rose," Tyler pointed out.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Quinn took a few seconds to remember everything that had happened within the past hour before she came across a strange memory.


    "The point when she was explaining Arthur''s ability. That was the last time she stared into my eyes. And it seems like she did the same to everyone else for a brief second," Quinn explained.


    "But what about me?" Trent asked. "Arthur and I weren''t there by then."


    "True," Quinn continued. "But it''s possible it was when she was congratulating you guys upon your arrival," Quinn stated.


    Considering that Iris was not present at the moment and that she would probably not be willing to explain such a strong ability to her possible opponents, the rest of the demigods knew that there was no way they could get a confirmation in the meantime.


    "But the true question remains..." Klaus eventually mumbled. "What exactly was an illusion and not?"


    "You''re referring to Rose''s Rage Charm thing, right?" Shade whispered to Klaus.


    "I don''t know if that was Rose''s ability or just Iris trying to make Rose believe the illusion of victory even more," Klaus explained to Shade.


    This assumption made sense to Shade. They were unaware if everything that happened with Rose was her ability or not, so they decided to ask her when she arrived.


    A few more minutes went by before Iris and Rose finally returned to the arena, this time for real. The disappointment on Rose''s face made the others feel bad for her. The feeling of victory, immediately followed by the realization of defeat, was what Rose had felt in the past hour.


    A few other demigods still congratulated her on a good performance, but considering all she did in the battle was stand to exhaustion, she took their words as untrue. Then she walked to her seat, where Klaus and Shade were.


    "Illusion or not, I still think you did a great job, Rose," Shade started. "There was no way anyone would have realized it so don''t be too hard on yourself."


    This statement was able to make Rose smile as she turned to Shade and accepted his words. Shade then turned to Klaus as he stared at his brother, attempting to make Klaus say something as well. Klaus sighed before he finally decided to talk.


    "I still stand by what I said when the illusion was active."


    Rose realized that his words in the illusion were truly from him and not a creation of Iris, so she smiled and nodded her head in slight joy.


    Quinn sent barrages of questions at Iris, who was also present at the arena, but as expected, Iris did not reveal too much.


    "All I can confirm is that everything mija did could have happened either way," was Iris'' only statement on the situation.


    But this was enough to confirm that Rose''s ability was real and not projected by her.


    Iris then walked to Klaus with a few things on her mind. She then turned her focus to Rose before stretching her hand out.


    "I know I used a lot of personal information during the fight. And I know that''s not cool. So I wanna say that I''m sorry, for what it''s worth."


    Rose took a second to think about it before she finally decided to return the handshake.


    "That''s fine, I guess," Rose responded. "However, I want to know something. When I entered that weird state, I''m sure it should''ve stopped you from creating illusions. Why didn''t it stop the main one?"


    "I dunno," Iris replied. "Maybe all it did was close the door for any other possible illusions, not completely negate the already existing ones. Especially since the daggers were also technically illusions."


    As Iris explained this, Rose just realized that Iris had pulled daggers out of her pockets, but this did not seem weird when it initially happened. She assumed that this was also part of the illusion, to keep the target fooled for as long as possible since realizing an illusion is always the sole way of breaking out.


    Before any more conversation could be made, XVII finally walked ahead of the demigods with an announcement.


    "I will now announce the next battle."


    Once again, the demigods stared at XVII, awaiting the announcement.


    "The next battle is... Mia Woods vs X."


    And as this statement was made, almost everyone''s eyes widened.


    Klaus turned to Mia and in doing so, he noticed the slight fear in her face upon realizing that she was next and that she was about to battle X. Everyone stared in silence as Mia gradually proceeded to walk to the entrance of the battlefield.


    X was not around the other demigods and was a bit far. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be in a state of focus with his arms folded and a leg crossed while on his seat. His breathing was also very gradual and concentrated, which helped Klaus realize that he was meditating.


    After a few seconds, X then opened his eyes before walking into the battlefield seconds after Mia.


    Silence filled the arena as X walked in, standing in front of Mia, similar to the other fights. Mia''s heart could not stop pounding as she locked eyes with her brother. She didn''t know what to feel, whether to be scared of the battle that awaited her, or to be happy that she had gotten an opportunity to prove to X that she was worthy to share the same last name with him.


    "G-Good luck, b-bro," Mia managed to say.


    X''s silence was clear as he awaited the commencement of the battle, ignoring her statement. And finally, the alarm rang, indicating the battle''s commencement.


    Immediately the battle commenced, X proceeded to walk gradually toward Mia. This scene was frightening to her since she knew that she was beyond comparison to his close combat capabilities. Swiftly, she then pulled out her bow from behind her and picked up an arrow from the quiver on her thigh. These were actual arrows that were not altered like the ones she used during the Cosmic League.


    Mia pulled the arrow before firing it at X. But as the shot reached him, X caught the arrow instantly. He then snapped the caught arrow before continuing his forward motion, without slowing down in the slightest.


    In a state of panic, Mia then continued to fire multitudes of arrows once again but ultimately failed to hit her opponent, even though every single shot was on target. X continued to catch the thrown arrows, breaking and throwing them to the ground instantly before the others were shot.


    X continued to walk closer to her, which made her realize that she had to do something quickly. She then remembered that she could use True Accuracy if she wanted to land a solid shot. But she knew that the backlash upon using it was too great and there was still a possibility that hitting him with an arrow would do little to no damage. With this, Mia knew that she had to write off the ability, at least for the meantime.


    By the time Mia realized, X had almost reached where she was so she instantly jumped backward to create more space between them. She knew that even though it wasn''t working, range was her best chance of winning the battle so she had to continue her current approach until she found a better one.


    "The same futile attack," X said to Mia. "Pathetic."


    Mia continued to fire her arrows once again at X, with him using his hands to hit the shots away this time as he continued to walk.


    "He''s not attacking," Lance stated while spectating the battle. "I am surprised."


    "Yeah," Quinn started. "In everything I''ve ever heard about X, he always tends to finish a battle before it even becomes one. But this time, he''s not even using Heart Halter and Soul Slayer."


    All the demigods turned to her in confusion at her latter statement.


    "The who and what now?" Link asked.


    Quinn realized that she had information the others didn''t, but she felt that this was not one that she would decide to keep to herself. She was also eliminated from the tournament, so the information wasn''t valuable to her so she decided to disclose it.


    "The Heart Halter. A nickname given by the press on the very sniper rifle that had taken over a dozen politicians'' lives. It''s rumored that for every bullet that is fired from the weapon, a heart would also be halted. And then there''s the Soul Slayer. A hand cannon sidearm that''s rumored to have the same force as a rocket-propelled weapon when fired. This was also the weapon X used to take the life of the French minister of finance a few months ago, as well as a few others."


    "I think I''ve heard that before," Link said as the display on his helmet changed to a loading bar for a few seconds.


    The bar then filled up before it reverted to its usual display and he continued.


    "Yeah. you''re right," He responded, confirming what Quinn had explained.


    But Quinn still had her curious look on her face as she brushed her chin in thought once again.


    "I wonder. X could win in a ranged battle, probably easier than his close range too, so why exactly is he not fighting back?"


    Mia was starting to run out of arrows as she continued to fire shots at X, ultimately failing to hit any. She was starting to realize that she was going to have to fight him in hand-to-hand combat.


    After a few more seconds, X seemed to be fed up with the repetitive nature of the battle so after deflecting one of the fired arrows, he instantly changed from his walking motion into running. Mia noticed his action as she instantly dropped the arrow she was holding and switched to a close-range style.


    The two fighters clashed, with X expectedly swinging more punches and Mia defending more. But it was clear that the battle was not a fair one.


    X continued to swing punches at Mia and landed about seventy percent of them. Mia somehow managed to dodge and block a few, but the other attacks she was receiving were too great for her. And the worst thing was that she couldn''t get a single window of opportunity to even decide to attack once.


    "I''m guessing this is where it ends," Shade said.


    "I guess," Klaus responded.


    "Seems that all this time, he was just stalling," Rose commented.


    Klaus seemed to be frustrated that X was landing so many blows on his sister, but he knew that the tournament was expected to be brutal and that the fighters were expected to go all out, regardless of their opponent.


    The fight continued in X''s favor as with every attack Mia received, she was getting closer and closer to losing consciousness. She was getting bested.


    As the barrage of attacks continued, eventually, X landed a devastating punch on the side of Mia''s head, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground in utter pain. The attack was so devastating, that Mia possibly lost consciousness for a brief second before managing to hang on to what consciousness she had. But she knew she couldn''t go on any further.


    "Get up."


    As Mia turned her head up, she noticed the anger in X''s eyes as he stated those words. The silence lasted for a few seconds as everyone watched Mia struggle to get back on her feet.


    Upon getting up, X moved back a bit and waited for a few seconds before finally returning to the battle. This entire scene made the other demigods feel bad for Mia and what was happening to her.


    "It''s almost like she doesn''t want to forfeit because she wants to impress him," Rose stated at the spectator''s area.


    "I feel bad for her, knowing there''s probably no chance of that happening," Quinn replied.


    The battle continued almost the same way, except this time, Mia was taking more damage than before. Her eyes seemed to be getting harder and harder to keep open as X continued to attack at the same pace he had in the battle. Once again, X landed yet another devastating blow on her, causing her to fall to the ground once more.


    "Get up," X said once again as he stared directly at her.


    "This is torture," Tyler commented. "At this point, we''ll understand if she forfeits."


    Mia still attempted to get up, even though she was badly hurt and could barely stay conscious at this point. But her attempts fell short as she couldn''t get back on her feet.


    "I-I f-forfeit," Mia managed to state while still on the ground.


    This was not surprising, but rather refreshing, for most of the demigods to hear as they spectated the battle.


    "Are you certain?" XVII then asked Mia.


    Mia then nodded her head in confirmation. She was extremely disappointed in her performance in the battle, especially since she never even got the chance to use True Accuracy, or even land a single blow at least. But she knew that there was nothing she could do.


    As she turned to X, she noticed that he had anger in his eyes. She could not blame him for it, but she wanted to impress him and she was sad that she failed.


    X still had anger in him, but eventually, he closed his eyes and sighed, almost calmly. Suddenly, he made a gesture that surprised everyone in the Arena of Valor. He stretched his hand at Mia, almost as if he wanted to help her up.


    Mia saw this action and was stunned for a few seconds, and the silence from X made it more difficult to tell what was happening, but she decided to take it as a gesture so she stretched her hand out as well. And to her surprise, X helped her up from her fallen state.


    "Wow, didn''t see that coming," Link commented.


    Mia smiled at X as her face turned redder by the second. X closed his eyes for a brief moment before placing his right palm on her left shoulder. This felt like a sweet dream to Mia as she could not believe what was happening was real. But as always, sweet dreams eventually come to an end.


    As X placed his palm on her shoulder, he then let out a slight sigh before finally saying something.


    "You bring shame to that last name."


    Immediately X made this statement before anyone could even react to the statement, he gripped her shoulder before placing his left leg forward and using force to sweep Mia off her feet.


    Mia felt everything in slow motion as she proceeded to fall to her side. But before she could completely fall, she turned her eyes upward to see what appeared as X''s sidearm pointed directly between her eyes.


    All the demigods watched as before Mia could fall to the ground, a loud bang echoed around the entire Arena of Valor.

 #48: Cruelties of Battle

    A loud sound echoed around the arena.


    For a few seconds, Klaus could not believe what he was seeing. The sight he was witnessing made it feel like he was in some nightmare, but he knew that this was nothing but reality.


    Rose instantly turned her face unto Klaus'' chest in fear, with tears in her eyes. She could not believe what she was seeing and what was happening. Lance had his hands folded as he continued to stare at the stage in slight frustration.


    All the demigods had nothing but shock in their eyes as they watched Mia''s corpse fall to the ground. X had used his sidearm to blow Mia''s head into pieces, instantly taking his own sister''s life.


    "How could he," Siren said with pain in his voice. "She had already forfeited."


    He had both his palms on the headgear around his mouth and his voice sounded like he was slightly sobbing underneath. The pain was evident as all the demigods were frustrated, especially since it wasn''t even a fair fight, to begin with.


    "Unfortunately, the rules do not say anything about forfeiting, meaning as long as you are in the ring and still alive, you are still a battle member," XVII then announced to the demigods. "This is the information the Gods transmitted for me to relay."


    This news came as a huge disappointment to the demigods. This meant that X''s cruel action was candid and he was allowed to continue participating in the tournament.


    "This means that X is the victor and will proceed to the next round," XVII announced briefly after.


    Rose was still sobbing heavily, which was not too surprising since this was possibly the first time she, alongside a few others, witnessed such a brutal death.


    Shade had a sorry look as he turned to her slightly before turning back to the scene in pain. He knew that they were supposed to expect such a thing due to the rules of the tournament, but he didn''t expect it to hurt that badly. But as Shade turned his focus to Klaus, all he could see in his brother''s eyes was pure anger.


    Klaus was pissed.


    The frustration of witnessing such a devastating murder, the pain of such a one-sided fight, but the most one was the anger from a fighter killing his sibling. These were the emotions Klaus felt as X placed his gun back into its holster.


    X proceeded to walk out of the arena before the timer for the transfer to the medical facility could elapse. He then walked back to his seat before returning to his meditating pose. This made it clear that the battle meant nothing to him and that he did not need any medical help after the fight.


    After a few seconds, Mia''s body gradually proceeded to vanish, eventually transporting to the medical facility.


    The silence was clear for a long time. Nobody knew what to say or what to do. Rose had stopped her sobbing but was still too demoralized to even do or say anything, and the same applied to everyone.


    Even though it was not fair, this was how reality was. This was the verdict that everyone eventually succumbed to. Except for Klaus.


    After what felt like a century of silence, Klaus suddenly got up and proceeded out of the Arena of Valor.


    "Klaus?" Shade asked in confusion.


    "I''m fine," Klaus responded before walking out.


    Klaus walked until he arrived at the entrance of the medical facility. He got in before he proceeded to search for where Mia had been transported to. Klaus continued to search until he found a room that he assumed to be the destination of the transported fighters.


    The room was spacious and had a few pods and mechanical devices operating in them. From the looks of it, it seemed that if a person is transported from the arena, their body would spawn at this location and into the pod where it would be rejuvenated and reverted to its natural state.


    Klaus walked into the room before realizing that one of the pods seemed to have someone in it. The pods were horizontal and had a small opening at the top, revealing about half of their content. As he looked inside the pod, he realized Mia and after a few more seconds, the pod proceeded to open. Considering that he had not yet battled, Klaus'' unfamiliarity with the room made sense. He also assumed this was where he was transported during the Cosmic League after losing to X, but could not confirm since he never gained consciousness in the facility.


    Klaus moved back, attempting to give Mia space to collect her thoughts and understand what was happening. Mia gradually opened her eyes before she sat up from her lying position to see Klaus at her side.


    "Oh it''s you, light boy," Mia stated in a depressed tone as she attempted to exit the pod.


    "I came to check up on you. Are you alright?" Klaus asked immediately before Mia got out of the pod.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Mia took a second to think of what had happened before she responded to Klaus.


    "Yeah, I''m fine."


    This response made Klaus even more agitated. He knew that Mia was lying and it made him wonder why.


    "Do you really think what he did to you would be considered fine?" Klaus then asked Mia.


    "I mean, I''m still alive, aren''t I? Also, I don''t blame him since he had to do what needed to be done to win the game," Mia then said to Klaus with a smile on her face.


    Klaus knew that she was trying her best to defend X and he wondered why. He didn''t understand why she was so hung up on making him seem better than he was.


    "Look. I get that you wanted to impress your brother, but I can never lie to you and say that there is an ounce of reciprocation from him. I understand your intentions, I really do. But you need to stop defending a monster like him when you know deep down that it''s not worth it."


    Hearing these words made tears gradually roll down Mia''s eyes. It wasn''t that she was unaware of this fact, but she tried so hard to believe that it was not so.


    "I really tried, you know," Mia said as she continued her sobbing.


    Klaus could feel the pain in her voice as she continued to cry. He then walked closer to her before placing his left arm around her and comforting her.


    "I know it''s not the same, but for what it''s worth, I thought you were amazing," Klaus said to her.


    This made Mia''s eyes widen in admiration. Klaus'' confidence mixed with his genuine persona made Mia feel a lot better after everything that had happened. She felt that he was doing a very good job of making her feel better.


    Mia then smiled at him before wiping her tears and replying to him.


    " You keep complimenting me like that and I might just end up falling for you," she jokingly said.


    Klaus then reciprocated the smile after noticing she was feeling better. He also suggested that she take a bit more time to collect herself before returning to the arena which she did, with him remaining to console her. And after a few minutes, they decided to return to the Arena of Valor.


    Upon returning to the arena, a few demigods rushed at Mia upon her sight.


    "Are you okay, Mia?" Quinn asked in concern.


    Mia nodded her head and smiled. Quinn then turned to Klaus before commenting on his actions.


    "Running out was very risky, Klaus. You know you could''ve been disqualified, right?"


    Klaus sighed before Mia decided to cut in, choosing to defend him.


    "Well, it was worth it. He really helped me get over what happened," Mia said.


    "So Klaus helped you?" Quinn asked in surprise.


    Mia turned to Klaus before turning back to Mia and smiling.


    "Yeah. Seeing him helped a lot," Mia said as she started getting flushed.


    Quinn raised an eyebrow in confusion as to why Mia was so passionate about Klaus. A thought then popped into her head before she shook her head in realization.


    CONVERSATION


    Quinn: Every girl just unintentionally falls for you, don''t they, Klaus?


    Mia: W-What? That''s not what I said.


    Klaus did not have any reaction to this statement as he knew that commenting or saying anything about it would just prolong the already ridiculous topic so he kept the same face he always did.


    Ace: I mean, can you blame him? The dude''s unspoken charisma is crazy.


    Quinn: Still, it doesn''t mean every girl around him would fall for him.


    Mia: I mean, aren''t you a girl too?


    Link: I doubt that.


    Quinn: Oh, shut up. And it''s like I''m probably the only one who has the mental fortitude to withstand his charms.


    Link: So you agree that he''s charming (displaying a smirking face on his mask)?


    Quinn: Aaaand I''m done talking.


    Link laughed after the response which caused a few others to do so as well. Even though she was still feeling a bit down, Mia still found joy in the moment.


    Mia turned her face to X as she stared at him for a brief moment. He remained in his meditating position with his eyes closed, ignoring everything that was happening at that moment, which meant that she couldn''t say anything to him.


    "One day, I will change your mind about me," Mia then thought to herself before returning her attention to Quinn and the others.


    After a short conversation period, XVII finally walked back ahead of the demigods to announce the next battle.


    "I will now announce the next battle," XVII said before commencing. "The next battle is... Ace Falcon vs Riley Greene."


    Ace and Riley heard their names as they proceeded to the entrance of the battlefield. The two fighters walked into the arena as they stood ahead of each other, awaiting the commencement of their fight.


    Riley had a smirk on her face, seemingly confident in her skill. She seemed like she had faith in winning the battle that was to occur. But as confident as she was, her expression was still bested by her opponent, Ace.


    Ace''s expression while on the battlefield felt like he was not in one. The smile he had on his face was similar to the usual smile he had on which always matched his persona. Ace was always a bright and happy person regardless of the situation, but this time, his expression was noticeably more than usual.


    "I''m guessing you''re just as pumped as I am to fight," Riley said to Ace.


    "You have no idea," Ace responded before moving to position, awaiting the alarm.


    Silence filled the battlefield as both fighters patiently waited for the bell. And as the alarm finally rang, something strange happened.


    Immediately the alarm rang, Riley felt a tap beside her. This caused her to put her intended forward rush to a halt and turn to see what was going on and who it was. And to her surprise, Ace was standing right beside her, tapping her shoulder and looking down.


    "Damn, you came prepared," Ace said.


    This action confused Riley for almost a full second as she turned her head back to where Ace was and noticed his absence, before realizing that her opponent had already made his way to her. Upon noticing this, Riley jumped to the side, away from Ace, noticing that he had a clear chance to eliminate her from the game instantly.


    As Riley moved sideways, she then put what Ace had said in thought.


    "What did he mean by that?" Riley thought.


    As she turned her head down, she noticed some daggers and other small sharp objects on the ground.


    "Y''know, considering we just recently found out about the killing rule, you still brought so many weapons, right?" Ace commented, implying that the weapons on the floor were Riley''s.


    Riley realized this statement as her eyes widened. She then used her palms to tap around her body, seemingly searching for something. But she did not seem to find it as she dropped her arms and stood in surprise.


    "You disarmed me completely, didn''t you?" Riley asked Ace with a forced smile on her face.


    Ace''s smile grew upon noticing that Riley had finally realized what was going on.


    "Unbelievable," Klaus commented at the spectator''s area. "He disarmed her before the alarm could even complete."


    "Wow," Rose exclaimed. "How the heck did he do that?"


    "I don''t know," Klaus continued. "But there''s one thing that''s for sure."


    "Ace is about five times faster than he ever was."

 #49: Swift Motion

    Ace was faster.


    This was the first realization Klaus had as he spectated the ongoing battle. Ace had just moved so fast that he was able to search Riley and disarm her of all her weapons before the match had even completely begun.


    Riley knew that Ace''s speed would be a hindrance to her, especially since her Gaia State required her to be immobile, but Ace being faster than she had anticipated was not good at all for her.


    "You really took your training seriously, huh?" Riley commented.


    "You have no idea," Ace responded. "I literally started the day the Cosmic League ended."


    "Wow," Riley exclaimed. "But how come you''re significantly faster?"


    "Well, I''m sure telling you wouldn''t be beneficial to me, but what I can say is that I trained every day to be able to understand this ability," Ace responded once more.


    "Understand?" Klaus whispered to himself back at the spectator''s area.


    He was surprised at the manner Ace addressed his speed. The way he talked about mastering it made it seem like his speed needed understanding and not consistent training like the average human. Klaus then remembered his conversation with Ace back at the Cosmic League when he requested to know how Ace''s speed worked, but couldn''t find out since they were not allies at the moment.


    This kept Klaus in thought for a while before continuing to spectate to find out more about the ability.


    At this point, Riley knew that she had to continue the battle if she wanted to win. Even though her stamina was beyond impressive, Riley was aware that Ace did not require energy to move faster so she knew that she would be the first one to get tired in the fight. This meant that she had to use her abilities wisely and tactically to catch Ace off-guard and give her the win.


    "Gaia State," Riley said as she placed her palms on the floor, creating an abundance of roots ahead of her.


    Ace smiled as the roots rushed at him with great speed. He then folded his arms before gradually moving aside all the roots that were headed toward him. He dodged all the attacks with relative ease and a smile on his face as the roots continued to rush at him.


    It was clear that Ace''s speed was unmatched, and that he did not have any intention to switch to offense any time soon. this meant that his control over the match was more than anyone thought.


    The roots continued to rush and Ace in a choreographed manner continued to evade them until he realized what Riley was trying to do.


    "Wow, didn''t see that coming," Ace stated as he stared ahead of him, revealing that the roots were aligned in a way that created a straight path between him and Riley.


    The roots continued behind him, creating something like a slim cage with him inside. Ace''s vertical and horizontal sides were blocked completely, leaving Riley with a straight path for her to attack.


    And with this, Riley sent out a thicker root from where she was directly at Ace who had no way to evade the incoming attack. The attack went straightforward until it finally collided with her opponent and the roots at the end of the path.


    She had landed a devastating hit on her opponent.


    Riley then removed her palms from the floor ahead of her as she changed her position to a sitting one. She had created a tremendous amount of roots to corner Ace in a way that would give her a sure hit, but this had cost a slight amount of her energy. But for the result, this was more than enough of a trade for her.


    But as she sat on the floor to catch the little breath she needed, Riley suddenly heard a noise inside the room she had created with the roots. Suddenly, all the roots around proceeded to cut into pieces, shredding and falling all at once. And at its center was Ace, with his entire body vibrating in a certain manner and his hands apart from each other.


    "You''re kidding," Riley said to herself as she got up from her position.


    Ace halted his vibratory motion before smiling once more and waving at Riley.


    "You know you''re annoying sometimes, right?" Riley said to Ace with a smile on her face.


    "That''s the plan," Ace responded with a smile as well.


    Ace had just completely shredded all the roots Riley had used to attack and bind him with ease as not a single drop of sweat was even present on him. Riley sighed in frustration for a bit before returning her focus to him.


    "I''d ask how you evaded it, but I''m sure the information wouldn''t even matter," Riley said.


    "Kinda," Ace responded.


    "So now what?" Riley asked. "Aren''t you gonna try attacking as well?"


    Ace smiled before he decided to respond to her question.


    "Well, the issue is that if I do attack, it''ll probably end the game quickly. So the least I can do is to give the Gods a show, y''know" Ace said.


    "Underestimating usually leads to defeat, y''know," Riley responded to him.


    "True," Ace then said before continuing. "Then do you wanna see something cool?"


    And as Ace said this, he returned to the stance he was in when vibrating his body earlier. His body then, once again, proceeded to vibrate, but this time, it was quicker. This action lasted for about five seconds before Riley immediately noticed what he was doing.


    And as Ace continued, three other figures proceeded to spawn beside him, all looking exactly like him.


    "Afterimages," Riley exclaimed. "Of course, he can do that."


    Riley then placed her hands on the floor, once again utilizing her Gaia State technique. The roots continued to move at Ace, who had somehow quadrupled in number, with hopes to immobilize him.


    As the roots reached Ace, all the versions of him simply stood in one place. But as the roots arrived, they all phased through every version of Ace. All the afterimages stayed in their positions and smiled as the roots phased through every one of them. This caused Riley to halt her attack for a brief moment upon realizing it.


    Ace then used this opportunity to rush at Riley as all four variants of himself instantly appeared beside her. He then proceeded to combo with himself as all the afterimages hit her from all four sides.


    All the variants of Ace placed Riley into a state of no escape as she could not even react to where she was being hit. Riley continued to take heavy blows from all angles as she proceeded to lose consciousness with each connected attack.


    "It''s like he''s performing combos with himself," Link pointed out from the spectator''s area.


    Ace was completely dominating the fight, and this was what all the demigods had in mind. All hope seemed to be lost for Riley. But she knew that she had to do something before she would lose consciousness completely.


    Ace continued to hit her in vital spots as he continued his barrage of attacks. But as Riley continued, she managed to push herself to the ground to stop the relay that was occurring. As she fell to the floor, she placed both palms on the floor to use her Gaia State again.


    Suddenly, multiple stems proceeded to spawn around her in rapid succession. The stems proceeded to spawn and grow, causing Ace to retreat by moving back. Ace then stopped the afterimages before turning his attention to Riley who was at the center of all the plants that spawned and covered almost the entire battlefield. He also noticed that all the stems had the same flower grown around the body of each one.


    Riley stood up from the ground before turning her focus back to Ace who was barely visible between all the plants and flowers. Her exhaustion was clear as her breathing intensified for a while. She had created multiple plants around her to distance herself from Ace and this proved to be successful.


    "You still have some fight left in you, right?" Ace said with a smile.


    "I guess I do," Riley responded with a smile of her own.


    Ace then proceeded to walk forward at Riley before he suddenly noticed something. Immediately, he fell to his knees as his expression changed from his confidence to a more concerned one.


    "What''s going on?" Ace muttered to himself.


    His eyes were feeling heavy as he tried to stay conscious for some reason, almost like he was poisoned. The dizziness kept enhancing with every second and his body kept feeling weaker and weaker, gradually losing his breath.


    Then he realized something. The air around him had a thick aura of what seemed to be pollen oozing from the flowers that bloomed around the plants.


    "The flowers," Ace whispered. "They''re poisonous."


    Ace placed his hands on the ground while still on his knees to prevent himself from falling. The effects of the pollen were clear


    "Wow, Ace seems to be losing consciousness for some reason," Iris stated in the spectator''s area, confirming her sight of Ace.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "How?" Trent asked.


    "Seems to be the effect of the flowers Riley created," Iris continued.


    "Tall palmate purple-blue flowers in clusters that appear to be poisonous," Quinn stated. "If I had to take a guess, these would have to be monkshood, also known as Wolf''s Bane."


    Klaus was not an expert on plants so he could not confirm this, but he knew that if anyone was to have an idea, it would be Quinn.


    "But that doesn''t make sense," Link eventually stated. "From what I could notice, Ace didn''t have contact with the flowers at all. And no plant in the world is poisonous by just smell alone."


    "True," Quinn replied. "But who''s to say these aren''t flowers that Riley herself created, mimicking wolf''s bane and its effects by just smelling them instead? I mean, they are her creation after all."


    Quinn''s point was fair. There was no confirmation that these flowers weren''t of Riley''s creation so there was a possibility that they would behave as she intended.


    Riley smiled as she continued to breathe heavily to replenish the energy she had lost. The pollen from the flowers didn''t seem to have any effect on her so it was safe to assume that she was immune at that moment. She knew that Ace had no way of escaping since almost the entire arena was covered with these flowers, and the effects of the already inhaled pollen were too strong to allow him to escape its poisonous grasp.


    Riley was sure that she had won the game.


    Suddenly, a small exhale came from Ace before he managed to stand himself back up.


    "My bad. I let my guard down a bit too much," Ace muttered before standing back on his feet completely.


    As Riley looked directly at her opponent, she noticed a bright smile on Ace''s face as he stared back with seemingly no sight of pain whatsoever.


    "Now what," Riley exclaimed after noticing that Ace was no longer affected by the pollen of the flowers.


    Ace then took his crouched stance once more with his hands apart, but this time his fingers touching each other, as he vibrated both hands with speed.


    "Guess it''s harvest season," Ace said before suddenly, the plants around him proceeded to shred.


    Within a few seconds, Ace instantly destroyed all the plants that filled the battlefield, shredding them and moving them to the field''s edges. His constant motion was also able to clear the thick aura that the pollen had created in the arena which made it easier for him and the spectators to see the battle.


    "How are you still conscious?" Riley asked in clear confusion about Ace''s current state.


    "I mean, I do have a fast immune system that instant counters any poisonous effect even before they enter my body," Ace explained. "But I guess I really should stop leaving that off."


    Ace had just explained that by will, he was unable to have any poisonous effects active on his body, which meant that the pollen initially having effect was the cause of his sloppiness by willingly lowering his defenses drastically.


    Riley was all out of ideas and all she could do was stand and stare in disbelief. The fact that Ace was able to destroy all the plants in seconds meant that he had the chance to eliminate her anytime he wanted. This gave Riley a clearer dynamic of the battle, revealing that Ace had been on top since the battle''s commencement.


    "She''s realizing that it''s futile," Quinn stated back at the spectator''s area.


    All hope seemed to be lost for Riley as she worded out a few words.


    "I forfeit."


    Her forfeit made sense since there was no possible way she could eliminate Ace at such a tremendous speed gap. Ace''s training clearly paid off and this was the verdict of a lot of the demigods that spectated the battle.


    "Are you certain?" XVII asked Riley before commencing.


    But before Riley could confirm her forfeit, her eyes suddenly widened at the realization of something.


    "Wait, hold on," Riley said with her eyes still widened. "Oh my Gods, I''m an idiot."


    She then turned to XVII and the others in the spectator''s area before proceeding.


    "I''m sorry, but no. I don''t forfeit. I forgot that I had a freaking trump card."


    Everyone turned to each other in confusion. Not just the fact that Riley had almost forfeited the match, but the statement of a trump card being present for her.


    "Is that fine?" Quinn asked XVII to confirm if Riley could decline the confirmation.


    "As long as the winner has not been declared, or that she has not perished in battle, she is still a fighter," XVII explained.


    Ace stared at Riley in surprise at her decline of confirmation and wondered what she had meant by her statement.


    "Trump card?" Ace asked.


    Riley then stood straight and closed her eyes. She stretched her hands out and moved them upwards and apart, while taking a deep breath in, before finally joining both of her palms together after her inhaling stopped. She held her breath for about a second or two before finally exhaling heavily, with her palms still joined together around her chest.


    "Her technique," Lance suddenly started at the spectator''s area while all this was happening, and still focusing on the battle. "She''s trying to increase her concentration to enter a state of tranquility, ultimately giving her a better focus on her surroundings."


    "How would that help against Ace?" Tyler asked rightfully.


    "Because," Quinn said, while also focusing on the fight. "It allows her to become one with Nature."


    And a few seconds after Riley exhaled, before anyone could say anything more, Riley finally stated something.


    "Ventus State."


    Immediately after these words were stated by Riley, noticeable sounds of wind proceeded to occur around the entire battlefield. Fast gushes of wind proceeded to spawn around Riley as she still had her eyes closed and her palms together.


    "What''s happening?" Ace wondered as he started to feel the swift nature of the winds that started to fill the battlefield.


    He wondered if allowing Riley to do what she was doing was a good idea for him and he started to worry if he might have jeopardized his chances of winning. But he shook all those thoughts out of his head since he perceived them to be impossible.


    "Did she just say Ventus?" Link asked at the spectator''s area. "That''s new."


    All the demigods stared as strong forces of wind filled the entire battlefield. Ace was starting to feel worried so he decided that he would have to switch to offense.


    Suddenly, Ace appeared directly in front of her with his fist, pointed directly at her, and almost close to coming in contact. But instead of landing the blow, it appeared as if Ace was frozen in place.


    The sounds of wind roared as a mighty force gushed from behind Riley, heading toward where she was facing and against Ace. Ace''s body stayed in the same location for almost a second before the force of wind instantly hurled his entire body to the end of the battlefield, slamming to the wall.


    "What is going on?" Siren asked at the spectator''s area. "Everything is happening so fast."


    "I had to replay it at the slowest possible speed I could," Link started. "But from what I could understand, Ace charged towards Riley in an attempt to attack, but a sudden gust of wind repelled him away."


    "So that means this state allows Riley to manipulate wind forces," Quinn then added.


    "I guess," Link then replied with a voice that sounded exactly like Klaus''.


    Klaus turned to Link in reaction to hearing his voice but turned away without saying anything after noticing Link''s expression.


    Ace managed to raise his head from his fallen state. His body had slammed onto the wall by an unexpected force of wind and things were starting to look rough for him. He knew that he had to be serious from this point onward.


    "Guess she wasn''t kidding about the trump card," Ace said while rubbing his head in slight pain and getting up.


    Ace got up while holding his right shoulder with his left hand. He seemed to be having pains in his right arm due to the contact between him and the wall. Ace stared at Riley, noticing that she had been in the same spot for about twenty seconds altogether at this point. And after a few seconds, something changed.


    Riley still had her palms together and her eyes closed, but at this point, her feet had risen from the ground and she was floating. A ferocious wind blew around her as she continued to levitate, with her dark brown hair also floating and spreading.


    After what seemed like an eternity of total concentration, Riley finally opened her eyes gradually, revealing a noticeable glow to her naturally green eyes.


    "You done?" Ace asked as he smiled at Riley who had finally finished her transformation.


    Riley stared at Ace in silence, which was interpreted by Klaus that she had decided not to speak to keep her bond with nature strong. Her silence, bundled with her floating presence, made her current state even more frightening as her palms remained together.


    Ace then took his stance once more, preparing to rush at Riley once more and deal the winning blow since he no longer liked his odds in the battle. But before anything else could happen, Riley finally lifted her right palm from its position and placed it ahead of her, with her fingers still touching each other and her left hand remaining in its position.


    Immediately Riley''s right hand came to a stop, Ace noticed something extremely strange about himself.


    "What''s this," Ace asked in hesitant disbelief. "I can''t move."


    Ace had just claimed that he was unable to move at all, despite his speed. The raging sounds of the winds in the arena continued to howl as the entire battlefield was enveloped in it. But Ace''s current situation was a bit more confusing than usual.


    Ace felt as if he was feeling tremendous forces of wind from every single angle on his body, meaning that the strange wind was heading directly to him from all sides of his body, almost like he was a catalyst of their attraction. This was potentially why he was unable to move at all since the power of the wind was too ferocious that he simply could not move against it, and due to its peculiar pattern, he was unable to even build momentum from any direction.


    The force of the wind was so strong that Ace''s body felt numb just by standing still, although, the situation would have been worse for him if the wind forcefully rushed at him instead of the flowing motion that they had to keep him in place currently. He still kept trying to outpace the winds regardless, since his speed was superior to the wind''s, but this did not seem to do anything but make his body feel numb.


    Riley then turned her head as she noticed one of the daggers Ace had picked from her earlier in the round on the floor. She then gradually moved her left hand to where the dagger was, while still keeping her right hand forward.


    Suddenly, the dagger proceeded to float before rushing directly to her. It then came to a stop on her left as she grabbed the dagger with her left palm. Riley then turned her attention back to Ace who was finding it difficult to do anything about the wind that consumed the entire battlefield.


    And in an instant, before anyone could realize it, Riley appeared directly in front of Ace, with the dagger pointed at his neck. Her speed was so fast, that she arrived at the location before a tremendous force of wind followed behind her, queuing the swift sound of the wind after her arrival.


    Riley stared directly into Ace''s eyes awaiting his response to the situation, and Ace knew that he was in a situation where there was nothing he could do. It was pointless to try and do anything when his speed was being nullified. Ace had slight frustration in his eyes, but he knew that he had tried his best, so he didn''t mind anymore.


    "Fine, I forfeit," Ace stated after a smile ran through his face.


    "Are you certain?" XVII asked him.


    "Yeah," Ace then responded as he turned his eyes to Riley, noticing her deep concentration not changing one bit.


    "Then the winner of the battle is... Riley Greene."


    XVII''s confirmation of Riley being the victor meant that the battle had finally concluded.


    "That was one heck of a trump card," Shade muttered.


    "I know, right?" Link responded. "She literally got saved by the confirmation screen."


    Riley, upon realizing she was declared as the winner, then dropped her right palm from pointing at Ace throughout, as well as the dagger she had used. She then smiled, before the strong winds proceeded to subside after each second.


    As the strong winds turned into a gentle breeze, Riley''s glowing eyes, which represented her Ventus State, reverted to their normal state. Riley then suddenly fell to the ground in an unconscious state, which raised the question that if Ace had not surrendered fast enough and if she was unable to kill her opponent, she may have not been able to keep the state active for long enough.


    Ace then fell to a seated position as well since his body felt numb after his release from the binding forces of the wind. The fight was finally over, so he lay on the floor before suddenly dematerializing from the battlefield, alongside Riley.


    "That was something else," Quinn stated after the departure of the battle members.


    "Yeah," Rose stated. "Who would''ve thought Riley''s trump card was almost like a direct counter to Ace?"


    "Honestly," Quinn replied. "Frankly, if Riley had lost there, I don''t see any other person who would''ve been able to eliminate Ace if he had gone further."


    "You''d never know," Klaus then stated to Quinn with his normal expression.


    "Well," Quinn responded. "I guess that''s true."


    After a while of conversation and analysis of the previous battle by the demigods, Ace and Riley finally returned to the arena. The demigods welcomed and congratulated them for their performance. Although Ace had lost, he was still very energetic and positive, which made the other demigods feel better for him.


    And after a few more minutes, XVII finally walked forward to announce the next fighters. The demigods were more focused on this announcement especially, since there were four individuals left to battle and the announcement would also confirm the fighters of the next and final battle of the first round of the Divine Tournament.


    "The next battle is... Link Atlas vs Tyler Justice."

 #50: Cyber Justice

    The next match had been announced and the two fighters walked into the arena. They both stood where they were supposed to as they awaited the alarm that indicated the battle''s commencement.


    "GLHF," Link said to Tyler.


    "Huh?" Tyler asked in confusion.


    "Good Luck, Have Fun? You''ve never heard that term?" Link asked.


    "Not exactly," Tyler responded.


    Link sighed before dismissing the topic and telling Tyler not to bother.


    But before the battle commenced, Klaus, back at the spectator''s location, noticed a few things about the two fighters.


    Klaus was always aware that Tyler had tape on the top of his nose, so that was not surprising to him, but this was the first time that he had seen Tyler without a hoodie since Tyler had on a dark red T-shirt with a pair of black pants. It was possible that since Tyler relied on his physical skill as well as his flexibility and fluidity, a hoodie would hinder his movement and might cost him the game.


    But what Klaus noticed from Tyler that was very outlandish was that Tyler''s entire right arm was covered in bandages, from the visible parts below the T-shirt to the tip of his fingers.


    For Link, Klaus noticed that he still had a hoodie on, which was not too surprising since he was more of a brainy fighter than a brawny. But Klaus also noticed a sort of metallic glove on his right hand as well.


    Although these were just visual details from the fighters, Klaus knew that they both had taken their training seriously so he awaited the alarm to watch the battle unfold.


    A few seconds after Klaus'' analysis, the alarm rang and the battle commenced.


    Immediately the battle commenced, Link instantly reached for his pocket with his left hand, pulling out what seemed to be two metallic figures. From a distance, Klaus could not tell what exactly it was, but he noticed that Link tossed both figures to the floor immediately after pulling them.


    "Son esos perros?" Klaus heard Iris mutter to herself, realizing that she had possibly seen what it was.


    Tyler noticed Link''s action so he decided that he would rush at his opponent to not give him space to prepare any unwelcoming attacks. Tyler then proceeded at Link, but it seemed that tossing the small toy-like figures wasn''t the only phase of Link''s plan.


    "Pixel," Link started. "Upload canine configuration."


    Immediately after he completed his statement, a voice spoke to Link with what seemed like the response he had expected from his helmet.


    "Uploading canine configuration. Canine configuration initiated."


    And before Tyler could reach his opponent, the two figures proceeded to change shape and form, seemingly growing in size from what they were.


    "Celestial metal, I assume," Shade stated at the spectator''s location. "Similar to your weapons, correct Rose?"


    Rose nodded her head after Shade''s statement, confirming the nature of the material Link was utilizing.


    The two figures continued to grow until they finally reached a certain size, revealing two large robotic dogs. Tyler stopped his approach upon seeing this for a few seconds. The dogs were completely robotic and seemed to be stationary for a second until the light behind their eyes turned on, glowing red and signaling their activation.


    Immediately the light came on, both dogs growled in rage before rushing directly at Tyler.


    Tyler noticed the attack from the dogs as he continued to evade them. But their nature was similar to real wild dogs and they continued to rush at him with their razor-sharp teeth and claws. Tyler knew that taking any damage from them would surely cause injuries that may end up being fatal so he tried his best to avoid and evade them. But he seemed to be having a tough time in doing so.


    The dogs were extremely vicious in their attacks as they threw themselves at Tyler, and they did not seem like they were capable of getting tired since they attacked with maximum energy all through. Tyler knew that he had to do something about them fast, even if it was to attack Link.


    Tyler attempted to attack in return, but the dogs continued to rush at him without any care. He managed to push one a few distances away, but the other was still present. And as he turned his attention to Link, he noticed something different about his opponent.


    Link had a large text on his mask that read "Stand-by" and the game where a ball was hit back and forth by two rectangular blocks was in play.


    "Is he playing Pong during their battle?" Ace asked with a giggle.


    "Typical Lincoln. Can''t take anything seriously," Quinn commented in frustration.


    Link''s action caused a slight frustration in Tyler as well as he struggled with the crazed robots in front of him while his opponent was lazying around. He then used his frustration to retaliate against the dogs after the one close to him jumped on his body while he was distracted.


    The dog opened its mouth in an attempt to bite Tyler''s face off, but Tyler instantly used both hands to hold the dog''s mouth in place. He then forcefully attempted to open the dog''s mouth even as its sharp teeth continued to bite down. This caused cuts on his fingers, but he was still persistent in pulling open the dog''s mouth.


    Before the other one could rush at him, he pulled open the mouth of the first robotic dog with so much force that he ripped it open from its mouth and split it into two.


    The other one proceeded to rush at him but since it was alone, it made it easier for him to evade and attack it. He managed to grab it by the neck with which he implemented force in twisting it, ripping the robotic dog''s head off its body.


    "Damn, brutal," Rose muttered at the spectator''s area.


    "They''re robots though," Shade responded.


    "I know, but still," Rose stated as they continued to watch the battle unfold.


    Tyler was already slightly panting from exhaustion after battling both hellhounds. He had cuts on his fingers and some bite marks on his arm. He was already having a bad start in the fight. But his opponent had not wasted a single ounce of their energy as Link''s mask now displayed the text, "OFFLINE" instead.


    Tyler was already annoyed by the situation, and Link''s lack of focus made him even more agitated. Link''s display then finally switched off before playing a booting sequence and displaying the usual screen that showed his facial expressions.


    "I see you managed to defeat them," Link said to Tyler.


    Tyler''s panting slightly subsided as he stared at Link in frustration.


    "Well then," Link then continued. "Guess that''s on to the next mini-boss."


    Link stretched for his pockets once more, with intentions to retrieve another figure similar to the robotic dogs earlier. But upon noticing this action, Tyler knew that he was not going to let that happen again.


    Tyler instantly rushed at Link, swinging attacks at his opponent in a rapid manner. Link had to suspend his intentions so he could evade Tyler''s attacks.


    "Hey, you can''t just skip to the final boss," Link said while evading Tyler''s attacks. "This isn''t a speedrun."


    Tyler ignored Link''s comments and set his mind on overpowering his opponent so he continued his attacks. Link knew he had no chance to continue with his plans, so he had to switch his tactics and battle Tyler head-on.


    "You wanna be a cringe speedrunner? Fine," Link said as he continued to evade Tyler''s attacks.


    Tyler continued to have the upper hand since he was the one who attacked and Link solely evaded. But it felt like Link knew what he was doing. As the barrages of attacks continued, Link seemed to be getting overpowered by Tyler since he started to get hit. He knew that Tyler was a better fighter than him and this was clear to everyone.


    Tyler''s battle sequence was beyond impressive and was well above a few of the other demigods, almost rivaling the likes of X and Lance.


    "This stance," Link muttered to himself. " Pixel, scan."


    "Scanning," A voice replied before instantly continuing. "This seems to be a street style of mixed martial arts."


    "Download counter-evasive maneuvers," Link instantly responded.


    "Downloading..." Pixel stated before continuing once more. "Counter evasive maneuvers initiated."


    Immediately after these words were stated, Link proceeded to place his palm directly in front of Tyler''s next swing, catching his opponent''s punch before retaliating with his own.


    Tyler moved back a bit before continuing to swing again, but this time, not a single attack landed. Link continued to evade with ease before switching to offense and attacking Tyler, landing every single attack. It was almost like he was a completely different person.


    "What the heck just happened?" Ace asked at the spectator''s location.


    "He probably analyzed Tyler''s moves and created a counter sequence," Quinn responded.


    "What?" Ace exclaimed. "That''s just not fair."


    "I mean," Quinn started. "It''s from his mind so I guess it technically is."


    The battle instantly switched to Link''s favor after his scanning and he seemed to have the upper hand. Tyler knew that he couldn''t keep this up so he had to do something about it.


    Then he remembered something. He also had a natural counter for upcoming attacks as well.


    Link continued to wait for Tyler''s attacks, but Tyler proceeded to stop on the spot.


    "Getting tired, aren''t we?" Link said in a different tone.


    He then moved forward intending to attack Tyler as his opponent seemed to be vulnerable while standing stationary. But as he continued forward, Tyler closed his eyes and took a deep breath before instantly countering Link''s attack, using his strength to lift his opponent and slam him to the ground in almost an instant.


    "What?" Link expressed. "How?"


    Tyler instantly placed his right arm ahead of Link''s neck, pinning him down and awaiting Link''s request for a forfeit.


    "I guess it''s over now," Tyler said to his opponent.


    Link was in a state of submission and seemed like there was nothing to do so he decided to respond.


    "I guess you''re right," Link stated before turning his head at the spectator''s area. "XVII... please upload feline configuration."


    Tyler took a second before realizing what Link said. But before he could react, he heard a voice respond instantly.


    "Feline configuration initiated."


    Immediately, two sounds echoed from beside Link''s pockets, and two other robotic creatures spawned, similar to the dogs earlier. Tyler jumped back after noticing their presence as the creatures manifested into a full-sized lion and a tiger.


    The sights of the two beasts were nothing short of their original natural appearance. The mane that manifested around the lion''s neck, as well as the other details on both creatures, was beyond beautiful despite being completely made of metal.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.But as accurate as the creatures were in appearance, their ferocity did not fall short. Instantly, both creatures pounced at Tyler with the intent of dealing massive damage to their prey.


    Link dusted his hoodie as he got up from the floor, wondering how Tyler was able to get him off guard with his ability.


    "Pixel, replay the last thirty seconds," Link then said before the display on his screen changed, displaying the text "Please Wait..."


    Link took a few seconds before finally reverting to his usual display and continuing.


    "I see," he started. "He seemed to have used the strange ability that allowed him to instinctively counter his opponent based on their intent. For the sake of the audience, let''s just call this ability, Instinctive Judgment."


    "Booooo," a voice from the spectator''s area, revealed to be Ace, then sounded loud.


    "Shut up," Link then responded after turning his head to Ace''s location. "It''s a work in progress."


    After his statement, Link''s attention was instantly brought back to the fight after realizing that Tyler had already destroyed the robotic tiger and was easily evading the lion that was attacking him, and without any noticeable damage as well.


    Link knew that due to Tyler''s ability being active, any more of his robotic creatures would be pointless since the creatures are programmed with the intent to cause tremendous harm, making Tyler''s abilities even stronger.


    "Pixel," Link started after a few seconds of thought. "I think it may be time."


    "On your command," the voice assumed to be Pixel responded.


    And as Tyler managed to destroy the second creature, he turned his attention back to his opponent as Link had his right arm stretched forward.


    "Initiate project Z," Link said as a voice responded immediately after.


    "Project NPCs initiated."


    And as all the demigods had their attention on Link, the metallic glove that he had on suddenly proceeded to move around, before finally splitting itself into almost molecular pieces, revealing its true nature. The glove was also revealed to have reached to his shoulder as the right sleeve of the hoodie he had on instantly ripped to pieces after the tiny parts of the glove split.


    "Nanobots?" Quinn stated at the spectator''s area as she stared at the battle with a slight shock on her face. "But how''s that possible."


    The pieces of the glove were so tiny that they could not be seen clearly. However, due to the number of them that were present, they appeared as if they were shards of metal flowing around his arm.


    "Nanobots that are about the size of a grain of salt," Link then stated. "But they definitely won''t season your food."


    A few seconds of silence elapsed before Link continued.


    "Damn, tough crowd."


    "How?" Tyler asked Link as he stared at what was occurring with understandable confusion.


    "I''m glad you asked," Link responded. "Celestial metal truly was a blessing to me. When I explained its nature during Rose''s battle, I mentioned that it was metal that could be compressed and morphed without having to lose its properties. But I also mentioned that it had a lot of unfamiliar properties as well."


    Everyone waited as Link took a dramatic pause before continuing.


    "It possesses the ability to be controlled without wiring and altering."


    The demigods, as well as Tyler, seemed to be confused by Link''s statement and didn''t understand what he meant. Link then noticed this before continuing to elaborate.


    "Unlike my old drones that needed wiring and an ideal build to be functional, all I need to do with this metal is to create the exterior of a drone and it would function without any wires or chips."


    "So you can control the metal itself at your free will," Tyler asked.


    Link displayed a smile on his mask before responding with, "Precisely."


    "Of course, he reveals the nature of his ability so nonchalantly," Klaus stated at the spectator''s area after placing his palm on his head and sighing.


    "So like nanobots," Tyler then asked Link.


    "Yes, but this is different," Link stated before clenching his right fist which was still facing Tyler.


    Immediately, the metallic pieces instantly moved together before forming what seemed to be a right fist that was clenched and facing Tyler.


    "I call this the Nano-Particle Cerebral swarm, or NPCs for short."


    As Link said this, he instantly turned his head to the spectator''s area, possibly waiting to see if anyone had any complaints about the name. As the silence continued, he then returned his focus to Tyler and smiled before continuing.


    "Yeah, NPCs."


    As Link finished his dramatic statement, he then dropped his right hand back to its usual spot. Immediately, the particles proceeded to instantly rush at Tyler at a tremendous speed. The speed was so quick that Tyler only barely managed to evade the attack. The particles then turned back and continued to rush at Tyler once again. Tyler proceeded to evade them, but he knew that he couldn''t do this for long.


    While evading, a few of the particles managed to touch Tyler, but these small metallic pieces were able to rip through his clothes and cause deep wounds on Tyler''s skin. It was almost as deadly as, if not more than, the claws of the creatures he had previously fought.


    Tyler knew that he had to rely on his Instinctive Judgment ability once more, so as the particles continued, he attempted to activate it.


    But as he did so, he noticed that nothing had happened and the particles continued to rush at him, causing even more damage by ripping parts of his skin alongside his shirt and bandage on his right arm. It then occurred to him that since Link was just swaying the metallic parts and deliberately not using any unjust intent, unlike the robotic creatures, his ability would not have any effect at that moment.


    Tyler continued his attempt to evade, but he knew that there was nothing else he could do. Link had completely bested him.


    So he knew that he was left with one more option.


    Link continued to sway the particles at him and he found it difficult to continue evading, so Tyler knew that he had to do what he initially did not want to. Since this was the first battle, Tyler did not plan to reveal all his capabilities unless he was driven to a corner, and judging by the cuts he had, he knew that he had to.


    As Tyler managed to get an opening from the swarm, he instantly reached for the bandage that enveloped his right arm, ripping it off from the cuts created by the nano-swarm.


    As he ripped out the bandages completely, he revealed to the demigods what seemed to be a tattoo of a snake that wrapped around his right arm and spiraled to the top of his bicep. The tattoo was extremely alluring from the details of the scales, to its vicious glare, and having its fangs out.


    "Damn, sick tattoo," Link said after stopping his attacks to take his time and absorb the sight.


    Tyler then clenched his fists before taking a deep breath and focusing back on the battle. but before anything else could happen, Link noticed that Tyler''s well-done tattoo appeared to be glowing a bright orange color.


    "What?" Link mumbled after coming across this strange sight.


    All the demigods spectated looking in confusion as to what was happening but knew that this was Tyler''s doing due to his lack of shock. And after a few seconds, Tyler proceeded to dart toward Link.


    Link noticed his opponent''s movements and he instantly reactivated his control over the NPCs. He swayed the particles at Tyler so he could halt his opponent from reaching him since he was unaware of how strong Tyler was after unsheathing his new weapon.


    Tyler continued to evade the swarm, needing to halt his advancing motion a few times to fully evade without getting hurt. But this didn''t stop him from continuing at his opponent.


    "Strange," Link worded to himself after a realization. "He doesn''t seem to be much stronger or faster than before."


    Tyler still felt the same, which made Link wonder what the tattoo did in the first place. Regardless, he continued to control the particles at Tyler and even managed to land a few more hits on his opponent. Yet, Tyler never stopped rushing at him.


    Tyler, at this point, had already closed the noticeable gap between them and was about to reach Link. Link knew there may still be more to the ability, potentially an increase in offensive strength rather than defensive, so he decided to make sure not to allow Tyler to reach him.


    Tyler jumped at Link with his right fist clenched, swinging a punch at his opponent. He had already closed the gap and his attack had already reached Link. However, before the punch could connect, Link had transformed the swarm into an arm similar to before and used it to grab Tyler, as Tyler''s arm was already extremely close to him.


    In a desperate attempt, Tyler stretched his fists forward, but only his fingers could connect with Link''s chest as the hand made by the swarm immediately pulled him away from his opponent.


    Link used the NPCs to bind Tyler as the arm gripped his opponent in the air. There was nothing left for Tyler to do anymore.


    "Seems there''s nothing left to do," Link said to Tyler.


    "There''s always a way," Tyler then responded to Link.


    Link knew that Tyler was just trying to keep his pride so he tried to wrap up everything. He then used some remnants of the NPCs to create a needle-like object and pointed it at Tyler''s chest.


    "Please just surrender before you make me do something I don''t want to," Link then said to Tyler.


    "I''m sorry," Tyler responded. "But I would rather die in battle than forfeit."


    "This pointless bravado, I respect it, "Link then said to Tyler before taking a pause and continuing. "But GG, I guess."


    Link took a second before finally bringing himself to hurl the needle directly at Tyler''s chest to eliminate him. And sure enough, the needle went through Tyler, dealing significant damage to him.


    "What is going on now?" Ace asked in evident confusion as he spectated the battle alongside the other demigods.


    The spectators had just witnessed Link launch a needle at Tyler, however, the outcome was not what people had expected.


    Immediately the needle passed through Tyler, Link''s mask proceeded to change. The screen proceeded to constantly change the display, mimicking what seemed like a malfunction. This action confused everyone who witnessed the battle as Link''s control over the NPCs also stopped as they all fell to the ground like sand, releasing Tyler from his bound state.


    Link then fell to his knees as the malfunction eventually stopped, finally displaying what seemed to be a battery logo flashing, similar to a phone without any charge. And after this, Link fell to the ground, before blood proceeded to drip from underneath his hoodie.


    "Wait," Quinn said in realization. "He''s dead."

 #51: The Echoes of Light

    Link was dead.


    It didn''t make sense to anyone who was watching after Link fell to the ground bleeding. The confusion was evident as they all stared, attempting to get even a sliver of information about what had happened.


    "How?" Quinn asked as she watched her brother lose his life.


    All the demigods seemed to be confused about what was happening, except for one. Tyler held on to his right arm as he kept a normal face to the sight of Link, almost as if it was not surprising to him.


    "The winner is Tyler Justice," XVII then finally announced to the audience after a few seconds.


    Silence filled the arena as no demigod understood what was going on. Suddenly, Tyler fell to his knees and proceeded to breathe heavily out of exhaustion. The tattoo on his arm continued to glow, almost like it could not stop.


    Eventually, Tyler lost consciousness and fell to the ground.


    It was clear that whatever had happened took a lot of energy from Tyler. Both fighters eventually got transported, after a few more seconds, to the medical facility.


    The demigods awaited their return, but they didn''t seem to have any possible idea of what had happened. They attempted to make sense of it, but after a while, they eventually decided that there was no possible way to confirm what had happened unless Tyler decided to reveal it.


    A few minutes went by before Tyler and Link finally returned. The demigods welcomed the fighters and complimented them on their performance in the battle.


    "What happened to you?" Quinn immediately asked Link.


    "Honestly, I don''t even know," Link surprisingly responded. "One second I''m about to eliminate Tyler and the other, I feel this extremely sharp object pierce through my chest."


    Quinn stared in confusion but attempted to understand what had happened.


    "Interesting," she said before turning to Tyler. "I''m guessing you aren''t going to explain what happened, right?"


    "I don''t really have a choice, do I?" Tyler responded, knowing that explaining could potentially cost him his next battle.


    "Fair point," Quinn replied before deciding to move on.


    The demigods already knew who the next battle was going to be between considering it was among the last two of them who had not yet participated, but they still had to await XVII''s announcement. XVII then finally walked ahead before proceeding.


    "I am sure you all are aware already, but I will announce the next fighters," XVII started. "The next battle is... Klaus Walker vs Siren."


    Shade turned as Klaus quietly got up and headed for the arena. Siren also followed after a few seconds behind him. Both fighters stood against each other, awaiting the battle''s commencement.


    "G-Good luck," Siren said to Klaus.


    Klaus gently nodded his head, keeping his focus on his opponent before the alarm finally rang, indicating the battle''s commencement.


    As the battle began, Siren instantly turned his attention to the dial on his arm. He then cranked the percentage of his sonic shots to ten percent. After this, he proceeded to walk sideways, awaiting any possible motion from Klaus since Klaus continued to remain stationary after a few seconds.


    "I apologize in advance for anything I do," Klaus then said to Siren before finally walking forward.


    This statement made Siren slightly agitated that Klaus was so calm about their battle and seemed more confident than he was supposed to be. But all Klaus did was keep his usual expression as he proceeded to his opponent.


    Siren pointed his right fist at Klaus before a low charging sound queued three times, with each one, a higher pitch than the previous. After this, a sonic boom fired out of his suit and headed directly at Klaus.


    But as this shot reached Klaus, he simply tilted his head out of its trajectory, easily evading the fired attack.


    Klaus could see the attack that Siren launched, although feint considering its nature of pure sound. Siren dropped his right hand and lifted his left, doing the same action before launching another sonic attack. He then continued to do so with his right and left, launching constant sonic booms at Klaus as the queuing sounds continued shot by shot.


    But Klaus did not seem too phased by this as he continued to evade the attacks, making every move he took look easy. He gracefully continued to evade the attacks until Siren finally came to a stop after realizing that he was going nowhere.


    Klaus walked close to Siren, which caused Siren to move back a few more steps before pointing his right fist at Klaus once more.


    "Is dodging all you''re going to do?" Siren asked in confusion as to why Klaus was not doing anything.


    Klaus then stopped on the spot, taking a few seconds before sighing. He then stretched both of his hands apart from each other before finally saying something.


    "Fine," Klaus started. "Take one more shot and I won''t evade it."


    This statement came as a shock to everyone spectating, as well as Siren. Siren did not understand if Klaus was trying to be cocky or tricky so he stood in shock for a few seconds. But after seeing the straight look on Klaus'' face, Siren knew at the very least that Klaus was serious.


    Siren was conflicted about what to do. This was an opportunity that could get him the win instantly if he took it. However, if he decided to attack with more power than he could handle, he would end up exhausting too much energy which could cost him the game if Klaus decided to evade the attack. This was one of those situations where although the best choice was to fire all he had, it was too risky of a play.


    Siren then turned his attention to the dial and proceeded to turn it to twenty percent, twice as much as before but still in a manageable range where he would not be exhausted after. He then placed both fists together, queuing the usual charging sound before firing another sonic attack.


    The attack went straight for Klaus and before anyone could realize it, Siren landed a direct headshot on Klaus.


    Klaus flinched as he raised his face to the sky after receiving the attack. After the shot connected, the silence was clear as Siren stared in shock that Klaus actually took the attack. He was also sure that the attack would be devastating enough to cause Klaus tremendous pain. But after a few seconds of Klaus facing the sky, Siren knew that something was going on.


    After a few seconds, Klaus then gradually returned his face to Siren. His eyes seemed to be closed before taking a breath. And after, he finally opened his eyes once more, revealing his usual bright yellow eyes as he stared at his opponent.


    "How is he still standing?" Siren asked himself as he stared in shock.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Klaus had just taken a sonic boom head-on and was barely phased by it. Siren could not understand how it was possible that Klaus did not move an inch after the attack and was still standing. Siren turned his attention to the dial to make sure that it was set to twenty percent and he confirmed that was the case.


    This made him furious and he decided to turn up the dial and attack one more time.


    "Fine then," Siren said. "How would you like thirty percent?"


    Siren then turned the dial, amplifying his attack, before returning his focus to Klaus. But as he turned his head forward, Klaus was already right in front of him, crouched, and seemed to be holding a sort of ball.


    "My turn," Klaus then said to Siren as he stretched his left hand at Siren.


    And before Siren could realize it, he was immediately hit with a solar ball directly to the chest of his suit. The solar ball seemed to be of the same caliber as the one he utilized against Lance, indicating it was a first grade. It was compact and held in his hand instead of being thrown, possibly made with the idea of catching Siren off guard.


    The collision was so intense that it caused Siren to fly back a noticeable distance as the blinding light leaked from the attack. Klaus stood, awaiting his opponent, before proceeding to walk slowly to Siren. Since Siren''s body was completely covered, alongside his face, Klaus was unable to tell if his opponent was conscious or not. He continued to walk closer until he suddenly heard a small sound queue.


    Siren then pointed his right fist at Klaus while still in his fallen state as he launched another sonic attack at Klaus, but this time with the dial at thirty percent. The attack was noticeably wider than the previous one Siren had shot at twenty percent as this was wide enough to hit Klaus'' entire body.


    Klaus instantly placed both arms ahead of himself as the attack instantly hit him. The strength was so tremendous that it caused Klaus to get pushed back before he finally regained his footing. This attack was significantly stronger than the previous and Klaus knew this, even though it was just a ten percent increase.


    Klaus dropped his hands before realizing that Siren had gotten up and had charged another attack with his left hand, firing almost immediately. This caused Klaus to react by jumping out of the attack''s way since he was aware that any more would cause more damage than he could withstand.


    Siren proceeded to fire yet another attack, which Klaus dodged once again. The constant firing of such a tremendous amount of sound energy seemed to be taking a tremendous toll both on Siren and his suit as the suit suddenly began to make a certain noise that signaled its malfunction. But Siren ignored it as he fired yet another attack at Klaus.


    Klaus, once again, managed to dodge the attack, causing more frustration for Siren as he knew that he had to land at least one hit on Klaus.


    Siren stretched for his dial once again as he finally seemed to amplify the intensity of the sound waves to fifty percent. Upon witnessing this, Klaus rushed at his opponent to stop Siren from firing another devastating attack.


    The current level of Siren''s sonic charge seemed to have been the highest he had ever used. As Klaus continued to charge at Siren, his suit proceeded to queue the three charging sounds before his opponent could arrive.


    Immediately Klaus reached, with his palm out and another grade one solar ball in his hand, Siren''s suit proceeded to launch the sonic charge, but in a completely different manner than before.


    The radius of Siren''s attack was at a complete 180 degrees, hitting everywhere ahead of him, including Klaus. The attack was so ferocious that it took Klaus off his feet and kept him airborne. Klaus continued to float until the intensity of the attack subsided as he kept his hands ahead of himself but still took significant damage from the attack.


    Klaus was so completely shocked by the force of the attack that it took a while for him to return to reality. It felt as if the vibrations from the sound caused his entire body to go numb and his brain to feel extremely dizzy for a few seconds.


    But as he finally regained his mental balance and turned his attention below to his opponent, Klaus immediately realized Siren, who had both hands joined together before attempting to launch yet another attack.


    "Let''s see how you can evade on air," Siren then said before firing another attack concentrated at Klaus at supersonic speed.


    Klaus knew that there was nothing else he could do. And as the shot darted at him, it was a direct hit.


    Klaus dropped to the ground on his feet, with one knee bent and the other on the floor, alongside his palms.


    Siren''s panting made it clear that he had used up a tremendous amount of energy, but he was happy that he had finally landed a devastating attack on Klaus.


    "There''s no way he could''ve withstood that attack, Siren thought to himself as he tried controlling his breathing before turning to Klaus.


    Siren was a bit far from Klaus so he could not tell what was going on, but as Klaus remained in the same position after a few more seconds, it made Siren slightly confused that his opponent had not fallen over. Suddenly, as he continued to stare at Klaus, he noticed a small orb-like object fall from the sky gradually.


    But as he turned to it, he realized that it was a small ball of light and before he could react, the ball of light stopped in place before enveloping the entire arena with blinding light.


    Although still in a suit, Siren was still heavily blinded and could barely see even a few meters ahead of him. After a few more seconds, he managed to gain a small portion of his vision before he turned ahead of him, noticing that Klaus was nowhere to be found.


    And immediately he realized this, Siren turned to his right as he came across Klaus who was already beside him, holding a larger ball of light, possibly a second grade of solar ball.


    Siren tried to react to his opponent, but before he could do anything, Klaus raised his right foot, which was closest to Siren, and slammed it directly on the side of Siren''s right knee, instantly breaking his opponent''s leg.


    But before Siren could even react to the sheer pain he felt from such an attack, Klaus hurled the solar ball directly at Siren, landing a direct shot before the ball of light exploded, enveloping the entire room with light and blinding every single demigod in the arena, including X who''s eyes slightly flinched while still in his meditating state.


    After a few more seconds of blindness, the intense light finally subsided, allowing all the demigods to see the aftermath of the battle. As the spectators stared down, they noticed Klaus still on his feet and panting slightly from the energy he had just utilized.


    "Wow," Rose said. "He''s really something else."


    "Yeah," Mia replied as the demigods watched as Klaus'' panting instantly subsided.


    The fact that Klaus had used his energy to absorb that amount of light was truly phenomenal, but the fact that he did so without losing his consciousness or balance was what made him even more remarkable.


    Klaus turned his attention to Siren whose suit was in a bad state as most of them around his body were in pieces. Siren''s body was also in noticeable pain as bruises and blood were seen from the visible parts of his body. He was also apparently unconscious, but could not be confirmed since the helmet of his suit was still on his head.


    Considering that XVII had not announced Klaus as the winner, it meant that Siren was still alive.


    Klaus wondered what would happen since Siren was unconscious and could not surrender at that moment. But he knew that the only way he could win was to eliminate his opponent.


    Klaus did not want to do that, but he knew that this was his only option at the moment. He gradually walked to Siren, who was at the edge of the arena and had clashed with the wall before falling to the ground after Klaus'' attack connected. Klaus continued until he finally arrived at Siren''s location.


    But as he got there, suddenly, a small beeping sound started to queue. It sounded like the suit had taken noticeable damage from Klaus'' attack and started malfunctioning. Klaus didn''t know what to do, until he turned his attention after realizing that Siren''s hand was on the dial, turning it to the maximum possible amount.


    Klaus'' eyes widened upon the realization as he moved back a bit before the beeping sounds of the suit continued to get louder. But as the beeping noise turned into a static sound, and before Klaus could even do anything, an explosion occurred directly from Siren''s location.


    But this was no ordinary explosion. This explosion was so massive that it took the entire battlefield with it. The walls in the battlefield shattered and the whole arena of Valor vibrated in sonic shock. The force was so strong that the force field placed around the battlefield shook, barely able to contain it.


    This was the most tremendous explosion any of them had ever witnessed.


    All the demigods had reacted to the explosion and could not see what was going on. At this point, they were all skeptical if anyone was even able to survive. They all returned their focus to the battlefield as thick dust covered the entire place.


    And after a few more seconds as the dust started to reduce, they all had their eyes fixed on the battlefield after seeing the same outcome.


    "H-How?" Quinn asked as she stared in confusion.


    "I don''t even understand," Tyler responded.


    All the demigods had utter shock on their faces as they witnessed Klaus still standing and almost unfazed by the attack that had just occurred.


    "The winner of the battle is Klaus Walker," XVII then announced, indicating Siren''s death.


    Siren''s body was nowhere to be found, which made Klaus wonder if that attack was with suicidal intentions or something of that manner. Klaus was still a bit tired from the battle so he decided to remain on the battlefield so he would be transported to the medical facility.


    The silence that came after XVII''s announcement lasted for almost a minute as Klaus had been transported, yet a single word was still not muttered.


    "I actually have nothing to say," Quinn eventually said after turning her attention to the other demigods.


    "That''s a first," Link responded.


    And with the conclusion of the battle, the first round of the Divine Tournament had finally concluded.

 #52: A Revealed Secret

    Klaus opened his eyes.


    He turned his eyes around and tried to assess the situation. He then remembered everything that had occurred and the battle he had taken part in.


    Klaus also realized that he was laying in some sort of containment and his movements were limited, but he was able to see through the small glassy opening of the pod he was in so he managed to scan the room before it finally opened up after a few seconds.


    As the containment opened, Klaus immediately got out deciding to return to the arena as fast as possible to reduce any delay. He also looked around before realizing that he had been in the same room before, which was when he rushed there to meet Mia a few minutes prior.


    Klaus gradually proceeded out of the room as he walked past a few other pods. But as he continued forward, he suddenly noticed something that caused him to stop in place out of confusion.


    Klaus walked back after the realization that somebody else was in one of the pods he had walked past. He then returned his attention as he stared into the glass, realizing that his vision had not failed him. He then stared into the pod as he saw a strange beautiful girl, with short wavy auburn hair reaching around her shoulders, lying down.


    The girl appeared to be unconscious, considering that her eyes were closed, and her breathing was barely noticeable. The pod still seemed to be functioning, meaning that the strange girl was being kept alive by it.


    Klaus moved his head closer to the girl''s face to get a closer look at her. He had never seen her before since he started coming to Higher World. All Klaus tried to do was make sense of how that strange girl was there and why. As he continued to stare at the girl, the noise from the pod suddenly stopped before the girl inside gradually proceeded to open her eyes.


    The girl gradually managed to open her deep blue eyes and seemed confused as to what had happened. She then looked up from the glass of the pod as she noticed Klaus who was staring down at her.


    Upon seeing Klaus, the girl then smiled as she had a mesmerized look on her face. Klaus returned his stare in confusion as to why she looked that way. The girl then realized that Klaus was able to see her expression so she wondered what was happening before she noticed a reflection of herself on the glass.


    The pod opened after realizing this, which allowed the girl to stretch her hands to her face as she tapped it a few times, almost like she was surprised about something not being there. Klaus wondered what was going on with her as the girl''s face turned red before she let out a soft scream. But something suddenly happened after that made Klaus even more confused.


    After the girl let out the soft scream, she instantly closed her eyes and held onto her head, almost like she was in agony. This caused Klaus to panic as he moved closer to her in worry.


    "Are you okay?" Klaus asked.


    But before Klaus could even finish his statement, the girl squinted her eyes even more upon hearing his voice. This made Klaus realize that the pain she was feeling was from the sudden sounds. The room was very quiet, despite having a laboratory-like interior, so it made Klaus'' assumption more plausible.


    Klaus decided not to talk as he moved closer to the girl and attempted to help her out of the pod. The girl still seemed to be in pain and Klaus wondered how he could help her. but that was when everything hit him all at once.


    "Wait, this girl is Siren," Klaus thought to himself.


    The fact that she was in the pod meant that she had just been transported to receive medical treatment, similar to Klaus. But what gave it away was the fact that Klaus had remembered what Siren had told him the first time they met about how he, or now she, was sensitive to sound, which was what caused her to be burdened with the suit.


    Klaus continued to look around, with hopes of finding the helmet part of the suit since she was still wearing the rest. he then noticed the helmet in a small chamber below the pod so he rushed for it and handed it to the girl.


    The girl immediately picked the helmet from Klaus and placed it on her head, fitting her perfectly alongside the rest of the suit and confirming Klaus'' suspicion that it was Siren.


    "Are you good," Klaus asked after the girl''s pain subsided visually.


    "Yeah, I''m fine," The girl, revealed as Siren responded.


    It took a few more seconds, after the pain completely subsided, for Siren to finally process that Klaus had just seen her unmasked. She then gradually turned her head to him, noticing his stare at her with multiple questions in his mind.


    "Please tell me I''m dreaming right now," Siren said to Klaus.


    Klaus'' silence made it clear to her that she wasn''t. Siren then walked over to the table beside her and sat on it after realizing that her secret was finally revealed to someone.


    "I can''t believe it," Siren then said to herself.


    A few more seconds went by before Klaus walked towards Siren. He then walked and sat beside her in silence, before finally breaking it a few seconds later.


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    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: Why?


    Siren: *sighs* I dunno. I guess I just assumed that people would take me more seriously if they thought I was a guy.


    Klaus: I don''t think people would take a guy in a mask that much more seriously than a girl in a mask.


    Siren: Well I panicked, okay.


    A few seconds went by before Siren continued.


    Siren: When I first arrived here, it was Ace who showed up to get me. And he kept saying "dude" all the time, so when he asked for my name, I panicked and gave him my last name instead.


    Klaus: So I''m guessing Mason is your real last name then?


    Siren: Yeah.


    A few more seconds of silence continued before Siren finally said something.


    "C-Can I... Can I ask you for a favor?" Siren asked Klaus.


    "You don''t have to," Klaus responded before continuing. "I won''t tell anyone."


    Klaus knew that Siren did not feel like revealing this information to other people so he decided to respect her demands and keep it to himself. After realizing that Klaus already knew what she wanted to request, Siren stared at him with a smile underneath the helmet as she tilted her head a bit sideways.


    After Klaus turned to her, she instantly shook her head and coughed a bit before continuing.


    "S-Sorry, I''m staring too much," she said.


    "It''s fine," Klaus replied. "I guess."


    Siren and Klaus, after a few more seconds, decided to finally head back to the arena after what had just happened. But before they could leave the medical facility, Siren stopped Klaus to tell him something.


    "Piper," Siren said,


    "Huh?" Klaus asked.


    "Oh, sorry..." Siren continued. "That''s my real name. Piper Mason."


    It felt like she found it a bit difficult to say this to Klaus, so he decided to acknowledge it.


    "I''m glad you told me," Klaus responded to her before they continued out of the medical facility.


    As they continued to the arena, Klaus noticed Siren''s figure and wondered to himself how he couldn''t realize that she was a girl.


    Klaus and Siren finally arrived at the arena and most of the other demigods instantly rushed to them. A lot of them were heavily concerned for Siren after the attack she had used and wondered if she was okay.


    "Are you okay, Mason?" Quinn asked.


    "Y-Yeah, I''m fine," Siren responded after turning her focus on Klaus and back.


    She felt guilty for not telling the others her secret, but she knew that if she had to, it would be best to do so after the tournament. Klaus didn''t seem too bothered at all since it had nothing to do with him, so he was okay with anything Siren decided.


    "That explosion was something else, dude," Ace then said to Siren.


    "Thanks, dude," Siren then said after taking a second before responding.


    Shade and Rose then took Klaus'' attention before proceeding to ask if he was okay. Klaus responded that he was fine, as expected, so their worries were minimized.


    And after a brief conversation, XVII walked ahead of the demigods to announce what would happen next.


    "Congratulations, demigods, for completing the first round of the Divine Tournament. It seems that the Gods are delighted by what they have witnessed and eagerly anticipate the start of the next round. Additionally, I extend my congratulations to everyone who advanced to the next round, and to those who didn''t, your performances were exceptional, surpassing all expectations and I, alongside the Gods, am pleased by the effort you all put into your training."


    Hearing some words of encouragement was truly welcoming for the demigods. The idea of moving on to the next round, or not being able to, had a lot of weight attached to each individual, so hearing that the Gods were happy with their performance eased a few of their minds.


    "The second round will commence in fifteen minutes so you are all free to do as you like before then. However, keep in mind that this will be your only break in the tournament as the next rounds after will commence immediately all participants are present."


    And after this announcement, XVII returned to his location, awaiting the commencement of the next round.


    Fifteen minutes seemed to be a short time for the demigods so most of them decided not to go anywhere and just wait, but a few others decided to go for a snack break, as well as some others like Arthur and Lance who decided to head to the training facility to utilize the minutes given to them for extra training. But Klaus, Rose, and Shade remained in the arena as their ideas on the break aligned.


    Shade decided to catch up with his brother and friend using this given time.


    CONVERSATION


    Shade: So how were things when I was gone?


    Klaus: It was fine, I guess.


    Shade: How about you, Rose? Any progress?


    Rose: Progress?


    Shade smiled at Rose before she finally realized what he was talking about.


    Rose: O-Oh, well... haha.


    Shade: I''m guessing that''s a no then?


    Rose: I''m trying, okay. You know it''s not easy.


    Shade: Yeah, that I know.


    Klaus: I''m guessing you''re talking about me?


    Rose''s eyes widened after finding out that Klaus was aware of what they were talking about. Shade found it extremely funny and could not control his laughter.


    Rose: A-Anyways... How about you, Shade? You really got a massive glow-up.


    Shade: I can''t tell if that''s a compliment or not, to be honest.


    Rose: Well, it is. I mean look at you. You''re so... attractive now.


    Shade: Keyword, now.


    Rose: *giggling* Don''t be like that.


    Shade: *laughing* Yeah, I''m just joshing you.


    Rose: I know. But the emo style really suits you.


    While still on the topic, Klaus decided to see if he could get any information on what Shade went through during the month of training.


    Klaus: By the way, do you think you can tell us what happened to you now?


    Shade: I would, but Quinn kinda made me promise that I wouldn''t until a certain time.


    Klaus: Of course she did.


    Shade: How about you? How did your training go? You seem to have an insane level of control over your ability now.


    Klaus: I guess. Just focused on my energy control and mastery.


    Shade: Yeah, I noticed during your battle with Siren. He was really formidable, though.


    Klaus: Yeah... He was.


    Shade: And how about things at Main World?


    Klaus: Earth?


    Shade: Yeah, sorry. The name grew on me. But how''s mom?


    Klaus: She''s fine. I made sure to visit every weekend.


    Shade: Nice. I''ll make sure to see her immediately after the tourney.


    A few minutes went by as Shade and Rose continued to talk alongside Klaus before the time for the next round finally arrived. The other demigods also returned from their departure before XVII continued to announce once again. All the demigods paid attention as he commenced.


    "Welcome back, demigods. The second phase of the Divine Tournament is now underway, and I will now announce the participants for the first round."


    The demigods patiently awaited XVII''s announcement as they continued to focus.


    "The first battle is... Riley Greene vs Klaus Walker."

 #53: Force of Nature

    Klaus got up from his seat and walked to the entrance of the arena, alongside Riley.


    "Good luck," Rose said to Klaus as he continued into the battlefield.


    The two fighters positioned themselves as they stood in silence, awaiting the commencing alarm. Riley smiled at Klaus after raising her right hand signaling a wave. He then slightly nodded after a few seconds, realizing that Riley was expecting a reply. After a few seconds, the alarm went off and the battle began.


    "Gaia State," Riley said after the alarm sounded.


    Immediately, Riley placed her palms on the ground, spawning roots around her and directing them at Klaus. The roots continued to rush at her opponent, but Klaus almost effortlessly evaded the roots, barely moving his body from the way.


    Riley continued to control the roots and Klaus continued to dodge the attacks. Klaus'' reflexes appeared beyond impressive after his performance with Siren and his ongoing one in the current fight. Riley''s attacks were also very quick and controlled, but they didn''t seem to be enough to cause damage.


    "This isn''t working," Riley thought to herself. "I didn''t want to use Ventus State, but I may not have a choice."


    The roots continued, but this time, more intensified after she created more roots and sent them directly at Klaus once more. Klaus'' evading continued as he proceeded to dodge every attack that she had sent.


    The back and forth continued until Klaus eventually stretched his left hand outwards before light proceeded to rotate above his palm. And after a brief moment, he started charging towards Riley, to land a first-grade solar ball on her.


    Riley realized this action as she continued to rush her roots at him more ruthlessly. But Klaus dodged and evaded them, jumping around from side to side and continuing his forward action.


    Riley knew that there was nothing she could do with her attacks so she placed her hands on the floor once more before creating roots that surrounded her in layers.


    This caused Klaus to stop his run as he sighed and stood in one spot before dispersing the ball of light into nothingness.


    "Really?" Klaus softly stated.


    "What?" Riley said after barely hearing him. "You think I''ll just stand and get hit?"


    Klaus knew he had to do something about the roots she used to envelope herself so he stretched his left hand once more. The intensity of the light he absorbed, as well as its noticeably larger size, indicated Klaus'' use of the second grade as he charged the attack and launched it at Riley in her covered state.


    The attack then collided with the roots before causing a massive explosion, destroying the roots instantly and enveloping the entire arena with light. The demigods turned their heads in irritation at the intense light before the light finally subsided.


    "This light is so annoying," Mia said in the spectator''s area. "Why do we also get blinded just for spectating?"


    "Speak for yourself," Link then responded. "I can see just fine."


    The demigods turned to Link as they noticed that his head was still directly facing the battlefield.


    "How?" Tyler asked in confusion.


    "Light regulator," Link responded. "You can''t hit me with an attack once and expect me not to find a solution."


    Link had been blinded by Klaus'' light before during the Capture the Flag game mode of the Cosmic League, and due to that, he decided to modify his helmet to regulate the light so that its intensity would not distort him in battle.


    "I guess all that preparation was useless since you ended up losing in the first stage," Quinn cheekily said to Link.


    "Oh, shut up," Link replied. "And didn''t you lose in the first round as well?"


    "Yeah, but at least it was my choice," Quinn continued before the blinding light finally subsided.


    As the demigods turned their attention back to the fighters, they noticed that the roots Riley used to cover herself were completely gone and Riley was clashing punches with Klaus.


    The fight continued as both fighters swung punches at each other.


    "Swinging punches at a girl. How unethical," Riley said to Klaus with a smile as their clashes continued.


    "I''ve unintentionally passed that point, trust me," Klaus responded.


    The close combat continued, but Klaus was clearly having the advantage over her. His close combat was very impressive; he landed more blows on his opponents and received no attack. Riley knew that there was no hope for her if this continued and she knew that she had to resort to her second state.


    As the fight continued, Riley managed to create some distance from Klaus after creating roots and hurling them at him. She then placed both of her palms together before closing her eyes and attempting to focus.


    But before even a second could elapse, Klaus was already beside Riley and launched a punch at her. He was not going to allow Riley to switch states. Klaus'' attack caused Riley to disregard her focus as she turned her attention back to Klaus.


    "You know, you can be annoying sometimes," Riley said with a forced smile.


    "I don''t plan to be otherwise," Klaus responded before continuing his barrage of attacks.


    Klaus then managed to cause Riley to trip as she fell to the ground. He then stretched his left hand upwards in an attempt to create another Solar Ball. But before he could even begin, a root instantly rushed from the floor behind him and instantly grabbed onto his hand. As this occurred, three more roots continued from the ground as they held on to his right hand and both palms to prevent him from using and solar ball. The roots then lifted Klaus as Riley continued her focus immediately to switch her state.


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    "Ventus State," Riley said.


    Klaus forcefully attempted to rip the roots from his hands, but before he could do so, the strong currents of wind that filled the arena indicated that Riley had already accomplished her goal.


    After Klaus managed to rip off the roots that held on to him, he gradually walked at Riley after noticing that she had already switched.


    Suddenly, Klaus felt a mighty gush of wind around him before he realized that he was unable to move. His slight confusion turned to realization after he remembered that this was what Riley had used on Ace in the first round.


    Riley finally opened her eyes as she revealed her eyes with a windy effect in them. Klaus also noticed her right hand stretched towards him which made sense as to why he was unable to move.


    Riley kept her focus on Klaus before she then stretched her left hand outwards. Afterward, a small dagger floated from her side before stopping beside her hand. Klaus was still trying his best to fight the wind, but there was no sliver of hope as it looked like he wasn''t even moving at all.


    "Do you surrender?" Riley asked as she stared directly at Klaus, awaiting his response.


    "What do you think?" Klaus said with not a single sight of change of expression.


    "Then you leave me no choice," Riley then said before gripping the dagger that was floating beside her.


    Before anyone could realize anything, Riley instantly moved at a tremendous speed as she swung her blade directly through Klaus'' neck and appeared a noticeable distance behind him. The speed she had used was so fast that the wind took a while before proceeding after her.


    Everything happened so fast and before most of the demigods could react, Klaus already had his knees on the ground.


    "Such speed," Link stated at the spectator''s area. "It''s even faster than before."


    It seemed like Riley was trying to finish the battle quickly since Ventus State usually consumed too much of her energy. Her breathing also started getting heavier after she rushed through Klaus, but since it was all over, she felt relieved of the thought. Until she returned her attention to him.


    Riley was sure that she had used the blade to strike through Klaus'' neck, supposedly beheading her opponent and killing him. But as she turned to Klaus, who was still on his knees, she noticed that his body was still connected to his head.


    "I''m almost certain her attack hit," Quinn said in the spectator''s area. "What''s going on?"


    Klaus remained on his knees for a few more seconds. He was facing the opposite way from Riley, so she could not tell what was going on, but the other demigods that spectated watched as Klaus had his head facing up and eyes closed.


    Riley did not know what to do, but she was certain that somehow, her attack did not do its job of finishing her opponent. She knew that with the strength she had left, she was unable to use her wind ability to bind Klaus again without losing consciousness so she didn''t want to risk it. Riley held on to the blade she had before attempting to rush at Klaus.


    But as Riley proceeded forward with haste, Klaus let out a slight sigh before finally opening his eyes, revealing his bright yellow pupils, as he stretched his left palm, creating yet another Solar Ball. He then got up from his kneeling position and turned back immediately, launching a miniature Solar Ball at Riley before she could reach him.


    Riley noticed this and knew that it would be a problem due to the blinding light and intense force. She was also aware that this was the flashbang variant of his Solar Ball due to its size so she immediately stopped her rush and placed both her forearms ahead of her face, covering the ball of light from her eyes before its detonation.


    But upon doing so, the ball of light instantly vanished while traveling forward before Klaus instantly appeared directly ahead of her with his right fist clenched.


    "It''s a fake?" Riley questioned as Klaus connected a strike on her stomach.


    Riley managed to use her wind force to reduce the speed of Klaus'' punch, reducing its damage last second, but the damage was still significant enough to cause her to move back a few distances, almost touching the floor but still retaining her floating state. Klaus then continued at Riley before she collided with him as well with multitudes of clashes.


    The two fighters swung attacks at each other, with Riley also utilizing her wind ability to conjure currents of wind at Klaus. Considering that Klaus decided not to use any Solar Ball made it seem, to the other demigods, like he had lost a lot of energy in the battle. But the same could be said about Riley who also appeared to be getting tired over time.


    Although she had a slight edge in the battle, Riley knew that she could not keep her state for too long. She knew that she had to end the battle before she would lose her current state.


    With this knowledge, Riley used her wind to lift Klaus off the ground after he tried to swing another attack at her. Harnessing the momentum, she then used the force of her wind to slam her opponent back to the ground. And without wasting a moment in closing the distance between them, Riley swiftly positioned herself directly above Klaus, with her body pressed down upon his as she sought to subdue him.


    Riley held her blade at Klaus'' neck as she placed her left palm at the side of his face and stared down at him. She stared directly into her opponent''s eyes as Klaus did the same, with both fighters exhaling heavily out of exhaustion. The momentum of the fight had reduced and both fighters were almost exhausted from using their abilities.


    Riley continued to stare into Klaus'' bright eyes as she tried to gain the courage to do something since Klaus had made it clear that he was not going to forfeit.


    Klaus noticed Riley''s stare as he returned his own in slight confusion as to why his opponent was hesitating.


    "What are you waiting for?" Klaus asked while staring into Riley''s eyes. "Expecting a kiss or something?"


    Klaus'' expression remained the same throughout the battle, and this moment was no different. Klaus stared at Riley with his usual unconcerned stare, but the stare he received was completely different from what Riley had given a few seconds before.


    "W-W-What," Riley said while stammering. "W-Why would you say that."


    Riley''s face had instantly turned rosy and her eyes instantly drifted forward and back after noticing the position they were in. Her hesitation was even clearer as she continued to mumble, seemingly losing her focus. Klaus looked at her in further confusion as to why she was acting strange, but upon the realization, he noticed that Riley had lost focus and dropped her guard.


    Seizing the opportunity in an instant, Klaus freed himself from his subdued state with astonishing speed, and before Riley could notice, he had reversed their positions with him now above her, as he firmly held on to her blade and pointed it at her.


    Riley''s eyes also seemed to have reverted to her natural appearance and the wind current around the arena had reduced drastically. This meant that she had lost her Ventus State, possibly due to her lack of focus.


    "Y-You tricked me," Riley said after getting overpowered by Klaus.


    "That wasn''t really the plan," Klaus responded.


    Klaus looked directly at her, but this time with the advantage. Riley tried her best to struggle out of her bound state, but her exhaustion was too great to use any more force.


    "Well," Klaus said to his opponent. "Do you forfeit or not?"


    Klaus'' straight face made it clear to Riley that he was not going to hesitate if she didn''t. She knew that there was no point in continuing the match anymore.


    "Fine, fine..." Riley said. "I forfeit."


    "Are you certain?" XVII asked.


    Riley turned her head to the side as she managed to respond softly.


    "Y-Yeah."


    "Then the winner is... Klaus Walker."


    And as XVII announced this, Klaus was crowned as the victor.


    "Damn, he won," Rose mentioned.


    "Yeah," Shade replied with a smile. "He''s something else."


    Klaus rolled off Riley before exhaling heavily while lying down. The fight was very exhausting and both of the fighters seemed to have pushed themselves to their limits. Riley continued to breathe heavily as well before she smiled and turned to Klaus.


    "So?" Riley asked. "I was amazing, wasn''t I?"


    Klaus closed his eyes and continued his breathing as both fighters gradually started to get transported before finally responding to Riley.


    "Yes, you were."

 #54: A Warriors Pride

    A few minutes passed before Klaus and Riley finally returned to the Arena of Valor. The other demigods welcomed the previous fighters and complimented them on their performance in the match. They also congratulated Klaus for being the first demigod to make it to the semi-finals.


    A few more minutes of conversation then occurred before XVII finally moved forward to announce the next fighters.


    "The next battle is... Arthur Knight vs Iris Haze."


    Iris knew this would not be an easy fight for her. After watching many of Arthur''s previous battles and being on the same team with him during the Cosmic League, she was aware that she would need a miracle to defeat such a formidable opponent.


    Both fighters got up from their locations as they headed into the arena''s battlefield. Iris walked in and stood ahead of Arthur as she smiled at the idea of the upcoming battle, trying to appear less intimidated than she was.


    "Good luck, mijo," Iris said to Arthur as she stared at him.


    But Arthur''s eyes were not looking directly at Iris and seemed to be spaced out as his focus was clearly on the alarm that was to sound, indicating the match''s commencement. After a few seconds of silence, the alarm finally rang and the match had commenced.


    Iris took a cautious stance as Arthur proceeded to walk towards her. Her focus was off the charts as she stared at her opponent, awaiting his next move. And immediately, Arthur changed from walking as he darted at Iris before swinging a punch at her.


    Iris managed to dodge the attack, but the other incoming attacks that followed seemed to be more difficult. Arthur continued to swing attacks at Iris, and all Iris could do was evade. She attempted to find an opening that she would utilize, but ultimately, she did not find any success. Arthur was in a completely different league from her.


    Arthur continued to attack without a single hesitation, and Iris was finding it difficult to do any other thing but dodge. She knew she couldn''t take any of his attacks head-on, so even blocking his punches would be very risky. But as the swings continued, Iris managed to finally find a sliver of an opening as she evaded an incoming punch before landing her own on Arthur''s chest.


    But as she rose her head to notice her opponent, Arthur was not phased at all.


    Arthur stood in the same spot as he stared at her. Iris continued to swing attacks at him, but after a certain period, she knew she was just wasting her time. Out of fear, Iris then jumped back after it dawned upon her that Arthur was at melee range.


    Arthur proceeded to walk closer to Iris after her move backward, and Iris was entirely baffled by the fact that she could not damage her opponent even slightly.


    "What the heck do I do now?" Iris thought to herself as Arthur continued to walk closer.


    She knew that her attacks had no effect on Arthur, and running away was too embarrassing to be an option, so she had to stand her ground and fight. Arthur continued to walk closer before finally almost reaching where Iris was. But as he came closer, Iris turned her worrisome expression into a smile as she raised her hand, revealing a slim dagger with which she swung directly at Arthur''s chest.


    Unfortunately, before the dagger could even reach Arthur''s chest, it completely vanished and all Iris did was slam her clenched fist softly on Arthur''s chest.


    The shock on Iris'' face was evident as all the demigods witnessed what was happening from the spectator''s area.


    "Woah," Rose started. "It vanished."


    "It was an illusion," Klaus then clarified.


    "Even though," Shade continued. "The fact he was able to calmly identify this without moving an inch is beyond impressive."


    Iris finally processed that Arthur could counter her ability, and that she was now in a very difficult spot. She gradually turned her head upwards and stared at Arthur in fear after realizing his cutthroat glance. She was finished.


    Arthur immediately raised his right hand before Iris could do anything and swung it directly at his opponent. At the last moment, Iris managed to place both her forearms ahead of the attack which seemed to be a windbreaker attack at close range, but the force used was too great that it caused tremendous damage to her, causing her to move back significantly.


    The pain Iris felt after Arthur''s attack was so great that she fell to her knees, with her head facing the ground and her breathing audible.


    "Well," Mia stated at the spectator''s area. "She''s finished."


    "I guess," Klaus slightly responded.


    All the demigods watched as Arthur gradually walked closer to Iris, without any intention to stop his attacking agenda. Iris did not seem to have any possible way of winning the battle, but the demigods knew that her crafty personality was not one to completely disregard. If Iris was truly out of the game, they knew that she would forfeit, so the fact that she hadn''t meant there was something left. Or at least this was what everyone spectating believed.


    Arthur got to Iris who appeared to be unable to move in her state.


    "Do you forfeit?" Arthur asked before clenching his right fist and awaiting her response.


    Iris smirked before replying to Arthur after a few seconds.


    "What do you think," she responded with her head still facing the ground.


    "Then you leave me no choice," Arthur continued before raising his fist and swinging it directly at Iris'' head.


    But before the attack could collide, something happened that surprised everyone present.


    "What?" Arthur asked as his fist came to a stop after Iris instantly raised her hand to catch the attack.


    Iris held on to Arthur''s hand as she gradually rose her head, revealing a smile on her face. The shock on Arthur''s face was clear as he stared in confusion at how Iris was able to stop his attack without taking tremendous damage. But for some reason, he believed it. Arthur could not explain the feeling, but he felt like Iris stopping his attack was normal.


    Upon holding her opponent''s hand, Iris got up from her fallen state before using her other fist to punch Arthur a few meters away. Arthur managed to get his balance before he clenched his fist and sent out a windbreaker attack at Iris. But as his attacks continued ahead, Iris simply swung her palm at it, slapping the attack away from her.


    Arthur knew that the battle was going to be tough so he rushed at Iris to switch to a melee combat style. He continued to swing attacks at his opponent, but Iris easily evaded them before switching to the offensive. And as she did so, it was clear that she had the upper hand in the battle.


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    Arthur was able to dodge a few of the attacks, but the ones that hit him were able to cause noticeable damage, almost knocking him out despite having his hardening ability active. With this, Arthur knew the truth about the battle as he said something to himself.


    "Impossible. She''s... too strong."


    "She did it again, didn''t she?" Rose asked back at the spectator''s area.


    "It seems so," Quinn responded as the demigods witnessed Arthur standing in a single spot, with his eyes glowing purple.


    "But how?" Trent asked. "Didn''t he just counter her illusion a few seconds ago?"


    "Yeah," Quinn replied. "But this one is different. It''s almost like he couldn''t counter it at all once he was caught in it."


    "So similar to what she did in her fight against me?" Rose asked.


    "Exactly," Quinn confirmed.


    It seemed like Iris could place someone under her false reality regardless of their ability to be aware of its presence or not, meaning as long as Iris created that visual contact required, it was always a guarantee that her target would be placed into her false reality. This was the general idea that was understood by all the demigods.


    But the one thing that raised questions between the spectators was the idea of a counter. The only confirmed information that everyone had was that Iris could deactivate the illusion by will, but was this the only way out?


    Despite the advantage Iris had, she was only able to activate her ability at the moment Arthur was about to land the concluding blow, which meant that all the battle damage she had received earlier was real.


    Iris remained on the floor for a few more seconds before managing to get the strength to get up. She found it difficult to stay conscious after receiving so much damage from Arthur earlier. But she knew that she had to eliminate him quickly before she would lose the strength to keep the false reality active.


    Arthur was also seemingly losing energy in the real world even though he was not moving at all. This gave the spectators the idea that while under Iris'' illusion, your entire body would be fooled by your cerebrum into thinking the actions occurring in the false reality are true, causing your body to exert the same energy in the real world despite its immobilized state. This was also shown with Rose who was beyond exhausted when Iris released the ability during their battle.


    Arthur continued to evade the attacks from Iris, unbeknownst to the fact that he was under her illusion. Iris sent multiple punches at Arthur and he felt like it was impossible to counter her at all.


    Naturally, it was common knowledge that Iris could deal no harm to Arthur, and although this was an illusion, the fact that she was overpowering him felt like enough evidence to realize that this was not reality. But for some reason, Arthur was somehow convinced that Iris'' strength was nothing out of the ordinary.


    When Iris utilizes this specific illusion on her opponent, she manipulates the person''s cerebrum and optical lobes by transmitting false signals. Consequently, the individual perceives and processes a fabricated world, perceiving it as if it were real.


    However, what the demigods were not aware of is that Iris also possesses the ability to transmit disruptive signals to the person''s frontal lobe and the hippocampus, situated in the temporal lobe. This enables Iris to make her target believe anything that is projected within the false reality she has created. And regardless of any action she takes within that illusion, her opponent will always accept it as truth and not as an illusion.


    After a few more swings, Iris managed to land a hit on Arthur, which caused him to fall to the ground. Arthur had a pure shock in his eyes as he stared at Iris, who did not seem the least bit tired at all.


    "How are we so different in power?" Arthur asked himself. "Why am I not strong enough?"


    Iris stretched her hand outwards before a small dagger proceeded to spawn in her hands. Despite this action being completely outlandish, Arthur still ignored it and saw it as normal, with his focus on other things that were occurring.


    Arthur stared in silence as Iris moved closer to him, attempting to eliminate her opponent. He knew he was bested and that there was nothing else he could do but accept defeat. That was when a sudden thought pulsed through his head.


    "What are you doing?"


    Arthur''s eyes widened as he stared at the situation in more shock after thinking those words.


    "Does a warrior such as yourself lose such a battle?" the thought continued before he suddenly realized something.


    These were his genuine thoughts.


    Iris gradually walked to Arthur who remained in the same spot back in reality. She knew that she had to eliminate him while he was immobile and knew she had better odds in doing so as opposed to letting Arthur forfeit due to fatigue similar to Rose in her previous battle.


    Iris continued to Arthur before searching her body and finding a small dagger in one of her hidden pockets. She then sighed in frustration at the damage she was enduring before rushing the dagger directly at Arthur''s neck.


    "I guess it''s over," Quinn stated, knowing there was nothing Arthur could do about the attack.


    But before the dagger could impale Arthur, something surprising occurred that shocked the entire arena.


    As Iris swung the dagger to her opponent''s neck, suddenly, Arthur''s eyes instantly flashed a deep purple color before reverting to their original sky blue. Immediately after this occurred, Arthur turned his attention to the dagger that was swung at him and evaded the attack by moving his head under the dagger''s trajectory.


    This action shocked every single person as Arthur had seemingly regained control of his mind and was moving in the real world. However, his actions did not stop there.


    Before Iris could even react to Arthur''s unexpected presence, Arthur immediately clenched his right fist while evading Iris'' attack with the dagger. With this, Arthur then took a brief stance, moving his fist backward, before driving a devastating punch directly onto Iris'' jaw.


    Arthur''s attack was so lethal that it sent Iris flying backward, with her body slamming into the wall a good distance from her initial location. The force was so strong that the sound that queued after Iris collided with the wall sounded very painful to the other demigods spectating.


    "How?" Tyler asked after witnessing what had happened.


    "I''m just as confused as you are," Quinn stated with shock on her face as well as they witnessed what happened.


    Arthur was somehow able to break out of Iris'' false reality and in doing so, he managed to get the drop on her, landing a very strong blow afterward. Arthur then fell to the floor as the sounds of panting continued from him. All the demigods stared in confusion and disbelief whether this was an illusion to them or not.


    But a few seconds after this, XVII got up from his location before announcing sudden information.


    "And with that... the winner is Arthur Knight."


    "What?" Mia asked in confusion as she stared at XVII.


    "Does that mean..." Ace continued after her before all the demigods returned their attention to Iris on the battlefield.


    "Yup," Link said after analyzing the situation. "She''s dead."


    "How?" Rose asked. "What the heck is going on?"


    The demigods continued to stare before the fighters finally got transported to the medical facility. A few seconds continued in silence before the demigods managed to speak up.


    "I don''t even know if this is an illusion or not," Link stated.


    "I feel ya," Ace replied. "But that was one heck of a plot twist."


    "Yeah," Quinn started. "I''m sure we all assumed that it was almost impossible for him to do so after our experience during her fight with Rose."


    "I mean, I really thought everything was real, even the transporting to the medical facility and returning," Rose explained, buttressing her experience during the first round.


    "I''m still in disbelief that he could break out," Quinn continued. "But maybe he just managed to figure out he was under the illusion at the last second."


    Considering that the demigods were unaware of what happened inside the false reality this time, they could not confirm what Arthur saw while he was under the illusion, as well as the information on Iris'' control on the person''s mind, so they only had assumptions to believe.


    "It''s a possibility that Arthur''s pride just couldn''t let him lose to Iris," A voice suddenly muttered, attracting the others'' attention.


    The demigods turned to notice Klaus as the owner of the statement. Klaus remembered that during the first round when Iris had placed them all under the illusion, he was able to break out of it before the rest of the demigods. This made him wonder if it was Iris'' doing, or if his subconscious managed to assist him in regaining himself before Iris deactivated the ability.


    "True..." Quinn then replied to his statement. "But there''s also the possibility that Iris was just too weak to keep the false reality active anymore due to the damage she received."


    "I guess," Klaus responded after a sigh.


    The demigods continued to analyze the battle for a few more minutes, but ultimately couldn''t come up with a sole conclusion so they decided to wait for the return of the fighters. After a brief moment of waiting, Arthur and Iris returned to the arena.


    The demigods welcomed the fighters and complimented their efforts in the battle. Quinn asked Iris if she was okay after receiving such an attack, but as expected, the medical facility had already rejuvenated any damage she had received.


    Arthur was not too fond of the other demigods, so it made sense why they didn''t see the possibility of getting any information from him. But after asking Iris what happened during the fight, it seemed like she was also slightly unaware, but had assumed the same possibilities mentioned by Klaus and Quinn earlier.


    A brief moment then went by before XVII walked ahead to announce the next fighters. The demigods focused on this information since the announcement would confirm the next, as well as final, battle members. After a few seconds, XVII finally announced.


    "The next battle is... X vs Tyler Justice."

 #55: Karma

    The two fighters got up from their seats before heading into the battlefield. The visible frustration on Tyler''s face after his name was announced alongside X was expected and understood.


    Silence filled the arena as both fighters stood opposite each other, awaiting the sound of the alarm.


    "You''re not gonna go easy on me, are you?" Tyler asked X with an agitated look on his face.


    X''s silence was expected as after a few seconds, Tyler whispered the words, "Of course," to himself, before continuing to await the alarm.


    And finally, the alarm rang and the battle immediately commenced.


    Immediately the alarm went off, X instantly pulled his sidearm from its holster and pointed it directly at his opponent. It didn''t seem like he was looking to waste time on the battle. X instantly fired a round at Tyler, with Tyler managing to evade the fired attack in due time.


    Tyler knew that he had next to zero chances of beating X from range, so immediately after realizing the battle''s commencement and his dire situation of range, he immediately darted at X without hesitation.


    X proceeded to fire three more shots at Tyler, but Tyler managed to evade them after stopping in one place and focusing on doing so.


    Even though X was easily the best marksman on earth, and potentially among all mortal species, the idea that all the other demigods at this point were fast enough to react to bullets made it significantly difficult for him to hit his target. But he still had his secret weapon that was yet to be beaten.


    As Tyler almost arrived in front of his opponent to switch the battle to close combat, he noticed that X''s pupils had suddenly shrunk while still focusing on him. Upon the realization that X had activated his True Accuracy, Tyler instantly turned his body to face the opposite side before X fired his sidearm directly at Tyler''s back.


    The force was so intense that it sent Tyler flying far away. The demigods spectating wondered if that was it for Tyler as he fell to the ground instantly.


    "I''m surprised he didn''t try countering it with his Retaliation ability," Quinn mentioned in curiosity back at the spectator''s area.


    "He did," a voice then responded among the other demigods, revealing to be Iris as she continued to stare into the battlefield. "But it didn''t seem to change anything."


    Quinn had a confused look on her face as she stroked her cheek, attempting to analyze the situation.


    "Interesting," she worded briefly before continuing. "Then I''m guessing that ability only works when he can truly counter the action sent to him."


    "So he''s basically only able to counter melee attacks?" Shade asked.


    "It''s a theory, but it''s the best I''ve got right now," Quinn responded.


    Iris'' face as she continued to spectate the battle was very mellow. She knew that X had the potential to easily win the entire tournament after her experience with him the round before.


    She had not mentioned it to any other demigod, but during the first round, when she placed the other demigods under her illusion, she was able to successfully do so for everyone, except for one... X.


    Although it was potentially because she was not able to have visual contact with him due to his meditating state, she also knew that there was a possibility he was aware of her ability and simply did not allow her to do so.


    The demigods continued to spectate after a few more seconds as Tyler managed to pick himself up from his fallen state. His pain was clear as he gradually got up before moving his right shoulder and elbow, which was pointed out, in a circular motion to slightly ease the pain of the shot.


    Tyler had been shot directly at his back, around the right side, so the pain was not as fatal as it would have been if X had fired even milliseconds earlier.


    "Oh?" X worded as he watched Tyler recover from the attack and rush directly at him once again.


    And within a brief moment, Tyler and X were engaging in hand-to-hand combat against each other.


    Tyler continued to launch his fists at X, with his opponent doing the same. But something seemed surprising to the rest of the demigods.


    "Wait," Shade said before walking closer. "Is he keeping up with X?"


    The other demigods focused more on the battle before realizing this fact. Tyler was somehow keeping up with X. His close combat was very impressive as it seemed to keep X on alert constantly with every attack he swung.


    "Wow," Quinn exclaimed. "I knew his hand-to-hand was good from his battle with Lincoln, but I didn''t expect him to actually keep up with X."


    The demigods were very impressed with Tyler''s performance and wondered if there was a sliver of hope for him, despite his injured state after taking a bullet to the back. But among all the demigods who had hope for Tyler, Klaus noticed something about the battle.


    "He''s not showing any signs of effort," Klaus thought to himself as he noticed X''s expression in his eyes.


    X''s mask made it very difficult for the other demigods to tell that this was the case, but Klaus knew that X was not truly outputting the same amount of effort Tyler was despite their dead even state.


    The two continued to clash for almost three full minutes, as the battle didn''t seem to change tides at all, throughout this duration. However, after constantly swinging multiple attacks, as well as the loss of blood over time from his wound, Tyler was noticeably getting more exhausted after every swing and clash. But the same could not be said for X.


    X''s expression during the battle did not change once, and the amount of force he was using for each punch did not reduce over time. This made it clear to Tyler that he had no hope of winning if the battle continued in this direction.


    Upon this realization, Tyler knew that he had to switch up his fighting style, so he decided to activate his retaliating ability and use it on X.


    Doing this, Tyler was able to catch X off-guard as he stood in one spot after X swung a punch at him. After the ability''s activation, Tyler was able to evade the punch before swinging his attack at X with the same power. In doing this, Tyler was able to successfully land a blow on X, punching his opponent on his metallic mask and moving his head a bit.


    The shock from the other demigods was clear as they spectated one of them land a successful blow on X for the first time, even though it was indirectly just X punching himself.


    "Wow," Quinn managed to say after the long silence that filled the spectator''s area due to their focus on the fight.


    X gradually moved his head back to Tyler as the pure rage in his eyes continued to grow. Tyler moved back from his opponent before taking a stance and awaiting X''s next attack to counter it.


    In a fit of rage, X then continued ahead as he swung at his opponent once again, expecting to land a stronger hit. But as expected, all X''s rage did was make Tyler''s retaliation ability stronger, causing the counter to deal even more damage on X than the previous.


    X moved back a few meters after realizing what was going on. This caused X to be even more furious at the idea, but he knew that his anger was not going to help him bypass the ability.


    Tyler continued to stand in the same spot as he awaited X''s next move. He hoped that X''s next attack would be stronger than the others so that he could turn his ability off immediately after, reducing the amount of energy he was utilizing and using that as an advantage in the battle. X then closed his eyes for a brief moment before exhaling and opening his eyes once again, revealing even more rage in them.


    Tyler knew that this attack was going to be stronger so he stood and waited for X to strike. And as X moved forward to land a blow on his opponent, something surprising occurred.


    "He landed a hit?" Quinn asked after watching X punch Tyler in the jaw, causing his opponent to fall once more.


    "Impossible," Tyler thought to himself as he fell to the ground, almost losing consciousness from the attack. "How could this be?"


    Nothing was making sense to Tyler. There was no logical way for X to bypass his ability after having such rage for his opponent. Tyler forcefully remained conscious before lifting himself to his feet after a brief moment. He then kept the same pose as he awaited X''s attack once again, convincing himself that it was a fluke and that he had just accidentally deactivated the ability prior. But that was far from the case.


    As Tyler awaited X''s attack, X swung at his opponent once more, this time landing a clean blow to Tyler in the gut.


    Tyler fell to his knees in pain as he placed both of his hands on the part of his body that was hit. But what was going through Tyler''s head was how X was able to land two blows despite his ability being active.


    "It doesn''t make sense," Tyler thought. "His rage should''ve activated the ability."


    A few seconds passed as Tyler knelt in confusion about what was happening. X did not even seem the least bit concerned about the fight and was not hesitant about eliminating his opponent so he simply just walked ahead of Tyler. That was when it hit Tyler.


    "Wait," Tyler thought. "It''s just a facade."


    Tyler realized that despite X had looked furious, his heart was completely calm and his intentions were not as depicted. This meant that while he looked angry, all X did was maintain a calm mind and move his fist forward, and Tyler just so happened to be at the attack''s trajectory.


    Tyler gasped for air for a few more seconds as X stood ahead of him in silence and stared down at him.


    "Is that all?" X asked his opponent with dissatisfaction.


    Tyler continued to gasp for a few more seconds before closing his eyes in pain and reopening them.


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    "I still got some fight left in me," Tyler managed to respond as he struggled to get up on his feet.


    Tyler knew he had to give the battle his all if he wanted to win against such a formidable opponent, so he knew that he had to resort to his final technique. He then immediately moved his left hand and placed it on the bandage covering his right one before ripping the bandage off, revealing his snake tattoo once again.


    "He ripped it off again," Quinn stated at the spectator''s area. "Interesting."


    "I guess that means it actually does something when he has his tattoo open," Shade replied to her as they continued to watch to see what would happen next.


    Tyler''s tattoo shone a bright orange color as he stood tall, staring directly at his opponent.


    "Guess this is the final stretch," Tyler said.


    Both opponents stared directly at each other for a brief moment before Tyler finally rushed at X, hoping to land a single blow.


    X continued to evade his opponent as he noticed that Tyler''s attack potential, as well as reaction, did not seem to be heightened after revealing his mark. With this, X wondered what the reason was for Tyler to do so. He also noticed that Tyler''s attacking sequence was a bit more sloppy than usual, making him even more curious about what was going on. That was when X noticed something strange about his opponent. It was almost as if he was trying to touch X with his marked arm.


    Noticing this, X decided not to attempt to counter any of Tyler''s attacks to be on the safe side in case his plan had something to do with contact.


    "Strange," Quinn said at the spectator''s area.


    "What''s wrong?" Siren asked in curiosity as to what Quinn had realized.


    Quinn took a second before finally revealing what she had in mind.


    "Well, I have a theory," Quinn stated before continuing. "From the way both fighters are moving, it''s almost as if Tyler is trying to touch X, and X is trying to dodge."


    "So you''re saying that X is not engaging on purpose?" Klaus asked.


    "Precisely," Quinn responded. "It''s almost as if he''s aware of something from Tyler."


    Quinn then took a few more seconds as she attempted to remember what had happened during Tyler''s fight with Link. She remembered that Tyler had revealed his tattoo before Link was affected by the surprising cause of his death. She also noticed that Tyler had not taken any damage before his reveal, which made her curious as to whether there was something hidden underneath that information. That was when everything hit her like a truck.


    "Oh my Gods," Quinn started, attracting the attention of all the spectating demigods. "I figured it out."


    X continued to evade Tyler, confirming that something was up with his actions. He knew that he had to do something about Tyler, but since did not have a full idea of what was going on, it made things more difficult for him. But as his evading continued, after a few more seconds of trying, Tyler managed to come in contact with X''s right arm after his fingers grazed X on his right glove.


    Immediately this occurred, X moved back a small distance before noticing that Tyler''s desperate attempt to rush at X suddenly came to a stop as he let out a slight smile. X looked in confusion for a while before his eyes slightly widened at the realization of a possible outcome.


    "So what you''re saying is that when Tyler uses the palm of his tattooed arm to touch someone, it causes any damage he takes to be directed to that person?" Trent asked Quinn back at the spectator''s area.


    "Precisely," Quinn responded as the demigods turned to the screen to see the outcome of what was occurring.


    X also seemed to have the same idea that Quinn had and immediately this thought entered his head, he used his left hand to reach for his right glove, pulling it off his hand. Upon doing this, X realized a mark of a skull with an orange glowing snake wrapping around and into it directly on his right hand, exactly where Tyler had touched.


    X''s confusion was clear for barely a second before he realized that his assumption was correct. This meant that Tyler had now marked him, meaning any damage he was to do to Tyler would ultimately happen to him. Or at least this was what he assumed.


    Since he had not yet tested the theory, X rushed at his opponent to deal massive damage, especially since Tyler seemed to have stopped moving. But as X rushed in with a punch to Tyler''s face, the expected outcome instantly occurred as X got pushed back a good distance, taking heavy damage to the face.


    X reacted clearly to the attack, confirming that this was the same amount of damage he had outputted. This meant that his theory was true and that Tyler was truly untouchable at this moment, especially since Tyler did not show signs of reacting to his attack at all. But the big question for X was the one everyone had in mind.


    How do you counter such an ability?


    "I hate to sound cocky, but I can assure you that the battle is over," Tyler eventually said to X after X moved his face back to his opponent.


    Immediately after this statement, Tyler then reached into his pocket and pulled out what seemed to be a small knife.


    Realizing this, X quickly knew that Tyler was planning to stab himself since the damage dealt would just happen to his opponent. With this idea, X then pulled out his sidearm before firing it directly at the dagger, hitting it away from Tyler.


    X rushed at his opponent immediately after this action, knowing that Tyler''s intention from this point would remain the same, and X knew that all he could do was try to buy time before he would figure out how to counter such an ability.


    X continued to clash with Tyler, but this time completely different from before. This time, it was just X trying to stop Tyler from dealing damage to himself.


    X continued to stop Tyler from doing anything harmful, but in some situations, he had to resort to dealing damage of his own, ultimately harming himself in the process.


    "This is shocking, but I think X is done," Lance eventually said at the spectator''s area as all the demigods turned their focus to him.


    For Lance to have concluded such, it meant that the possibilities of X coming out on top were slimmer than they thought. But before anyone could say anything Lance continued.


    "However, considering who we are talking about, I am certain he would find a way."


    This statement couldn''t be truer to the demigods. None of them had ever seen X even flinch since they met him until this moment, and the only reason he did was by unintentionally dealing damage to himself. Though the credit was still due to Tyler, X was still nothing short of a formidable fighter, as well as a tactician, so all the demigods decided not to make any assumptions and continued to spectate the battle unfold.


    And unsurprisingly, X seemed to have an idea.


    While still attempting to stop his opponent from damaging himself, X came up with a certain possibility that seemed to be a good idea.


    As the battle continued, X suddenly moved back for a brief moment before picking up the knife that Tyler had dropped previously. X then stared at his opponent for a brief moment before doing something completely unexpected to everyone.


    As X picked up the blade, he immediately lunged it directly into the inner side of his forearm. This idea was genius in the possibility that if Tyler''s damage transferred to him, maybe the same occurred for his damage. But this did not seem to be the case as X held on to his arm after it started bleeding from the wound.


    "Good idea," Tyler said to X after realizing what his opponent attempted to do. "I didn''t know if that would work as well."


    Tyler did not appear to be completely sure of the limits and nature of his ability, but it made sense considering he trained to achieve it by himself, alongside his trainer, III.


    Tyler eventually noticed that his vision had started to get blurry and he was feeling more exhausted by every breath he exhaled. This was due to the tremendous amount of energy required for him to keep his mark active. It meant that he had to finish the battle as quickly as possible.


    Tyler then instantly reached for his pocket once more, pulling out what seemed to be another blade.


    "Another one?" X thought.


    Immediately after this happened, Tyler proceeded to lunge the blade directly into his heart, to eliminate his opponent without taking any chances. Everything happened so quickly as X watched Tyler slowly move the blade to his heart.


    The distance between them was too great for him to hit the blade off Tyler''s hand, and by the time he had reached his sidearm and pointed, Tyler would have already completed his goal. But X did not seem the least bit worried for some reason. X took almost a millisecond to think of any other possibilities before an idea suddenly popped into his head.


    X knew that this was the final chance he was going to have as immediately after, Tyler drove a dagger directly into his heart. A few seconds went by as all the demigods stared at the fighters, awaiting the outcome of what was happening. Finally, blood eventually became visible from underneath Tyler''s shirt.


    Tyler instantly dropped to the ground as his eyes widened in utter shock at what was happening.


    "He took damage?" Rose asked. "How?"


    Confusion filled the entire arena as all the demigods tried to understand how this happened. Tyler stared at the weapon for a brief moment before turning his attention to X, who was staring directly at him. That was when he noticed it, he noticed what had happened.


    Earlier, as Tyler''s hand inched closer to his chest with the blade, X held on to the blade he had used to stab himself earlier when attempting to check his theory on Tyler''s power. Rising it swiftly, X swung the blade with incredible speed, almost imperceptible in its motion.


    But instead of swinging at Tyler, X directed his attack towards himself, specifically at his right wrist where the mark of the skull was. The swiftness and force of the motion caused the immediate severing of his right hand from his arm.


    This caused the connection between Tyler and his mark to nullify since X was no longer directly connected to the mark, causing Tyler''s ability to terminate before he drove the blade into his heart.


    Tyler stared down as he noticed X''s arm on the floor before losing his grasp on reality and eventually perishing.


    "So he actually did it?" Lance thought to himself before letting out a smile. "You truly are an amazing fighter."


    The other demigod had nothing to say as they turned to each other and back to the battlefield.


    "And the winner is X," XVII then announced after a few seconds.


    X then used his left hand to hold on to his right forearm. He flexed his right forearm, specifically the area where his hand was severed, so he could use the muscles around to stop any more of his blood from spilling. X then reached down and picked up the part of his hand that was severed.


    But instead of waiting for the transportation process to send him to the medical facility, X headed for the entrance of the battlefield, holding on to his severed arm and walking out of the battlefield, and eventually, the arena, headed for the medical facility himself while Tyler eventually got transported.


    The fact that X managed to keep a normal expression in his eyes as he held on to his severed arm and walked out of the arena was beyond disturbing to most of the demigods. The idea that such pain was too little to cause a reaction made the demigods wonder what he had gone through in his life while still seventeen years old.


    All the demigods awaited the arrival of X and Tyler and after a while, both demigods returned. A few of them welcomed Tyler upon arrival, but considering X''s hostile glare at the demigods, it was no surprise that they did not do the same to him as he returned to his location and continued his meditation.


    But this did not stop them from taking the time they had to talk among themselves.


    CONVERSATION


    Trent: Your performance was beyond impressive, friend.


    Tyler: Thanks, man. Though I really thought I could win.


    Link: Bro you did the most damage anyone of use ever dealt on him... even though, technically, HE did it to himself. Either way, you did great.


    Tyler: Well, I appreciate the accolades.


    Quinn then walked forward with a smile on her face as she proceeded to talk with Tyler.


    Quinn: So... Now that you''ve been eliminated, care to share the nature of your ability?


    Tyler: Going straight to it, huh?


    Quinn: What can I say, I''m a very curious person.


    Link: More like nosy.


    Quinn: What was that, Lincoln?


    Link: Okay, dude. I hope you realize I''m older by a few seconds.


    Quinn: And for the six hundred and third time, I''m aware.


    Tyler then gave them a few more seconds before proceeding.


    Tyler: Well, the nature of the ability is already clear. Once the tattoo on my arm is exposed, it gives me the power to mark a target creating a bond between myself and them.


    Quinn: And that bond causes all the damage you receive to return to the marked target, correct?


    Tyler: Yeah.


    Quinn: Wow, it''s as if you possess the power to instantly cast divine judgment on the target. You''re basically just embodying the concept of "What goes around, comes around".


    Tyler: Basically. This may sound cheesy, but I call the ability Karma.


    Ace: Damn, sick name.


    Quinn: I guess that clarifies how X received all the damage he sent to you, and why you stabbed yourself at the end there.


    Tyler: Yeah. Since I haven''t really used the ability for too long, I had no idea that severing the mark would cause the ability to stop as well.


    Quinn: I don''t blame you, that was my seventh guess, to be honest. Another thing is that you seem to be losing a ton of stamina just by having it active. Care to elaborate?


    Tyler: Well, the ability takes a lot of stamina from me when it''s exposed, and the truth is that I currently have no way of turning it off, which is why the tattoo is always covered by this bandage which, oddly enough, seems to help.


    Quinn: So the tattoo is the mark of the ability on you?


    Tyler: Something like that. It''s more like the catalyst of the ability since I was able to awaken it.


    Quinn: Ah, I get it. That''s honestly quite unfortunate.


    Tyler: I mean I still feel fine when it''s covered.


    Quinn: Fair enough.


    A brief moment of conversation continued before XVII finally walked ahead to announce the next fighters.


    "I will now announce the next fighters."


    However, considering that this was the last battle of the round and that there were only two people left to battle, the other demigods were already aware. And as they awaited his continuation, XVII then announced the final fight of the second round.

 #56: Honed Power

    "Shade Walker vs Lance Knight."


    Of all the fights that could be anticipated, this one sounded too good to be true. All the demigods were curious as to why Quinn had forfeited in the first round without even swinging a single blow, so they wondered how strong Shade had gotten after their month of training.


    Upon the announcement, Shade smiled as he turned to Klaus for a brief moment before getting up from his seat and heading toward the arena''s battlefield.


    "You think he''s got this?" Rose asked Klaus in slight concern.


    "I hope so," Klaus responded.


    Lance also got up from his seat upon hearing XVII''s call of his name. He then walked into the battlefield behind Shade as both fighters positioned themselves, awaiting the battle''s commencement.


    Klaus'' focus on the two fighters was clear as his eyes were completely fixated on the battlefield. His curiosity on how strong Shade truly was was eating him alive and he knew that this was the perfect way to truly scale his brother''s power and progress.


    Both fighters walked ahead and stood opposite each other, awaiting the alarm that signaled the battle''s commencement.


    "It seems your appearance has changed significantly, Walker," Lance said to his opponent. "And you seem to be in very good shape."


    "I appreciate the compliment," Shade responded. "I guess dedication really helps."


    Lance was impressed by Shade''s appearance. He could tell that Shade was different from before. But upon this memory, he remembered something that he wanted to make sure to do before he proceeded.


    "Also," Lance started. "I didn''t have the chance to do this earlier since you were absent, but I wanted to apologize for my unwelcoming comment during our last battle in the Cosmic League."


    Lance''s expression seemed to dim down a bit, making his comment feel even more genuine to Shade.


    "It''s fine, man," Shade replied. "And besides, you were right. I truly was weak at that state and was a detriment in the battle. All you did was tell me the reality I didn''t want to hear."


    "Still..." Lance persisted. "I had no right to lecture you on your strengths. And for that, I am sorry."


    Hearing that made Shade feel warm inside. He didn''t hold it against Lance for saying what he did, but Lance''s apology made him feel more fulfilled than expected.


    "I appreciate it," Shade responded.


    And immediately he replied, Lance''s smile grew back as he returned his initial expression.


    "With that out of the way," Lance started. "I have to request you do not hold the upcoming battle against me. I don''t plan on holding back any punches."


    "Yeah..." Shade replied before taking his stance. "Well, I don''t plan on making it any easier for you as well."


    And almost immediately after his statement, the alarm rang and the battle between Shade and Lance was finally underway.


    Immediately the alarm went off, Lance instantly darted to his opponent before any of the other demigods could realize. He swung his fists at Shade, and Shade was able to evade the incoming barrage of attacks before readying himself and swinging his own set of punches.


    Both fighters clashed their attacks with each other as Shade swung multiple punches alongside Lance. Their defenses were also top-notch as both fighters seldom received significant damage from the other.


    "The fight is more even than I thought," Mia exclaimed at the spectator''s area.


    Both fighters continued to swing at each other in almost a choreographic manner, making the fight extremely enticing to watch. All the demigods had their focus and attention on the fight, excluding X who continued to meditate. They all had the same thought in mind that Shade''s performance was more impressive than expected, despite the battle only just going over a minute.


    The demigods could see the effort that Shade had put into his training, even though the fight was not completely in his favor. But it seemed like Shade had something in his mind that was more concerning to him.


    "He''s not using it, huh," Shade thought to himself as the clash between the fighters continued.


    Eventually, after a few more seconds of clashing, both fighters backed out of the fight in silence before taking their time to analyze what they would do next.


    "Impressive combating skills, Walker," Lance started. "I''d say your skills might even rival that of my brother''s."


    "Thank you," Shade then said as he continued to analyze his opponent.


    Lance''s stance had changed slightly and he seemed to be off-guard, but Shade knew that this was not the case and that Lance was far from it.


    "Though I have to ask," Lance eventually continued. "Why do you not use any of your abilities."


    "I could say the same about you," Shade decided to say after a brief moment.


    "Well I could, if its presence becomes necessary," Lance then replied to Shade.


    Hearing this statement from Lance slightly ticked Shade off. It felt to him like Lance was implying that he needed to use his ability, despite Lance himself not using his. But he knew that Lance''s confidence was not out of spite and he did not want to get empty thoughts to distract him from his goal.


    After a few more seconds, Shade then sighed before returning his smile to his face. He then rested his stance before placing both of his hands in his pockets, appearing very calm and carefree.


    "I guess that''s fair," Shade then said to Lance.


    Immediately after this statement concluded, Lance''s smile seemed to lessen as he gradually turned his attention to the floor, witnessing a pool of shadow completely beneath him.


    "This move, huh," Lance said, revealing his knowledge of the ability.


    Lance remained in the same spot, confirming that the ability was the Binding Shadow technique that Shade normally used before. However, the pool of shadow that was present contradicted the usual ability where Shade used his opponent''s shadow to bind them.


    "Boring, yet effective, don''t you think?" Shade responded with his hands remaining in his pockets.


    Spectating from the sidelines, Klaus noticed that Shade did not have to place his palms on the floor to use his binding ability which was very impressive, but the idea of remaining in place when using the ability seemed to still be present.


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    Shade continued to keep Lance in the same location, which made Lance a bit frustrated. But his expression did not seem as concerned as the other demigods had expected.


    Suddenly, Lance''s body appeared to be shaking, almost like he was trying to force himself out of his bound state, and this seemed to be the case. Eventually, Lance managed to forcefully break out of Shade''s ability as the shadow beneath him vanished, leaving his own shadow alone.


    Lance closed his eyes and exhaled for a brief moment before opening his eyes and turning back to Shade. His expression remained the same, but it was clear that his anticipation had lessened a bit.


    "If that is the best you can do, then I am disappointed," Lance said.


    But Shade did not seem the least bit concerned after Lance regained his freedom.


    "Oh," Shade started. "I just wanted to show you my mastery of that technique. Frankly, it''s a bit too cowardly for me, to be honest."


    The other demigods were surprised by such a bold statement from Shade. If what he said was true, then it meant that Shade had way more up his sleeves than cheap tricks. His expression also seemed like he did not do the ability with any intention of seriousness. It was almost like he was building up for something else.


    "But I guess I''m the one that needs to start the momentum of the battle," Shade then said to Lance.


    As he concluded his statement, Shade pulled out his right hand from his pocket and slowly lifted it. He then brought out his index finger after coming to a stop as it seemed like he was pointing at his opponent. But that was not Shade''s intention.


    Suddenly, before anyone present could expect anything, a black substance appeared underneath Shade''s right sleeve before proceeding to the finger he had pointed out. The substance then gathered at his finger''s tip before dropping to the ground like a drop of water. But that was not the most shocking part of the sequence.


    As the strange substance dropped to the floor, a puddle of shadows instantly appeared where the drop had occurred, almost like the substance had spread itself when coming in contact with the ground. The pool of shadow was extremely dark, clearly darker than the previous one he had used, and was about forty inches in diameter.


    The demigods were completely surprised that Shade had made such a thick and concentrated amount of shadow and seemed to be slightly confused about what it was for. But a statement was eventually made among them that caused them to wonder even more.


    "That pool. That isn''t made of shadows," The statement, revealing to be from Iris, was made as she stared at the strange concentration of the substance.


    "What?" Tyler asked. "Then what is it?"


    "It''s pure darkness, in the form of matter."


    As Quinn made this statement with an utterly shocked expression, the demigods knew that this was bigger than they had anticipated.


    "Pure darkness?" Klaus asked Quinn. "Care to elaborate?"


    "I''ve always had theories on such a concept, but I never assumed it would be possible," Quinn began. "Though, at this point, I shouldn''t be surprised that the son of the God of Darkness was able to manifest such a substance."


    "That doesn''t answer the question," Klaus then proceeded before Quinn realized that her bad habit was sprouting again.


    "I''m sorry," Quinn said. "But it''s as the statement entails; pure darkness in the form of matter."


    "So dark matter?" Rose asked.


    "Not exactly," Link replied as he attempted to understand the situation. "Where dark matter is a substance that cannot be visible, this is clearly different. Though this substance also appears to be formed by particles that do not absorb light."


    "It''s basically conjuring darkness itself, as the absence of light, and manifesting it into matter," Quin then elaborated her theory as she continued to spectate the fight in hopes of fully understanding the strange substance''s nature.


    "You''re not going to attack?" Shade asked Lance after realizing that his opponent had not reacted.


    "Well," Lance began. "I''m more curious as to what this ability had to offer."


    Shade smiled after Lance''s statement before responding to his opponent.


    "Oh... then you would definitely love this."


    And as Shade stated this, he immediately crouched behind the pool of darkness before stretching his right hand into the pool.


    "Woah," Siren exclaimed. "It seems deeper than I''d thought."


    Shade''s right arm was almost completely below the pool of darkness as he continued to dig deep into it for a few more seconds. Eventually, Shade proceeded to return his hand out of the pool of darkness and upon doing so, appeared to have pulled something else from inside of it.


    As he completely returned his hand and got back up on his feet, the other demigods, alongside Lance, stood in awe as Shade pulled out what seemed to be a sword made completely of pure darkness.


    Lance''s smile grew almost immediately as Shade wielded the blade right in front of him.


    "Sorry for the wait," Shade said to Lance with his smile.


    "Forget that," Lance said. "With such magnitude of power, this battle can truly be elegant."


    And immediately after, Shade rushed at Lance with his newly formed weapon.


    Shade proceeded to swing his blade at Lance, with Lance simply evading the attacks. The process seemed to continue for a little bit until the demigods noticed something strange.


    "Is he..." Ace began. "Is Shade overwhelming Lance?"


    The demigods watched as Shade''s swordsmanship was so extraordinary that Lance appeared to be having a hard time evading and defending.


    Shade continued his attacking sequence without giving Lance any room for error, and Lance knew that he couldn''t keep this process up. His smile had also dimmed quite a bit upon realization by the others as they watched Shade get the upper hand for the first time in their battle.


    Shade then managed to get an opening on Lance upon evading an attack before he raised his blade and drove it down onto his opponent with hopes of ending the battle there. And as this occurred, a loud slam sounded around the battlefield.


    As the demigods focused on what had happened, they noticed that Lance had subconsciously created a shield using the Divine Arsenal to block Shade''s attack. After this, Lance then moved back a few meters from his opponent before Shade let out a smile and dropped his hands.


    "Worried, were you?" Shade asked Lance with a devilish smile on his face.


    Lance''s expression was almost straight for a second before he finally noticed his concern and lessened it, reverting to his proud expression with a bright smile on his face. He then turned his attention back to Shade before proceeding to respond.


    "You have gained my attention, Walker. Now keep it."


    As Lance stated this, he stretched his right hand out before forming what seemed to be a sword of his own from the Divine Arsenal and rushing directly at Shade.


    Both fighters rushed at each other as they clashed their blades in almost a lightning-fast manner. The speed and precision that both fighters had were beyond phenomenal and most of the demigods could not even react to every clash. But what was clear in this battle was that Shade was performing well above expectation, clearly rivaling someone like Lance in combat.


    As the clashing continued for a few moments, Shade managed to use his sword to break Lance''s blade after their continuous clash, but before he could even utilize the opening he got, Lance had already created a brand new one from thin air and continued the clash.


    This continued until Lance also managed to break the blade that Shade was using. But yet again, before Lance could do anything, Shade placed his hand into the pool of darkness and pulled out another blade almost immediately, with the broken pieces of the old one returning to the pit of darkness.


    "It''s almost like they have the same ability," Trent commented at the spectator''s area.


    "Forget that," Quinn stated. "It''s almost like they''re dead even."


    The clash continued for a few more seconds before Lance eventually got a good opening on Shade and sent out an attack with speed. Judging from the way Shade was, it was almost impossible for him to react to Lance''s attack with his weapon so it was almost a guaranteed slash.


    But before Lance''s attack could land, a small pool of darkness from the pit that suddenly moved itself between both fighters gushed upwards. This created a solidified wall of darkness between Lance''s attack and Shade, causing Lance''s blade to snap once more.


    Lance looked at his blade in confusion before turning to the wall of darkness. This ability had just saved Shade in such a short period that it felt like it was unreal to Lance. Shade eventually turned his focus back on Lance while the wall was still up after noticing his opponent''s weapon''s state.


    But by the time Shade had turned, Lance had already created another blade, this time almost three times the size of the previous and similar to a greatsword, and swung it at Shade.


    The wall of darkness managed to absorb most of the force Lance had used when swinging his weapon, but the attack was too powerful so it managed to break through the darkness. But by that time, Shade had also moved away from the attack''s way.


    Shade then dropped his sword before reaching for the pit of darkness once again, this time pulling out a greatsword almost similar to Lance''s and rushing at his opponent once again.


    The clashing continued as the demigods watched both fighters swing such massive weapons with relative ease. Shade was holding his own very well against his opponent, but it was still clear that he did not have the upper hand anymore, in fact, maybe the opposite.


    The demigods were too impressed by Shade, but they were still in awe by how calm and collected both Lance and Shade were in the battle. But the clashing didn''t last too long before Lance finally managed to disarm his opponent yet again, hitting Shade''s weapon off his hands.


    With this opening, Lance did not waste a single ounce of time before swinging his weapon directly at Shade. But before any of the demigods could react, Lance swung his sword so fast that his blade went through Shade''s torso.


    The shock in Klaus'' eyes widened as he witnessed Lance''s blade cleanly cut through Shade.


    "No..."

 #57: Horrors of the Abyss

    Klaus, alongside the rest of the demigods, watched as Shade got cleaved by Lance''s sword.


    It was clear that the blade had gone through his body, and yet for some reason, Shade still appeared to be intact and unscathed as he fell to his knees after the slash.


    "What the..." Link muttered in confusion as to how Shade was not split in half.


    There was a lot of confusion as to what was happening, but what was clear to everyone was that Shade, somehow, was fine despite having a massive sword cut through his torso.


    "How?" Lance asked in confusion.


    Lance stared down as he watched Shade pat around his torso, almost as if he was unaware that he was fine.


    "Damn," Shade eventually stated. "That was close."


    Lance''s confusion as to what was occurring made him more curious about what had just happened as he dropped his hands and stared at Shade as he got up from the ground. That was when Lance noticed a body of darkness completely covering Shade''s entire torso.


    The body of darkness then cumulated before instantly dropping from his body and returning into the pit that was somehow still present beside Shade.


    "Good thing it''s got a mind of its own," Shade then mentioned before turning his attention back to Lance.


    Lance''s eyes widened slightly upon hearing Shade''s statement.


    "By that, do you mean that strange pit of darkness?" Lance asked while pointing at the pit.


    "What good will it do me if I explain my power to you," Shade then replied before continuing after a brief moment. "But I guess it can''t be helped."


    He then decided to explain what the pit really was and what his ability did, which felt strange to the others that he was exposing his power, but it was as if Shade did not bother too much that he would give any advantage he previously had. Shade then pointed at the darkness pool before continuing.


    "This is what I call the Abyssal Pit," Shade started. "It''s made of pure darkness that I was able to harness and master. And while perfecting the technique, I noticed that it was like a second mind to me, where it would react to attacks that could harm me faster than I could myself."


    Hearing this statement made Lance surprised. This meant that the pit was essentially its own entity born off of Shade''s mind.


    "That still doesn''t explain how you were able to survive the attack," Lance eventually stated.


    "True," Shade replied. "Well, that part was actually a close call, considering that the pit had to turn my body and internal organs into natural darkness and back."


    This statement sounded ridiculous. What Shade was implying was that the Abyssal Pit was able to turn his body into normal darkness when it wrapped the pure darkness around him, causing the blade to pass through without dealing damage to his organs, and reverting them after the attack. The idea was unbelievable, but there was no confirmation of otherwise since everyone witnessed the same thing occur.


    After this explanation, Shade then rushed at Lance once again, who seemed to still be in awe of the explanation he had just heard. Shade continued to attack, and Lance managed to evade the attacks while still swinging his own. But what he noticed was that, unlike Shade, he was actually getting slightly exhausted after the time had passed.


    The attacks from Shade continued until suddenly, he heard Lance mutter a word.


    "Fine."


    And as Shade turned his attention to Lance''s expression, he noticed that Lance''s smile was completely gone. Lance kept a straight face for the first time in their battle before releasing his grip on the greatsword he had equipped, returning it to the Divine Arsenal.


    Shade knew that Lance''s expression meant that he was taking the battle more seriously at that moment as Lance continued to mutter a few more words while stretching his right hand.


    "No more games."


    As this happened, gradually, a certain golden weapon proceeded to spawn gradually over Lance''s right hand before he held on to it after materializing.


    "Camelot," Quinn mentioned at the spectator''s area, confirming the weapon to be the same as what Lance had used when fighting Drake.


    "To think that Shade was able to push Lance to such lengths," Rose muttered as she continued to watch the battle unfold.


    "Honestly," Mia then started. "In my opinion, Shade has already won in my book."


    Some of the demigods seemed to agree with Mia''s statement as they all stared in shock at what was happening. After the complete materialization of Camelot, Lance, once again, continued to say a few words to his opponent.


    "To think I would have to be driven to such an extreme," Lance said before taking a very deadly stance with his weapon and continuing.


    "Tell me, Walker... are you prepared?"


    And immediately after this, Lance darted with immense speed at his opponent. Shade managed to react to the initial attack and turned it into a clash before both fighters engaged in combat once more. But this time was different, completely different.


    From the way the battle continued from this point, it was nothing but clear to the demigods that the two fighters were nowhere near each other. The difference between Lance and himself a few moments prior was so great that nobody could have predicted it. Lance was completely overpowering Shade.


    Shade attempted to evade and remain on the defensive until he would find an opening, but that idea never came to fruition as he never got one. If there was anything that would be deemed impossible to Shade, it was countering Lance whatsoever.


    Lance''s speed was so through the roof, that even the Abyssal Pit was barely able to assist Shade with his blindspots, and a few times, Shade would get hit by Lance. The tides of the battle had changed almost instantly in Lance''s favor and it felt like there was nothing Shade could do.


    "He''s too strong," Shade whispered to himself after taking a lot of battle damage and barely managing to keep his defenses up.


    Shade knew that with the way the battle was going, he was bound to lose the match. But he wasn''t out yet. He still had one more trick up his sleeve that was more than enough to give him a sliver of hope of winning.


    The battle continued the way it had for a few more moments until Shade managed to get a little bit of distance between his opponent and him. With that, he then used the Abyssal Pit to create a brief wall of darkness before proceeding with his plan.


    Shade then stretched both of his hands apart from each other before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He knew that the ability was going to do so much for him, but it was also still a risk, so he had to clear his mind and prepare for his decision.


    And before Lance could break through the wall of darkness between them, Shade proceeded to fall to his back, while still having his hands apart. While falling back, the Abyssal Pit could be seen behind him and as he reached the ground, his body began to sink into the pit until it was nowhere in sight.


    Lance stared forward in confusion about what to do next since his opponent was no longer visible. The bubbling that proceeded after Shade''s dive felt alarming to him, but he still kept his guard up after remembering what had happened with Drake''s manifestation during the Cosmic League.


    A few more seconds went by as silence filled the entire Arena of Valor until something finally happened after the bubbling above the pit stopped.


    "Woahhh..." Rose expressed with her eyes widened in utter shock. "What the heck is that?"


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    The demigods turned their attention to the pit of darkness as they, alongside Lance, witnessed a strange hand, completely pitch black and seemingly molten with sharp dark claws, proceeding to rise out of the concentration of darkness gradually.


    The strange monstrous hand continued to rise until a body and head were eventually seen attached to it. The creature then used its hands to pull itself out of the Abyssal Pit before moving to the side and standing in silence. The creature, similar to its hands, was completely pitch black and was about six and a half feet tall. Its figure was very bulky and had slouched forward. Its hollow face showed its eyes closed and mouth shut almost like it was a deactivated robot. But its presence, as well as looks, were nothing short of terrifying.


    "Yet another unfamiliar creature I''m left to deal with," Lance exclaimed relating the situation to his battle with Drake. "Fantastic."


    The silence continued to echo through the arena. The creature remained in its position as the demigods stared in fear. But that was not the end of it.


    Once again, similar to a few moments prior, another hand proceeded to exit from the pit of darkness again, before revealing another creature exactly like the one present. The second creature proceeded out of the pit and stood right beside the first before yet another hand proceeded to rise out of the Abyssal Pit.


    "What the hell is going on?" Rose asked at the spectator''s area.


    Nobody understood what was happening, but most of all Lance had no idea what to do about the situation. The creatures seemed to have their guards down, but this was not a familiar situation for Lance that he would risk his victory by attacking early so he knew he had to be patient about the situation. But he wondered just how many of them had to spawn before he would have to switch up to the offensive.


    The three creatures stood beside each other as they slouched with an absent expression, almost as if they were awaiting orders. The pit did not seem to spawn any more of them, which made Lance wonder if this was all that it could make. Suddenly, the creatures seemed to have reacted to something before they all opened their eyes simultaneously, revealing the differences between each other.


    The first creature that spawned had completely red eyes with no pupils, the second had blue eyes, and the third with pure green eyes. The creatures stared at Lance with lifeless expressions before they suddenly began to growl. The noise that they made was completely frightening and almost eerie, as the creatures revealed their razor-sharp teeth.


    The growling continued in a horrifying scene before the creatures finally focused their attention on Lance, almost as if they had seen prey. Immediately they noticed him, the three creatures instantly began to rush at Lance swiftly. Lance took his stance as he awaited his opponents before engaging in battle with them.


    The three beings proceeded to battle Lance with an unfavorable advantage, but it did not appear as if Lance was in trouble, not even a little. Lance''s moves while battling the creatures of darkness were superb and he was clearly holding his own despite the numbers disadvantage. But this didn''t last for long.


    Lance continued to counter the creatures using Camelot and was also dealing major damage to them despite their goliath stature and maniacal attacks, but over time, this advantage seemed to lessen with each swing and clash from his opponents. Eventually, Lance was in a situation where he was alternating between offense and defense.


    "These beings," Lance muttered to himself. "They''re learning."


    With each attack that was taken, the creatures proceeded to learn a counter for the next. Not only that but over time, the beings of darkness began to work around each other, building what appeared to be some sort of synergy between themselves. Their ferocity, combined with their aggressive nature, was too intense for anybody to handle on their own, and despite that, Lance was still giving it his all. But how far could he go with a mortal body?


    As the battle progressed, Lance''s vision began to turn blurry and his panting became more audible than ever. It was clear that he was tired. But for the creatures, their attacks did not get any slower throughout the battle. Due to this, they began to overwhelm Lance.


    Lance began to find himself on the defensive alone as he continued to block the sharp claws that were swung at him. The attacks were too powerful and Lance eventually began taking serious damage from the creatures, losing his right eye from a scratch and getting multiple wounds around his body.


    The creature with pure red eyes then launched Lance a significant distance after landing a massive hit, causing him to slam into the wall behind him with force. After this, alongside its kind, it turned its head upwards with its hands apart before releasing an echoing roar that spread around the entire arena.


    "Damn," Quinn expressed at the spectator''s area. "I think he''s through."


    The other demigods stared at her in shock at what she had said. This felt like Lance had no other option, especially since he already had Camelot equipped. But as Klaus turned to Arthur to see how he felt about the situation, he noticed that Arthur remained with his stoic expression and his arms folded as he continued to stare at the battlefield.


    This made Klaus feel like it wasn''t over so he turned his attention back, awaiting the continuation of the battle. And that was when Lance finally got up from the rubble.


    As Lance gradually got up from his fallen state, with the monsters turning their attention back to him, he revealed that he had created a suit of armor to cushion the slam. Eventually, the suit began to dematerialize and all the demigods were met with Lance once again. But his expression had changed.


    This was the first ever time that any of the demigods had seen Lance with a straight and serious face. His expression displayed a very intimidating scene that even the creatures took a second of shock before they finally decided to rush at him once again. Lance''s focused expression continued before he gripped his lance with a devastating stance and awaited his opponents.


    The demigods stared in anticipation as the darkness creatures rushed at Lance, with Lance keeping an extremely focused expression. And before the creatures could reach Lance, suddenly, they proceeded to stop a few meters and froze in place.


    Lance stared in confusion after the creatures froze for a few seconds.


    "What''s happening?" Ace asked at the spectator''s area.


    Everyone continued to wait, attempting to understand what the creatures were doing. Their lifeless look as they stood like statues had everyone present wondering what would happen next. But contradicting what everyone would have anticipated, the creatures suddenly turned away from Lance and proceeded to walk slowly in the opposite direction, heading to where the Abyssal pit was.


    The lifeless motion of the creatures made Lance confused, causing him to retreat his stance and watch as they all walked into the pit one by one. After a few seconds of bubbling from the pit, a hand suddenly appeared from its abyss, but this time, it appeared to be a human hand. The demigods continued to stare curiously as Shade eventually climbed out of the Abyssal pit.


    Shade managed to pull himself out of the Abyssal Pit as he rolled to the ground and lay beside it. His coughing, alongside heavy breathing, made it clear to everyone that he was in a very critical condition for some reason. Shade held his neck as he gasped for air before laying flat on the floor with his eyes closed. And while in his condition, he managed to mutter a few words.


    "I... I forfeit."


    "Huh?" Mia exclaimed. "What just happened?"


    "Are you certain?" XVII asked immediately after hearing Shade''s request.


    "I guess," Shade responded as he continued to breathe heavily.


    Lance''s eyes widened upon realizing what was happening before he moved to Shade in surprise.


    "Why do you yield?" Lance asked Shade in confusion.


    Shade still had his eyes closed before letting out a brief laugh and answering.


    "Do I look like I can keep going?" he asked Lance. "Besides, I was just a few seconds close to losing my connection with reality, which isn''t really a good thing for me."


    "Losing your connection?" Lance asked as he stretched his hand out to help Shade from his lying state. "Do you mind elaborating?"


    "Yeah," Shade responded after taking Lance''s hand and getting up on his feet. "The longer I stayed in the Abyssal Pit, the more I lose my connection with the Abyssal Heralds."


    "I''m guessing that''s what those creatures were?" Lance asked.


    "Basically," Shade replied before continuing. "To exist in this reality, they need to take the presence of another sole entity, which is why I had to dwell in the Abyssal Pit while they were active. In there, all I can do is give them an instruction to carry out, but if the connection were to be severed, they would basically take my position in the living world, making the ability a massive risk."


    "Wow," Lance exclaimed. "That is quite the risk."


    "Tell me about it," Shade replied with a smile as he began to stretch.


    Lance''s expression seemed a bit gloomy for someone who had been announced as the victor, but it was clear that this was not how he had wanted to win. However, despite not having the conclusion he wanted, Lance was truly satisfied with his battle with Shade and was impressed by how far his opponent had gone in just a month. Which made him question how this was even possible.


    "How did you get so powerful in such a short time?" Lance muttered.


    Shade turned to him, knowing that the least he could do after such a lackluster conclusion was to tell his opponent the truth.


    "If you do not wish to reveal your means, that is alright," Lance continued after returning Camelot to the Divine Arsenal.


    "No, it''s fine," Shade replied before proceeding to explain what had happened briefly.


    "Immediately the Cosmic League concluded and we were told to prepare for the next event, I decided to ask VI about the best way I could get stronger. That was when he scanned the possibilities and managed to grant me coordinates to a strange location that could assist me. But when I got there, I noticed that it was unlike any other place I had been. Strange creatures roamed that land. It was like I was in hell."


    "It was not Earth?" Lance asked him.


    "Far from it," Shade replied. "I tried to survive, but I managed to be rescued by a strange person. I didn''t know what kind of person would be in such a land, but when I regained consciousness and noticed the person, alongside the strong force that echoed around the room, I realized that this was no mortal."


    "A God," Quinn commented in shock at the spectator''s area before the other demigods turned in her direction.


    XVII also suddenly had a surprised expression on his face as he walked closer to the battlefield, listening to Shade. The demigods were completely confused and stared at each other for a brief moment before returning their attention to Shade''s story.


    "How''s that possible?" Lance asked.


    "I wondered as well," Shade replied. "But then I remembered that there was one God that was mentioned during the meeting with the Gods to be absent from his services."


    "Impossible," Quinn commented.


    But as the shock continued among the spectating demigods, upon hearing what was going on, X opened his eyes from his meditating state for the first time since his battle and walked closer to the battlefield slowly. This action caused the demigods to realize who Shade was talking about before Mia''s eyes widened in realization as well.


    "You don''t mean..." Lance asked.


    "Yeah," Shade replied before confirming the statement.


    "It was Flage, the God of Hunting."

 #58: Relentless Training

    One Month Ago...


    Shade opened his eyes before realizing he had spawned in an unfamiliar location. He had asked VI, his instructor, for the best way he could train within the month to catch up to his opponents, and after a bit of research, VI decided to disclose a certain bizarre location to Shade.


    Shade appreciated VI''s effort and before the day could conclude, he said his goodbyes to his family and headed to the given location.


    After spawning, Shade turned around, scouting the area for a few seconds in hopes of getting an understanding of the place. It appeared to be a forest and there were a lot of trees, rocks, and grasses, the exact setting he would have expected. But despite its expected looks, there was something oddly eerie about the place that gave Shade chills every second that passed.


    Shade continued to walk forward, intending to find anyone who was present so that he could get an understanding of the location. He knew that since VI had sent him there, the place would be much more special than he would initially think. But upon traversing for a while, Shade noticed something odd about the location.


    Every time Shade passed a given place, if he were to his attention back to that place, it would not be present. This meant that everywhere he left could no longer be seen or returned to if he decided to head back. It was almost like the forest was a sort of labyrinth that constantly kept changing its location after each second. And because of this, it was safe to say that Shade eventually became lost.


    Despite this, Shade still decided to continue on his journey in hopes of finding somebody at all. He did not want to give up on his reason for being there, so he knew that this was not going to stop him from understanding why he was sent to the location.


    Shade continued for a few more minutes as the sunset turned to darkness. He realized that the timezone seemed to be the same as Earth, specifically, New York where he resided, which made him wonder if that was where he was. And as he continued heading forward, barely able to see ahead of him, Shade managed to come across a cave.


    Shade knew that the darkness of the night would make it harder for him to navigate around the forest, so he decided to stay in the cave until the next day. He then entered the cave and searched around it to make sure it was safe and that he could rest there after his somewhat long journey. But upon searching the cave in the darkness, Shade, unfortunately, came across something he shouldn''t have.


    While he searched the cave, he immediately decided that it was safe and proceeded to lie on the ground close to the entrance. But what he did not realize was that the ground he was lying upon was the skin of a mighty beast that appeared to be hibernating in the cave. And before Shade could realize this, he had unfortunately woken the beast from its slumber.


    Upon waking up, the strange beast was filled with rage as it roared, causing Shade to move back a bit.


    "You have got to be kidding me," Shade mumbled to himself while attempting to keep his guard up.


    The monstrous beast then turned its attention to Shade, who appeared to be the instigator of its wake as well as a potential meal, before rushing directly at him. Shade''s confusion was clear as he tried to make up what the beast was, but could hardly do so due to the absence of light. He instantly rushed out of the cave as the beast immediately followed. Using the night skies, which seemed to lack the presence of a star but were still visible, Shade concluded that the four-legged beast in front of him was not a normal creature.


    Shade''s eyes widened as the massive beast continued to chase him from the cave. All he could see were the eyes of the creature as they darted toward him from behind. And it was there that Shade remembered he was a demigod and decided to attack the beast. He then decided to use his Shadow binding technique to hold the beast down while he would come up with a way to take himself out of the situation, which he did. But while he attempted to terminate the creature''s movements, the immense force from his target, as well as the absence of light causing the shadows to be significantly weaker, Shade was unable to hold the creature for long.


    As the beast broke out of Shade''s ability, it instantly launched the claws of its left foreleg at Shade, scratching him through his clothes and tearing through the flesh of Shade''s chest. The wounds caused by the beast were deep and caused tremendous pain to Shade as he began to bleed severely. Shade fell to the ground in pain as the beast continued forward to its prey. Shade knew that he could not defeat the creature.


    With this conclusion, Shade managed to pick himself up before he began to run for his life. He knew that he was out of options, and the pain he was feeling was nothing short of real, meaning he could be killed by this creature. Shade continued to run away, but his attempts seemed to be ineffective as the monstrous beast darted directly behind him, leaving him no room for escape.


    Shade''s vision began to turn blurry as he continued running, making him realize that he could eventually lose consciousness. It felt like this was all for him and he was almost certain that he would die at this moment. But his determination to get stronger did not want him to stop.


    Shade continued to run forward, remembering the rules of the biome he was in. He then came up with a plan that he hoped could assist him in fleeing. As he continued to run from the creature, Shade instantly took a sharp left before falling into the shadow of a tree that was right beside him.


    The beast noticed his sharp turn before managing to come to a stop and directing itself toward the direction. But upon turning there, it was not able to see Shade''s action after, which caused it to continue ahead. Due to the constantly changing location, the creature eventually moved out of sight and Shade was able to crawl out of the shadow he had hidden in.


    Shade was safe, but the wounds that were instilled upon him, as well as the amount of blood he had lost, made it feel like there was no point in surviving the encounter. And after a few more seconds of attempting not to, Shade eventually began to lose consciousness...


    Shade woke up.


    The immense pain he felt on his torso, accompanied by the headache he had made him feel like he was already dead. He took a few seconds as he held on to his head in pain before realizing that he was not in the same location. Shade then managed to raise his heap, scanning the location he was and noticing that he was in a strange building.


    The building appeared to be built with wood, almost like a cabin, and it was slightly spacious, but not too big. From the way it looked, Shade could tell that someone was living there, which made sense to him since it was clear at this point that he had been saved by somebody.


    Shade attempted to get up from the bed that he laid on, but found it very difficult due to the wounds he still had. Although the wounds he had gotten from the beast had partially healed, they were still hurting after every step Shade took. He then walked outside to see if he could find the stranger that had saved his life, or at the very least answers to where he was.


    Shade glanced around the area. He noticed that the trees were all very far from the building and circulated it. The house appeared to be surrounded by just trees, which made Shade understand that he was still in the strange forest. He also had the idea to search around and find the owner, but after remembering the way the forest worked, he did not want to risk getting lost in the forest again.


    Shade stared around for a bit in silence, thinking about what had just happened to him and how his life would''ve ended so easily. This made him bask in the thought that he truly needed to get stronger after all.


    "How did you get here?"


    Shade''s eyes widened in fear after hearing these words from behind him. He then gradually turned his head back into the house before setting his eyes on the strange being that owned the voice he had heard. And as Shade turned completely, his eyes completely dawned upon a being larger than him, but had the same properties as a human.


    The stranger towered over Shade in silence, awaiting his response, but as Shade''s eyes focused on the being he noticed the absence of pupils, which accompanied by the towering height, made it clear to Shade that this being was a God.


    However, unlike the other Gods, this being appeared to have a scar at the left side of his face slitting through his left eye which appeared to be completely red and corrupt-looking. This made Shade wonder what had happened for such a being to have received such damage especially since he had the assumption that the Gods were unable to have any form of injuries.


    Shade''s silence continued for a good amount of seconds since he did not know what to say or even how to react. He had even been so confused about how such a divine being was there that he had forgotten what the stranger had asked for a brief moment.


    "Uhh... I... I was tr... transported here," Shade managed to let out.


    His mind felt blank, and his headache didn''t make things better, and his body felt numb, but what he felt was not the same as he usually did in the face of the other Gods. This was just shock, filled with confusion and pain from his current state.


    After responding, the God then walked past him and continued outwards before saying something.


    "Then return to where you came from."


    Shade was still in awe of finding a God at the strangest location, but after processing what the God had said to him, he knew he had to react immediately.


    "Uhh... I apologize, but I don''t know if my injuries can allow me to navigate the forest safely," Shade explained. "I''m also not sure how this location works and I can''t find my way back at all."


    Shade''s reasons were valid and made sense to him, but he was not sure if the God would agree. But by the looks of it, the God did not seem to care as he continued to head into the forest.


    Shade wondered why such a divine being was in such an eerie location. That was when his mind suddenly remembered the meeting with the Gods when Zenith explained to Mia that her father was absent at that point. Shade''s eyes widened in realization before he managed to get a few more words out.


    "You''re the God of Hunting, aren''t you?" Shade asked.


    Upon hearing this, the God stopped before reaching the beginning of the forest. Silence brewed for a few more seconds, which made Shade wonder if what he said was wrong. Until the God finally replied.


    "That title means nothing to me."


    This response made Shade utterly surprised. It was almost as if the God had forsaken his duties. But Shade knew that he had a goal and he did not want the God to leave since he was the best presence Shade had seen since he got to the strange world.


    "Well..." Shade started as he walked closer to the God. "My name is..."


    "... Shade Walker, son of Abyss," The God continued after Shade.


    Shade stopped where he was in silence as he wondered if the God was angry by his statement. The silence continued once more before the God proceeded to speak.


    "You will depart tomorrow."


    And as these words were stated, the God continued into the forest, eventually vanishing from the location.


    Shade knew that if he continued in, he would risk the chance of getting lost, and it seemed like the area he was in did not have that rule, so he decided to remain in the cabin until the God returned. Shade entered the building to wait but after a few minutes, due to the headache and pain that he was feeling, he ended up sleeping off for a few hours.


    When Shade woke up, he realized that he had slept off and that it was already around evening time. He then walked out to check if the God had returned, but that did not seem to be the case. Since time had gone on for too long, and the headache he was feeling seemed to have slightly subsided, Shade decided to work out by himself before the God would return.


    After a few minutes, the God finally returned from the forest. Upon entry, the God noticed Shade in his exercising routine which made the God slightly surprised since Shade was still injured. The God then walked towards the building before Shade finally noticed his presence and commented.


    "You''re back," Shade said.


    The God''s silence was clear as he continued to head into the building. It was clear to Shade that his presence was not wanted, but he was not ready to give up. After all, he was there for a reason.


    And that was when everything finally hit him. Why couldn''t he just ask the God to train him until he would return to Higher World? Shade could not believe that he had not realized this sooner. This was the reason VI had sent him to the strange location.


    After completing his workout, Shade headed into the cabin to take a shower. After cleaning up, he then decided that he would ask the God to train him. Shade searched for the God until he eventually saw him outside, sitting on the staircase leading to the door of the cabin and sharpening what seemed to be a slick piece of wood with a small knife.


    "The night skies aren''t as beautiful here, huh?" Shade asked the God.


    The God continued his action almost like Shade was not present, making him silent for a brief moment before continuing.


    "I know this is a ridiculous request from me," Shade started. "But would it be possible for you to train me?"


    The God dropped the wood that he was sharpening before picking up another one from beside him and continuing his action. The silence was strong, and Shade knew that there was almost no way he was going to make the god respond. Despite this, Shade felt that he had to make a strong argument as to why the God would do so without having the idea that he was wasting his time. He then walked around the God and stopped ahead of him before continuing.


    "Yeah..." Shade said. "I know I''m basically wasting my time asking such a thing, and I know that there is no reason for you to accept such a demand, but I have to participate in a tournament that''s happening in about twenty-nine days, and I cannot afford to show up as weak as I am now."


    Shade''s eyes dimmed upon the thought of him not getting stronger. He knew that he was asking for too much from the God and that his chances were slim, but he did not want to give up the best chance he had of getting stronger.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The God then stopped his sharpening before finally responding to Shade with something very surprising.


    "Twenty-five."


    Shade had confusion in his eyes as to what the God meant before he continued.


    "You have been unconscious for four days."


    Upon hearing this, Shade''s eyes widened. He could not believe that he had wasted so much time without getting any stronger.


    "You''re kidding?" Shade commented in shock and frustration at the idea of such.


    This made Shade realize that he did not have as much time left as he wanted and had to do something about it. He then sighed before announcing the only thing he had in mind that could help him.


    "It means I have to double down on my recovery exercise now before tomorrow," Shade said.


    He then began to walk into the cabin to ready himself when the God suddenly placed his right hand on his way, stopping him.


    "Your wounds will only get worse," the God mentioned to Shade, knowing the outcome of such a careless action.


    "Well, what choice do I have right now?" Shade asked.


    The God''s silence made Shade realize that even though he was out of options, his choice was not the right one. After a brief moment of silence, he then sat beside the God before subconsciously explaining his thoughts.


    "I know you don''t care, and you probably already know this as well, but I have a brother, and up until he found out that he was a demigod, he didn''t really care for anything or anyone. But now, when I see the effort he puts in getting stronger, it makes me wonder about his drive, motivated to protect the things he couldn''t care less about just months before. And every time I remember this, I can''t help but want to push myself to get stronger to protect the people who need to be."


    A few seconds drove by before Shade realized that he was ranting.


    "Sorry for ranting," Shade added. "There isn''t any point in saying all that."


    The sounds of sharpening continued for a few more moments before Shade eventually got up and decided to head into the cabin to take a nap. But before he could open the door, he heard a statement from the God.


    "I will not train you," the God said before proceeding. "But I will allow you to use this world to train from tomorrow."


    Shade did not understand what the God meant by that, but he knew that this was better than nothing so he smiled and accepted the God''s offer. He then rushed in so that he could take a nap since he wanted to begin his training immediately.


    The next day, Shade got up from his slumber before getting ready for his first day of what he would deem as training. A new pair of his current clothes was also waiting for him beside his bed so that he would not have to wear the same thing every day.


    Upon exiting the room, Shade noticed the God still at the location he had left him in and still sharpening planks of wood. It felt like the God had a place to store the sharpened stakes since Shade did not see any other ones around him while he continued.


    "Must be nice not being able to sleep," Shade mumbled to himself before walking down the small staircase.


    The God then stopped his sharpening before letting go of the piece of wood which vanished before hitting the ground. He then got up from his seated position, still facing away from Shade at the cabin.


    "You will depart for the forest with a single objective in mind," the God started. "You are to find a certain creature and slay it before nightfall to complete your exercise for the day. As the days go by, your given target will be added by one, until you are to move on to a different creature."


    As the God concluded his further explanation, he proceeded to walk into the forest headed north. Shade appeared to have some questions after the God concluded his explanation, but he was almost certain that he wouldn''t be answered so he decided to take the explanation at face value and finally commence with his training, allowing the God to leave.


    Shade was also instructed to head west from the cabin and keep going until he found the creature. He was also told that until the creature was slain, he would be unable to return, however, if he were to be successful, all he would need to do to return was to continue his path west.


    Upon following his path, Shade eventually came across a certain creature. The creature was small in size, almost like a typical house cat. Its tail was longer than its body and its teeth seemed sharper than what a cat would have. Shade knew that he had to slay the creature to successfully conclude his first day, so he immediately attacked.


    The creature was extremely nimble due to its size and was vicious. Shade was finding it difficult to land a single hit, especially since he was instructed that he could use nothing to attack but his abilities, so weapons were not allowed.


    Shade continued to battle the miniature creature for hours, taking scratches to his body all around. His Binding Shadow ability was not effective since he would also remain in the same place. The creature was faster than anyone he had ever seen or heard about back in Main World, but after constant attempts, Shade was finally able to catch the creature and slay it.


    It felt very unethical for him to slay such a small creature, but considering the creature''s ferocious nature, it made things much simpler.


    The next day had the same beast, but this time they were two in number when he approached, exactly what the God had said. Shade''s training continued in the same manner until he reached the day when he would fight eight of the creatures. During his training, Shade always made sure that he would continue to harness his shadow manipulation and perfect the ability. He would always return to the cabin at night, even if he had completed his task earlier, to dedicate hours to practicing his ability.


    Upon returning, Shade would always find the God seated at the same location in front of the cabin, sharpening wood. Shade would always indulge in conversation with the God about his training and despite being one-sided, he always found joy in talking about his progress and condition.


    The next day after he completed the first stage, Shade was instructed since the beginning of his training to head south this time and continue the same approach with the previous stage. This time, the beast that awaited his presence was bigger in size, similar in nature to a full-grown lion. This was a lot more difficult than the previous days and Shade found it extremely difficult to complete even the first day, especially since he was unable to use any weapons.


    He knew that he had to find a way to utilize his ability in the upcoming battle so he decided to spend even more time perfecting his shadows. That was how he was able to harness his ability to manifest darkness after a few days of training. The pure darkness was easier to manipulate than the shadows he conjured prior. It could also take a physical form which made things better for him to use in battle.


    Throughout the second stage, as the creature added with each passing day, Shade took his time to master his darkness manipulation. He would also do a brief hour of physical training and exercises after returning to the cabin. His dedication was nothing short of impressive and the results seemed to be better than expected.


    On the last day of the second stage, where Shade battled eight of the second creatures, he managed to barely make it out. While fighting them, he realized that his usual method of having to overpower the creatures and snap their necks was ineffective since the others would always never give him the chance to. He knew that slaying the pack of beasts would be near impossible without the use of weapons.


    At that moment, Shade remembered Lance''s ability to pull any weapon from the divine arsenal and at that moment, he desperately wished he had such an ability. That was when an idea struck him.


    Since he was unable to utilize the arsenal, he would not be able to spawn any weapon, but considering the fluidity of his pure darkness, he felt like he could be able to mimic such an ability and use the darkness to materialize the weapons. This idea proved to be effective, allowing him to slay the beasts easily and have a better method for future use.


    When Shade returned to the cabin, he was slightly exhausted. In front of the cabin, as always, was the God doing his usual routine.


    "Guess who found a more effective way to slay the creatures?" Shade started before pointing at himself. "This guy."


    The God''s silence continued as Shade continued to explain how his day went. After a few more minutes, he then decided to go and take a bath so he got up and proceeded to the door.


    Before entering, Shade suddenly remembered a certain question he had about the God since the day he came but never got to ask.


    "By the way..." Shade started. "Why is it that you don''t have the same immense force that the other Gods have?"


    Shade never felt the same force that the other Gods had on this one which struck him as strange. The God continued to sharpen the wood he held for a few more seconds before suddenly stopping.


    But as the God stopped, with his position not changing or moving slightly, Shade suddenly dropped to his knees with a sudden force that took him by surprise. This force was tremendous, maybe even more powerful than the other Gods. Shade''s eyes widened in realization as his body began to feel numb. The force was too devastating.


    After just a few seconds, the God then continued to sharpen the wood he had before the sudden force on Shade finally subsided.


    Shade picked himself up from the ground as his body felt very heavy. He could not believe that the God had instilled such force without even moving.


    "True strength lies not in the display of power, but in the mastery of its depths." the God then said to Shade. "Forget that not."


    This was the first time the God had spoken since the commencement of Shade''s training. This made Shade happy as he smiled for a moment before finally heading in to take a shower. The force had also made him extremely weary so after cleaning up, Shade headed straight to bed.


    The next day was the commencement of the third stage of Shade''s training. He got up early and prepared before heading east, as directed by the God in the beginning.


    When Shade got to the next creature he would battle, he noticed that they were much bigger than the previous ones. The creature was well over six feet and walked on two legs, unlike the others. Its sharp teeth and razor-sharp claws made the beast more intimidating than it already was. Its eyes were also completely red, lacking any sight of pupils in them.


    The creature was also very rabid and was extremely difficult to battle. However, due to Shade''s eventual mastery of using his darkness as an armory, slaying the beast was easier than he would have without the ability.


    Since its claws were durable, clashing with the creature also seemed to be a good way for Shade to practice his handling of weaponry and after completing his task, he would decide to focus on this mastery during his personal training sessions.


    Shade also continued to master his ability of darkness and perfect his shadow manipulation as the days went by. Fighting the new creature in multitude was also very tasking for him, but he wanted to see his training fulfilled so he kept pushing his limits.


    On the fourth day, while Shade was battling four of the creatures, he, unfortunately, found himself in a very tight position. The skin of the beasts was very difficult to cut and their claws were able to safely clash with the weapons he created, but the main issue was that they were too fast for him and he could not continue to take their attacks head-on.


    But unknowing to Shade, when all his hope of beating the creatures seemed to be lost, a sudden puddle of darkness spawned into existence before assisting him in blocking the attacks that were directed at him. This was the presence of the Abyssal Pit.


    Shade''s will to protect himself, alongside his drive and determination, managed to spawn a creation that could easily be deemed as his greatest. The pit of pure darkness had a mind of its own, but its sole purpose was to defend and protect its creator at all costs. Alongside the Abyssal Pit, Shade was able to almost breeze through the battle and the others that eventually came by.


    The final day of Shade''s training arrived faster than he had expected. The day of the Divine Tournament was also the next, so it meant that after his conclusion with the training, he would spend one more night in the strange land before returning to Higher world. This was also the day that Shade would fight eight of the final creature he was to battle.


    Unsurprisingly, the battle between the beasts seemed to not be as tasking for Shade with the presence of the Abyssal Pit so after a few hours, he was able to finally conclude with his task.


    Since Shade had the tournament the next day, he decided that he would continue his training until nightfall before he would return to the cabin, but the issue was that the monsters were all gone. Since Shade had been in the strange land for a very long time, he managed to get a bit of an understanding of how the forest worked, meaning that he was able to find his way back to the cabin even if he changed paths.


    With this idea, Shade began to wander the forest in search of an adversary to slay. He searched for almost an hour until Shade stumbled upon a certain familiar beast. This was the creature that he had seen when he first arrived at the strange location.


    Filled with joy, Shade immediately rushed at the creature to use it as a means to test the outcome of all his training. The beast noticed Shade''s presence before engaging in battle with its previously fled prey.


    The fruits of Shade''s training were evident as Shade gracefully fought the beast, evading the attacks with little to no effort. The smile on his face widened as he moved around the beast, using his Darkness Armory to his advantage. But although Shade was significantly different from the first time he fought the beast, the creature was still very difficult to slay.


    The battle continued for a long time and Shade eventually began to run tired. But the same could not be said for the behemoth. As the battle continued, Shade managed to use enough force to cut through the left foreleg of the beast, causing the creature to crumble to the floor. This gave Shade an opening as he rushed for the creature''s neck.


    However, before Shade could slay the beast, the creature swung its right foreleg with immense force at Shade, hitting its prey away and causing Shade to take tremendous damage.


    The hit caused Shade to break his ribs after slamming through multiple trees as well as fractures in his arms. Shade''s condition was critical and he could barely move at all.


    The creature struggled before it managed to pick itself back up. It then began to walk towards Shade who was slightly unconscious and bleeding seriously.


    Shade knew that he was going to die at this moment, but wondered if there was even a sliver of hope in fleeing. He then noticed the Abyssal Pit beside him as the creature got closer. Similar to his shadows, Shade then decided to crawl into the pool of darkness to conceal himself from the beast for a brief moment, even though it could clearly see him crawl in. But upon entering the pit of darkness, Shade''s will would manifest once again.


    Before any other thing could happen, an arm began to spawn from the Abyssal Pit before pulling the rest of its body out of the pit. The appearance of the strange creature created from pure darkness was similar to the creature Shade had battled during the final stage of his training. As the creature walked out, two others proceeded to pull themselves from the pit before standing beside each other.


    The massive beast stared in confusion at what was going on for a brief moment before registering the strange creatures that had spawned as prey as well. But this did not seem to be as easy as it had thought.


    The heralds of darkness began to rush the creature that had attacked their creator with ferocity and intent to kill. As time continued, the three creatures of darkness managed to successfully slay the beast that had attacked them, almost like they were directed to do so.


    However, after killing the large monstrosity, these creatures were not satisfied. Similar to the creatures Shade battled, these creatures of darkness wanted more so they began to go haywire. They were battling against the instructions that they had unintentionally gained from Shade and wanted to remain present instead of returning to the abyss.


    The connection between Shade and the creatures had severed as the monsters searched the location with the intent to kill anything in sight. But as they continued, a sudden beam of light spread from the skies and dawned at a certain location before a slam to the ground occurred. And behold, underneath that beam of light was the God of Hunting.


    The God held onto two heavy blades on each hand. The blades were not long but were very bulky and extremely heavy from their appearance. The God walked forward before the creatures of darkness registered him as prey.


    The three creatures rushed at the God with killing intent before the divine being turned his attention to them. And almost immediately, the creatures fell to their knees in pure agony as they growled in pain to the God''s force.


    He then threw his weapons to the ground beside him, causing the entire land to tremble, before raising his right hand and pointing it at the location of the creatures. And immediately, the creatures flew back a great distance and were flung directly into the Abyssal pit. The God then appeared directly beside the pit before dipping his hand into the pool of darkness and pulling out what appeared to be Shade.


    Shade gasped for air as he rolled on the floor in both mental and physical pain. The man then stretched his right hand and pointed it at Shade before, almost instantly, relieving all the pain that the boy had felt and rejuvenating him instantly.


    Shade got up in shock at his physical state. Tears rolled down his eyes slightly upon the thought of losing himself if not for the God''s presence. He fell to his knees in sorrow before proceeding to thank the God for saving his life.


    "I know this may not mean a lot to you," Shade started. "But I sincerely thank you, sir."


    "Flage," the God then replied with his back facing Shade. "My name is Flage."


    A smile filled Shade''s face as he nodded in response to Flage''s statement. Flage stretched his hands after a few seconds before the heavy blades he had thrown to the ground suddenly hurled back into his hands. Shade then proceeded to follow the man as they both walked back to the cabin as the day eventually turned to night.


    Back in the cabin, Flage took it upon himself to explain to Shade what had happened to him and how he ended up in that situation. He explained that his mind caused the creatures to spawn since they were the strongest beings he had faced in the land. He also instilled his dying wish to them which was to slay the monster that was ahead of him. However since the power of darkness and the nature of the monsters were too powerful, it caused him to lose control of the ability, causing them to go haywire and disobey his command.


    Flage also explained to Shade that if he had not shown up, Shade would have lost his place in the real world meaning that he could not use such an ability without having the risk of losing himself in the darkness. Shade took the man''s warnings before deciding to continue with his last physical training exercise until the next day.


    The next day, which was the day of the tournament, Shade had accidentally fallen asleep for longer than he had anticipated. After waking up, he headed to the shower with haste so that he could get to Higher World earlier.


    Before Flage could create new clothes for him, he asked the God if he could change his clothes to something more fit for him at that point with which Flage did so after understanding what he desired based on his thoughts.


    Shade knew that it would take a long time to navigate the location he would have to be to transport to Higher World, but Flage said that he would transport Shade himself.


    Shade''s appreciation towards the God was heartwarming as he thanked Flage for everything he had done for him. Before heading out, Flage then said a few words to Shade.


    "Good luck with your battles."


    Shade smiled before nodding his head as he stood underneath the palm of Flage''s hand. And after a few seconds, Shade''s body began to dematerialize until he had completely vanished from the world.


    Flage sighed before walking out of the cabin and sitting where he usually did at its entrance. He set his hands beside each other, spawning a small blade and a piece of wood, before he began to sharpen the wood with the blade as the sounds of chirping began to queue around the cabin.

 #59: A Long-Awaited Battle

    Now...


    The sounds of footsteps queued behind the demigods as Shade and Lance returned to the Arena of Valor. After Shade had stated what had happened to him, both fighters were transported to the medical facility before returning a few minutes later.


    "Welcome back," Rose said with a smile to both fighters.


    "Thank you," Shade replied with his own smile.


    "That fight was possibly the best one yet," Ace continued from the sides. "You both went crazy."


    Lance let out a brief smile in response to the positive comments from the other demigods before returning to his seat, beside Arthur.


    "That was closer than expected," Arthur softly worded to his brother in concern.


    "Indeed," Lance replied to Arthur after a sigh. "It seems I took his dedication for power lightly."


    Although Lance was content with the battle, Arthur was still surprised that someone could push his brother to such an extreme. But he decided to ignore his concerns since he knew the truth that Lance was hiding.


    "I didn''t forfeit so you could lose immediately after, y''know," a voice seemingly belonging to Quinn told Shade.


    "Well, it''s not like I planned to lose," Shade replied.


    The few demigods talked for a brief moment about his sudden power spike before a question that got Shade''s attention eventually came up.


    "How was he?"


    Shade turned to notice Mia as she stared at him hopefully, awaiting a response.


    "You mean Flage?" Shade asked before Mia nodded in response.


    He then took a second to think about what to say before proceeding to describe the God.


    "Well... at first when I got there, he was very hostile. Though I wouldn''t blame him since I was technically invading his domain. Even though he barely said a few words to me during my stay, he still played a major role in my progress and I respect him wholeheartedly."


    Mia smiled upon hearing the brief assessment of her father. She had never seen him nor known what he looked like, but hearing what Shade had said made her feel slight peace for some reason.


    "Did he look like the other Gods?" Rose asked Shade in curiosity.


    "Yeah," Shade replied before taking a brief pause and continuing. "Though I noticed that his left eye was completely red and had a scar across it."


    "A scar?" Quinn asked in awe. "But how is that possible?"


    "Same thing I wondered," Shade replied.


    "Are you certain?" Klaus asked before Shade nodded his head.


    Before the conversation could go any further, XVII got up from his position and walked ahead of the demigods to announce.


    "Hello again, demigods," XVII started. "With the conclusion of the previous battle, the second round of the Divine Tournament has now officially concluded. We will now begin the next round which will be the semi-finals."


    At this point, twelve of the demigods had been eliminated so most of them were only spectators. But that did not hide the pure excitement that they all had as they cheered after XVII''s announcement.


    But before XVII could continue his announcement, he took a brief pause in silence before continuing to relay more information.


    "Apologies for the delay, demigods," XVII continued after his pause. "But it seems your attention is needed."


    And as XVII completed his statement, a certain force began to envelop the entire arena. Before the demigods could react, a beam of light spawned from above the center of the arena before a certain being dropped from its source.


    Unlike ever witnessed before, immediately the specific God dropped, the entire arena instantly turned pitch black for a brief moment. The demigods were unable to see even a few meters ahead of them for a time before the sudden state change reverted. But this situation was more than enough to tell the demigods which God was present.


    As the darkness subsided, underneath the now vanished beam of light was Abyss, the God of Darkness as he gradually got up from his crouched state and turned to the demigods at the spectator''s area.


    "Greetings, demigods" Abyss began. "I hope you are all well."


    The demigods turned to one another before nodding to the God in response. Abyss then let out a smile before continuing.


    "I would like to start by congratulating you all for nothing short of a stellar performance in this tournament. It was generally agreed on by all the Gods that you all were individually remarkable and far exceeded any expectation that was set."


    This statement made the demigods happy before Abyss proceeded.


    "I understand that twelve of you are currently out of the tournament, but I want those of you to focus more on the impressive performance you showed instead of your absence in the upcoming matches. And for those who did make it, I want to also congratulate you and wish you the best in your coming battles."


    Despite mostly being eliminated, the response from the demigods showed that they were all excited to see the upcoming matches that were planned. A lot of them were very content with the performance they had during the event, and even though a few still felt dissatisfied, they were still curious about what the rest of the Divine Tournament would offer.


    After a brief moment of silence eventually occurred, Abyss suddenly turned his attention to Shade in the spectator''s area with a dimmer expression on his face.


    "You said you saw him?" Abyss began to ask. "Flage?"


    "Yes, Father," Shade replied after noticing that he was the one being addressed.


    Abyss'' expression remained the same in the few seconds of silence before he finally continued.


    "Is he well?"


    Shade, alongside a few of the other demigods, was a bit startled by this question. It was common knowledge that the Gods were omniscient, meaning they were all-seeing and all-knowing. But it felt strange to Shade that his father was unaware if Flage was doing well. But Shade just felt maybe he was looking too much into it and that Abyss just wanted clarification from a closer perspective.


    "I cannot confidently confirm if he was doing well or not since he barely spoke or responded. However, if I can assume by his actions, I would say he is."


    Hearing these words returned a smile to Abyss'' face before he nodded in understanding. He then took a second before continuing his announcement and finalizing the purpose of his appearance.


    "For the demigods that remain in the tournament, this information is directed to you," Abyss began. "From here onward, your eligibility to forfeit will be null. This means that the rest of the battles that are to come will only conclude when one of the fighters has perished."


    This felt ruthless that the demigods could no longer forfeit, however, it did not seem to be a problem since the rest of the demigods in the tournament would rather fight till they were fallen.


    After relaying the information he had, Abyss finally said his goodbyes before returning to the domain of the Gods.


    XVII then took a brief moment before continuing with his announcement.


    "The rest of the demigods that made it to the semi-finals will now be announced for clarity," XVII said before announcing the names. "Klaus Walker, Arthur Knight, X, and Lance Knight."


    Rose turned her attention to Klaus who was directly beside her as she noticed not a single change in his expression after the announcement. Her worry for him was evident as she asked if he was okay with the rules that were just placed on them. Klaus still had his attention on XVII before he responded to her by saying he was fine. Despite still having her worries lingering in her mind, Rose decided to believe Klaus with his claims before returning her attention to XVII who was about to announce the commencement of the semi-finals.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "The semi-finals of the Divine Tournament have now commenced and I will now announce the first fighters," XVII announced with all the attention of the demigods on him. "The first battle is... Klaus Walker vs X."


    And as this statement was made, all the demigods turned to Klaus. Klaus'' expression upon hearing the announcement did not change at all and this felt strange to the other demigods who stared at him with worry.


    Noticing the glances, Klaus closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh before he opened them and got up from his seat, walking to the entrance of the battlefield. His eyes displayed a strange presence of rage as he walked into the battlefield behind X.


    The two fighters took their position and stared in silence, awaiting the alarm. The silence in the air was painful for the demigods to watch. It felt like both X and Klaus had a silent grudge against each other and both felt like this was where they could put the other in his place. But for the demigods watching, despite the concerns, the current battle would be marked by every single one of them as the most anticipated battle between the demigods.


    It was no surprise that Klaus did not like X. He hated his morals, and he also lost devastatingly against him during the Cosmic League, so it felt right for Klaus to have taken the battle seriously. But the expression X had against Klaus felt strange, almost different from what he usually had against the rest of the demigods. He still had rage in his eyes against his opponent, but it did not feel like X was looking down on Klaus the way he usually did before the Divine Tournament''s commencement. These were the thoughts that went through Quinn''s head before the alarm echoed and the battle between the two fighters commenced.


    Immediately, Klaus and X rushed at each other before clashing in hand-to-hand combat. The two fighters swung attacks at each other mercilessly as the rest of the demigods continued to spectate.


    The clash continued for a while, which made the spectators wonder how this was the case. Klaus was able to keep up with X. His performance was surprisingly good, rivaling his opponent almost perfectly.


    The spectators could not tell what was going through both fighters'' heads since X and Klaus clashed in silent rage, but the force both fighters used in their punches was certainly there.


    Eventually, X was able to create enough space between his opponent with which he reached for his side arm. Noticing this, Klaus instantly reacted before rushing at his opponent. As X returned his full attention to Klaus, he noticed that as Klaus was moving towards him, a small ball of light began to float behind his opponent. Suddenly, before anybody could react, the ball of light instantly detonated, enveloping the entire battlefield with light.


    The light was so bright that the demigods were unable to see what was happening anymore. They squinted their eyes before waiting for the light to subside, which it did after a few seconds.


    As the demigods returned their attention to the ongoing battle, they noticed that both fighters were still swinging physical attacks at each other, almost as if the blinding light had not even occurred.


    "They''re still even?" Quinn asked. "How the heck was X not affected?"


    Quinn turned her focus to the other demigods who all looked at her, making her realize that she was usually the one to answer and not question.


    "Of course," Quinn commented upon noticing this.


    The two fighters continued to brawl as Quinn''s surprise at Klaus'' growth became even stronger.


    "It''s strange," Quinn commented, attracting some of the demigods'' attention. "How is it that Klaus has closed the significantly clear gap between him and X?"


    "You really need to stop asking questions, dude," Ace immediately commented to Quinn. "It just makes us look bad."


    "I mean, he did take his training very seriously," Trent mentioned to Quinn.


    "Yeah, but so did everyone else," Quinn replied before sighing and whispering to herself in wonder. "These Walkers really are something else."


    As this statement was made, the attention of the spectators immediately returned to the fight when the demigods noticed what appeared to be the first attack that had connected. Unsurprisingly, the demigods noticed that X had launched a punch directly at Klaus'' face which connected, moving his opponent''s face to the left.


    However, instead of falling to the ground or reacting to the attack, Klaus remained on his feet, stopping X''s fist with his cheek. He then returned his head gradually to his opponent before staring at X with a rage-filled expression. This action surprised X for what seemed to be the first time as he moved back in confusion.


    "What?" Ace asked in shock. "Why''s it X that retreated?"


    X wondered why he had instinctively retreated for a second before he sighed and relaxed his mind. Klaus still had his attention on his opponent as he walked closer in silence. X wondered why Klaus was so passionate in the fight, or at least more passionate than he usually ever was, which made him question what Klaus'' objective was.


    "Tell me..." X then said for the first time since the battle began. "What makes you fight?"


    The silence continued as the demigods watched Klaus continue his approach in silence. It was clear that Klaus did not want to answer the question that was asked, and this made X feel irritated. With this action, X then rushed at his opponent once again, continuing the clash between both fighters.


    The fight continued briefly, but unlike before, it seemed like X was having the edge in the battle. Eventually, X was able to outmaneuver Klaus as he evaded an attack sent to him before reaching into one of the pockets of his body armor and pulling out a small dagger. He then turned his body before lunging the dagger directly at the left side of Klaus'' face to deal massive damage to his opponent.


    In the situation he was in, Klaus knew he was unable to evade the dagger that was swung at him. However, as the blade got closer to his face, Klaus was able to do something that caught everyone off-guard.


    As the blade got to Klaus, he gradually tilted his head left from the blade. Doing this, the blade''s trajectory changed immediately to his left cheek. Once the blade got to Klaus, it instantly pierced through Klaus'' cheek. But this appeared to be Klaus'' idea as the blade continued to drive into his mouth which appeared to be wide open. And before the blade could go any deeper, Klaus instantly clenched his teeth shut, biting the blade and stopping it.


    X''s eyes widened upon realizing what Klaus had done but in his state of shock, Klaus was able to get an opening against his opponent as he pulled X closer before tripping his opponent and grounding him.


    X was on the ground.


    The shock echoed through every demigod as they stared at the situation. This was the first time X was caught off-guard since any of them knew him. It had already been presumed that it was impossible among them, but seeing it come to fruition brought chills down their spine. But Klaus did not just catch his opponent off-guard, he grounded him. The silent confusion spread among the spectators as they turned to each other in utter surprise.


    "What the..." Quinn commented in shock as she witnessed Klaus pull the danger out of his cheek and walk closer to his opponent.


    The demigods were surprised, but what X felt was beyond that. He was in complete shock at what had happened to him and his eyes remained widened as he noticed himself on the ground. He returned his attention to his opponent, noticing Klaus standing in front of him and towering over him.


    And with the state of confusion that spread, Klaus stood ahead of X with a piercing stare at his opponent before saying two words that elevated the surprise that covered the Arena of Valor tenfold.


    "Get up."

 #60: Unyielding Resilience

    "Get up."


    The shock in everyone''s eyes heightened upon hearing this statement from Klaus directed at X. It was a clear taunt from Klaus, but the guts required to say such a thing to such an opponent brought chills down the spectating demigods'' spine in fear for Klaus. However, among the shock between the demigods was a smile that filled Mia''s face upon realizing why Klaus had made his daunting statement.


    Klaus towered above his opponent with a menacing glare as he awaited X''s next action. The pure rage in X''s eyes could be seen from the spectator''s location for a brief moment as the other demigods wondered what would happen next.


    Eventually, after a brief moment of silence, X suddenly began to stand up from his fallen state with his head facing the ground. His silence while doing so had a frightening aura oozing from him as he slowly got up on his feet. X''s face remained directed at the floor as the silence intensified.


    Suddenly, while still looking down, X immediately moved his right hand to the holster of his sidearm, picking up the weapon and pointing it at Klaus in less than a second before firing one round at his opponent''s head. The spectating demigods watched as the bullet connected with its target, causing Klaus'' head to move back until it was facing the sky above them.


    "Oh my Gods," Rose commented at the spectator''s location upon witnessing what had happened alongside the other demigods.


    However, after the few moments subsided, Klaus returned his head to his opponent untouched, revealing what appeared to be the fired bullet between his teeth before spitting it to the ground.


    Turning his attention forward, X noticed what had occurred, increasing his ever-growing rage. He then tossed his sidearm to the ground before walking closer to his opponent with a more serious expression. The two fighters began to brawl once again in hand-to-hand combat, but unlike the previous times, this one was completely different.


    Effortlessly, X began to dominate his opponent, making sure that Klaus was unable to land even a single hit. The gap between both fighters heightened significantly, making the spectating demigods remember the power difference between the two. Klaus continued to swing at his opponent, but X''s actions were fluid in evading, allowing him to chain a counter after every swing from Klaus.


    Klaus was getting beat up.


    The ruthless punches that connected with Klaus were painful for the demigods to watch, making them wonder how it would have felt. X''s straight expression made the fight even more brutal, almost like he was reminding Klaus of his place in the fight. He then grabbed Klaus by the arm before slamming his opponent to the ground afterward. But this did not seem to be enough as Klaus got back up on his feet and continued his assault.


    Seconds went by and the same outcome continued. X continued to find different ways of flooring his opponent, but Klaus never remained on the ground for more than mere seconds. Although this action frustrated X, the demigods were more concerned about Klaus since this scene was similar to the last battle between both fighters during the Cosmic League.


    "Not this again," Shade stated while spectating the battle, worried about his brother.


    "Why isn''t he using any abilities?" Rose asked in concern.


    "I am assuming he wants to beat his opponent on even terms," Quinn stated, confirming her understanding of Klaus'' actions.


    "What?" Rose asked. "How the heck is this even?"


    It felt like Quinn was saying that Klaus was deliberately choosing not to use his abilities to fight X on even terms. It also made more sense since the only time Klaus used his light powers was when X had used his weapons earlier so upon his opponent dropping his weapon, Klaus probably decided against using his.


    "This idea from Klaus is honorable," Lance stated before continuing. "... except he fails to understand that X himself is his own weapon."


    Klaus continued to get overpowered by X. His intention of making the battle fair did not appear to be the case to him so he knew that he had to go against that idea if he truly wanted to triumph over his opponent.


    Once again, X managed to evade an incoming attack from Klaus before landing a devastating punch to the gut on Klaus and hitting him to the ground once again. Klaus stayed on the floor for longer than he had before, however, this appeared to be his intention.


    On the ground, Klaus then stretched his left hand outward before forming what appeared to be a second grade of Solar Ball in mere seconds. X readied himself for the attack Klaus had created, but the intention of the ball of light was not what X had anticipated.


    Suddenly, Klaus slammed his left hand onto the ground, causing the ball of light to detonate upon contact with the floor''s surface. This caused a tremendously bright light to cover the entire battlefield, blinding X and giving Klaus an advantage of sight.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Using this opening, Klaus then moved to X''s right side before rushing at his opponent with a devastating attack. But before his attack could connect, X instantly moved out of the way before using his motion to catch Klaus off-guard and connect his attack to Klaus'' jaw.


    Klaus fell to the floor in pain and understandable confusion as to what had happened.


    "What?" Klaus asked himself as he held on to his jaw.


    It took a second before Klaus managed to understand what had happened in the short period.


    "His senses are something else," Klaus whispered to himself before picking himself off the ground.


    Klaus figured out that while being affected by the blinding light, X was able to heighten the rest of his senses, specifically his sense of sound, to compensate for his lack of vision. In doing so, X was then able to pinpoint where Klaus had moved to before coming closer with a strike, allowing him to counter Klaus. With this information, Klaus knew that he could not bet on the same tactic since the amount of energy required was not worth the risk.


    The wound that Klaus had received earlier from X''s blade had caused him to lose a lot of blood during the duration of the fight, but as the battle progressed, the wound eventually stopped bleeding and began to heal over time. However, due to the connected attack from X, Klaus had to deal with the open wound while still focusing on his opponent.


    Eventually, the light began to subside, allowing the spectators to continue witnessing the fight. Upon sight, they noticed that Klaus had not gained any advantage from the light that covered the battlefield and was somehow more damaged than before, understanding that his attempt had not worked.


    "C''mon Klaus," Rose exclaimed among the spectating demigods. "I know you can do this."


    Klaus'' stress was clear to the spectators upon noticing his hesitation. But after the brief moment, he let out a soft sigh before stretching his left hand once again, forming a first grade of the Solar Ball technique and rushing at X.


    X began to evade Klaus'' held attack as Klaus continued to battle while attempting to connect the ball of light with X. While evading, X noticed that he had to do something about the attack so upon jumping backward, he pulled out a small needle from his side pockets and threw it at the attack, causing it to detonate upon contact.


    The brief burst of light expanded for a few seconds before the two fighters continued to swing at each other once again in combat. X still had the upper hand, but the fight was not as one-sided as it was a few seconds before. It felt like Klaus was learning to hold his own against X despite his opponent constantly changing his attack style every engagement.


    Every time X landed an attack, Klaus withstood it and continued to attack. Every time X grounded his opponent, Klaus still got up and rushed back into the fight. Klaus'' unyielding determination to keep fighting was so intense that even X himself began to wonder if Klaus was mortal or not.


    "His resilience is unfathomable," Lance commented while spectating the ongoing battle. "Such an astounding fellow."


    The spectating demigods could not believe the intensity of the battle that was occurring. Although Klaus remained inferior in the majority of the battle, the difference between both fighters was incomparable to their previous brawl. Eventually, Klaus and X clashed punches at each other before moving back a few meters from one another.


    X''s silence accompanied by Klaus'' own gave the battle an eerie tone and all that could be heard were the slight breathing of both fighters. The silence did not last for long before it was broken by X, who decided to say a few words.


    "Tell me... what makes you fight?"


    This was the same question X had asked Klaus earlier, but unlike before, this time felt like X was genuinely curious as opposed to earlier. And surprising to all the spectators, Klaus finally decided to respond.


    "Our priority, the sole purpose of our existence... is the protection of precious life. Yet the hypocrisy of your actions exists."


    "Hypocrisy?" X questioned. "Do you think all life is the same?"


    X''s response made Klaus more frustrated before he continued his reply.


    "People deserve to be killed... and you are too delusional to understand true reality."


    Hearing X''s response kept Klaus silent. He knew that there was no reason to continue such a pointless topic so he continued to walk forward at his opponent to engage in combat. The brawl continued once more between the two fighters as time progressed.


    "This fight is something else," Link commented from the sidelines.


    "Yeah," Quinn responded. "And I honestly have no idea who''ll win at this point."


    The fight between Klaus and X, at this point, remained even from a spectator''s point of view. The rest of the demigods had no idea of how the fight would turn out, but one of them seemed to notice a strange advantage after a few more seconds of clashing.


    "He''s getting tired," a voice revealed to be Iris commented after a brief moment of silence. "X, I mean."


    "Are you sure?" Mia asked.


    "It''s faint, but I can notice his speed and aggression depleting by the second."


    X noticed that he was not attacking at his optimal level as well. He knew that the fight had gone longer than he had anticipated and he began to wonder why he had allowed such. He had also disregarded his intention of using True Accuracy earlier and because of how far the battle had gone and the level of energy he had left, he knew that the strain afterward would be devastating. But from the way Klaus remained on his feet, X knew that he was running out of options, as well as chances to use the ability.


    Klaus continued to swing attacks at X on even terms. Both fighters appeared to be around the same level at that point due to X''s loss of energy, and Klaus knew that this was his best chance to eliminate his opponent. With that idea, Klaus spawned a small Solar ball above his left palm before rushing at X.


    However, upon doing so, X managed to evade his opponent before grabbing onto Klaus'' other arm. With this action, X then used enough force to snap Klaus'' right arm, before using his back to launch his opponent off his feet and into the air.


    Klaus grunted in pain before getting tossed up by X. He spun over his opponent before finally falling to the ground. But before Klaus could fall, as he turned his attention to X, he noticed his opponent''s constricted eyes as they looked back at him. Not just that, but in between Klaus'' eyes was the tip of X''s sniper rifle as X held on to the weapon with his right hand and pointed it at his opponent.


    X knew that this was his only chance of finishing his opponent, so he decided not to hold back on his attack. True Accuracy, alongside the sniper rifle that had a reputation for perfect accuracy, meant that Klaus'' chances of survival were almost impossible.


    "Perish."


    After this word flew out of X''s mouth, the loud sound of the fired sniper, along with a sudden bright light echoed around the room before Klaus could touch the floor.

 #61: Limit Breaking Power

    The sound of the fired sniper echoed around the building alongside a sudden blinding light after connecting with Klaus.


    It was unclear what had happened since everything had happened so fast, but by the time the other demigods had processed what had happened, the blinding light began to subside. And behind the light was X who stood above his fallen opponent.


    The silence from the demigods upon noticing Klaus on the ground had multiple reasons. They knew that after a fired shot from X''s sniper rifle, it was almost a guarantee that Klaus was gone. But why the demigods remained silent was to hear any sudden announcement from XVII confirming if Klaus was dead or not.


    After a few seconds of spectating, the demigods witnessed Klaus somehow stand to his feet gradually in hesitation.


    "What?"


    This was the same question that flew from the spectating demigods and X upon witnessing Klaus get up. Klaus had not just survived a sniper shot from X, but he had also somehow evaded True Accuracy. This was deemed impossible since the ability''s gimmick was granting the user perfect aim.


    "Impossible," X continued before suddenly falling to his knees.


    X''s current state was easily the worst that any of the demigods had ever seen him in. His breathing became audible and it was clear that he had lost a lot of energy, especially after using such a tasking ability like True Accuracy. X could barely stay conscious as his vision began to get blurry.


    The demigods stared in utter shock at the sight before a sudden statement flew from beside them.


    "I know what happened."


    The demigods turned to notice that, unsurprisingly, Quinn was the owner of the statement. Quinn stroked her chin for a few seconds before she continued to explain what she had noticed.


    "It was a very stretched-out theory I had since his fights with Siren and Riley, but it seems to have been correct after all," Quinn buttressed.


    The demigods all had their attention on Quinn before she finally revealed her knowledge of what had happened.


    "I think it''s general knowledge by now that Klaus can manipulate light. However, I seem to understand that this isn''t all he has," Quinn said.


    "You mean he has another ability?" Trent asked.


    "Well," Quinn started. "For starters, a few of us know that he is also able to alter his speed when it''s nighttime. More specifically, he can harness the speed properties of light, allowing him to move as fast."


    "So he''s got light speed?" Iris asked.


    "Yeah," Quinn confirmed. "But since it''s always daytime, it doesn''t seem like Klaus can do it here in Higher World."


    "Then we''re honestly lucky that he can''t because the games just wouldn''t be fair against him," Link stated after his sister.


    "Okay," Tyler said before continuing. "But where are you going with this?"


    "Well," Quinn started. "If he can harness the speed properties of light, what exactly is stopping him from harnessing the other properties?"


    "Like the untouchable properties of light," Shade stated in realization.


    "Well... sort of," Quinn confirmed. "You see, photons cannot pass through opaque objects; an example is when a source of light is blocked by an opaque material. However, when the photons exist in the air and an opaque object passes through, the particles displace and return at the speed of light to the same location, making it look like it never moved in the first place."


    "That''s a lot of information," Riley commented.


    "Yeah, well the concept of light is very complex," Quinn replied. "Light particles are made of photons which cannot be touched or harmed but can be felt. And considering the nature of Trent and Ash''s ability to turn their body into their natural element, my theory is that Klaus can turn the atoms of his body into photons, allowing his body to displace and precisely return at the speed of light when an object with an atomic structure, which is basically everything, attempts to pass through him."


    "Who knew someone could make two guys beating each other sound boring," Ace commented after hearing Quinn''s explanation.


    "But I think I get it though," Shade suddenly stated. "Since Klaus exists as his own source of light, It''s similar to him turning his body to fire without intense heat where objects will go through him but he can''t perform actions like phasing through walls."


    "Or even move from his location by himself," Quinn buttressed. "Except for the help of gravity and other initial forces."


    "I guess that explains why he doesn''t sink into the ground then," Rose confirmed.


    A brief second passed before a question suddenly arose.


    "While I do understand the concepts of Walker''s evasion, it does not confirm how he can evade True Accuracy."


    The demigods turned to notice Lance''s comment on the topic before he continued.


    "From my understanding of X''s technique, it is impossible to evade the attack as long as its target is visible."


    Quinn nodded in realization, confirming that Lance''s statement was accurate. She stroked her chin in thought for a few more seconds before finally replying.


    "I wonder if there''s more to how he evaded the attack," Quinn stated. "I have theories, but they remain that way for now."


    "Regardless of the theories," Link commented. "Klaus is something else for him to have found a way to evade such an attack with such little time."


    "Oh look, they''re getting up," Mia immediately commented about the two fighters upon noticing their movements on the battlefield to prevent the boring topic from continuing any further.


    While the explanation was going on, both fighters were too visibly exhausted to do anything for almost a minute as they both gasped for air while remaining on their knees. Klaus'' heavy breathing continued while he retained the sole reason he was able to escape X''s attack on his head.


    After getting tossed off the ground, X pulled out his sniper from its holster and pointed it directly at his opponent with a single arm. The sniper was placed in between Klaus'' eyes as he witnessed True Accuracy activate upon glancing at his opponent''s eyes. And that was when it happened.


    A Klaus stared at X before he could pull the trigger, the entire world froze. It felt like time had stopped, however, the situation that had occurred was that the entire world became extremely slow due to Klaus'' strange ability to perceive the world at light speed.


    The idea of Klaus'' speed nullified by daytime remained considering he was unable to move his entire body, but his mind was able to witness everything that was occurring similar to when using his burst speed. Another fact about this strange ability was that it always automatically activated when Klaus was in critical danger regardless of his awareness, similar to Quinn''s Perfect Precognition.


    Klaus watched as X placed his finger on the trigger before the world suddenly froze. With this, he wondered how he could evade such an attack from his opponent, especially knowing his chances were slim. After thinking for a while, he realized that there was nothing he could come up with that could allow him to evade the attack since he was not fast enough to move from his trajectory. That was when he remembered his ability.


    Klaus knew he could transform his body into photons before X could fire the shot, but he also knew that this was not enough for him to evade True Accuracy. The reason was that during Klaus'' training, he decided to go over all the recordings of the battles from Cosmic League. One of the fights that caught his attention was the battle between X and Ash Brimstone during the "Breach" game mode.


    During this game mode, X had activated True Accuracy and fired a shot at Ash before Ash managed to turn his entire body to smoke, causing the bullet to go through him even though it had hit. But what Klaus noticed after watching the battle multiple times was that despite the bullet going through the fog of smoke, Ash was still affected.


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    Although Ash did not show any signs of pain, the fired bullet still dealt damage to Ash''s left arm despite turning his body to smoke, before Ash managed to heal himself over time with his ability. This meant that regardless of the state of being, as long as the target is visible, True Accuracy will always hit. So even though Klaus had entered his phantasmal state, the bullet would still connect and deal damage, ultimately ending his life.


    With this idea, Klaus knew that he had to deactivate the ability before he could survive, otherwise, his time in the Divine Tournament was over.


    While going through the recordings, Klaus had not seen a single time that True Accuracy had been deactivated... except for one; His solar ball. Klaus had managed to blind X before he could use the ability not once, but twice during the Cosmic League, so it meant that if Klaus could use his light against his opponent before the shot was fired, it could nullify the ability and make the fired shot a regular one.


    This was a gamble since Klaus was not completely sure if the ability would be nullified if X was blinded, but this was his only option at that point. But Klaus was not able to create a Solar Ball: Flashbang fast enough to blind X before he could pull the trigger. This was when Klaus decided to use another ability he had not used in a long time.


    Klaus did not necessarily need the Solar Ball to cause the blinding light effect, and he had already done this during his first battle against Lance. He could gather and discharge photons from his eyes. Similar to the previous use, this ability would cause Klaus to burn through his contact lenses, but this was more than a fair trade to him.


    After a long time of assessment, Klaus gathered light particles and discharged them from his eyes at light speed, all before X could even move an inch. This was what caused the blinding light effect before True Accuracy was ultimately nullified, causing the fired sniper shot from X to become a regular shot and allowing Klaus to use his Phantasmal State, making the bullet phase through him.


    Klaus'' use of multiple abilities to evade the fired shot caused him to severely lose a lot of energy, but the trade for his life was worth it. And the same could be said for X who used up all of his energy on that one attack. Both fighters were in a sorry state and appeared as if they could not continue the battle at optimal strength.


    X attempted to control his breathing, but the strain on his body was too severe for him to do so easily. However, upon raising his head to his opponent, X noticed that Klaus was, somehow, managing to get up on his feet. Klaus had almost no energy left, as well as a broken right hand, but for some reason, he was still barely up on his feet.


    This action made X extremely frustrated, causing him to slam his right fist to the floor with force, cracking the ground around it.


    "You persistent insect," X started. "Why are you so resistant to dying?"


    The spectating demigods watched X speak in pure anger at Klaus and could feel his frustration from his words.


    "The people you killed," Klaus suddenly said. "Regardless of whether you perceived them as innocent or not, you ultimately ended the life of a person who was someone else''s parent, child, or loved one."


    "This again?" X asked upon hearing Klaus'' reasoning.


    Klaus remained silent before X continued.


    "All that does not matter," X stated. "Pain promotes progress, and I am prepared to bestow upon anyone the sacrifice of losing someone dear for the sake of a higher cause."


    "And that''s why I won''t lose to you," Klaus then responded. "Because unlike you, I realize there are people who''s life mean more to me than my own."


    This statement brought nothing but shock and surprise to the spectating demigods. Someone like Klaus, who showed nothing but a lack of interest in the world around him had just claimed that that same world was his reason to fight. The demigods seemed surprised, aside from Shade who expressed a smile on his face.


    "Interesting," Lance stated with a smile on his face while spectating.


    And without hesitation, Klaus took a deep breath before raising his left hand to the sky. His pride could not allow him to lose to X, especially when having people he cared about in his mind. Rose, Shade, Natalie, Avalon... How would he feel if these people were taken from him? Even if the fight meant nothing on a grand scale, Klaus felt that losing to X meant losing his humanity.


    Above Klaus'' palm began the formation of a Solar Ball. In such a weary state, it did not feel ideal for Klaus to use such a draining ability, but with both fighters barely staying conscious, this was possibly the best chance Klaus had during the entire battle.


    The ball of light continued to grow, surpassing the first grade and reaching the second. Rose''s worried expression could already confirm that Klaus was pushing himself too much. She explained that even the first grade was claimed to be extremely exhausting by him and after using so much energy in the fight, a second grade seemed to have been impossible to even perform.


    But unbeknownst to the demigods, the ball of light continued to grow even more, surpassing the second grade and going beyond.


    "He''s not stopping," Ace commented. "How is he not stopping?"


    "Who knew he had such amounts of energy despite being fatigued," Trent added while watching the situation unfold.


    X''s eyes widened upon seeing the ball of light and knew he had to evade it. He looked around to find his sidearm but noticed that it was far away from him and he did not have the energy to move. He had the option to use his sniper to fire at his opponent or the ability, but he only had a single bullet in its chamber since he never had to use more than that.


    The ball of light continued to grow until it finally stopped. The demigods stared at the battlefield as they witnessed a Solar Ball about eight feet in diameter, twice as big as the previous grade.


    The trembles and shivers from Klaus'' flesh and bones made it evident that he was not in a good state. Everybody witnessing the battle wondered how he was still alive and stared in silence, awaiting what would happen next. Klaus held onto the third grade of the Solar Ball, almost as if it was a heavy object, as he stared directly at his opponent.


    Klaus'' sudden silence was shocking after a few seconds went by. Klaus continued to pant and stare without doing anything, which made the spectators wonder what was happening to him.


    "Why isn''t he firing it?"


    But as this question continued among the demigods, almost immediately, Klaus managed to gain enough strength to launch the ball of light at X.


    During the time that Klaus had remained in the same spot in silence, X was able to regain enough energy to get himself on his feet before launching his body directly toward his right, away from the attack''s trajectory.


    The gasps of disappointment aired briefly from Rose after witnessing Klaus miss his target. However, after evading the attack, the ball of light continued until it came in contact with the wall behind its target. And upon contact, the ball of light caused a massive explosion of force before enveloping the entire arena in blinding light.


    Unlike the other times, the blinding light created from the aftermath of this attack was so strong that it covered the entire Arena of Valor and could be seen from the exterior of the building. The light was also so intense that it would have caused a normal human to lose their vision permanently. The spectating demigods were completely unable to see not just the battlefield, but anything at all for the duration of the attack''s effects.


    The force of the attack was also so intense that the exterior of the force field created by Sonar before the tournament''s commencement rumbled after the collision between the attack and the wall occurred.


    The blinding light lasted for about an entire minute after it occurred before it finally began to subside. It took a few more seconds before most of the demigods were able to regain their vision as well before they all returned their attention to the arena.


    As Shade gained enough vision to understand what had happened between Klaus and X, he witnessed both fighters standing opposite one another in silence. The silence and proximity between the two had an awkward feeling for the spectators as they tried to understand what had happened during the duration of the blinding light.


    But after a few more seconds of assessing the situation and realizing key information, the demigods realized that Klaus had picked up the blade that was used against him earlier by his opponent, causing the stab wound he had on his cheek, and rushed at X, driving the blade right through his opponent''s heart.


    "He did it..." Mia whispered softly. "He beat X."


    The demigods stared in utter shock and confusion as Klaus held on to the dagger with his right hand, despite being previously broken by his opponent, and the weapon still in X''s chest.


    X''s expression spoke clearly as his widened eyes stared far ahead of him, with Klaus standing by his right side with his left hand on X''s right shoulder and both of them looking beyond each other''s shoulder.


    X gasped for air for a brief moment before gradually turning his focus to his right, where Klaus was. Upon doing so, while looking at his opponent, X realized that the usual light in Klaus'' eyes had completely faded, almost like a defective light bulb.


    Suddenly, Klaus began to slowly drop his left hand from X''s shoulder and his right from the blade until his entire body gradually dropped to the ground in silence.


    The demigods could not understand what was going on until a statement was made around them.


    "The winner of the battle is... X."


    Hearing these words from XVII brought shivers down the spines of all spectators as they gradually understood what the statement meant.


    "That means Klaus is..." Rose started before a brief second of silence.


    "Dead," Shade responded, finishing her statement for her.


    The silence echoed around the room for its entire duration. There was nothing that any of the demigods could say. Eventually, X fell to his knees in severe exhaustion before lying on the floor beside Klaus.


    The two fighters had their bodies in opposite directions, with their bodies upside down and their heads directly facing each other. Klaus had his chest on the ground, with his head tilted to his right and his dimmed eyes opened in silence, while X had his chest at the sky with his head slightly facing his left, directly at Klaus'' face.


    "You knew about it..." X worded out in realization of what Klaus had attempted to do during the final stretch of their battle. "Interesting."


    X continued to gasp for air and silence at the spectator''s location remained briefly before it was finally broken by what could be accepted as a valid question.


    "How in the world is he not dead?" Tyler asked in frustration upon witnessing the outcome of the fight.


    "His heart," Quinn then suddenly stated upon realizing what had happened. "So that''s why Klaus waited for that long."


    "What?" Riley asked, revealing tears in her eyes after turning to Quinn. "What does that even mean?"


    Quinn took a second, but before she could explain, X''s eyes widened while still on the battlefield before he let out a sudden grunt in pain. He squinted his eyes in noticeable pain as he held on to the dagger in his heart briefly until his hands slowly drifted to the side and his movements suddenly stopped.


    X was finally dead.


    The confusion as to what had happened between the demigods continued as they stared at both fighters lying dead on the arena floor. The sinister silence continued before the fighters slowly began to fade away, getting transported to the medical facility.

 #62: A Warriors Honor

    Klaus opened his eyes.


    The minor sounds of digitalized noises and beeps from his surroundings, alongside the enclosed feeling of being inside a restoration pod made it clear to Klaus that he was in the medical facility. But that was not what went through his head at that moment.


    The feeling of death. The strange and frightening feeling of taking your last breath before the world ceased to exist for you; was what Klaus felt up until that moment. The fear of the idea that this was what others had felt without the privilege of returning brought chills down Klaus'' spine.


    He never wanted to experience such a feeling anymore.


    After a few more seconds of attempting to regain his sanity, Klaus finally managed to walk out of the pod he was in. He took a second before finally deciding to head back to the arena to not waste any more time since his presence was necessary for the event to proceed.


    Walking back, Klaus noticed that none of the other pods in the other rooms had anybody in them, meaning that X was not present in the facility. This made him wonder if all his efforts couldn''t even force his opponent to the medical facility, which was understandable since he had died before witnessing the aftermath of the battle.


    Klaus continued out of the medical facility before returning to the arena. All that went through his head during his walk back was the idea of his actions and statements during his fight with X. The adrenaline rush and sheer determination to beat his opponent made Klaus say a few things that he was unaware that he felt during the span of the battle.


    He never expected to be so passionate about anything, especially since he had not been for most of his life, but instead of making him feel odd, Klaus was surprisingly happy that he had such a mindset because it meant he was more human than he had thought.


    After a brief moment in thought, while walking, Klaus finally returned to the Arena of Valor. Upon Klaus'' entrance, the demigods turned their attention to him before moving toward his way with smiles and positive expressions.


    "Hey, friend," Trent began. "Great effort on your fight."


    "Si," Iris chanted with a smile. " Que maravilliosa actuacion. You were amazing."


    While the other demigods met up with Klaus, he noticed X''s presence at his usual seat, meditating, but did not have any time to make something off it before the demigods continued.


    Klaus thanked them for their generosity despite knowing deep down that he had lost the battle. But among the other demigods, Lance suddenly walked up to him, grabbing his attention.


    "Great try, Walker," Lance started before letting out a strong smile. "Your passion was beyond commendable, and among us all, I believe deep down that you are the best one."


    Hearing such a statement from Lance made Klaus'' eyes widen in slight shock. Such a weight-carrying statement felt too heavy for Klaus, and he felt like he was undeserving of it.


    "Thank you," Klaus responded before continuing. "But I don''t deserve such high regard. I didn''t want to lose to him because to me it meant losing my morals; that was the reason I fought with such passion."


    "Either way..." Lance started before turning to head for his seat. "Your fight was truly elegant."


    As Lance returned to his seat, Klaus noticed Rose and Shade as they walked to him after the small crowd congratulated him.


    "Hey," Rose said to Klaus with a smile. "I know you heard this a lot already, but you did great."


    For some reason, hearing this from Rose made Klaus realize that despite losing, his efforts resonated with the people he held close to him. Upon seeing the smiles on Shade and Rose''s faces, Klaus let out his own smile before responding to them.


    "Thank you."


    Seeing Klaus smile for the first time was very surprising to everyone around him, and his sudden expression also caught Shade by surprise. Shade felt that his brother was happier than usual, and this was unexpected considering his recent defeat to an opponent he despised.


    But seeing his brother smile could not make Shade anything else but happy for him. It felt like Klaus was feeling more relaxed and open as Shade witnessed him talk with Rose with a positive expression.


    "So you knew about his heartbeat, huh?"


    Klaus turned his attention to the sudden question to find Quinn as the owner unsurprisingly.


    "I''m surprised you found out," Quinn continued.


    "Well," Klaus replied. "It doesn''t take that long to get information from IV."


    "You seem to have capitalized on that during this event," Quinn stated upon noticing the fact.


    "Our instructors are available not just for sparring and physical training, but also access to information that they are aware of. This includes knowledge about all the demigods," Klaus explained. "It would be strange not to capitalize that."


    "While I do agree with that fact..." Quinn then started after a second of thought. "I''m still wondering how you were able to evade X''s True accuracy."


    This was a question that was generally wondered by the spectators. Quinn stood patiently, awaiting Klaus'' response to confirm one of her many theories on how it was possible.


    "Wouldn''t you like to know," Klaus suddenly replied with a cocky smile on his face.


    "Oh, come on," Quinn responded upon hearing Klaus'' statement. "Can you not do that right now?"


    Klaus knew that Quinn desperately wanted the information he had, but he also knew that he was not entitled to give her a response.


    Before the topic could go any further, yet another demigod walked up to Klaus with an intention in their mind.


    "Hey, Klaus," Mia started. "I just wanted to say thank you for what you did. I''m not sure if it was on purpose, but I really do appreciate it."


    Klaus turned his attention to her before letting out a smile and responding.


    "It''s fine."


    "Please don''t smile at me," Mia responded before heading back to her seat. "it''s already hard enough to ignore your charm the way it is."


    Quinn sighed in frustration after watching what had happened.


    "Girls just can''t stop falling for you, can they?" Quinn stated with her eyes closed and her right palm on her forehead. "It''s no wonder Riley cried for you when we found out you were dead."


    Hearing this statement from a distance, Riley instinctively turned to their location with a flushed expression.


    "Quinn!" Riley chanted, trying to get Quinn not to go any further on the topic she had mentioned.


    A few more moments of conversation continued before it was cut short by XVII after he walked ahead of the demigods once more.


    "I am aware that there is no reason to announce the next match due to general knowledge, but I will do so nonetheless," XVII began before continuing to announce. "And the next battle is... Lance Knight vs Arthur Knight"


    Although the demigods were aware already that this was the case, hearing the announcement made them realize that this was a battle between two siblings. Not just that, but these were two fighters that were held with high regard among the demigods, so they knew that the battle was going to be epic.


    Both Lance and Arthur walked into the arena upon hearing their name being called. Their straight expressions heightened the curiosity of the demigods as both fighters stood opposite each other. The demigods stared in silence, watching both brothers await the commencement of their battle.


    "Unlike our previous spars..." Arthur began after the brief silence."I will not lose this one."


    "Then I expect you to give it your all," Lance then responded before adjusting his stance.


    After the brief encounter, the sound of the alarm queued around the arena, signifying the battle''s commencement.


    As the battle began, Arthur instantly took a battle stance, readying an attack, before launching a Wind Breaker at Lance. Upon noticing this action, Lance quickly spawned a shield on his left arm before placing it directly in front of the incoming attack and smacking the force away.


    After doing so, Lance despawned the shield before taking a certain stance similar to that taken by a javelin thrower. After taking the complete stance, a long sleek javelin-like spear began to spawn around his palm before he gripped the weapon. Lance then used his right hand to launch the weapon at his opponent with tremendous force.


    As the spear darted at Arthur, he immediately placed both his hands ahead of himself before grabbing onto the launched weapon before it could make contact. The force of the throw was so immense that it caused Arthur to move back a significant distance before the spear finally came to rest. It seemed like the force of the throw, accompanied by the strange weight of the spear, was more than expected, especially since after Arthur tossed the weapon to the ground, the impact between the weapon and the floor caused a loud slam to echo around the battlefield briefly.


    Arthur had not expected to use the amount of force he did, and if he was even a brief moment too late to realize its weight, the object would have slipped through his grasp and pierced through him. But as he sighed briefly before turning to his opponent, Arthur noticed Lance wielding a bow equipped with an arrow that was drawn out completely before the shot was fired at him.


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    Arthur managed to react quickly as he gradually tilted his head leftwards, allowing the arrow to miss. Lance then began spawning arrows from thin air before placing them on the bow and firing at Arthur. Arthur continued to evade the attacks while he also began to move forward, closing the distance between him and his opponent.


    "Well, isn''t that convenient," Mia commented from the sidelines upon noticing Lance''s sequence with the arrows.


    Arthur continued to move forward until he reached Lance, with which he then switched to the offensive, launching a strike at his opponent. Lance jumped a few meters back before despawning the bow and spawning a long, slim sword. Both fighters began to swing their attacks at one another, switching from offense to defense when necessary.


    The battle sequence continued until Lance managed to get an opening before swinging his blade directly at Arthur''s torso. But before the attack could connect, Arthur placed his right hand between the attack, causing Lance''s sword to break upon contact.


    Without hesitation, Lance immediately despawned the broken blade before spawning a long staff and engaging in close combat with Arthur.


    Both fighters clashed with maximum damage output, showing that they were not holding back any attacks against each other. The heat of the battle was very intense and the focus that both fighters had gave the spectators reason to look forward to more. But it was clear who had the upper hand when spectating the battle.


    "Lance is really having more impact than Arthur despite their physique difference," Tyler commented at the spectator''s location.


    "Yeah," Siren replied. "And he isn''t holding back in the slightest, it seems."


    "As expected," Shade then commented, showing his knowledge of Lance''s reasoning. "Since it''s his brother, he wouldn''t want to be holding back any of his strength."


    "Because it would be disrespectful," Klaus buttressed the point Shade was making.


    "Exactly," Shade confirmed with a smile.


    Shade and Klaus''s understanding made Rose realize they understood and supported the same mindset as the Knight brothers.


    "You know..." Rose began. "I kind of wish you guys could''ve fought each other during this tournament."


    "That would''ve been epic, don''t you think?" Shade asked Klaus with a smile on his face.


    "I guess," Klaus responded with a less gloomy expression than usual.


    The battle between Lance and Arthur continued and Arthur began to lose ground. Lance continued to swing his staff at his opponent and Arthur knew that he would have to use his ability to close the gap between them. He knew that the energy required to perform the technique was immense, and it wouldn''t be advised to drain more energy than he had anticipated, but it was better to make the trade while he had the chance.


    Arthur then managed to create distance between Lance and himself before taking his Wind Breaker stance. Noticing the potential of an attack from his opponent, Lance reduced his aggression as he began walking closer to Arthur with caution. Arthur then took a second before he finally launched a punch ahead of him.


    Lance continued to walk forward before stopping for a second. Upon stopping, Lance instantly spawned a shield on his left hand before turning his attention to his left and placing the shield there. Immediately, the force of wind rushed from the exact location where Lance had placed the shield, defending him against the attack.


    Arthur''s eyes widened in shock upon noticing that Lance had successfully defended against his Realm Breaker.


    "What?" Riley asked in shock at how Lance was able to predict the attack''s trajectory.


    Arthur stared in shock for less than a second before keeping his cool, knowing that any opening he granted Lance would be fatal to him. Arthur then began to launch more Realm Breakers at Lance, hoping to land a single attack at his opponent despite the cost of energy.


    Lance continued to place the shield ahead of the attacks as they spawned from multiple directions around him. He then began to move around as he evaded some and blocked the ones that were too fast for him.


    The force of Arthur''s attacks was too strong, causing the shield that Lance was using to break over time until it was unusable. But after dematerializing the shield, Lance continued to evade for a while before he suddenly spawned a certain familiar golden weapon from his arsenal. With Camelot in his hands, Lance began to evade the Realm Breakers gracefully, using the weapon as well to slice through the heavy wind attacks.


    Lance continued to defend and evade Arthur''s attacks until Arthur was unable to launch anymore due to exhaustion. Some of the attacks were able to briefly graze Lance''s shirt while he was evading, but none of the attacks had connected completely with their target.


    The demigods stared in awe, wondering how Lance was able to evade the randomness of the Realm Breaker. The attack was known to be unpredictable and spawned from anywhere around Lance, yet he was able to predict and counter the attack, though barely. The speed of the occurrence was immense, showing the level of power and perception both fighters had.


    Arthur fell to his knees with his palms on the floor before coughing out blood from his mouth. He had pushed himself to such an extreme and the backlash for spamming his attack in multitudes had finally taken effect.


    Lance gradually walked towards Arthur who slammed the floor beside him with force in anger of his weary state. With Arthur turning his head upwards, the two fighters kept their attention on each other before Lance stretched his right hand to the sky, creating what appeared to be a slim, long blade. However, instead of moving closer with the weapon, Lance suddenly threw the blade to his right, between the both of them.


    Seeing this action, Arthur closed his eyes and took a deep breath before rising to his feet. Both fighters walked closer to each other before Lance began to rip his shirt off, with Arthur doing the same, revealing their perfect physique as they got closer.


    "Ay dios mio, que vista tan sabrosa," Iris commented from the sidelines with her eyes fixated on the two fighters.


    A few seconds went by as both Lance and Arthur stared at one another in silence. Almost instantly, both fighters began to swing attacks at their opponents with haste, engaging in hand-to-hand combat.


    The two fighters continued to brawl using their fists, excluding any of their abilities from the battle. The spectating demigods stared in confusion as to why the fighters were not using their abilities since it made no sense. Lance had not spawned any weapon since the brawl began and it did not look like Arthur was using his hardening technique as well, despite its value in the fight.


    "Strange," Trent commented. "Neither of them has even an ounce of thought in using any of their power."


    "That''s the point," Klaus then replied before continuing. "They want to fight on even terms, with no advantages from their abilities."


    The two warriors clashed punches with one another, switching from offense to defense when necessary and keeping up with each other. The battle felt intense despite the lack of any supernatural and both fighters appeared to take the fight with utter seriousness. But the difference between the fighters, although very slim, was still present.


    Arthur and Lance continued their brawl for a little while, landing successful punches and evading successfully. But despite their even appearance, Arthur''s panting compared to Lance''s made it clear after the minutes that went by that his chances of victory were non-existent.


    Arthur''s physique made it clear that he was a very fit person. He always trained his body to be stronger and he was naturally gifted with a perfect metabolism to maintain and perfect it. Although the same could be said for Lance, Arthur''s physique trumped his brother''s and was evident by sight alone. Arthur was also slightly taller and bigger in size, despite still being seventeen years of age and the younger twin of the two. But that did not mean he was stronger.


    Despite Arthur''s physique, the comparison between his training and his brother''s was almost a joke. Lance''s dedication to power was always stronger and he kept pushing himself since childhood. This was one of the reasons Arthur genuinely and wholeheartedly admired Lance.


    Growing up together meant that they both saw each other''s strongest and weakest, but Arthur never once saw the "weakest" of his brother. Lance never had such a state.


    Lance always placed his priorities over his own comfort and accompanied by his warrior nature, it gave him a reason to keep pushing up the ranks when they were both assigned to the military. This gave the officials a reason to set the two brothers on a higher path than normal soldiers, ultimately leading in their highly respected ranks as war advisors due to them being too young for infantry at the time.


    Arthur and Lance had always been around each other, always having a just mind and a rational approach to everything they encountered, so when faced against one another, they knew that their status as siblings was not going to prevent them from fulfilling their tasks.


    But there was one thing that both brothers always placed above their assigned tasks, and that was their warrior''s honor. Arthur knew that this was why Lance had ultimately switched to a hand-to-hand style, attempting to level the plain for the both of them. But at the end of the day, all it did was delay the inevitable.


    After minutes of pure physical clashing, Arthur was exhausted, and upon receiving a strike from Lance to the face, he fell to the ground.


    The demigods stared in silence as Lance walked closer to his opponent. The overwhelming sensation of curiosity filled the spectator''s area as they awaited what was going to happen next. Then a statement was finally made, breaking the silence.


    "I yield."


    The demigods appeared surprised as they stared at Arthur in confusion. Upon hearing these words, Lance closed his eyes before letting out a sigh and turning away from his fallen brother. It had already been stated by Abyss that the ability to forfeit was no more, so the spectators wondered what was happening.


    Lance turned his face away from Arthur in silence before finally wording out a few words to his opponent.


    "You did well, brother."


    Hearing these words from Lance gave Arthur a smile on his face. A slight feeling of satisfaction, despite his defeat, passed through his head before he finally got the strength to get back up on his feet.


    Lance remained at his position as Arthur barely got on his feet and gradually began to walk to the side, exactly where the blade that was thrown earlier rested. As Arthur got to the weapon, he picked it up from the ground before falling to his knees in exhaustion. But this was what he wanted.


    Before any of the demigods could realize what he was about to do, Arthur quickly positioned the blade ahead of him before driving the weapon straight into his chest.


    Gasps and slight reactions filled the spectator''s area by the demigods who had just watched Arthur stab himself in the heart.


    "Oh my Gods," Tyler chanted after witnessing the scene.


    The gory and brutal scene presented itself as blood began to gush from Arthur''s chest before he finally fell to the ground in severe agony, yet remaining silent and not letting out a single cry of pain.


    "The winner is Lance Knight," XVII eventually announced, confirming Arthur''s death.


    Lance''s face could not be seen by the demigods since he was facing away from them, but his silence seemed to be louder than anything that could be said. And eventually, both fighters began to dematerialize, getting transported to the medical facility.


    CONVERSATION


    Rose: That was something else.


    Ace: Yeah... you couldn''t pay me to do that to myself, man.


    Riley: Not like you could get paid if you did it.


    Ace: Fair enough.


    Link: Still... that was one heck of a fight, despite the one-sidedness.


    Shade: It really was. Makes you wonder if Arthur actually had better chances using his abilities.


    Klaus: No point in wondering, is there?


    After a few more minutes of conversation and absorbing the concluded battle, Lance and Arthur finally returned. The demigods rushed to the previous fighters to congratulate them on their efforts.


    Despite the lack of a connection with Arthur, the few demigods still commended him for his efforts and he was in a situation where he could not decline their remarks so he just shrugged it off. Lance shared a smile with the other demigods in appreciation of their remarks, relieving their worries about him.


    And after a brief moment, XVII finally walked ahead of the demigods to announce the next phase of the event.


    "After the completion of the previous battle, the semi-finals have come to an end, and the finals will now begin without delay."


    The demigods stared in silence as XVII continued.


    "Even though this information is already known, I would like to formally announce the two fighters who will compete in the final round. They are... Lance Knight and X."


    Hearing the announcement made everyone realize that this was the most expected outcome. After hearing that Ash was not going to participate, the two candidates for a spot in the finals were the two who had made it. Although a few of them felt like they had failed to overcome the Titans among them, no one could argue that this was going to be the most anticipated battle in the entire tournament.


    This was definitely the one fight that all the demigods had wondered who would come out on top. Despite the idea that X was rated higher than Lance during the leadership process before the Cosmic League, Lance''s performance during his time as a demigod not only rivaled, but possibly even surpassed that of X.


    A smile filled Lance''s face after realizing his next opponent. This was the fight he had always anticipated since the Cosmic League, and with the rules of the Divine Tournament, it meant that both fighters could fight at their maximum without any need to hold back. This was the fight that Lance wanted.


    "Finally," Lance whispered to himself before getting up from his seat and walking into the arena alongside X.


    Both fighters proceeded onto the battlefield and took their positions. Lance''s smile was clear to see by everyone, but X''s expression did not seem different from his usual one.


    The silent anticipation filled the entire Arena of Valor as everyone present stared, awaiting the sound of the alarm. And after a few seconds, the alarm rang and the final round of the Divine Tournament had commenced.

 #63: The Finals

    The final round of the Divine Tournament had finally commenced. The silence among the spectating demigods seemed to be the usual response to tense situations, and this was no different.


    "I finally get to fight the legendary marksman," Lance said with a smile to his opponent. "Do not disappoint me."


    All the fights led to this final round, and the contestants were nothing short of champions among the demigods, so it was already anticipated to be the greatest match-up in the tournament.


    Both fighters readied themselves and the tense feeling of the seconds going by before the alarm was rung elapsed. Klaus stared in understandable silence as he witnessed Lance and X glance at one another, awaiting the moment they could strike. After the unexpectedly long wait, the alarm echoed around the Arena of Valor, signaling the final battle''s commencement.


    Immediately the sound notified the fighters, X reached for his firearm and pulled it out of its holster at his right hip before pointing it directly at his opponent and firing a single round.


    Realizing this action unfolding before a single second, Lance instantly rushed his right hand ahead of himself, in front of the bullet''s trajectory, before spawning a blade and swinging it at the fired round. This allowed Lance to deflect the fired bullet successfully. X continued to fire another round, with his opponent doing the same action to deflect the action yet again.


    "You know," Link suddenly started at the sidelines to the other demigods. "It''s very easy to ignore that most of us just easily react to gunshots recently."


    "That''s true," Riley replied upon realizing the fact of the statement. "Huh, I guess it''s easy to forget our superhuman capabilities due to our unnatural abilities."


    "True that," Link responded before turning his attention back to the occurring battle.


    X fired a round from his sidearm one more time, but instead of deflecting, Lance decided to evade the shot completely, tilting his head slightly from its path, before rushing at his opponent with his right hand raised to the air. Reaching his opponent, Lance had already spawned a metallic spear before swinging it at X to deal damage.


    X easily managed to evade the first swing directed at him, continuing to evade the rest that followed as well. Lance began swinging his weapon, attacking his opponent, and X remained on the defensive, evading the attacks that were directed at him. This continued for a few seconds before X grabbed onto the spear that Lance was using and forced it out of his opponent''s arms.


    Kicking his opponent away before snapping the spear in two with his knee, X was able to create space between the two of them, alongside disarming his opponent. But Lance''s smile was more than enough to show that this meant nothing to him. Immediately, Lance returned to his brawl with X, creating a replica of the previous weapon and swinging it at his opponent once more.


    X continued his evasive maneuvers for a few more seconds before finally switching to the offensive after getting a chance to. X launched a punch directly at Lance before Lance managed to react by placing the side of the spear he wielded in front of his opponent''s right fist. The punch''s force was strong enough to cause Lance to move back a noticeable distance, creating more space between the two fighters yet again.


    The created space caused Lance to switch his approach to the battle without wasting time as he immediately despawned the spear he used before materializing a longbow with the idea of changing to a long-range style. Pulling the string backward, Lance spawned an arrow between the bow and his fingers, where it was supposed to be, before firing it at X, similar to his previous battle with his brother.


    Reacting to his opponent''s attack, X moved his left hand ahead of his face, catching the fired arrow before it could hit its mark. After catching the arrow, X wasted no time snapping the projectile in two with his left hand after applying pressure to the wooden part.


    Lance wasted no time in continuing his barrage of arrows at X, firing them by the second, but for every shot that was fired, X would grab onto and snap the arrow before the next one could reach him. The precision he used to grab the exact spot and break the arrows every single time, and with no delay, was beyond impressive as the action persisted.


    As this continued, X grabbed onto one of the fired arrows after a brief barrage, but before he could snap the arrow, another one suddenly darted past the previous, heading directly for his head. X then tilted his head slightly to the right, evading the sudden arrow, but receiving a scratch to his metallic mouth mask.


    Lance had fired two arrows at the same time so upon noticing that he had almost hit his target, he let out a taunting smile at X. It was clear to everyone that Lance''s skill at range was exceptional in both precision and persistence, making no mistake in his entire sequence.


    After staring at his opponent for a moment, X turned his face to the arrow he had previously caught before engaging in a brief conversation.


    "You wield the power to spawn any weapon imaginable, yet you choose to spawn these obsolete toys," X stated to Lance before breaking the arrow in his hand.


    "There is no elegance in the use of modern weapons and firearms," Lance replied to his opponent, gripping his bow and awaiting his opponent''s response.


    X took a second after hearing Lance''s statement before finally replying to the indirect diss.


    "Then your restrictions will be your demise."


    Immediately after his statement concluded, X placed his right hand into a small pocket on his armor vest and pulled out a strange metallic object. After pulling the object, X proceeded to tap its left side before the object began to change forms.


    "Celestial metal," Link commented on the sidelines upon noticing X''s action.


    The object continued to morph until it finally completed its transformation, revealing what seemed to be an M134 minigun. X then gripped the large weapon before pointing it at his opponent and firing.


    Noticing his opponent''s attack, Lance quickly spawned a suit of armor around his entire body, including his face, blocking himself from the fired rounds that rushed to his location with tremendous speed.


    The suit spawned by Lance was made completely of titanium. This was because of the nature of the material, being able to withstand barrages of bullets. Lance then began to rush at X while still defending the rounds of ammo that spread around his armor. However, Lance suddenly began to realize that despite his armor being bulletproof, the force of the rounds fired at him began to break his armor after a few seconds of receiving damage.


    X fired over fifty rounds per second with his weapon, making it almost impossible for Lance to get an opening before his suit would fail. He wondered why this was the case before realizing that the bullets that X was firing were AP (Armor-Piercing) shells. This meant that when the bullet came in contact with any object, the copper case surrounding the penetrator would be destroyed, allowing the penetrator to have maximum effect.


    Lance spawned a gladius on his right hand and began swinging at the bullets that were fired at him, deflecting most of the rounds, but with the sheer amount of bullets fired, he knew that he could not last more than mere seconds. The intensity of the spray was alarming.


    Reaching his last resort, Lance then spawned a massive tower shield made of solid gold ahead of him before mounting it between him and the fired rounds. The shield was around five feet in length and about thirty inches in width and its density was immense, allowing Lance to successfully defend himself from X''s attack while crouching behind it.


    "Surprisingly, X didn''t use this in his previous fights," Link stated on the sidelines while the storm of bullets continued to rush at Lance.


    "I know, right?" Riley responded.


    "Maybe his ammo is limited so he was saving it," Trent guessed.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience."That''s not possible," Quinn then commented. "When transported to the medical facility, every demigod reverts to how they were before entering the battlefield."


    "That''s true," Trent responded after understanding Quinn''s statement. "So his ammo would always be replenished after every fight."


    "Exactly," Quinn confirmed before continuing. "I''m guessing he simply didn''t see the need to use it to win against any of his opponents."


    "Thinking back, it probably wouldn''t have helped him," Link commented after analyzing X''s previous opponents.


    The ferocity of the bullets continued upon Lance''s shield, but the spawned unit continued to hold its ground, taking little damage but defending its summoner nonetheless. Lance crouched behind the shield in thought until the barrage of bullets finally concluded. Upon noticing that X was out of ammunition, Lance began to execute the plan he had stirred up within the few seconds he defended against his opponent.


    Lance''s plan began with him spawning a long and heavy spear from the Divine Arsenal. After this, Lance proceeded to use the weapon as a sort of vaulting equipment by forcing the sharp end into the ground and using enough force on his hands to lunge himself upwards significantly, off the ground. While in the air, Lance then stretched his right hand to the sky while still holding on to the spear with his left.


    Looking down, Lance noticed that X already had True Accuracy in his eyes and was stretching his sidearm from its holster. The possibility that Lance was going to survive the shot from X was next to impossible, but it seemed like he had already planned for this outcome after placing himself in the open.


    Before X could completely pull out his weapon, Lance instantly spawned what appeared to be a tactical tomahawk on his right hand and gripped it before using all of the force in his hand to launch it directly at his opponent''s head. After this action, Lance instantly despawned his equipped suit before spawning a newer one instantly.


    His reasoning was to give his opponent a reason to switch from offense to defense since this was his best choice, and this approach appeared to be effective.


    X was in a situation where he could fire his sidearm at Lance and land a guaranteed shot, however, he would not be fast enough to evade the incoming tomahawk thrown at him. This also meant that the damage he was going to take if he decided to make the trade would be much more significant than his opponent, especially with the suit of armor Lance wrapped around his entire body.


    This made X switch his offensive approach with True Accuracy into a defensive one, causing him to shift his mark from Lance''s forehead to the weapon darting at him before firing. The clash with the bullet caused the tomahawk to lose its expected path, flinging it away upon contact. But this was Lance''s plan.


    Lance knew that X would not be able to fire another shot on time due to the delay between rounds from his sidearm. He also knew that X would not want to keep True Accuracy active long since it took tremendous energy. This gave Lance enough time to grab the spear he had on his left hand with his right, allowing him to gain the opening he needed to switch to offense.


    With this, Lance held on to the spear with his right hand and used all the force he had left, alongside the motion of his body leaning forward, to launch the spear directly at his opponent.


    The weight of the spear accompanied by the utter force exerted to throw it made the attack an inescapable one, however, what Lance did not take into account was his opponent''s true capabilities.


    As the spear darted at its target, Lance realized that instead of attempting to fire another round, X was already prepared for an attack so upon releasing the spear, his opponent had already begun to evade. X swayed to his left at an insane speed that he was able to successfully evade the spear that was thrown at him. But this was not all that he did.


    Upon evading, X used his right hand to grab the spear from its path before it could hit the ground. With this, X used a rotation motion on his wrist and entire body to turn himself around while holding the blade, allowing him to keep the momentum of the weapon active for his next action. After turning his body 180 degrees, X used the momentum of the spear to divert the attack back at Lance who remained airborne.


    The spear returned to Lance while maintaining its speed and ferocity before slamming into its target, dealing devastating damage. Lance fell to the ground after the impact in pain as he processed what had just happened in such little time. He had not expected X to react to such a fast attack, let alone counter it by returning the weapon.


    The pain Lance felt was immense, but he knew that it would have been significantly worse if he had not equipped the suit of armor he had that was present.


    "What in the Gods'' names just happened?" Siren asked after witnessing the recent sequence.


    Everything that had just happened seemed to have only taken mere seconds, meaning the speed of their attacks and reactions were nearly incomprehensible. This was also why Lance was unable to return the weapon before it came in contact with him.


    After returning the weapon, Lance also returned the suit he had on to the Divine Arsenal, revealing the wound on his lower left torso from the spear that had just come in contact with him. Lance remained on the ground for a few seconds, applying pressure to the wound he had received and attempting to stop the bleeding with the muscle around it. X was also on the floor after using the momentum required to return the attack so after a few seconds, he got back on his feet before walking towards his opponent.


    X gradually walked forward before arriving at Lance''s fallen location. He stared at his opponent''s struggling expression before his eyes dimmed in slight disgust after realizing what was happening.


    "Are you done?" X asked Lance.


    After this statement was made, Lance''s hurting expression instantly reverted to his typical one as he revealed a smile.


    "Yeah," Lance cheekily stated before removing his hand from the wound and getting on his feet easily.


    Lance had attempted to use the damage he had received as bait so that he could make his opponent drop his guard and use that as an advantage, but unfortunately, X was beyond that.


    Lance smiled as he stood on his feet after using his muscles around the wound to stop the bleeding.


    "You''re in such a sorry state," X stated to Lance.


    "I could say the same about you," Lance responded.


    Lance realized that X had placed a lot on his last attack which was why he used True Accuracy. But since Lance was still in the game, all it did was cause him more energy than desired.


    Although X was in a less desirable state, Lance knew that the battle was still far from his favor. He knew that this was far from any typical match-up and his approach needed to change if he truly desired the victory.


    "Has it finally dawned upon you that you''re losing?" X asked his opponent.


    Lance''s smile broadened after a second before he stretched out his right hand while maintaining eye contact with his opponent.


    "I guess you''re right," Lance stated before proceeding. "So it''s time to be more serious."


    And after Lance''s statement concluded, Camelot began to gradually spawn from top to bottom, between the palm of his right hand.


    Lance gripped the golden weapon before holding it with both hands and spinning it around him, attempting to warm up his motion with it. He spun the weapon around while moving gracefully before he finally struck a deadly pose.


    The tip of the spear was pointed directly at X as Lance placed his right hand around the other end of the weapon and his left ahead, closer to the tip. His body position was slightly slanted forward, giving him a position that could allow him to lunge forward when he chose to do so.


    "I will take this more seriously..." Lance started before letting out a smile once more. "so make sure to entertain me, hunter."

 #64: A Warriors Elegance

    The tension of the final bout was rising.


    Lance had spawned his greatest weapon from his arsenal, showing all the witnesses that he was finally taking the battle seriously. The spectators watched silently as missing a second of the ongoing fight would be too much for them.


    Lance took his striking pose, retaining his usual charismatic smile. The silence went by for a few seconds as both opponents stared at one another. And after the brief stare-down, Lance rushed at X, wielding Camelot in his hands.


    Both fighters engaged in a heated battle against one another. Lance swung his weapon at X, with his opponent evading the attacks, keeping a more defensive approach. But this did not stop Lance from attacking with intensity and force.


    Lance''s moves were graceful and elegant, fitting his style of fighting. His movements were extremely difficult to read or keep up with as most of the demigods could barely track his movements. His skills were phenomenal, and some would say unmatched.


    Lance continued his offensive assault for a few more seconds until X finally decided to switch his stance. Upon doing so, X evaded another attack before switching to offense and landing a punch on Lance. This continued for a while, with Lance managing to evade some of the blows, but it was evident that immediately X switched up, Lance began to get overwhelmed.


    X continued to attack, gaining more opportunity to do so after every attempt, and Lance knew that he had to do something about it. With this, Lance lunged backward, away from his opponent for a brief moment, before assuming an attacking stance.


    His stance was similar to his initial stance, but the tip of his weapon was lower than before by about thirty degrees. Lance''s expression was not as bright as it was a few seconds before, but his smile remained as he stared at his opponent. And before a second could go by, Lance rushed back into the battle.


    Lance''s aggression and speed had increased significantly after the pose he struck. It was almost like he was a different person. His moves became even more unreadable by the spectators as they continued to witness the match. But as Lance''s offensive power heightened, so did his opponent''s defenses.


    Lance''s sequence of attacks was beyond impressive, but after the increase in power, he was still unable to land any fatal blow on his opponent.


    It made no sense to the spectating demigods how one would increase their battle power and the other would do so with ease, especially when the spectators would assume that this was their climax. It was as if they kept using each other as a catalyst to amp their own power up, and it was working effectively.


    But despite this idea, X still had the clear upper hand in the battle.


    Upon his continuous evading, X managed to switch to offense once again after a long time before landing another his on Lance. Lance continued to swing despite the fatal blows that proceeded after, but he knew that he was not going to last long if he didn''t increase his focus.


    Once again, X managed to continuously evade the attacks sent his way before managing to switch to offense and delivering an uppercut straight to the jaw of his opponent.


    Lance fell to the ground but did not waste a single second before getting back on his feet like nothing had happened. His tolerance for the pain he felt was immense, and it was clear since he did not show a single reaction to it.


    Upon getting back on his feet, Lance assumed yet another position with Camelot, but his expression was straight. Lance''s focus on the battle had increased significantly after realizing that holding back would cost him the match, considering that this was not just another adversary.


    Lance''s spear while taking his stance had lowered yet again, about thirty meters more from the previous, and he retained the pose for a very brief moment before rushing back into the battle yet again. Similar to before, Lance''s aggression had increased yet again, but this time, it was like he had started to overwhelm his opponent.


    X continued to stay on the defensive for the majority of the battle, but the openings he got on Lance had slimmed significantly to prior. It had even reached the point where he began to take damage from Lance after continuing to evade everything sent his way.


    X knew that he was starting to lose ground so amid the fight, he placed both his hands in the pockets on the sides of his torso and pulled out two Japanese-style daggers. Holding their weapons, both fighters began to clash their attacks with each other with tremendous force and unfathomable speed.


    Their fight was almost unable to be processed by the demigods that spectated. The speed of each attack felt like it was always faster than the previous, making the battle very hard to watch. But there was no denying that these two fighters were something else, both easily cut above the rest.


    Their clashing continued for almost a minute, but despite all the attempts that Lance made to outclass his opponent, X still had the upper hand in the fight. It was almost like he was getting stronger with each strike he took and began to learn from his misses, landing more strikes than a few seconds before. Lance began to get overwhelmed yet again.


    Upon evading another attack from Camelot once again, X managed to move his body downward, crouching slightly, before gripping the dagger in his left hand and thrusting it directly at Lance''s chest. Due to the speed of the attack, Lance was unable to spawn a suit of armor so he decided to create a small shield between the attack and himself, allowing him to successfully block the incoming strike. But it seemed like this was his opponent''s plan.


    After blocking X''s attack, Lance realized that his opponent''s right hand had already reached the other side of his torso, and in an instant, X slammed his dagger directly into Lance, exactly where his previous wound was. With this action, X used the palm of his right hand to land a blow on Lance''s chest, hitting his opponent a significant distance away.


    Lance fell to the ground once more, but this time taking a lot longer than before to get back on his feet. He placed his left hand on the injury he had just received from X as his breathing became more audible. Lance took a second to get himself after the unfavorable sequence that had just occurred before finally taking another pose.


    Lance placed his left hand at the front of the spear he wielded, with his right behind, as he leaned forward, but this time was different. This time, the tip of Camelot was directly on the floor ahead of him. Not just that but his expression revealing the pure focus on Lance''s face showed the demigods that he was no longer going to toy around.


    Lance''s striking pose felt like it dropped a mass of weight on the spectators as they witnessed the scene. And after a second of focus and concentration, Lance rushed back into the fight once again without any delay. Both fighters engaged in a clash once again, but this time, the significant gap between them was no more.


    X''s expression accompanied by Lance''s showed that both fighters were giving it their all, and the battle sequence showed this fact. Somehow, these two fighters were stronger and faster than they were just a few minutes before. Just when everyone spectating thought they were at their maximum power, Lance and X displayed an even stronger force as they clashed weapons with each other.


    At this point, not a single demigod present could spectate the battle and keep up with either fighter. Their reaction time, accompanied by their speed and precision, was beyond comprehensible and all the spectators could do was watch the two behemoths brawl.


    "These really are the strongest among us," Trent worded with his eyes remaining on the ongoing battle.


    "Not like anyone can argue with that," Quinn replied.


    Klaus'' expression during the fight showed his disappointment with his last battle, realizing that he could have died if X had wanted it to be so, which made him wonder.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Lance and X continued to clash for a few more seconds until Lance managed to disarm his opponent, hitting both blades that X had equipped to the sides. With this, Lance''s aggression heightened, showing his determination to go for the kill.


    Noticing his vulnerability, X pulled his sidearm from its holster and began firing at his opponent, but his actions meant nothing as Lance continued to deflect all the fired shots with Camelot, continuing his attacking sequence. The two fighters continued their barrage of attacks on one another, but X knew he had to get an opening eventually.


    Lance held on to Camelot with his right hand and raised it over his left shoulder, attempting to strike his opponent. With this, he swung his weapon in a horizontal motion, directly across X''s chest.


    Noticing his opponent''s attack, X bent his upper body backward with haste while remaining in the same spot, evading the attack. However, he knew that this was going to be an opening that he had desired, so he decided to act. While still in the same position after evading the attack, X stretched his right hand over his left shoulder, attempting to pull his sniper rifle out. In a fluid motion, he then pulled out the weapon from his back while rotating his body to the right and raising his upper body all at once. But Lance''s guard was not completely down.


    After attempting his attack, Lance immediately continued to move his body along with the momentum of his weapon. In doing so, Lance moved his body around to the right, causing him to spin in a fluid motion as well, retaining his initial attack as it spun with him. After turning back a hundred and eighty degrees, Lance then planted his feet to the ground before continuing the motion of his weapon at his opponent, with his back facing the opposite direction.


    Everything happened almost instantly and simultaneously, and as both fighters attempted to strike, both their weapons came into a clash, revealing their position and attempts at one another.


    Both fighters had the same stance. Their backs were away from each other, but their weapons pointed directly at the head of their target. X had Heart Halter, his sniper rifle, pointed at Lance while he glared over his shoulder at his opponent, with Lance in the same position, pointing Camelot at X as well.


    The silent tension of the air spread to the spectators who watched in confusion after realizing that the speed of the battle instantly shut down. The fighters stared at one another and all that could be audible were the sounds of their slight breaths of exhaustion.


    The silent staring continued for longer than anticipated, since both fighters were in the same position and were awaiting their opponent''s slightest movement intending to counter.


    After a few seconds, Lance instantly picked up X''s slight motion of pulling his sniper closer. With this, Lance immediately reacted by using his spear to hit the weapon before it was pointed directly at him, smacking the sniper away from his opponent''s grasp. Capitalizing on his opponent''s expected surprise, Lance then positioned his body properly before gripping his weapon with both hands and attempting to thrust Camelot directly through X''s chest.


    However, countering his opponent''s action, X evaded the attack by swaying to his right before grabbing the weapon with his left hand. Holding Camelot, X then used enough force to pull Lance closer to him before driving his right hand directly into Lance''s gut, causing Lance to let go of his weapon. Lance leaned forward as he held on to his gut in pain for a brief moment, but before he could react, X stretched his right foot, using it to kick Lance a good distance away.


    Lance held his gut as he lay on the floor witnessing his opponent slowly walk towards him. X continued to walk closer as he tossed Camelot to the side while proceeding.


    "Are you entertained yet?" X asked Lance with a straight face, mocking his opponent''s earlier bravado as he continued closer.


    Hearing X''s statement seemed to have caused Lance to get angry. Upon realizing the reason, Lance immediately picked himself off the ground while dematerializing Camelot before rushing at his opponent to engage in hand-to-hand combat.


    Both fighters then began to swing punches at one another in anger, attempting to knock out their adversary. They continued to swing for a few seconds as the other demigods continued to spectate as well.


    "They''re almost even right now," Iris commented after taking her time to analyze the fight.


    "Such a legendary fight," Trent proceeded to say as they all watched the fighters swing punches at each other.


    A few more seconds of silence continued at the spectator''s area before a statement was made.


    "Interesting," Link began as he moved his head slightly forward, closer to the battle. "Their movements and fighting style are changing after every five seconds."


    "What?" Shade exclaimed in confusion. "Are you sure?"


    The screen on Link''s mask displayed what seemed to be a camera lens that zoomed in for a brief moment before he responded.


    "Yup," Link said. "Kung fu, to Jiu-Jitsu, to Karate, to MMA. Their fighting sequence is changing every time."


    "I see it," Iris commented after taking the time to confirm Link''s information.


    "What the heck, man," Ace commented. "How does that even work?"


    "Well..." Link started after realizing the thought process of the fighters. "One of them switches their fighting style to catch the other off guard, but before this becomes the case, their opponent instantly switches to the same fighting style, allowing them to understand the opponent''s movements and counter. When this happens, the one that counters will decide to switch to a fighting style that can allow them to counter the previous, causing the other to switch as well. It''s basically a loop of reacting and countering."


    This statement sounded very confusing, despite its clarity. This meant that both Lance and X had specialized in multiple fighting styles over their years, giving them an even scarier appearance to the spectators. It felt unbelievable that any of the two fighters present at the finals could have been replaced, and it made the spectating demigods realize that there was never a chance.


    The two fighters continued their close combat sequence for a few more minutes, countering one another in an almost endless loop and keeping the fighting in a stalemate. But there was something that was soon to break the endless battle. Lance began to get tired.


    Lance continued to fight his opponent, realizing in his head that he had never been pushed into such a corner before in his life. The fight eventually seemed to have changed into a battle of endurance and energy. Unfortunately for Lance, X had the slight edge in that field due to his tolerance and mastery of True Accuracy and its drawbacks, allowing him to have enough energy to overpower his opponent after finally getting an opening.


    X utilized the opening he had finally gotten by using it to pummel his opponent. He continued to send barrages of punches that connected with Lance after Lance began to lose his footing in combat. The brutality of the sight was very disturbing to watch as X continued to use the strength he had to overpower his opponent.


    Lance''s blood continued to spill from multiple parts of his body after receiving devastating blows from his opponent. X then finally connected a final blow on Lance before using his right foot to kick his opponent away once again.


    Lance fell to the floor in pain as he barely managed to cling to consciousness. X''s brutal attack sequence was possibly the determining factor for their fight and with his opponent''s current state, the fight was over already.


    "I''m guessing this is where it ends," Quinn stated at the sidelines.


    "So it seems," Siren responded. "In the end, X is just way too powerful."


    "I know, right?" Tyler exclaimed.


    "And his action always remained the same in every battle," Quinn then elaborated after taking the time to recap everything. "Allowing his opponent to go all-out before ultimately countering and overpowering them."


    "That''s true," Riley commented after realizing this. "Almost like he was giving them false hope of a chance of winning before completely crushing it in the end."


    "I guess that''s what happens when you battle a professional hunter," Ace added.


    The demigods continued to watch as Lance coughed blood from his mouth and remained on the floor while X continued to walk closer. Lance then placed his hands on the floor, attempting to raise himself while his opponent came closer.


    "Is this all you have to offer?" X asked his opponent upon reaching him before saying a single word that shocked the entire arena.


    "Pathetic."


    The eyes of the demigods widened as they stared at the battlefield before staring at one another in utter shock. X''s statement was so raw, that it felt like he was not even impressed. The demigods felt bad as their expressions gradually dimmed while staring at each other.


    "You know what..."


    The entire arena suddenly turned their attention towards Lance as he suddenly began to raise himself from the floor. A sudden force then began to envelop the entire arena, with the spectators feeling it from their seats.


    "Forget pride..."


    Lance continued as he began to rise. The demigods were all confused as to what was happening and they all decided not to speak to witness what exactly was going on as all their eyes were fixed on the two fighters.


    "Forget honor..."


    Lance was already halfway up at this point, and X knew that this was going to be a hindrance to him. With this, he attempted to strike the opponent that was directly in front of him but instead of doing so, X instantly jumped backward, almost like he was reacting to an attack.


    X''s action was similar to his fight with Klaus where his body seemed to have reacted to his opponent upon knowing that an attack would cost him more than benefit. The spectating demigods were also startled as they witnessed this, making them realize that Lance was definitely far from out.


    "Forget elegance..."


    After the last statement, Lance stretched out his left hand before gradually respawning Camelot and holding the weapon with a single hand. He then gripped the spear before slamming the base on the floor as the cloth that was attached to the tip continued to sway to the side.


    The anger on Lance''s face appeared for the first ever time Klaus had known him and Klaus stared in utter shock, watching Lance stand without taking a stance in battle for the first time. The ferocious appearance as blood covered Lance''s left face while he stood ahead of his opponent in anger brought chills to the demigods.


    After realizing X''s expression of concern for the first time, accompanied by Arthur''s surprised expression, Lance finally concluded his statement as Klaus returned his attention to the battlefield.


    "I WILL NOT FALTER!"

 #65: The Apex Predator

    Arthur''s eyes widened as he watched his brother rise to his feet. It wasn''t the action that caused his initial shock, but rather Lance''s accompanying statements that intrigued and puzzled him.


    "Forget Pride," Lance proclaimed, signaling a departure from the confidence and bravado he had displayed at the beginning of the battle.


    "Forget Honor," he continued, indicating a deliberate abandonment of any sense of honor he might have possessed, choosing instead to seize any opportunity, regardless of its moral implications.


    But it was the third statement that truly took Arthur aback.


    "Forget Elegance."


    To Arthur''s understanding, this meant Lance was renouncing not only his elegant fighting style but also his entire belief system and ideals about battle. He had never seen his brother willingly forsake the values he held so dearly, making it clear that this battle held a deeper significance for Lance than any before.


    What came next was even more astonishing to him.


    "I don''t believe it," Arthur stammered after witnessing Lance wield Camelot with his left hand.


    As the demigods turned their attention to Arthur, he continued explaining the situation''s significance.


    "This is the farthest I have ever seen my brother go in battle."


    The demigods couldn''t help but feel intrigued and curious about the apparent transformation in Lance. Quinn, especially, focused intently on Lance, seeking to understand the depth of Arthur''s astonishment and his brother''s evolution.


    X stared intently at his opponent, sensing a strange and unsettling shift within his body. The toll of the prolonged battle was catching up to him, but he knew this was not the time to succumb to exhaustion. As he looked into Lance''s eyes, pure rage emanated from his opponent, and X couldn''t help but feel a tinge of wariness about what would come next. And without a moment''s delay, after Lance''s final statement, he lunged at X with incredible speed.


    The ferocity and velocity with which Lance attacked far surpassed anything the demigods had witnessed, even during Drake''s manifestation in the Cosmic League. X struggled to react to the strikes, as they clashed with increased force and swiftness. Strangely, Lance appeared to have shed all signs of weariness, raising further concerns about the transformation he was undergoing.


    "What the heck is going on?" Link, observing from the spectator''s area, voiced his bewilderment. "It''s like he''s a completely different fighter."


    "My brother has cast aside all limitations that restrained his brutality in battle," Arthur explained, his eyes fixed on the unfolding spectacle. "He''s no longer the person you once knew."


    Quinn, trying to make sense of the situation, remarked, "His attack pattern has changed drastically. It''s like smooth curves turning into sharp edges."


    "That''s because he''s no longer bound by the notion of elegance," Arthur responded. "Now, his sole focus is on one thing: Victory."


    Amidst the confusion, the demigods found themselves engaged in a full-fledged conversation with Arthur for the first time. Quinn, seizing the opportunity, inquired further about Lance''s unexpected behavior.


    "I also noticed that Lance is using Camelot with his left hand now. Any specific reason for that?" she asked.


    Arthur sighed, diverting his attention momentarily to address her query. "It''s to be expected since he is finally making use of his dominant hand in battle."


    As the demigods refocused their attention on the battle, they were taken aback by the astonishing transformation in Lance''s abilities following his final changes. X found himself overwhelmed, attempting to evade the lightning-quick attacks, but finding difficulty in doing so.


    Lance''s approach to combat had also drastically changed. Gone was any semblance of elegance or concern for honor. His strikes were now violent and merciless, devoid of grace or finesse. He charged relentlessly at X, spear thrusting with lethal intent, completely abandoning any established stances. It was as if he sought only one thing: to kill his opponent.


    X struggled to keep up with the newfound speed and perceptiveness of his adversary, finding himself on the receiving end of relentless assaults. Exhaustion started to take its toll on him, having expended a considerable amount of energy during the prolonged duel. The adrenaline rush Lance experienced made it even more challenging for X to strategize and react effectively.


    For the first time, the demigods bore witness to X losing a battle.


    Desperate to turn the tide, X retreated a few meters back and grabbed his sniper rifle from the floor. He hoped to utilize it against Lance, while still knowing that resorting to True Accuracy could have fatal consequences. However, Lance closed the distance swiftly, shattering the weapon with a single strike from Camelot and leaving X defenseless. Each of X''s subsequent attempts to counterattack met the same fate, after getting disarmed immediately when equipping his sidearm from its holster.


    With no options left, X found himself helpless. All his weapons had been expended or rendered useless, and Lance''s relentless barrage left him with no room to maneuver. It was only a matter of time before Lance delivered the fatal blow.


    The demigods watched in shock as Lance''s attack suddenly pierced through X''s chest. The hunter''s eyes widened in disbelief as he turned his attention below, witnessing his blood beginning to flow from behind his body armor. X fell to his knees with his opponent''s weapon still through him, facing Lance in resignation. The attack was truly devastating.


    Lance maintained a silent gaze at X, who remained on his knees. And without further words, Lance withdrew his weapon from his defeated opponent.


    X experienced excruciating pain and disbelief as to what was happening. He had just lost. Blood began to flow heavily from his wound, causing him to lose consciousness and eventually perish, still kneeling with his head bowed.


    Lance emerged victorious.


    The demigods had not expected such a drastic change of outcome after witnessing Lance rise. Not a single one of X''s blows had connected after Lance made his prior statements. It seemed like the intense surge of adrenaline had fueled Lance to use his dying breath to defeat his opponent, much like Klaus had done before.


    Exhausted, Lance fell to the floor after returning Camelot in exhaustion. He had expended more energy during this match than ever before in his life, but it was all worth it. His efforts had paid off, and the final match had concluded.


    "Are you really going to lose here?"


    "N-No."


    "Are you ready to die a failure?"


    "N-No."


    "Will you fail to slay your target?"


    "No."


    "Then get up. You are not permitted to die yet."


    Lance struggled to catch his breath, preparing to be transported to the medical facility. However, amidst his thoughts, he noticed that XVII had not risen to declare the battle''s conclusion.


    Upon realizing this, Lance''s attention snapped back to his opponent, who remained on his knees in the same position as before. Confusion filled Lance''s mind, and the other demigods shared in his concern. They couldn''t understand what was unfolding, until an unusual presence began to manifest.


    "What the..." Lance uttered, sensing a strange force.


    "You feel it too, don''t you?" Klaus asked Shade from the spectator''s area.


    "Yes," Shade replied. "Could it be a God?"


    "I doubt that," Quinn chimed in, redirecting their attention to the battlefield.


    Suddenly, a peculiar energy began to envelop the entire arena, different from what Lance had demonstrated earlier but akin to a smaller version of the force that occasionally made the demigods kneel. As the demigods refocused on the fight, they witnessed X''s body twitch, indicating he was still alive.


    "How is this possible?" Riley inquired, witnessing X gradually rise to his feet.


    "With everything we''ve seen, I''m surprised you''re still asking," Klaus retorted.


    As X steadily rose to his feet, Lance stared in complete bewilderment at how his opponent could still be alive.


    "What is this sorcery?" Lance muttered to himself, struggling to comprehend the situation as he too stood back up.


    As X fully regained his footing, the energy resonating in the room underwent a sudden change. A tremendous heat began emanating from X, becoming palpable to everyone present.


    "Is that..." Quinn began, her eyes widening with realization. "Is that his energy?"


    The heat that enveloped the arena after the earlier force appeared to be from X''s energy, adding a new layer of complexity to the unfolding events.


    "How did he manage to recover so much energy?" wondered the demigods who watched in astonishment.


    Amidst the speculation and shock, a smile appeared on XVII''s face as he continued to observe the battle.


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    "Interesting," he whispered to himself, intrigued by the unexpected turn of events with X''s resurgence.


    X rose to his feet, his hands clutching his head, visibly in pain. He scratched his hair, leaving the demigods to assume that whatever was happening to him was far from pleasant. Lance, perplexed, maintained his guard, recalling a similar scenario during the Cosmic League.


    "Not this again," Lance whispered, recognizing the familiar signs.


    With the intense heat emanating from X, Lance knew he couldn''t switch to offense and attack. He had no understanding of the unfolding situation, and caution was paramount.


    Suddenly, after a few more seconds, X let out a powerful shout, almost resembling a roar. The force behind the shout was tremendous, prompting Lance to materialize Camelot and grip it with his left hand.


    X then withdrew his hands from his head, positioning them beside his hips with his fingers spread apart and pointing upwards. His eyes remained shut, shrouding his actions in mystery.


    Within seconds, X started raising his hands until they reached around the bottom of his chest. As he did, stone-like objects began to emerge all around the battlefield, rising from the ground in tandem with the upward movement of his hands.


    "What''s that?" Mia asked, unfamiliar with her brother''s actions.


    "Are those... tombstones?" Iris observed, her eyes fixed on the battlefield.


    "What?" Trent questioned. "Are you sure?"


    "Si," Iris affirmed. "And they seem to have names on them."


    "Names?" Tyler interjected. "Okay, man. I think I might be done trying to keep up with these guys."


    "Do those names belong to the people he has killed before, perhaps?" Shade pondered.


    "It seems so," Quinn considered, her attention still focused on the battle.


    Quinn struggled with finding a logical explanation for the inexplicable events unfolding before her. The tombstones spawned by X also seemed incongruent with his assumed power. Her mind wandered, considering the possibility that what had happened to X might transcend their understanding as if he had ascended beyond his demi-godly abilities. The enigma of the situation deepened, and Quinn couldn''t shake the feeling that X had transformed into something entirely different.


    Maintaining her unwavering focus on the huntsman, Quinn witnessed a startling change in X. His eyes had turned a haunting blood-red, with pitch-black sclera, leaving no doubt that he had undergone a profound transformation, affirming her recent theory.


    The intensity of rage in X''s eyes, despite the mask concealing his mouth, was clear as he locked his gaze on Lance. Frustration gripped Lance, feeling as though everything had slipped out of his control, and he tightly gripped his weapon.


    In a surge of determination, Lance then rushed forward, fully embracing offense regardless of the potential consequences. The battle was far from over, and the stakes had risen to a level beyond their comprehension.


    With unwavering determination, Lance rushed at his opponent, leaping to the air before bringing his weapon down upon X. He left no room for hesitation, closing the gap swiftly to prevent X from having any more time to prepare.


    As Lance''s attack descended, his weapon connected with X''s shoulder while his opponent was still standing. But X seized the opportunity and grabbed onto Camelot, preventing it from slicing through his body completely, and, in turn, pulling Lance closer as well. With this unexpected move, X slammed his entire right arm against Lance''s neck, causing his opponent to momentarily fall to the ground.


    Lance quickly regained his footing, repositioning himself after X''s counter-attack had caught him off guard. X had taken the damage head-on before retaliating, leaving Lance perplexed by his opponent''s unexpected action. Understanding the situation seemed futile, but Lance knew that information wouldn''t secure his victory.


    And in the blink of an eye, X finally switched to offense.


    The fierce battle raged on as the two fighters exchanged powerful attacks. X wielded no weapon, yet his strikes and battle sequence surpassed any known records. It defied all reason how he maintained such boundless energy despite enduring numerous injuries. Despite X''s newfound vitality, Lance still seemed to have the upper hand, yet there was something peculiar about X''s actions.


    Lance continued to assail X with relentless strikes from Camelot. He managed to land several blows on his opponent, but X showed no reaction to any of them, even though he sustained multiple injuries. His movements became erratic and unpredictable, challenging Lance''s ability to anticipate and respond effectively.


    "What''s happening to him?" Tyler voiced in confusion while observing from the sidelines. "He''s not even attempting to defend against any attack."


    "You''re right, that''s very odd," Link agreed. "It''s as if he''s entirely focused on maintaining the offensive."


    "And his movements," Shade remarked. "It''s like he''s gone Berserk."


    Quinn''s keen eyes remained fixed on the battle, carefully analyzing each move of both fighters. The distinction in X''s movements from their previous encounter stood out profoundly. They were wild and untamed, resembling that of a feral creature and his unwavering commitment to offense only reinforced this observation. Yet, as Quinn continued to scrutinize the fight, she detected a crucial factor.


    Lance persisted in his relentless assault on X, but a subtle change caught his attention as the seconds ticked by. He noticed that he was landing fewer attacks. It wasn''t that X was effectively defending against them; rather, Lance''s opportunities to strike were diminishing as the battle progressed.


    "What''s happening?" Lance questioned, uncertainty clouding his mind.


    With each successful strike, it became increasingly difficult for Lance to replicate the same attack. It was as though X was swiftly learning and adapting to the onslaught, ensuring he wouldn''t fall victim to the same slash twice. Moreover, all the wounds inflicted on X earlier had inexplicably vanished, including the fatal stab wound from Lance''s previous assault, defying all reason.


    As the fight wore on, Lance found himself facing an adversary who seemed to possess an uncanny ability to read and anticipate his moves. X''s elusive and adaptable technique made the battle all the more challenging, leaving Lance on the defensive despite his initial advantage. Confounded by the baffling turn of events, Lance realized that this fight was far from ordinary.


    As the battle raged on, Lance recognized the need to alter his approach to counter X''s elusive tactics.


    Seizing an opportune moment, Lance managed to position himself behind his opponent. With a burst of strength, he swung his weapon with immense force, aiming to cut through X from behind.


    In a swift reaction, X placed his left hand between the spear and his body, attempting to defend against the attack. Yet, the force behind Lance''s strike proved too overwhelming, and the attack sliced through X''s left wrist. Although X sustained an injury, it bought him enough time to move his body away from the attack''s trajectory.


    X''s unconventional defense momentarily caught Lance off-guard. He had not anticipated that X would willingly sacrifice his arm to evade the deadly blow. But before Lance could fully recover from the surprise, X retaliated with a powerful swing of his right hand, striking Lance''s chest with incredible force. The impact sent Lance hurtling through the air, crashing against the wall at a significant distance.


    It was the first attack X had successfully landed since the epic clash began. Lance''s body lay motionless against the wall, the impact of X''s strike proving to be one of the most potent blows yet in their intense confrontation.


    The battlefield was now shrouded in a tense silence, as the demigods and spectators alike watched in awe and concern.


    Despite the pain coursing through his body, Lance swiftly rose to his feet, fixing his attention on his relentless opponent who was once again charging at him. Frustration and anger boiled within Lance, fueled by his opponent''s unwavering resilience. In a burst of fury, Lance let out a roaring shout, clenching his fists in a display of raw emotion.


    In response to Lance''s outburst, X''s focus was abruptly drawn to the sky above him. The demigods followed suit, witnessing a multitude of weapons materialize and rain down upon X. It was Lance''s desperate attempt to prevent his opponent from closing the gap between them.


    X deftly maneuvered, evading the torrent of weapons falling around him. Swords, spears, and other deadly implements cascaded like a relentless storm, leaving X with no respite. He leaped and dodged, countering some of the weapons with a sword he retrieved from beneath him. As that weapon broke, X quickly discarded it and seized another, his relentless movements unfazed even with the loss of an arm.


    After a few more intense seconds, Lance finally ceased his barrage. He panted heavily, having exerted an enormous amount of energy, but he pushed his fatigue aside and charged at X with unyielding rage.


    Once more, the demigods watched the two fighters engage in an explosive brawl, the battlefield now littered with tombstones and various weapons scattered across the ground. The sight sent shivers down their spines, and a sense of surrealism pervaded the atmosphere.


    Undeterred by the surreal turn of events, Lance continued his fierce clash with X, wielding both his golden spear and another weapon he had retrieved during his rush forward. He unleashed a relentless assault, using the additional weapon to augment his attacks. Eventually, with a powerful swing, Lance swung Camelot down upon X, seeking to exploit an opening in his opponent''s defense.


    X reacted swiftly, using the weapon in his right hand to block the attack, but this had been part of his opponent''s strategy. Lance then raised his right hand, using the weapon he had picked up to attack X. However, shocking to everybody, X positioned his left hand in the path of the incoming weapon, halting it in its tracks.


    "What?" Lance gasped in disbelief, struggling to comprehend the inexplicable events.


    "How did he block that with his hand?" Link questioned, equally bewildered from the sidelines.


    "More importantly, how does he have his left arm back?" Siren pointed out, raising the more crucial question.


    Just moments ago, X had lost his left hand in a previous clash, yet he had seemingly regenerated it, now also able to defend against a full-force swing from Lance. The battle had surpassed the realm of reason, embracing an otherworldly quality that defied explanation.


    "I''ve always been able to decipher the intricacies of these battles," Quinn suddenly began, her eyes filled with concentration. "But this one... this one might be beyond my understanding."


    Her words hung in the air as the others tried to understand her statement.


    "What I can say for certain is that X is continuously growing stronger and faster with every passing moment," Quinn continued. "And he is forcefully keeping himself alive until he has defeated his opponent. If I were to assume anything that makes the most sense, I''d say X is forcefully making himself the Apex Predator of the battle."


    The relentless clash between X and Lance persisted, with each fighter weaving through the battlefield, grabbing weapons from the ground, and meeting each other''s strikes head-on. They continued to use the weapons in the arena, with each clash destroying each other''s equipped weapons before picking another from the ground. The intensity of their movements and reactions surpassed any battle witnessed before, elevating this encounter to the realm of legend. It could easily be deemed the most epic and awe-inspiring duel in the history of mortal life. But, like all battles, this one had to reach its conclusion.


    As the seconds ticked by, the balance began to shift in X''s favor. His power seemed to grow exponentially, outpacing even the tremendous rate at which he had already transformed. Lance realized he couldn''t keep up with this unfathomable ability.


    "How is he human?" Lance asked himself, struggling to maintain his ground against X''s overwhelming might.


    With a swift and devastating onslaught, X sent Lance reeling backward. Seizing the opportunity, X grabbed a tombstone from the floor before dealing a crushing blow with it to Lance''s head. In the blink of an eye, he then disarmed Lance, cutting off his left arm with a blade from the ground before impaling him through the torso with his left fist. Lance collapsed to his knees in agony, his vision blurred as he tried to hold on to consciousness.


    "I know this has happened a lot," Quinn uttered from the sidelines. "But I think this time, it may truly be over."


    Standing before his defeated opponent, X remained silent for a moment. Lance, though barely able to speak, managed to utter a few words, acknowledging X''s overwhelming strength.


    "You... are too... strong," Lance gasped.


    Without a word in response, X raised the sword he had taken and swiftly beheaded Lance in one swift motion. The arena bore witness to the grim spectacle of victory as Lance''s lifeless body crumpled to the ground. X let out an empowered roar, his triumph echoing through the Arena of Valor. For the first time in minutes, XVII rose from his seat, signaling the end of the battle and announcing the verdict.


    "The winner is... X."


    A collective sigh of relief escaped the demigods as the battle officially concluded, but few of their minds were still fixated on the perplexing anomalies that had unfolded during the fight. However, their attention was abruptly pulled back to the battlefield.


    X suddenly began to grunt, clutching his head and scratching his hair in evident agony. His labored breathing became audible, signifying his gradual loss of consciousness.


    "Oh, what now?" Riley voiced the frustration shared by many.


    "I''m guessing that sudden burst of power is fleeting since his objective has been fulfilled," Trent speculated.


    "Exactly," Quinn concurred as they watched X fall to his knees.


    Bleeding from his chest, X revealed a wound reminiscent of the one Lance had inflicted upon him before his transformation. It seemed like his body was reverting to its original state before the power surge. Gradually, all of X''s movements ceased, signaling his passing while he remained on his knees. A few seconds finally passed before both fighters were transported to the medical facility.


    "With that..." XVII continued, "The Divine Tournament has finally concluded."

 #66: A Promising Conclusion

    CONVERSATION


    Siren: So the tournament is finally over, huh?


    Ace: Not to sound discontent... but FINALLY.


    Link: After watching the finals, I think it''s fair to say I''m happy not to be strong.


    Trent: Yes. That truly was something else.


    Quinn: The ability to spawn weapons, the ability to manipulate natural elements, and the strongest among us is just a regular guy with guns.


    Link: I fail to believe you just called X a REGULAR guy.


    The Divine Tournament had concluded, and the demigods gathered to discuss each other''s performances. They acknowledged the dedication they had put into their training and matches, finding contentment in their achievements. However, the vast disparity that X held over them was impossible to overlook.


    "The difference in strength between him and the rest of us is unsettling," Shade expressed to Klaus and Rose.


    "Yeah," Rose agreed. "It feels unfair, honestly."


    Klaus remained quiet when it came to the subject of X. He recognized that dwelling on the situation would only lead to frustration, so he chose to withhold his opinions.


    After a few more minutes of conversation among the demigods, Lance and X re-entered the Arena of Valor. The lack of interaction between X and the rest of the demigods remained as he walked into the arena and returned in silence to his seat.


    Lance''s expression had also dimmed compared to his usual demeanor. He had temporarily set aside his convictions to secure victory, but it remained elusive. When a few of the demigods turned to congratulate him on his performance, he managed to force out a smile, assuring them that he was fine. Aware of the emotional turmoil his brother was facing, Arthur made sure to console Lance once the other demigods had moved away.


    Before a minute had passed, XVII stood up and walked to the forefront of the demigods.


    "Hello again, demigods," XVII began. "Congratulations on successfully concluding the tournament. Before we adjourn, I would like to announce a certain presence."


    As XVII finished his statement, the demigods suddenly knelt before a beam of light illuminated a portion of the battlefield. Before they could fully comprehend the situation, a God appeared within the light. With wings unfurled, the God stood upright and stepped out of the light''s embrace.


    "Dad," Quinn whispered as the demigods gradually regained control of their bodies and rose to their feet.


    "Greetings, demigods," the God began. "I am Sage, the God of Mind, and I have come to conclude the tournament."


    All eyes were fixed on the divine figure as he continued.


    "Allow me to begin by extending my felicitations for your outstanding performances throughout the tournament. You have all demonstrated remarkable growth from your training period, and we, the Pantheon, are more than satisfied with your progress."


    The demigods couldn''t help but feel elated at surpassing the set expectations. While some might have not been content about their current capabilities, this affirmation was enough to bolster their spirits.


    However, before Sage could continue, he abruptly raised his right hand into the air. In response to his gesture, the entire arena began to shift and morph according to his will.


    The demigods watched in bewilderment as the arena transformed, with Sage returning the Arena of Valor to its original state, just as it was before the tournament. While this action was anticipated, there was an unexpected alteration in the barrier that covered the battlefield. Instead of disappearing entirely, it had undergone a change, indicating that Sage''s intentions were more complex than initially apparent.


    "What''s happening?" Tyler questioned, scanning the surroundings in confusion.


    After the reconstruction was complete, Sage lowered his hand and addressed the demigods.


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    "I would like the attention of Klaus Walker and Arthur Knight," he announced.


    Rose and Shade both turned their gaze toward Klaus upon hearing this proclamation, causing Klaus to take a moment to realize he was being summoned. Once he grasped the situation, Klaus rose to his feet, joined by Arthur, who was seated elsewhere. Sage''s smile broadened as he proceeded to explain his rationale.


    "Among the deities, I have deemed it fitting for the concluded tournament to feature a third-place outcome," Sage declared. "As both of you reached the semifinals, I have chosen you to compete for this position."


    Klaus felt a twinge of irritation at the idea of having to battle again after the tournament had seemingly reached its end. Yet, he understood he had little choice in the matter. Moreover, the fact that the God of Mind was proposing this indicated there was likely a significant purpose behind it.


    Before Klaus could advance toward the battlefield, Sage continued to provide more details about the forthcoming duel.


    "I acknowledge the potential frustration of battling despite the tournament''s closure, which is why the rules for this match will diverge from the prior ones," Sage clarified. "You will both engage in combat without employing any of your abilities, allowing for a fair confrontation. Additionally, the individual whose back touches the floor will be declared the loser, while the one remaining upright shall be declared the victor."


    Klaus found solace in this information. The prospect of facing Arthur to the point of death and the accompanying stress was not something he desired. The new rules provided a more straightforward path. Yet, as Sage''s words settled, Klaus recollected a potential obstacle that might hinder the rules'' implementation.


    "Um, excuse me?" Klaus addressed Sage tentatively.


    "Yes, Walker," Sage responded, his smile unwavering.


    "You mentioned that we''re expected to engage in combat without using our abilities, right?" Klaus continued.


    "Indeed, that''s correct," Sage affirmed.


    "Well, the thing is, some of my abilities trigger automatically, and I don''t have the means to deactivate them at this point," Klaus explained further. "Wouldn''t that violate the rules?"


    Sage''s smile remained as he answered Klaus once again.


    "Precisely, which is why I''ve already modified the battlefield," Sage replied before adding, "Once you both step onto the field, your demigod powers will be temporarily suspended, rendering you completely mortal."


    This revelation sent a shiver down Klaus'' spine. He realized that when Sage referred to fighting on equal terms, he meant it quite literally. After Klaus acknowledged his understanding with a nod, Sage proceeded to provide more details about the impending duel.


    "As mentioned earlier, causing fatal harm or attempting to kill your opponent is prohibited, as there won''t be any transport to a medical facility. The duel will only conclude when one of you has their back against the floor."


    With Sage''s explanation concluded, Klaus and Arthur stepped into the transformed arena.


    The two combatants stood face to face in silence, anticipating further instructions from the deity. Sage then teleported from the battlefield to the spectator''s area, positioning himself ahead of the other demigods before signaling the commencement of the duel.


    Arthur and Klaus exchanged brief strategizing glances as they extended their hands and inched closer to each other, eventually plunging into the fight. Their strikes flowed rapidly, showcasing a remarkable performance despite the temporary absence of their godly abilities. However, as the clash unfolded, it became evident that Arthur held the upper hand, a logical outcome given their respective combat knowledge and experience.


    Klaus understood that prevailing under these circumstances was nearly impossible against Arthur. The blows he endured were tremendously powerful, despite Arthur''s lack of divine strength. Klaus acknowledged the physical discrepancy between them, yet recognized that it wasn''t the sole determinant of the battle''s outcome.


    Arthur maintained an offensive onslaught while Klaus assumed a predominantly defensive posture. It was apparent that Arthur aimed to conclude the bout swiftly. Nevertheless, Klaus found no chink in his opponent''s guard, indicating that despite Arthur''s rapid maneuvers, an exploitable gap remained elusive.


    As the duel persisted, Klaus''s footing started to waver. He managed to evade a handful of incoming strikes, but evading them all proved unattainable. The cumulative damage caused Klaus to feel disoriented, his balance and consciousness eroding with each inflicted blow.


    Recognizing the situation, Arthur summoned his remaining strength, launching his right hand in a decisive blow aimed at ending the match. Yet, before the strike could land, Klaus swiftly transitioned his expression, revealing heightened concentration. In an instant, he sidestepped Arthur''s attack with deft swiftness. Seizing the opportunity, Klaus clamped onto Arthur''s outstretched arm with both hands, employing the momentum of Arthur''s attack to hoist him upward.


    Klaus utilized his back''s leverage to raise Arthur off the ground, his body arching in mid-air. The crowd gasped as Klaus executed his unexpected maneuver, before slamming Arthur forcefully onto the ground. Arthur''s eyes widened in astonishment at Klaus'' resolute recovery from his earlier state of vulnerability.


    "And with that, the battle has concluded," Sage''s voice resonated from the spectator''s area.


    The turn of events was stunning, yet the demigods understood the match''s uncertainty. It was within the realm of possibility that Klaus could emerge victorious.


    As Arthur gradually regained his composure on the ground, he comprehended Klaus'' strategy. Klaus had deliberately absorbed his attacks, creating the illusion of impending defeat. In reality, Klaus had preserved his strength, leveraging his natural extraordinary endurance.


    Arthur possessed physical dominance, but Klaus'' tactical adaptability set him apart.


    With Sage''s pronouncement, Klaus approached Arthur, extending his left hand in a gesture of sportsmanship. After a moment of hesitation, Arthur reciprocated, intertwining their hands. Klaus assisted Arthur to his feet, signifying mutual respect.


    Sage''s smile conveyed his approval of their conduct before he proceeded to announce the final verdict.


    "And with that, the third place of the Divine Tournament is Klaus Walker."

 #67: This is Earth

    Klaus secured the third-place position as his official standing in the competition.


    Following the battle''s conclusion, he walked back to the spectator''s area, joined by Arthur.


    "Nice job," Shade commented to Klaus, offering a smile.


    "Thanks," Klaus replied, his own smile mirroring Shade''s sentiment.


    Sage had already returned to the arena field before any of the demigods could discern his movements.


    "Congratulations, Klaus Walker," Sage pronounced, pausing momentarily before continuing. "With that concluded, I shall now proceed."


    The demigods directed their attention toward Sage as he began to unveil his intentions.


    "Firstly, all the Gods, including myself, have arranged a special reward for the demigods who have advanced to the semi-finals. We acknowledge that this might be disheartening for those who didn''t make the cut. However, this initiative is designed to inspire those who have demonstrated exceptional prowess in the tournament."


    His words carried a hint of disappointment for those who fell short, yet they recognized the logic in rewarding those who had proven themselves as the tournament''s elite. Following a brief pause, Sage continued.


    "Now, I request the presence of X."


    The demigods turned their attention to X as he rose silently from his seat, responding to Sage''s call.


    "Excellent," Sage began anew. "Congratulations, X, for emerging as the Divine Tournament''s victor. We have agreed upon the benefits that will be conferred upon you. First and foremost, your overall capabilities will be augmented by five percent, further enhancing your already formidable strength. Secondly, you shall be granted the privilege of an audience with the gods of Order, known as Halo and Horns. This encounter will allow you to glean any desired information from them."


    "Halo and Horns?" Rose inquired.


    "They''re these created gods representing Positive and Negative Order. They apparently possess extensive knowledge," Klaus explained to her in a hushed tone.


    "You know them?" Rose inquired, surprised by Klaus''s acquaintance with these divine beings.


    "I met them a few days before the tournament began," Klaus clarified.


    As their conversation unfolded, Sage patiently awaited a response from X, who took a moment before addressing the God.


    "Power without struggle is meaningless to me," X asserted. "So I will have to decline."


    Sage''s face lit up with a knowing smile upon hearing X''s decision.


    "Are you certain?" Sage inquired. "Please understand that all the rewards are intertwined. Declining means you will forfeit the opportunity to meet with Halo and Horns."


    "That holds no significance to me," X replied succinctly.


    "Very well," Sage acknowledged X''s choice before X returned to his seat.


    Sage then proceeded with the announcement. "However, I am still obliged to grant the reward. Since you''ve chosen to decline, the reward will now be awarded to the tournament''s runner-up."


    Sage turned his gaze away from X''s location and pronounced a name.


    "Lance Knight," Sage began. "You are honored as the runner-up of the Divine Tournament, and as such, you shall now receive the rewards originally intended for the first-place victor."


    Lance rose from his seat upon hearing his name, but Sage''s words left him in a moment of contemplation. After a brief pause, Lance responded.


    "I apologize, but I cannot accept these blessings," Lance stated firmly. "As long as I could not emerge as the victor, I consider myself undeserving of such rewards."


    Lance paused once more, reflecting on his decision before adding, "Especially since I renounced my beliefs and still failed, any reward would only taint my pursuit of redemption."


    Sage''s smile persisted as he responded, "A perfect alignment with your father''s narrative," revealing his knowledge of Lance''s mindset.


    "And that is where you come in play, Klaus Walker," Sage addressed Klaus, shifting his attention.


    The unfolding events seemed almost preordained, making the earlier battle for third place take on a deeper significance. Klaus stood up as Sage fixed his gaze upon him.


    "As previously explained, the rewards originally designated for the first-place victor will now be offered to you, and the choice to accept or decline is yours," Sage clarified to Klaus.


    Amidst the hushed silence that enveloped the arena, all eyes were fixed on Klaus, who stood in contemplation. Although he had pondered the allure of receiving the benefits, he was equally aware of his place as a non-winner. Klaus had already reached a conclusion.


    "I accept," his voice finally broke the quietude.


    Inwardly, Klaus understood his perceived unworthiness, yet he comprehended the significance of these rewards. His role as a demigod had transitioned from personal gain to safeguarding those in need. This perspective compelled him to suppress his pride and embrace assistance, irrespective of his convictions.


    He mused that such enhancements might have prolonged his survival during the battle with X. Though, after witnessing the finals, he harbored doubts about whether these advantages would suffice to secure victory over such a formidable opponent.


    Upon hearing Klaus''s unexpected response, astonishment rippled through the demigods. Even Shade hadn''t anticipated his brother''s acceptance, given his insight into Klaus''s character. However, upon discerning the rationale beneath Klaus''s choice, a smile touched Shade''s lips.


    "His dedication to being a demigod is deeper than I''d thought," Shade mused internally, content with his sibling''s decision.


    "Are you certain, Klaus Walker?" Sage''s inquiry prompted a nod from Klaus. This gesture affirmed his selection for the bestowed rewards.


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    "Then you shall be the recipient of the power boost," Sage declared, his voice resonating with authority. "Furthermore, you will be granted the privilege of meeting Halo and Horns."


    Recollections of his previous encounter brought forth a frustrated sigh from Klaus, who held mixed sentiments about this impending meeting, especially with Halo.


    Acknowledging this dynamic, Sage continued his exposition.


    "Now that this is settled, I shall elucidate the special reward alluded to earlier for the semifinalists." Sage proceeded to unveil the recipients of this unique benefit.


    "X, Lance Knight, Arthur Knight, Klaus Walker..."


    Upon hearing their names, the four demigods rose in unison, attentive to Sage''s continuation.


    "You four are distinguished as the demigods who advanced the furthest in the tournament. The Gods recognize your efforts and wish to ensure they are not in vain. Thus, your reward encompasses a journey to Under World. This expedition will make you the first mortals from Main World to traverse Under World."


    The revelation elicited astonishment across the demigods, surpassing their expectations given the mystery surrounding Under World.


    "Is that even possible?" Ace''s incredulity was palpable.


    "Damn, so lucky," Riley interjected, acknowledging the magnitude of the bestowed privilege.


    While anticipation gleamed in the eyes of the demigods, a tinge of envy was palpable among those who hadn''t qualified. Yet, Klaus''s response held a distinct undertone.


    Exhausted from rigorous training and the intense competition, Klaus yearned for a respite to recharge his weary mind. The ceaseless demands of being a demigod weighed upon him. Even though this opportunity was a reward, it implied a commitment to be at a specific place at a specified time. Yet Klaus also acknowledged that such was the nature of being a demigod, and he bore this mantle with unwavering resolve.


    However, Sage was attuned to Klaus''s inner turmoil.


    "The trip is scheduled two weeks from now, giving the four of you ample time to prepare. We understand the strain that training puts on mortals like yourselves. You''ve performed exceptionally, and we want you to have a well-deserved break to unwind and decide how to spend your time," Sage explained, his words aimed at granting them respite.


    Sage''s gaze returned to Klaus, his tone softening. "Your meeting with the gods of Order will be a week from today, Klaus Walker. This should allow you enough personal time before the engagement."


    Klaus''s face relaxed, a small smile gracing his lips. With Sage''s considerate timing, a weight seemed to lift from his shoulders as he settled back into his seat, a sense of ease washing over him.


    "As of now, you''re free to enjoy your time in Higher World without any interruptions until the next event is revealed, likely many months from now," Sage concluded warmly, offering the demigods the gift of unencumbered choice.


    With Sage''s final words, he bade them farewell and departed for the domain of the Gods.


    Once Sage left, Klaus directed his attention to Rose, who was seated beside him. Her eyes were fixed on him, her expression a mix of jealousy and genuine admiration.


    "Damn, I''m so jealous that you get to experience Under World," Rose remarked playfully, her tone laced with sincerity. "But, honestly, you deserve it."


    Klaus returned a grateful smile, appreciating her sentiments. "Thank you."


    As the trio¡ªKlaus, Shade, and Rose¡ªcontinued their animated conversation, the remaining demigods began to disperse from the arena, each carrying their own thoughts and plans for the newfound freedom.


    Shade noticed an intriguing transformation in Klaus''s demeanor throughout their talk. A rare occurrence of Klaus''s frequent smiles during their interaction prompted a smile to play on Shade''s lips. He recognized the shift in his brother, realizing that Klaus was gradually embracing openness and connection with others.


    Before their departure, it was time for Klaus to retrieve his belongings from his apartment. With the decision to stay in the Main World for a while, except for the scheduled meeting with the gods of Order, he felt the need to ensure he had everything he required.


    Upon entering his room, Klaus methodically gathered his belongings, preparing for the upcoming journey. Exiting his room, he caught sight of the door opposite his ajar. Peering in, he spotted Trent seated on his bed, his expression dim.


    Initially, Klaus considered respecting Trent''s privacy, but an inexplicable sense of concern urged him to step forward and inquire about what might be troubling his fellow demigod.


    Upon entering Trent''s room, Klaus''s presence immediately caught Trent''s attention. The shift in Trent''s expression from solemn to cheerful was noticeable, as he initiated a conversation.


    "Hey, friend," Trent greeted Klaus with a warm smile.


    "Hey, Trent," Klaus responded, acknowledging the change in mood before diving into his question. "You don''t seem like you''re planning to return to Main World. Is there a reason for that?"


    Trent''s smile faded slightly as Klaus''s question stirred up some underlying concerns. Nevertheless, he felt compelled to share his situation.


    "It''s because I can''t go there," Trent confessed, his voice carrying a mix of frustration and resignation. He went on to explain, "I have no memories of Main World. Whenever I step onto the platform to return, my consciousness blanks out until I''m back here in Higher World for another event."


    Klaus''s heart sank at Trent''s revelation. The implication that Trent was essentially losing his experience between his departures and returns was distressing. Trent further explained that he hadn''t ventured back to Main World since the Cosmic League concluded. The situation was deeply troubling, but Klaus felt like there had to be a way.


    Pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts, Klaus contemplated possible solutions to Trent''s dilemma. He brainstormed for a few moments before a potential plan took shape in his mind.


    Klaus recalled that demigods could transport to any specific location using coordinates, even if they hadn''t physically visited that place before. Alternatively, they could visualize a location in their minds to transport there, but as long as they had been to said location before. Given this understanding, if Trent had the coordinates of the spot where Klaus typically materialized upon his return to Main World, it would enable Klaus to unravel the mystery behind Trent''s periods of unconsciousness between departures and returns.


    Klaus proposed that they seek assistance from IV, his instructor, who might have access to the specific coordinates needed. The two of them swiftly made their way to the training facility, where they met up with IV and explained their predicament.


    IV, understanding the reason for the situation, took a moment to retrieve the precise coordinates. Happy to assist with their endeavors, IV handed Klaus and Trent a piece of paper bearing the valuable information.


    Equipped with the coordinates, Klaus and Trent headed to the transportation podium located at the city''s epicenter. There, Klaus handed over the coordinates to Trent and provided him with clear instructions on how to use them.


    Klaus instructed Trent to hold the coordinates in his mind before initiating the transportation, allowing him to arrive at the designated location. Klaus assured Trent that he would go first and wait for him on the other side to ensure his safety. Although Trent was still apprehensive, he agreed to the plan, filled with hope for its success. A few moments later, Klaus stood on the transportation platform and returned to Main World.


    Upon opening his eyes, Klaus found himself at the expected location. At this point, the usual headache that often plagued Klaus after the process of transportation was barely noticeable or even non-existent. With this in mind, he chose to disregard it entirely, focusing instead on awaiting Trent''s arrival.


    As seconds stretched into minutes, Klaus''s concern deepened with each passing moment. Worries began to plague his mind, and he feared that their plan might have failed, leaving Trent stranded. Klaus contemplated returning to Higher World to investigate the situation further. He also had a lingering feeling that he might have made a mistake. He realized that he could have used the opportunity when he asked IV for the coordinates to inquire about Trent''s situation and gain a clearer understanding.


    However, just as he was about to initiate his return, a slow materialization process began before his eyes, and Trent gradually appeared before him. A sense of relief and accomplishment washed over Klaus as Trent''s transportation solidified, dispelling his earlier anxiety.


    "It worked," Klaus whispered in surprise and satisfaction.


    Approaching Trent, Klaus inquired about his well-being. But as their eyes met, a smile blossomed on Trent''s face. With a look of astonishment, Trent scanned his surroundings, taking in the scene. Trent stepped out of the alleyway into a bustling street, surrounded by the sounds of vehicles and the chatter of passersby. His expression mirrored his astonishment as he took in the scene.


    "Wow," Trent breathed in disbelief as he continued to glance.


    The ambient sounds of the city filled the air, mingling with the hushed conversations of people going about their daily routines. With an air of curiosity, Trent voiced the question that had likely occupied his thoughts since his arrival.


    "Is this... Earth?"

 #68: New Home

    Trent''s fascination with Earth caught Klaus off guard, but the pure delight on Trent''s face as he took in the surroundings warmed Klaus'' heart. Keeping a watchful eye on Trent to ensure he stayed safe amidst the bustling streets and pedestrians, Klaus couldn''t help but smile. However, his peaceful moment was interrupted when a voice suddenly echoed.


    "Klaus, can you hear me?" the voice inquired, leaving Klaus bewildered as he scanned the area for the source, finding no one who could have spoken those words.


    "Hello?" The mysterious voice repeated, making Klaus realize that it was originating from within his mind.


    "Quinn?" Klaus questioned, recognizing the tone and knowing that she was the only one capable of telepathic communication.


    CONVERSATION


    Quinn: Who else could it be?


    Klaus: How did you know I was at Main World? And how can you connect with me?


    Klaus marveled at Quinn''s impeccable timing. He had also assumed that Quinn was at her home, a considerable distance from their current location with Trent.


    Quinn: I kind of made a mental connection with you and other demigods to enable communication regardless of distance.


    Klaus: That''s just weird.


    Quinn: Oh, don''t judge me. Shade does sort of the same thing too, doesn''t he?


    Klaus: What do you want, Quinn?


    Klaus sensed a purpose behind Quinn''s telepathic connection and wanted to get right to it. Quinn paused briefly before conveying her thoughts to Klaus.


    "I couldn''t help but notice Trent''s presence alongside yours," Quinn remarked. "How come?"


    Klaus proceeded to mentally relay the entire situation to Quinn, starting from the conclusion of the tournament and bringing her up to their current moment. Meanwhile, Trent continued walking alongside Klaus, unaware of the ongoing conversation transpiring within his companion''s mind.


    "Wow," Quinn expressed in surprise at the revelation that Trent was fully conscious, contrary to his previous stories about his experiences. She also found Klaus''s genuine concern for someone quite unexpected.


    After a brief pause, Quinn continued her conversation with Klaus.


    "But this is strange," she began. "Trent''s stories aside, this is probably the first time I''ve actually perceived his presence in Main World at all."


    Klaus was equally taken aback by Quinn''s statement. He knew that Quinn''s range might explain why she couldn''t perceive Trent''s presence prior, suggesting that he might not reside in New York or perhaps even around the state. However, he couldn''t help but wonder if there might be another explanation he wasn''t aware of. Taking stock of the situation, Quinn decided to conclude her conversation quickly, as Klaus''s prolonged silence might raise questions from Trent.


    "Honestly, just make sure to be careful," Quinn advised after a sigh. "I can''t help but feel like his prior absence from the Main World may have had a reason."


    Quinn''s words left Klaus feeling worried. After she severed their mental connection, he decided to take Trent to a nearby park where they could discuss their situation.


    "Can you remember anything at all?" Klaus asked Trent immediately. "Anything about Earth."


    Trent''s mood darkened as he tried to recall any details. "I do not," he responded with frustration, his memory remaining frustratingly blank.


    "Is there a home you can remember at all?" Klaus pressed further, desperately hoping for any information Trent might provide.


    Trent struggled to remember anything about his place of residence, but his response remained unchanged. "This may sound odd, but it doesn''t even feel like I''ve been here before at all," he elaborated, leaving Klaus even more agitated.


    Klaus''s expression displayed a mix of worry for Trent and concern about the situation. However, as he looked at the sky, he noticed that evening was gradually giving way to night. He decided to temporarily suspend their attempts to gather answers until the next day. Klaus then opted to take Trent to his own home for the night, as Trent had nowhere else to go. After a while, the two of them headed for the Walker residence.


    Upon returning home, Klaus was greeted by his mother, Natalie, who opened the door.


    "Welcome back, Klaus," Natalie began with a warm smile. "How was work?"


    "Work?" Klaus questioned, surprised that his demigod activities were being referred to as work.


    Natalie chuckled. "That''s technically what it is, isn''t it?" she replied, her smile growing.


    Noticing Trent standing beside Klaus, Natalie tilted her head in his direction, prompting Klaus to realize that introductions were in order.


    "Mom, this is Trent, a friend from... work," Klaus introduced.


    "Nice to meet you, Trent," Natalie greeted Trent with genuine warmth, extending her hand for a friendly handshake.


    "Likewise," Trent responded, reciprocating the smile and shaking her hand.


    Natalie''s smile then softened, and she continued with another observation.


    "You seem to be having a lot of friends over, Klaus. Are you planning a party?" Natalie asked, her expression revealing a moment of realization.


    "What do you mean?" Klaus inquired before he suddenly heard a faint noise coming from upstairs, near his room.


    Intrigued, Klaus headed upstairs, Trent following him. Together, they entered his room to find Ace seated on his bed, engrossed in a portable game console.


    "Dude, he wasn''t even there when I spawned!" Ace exclaimed at his game before noticing Klaus and Trent''s presence.


    "Oh hey, Klaus," Ace greeted casually before returning his focus to his game. "Just give me a sec, let me finish this round."


    Klaus couldn''t help but wonder why Ace was in his house and how he even got there in the first place. Then, he recalled their encounter at the end of the Cosmic League when he had given Ace his home address and invited him. Regardless, Klaus felt it wasn''t the best time for a visit, so he decided to inquire about Ace''s presence.


    "Why are you here?" Klaus asked, seeking answers.


    "Sorry, man," Ace responded, still fixated on his game. "Just hold on for a few minutes. I''m almost done."


    Frustrated with Ace''s lack of response, Klaus swiftly used his Burst Speed to snatch Ace''s game console from his hands in a blur before anyone could notice, returning to his original position with the console in his grasp.


    "Hey!" Ace protested, now fully attentive. "Why did you do that?"


    "Answer the question," Klaus insisted firmly, retaining the console in his hand, with Trent gradually grasping the situation.


    "Fine," Ace sighed. "But you know I could see your movements, right?"


    "No, you couldn''t," Klaus replied, aware that Ace was bluffing.


    "Okay, I couldn''t. But only because light speed is just cheating," Ace responded before lying on the bed he was seated on.


    Ace paused for a moment before addressing Klaus''s question about his presence.


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    "Anyway, I''m here because I was bored and wanted to hang out," Ace explained with a nonchalant tone.


    "Though I don''t really hang with people who snatch game consoles while I''m in a game," Ace muttered to himself in frustration, clearly annoyed by Klaus'' action.


    Ace then shifted his attention towards Trent, who he had just noticed was also present.


    "Oh, Trent, you''re here too," Ace exclaimed, a mix of surprise and curiosity in his voice. "Why are you here? HOW are you here?"


    Klaus found it surprising that Ace was also aware of Trent''s situation, considering that it was only the former team Lunar members who were present when Trent shared his predicament with him. While Quinn''s knowledge of the situation wasn''t surprising, Klaus assumed that Ace''s awareness meant the situation had become common knowledge among them.


    "I''m not entirely sure myself," Trent replied to Ace''s latter question. "But I''m grateful to experience this for the first time."


    "Fair enough, I guess," Ace responded, adjusting himself comfortably on Klaus'' bed.


    Ace''s attempt to get comfortable on Klaus'' bed irked him slightly, but he chose to ignore it. However, he couldn''t ignore his growing exhaustion, and he couldn''t entertain Ace''s presence for the night.


    "Look, Ace," Klaus began, a hint of weariness in his voice. "I would have loved to hang out, but I can''t right now."


    "Oh, come on, Mom. Just for a few hours," Ace playfully pleaded.


    "I''m serious," Klaus insisted, his stern expression emphasizing his exhaustion. "I''m really exhausted right now."


    Klaus couldn''t quite understand why Ace would want to hang out with him, especially given his preference for solitude over noise and crowds.


    "Fine," Ace conceded after a sigh. "But I''ll be back tomorrow."


    "Whatever," Klaus replied, eager for Ace to leave his bed.


    As Ace got up from the bed, he retrieved his game console from Klaus'' grasp and swiftly made his way downstairs, planning to head back to his own home. On his way out of the house, Ace noticed Natalie''s presence, causing him to come to a sudden halt so he could express his gratitude for allowing him into her home.


    Natalie was taken aback by Ace''s sudden appearance and the tremendous noise that followed his abrupt stop due to breaking the sound barrier while running, as well as the gust of wind that surrounded him.


    "I just wanted to stop and say thank you for letting me in, Mrs. Walker," Ace stated, offering a friendly smile. "Oh, and you have a lovely home."


    With that, Ace promptly darted away, creating the same sonic effects as before upon his departure. Natalie''s heart raced from the shock of the unexpected encounter.


    "Wow, I need to start getting used to these unusual situations," Natalie mumbled to herself before returning her attention to the television.


    Klaus'' exhaustion had taken its toll, and he desperately needed rest. He explained to Trent that they would continue to unravel more about his situation the next day and insisted that Trent should also get some sleep.


    Sitting on his bed, Klaus realized there was no place for Trent to sleep, and sharing the bed would be awkward. With this in mind, Klaus encouraged Trent to take the bed while he settled on the floor between the bed and his closet.


    Trent felt uncomfortable taking Klaus'' bed and making him sleep on the floor, but Klaus reassured him that he was fine with the arrangement. Klaus also explained that he was staying on the floor and not the couch in the living room because he wanted to be close to Trent in case he needed assistance, which Trent understood. After a brief exchange, the two of them drifted into slumber, anticipating the dawn of a new day.


    The following morning arrived, casting its warm sunlight into Klaus'' room as he and Trent peacefully slumbered. Klaus was accustomed to having peculiar dreams, so the one he just experienced didn''t surprise him much. As he gradually opened his eyes to the dawn''s light, he was greeted by Ace, who stared directly at him.


    "Yo, Klaus," Ace began, his voice breaking the morning silence. "You awake, bro?"


    Klaus, still groggy from sleep, couldn''t hide his frustration with Ace''s early presence. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, confirming that Ace''s presence was indeed real. Klaus didn''t need to squint against the sunlight; the nature of his unique abilities made that unnecessary. He took a moment to piece together why Ace was there at such an early hour.


    "How the heck did you get in?" Klaus grumbled, his frustration evident after he stifled a yawn.


    "Shade let me in," Ace explained casually, revealing to Klaus that his brother was already awake and involved in this unexpected morning encounter.


    Klaus decided to ignore the situation as he headed to the bathroom to freshen up. He brushed his teeth, took a quick shower, and returned to his room with a towel wrapped around him. Ace was still in the room, engrossed in his phone before he turned his attention to Klaus.


    "Ooh, now I see why all the girls want you," Ace teased with a playful tone.


    "Really?" Klaus responded, his annoyance evident.


    "I''m kidding," Ace laughed before exiting the room, giving Klaus some much-needed privacy to finish getting dressed.


    Trent was still peacefully asleep, so Klaus didn''t want to disturb his guest just yet. He dressed and headed downstairs, waiting for Trent to wake up. Klaus, Shade, and Ace engaged in conversation while assisting their mother, Natalie, in the kitchen. Ace''s speed was a considerable help, ensuring they could finish breakfast quickly and allowing Natalie to head to work on time.


    Following breakfast, the three demigods continued their conversation, until Shade excused himself to return to his room to attend to some matters. Klaus and Ace remained engaged in conversation, but gradually, a somber expression crept over Ace''s face. He posed a question that seemed entirely out of character for him.


    "Are you sure you know what you''re doing with Trent?"


    This unexpected question caught Klaus off guard, making him realize that Ace also had doubts about the situation. But Klaus had committed to helping Trent.


    "I am," Klaus responded after a moment, his tone determined.


    "And do you have a plan for what to do next?" Ace pressed on.


    These were valid questions that made Klaus feel uncomfortable, especially given Ace''s uncharacteristic seriousness. He took a few moments to gather his thoughts before replying.


    "I do," Klaus assured him.


    Klaus had already formulated a plan the previous night before he went to sleep, so it was now a matter of putting that plan into action. Soon enough, Trent descended the stairs, signaling that he was awake. After he had freshened up as well, the trio, led by Klaus, departed for the place where he had planned to take Trent.


    Shade, on the other hand, had decided to go grocery shopping for the house. He felt it was his way of apologizing to their mother for being away from home for a month, despite Natalie''s insistence that he didn''t have to do anything. Shade simply wanted to alleviate her stress and make amends in his own way.


    Klaus rode his skateboard, with Trent and Ace walking alongside him as they made their way to their planned destination. Ace''s irritation with walking was palpable, seemingly uncomfortable with the time it was taking.


    "You do know I could get there in a flash, right?" Ace remarked, clearly annoyed by the pace.


    "Get where?" Klaus teased, knowing that Ace had no idea where they were headed.


    "Ha-ha, very funny," Ace responded sarcastically, eliciting a giggle from Trent at his frustration.


    Eventually, the trio reached a massive gate, revealing that they were at the Atlas residence. A small drone flew from within the gate, scanning the three demigods and transmitting their arrival to the homeowners. The gates soon opened, granting them entry.


    Klaus led them to Link''s home, where drones directed them to the living room. After a few moments, Link glided into the room while standing on one of his ground-moving drones, wearing what appeared to be his pajamas. He held a cup of coffee in his right hand, an unusual sight given that his mask remained on his face, its screen portraying an exhausted expression.


    "Do you guys even know how early it is?" Link began after a digitalized yawn.


    "Bro, It''s 11 a.m.," Ace replied.


    "Oh," Link said after confirming the time. "Well, it''s not my fault that I had to stream all night."


    Klaus didn''t hesitate and promptly shared the situation with Link. He described how Trent was unfamiliar with life on Earth and lacked a place to stay. Klaus then inquired if it would be feasible for Trent to reside with him since his home had an abundance of rooms to accommodate both of them.


    Understanding the situation, Link welcomed Trent with open arms, offering him a place to stay for as long as he needed. This made Trent extremely grateful, and he thanked Link sincerely.


    After some conversation, they collectively decided to make their way to Link''s gaming room. During their walk, Link turned to Klaus.


    "You know," Link began, "I''m surprised that you care so much, considering it''s not typically your thing to care about others."


    Klaus realized Link was right but had an answer ready.


    "I guess I just felt like I had to do something to help since I could," Klaus explained.


    Klaus empathized with Trent, understanding the pain of lack of identity that he must be enduring. He recognized Trent''s goodness and the fact that he was trying to bear this burden alone, without seeking help from others. Klaus knew he would do the same, but he believed Trent shouldn''t have to carry this pain, especially when it wasn''t his fault.


    They spent the entire day at the Atlas residence, engaging in various enjoyable activities. Klaus, despite his initial reluctance, found satisfaction in their shared experiences. As the day turned into night, Klaus decided it was time to return home. Ace opted to stay a little longer with the others, so Klaus headed home alone.


    When he arrived home, Klaus took a shower, completed some household chores, and then went to his bed. He reclined on his bed, gazing at the ceiling familiarly, lost in the depths of his thoughts.


    A peculiar sensation lingered from his time spent in Link''s home. It had been an unfamiliar feeling, something he hadn''t experienced in quite some time, leaving him to ponder its significance for a while.


    "Is this... happiness?" Klaus wondered, realizing that he had been without this feeling for the longest time.


    He found it saddening that he had deprived himself of happiness due to his behavior. But he knew he couldn''t let that continue to bind him.


    Recalling the last time he had basked in such warmth, Klaus rose from his bed, extending his hand towards his phone. He hesitated for a moment, contemplating the


    decision he was about to make. Yet, resolute in his choice, he dialed a number, an action he had never performed before in his life.


    As the phone rang, Klaus anxiously awaited the response on the other end. Finally, a voice broke the silence.


    "Hello?" the person asked.


    With a hint of hesitation in his voice, Klaus replied;


    "Hey, Avalon."

 #69: Define Happiness

    "Hey, Avalon."


    Upon hearing these words and recognizing the caller''s voice, Avalon''s heart skipped a beat. She realized that it was Klaus who had called her.


    "Klaus?" Avalon asked in utter shock.


    This was the first time Klaus had ever called her. Her expression changed as realization washed over her. She rose from her bed and sat at the end of it, caught completely off guard and unsure of how to react.


    "Yeah," Klaus replied, confirming her theory that it was indeed him.


    Avalon paused to compose herself before continuing, her voice filled with a hint of panic, "Uhh... H-hi. How are you today?"


    "I''m fine, how are you?" Klaus responded.


    "I''m great," Avalon replied, her voice slightly shaky as she began fidgeting with her left hand while her right held her phone beside her ear.


    A brief moment of silence followed, indicating that both parties were unsure of how to navigate this unexpected conversation.


    "Uhm... S-so," Avalon stammered, clearing her throat. "What made you choose to call all of a sudden?"


    Klaus took a moment to gather his thoughts. He knew he wanted to call her, but the reason wasn''t entirely clear to him. However, he had one answer that came to mind.


    "I guess I just wanted to hear your voice," Klaus confessed to Avalon.


    Avalon''s eyes widened upon hearing Klaus'' statement, and her blush deepened instantly. Then, a broad smile spread across her face as she remained silent for a few seconds before diving back into the conversation with Klaus.


    The two talked on the phone for a while, with Avalon doing most of the talking and Klaus primarily listening. However, they both enjoyed the dynamic as it suited their preferences. As the conversation flowed, Avalon mentioned that she was busy with college applications and interviews but would be free in three days. The specificity of the date made Klaus wonder if she was subtly suggesting they could hang out, so he decided to take the bait and ask her directly.


    "Would you like to go out with me on your free day?" Klaus inquired, his tone straightforward.


    Avalon was taken aback by his directness but understood that their definitions of "going out" might differ. She composed herself.


    "I''d like that," Avalon replied, a smile in her voice.


    Upon hearing her response, Klaus subconsciously let out a slight smile too. They continued their conversation for a few more minutes before finally saying their goodnights. Klaus ended the call, and after a few more minutes of drowning in his thoughts, he drifted off into a world of dreams.


    Klaus woke up quite early the next day. He got out of bed, brushed his teeth, and prepared for the day ahead. There were some household chores to be done, and Klaus took the responsibility upon himself. He continued with the tasks for a while, even after his mother had left for work. She had suggested he eat before starting, but Klaus was fine with saving his meal for later. After completing the chores, he finally sat down in the dining room to have his breakfast.


    While eating, Klaus suddenly heard the doorbell ring. He paused his meal and headed to the door to see who it was. Opening the door, he was greeted by Rose, who had a cheerful smile on her face.


    "Hey, dream boy," Rose said as she walked past him and into the house.


    "Sure, Rose, you can come in," Klaus muttered sarcastically to himself as he closed the door and returned to his seat.


    As he continued to eat, Rose struck up a conversation. Her tone indicated that her visit was not just a social call, and Klaus had a feeling it was about something he might not want to do.


    After finishing his meal, Klaus went to his room to do his laundry, and Rose followed him. As he gathered his clothes and made his way to the laundry room, Rose finally mustered the courage to ask the question she had in mind.


    "Hey, Klaus..."


    "Yes?" Klaus replied after a sigh as he carried his laundry basket toward the laundry room.


    "Would you like to go out with me today?" Rose finally asked, revealing the purpose of her visit.


    Klaus, upon hearing this, continued in his tracks on the way to the laundry room. He already suspected that Rose would ask something that would be an inconvenience, and she didn''t disappoint.


    "And why would I do that?" Klaus asked, entering the laundry room.


    "Oh, come on," Rose began, following him in. "You''re not doing anything today, are you?"


    "Not exactly," Klaus admitted.


    "See, so we can go out and have some fun," Rose continued, flashing a smile.


    "That''s not really a good enough reason for me to agree, though," Klaus replied as he opened the washing machine and began placing his clothes inside.


    Rose pondered for a moment, trying to think of what to say to change Klaus'' mind. She understood the challenge of persuading him, and she wasn''t sure if she was up to it. In a state of mild panic, Rose blurted out one of the worst statements she could have made.


    "Well, you kinda owe me with what happened between you and Iris," Rose stated.


    Klaus immediately stopped what he was doing and turned his head to her, revealing one of the most intimidating expressions.


    "You''re kidding, right?" Klaus said sternly.


    Rose''s body went momentarily numb upon hearing Klaus'' response, and her knees seemed to waver beneath her. The intensity of his intimidating expression left her in a perplexing state, where she was acutely aware that she needed to retract her previous statement. However, she found herself unable to discern whether the unusual sensation coursing through her was discomfort or strangely alluring.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it," Rose quickly backtracked before Klaus returned to his task.


    After a few more seconds of wrestling with her feelings, Rose regained her composure and refocused on Klaus.


    "But seriously," Rose began, "just for today. Please, Klaus."


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    Klaus knew that Rose was persistent, and declining her now would only lead to the same request in the future. Since he didn''t have any plans for the day, accepting her offer would at least buy him some peace from her insistence for a while.


    After putting the last of his clothes in the washing machine, Klaus sighed and responded to Rose.


    "Fine, but just this once."


    Rose''s face immediately brightened with a smile.


    "Yes, I''ll take it," she replied with enthusiasm as she followed Klaus back to his room.


    "But," Klaus continued after placing his laundry basket in its usual spot. "No flirting."


    "Oh, come on," Rose responded with a pout, reluctantly accepting his terms. "Fine, fine."


    With Rose''s reluctant agreement, Klaus began to prepare for their outing. He promptly removed his shirt before turning his attention to Rose, who was still in his room, staring curiously.


    "Do you mind?" Klaus asked, pausing his preparations.


    "Not really, no," Rose replied, her gaze still fixed on him.


    Klaus responded with a stern, silent look, prompting Rose to relent.


    "Fine, fine," she giggled before leaving the room.


    As Rose exited, Klaus let out a frustrated sigh. "These demigods and their invasion of my privacy," he muttered to himself, recalling a similar incident from the previous day.


    Heading downstairs, Rose couldn''t help but notice that this was her first time in Klaus'' room. She had always been curious about what it looked like, and now that she had seen it, she realized it was almost exactly as she had expected.


    The room was dimly lit, with the shutters usually closed and the lights turned off. It was meticulously organized and tidy, fitting for someone like Klaus who had plenty of free time.


    While Rose waited for Klaus, Shade, who had just woken up, came downstairs. He headed to the kitchen for his breakfast, already prepared for him. The two engaged in conversation for a while until Klaus finally descended the stairs. After some more small talk between the three of them, Klaus and Rose left the house.


    Klaus wasn''t sure where they were going, but Rose assured him that he would enjoy it, even though he knew it was a blatant lie. After a bit of walking, they finally arrived at a mall.


    "The Great Mall of America?" Klaus muttered to himself upon seeing the name. "Really?"


    "It''s great, I promise," Rose replied, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the mall.


    Minutes later, Rose immersed herself in a shopping spree, with Klaus accompanying her. The mall boasted a wide array of stores and shops, each brimming with a variety of products. It was a bustling, spacious place, teeming with shoppers who eagerly spent their money on an assortment of items.


    As he followed Rose through the shops, Klaus couldn''t help but grow increasingly concerned about her spending. He had initially turned a blind eye to it, believing it didn''t concern him, but after witnessing her excessive purchases, he couldn''t hold back his worries any longer.


    "Don''t you think you''re spending a bit too much?" Klaus inquired as Rose pushed a trolley overflowing with clothes and shoes.


    "Aww, you care," Rose responded with a smile.


    Observing his silence, Rose let out a giggle before providing some insight.


    "Oh, relax, dream boy. I tend to binge-spend, so it''s not like this happens all the time."


    "Besides," she continued, "my mom owns her own company, and she''s mega-rich, so I don''t have to worry about where the money''s coming from."


    "That''s not a good reason to spend recklessly," Klaus commented.


    "That''s exactly what I said initially," Rose replied, "but my mom''s the same way, and she was the one who encouraged me to do it."


    "Fair enough, I guess," Klaus conceded, choosing not to press further.


    They continued to shop, moving from one store to another, buying various clothing and jewelry. Rose''s hands became laden with bags, and she realized she needed Klaus''s assistance to carry some of them.


    "Hey, Klaus," Rose said as they exited a store. "Could you help me with some of these bags?"


    "I''m not your butler, Rose," Klaus retorted.


    "Oh, come on. Pretty please?" Rose implored.


    After a bit more persuasion, Klaus finally relented and decided to assist.


    While they roamed the mall, Klaus couldn''t help but notice the many glances directed their way. It seemed that people couldn''t help but murmur and comment on their looks and attractiveness as if they were celebrities. This attention made Klaus distinctly uncomfortable.


    He also realized that at intervals, individuals approached Rose, asking her questions and making offers that resembled modeling job opportunities. Rose consistently declined the offers with a smile, explaining that she was already under contract with an agency. Watching this unfold, Klaus couldn''t help but feel for Rose, recognizing that her life was quite stressful due to the constant attention she received.


    A few minutes later, Klaus and Rose found themselves at yet another store, which Rose assured would be the last stop for her shopping expedition.


    Upon entering, Rose immediately set about searching for clothing items to add to her growing collection. After selecting a few pieces, they made their way to the dressing room, where Rose could try on her choices while Klaus sat by and waited.


    As Rose continued to try on the clothes, their conversation flowed. They delved into the topic of the Divine Tournament, and as expected, Rose eventually commented on X''s remarkable power during the event. Their discussion revolved around X for a while until a sudden realization struck Klaus, prompting him to comment on it.


    "You know," Klaus began, "X''s final transformation is kind of similar to that ''Rage Charm'' thing you used in your fight against Iris."


    "Rage Charm?" Rose asked with a smile. "Is that what you''re calling it?"


    "Does it really matter?" Klaus responded.


    "Not really," Rose admitted. "And I can''t say for sure if they''re truly similar."


    "Well, judging by how they both seemed to be fueled by rage, that''s what I meant," Klaus explained.


    As he spoke, Klaus''s thoughts drifted to what IV had shared with him about how rage served as a potent source of power for demigods. It all made sense to him, especially when he recalled various battles he had witnessed involving fighters like Trent and Lance.


    The duo continued discussing the tournament for a few more minutes before their conversation gradually faded into silence. In the midst of this quiet, Klaus decided to express something that had been on his mind.


    "By the way," Klaus began, "I didn''t want to say anything, but you really handle all the attention quite well."


    "Yeah, I''ve gotten used to it," Rose replied.


    "I guess that''s why you tell those guys you''re already in a modeling agency?" Klaus inquired.


    "Yup," Rose confirmed. "It''s easier than just saying no, especially when most of them persist even if you do decline."


    Klaus understood her rationale, realizing that she had developed effective responses due to her frequent encounters with such attention. However, as they continued to discuss the topic, Rose decided to elaborate on a few things.


    "You know," Rose began, her voice carrying a reflective tone. "I used to thrive on attention and long for it, but I''ve changed."


    Klaus, genuinely curious, asked, "Why is that?"


    A soft smile graced Rose''s face as she replied, "Because of you, dummy."


    Klaus listened intently as Rose continued to express herself.


    "I used to always seek praise and bask in being the center of attention wherever I went. I was afraid of solitude and being alone all my life. Until I met you, who made me realize that it''s honestly not so bad."


    Klaus remained silent, his attention focused on her words.


    "I used to have a strong aversion to you, but I knew that I had to understand you before I could genuinely judge whether I despised you or not. But recently, the only thing I can say I despise is the attention that I''ve always craved all my life. And it''s all thanks to you," Rose confessed. "That''s why I fell for you."


    Klaus felt like he had to say something at this point. But before he could respond, Rose spoke again, her smile never wavering.


    "Oh, relax," she assured him. "I''m not trying to persuade you to like me or anything. I''m honestly more than okay with being just friends with you."


    Klaus found himself pleasantly surprised by Rose''s heartfelt sincerity. Though he had numerous thoughts and feelings in response to her revelations, he chose to hold them back out of respect for the depth of her emotions. Rose, undeterred, carried on with her explanations.


    "What I''m basically trying to say is that I''m more in control of my emotions now," Rose explained. "During the tournament, I realized that my emotions were where my power was drawn from. So, I''ve been working on mastering and controlling them, including my feelings for you."


    Klaus felt an overwhelming sense of pride and admiration for Rose. He recognized the profound meaning behind her words and her newfound commitment to mastering her abilities, which brought a genuine smile to his face.


    With a hint of humor, Klaus broke the silence, "You know, I''d have complimented you, but I don''t want what happened last time to happen again."


    Rose burst into laughter, understanding his reference. "Okay, dude," she said between giggles, appreciating Klaus''s jest.


    Klaus''s smile remained as Rose''s laughter filled the room.


    Eventually, Rose finished trying on her chosen clothes and made her selections. As their mall excursion concluded, Klaus accompanied her back home, the sun casting a warm, evening glow.


    Upon their arrival at Rose''s house, Klaus was warmly greeted by Rose''s mother, who couldn''t resist hugging him. After the compliments and flirtatious banter from Rose''s mother, Klaus finally bid his farewells to Rose before heading back home.


    The sun continued its descent, painting the sky with vibrant hues as Klaus made his way back.

 #70: Casual Date

    Two days had passed since Klaus had gone out with Rose.


    During that time, Klaus mainly stayed at home with his brother and mother. Ace and Rose would occasionally drop by, but generally, it was a relatively quiet, in-home experience. The upcoming meeting with Halo and Horns was just around the corner, scheduled for about three days later.


    On this particular day, Klaus was awakened by the persistent ringing of his phone. He had stayed up late the night before, so he had been catching up on sleep. Initially, he considered ignoring the call, but as the ringing continued, he relented and picked up his phone. Seeing the caller''s name, Klaus tempered his initial frustration before answering.


    "Hey, Avalon," Klaus greeted.


    "Oh hey, Klaus," Avalon replied. "I hope I didn''t wake you."


    "You''re fine," Klaus responded, choosing not to admit that she had indeed disturbed his slumber. "So, what''s up?"


    Avalon hesitated for a moment before continuing.


    "Well," she began, "I guess I just wanted to call to remind you about our... you know... outing."


    "Don''t worry, I remember," Klaus assured her as he rose from his bed and made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth.


    "Great," Avalon said with a smile. "So, would it be cool if we could meet up by one in the afternoon?"


    "Sure," Klaus replied. "I''m not doing anything today, so anytime works."


    "Awesome," Avalon said. "Then I''ll be at your place before then."


    "My place?" Klaus inquired, pausing with his toothbrush mid-air. "You sure?"


    "Yeah, why not?" Avalon replied. "I don''t mind."


    Klaus wasn''t entirely comfortable with Avalon making the effort to come to his house, but since she insisted, he decided to respect her choice despite his concerns.


    Later that afternoon, Klaus completed his house chores before hanging out with Shade. Rose also dropped by, and the trio gathered around the kitchen counter for a casual conversation. It was around noon, and Klaus knew it would be a while until Avalon would arrive for their date.


    As they chatted, the doorbell suddenly rang. Rose was closest to the door, so she offered to answer it and find out who had arrived. When Rose opened the door, she was met by an unfamiliar girl who seemed to be searching for something in her purse.


    It was Avalon.


    Avalon''s attention shifted from her purse to Rose as she heard the door open, and their eyes met. Avalon was utterly captivated; she had never seen someone so stunning in her life. Rose was easily the most beautiful person she had ever encountered.


    "Hey there. How can I help you?" Rose asked with a friendly smile.


    Avalon was so overwhelmed that she struggled to form a coherent sentence. She felt tongue-tied, unable to comprehend what was happening as she continued to stare at Rose.


    "Uhh," Rose began after a few moments of silence. "Are you okay?"


    Realizing she had to say something, Avalon forced herself to speak.


    "K-K-Klaus."


    Realizing that Avalon was at the right place, Rose decided to grab Klaus''s attention by calling his name. After a brief pause, Klaus appeared at the door and discovered that Avalon had arrived.


    "Oh, Avalon," Klaus greeted her.


    Curious, Rose asked, "You know her?"


    "Yeah, she''s here for me," Klaus confirmed. "Although you''re here a bit early, don''t you think?"


    "I''m sorry," Avalon quickly apologized.


    "It''s fine," Klaus reassured her. "I''ll just go get ready."


    Klaus escorted Avalon into the house and showed her to the living room. He asked her if she could wait there while he went upstairs to prepare for their date.


    "Wait, where''s he going?" Rose inquired, turning to Shade for answers.


    "Oh," Shade said after realizing who the girl in the living room was. "I think they''re heading out on a date."


    Shade approached Avalon, who was seated in the living room, and extended his hand for a friendly introduction.


    "Hey there, nice to meet you," Shade greeted her. "I''m Shade, Klaus'' brother."


    "N-Nice to meet you," Avalon managed to reply, her voice slightly shaky as she shook his hand. "I''m Avalon."


    "Avalon, huh," Shade smiled. "If I''m not mistaken, you''re the girl from Wallpaper, correct?"


    Avalon nodded in confirmation after a moment of hesitation.


    "Well, it''s nice to finally meet you," Shade continued. "Klaus has talked a lot about you, so I hope you''re treating him well."


    Avalon felt a touch of embarrassment at Shade''s comment and looked down briefly before nodding in agreement.


    The presence of Rose, alongside Shade, sent shivers down Avalon''s spine, and adding Klaus into the mix intensified the effect. She had never encountered such an attractive group, and the sight of any of them left her at a loss for words. This was entirely unlike her usual outgoing personality.


    Rose eventually recognized from Shade''s comment that she had heard about Avalon before. She recalled their conversation on the rooftop a few months back, particularly the discussion about a graffiti artist. After a brief chat, she and Shade decided to give Avalon some space while they awaited Klaus''s return.


    After a few minutes had passed, Klaus finally descended from the stairs. As Avalon''s eyes locked onto him, she couldn''t help but think he looked even more amazing than usual. Klaus typically wasn''t too concerned about his attire, but this time, it was evident that he had put some thought into what he was going to wear.


    "Damn, you look amazing," Shade complimented Klaus as his brother came downstairs.


    "I''ll say," Rose added. "You even did your hair, didn''t you."


    "Does it matter?" Klaus replied, not one to dwell on compliments.


    Rose and Avalon continued to admire Klaus''s appearance for a moment before they snapped out of it. Klaus then approached Avalon, extending his hand toward her.


    "Are you ready?" Klaus inquired.


    "Yeah," Avalon responded with a smile, reaching out her hand to allow Klaus to assist her up.


    Klaus and Avalon headed for the door, and before leaving, Klaus turned to Shade.


    "By the way," Klaus began, "I might be out longer than usual."


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    "Oh, no worries," Shade said with a smile. "Have fun."


    With that, Klaus and Avalon departed together.


    Shade shifted his attention to Rose when he noticed her using her phone with a typical expression. This surprised him slightly, as her actions were not what he had expected after meeting Avalon.


    "By the way," Shade said to Rose, grabbing her attention. "I don''t think it''s strange to say that I''m surprised you''re not jealous of Avalon."


    Rose smiled briefly before responding to Shade.


    "Well, I guess I could say that I learned to suppress my feelings for him, so I''m not too bothered anymore about stuff like that."


    This statement took Shade by surprise even more than her previous actions. Nevertheless, Shade was genuinely impressed and happy that Rose didn''t have to keep hurting herself by trying to sway his brother, who had almost no emotion.


    "He wasn''t always like that, you know," Shade suddenly said to Rose.


    Rose was confused by Shade''s statement before he continued.


    "He used to be so cheerful when we were kids," Shade elaborated. "It just all suddenly changed one day."


    "You mean his personality?" Rose asked.


    "Yeah," Shade confirmed. "I always tried to bring him back to his old self, but I never could. That''s why I''ve always tried to be the smile that he lost."


    Rose didn''t know what to make of what Shade had said. She wondered what had triggered such a dramatic change in Klaus''s demeanor and mood, but she felt it was not her place to delve into his reasons. As she contemplated this, Shade continued his train of thought.


    "Truthfully, I really hope Avalon can be a catalyst to trigger what I couldn''t."


    Shade''s concern for his brother was clear, and Rose admired his dedication. He maintained a thoughtful and caring expression for a few more moments before moving away from the topic and continuing their conversation.


    Klaus and Avalon walked for a while, eventually arriving at Avalon''s planned destination: a cinema not far from Klaus'' home. Klaus decided to let Avalon take the lead, agreeing to whatever she had in mind. After choosing a movie, they spent the next few hours watching it.


    When the movie ended, Avalon suggested they go bowling since she didn''t have another place in mind beforehand. She usually had no trouble making decisions on the spot, but this situation felt different to her. Klaus, however, was perfectly content with her choice, and they headed to the bowling alley.


    They found themselves at the same bowling alley they had visited during their first outing. As they bowled, Klaus noticed that Avalon was acting somewhat differently from her usual self. Her typically outgoing and lively attitude, which Klaus preferred, had mellowed, and she wasn''t as animated as she usually was.


    "Are you okay?" Klaus asked Avalon during her turn when she held onto the bowling ball longer than usual.


    "I''m fi..." Avalon began before turning her attention to Klaus.


    Feeling that she owed him an explanation for her unusual demeanor, she decided to be honest with him.


    "It might sound silly," Avalon began. "But I couldn''t help but feel somewhat inferior around the girl at your house."


    Klaus took a moment to process who she was referring to.


    "You mean Rose?" Klaus asked.


    "I think so," Avalon replied. "The girl who opened the door for me."


    Klaus was genuinely surprised that Avalon felt intimidated by Rose, but he understood why she might feel that way. Nonetheless, he decided to reassure Avalon.


    "You don''t need to feel inferior or intimidated by her," Klaus said to Avalon.


    "You say that," Avalon said. "But how can I be sure of that when even I myself was falling for her at first sight?"


    Klaus approached Avalon, softly placing his right hand on her shoulder and looking into her eyes.


    "There''s a reason it''s you who''s here and not her, so don''t put yourself down."


    Hearing Klaus'' words and seeing the sincerity in his eyes filled Avalon with warmth. She knew they weren''t dating, so she couldn''t help but consider Rose a more fitting choice for Klaus in her head. However, Klaus'' response helped her dispel any feelings of being second choice.


    Avalon beamed, moved closer to the bowling alley, and continued her turn. While not hitting many pins at all, she laughed about it, making Klaus realize that her usual spirited self had returned.


    Klaus and Avalon bowled until the sun began to set, and it grew late. They decided to conclude their date and head home. However, Klaus felt it was only fair to walk Avalon back to her place since she had made the effort to come to his home earlier.


    As they walked and chatted for a few minutes, they reached Avalon''s house. Klaus noticed that she had her house key ready, which puzzled him as the door was locked.


    "No one''s home?" Klaus inquired, surprised by the locked door.


    "Nah," Avalon replied. "My parents are out for the night, and they won''t be back for a while."


    After sharing this information, Avalon looked directly at Klaus, as if she were trying to provoke a response from him. Realizing her intentions, Klaus decided to succumb after a few seconds.


    "Would you like me to come in for a while?" Klaus asked.


    "Woah, Klaus," Avalon teased with a smile. "The date wasn''t THAT good."


    "Do you want me to or not?" Klaus asked, aware of her playful banter.


    "Okay, sorry," Avalon replied with a giggle. "You can come in."


    Klaus stepped into Avalon''s home, taking a moment to observe his surroundings. Family photos adorned the walls, also confirming Avalon''s statement that she was an only child. It was evident that her family enjoyed a cozy and homey atmosphere. The house, though spacious for a family of three, exuded warmth, just as one would expect from a loving home.


    Klaus proceeded into the living room, appreciating the paintings and artwork displayed throughout the space. It became clear to him why Avalon was passionate about graffiti and why she had adopted her Aura persona.


    Avalon fetched a couple of drinks for them as they settled in the living room, engaged in conversation on various topics. Amid their discussion, Avalon decided to address the earlier situation.


    "You know," Avalon began, "it''s kinda weird how the people you hang out with, as well as your brother, are so freaking hot."


    "My bad... I guess," Klaus replied, eliciting a chuckle from Avalon.


    Seeing her giggle, he decided to playfully continue the topic.


    "Although, your stunned face after you showed up at my house was beyond priceless," Klaus said with a cheeky smile.


    "Ohhh," Avalon responded after grasping his comment. "So you''re making jokes now?"


    Her laughter followed his statement, and for the first time, Klaus joined in. Her surprised expression was unmistakable as she watched Klaus laugh, a sight she hadn''t witnessed since they had met.


    "Wow," Avalon started, filled with awe and a smile. "I never thought I''d ever see you laugh in my life."


    Klaus''s realization that he had laughed was plain on his face. It had been so long since genuine laughter had graced his life. But this time, with Avalon, it felt different. Klaus found comfort in the warmth of their shared laughter.


    Following this realization, Klaus and Avalon fell into a brief silence, their gazes locked. Klaus couldn''t deny the joy he found in Avalon''s presence. Her smiles brought out his own, and her concerns affected him likewise. It was a feeling he shared with his brother and mother, but this was also distinctly unique.


    Klaus continued to gaze into Avalon''s eyes, and she recognized that they were sharing a moment. A faint blush graced her cheeks, but she didn''t want to disrupt the enchanting atmosphere.


    Klaus delved into his thoughts, contemplating the unfamiliar emotions he was experiencing. He wasn''t oblivious to Avalon''s feelings for him, as she had openly expressed them. He was also intelligent enough to discern that his own sentiments might be growing in a similar direction, possibly romantically. He acknowledged this much, at least.


    Yet, what held him back was the prospect of venturing into something uncharted, something he had never explored before. After a moment of reflection, he realized that he was not averse to the idea. He needed to share his thoughts with Avalon.


    "Avalon," Klaus began after the brief silence. "I think I have feelings for you. Feelings that I genuinely want."


    Avalon''s mind nearly went blank upon hearing this confession. Klaus had just admitted that he shared her feelings. While it might not be to the same extent, his feelings seemed to be on a parallel path to hers. A warm smile graced Avalon''s face as she gazed into his eyes.


    "Although I''ve said it before," Avalon said, "I can''t help but have feelings for you too."


    Following her statement, they moved closer to each other, as if drawn together by an irresistible force.


    As they drew closer, Klaus''s mind raced, thoughts moving at lightning speed. It was like his battle instincts kicking in, his intellect outpacing the moment. Amid this flurry of thoughts, he couldn''t help but ponder Avalon''s recent words.


    Her confession had filled his heart with warmth, but it also triggered a cascade of thoughts as their lips inched closer. Then it hit him. A revelation.


    Just as he was about to lock lips with Avalon, his eyes widened in his sudden realization. Something clicked in his mind, something he couldn''t quite explain. Klaus leaned back abruptly, his shock palpable in his wide-open eyes.


    "Oh, my Gods," Klaus whispered, the shock radiating through the room.


    Avalon, her confusion shifting to concern, couldn''t fathom what had just occurred. She initially thought she might have done something wrong, or perhaps Klaus felt they were moving too quickly. But as she gazed at Klaus''s expression, her worry deepened.


    "What''s wrong, Klaus?" Avalon asked.


    Before she could receive an answer, Klaus abruptly rose from his seat and headed for the door.


    "I''m sorry," he said, his eyes still wide with shock. "But I have to go."


    Avalon was left in utter bewilderment. She didn''t grasp the situation at all, watching as Klaus walked toward the door, his behavior entirely unexpected.


    "What''s going on, Klaus?" Avalon inquired, rising up and following him. "Please, tell me."


    "I''m sorry, Avalon," Klaus repeated, and with that, he walked out the front door.


    Avalon took a moment to collect her thoughts, but she felt a strong urge to understand what was going on. She rushed out of her front door, searching for Klaus, but he had vanished, leaving her in puzzled desperation.


    Klaus found himself on his bed, still in a state of shock, in the blink of an eye after departing from Avalon''s home. The night skies provided him the ability to slip away from her place and return home without drawing attention or disturbing the rest of his family upon his entry.


    He sat there for a few moments, his breathing rapid. He couldn''t determine if it was from the run back or from the revelation that had struck him. After a few seconds of helplessly staring at the floor, Klaus eventually laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling. In a voice barely above a whisper, he muttered to himself, his words tinged with denial.


    "It can''t be. It can''t be. It can''t be."

 #71: A Meeting with Deities

    Two days had passed since the incident with Avalon.


    Klaus lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His expression had been far from his usual self since that day. He glanced at his phone as it vibrated, signaling an incoming message.


    It was from Avalon.


    In the days following the incident, he had received twenty-five missed calls and numerous texts from her. Avalon was desperately seeking answers, wanting to know what had caused him to storm out and if it was her fault. However, Klaus wasn''t ready to provide any answers just yet.


    Klaus got up from his bed and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth. It was a new day, and he needed to get ready. This was also the day he was supposed to meet with Halo and Horns as his reward for the Divine Tournament, even though he didn''t deserve or win it.


    After a quick shower and getting dressed, he made his way downstairs. His mother, Natalie, was watching television, as it was a Sunday, and she didn''t have to work. Hearing Klaus''s footsteps, Natalie turned her attention to him and lowered the volume of the television to talk to her son.


    "Morning, Klaus," she greeted him with a smile.


    "Morning," Klaus replied, his depressed expression remained unchanged as he continued towards the door.


    Natalie had noticed her son''s unusual demeanor over the past few days and was genuinely concerned.


    "Klaus," she began, her smile fading as she expressed her worry, "Is something wrong, dear?"


    Klaus paused for a moment before responding.


    "You don''t have to worry about me," he said, his voice devoid of its usual warmth and his body still facing the door.


    He took another pause before disclosing the reason for his departure.


    "I''ll be heading to Higher World, so I won''t be around for a while."


    "O-Okay," Natalie responded, forcing a crooked smile. "Be safe."


    And without looking back even once during the interaction, Klaus opened the door and left for Higher World.


    Klaus retrieved his skateboard and made his way to the alleyway, the familiar path that transported him to Higher World. Despite the turmoil in his mind, Klaus found it difficult to form coherent thoughts. It was as if his mind was blank, and he was merely moving forward, staring straight ahead, and allowing his instincts to guide him.


    Upon reaching his intended location in the alley, Klaus placed his hand where it belonged, triggering the transition to Higher World.


    When he arrived in Higher World, he found himself at the Golden Gate. After walking a few meters, he suddenly noticed Sage, the God of Mind, standing to his right.


    "Welcome back, Klaus Walker," Sage greeted him with a warm smile.


    Klaus acknowledged Sage with a slight nod, his depression still apparent.


    "You''re here to take me to them, right?" Klaus inquired, his voice tinged with sadness.


    "Correct," Sage replied, maintaining his friendly demeanor.


    Sage understood the reasons behind Klaus''s current mood and was aware of everything that had transpired, including the incident that led Klaus to leave Avalon''s home. However, he knew that saying too much could potentially worsen Klaus''s emotional state, so he decided to stick to his duty and guide the demigod.


    As Sage accompanied Klaus to the domain of the Gods, they eventually reached the room with the logo of two ghosts on the door, reminiscent of Klaus''s first encounter with the Gods of Order. Sage remained outside, allowing Klaus to enter the room on his own, as was customary.


    Klaus entered the room and continued walking until he stood before the Gods, Halo and Horns.


    "This guy again," Halo commented, noting Klaus''s presence.


    "No need for aggression, Halo," Horns exclaimed after. "You were aware of his presence already."


    Horns turned his attention to Klaus, his smile genuine. "Welcome back, Klaus Walker. Let me begin by congratulating you on your outstanding performance in the Divine Tournament. Your passion and determination to win were truly impressive."


    Klaus''s expression remained hollow as he nodded in response to Horns''s compliment. Halo, observing Klaus''s demeanor, grew irritated at what he perceived as an insolent attitude.


    "Just because you do not bow does not excuse your blasphemy," Halo remarked as he leaned forward menacingly.


    "Relax, Halo," Horns said with a straight face. "You know the reasons behind his current state, so let''s not be ignorant."


    A moment of silence followed before Halo leaned back and turned his face away. Horns then redirected his attention to Klaus, returning his warm smile and continuing the conversation.


    "For your remarkable efforts in the Divine Tournament, Klaus Walker, you have earned the privilege of asking us any question. So what would you like to know?"


    Klaus took a moment to gather his thoughts, which had been absent all day. His despondent state had made him feel disconnected from himself, but he recognized the need to ask a significant question.


    After some contemplation, Klaus posed his question to Horns.


    "Last time I was here," Klaus began, shifting his gaze to the God. "You mentioned something the Gods possess."


    "You''ve forgotten the name, haven''t you?" Halo remarked.


    "Halo," Horns interjected. "The least you can do is aid him with a response."


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    Halo, though frustrated, decided to indulge Klaus and provided an answer.


    "Dominion-over-Creation," Halo stated, conveying the name Klaus had forgotten. "Every knee must bow, every tongue must confess. It is the inherent power that places ''creator'' over ''creation''.


    Klaus found this explanation logical. It meant that no matter how powerful a creation of the Gods was, it would always obey its creators. However, this wasn''t the question Klaus had in mind. After a moment of reflection, Klaus finally decided to ask.


    "Then here''s my question," Klaus initiated before pausing and finally inquiring. "Is there a possibility that I have inherited Dominion-over-Creation from my father?"


    Klaus''s question left both Halo and Horns in astonishment. The Gods hadn''t anticipated this question, but their gaze softened upon recognizing the sincerity of his inquiry. It became evident why Klaus had the expression he did. Hesitating, Horns chose to answer Klaus''s question after analyzing him with a gaze.


    "Yes... you have."


    Klaus''s life flashed before his eyes. He couldn''t believe it. His eyes widened as he stared ahead in shock. Everything felt surreal, yet deep down, he knew it all made sense.


    This revelation explained everything in his life. Why his classmates in school tolerated his attitude and still considered him a friend. Why the girls around him were unusually attracted to him. It all clicked, and then there was Avalon.


    Klaus couldn''t believe it. He had been right that day. The day he had pulled back from kissing Avalon, he had felt like she was compelled to have feelings for him. Why did she like him so much?


    Klaus''s eyes widened further as he realized that this power had always been there; he just hadn''t recognized it.


    During the chase with Wallpaper, he had used his power to help them escape, and when he told Avalon to shut her eyes before activating it, she obeyed. She also never questioned how he reached her the day he saved her life. And every time he said something to her, she accepted it, always telling him the truth in return as well.


    But her words still echoed in his mind, "I can''t help but have feelings for you too."


    Klaus felt like his entire life had been a lie. He questioned his existence, wondering if anyone in his life genuinely cared for him or if it was just the constant presence of this power.


    "Does this also apply to Shade and Mom?"


    Halo and Horns observed Klaus''s expression and couldn''t ignore the pain he was experiencing. Klaus was so clearly hurt that even Halo chose not to say anything that might further wound him.


    The two Gods decided to give Klaus some time to process the weight of his question. After moments of astonishment, Klaus finally broke the silence and spoke.


    "Why me?" Klaus softly said, his voice breaking slightly. "Why does it seem to exist in just me and not the others?"


    Klaus was genuinely puzzled about why this power appeared to be exclusive to him. If other demigods possessed it as well, why didn''t it feel that way? He acknowledged that Quinn had been correct when she questioned why the female demigods had a moment of admiration for him. This led to a deeper investigation into the extent of the ability, especially since it appeared to affect other demigods as well.


    Upon hearing Klaus''s question, Halo and Horns believed they owed him an explanation, despite not being obligated to answer further questions. Leaving Klaus in the dark could potentially lead him away from the path of a demigod, and both Gods understood this.


    "There might be an answer to that," Halo said, choosing to respond to Klaus. "It is possibly because you are the son of a first-generation God."


    Klaus''s confusion deepened upon hearing this answer. Both Halo and Horns knew that this response would lead to further explanation, but they felt they owed him that much.


    "There are facts that the Gods have chosen not to reveal to you demigods," Halo began. "One of those facts is that the Gods came into existence in batches, not all at once."


    This revelation caught Klaus completely off guard, and he hadn''t expected it. He remained silent as Halo continued to provide information.


    "The universe can only exist in two states," Halo began. "Light or Darkness. These are the first-generation Gods. Following that came the existence of natural elements, which brought the second generation of Gods."


    Halo paused his explanation momentarily before deciding his next words to Klaus.


    "By now, you''ve only met one of them, Zenith, since the rest do not reside in Higher World."


    Klaus recalled that during his initial encounter with the Gods, other than Flage, two of them were notably absent, and it was mentioned that they resided in other realms. It became evident to him that these were the Gods to whom Halo was alluding.


    "The third generation of Gods are those that are left, consisting of concepts and various other roles," Halo added.


    Hearing this response reminded Klaus of his first meeting with IV who had addressed him as unique among the demigods. He also remembered that his father had said that his abilities were unique from the rest as well, which began to make sense to him why they were more in-depth than the other demigods.


    Klaus took a second after Halo concluded his disclosure of information. His life felt meaningless after hearing all the statements made to him and he was unsure of what to do next.


    "I know your world feels upside down, Klaus Walker..." Horns began, breaking the seconds of silence. "But I can assure you that things will be okay."


    Klaus knew that the God felt like he had to say what he did to Klaus, but there was no point in going any further on the topic anymore.


    After a brief moment of reflection, Halo redirected the conversation toward the next reason for Klaus''s visit.


    "If that is all, then let us move to the next reason for your presence," Halo stated, alluding to their role in enhancing Klaus''s abilities by five percent, one of the benefits Klaus had gained.


    Following Halo''s instruction, Klaus took a step forward. Halo extended his right hand with his fingers together and pointing upward, while Horns stretched his left hand, his fingers pointing downward. They aligned their palms side by side before pointing them toward Klaus.


    Klaus sensed a fleeting surge enveloping his body for a moment, but otherwise, he felt unchanged. The two Gods then withdrew their hands, and Halo turned away from the demigod.


    "That''s it, you can leave," Halo said to Klaus.


    Horns remained silent for a while before bidding Klaus farewell, reminding him to take care of himself. After that, Klaus left the room, concluding his meeting with the Gods.


    "Do you think disclosing everything to him at this moment was the right decision?" Horns questioned Halo, wondering if it was the right decision for the demigod.


    "I don''t care what the mortal thinks," Halo responded before a brief pause. "But he deserved to know the truth, even if the Gods disagree."


    Once Klaus exited the room, Sage accompanied him back to the Exalted City. Throughout their journey, Klaus remained silent, lost in a sea of thoughts. Sage understood that Klaus''s mind was filled with a multitude of thoughts, both good and less than good. However, he was well aware that it wasn''t his place to sway the demigod''s decisions, so he chose to remain silent. After their trip, Sage wore a reassuring smile as he bid Klaus farewell and returned to the domain of the Gods.


    Alone at the entrance of the Golden Gate, Klaus sank into deep contemplation. He realized that the Gods had used Dominion-over-Creation to compel all the demigods to accept their roles without a real choice of declining, as they couldn''t disobey their creators'' wishes.


    This revelation left Klaus questioning whether he truly wanted to be a demigod and protect others. His entire perspective on reality had shifted drastically, leaving him unsure of his next move.


    Klaus grappled with the idea of returning to Main World where his connections with others might be the result of other influences, making him wonder if he even had any genuine relationships.


    He felt conflicted, torn between the poison of returning to Main World, where he was surrounded by those who had no choice but to care for him, or staying in Higher World, the realm of those who had stripped him of a normal life against his will.


    Ultimately, Klaus believed that, for the time being, the lesser evil was to stay in the Higher World. Being left alone with his thoughts seemed preferable to confronting the people he called his loved ones.


    Picking up his skateboard, Klaus made his way to the apartment building. Navigating the familiar path, he reached his room, entered, and locked the door behind him. He placed his skateboard by the entrance and proceeded further into the room.


    He reclined on his bed, shutting the windows and drawing the blinds, with the room plunged into darkness after he turned off the lights. In the ensuing silence, Klaus gazed at the ceiling, his future uncertain from this point onward.

 #72: A World Below Earth

    A week had gone by since Klaus met with the gods of Order, marking the day of the trip to Under World planned by the Gods for the demigods who made their place in the semi-finals of the Divine Tournament.


    During the days that had passed, Klaus had managed to calm himself and his thoughts on the information he had received seven days prior. The pain eventually began to hurt less as time went by.


    Within those seven days, however, Klaus did not depart from his room even once. He remained sober and lost in his thoughts for so long that he did not even consume food during this period. But his body did not feel like his own.


    Klaus had remained with his thoughts for so long that he tried not to think too much anymore, considering that was all he did all week. Only one thing kept him sane and all he could think about during the last few hours; his concern for Avalon and how she was doing.


    Klaus felt very disappointed in himself after recalling how he had left her that day. Despite his reasoning, it felt very selfish to leave someone the way he did. But despite this, he knew that his feelings for her didn''t matter anymore after learning about the nature of Dominion-over-Creation.


    She was better off without him anyway.


    After what seemed to be an eternity of silence for Klaus without food or slumber, a sound suddenly echoed in his room.


    "Klaus Walker," a voice seemingly belonging to XVII echoed around Klaus'' room. "Your presence is required at the Golden Gate."


    Klaus took a second before managing to get himself off his bed. "Too loud," he muttered, indicating his irritation with the sudden sound after so long of its absence.


    After taking a shower and preparing himself, Klaus finally emerged from his dark solitude and stepped out of his room, perceiving the bright light for the first time in what felt like ages. Due to the nature of his power, the intense light of Higher World had no effect on his vision despite his prolonged absence from it.


    Klaus walked out of the apartment building and headed straight to the Golden Gate. He continued until he arrived at his destination, where he acknowledged the presence of X, Lance, and Arthur, the other demigods granted the blessing to traverse to Under World with him. Sage was also present, indicating that he would be their guide for the trip.


    As Klaus approached, the others turned to him, acknowledging his arrival.


    "Ah, Walker," Lance greeted with a smile. "There you are."


    Lance took a moment to analyze Klaus'' state before continuing, his smile dimming slightly.


    "You seem less healthy than usual," Lance observed. "Is everything okay?"


    Klaus'' expression remained unchanged as he responded, "I guess," he said, continuing closer to the group.


    X noticed Klaus'' strange behavior and lifeless expression, causing him to be slightly surprised, but he ultimately disregarded the situation since he did not care.


    "Welcome, demigods," Sage began after Klaus'' arrival. "I will now explain the procedures you will all follow regarding the trip."


    The demigods remained silent as Sage continued.


    "When you depart from here, you will await the arrival of two demons who will guide you to your expected location. They will be in charge of you during your stay in Under World. Upon your arrival, they will direct you to the hotel where you will stay for the next few hours until you are ready to be received by Nekro at his domain."


    "Nekro?" Arthur asked, his voice filled with shock.


    "That is correct," Sage replied. "Nekro, in case some of you are unfamiliar, is the God and guardian of Under World, similar to how Zenith and Torrent are the Gods of Higher World and Main World respectively. He will guide you as you remain in the world he watches over."


    This news took the demigods by surprise. They had not expected to meet Nekro himself, although it made perfect sense considering they were venturing into his realm.


    Klaus took a moment to recall what Halo and Horns had told him about the generations of Gods. He remembered that Nekro was also the God of fire, making him one of the second generation of Gods.


    A few seconds after Sage had concluded, a valid question arose from one of the demigods.


    "Does this mean you will not accompany us on our travels?" Lance asked Sage.


    "That is correct," Sage confirmed, surprising the demigods even more.


    "Why is that, if I may ask?" Arthur continued after Sage''s response.


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    Sage took a moment before finally addressing the question that all the demigods present had in their minds.


    "Naturally, this is because we Gods do not permit ourselves to traverse to other realms."


    Sage''s brief response did not soften the question-filled eyes present, so he decided to elaborate.


    "Due to the magnitude and potency of our power, we Gods are simply too powerful to exist in multitude in any other world but Higher World. This is because of the mortal status of the beings that were designed to reside in these worlds. If more than a single God exists in any mortal realm, it may have repercussions that could hinder the world itself, but at a minimal scale. However, if more than two Gods are present, it could cause unimaginable instabilities that may put the lives of those who reside there at stake."


    The demigods stood in silence, absorbing the information. This was news to Klaus, but it made sense to him since he had always wondered why the Gods did not travel to the other realms. However, amid his understanding, there were still lingering questions in his mind that felt contradictory to his knowledge.


    "If that''s the case," Klaus began, "then how did all the demigods come to be? Especially considering that we''re all basically around the same age."


    Klaus'' question was valid. It made no sense how the demigods were conceived around the same few months if the Gods did not reside on Main World simultaneously. Stories from his mother also suggested that his father had stayed on Earth for a very long time, so Klaus was almost certain that they did not come in sequences.


    "Well," Sage began, "our power was the most restricting factor against our plans. So, to bypass the obstacle, I devised a plan to nullify our divine powers to an infinitesimal amount, suppressing them to their most possible nonexistence. However, Under World was unfortunately still too feeble to house our presence, which is why we decided to solely proceed with Main World alone. Despite this, we were only able to reside in Main World for approximately a year and a few days before causing severe damage to the realm."


    The demigods listened to Sage''s explanation in utter shock. Klaus hadn''t anticipated such critical thinking, but it made perfect sense now why everything had happened the way it did. However, among all the demigods present, X appeared to be the most taken aback.


    X''s mask hid the lower half of his face, but the visible parts still displayed his utter shock at Sage''s revelations. He stood frozen for a moment before his expression quickly reverted to his usual brusque demeanor.


    "Is there any relevance in our knowledge of these unnecessary stories?" X questioned Sage, breaking the silence. "If not, then we should begin to depart."


    Sage agreed that it was time to depart, promptly dismissing the topic and moving to the transportation podium. He placed his left palm on an elevated portion, initiating the preparations.


    Meanwhile, Lance couldn''t help but feel puzzled by X''s eagerness to avoid the topic.


    "Why are you so against continuing the discussion about our birth, X?" Lance asked, seeking an answer.


    In typical fashion, X ignored the question, keeping his focus on Sage, who was busy with the transportation preparations. Unconvinced by X''s dismissal, Lance persisted.


    As Sage concluded the preparations and stepped back, indicating they were ready to transport, X walked ahead of the group, dismissing Lance once again. Upon walking ahead to the podium, X stopped in his tracks for a second before turning his head slightly to Lance.


    "I don''t owe a response to someone who can easily revoke their beliefs," X said before facing forward and continuing to the podium.


    The silence between the demigods grew heavier as Lance''s expression darkened, realizing what X was referring to. X stepped onto the podium and transported to the designated location.


    A brief silence lingered before Lance followed suit, stepping onto the podium and transporting away. Arthur was next, following his brother a few seconds later. Finally, only Klaus remained, standing alone with his fleeting thoughts.


    Klaus''s mind was a storm of burdensome thoughts. He felt adrift, his sense of purpose muddled, as if he were merely floating along with whatever life handed him. It was a haunting return to his old self, indifferent to everything. Despite this, he walked to the podium, following the other demigods, and teleporting to their prepared destination.


    In what seemed like an eternity compressed into a heartbeat, Klaus opened his eyes to an unfamiliar location. The other demigods were already there, and he quickly realized they had materialized at the corner of a building.


    They glanced around, taking in their surroundings. The night sky blanketed the area, and a biting cold wind swept through. None of the demigods knew where to go or what to do next.


    Klaus took a moment to study their surroundings more closely. The buildings around them were unlike anything on Earth. Their intricate architecture captivated him, and he marveled at their beauty. Additionally, the technology appeared far more advanced than what humans had, a surprising revelation about the demons'' way of life.


    A few demons walked by, strolling about what seemed to be the main pedestrian path, reminiscent of the pathways around where Klaus typically traveled between Main World and Higher World. The demigods began moving towards the road, but Klaus quickly halted them.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea to leave this spot just yet," Klaus said, drawing their attention.


    "And why is that?" Arthur asked.


    "We''re an entirely different race here," Lance interjected, understanding Klaus''s point. "We''d attract too much attention."


    "Exactly," Klaus confirmed. "Imagine how alarming it would be if a demon suddenly appeared on Earth."


    His explanation resonated with the demigods, who decided to stay put for the time being. Although they didn''t know where to go, it seemed wiser to wait until the crowd thinned out before attempting to find their destination.


    A few minutes passed since Klaus''s suggestion, and the demigods suddenly heard footsteps approaching from around the corner. These footsteps sounded closer and more deliberate than the others. They immediately stayed on alert, preparing for whoever was coming their way.


    Suddenly, two demons emerged from around the corner, halting in front of the demigods. One had a masculine appearance, the other feminine. Both had ash-colored skin with a slightly rough texture, and horns protruding from either side of their foreheads, partially covered by their black hair. Their general appearance bore a striking resemblance to Drake.


    The demigods placed their full attention on the two demons who appeared to have planned the meeting between the two parties. The male demon had a straight expression on his face while the female generated a smile after their eyes met with the demigods. And after a few seconds of staring, the female demon finally broke the tense silence that covered the cornered location.


    "Welcome... demigods."

 #73: Twin Demons

    "Greetings... Demigods."


    These words confirmed to Klaus that the two demons before them were the expected guides Sage had mentioned before their departure. The female demon maintained a smile as she addressed the demigods.


    "We were instructed to meet you here and welcome you to our reality," she began, capturing the attention of all the demigods present. After a brief pause, she continued, "Pardon my rudeness for not introducing ourselves sooner."


    Clearing her throat, she added, "My name is Xhin, and this is my twin brother, Jhin. Welcome, once again, to Nyxia."


    As Xhin concluded her introduction, Klaus noticed something odd and unfamiliar, prompting him to question it. "Nyxia?" Klaus asked. "What''s that?"


    Xhin''s smile widened as she turned her attention to Klaus. "Well, similar to how humans refer to the Main World as Earth, we call our reality Nyxia," she explained.


    Her explanation seemed satisfactory to Klaus, who decided not to press further. Noticing his understanding, Xhin smiled warmly at him.


    Before any further conversation could unfold, Jhin spoke up for the first time since their arrival. "If you''re done with the small talk, can we proceed to the destination?"


    Everyone turned to Jhin, who remained stoic and unyielding.


    "Where exactly are we headed?" Arthur asked, curiosity evident in his voice.


    Instead of answering, Jhin turned his attention away and began walking off. Arthur''s expression turned to one of annoyance, which Xhin quickly noticed.


    "I apologize for my brother''s attitude," Xhin said to Arthur. "As for your question, we are to accompany you to a hotel where you will stay temporarily until the preparations for your welcome are completed."


    After her explanation, Xhin bowed slightly and followed her brother. The demigods exchanged glances before following the twin demons.


    As the group made their way to their destination, Klaus took the opportunity to analyze the situation. He observed that it was nighttime in Under World, which was strange considering they had just departed from Higher World at daybreak according to Earth time.


    "I''d expected it to be daytime right now," Klaus mumbled to himself.


    A few meters ahead, Xhin turned her attention back to him as if she had heard his quiet remark despite the distance. "Daytime?" she questioned. "Oh, you mean the time of day."


    Klaus glanced at her as she slowed her pace, momentarily separating from her brother''s side as they continued walking forward.


    "A fun fact about Nyxia is that it is always nighttime," Xhin explained. "Though we don''t really call it that since it¡¯s a permanent state."


    Klaus'' eyes widened briefly upon hearing her explanation. It made sense, considering that Higher World was always daytime and Main World alternated between day and night. It wasn''t entirely surprising that Under World was solely night.


    As he processed this information, Klaus noticed a surge in his powers. He hadn''t realized it earlier, but his speed and the heightened sensation of light particles coursing through him indicated that his abilities were significantly enhanced in Under World. Despite this realization, the increased power felt meaningless to him at the moment.


    "What good ever came from this power I inherited," Klaus thought to himself.


    As they continued walking, Klaus observed their surroundings and the demons guiding them. Based on their appearances and what he knew of Drake, Klaus guessed that Jhin and Xhin were around the same age as the demigods, or perhaps slightly older. However, he wasn''t particularly interested in confirming this detail.


    He also noted the contrasting behaviors of the demons. Jhin seemed strict and aloof, while Xhin appeared more approachable and friendly.


    The walk to their destination was devoid of demon pedestrians, which made sense to Klaus. Their presence would likely seem strange to the mortals residing in this reality.


    After a few more minutes along the empty path, they arrived at a large, luxurious building; the hotel that was to be their temporary residence. The opulence of the place suggested that a significant amount of money had been spent on their accommodations.


    Upon arrival, the demons instructed the demigods to wait outside while they confirmed their bookings and arrangements for separate rooms. After a short wait, the demigods were granted access through a backdoor, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t encounter any civilians as they made their way to their rooms.


    Before Klaus could enter his room, Xhin remembered to relay important information.


    "By the way," Xhin began, "if it isn''t obvious already, I would advise you all to remain in your rooms briefly until summoned."


    This did not seem to be an issue for the demigods, considering they were not exactly close to one another, excluding the Knight brothers.


    As Klaus got into his room, he sat on his bed for a bit, wondering what to do for the brief moment until he was called. He knew he could use the chance to relax, but considering he had only woken up barely an hour prior, he wasn''t exactly craving comfort. And if he was being honest with himself, Klaus definitely did not want to face his thoughts.


    As he rested his back on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a brief moment with his feet still on the ground, Klaus suddenly heard a sound from outside his door. Initially, Klaus ignored the sudden noise, but after a few more seconds, the same sound repeated.


    Klaus immediately began to worry, recognizing the sound as sobbing. A lot of thoughts instantly flew through his head as he was conflicted between obeying the instructions given to him or risking the chance that someone might be in trouble just a few meters away.


    Instinctively, Klaus knew the obvious answer was to aid the person in need, but after only three steps towards the door, Klaus felt that hollow chill once more.


    "Is it really your choice to help people, or are you just a slave to your genetics?"


    Klaus'' thoughts felt like they were getting the best of him. Suddenly, he was unsure if helping was truly what he desired despite his instincts. However, Klaus decided to ignore his thoughts and live on autopilot, allowing his body to choose what to do.


    As Klaus roamed the floor in search of the sound, he realized that it was coming from farther away than he had thought. It had felt like the sound was just outside his door, but as he continued to follow it after leaving his room, he recognized the intensity of his heightened powers in Under World, allowing him to hear cries from so far away. Finally, Klaus reached the location of the source of the noise.


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    As Klaus turned the corner, he was met with a young demon girl in a dress. The girl appeared to be about six or seven years old in human age, but since he was unsure of how demons aged, he didn''t want to assume. The girl had her hands around her eyes, but after hearing Klaus'' footsteps, she immediately looked up, locking eyes with the demigod.


    Klaus, upon locking eyes with the little girl, immediately grew cautious as he realized he was not supposed to be seen, especially by a child. The young girl focused on Klaus for a brief moment, staring at him with confusion. Before she could say anything, Klaus stretched his hands forward, pointing his palms at her before finally breaking the brief silence.


    "Calm down," Klaus whispered. "Whatever you do, don''t scream."


    Klaus'' worry was understandable since the girl making a scene would draw unnecessary attention to him, which he naturally despised. But to his surprise, upon hearing his statement, the young girl responded calmly.


    "I won''t," the girl said. "It''s fine."


    Klaus'' reaction changed immediately from concern to confusion. The girl''s nonchalance was extremely odd to him, despite the fact that it was what he had wanted from her.


    "Are you sure?" Klaus asked. "You''re not frightened?"


    "Why would I be?" the girl replied. "I do admit that it is quite strange to encounter a human for the first time, but your existence isn''t awe-inspiring."


    Klaus was genuinely stunned and had nothing to say. He immediately retracted his hands and maintained a natural stance as he witnessed the young girl speak fluently and clearly despite her appearance.


    "However," the girl continued with a curious expression, "I truly am curious how you were able to make it to Nyxia, since I don''t think I''ve heard of any encounters with humans before."


    As Klaus relaxed himself, he decided to respond to the girl.


    "I''m here on a trip with a few of my... allies," Klaus said. "It should be the first time a human has traversed your world, so it makes sense why you haven''t heard about it before. Though I don''t think being called a human is completely accurate."


    Despite his words being somewhat complex for a child, Klaus saw the girl immediately understand him and continue the conversation.


    "Your last statement," the girl said. "Care to elaborate?"


    "Well," Klaus replied, "I''m only half human since I''m a demigod."


    "Interesting," the girl responded, staring at him critically in astonishment. "I couldn''t tell."


    "You believe me?" Klaus asked. "Even as ridiculous as that sounds?"


    Klaus was genuinely baffled by how the girl was not fazed by his statement. But as he thought about it, the girl proceeded to confirm his theory, understanding why Klaus had made his recent statement.


    "Well, every demon is already aware of the existence of all the gods, and we all worship and respect Lord Nekro as the guardian of our realm. So your existence makes a lot of sense, especially since you somehow managed to make it here to Nyxia. Though I am guessing you are not really aware of that knowledge?"


    Klaus was honestly impressed. He didn''t bother anymore trying to treat the girl like a child since she was clearly wise enough to understand so much.


    "One more question, though," the girl suddenly said to Klaus. "How is it that you are able to communicate with and understand Nyxian fluently?"


    Klaus took a second to understand what the girl meant before he realized her statement. He had subconsciously ignored the fact that he had just had a full conversation with another species using basically the exact same language. This felt odd to him at first, but the girl''s question seemed to make things clearer.


    "I''m guessing Nyxian is what you call the language you''re currently speaking, right?" Klaus asked.


    "Is it not what you would call it as well?" the demon girl responded with curiosity.


    "Not really," Klaus replied. "Back in Main World, we call what I''m currently speaking English."


    "Eng... lish," the girl said with further curiosity after hearing Klaus'' words. "Interesting."


    "There are many other languages, though," Klaus continued. "Is that not the case here as well?"


    "Not really," the girl replied. "To be sincere, I do not see the necessity of that since it may cause division between us."


    "That''s fair... I guess," Klaus replied, stunned by how accurately the girl had explained the complexity of multiple languages on Earth.


    Klaus was very impressed by the girl and how smart she was despite being so young. It made him very curious if this was just how every demon truly was at that age, and if they were just mentally superior to the human race. This made a lot of sense to him after he had seen the buildings around the area and how beautiful he thought the interior of the hotel was compared to everywhere he had been back on Earth.


    After his brief moment of thought, Klaus immediately remembered the reason he had met the girl in the first place: her sobbing. He told the girl that he had heard her crying, which was why he had approached her.


    The young demon girl explained that her mother had instructed her to meet her in the hotel, but she had been searching for her for hours without success. She admitted that she was frustrated and probably deserved it since she had pridefully told her mother she didn''t need any help finding her way.


    Klaus was puzzled by how dangerous it seemed for a parent to allow such a young girl to move around without a guardian. However, he decided not to pry into the ethics of the demon race and ignored his concerns. Instead, he offered to help the girl find her mother. The girl smiled with appreciation upon hearing his offer.


    Despite his positive experience with the girl, Klaus still didn''t want to be seen by any more demons, so he remained out of sight. He had offered to help the girl only to act as a guardian until she found her mother.


    As they continued searching, the girl apologized for not formally introducing herself and then did so. She introduced herself as Jinx, and Klaus introduced himself in return.


    After a brief moment, Jinx''s eyes widened upon seeing her mother, who had walked out of her room, concerned about the time it had taken her daughter. Jinx rushed to her mother and hugged her, and her mother did the same upon seeing her child. Jinx apologized for taking longer than expected and explained that she had received help from a very unfamiliar person. As she turned to introduce her mother to her new strange friend, Klaus was nowhere to be seen.


    Klaus, back in his room, stared at the ceiling above his bed, having already made himself comfortable once he realized Jinx had found her mother. He was still haunted by the idea of being alone with his thoughts, so he desperately awaited the call from the twin demons for their departure.


    A few minutes later, Klaus heard a knock on his door. As he got up and opened it, he was met by Jhin, who stared at him with a straight expression.


    "It''s time," Jhin said before walking away to gather the other demigods.


    Klaus watched Jhin for a moment as he continued down the hallway. Jhin''s attitude was arrogant, but it didn''t matter to Klaus since he didn''t care enough. Eventually, all the demigods were summoned, and they regrouped.


    As the group gathered, Xhin headed to the receptionist, instructing the demigods to wait for her return. After a brief exchange at the front desk, she returned and beckoned the demigods to follow her.


    "What¡¯s happening?" Arthur asked, voicing the question on everyone''s mind.


    "Well," Xhin began, "since the facility is quite far from here, it would be best to use the teleportation pod to get there."


    "Teleportation pod?" Lance echoed.


    "That¡¯s correct," Xhin replied. "Though it''s not exactly teleportation. The device allows for transportation over long distances by dematerializing a person''s body, moving them through cables, and then rematerializing them at the destination. It¡¯s not instant, but it¡¯s very effective."


    "That sounds painful," Lance remarked.


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry," Xhin reassured with a smile. "It¡¯s completely safe and harmless."


    After a bit more convincing, the group made their way to the teleportation pod in the hotel. The absence of other civilians in the area made it easier for the demigods to prepare for transportation. Jhin approached the system and confirmed their destination. With preparations complete, the group was transported.


    Upon arrival, the demigods took a moment to ensure nothing odd had occurred during the transportation. As Klaus looked up, he was met by multiple demons who greeted them with bows. The demigods felt a bit uneasy but followed Jhin and Xhin as they led the way into the building.


    Klaus observed the various demons, all dressed uniformly, moving around the facility, confirming they were workers. This surprised him as it indicated that the demons were assisting the gods who guarded their reality. For a moment, Klaus wondered if it was the same back in Main World since he had never met its guarding god. He dismissed his thoughts as the group stopped in front of a large door.


    Jhin and Xhin opened the massive door, and the demigods walked in, meeting a certain figure. The force enveloping the area felt different. It was less aggressive but it clearly indicated a divine presence. As the demigods gazed at the divine being ahead, he gradually turned his attention to them.


    "The God of Fire and the Guardian of Under World," Klaus thought to himself before whispering the name he was already familiar with.


    "Nekro."

 #74: The Guardian of Under World

    Nekro, the God of Fire and the Guardian of the Under World. He had a resemblance to the other Gods as expected, but his vermilion-spiky hair set him apart distinctly. He also donned a suit of armor, and a pendant with a green jewel at its center hung around his neck, adding another unique touch to his appearance.


    Klaus, Arthur, X, and Lance all glanced ahead as Nekro turned his attention to them. Immediately, Jhin and Xhin dropped to their knees as they positioned themselves at the side of the demigods.


    "The demigods have arrived, Your Majesty," Jhin announced, his eyes closed and his head facing the ground beneath him alongside his sister. A second elapsed before he then continued.


    "The son of Flage, the God of Hunting, X Woods. The son of Sol, the God of Light, Klaus Walker. And the sons of Siege, the God of War, Lance Knight, and Arthur Knight."


    Jhin''s announcement had a weight attached to it as the demigods immediately felt the importance of the situation. The gesture felt extremely formal, which made sense to Klaus. If not for parental connections, the weight of being in the face of a real god had so much meaning that he had become so used to it over the months that had passed.


    After the announcement from Jhin, Nekro''s full attention was on the demigods. Gradually, he got up from the throne he was seated on as he walked closer to his guests. The silence lasted the entire duration that the God walked closer, making the aura of the situation more tense. And as Nekro finally arrived ahead of the demigods, he spoke.


    "Welcome, nephews."


    Immediately Nekro''s words flew out of his mouth, and every demigod present dropped to their knees within a second. Klaus'' eyes widened upon noticing the sudden action by his body. He could not explain the feeling, but it was clear that Nekro''s presence was not any less than the other Gods. This also made sense to Klaus considering that Nekro was ranked as a second-generation God according to Halo''s declaration the week prior.


    As Nekro realized the force implied by his statement on the demigods, he immediately softened his presence, allowing them to regain control of their bodies.


    "Apologies," Nekro said, growing a warm smile. "It seems I am still very unfamiliar with mitigating my presence."


    The demigods gradually got up on their feet as Nekro walked closer and placed his palms on the opposite shoulders of Klaus and X, with Arthur and Lance between the two demigods, before strengthening his smile.


    "I am so glad to finally meet you all," Nekro said, his pupil-less eyes glancing at all of them, giving more intimidation than his actions.


    Nekro''s presence felt very warm to Klaus, and the kindness in his voice was undeniable. This came as a surprise to Klaus, considering he had not expected such hospitality from the God of Under World.


    Nekro''s words felt so warm as he continued to welcome the demigods, maintaining his smile at them. This made Klaus realize that though he had not been in Under World for long, the realm had already proven him completely wrong for all the expectations he had before arriving. He slightly dissed all the knowledge he had consumed from television over the years before returning his attention to the deity ahead of him.


    After a few more seconds of greeting, Nekro suddenly changed his expression as he softened his smile before continuing with the demigods.


    "Apologies, nephews," Nekro stated. "It would seem that this is all the time I could muster for this meeting."


    Nekro''s statement brought confusion to the demigods before he continued to explain.


    "My duties require my consistent presence," Nekro explained. "But I wanted to make sure that I could make time to see you all, which is why it took longer to prepare for your arrival."


    This explanation made sense to Klaus and the other demigods. Nekro just wanted to make sure that he was able to meet with them, and although his presence was seemingly going to be short, his words explained the effort he had made to make it even possible.


    "I hope you all can understand," Nekro then continued, his expression remaining dim as he glanced at the demigods.


    Klaus and the others then nodded in understanding, realizing that Nekro''s presence was urgent and he needed to be somewhere else. Noticing this action, Nekro returned his smile before he continued.


    "I do hope that we will meet again soon in the near future, nephews. And I am glad to see that you are doing well now."


    Klaus felt like Nekro''s final statement was individually directed to one of them, but he decided not to over-analyze the situation. Nekro then turned his attention to Jhin and Xhin before continuing.


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    "Be sure to give my nephews a tour around the facility," Nekro said to the demon twins.


    "Yes, my lord," Jhin responded, with him and his sister remaining in their knelt state.


    After everything, Nekro proceeded to grow his massive wings before completely vanishing from their sight in an instant.


    A few seconds after Nekro''s departure elapsed before Jhin and Xhin arose from their bowing state. Jhin then immediately turned around and walked towards the door, passing the demigods without saying anything. Xhin then gradually walked towards the door before turning to the demigods and telling them to follow her and her brother.


    The demigods followed the demon twins around the facility and Xhin began to explain what exactly the facility was.


    "This facility is the most important location in all of Under World," Xhin began. "It is because this is where we operate to protect and maintain souls."


    "Souls?" Lance asked.


    "You may all already know this..." Xhin started. "...but other than being the Guardian of Under World and the God of Fire, Lord Nekro is also the God of Death and Souls."


    "That explains his name," Klaus whispered to himself.


    Despite whispering, Xhin seemed to have heard Klaus'' statement, causing her to turn her attention to him instinctively. With this, the two unintentionally locked eyes with each other.


    Noticing that Klaus'' bright yellow eyes were staring back at her, Xhin''s expression immediately changed as she instantly turned her face away in slight embarrassment. But before she could refocus on where she was going, she accidentally tripped on herself, causing her to fall forward.


    However, before Xhin could fall to the ground ahead of her, her falling motion suddenly stopped as she came in contact with a certain solid object that appeared ahead of her. Everything happened so fast for her so she took a moment to understand what had happened. As she stared forward to look at what had broken her fall, Xhin was met once again with Klaus, who stood ahead of her and held her in place.


    Once again, Xhin locked eyes with Klaus who stared back at her in concern after noticing that she had tripped. Upon realizing what was happening initially, Klaus used his speed to get ahead of Xhin to stop her from falling to the ground and getting hurt.


    "You okay?" Klaus asked Xhin as he continued to stare at her and hold her in place, with Xhin having her body slightly leaned forward onto his.


    Xhin remained silent as she stared back at Klaus, visibly unable to return a response to his question. This caused Klaus to realize that Xhin''s gaze on him was not one of thankfulness for assisting her, but rather something more. The realization returned a dimmer expression on Klaus'' face as it immediately reminded him of the existence of Dominion-over-Creation in him, which was what was causing the demon girl to be speechless.


    This caused Klaus to let out a sigh before removing himself from Xhin''s body as well as his gaze from hers as he moved to the side. He then stretched out his left hand at Xhin, revealing what appeared to be a pen as he handed it to her.


    Xhin managed to snap back to reality after realizing that this was her pen and that it had probably fallen from her pocket after she had tripped. Her awe after witnessing the sheer speed at which Klaus had moved also began to soften as she began to recall the presence of his divine genetics.


    "T-Thank you," Xhin managed to word out as she stretched her hand out to recover her pen from Klaus'' hand.


    "Just keep moving," Klaus then stated after a frustrated sigh as he returned the pen and moved to the other demigods as they walked closer to the two.


    "R-Right, haha" Xhin responded as she awkwardly smiled at Klaus before turning her attention forward.


    Jhin, upon realizing what was happening, had a distasteful expression, but it did not seem like he cared too much, especially considering his expression had been the same since the demigods arrived.


    "Uhh... a-as I was saying..." Xhin then finally continued after the situation. "Here at the facility, we are tasked to guard and protect that which Lord Nekro owns. And one of them is the Gate of Hollow Point."


    As Xhin concluded her statement, she led the demigods into a strange room behind her brother. The group walked into the room as they witnessed a few demons roaming around the room. But at the center of the room was a massive gate that towered over everything and was concealed behind a translucent barrier. The demigods stared in awe at the towering gate, completely bewildered and unaware of its divine nature.


    "This..." Xhin began after a few seconds elapsed, "is the Gate of Hollow Point."

 #75: Realm of Souls

    The chamber reverberated with the sounds of multiple demons bustling about, casting an eerie atmosphere as the demigods surveyed their surroundings in hushed awe.


    Xhin''s declaration that they were in a profoundly significant location rang true, evident by the solemn expressions of the demigods.


    After a long pause, Jhin turned to Xhin, silently prompting her to elaborate further on their whereabouts.


    "Please pardon my interruption," Xhin began, clearing her throat before proceeding. "Hollow Point, unlike the conventional realms of Under and Main World, stands as a unique domain. While those worlds cater to sentient mortal beings, Hollow Point serves as a realm where souls undergo purification and reincarnation."


    The demigods remained spellbound, absorbing Xhin''s words as she paused momentarily before continuing.


    "When a mortal perishes in either world, their soul is expelled from their mortal vessel and transported to this realm. Here, the soul undergoes a thorough cleansing, purging all remnants of its past life before it awaits rebirth as a new entity."


    Klaus'' eyes widened in astonishment at Xhin''s revelation, mirroring the incredulity of his fellow demigods.


    "Although we are entrusted with safeguarding this sacred sanctuary," Xhin added, her tone solemn, "the demons within this facility hold no dominion over the souls. They merely serve as guardians, vigilant against any potential disruptions, however improbable."


    Klaus found himself genuinely taken aback by the revelation of such a realm. His mind buzzed with a myriad of questions, yet before he could voice them, a familiar voice broke the silence.


    "Based on your explanation..." Lance''s voice cut through the air, the weight of his inquiry palpable. "Does this mean that every soul, regardless of its actions in life, meets the same fate in the end?"


    Xhin''s response of confirmation only served to deepen the demigods'' astonishment.


    "If that''s the case..." Lance continued, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Then where is the justice in virtue and heroism?"


    His question hung heavily in the air, prompting mental agreement from the other demigods.


    "This is the information the Gods have imparted to us," Xhin explained, her tone measured. "I cannot speak to its inherent fairness or lack thereof."


    "But to suggest that a murderer and their victim share the same destiny..." Arthur interjected, his voice incredulous. "It defies all logic."


    Xhin''s expression softened, recognizing the disappointment etched on the demigods'' faces. Yet, before the conversation could delve deeper, a faint giggle pierced the quiet.


    All eyes turned to Jhin, who composed himself before addressing the group.


    "Such concerns are unique to you humans," Jhin began, his tone somber. "While demons may experience conflict, we are strangers to the concept of war. It is why intentional murders among demons have been nonexistent for eons."


    A heavy silence descended upon the demigods as Jhin''s words sank in.


    "Demons do not perish by the hand of another," he continued, his gaze steady. "So the idea of universal destiny holds a different weight for humanity than it does for us."


    A heavy silence enveloped the room as Jhin''s words sank in, leaving the demigods and even his sister stunned by the harsh reality he presented. Yet amidst the speechless gathering, one voice dared to break the oppressive stillness.


    "This is the consequence of entrusting souls to demons," X''s voice cut through the quiet, his words carrying a sharp edge that left no room for interpretation.


    All eyes turned to X, his statement ringing with undeniable truth and a hint of accusation. Jhin''s expression darkened at the blunt accusation, though he refrained from acknowledging X directly.


    "So, the silent one finds his voice at last," Jhin retorted, his tone laced with anger, though he refused to meet X''s gaze.


    Klaus'' eyes widened upon hearing the statement made, but before anyone could react, X moved with startling speed, closing the distance between him and Jhin in a second. Gripping the demon by the neck, X lifted him effortlessly off the ground, his eyes ablaze with fury as Jhin grunted in slight pain.


    "Speak to me like that again," X''s voice dripped with menace, " and you''ll find yourself as the next entry to this realm of souls you oversee."


    A profound silence settled over the room, along with the other demons who were at work. The demigods, realizing the futility of intervening, remained silent witnesses to the confrontation unfolding before them.


    Xhin''s panic was palpable as she grasped the gravity of the situation and the escalating tension between the two. Her timid demeanor betrayed her uncertainty, unsure how to diffuse the growing hostility.


    "P-Please, let''s not resort to violence," Xhin pleaded, her voice quivering as X continued to hold her brother aloft.


    X surveyed the room, noticing the eyes fixed upon him. While he typically paid little heed to such, the unfamiliarity of their surroundings and his reverence for the Gods compelled him to rein in his temper. With a steely resolve, he tossed Jhin to the ground before striding toward the exit.


    "Pathetic," X muttered before storming out, his anger evident in his every step.


    With X''s departure, Jhin composed himself, adjusting his shirt with a nonchalant air, as if the altercation had never occurred.


    "As I was saying," Jhin resumed, seamlessly picking up from his previous statement, "a soul reflects the life it lived. However, there are rare instances where a soul is too corrupted to be cleansed."


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    With that, Jhin motioned out, expecting the demigods to follow him to another room. They hesitated for a moment before trailing after him, Xhin among them. As they traversed the corridors, a sense of apprehension lingered, foreshadowing the ordeal awaiting them in the chamber ahead.


    As Klaus strode into the room flanked by Arthur and Lance, an oppressive atmosphere enveloped them. Unlike the previous chamber, no demons were bustling about, their absence heightening the sense of foreboding. But it was the imposing gate at the room''s center that seized Klaus''s attention.


    The gate loomed ominously, its blood-red hue adorned with sinister black designs¡ªa sight that resonated with Klaus''s true understanding of demonic artifacts.


    "Such heat..." Lance''s voice was a hushed murmur, echoing Arthur''s discomfort at the sudden temperature rise.


    "This..." Jhin''s voice pierced the tension, drawing all eyes to the colossal structure, "... is the Gate of Hell."


    Klaus couldn''t tear his gaze from the horrifying gate, its aura pulsating with undeniable malevolence.


    "This serves as the sole recourse for irredeemably corrupt souls," Jhin elaborated. "However, to my knowledge, only the monster race finds reprieve here."


    "Monsters?" Arthur interjected, his disbelief evident.


    "Indeed," Xhin affirmed, supporting her brother''s assertion.


    The revelation sent a chill through the demigods, Klaus included. While they were aware of the ancient existence of the monster race, the notion that their tainted souls persisted¡ªeven after Siege''s purges¡ªunderscored the depths of their depravity.


    Amidst his swirling thoughts, Klaus was struck by a question that ignited his curiosity further. It was a poignant inquiry, one that begged clarification on the existence of Hell itself.


    "Why do the Gods keep the tainted souls instead of simply smiting them?" Klaus''s query echoed in the chamber, capturing the attention of all present.


    Lance and Arthur immediately nodded in agreement, signaling their shared interest in the answer, while Jhin and Xhin exchanged knowing glances.


    "Because," Jhin began after a moment of contemplation, "as omnipotent as the Gods are, there is only one power beyond their grasp: absolute destruction."


    The demigods'' expressions morphed into astonishment at this revelation. Despite their divine heritage, they had never fathomed the absence of such a fundamental power within the Gods'' arsenal. Undeterred by their surprise, Jhin pressed on with his explanation, recognizing their ignorance on the matter.


    "While the Gods also possess the ability to reshape and manipulate, including dematerializing souls, it is not conducive for tainted ones. The essence of a soul defines the very essence of its bearer. Reusing a corrupted creation would only spawn further monstrosities in different vessels."


    A heavy silence settled over the room, punctuated only by the weight of the newfound knowledge. Klaus and his companions grappled with the implications of Jhin''s revelations, unsure of how to process the deluge of information. Jhin, observing their perplexity, sighed softly, acknowledging the gravity of their ignorance.


    "The demigods'' unawareness of this is concerning," Jhin remarked somberly.


    Jhin''s stark observation, though jolting, struck a chord with Klaus, prompting him to confront his ignorance regarding divine matters. He realized that such revelations would likely be news to most, if not all, of the other demigods. However, amid this collective ignorance, Klaus couldn''t help but recall one exception.


    "If I may ask, what about Ash Brimstone?" Klaus interjected, mindful of Ash''s unique status as the sole non-human among them, residing in Under World.


    Jhin''s sigh in response to Klaus''s question hinted at its seeming randomness, yet Xhin, less preoccupied with the topic of Hell, welcomed the diversion.


    "He resides not far from here," Xhin offered, her tone lightening. "I can guide you to his abode if you wish."


    "Sure, I guess," Klaus replied with a hint of uncertainty to Xhin''s proposal.


    Lance and Arthur showed no opposition to the change in plans, indicating their willingness to join. Despite X''s absence, even if he were present, they knew he wouldn''t have participated in their change of plans.


    Upon leaving the room, Xhin suggested they explore the facility a bit while awaiting departure preparations. Klaus found this suggestion perplexing but decided not to inquire further, intrigued by the opportunity to learn more about their surroundings.


    After some solo exploration, Klaus reunited with the other demigods when called back. Together, they were summoned to the facility''s entrance to embark on their departure.


    Accompanied by the demon twins and a few guards, Klaus, Arthur, and Lance commenced their journey towards Ash''s residence. Klaus understood the need for the guards; their presence aimed to minimize any undue attention, considering they were outsiders in this realm.


    After a brisk walk, they reached a colossal fence flanked by a magnificent gate. Klaus marveled at the opulence evident even from a distance. The fence stretched far, obscuring the boundaries of the estate.


    Several structures dotted the landscape beyond the gate, but one stood out unmistakably as the main residence. Following Xhin''s explanation, they passed through the gate and headed toward the grand building.


    The main building loomed large and exuded opulence, but what truly captured the demigods'' attention was a colossal dragon sculpture adorning its roof. Its presence added an ethereal charm to the already impressive structure. Yet, as they drew closer, Klaus noticed something peculiar.


    As they approached the main building, the assumed dragon sculpture unexpectedly stirred, its eyes snapping open at the sound of their footsteps. With a mighty stretch, it emerged from its apparent slumber, revealing its living, breathing form.


    Klaus''s heart raced as the majestic creature growled, fixing its gaze on the group. His status as an unfamiliar visitor only heightened the tension, evident in the creature''s hostile stare.


    Before the dragon could act, Xhin stepped forward, extending her hands towards the beast, which loomed above them from the rooftop.


    "Easy, Droxys," Xhin soothed, her calm demeanor calming the creature''s agitation. Recognizing her, the dragon relaxed, settling back into its position and closing its eyes, attempting to return to its slumber.


    "What the heck!" Lance exclaimed, still reeling from the encounter.


    Xhin''s smile remained undiminished. "Massive, isn''t it?" she remarked, clearly thrilled by the dragon''s presence.


    "More like terrifyingly alive," Lance replied, his disbelief palpable.


    "Of course it is," Xhin chuckled. "It is the largest dragon in Nyxia too."


    Sensing the demigods'' apprehension, Xhin''s excitement waned, replaced by a realization that their reaction wasn''t quite as enthusiastic as hers.


    CONVERSATION


    Xhin: Do you not have dragons in Main World, perhaps?


    Lance: If we don''t count dragonflies or Komodo dragons, I would say no, we don''t have any.


    Xhin: Interesting... Then what creatures do humans typically keep as pets?


    Lance: Perhaps animals such as dogs and cats.


    Xhin expressed a stunned face upon hearing Lance''s statement.


    Xhin: Do such creatures truly exist in your land? I always thought they were mythical creatures.


    Upon hearing Xhin''s excitement, Klaus speculated that mythical creatures, known to humans, might exist in the Under World and vice versa, suggesting a divergence in creature types between the two realms.


    "Fascinating," Xhin mused, her curiosity piqued. "I''d be intrigued to delve deeper into the realm of humans and their world."


    As the doors of the building swung open, the demigods were ushered inside.


    They lingered in the entryway momentarily before a woman emerged from the main door leading further into the house. Klaus was swed by the woman who was adorned with all sorts of luxurious jewelry. However, before he and the other demigods could fully register her presence, the sound of kneeling demons reverberated behind them.


    Turning to investigate, Klaus observed every demon, including Jhin and Xhin, dropping to their knees in deference. Confusion etched across his features until the demon twins spoke in unison.


    "Good day, my Queen."

 #76: Games of Champions

    Klaus basked in the presence of the woman before him, adorned in luxury and wealth. Her silver hair cascaded down her shoulders, with her horns just barely visible beneath the flowing locks. The beauty of the demon was unparalleled by anyone he had seen since his arrival.


    "The Queen..." he thought, immediately recognizing the woman''s significance at a mere glance.


    For a split second, he wondered¡ªif she was called a Queen, did that mean she was the Queen of Nyxia? If that were true, she would be the sole Queen of the Under World, as Nyxia was the only unified region in the entire realm. This realization made her title far more important than he had initially imagined.


    Another thought struck Klaus almost immediately. If this woman owned the home, then she must be Ash''s mother. If so, she would also be the wife of the God of the realm he was traversing. This meant Ash was royalty, the prince of Nyxia.


    Klaus briefly found the idea amusing¡ªhis perception of Ash Brimstone seemed to elevate with each new piece of information about his fellow demigod. He then returned his attention to the scene unfolding before him.


    As the woman stopped ahead of the demigods, they all focused their attention on her. She returned a warm smile and bowed her head slightly toward them.


    "Welcome to Nyxia, demigods. And welcome to my humble abode," she began. "My name is Shynx, and I am the Queen of Nyxia."


    Klaus'' intuition was confirmed as Shynx continued to address them.


    "Please come in, we have been expecting you," she said, turning to walk back into the house with her maidens flanking her.


    The demigods took a brief moment before following Shynx into the main room of the house, leaving the demons who had escorted them behind. Klaus was impressed by the interior of the home, which followed the theme of beauty he had experienced since his arrival in Under World. The maidens accompanying the Queen guided the demigods to their seats, with Shynx sitting ahead of them shortly after.


    "Apologies," Shynx began after a moment, "I assume you are all here for my son, correct?"


    Klaus and the others nodded.


    "Yes, well... unfortunately, he is currently not available," Shynx confessed. "In fact, he is currently off-world."


    "Off-world?" Lance asked, surprised by the Queen''s statement.


    "That is correct," Shynx confirmed. "He is currently performing urgent duties with his father that require his attention for a while."


    This news was slightly shocking to Klaus as well. He wondered what world exactly Ash was in at that moment, but he decided not to press the matter further, choosing to keep his curiosity to himself.


    After a brief moment of silence, Shynx smiled softly at the demigods before addressing them again.


    "On a separate matter, I hope you all are enjoying your stay in our humble world?" she asked. The demigods nodded in response.


    She inquired when they would be returning to their world. They admitted they were unsure. Shynx then insisted that she wanted them to fully enjoy the rest of their stay in Nyxia before worrying about their next steps.


    "I heard from my husband that you all have been working hard to grow your power and hone your skills as demigods," Shynx said. "I am truly impressed by your determination to protect mortal lives, so I would like to arrange a grand gesture for you all."


    With her last statement, Shynx had an idea to enhance the demigods'' experience.


    "Oh..." Shynx began. "How about a brief sparring session with the champions of Nyxia?" She turned to one of the maidens on her left. "When is the Games of Champions expected to be held?"


    "Not for another two months, my lady," the woman responded swiftly.


    "I see," Shynx replied, deep in thought about what to do next.


    She took a few seconds to contemplate before finally speaking.


    "It seems I will need to make a royal exception on this matter," Shynx said, turning her attention back to the demigods. "Would you all be interested in participating in a brief sparring session with our champions? I will request the top contestants from last year to participate, and I will arrange everything to be ready by tomorrow."


    Klaus was surprised by how quickly she could organize such an event, but given her status as Queen, it made sense.


    "That sounds like a splendid idea to me," Lance said with a smile.


    "I completely agree, brother," Arthur added, eager to see what challenge the event had to offer.


    While the sons of the God of War always enjoyed the call for battle, Klaus was not as enthusiastic. He wanted to get stronger to protect the people he cared about, but his current predicament had dimmed that ideal slightly. Nonetheless, Klaus knew that declining such a request from someone so important would be rude, so he decided to participate.


    "I am not against the idea as well," Klaus said a few seconds after Arthur''s statement.


    Shynx beamed at their responses. "Excellent, I will begin the preparations immediately." She continued, "I will also arrange for the event to be private, with no audience, to reduce any unnecessary attention to your presence. If you do not mind."


    "That is fine with us," Arthur replied, unbothered by the proposal.


    "Perfect," Shynx said before turning to the maiden on her right and whispering in the woman''s ear. She then returned her attention to the demigods. "While we prepare for the event, I would like to offer one of our guest homes for you all to relax in until then if you would like."


    The demigods nodded in appreciation as Shynx explained that her maidens would escort them to the house where they would stay temporarily. She also mentioned that she had duties to attend to in Nyxia, so she would have to depart for the day. The demigods understood and expressed their gratitude for her kindness. With that, the Queen departed for her duties, leaving a few maidens behind to usher the demigods to their assigned place of stay.


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    As the demigods exited the main home, they were met once again by Jhin and Xhin, along with the other accompanying demons. The maidens tasked with guiding the demigods to their temporary residence informed the demons that they were free to depart for the day.


    Xhin seemed a bit disappointed that she couldn''t assist further, but her brother''s actions showed he felt quite the opposite. Jhin was the first to leave, followed by the other demons. After a moment, Xhin joined the crowd and departed as well.


    Klaus, along with the Knight brothers, was soon ushered to a guest home a good distance from the main house. Despite the ever-present darkness, it was late, and Klaus had no intention of doing anything else, so he headed straight to bed.


    Immediately upon entering the room, he locked the door and moved to the bed. He lay down in his usual manner, head up and eyes staring at the ceiling above him.


    He was still fearful of his thoughts and aware that if he indulged them, he might not be able to stop himself from having less-than-good ones. With this in mind, he decided to force himself to sleep immediately, hoping to avoid traversing that perilous field of thought altogether.


    The next day arrived sooner than Klaus had expected. Maybe it was because he had skipped proper sleep for a while, but for the first time in a week, he felt more rested than usual.


    As requested, Klaus was guided to the bathroom by the housemaidens, where he took a long shower before brushing his teeth and doing his hair. After finishing his freshening up process, he noticed that his clothes had already been cleaned and neatly placed in front of the bathroom for him. The speed and efficiency made him ponder just how advanced the technology in the Under World was.


    Once ready, Klaus regrouped with Lance and Arthur, and the demigods were guided to the arena where the Games of Champions were typically held. Klaus was taken aback by the venue''s immense size, realizing how seriously the event was regarded.


    "The Games of Champions is one of the most important events here in Nyxia," a voice said from behind.


    Klaus turned to see Xhin waving hello, accompanied by her brother. Considering that they had been tasked by Nekro to watch over the demigods while they resided in Under World, their presence made sense to Klaus.


    "Combat is one of the most entertaining forms of media here," Xhin continued. "Because we do not hold murderous intent, battles are typically triumphant for us. It is a form of enjoyment."


    This made total sense to Klaus, especially upon recalling Drake''s presence during the Cosmic League and his thrill of battle against Lance. Klaus had also figured out by this point that Drake was potentially the demonic side of Ash, which made a lot of sense based on appearance. Though he knew there was more to it, as usual, he didn''t care enough to request any answers.


    Soon enough, the demigods, along with the demon twins, were guided to the main hall of the building. Upon entering, they were immediately confronted by a group of demons who appeared to be in peak physical condition. It was evident from their build and demeanor that these demons were highly skilled in combat, likely the champions Shynx had mentioned. However, one demon stood out from the rest, clearly a bigger deal than his peers.


    As the demigods approached, this particular demon stepped forward from the crowd. He stopped in front of them, glancing them over from head to toe before bursting into laughter, clearly amused by their appearance.


    "I assumed you all would be older," the demon said with a smirk. "This should be entertaining."


    The other demons behind him joined in the laughter, mocking the demigods for their youthful appearance. Klaus observed the demon more closely, noting his impressive physique and realizing that this must be the main champion.


    The demon returned to his crew, who continued to joke about being summoned to brawl with what they perceived as mere children, speculating if it was some kind of test from their Queen.


    "As you can tell, those are the top eight contestants from the previous Games of Champions," Xhin explained, her expression dimmer than usual.


    "And the delusional one just now?" Arthur asked, referring to the demon who had approached them.


    "That would be Hex," Xhin replied. "He is the current champion, having won the entire event six times in a row."


    Upon hearing this, Lance smiled broadly.


    "Then this should be an elegant battle," he said, his excitement palpable.


    The demigods were eventually ushered into the arena, following the demons who were expected to participate. As they stood in the center of the stage, the voice of a demoness echoed from the sidelines, away from the battlefield, and towards the contestants.


    "Greetings, everyone," the unfamiliar woman began. "By the Queen''s request, I will be the instructor and coordinator of this brief event."


    She paused briefly before continuing.


    "I am sure you were expecting Her Grace''s presence, but unfortunately, urgent matters require her attention. Therefore, she will not be present for this exhibition."


    The demigods understood that Shynx was a busy woman, so they were completely okay with her absence. With this out of the way, the instructor then advanced to the next topic.


    "Now," she began, "you may begin the battles however you desire."


    Upon hearing this, Lance smiled and stepped forward, his anticipation evident.


    "In that case," Lance began, "I would like to fight them all myself first."


    Arthur''s expression instantly changed as he darted his eyes towards his brother.


    "Absolutely not," Arthur exclaimed. "I will be the first one to battle them instead."


    The two brothers were clearly excited for the match that was to come, their anticipation palpable to all who watched. Amidst the other demons, Hex couldn''t help but burst into laughter. Stepping forward once more, he addressed the demigods with a cocky tone.


    "Your bravado is adorable, little ones," Hex started. "It seems mommy didn''t teach us how to recognize when we are outmatched."


    The other participating demons joined in the laughter at the champion''s remark. However, the instructor had a different idea.


    "Wouldn''t it be more preferable to battle together, if you both desire?" the instructor suggested, sensing the tension in the air.


    Lance and Arthur exchanged a glance before turning to the instructor.


    "Would that be a fair option?" Arthur asked.


    The instructor glanced at the participating demons, who looked back at her. Hex briefly conferred with his crew before turning his attention back.


    "Oh, that would be a fair option," Hex stated with a smirk.


    The two demigods exchanged smiles before the instructor confirmed.


    "Perfect, then we will begin at the sound of the bell," she announced, allowing the participants to prepare.


    "Prepare yourself, brother," Lance said to Arthur with a grin.


    "I certainly am," Arthur replied, assuming his stance. "But you should be careful, or I might just take them all on myself."


    "Preposterous," Lance retorted, mirroring his brother''s stance.


    "Are you okay with sitting back and not participating in the first brawl?" Xhin inquired of Klaus as they lingered on the battlefield for a moment.


    "It doesn''t matter to me either way," Klaus replied.


    Xhin offered a soft smile before responding. "I figured you would say that."


    Klaus, accompanied by the demon twins, then made their way to the sidelines to spectate the match, knowing they weren''t partaking. He realized this would be the first time he would witness the Knight brothers battle together, sparking a tiny bit of anticipation within him.


    He understood these battles wouldn''t be fair. Despite the demons'' combat skills, the supernatural abilities of the demigods, especially this duo, tipped the scales heavily. With their powers in play, the outcome seemed predetermined. However, as this thought crossed his mind, the instructor announced a crucial detail.


    "An important request from the Queen before the battle," she began. "The demigods are advised not to use their respective abilities during combat. This is to level the playing field and ensure fairness."


    This meant Lance couldn''t utilize Divine Arsenal, and Arthur''s Hardening ability would be off-limits. Klaus understood the reasoning behind it, making the fight more balanced for the demons. Despite these limitations, Lance and Arthur remained enthusiastic, eager for the battle to commence.


    Hex, alongside the other contestants, readied himself, though his confidence didn''t match that of his opponents. After a brief moment of anticipation and preparation, the bell finally rang, signaling the start of the brief spar between demigods and demons.

 #77: Cut Above the Rest

    CONVERSATION


    Xhin: What are your thoughts on the match?


    Klaus: Nothing of importance, I guess.


    Xhin: Are you worried about your friends?


    Klaus: I wouldn''t necessarily say that.


    Klaus and Xhin whispered on the sidelines as the Knight brothers stood ready, eyes locked on the eight demons poised to face them. Klaus recognized this as the first time he would see Lance and Arthur fight side by side, something he''d always been curious about. After a brief silence, Xhin voiced her concerns.


    "But do you think this is truly fine?" Xhin asked. "I know they are formidable fighters, but these current champions and contestants are no jokes."


    Klaus kept his gaze on the battlefield, addressing Xhin''s worries with calm confidence.


    "Trust me," Klaus said. "Your worries are misplaced."


    Just as Klaus finished speaking, the alarm buzzed, signaling the start of the sparring match.


    The smiles on Lance and Arthur''s faces reflected their excitement as they began to move forward. Before they could close the distance, two demons advanced first, seemingly intent on ending the battle quickly without involving the others. Their expressions mirrored the anticipation of the Knight brothers.


    As the demons rushed forward, Arthur stepped up to meet them. In a display of unmatched skill, Arthur outmaneuvered his foes, dispatching them with single, precise strikes while effortlessly avoiding their attacks.


    Xhin''s eyes lit up at the spectacle unfolding before her. She glanced at Klaus, whose gaze remained fixed on the battlefield. Arthur''s smile widened as he turned his attention to the rest of their opponents.


    "I would advise you all to take this more seriously," Arthur declared, his voice tinged with disappointment. "I mean, you are representing your realm, after all."


    His cocky tone riled up the demons, especially Hex. The nonchalance Hex had initially displayed evaporated as he clenched his fists and stepped forward, now determined to fight in earnest. The other demons followed suit, rushing at Lance and Arthur, initiating a heated battle. The demons who had been temporarily knocked out quickly regained their footing and joined the fray.


    The ensuing clash was a sight to behold¡ªa battle between two different mortal species. Despite being outnumbered, Lance and Arthur easily held their own. Minutes into the brawl, not a single attack from the demons had landed on the demigods. The synergy between the Knight brothers was nothing short of extraordinary. Their choreography, intuition, and attacking prowess were beyond phenomenal, some of the best Klaus had ever witnessed. But in his eyes, this level of skill was to be expected.


    Jhin, watching alongside Klaus and Xhin, was equally impressed by Lance and Arthur''s prowess. Despite the smiles on their faces, the brothers'' battle sequence was technical and calculated, leaving no openings.


    "Both brothers are amazing, but Lance''s movement is just incredible," Xhin remarked in awe, captivated by the elegance and precision of the demigods'' motions.


    Klaus had anticipated such a performance from the duo, which explained his lack of surprise at the direction the fight was taking. However, he knew that the demons had never seen a demigod battle before, which accounted for their awe.


    "This is normal for him," Klaus said, continuing, "I mean, he did battle Drake on even terms for a long time."


    As soon as Klaus finished speaking, the demon twins turned to him in shock, their expressions filled with disbelief.


    "Drake?" Jhin asked, astonished. "Impossible."


    Both Jhin and Xhin struggled to process Klaus''s statement. Even considering the possibility, the idea that someone could battle Drake to a standstill was entirely unexpected.


    "Are you certain of this?" Xhin asked.


    "I guess," Klaus replied, also taken aback by their reaction.


    Klaus''s reason for mentioning Drake was to gauge if the demons were aware of his existence or if he was kept secret from them as well. If they had asked who Drake was, Klaus planned to downplay his claims. But seeing their reaction confirmed that Drake''s significance was even greater than he had anticipated.


    Some of the demons on the battlefield overheard Klaus''s statement and were bewildered. Their perception of the battle shifted dramatically, realizing that their opponents were even more formidable than they appeared.


    Returning their focus to the battle, Klaus and the demon twins could clearly see that Lance and Arthur were completely overwhelming their opponents. Hex was utterly baffled by how one-sided the fight was. He struggled to keep up with the brothers, and his frustration grew as his comrades were bested by two seventeen-year-old demigods. Despite this, Hex wasn''t ready to give up.


    Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Klaus pondered the nature of Drake and Ash, trying to understand more about their roles and significance.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: Who exactly is Drake to Ash?


    Xhin took a second before responding.


    Xhin: Drake is Ash''s demon counterpart, as well as his offensive half.


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    Klaus: Why exactly are they split people?


    Xhin: Well, according to my knowledge, a God does not share physical properties with demons as they do with humans. This means that the compatibility is very low, and can cause a situation perceived as an anomaly.


    Klaus: So because both physical attributes differ, Nekro and the Queen were unable to birth a child who shared the same traits, correct?


    Xhin: Affirmative. And because of this, the offspring was conceived sharing a single presence, but different minds and bodies.


    Klaus: So in hindsight, Drake is the demonic part of the two, with Ash being the Godly part?


    Xhin: Exactly. And they are forced to coexist due to this anomalous nature.


    This all made perfect sense to Klaus. He had always wondered why Ash''s eyes appeared as if made of smoke, unlike those of anyone else. Now he understood: Ash''s body wasn''t truly human but a mimic of the gods, which explained the lack of normal pupils. Being mortal in a godly body, Ash still needed pupils, and they formed from his natural element. It was truly an anomaly.


    As Klaus mulled over this revelation, his attention was drawn back to the battlefield, where the fight was reaching its climax. Hex was still fighting with all his might against the Knight brothers, but he couldn''t land a single blow. The other demons, either unconscious or too exhausted to continue, lay scattered around. Despite this, the champion of the Under World refused to give up.


    Hex launched another attack at Lance, who easily dodged and countered by sliding behind him. With a swift motion, Lance struck Hex''s back with his elbow, causing the demon to stumble forward. Arthur then swiftly moved ahead of the demon before delivering a powerful uppercut to Hex''s jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.


    The brothers regrouped, standing over their fallen opponent as Hex struggled to rise. Despite his efforts, Hex finally collapsed to his knees, face down, in sheer exhaustion.


    "I... I yield," Hex said, his voice filled with frustration.


    "And with that, the battle is over," the instructor announced.


    Lance and Arthur stood unscathed, as if untouched by the fierce battle. The other demons lay incapacitated, with Hex in the best condition but barely conscious.


    Jhin and Xhin looked on in shock at the Knight brothers'' overwhelming dominance over Nyxia''s champions. Meanwhile, Klaus''s expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected this outcome all along.


    Arthur stepped forward, stopping just in front of his fallen opponent. He looked down, his intentions unclear.


    "It seems we weren''t all talk after all," Arthur said, mocking Hex''s initial perception of the duo. "I expected less from you, but I can tell you''re a cut above the others."


    After his statement, Arthur suddenly extended his right hand to help Hex up. Hex looked up at the demigods with frustration but, despite Arthur''s mocking tone, accepted the gesture and allowed Arthur to assist him to his feet.


    "I completely underestimated you," Hex admitted. "Despite my first-ever defeat, that was an enjoyable experience."


    He went on to explain how impressed he was with the demigods'' talent and skill, especially given their young age. He apologized for his initial disrespect, acknowledging that he had been overconfident and now understood why Shynx had arranged the brawl. It was a lesson to show that more formidable beings existed beyond his realm.


    "I think I''d say this was the best fight I''ve ever experienced," Hex announced, smiling and laughing at the thought.


    Lance, surprised by Hex''s honesty, appreciated the demon''s genuine enjoyment of the battle. The two shook hands, thanking each other for the spirited match.


    From the sidelines, Xhin smiled and turned to Klaus.


    "Despite the desire for victory, defeat isn''t necessarily less prideful," Xhin said. "There''s pride in losing to a powerful opponent. Hex must recognize that they are truly formidable."


    "I guess," Klaus responded, his eyes still on the battlefield.


    Klaus'' distant response and demeanor made it clear his mind was elsewhere, occupied by thoughts of someone rather than the present moment. He wondered about Avalon, concerned if she was doing fine. Despite knowing he shouldn''t feel this way after discovering his most unwanted power, he couldn''t help it. Since learning he was a demigod, he found it harder to disregard people other than his family, and this realization slightly frightened him.


    Lost in thought, Klaus didn''t notice his name being called until the instructor''s voice broke through his reverie, pulling him back to the arena.


    "It seems it''s your turn to participate in battle now," the instructor announced.


    Klaus looked around, noticing the unconscious demons being assisted out of the arena by the medical team. Hex was too fatigued to continue, and Lance and Arthur were also following the medical team. Klaus focused on the state of the demons.


    "It''s fine," Klaus said. "I don''t mind not fighting anymore."


    The instructor cleared her throat, drawing his attention. "You misunderstand," she stated. "The fallen demons will not be your opponents."


    Surprised, Klaus turned his full attention to the instructor as she continued.


    "The Queen anticipated that the demigods of War would opt to battle all the champions together, so she arranged alternative opponents for you."


    Klaus remained silent as the instructor walked closer, then turned to her right where the twin demons, Jhin and Xhin, were seated.


    "Jhin and Xhin, please enter the arena if you do not mind."


    The baffled expressions of Jhin and Xhin mirrored Klaus''s confusion. They hadn''t expected this outcome either. Klaus felt this was unnecessary and wasn''t particularly eager to battle.


    "It''s fine," Klaus responded after a moment. "I don''t need to battle so badly that I would fight those assigned to guide us."


    Jhin turned toward the demigod in a fit of rage. "Are you looking down on us?" he demanded.


    "Is that what you got from that statement?" Klaus asked, annoyed by the misinterpretation.


    Before the situation could escalate further, the instructor intervened.


    "It''s fine," she said calmly. "The two of them are highly trained warriors and fighters, so this is not a fight structured for sympathy."


    Klaus remained silent for a moment, contemplating her words as she continued to reassure him.


    "In fact, the reason they are not among the champions is that they are too young to participate in the Games of Champions," the instructor explained. "So I assure you, they are more than capable."


    Klaus realized that arguing was futile, especially since this was a request from the Queen herself. He sighed, resigned to the situation.


    "Fine... I guess," he finally responded, signaling his surrender to the idea.


    With that, the demon twins were instructed to enter the arena and prepare for the battle.


    After a brief pause, Klaus remembered the battle rules, recognizing that he couldn''t use his powers to keep the fight fair. However, this posed a familiar obstacle.


    "I''m not sure if I can still fight them," Klaus admitted, "considering some of my abilities are automatic, and I can''t turn them off."


    He was referring to his ability to perceive the world at light speed whenever he was in harm''s way. With this power, along with his capability to move at the speed of light due to the absence of the sun in Under World, the fight would be completely one-sided. Despite this dilemma, the instructor remained unfazed.


    "The Queen already briefed me on that issue, and we''ve come up with a solution," she said, walking towards Klaus.


    She stopped and extended her hand, revealing a thin fabric.


    "A blindfold?" Klaus asked, puzzled.


    "Precisely," the instructor confirmed. "We also know that your powers are heightened by the night skies, so battling this way shouldn''t be impossible for you."


    Klaus wasn''t sure whether to be baffled or impressed by their knowledge of him. It made sense, considering the Queen was married to the God who protected their realm, allowing them to gather necessary information. Given the effort they made to accommodate him, Klaus decided to agree to their terms.


    Jhin, initially reluctant, was persuaded by his sister and the duty assigned by the Queen. He understood that his choice didn''t matter.


    The demons readied themselves in the arena as Lance and Arthur returned from the medical facility, their eyes fixed on the battlefield.


    "Oh?" Lance remarked in surprise. "It would appear Walker is engaging in battle as well."


    The duo watched from the sidelines as Klaus placed the blindfold over his eyes and prepared for the bell. He was completely unaware of what to expect but had a feeling that it wouldn''t be easy.


    After a moment of silence and anticipation, the bell rang, signaling the commencement of the battle.

 #78: Demonic Prodigies

    Klaus positioned himself in front of his two opponents.


    He was completely unaware of what to expect from the fight, especially since he hadn''t anticipated that his guides would be formidable fighters. Nevertheless, he knew that since the Queen had organized the battle, he had to take them seriously. After a brief pause, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the brawl.


    Klaus quickly adopted a defensive stance. Without his sight, he knew he had to rely on his other senses to emerge victorious. He had never fought under such conditions before, but something felt different this time. His senses were significantly sharper and more heightened than usual.


    Klaus could feel the breeze that swayed through the battlefield, the calmness of the atmosphere around him as he centered his mind and body. He sensed the tremors in the ground beneath him and the glow of the stage lights beaming over the arena.


    Finding peace and serenity in calming his mind, Klaus attempted to compensate for his lack of sight. He took a deep breath, placed his left forearm ahead of him, and suddenly, a sound echoed around the arena. Jhin had lunged forward with a deadly strike, but Klaus successfully blocked the sudden attack.


    As Klaus parried Jhin''s assault, his sister darted behind him, closing the gap. The twin demons swung their attacks at Klaus in a coordinated assault.


    The oppressive swings from the demonic duo continued relentlessly. Klaus, however, swiftly evaded their attacks, using his hands to block some strikes. Despite his lack of vision, he managed to keep up with his adversaries, evading their attacks with remarkable agility as they continued their onslaught.


    Observing from the sidelines, Lance noted that Klaus seemed to be using the battle as an opportunity to train and challenge his senses and perception without relying on his Perfect Precognition ability. Klaus''s movements indicated that he had entered a flow state, seamlessly responding to his opponents with a refined grace that was captivating to watch.


    The demons continued their assault, swinging in perfect tandem. Their synergy was stellar, as expected, but Klaus''s evasive maneuvers were just as impressive. Seconds ticked by with Klaus remaining on the defensive, unable to find an opening to exploit.


    Suddenly, as Jhin swung a devastating attack, Klaus swayed to his left, evading the strike. Seizing the moment, he swung his right foot upwards, landing a powerful kick to the demon''s jaw.


    The force of the kick was intense, lifting Jhin off his feet by a few inches. Klaus spun around, landing another right foot strike, this time with his heel, against Jhin''s torso. The devastating blow sent Jhin flying a considerable distance, dazed by the attack.


    Not giving her opponent a moment to breathe, Xhin rushed at Klaus while her brother attempted to recover. She swung relentlessly, managing to hold her own for a few seconds.


    However, as she launched another strike, Klaus grabbed her right hand, pulling it downwards with immense force, causing her to flip upside down. He then used his left foot to deliver a powerful kick to her torso, sending her flying away as well.


    Xhin stumbled back but quickly regained her footing. Jhin also recovered, and the duo rushed back at Klaus, determined not to give him any time to regroup.


    The fight raged on, with Klaus remaining on the defensive. This time, however, it seemed he was struggling to keep up. The twins'' synergy was extraordinary, and as the battle continued, they polished the rough edges of their attacks, making it increasingly difficult for Klaus to fend them off.


    As the seconds ticked by, Jhin managed to close the distance and swung his claws at Klaus''s head. Klaus barely evaded, moving his head back just in time to avoid a direct hit but receiving a scratch on his forehead instead.


    Recognizing the oppressive power of the duo, Klaus knew his best chance was to separate them. Blindfolded and unsure of who was who, he rushed at one of the demons, presumably Jhin, and switched to an aggressive offensive.


    With a flurry of rapid punches, Klaus overwhelmed his opponent, landing a barrage of blows that culminated in a powerful punch, sending Jhin flying once again. The speed and intensity of his attack gave him just enough time to react to Xhin, who had noticed her brother''s plight and rushed to his defense.


    Klaus and Xhin engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat. Xhin managed to grab Klaus''s arm, stopping his attacks momentarily. Holding his right arm firmly between her forearm and chest, Klaus suddenly felt a soft sensation on his hand, realizing it was Xhin he was fighting.


    Surprised by the unexpected contact, Klaus hesitated. Seizing the opportunity, Xhin delivered a powerful palm strike to his chest, sending him stumbling back. Klaus quickly regained his footing, but the sting of her strike was sharper than he anticipated.


    With a smile, Xhin rushed at him again, giving him no time to recover. Jhin, having regained his composure, joined the fray.


    The three fighters clashed once more, the battle becoming more intense. This time, the demon twins managed to land several hits on Klaus. The fight was now much closer than anyone had anticipated, with Lance and Arthur watching from the sidelines in awe.


    Klaus realized he needed to focus if he wanted to avoid trouble, so he locked in, ready for the next onslaught. Jhin and Xhin charged at him, their attacks synchronized. As their strikes came at him simultaneously, Klaus dropped into a crouch, narrowly evading the blows. Seizing the opportunity, he surged upward between the two demons, placing his palms on their faces.


    With a firm grip¡ªhis left hand on Xhin and his right on Jhin¡ªKlaus lifted them off their feet and hurled them in opposite directions. The force of his throw sent the demons flying until they slammed into the walls on either side of the arena.


    The impact left the twins struggling to rise. Based on the sound of the impact, Klaus noted the significant damage they had sustained and allowed himself a moment of respite.


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    "Wow, you really are something else, Klaus," Xhin said from her fallen position, impressed by his power despite the handicap. "I can only imagine your true strength when you''re not blindfolded or holding back."


    "Thanks," Klaus replied as she managed to get up. "Though I doubt it would be anything special."


    Just as he finished speaking, his focus shifted to Jhin, who had silently closed the distance and launched a devastating kick. Klaus was completely caught off guard, distracted by Xhin''s voice. She had skillfully concealed Jhin''s silent approach with her voice, exploiting Klaus''s blinded state.


    Dodging Jhin''s high-speed attack seemed impossible. Yet, as Jhin''s foot neared Klaus, it inexplicably phased through him. In his shock, Klaus had unintentionally activated his Phantasmal State ability. Jhin stared in confusion, bewildered by the unexpected turn of events. His attention was abruptly diverted by the instructor, who approached from the sidelines.


    "The battle is over," the instructor announced, stepping forward. "Due to Klaus Walker''s use of an ability, he is disqualified. The winners are Jhin and Xhin."


    Klaus stood stunned by the turn of events but chose not to dwell on it since he did not necessarily care about the battle''s outcome. Xhin smiled upon hearing the announcement, happy that her plan had all worked out.


    Lance was thoroughly impressed by the performance of both Klaus and his adversaries. He was taken aback by the skillfulness of the demon twins. A fleeting thought crossed his mind, wondering if he might have preferred facing them instead of the champions. However, he remained content with observing such a spectacular fight. Shortly after, the fighters were ushered to the medical facility to recover from the strain of their battle.


    Upon entering the medical facility, the demons were handed towels to clean the sweat accumulated during their brawl and the debris from the arena. Klaus, who hadn''t broken a sweat or been floored throughout the battle, humbly declined the offer.


    As Klaus sat by himself, Xhin turned her attention to him and engaged in a brief conversation.


    "Apologies for resorting to trickery, by the way," Xhin said, catching Klaus''s attention.


    "Don''t be," Klaus replied. "It was my fault for dropping my guard in the first place."


    After a moment, Klaus continued, "Honestly, I was surprised by how well you both fought. Your synergy was remarkable."


    "Thank you," Xhin responded with a large smile. "We come from a dynasty of Games of Champions winners. Growing up, we were rigorously trained to be battle-hardened. But we both gave it all up to work with Lord Nekro and Her Majesty."


    This explanation resonated with Klaus, who understood the powerful influence of family bonds.


    As Xhin turned her attention to Klaus, she noticed the scar on his forehead from their battle. Though the wound had almost completely healed, the dried blood remained. Quickly, Xhin walked to a cabinet, pulled out a small hand towel, and handed it to Klaus, suggesting he use it to clean the remnants of the wound.


    Though not particularly bothered by it, Klaus accepted the gesture and used the towel to wipe the blood from his forehead.


    "Even if it wasn''t a fair fight," Xhin said with a smile, "I really enjoyed it."


    "Me too," Klaus replied, giving Xhin a slight smile in return. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away, flustered.


    Embarrassed, Xhin volunteered to drop the used towels into the designated laundry bin in another room, seizing the opportunity to leave before she could further embarrass herself, leaving Klaus alone with Jhin.


    Klaus and Jhin sat opposite each other in silence. It was clear that Jhin did not care for humans, and since Klaus was half the criteria, the hostility was palpable. Klaus was also not one for caring about engaging in conversation, so he didn''t even consider trying to humor Jhin at all.


    "She trusts you, you know?"


    Klaus lifted his head at the unexpected statement from Jhin.


    "That''s my issue with her. Growing up, we were taught to be critical thinkers and tough-minded, yet she trusts and cares for people too easily," Jhin explained. "That''s why she gets her heart broken all the time."


    A few seconds of silence followed Jhin''s words. Klaus didn''t know what to say, but he understood that Jhin, despite his stern demeanor, cared deeply for his sister.


    "And what about you?" Klaus asked the demon eventually.


    Jhin looked at Klaus briefly before averting his gaze. "I even find the thought of trusting anyone with human genetics to be impossible."


    A few more seconds of silence hung in the air before Jhin continued to elaborate.


    "''The perfect imperfections,'' they are called, yet they wage wars against each other, slaughter the innocent, and commit assaults in cold blood. Humanity is too primitive to be considered the superior race."


    Klaus couldn''t argue with Jhin; the demon was speaking the truth.


    "At least we can finally agree on something," Klaus said, confirming that he shared some of Jhin''s sentiments.


    "However," Klaus continued, "generalizing that all humans are the same and deserve the same fate makes you even more ignorant of precious life than they are."


    Jhin turned his attention back to Klaus, who went on to explain his perspective.


    "Different people have different views, and while demons may not possess murderous intent, you can''t convince me that every single soul in Under World harbors positive intentions."


    Jhin stared at Klaus, unable to counter the demigod''s statement. He knew Klaus was speaking the truth.


    "I suppose this would be the second thing we can agree on," Jhin replied, acknowledging the validity of Klaus'' point.


    Jhin then stood and walked up to Klaus, who sat a few feet away.


    "The thought of ever trusting a human seems inconceivable to me," Jhin began, "but I must admit that meeting you demigods has slightly changed my perspective."


    He extended his hand to Klaus, who stood and reciprocated the gesture, recognizing that Jhin''s path to understanding another species needed time.


    "Well," Jhin suddenly added, "except for the masked one."


    This made sense to Klaus, especially considering what X had done to the demon earlier.


    "Fair enough... I guess," Klaus replied, finding the statement somewhat hilarious.


    At that moment, Xhin was standing by the door, smiling at the idea of her brother warming up to the demigods. She eventually walked in and suggested they regroup with the others.


    As they returned to the main section of the arena, Lance and Arthur greeted them, engaging in light conversation about the success of the enjoyable battle. The instructor then called for everyone''s attention, announcing that the event had concluded and they would soon be ushered back to the facility.


    She added that the Queen regretted not being able to see them off personally but hoped their paths would cross again in the future, echoing Nekro''s sentiments during their encounter as well.


    Shortly after the announcement, the demigods were guided back to the Facility to prepare for their return to Higher World.


    As the group arrived, they found X seated on a bench at the entrance, his head bowed.


    "Thank the Gods," Xhin exclaimed. "I was wondering how I was going to be able to recall you."


    X remained silent, not raising his head or acknowledging their presence. The group decided to move on, knowing the assassin would follow in his own time. However, as they continued, Lance stopped and turned back to X.


    "Before I forget," Lance began, addressing X. "I want to thank you, for everything."


    X remained motionless as Lance continued.


    "During our battle in the Divine tournament, I was so obsessed with victory that I abandoned my morals in hopes of achieving it. Your words before we were transported here made me realize I was wrong and rightfully did not deserve to win. So for that, I thank you."


    For the first time, X lifted his head as Lance extended his hand in gratitude. X glanced at Lance briefly before rising silently and walking into the Facility without acknowledging the gesture.


    Lance smiled, understanding this outcome was the most he could expect, and lowered his arm.


    After a moment, Lance followed X into the building, ready to regroup with the others.

 #79: Emotional Connections

    Klaus, along with the other demigods and their guiding demons, finally regrouped at the facility to prepare for their return to Higher World.


    A demon who seemed to work at the facility approached Xhin, whispered a few words, and departed. This caught the attention of the demigods, and Xhin relayed the information.


    "It seems Lord Nekro has still not returned from his duties, so you all will have to depart in his absence," she informed them.


    The demigods were not particularly bothered by this, content with having met him at least once. They decided to respect his absence and carry on. They were then guided to a room with a transportation podium, assigned by Nekro to return them to the realm of the Gods.


    Once the final touches to the coordinates were set, Jhin announced that the podium was ready. Without hesitation, X walked up to the podium, placed his palm on the designated spot, and was transported back to Higher World.


    Klaus noticed Xhin smiling at him, recognizing his departure. Feeling compelled to express his gratitude, Klaus turned to the demon twins.


    "Thank you both for helping us while we were here," Klaus said. "I hope that someday, I will get to see you two again."


    Xhin smiled warmly. "I am going to miss you, Klaus Walker," she said with joy in her heart.


    Meanwhile, Arthur and Lance had also departed, following X and returning to Higher World, leaving only Klaus behind.


    As Klaus turned toward the podium, Jhin called out, capturing his attention for a final moment.


    "Goodbye, Klaus Walker, and thank you for giving me a different perspective on my unfamiliarity with humanity."


    Jhin''s words felt genuine, prompting a smile on his sister''s face before she added her farewell.


    "Same here. And I hope I will be able to offer my help to humanity when the time comes," she said, her warm smile still directed at Klaus.


    Klaus nodded, a warm smile of his own briefly crossing his face before he finally departed for Higher World.


    When he opened his eyes, Klaus found himself back at the Golden Gate, the epicenter of the Exalted City, where their journey to Under World had begun. There, he reunited with the other demigods who had followed him and the God of Mind, Sage, who awaited their arrival.


    "How was your stay in Under World?" Sage inquired. "I hope you all found it enjoyable."


    The demigods who had feedback responded with positive remarks, bringing a smile to Sage''s face as he concluded the trip was a success.


    Sage then reminded them of their freedom to choose whether to return to Higher World or Main World, as they had been informed weeks prior. With no planned events on the horizon, the demigods could take their time perfecting their skills or decide to live their lives any way they desire on Earth.


    Upon hearing this, X left the group, his intention to return to Main World clear, though any other information remained unknown. Arthur and Lance decided to stay in Higher World for a while to spar with each other before returning, heading to the training room to prepare.


    Klaus, however, was conflicted. He hesitated, torn between returning to Earth and staying in Higher World. The thought of facing the people he cared about filled him with uncertainty.


    Sage was aware of Klaus'' situation, understanding why the demigod felt the need to question so much about his life. However, he also knew he couldn''t interfere. With a nod, Sage said his goodbyes to Klaus before departing for the domain of the Gods.


    Klaus stood in silence for a few moments, wrestling with his thoughts. He realized that leaving Earth for so long had only worsened his predicament. The longer he stayed away, the harder it would be to return and face the people he cared about.


    After a few more minutes of contemplation, Klaus decided that staying in Higher World was not the best option. He needed to return to Main World, despite his apprehensions.


    As he approached the transportation podium, he was immediately transferred back to Earth, landing in his usual spot. Evening skies covered the city as he emerged from an alleyway, the streets as bustling as ever. After a short walk, Klaus arrived home.


    Opening the door, he saw his mother in the dining room. As soon as Natalie noticed him, she rushed over and embraced him tightly.


    "Klaus, you''re back," Natalie said, her eyes closed in relief.


    "I guess," Klaus responded, his tone subdued as he sensed his mother''s frustration.


    "I''m so sorry," Natalie said suddenly. "I don''t know if I did something to make you feel bad, but I promise I will be better."


    Hearing his mother blame herself for his actions brought Klaus to the brink of tears. The pain he felt for causing her to worry so much and to blame herself for it was overwhelming.


    "No, Mom," Klaus began. "Never apologize for the stupid mistakes I make. It''s my fault for hurting you this much, and for that, I''m truly sorry and I promise never to do it again."


    Natalie was surprised by Klaus'' heartfelt words, but they were enough to bring a smile to her face.


    Shade, who had heard everything from atop the staircase, chose not to interfere. He had been aware of Klaus'' state of mind during the past week due to his connection with the shadow he had created for his brother. However, Shade knew he had no advice that could ease Klaus'' struggle, so he decided to stay out of it.


    Seeing Klaus return to Earth brought relief to Shade, who had considered intervening if the situation had persisted.


    After a brief conversation with his mother, Klaus headed to his room. As the evening skies dimmed, he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, still pondering the situation he was in.


    Klaus felt a surge of anger seeing his mother in such a frustrated state. He couldn''t shake the thought that if he weren''t a demigod, none of these problems would plague him. He imagined a normal life, where the people who cared for him were genuine and he wasn''t burdened by divine responsibilities.


    "Why do I have to lose the people I care about for the sake of others I don''t know?"


    If this was the trade for being a demigod, then he didn''t want it. He couldn''t keep enduring this mental strain just for the sake of protecting others. Yet, he knew he had no choice. He was a demigod, bound to these tasks regardless of his feelings. The conflict made him wonder if he was even cut out for such a life, especially considering his self-doubting.


    As Klaus continued to gaze at the ceiling, his room suddenly began to illuminate. He wondered if he had accidentally used his power, but it didn''t feel like that.


    Sitting up from his bed, he glanced around the room in surprise until he heard a few words.


    "Hello, Klaus."


    His attention snapped to the door, where he saw Sol, the God of Light, and his father.


    Klaus was completely baffled, wondering how he hadn''t sensed Sol''s presence. He wondered if he was seeing things, especially since he wasn''t forced to his knees like usual.


    "Do not worry, my son," Sol began. "I have learned to suppress my power in the presence of you all."


    It still felt surreal to Klaus, but at least the explanation made sense. Sol walked closer to the drawer beside Klaus'' door, continuing to address him.


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    "How are you doing?" Sol asked.


    Klaus didn''t feel like discussing his situation, so he returned to his bed and sat on its edge.


    "Why does it matter?" he responded, his voice hollow.


    Silence followed. Sol was unsure of what to say, and Klaus wasn''t in the mood to speak to a god, especially considering his current state of mind.


    "I heard what happened to you," Sol finally said, breaking the long silence. "I heard you are struggling to accept your role as a demigod."


    Klaus lowered his head at his father''s words. Initially confused about how Sol knew what had been going on in his head just moments ago, Klaus quickly realized the obvious answer lay in his father''s divinity. This realization frustrated him even more.


    "What''s the point of being a demigod when the people around me are forced to care about me? I can''t accept this role if it means losing my trust in people," Klaus responded, his voice tinged with bitterness.


    He paused before adding, "Then again, you already knew that, didn''t you?"


    Sol''s silence confirmed Klaus'' suspicion, irritating him further. The gods'' constant invasion of their privacy was infuriating. Klaus lifted his head, glaring at the eight-foot-tall divine figure standing by his wardrobe.


    "Why exactly are you here?" Klaus demanded, his frustration evident. "For seventeen years, we lived in peace without your presence. Why taint that reality now? Why choose to care now?"


    Sol immediately turned his attention to Klaus, and upon meeting his father''s gaze, a chill ran through Klaus'' body. Sol''s expression was cold and intense as he took a step closer, each inch covered making Klaus feel increasingly weary.


    "I have experienced eons and millennia of change," Sol began. "I have made countless decisions about humanity and mortality since its beginning. But the most painful thing I had ever done was leaving the door of this house for Higher World."


    Klaus remained silent, listening as his father continued.


    "If you truly think I do not care about you or Natalie, then you are more ignorant than I could have ever imagined."


    Sol''s words resonated deeply with Klaus. He knew there was nothing he could say in response, but it was clear Sol had more to explain.


    "With the exception of the Guardian Gods in their specific realms, a God is not authorized to enter any mortal realms due to the magnitude of our presence. However, for the sake of their child alone, there are times a God may forsake this rule. An example would be Sonar, who needed to save his daughter from death."


    Sol''s words brought Klaus back to his first meeting with Siren. She had explained that she couldn''t live a normal life because her body absorbed and discharged sound uncontrollably.


    He recalled Siren describing how she was on the verge of death when a beam of light appeared in her home, and she lost consciousness. When she woke, she found herself in a suit that allowed her to absorb and discharge sound, giving her a chance at a somewhat normal life.


    "That was the first time a God returned to a mortal world since our departure," Sol explained. "And this would be the second."


    Sol''s statement made Klaus understand the gravity of his father''s presence. It wasn''t just another event; it was significant.


    "Although we are indeed omniscient," Sol continued, "we may still choose whether to see all things or not. In the case of you demigods, we decided not to intrude in your lives, to give you the space you desire. But when I discovered the pain you harbored, I could not sit idly by."


    Klaus was captivated by the God towering above him. His mind was racing, but he knew he couldn''t speak.


    "I understand that the presence of my Dominion-over-Creation in your life is frustrating," Sol said. "But it doesn''t have to dictate your morals and ideals. The real question is, do you care enough for mortal life to protect them?"


    Klaus remained silent. He knew he couldn''t argue with what Sol had said. He knew his last statement had caused the God significant pain.


    Realizing he might have gone too far, Sol calmed himself before approaching Klaus, who sat in sadness. He placed his right hand on Klaus'' left shoulder, looking at his son with a steady gaze.


    "I know I have not been the best father, but I can guarantee that the people around you love you wholeheartedly, regardless of Dominion-over-Creation."


    This statement hit Klaus the hardest. He felt a warmth upon hearing it that brought slight tears to his eyes.


    "I''m sorry," Klaus finally said after a long moment of silence.


    Sol''s face softened with a smile. Dropping to one knee, he hugged his son with his right hand.


    "You may never forgive me for my absence in your life," Sol began, "but I will always care for you."


    Klaus felt the sincerity in Sol''s words. Despite knowing that Gods could tailor their words to resonate with mortals, Klaus sensed that Sol genuinely meant everything he had said during his time in Main World. After a few moments, Sol pulled back and stood up.


    "Unfortunately, I cannot stay long. I have to return to Higher World now," he said.


    "It''s fine," Klaus replied, understanding the constraints on a God''s presence in the mortal realm.


    Sol smiled at his son''s understanding before preparing to depart. But before he left, he glanced at the door, his expression darkening as he stood in silence.


    "You should go see her while you''re here," Klaus said, recognizing his father''s internal struggle.


    Sol''s expression remained somber for a moment before he addressed Klaus'' statement. "Unfortunately, non-guardian Gods are not allowed to interact with mortals anymore, so I am unable to meet her."


    He took a second before turning back to Klaus, his face less sorrowful.


    "But tell her that I love her deeply and will always watch over her."


    Klaus nodded in understanding. He felt the genuine love in Sol''s words. And before he could blink, Sol had already returned to Higher World, the illumination in his room dimming upon the God''s departure.


    Klaus lay back on his bed, his mind buzzing with thoughts, though this time less frustrating than usual. Hearing his father''s words had significantly changed his perspective.


    Klaus had always seen himself as indifferent to others'' opinions, whether they hated or loved him. But he realized that what hurt him most about Dominion-over-Creation wasn''t just that people were compelled to care for him¡ªit was that he, in turn, cared for those people, even if they were forced to.


    After a few moments of reflection, Klaus got up, recognizing there was something he needed to do. He readied himself and headed downstairs.


    As he descended, he saw his mother watching television in the living room. He approached her, letting her know he was heading out. Natalie looked worried, fearing something might be wrong again. Klaus reassured her, easing her concerns.


    Before leaving, he returned his attention to his mother and relayed the message his father had left to her. Natalie smiled, her face lighting up with a mix of joy and slight embarrassment.


    "He always knows the right things to say, doesn''t he?" she said, her expression full of warmth.


    "I guess," Klaus replied, a smile spreading across his face at his mother''s happiness.


    He then walked out of the house, promising his mother he would be back in a few hours.


    On the other side of the city, miles away, a girl was seated on a bench, her eyes fixed on the city view from a high place. It was Avalon, who was seated at the spot she had taken Klaus to during his training before the Divine Tournament. She had called the location her happy place, which explained why she was there now.


    Avalon continued to stare at the city, her thoughts restless. The past week had been hard, and she sought comfort in this familiar view.


    Suddenly, the sound of footsteps behind and by her right side broke her focus. The steps grew closer until their owner stopped beside the bench. Avalon turned her head and recognized Klaus, who was still facing forward, looking at the view of the city. She returned her gaze to the night-lit view of buildings and cars darting through the streets, miles away.


    "Can I sit?"


    Avalon didn''t turn her gaze away from the view, similar to Klaus as well, despite his statement.


    "Sure," she finally replied.


    Klaus moved closer and sat on the empty right side of the bench. Silence hung between them, both unsure of what to say after so long. Finally, Klaus recognized that he had to be the one to speak first.


    "I''m sorry," he said, both their gazes remaining towards the city.


    Avalon''s expression dimmed further at his words.


    "For what exactly?" Avalon asked. "Is it for leaving without saying anything that day? Or is it for not responding to me for over a week?"


    "For everything," Klaus replied.


    Avalon remained quiet for a moment, her frustration evident as she finally turned to Klaus.


    "You know, I thought something was wrong with me after that," she said, her voice laced with the pain from Klaus''s actions.


    "It wasn''t your fault," Klaus replied, turning to her as well. "I was going through something, and I was scared of showing you that side of me."


    "But you know I''m always ready to be there for you whenever you need it, right?" Avalon said, her expression stern.


    Klaus glanced at her briefly, recognizing her seriousness.


    "That''s the issue," Klaus thought to himself but remained silent.


    The silence settled between them again as they returned their focus to the city view. There was so much they wanted to say, yet neither knew how to start.


    "Can I rest my head on your lap?"


    Avalon was caught off guard by Klaus'' sudden statement, her face blushing as her eyes widened in confusion for a moment before understanding why he had asked this.


    "S-Sure," Avalon replied.


    With her confirmation, Klaus laid his head on her lap, his eyes towards the view. It was reminiscent of the last time they had stayed at this spot before the Divine Tournament when Klaus was too tired for their date.


    They stayed like that for a few moments, each aware of the weight of their unspoken words. But Klaus, unable to hold back, broke the silence once more.


    "If you found out that the only reason you cared about me wasn''t by your own will... what would you do?"


    Avalon took a second to process the question before responding without hesitation.


    "It wouldn''t matter, considering it doesn''t change how I actually feel about you."


    Klaus fell silent, absorbing her words. He closed his eyes, still resting his head on her lap, feeling a sense of peace wash over him.


    Avalon smiled, gently running her fingers through his hair with one hand while the other rested on his shoulder. She sensed his struggle in the situation and chose not to push him further, cherishing the moment instead. Yet as the seconds continued, Klaus spoke once more, his voice soft but clear.


    "I love you, Avalon Smith."


    Opening his eyes briefly, Klaus stared out at the city lights. His words felt right, more certain than anything else he''d ever known. Despite the distance and different worlds separating them, Avalon had never left his thoughts. His father''s words about his mother had also solidified his feelings for Avalon, recognizing it was a similar pain he felt when he had left her.


    As he lay there, Klaus suddenly felt a tear drop land on his cheek. Turning his attention upward, he saw Avalon smiling through her tears, deeply moved by his confession.


    "Thank you," Avalon said, echoing Klaus''s words from their last visit to the location once more.


    Klaus returned his eyes before closing them once again, the two remaining in silence as the night skies covered the city.

 #80: Whispers from the Unknown

    "What is this place?"


    "A place where I have been imprisoned for eons."


    "Who are you?"


    "I am a being your mortal mind cannot comprehend. There are truths the so-called Gods withhold from you, half-breed."


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    "Why should I listen to a prisoner I don''t know?"


    "Because I know everything, including things about you. You have someone you call a sibling, do you not?"


    The demigod''s surprise was palpable at this revelation.


    "Free me from my captivity, and I will reveal everything to you."


    "I''m sorry, but I won''t risk my life for that."


    With those words, the demigod departed swiftly upon hearing the re-call for their presence.


    "Oh, but you have already done enough..."

 #81: I am Klaus Walker

    CONVERSATION


    Link: So... you''re saying you were gone for a month...


    Klaus: I was gone for a week.


    Link: ...And you stayed in Under World for two weeks...


    Klaus: I stayed in Under Word for two days.


    Link: ...And this was all what, about a week ago?


    Klaus: This was all about a month ago.


    Silence filled the room for a moment before Link continued.


    Link: Well, at least you got a girlfriend from it, right?


    Klaus: That''s... a completely different thing entirely.


    Klaus and Link mashed the buttons on their controllers, engrossed in their video game session at the Atlas residence. It had been over a month since Klaus had returned from Under World, and in that time, he hadn''t met with any other demigod except for his brother.


    Link: How exactly did you two meet?


    Klaus: *sighs* We were in the same graffiti group, along with Tyler. And one day, we decided to reveal ourselves to each other.


    Link: Oh cool. I didn''t know you loved to draw.


    Klaus: It''s... painting. You know, for the demigod of Mind, you''re actually kind of a dumbass.


    Link: Look here, lover boy. You''re not gonna come into my home and disrespect me... Also, unlike you, my focus right now is getting Princess Pumpkin out of this gods damn King Browser''s castle.


    Klaus: If you say so.


    Klaus and Link continued to play their game in silence. Their focus remained on the screen as Link continued his questions.


    Link: So... What''s her name?


    Klaus: Avalon. And why do you even care?


    Link: Yes.


    Klaus: What?


    Link: Huh?


    The room was filled with silence for a few more seconds.


    Klaus: You''re a very strange guy, you know that?


    Link: Yeah, well I''m probably your closest friend right now, aren''t I?


    Klaus: I seriously doubt that. Honestly, I''m probably even closer to your sister than I am to you.


    Link: Wowww, right through the heart, Walker.


    As the conversation carried on, Klaus and Link remained absorbed in their game, not sparing a glance at each other. Once Link finished speaking, they continued playing in silence.


    Suddenly, an alarm blared from Klaus'' pocket. He grabbed his phone and silenced it, then abruptly dropped his controller and stood up.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Link asked, glancing at Klaus. "You''re throwing the game."


    "Sorry," Klaus replied, heading toward the door. "I have to be somewhere right now."


    "Don''t do this to me, Klaus," Link said, his attention divided between the game and Klaus. "Who''s gonna play as Linguini now?"


    "I don''t know," Klaus said, continuing to leave. "Maybe ask Trent to play in my place?"


    "But he''s already asleep," Link pointed out. "Plus, he sucks at this level."


    "Well, I still have to go," Klaus insisted. "It''s kind of important."


    With that, Klaus exited the room and, soon enough, left the Atlas residence.


    Klaus hopped on his skateboard and headed straight to his destination. After a few minutes, he arrived at Avalon''s home.


    He approached the door, set his skateboard aside, took a deep breath, and knocked. He waited for a few seconds until he heard footsteps approaching. When the door opened, he was greeted by Avalon''s mother.


    Upon seeing that it was Klaus who had knocked, Avalon''s mother''s expression softened slightly from its initial smile. Sensing her silence, Klaus cleared his throat and spoke.


    "Uhh... Good day, ma''am," Klaus said. "I''m here for Avalon."


    Avalon''s mother sighed and turned back into the house. "I know you are, Klaus Walker," she said, her tone dripping with hostility.


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    She walked into the house and headed up the stairs, presumably to fetch Avalon. From where he stood, Klaus could hear a man''s voice asking Avalon''s mother who was at the door. After a few seconds, the door opened again, revealing the man.


    "Hey, Klaus," said Avalon''s father with a smile.


    "Hey, Mister Smith," Klaus responded, his expression as neutral as ever.


    "Mind giving me a hand with some stuff in the garage, son?" Avalon''s father asked.


    Noticing that Avalon might take a few minutes to get ready, Klaus decided to help out. "Sure," he replied, and they headed to the garage.


    Klaus began helping Avalon''s father with some heavy lifting and manual labor. Avalon''s father always appreciated Klaus''s help, acknowledging that Klaus''s strangely impressive strength made the chores easier. Klaus didn''t mind the tasks either so he was always happy to help. Eventually, Avalon appeared around the corner of the garage door.


    Seeing Klaus helping her dad, Avalon stood silently until Klaus noticed her. Their eyes met, and Avalon waved at him, prompting Klaus to smile back. After a few more minutes of work, Klaus finished up, and he and Avalon headed out.


    "I''m still amazed at how you can carry such heavy things with ease and without breaking a sweat," Avalon teased as they left the garage.


    "I guess I''m in better shape than I look," Klaus replied as they headed out.


    They continued to chat as they walked. Avalon seemed happy that Klaus and her dad got along well, and she didn''t hesitate to point it out.


    "It seems like my dad is quite fond of you," Avalon said with a smile.


    "I guess," Klaus responded. "Though I can''t exactly say the same about your mother."


    "Oh, it''s fine," Avalon said. "She''ll come around eventually."


    Klaus wasn''t so sure about Avalon''s optimism, but he decided to take her word for it. He found it ironic that, despite the presence of Dominion-over-Creation, one person whose approval he genuinely wanted didn''t seem to like him. Even though he didn''t want its influence to affect her mother, he couldn''t help but feel its sting.


    As they walked in silence, Klaus noticed that Avalon''s expression had dimmed. She seemed worried about something, and Klaus wondered if the mention of her mother had triggered it. Deciding to drop the topic, they continued onward in quiet companionship.


    After a few more minutes of walking, Klaus and Avalon arrived at a cinema. As they walked in, two girls standing nearby noticed their entrance and waved, walking over to greet them. These were Avalon''s friends, and it seemed they had planned this outing as a group.


    This was the first time Klaus was meeting Avalon''s friends. The girls were very close to Avalon, and although their presence turned the date into a group outing, Klaus didn''t mind. Spending time with Avalon was what mattered most to him.


    After a brief chat, the group entered the cinema. They got their tickets, picked up some popcorn, and headed into the theater.


    Naturally, Avalon sat beside Klaus. As the movie progressed, she found herself glancing at him occasionally, captivated by how handsome he was. But what caught her attention even more was the brightness of his eyes highlighted by the dark room.


    "Wow, your eyes are really bright," Avalon whispered.


    Klaus turned his attention to her upon hearing her statement, causing her to realize that she had spoken aloud.


    "Sorry," she whispered with a smile, covering her mouth with her fingertips.


    Klaus smiled, recognizing that Avalon hadn''t meant to speak out loud. He found her habit amusing and endearing, so it never bothered him when she did it.


    "It''s fine," he whispered, returning his attention to the screen.


    Avalon''s friends, seated on her other side, seemed a bit jealous of the interaction. They found the moment cute and felt flustered by it. When Avalon noticed they were out of popcorn, she decided to get a refill. Klaus offered to go instead, but she insisted, so he let her.


    "She''s so lucky," Klaus suddenly heard one of Avalon''s friends say.


    "Yeah," the other agreed. "You''re really sweet to her. Intimidating, but sweet."


    Klaus acknowledged their compliments, aware that his behavior toward Avalon was different from how he treated others. He had been aware of this before, but taking a moment to reflect on how his emotions had shifted over time made him pause and wonder.


    As the movie concluded, Klaus and the rest of the group exited the cinema and lingered outside for a brief chat. Although he didn''t care much for small talk, Klaus was friendly to Avalon''s friends, understanding their importance to her. After wrapping up their conversation, Avalon and Klaus decided to continue on their own, parting ways with the group to have some time to themselves.


    Klaus walked alongside Avalon until they reached a park. It was already nighttime, and the streets were almost deserted, with the park nearly empty as well. Avalon knew Klaus preferred such a serene setting, so she had planned this to balance their outing after he agreed to accompany her to the cinema.


    They found a park bench and continued their conversation under the beautiful night sky. Despite having met with Avalon every day since his return from Under World, Klaus never grew tired of their talks, or rather, of listening to her. Her voice brought him a sense of tranquility.


    As their conversation progressed, Klaus realized he had something on his mind that he needed to share. He contemplated revealing the true nature of his existence to Avalon. Up until now, she had no idea that Klaus was a demigod. He had always avoided telling her, fearing it would alter her perception of reality and potentially harm her mentally. Lacking many human friends, he was uncertain how such a significant revelation would impact her.


    However, Klaus knew that because he cared for her deeply, he would eventually have to tell her the truth. Especially since he learned from Quinn a while back that he would soon stop aging. With this realization, he decided that now was the moment to confide in her.


    "Avalon," Klaus began after a brief pause, capturing her attention.


    Avalon focused on him, sensing the seriousness in his tone, and Klaus prepared to reveal his true nature.


    "Klaus!"


    Klaus suddenly heard his name called, but it wasn''t Avalon. His expression shifted as he looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice until it echoed once more.


    "Hey, Klaus, can you hear me?"


    It was Quinn, and she was speaking to him telepathically, which explained why Avalon hadn''t reacted to the voice as well.


    "How''re you doing?" Quinn''s voice echoed in his mind.


    Klaus was completely baffled by the timing and convenience of Quinn''s interruption. He wondered if she had somehow realized he was about to reveal his secret to Avalon.


    "I''m fine," Klaus responded telepathically. "What do you want, Quinn?"


    He wondered if she had been invading his mind throughout the entire date. But before he could continue his thoughts, Quinn replied.


    "Oh, relax," Quinn said, picking up on his concerns. "I just wanted to relay some urgent information. Apparently, the presence of all demigods is required in Higher World immediately. So, I''m letting everyone I can connect with know."


    Avalon watched Klaus with confusion, wondering why he had suddenly become distant after calling her name. As the seconds passed, her concern grew.


    "Are you okay?" she asked with a smile, trying to mask her worry.


    Klaus realized he''d been silent for too long and snapped back to the moment. He told Quinn he would head there immediately before she disconnected their telepathic link.


    "I''m fine," Klaus said, refocusing on Avalon. "I just remembered I''d forgotten to do something urgent. It''s a family thing that I need to attend to."


    "Oh," Avalon replied. "That''s fine. You should go before you''re late."


    Klaus offered to walk her home first, but she assured him she was fine. She could tell from his tone that he was in a hurry, so she told him not to worry.


    As Klaus got up and took a few steps away, he suddenly stopped. He turned back and walked towards Avalon, stopping right in front of her and leaning closer. Their eyes locked before he whispered softly.


    "Can I kiss you?" Klaus asked, his voice gentle and soothing.


    Avalon smiled and nodded in response. With that, Klaus leaned in and their lips met, sharing a tender kiss. After a few moments, he pulled away, aware of the urgency of his departure.


    Klaus smiled at Avalon, said his goodbyes once again, and left. Avalon waved back, her heart warm with the memory of the kiss as she remained on the bench.


    Once out of sight, Klaus immediately used his Burst Speed to arrive at his transportation alleyway at the speed of light. He placed his palm on the usual poster, and soon, his consciousness faded, transporting his mind and body to the world of the Gods.

 #82: Divine Disclosure

    Klaus opened his eyes upon arriving in Higher World. The throbbing headache that usually accompanied his transportation was almost non-existent this time, but he noticed a strange sting in his chest. He pressed his hand against it for a few seconds before stepping off the podium, the pain gradually fading away like it typically did.


    He found himself at the Golden Gate of the Exalted City, as usual. Glancing around, he walked for a few moments until he spotted Mia, who also seemed to have newly arrived.


    Noticing Klaus, Mia turned and waved, catching his attention. "Hey, light boy," she said with a simple smile.


    "Hey... arrow... girl," Klaus responded, his attempt at humor falling flat.


    "Arrow girl?" Mia raised an eyebrow, more surprised than confused.


    Klaus shrugged, knowing he couldn''t really explain himself. Sensing the awkwardness, Mia continued.


    "You seem to be in a better mood than usual," Mia observed.


    "I guess," Klaus replied with his characteristic sigh.


    They continued toward the Arena of Valor, expecting that was where they were needed. As they walked, their conversation flowed more naturally.


    CONVERSATION


    Mia: So... How''ve you been?


    Klaus: Fine, I guess. Nothing too exciting since returning from Under World. How about you?


    Mia: *heavily sighs* Honestly, I''ve been incredibly busy. For the past few weeks, I''ve been traveling all over Europe with my adoptive parents. It was their anniversary, and they wanted to celebrate by touring various countries, so I''ve been pretty exhausted from all the jet-setting in the private plane.


    Klaus: You know, I always forget that you''re rich. But then again, it makes perfect sense when I think about your personality.


    Mia: Okay, ouch. I''ll have you know that I have a refined and sophisticated personality, thank you very much.


    Klaus: If you say so.


    As they continued onward, Klaus and Mia eventually encountered Tyler, who was also heading to the arena. Noticing their presence, he decided to greet them.


    "Sup, NightShade. How''re you doing, Mia?" Tyler greeted them both.


    "Hey... Tyler," Klaus responded, trying not to fumble another nickname as he had with Mia, despite having the safe option to call him Karma.


    "NightShade?" Mia asked Klaus, raising an eyebrow.


    "Long story," Klaus replied, not wanting to explain everything.


    The three demigods chatted for a while as they walked towards the entrance of the Arena of Valor. Klaus stared at the building, realizing it had been a long time since he was last there. After a brief delay, he walked into the building and headed for the spectator''s section, where the demigods usually gathered.


    As Klaus entered, he noticed that most of the demigods were already there. A few had yet to arrive, which explained why they hadn''t started.


    Looking around, Klaus saw that some of the demigods looked different from the last time he saw them. Some demigods, noticeably Riley and Ace, had longer hair and had it styled differently from before. But the most noticeable change was the person walking towards Klaus.


    "Hey, Klaus," Rose said as she stopped in front of him. "It''s been a minute. How''ve you been?"


    "Great," Klaus replied, staring at Rose.


    Rose continued to talk, but Klaus''s mind seemed to be elsewhere. It was clear to him that Rose''s appearance had significantly changed. Her hair was shorter now, tied into a single ponytail that reached the base of her neck. Unlike Mia''s sleek high ponytail, Rose''s was a high messy ponytail. Her blonde hair still retained its pink highlights at the tips, enhancing her natural beauty.


    Her new hairstyle and appearance made her look very different from before, but some would say it made her even more beautiful, an achievement that seemed impossible.


    "You okay?" Rose asked, pulling Klaus''s attention back to her.


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    Klaus was shocked by her appearance. It wasn''t that he was mesmerized, but rather stunned by how different she looked from the last time they met. It was clear he hadn''t been listening to her.


    "Sorry, I wasn''t listening," Klaus admitted. "You look good, by the way."


    "Oh," Rose said, surprised by his words. "Thanks. Cutting my hair and tying it up seemed to be the better choice for combat, but I''m glad it doesn''t ruin my appearance."


    She let out a friendly smile for a moment before another demigod suddenly cut into their conversation, hugging Klaus from behind.


    "Hey, guapo. I''ve missed you," the person revealed to be Iris said as she leaned forward onto him.


    "You really need to stop doing that," Klaus said, turning his attention to Iris.


    "Oh, come on," Iris continued with a smile, "You know you missed me."


    "That''s not exactly what I''d say," Klaus replied.


    Iris turned her attention to Rose, who remained in front of them. Rose stayed quiet, seemingly waiting for Iris to finish her shenanigans. This generated a smile on Iris''s face as she attempted to capitalize on the situation.


    "Oh, lo siento, mija," Iris said to Rose with a smile. "I hope you aren''t too jealous of my proximity?"


    Iris retained her smile, but Rose''s expression remained neutral.


    "Not really," Rose replied, then added, "But you do know you''re being a bit too close to someone who has a girlfriend, right?"


    "And when has that ever stopped me?" Iris continued, her smile unwavering, as if she refused to lose the verbal battle.


    Rose let out a soft sigh. "Of course not," she said, placing her palm on her face in slight disappointment.


    Noticing the slight tone of seriousness in Rose and Klaus''s expressions, Iris softened her smile before letting go of Klaus.


    "I''m kidding, relax," Iris said. "You guys are no fun."


    In the background, it seemed that all the demigods were finally present, with the exception of Ash. XVII decided they could commence.


    "May all the demigods walk closer to the stage of the arena, please," XVII announced.


    Hearing the announcement, Iris heeded the call and moved forward, leaving Klaus with Rose as the rest of the demigods began to move closer as well. Klaus also wanted to move closer but had a question in his mind that he had to ask Rose first.


    "How did you know I had a girlfriend?" Klaus suddenly asked, grabbing Rose''s attention once again.


    Hearing Klaus''s words, Rose''s expression suddenly changed.


    "O-Oh... you actually did have one?" Rose asked Klaus in disbelief. "I-I just said that to get her off you."


    Rose''s face began to turn red as she looked around, slightly flustered. It was as if she was panicking. Klaus stared in confusion, surprised that Rose was not aware that he was dating Avalon and had only guessed.


    But before he could say anything, Rose''s expression returned to what it was a few seconds before, the redness on her face subsiding almost as if on command.


    "I''m just messing with you," Rose said with a taunting smile. "I could tell you had one because your emotions seem to be significantly brighter than usual. It made it kind of obvious."


    Rose turned her attention to where they were needed and before heading there, she smiled once again at Klaus and tapped him on the shoulder.


    "Also, happiness is a good look on you," she said before joining the rest of the demigods.


    Klaus was stunned by Rose''s expression and composure. He had initially assumed she would be bummed by the news that he was dating Avalon, but seeing her reaction made him smile softly.


    He remembered that Rose had said she was going to be working on controlling her emotions when they last met over a month ago, so he was impressed by how far she had come. After a brief moment, he finally walked ahead, joining the rest of the demigods.


    As all the present demigods gathered around the front of the arena, XVII began his announcement.


    "Welcome back, demigods," XVII began. "I hope you all are well."


    A few demigods nodded in response before XVII continued.


    "I understand that you were all called here on short notice, so I would like to begin immediately," he announced, stepping aside. "A God will be with you all shortly."


    As XVII concluded, a familiar force enveloped the arena, causing the demigods to kneel as usual. Soon after, the typical entrance occurred with a bright luminous light descending from the skies, revealing the presence of a God.


    "Arise, demigods," the God commanded, easing the force that had been applied to them.


    As they stood, all eyes were on the God clad in black armor with intricate designs and adorned with a crimson cape. His blond hair fell to his shoulders, a stark contrast to Siege.


    "Dad," Rose murmured, revealing the God''s identity as Zeal, the God of Mind.


    As the demigods rose, Zeal glanced around before greeting them with a smile.


    "Greetings, nephews and nieces," Zeal began, turning to Rose. "And my lovely daughter, of course."


    Rose smiled at her father as Zeal continued.


    "I am glad to see you all once again and to see that you are well," Zeal announced. "As XVII mentioned, I understand you were summoned on short notice, so I will begin immediately by explaining why you are here."


    All the demigods focused on the mighty being as he began with a commanding sentence.


    "The Gods have decided to disclose all necessary information to you."


    If Zeal hadn''t captured their full attention before, he certainly had now. Each demigod harbored questions about their existence and the nature of their divinity, recognizing the gravity of his words. As all eyes remained fixed on him, Zeal continued.


    "We will start with a topic that many of you seem curious about: the ranking order among the Gods."


    "Ranking?" Riley asked.


    "Precisely," Zeal confirmed. "To begin, you need to understand that the Gods did not appear all at once but rather in successive batches."


    This revelation surprised all the demigods, except for Klaus, who was already familiar with this information. The origins of the Gods had always been a critical topic, sparking questions about the very beginning of existence.


    "While this information might not be new to some of you, we recognize that you all deserve to know everything," Zeal explained.


    With that, Zeal began to reveal the details to the attentive demigods.


    "The first generation of Gods consists of two beings who represent the necessary duality of reality. Reality can only exist in either Light or Darkness, and thus, the first Gods to exist were Sol and Abyss."


    "So Sol and Abyss are the first Gods?" Tyler asked in awe, echoing the sentiments of the other demigods.


    "Wait... so if Sol and Abyss are the first generation of Gods," Quinn began, "then by birthright, the first generation demigods would be Shade and..."


    "Klaus," Rose interjected, finishing Quinn''s sentence.


    All eyes turned to Klaus, who remained silent under their gaze, his expression as composed as ever.

 #83: Inherited Power

    Klaus had just been confirmed as the son of a first-generation God.


    The rest of the demigods stared at him in shock, mirroring the surprise on Shade''s face. This was the first time Shade was hearing of this, and he couldn''t help but wonder how it was true. But unlike his brother, Klaus'' typical expression remained unchanged.


    "Of course Klaus Walker is special," Quinn exclaimed, not entirely surprised by the revelation.


    The demigods continued to exchange looks of awe before Zeal resumed his disclosure.


    "Following the existence of Sol and Abyss came the Gods representing all the natural elements in existence," Zeal continued. "The demigods who are offspring of some of these Gods are Riley Greene, Ash Brimstone, and Trent."


    As before, the demigods reacted with amazement, though this revelation didn''t shock them as much. Reflecting on it, they realized that Riley, Ash, and Trent all had abilities related to controlling natural elements, as Zeal had explained. Although the ranking information was new, it was less surprising than the first.


    "Every other God that hasn''t been mentioned, including myself, came after," Zeal went on. "We exist as the third generation of Gods, with the exception of Halo and Horns."


    The demigods muttered among themselves. This was clearly news to them. Although some had suspected this, it was still a lot of new information.


    "So as third-generation demigods, we''re inferior to the others?" Mia asked, slightly disheartened by being ranked among the lowest.


    "That is not the case at all," Zeal reassured, drawing their attention again. "Though these rankings are important to us, they do not dictate power or superiority in strength, even among you demigods. This is evident in the Divine Tournament, where performance and skill level varied widely."


    The demigods acknowledged the truth in Zeal''s statement. The finalists of the most recent tournament were both third-generation demigods, who outmatched many others. Klaus also recognized his own limitations compared to some of these demigods, including the absent Ash Brimstone, knowing he wasn''t physically more skilled than them.


    This understanding quelled any sudden feelings of inferiority or superiority among the demigods, making things feel more balanced. However, some still wondered if being ranked higher had any benefits. With these thoughts lingering, Zeal continued to address them.


    "As some of you might still wonder what these ranks mean for you, let me clarify: while your power isn''t affected by your generational nature, the main difference between all generations is the Dominion you have inherited."


    "Dominion?" Quinn asked, seeking confirmation.


    "Indeed," Zeal confirmed before continuing. "This brings me to my next revelation. By the laws of creation, we Gods possess the power to be supreme over everything we have created at all times. It is a guarantee that all creatures must obey their creator. This power is known as Dominion-over-Creation."


    The demigods marveled at the mention of such power. As they took a moment to consider its implications, Zeal elaborated further.


    "While the Gods are supreme over all creation, this is not entirely the same for demigods. However, you have inherited all creation from the Gods, and this ability instead grants you Dominion-over-Inheritance. By hierarchy, demigods have dominion over all they have inherited, not created, and this distinction is why mortals do not kneel to your presence."


    The demigods absorbed Zeal''s words until he concluded with a single, impactful word.


    "Yet."


    Klaus'' eyes widened as he fixed his gaze on Zeal. He realized that this information was different from what he had initially assumed. The word "yet" made him consider that the demigods were still far from reaching the pinnacle of their potential. Before he could speak, Zeal continued.


    "This isn''t the only information we have decided to disclose to you all," Zeal explained. "I''m certain you are all very curious about the true role we Gods who reside in Higher World play."


    This statement piqued even more interest among the demigods. While it wasn''t a question that often crossed their minds, some had wondered about the significant roles of the Gods in Higher World, especially given the presence of Guardian Gods already assigned to each realm.


    Klaus'' curiosity sharpened as he focused on Zeal, eager for new insights. With all the demigods silently awaiting further disclosure, Zeal began his explanation.


    "I''m sure you''ve all heard the phrase, ''Nothing is impossible.'' While this might seem like a clich¨¦ for motivation, it is indeed true. However, as reassuring as this might sound, it can have both positive and negative effects on reality."


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    Zeal paused for a moment, sensing the need to elaborate further.


    "Imagine a man making an honest living is on his way to work. As he takes a shortcut through an empty park, he suddenly bursts into flames without any logical explanation. While this scenario seems impossible, it is, in fact, just highly improbable."


    The demigods exchanged glances, beginning to grasp where Zeal was heading with this.


    "Even if the probability of a specific event is infinitesimally low, it is not impossible," Zeal continued. "This is the fundamental rule of Possibility and Probability in reality. As intricate and grand as reality is, it is also incredibly fragile and requires constant care. Every God residing in Higher World ensures that reality remains intact by minimizing the likelihood of negative possibilities- like the example I provided, or even more frightening ones- making them as close to impossible as possible."


    Klaus was taken aback. He hadn''t anticipated such profound news, even with his understanding of the Gods'' divinity. Zeal''s revelation implied that every millisecond, the Gods were collectively maintaining the stability of reality. It was likely that Zeal himself was ensuring this while speaking to the demigods.


    "I know this is a complex topic to grasp immediately," Zeal resumed, "but I hope this clarifies the role of all Gods in Higher World."


    The demigods nodded, absorbing the gravity of Zeal''s words. Zeal smiled, adjusting his stance before continuing.


    "If you desire any further information on these topics or more, do not hesitate to ask your instructors," Zeal said. "Additionally, the domain of the Gods is open for any of you who wish to meet with us."


    The demigods expressed their appreciation for Zeal''s remarks. Understanding that some of them might have had prior commitments, Zeal decided to conclude the session. He bid them farewell, unfurled his brilliant wings, and returned to the Gods'' domain.


    The demigods chatted among themselves, some departing immediately after Zeal''s departure. A few lingered to discuss the situation further, but eventually, they all left the arena.


    Klaus walked alongside Ace, Link, and Siren, engaging in conversation about the information they had just received.


    CONVERSATION


    Ace: It all makes sense why you''re the main character now, Klaus.


    Klaus: What?


    Link: He''s probably referring to how most of us kind of orbit around you and are curious about you.


    Klaus: Oh. Thanks... I guess?


    Ace: Honestly, what surprises me more is that Shade is supposed to have the same level of this "inheritance" thing as you do.


    Link: Yeah, that''s right. I didn''t expect that, to be honest.


    Siren: Same, but I mean, Shade''s more outgoing than Klaus is and easier to befriend. That probably changes his aura to friendliness instead of the mysteriousness Klaus has.


    Ace: Oh. That makes sense, dude.


    Siren: Yeah... dude.


    Link: Also, considering his return from training since the Divine Tournament, it makes a lot more sense to me now.


    Siren: I agree. Shade''s been way hotter ever since.


    The other demigods turned to Siren, who quickly realized her statement had rightfully taken them by surprise.


    Siren: I mean... I''m only assuming based on what Iris and the others usually say.


    Link: Gotcha.


    Ace: *smiling* It''s fine, dude. We don''t judge.


    Siren: Ahaha, right... dude.


    Ace: But wow. His training must have been intense to bring about such a significant change. Quinn was really fortunate to discover that she could forfeit during their fight in the tournament, huh?


    The four demigods continued walking until Link abruptly halted in his tracks.


    "I doubt that," Link stated, his usual playful tone replaced by a more serious one.


    His pause caught the attention of the others, prompting them to focus on his next words.


    "While Shade''s power is undeniable, Zeal made it clear that rankings don''t correlate directly with strength. And despite Quinn''s cautious nature and disinterest in fighting, I can''t say for certain how that match would have ended if she had fought to win. It would be unwise to underestimate the extent of her power."


    Link''s sincerity, evident both in his expression displayed by his mask and in his tone, made it clear to the other demigods that he wasn''t making a casual remark. Ace couldn''t help but smile, finding Link''s statement somewhat amusing.


    "You Atlas twins do love to boost each other up, huh?" Ace teased, recalling the final match of the Cosmic League when Quinn had done the same for Link.


    "And have we ever been wrong?" Link retorted.


    This caused Ace to remember the outcome of that match, causing him to acknowledge the validity of Quinn''s words, especially after having lost to Link. Klaus, usually accustomed to Link''s lighter banter, took his words seriously this time, understanding that Link seldom spoke so positively about his sister.


    As the four demigods finally reached the Golden Gate, they headed towards the transportation podium before bidding each other farewell. However, just as Klaus was about to leave, his attention was suddenly captured by another demigod approaching from behind.


    "Hey, Klaus," Rose called out as she approached him, drawing his attention. "Do you have a moment to spare?"


    Klaus paused in his tracks before walking towards her. They conversed with one another as they made their way together, with Rose leading the path.


    "You know," Rose began, "Since we last met, I''ve been doing a lot of training. So I was wondering if I could test my strength against you."


    "You mean a sparring match?" Klaus asked, slightly taken aback.


    "Yup," Rose confirmed. "If you''re up for it."


    "I guess," Klaus replied, surprised by Rose''s request.


    They continued walking until they reached the Training Facility, where the practice rooms were located. Following Rose''s lead, Klaus entered her training room, its never-ending empty white expanse reminiscent of his own. The two demigods stood opposite each other, attempting to prepare for their brief spar.


    "Make sure you don''t hold back," Rose instructed Klaus.


    "I''ll try not to," Klaus responded, not wanting to make a false promise.


    "Trust me," Rose added. "It''s for your own good."


    With that, Klaus assumed a relaxed stance, awaiting the start of their spar. Noticing this, Rose closed her eyes briefly, centering herself before taking a deep breath.


    Upon opening her eyes once again, Rose revealed a flicker of rage reflected in her expression, the color of her eyes shifting from their usual blue to a deep crimson. Klaus recognized the transformation instantly, murmuring the name under his breath as he glanced at her with more caution than prior.


    "Rage Charm."

 #84: Overwhelming Rage

    "Rage Charm."


    Klaus recognized the unique power Rose had unveiled during the Divine Tournament. This strange ability granted Rose immense power while she maintained her sleek, natural physique. Watching her activate it now, Klaus confirmed that it hadn''t been part of Iris'' illusion when they had fought after all.


    Rose glared at Klaus, her eyes burning with quiet rage. The two demigods stood in silence, waiting for the first move to signal the commencement of the battle. In a heartbeat, they charged at each other, beginning their spar.


    Klaus and Rose exchanged blows fiercely. Klaus swung his fists with precision, but Rose matched him effortlessly. Klaus, however, found himself subconsciously holding back, not wanting to hurt Rose. Yet, mere seconds into the fight, Klaus realized something shocking¡ªRose was overwhelming him.


    Throughout their clash, Klaus remained more defensive than offensive. Despite his efforts, he couldn''t find any openings against Rose. In contrast, Rose was landing heavy blows with unsettling accuracy. Klaus was baffled by the physical gap between them; Rose''s attacks hit harder than he could have anticipated. He knew he had to step up his game if he didn''t want to get seriously hurt.


    Strikes and heavy blows continued to be exchanged. Klaus hadn''t sparred or practiced in over a month since his last bout in Under World, but he seemed to shake off the rust quickly. As the fight progressed, Klaus launched a punch aimed at Rose''s face. Rose ducked swiftly, dodging the strike with grace. Using her momentum, she spun around and aimed a powerful right hook at Klaus'' head.


    Klaus, caught off guard by her agility, barely managed to bend backward in time to avoid the punch. Seeing what he thought was his first real opening, Klaus aimed a knee strike at Rose''s torso.


    But what seemed like an opening was immediately shut down. While still in her spinning motion, Rose used her left palm to block Klaus'' knee. Using the momentum, she redirected her right hand to strike Klaus'' chest. In an instant, Rose''s powerful palm strike sent Klaus skidding back a significant distance.


    Rose''s movements throughout the fight were graceful and precise, almost as if she were a completely different person¡ªa seasoned warrior. Klaus couldn''t help but acknowledge that her Rage Charm ability was incredibly effective, making her too powerful and leaving no openings.


    As Klaus pondered for a moment, he realized he hadn''t been fighting at his full potential. Unlike his previous battle, he could use his abilities freely. With these thoughts in mind, Klaus watched as Rose charged toward him again. He raised his left hand, photons swirling around his palm in a rotational motion. In seconds, Klaus had formed a first-grade Solar Ball and hurled it at the oncoming Rose.


    Rose continued her charge, undeterred by the Solar Ball speeding toward her. Klaus''s eyes widened as he realized his plan had failed¡ªRose didn''t change direction at all. Suddenly, the ball of light dispersed before reaching its target, and Rose closed in, resuming their brawl.


    "How did she know?" Klaus wondered subconsciously as he evaded Rose''s attacks.


    When creating the ball of light, Klaus had deliberately avoided compressing the photons as he usually did. He intended to create a decoy to make Rose exercise caution, giving him an opening that he had been missing throughout the fight. Somehow, Rose had seen through his ploy and was not fooled for even a second. Klaus''s mind raced with curiosity as Rose began to overwhelm him once again.


    The fight continued, and Klaus grew more serious. His focus sharpened significantly, and he was no longer lenient with his attacks. He used his Phantasmal State ability to evade unnecessary damage, but he knew he couldn''t stay on the defensive forever. He had to land a blow.


    As the clash raged on, Klaus suddenly stepped back, creating a brief distance between himself and Rose. Seizing the opportunity, he stretched his arms sideways and conjured two first-grade Solar Balls in his palms. Without hesitation, Klaus charged at Rose, finally switching to the offensive.


    Klaus swung his hands, gripping the balls of light, toward Rose, who now shifted to a defensive stance, evading his attacks with grace and precision. Desperate to land a hit, Klaus grew increasingly frustrated as Rose''s movements proved too fluid and calculated for him to touch.


    After a few moments of this dance, Rose leaped backward, putting space between them. Klaus''s face displayed clear frustration at his inability to land a single blow. He then intensified the density of the orbs of light in his hands before hurling them at Rose.


    Rose tilted her head left, dodging the first ball of light, before swaying her body left again to avoid the second. And by the time she had dodged the second one, Klaus had already closed the distance between them.


    The battle resumed for a brief moment until Rose suddenly lunged downward. Klaus''s Solar Balls, having missed initially, now revealed their trajectory change, heading back toward Rose from behind. He had used his ability to manipulate light to control the orbs'' path, but Rose had anticipated this, allowing her to evade them once more.


    The two fighters clashed again, this time Rose now wary of both Klaus and the two swarming orbs of light. Despite the overwhelming assault, Rose dodged every attack gracefully, maintaining her composure and matching Klaus''s punches.


    Klaus was beyond impressed but couldn''t afford to dwell on it, as the fight demanded his full attention. But his focus on controlling the orbs had also diluted his offensive power, giving Rose an opening she was able to seize before striking him away.


    Klaus regained his footing, his expression revealing his frustration. He manipulated the balls of light and sent them toward Rose again, but before they reached her, he caused them to collide, creating a blinding flash ahead of his opponent.


    Yet, even as the light filled the space, Klaus saw that Rose was unaffected. The blinding light did not faze her. For a moment, shock overtook his features as he witnessed her unwavering stance.


    "What even is this ability?" Klaus wondered, stunned by Rose''s Rage Charm.


    Klaus'' expression quickly darkened, and his frustration began to boil over. If there was still any trace of restraint he had until this point, it had completely vanished.


    Klaus charged at Rose again, the brawl reigniting. The rust from his lack of training and combat for over a month had finally worn off. Their clash was now almost evenly matched, both landing and evading blows with impressive precision. The battle had reached its peak, with neither fighter holding back on the other.


    As they continued, Rose managed a significant hit to Klaus''s right cheek, causing his head to move to the left side. A moment later, as he turned his head back towards her, his left hand began rising as well.


    As his palm continued to lift, Klaus began forming a small Solar Ball in its center, the sphere of light growing as his hand drew closer to Rose. Just before reaching her, the ball had grown to a full first-grade size, and Klaus landed a direct hit on the side of Rose''s chest, around her right shoulder.


    The signature explosive force and blinding light followed upon contact with its target, pushing both fighters apart significantly.


    Returning his gaze as the light faded, Klaus saw that Rose had barely flinched after taking the direct attack. Her top was torn in places from the attack, but she remained standing and unwavering, her defenses seemingly impenetrable to him. Despite her damaged clothes, she still had enough clothing to maintain modesty as well as something underneath.


    Rose''s defenses were clearly formidable, but she also recognized that tanking another Solar Ball could be dangerous, especially if Klaus landed one of a higher grade. Before she could react, Klaus charged in once again, his face a mask of rage.


    They exchanged attacks and evaded each other for several more seconds. Suddenly, both lunged toward each other, locking their palms in a test of strength. Their fingers intertwined at head level as they leaned forward, each using tremendous force to push ahead, attempting to overpower the other. The force they exerted was nearly equal, neither giving an inch.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    As they glared at each other, rage burning in their eyes, Klaus suddenly opened his mouth while maintaining eye contact with Rose. Photons from the surrounding area began to flow toward the front of his mouth, swirling into a rotating orb¡ªa Solar Ball¡ªright in front of him.


    Rose''s eyes widened in shock, realizing Klaus had the chance to land a direct hit on her face. She knew this attack could cause significant damage, so she had to act quickly.


    Reacting instantly, Rose shifted her efforts from pushing to pulling, disrupting Klaus''s aim just as he was about to release the attack. The Solar Ball veered off course, hitting the ground beneath them instead. The resulting explosion of light pushed both fighters apart.


    As the light faded, Rose noticed the fury blazing in Klaus''s eyes. The feeling of inferiority always seemed to ignite this rage in him.


    Klaus charged at her again, relentless and unyielding. They engaged in a furious exchange of blows, each attack more intense than the last. Suddenly, Rose''s eyes flickered briefly, reverting to their natural blue before turning crimson again. She was growing exhausted from the prolonged fight, while Klaus seemed only to become more formidable, his strikes increasingly difficult to evade.


    Seizing an opening, Klaus landed a powerful uppercut to Rose''s jaw, knocking her to the ground. Capitalizing on the advantage, he immediately pinned her down, raising his left hand to form a decisive Solar Ball above it.


    Rose knew that if Klaus succeeded in this attack, the battle would be over. Suddenly, as Klaus stared at her, creating the first-grade Solar Ball, Rose''s eyes shifted from crimson to a strange, deep, dark blue. As Klaus, still locked in eye contact, noticed this, he immediately felt a strange and powerful force envelop the area.


    Instinctively, Klaus quickly jumped off and away from his opponent, dispersing the ball of light and putting distance between them. He panted heavily, his instincts warning him about the gravity of the situation.


    "What the heck is that?" he muttered to himself, utterly surprised that Rose still had a trump card left.


    Klaus had never felt such fear in his life, and he knew that the battle was far from over. But he also recognized that it would be unwise to allow Rose to gain any upper hand. Staying back would only be detrimental, especially if he allowed her to complete her strange transformation.


    With determination, Klaus charged forward, attempting to continue his assault despite his body screaming in protest.


    "Whoa, wait, wait, wait!" Rose suddenly called out as she rose from her lying position, witnessing Klaus rushing at her.


    Rose''s eyes reverted to their natural blue, diminishing the intense effect they had on Klaus and causing him to halt in his tracks upon hearing her voice.


    Klaus looked at Rose in confusion as she held her neck with her right hand, cracking it, her right eye closed as she exhaled in exhaustion.


    "That''s enough, don''t you think?" Rose said, her breathing becoming more audible by the second.


    Hearing Rose''s call for a truce, Klaus let his guard down and gradually sat on the ground beneath him. Both demigods exhaled in exhaustion, realizing they had expended a tremendous amount of energy in their sparring session.


    Rose smiled at Klaus, allowing him to see that the fight had been much more intense and even than he had anticipated.


    "That was quite a match, huh?" Rose said, her palms on the floor as she exhaled with a smile.


    "It really was," Klaus agreed, sharing her sentiment.


    As they continued to rest, Rose suddenly stretched out her hand and said, "Two towels."


    To Klaus''s surprise, two small towels materialized in her outstretched palm. She tossed one to him, and he caught it, his expression one of curiosity.


    "How?" Klaus asked, still baffled.


    "You mean the towels?" Rose replied, amused by his confusion. "You didn''t know the training rooms operated this way?"


    Klaus genuinely had no idea that the training rooms had such capabilities. He recognized the convenience of it and regretted not knowing sooner.


    Rose also requested a change of clothes, allowing her to replace the worn-out top she had on with a brand-new identical one. After a few moments of refreshing, the two demigods engaged in conversation.


    "So... your new charm," Klaus said, still stunned by how far she had come.


    "Yeah," Rose replied. "It took me a very long time to master."


    Klaus listened intently as Rose elaborated on her experience in mastering the ability.


    "I realized after the tournament that control over my emotions would benefit me greatly and heighten my power, especially when using the Rage Charm."


    Klaus understood the validity of Rose''s words, but he still had something on his mind since they concluded their sparring session.


    "What about the last one?" Klaus asked. "The one you used before calling the fight off."


    "Oh, that," Rose said. "Well, it works similarly to my Love Charm, but instead, it instills and heightens one''s fears upon visual contact."


    Klaus was stunned by this revelation, but looking back at the scenario, he realized it made a lot of sense. Initially, he had assumed his retreat and caution were due to worry about the depths of the ability, but in reality, he was reacting to its true intentions.


    "Following the naming trend you''ve been using for my abilities," Rose continued, "I named this one Fear Charm since that''s its nature."


    Klaus was heavily impressed by how far Rose had progressed in the past month. She truly deserved praise for what she had displayed during their sparring.


    "You really are something else, Rose," Klaus said. "I''m impressed by how far you''ve come since we last met."


    "Well, after the tournament, I felt like I had to step up," Rose explained. "After some thought, I realized I was potentially the weakest demigod, and I didn''t like it. Initially, I didn''t care much for fighting, so it didn''t bother me, but it started to feel like everyone held their duties in high regard except for me."


    Klaus absorbed Rose''s explanations, his silence reflecting the depth of his contemplation.


    "Since we last met on Earth, I returned to Higher World the next day and started my training immediately," Rose elaborated. "In fact, I was even in Higher World when you and the other demigods departed for Under World a month ago."


    This revelation surprised Klaus. He hadn''t known about Rose''s relentless pursuit of strength. Respect for her determination filled him, bringing a warm smile to his face aimed towards her. Rose returned the smile briefly, but then her expression darkened. She turned away from Klaus, a serious air enveloping her.


    "You know... I realize this isn''t the best topic," Rose began, her tone more somber. "But I really want to address the... situation we had during the Cosmic League."


    Klaus'' smile faded as he sensed the gravity of her words, waiting for her to continue.


    "I want to use this chance to sincerely apologize for what I did that night," Rose said. "I know words can''t unwrite my actions, and I can''t defend my choices during that moment, but I still want to try to make amends, no matter how small."


    Seeing Rose''s earnest expression, Klaus realized she had been burdened by guilt ever since the incident, even though it no longer troubled him.


    "It''s fine," Klaus replied after a brief pause. "I don''t really care about it anymore, to be honest."


    Rose''s expression remained serious as she continued.


    "Your indifference makes it even harder for me to atone, you know that?" Rose explained.


    "Regardless," Klaus said, "I''ve truly moved on. And I want you to let go of it too and stop beating yourself up."


    Rose felt the sincerity in Klaus'' words and realized he had genuinely moved on. With this, she decided to find solace in his kindness.


    Klaus, however, had deeper reasons for his forgiveness. He understood that the existence of Dominion-over-Inheritance in his life might have driven Rose''s actions that night.


    He recognized that his words and his nature of dominion might have intensified her emotions, leading her to make a regrettable decision. Seeing fault in both her actions and his nature, he couldn''t hold it against her any more than he could blame himself.


    After their heartfelt conversation, the two demigods finished freshening up and began preparing to leave the training room.


    "By the way," Rose suddenly began, "a Solar Ball from your mouth?"


    Rose stared at Klaus with a concerned smile, curious to understand how Klaus was able to do such a thing.


    "Oh, yeah," Klaus confirmed. "During my fight with Riley in the Divine Tournament, she used her vines to immobilize me and I was left offensively crippled. So I decided to practice creating them without relying on my hands so it wouldn''t happen again."


    "Wow," Rose replied with shock. "You really give this demigod thing a lot of thought, don''t you?"


    Klaus maintained his dim expression before responding to Rose''s recent words.


    "I wouldn''t say that," he started. "Recently, I had even been doubting myself so much that my father had to break divine customs just to set me back on the right path."


    Rose was taken aback by Klaus''s openness about his struggles with doubt, but it only deepened her respect for his dedication.


    "Despite all that," Rose began. "I doubt any other demigod thinks so drastically about it like you do."


    Klaus turned to Rose, listening intently as she continued.


    "I can tell just by reading your emotions that you care a lot about being a demigod, which is possibly why you were overthinking things in the first place," Rose explained to Klaus. "So don''t beat yourself up for caring."


    Klaus found Rose''s words comforting. They offered him a new perspective on his own feelings, one he hadn''t considered before. After their brief moment of reflection, Klaus and Rose concluded their time in the training room and began to head towards the transportation podiums.


    "You''re not staying back anymore?" Klaus asked as they walked towards the Golden Gate.


    "Nah," Rose replied with a smile. "It''s been a month and a half since I''ve been to Earth. I want to see my mom and friends."


    "Friends?" Klaus queried.


    "Of course," Rose said after a smile. "You know, those humans on Earth who care about you?"


    Klaus realized he had somewhat neglected the concept of human friends since becoming a demigod. It hadn''t even crossed his mind until now.


    "You realize not every demigod is an emo like you," Rose teased lightly.


    "I''m not an emo," Klaus retorted.


    "Awww, that''s adorable," Rose replied with a grin.


    They continued chatting until they reached the podiums, where they bid each other farewell. Following Rose''s departure, Klaus stepped onto the podium before finally transporting back to Main World.

 #85: Her Revelation

    Klaus opened his eyes, waking from his slumber. He sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings. The late return from Higher World the night before, after his intense brawl with Rose, had led to a late wake-up.


    For a few minutes, Klaus stared at the ceiling, contemplating his plans for the rest of the day. Nothing concrete came to mind. His nature of being a demigod began to feel monotonous to him. Or rather, it made him painfully aware of how dull his life truly was.


    How had he been living like this? Silence and solitude had always been his refuge. But becoming a demigod had changed him in ways he never anticipated. He now cared about people outside his family, had friends, and experienced moments of genuine joy, smiling and even laughing on rare occasions. These new feelings made him realize that his previous life, once satisfying, now felt incomplete. This new life felt better.


    Klaus held on to his chest in slight pain while he glanced at the ceiling, trying to drown in his thoughts. But it felt strange and uncomfortable, unlike before. Giving up, he turned his head to the nightstand where his phone lay.


    He reached for it, picking it up as he lay back down. As he scrolled through it, he noticed a message from Avalon, sent earlier that morning while he was still in Higher World.


    "Hey, just wanted to check up on you to see if you had completed what you left to do successfully."


    Klaus stared at the message, comforted by her concern. It surprised him that she had sent it so early, but the thought warmed him.


    "Yeah. Thanks for checking up on me," he replied, setting the phone beside him.


    Moments later, his phone vibrated with Avalon''s reply.


    "I''m glad to hear that <3."


    He stared at her message for a long time, his mind swirling with thoughts he couldn''t quite articulate. As he pondered how to respond, he saw that Avalon was typing again.


    "You know, we should plan a date for next weekend. My week is going to be very hectic, but I think I should be able to get a free day. And since yesterday was cut short, I''ll make sure we can have that day to ourselves. And just the two of us this time."


    Klaus couldn''t help but smile as he read her words. Warmth spread through him, filling the emptiness he had felt moments before. He continued to stare at the screen, savoring the moment, before finally typing his response.


    "I''d like that," Klaus wrote back, feeling a sense of contentment he hadn''t experienced in a long time.


    As Klaus continued to stare at his phone in silence, Avalon started typing again. He waited patiently until her new message appeared.


    "Also, my parents will be out of town during the weekend too. So we can stay up and do anything for as long as we want."


    Klaus''s eyes widened in surprise at the message, but after a moment, he smiled.


    "I can''t wait," he replied, choosing not to read too much into her words.


    He set his phone down, still smiling, and lay back on his bed. With no chores left to do and the day stretching out before him, time seemed to crawl. Nearly half an hour had passed since he woke, but it felt longer. The silence was broken by his phone ringing beside him.


    Klaus reached for it, curious about who could be calling. To his surprise, the screen displayed "Link Atlas" and a waving headshot of Link''s helmet-covered face. Klaus stared in confusion before finally deciding to answer.


    "Yo, Klaus. What''s up?" Link''s voice greeted him as soon as he picked up.


    "Why the hell is your number saved on my phone?" Klaus asked, bewildered. "And why is there a picture of you as well?"


    "Not important," Link dismissed. "You might need to meet up with us somewhere."


    "Why is that?" Klaus raised an eyebrow, even more confused.


    "It''s kind of important," Link replied. "I can''t go into detail right now, but your attention is needed. Unless you''ve got something to do right now?"


    Klaus thought for a moment before sighing. "Fine. Where exactly?"


    "I''ll send you the location on your phone," Link said.


    "Alright," Klaus responded. "I''ll be there in about an hour."


    After ending the call, Klaus began to prepare for his outing. He showered, brushed his teeth, did his hair, and dressed quickly. Slipping in his contact lenses, he made sure he was ready before heading out.


    Heading down the stairs, Klaus noticed the quiet emptiness of the house. His mother was at work as expected, and Shade had gone out with friends, leaving Klaus alone. He grabbed a snack from the fridge, retrieved his skateboard, and headed out to the location Link had sent.


    As Klaus skated towards his destination, he appreciated the simplicity of the moment. The sun was out, making it impossible for him to move at his usual light speed, but this didn''t bother him. Sometimes, he found it satisfying to keep a normal pace, letting the wind gently brush against his skin. His days often blurred into nights, both filled with the same mundane routine, so this change of pace was welcome.


    The urban landscape gradually gave way to more trees and open fields. Buildings became sparse, and Klaus realized he was venturing further from civilization. Eventually, he arrived at a house, secluded amidst fields and small trees, miles from any other structure.


    Klaus picked up his skateboard and walked up to the front door, admiring the well-crafted house despite the location. The surrounding silence was calming, providing an oddly satisfying contrast to the bustling city life he was used to. He searched for a doorbell but found none, so he opted with a knock. After a few seconds, the door slid open slowly and silently, eventually revealing a drone on the other side.


    Recognizing it as one of Link''s drones, Klaus followed its lead into the house. He took in the surroundings, noting the lack of personal photos but sensing it was a family home. The drone guided him to the living room, where he found Link, Ace, Trent, Quinn, and, to his surprise, Siren.


    "Siren?" Klaus wondered to himself before realization dawned on him.


    Siren noticed his arrival and greeted him with a wave. "Hey, Klaus, welcome to my home," she said, her voice altered behind her suit as usual. "My mom headed out, so I asked if I could invite some close friends over."


    Klaus was genuinely surprised to be included. He hadn''t expected Siren to consider him one of her close friends. After a bit, Trent turned to Siren, inquiring what her intentions were.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Well, now that friend Klaus is here," Trent began, "what''s next?"


    Klaus looked around, confusion etched on his face. "What''s going on?"


    "Siren said he wanted to tell us something important," Ace explained. "And he also said your presence was necessary to do so."


    Klaus turned to Siren in surprise. "You needed my attention?"


    "Yeah, kinda," Siren replied. "Basically for emotional support."


    Everyone seemed puzzled by Siren''s words, but Klaus had an inkling of what might be coming. After a brief moment of silence, Siren walked ahead of the other demigods, addressing them with determination.


    "I think it''s finally time I do this," she said, coming to a stop before them.


    "To do what?" Quinn asked, her curiosity evident in her bright smile.


    "To reveal myself," Siren declared.


    The demigods'' eyes widened, realizing this was a bigger deal than they had anticipated.


    "I want to reveal myself," Siren began again, "but I don''t think I''m ready to do it for everyone just yet. So I want to reveal myself first to people I feel comfortable with."


    Klaus and the others stayed silent, their attention riveted on Siren. She took a deep breath before explaining a crucial requirement.


    " Though I can only do it if there is no sound," she explained.


    All the demigods turned to Link, who looked bewildered by their stares.


    "What?" Link asked defensively. "Do you guys take me for a loudmouth?"


    "Your drone, idiot," Klaus said. "And yes, we do."


    Link glanced at his drone, which hovered beside him, emitting a low technological hum.


    "Pixel," Link called out, and the intelligence responded promptly.


    "Copy. Initiating silent mode."


    With that, the drone immediately ceased all emanating noise. Link turned his attention back to Siren, along with the rest of the demigods, waiting for her next move.


    The house was already very silent, a necessary condition for Siren to potentially remove her suit within its confines. Taking a deep breath, Siren stood before her friends and began to remove her helmet.


    All the demigods watched intently, curiosity and anticipation evident in their expressions. After a few seconds, Siren fully removed her helmet, revealing auburn hair and a feminine face that completely contradicted their expectations.


    This was the first time all the demigods present, except for Klaus, had seen Siren''s true face. The revelation that she was a girl took them by surprise, and Ace gasped slightly in shock.


    Hearing his gasp, Siren immediately clutched her head in pain, reacting to the sound due to the nature of her ability.


    "Oh, sorry," Ace whispered, quickly covering his mouth, realizing his words would only make it worse.


    Siren''s pain visibly intensified, and she continued to hold her head and squint in agony. Link shot Ace a stern look, making him realize the extent of the distress he had caused. Returning his focus to Siren, Link silently stood up and approached her.


    Link was mesmerized by her beauty, unsure which was more surprising¡ªher appearance or the fact that she was not a guy. As he drew closer, he caught her attention. She managed to open one eye and look at him. Using sign language, Link communicated with her.


    "Are you okay?" he asked.


    Siren took a moment to regain her composure, softening her pained expression. She forced a smile and replied in sign language as well.


    "Yeah, I''m fine," she responded.


    "You know, Ace can be a dumbass most of the time," Link continued, causing Siren to smile.


    "I know," she replied, her smile prompting one from Link too, through his display.


    Ace watched the two demigods, puzzled by their silent conversation. He wanted to ask but recognized that now was not the time, so he remained quiet.


    After a few more seconds, Link addressed Siren again in sign language.


    "You look really pretty, by the way," he said, making Siren''s smile even wider.


    "Thank you," she responded. "I have to put my helmet back on now so the others can understand me."


    Link nodded, understanding her as she began to place her helmet back onto her head.


    CONVERSATION


    Quinn: You realize I can understand sign language, right? So it''s not exactly a problem for me.


    Siren: I''m not surprised. But I''m more worried about the rest.


    Trent: Well, I''m fine. I seem to have understood everything you both said.


    Trent''s words felt odd, but Klaus'' words that came after felt stranger to them.


    Klaus: I''m fine as well. I can also understand sign language a bit.


    The demigods glanced at Klaus in shock for a few seconds, causing him to explain himself.


    Klaus: *sighs* I learned it a long time ago because I had free time to.


    Quinn: Honestly, knowing you, I''m not exactly surprised by that.


    Ace: So I''m the only one who didn''t understand anything at all? Can someone tell me what they said then?


    Link: Hang on. So why exactly does your voice sound masculine?


    Hearing Link''s question, Siren reverted to her natural feminine voice and addressed them with it for the first time.


    Siren: This is my real voice. I used the other one subconsciously when I first showed up to Higher World.


    Ace: So no one''s gonna tell me what they were saying before?


    Siren: I had panicked because I was a bit shy about myself. But after making a lot of friends, I do regret lying to everyone.


    Trent: You don''t have to worry, friend. As a person with no ID, I understand how it feels to lack confidence in yourself so it doesn''t bother me at all. And I''m sure everyone will respect your decision as well.


    Ace: Have I somehow lost the ability to be understood?


    Upon finishing their conversation, Link noticed that Klaus''s reaction to Siren''s revelation was different from his own. It dawned on him that Klaus wasn''t surprised at all.


    "Wait, you knew?" Link asked in shock. "And you didn''t say anything?"


    "It''s not exactly my secret to tell, is it?" Klaus responded, his expression as indifferent as always.


    Link turned to Quinn, hoping for some clarity, but he saw that she wore a knowing smile, much like Klaus''s expression but not as apathetic.


    "You knew too?" Link exclaimed, even more confused.


    "I mean, are you truly surprised by my knowledge?" Quinn said to her brother with a gentle smirk.


    Quinn''s familiarity with Siren''s identity caught both Klaus and Siren by surprise. They stared at her, awaiting her explanation. Realizing their curiosity, Quinn sighed softly before elaborating.


    "When someone speaks to me telepathically, they use their natural voice so I can tell the gender and age range of the person," Quinn explained. "I noticed you were a girl since the Cosmic League, given we were on the same team. But I understood you were keeping it a secret for a reason, so I chose not to address it."


    Quinn''s explanation made sense to everyone, prompting a grateful smile from Siren. She appreciated Quinn''s respect for her privacy.


    The demigods chatted among themselves for a few more minutes, covering various topics until Quinn remembered something important she wanted to discuss.


    "By the way," she began, "I''m planning a sort of training session for all the demigods next week. It will be an opportunity for us to gauge our standing among ourselves and see how we can help each other grow."


    The demigods seemed on board with her plans, showing no objections. They then turned to Klaus, who appeared uninterested. However, after a few moments of silent staring, which seemed to be a recurring theme among them for the day, he sighed and agreed to participate.


    The group hung out at Siren''s home for a few more hours as the sun set, casting a warm glow into the night. Eventually, Siren''s mother returned, meeting the other demigods for the first time.


    The demigods continued their conversation with Siren''s mother, who expressed heartfelt gratitude towards them for taking care of her daughter. She shared how happy she was that Siren had found such good friends among the demigods, especially after being alone for so long. For the first time, she revealed Siren''s real name, Piper, to the rest of the demigods, which Link complimented as a beautiful name.


    As Siren''s mother observed the group from the dining room a few minutes later, she teared up, overwhelmed with happiness to see her daughter so comfortable and accepted among her peers. The positive energy and smiles shared between the demigods and Siren warmed her heart.


    Klaus noticed her emotional state and turned his attention back to their conversation, understanding the challenges Siren''s mother must have faced with everything concerning her. He respected the unwavering love she had for her daughter, recognizing the strength it took to support her through everything.


    As night deepened, the demigods began to prepare for their journeys home. Siren''s mother had fallen asleep on the living room couch, so they quietly decided not to disturb her with goodbyes. The group began to leave, with Klaus lingering behind, wanting to speak with Siren briefly before departing.


    "Your mom really loves you, doesn''t she?" Klaus said, picking up his skateboard.


    "Yeah, she does," Siren replied. "She''s one of the reasons I''m still alive and what I live for."


    Klaus appreciated the bond between Siren and her mother, smiling at her genuine words.


    "Make sure to take care of her, just as she does for you," Klaus said, finishing his preparations to leave. "And let her know we''re all thankful for her hospitality."


    "I will," Siren replied, "for both statements."


    After their goodbyes, Klaus finally headed home. The night skies allowed him to move at the speed of light if he wished, but he chose to skate instead, deciding to savor the night air and the gentle breeze he had so often overlooked.

 #86: New Training

    Klaus continued to scrub the base of the plate he held, working alongside Shade. It was a Saturday morning, and they had just finished breakfast, so there were a few chores to tackle.


    Natalie sat on the couch in the living room, watching television. Her sons had insisted on taking over the chores for the day. Typically, she had to work on weekends, but today was a rare break. Klaus and Shade felt it wouldn''t be fair for her to spend the day doing housework.


    "Are you sure you guys don''t need any help?" Natalie asked, worried.


    "We''re sure, Mom," Shade replied. "And It''s not relaxing if you''re thinking about us and not the TV in front of you."


    "Fine," Natalie said, defeated.


    "Besides," Shade continued, "we''re not sure how long we''ll be gone, so it''s better we help as much as possible."


    "Gone?" Klaus asked, stopping his scrubbing to look at his brother.


    "You know, for Quinn''s training thing," Shade reminded him.


    Klaus'' eyes widened. He had completely forgotten about the training session Quinn had mentioned at Siren''s house.


    "You forgot, didn''t you?" Shade said, smiling.


    "I guess," Klaus admitted, finishing up the plate he was cleaning.


    They continued working for a few more minutes until they finished the dishes. Shade began tidying up the rest of the kitchen when Klaus remembered something he needed to ask.


    "What about Flage?" Klaus asked. "Don''t you have the chance to train with him instead?"


    "I would... if I had a way to return," Shade explained.


    Klaus looked puzzled. "Why can''t you?" he asked.


    "Well," Shade began, "when I tried to return a few weeks ago, I realized the coordinates had changed. It didn''t allow me to be transported. When I asked VI about it, he said he couldn''t retrieve the location anymore."


    Klaus was surprised but then nodded, understanding. Given the explanation of Flage''s status as an abandoned God, it made sense that he would choose to remain hidden.


    "I''m guessing he doesn''t want to be found again," Klaus said, receiving a confirming nod from his brother.


    As Klaus and Shade wrapped up their chores, Shade suggested they depart for Higher World early. Although the training session was scheduled to start in the evening, Shade saw value in getting there ahead of time for some personal training.


    "We might even have enough time to spar against each other before it begins," Shade said with a grin, clearly excited about the prospect of sparring with his brother.


    Klaus agreed eagerly, liking the idea. They headed upstairs to shower and prepare for their departure. A few minutes later, Klaus returned downstairs when his phone suddenly rang in his pocket. Seeing Avalon''s name on the screen, he answered.


    While Klaus talked with Avalon, Shade finished getting ready and headed downstairs, joining his brother and waiting for him to conclude with his call. During the conversation, Avalon asked a critical question.


    "By the way, are you free today?" Avalon asked. "This is the only day I''m able to be free, so I wanted to see you."


    Klaus''s heart sank as he remembered their planned date for the weekend. He had forgotten it was today, especially with his training commitments.


    "Unfortunately, I''m not," Klaus said. "But is there any chance you could get another free day?"


    "I highly doubt it," Avalon replied. "I''ve had a lot of back and forth with my parents, and this is the only time they''re out of town. They''ll be back tomorrow, so I won''t be free anymore."


    Klaus felt torn. The training in the Higher World was important, but he genuinely wanted to spend time with Avalon. He hesitated, lost in thought, which Shade noticed. Without warning, Shade grabbed the phone from Klaus and spoke to Avalon.


    "Don''t worry, Avalon," Shade said. "Klaus will be available for your date. I''ll cover for him."


    Klaus tried to retrieve his phone, but Shade held it firmly.


    "It''s Shade, by the way," he added.


    "Hi, Shade," Avalon replied, smiling at the commotion she heard over the phone.


    Klaus finally got his phone back and took a moment before speaking to Avalon again.


    "I guess I''ll take a rain check on what I''m doing right now to meet you," Klaus confirmed.


    "Are you sure?" Avalon asked, surprised but happy.


    "Yes," Klaus affirmed, making Avalon smile with relief.


    "You can meet me at my house by 3 pm, and we''ll figure out what to do from there," Avalon suggested.


    "That''s fine with me," Klaus replied, a smile growing on his face too.


    "Then I can''t wait to see you," Avalon said. "And tell Shade I said thank you."


    "I will," Klaus responded before they hung up.


    As he turned back to Shade, he was met with a cheeky grin from his brother.


    "You guys are so cute," Shade teased, earning a frustrated sigh from Klaus.


    After deciding to stay in Main World, Shade said his goodbyes to Klaus and their mother before departing for Higher World. Klaus, on the other hand, decided to wait until it was time for his date with Avalon. He headed back upstairs to his room, trying to kill time until the afternoon.


    As the hours dragged on, Klaus grew increasingly bored. He didn''t want to interrupt his mother during her rare day off, so he chose to stay in his room. But the waiting felt endless, and he doubted he could last until the time for their date.


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    Just as Klaus thought he might succumb to the boredom, his phone rang again. He quickly checked the caller ID, hoping it was Avalon. Instead, he saw the familiar image of Link, which dampened his mood slightly. The sight of the saved image always managed to annoy him.


    "Yo, Klaus," Link said as soon as Klaus answered, "I heard you weren''t going for the training stuff."


    "I''m not," Klaus replied. "And how do you already know that?"


    "Anyway," Link continued, ignoring the question, "I thought maybe you could come over and we could play some video games. We can use this chance to finish the level we were stuck on."


    "Sure," Klaus agreed, realizing he couldn''t endure another two hours of boredom before his date.


    Klaus was a bit surprised that Link wasn''t attending the training session either, but he decided not to ask about it. He got up from his bed, said goodbye to his mother, and headed over to the Atlas residence.


    Upon arriving at Link''s house, a drone directed Klaus to the living room. As he entered the room, he heard Link''s footsteps approaching. When Klaus turned to greet him, he noticed that Link was wearing a bathrobe, fresh from a shower. But it wasn''t the bathrobe that shocked Klaus the most.


    "What''s up, Klaus," Link began, his voice sounding different.


    Klaus turned towards Link, seeing him using a towel to wipe his face. Initially, it seemed normal until Klaus realized Link didn''t have his signature mask on, exposing his face.


    Before Link could fully remove the towel from his face, Klaus quickly averted his gaze. Link stared at Klaus in confusion, puzzled by his reaction.


    "Uhh... What are you doing?" Link asked, noting Klaus''s odd behavior.


    Klaus remained silent, trying to avoid seeing Link''s real face for the first time. Realizing this, Link''s confusion grew.


    "You realize I''m not ashamed to show my face, right?" Link said. "That''s not exactly why I wear the mask."


    "It doesn''t matter," Klaus replied, still turned away. "It''ll just ruin the immersion."


    Link raised an eyebrow but decided not to press further.


    "Suit yourself," he said before pointing at the coffee table beside Klaus. "Then could you hand me the small metal square on the table beside you?"


    Klaus picked up the strange black metal object, handing it to Link without turning to face him. Link sighed softly before placing the object on his nose.


    The object began to morph and change form, nanoparticles spreading over Link''s face. As it transformed, it gradually revealed Link''s signature head mask, fitting perfectly as it always did.


    When Klaus finally turned back, he saw a booting sequence displayed on the screen of Link''s mask, followed by the familiar digital face Link used to display his expressions. Link''s real face remained a mystery to Klaus, but that was how he preferred it.


    With his mask back on, Link went to his room to get dressed while Klaus headed to the gaming room. After a few minutes, they regrouped and prepared for their gaming session. Curiosity continued to gnaw at Klaus as time went on, and he couldn''t hold back the single question in his mind any longer.


    "Why exactly did you choose not to go for the training?" Klaus asked.


    Link''s mask displayed a stern expression for a second as he took a moment before answering Klaus.


    "I''m currently working on something very important," he said. "Something more important than going to Higher World right now."


    Klaus was puzzled by this cryptic answer. But before he could inquire further, a sudden gust of wind and a loud sonic boom interrupted them. As Klaus turned, he saw Ace casually walking towards them, carrying a bag with some items in it.


    "Sorry, Link," Ace began, glancing at the contents of the bag. "They were out of strawberry flavor, so I had to get chocolate."


    "Aww man, seriously?" Link groaned. "The chocolate doesn''t even come close to the strawberry."


    Ace shrugged, knowing there was nothing he could do about it. He reached into the bag and tossed a chocolate drink to Link. Klaus watched, bewildered, as Link returned his attention to the monitor in front of him.


    "What''s going on?" Klaus finally asked. "You''re not going to the training either?"


    "Nope," Ace replied nonchalantly, smiling as he moved to an empty gaming setup.


    "Wait, why?" Klaus pressed.


    "Well... uh... I''m helping Link with something very important," Ace said as he took his seat.


    Klaus remained baffled until Link interjected.


    "He''s lying," he said. "He''s just lazy and doesn''t want to train."


    "What''s your problem, dude?" Ace retorted with a crooked smile. "I''m simply just trying to take care of my body. Besides, I''m sick."


    "We can''t get sick," Klaus pointed out, clearly unimpressed by their actions.


    "You don''t know that," Ace replied after filling his mouth with a strawberry drink he had concealed in the bag.


    At this point, Klaus decided he didn''t care about their reasons. He just wanted to pass the time until his date. He turned his attention back to his monitor but felt compelled to ask about one more person.


    "What about Trent?" Klaus inquired. "Is he here too?"


    "He probably went to Higher World," Link said as he began queuing them into a match. "Honestly, I haven''t even seen him all day, so I''m not sure."


    With that, the demigods were placed into a match queue, prompting Klaus to focus on his screen, pushing aside any lingering questions.


    The three demigods immersed themselves in their game, time slipping away unnoticed. Their focus remained unbroken as they played intensely, the room filled with the sounds of their virtual battles.


    After what felt like an hour, Ace finished his drink and felt the need to replenish his supply.


    "I''ll be back," Ace announced, rising from his seat after a set. "I need to find more of these drinks."


    Pausing briefly, Ace had a thought before continuing. "Maybe I''ll find some in Toronto," he said before darting away, leaving a loud sonic boom in his wake.


    Klaus and Link continued gaming, the competition heating up as they both played with utmost intensity. Suddenly, Klaus''s phone alarm went off, but engrossed in the game, he quickly silenced it without checking. He intended to see what it was for after the match.


    Moments later, Klaus emerged victorious in their current spar, prompting two contrasting reactions as they both rose to their feet: Link''s frustration and Klaus''s snarky smile.


    Standing up, Klaus finally checked his phone, realizing it was fifteen minutes past three. He was late for his date with Avalon.


    "Oh damn, I have to go," Klaus said, placing his phone into his pocket.


    "Of course, you choose to run off right after you win," Link grumbled, still smarting from his loss.


    "I have a date," Klaus explained.


    "Sure you do," Link responded sarcastically. "I guess I''ll just stay here like the loser I am, wallowing in defeat while you enjoy the time of your life with your girlfriend."


    Klaus chuckled at Link''s frustration, finding it amusing, but he knew he had no time to linger. On his way out, he decided to stop by the water dispenser to grab a quick drink.


    "Are you kidding me?" he heard Link yell in the distance, smirking at the thought of Link''s frustration for losing the match.


    Upon arriving at the dispenser, Klaus placed the cup beneath the spout, watching as water began to pour into it. He stood in thought for a moment, his eyes fixed on the stream of water.


    Suddenly, Klaus noticed something strange. He couldn''t move. Confusion washed over him as he realized the water wasn''t moving either, frozen in place along with the rest of the world.


    "What is happening?" he thought, bewildered.


    It dawned on him that this immobilization only occurred when his Perfect Precognition ability activated, which usually happened automatically in times of peril. The realization hit him like a bolt.


    "This means..." Klaus thought, struggling to comprehend the situation.


    He couldn''t move his body or even his eyes; his gaze remained locked on the still water. Unfortunately, only his mind could perceive the world at the speed of light due to the sun''s presence.


    Klaus knew that if his ability had activated, there was a genuine threat he needed to understand. Reluctant to deactivate his power, he tried to figure out what was going on. Suddenly, at the corner of his vision, he noticed something very strange. There was another shadow beside his own on the ground.


    Initially, this didn''t alarm him until he realized the shadow''s figure was unusually large, indicating the presence of something over seven feet tall.


    Baffled and alarmed, Klaus''s mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening. Panic set in until he got an idea. He could use the water''s reflection to see who, or what, was behind him.


    He focused on the water, attempting to use its surface to reflect the image behind him. The reflection was blurry, but as his focus sharpened, he noticed sharp teeth surrounding the maw of the figure in the water''s reflection. This was when it finally dawned on him.


    A creature over seven feet tall, with vicious teeth circling its mouth.


    "Is that..." Klaus thought, realization hitting him hard. "A Monster?"

 #87: Mortal Adversaries

    "A monster? In Main World? But HOW?"


    Klaus''s mind raced, completely baffled by this sudden revelation. He felt as if he might be seeing things that weren''t really there.


    "It can''t be," he thought, unsure if what he saw in the reflection was accurate.


    Despite his disbelief, Klaus knew his Perfect Precognition ability only activated in real danger, affirming that the monstrous presence behind him was genuine. Thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind. How had the creature entered the house? How had it snuck up on him so silently?


    Desperately hoping he was mistaken, Klaus knew he had to confront the reality of the situation. After what felt like an eternity of tense thought, he finally deactivated his ability.


    Instantly, Klaus activated his Phantasmal State as the world began to move once more. The creature behind him swung its claws, but they passed harmlessly through him, slamming into the water dispenser.


    Stunned by the unusual outcome, the creature glanced at its hands in confusion, which allowed Klaus to finally lock his gaze on what was truly behind him. He witnessed a real monster for the first time.


    He beheld a giant monstrous figure with dark, sinewy skin and glowing red eyes. Its gaping maw, filled with layers of sharp teeth, dripped toxic saliva. Long arms ended in grotesque hands, each finger tipped with a curved, serrated claw. The creature''s low, rumbling growls filled the air as it loomed over him, slouched and menacing. The monster was even more horrifying than the stories had described.


    Klaus stood stunned, feeling as if he were trapped in a nightmare. The massive creature''s gaze locked onto him, and it immediately rushed forward, perceiving him as prey. Its razor-sharp claws swung at him with terrifying speed, but Klaus''s evasiveness allowed him to evade each strike.


    Everything felt so unreal as the creature tossed its entire body at Klaus, slamming itself on the walls and objects around them like a crazed animal. The creature''s frenzied attacks tore through walls and furniture, reducing the room to chaos.


    Amid the onslaught, Klaus heard a shout.


    "Klaus!" Link''s voice rang out as he rushed into the room.


    Link quickly raised his hand and tossed a small cube, resembling a Rubik''s cube, at the monster. The cube struck the creature''s arm and immediately morphed into nanoparticles, swiftly covering its limb.


    The monster, confused and enraged, tried to scrape the substance off with its other hand. But the particles spun faster and faster, shredding the creature''s arm and spraying a strange purple substance across the room as it wailed in agony.


    Noticing an opening, Link stretched out his right arm, pointing his finger at the monster. Beneath his sleeve, the gauntlet he had used during the Divine Tournament gleamed. From the tip of his finger, a metallic object fired ahead like a bullet, streaking towards the monster.


    The projectile struck the monster''s head with deadly precision, piercing through and causing the creature to collapse to the floor. The deep purple substance, presumably its blood, oozed from the wound.


    With the creature dead, Link hurried to Klaus, who was still on the ground, his face a mask of shock and disbelief. His heart raced, and he could only manage silent gasps as he stared at the fallen monster.


    "Are you alright?" Link asked, helping Klaus to his feet.


    "How the hell is there a monster in your house?" Klaus demanded, his voice tinged with frustration and fear.


    "I don''t know," Link replied. "I got attacked in the gaming room too so that wasn''t the only one."


    Stunned, Klaus let Link help him up. An idea sparked in Link''s mind, and he hurried to another room, Klaus following close behind. They entered the cinema room, and Link quickly approached the screen.


    "Pixel," Link commanded, "access the surveillance cameras around the city."


    "Accessing regional mainframe," Pixel responded before continuing. "Access complete."


    The theater screen lit up, displaying various parts of the city. What they saw was beyond horrifying. Monsters were everywhere, humans running in terror and screaming. The creatures attacked indiscriminately, mauling anyone they could reach with their claws and teeth.


    Different cameras showed the same horrifying scenes throughout the city. Klaus and Link stood in stunned silence, the reality of the nightmare sinking in.


    "Check other cities and countries," Link ordered Pixel.


    The screen shifted to show other locations around the world. Though the number of monsters was not as concentrated, the pattern was clear¡ªthis was a global crisis.


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    "How?" Klaus asked, his voice barely above a whisper, disbelief etched on his face.


    Link''s mask displayed a shocked expression. They stared at the screen for a few moments before Link finally broke the silence.


    "We have to do something," Link said. "This is what we were made for."


    Klaus nodded, though uncertainty gnawed at him. He wasn''t sure if they were ready or even capable of handling something of this magnitude. But he knew they had to try. They needed to save as many people as they could.


    Link and Klaus left the Atlas residence, determined to head into the city to see what they could do. Link instructed the guards to protect his mother and the others in the main house. Seeing the fear in their expressions, he decided to ask Pixel to defend the residence as much as she could instead. The intelligence confirmed his request promptly.


    "Copy, initiating project Exterminate," Pixel replied as Link and Klaus departed for the city.


    As they made their way, they encountered numerous monsters. Sensing their presence, the creatures rushed toward them, mistaking them for helpless humans and feed.


    Klaus quickly conjured a first-grade Solar Ball. Dodging a lunging monster, he thrust his attack into the creature''s chest. The force was tremendous, and light particles flooded the area, affecting other monsters but leaving Link unharmed thanks to the light regulators built into his mask, a feature he had mentioned during the tournament.


    The impact was devastating, obliterating the monster''s chest and killing it instantly. Klaus realized the lethal capability of his attacks on mortal beings other than the demigods.


    Meanwhile, Link deployed his NPCs, maneuvering nano drones to create sharp spikes that he launched at the attacking creatures. As the battle raged on, Klaus heard a familiar voice.


    "Klaus! Klaus, can you hear me? What in the Gods'' names is going on in Main World?"


    It was Quinn, contacting him telepathically from Higher World. Klaus was taken aback, amazed she could reach him from another realm.


    "I can feel multitudes of humans dying, and it''s much more rapid than normal," Quinn continued.


    "Monsters," Klaus replied telepathically. "Monsters are manifesting."


    Quinn fell silent, struggling to comprehend his words but knowing he spoke the truth given the sheer number of human deaths she sensed from her great distance.


    "How did this happen?" Quinn asked, her voice laced with concern.


    "I don''t know," Klaus responded, dispatching the last of the monsters around them as they continued onward.


    Quinn took a moment to formulate a plan. Klaus had intended to return to Higher World to alert the other demigods, but now that Quinn was aware, he knew he could focus on helping as many people as possible. As he and Link pressed on, Quinn continued to communicate with him.


    "I''ll scrap the training session for now so we can solve this problem," Quinn said telepathically. "And I''ll head to the domain of the Gods to inform them."


    With that, Quinn ended their connection and set her plan into motion. Klaus and Link pressed on, reaching the city shortly thereafter.


    Upon arrival, Klaus and Link were confronted with multitudes of monsters and screaming humans. The sight was eerie and surreal to Klaus, making him feel like he was in a nightmare. But there was no time for hesitation; every second he faltered meant another human life lost.


    Klaus initially tried to save the humans without revealing his powers, understanding that witnessing supernatural abilities could be overwhelming for them. Though the monsters were already more than enough of a shock.


    He directed the panicked crowds to safety, guiding them to homes that appeared free of monsters. Despite the chaos and difficulty, he remained focused, knowing that every person he directed to safety was another life saved.


    Men, women, and children ran for their lives amidst the littered corpses, no one safe regardless of race, age, or status. As Klaus continued his efforts, three monsters suddenly rushed him.


    The creatures towered over Klaus, attacking with ferocious speed. Klaus evaded them swiftly, but without using his light powers, he found it difficult to finish them off quickly.


    Amid this turmoil, one of the monsters began to take damage rapidly before collapsing to the ground. Ace appeared above the fallen creature, pinning it down.


    "Finish it off!" Ace shouted to Klaus as the monster struggled beneath him.


    Seeing that there were no humans nearby, Klaus created a miniature Solar Ball and slammed it onto the monster''s head, killing it instantly. Spotting Ace from a distance, Link quickly regrouped with them.


    "Where have you been?" Link asked Ace.


    "Do you not see what''s happening?" Ace replied. "I was heading back when I noticed the monsters, so I had to intervene before returning."


    With more monsters approaching, Klaus, Link, and Ace were forced back into battle, barely having time to think.


    Meanwhile, in Higher World, Quinn had gathered all the demigods who were present for the training session. She informed them about the crisis on Earth, detailing the sudden and horrifying appearance of monsters and the resulting chaos.


    "I don''t believe it," Arthur exclaimed, his shock mirrored by the other demigods.


    "I''m completely serious," Quinn replied with conviction. "Klaus and the others are fighting them right now."


    "It''s true," a voice suddenly confirmed.


    Everyone turned to Shade, the owner of the statement, who began to address them.


    "I can feel Klaus'' emotions through his shadow," Shade said. "And what I felt is something I''ve never felt from him before. Fear."


    The demigods were stunned. Without hesitation, they headed towards the Golden Gate to transport back to Main World. Quinn felt a strange curiosity and unease as she tried to make sense of what was happening. The timing seemed too convenient.


    Arriving at the Golden Gate, the demigods swiftly moved towards the transportation podium. Shade stepped onto the podium, closed his eyes, and concentrated on the usual coordinates. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes.


    "What?" he muttered, realizing he hadn''t transported.


    Shade closed his eyes and tried again, but remained in the same place.


    "It''s... It''s not working," he said, his face a mask of shock.


    The demigods were in utter disbelief.


    "What?" Rose began. "That''s not possible."


    Shade stepped off the podium, and Riley stepped forward to attempt the transport. She, too, was met with the same outcome.


    "What is happening?" Quinn wondered, completely stunned. The idea that monsters were present when they had left for Higher World was already suspicious, but now being unable to return to Earth made things even clearer.


    As the other demigods continued to attempt to return, Quinn''s eyes widened with realization. She spoke words that caught all the demigods'' attention, making them grasp the gravity of the situation.


    "I think... we''ve been sabotaged."

 #88: World Threatening Crisis

    "We''ve been sabotaged."


    The demigods stared at Quinn in stunned silence. The notion that someone had sabotaged them was beyond anything they could have imagined.


    "How is that possible?" Lance asked, breaking the silence.


    "I don''t know," Quinn replied, "but it''s the only explanation for what''s happening."


    Quinn knew the situation was too convenient to be a coincidence. The malfunctioning podiums only strengthened her suspicion. However, she also recognized that there was no time to dwell on theories. What they knew for sure was that monsters had returned to Earth.


    "I need to head to the domain of the Gods," Quinn continued. "I''ll have them intervene in the meantime."


    Her suggestion was met with agreement. The rest of the demigods understood the necessity of divine intervention, but the idea of doing nothing while innocent people were being slaughtered made them uneasy. Amid the worried conversations and discomfort among the demigods in Higher World, Shade suddenly had an idea.


    Back on Earth, Klaus fought monsters with relentless precision. He and Link covered each other''s backs, helping people find safety despite Klaus''s reluctance to use his abilities in front of humans. Ace was also doing his part, using his speed to guide people into vacant and secured buildings.


    Despite their progress, Klaus knew they needed to split up to cover more ground and help more people. The monsters were too numerous for them to handle together. He suggested this to Link and Ace, who agreed, and they put the plan into action immediately.


    Klaus continued to rush around the city, battling monsters and guiding survivors to safety. He passed through areas littered with corpses, a grim reminder of the urgency of their mission. He deeply regretted not mastering his Burst Speed ability to be active during the day.


    "Why did it have to be daytime?" Klaus wondered as he pressed on, determined to save as many lives as possible.


    As Klaus continued his efforts, the monsters seemed to focus on him, rushing towards him with relentless determination. Without using his light ability recklessly, he found himself overwhelmed. It was as if the creatures were more attracted to Klaus than to the humans around, making his rescue efforts even more challenging. But amidst the chaos, something strange began to occur.


    Klaus noticed his shadow darkening and morphing. As he turned his attention towards it, he saw something emerging from it¡ªan arm. Rising from the ground, a figure began to crawl out of his shadow. The seconds that followed revealed more of the being, and Klaus''s split attention only added to his worry. As the strange entity finally shed the darkness that had wrapped around it, Klaus recognized who it was.


    "Shade?" Klaus asked, watching his brother take form beside him in confusion.


    Shade swiftly rose to his feet, binding all the monsters around them, including one that had rushed behind Klaus. With the absence of humans in that specific spot, Klaus raised his left hand and created a second-grade Solar Ball in mere seconds. Swiftly, He launched it towards the monsters, and it exploded with immense force, enveloping the entire area in light. As the light faded, it was evident that the attack had killed all the monsters surrounding them.


    Shade, regaining his vision, held his head in slight agony, noticing his brother''s worried glance.


    "How are you here?" Klaus asked, his curiosity understandable.


    "I marked the shadow I made for you," Shade began, removing his hand from his head. "As long as you''re connected to it, I can transport to you if I choose."


    Klaus was taken aback by Shade''s statement, but his brother wasn''t done explaining.


    "Though it''s convenient," Shade continued, "it''s noticeably painful because it essentially establishes a replica of my body on the mark before destroying my original body and moving my consciousness to the replica through shadows."


    Klaus was stunned by such a painful description. He could only imagine how excruciating it truly was.


    "I wasn''t sure I could traverse the distance between realms, but I''m glad I was able to," Shade added after a few seconds.


    Klaus was completely taken aback by Shade''s actions. He recognized that something must have been going on for Shade to have chosen such a painful way to return. Before he could ask, Shade began to relay the necessary information.


    "We were unable to transport from Higher World," Shade said, prompting even more shock on Klaus''s face.


    "What?" Klaus asked.


    "I didn''t understand it either, but the rest of the demigods are stuck there right now," Shade elaborated.


    Before they could continue their conversation, more monsters began to approach, forcing them to temporarily drop the discussion and focus on the battle ahead.


    Klaus and Shade fought tirelessly against the relentless horde of monsters. Shade stretched out his right hand, conjuring a drop of Pure Darkness that spawned his Abyssal Pit upon contact with the ground. From this dark void, Shade pulled two blades, handing one to Klaus.


    The synergy between them was impressive. Klaus used his light to temporarily blind their foes, while Shade''s Binding Shadows technique immobilized the monsters, allowing them to dispatch their enemies with precision and skill. Their seamless coordination turned the tide of the battle, but the fight was far from over.


    Meanwhile, Quinn had finally reached the domain of the Gods. She moved with urgency, desperately searching for someone to inform about the crisis on Earth, even though she suspected they might already be aware.


    "Greetings, Atlas," a voice said from behind her.


    Quinn turned to see Zenith, the God of Nature and Guardian of Higher World. Instinctively, she fell to her knees upon meeting his gaze.


    "Rise," Zenith said gently, easing his divine presence.


    Quinn stood, regaining her composure. "Sorry for the intrusion, Mister... Sir... Lord Zenith," she stammered, "but I come with really urgent news. Monsters have returned to Main World, and it''s become a global crisis."


    "I am aware," Zenith replied, his calm demeanor contrasting with Quinn''s urgency. "It is truly unfortunate."


    Quinn''s shock grew not from his awareness but from his apparent lack of concern. "So is there anything the Gods are doing to stop the crisis?" she inquired.


    "No," Zenith responded, leaving Quinn stunned. She struggled to comprehend why the Gods would choose inaction.


    "Why not?" she managed to ask after a moment of silence.


    "It is not our domain," Zenith explained. "So we simply cannot intervene."


    Seeing the disappointment on Quinn''s face, Zenith elaborated. "We made an oath as Gods never to interfere with mortals unless the situation involves our family, so we cannot help you the way you desire. The best we can do now is to protect all your mothers from the peril, making them invisible and unperceivable to the monsters."


    "So you want all of humanity to be expunged?" Quinn asked, her frustration palpable.


    Zenith remained silent, understanding her frustration but also knowing she did not grasp the full complexity of their divine constraints.


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    "You misunderstand, Atlas," Zenith began, his voice calm but firm. "It is the gravest sin for a God to break their oath. The only time we committed this sin was to protect humanity already, so we cannot do so again."


    Quinn''s silence indicated her dawning understanding. The Gods were bound by their oath, leaving humanity in dire straits. It felt like a nightmare, but Zenith''s continued address drew her attention back.


    "This is why you all are here," Zenith continued, "to aid humanity in our stead."


    "I just don''t think we are ready for such a monumental task," Quinn replied, her voice tinged with doubt. "Besides, we can''t do anything now since the transportation podiums aren''t working."


    "I will restore them for you," Zenith said, capturing Quinn''s attention once more.


    "Really?" she asked, hope lighting up her expression.


    "Yes," Zenith affirmed, though his tone carried a note of caution. "However, mending a connection between worlds is no simple task. We must establish a new link between two realms infinitely apart."


    Quinn was astonished by Zenith''s words but remained hopeful. "It''s still better than nothing," she said.


    Zenith assured her that they would continue to seek other ways to assist, though she shouldn''t pin all her hopes on it. Quinn''s frustration was clear, but she understood the limitations they faced. Before she departed, Zenith spoke once more.


    "Do not give up hope, Atlas. Your mind is your greatest weapon, and since you still have a connection to Earth, you can help despite the distance," he said before drawing a gentle smile. "But I''m sure you already knew that."


    Quinn nodded, confirming Zenith''s words and trying to devise a plan.


    Back on Earth, Klaus and Shade continued their relentless fight, defending a significant portion of the city and saving many lives. Shade''s use of the Abyssal Pit to cover their flanks proved invaluable. They had managed to hide numerous civilians in secure buildings, providing temporary respite from the monsters.


    As Klaus and Shade slayed the oncoming creatures, a sudden gunshot echoed through the area. Klaus turned, watching as a monster''s head was blown clean off its shoulders, the shot perfectly severing its neck.


    Klaus and Shade looked toward the source of the shot, a tall skyscraper a few meters away. Atop it stood a familiar figure. It was X.


    Noticing X''s presence, Klaus watched as X leaped from the tall building, landing with such force that the ground beneath him shattered. X calmly placed Heart Halter, his sniper rifle, back into its holster just as the monsters around him began to converge. He sighed softly, his eyes closing briefly before opening again, revealing the familiar fury within them.


    X moved with lethal precision. The first monster that reached him met its end as X grabbed its head and slammed it into the ground. Without missing a beat and changing his stance gracefully, he drew his sidearm with his right hand and fired at the next creature behind him, taking it down instantly. Another monster charged, but X swiftly returned his sidearm to its holster, grabbed the creature''s head with both hands and twisted it sharply, breaking its neck in less than a second.


    Klaus and Shade watched in awe as X dispatched the monsters effortlessly. X then reached for a tomahawk at his left hip and hurled it with incredible force toward a tremendously distant monster. The power behind the throw was astounding, and the tomahawk struck the creature''s head, killing it instantly. Yet X was far from done.


    With the tomahawk embedded in the monster, X drew his sidearm again. He aimed Soul Slayer at the tomahawk, using the barely visible metallic part to reflect his next shot. Activating True Accuracy, X fired, his eyes locked onto the tomahawk''s reflection, revealing a monster lurking around the corner, hidden from direct view. Just as the creature was about to seize a human, X''s bullet found its mark, slaying the monster and saving the person from certain death.


    Shade''s smile was evident, seeing another demigod and recognizing that it was a positive thing. Although Klaus was not fond of X, it was possibly the first time he had been relieved to see the demigod. As X continued ahead, Klaus suddenly heard a voice.


    "Klaus, you there?" Quinn''s voice said telepathically.


    "You say it like it isn''t in my head," Klaus replied.


    While Klaus pressed forward, Quinn explained what had happened in Higher World regarding the Gods. She detailed why they were unable to help. Although Klaus was disappointed, he understood the reason after recalling what his father had told him about the situation.


    "Do you have any idea why this happened in the first place?" Klaus suddenly asked Quinn.


    Quinn took a moment before replying. "I think someone planned everything and sabotaged us," she said.


    Klaus had suspected as much, but Quinn wasn''t finished with her analysis.


    "I also think it was someone who knew about the training, because of the timing. But my biggest theory, based on the preparation time required, is that it was someone who was present during the first time I mentioned the training."


    "You mean in Siren''s home?" Klaus asked, recalling that moment vividly when Quinn mentioned it was the first time she spoke of it.


    "It''s a theory, but that''s what I think," Quinn replied.


    Klaus'' mind was torn between Quinn''s words and his ongoing battle. He knew Quinn''s theories were usually correct whenever she chose to share them, so it kept him deep in thought. Him, Siren, Quinn, Link, Ace, and Trent. These were the six demigods present when Quinn first suggested the training. Klaus could account for everyone except two of them.


    "What about Siren and Trent?" Klaus asked Quinn. "Are they there with you?"


    "Siren is here in Higher World," Quinn began, "But Trent is still on Earth."


    "What?" Klaus said in shock.


    Klaus remembered that Link had said he hadn''t seen Trent all day, so he was confused since they had assumed Trent had already gone to Higher World.


    "Are you sure?" Klaus asked.


    "Yes," Quinn affirmed. "It''s faint, but I can sense his presence there."


    Klaus, now thoroughly confused, struggled to understand how Trent was still on Earth when he had assumed otherwise. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by the guttural growl of a monster almost a mile away.


    He turned his attention in the direction of the sound and saw a horrifying scene: a monster had impaled a fleeing human through the chest with its claws. Klaus dashed towards them, helplessly watching as the human''s screams of agony faded into silence.


    The monster lifted the human off the ground, preparing to sink its teeth into the victim''s head. Before it could complete the gruesome act, a bullet whizzed through the air, piercing the human''s head and continuing on to strike the monster in the skull.


    Klaus recoiled at the sight of both bodies falling lifeless to the ground. He turned angrily towards X, who had fired the shot.


    "What are you doing?" Klaus shouted, fury evident in his voice.


    "Why does harming an already established corpse matter?" X retorted, indicating that the human had already died before he fired.


    "It matters," Klaus replied, his anger undiminished. "A loved one would want to bury an intact corpse, not a mutilated one. Do not desecrate their bodies further."


    X''s frustration was palpable, his face contorted in rage.


    "Your naivete is exasperating," he snarled before storming off.


    Watching X leave for a moment, Klaus then resumed his battle and continued his telepathic conversation with Quinn.


    "There are too many monsters in the city," Klaus lamented. "It''ll be near impossible to stop this crisis without millions dying around the world."


    "Though there are monsters worldwide," Quinn replied, "New York seems to be the epicenter. The death toll there is significantly higher than in any other state or country."


    This information struck Klaus as peculiar. As he pondered, an idea began to form.


    "So you''re saying the monsters are more concentrated in New York?" Klaus asked, seeking confirmation.


    "That''s what the death toll suggests from my perception," Quinn responded.


    "Is there a specific place in the city where you can sense an even higher concentration of monsters?" Klaus asked suddenly.


    "I see where you''re going with this," Quinn said. "You think, regardless of the general spawn, there might be a central spawning point?"


    "Maybe," Klaus replied as he continued to fend off the monsters. "I might just be hoping that''s the case, but it''s worth investigating."


    Klaus recognized that if there truly was a spawn point, stopping it could be their best chance. He knew that while the monsters initially appeared at random, evidenced by his surprise during the first encounter, their presence in the city had grown denser and more concentrated.


    "Yes, you''re right," Quinn suddenly said after a few seconds of silence. "There''s a specific location where humans have been dying too quickly and are dropping at a rapid rate right now. This might be the spawn point."


    After killing the last monster around him with a Solar Ball, Klaus returned his focus to Quinn''s voice.


    "Where is this?" he asked urgently.


    "The heart of the city. Times Square," Quinn replied.


    Hearing Quinn''s words, Klaus straightened up, mentally mapping the distance to Times Square and preparing for the journey.


    "Shade," Klaus said, catching his brother''s attention, "continue helping out. I have to investigate something."


    "Good luck," Shade replied, recognizing the seriousness in Klaus'' expression.


    With a nod, Klaus dashed towards Times Square.


    As he pressed on, Klaus eliminated any monster in his path. His speed was impressive, though not as swift as it would have been with access to his Burst Speed. He moved quickly, not wasting any time, and finally reached his destination.


    Upon arriving, Klaus'' eyes widened at the sight before him. Hundreds of monsters roamed the area, with not a single human in sight except for the corpses littering the ground.


    The monsters, noticing his presence, began to rush at Klaus. Fear flickered in his eyes as they hurled themselves at him like crazed animals. He moved deftly, evading attacks and slaying the creatures he could, but he knew this battle wouldn''t be easy. As he fought, using his Solar Ball and the blade given to him by Shade to deal significant damage, he suddenly noticed something out of the corner of his eye.


    "Is that... a person?" Klaus asked himself, turning his attention to the right.


    In that moment of distraction, a monster swung its claws at his back, knocking him to his knees. The monsters towered over him, their mouths salivating in anticipation. But just as they were about to attack, they abruptly stopped.


    For a few seconds, the monsters remained motionless, leaving Klaus staring in utter confusion. Then, inexplicably, they began to part, moving away from him and clearing a path towards the figure he had glimpsed earlier.


    Klaus, clutching his shoulder in agony, watched in bewilderment as the monsters slowly retreated in unison. They formed a clear path between him and the stranger.


    As he focused on the figure, Klaus'' eyes widened in disbelief and fear of what it meant. His hands dropped to the ground in shock, his gaze fixed on the person as he whispered to himself in incredulity.


    "No... It can''t be."

 #89: Traitor

    "Trent."


    Link''s voice echoed through the Atlas residence as he called out for his friend. The absence of monsters made navigating the area easier. He moved with purpose, finally reaching the main house.


    Inside, Link searched every room, bursting through doors until he found the maids and a few guards, huddled together and trembling at his sudden entrance. Their initial reaction was fear, mistaking him for a monster as they closed their eyes and screamed.


    "Wait," Link said quickly, raising his hands in a calming gesture.


    The room was filled with tension. Link turned his head, drawn by a sound to his left. Turning his gaze, he saw several water spikes suspended in the air beside him, poised to strike. His eyes followed them to Trent, who stood tall and resolute behind them.


    "Trent, there you are," Link said, relief flooding his voice.


    "Link? Where have you been, friend?" Trent replied, lowering the water spikes upon recognizing him.


    "Quinn told me telepathically that I would find you here," Link explained.


    Trent relaxed, realizing it wasn''t a monster that had entered the house. After a moment of silence, Link''s curiosity got the better of him.


    "The world is in chaos, Trent. Where have you been? I hadn''t seen you all day, so I thought you were in Higher World."


    "What do you mean?" Trent asked, puzzled. "We saw each other this morning."


    Link raised one of his digital eyebrows, confusion evident on his face before Trent elaborated.


    "You were playing a game, and I told you we were out of food," Trent began. "So I said I was going shopping for a few hours to restock."


    "Huh?" Link asked, still confused.


    Trent sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a credit card.


    "You even gave me your credit card," Trent explained. "And you said, and I quote, ''Go nuts.''"


    Hearing this, Link finally remembered their earlier conversation.


    "Oh yeah, I forgot about that," he said foolishly, a smile breaking out. "My bad."


    Using the time they had, Link and Trent filled each other in on recent events. Trent explained that he had been watching over Link''s family since encountering the situation, while Link described the horrors outside their gates.


    As they talked, Link''s mother suddenly walked into the room from a smaller room deep inside. Upon seeing Link, she rushed to him and hugged him, tears streaming down her face.


    "I was so frightened," Link''s mother said, her voice trembling. "A monster suddenly appeared in front of me, but instead of attacking me, it killed my handmaiden and acted as if I wasn''t even there. That was when your friend, Trent, showed up and saved us."


    She recounted the terrifying moment when the monsters first started to spawn. Trent had just returned to the Atlas residence with groceries when he heard a scream from the main house. He rushed in to find a monster towering over Link''s mother and used his Water Bullets to slay the creature as it turned towards him. This was why the demigods hadn''t crossed paths when Link and Klaus left the home.


    "I was so scared, thinking you had been killed," Link''s mother continued, her eyes filled with worry.


    "I''m fine, Mother," Link reassured her, though his own eyes betrayed a deep sorrow.


    He hadn''t seen his mother in years and felt a pang of guilt for his prolonged absence, especially after hearing her fears.


    "What about Quinn?" she asked. "Where is she?"


    "She''s in Higher World," Link replied. "She''s safe, and you all will be safe too."


    Trent turned to Link, catching his attention. "What do we do now?"


    "We have to return to the city and eliminate the monsters," Link explained. "We need to regroup with Klaus and the others."


    Hearing this, Link''s mother began to tremble in fear. Sensing her distress, Link turned to her with a reassuring tone.


    "You should head to my house with everyone else," he said. "There, Pixel will protect you all to the best of its ability."


    Looking his mother in the eyes, Link continued, "I promise you will be safe."


    His words soothed her, and she believed him. The two demigods escorted everyone to Link''s home, ensuring their safety before preparing to depart.


    "Do you know why exactly this is happening?" Trent asked, still stunned by the sudden chaos on Earth.


    "No," Link admitted. "But I suspect there''s an instigator¡ªsomeone with a reason to cause such a thing."


    Klaus sat on his knees, his gaze fixed on the monsters parting to reveal a stranger a few yards away. His eyes locked onto theirs, taking in the familiar horns atop their head. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    "You. It can''t be."


    The figure slowly walked over to him, and when they finally spoke, the voice sent a shiver down his spine.


    "It''s so nice to meet you again, my love."


    Standing before him was Xhin, one of the two demons who had guided him during his time in the Under World. The monsters seemed to obey her, making no move to attack. Klaus was frozen, a torrent of confusion and shock paralyzing his thoughts.


    "Oh, apologies for the injury," Xhin said, her concern evident as she stepped closer. "Does it hurt badly?"


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    She crouched beside him, her eyes searching his face for a response. But Klaus found no comfort in her presence.


    "What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and anger.


    "Oh, me?" Xhin replied lightly. "I''m here for you."


    "Are you the one?" Klaus pressed, unwilling to be sidetracked by her evasive words.


    "Am I the one that what?" Xhin asked, feigning confusion.


    "Are you the one who summoned these dreadful creatures to our world?" Klaus demanded, his voice growing firmer.


    "Oh," Xhin said with a smile. "Well, yes. But don''t worry about that. It''s just a little life project of mine."


    She reached out to help him up, but Klaus recoiled from her touch.


    "You did this?" he asked, his voice filled with betrayal. "You chose to lay siege upon humanity?"


    "Me? Siege?" Xhin replied, genuinely shocked. "Good Gods, I am doing no such thing."


    "You said you wanted to help humanity before I left," Klaus said, his voice softer, filled with the pain of her betrayal.


    "Oh, but this is the HELP I wanted to offer to humanity," Xhin explained, her tone almost gleeful. "This is my HELP. It is my Human Extinction Life Project."


    Klaus'' eyes widened in disbelief. He could hardly process her words, the horror of her true intentions sinking in.


    Growing up, Jhin and Xhin were born into a dynasty of champions in Nyxia. Their family had always been victors of the Games of Champions since the games began, earning them elite status among the demons. Despite their superior ranking, humanity was still held in higher regard by the Gods.


    This reality always disgusted their house. "Why are humans praised as perfect imperfections when they are not even the most dominant creatures to have traversed their world?" Humans were perceived as flawed creatures, a belief deeply instilled in both Jhin and Xhin by their family.


    Jhin openly showed his resentment towards humankind, but Xhin was adept at hiding hers. "After all, she is good at putting on a facade."


    As she grew, every boyfriend she ever had only liked her for one thing: her family''s name. It was common for other demons to want to marry into their family, yet she always chose to trust them whenever they claimed otherwise. Despite this, they always ended up breaking her heart.


    Xhin had sworn that she was not going to trust people anymore since she was always taken advantage of. But this time, this time was different. Ever since she laid her eyes upon him, she knew that he was the one.


    "Klaus Walker!"


    Down to every cell and fiber in his body, he was the embodiment of perfection. His glance towards her sent shivers down her spine. She had already planned their future after just one gaze upon him. But despite all this ringing in her head during their first meeting, she held her composure.


    "After all, she is good at putting on a facade."


    Throughout his stay, Xhin desperately attempted to impress Klaus while still maintaining a natural demeanor. But his character made it difficult to tell if it was working or not. Xhin was furious at the idea that Klaus would have to leave the next day. She couldn''t let such perfection slip through her fingertips like she always did.


    All her life, Xhin had been more of a genius than a fighter. Her intellect was almost, if not completely, unmatched throughout all of Nyxia, a tremendous feat given that demons naturally had a higher intellect than humans. Xhin always preferred books to brawls. But she wasn''t allowed to show this to others. She had to keep the facade because of her family''s reputation.


    After her fight with Klaus, they walked into the medical room, where she noticed he was bleeding. She handed him a towel to wipe off the blood and suggested taking their used towels to the bin. But upon her exit, she kept his in her pocket.


    After saying their goodbyes at the Facility, Xhin returned to her room, her mind swirling with thoughts of Klaus. She pulled out the hand towel he had used, bringing it to her nose and inhaling deeply. The scent of his blood sent her into a trance, and she suddenly began touching herself inappropriately, unable to resist the overwhelming urge.


    She laid on her bed, eyes blurred, continuing to sniff the towel, her actions growing more fervent.


    "K-Klaus," she moaned, lost in her ecstasy.


    The aroma was intoxicating, heightening her pleasure. To her, he was perfection incarnate. But then it happened. She heard those words. Those special words, spoken to another.


    "I love you."


    Klaus stared in shock at Xhin, struggling to comprehend her twisted idea of "help" to humanity. Seeing his confusion, Xhin smiled, trying to clarify.


    "You know," Xhin began, "I spent weeks perfecting this plan. I always believed that monsters deserved to reclaim the lands they once ruled. So, I decided to resurrect them. And since I have access to the realms of souls, it wasn''t difficult. After all, my brother and I hold the highest positions on Lord Nekro''s council."


    Klaus''s horror grew as Xhin casually elaborated on her schemes as if they were normal.


    "Using non-perceivable sounds and vibrations, I created a chip that could allow me to control all the monsters in a large radius," she explained, pointing at her head to indicate the chip implanted inside. "It''s surprisingly simple. I could even make one for humans if you wanted me to."


    Klaus remained silent, his mind reeling. Xhin, sensing his distress, tilted her head with a sad smile.


    "Why are you so frightened, my love?" she asked, feigning concern.


    Klaus''s voice was low and defeated as he ignored her question. "How did you know when to attack? How did you know the demigods would be in Higher World today?"


    Xhin sighed, stepping closer and placing her talon-like fingernail on his chest. "The bug is still in you, dummy," she said with a smile.


    Seeing Klaus''s confusion, Xhin explained further. "The night before our spar, I created a bug and placed it on you."


    She had been desperate to keep a connection with Klaus but was too shy to give it to him directly, so she opted for a more discreet method. She considered various ways to ensure the bug stayed with him. Clothing could be removed, ingestion would eventually lead to expulsion. It had to be inside his skin.


    Knowing demigods had incredible regenerative abilities, Xhin realized she could embed the bug into Klaus''s body, where it would heal quickly and remain unnoticed.


    "When I found out we were to spar, I was thrilled," Xhin continued. "It gave me the perfect opportunity to inflict a tiny bit of pain without arousing suspicion. So during our fight, I found the opening I needed and embedded the bug into your chest."


    Klaus''s disbelief and horror deepened as Xhin''s words sank in.


    Klaus recalled his fight with Xhin, pinpointing the exact moment she mentioned when he was caught off guard. He pressed his palm against his chest, feeling for the unfamiliar lump she had spoken of. This was the source of the nagging pain he had felt since departing from Under World.


    Determined, Klaus dug his fingers into his chest, ignoring the searing pain as he pried the bug from beneath his skin. Finally, he pulled it out and examined the tiny device. He turned to Xhin, disgust evident in his eyes, while she smiled innocently.


    "You heard everything I heard and said since I left Under World?" Klaus asked, his voice laced with anger.


    "Yup," Xhin replied with a smile that quickly faded. "And I also heard the conversation. It was supposed to be me, not her."


    Klaus stared in confusion as Xhin continued, her tone dripping with bitterness.


    "Who the hell even is she?" Xhin spat. "Just a measly human."


    Realization dawned on Klaus; she was talking about Avalon. Xhin had overheard when Klaus confessed his love for Avalon.


    "That was what settled it for me," Xhin said, her voice cold. "Humans really MUST die if that''s what it takes to have my dearly beloved."


    Klaus struggled to comprehend her twisted logic. Before he could respond, Xhin stood up, her demeanor shifting.


    "The plan is going smoothly," Xhin declared. "I intended for all humans to perish, but I care enough to make an exception for my beloved."


    She began pacing, her voice eerily calm as she elaborated.


    "After a few weeks of listening to you, I noticed there were two humans you cared about," Xhin continued. "Your mother, Natalie, if I remember correctly... and that bitch, Avalon Smith."


    Klaus''s eyes widened as he realized the implication of her words. He rose to his feet, ignoring the pain, his voice barely a whisper.


    "Xhin..."


    "So, I decided to give you a choice, since I care so deeply about you," Xhin said, her tone almost affectionate.


    "Xhin, don''t," Klaus pleaded, his horror growing with each word she spoke.


    "I knew I had to strike in the afternoon to make this plan work because of your power," Xhin added, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "But it was worth it."


    Klaus''s face was a mixture of worry and shock as he took a step back, unable to believe what he was hearing.


    "Two different monsters, assigned with two special tasks," Xhin said, her innocent smile returning as she delivered the final blow verbally to Klaus.


    "Slay Natalie Walker... and slay Avalon Smith."

 #90: Just in Time

    Klaus stared at Xhin in horror, unable to believe the words she had just uttered.


    "Slay Natalie Walker... and slay Avalon Smith."


    For a moment, he stood silent, Xhin''s smile almost mocking him. Then, with a surge of anger, he rushed forward and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her off her feet.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" he demanded, his rage evident in his voice.


    Xhin met his furious gaze with mesmerized eyes, her expression almost romantic despite the threatening situation.


    Link and Trent arrived just in time to witness the scene. They had followed a message from Quinn, guiding them to Klaus''s location. As they approached, they were met with the sight of immobile monsters and a massive blood-red gate adorned with black designs.


    Amidst the chaos, they saw Klaus with an unfamiliar figure.


    "Is that... a demon?" Trent asked, noticing the figure''s resemblance to Drake.


    The two demigods rushed to Klaus, ready to assist him. As they got closer, they witnessed her face and realized that she was female.


    "Let him go, you... hot... demon... baddie," Link said, momentarily awestruck by Xhin''s appearance.


    Trent shot him a confused look, but Link just shrugged, realizing he had nothing more to say.


    "It seems it''s Klaus holding onto her, though," Trent observed.


    "Oh," Link replied, understanding the situation better.


    Their confusion grew as they tried to comprehend what was happening. But one thing was clear: Klaus was not happy.


    "Don''t do this, Xhin," Klaus pleaded, his grip on her neck softening. "Please."


    Xhin maintained her gaze for a few moments before responding.


    "Every second counts, my love," she said softly. "I wouldn''t want you to end up losing them both, you know."


    Hearing her words, Klaus dropped Xhin in frustration. The choice she was forcing upon him was unbearable; it meant sacrificing one life to save another. He couldn''t accept such a cruel reality.


    "Xhin," Klaus began, his voice softer, almost pleading, "it''s not too late to stop this. If you truly care about me, please, don''t do this."


    Xhin''s eyes grew sorrowful. Klaus''s words had clearly struck a chord with her, and she remained silent for a few moments.


    "I really do care," Xhin said softly, her innocence apparent. "That''s why I have to rid you of these insignificant creatures."


    Klaus''s frustration intensified. He placed his hands on his head, grunting in mental agony as he slouched forward. Xhin moved closer, gently placing her palm on his back in an attempt to soothe him.


    "Don''t worry, my love," Xhin whispered, "You will thank me for all this later when we are together."


    As Link and Trent approached, the surrounding monsters began to rush at them, preventing them from reaching Klaus and Xhin.


    "What is happening to Klaus?" Trent asked, noticing Klaus''s anguished actions from afar.


    Distracted by the oncoming monsters, both demigods struggled to both understand the situation and regroup with Klaus. Klaus, meanwhile, was paralyzed by his dilemma, knowing that inaction could mean losing the two people he loved the most.


    "Klaus!"


    His name echoed through the area, causing Klaus to turn toward the voice. Glancing there, Klaus'' eyes met Shade who had finally arrived at their location.


    "Run to Avalon," Shade called out, causing Klaus''s eyes to widen in confusion.


    Shade had been monitoring the conversation through the shadows ever since bidding Klaus farewell, ready to intervene if necessary. And upon hearing Xhin''s ultimatum, he knew he had to interfere so he began to rush towards their location.


    "Run to Avalon," Shade shouted again. "I''ll get mom."


    Xhin''s expression darkened upon hearing Shade''s words.


    "No, no, no, don''t ruin the game," Xhin said angrily. "If you do that, I''ll have to speed up the monsters to their destination."


    This was precisely what Klaus feared. Xhin''s intellect was undeniable, and he knew her plan was likely foolproof. This was why he hadn''t asked Trent or Link to do what Shade had just suggested. But it appeared Shade had a plan.


    "Because I marked our home before, I can use my transportation ability to get to her side immediately," Shade explained. "But you have to get to Avalon with haste."


    The moment Klaus heard Shade''s voice, he took off without hesitation, sprinting towards Avalon''s home. He knew every second counted, and he couldn''t afford to waste any.


    Xhin, furious at Klaus''s sudden departure, reactivated the monsters around them. They surged towards Klaus, attempting to slow him down. He dodged and slayed the beasts with swift precision, not wasting a moment. As he ran, Klaus spotted the blade of darkness he had received from Shade and quickly picked it up, wielding it to cut down the monsters in his path.


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    Meanwhile, Shade had already activated his transportation ability, diving into the Abyssal Pit and disappearing into it instantly, a prerequisite for the ability''s activation.


    As Klaus continued to fight his way through the horde, a towering wall of water suddenly rose up on either side of him, blocking more monsters from reaching him. This was Trent''s doing, his palms pressed to the ground as he manipulated the water to assist Klaus. A few monsters attempted to attack Trent in his vulnerable state, but he enveloped himself and Link in water, shielding them from harm.


    The remaining monsters in Klaus''s path were swiftly taken down by a swarm of needle-like objects, revealed to be Link''s nanobots, slicing through the creatures with lethal efficiency. With their help, Klaus finally broke free from the onslaught and sprinted towards Avalon''s home with renewed determination.


    Klaus''s expression remained stern, his mind focused on a single goal. He tried calling Avalon on her phone to warn her, but she did not answer. This only spurred him to run faster, covering as much ground as he possibly could.


    Frustration and anger filled him. He desperately wished he could use his Burst Speed, a power unavailable to him in daylight. But dwelling on this regret was pointless. He had to keep moving.


    Arriving at Avalon''s home, Klaus saw the monster approaching her doorstep. Rage surged through him. He stretched out his left hand and conjured a second-grade Solar Ball in nearly a second, hurling it at the creature.


    The impact was explosive, obliterating the monster in a burst of force that shook the entire area. But Klaus didn''t care about the destruction; his only concern was Avalon.


    As the light particles settled and the force dissipated, Klaus finally caught his breath. He had made it just in time. Without wasting another moment, he rushed into the house to ensure Avalon''s safety.


    "Avalon?" Klaus called out as he entered the dark, silent house. The power was out due to the ongoing monster crisis, casting an eerie stillness over everything. As he made his way through the rooms, he heard a soft noise coming from upstairs. It sounded like it was coming from Avalon''s room. With a sense of urgency, he began to climb the stairs.


    Reaching the top, he headed straight for her room. The door was ajar, and the noise grew louder, more distinct. Klaus strained to make sense of it, his heart pounding. When he finally reached the doorway, he froze.


    His face turned ashen, his expression void of any emotion. It felt as if his soul had left his body. Before him, a horrifying scene unfolded: a monstrous creature was devouring Avalon''s torso, treating her like a gruesome meal.


    Avalon''s eyes were directed upward, nearly lifeless. Upon hearing the sound at the door, she slowly turned her head and locked eyes with Klaus. They stared at each other in mutual horror. Avalon took a deep breath, but she didn''t exhale. Klaus watched in agony as the life left her eyes.


    The monster, sensing Klaus''s presence, turned its attention away from Avalon and charged at him, intent on making him its next victim. Klaus, however, was unfazed. His eyes remained fixed on Avalon''s lifeless face. When the creature reached him, he grabbed its neck with lightning speed and crushed it, snapping its spine without ever diverting his gaze.


    The monster collapsed at his feet, but Klaus hardly reacted to it. He staggered forward, each step feeling like a nightmare. When he reached Avalon''s body, he fell to his knees beside her, inching closer. The sight of her bloodied, mutilated form was more than he could bear. Tears began to gather around his eyes.


    "Avalon?" he called out softly, a desperate hope in his voice. "Avalon?"


    He gently lifted her head, cradling it in his hands. His sorrow was overwhelming as he struggled to accept the reality before him. He couldn''t bring himself to look at her ravaged torso, focusing instead on her eyes, now empty and unseeing. Tears fell freely down his cheeks.


    "Avalon... please wake up," Klaus whispered, his voice breaking. "Don''t leave. Please."


    His tears and terror were unmistakable, his gaze fixed on her face, refusing to acknowledge the truth.


    "Please."


    As the word left his lips, his face began to change, draining of all emotion.


    "Please... don''t go..."


    "There are a lot of factors that can make someone stronger than another both in general and at a given moment..."


    Xhin felt the last vision of the dying monster, placing her palm over her right eye. She had seen Avalon''s death, and it brought a smile to her lips, followed by a giggle. Trent and Link continued their desperate battle against the swarming monsters, more of which kept spawning from the ominous gate. It felt like an unwinnable fight, but surrender was not an option.


    "While it is correct that both experience and commitment to improving oneself are influential factors in making a demigod more effective in combat, a shift in mindset can also be a decisive factor that can turn the tide of battle..."


    Xhin''s smile widened at the thought of Avalon''s demise. "Yes, Klaus," she murmured, "it''s just you and me now."


    "Happiness, fear, pride. These are typical examples..."


    Klaus'' tears rolled down his cheeks, accumulating at his chin before falling to the ground.


    "But there is one particular emotion that holds more significance for demigods than any other..."


    As Klaus'' teardrop inched closer to the ground, time seemed to slow down before freezing entirely. Everything lost meaning, use, reason. Klaus'' mind was a storm of emotions, but one singular emotion consumed him more than all the others.


    "Rage."


    As Klaus'' tear hit the ground beside Avalon, the world resumed its motion. The palm of his left hand was suddenly on Xhin''s face, his grip unyielding.


    Filled with pure rage, Klaus lifted Xhin off her feet and slammed her head into the ground beneath them with such force that the earth trembled. The sudden impact drew the attention of Link, Trent, and every monster in the area.


    "Is that... Klaus?" Trent asked, his voice filled with shock. It was astonishing to see Klaus already back after rushing to Avalon''s home.


    Klaus had just moved from Avalon''s side to Times Square at the speed of light, a feat previously impossible for him in the presence of sunlight. He and Xhin remained at the center of the massive crater created by the force of his slam, Klaus still holding on to the demon''s face on the ground. If not for the demon race''s durability, Xhin would have been reduced to nothing but brain matter and guts.


    As the eyes of everyone turned towards them, Klaus slammed his foot onto Xhin''s torso, kicking her away with immense force. She crashed into a distant wall, leaving a deep impression from the impact.


    After a few seconds, Xhin regained consciousness, revealing she had been knocked out by Klaus'' initial slam. She slowly rose from her fallen state, staring at Klaus in shock.


    Link and Trent, along with every monster around, were transfixed by the unfolding events. It was as if the very air had shifted in the entire area in response to the force emanating from Klaus. As he walked out of the crater and into view, the demigods saw Klaus enveloped in radiant light.


    Klaus'' eyes glowed with an intense, hollow expression as if his mind was elsewhere. Light particles danced around his body, forming a brilliant Aura. His luminescence was as brilliant as it was radiant.


    Klaus walked slowly toward the fallen demon, his expression unchanged. To Trent and Link, this was the most frightening version of Klaus they had ever witnessed upon seeing his gaze. They couldn''t grasp what had transpired since he had left to meet Avalon, but one thing was clear to them.


    "Klaus has conquered the sun."

 #91: The Demigod of Light

    Klaus stood tall, radiating light that illuminated the entire area. His expression was both straight and hollow, casting an eerie aura that the demigods had never felt before, not even from X.


    Trent''s face reflected his shock. Klaus had just traversed miles in the blink of an eye, despite it being afternoon. This realization began to dawn on Trent, unraveling the significance behind it.


    "This means Klaus'' light is now the strongest force in Main World," Trent said, his voice laced with astonishment. "He has conquered the sun."


    Klaus began to walk slowly towards Xhin, his eyes glowing and fixed on her. Xhin, noticing his approach, felt an overwhelming force compelling her to kneel. She stepped back, a flicker of fear crossing her face, though she remained composed.


    "You look just as beautiful as ever, my love," Xhin said, her eyes mesmerized by him.


    Despite the distance, Xhin could feel Klaus'' intense murderous intent. Turning her attention to a monster nearby, she attempted to control it for temporary defense. But as she did, she froze in terror. Klaus had already appeared before her.


    Before Xhin could react, Klaus struck her head with the back of his left knuckle. The force sent Xhin flying to the right, his hits devastatingly powerful, leaving her barely conscious.


    Xhin continued to hurtle through the air, her back nearing a wall. But before she could collide with it, Klaus appeared beside her, grabbing the back of her neck. With intense speed, he lifted her and slammed her face-first into the ground. Xhin grunted in severe agony, her face plastered against the ground.


    Klaus'' hand remained on her neck as he lifted her again, holding her above his head. Their eyes locked, Klaus'' expression unchanged since he left Avalon''s home. Xhin, still smiling despite the pain, irritated Klaus. He tossed her away, her body crashing into a wall.


    Xhin knew that to survive Klaus'' relentless assault, she had to stall him until his anger subsided. Understanding this, she commanded the surrounding monsters to rush towards Klaus, knowing they couldn''t kill him but could serve as a distraction.


    As the monsters closed in on Klaus, he moved at light speed, appearing beside the nearest one. With precision, he grasped the creature''s jaws, which widened in reaction to his presence.


    Klaus placed his right hand on the creature''s lower jaw and his left on the upper, then began to pull. With a brutal display of strength, he ripped the monster''s head in half, tearing it apart in an instant. But he wasn''t done.


    He appeared beside another monster just a few feet ahead. Clenching his fist, he drove it through the creature''s chest, then lifted it effortlessly before slamming it into the ground despite its towering size.


    In a flash, Klaus was beside yet another beast. This time, he appeared at its right side, his eyes fixed on Xhin a short distance away. Stretching his right hand towards the monster''s head, he pointed his index finger at its temple. A small Solar Ball formed at his fingertip.


    Within seconds, Klaus fired the miniature Solar Ball, its intense light illuminating the area as it connected. The force was immense, obliterating the monster''s head and sending fragments flying.


    Klaus then appeared in front of yet another creature, his determination and speed unmatched. Gripping the monster''s neck with his right hand, he squeezed until its mouth foamed. With his left hand, he tore the creature''s head off its body swiftly.


    All these actions took mere seconds. Klaus continued to decimate the monsters that rushed him, moving at light speed. Link and Trent stood speechless, watching in awe and confusion as Klaus executed each move with terrifying efficiency.


    "What is going on?" Trent asked, his voice a mix of confusion and concern.


    "I have an idea," Link replied, his expression grim. "But I really hope I''m wrong."


    As they turned their attention back to Klaus, they saw light emanating from his left palm. In seconds, Klaus had formed a third-grade Solar Ball and launched it at the monsters ahead. The force was intense, illuminating the entire area with a blinding light. Even Link, with the regulators in his mask, struggled against the brightness.


    As the light began to dissipate, Trent and Link slowly regained their vision. What they saw left them speechless: Klaus had eradicated all the monsters in the vicinity. Corpses of the creatures littered the ground as far as the eye could see. Klaus stood tall and silent for a few moments before gradually turning his gaze back to Xhin.


    Xhin, stunned and unprepared for Klaus''s overwhelming power, raised her right hand in a desperate attempt to prepare another attack. But before she could act, Klaus closed the distance in an instant, grabbing her hand with his left.


    Klaus''s silent stare was haunting for the demigods to witness, but it had a different effect on Xhin. Her flustered expression betrayed her as she looked into his bright yellow eyes. Suddenly, she noticed a strange light beneath her gaze. Glancing down, she saw a Solar Ball in Klaus''s right hand, positioned directly in front of her torso.


    Klaus placed the ball of light against her, the violent force of the attack contradicting the slow motion of his palm. The impact was vicious, but Klaus held her in place, preventing her from being thrown back by the massive force. Xhin grunted in pain, stumbling from the attack, but before she could recover, Klaus was already in front of her again.


    This time, Klaus''s assault was even more ruthless. He swung heavy punches at Xhin, striking hard and fast. Each blow felt devastating, evident in her pained expression. Despite her race''s reputation for insane durability, Xhin began to show bruises and injuries from every strike Klaus landed.


    Flurries of punches and heavy kicks pummeled Xhin. She knew she was overwhelmed, but there was nothing she could do. Her affection for Klaus meant she couldn''t even bring herself to fight back.


    As this brutal onslaught continued for nearly a minute, Shade finally arrived on the scene, indicating he had secured their mother. He witnessed everything that was happening.


    "Klaus?" Shade whispered, a tinge of sorrow in his voice as he watched his brother brutally beat the female demon.


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    Shade had felt Klaus'' emotions long before arriving at the scene. The intensity of those emotions told him that only one outcome was possible. Moving closer, Shade regrouped with Link and Trent, who kept their distance from Klaus due to the force of his attacks.


    "What happened?" Link asked Shade, sensing he might have some answers.


    "From what I can tell," Shade began, his voice heavy with sorrow, "Avalon is dead."


    Trent''s eyes widened in shock while Link remained composed, indicating that he had suspected this.


    "At this point," Shade continued, "I don''t know if we will be able to stop him."


    Klaus continued to assault Xhin with vicious strikes. He drove his right knee into her gut, causing her to double over in pain. Then, with the same leg, he swept her off the ground. As her body twisted sideways, Klaus brought his elbow down hard onto her torso, slamming her to the floor.


    Xhin lay on the ground for only a few seconds before Klaus approached again. Grabbing her by her right horn with his left hand, he lifted her off the ground. He pulled her up to eye level, his expression unchanging. Yet, despite everything, Xhin was still smiling.


    "No matter what you do to me," Xhin began, her innocent smile unwavering, "I will still love you."


    Hearing Xhin''s words, Klaus was flooded with memories of Avalon. He remembered their first meeting as NightShade and Aura, their awkward first date that she had made comfortable for him. The memories only fueled his rage. Xhin''s words brought him back to the present, making him angrier than ever.


    In one swift motion, Klaus snapped Xhin''s right horn. Before she could fall, he grabbed her by the neck with his right hand, lifting her and then slamming her to the ground with immense force.


    Klaus stared down at Xhin with an unyielding expression as she looked back at him. He crouched over her, choking her with his right hand. Despite the clear anger in his eyes, Xhin seemed to enjoy it.


    Looking directly into Klaus'' eyes, Xhin bit her lip in ecstasy, finding pleasure in his aggression. This realization, that she still thought it was a game, was what finally pushed Klaus over the edge.


    Slowly, Klaus raised his left hand, his gaze never leaving Xhin. Gradually, he began to form a decisive Solar Ball, light particles from the entire area converging toward his palm.


    Shade watched in silence, acutely feeling his brother''s pain over not being able to save someone he loved. He wanted to help, but the immense force Klaus was exerting around the area kept him at bay. The Solar Ball in Klaus'' hand continued to grow, its light intensifying with each passing second.


    "Even if I die," Xhin suddenly said, her voice soft yet resolute, "if it is in your hands, then it is welcome."


    Her eyes were mesmerized by Klaus'' Solar Ball, which was rapidly transitioning from the first to the second grade. Link and Trent stood beside Shade, silent and tense, knowing there was nothing they could do to intervene. As the seconds passed, Klaus'' Solar Ball began to resemble one of the third grade.


    Shade''s eyes widened as he realized something was very wrong. Klaus had no intention of stopping. The ball of light kept growing, its brightness surpassing what Klaus had used during the Divine Tournament.


    "No," Shade muttered, watching helplessly as the ball of light continued to swell.


    At this point, the Solar Ball in Klaus'' palm had exceeded the third grade. His eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained unwavering as he focused on Xhin. His mind was consumed with thoughts of Avalon.


    Her voice... her laugh... her smile... her death.


    The ball of light in Klaus'' hand grew so large that the afternoon sky began to darken as if evening were approaching, despite the sun still shining. The area around Klaus remained intensely bright, making it impossible for Shade and the others to look directly at him.


    Klaus had absorbed so many photons that the light was blinding. Shade remembered the Divine Tournament, when Klaus had created a Solar Ball so massive that he killed himself in the process. This current ball had already doubled in size, and Shade knew his brother''s body wouldn''t withstand it.


    "If this keeps going on, Klaus will die," Shade said to Link and Trent, his voice filled with urgency.


    "What do we do?" Trent asked, worry etched on his face.


    The Solar Ball continued to grow, and Klaus'' hand began to tremble. Yet, his expression showed no signs of fatigue. The immense light prevented Shade from using his shadow connection to calm Klaus down since no shadows were present.


    The Solar Ball was now the size of a massive wrecking ball, its light and heat overwhelming. Shade''s worry extended beyond Klaus to everyone around them.


    "If he lands such an attack," Shade whispered in shock to Trent and Link, his eyes fixed on the growing ball, "the entire city will be destroyed, and we will all be killed along with it."


    Shade recalled the immense force of Klaus'' third-grade Solar Ball during the Divine Tournament and how the arena''s force field had trembled. This current ball was over three times that size. The potential destruction was unimaginable. Desperately, Shade turned to Link and Trent, summoning a pool of shadows beneath their feet.


    "Enter the shadows quickly," Shade demanded, urgency lacing his voice. "You''ll both die if you''re caught in the radius."


    "What about you, friend?" Trent asked, concern etched on his face.


    "I have to try to calm him down," Shade replied. "It''s the only way I can save him from killing himself out of exhaustion."


    "And if he doesn''t listen?" Link questioned immediately after.


    Shade''s silence spoke volumes. His grim determination was clear, and although Trent and Link were reluctant, they understood the city''s danger left little room for argument.


    "Go!" Shade insisted, walking closer to Klaus, using his right palm to shield his eyes from the blinding light.


    Before any plans could be put into action, a sudden gunshot echoed across the area. The demigods turned their attention behind them, spotting X with his sniper rifle from a considerable distance away.


    They watched as X clutched his right eye in pain, but then noticed Klaus had been shot in his right arm. X had used True Accuracy to land a bullet on Klaus, but due to the blinding light, his right retina was nearly fried despite the brief usage.


    As they turned back to Klaus, they saw him beginning to lose consciousness. X had fired a tranquilizing bullet, the serum quickly diluting through Klaus'' bloodstream.


    Shade''s shock was evident. X had prioritized saving Klaus over the city. Knowing that Klaus'' Phantasmal State ability would protect him from the Solar Ball''s force, X aimed to stop Klaus from killing himself. However, this also meant Klaus would drop the ball.


    The Aura surrounding Klaus began to dissipate, his eyes dimming. His left hand slowly descended, betraying his exhaustion. Klaus'' body slumped onto Xhin''s, who had also passed out from lack of oxygen.


    The massive ball of light began its slow descent as Klaus lost his grip, the impending danger clear to Shade. He turned urgently to the demigods.


    "Go in, now," Shade commanded.


    He conjured a pool of shadows beside both himself and X, intending for them all to be consumed by it and survive the explosion. But before Shade could step into the shadows, he and the other demigods froze in place.


    Shade''s gaze gradually returned to the ball of light, witnessing it rise. The demigods watched in shock until a sudden beam of light appeared beside them.


    A strange being descended from the skies, landing directly in the center of the light, contrasting sharply with the light Klaus had absorbed. The being had one palm on the ground, while the other was directed at Klaus'' final grade Solar Ball. Shade struggled to discern who the being was, but the overwhelming force emanating from him, surpassing even Klaus'', made it clear.


    The ball of light continued to float and rise until it reached the clouds above. From the ground, it appeared like an artificial sun. Once it reached the height, the being stood up, directing his attention to the ball. Instantly, the particles of light began to dissipate, shredding the accumulated photons and nullifying the expected explosion. As the light subsided, Shade regained his vision and turned towards the stranger.


    Clad in clean, silver, metallic armor with blue, intricate wave designs around the guards of his shoulders and chest, the God stood tall among the demigods. His deep blue, long, wavy hair cascaded down to his shoulders, accompanied by a mid-length ponytail. Despite sharing a similar face with the other Gods, he was potentially the most handsome among them.


    Shade stared in awe, shocked by the presence of a God in Main World. That was when it hit him, realizing the identity of the God and witnessing him for the very first time.


    "The God of Water and Guardian of Main World... Torrent."

 #92: A Gods Presence

    The Guardian God of Main World.


    Torrent stood silently, clad in pristine armor that exuded a sense of calm over the present demigods. Shade stood in awe, witnessing the God for the first time and realizing this was one of the final two Gods he had not yet encountered. After a few moments, Torrent slowly turned his attention to the demigods.


    "Rise, demigods," Torrent said, his voice soft and calming.


    Shade glanced around in confusion at Torrent''s words, only to realize that he was already on his knees. The presence of the God had brought him and the other demigods to their knees without their conscious realization. Obeying the God''s command, Shade and the others swiftly rose to their feet.


    With the absence of Klaus'' blinding light, the scene became clearer. The sunlight revealed that it was nearing evening, though Shade was uncertain if this was due to Klaus'' attack. Regardless, the current status was undeniable.


    Shade walked back to Link and Trent, regrouping with the other demigods before they gradually approached Torrent. X seemed to be absent, leading Shade to assume that he had departed to continue his task of protecting more people.


    "Are you all okay?" Torrent asked as the demigods neared him.


    Nodding their heads, the demigods confirmed that they were unharmed. Shade found it strange that Torrent had just now shown up, but instead of jumping to conclusions, he decided to understand the God''s reasons first.


    "Father?" Trent whispered in shock.


    This was also the first time Trent himself had seen his own father. The three demigods arrived in front of Torrent, who kept his focus on them.


    "Apologies for my belated arrival," Torrent began. "But you can understand I have been busy with the world."


    The demigods remained silent as Torrent continued to explain.


    "My duty has been to constantly slay the remaining monsters around the world," he said.


    Shade was completely surprised, but Torrent''s words made sense upon reflection. Quinn had told him that New York was the most concentrated location of monsters. He realized this was because Torrent had been protecting the rest of the world.


    Torrent, sensing their questions, continued to elaborate.


    "When I discovered your presence in Main World, I had to leave the city''s protection to your hands and focus on the rest of the world," Torrent explained. "This is because the monsters continue to spawn after being defeated, and it is my duty to dispose of them constantly, like a farmer tending to weeds."


    Shade and the other demigods were stunned by Torrent''s words. They had no idea that the monsters continued to spawn after being defeated, but now they understood why the God had been absent during their struggles in New York.


    Concerned for their well-being, Torrent decided to briefly change the topic. "Regardless of all this, how are you all holding up?" he asked. "I understand your frustrations, given the magnitude of the problem."


    "We''re managing," Shade replied on behalf of the group. "It''s a tough task, but we''re handling it."


    "I have confidence that you will find a way," Torrent continued.


    Torrent''s words suggested that he had no immediate plans to help them prevent the ongoing crisis, which confused Shade. He understood Torrent''s duties, but it was hard to see why the God had decided not to address the immediate threat. Anticipating this confusion, Torrent elaborated further on his role.


    "As the Guardian of Main World, it is my duty to protect this realm and its people," Torrent began. "However, I cannot interact with mortals or artifacts not associated with this world, and therefore, I cannot prosecute the demon girl for her actions. That is not my duty."


    His words were clear to the demigods. "Despite this," he continued, "I am confident you demigods will prevail."


    Torrent''s reassurances were strong as he readjusted his gaze towards them, continuing to describe his perception of the situation.


    "You have all voluntarily defended the city with your lives, each playing your own part. Right now, the son of Blur is tirelessly protecting and rescuing humans across the state, taking them to safety and effectively eliminating the monsters. You should all be proud of your work for humanity. You have all earned my respect."


    Hearing these words from Torrent brought smiles to the demigods'' faces. It gave them a moment to step back and recognize their efforts in protecting the innocent. Despite the expectations of their role, they continued to do their best by choice and nothing else.


    As the seconds of satisfaction passed, Torrent explained that he was preparing to return to his duties, indicating that he needed to continue protecting the rest of the world. Yet, it seemed there was more to his presence.


    "There is, however, another reason for my presence," Torrent suddenly stated, grabbing the demigods'' attention further. "In addition to saving you all and the city from destruction, my presence is also necessary to replenish my true power to effectively rid the monsters across the globe."


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    The demigods were filled with shock and confusion. Torrent''s words were puzzling, leaving them unsure of their meaning. Suddenly, the God turned his attention solely to Trent, moving closer to his son.


    "How have you been, Trent?" Torrent asked, his expression as calm as ever. "How has the mortal world been treating you?"


    Trent felt a surreal sense of disbelief upon hearing his father''s words. "It has been good, father," he replied, though confusion still clouded his expression.


    Torrent''s face softened with a tinge of sadness, understanding the struggles and situations his son had faced. "I never intended for things to turn out this way," Torrent began. "But I am glad you found great friends and a satisfactory life."


    All the demigods were utterly perplexed. Shade tried to piece together Torrent''s words, but they were too vague to form a complete picture. He remained curious about what Torrent was attempting to convey.


    "But..." Torrent continued, his expression turning resolute, "it seems it is time to return."


    As Torrent concluded his words, he placed his right palm on Trent''s left shoulder. Trent looked at his father with a mixture of fear and awe, but soon found a strange sense of peace. Closing his eyes, Trent''s body began to liquefy right before everyone''s eyes.


    Shade watched in shock as Trent''s entire body morphed into a small whirlpool of water, rotating around Torrent''s right hand. Link and Shade stood in silent confusion, but as the watery storm subsided, the truth became clear.


    Torrent now held a deep blue trident, about eight feet tall, adorned with intricate designs. Shade was speechless, struggling to comprehend the full reality of the situation. Trent had not been human all along; he was an artifact given sentience by Torrent.


    Thinking back, everything started to make sense to Shade. Trent''s lack of a past was because he never had one. Shade wondered how long Trent had existed in his human form; since the calling to Higher World, or perhaps even longer.


    "He truly is a person of no ID," Link whispered, grabbing Shade''s attention.


    Shade''s eyes widened as he understood Link''s words, recognizing why Trent always said that, despite not knowing his true nature. Torrent held the trident firmly as he addressed the demigods.


    "I understand your confusion," Torrent began, "but unfortunately, explaining everything now would take too much time, and humans are still in peril."


    Torrent''s massive wings unfurled from his back, a bright halo appearing behind him as he prepared to depart. "You both should prioritize closing the gate of Hell," Torrent said. "That way, the monsters will stop spawning on Earth."


    Shade, unsure of how to accomplish such a task, was about to inquire further, but Torrent continued. "If you are unsure of your ability to fulfill this task," Torrent said, "then you should hold on and stall for a few moments."


    Shade tried to grasp the God''s meaning, but he realized he had to place his faith in Torrent''s words for now. With his wings spread wide and the trident in hand, Torrent bade his farewell and flew out of sight in the blink of an eye.


    Shade exchanged a significant look with Link, the weight of Trent''s true identity hanging heavily between them. It was a lot to process, and an unease settled between them. Before they could voice their thoughts, Link noticed something that redirected their attention.


    Link pointed towards Xhin, who was now awake and seated on the ground beside Klaus. She had Klaus'' head resting on her lap, gently caressing his hair as she gazed down at him with an intense expression.


    "Don''t worry, my love," Xhin said softly, her eyes sharp and determined. "I will finish here quickly so that we can finally rest together."


    As her words hung in the air, Xhin raised her right hand in a familiar gesture, mirroring what she had attempted during Klaus'' assault. An eerie note resonated through the area, like a chord struck on a lute. Immediately, the massive crimson gate behind her began to glow ominously.


    Shade and Link watched in horror as cries and roars echoed around them. The gate of Hell responded to Xhin''s actions, and soon, the monsters they had previously slain began to rise, their wounds mending before their eyes. Their undead appearance confirmed Torrent''s warnings.


    Shade was stunned by the entire sequence, despite being somewhat prepared for it. The cries of the damned were alarming, but his primary concern was his brother''s well-being. He tried to approach Klaus to rescue him from Xhin, but the horde of monsters blocked his path.


    The monsters surged toward the demigods, directed by Xhin. Shade felt a surge of anger and frustration, but remembering Torrent''s words, he forced himself to remain calm and focused. They needed to stall for whatever plan Torrent had in mind.


    Shade and Link fought the monsters with fierce determination. They recognized the difficulty of their task, knowing it would be nearly impossible to slay hundreds of monsters in one go. But yielding was not an option. As they continued to fight, more monsters emerged from the gates, intensifying their struggle.


    Shade''s frustration and anger grew, but he channeled it into his attacks, using his darkness to its optimal capabilities. The Abyssal Pit worked beyond expectations as well, protecting its creator perfectly and swiftly. Link effectively utilized his NPCs for both offense and defense, fighting alongside Shade with relentless energy.


    The demigods knew they had no room for failure. For Shade, the stakes were even higher. He couldn''t consider the idea of failing. Not when his brother had already lost everything.


    As the seconds of battle dragged on, Shade contemplated using his Abyssal Heralds. Despite weeks of intense training, he had not yet mastered the ability, but he felt desperate. The current pace of their fight was ineffective, and he needed an upper hand, even if it would cost him a lot.


    "If Klaus pushed himself that much," Shade muttered to himself, "then losing myself to the abyss is a small sacrifice for humanity."


    Before Shade could create the space needed to prepare the Abyssal Pit, something peculiar occurred. The monsters froze in place. Shade was bewildered, unsure if this was Xhin''s doing. But as a moment passed, every single monster in sight and beyond suddenly fell to their knees.


    An eerie silence enveloped the entire area, not even a grunt escaping the monsters. Xhin glanced around in confusion, Klaus'' unconscious head still on her lap, while Link and Shade shared her bewilderment. Suddenly, the demigods'' attention was drawn to a strange crack in reality that began to grow.


    Shade''s eyes were fixed on the anomaly as it expanded, revealing a portal within. Armored demons wielding swords and spears marched out in uniform precision. Moments later, two figures followed, their presence causing the entire area to tremble.


    Shade''s eyes widened as he took in the two newcomers¡ªone towering and the other of normal size. Though Shade couldn''t feel the force enveloping the area, the reaction of the monsters made it even more terrifying.


    "Lord Nekro," Xhin gasped, recognizing the towering figure.


    "And..." Link began, his mask displaying his shock at the situation, "Drake?"


    Shade and Link watched in stunned silence as the God of Under World and his son stood before them. The sight of multiple war-ready demons bowing their heads upon the God and demigod''s arrival felt ethereal and surreal, almost like a scene from fiction.


    The two demigods had not anticipated the presence of another God in Main World, especially after Quinn''s disclosure. Yet, witnessing this was not the most shocking part. Shade and Link stared in complete fright as they saw Drake standing beside his father in an unfamiliar manner.


    "He''s..." Shade began, his eyes wide with disbelief, "calm."

 #93: Protectors of Humanity

    Nekro, the God of Under World, stood alongside the demonic counterpart of his son, Drake Brimstone, surrounded by the demons who bowed in reverence to their presence. Nekro''s arrival was intimidating, but it was Drake''s eerie calmness that sent a chill through the air, an unsettling contrast to his usual fiery demeanor.


    Shade and Link had never encountered Nekro before. The God''s appearance was much like the other Gods they had seen, powerful, with an aura that commanded respect, but there was a unique calmness about him. His spiky vermilion hair stood out, as did the pendant with a green jewel hanging around his neck, glinting ominously in the dim light.


    It had been some time since the demigods had last seen Drake, or even Ash, not since the Cosmic League. The memory of Shade''s defeat at Drake''s hands still lingered, but it felt distant, irrelevant in the face of what was unfolding now. Shade was so absorbed by the gravity of their presence that he didn''t even notice when the sky darkened into night.


    Drake''s silent, unblinking gaze was unnerving. His eyes were fixed on Xhin, who, upon recognizing Nekro, rose to her feet in respect. She bowed briefly before taking a few cautious steps forward, though she kept a respectful distance.


    Nekro''s gaze swept across the area, his head turning slowly from side to side as if taking in every detail of the battlefield. After a moment, his attention returned to Xhin.


    "Xhin..." Nekro''s voice was soft yet carried the weight of authority.


    Immediately, Xhin dropped to her knees, mirroring the monsters present. Shade noted with surprise that neither he nor Link felt compelled to do the same, a subtle but significant detail as they continued to watch the scene unfold.


    "I am thoroughly disappointed in you," Nekro continued, his tone tinged with disapproval. "I would not have expected you to maintain such a heinous attitude."


    "Apologies, my Lord," Xhin responded quickly, her voice trembling slightly. "I did only what was necessary."


    She stood up, continuing her explanation with a defiant edge. "Humans are scum that don''t deserve to rule their world," she spat. "I merely did them a fa¡ª"


    Before Xhin could finish, a loud explosion echoed through the air. Shade whipped his head back to Nekro, only to realize Drake had vanished from his side. In the blink of an eye, Drake had crossed the distance and was now gripping Xhin by the throat, lifting her off the ground effortlessly.


    "Who gave you permission to monologue?" Drake''s voice was harsh, his expression cold and unyielding.


    Xhin gasped, her hands clawing at Drake''s grip, but it was no use. His hold was unrelenting, her struggles futile. The demigods watched as Drake, his face impassive, continued to strangle the demon girl, showing no mercy.


    "At ease, my son," Nekro''s voice cut through the tension, calm and commanding.


    Drake''s grip loosened slightly, allowing Xhin to draw in a ragged breath, though he kept her suspended in the air, her feet dangling helplessly.


    "What you have done to this world is unforgivable," Nekro stated, his voice filled with quiet authority. "You will be held accountable for your actions."


    Nekro''s words carried an undeniable weight, sending chills through everyone present. His gaze lingered on Xhin for a moment before shifting to the towering gate behind her. With a deliberate motion, he extended his right hand toward the gate, his focus unwavering.


    The gate of Hell responded instantly, resonating with a low, ominous hum, much like when Xhin had activated it earlier. The crimson red bars began to lose their glow, dimming rapidly as the power that fueled them faded away. Shade watched in the realization that Nekro was deactivating the gate, severing the connection that allowed the monsters to spawn.


    Slowly, the gate began to dissolve, fading from sight until it vanished completely, returning to Under World. Nekro exhaled a soft sigh, his frustration evident as he turned his attention back to Drake, who still held onto Xhin, her feet dangling helplessly above the ground.


    "The casualties are already too great," Nekro said, his voice carrying a somber note. "But by now, all the monsters in Main World should be kneeling and subdued. I''ll leave the rest to you."


    "Yes, Father," Drake replied, his eyes locked on Xhin, his grip on her unyielding.


    Xhin''s fury was palpable, but she was powerless to act. Even her voice faltered as she attempted to speak, fear tightening her throat with Drake so close.


    "Torrent is handling the remaining monsters across the world," Nekro continued, addressing Drake. "So your focus should be solely on this country."


    "Yes, Father," Drake responded.


    Shade couldn''t help but be stunned by Nekro''s words. "All the monsters in Main World?" he thought, disbelief washing over him.


    As the moments passed, Nekro turned toward the tear in reality through which they had arrived. He began to move toward it but paused just before entering.


    "You''ve done well in protecting humanity, nephews," Nekro said, his back still to them, but his words clearly meant for Link and Shade.


    He paused briefly before addressing his son once more. "And Drake?"


    "Yes, Father?" Drake answered immediately.


    "Bring her back alive."


    Silence persisted a moment before the murderous intent in Drake''s eyes softened. "Understood, Father," he replied, his calm demeanor unwavering.


    With that, Nekro resumed his stride, disappearing into the crack in reality, followed by the other accompanying demons. As he vanished, the clouds that had ominously gathered began to disperse, and the tear in reality sealed shut.


    Drake remained, still holding Xhin off the ground. With Nekro''s departure, Xhin seemed to gather the courage to speak, her voice trembling with fear.


    "My prince," Xhin began, desperation creeping into her tone, "I''m sure you understand the value of my¡ª"


    But before she could finish, another deafening explosion reverberated through the area. Shade and Link flinched at the sound, their attention snapping back to Drake and Xhin. As they looked on, Shade noticed that while Drake still held Xhin by the throat, the demon girl had been rendered unconscious in an instant.


    Bruises mottled Xhin''s neck following the explosion, confirming that it had been aimed directly at her. It was clear that Drake had unleashed a concentrated blast, one powerful enough to inflict significant pain and incapacitate her, yet calibrated precisely to avoid causing fatal damage. His intent was clear: to hurt her as much as possible without crossing the line into death.


    Shade and Link stood in utter bewilderment, struggling to comprehend the situation. The monsters remained on their knees, and the entire scene felt surreal, as if it defied all logic they knew.


    "How is this possible?" Link asked, his voice tinged with confusion. "He just said all the monsters in the world have stopped moving."


    "I''m not sure," Shade replied, his brow furrowed in thought. "I didn''t think something like this was possible, even for the Gods."


    "It is only to be expected."


    Shade and Link turned toward the source of the voice. Drake, standing a considerable distance away with his back to them, had somehow heard their conversation. This reminded Shade of the Cosmic League, where Drake had once explained the heightened hearing abilities of the demon race.


    Casually tossing Xhin''s unconscious body aside, Drake refocused on the two demigods, sensing their confusion and offering them some clarity on what they had just witnessed.


    "My father''s power is the most absolute among the Gods," Drake began, his voice steady and firm. "It''s no wonder his feats appear more grandiose."


    Shade and Link were stunned, their eyes widening in disbelief. This revelation was entirely unexpected, leaving them reeling.


    "But I thought all Gods were infinite in power?" Shade asked, struggling to reconcile this new information.


    "They are," Drake responded, slightly turning his head toward them, "but his power surpasses the rest when the Ouroboros is in effect."


    Drake''s words only deepened their confusion. They exchanged glances, trying to make sense of the cryptic statement.


    "Ouroboros?" Link asked, hoping for an explanation.


    Drake sighed softly, then straightened, his gaze turning forward once more. "I apologize, but I can''t explain everything right now. I have my duties to fulfill," he said, taking a few deliberate steps forward.


    Shade was completely thrown by Drake''s demeanor. The last time they had crossed paths in the Cosmic League, Drake had been a wild and unpredictable force, reveling in the chaos of battle. But now, he was calm, composed, and methodical, with a level of sophistication in his speech that was both surprising and unsettling.


    As Drake surveyed the area, his eyes sharp and calculating, he finally came to a halt.


    "Ash..." he began, addressing his alter ego. "I assume you''re ready?"


    A tense silence followed as if Drake was listening to an unspoken reply from within. Then, with a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and the air around him seemed to shift. Whatever was about to happen, Shade could feel it was something significant.


    With his eyes closed, a thick, dark smoke began to swirl around Drake. This wasn''t the usual smoke Ash conjured; it was much darker, more ominous. The evening sky, which had returned after Nekro''s departure, darkened once again, slipping into the deep, oppressive shroud of night as if in response to the strange transformation taking place. Drake''s body began to change.


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    It was not the usual shift, where Drake would exchange places with Ash and vice-versa. This was different, a complete metamorphosis that altered Drake''s entire physical structure. Shade, who had initially assumed Drake was summoning Ash, quickly realized he was witnessing something far more profound.


    Shade watched, bewildered, as Drake''s form was swallowed by a pitch-black cloak, his body encased in shadow as he grew in size. The smoke obscured much of the transformation, but as it gradually dispersed, the figure beneath was revealed.


    Link and Shade stood frozen in terror as the figure took shape, an embodiment of the Grim Reaper, towering at seven feet, cloaked in darkness and mist. A crimson orb, glowing with the same hue as the gate of Hell, pulsed at the center of its chest. The creature''s hooded visage concealed nothing but swirling mist, leaving it faceless and hollow.


    As the creature solidified, the air was filled with the mournful wails of lost souls. It stretched out a skeletal hand, dark and foreboding, as a strange weapon began to materialize in its grasp. The weapon, summoned as if from the Divine Arsenal itself, took the form of a long, menacing scythe. Its black handle and razor-sharp blade exuded a smoky aura that seemed to devour the light around it. Shade and Link watched, paralyzed by a mix of fear and awe, but this was only the beginning.


    The creature, now wielding its scythe, unfurled massive black wings from its back, dark and powerful, a contrast to the ethereal wings of the Gods. With a single, mighty beat, it lifted off the ground and soared through the air with terrifying speed.


    Shade''s emotions were a whirlwind as he watched the hollow, faceless creature descend upon the kneeling monsters. Despite Nekro''s departure, the monsters remained subdued, a testament to the lingering influence of the God of Under World, confirming Drake''s earlier claim.


    The reaper-like creature swept through the ranks of monsters, its scythe slicing through the air. With each swing, the scythe ripped the souls from the monsters'' bodies, drawing them into the glowing orb on its chest. The soulless bodies crumbled into dust, their physical forms disintegrating as the creature harvested their very essence.


    "I think I''ve got a headache just trying to make sense of this," Link muttered, his voice laced with frustration and confusion.


    Shade felt the same, though he managed to piece together some understanding of what was happening.


    "I think this is why Ash usually assists Nekro," Shade began, his voice steadying as he spoke. "If Drake can unlock a form like this, it makes sense why he would aid his father. Nekro is the God of Death, after all."


    "The God of Death?" Link echoed, startled. "How the heck do you know that?"


    "I used to read a lot about the Gods a while back," Shade explained. "Even before we found out we were demigods."


    As Shade watched the reaper-like figure methodically cleanse the area of monsters, a sense of calm washed over him. The crisis, which had threatened to annihilate humanity, was finally nearing its end. With Torrent and Drake, or the Reaper, purging the world of the remaining horrors, there was a glimmer of hope.


    The cost had been high, with countless casualties and a host of new challenges to face, but Shade knew there was still reason to rejoice. Against all odds, they had prevailed over the human extinction project.


    Klaus opened his eyes...


    The light above his bed cast a soft beam down on him as he returned a gaze. He recognized the familiar ceiling of his room in Higher World, yet the feeling of emptiness was overwhelming. His mind, usually racing with thoughts, felt hollow, with only one agonizing truth echoing within him.


    "I couldn''t save her."


    For a moment, Klaus stared blankly at the ceiling, the weight of that realization pressing down on him like a boulder. Slowly, he shifted his gaze to the left, noticing Quinn seated beside him. She was engrossed in a book, so absorbed that she hadn''t noticed his awakening.


    With a heavy sigh, Klaus pushed himself up, trying to reconnect with reality after what felt like an eternity of darkness. The sudden movement caught Quinn''s attention. Startled, she quickly closed her book and turned to him.


    "Klaus..." she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of relief and concern, "you''re awake."


    Klaus remained silent, sitting up in bed with his eyes open but his mind far away. Quinn''s worry deepened as she watched him, her thoughts racing.


    "How are you feeling?" Quinn asked gently.


    But Klaus didn''t respond. He simply stared ahead, lost in his thoughts. The silence stretched on, each second heightening Quinn''s unease as she sensed the mental anguish gripping him. Knowing she had to break through somehow, she began to explain.


    "You''ve been unconscious for over nine days," Quinn informed him softly. "When the connection between the realms was reestablished, we took you to the medical facility. But even after the healing, you wouldn''t wake up, almost as if your mind refused to return."


    Quinn''s words hung in the air, unanswered as Klaus sat motionless, his expression unchanged, his thoughts unreachable. Quinn, too, fell silent, unsure of how to bridge the widening gap between them. But she knew there was something important he needed to hear.


    "By the way, the Gods have been waiting for you," Quinn added, her tone softer still. "They require your presence at their domain."


    Klaus didn''t react at first. He remained seated for a few more seconds, then slowly stood up, his movements mechanical. His clothes, once torn and bloodied from the monster crisis, were now pristine, likely restored by the healing pods of the medical facility. Without a word, he followed Quinn out of the apartment building, heading towards the transportation podiums.


    As they walked, Quinn kept her silence, unsure of what to say. She could feel the weight of his grief since she had been connected to his mind when he lost Avalon, and that pain was still fresh for him. She wanted to comfort him, but knew that talking about it would only deepen his sorrow. So instead, she chose to focus on something else.


    "You know, humans are really persistent," Quinn said, injecting some brightness into her tone. "They''ve already started rebuilding. It''s truly impressive."


    Klaus remained silent, his eyes remained fixed on the road ahead.


    "After everything that''s happened, I doubt humanity can still claim not to believe in Gods," Quinn continued, her voice softening as she glanced at him.


    Quinn''s expression softened, a mix of concern and resignation crossing her face as she glanced at Klaus. She knew he was struggling, but there were things he needed to hear, things she had to tell him. Taking a deep breath, she continued, her voice gentle.


    "It''s been a lot for all of us," Quinn began quietly, her words measured. "In just a few days, society managed to uncover most of our identities. They figured out who we are, especially those of you who stepped in to help. And since I''m related to Link, who was also seen fighting, I got pulled into the spotlight. That''s why most of the demigods are hiding out here in Higher World until the chaos dies down and the media stops talking about it."


    They continued their walk in silence until they reached the transportation podium, where they were transported to meet the Gods.


    Upon their arrival, Klaus and Quinn were greeted by XVII, who was already waiting for them. He swiftly directed them to a waiting area where they were to remain until the others arrived. The two demigods stood in silence, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken thoughts as they waited.


    It wasn''t long before the others began to arrive. Link Atlas, Ace Falcon, Shade Walker, X, Ash Brimstone, and even Trent all appeared within minutes apart of each other. Klaus didn''t react much to Trent''s presence, unaware of what had transpired in Main World, so the addition didn''t strike him as odd.


    Shade, seeing his brother awake after so many days, felt a wave of relief wash over him, but that relief was tinged with deep concern. He could see the emptiness in Klaus'' eyes, the way he seemed lost in a world of his own. Understanding that Klaus needed space, Shade chose not to approach him, respecting his brother''s unspoken wish to be left alone.


    Finally, XVII led them into a room, its white, misty expanse familiar to Klaus as the place where he had first encountered his father. The space seemed to pulsate with a certain energy, a force that enveloped them as they stepped inside. Moments later, beams of light began to pierce through the void, and the Gods descended from the infinite emptiness above, Nekro and Torrent among them.


    The power in the room was overwhelming, but the Gods, in their infinite control, tempered it just enough so that the demigods wouldn''t be forced to their knees. After a brief pause, Zenith stepped forward, his presence commanding yet calm.


    "Welcome, demigods," Zenith began, his voice serene but carrying the authority of the divine. "On behalf of all the Gods, I want to commend you for your efforts in protecting humanity. I understand that not everyone could be saved, but I urge you to find solace in the fact that you have emerged from this turmoil."


    As Zenith spoke, Sol''s gaze flickered toward Klaus, his expression darkening with empathy. He could sense the pain radiating from Klaus, the silent suffering that seemed to envelop him. But Klaus himself barely registered Zenith''s words. His mind was elsewhere, a dull buzzing in his ears as the God''s voice faded into white noise.


    Zenith continued, his words of praise and encouragement filling the room, but they barely touched Klaus. It was only when Zenith extended his hand toward the demigods that Klaus''s attention was briefly pulled back to the present.


    "We cannot commend you enough for all that you''ve done," Zenith said, his tone filled with solemn respect. "But as a token of our gratitude, we offer you this honorable item, a symbol of your triumph."


    As Zenith finished speaking, medals appeared around the necks of each demigod. The medals, crafted from pure gold, hung from high-quality fabric, their weight solid and real. At the center of each medal was the signature emblem of two ghosts, one black and one white, swirling around each other in perfect balance. The gold itself seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly quality, far beyond anything found in the mortal realm. It was clear to anyone that this artifact was of immense value.


    "Congratulations once again, demigods," Zenith continued after a moment. "If there is anything at all that any of you desire, do not hesitate to ask."


    Quinn understood that the Gods were going above and beyond for the demigods, offering more than was necessary. Defending their reality was, after all, their birthright. What set these demigods apart was simply that they had been present in Main World or capable of helping out. After some time, the demigods were dismissed.


    Klaus remained silent and hollow throughout the entire event, his expression unchanged as he left with the others. As the demigods made their way to the transportation podium, a voice suddenly called out.


    "Ace."


    The demigods turned to see Blur, the God of Motion, approaching. He had requested to speak with his son. Ace stepped forward, and Blur began to speak.


    "I wanted to personally congratulate you," Blur said after a brief pause. "I''ve heard that you saved the most souls during the crisis."


    Though Blur already knew this, addressing his son felt difficult. Ace simply nodded, confirming his father''s words. After another pause, Blur continued.


    "I''m proud of you, my son," he said softly, extending his hand.


    Ace, surprised by his father''s kind words, smiled and reached out to shake his hand. The handshake lingered for a moment before Blur pulled Ace into a warm embrace.


    Blur felt a deep sense of calm, reassured by his son''s strength of spirit. It brought him comfort, especially after his one mistake.


    Meanwhile, Klaus continued on his way, uninterested in anything else. He chose to leave the Gods'' domain and return to Main World. Shade walked beside his brother as they traveled back to Exalted City, and then to Main World.


    As Klaus opened his eyes, completing his transportation, he saw the streets filled with humans hard at work. The buildings, though damaged by the unknown creatures, were not beyond repair. With the monsters'' bodies and blood having vanished, the primary task left was dealing with the human casualties. The workers focused on minor repairs and reconstruction, their efforts a testament to humanity''s resilience.


    Klaus walked on, but after a few moments, he began to notice the murmurs around him. A few people had recognized him from the news as one of the demigods who had defended the city. He ignored the whispers, continuing his stride until he reached his home.


    When he arrived, the crowd outside had grown significantly. Shade was already there, struggling to deflect the relentless attention of the people surrounding him. Cameras flashed, and questions were thrown at Shade, who desperately tried to evade them and get inside.


    As Klaus approached, Shade noticed him immediately. The crowd''s attention shifted, but Klaus remained indifferent to the unspoken questions and eager advances directed his way.


    "Are you all really children of the Gods?"


    "Have any of you ever met a real God?"


    "What about that psycho X? Is he truly one of you people?"


    Shade fought to make his way through the crowd and into the house, but Klaus had no such trouble. His expression remained unchanged, cold and distant, as he walked toward the door. The sheer force of his presence made the crowd part before him, allowing him to enter the house unhindered. Shade followed in the wake of his brother, finally making it inside.


    Once they were indoors, they found Natalie sitting on the couch in the living room, her face etched with sadness and fatigue. Shade quickly approached her, concern evident in his voice.


    "They''ve been out there for days," Natalie said, her frustration clear. "I had to threaten them with legal action just to keep them from coming inside, but even that was barely enough."


    "Don''t worry, Mom," Shade reassured her, "we''re done with our objective in Higher World, so we''ll stay here for as long as possible. Right, Klaus?"


    Shade and Natalie both looked at Klaus, who was slowly making his way up the stairs in silence. Natalie, aware of the burden Klaus carried after Xhin''s scheme, said nothing. She simply watched as Klaus disappeared from view.


    Klaus reached his room, closed the door behind him, and walked to the window to draw the blinds, shutting out the light. He climbed onto his bed, curling up in silence, lost in the depths of his pain.


    The world outside was still reeling from the catastrophe Xhin had unleashed. Reality had shifted, turning the familiar into something strange and otherworldly. For everyone, life had taken on a new, surreal quality. But amidst the grief and loss, one truth became undeniable to every human on Earth.


    Gods are real.

 #94: Trivial Matters

    Note: Try attempting the trivia without returning to any chapter and see how well you perform.


    Easy Difficulty Section


    1. What is Avalon''s last name?


    a.) Summer


    b.) Simmons


    c.) Smith


    d.) Saint


    2. What is the name of the graffiti group Klaus Walker joined?


    a.) Wallpaper


    b.) Spray Cans


    c.) Outlaws


    d.) Aerosols


    3. How old was Klaus Walker at the start of the novel?


    a.) Sixteen


    b.) Seventeen


    c.) Eighteen


    d.) Nineteen


    4. Who was the first demigod Klaus Walker encountered?


    a.) Rose Valentine


    b.) Ace Falcon


    c.) Shade Walker


    d.) X Woods


    5. What is the name of the offensive technique Klaus Walker invented during the Cosmic League Arc?


    a.) Sol Ball


    b) Orb of Light


    c.) Solar Ball


    d.) Solar Orb


    6. What is the name of Xhin''s brother revealed during the Under World Arc?


    a.) Jhin


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    b.) Shin


    c.) Rhin


    d.) Zhin


    7. What is Klaus Walker''s graffiti name?


    a.) Night Crawler


    b.) Night Walker


    c.) NightShade


    d.) Night Spades


    8. What shift in emotion is considered the most potent in heightening a demigod''s power during critical moments?


    a.) Rage


    b.) Hate


    c.) Fear


    d.) Love


    9. How many sets of twins are present among the demigods?


    a.) Four


    b.) Three


    c.) Five


    b.) Two


    10. Who is the Queen of Nyxia and the mother of Ash Brimstone?


    a.) Jinx


    b.) Skint


    c.) Sphinx


    d.) Shynx


    Medium Difficulty Section


    1. Who was the team captain for Team Solar?


    a.) Lance Knight


    b.) Trent


    c.) X Woods


    d.) Ash Brimstone


    2. Who is the father of Iris Haze?


    a.) Sonar


    b) Siege


    c.) Siris


    d.) Sage


    3. Who was the second demigod Klaus Walker fought during the Divine Tournament Arc?


    a.) Siren Mason


    b.) Riley Greene


    c.) Iris Haze


    d.) X Woods


    4. What was the phrase Klaus Walker used during the Divine Tournament to provoke X during their fight?


    a.) "Stand up."


    b.) "Rise up."


    c.) "Is that all?"


    d.) "Get up."


    5. Who is the last member of the graffiti group Klaus was recruited into?


    a.) Saint


    b.) Smoke


    c.) Shadow


    d.) Ghost


    6. What was the color of Rose Valentine''s eyes when she used her Fear Charm during the Human Extinction Arc?


    a.) Crimson


    b.) Vermilion


    c.) Orange


    d.) Dark Blue


    7. What chapter did Klaus Walker confess about his feelings for Avalon?


    a.) #70 (Casual Date)


    b.) #79 (Emotional Connections)


    c.) #69 (Define Happiness)


    d.) #40 (Casual Outing)


    8. How many Gods are in the realm?


    a.) Twelve


    b.) Fourteen


    c.) Thirteen


    d.) Sixteen


    9. What is Arthur Knight''s trump card first revealed against Trent during the Divine Tournament Arc?


    a.) Cosmic Breaker


    b.) Realm Breaker


    c.) Wind Breaker


    d.) Storm Breaker


    10. What is the name of Klaus Walker''s ability that allows him to convert his body into photon particles, causing objects to phase through him?


    a.) Phantasmal State


    b.) Photonic Phantom


    c.) Perfect Precognition


    d.) Solar Flash


    Hard Difficulty Section


    1. What is Tyler Justice the demigod of?


    a.) Judgment


    b.) Vengeance


    c.) Retribution


    d.) Justice


    2. In Chapter 2, "The Girl of Hearts", what is the name of Rose Valentine''s friend mentioned?


    a.) Katelyn


    b.) Madison


    c.) Brittany


    d.) Maggie


    3. What is the name of the dragon encountered in Ash Brimstone''s home during the Under World Arc?


    a.) Cryxon


    b.) Maigon


    c.) Droxys


    d.) Sphynx


    4. What is the name of X''s signature sniper rumored to have never missed a target back on Earth?


    a.) Heart Halter


    b.) Soul Snatcher


    c.) Head Hunter


    d.) Soul Slayer


    5. Who is Klaus Walker''s personal instructor in Higher World?


    a.) IV


    b.) XVII


    c.) VI


    d.) XII


    6. What is the name of Rose Valentine''s batons wielded during the Cosmic League and Divine Tournament?


    a.) Blurry Roses


    b.) Thorny Bite


    c.) Widow''s Bite


    d.) Rosy Thorns


    7. After Klaus Walker''s first return from Higher World, during the Higher World Arc, about how many weeks did he remain on Earth until the call for his return?


    a.) Six weeks


    b.) Eight weeks


    c.) Ten weeks


    d.) Twelve weeks


    8. How big, in diameter, is the first-grade Solar Ball used by Klaus Walker?


    a.) Ten inches


    b.) Fifteen inches


    c.) Eight inches


    d.) Twelve inches


    9.) What form of darkness did Shade Walker manifest during his training before the Divine Tournament?


    a.) True Darkness


    b.) Absolute Darkness


    c.) Divine Darkness


    d.) Pure Darkness


    10. How often has Link Atlas told Quinn Atlas he is the older twin?


    a.) Seven hundred and seventeen


    b.) Three hundred and twenty-one


    c.) Six hundred and three


    d.) Two hundred and seventy-nine

 #95: Descent

    "The concept is straightforward. These beings, known as demigods, will serve as the bridge between divinity and mortality. They will be born from a union between us, the Gods, and mortals, ensuring that they are raised in the mortal realm to fully understand humanity''s nature and struggles. In this way, they can assist and protect humankind in our stead, without requiring our direct intervention."


    Sage''s voice resonated through the pantheon as all thirteen Gods listened in the vast meeting hall of Higher World. His words carried a weight of authority as he stood tall, awaiting the inevitable questions.


    "So, you''re suggesting we procreate with our own creation?" Ultion questioned.


    "Precisely," Sage affirmed. "This plan ensures that humanity continues to feel our presence, but without us directly meddling in their affairs."


    The room stirred with murmurs of disbelief. Sage''s proposition felt audacious, a concept that had never before been entertained.


    "I don''t think I agree with this idea," a voice interrupted, silencing the whispers. Torrent, his gaze sharp, spoke with conviction. "I''ve observed humanity for millennia, ever since the monster crisis, and frankly, their behavior is... disappointing. Most are reckless, thoughtless. I''m not convinced that mixing our essence with theirs is wise."


    "I concur," Flage chimed in, his tone colder. "Humans are a jealous bunch. Those left unchosen will undoubtedly harbor resentment. And frankly, we don''t need their prayers to begin with."


    "Blending divinity with mortality is a dangerous gamble, Sage," Sol, ever the cautious one, voiced his concern. "Are you sure this is truly your best course of action?"


    Sage, undeterred, glanced around at his fellow deities. "Does anyone here have a better plan?"


    A heavy silence followed. The Gods knew the risks, but they also knew Sage was not one to propose something without deep consideration.


    "It''s not just about their prayers," Sage finally continued, breaking the quiet. "We have already broken our oath once and interfered with humanity''s affairs, and we no longer have the option to do so again. If another world-threatening crisis arises, this is the only way humanity can be protected without direct intervention from us."


    The room remained still until Zenith finally broke the silence. "I agree with Sage," he said firmly. "This method allows us to safeguard humanity for centuries without having to be directly present, while still keeping their faith intact."


    "I can protect them on my own," Torrent cut in, referring to his role as Guardian.


    "But what if the threat is beyond your interference and role?" Sage countered, his tone unyielding.


    "Sage speaks with reason," Siris added in support.


    "I understand your hesitation, Torrent," Zenith spoke up, "but I see no harm in giving this plan a chance." He glanced around at the others briefly before continuing. "Of course, this will only proceed if the majority agrees."


    As the Gods cast their votes, most sided with Sage. Only Torrent and Flage remained opposed.


    "It''s unconventional," Zeal commented, "but perhaps that''s exactly what we need right now."


    Zenith nodded in agreement, but as the consensus formed, another God raised their voice, drawing everyone''s attention.


    "Unfortunately, I cannot participate in this plan," Nekro declared, his voice heavy with regret.


    The other Gods turned to him in surprise as he began explaining.


    "While I support the initiative, my responsibilities as Guardian of Under World take precedence. I cannot abandon my realm, even temporarily. The best I could manage would be to implement this plan within Under World itself, though I doubt that would be in my interest at the time."


    "Reproducing in Under World could prove problematic, Nekro." Sage said carefully." Not only would the child face isolation from the other demigods, but the inherent differences in demon genetics with ours may produce unforeseen consequences."


    "True," Nekro conceded. "But the same risks apply to mortality in general. Still, my duties cannot be forsaken. I cannot simply step away from my realm to play father."


    The Gods understood Nekro''s predicament and agreed to exempt him from the plan. Sage nodded in agreement, acknowledging the necessity of Nekro''s continued role in Under World. With the decision made, preparations for the Gods'' descent into Main World began.


    The Gods had needed to diminish their infinite powers to the most minute fraction of their true selves; a profound demonstration of their infinite strength. This reduction was crucial to avoid shattering Main World under their presence.


    Even with their diminished forms, however, they could only remain in Main World for a few days over a year. With this limitation in mind, they knew their actions had to be swift and precise. And so, with finality, the Gods began their journey down to Main World, ready to set the plan in motion.


    The Gods had already agreed that the demigods would grow up together in the same city. This arrangement would allow them to learn from shared experiences and forge bonds before spreading out to protect the rest of the world. Given the length and complexity of the project, this approach made the most sense, especially considering the various cultures, languages, and upbringings across Earth.


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    They chose New York City as the site for their undertaking. This was where Siege had last resided after exterminating the monster races millennia ago, and it held special significance as the final refuge of humanity during those dark times. The city had become sacred to them, and it seemed the perfect place to begin this new chapter. After meticulous preparation, the Gods descended to Earth, ready to embark on their plan to create the first-ever beings born of both divine and mortal essence.


    Adapting to society came quickly, though it wasn''t without challenges. The Gods had anticipated what they would need to live as ordinary citizens, so the transition wasn''t difficult. After a few days, they had settled into their new roles, and the plan began in earnest.


    One key part of the strategy was that the Gods would not live together but instead scatter across the city. While they occasionally met, they maintained their separation to keep a low profile. The focal point of the project, however, was the human women who would participate. The Gods decided that if they were to descend to Earth and take on a human form, they would appear as men for several reasons.


    First, their masculine form was most convenient for maintaining their natural godly appearance, as mankind had been initially created in their image, before the perfection of creation with their female counterpart. Though the Gods were neither male nor female by nature, taking on a masculine form allowed them to blend seamlessly into society without the need for drastic alterations of their physical forms.


    Second, it was agreed that, from what they had observed, women tended to raise children more successfully on their own compared to men raising children without a mother''s presence. This maternal resilience and nurturing capacity were key factors, especially given that the Gods could not remain on Earth. The women would need to shoulder the bulk of parenting, and history had shown that mothers generally fared better under such conditions.


    The Gods also realized that they needed to find women who were not only suitable for this monumental task but also willing. These women would need to be virtuous and strong, capable of raising children on their own with love and care, understanding the weight of the divine mission entrusted to them. They couldn''t boast or be consumed by the knowledge of their divine spouses; instead, they needed to see the bigger picture and accept the responsibility that came with it.


    Blur was the first to find a woman he intended to wed. Within a week, he had already met her and begun his plans of courting her. But in his haste, he may have overlooked important details. His decision, driven by emotion, showed that even a God could underestimate the impact of their diminished power.


    Blur had met her at a house party he''d been invited to by some friends he''d made during his first few days in New York. They enjoyed his easygoing nature and insisted he join them for a casual gathering over the weekend. That was where he first saw her.


    She was undeniably beautiful, with a captivating allure that caught his eye immediately. But beneath that exterior, her attitude was sharp, a little too biting, with a streak of arrogance that would have been obvious to anyone who looked closely. Unfortunately, Blur did not. He brushed past her flaws, blind to the warning signs that she wasn''t the ideal partner he had convinced himself she was.


    It might have been the unfamiliarity with living as a mortal, without the full scope of his divine senses, or perhaps she had simply masked her true self around him. Either way, Blur was unable to discern that she wasn''t the perfect bride he believed her to be.


    In contrast to Blur''s rushed judgment, Sonar, the God of Sound, took a very different path in finding his match.


    Sonar had also found someone within a month, just like Blur. But the woman he met was vastly different. She was soft-spoken and gentle, with a timidity that hinted at her unfamiliarity with the fast pace of city life. Raised on a farm where she had helped her father from a young age, she was grounded and humble. Despite her rural upbringing, she was well-educated and eloquent, her words carrying a quiet grace that resonated with Sonar.


    Her calm, soothing voice had an almost hypnotic effect on him, and her simple way of speaking drew him in. She seemed unsure about adapting to the bustling urban environment, but Sonar reassured her that the setting didn''t matter to him as long as she was by his side.


    Within a month, their relationship had blossomed into something strong and genuine. They decided to leave the city behind, moving to a more peaceful, rural area that suited her better. The place was idyllic, with vast stretches of land, trees swaying in the breeze, and tranquility that stretched far into the horizon. Sonar didn''t mind the change; his affection for her only deepened in their serene new surroundings. They were truly happy together, content in their shared quietness.


    Most of the Gods spent their first month acclimating to the mundane routines of humanity, slowly establishing themselves on Earth. They purchased vehicles, acquired homes, and secured jobs in various fields, immersing themselves in mortal life. This method, they believed, was the best way to provide a stable and comfortable foundation for the women they chose to marry and the children that would follow.


    The complexity of human life, deeper than the surface-level knowledge they once possessed, demanded time and patience. The Gods understood that finding the perfect companions couldn''t be rushed. Yet, one particular God found himself balancing both the acquisition of property and the discovery of a suitable partner simultaneously.


    Ultion, the God of Retribution, unexpectedly found love in little over a month. It was not something he had anticipated, but fate had a way of surprising even the Gods. His chosen partner was a powerful woman in the real estate business, a field she had risen in through hard work and integrity. Her life was stable and successful, but she longed for a companion, someone to start a family with; something she hadn''t yet found.


    Their paths crossed when Ultion sought to purchase a home, a place where he could settle for the time being. Due to their unexpected fondness of him, the company he enlisted for help assigned their top agent to assist him. That''s how he first met her.


    As they toured houses together, Ultion and the woman discovered that they shared remarkably similar tastes, drawn to the same designs and details with near-perfect alignment. They enjoyed each other''s company immensely during the search, their time together filled with laughter and ease. When the home-buying process concluded, Ultion found himself asking for her number, a gesture that surprised even him.


    The woman, too, felt that their meeting was destiny. She had long sought someone ready to settle down, someone with shared values and desires for the future. They continued to see each other, their dates bringing them closer together as they explored the connection between them.


    Though Ultion and a few other Gods were quick to find potential partners, the pantheon had agreed that marriage and the initiation of their plan to bear children would begin after two months. This waiting period was meant to ensure that they were fully comfortable with their choices and lifestyle in Main World before committing to the next phase.


    Thus, the Demigod Project had begun.

 #96: What Humanity is Like

    "Lucas Walker."


    Sol sat composed in the office, his demeanor calm yet commanding. Across the desk, the manager held a thin resume in his hand, staring between it and Sol as if searching for something that simply wasn''t there. It had been almost a month since the Gods had descended to Main World, and Sol had only just begun the process of securing employment.


    The manager, furrowing his brow, shifted uneasily in his seat. He blinked, utterly baffled by the situation unfolding before him. After a pause, he finally spoke, unsure of how to even approach the matter.


    "In your resume..." he began hesitantly, "you''ve provided almost no information. Only your name."


    The manager looked up at Sol, who met his gaze in unnerving silence. His expression was stoic and unfazed, as if the absurdity of the moment didn''t reach him.


    "Your age, place of birth, phone number... all left blank," the manager continued, his voice becoming more strained as he listed off the glaring omissions. "There''s no background, no previous work experience, no social security number either. You... You do realize that, right?"


    "That is correct," Sol responded flatly.


    The silence in the room became heavy. Sol''s unwavering stare only heightened the manager''s discomfort. The man swallowed nervously, his fingers fidgeting with the edges of the paper as he searched for some sort of explanation.


    "I don''t understand what it is you''re asking for," the manager finally said, his voice betraying his growing unease.


    "I want the job," Sol replied, his tone unchanging, as if the request was the simplest thing in the world.


    "But... you have no experience," the manager stammered, utterly perplexed by the exchange. "In this field or... in any field at all."


    "That is correct," Sol said again, his tone devoid of emotion. "Is that a problem?"


    The tension in the room grew unbearable as the manager stared at Sol, completely dumbfounded. The man''s mind whirled, trying to make sense of the strange encounter. He couldn''t shake the sensation that Sol wasn''t merely confident but unshakably resolute in a way that was both unsettling and oddly compelling. This wasn''t some bizarre prank, it was something more, something the manager couldn''t quite grasp.


    After what felt like an eternity of silence, the manager sighed, almost surrendering to the confusion. "No... no problem at all," he said, his voice almost defeated. "You can start as early as tomorrow."


    Sol let out a small sigh as well, though his own seemed tinged with mild disappointment. "Sure," he replied with an indifferent shrug.


    Rising from his seat, he made his way toward the door, exiting the office, and eventually the building, without another word.


    Sol had been on Earth for only a few weeks now, fully aware of how crucial time was for their mission. Despite the urgency, he favored taking a deliberate approach, opting to lay a solid foundation for his life on Main World before diving into more critical matters. Over the first few weeks, he quietly amassed resources and created a semblance of stability, even without a formal job. Only when he felt reasonably settled did he finally decide to start looking for employment.


    After some time behind the wheel, Sol pulled up to a grocery store. The mundane task of shopping had become part of his new routine. He grabbed a basket and moved through the aisles, collecting the essentials he needed for the week. As he strolled between shelves, his mind wandered back to their grand plan. This wasn''t new; ever since his descent, the same thoughts had been swirling in his mind daily, as constant and persistent as the tides. After gathering what he needed, he made his way to the checkout counter.


    "In today''s news," a reporter''s voice droned from a television above the counter, "small tremors have been recorded with increasing frequency worldwide. Countries such as Malta, Qatar, and Norway have all reported unusual seismic activity. Even here in the U.S., we are not immune to these strange phenomena¡­"


    Sol glanced up at the screen briefly, his gaze cool and detached, before shifting back to the cashier to complete his transaction. Once his groceries were bagged, he left the store, heading to his car and making his way back home.


    As he drove, his phone buzzed beside him. Pulling over to check, he saw Abyss''s name flash across the screen. Figuring it could be important, Sol answered the call.


    "So, how did the interview go?" Abyss asked without preamble, his voice calm but direct.


    Sol sighed slightly, his voice flat as ever. "Exactly as you would''ve expected."


    "Great," Abyss replied. "Siege and I are meeting up tonight. We haven''t caught up since the descent, so I expect you''ll join us?"


    Another soft sigh escaped Sol''s lips, but after a brief pause, he replied. "Sure."


    "I''ll send you the details," Abyss confirmed before letting his thoughts wander. "Honestly, these mortals, how quickly they''ve advanced with their technology. It''s fascinating. Sometimes I''m genuinely surprised by their mental capabilities."


    The line clicked as Abyss hung up. Sol returned his phone, merged back onto the road, and continued on his way.


    Eventually, he arrived home, unloading his groceries and stashing them away in the fridge and cabinets. With his chores done, he sank into the couch in his living room, his gaze drifting lazily toward the television, where some show played in the background.


    Though Sol wasn''t entirely captivated by human entertainment, he found the experience amusing. The jokes in some of their comedies tickled his sense of humor, and he found a small pleasure in the simple act of watching television after long days of blending into mortal life. It provided a welcome sense of calm amid the greater responsibilities looming over him.


    Before long, evening descended, and Sol began preparing himself for the meeting with his fellow Gods.


    The night sky draped the city in a blanket of darkness as Siege, Sol, and Abyss gathered in an exclusive section of a dimly lit bar. The atmosphere was relaxed, a sense of camaraderie thick in the air as they indulged in a few drinks, exchanging stories of their time on Main World since the descent.


    Though their generations were different, the three Gods had always shared a special bond, one that had been forged long before mortality itself had ever existed. Siege found solace in their company, and it was evident that Sol and Abyss felt the same.


    "Sol," Abyss called out suddenly, breaking Sol from his brief reverie.


    Sol blinked, realizing he had spaced out for a moment. He refocused on Abyss, who leaned in as if preparing to share some juicy piece of information.


    "I heard something interesting recently," Abyss said, his tone carrying a hint of mischief. "Apparently, Nekro seemed to have tied the knot with a demon woman back in Under World."


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    "Ohh...?" Siege replied with a raised eyebrow, a smirk curling on his lips. "So the God of duty sullies himself in the trivial affairs of his inferior kin?"


    "Cut him some slack, Siege," Sol interjected, his voice steady and a bit more serious than the moment demanded.


    "A jest, Sol," Siege shot back, maintaining his demeanor. "Lighten up."


    Abyss chuckled, amused by the banter, but he was not done yet.


    "But that''s not even the best part," Abyss added, drawing both of their attention back to him. "It turns out that the demon woman is the current Queen of Nyxia."


    "The Queen?" Sol blurted out, his normally calm and composed expression faltering into one of genuine surprise. His eyes widened, processing the astonishment of what Abyss had just revealed.


    Noticing Sol''s sudden shock, Siege and Abyss exchanged glances before bursting into laughter. Their amusement at Sol''s rare break in composure was contagious, and after a moment, even Sol found himself chuckling at his own reaction.


    As their laughter died down, they continued their lighthearted conversation, the easy rhythm of their friendship. Their moment of levity was soon interrupted by the appearance of a servant who approached the table.


    "Mr. Knight?" the servant addressed Siege politely, drawing his attention. "Your drinks are ready, sir."


    The servant placed an array of alcohol and wine on the table; an extravagant selection of exotic and expensive drinks that seemed fitting for their divine tastes. Sol''s eyes widened, slightly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of alcohol, but Siege and Abyss appeared unfazed by the indulgence.


    "Finally," Siege said with satisfaction, turning to the servant with a nod of approval. "Excellent work as always, Lester."


    "My sincerest gratitude, Mr. Knight," the servant replied with a deep bow before retreating, leaving the Gods to their drinks and conversation.


    "You seem to be quite the regular here, ''Mr. Knight,''" Abyss teased, his tone laced with amusement as he watched Siege drain another glass.


    Siege grinned, raising his empty glass triumphantly. "Well, the God of War does enjoy his wine," he declared, his voice loud and boisterous.


    "Perhaps keep your voice down, Siege," Sol cautioned, his eyes darting to the humans nearby. "And why do you insist on speaking in your ancient tongue? The mortals might find your speech... bizarre."


    "It matters not," Siege scoffed. "I''ve already stripped myself of my armor for the sake of blending in with mankind. I refuse to further degrade my honor by abandoning my vocabulary as well."


    "Humans already have too many concerns," Abyss added with a casual shrug. "I doubt they''re paying any attention to our speech, Sol. You needn''t worry."


    The Gods continued their conversation as the night deepened, their laughter and banter echoing in their secluded corner. Hours passed in this manner, but despite the lighthearted atmosphere, Sol couldn''t shake the tension lingering in his mind. The burden of worry was written across his face.


    "I can''t help but feel concerned," Sol finally admitted, his voice quieter than before. "Our duties weigh heavy on me; our absence from Higher World, the task we''ve been given, then there''s the matter of the women who are to be involved in all this."


    Abyss leaned back in his chair, his expression softening.


    "You''re overthinking it, Sol," he began. "Your concerns are valid, but if you allow yourself to be consumed by them, they''ll cloud your judgment. Don''t let the weight of it all crush you."


    "I agree with Abyss," Siege chimed in from across the table, his tone less playful. "Mankind is amusing in its ignorance. Do not let their mortal worries become yours."


    Siege''s words were blunt, but they struck a chord of validity in Sol. He let out a long, quiet sigh, acknowledging the truth in his fellow Gods'' advice. For now, he pushed his worries aside and rejoined the conversation, allowing the night to slip by as the seconds ticked deeper into the darkness.


    A week had passed since Sol started his new job, and he had already settled into the routine. His coworkers had warmed up to him quickly, drawn to the quiet yet steady presence he brought to the office. Though he wasn''t the most outwardly cheerful, Sol treated them with care, offering comfort in his own subtle way.


    While he was focused on his work at his desk, a coworker suddenly approached him, calling his attention. The coworker explained to Sol that he had a visitor down in the lobby.


    Surprised, Sol paused his work and made his way to the elevator. When the doors slid open at the lobby, he immediately spotted Siege waiting by the reception desk.


    "I was passing by and thought I would see your chosen place of work," Siege said as he approached Sol, his deep blue eyes scanning the office surroundings with clear disinterest. A flicker of disappointment crossed his face before he added dryly, "But I suppose we all have our¡­ strange preferences."


    Sol''s expression darkened in response. "I will not tolerate you judging my choice of workplace in my presence," he replied, annoyance seeping into his voice.


    For a moment, the two Gods stood in silence, locking eyes. Then, as if on cue, they both broke into laughter. Their playful banter had long been a common source of amusement, and neither of them ever harbored any resentment to the back-and-forth teases.


    "Luke¡­"


    The lighthearted mood shifted as both Sol and Siege turned toward the entrance in response to the call. A woman with long blonde hair and bright brown eyes hurried into the building, her radiant smile drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the reception area. She moved with purpose, clearly familiar with the space, and the recognition in Sol''s eyes was immediate.


    "Please tell me you covered for me?" she asked, her voice light yet tinged with urgency as she approached the two Gods.


    "Yes, but this is the last time, Gwen," Sol replied, the familiarity evident in his tone. "Any more and the boss is going to start asking me questions."


    "I swear, this is the last time," Gwen promised, now standing directly in front of Sol.


    "That was what you said last time," Sol reminded her.


    "Oh, was it? I forget," Gwen replied playfully, her brown eyes gleaming with mischief knowing he was right.


    They shared a smile, the connection between them palpable. "Either way," she said, her tone softening, "you''ve been a lifesaver. I don''t know what I''d do without you."


    "Probably get fired," Sol quipped, earning a laugh from Gwen.


    "Which is why I keep telling you," she said, meeting his gaze, "you need to let me take you out to dinner sometime. It''s the least I can do to thank you."


    "You really don''t have to," Sol replied softly. "I''m not exactly holding it against you."


    Siege stood quietly, observing the easy familiarity between them as they shared another smile. The way Gwen captured the attention of everyone in the room was unmistakable, and yet, her connection with Sol seemed effortless, almost natural. He could see the level of trust and affection they shared in the way they spoke and looked at one another.


    Turning his gaze back, Sol couldn''t help but notice the faintest glint of amusement in Siege''s eyes, recognizing the curiosity brewing in the God.


    "By the way," Sol began, turning to the woman, "I would like you to meet a friend of mine. He''s like a brother to me."


    Intrigued, Gwen''s eyes flickered with curiosity as she glanced at Siege, a friendly smile tugging at her lips.


    "Gwen, this is Percival Knight," Sol began with a formal tone. "And Percival, this is Guinevere Miller."


    "Nice to meet you," Gwen greeted warmly, her smile broadening.


    "Nice to meet you as well," Siege replied, his usually hardened expression on others softening just a touch.


    Gwen''s eyes twinkled at the sound of his voice. "Ooh, I hear a foreign accent. You''re not from around here, are you?"


    "You have no idea," he replied cryptically.


    Gwen laughed lightly. "Well, any friend of Luke''s is a friend of mine. I''m happy to meet you."


    With that, she extended her hand, offering a handshake with which Siege reciprocated. For a moment upon their contact, Siege remained quiet, as if caught off guard by something unseen. Then, after a few more seconds of silent handshaking, he regained his ability to speak.


    "The pleasure is all mine, my lady," Siege said softly.


    "Hear that, Luke?" Gwen suddenly teased, turning to Sol with a playful grin. "I''m ''my lady'' now."


    "Don''t get ahead of yourself, Gwen," Sol replied, causing a brief giggle from her.


    After a while, Gwen began to walk further into the building. "Well, I better get to work before the boss thinks I''m slacking off," she said, stepping backward toward the elevator.


    "Alright," Sol replied. "I''ll see you later."


    "Bye, Percy," Gwen called out to Siege with a wave before stepping into the closing elevator doors.


    Siege, still processing her presence, lifted a hand to return the wave. His expression was contemplative, almost dazed, as he stared after her. Sol, noticing the shift in the God''s demeanor, couldn''t suppress the amusement bubbling up inside him. He let out a chuckle, drawing Siege''s attention immediately.


    "You find it amusing?" Siege asked, his voice tinged with frustration.


    Sol''s laughter deepened. "Yes I do," he admitted.


    "I was only taken aback when I recognized who she truly is," Siege explained, folding his arms defensively.


    "I know," Sol acknowledged, a grin still playing on his lips. "But I still find it funny regardless."


    Siege sighed, his frustration mounting as Sol''s amusement showed no signs of waning. They talked for a few more minutes before Sol excused himself, returning to his duties, while Siege made his way out of the building sometime after.


    As he reached his car, Siege paused by the door, lost in thought. He stood there for a moment, the distant hum of the city fading into the background as he reached into his pocket. Slowly, he pulled out a delicate necklace, a small stone hanging from the string.


    Siege stared at the stone for a few seconds, his thoughts far from the bustling streets around him. His gaze drifted back toward the building where Sol worked. After a moment, he tucked the necklace back into his pocket, opened the door to his car, and drove off, his mind harboring thoughts.

 #97: At First Sight

    Two months had passed since the Gods descended to Main World. For most of them, stability in the human realm had already become second nature, and half of their grand plan was already well underway.


    In a cozy home, Zenith, the God of Nature, carried a tray laden with drinks as he walked from the kitchen to the living room. His movements were calm and deliberate, the tray rattling slightly as he set it down before his guests.


    "It is good to see you all again after so long," Zenith said, a warm smile spreading across his face.


    Sitting comfortably in the room were his fellow Gods: Sonar, the God of Sound, Blur, the God of Motion, and Ultion, the God of Retribution. They returned Zenith''s smile, glad to be in his presence once more.


    "How has everyone been doing?" Zenith asked, genuine curiosity in his voice as he leaned back into his chair.


    Ultion was the first to speak. He recounted his recent life with quiet pride, explaining how he had found stability with the woman he had chosen. She had been ready to settle down before they had even met, which made things easier for him when they realized they shared a unique bond. The connection had grown naturally between them, and Ultion seemed at peace with the way things had unfolded.


    Sonar nodded in agreement as Ultion spoke. His experience had been similar. The woman he had connected with was gentle and kindhearted, and he genuinely enjoyed her company. They had recently moved out of the city, a decision he had made to make her happy. Though Sonar had initially been unsure about leaving the urban chaos, the contentment he saw in her eyes made it worth it.


    Zenith listened attentively, happiness reflecting in his expression as his friends shared their stories. He, too, was content with his choices. He explained that his own partner was currently at work, the place where they had first met. Their connection had been instant, and after a few dates, their bond had deepened to the point where they were now planning to move in together.


    "I am honestly impressed by how smoothly the plan is unfolding," Ultion eventually remarked, his tone thoughtful. "And I am even more surprised by how much we care about the humans we have chosen to be with."


    "I couldn''t agree more," Zenith responded, his smile softening. "I never imagined I could feel this deeply for a human."


    Sonar nodded, sharing their sentiments. "Living among them has changed my perspective on humanity," he admitted. "Now that I''m experiencing their lives firsthand, I understand their emotions and choices better. My initial perception has shifted and being with them gives us a view we never had before."


    "Your words speak truly," Zenith added, his voice reflective. "Perhaps Sage was right in suggesting this plan after all."


    The three Gods nodded in unison, a quiet understanding passing between them. Their time among humans had altered their perceptions in ways they hadn''t anticipated.


    But as their conversation lingered, they realized one of their number had remained silent. All eyes turned to Blur, who sat quietly, lost in his own thoughts.


    Blur sat perched on the edge of the couch, his right knuckle supporting his head as he leaned heavily on the armrest. His gaze was distant, his mind clearly far from the conversation happening around him. The other Gods exchanged uneasy glances, their attention drawn to the heavy silence that seemed to weigh on Blur''s demeanor. His expression was dim, tinged with something that concerned the rest of them, though he seemed oblivious to their growing worry.


    After a few quiet moments, Zenith gently called out to him, snapping Blur from his trance as he blinked back into awareness, suddenly conscious of the watchful eyes around him.


    "How are you doing?" Sonar asked softly, the concern in his voice unmistakable.


    Blur let out a weary sigh before he finally spoke. "I am fine," he said, though the words lacked conviction. "It''s just¡­ my situation frustrates me sometimes."


    "Is it about your chosen bride, perhaps?" Ultion inquired, voicing the question that had been on everyone''s mind.


    Blur remained silent for a moment longer, gathering his thoughts. The room seemed to hold its breath as they waited for him to respond.


    "Serene," Blur began, the name falling heavily from his lips, "she is arrogant and rude more often than not. She is not an evil person, but she is far from being gentle or kindhearted. When we first met, she had concealed it well, but since we started living together, her true nature has been seeping through. Her comfort around me has allowed her guard to slip."


    The others listened in silence as Blur laid out his frustrations. His unhappiness was evident in his tone, and it unsettled them.


    "You know," Blur continued after a brief pause, his voice laced with regret, "I sometimes wonder if I made a mistake in choosing her. Maybe¡­ maybe it was all just a bad decision."


    His admission hung heavily in the air, the weight of a God confessing doubt about his own judgment was not lost on them. They understood the gravity of his words; doubt was not something they were accustomed to feeling, let alone admitting aloud.


    Zenith finally broke the tense silence. "We are approaching the point where we can get married to them soon," he reminded him gently. "Are you certain you still desire to wed her?"


    Blur looked down at the floor, his brows furrowed in thought. For a long while, he didn''t say anything. But finally, he spoke, his voice quieter now.


    "The strange thing is, despite all the difficulties, despite everything I have just told you¡­ I am still in love with her. I care about her deeply, and I do not want her to be unhappy. This is the first time I have felt such an attachment to a mortal, and I cannot walk away from that. It was my choice to love her, and even if it feels like I rushed it, I have to see it through."


    The room was heavy with the weight of his confession. His fellow Gods exchanged solemn looks. They understood the complexity of his emotions, and the burden he carried in trying to reconcile his love with the flaws he had uncovered in his chosen partner. Despite the turmoil, they respected Blur''s resolve. He was committed to the path he had chosen, however fraught with challenges it might be.


    In the silence that followed, they knew one thing for certain; Blur wasn''t just grappling with the trials of love. He was grappling with the consequences of his own decisions, determined to make things work, even if it meant enduring doubts along the way.


    It had been a few weeks since Sol first entered the workforce. Now, he lay quietly on his bed as dawn''s soft light began to filter through the curtains, painting the room in a warm glow. The tranquility in the air was unusual, almost foreign to him since his descent to Main World. He stared at the ceiling in reflective silence, a deep peace settling over him, though he wasn''t sure why.


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    The serenity was short-lived, however, as the sharp ring of his alarm clock shattered the stillness. Sol glanced at it for a moment, then rose to shut it off with a simple tap. Without lingering, he made his way to the bathroom, showering and preparing for the day ahead.


    After breakfast, Sol got into his car and drove to work, arriving at the familiar building that had slowly become part of his daily routine. As he walked inside, his coworkers greeted him warmly with waves and smiles, highlighting his positive relationship with each one of them.


    On his way to his desk, Sol spotted Gwen, which immediately caught his attention. He raised an eyebrow in slight confusion as he approached her.


    "You''re here early," Sol commented dryly. "That''s a first."


    Gwen flashed him a bright smile. "Good morning to you, too," she replied, her tone light but playful as she continued. "And if you must know, I''m managing my time better now. You know, trying to be more professional."


    There was a beat of silence as the soft hum of office chatter and the rhythmic clicks of keyboards filled the space between them. Sol, ever the skeptic, tilted his head slightly, his face betraying no emotion.


    "That has got to be your most hilarious lie yet," he said flatly. "So it''s either you''ve been warned you''re on the verge of getting fired... or someone''s helping you manage your time instead."


    Gwen''s smile faltered slightly, her eyes shifting awkwardly as she bit her lip. She glanced around the office, as if searching for an excuse, but Sol had already put the pieces together.


    "It''s Percival, isn''t it?" Sol asked, his tone more calm than curious. "He''s the one helping you manage your time."


    Gwen sighed softly, her expression turning sheepish. "Guilty," she admitted. "A few days after we met, he called me, and we started hanging out a lot since then. One thing led to another and before I could tell, things just¡­ got really serious between us. I didn''t know how to tell you, Luke."


    Sol''s expression remained as indifferent as always. "It''s fine," he said simply. "And I''m happy for both of you."


    Gwen''s face softened, her smile returning with genuine warmth. "You know, you still have a special place in my heart," she teased lightly.


    "Not sure that''s a feat I should be proud of," Sol replied.


    Gwen laughed out loud at his words, the sound cutting through the office briefly. After a few more lighthearted exchanges, they both parted ways, slipping back into the rhythm of the workday.


    Sol''s day unfolded with quiet efficiency, his work so impeccable that by midday, he had completed all of his assigned tasks. He moved through his responsibilities with an almost effortless grace, his performance so flawless that it drew the attention of his superiors. Shortly after, his boss called him into the office; a summons that Sol suspected was inevitable.


    Inside, the manager couldn''t mask his amazement. As Sol entered, the man rose from his desk, greeting him with a wide smile, his tone rich with admiration.


    "You know," the manager began, leaning back in his chair, "with how empty your resume was, one wouldn''t have imagined that you would make it past the first day."


    Sol sat calmly, his expression as unreadable as ever, his silence urging the manager to continue.


    "But, you''ve proven me and everyone else wrong. So much, in fact, you''re probably the best worker we''ve ever had," the manager said, still marveling. "And your timing couldn''t have been any more perfect. Almost like a divine being sent down to grace us."


    "Hilarious," he deadpanned, his tone as flat as his unchanging expression.


    The manager chuckled again before regaining his composure. "Well, regardless, you''ve more than earned this. So, effective tomorrow, you''ll be stepping into the role of regional manager for the company. If you choose to do so."


    Sol sighed inwardly. He hadn''t anticipated such rapid advancement, though he wasn''t surprised by it either. "Sure," he replied, his voice calm and indifferent.


    "Excellent!" the manager exclaimed, clearly relieved at Sol''s agreement. "I''ll send over some documents regarding the promotion for you to review tonight during your free time."


    With that, the manager rose to his feet, signaling the end of the conversation. Sol gave a curt nod before turning to the door and leaving the office. His promotion granted him an early dismissal, and so, instead of heading straight home, Sol found himself driving to a nearby park.


    The sun had begun its slow descent, casting long, golden rays across the landscape. Sol parked his car and walked towards a secluded bench, where he sat quietly, absorbing the serene beauty of the evening. The air was cool, the sky painted in soft hues of orange and yellow, and for a while, the world seemed to hold its breath, allowing Sol a moment of uninterrupted peace.


    Time drifted by without incident, and Sol let his mind wander, the stillness of the park matching the calm within him. But this tranquility was soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. Sol''s eyes opened, though he remained facing forward, sensing the presence of someone moving closer.


    The figure sat down beside him on the right side of the bench. Sol did not turn to acknowledge the stranger; instead, he kept his gaze fixed ahead. Silence stretched between them, a quiet that he was not eager to break.


    "You know," the stranger began suddenly, "this is one of my favorite spots in the whole city."


    The tone of the voice confirmed to Sol that it was a woman. He let her words hang in the air for a moment before responding, his gaze still fixed on the horizon ahead.


    "Is that so," he said simply, making no effort to turn toward her.


    Silence settled between them again, the kind of quiet Sol preferred. He wasn''t sure how his response had landed, nor did he particularly care. His thoughts were still focused inward, though the stranger''s interruption had pulled him slightly from his meditative state. But just as the stillness began to reassert itself, the woman broke it again.


    "By the way," she began once more, "I heard there''s some guy who flashes people around this hour. So if you see anyone in a trench coat, better brace yourself for the worst."


    Sol paused at her odd remark. Her sense of humor was strange, but he felt obliged to acknowledge her again.


    "I will take your words into account," he replied, his voice steady as he leaned his head onto his left hand, still avoiding any direct engagement.


    Another stretch of silence followed, this time longer, and Sol began to think that the woman had run out of reasons to make small talk; something he had been hoping for. Yet, just as the peace started to settle back over him, the woman shattered it with an urgent, sharp cry.


    "What the heck is that?" she yelped, her voice tight with what sounded like genuine fear.


    Sol snapped his head toward her, instinctively searching for the source of her alarm. He glanced around, his bright golden eyes scanning the area, only to be met with the woman''s gaze for the very first time.


    His breath caught for a moment. Her beauty was unfathomable, almost disarming. Her black hair cascaded elegantly over her shoulders, framing a face with light hazel eyes that gleamed at him with mischief. Her lips curved into a smile, one that carried the faintest hint of triumph.


    "Made you look," she said, her voice soft yet playful, her eyes twinkling with amusement at his reaction.


    Sol remained silent, his golden eyes locked on hers as if trying to find the right words but coming up short. He lingered there, lost in the depths of her hazel gaze, almost in a trance. The seconds dragged on, and the woman, noticing his prolonged silence, tilted her head slightly, a hint of confusion crossing her features.


    "Damn," she said, breaking the moment with a playful chuckle. "You really love intense eye contact, huh?"


    Her words jolted Sol back to the present. He realized he''d been staring at her for far too long without saying a word. Quickly, he gathered himself.


    "Apologies," he murmured, his voice soft and calm as always.


    "No, it''s fine," she said, waving it off with a smile. "I''m flattered, honestly."


    Her smile lingered, but there was something new in her gaze; a mix of curiosity and amusement. Her eyes scanned him with a subtle intrigue, as if she were piecing together a puzzle.


    "You know," she said, breaking the silence again, her tone a little more thoughtful. "You''re really handsome. I mean, like, really, really handsome. It''s... kind of intriguing."


    Her words caught Sol off guard. He hadn''t expected such a blunt compliment. Unsure of how else to respond, he simply nodded and said, "I appreciate it."


    The woman''s smile widened at his modest reply, and Sol found himself inexplicably drawn to her; something he hadn''t anticipated when she first interrupted his moment of solitude. She radiated warmth and confidence, and this made Sol feel strange.


    Without fully realizing it, Sol spoke again, his words slipping out almost on their own. "I think you''re the most beautiful woman I''ve ever seen."


    The sudden compliment caused the woman to blush, a faint pink spreading across her cheeks. She was caught off guard, and for a brief moment, her shock from his boldness was clear. But then her smile softened, her eyes gleaming with a newfound warmth.


    "You seem to know the right things to say, don''t you?" she said, pleased by his words.


    "I guess," Sol replied with a slight smile of his own, his normally indifferent expression softening for the first time that evening.


    They shared a quiet moment, their smiles lingering, before the woman shook her head, as if pulling herself back to reality.


    "I''m Natalie, by the way," she said, extending her hand toward him.


    Sol reached out and took it, feeling the warmth of her touch as he reciprocated her introduction.


    "I''m Lucas Walker."

 #98: Exclusive Tastes

    Night had fallen over the city, the darkness giving way to a strange warmth that mingled with the lively pulse of urban life. The streets were noisy, filled with the hum of engines and the chatter of passersby. Yet nothing could drown out the relentless thump of music from the countless clubs scattered throughout the city.


    Two men strode with purpose through the crowded streets, their steps calm and measured as they made their way toward one of the city''s most renowned nightclubs. As they stepped inside, the noise multiplied tenfold, the energy of the place almost overwhelming. It was as though a sea of bodies swayed to the rhythm, a flood of people moving to the beat that filled the air with its oppressive, almost hypnotic intensity.


    This was Blissful Euphoria, the city''s largest and most notorious nightclub, a title it had earned despite being only two months old. Its reputation had exploded over the past month, making it the most sought-after destination for those lucky enough to get through its doors.


    The two men, unperturbed by the chaos, wove their way through the mass of revelers, their eyes scanning the crowd as they pressed forward. The pungent scent of expensive alcohol clung to the air, mixing with the sweat of hundreds of dancers. They navigated the throng until they finally stood before a door deep within the club''s depths.


    Guarding it was a man in a sharp black suit, wearing dark sunglasses and an earpiece. His stoic expression spoke of his role as a gatekeeper. As the men approached, the bodyguard''s gaze swept over them, sizing them up before he spoke.


    "Ethan Atlas and Cyrus Haze?" he asked, his voice steady and businesslike.


    The two men nodded in unison, confirming their identities. The bodyguard bowed his head slightly before turning to unlock and open the door behind him.


    "Right this way, sirs," he said, gesturing for them to follow with a firm but polite tone.


    They stepped into an exclusive lounge, a far cry from the madness outside. It was quieter here, though the air still carried an electric tension. The men took in their surroundings, recognizing it as a rarefied space, one few ever had the privilege of entering. The bodyguard continued to lead them deeper into the lounge until they reached yet another door, this one even more heavily guarded by its sense of importance.


    The bodyguard knocked once, paused, then opened the door with a subtle bow. "Mr. Valentine," he announced as he stepped aside, "your guests have arrived."


    The two men stepped into the room beyond, their eyes quickly adjusting to the dim lighting and the sight of several women lounging across plush chairs. They exchanged glances, momentarily confused by the scene before them, but their thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice from the corner of the room.


    "Siblings," the voice called warmly, "welcome."


    Turning, they saw Zeal, the God of Emotion, striding toward them with a wide smile. Dressed in nothing but black pants, his muscular torso bare, Zeal radiated the same infectious energy that filled the club. As he reached them, he threw his arms around the two men; Sage, the God of Mind, and Siris, the God of Sight, embracing them gleefully.


    "Just in time," Zeal grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischief.


    "Ze¡­ Zeke," Sage murmured, his voice soft, almost hesitant.


    "It has been far too long," Zeal replied, stepping back from his embrace to stand before them, his smile broad and genuine.


    "I agree," Sage responded, his attention immediately shifting to his shirt, checking for any sign of an unintentional unknown stain from the affectionate hug.


    His gaze then drifted toward the women scattered around the room, his expression subtly tense, revealing his discomfort at their presence. Zeal noticed Sage''s unease and with a simple tilt of his head, signaled to the women that their presence was not needed. Without hesitation, they all rose gracefully and made their way out, closing the door behind them in silent obedience.


    As the room quieted, Sage returned his focus to Zeal, his expression dimming. "You seem to be enjoying your time in Main World a lot, Zeal," he said, his voice firm, carrying a note of disapproval.


    Zeal chuckled, unfazed by Sage''s reprimand. "Oh, relax," he replied with a playful grin. "I would never compromise my honor for the mere sake of mortal pleasures. Everything you see is simply for aesthetics, to further assist my pursuit for establishment on Earth."


    "I would hope so," Sage muttered, his disapproving look unmoved by Zeal''s easygoing demeanor.


    Siris, standing just behind Sage, laughed softly and stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Ignore the God of Mind''s self-righteousness, Zeal," Siris said with a smile. "If we, the creators, cannot indulge in the fruits of our labor, then who can?"


    Zeal''s laughter rang out again, louder this time, and he moved forward to throw a casual arm around Siris in a half-embrace. "This is why you''ve always been my favorite sibling," Zeal declared with a grin, his admiration evident.


    Siris joined in his laughter, clapping Zeal on the back. "The feeling is mutual, my counterpart," he said warmly, the camaraderie between the two gods palpable as they made their way further into the room to sit.


    Sage, however, could only sigh at their antics, pressing a palm to his forehead in visible frustration. "Idiots, the both of you," he grumbled, though his tone carried more resignation than true anger as he followed them to their seats.


    "You must tell me everything about this club''s creation, Zeal," Siris urged as they settled down, his curiosity clear.


    Zeal chuckled, his eyes alight with mischief. "Ah, an enticing tale of ambition and indulgence," he began, lounging back comfortably. "Please, make yourselves at home."


    Zeal began to recount his adventures with the acquisition and rise of Blissful Euphoria. As they talked, the conversation shifted to broader topics, each of them sharing their experiences since arriving at Main World. Eventually, the subject turned to more personal matters, and Zeal leaned closer to Sage, his expression sly.


    "You can imagine my surprise when I saw you on the news, dear sibling," Zeal teased, his smile widening. "The ''mysterious genius'' who managed to capture the heart of the queen of technology, Jade Hart."


    Sage sighed, a flicker of weariness crossing his features. "I am merely performing my duty," he responded formally. "It is not an acquired prize, Zeal."


    "Of course," Zeal replied, though his grin didn''t falter. "But still, it''s quite the feat. I''ve heard she had no intentions of marrying anyone before you came along. That must have been a challenge."


    "I suppose," Sage conceded, his tone modest, brushing off the compliment.


    "Yet that is precisely why you excel in your role," Zeal continued, his words a subtle acknowledgment of Sage''s unparalleled intellect.


    "And why you excel in yours," Sage returned, his words a nod to Zeal''s manipulative charm and emotional mastery.


    Zeal''s grin widened at the mutual acknowledgment. "You know me so well," he said with a laugh, the bond between the two gods evident despite their differences.


    As Sage''s words settled into a brief pause, Zeal turned his attention to Siris, a playful glint in his eyes. "And you, my dear counterpart," he began, his voice laced with curiosity, "how have you fared during your time here?"


    Siris leaned back, a relaxed smile spreading across his face. "I have been great, my friend," he replied, his tone light. "Much like you, I dove headfirst into the vibrant nightlife. Clubs, bars, parties. Those first few weeks were a whirlwind."


    Zeal grinned, nodding knowingly. "Ah, I can relate."


    "However," Siris continued, his voice shifting to something more serious, "everything changed when I met the right woman for me."


    Zeal''s curiosity piqued even more as he leaned forward. "I wonder," he began with a sly smile, "who could possibly have caught the eyes of the mighty God of Sight?"


    "She was a bartender at one of the clubs I frequented," Siris explained, his eyes gleaming at the memory. "Her fiery spirit was captivating. Truly a sight for divine eyes."


    Zeal let out a chuckle of approval. "Ah, a feisty one. Now that is true perfection," he said, causing an exasperated sigh from Sage that could be heard in the background.


    The three gods shared a few more light-hearted exchanges, their laughter filling the room. But as the conversation meandered on, Sage eventually turned to Zeal with a more serious inquiry.


    "Tell me, Zeal," he began, "have you begun your plans of settling down? Be mindful that we only have a few weeks left for optimal childbirth and family establishment before we must return to Higher World."


    Zeal waved off Sage''s concerns with a carefree smile. "Do not worry, Sage. I still have plenty of time to play my part in our grand plan."


    An awkward silence followed Zeal''s response, lingering in the air until Siris, with a knowing look, broke it. "I understand your hesitation in settling down," Siris said gently.


    Zeal raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Hesitation?"


    "I know because I felt the same," Siris admitted. "But trust me, once you experience the love of a woman who sees you as you are and loves you as deeply as you love her, it surpasses any thrill a nightclub can offer."


    Zeal remained silent, Siris'' words resonating with him on a level he hadn''t anticipated. For Siris to have come to such a conclusion, after once sharing Zeal''s indulgent perspective, meant the sentiment was serious. Slowly, Zeal''s expression softened, the playful light in his eyes dimming.


    "I must admit," Zeal said after a moment, his voice quieter, "I have not prioritized this as much as I should. I will reconsider my approach to our plan."


    Both Sage and Siris recognized that their words had reached him. They allowed the silence to stretch a few more beats, giving Zeal the space to absorb the shift in his thoughts.


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    Then, with a sudden burst of energy, Zeal stood up, stretching his arms wide as he stepped toward his brothers. "But for now," he declared with a grin, pulling Sage and Siris into an embrace, "let us enjoy this night to the fullest. Consider it my belated gift to you both on your marriages."


    With a call, Zeal summoned the waiters into the room, ordering the finest wine available. The waitstaff moved swiftly, returning moments later with bottles of their most expensive wine.


    "Lucas Walker?"


    "That is correct," Sol replied, his voice steady as he stood tall.


    "Excellent," the host said with a smile, gesturing with a sweep of his arm. "Your table is right this way, sir."


    Sol moved through the lavish restaurant, following the host toward their reserved spot. The space was elegant, with warm lighting and art that adorned the walls, making the place feel far more exclusive than the typical high-end eatery. The mouth-watering aromas that wafted through the air hinted at the exceptional cuisine to come, adding to the upscale ambiance.


    Beside him, Natalie walked hand in hand with Sol, her fingers gently intertwined with his. Their relationship had evolved quickly since they first met, growing into something deep and intimate over the past few weeks, after a few dates. The chemistry between them was undeniable, and the atmosphere of the evening felt like a continuation of that connection.


    When they reached their table, the two sat down, taking in the beauty of their surroundings as they glanced over the menu. After deciding on their selections, they called the waiter over, placing their orders before settling into conversation, their voices comfortably mingling with the low hum of the restaurant around them.


    As they talked, their conversation naturally drifted to more personal topics. Natalie began sharing pieces of her life with Sol, her tone soft as she recounted her childhood. She spoke of growing up in a small home, where she had been the only daughter, with just an older brother as her sibling. Her brother had been driven and ambitious, someone who thrived on setting goals and loved to study.


    But as she continued, her expression shifted, a shadow passing over her features. She told Sol about the tragedy that had befallen her family; the loss of her brother when she was still young. The weight of his absence had left her feeling alone and heartbroken. Yet, out of her deep love for him, she had made a choice. She had decided to honor his memory by pursuing the dreams he had left unfinished. Upon reaching adulthood, she altered her own aspirations to follow the path her brother had once dreamed of.


    Sol listened closely, her story striking him in a way he hadn''t anticipated. It was an unselfish devotion, one that he had rarely encountered.


    "Were you truly okay with changing your entire life path to honor someone else''s wishes?" Sol asked, his tone revealing the puzzlement behind his thoughts.


    Natalie looked at him, a gentle curiosity in her gaze. "What do you mean?"


    Sol took a breath, his golden eyes focused on her as he tried to voice his confusion. "If he hadn''t passed away, you wouldn''t have chosen this path. Does that never bother you? That you might have lived a different life?"


    Natalie''s lips curved into a soft smile, her eyes warming at his concern. "Not in the slightest," she said. "The beauty of life is that it''s filled with limitless choices and experiences. We can do so many things, meanwhile also never experiencing just as much in our lives. So changing my path to follow his didn''t make me feel any less alive. Instead, it opened me up to a whole new view of the world. One that I came to love over time, just as much as I loved him."


    Sol was taken aback, her perspective leaving him momentarily speechless. It was rare for him to be so moved by the words of a mortal. Her outlook on life, so full of optimism and acceptance, stood in stark contrast to the sorrow that might have consumed someone else in her position. Where others might have fixated on their pain, Natalie had chosen to see the light even in the darkest moments.


    Before long, their waiter returned with their meals, placing the carefully prepared dishes before them. As they began to eat, the atmosphere between them relaxed once more, though Natalie''s curiosity lingered.


    "You know," she said after a moment, "I just realized, I know almost nothing about your past, or how you were growing up."


    Sol paused for a moment, cutting into his food as he carefully considered how to frame his answer.


    "I was one of the two eldest among my siblings," Sol began, his gaze still focused on his plate as he spoke. "That meant a lot of responsibility fell on me early on. For a long time, I was mostly on my own, so I became used to solitude before they came along. But even then, I always took care of them when I needed to"


    His words were honest, even though they barely hinted at the grander reality of his divine existence.


    "As time went on," Sol continued, "I discovered I had a capacity for caring about others beyond just my siblings. I hadn''t expected to feel so strongly toward others, but I came to embrace those emotions. The highs and lows of it all... it made me feel more alive. More normal. More... sentient."


    Natalie listened closely, her curiosity piqued by his openness. His background fascinated her, and the conversation flowed easily as they finished their meal. Soon after, they paid the bill and began to make their way out of the restaurant. But just as they reached the exit, Natalie realized she had forgotten her purse. She excused herself and hurried back to retrieve it, leaving Sol waiting in the lobby.


    "Today''s headlines report an unusual surge of thunderstorms occurring globally," a nearby television caught Sol''s attention, the voice of a news anchor filling the lobby. "These thunderstorms have become increasingly frequent and intense, causing concern among meteorologists. Many Earth scientists speculate that Earth''s climate is becoming more unstable than it has been in centuries."


    Sol glanced at the television, hearing the news with a slight irritation on his face. "I''ve always hated thunderstorms," he muttered under his breath.


    Moments later, Natalie returned with her purse, and they headed out to the car. Sol drove them to a new destination, the city lights reflecting off the streets as they traveled. When they finally stopped and got out of the car, Natalie looked around and realized where they were.


    "This is the park where we first met," she said, her voice touched with nostalgia.


    Sol walked ahead, his pace slow and thoughtful, and Natalie followed close behind. The night sky stretched above them, stars flickering faintly through the warm glow of the park''s lights. The ambiance was serene, and the air felt thick with an unspoken tension. Finally, Sol came to a halt, standing still in the quiet of the park.


    "I never imagined I could ever love someone this much," Sol said, his voice soft but resolute. "If it were possible, I''d spend eternity with you. But even if that is beyond my reach, just being with you is more than enough."


    Natalie''s face lit up with warmth, a smile spreading across her lips. "You always know the right things to say, don''t you?" she said, her expression full of warmth.


    Sol met her gaze, a seriousness now settling in his expression. "That''s why I know what I must do."


    A moment of confusion passed over Natalie''s face as she watched him reach into his pocket. But her confusion quickly gave way to disbelief as Sol dropped to one knee, pulling out a small box and opening it to reveal a shimmering ring.


    Before Sol could even finish his proposal, Natalie was already saying yes, tears of joy brimming in her eyes. She rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace as he rose to his feet.


    "I thought maybe you would think it was too soon," Sol admitted, holding her close.


    "Not at all," Natalie whispered, her eyes closed as she clung to him. "I''m certain about this, just as much as you."


    Hearing Natalie''s words brought a soft smile to Sol''s face. He gently pulled her, their lips meeting in a tender kiss. For a moment, everything felt perfect. Until Sol slowly pulled away, his eyes still locked on hers, but with a deeper seriousness settling over his features.


    "But that''s not all," Sol said quietly, his voice carrying more weight now. "There is much more that I need to tell you."


    Natalie''s smile faded slightly as she sensed the shift in his tone, confusion clouding her gaze. She searched his face, trying to understand what he meant.


    "I''m going to tell you the whole truth," Sol continued, his voice firm and resolute. "The truth about who I really am."


    Zeal lay sprawled across the plush couch in his private room at the club. The faint vibrations of music pulsed through the walls, a distant hum that felt almost soothing as he stared up at the ceiling. Siris and Sage''s words from earlier echoed in his mind, stirring a mix of curiosity and contemplation.


    "Marriage, huh," Zeal muttered to himself, stretching his right hand towards the ceiling as if reaching for something just beyond his grasp.


    The tranquility was short-lived, though. A knock at the door shattered the peaceful atmosphere, pulling Zeal from his thoughts. With a resigned sigh, he called out for the visitor to enter.


    One of his guards stepped into the room, bowing slightly before delivering the news. "Sir, we need your attention for an issue that''s come up."


    Zeal exhaled deeply, pushing himself off the couch. He grabbed a robe and followed the guard through the club, winding past the main and secondary floors filled with music and chatter until they reached the back entrance.


    Outside, a woman''s raised voice echoed against the area, sharp with anger. Zeal approached, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. A group of guards stood facing a fiery woman, whose words were laced with frustration.


    "What''s going on?" Zeal asked calmly, his gaze shifting to one of the guards for an explanation.


    "She had assaulted someone inside the club, sir," the guard explained. "So we had to kick her out."


    "Are you dense?" the woman snapped, her voice edged with frustration. "I saw some random creep touching another woman inappropriately and she was clearly uncomfortable. When I stepped in to try and stop him, he was acting like an idiot. So yeah, I punched him in the face."


    "The rules clearly state that violence won''t be tolerated," one of the guards interjected firmly. "And for that, you''re banned from the club."


    The woman''s expression didn''t falter. "If that''s how you handle things around here, then I couldn''t care less about being banned."


    Zeal sensed the tension rising and knew he had to de-escalate the situation before it spiraled further. He raised a hand, ordering everyone to be calm.


    He turned to his guards with a straight expression. "Your services are no longer required here. And neither are your opinions," he said harshly.


    The guards hesitated for a moment before obeying, leaving Zeal alone with the woman. He stepped closer, his demeanor shifting to something warmer, more approachable.


    "I apologize for the inconvenience," Zeal said smoothly, his smile disarming. "I''ll personally see to it that the situation is handled properly. You have nothing to worry about."


    As he spoke, he moved even closer, his eyes locking with hers in a way that felt both charming and intense. "I assure you that you''re not banned from the club," he assured her. "In fact, as a gesture of goodwill, I''d like to offer you access to our VIP sections. I hope that''ll make up for any... unpleasantness tonight."


    The woman held Zeal''s gaze, her expression softening as she leaned in, the space between them shrinking to almost nothing. There was a flicker of something in her eyes; curiosity, maybe even intrigue, as the silence persisted.


    "Do you really think a bribe is gonna change how I feel about this?" she asked, her tone calm but sharp.


    Zeal''s smile faltered slightly upon the sound of the woman''s words.


    "I understand you''ve got a business to run, and a reputation to protect," she continued, her voice steady and sincere. "But I''m not interested in your gifts or offers."


    Zeal hadn''t anticipated this response. He was momentarily taken aback, but she was not through with her words. The woman stepped closer, their faces nearly touching, her confidence unwavering.


    "I''m not like the other women you surround yourself with," she said, her voice firm, her gaze unflinching.


    A moment of silence persisted before Zeal replied. "Indeed, you are not," he said with a grin, the amusement returning to his eyes.


    Zeal was surprised, but for some reason, he found himself impressed. She didn''t waver or falter in the presence of a God; although his presence was tremendously watered down to its smallest possible form.


    "But with that being said," Zeal continued after a beat of silence persisted, " when are you free this week?"


    The woman blinked, clearly caught off guard by the sudden shift in the conversation. "What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "I''d like to take you out," Zeal clarified. "No games, no strings attached. I just want to get to know you."


    Her brow furrowed in confusion, skepticism evident in her expression. "You''re cute," she began, "but what makes you think I wanna go on a date with you?"


    "If you don''t want to, that''s fine," Zeal said easily, a smirk on his lips. "But I''m genuinely curious about you and want to know more."


    The woman studied him for a moment, eventually sensing that he was not just trying to play her. She couldn''t explain why, but she felt like his tone was not disingenuous; almost sincere. After a long pause, she let out a small sigh, turning her head away from him.


    "I''ve got a pretty tight schedule," she said, her voice quieter now. "So I''ll let you know whenever I''m free."


    "I don''t mind the wait," Zeal responded, still smiling.


    For a few seconds, she said nothing, standing there with her back turned to him. Then, without looking back, she began walking away.


    "I''ll see you later, club owner man," she called, waving lazily as she continued onward without returning a gaze.


    Zeal watched her go, realizing he still didn''t have the most basic piece of information. "Wait," he called out. "I didn''t get your phone number."


    The woman didn''t stop walking. "That''s fine," she said. "I know where to find you."


    "How about your name," Zeal pressed, hoping for one more information before she vanished from sight.


    There was a moment of silence, and Zeal wondered if she''d answer at all. Then, just as she continued onward, her voice floated back to him.


    "Brianna."

 #99: Shades of Darkness I

    Within the first two months, most of the Gods had already found suitable wives, with some even formalizing their unions in court. Others took their time, carefully nurturing their relationships, but it was clear that the grand plan was progressing smoothly.


    By the third month, a majority of the Gods were married and content with their new lives, having already completed half of their mission. Yet, despite this, a few Gods remained unconcerned with the search for a partner. Among them, Abyss, the God of Darkness, had his focus set elsewhere. Instead of prioritizing the grand plan, he chose to dedicate his time on Main World to helping humanity, particularly those less fortunate.


    Abyss, being one of the first-generation Gods, had a deep-seated desire to aid those in need, especially his creation. His compassion was unwavering, and during his time on Earth, he volunteered at numerous shelters and hospitals. He donated most of his earnings to orphanages and foster homes, all in an effort to uplift the world around him. However, unused to the limitations of his human form, Abyss often underestimated the toll this relentless dedication took on him.


    On this particular day, Abyss was assisting at a clinic where he had committed to working for an entire week. Along with his generous financial contributions, he also volunteered to distribute free medication to those who needed it most.


    As the day wore on, exhaustion finally caught up with him. Having spent the previous week tirelessly helping others, Abyss found himself dozing off at the front desk, waiting for the last patient of the day to collect their medicine.


    Moments later, a gentle voice stirred him from his sleep.


    "Blake Orpheus?"


    Abyss blinked awake, sitting up straight and focusing his gaze on the woman across from him. She was seated in a wheelchair, her short black hair framing her very pale skin. Her eyes were dull, reflecting a modest yet apathetic behavior.


    "That''s me," Abyss responded, recalling the human name he had adopted.


    "I was told to come here for my meds?" the woman asked in a soft yet distant tone.


    "Yes, you''re in the right place," Abyss said, offering her a kind smile. "And you would be?"


    "Lucy," she replied, her voice low. "Lucy Williams."


    Abyss opened the patient list, confirming her name as the final one for the day. He stood up, retrieving a package of medication labeled with her name.


    As Abyss handed the package to Lucy, she immediately turned to leave without a word. She moved her wheelchair on her own, struggling slightly as she attempted to maneuver, which caused Abyss to feel a twinge of concern.


    "Do you need any help, perhaps?" Abyss asked gently, his worry seeping into his tone.


    At the sound of his offer, Lucy froze, her back to him. For a moment, she remained silent before slowly turning her head, her expression sharp.


    "Oh no, the poor girl in the wheelchair might need some help," she sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Let me just rush over and rescue her because she''s obviously helpless."


    Abyss fell silent, taken aback by the bitterness in her voice. Lucy''s eyes flashed with frustration. "I can manage just fine on my own, thank you," she snapped before continuing her exit.


    Her words stung. Abyss stood there, bewildered. "That was harsh," he muttered to himself, still processing the unexpected hostility.


    "Yeah, sorry about that, Blake," came a voice from behind him.


    Abyss turned to see the clinic owner approaching. "Lucy''s been coming here for a while now," she explained. "She tends to get defensive when people offer to help her. We''ve learned not to push it anymore."


    Surprised, Abyss shifted his gaze back toward the door where Lucy had exited moments before, a slight discomfort settling in his chest.


    The following day, Abyss returned to the clinic to continue his volunteer work. As he sorted through the medicine packages, he glanced up and saw Lucy again, this time arriving earlier than the previous day. She approached in silence, her expression as unreadable as ever. Abyss greeted her with a warm smile.


    "You''re Lucy, right?" he said cheerfully. "You''re here a bit earlier today."


    Lucy met his gaze with a blank stare, clearly uninterested in conversation. Abyss, however, kept his smile steady as he retrieved her package, noting its larger size compared to the others he distributed but choosing not to mention it.


    "So how has your day been?" Abyss asked instead.


    Lucy sighed heavily upon hearing his words. "You know," she said flatly, "you don''t have to bother with small talk."


    And with that, she turned and left again, her demeanor as cold as ever.


    "Trust me, it''s better to just give up," one of the other volunteers said quietly, observing Abyss'' attempt at friendliness.


    Though the interaction left him feeling unsettled, Abyss pushed through and continued distributing the rest of the medicine, his mind lingering on the brief, strange encounters with Lucy.


    Abyss worked for a few more minutes before his shift finally ended. Leaving the rest of the tasks to the other volunteers, he started preparing to head home, his body aching slightly from the day''s efforts. He preferred walking, enjoying the solitude and the chance to reflect, so he rarely used his car unless necessary.


    As he left the clinic, Abyss noticed Lucy a short distance ahead. Her wheelchair was stuck in a hole on the sidewalk, and she was visibly frustrated, struggling to free herself. She grunted with effort, her annoyance palpable in the fading light of day.


    Continuing onward, Abyss approached her. In a single, effortless motion, he freed her wheelchair from the hole with a gentle pull of his right hand alone. Yet immediately after, he continued walking without a word, seemingly unaffected by the brief interaction.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Lucy, startled and annoyed by his actions, called out to him. "I didn''t ask for your help," she said sharply, her voice laced with irritation.


    Abyss did not break his stride, responding in a calm tone as he kept his attention forward. "And I didn''t offer it to you," he replied. "You were in my way, so I simply moved you away."


    Lucy fell silent, watching him as he walked away, his words leaving her without a retort. His voice drifted back at her as he continued to address her softly yet deliberately.


    "You better head home soon," he said. "The darkness is beautiful, but it is also dangerous."


    Lucy sat quietly for a moment, her anger momentarily subdued as Abyss disappeared into the distance, his back turned to her, seemingly indifferent.


    Over the following days, Abyss continued his volunteer work at the clinic. Each time he saw Lucy, he greeted her with a smile, his kindness unwavering despite her consistent silence. She never responded and never gave any indication of acknowledging his attempts to connect. Yet Abyss didn''t stop, his smiles as warm on the next meeting as they were on the previous.


    On the final day of his volunteering, Abyss treated it like any other. He arrived at the clinic, greeted his colleagues, and distributed the medication to those who needed it. As the hours passed, daylight gave way to dusk, and the clinic began to quiet down. However, something nagged at him. He hadn''t seen Lucy all day.


    At first, he thought she might be running late, but as he handed out the last package and checked the list, he realized her name wasn''t there. Curious, Abyss asked one of his colleagues why Lucy hadn''t shown up on the schedule that day.


    Abyss'' colleague looked at him with a heavy expression and explained why Lucy hadn''t shown up. "She''s not coming because she''s in the hospital," he said gravely. "Apparently, she hadn''t been taking her meds for days. She was admitted yesterday."


    Abyss felt his heart sink. "Do you know where?" he asked, his voice carrying a note of urgency.


    The colleague hesitated, unsure. "I''m not certain," he admitted, shifting uncomfortably under Abyss'' concerned gaze. "But I think it''s the general hospital, about four miles east of here."


    Without wasting another moment, Abyss stood, grabbing his belongings swiftly. "Cover the rest of my shift," he called back, already heading for the door.


    "Uh... yeah, sure," his colleague stammered, watching Abyss rush out with a mix of confusion and unease.


    In the dim light of the hospital room, the steady beep of the EKG machine echoed softly. Lucy lay unconscious on the bed, her chest rising and falling in a rhythmic pattern, but as the minutes passed, she began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, her body heavy with fatigue.


    She turned her head to the left and froze. Abyss was sitting by her side. His expression was serious, his gaze distant as he stared forward, lost in thought. He hadn''t even noticed she was awake. A flicker of frustration crossed her face, but as she watched him, her irritation waned. The worry etched into his features was undeniable.


    After a few long moments, Lucy sighed softly, shifting in her bed. The sound caught Abyss'' attention, and he turned to her, his eyes softening in relief when he saw her awake.


    "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, his voice filled with genuine concern.


    Lucy narrowed her eyes at him, clearly annoyed by the question. "What do you think?" she replied, her tone sharp as she locked eyes with him.


    Abyss held her gaze for a moment before a small smile broke through his serious expression. "I''m glad you''re awake," he said simply, his relief palpable.


    Lucy blinked, caught off guard by his sincerity.


    Minutes ticked as Lucy remained in the hospital, the night having fully settled over the city. Abyss stayed by her side despite not being asked to, quietly peeling and cutting apples for her as he sat in the chair next to her. The room was filled with the soft beeping of the monitor, and though the silence stretched on, Abyss didn''t seem bothered by it. His calm presence only seemed to agitate Lucy more.


    "Aren''t you going to ask me about what happened?" Lucy finally spoke up, her confusion apparent. She had expected him to be more curious, more prying.


    Abyss paused in his task, briefly turning to her. "Not exactly," he said simply. "If you wanted to talk about it, you would have done so by now." He returned his focus to the apple in his hand. "Am I wrong?"


    Lucy blinked, caught off guard by his straightforwardness. She had expected questions as always, maybe even pity, but his response left her unsettled. After a moment, she voiced the question that had been lingering in her mind.


    "Why do you even care?" she asked.


    Abyss paused mid-slice, the apple and knife held in his hands as he considered her question.


    "Because you need help," he replied, his tone firm yet gentle. "Even if you don''t ask for it, I can''t just stand by and watch someone suffer. I always want to make things better for others, even if it means you end up hating me for it."


    His words were sincere, his expression unwavering. He resumed peeling the apple, the steady motion a comfort in the tense silence that followed. But then, as the moments went by, he suddenly heard a soft, muffled sob. Turning slightly, Abyss saw Lucy had turned her face away from him, trying to hide her tears. Respecting her need for privacy, Abyss didn''t say anything further, simply continuing his task.


    A short while later, the doctor returned with an update. Lucy was now stable, but the warning was clear; she had to keep taking her medication if she wanted to avoid another incident. After a brief conversation, Lucy was officially discharged and allowed to return home.


    As the doctor departed, Abyss stood back, watching as Lucy struggled to transfer herself from the bed to her wheelchair. As she finally got on, without a word, he moved behind her, placing his hands on the wheelchair handles and preparing to assist.


    Lucy shot him an annoyed glance but froze when she saw the seriousness he had in his eyes.


    "I don''t have to pity you to want to help you," he said, his voice steady and strong.


    She hesitated for a bit before letting out a reluctant sigh. "Fine," she muttered, a hint of resignation in her tone.


    Abyss allowed a small smile to surface as he began to push her wheelchair, guiding her out of the room and eventually out of the hospital.


    Abyss asked where she lived, and after a brief pause, Lucy reluctantly gave him the address. As he pushed her wheelchair, they moved through the quiet streets in silence. The stillness between them lingered, heavy and unspoken, until Lucy felt the need to break it.


    "Aren''t you curious about what I''m sick with?" she asked, glancing ahead and away from Abyss.


    Abyss remained quiet for a moment before responding. "You know, you don''t have to bother with small talk," he said.


    Lucy felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her, remembering how she had said something similar to him the week before. Realizing she had been too harsh, she decided to apologize.


    "Okay, I''m sorry for what I said a few days ago," she admitted. "I realize now that I didn''t need to take my anger out on you."


    "No," Abyss suddenly began, his expression softening, "you misunderstand. What I meant was that you don''t have to talk just because you think you should. If you prefer the silence, that''s fine by me."


    The silence stretched again, but this time it felt different. Lucy hesitated briefly before she spoke once again, her tone lowered.


    "No, I want to," she said. "I always have since the day we met. I''m just... not good at it."


    She took a deep breath, deciding to open up a little more. "When people look at me," she began, her voice low, "all they see is someone that is broken, hopeless, like I''m just waiting for someone to fix me. It makes me so angry that they pity me. That''s why I push them away before they even get the chance to."


    "I get that," Abyss responded, his tone understanding. "But you should never neglect your health just for that reason. You don''t have to punish yourself with loneliness whenever you desire assistance."


    As they continued on, Abyss began to share more personal things with her.


    "I have a sibling who was similar," he said softly. "We were the eldest, and during our earlier times, he kept to himself, preferring isolation instead. I always wanted to help, but I didn''t know how. Eventually, though, as we continued to interact, I was able to show him that there''s beauty in letting others care about you. And in caring about others as well."


    Lucy stayed quiet, Abyss''s words weighing heavily on her. She glanced up at him, still trying to understand what drove him to be so kind. "Why are you such a good person?" she asked, almost in disbelief.


    Abyss smiled, his eyes warm as he answered simply.


    "Why not?"

 #100: Shades of Darkness II

    Weeks had passed since Abyss last saw Lucy. Though he continued his mission to aid various facilities, volunteering his time and resources, the conclusion of his contract with the clinic meant he hadn''t checked in on her.


    Despite his busy schedule, his thoughts would occasionally drift back to Lucy, wondering how she was faring. He knew, however, that he couldn''t afford to linger on these thoughts; there was still so much work ahead, and he was acutely aware of how far he''d strayed from the original purpose of his time in Main World. Time was slipping by faster than he had anticipated.


    One evening, after a long day negotiating with an orphanage he planned to support, Abyss walked home alone under the amber glow of the setting sun. The quiet was interrupted by the sudden ring of his phone; an unknown number flashing on the screen. Abyss hesitated for a moment before answering.


    "Blake Orpheus?" a woman''s voice on the line asked.


    Abyss confirmed his identity, his curiosity piqued.


    "We''re calling because you were listed as the emergency contact for Miss Lucy Williams," the woman explained. "Miss Williams has been hospitalized, and we felt it necessary to inform you."


    Abyss''s heart sank. He couldn''t believe what he was hearing. Urgency spiked through his veins as he pressed for details and asked for the hospital''s location, which the woman provided promptly.


    "What happened to her?" Abyss asked, already picking up his pace as he made his way toward the hospital.


    "The information I was provided stated that one of her illnesses flared up and severely impacted her system," the woman on the phone explained. "She''s currently in critical condition."


    The call ended, and Abyss sprinted toward the hospital. As he arrived, he hurried to the reception desk, confirming Lucy''s room number before rushing to her side.


    Upon entering, he was met with the sight of Lucy, frail and pale, lying in the hospital bed with an oxygen mask covering her face. Her breaths were labored, her heartbeat weak and uneven; he could hear it from where he was. The room was filled with a somber silence as doctors hovered over her, their expressions a mix of concern and resignation.


    Abyss approached one of the doctors, his voice strained. "How did this happen?" he asked. "Did she refuse her medication again?"


    "No, it''s not that," the doctor replied, shaking his head. "Lucy''s condition is complicated. Her body is a battleground of various illnesses, some active, and some dormant. Sometimes these conditions clash, and when they do, the effects can be catastrophic."


    Abyss''s eyes widened in horror as the doctor continued. "Given her current state, I fear she has only a few weeks left at best. And that''s if we''re extremely lucky."


    Abyss felt a surge of helplessness wash over him as he watched Lucy''s fragile form, his heart heavy with the weight of her suffering. He stood there, powerless, unable to grasp the extent of the pain she was enduring, knowing all too well that time was slipping away from her faster than anyone could imagine.


    A few days passed in the hospital, and Lucy finally stirred from her unconscious state. As she opened her eyes, she saw Abyss, who immediately reacted to her awakening.


    "Lucy?" Abyss''s voice was filled with surprise and concern.


    Tears began to stream down Lucy''s cheeks as Abyss turned toward the door, calling out for any nearby doctors. The medical team arrived swiftly, performing scans and attending to her needs for several hours, leaving Abyss waiting anxiously outside. When they finished, he was finally allowed back in.


    As he walked into the room, Abyss noticed the deep sadness in Lucy''s eyes. She sat on the bed, her silence heavy with unspoken sorrow. Abyss approached quietly and settled on a chair beside her, his concern evident.


    "How are you feeling?" Abyss asked softly.


    "I don''t even know anymore," Lucy replied, her voice trembling with pain.


    The room fell into a quiet stillness, Abyss struggling to find the right words. He observed that the oxygen mask was no longer on her face, which was a positive sign, but he knew there was still much she was grappling with internally.


    "I don''t even know why I keep trying to stay alive," Lucy suddenly said, her voice cracking as tears pooled in her eyes.


    "Don''t say that," Abyss responded gently, trying to offer comfort.


    "But it''s true," Lucy continued, her frustration evident. "I don''t think there''s anything left for me in this world. No one will even miss me."


    Upon hearing her words, Abyss stood and moved closer to her on the bed. His expression was serious, more resolute than she had ever seen, as he took both of her hands in his.


    "Look at me," Abyss said firmly, causing Lucy to hesitate. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you have nothing left to live for."


    Lucy''s silence spoke volumes, her reluctance clear. But Abyss wasn''t finished. "I understand your frustration," he continued. "I might not be in the same situation, but trust me, I understand it."


    Time passed in silence as Abyss held her gaze. "Tell me if there is anything at all in this world you want to do," he said, his voice earnest. "Anything at all, no matter how stupid it may sound out loud, and I will help you make it happen. And if you truly have nothing left, I won''t press you further."


    The silence stretched between them before Lucy''s tears finally broke through. She slowly turned to Abyss, her sorrow etched deeply in her eyes as she struggled to find her voice.


    "I want... a family," Lucy confessed softly, tears streaming down her cheeks in abundance. "I want to have a child, and a husband. I want to know what it feels like to be a mother."


    Abyss listened to her words, feeling the weight of her longing and the dreams held back by her fragile health. Despite knowing the obstacles ahead, he smiled gently. Leaning closer, he placed a tender kiss on her lips. Lucy''s eyes widened in surprise, but as she slowly closed them, she melted into the kiss, allowing herself to be vulnerable in his embrace.


    Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. During that time, Abyss and Lucy were married, a union that was surprising to everyone. But even more astounding was the news that followed: Lucy was pregnant with Abyss''s child, something doctors had deemed nearly impossible due to her numerous health conditions.


    They moved in together, and Abyss remained constantly by her side, helping her through every challenge. Although Lucy''s illnesses persisted, she fought back with relentless determination. Weekly checkups became routine, but each time, Lucy defied the odds and continued to persevere.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    As the months passed, Lucy''s pregnancy progressed, and every doctor was baffled. Her conditions, which had once posed significant risks, seemed to have a different result than what had been anticipated. Even more miraculous was the baby she carried. The baby was healthy and untouched by any of Lucy''s ailments, a medical anomaly that left specialists scratching their heads.


    Finally, as the ninth month arrived, the day came for Lucy to give birth. She was wheeled into the hospital on a stretcher, with Abyss never leaving her side.


    "You have already overcome all odds against you," Abyss whispered, holding her hand tightly. "You''re stronger than anyone could imagine, and I know you can overcome this too."


    Lucy smiled through the pain, drawing strength from his words as they entered the delivery room together. The doctors prepared for the operation, and it was already clear that it wouldn''t be easy.


    Lucy struggled through labor, each push taking everything she had. The nurses urged her to keep going, and Lucy, breathless and exhausted, tried her hardest. Abyss stayed close, gripping her hand firmly, his presence a constant reassurance.


    "You can do this," he encouraged, his voice unwavering even as Lucy screamed in agony. "I''m right here."


    She clung to his words, fighting through the pain with every ounce of her being.


    The doctors turned to Abyss, their expressions tense as they urged him to step outside, but Abyss''s reaction was immediate and fierce. He shot them a menacing glare, his voice unwavering and firm.


    "I will not leave," he declared, his tone unyielding.


    "You will not leave," one of the doctors repeated, his voice sounding oddly compliant, before refocusing on Lucy.


    Lucy''s eyes widened in astonishment at the strange exchange, but the relentless pain quickly tore her attention away. She continued to push, her cries echoing throughout the room. As moments went by, the doctors suddenly called out that they could see the baby''s head.


    Abyss''s face lit up with joy as he turned back to her, his grip on her hand tightening. "Do you hear that, Lucy?" he said, his voice filled with hope. "You''re so close. I know you can do it."


    The sound of Lucy''s strained breaths filled his ears, and though her agony was unmistakable, Abyss held onto hope, urging her forward with every encouraging word.


    As the moments dragged on, Lucy turned her head to Abyss, her face pale but adorned with a genuine smile. She mustered the strength to speak, her voice tinged with gratitude. "Thank you¡­" she whispered. "for everything."


    "You don''t need to worry about all that now," Abyss replied, his smile unwavering. "Just focus on what matters now; your family and the dream you''re about to make real."


    Lucy pushed on, her body straining with each effort. The room began to blur around her, and the lights above seemed unbearably bright. The noises of the doctors and machines faded into a distant hum, but then, piercing through the haze, she heard the faint cries of a newborn.


    Abyss''s gaze snapped toward the nurses, who were carefully lifting the child from Lucy''s body. Lucy, still dazed, could hear the cries even clearer now. However, she could barely make out the shapes before her, the overwhelming light above her washing everything out as she glanced toward it.


    She felt detached and surreal, her breaths rapid and uneven as if she were in another realm. The glare of the lights intensified, almost blinding, as she instinctively raised her hand, shielding her eyes from it in slight frustration.


    "I need shade," Lucy whispered, her voice nearly inaudible as she gasped. "Shade... I need... Shade."


    Abyss immediately turned to her, alarmed by the frailty in her voice. But before he could respond to her, the doctor caught his attention with a gentle smile.


    "Congratulations, Mr. Orpheus," the doctor announced. "It''s a boy."


    Abyss stood in stunned disbelief, his breath catching as a small, trembling smile crept onto his face. "It''s¡­ a boy?" he repeated, the words filled with a mixture of joy and disbelief.


    His smile broadened, a quiet, almost disbelieving laugh escaping his lips as he turned toward Lucy. "Lucy," he called softly, his eyes brimming with joy as he turned towards her, "it''s a¡­"


    But as his gaze settled on her, his heart sank. Lucy lay still, her eyes nearly closed, her head turned to the side towards him. Yet, on her face remained a clear, broad smile; one that appeared beautiful. Abyss''s ears filled with the slow, fading rhythm of her heartbeat, the sound becoming an unbroken flatline from the machine beside them that echoed ominously throughout the room.


    Panic set in as the doctors rushed to her side, frantically working to revive her, while nurses whisked the baby away for cleaning. Abyss stood frozen, unable to tear his eyes from Lucy''s peaceful expression. Slowly, he backed up and collapsed into a nearby chair, his body heavy with a sorrow he could scarcely comprehend.


    The frantic attempts of the doctors blurred around him as he watched them press the defibrillator to her chest, each jolt a desperate attempt to revive her. Abyss felt utterly powerless. Suddenly, a strange, wet sensation on his right hand pulled his attention away for a moment. He glanced down, his left hand touching the drop on his right briefly before reaching up to touch his cheek, brushing against what appeared to be a teardrop.


    His eyes stung with the unfamiliar sensation of tears as they spilled over, his shock and sorrow overwhelming. Everything around him felt surreal, but as Abyss slowly raised his head, his eyes drifted toward the door, now slightly ajar, where a towering figure, around eight feet tall stood silently.


    It was Nekro, who remained silent, his eyes clouded with a deep sadness as he looked back at Abyss. The doctors and nurses rushed around him as they darted into the room, their frantic movements moving them around Nekro as if they were oblivious to his presence.


    In his right hand, Nekro wielded Banisher, the Scythe from the Divine Arsenal, as his sorrowful gaze met Abyss. Noticing this, Abyss slowly rose to his feet, the weight of the moment pressing heavily upon him. He understood the order of things and what Nekro''s presence meant. He knew that he could not interfere with it.


    Without a word, Abyss moved toward the door, his steps slow and heavy as the doctors continued their desperate attempts to save Lucy. He passed by Nekro, who remained still and facing forward, offering a silent acknowledgment of Abyss''s grief. Nekro chose not to turn to face him, sensing the unspoken pain his fellow god carried as he walked out of the room.


    After a few moments of stillness, Nekro finally stepped forward, crossing the threshold into the room. His presence was calm, unhurried, and heavy with the inevitability of his task.


    A woman gently rocked a cradle, her eyes fixed lovingly on the tiny bundle inside. A soft smile graced her lips as she gazed down, filled with a quiet joy.


    "You know, it''s okay if you want to cry," she whispered, her voice tender and soothing. "Mommy''s here to wipe your tears and take care of you."


    The woman was Natalie, her expression tender as she looked at the baby nestled in the crib she gently swayed. A bottle of formula rested in her hand, ready to comfort her child. Sol sat a short distance away, a quiet smile on his face as he listened to Natalie''s gentle words. Suddenly, the sound of the doorbell rang through the room, causing Sol''s smile to falter as he rose from his seat.


    "I''ll be back," Sol said softly, his gaze lingering on Natalie. "I''ll go see who''s at the door."


    "Were you expecting anyone?" Natalie asked, her eyes briefly meeting his. Sol shook his head, confirming that he was not.


    As Sol left the room, Natalie turned her attention back to the baby. She continued to rock the cradle, her smile softening.


    "You know," she said quietly, her eyes full of affection, "it''s good that you''re so calm, but it''s a little concerning that you barely cry, Klaus."


    Meanwhile, Sol reached the front door and opened it. On the other side stood Abyss, holding a small bundle wrapped in a blanket. Sol''s breath caught in his throat, his expression shifting to one of shock and immediate understanding as he took in the sight before him. Abyss''s usually stoic and cheerful expression was broken, his eyes filled with sorrow as silent tears streamed down his cheeks; a sight that had never been witnessed on a God.


    Minutes passed, and Natalie continued to engage with Klaus, his serene silence persisting. Eventually, Sol reentered the room, his movements slow and heavy, and the weight of the moment hung around him.


    "You were gone for a while, Sol," Natalie remarked, still focused on Klaus before finally turning towards Sol. "Is everything alright?"


    As she looked up, Natalie noticed the deep sadness etched across Sol''s face. Her own smile faltered, replaced by concern. But before she could speak, her attention was drawn to a faint, soft crying coming from the bundle Sol cradled in his arms.


    "Nat," Sol began, his voice unusually soft, almost fragile, "there''s something important I need to ask of you¡­ something extremely important."


    Natalie''s eyes slowly shifted to the blanket in Sol''s arms, and she saw the infant nestled within, its cries delicate yet heart-wrenching. She immediately understood the request Sol was about to make.


    Gently, Natalie stepped forward, her movements calm and assured as she grew a warm smile. She reached out and took the crying child from Sol, cradling it tenderly in her arms as she smiled towards him.

 #101: Necessary Perspective I

    The project of the Gods had a singular purpose, with each deity following a set path to achieve the ultimate goal. Within a few months, the majority had completed the first phase of their journey. But among those who hadn''t yet fulfilled their part, Torrent stood out, his desire to see the plan through was almost non-existent.


    Torrent''s enthusiasm for the demigod project was all but absent, as if he had no interest in its success. He understood the need to engage with humans and seek out a suitable wife as part of the plan, but each time he made an attempt, his irritation would flare, and he would immediately abandon the effort. Yet this didn''t trouble him.


    He knew that finding a potential partner on Earth would be challenging. After spending some time on Earth, Torrent realized that he had to be the one to actively search for a suitable wife, which was a significant issue for him. As the Guardian God of the realm, he found little joy in human interactions, especially those necessary for fulfilling his part in the project.


    A month had passed since the Gods'' descent, and Torrent was comfortably seated in a pub he frequented. He sat quietly on a stool at the bar, indulging in his usual beer and spirits. His expression remained stern and unyielding, a demeanor the pub owner had long since accepted without complaint or comment.


    "One more," Torrent demanded, pushing his empty cup toward the owner.


    With a resigned sigh, the owner grabbed a jug of beer and refilled Torrent''s cup to the brim. Torrent took a long gulp, maintaining his stoic silence as the lively activities of other patrons filled the space behind him. He neither paid attention to them nor showed any interest in their presence.


    As he drank, he suddenly felt a light tap on his left shoulder. After a few seconds, he slowly turned his head and saw a woman standing there. She was strikingly beautiful, her long brunette hair tied back in a ponytail, and her hazel eyes gleaming with a friendly yet intent gaze.


    "Hey," she said, her eyes locked onto his. "Sorry to bother you, but I couldn''t help noticing you from across the room."


    "Is that so?" Torrent replied, his expression unchanged and unimpressed.


    The woman smiled broadly, her gaze intense and unwavering. "I thought you were really handsome," she continued, "so I thought I''d come over and introduce myself. Just to let you know I exist."


    With a flirtatious smile, she placed her hand on Torrent''s bicep, gently caressing it while maintaining eye contact. Torrent let out a sigh, irritation simmering beneath his calm exterior, and turned his head back to face the bar.


    "I apologize," he said after taking another sip of his drink, "but I''m not interested in a lustful woman who seeks validation through flings and one-night stands."


    The woman''s smile faltered, her hand slipping away from his arm as his words sank in.


    "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice tinged with a mix of embarrassment and hurt.


    "Look," Torrent continued, "I would say I''m flattered, but that would be a blatant lie. Especially since I know you typically do this with any man you find even remotely tolerable to look at."


    His blunt words cut deep, and the woman''s eyes began to well up with tears. Torrent, however, remained indifferent, his gaze fixed on his drink. He had no intention of hurting her feelings; he simply saw no reason to entertain the advances of someone who, to him, seemed shallow and insincere.


    "Hey, man. You don''t need to be so harsh when you talk to her."


    A man from across the bar had seen the exchange between Torrent and the woman and decided to step in. He wasn''t impressed by Torrent''s behavior and felt compelled to intervene. A few others nearby, having overheard the situation, glanced in their direction, but none of this bothered the God in the slightest.


    "Great," Torrent muttered with a sigh, his eyes still fixed straight ahead as the man approached. "The knight in not-so-shining armor arrives to save the damsel in distress."


    The man walked over to the woman first, giving her a reassuring smile. "It''s alright, I''ll handle this," he said, then turned to face Torrent, his expression darkening with disapproval.


    "I don''t like the way you''re treating this beautiful woman, pal," the man began, his tone hard and challenging.


    "My attitude isn''t tailored to meet the preferences of someone like you," Torrent replied after another sip of his drink, still not bothering to turn and look at him.


    The man''s face flushed with anger at Torrent''s dismissive attitude. Watching the God casually sip his beer without even sparing him a glance only fueled his frustration.


    "Turn and face me," the man demanded, his voice edged with fury.


    "I''d rather not," Torrent replied softly, his tone cold and cutting.


    The man stood there for a moment, fuming, aware that a few patrons were watching, along with the woman he had stepped in to defend. Realizing he had an audience, he decided to escalate the situation to make himself look better.


    "Typical of you drunk cowards," the man sneered after a laugh. "You come in here, run your mouth, but when someone confronts you, you''re too scared to back it up. Disgraceful."


    "What''s truly disgraceful," Torrent replied, his irritation now apparent, "is your desperate attempt to impress this woman in hopes she''ll sleep with you. You rush in to play the hero, all while proving the truth of what I said to her."


    Torrent''s words hit both the woman and the man hard. Enraged by his blunt assessment, the man clenched his fist and swung it at the God''s head. But Torrent effortlessly swayed to the right, avoiding the punch with ease.


    The man froze, momentarily stunned by his failed strike, as Torrent slowly rose from his seat. He stood still for a moment before finally turning his gaze to meet the man''s, locking eyes for the first time during the encounter.


    "Now isn''t that just disgraceful," Torrent said, his words laced with contempt.


    The man, boiling with rage, lunged at Torrent, determined to fight. He threw a flurry of punches, but Torrent moved with grace, sidestepping and swaying to dodge each blow. The whole pub was now watching the scene unfold, seeing the man swing wildly, each attempt failing to land as Torrent evaded every attack with ease.


    The man, growing desperate, swung his right fist with all his strength toward Torrent''s face. Torrent stood still, barely moving, before calmly raising his left index finger and placing it in the path of the oncoming punch. As the man''s fist collided with Torrent''s finger, the attack stopped dead in its tracks.


    The man, along with the rest of the onlookers, gaped in silent confusion. They were baffled by how Torrent had effortlessly halted a punch, thrown with such force, using just a single finger. In the tense quiet that followed, Torrent flicked his finger forward with a quick motion, sending the man stumbling backward.


    Off-balance, the man tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. Torrent moved toward him slowly, his expression as cold and impassive as ever as he towered over the man.


    "You see," Torrent began, his voice edged with irritation, " now what good did that do you?"


    The spectators remained hushed, eyes wide as they took in the scene. The man lay on the ground, silenced by shame after his failed attempt to prove himself. Suddenly, the pub owner hurried over, his face a mask of stern resolve.


    "Sorry, pal, but I''m going to have to ask you to leave," the owner said, his tone firm.


    "Yes, I agree," Torrent replied, his gaze still locked on the man. "Resorting to violence, so primitive. Though I suppose I wouldn''t expect much more from someone like you."


    "No," the owner interrupted, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Torrent. "I''m talking about you."


    Torrent raised an eyebrow, his confusion plain. "Me?" he asked, his tone incredulous. "This lunatic takes a swing at me because he wants to bed a woman who desires every man on the planet but him, and you''re throwing me out instead?"


    "You''re bothering my customers," the owner shot back. "And that''s bad for business."


    A flicker of anger crossed Torrent''s face. "I''m bothering the customers?" he echoed, his voice growing louder, crackling with frustration.


    The pub fell into a tense silence; every eye turned toward Torrent, who was visibly fuming. Realizing there was little point in arguing further, he took a deep breath and began walking away.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Such vulgar creatures," he muttered under his breath as he made his way to the exit.


    Once outside, Torrent decided to find another place to drink. A few blocks away, he found another bar. He walked in and made his way to the main counter, settling down on a stool.


    "Give me your finest wine," Torrent ordered, his voice still tinged with the annoyance of his previous encounter but slowly beginning to calm.


    The bartender turned toward him; a young boy, barely old enough to work there at around eighteen to nineteen years old, with jet-black hair featuring a striking blue streak at the front. His blue eyes matched the single earring in his right ear. Hearing Torrent''s request, the boy''s lips curled into a bright smile.


    "Sure thing, boss," the boy replied cheerfully as he rummaged through a collection of exotic drinks.


    He picked up a bottle and poured a Sapphire Martini into a glass, then handed it over to Torrent. Torrent took the glass and began sipping in silence. The boy''s smile lingered as he watched Torrent with a curious yet friendly gaze.


    "It''s rude to stare," Torrent finally said, his eyes still fixed on the glass of wine as he took another sip.


    "My apologies, boss," the boy replied, his smile unfaltering. "Just haven''t seen you around here before."


    "That''s to be expected," Torrent responded coolly, his gaze unchanging. "One doesn''t see what isn''t there in the first place."


    Despite the bluntness of Torrent''s words, the boy remained unfazed. "Well, it''s always good to have a new face around," he said lightly before turning back to his work.


    The boy''s persistent smile grated on Torrent, but he chose to ignore it, continuing to drink in silence.


    The following evening, Torrent decided to return to the same bar. Still irritated by the experience at his usual pub, he figured this place would suffice for now. Upon entering, his eyes quickly landed on the young bartender he''d encountered the previous day. The boy spotted Torrent as he made his way to the counter and took a seat. A smile spread across the boy''s face as he finished serving another customer and walked over to greet him.


    CONVERSATION


    Boy: Welcome back, boss.


    Torrent: *heavy sigh* It''s you again.


    Boy: *smiling* Of course. Will you be having your usual?


    Torrent: I''ve only been here once. It''s not a "usual".


    Silence persisted for a brief moment.


    Torrent: But yes. I''ll have what I had yesterday.


    Boy: Excellent.


    The boy confidently poured the same drink he had served Torrent the previous day into a glass and pushed it towards the God. Torrent took a sip of the wine before the boy continued to talk.


    Boy: So how has your day been?


    Torrent: The same way it had been yesterday.


    Boy: *smiling* Well, then I assume that is a good thing.


    Torrent: You''re an awfully positive person, aren''t you?


    The boy''s expression softened slightly upon hearing Torrent''s words. "Oh sorry, boss. Do you find it problematic?" he asked.


    Torrent sighed at the boy''s concern. "Whatever," he muttered dismissively.


    The boy simply grinned before he went back to serving the other customers. Torrent drank his wine in silence as the boy continued to work tirelessly. When his shift finally ended, the boy stepped out from behind the counter and took a seat next to Torrent.


    "What a day," the boy sighed, sounding exhausted. "You know, It''s not easy juggling all these jobs at once, but it works out somehow."


    Torrent glanced at him. "Aren''t you too young to be working in a bar?" he asked, his tone serious.


    "Me?" the boy replied, feigning shock. "What do you mean? I''m in my twenties."


    Torrent fixed him with a stern stare, and the boy''s bravado wavered. "Okay, I''m not," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "But it was the only way I could get the job."


    "And why did you want it?" Torrent pressed. "The job, that is."


    "It''s not like I wanted it," the boy said, his expression dimming for the first time. For a moment, he looked tired and worn, but then he brightened up again, flashing his usual smile. "But I do enjoy it, so I guess that''s enough."


    Torrent was caught off guard by the boy''s sudden shift in mood but chose not to dwell on it. The boy kept talking, and the evening faded into night as they chatted.


    This routine continued for weeks. Torrent would show up at the bar at night, and the boy would strike up a conversation after his shifts, sharing stories of his day. Occasionally, Torrent would offer the boy some advice, whenever it seemed needed or requested.


    As time went on, Torrent learned more about the boy. He discovered that the boy had lost his mother, and his father had abandoned them due to it, leaving him to care for his little sister, who was barely seven. The reason he juggled so many jobs was to support them both and avoid having CPS (Child Protective Services) take his sister away.


    Understanding the weight the boy carried, Torrent found himself becoming less hostile toward him. He could see the genuine effort behind the boy''s smile, a rare sincerity that struck a chord with him.


    One day, after finishing his work, Torrent headed to the bar for a drink. It had been about two months since his arrival on Earth, but his demeanor towards their plan hadn''t changed much. As he entered the bar, he noticed that the boy wasn''t there.


    At first, Torrent shrugged it off, ordering his usual drink and sitting quietly. But as time passed, curiosity got the better of him. He decided to ask the present bartender where the boy was. The bartender, a newcomer himself, admitted he''d just started that day and had no idea.


    Torrent''s curiosity deepened. He approached the manager to inquire about the boy''s whereabouts, sensing that something was off.


    When Torrent found the bar manager, he didn''t waste time. "Where''s the boy who tended the bar?" he demanded.


    The manager, initially reluctant to divulge information to just any customer, was soon cowed by Torrent''s intimidating presence.


    "I had to fire him, that one," the manager grumbled, his tone dismissive. "This morning, he broke a few expensive bottles when I asked him to move them. Couldn''t pay for them either. His clumsiness was a nuisance, so I let him go."


    Torrent''s expression darkened at the manager''s careless attitude. "Where is he?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.


    "I don''t know," the manager stuttered, clearly rattled by Torrent''s intensity.


    Realizing he wouldn''t get anything useful from the manager, Torrent set off to find the boy himself. He began by checking the other places the boy had mentioned working at, but each one came up empty.


    As the night wore on, Torrent''s worry grew. His frustration finally boiled over, so much so that he decided to tap into a fragment of his divine power to locate the boy. His pupils faded away, revealing the glowing eyes of his true form, and wings unfurled from his back. He soared into the sky, scanning the city below with his godly sight until he sensed the boy''s presence.


    He descended swiftly and landed in a quiet spot where people were absent near another bar, feeling a twinge of concern about what the boy might be doing there. Torrent moved quickly inside, scanning the dim interior until he found the boy sprawled out on the floor in the back, unconscious and surrounded by empty bottles.


    Torrent could tell the boy had been drinking heavily, likely because of losing his job. With a sigh, he walked over and lifted the boy to his feet. The boy, still in a drunken stupor, blinked his eyes open as Torrent roused him.


    "Oh, hello, boss," the boy slurred, smiling lazily. "Fancy seeing you here."


    "You''re not old enough to drink," Torrent said flatly, supporting him as they made their way out of the bar.


    "Well, a wise man once said, ''Age is just a number,''" the boy mumbled, his eyes heavy as they stumbled outside.


    "Where do you live?" Torrent asked, keeping his eyes forward as he guided the boy out.


    "What?" the boy replied, his confusion evident through his hazy state.


    "I''m taking you home," Torrent said firmly, not pausing to look at the boy as they approached a sleek car that Torrent had materialized using his power when he arrived, just in case it was needed.


    "No," the boy muttered suddenly, his drunkenness making it hard for him to articulate his resistance.


    Torrent asked for the boy''s address again, but the boy continued to say no. Torrent stopped and took a step back, giving the boy space. The boy looked sadder than Torrent had ever seen him, but Torrent remained resolute.


    "Do you think drinking away your problems will make them disappear?" Torrent asked.


    "Well, I won''t know until I try," the boy replied, attempting a weak joke, a faint smile flickering on his lips.


    Torrent''s tone softened but stayed firm. "Is that really how you think?"


    The boy fell silent, his face flushing with embarrassment. Torrent asked for his address again, but this time, the boy''s answer was different.


    "I can''t," the boy murmured, eyes dropping to the ground, shoulders slumped.


    "Why not?" Torrent pressed, his confusion clear.


    "Because... I can''t face her," the boy answered quietly. "Not like this."


    Torrent''s mind clicked into place as he remembered the boy''s little sister. The shame of his actions seemed to weigh him down further.


    "I don''t want her to see her big brother like this," the boy continued, voice trembling. "It would devastate her."


    Torrent paused for a moment, then stepped closer, his expression still stern but now carrying a hint of understanding. "You have to," he said bluntly. "She needs to see you like this, and you need to apologize. You tell her you were in a bad place, but that it''s over now. Be honest with her, instead of lying and pretending everything''s okay when it''s not."


    The boy stood there, his guilt evident. He knew Torrent was right. With a deep breath, he finally gave Torrent his address, allowing the god to take him home.


    Before they got into the car, Torrent handed the boy a small slip of paper filled with numbers. "Call me when you sober up tomorrow," Torrent instructed. "Save it under Triston Rivers."


    A genuine smile touched the boy''s lips for the first time in a while. "I''m Kai Harrison," he said.


    It was the first time they had exchanged names, and the gesture warmed Kai''s heart. He was glad Torrent had chosen to share his name.


    "Thanks for helping out, pops," Kai suddenly murmured as he slowly drifted off to sleep under the night sky''s blanket.


    Torrent remained silent, sensing that perhaps Kai had mistaken him for a father figure in his drunken haze. But with the boy slipping into slumber, Torrent decided not to address it.


    When they reached Kai''s apartment building, Torrent guided him out of the car and helped him inside.


    "You know," Kai said, his voice thick with drowsiness, "if I had the power, I''d make alcohol just dilute like water whenever I drink it. That way, I''d never get drunk again."


    "I bet you would want that," Torrent replied, his attention fixed on getting Kai up the stairs.


    Kai soon fell back into a sleepy stupor as they reached his apartment door. Torrent took over, fishing out the keys from Kai''s pocket and opening the door. He carried him inside and carefully laid him down on the living room couch.


    As Torrent turned to leave, he suddenly froze, sensing something. Turning his head to the left, he noticed a young girl hiding under a table. Her small frame was tense with fear, her eyes filled with sorrow and uncertainty.


    It was clear this was Kai''s sister, the one he''d spoken about. Torrent chose not to interact with her; he could see she was scared, and he didn''t want to frighten her more.


    "Look after him when he awakes," Torrent said suddenly, his gaze fixed ahead, away from the girl. "And don''t hold anything he says against him."


    He began to walk toward the door but muttered softly to himself, "Though I doubt you would."


    With that, Torrent left the apartment and started heading home. As he drove, he found himself surprised by how much he''d cared, enough to even use his power for a moment. It dawned on him that he felt a strange kinship with the boy, almost like he was his own child. The realization was bewildering; he hadn''t expected to form any bond with a human.


    "Maybe I was wrong," Torrent whispered as he continued his drive home, the thought lingering in his mind.

 #102: Necessary Perspective II

    Torrent woke the next day with plans to attend an online meeting with his workplace. He spent the next few hours addressing his coworkers and subordinates, his voice steady and authoritative as he guided the conversation. In the middle of the meeting, a call from an unknown number interrupted him.


    Despite the mystery of the caller, Torrent answered. The others in the virtual meeting glanced at each other, unsure of how to react but unwilling to challenge him.


    "Morning, boss," came the voice on the other end, it was Kai''s.


    "Oh," Torrent replied, his tone indifferent, "it''s you."


    "Yeah," Kai responded, his usual upbeat tone slightly subdued. "I just wanted to call and apologize for yesterday. I''m ashamed of how I acted."


    "What are you apologizing for?" Torrent asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "You did nothing to me."


    "Then let me rephrase," Kai continued. "I want to thank you for helping me out."


    Torrent fell silent for a moment as Kai pressed on. "And to show my gratitude," Kai offered, "I''d like to treat you to lunch at my place."


    "You don''t have to do that," Torrent said, his lack of enthusiasm evident.


    "Please," Kai insisted, "let me do this, at least."


    After a moment of contemplation, Torrent sighed, relenting. "Fine," he muttered, which was enough to bring a smile to Kai''s face.


    Ending the call, Torrent turned his attention back to the meeting. A few seconds of awkward silence passed before one of the attendees spoke up.


    "Sons, am I right?" the man said, attempting to break the tension with a chuckle.


    Torrent''s expression tightened with slight irritation, but he chose to ignore the comment. "Sure," he said curtly, redirecting the discussion back to work.


    As the afternoon settled in, Torrent arrived at Kai''s apartment building. Standing at the front door, he watched as Kai emerged, his trademark smile already in place.


    "Please, come in," Kai said warmly, holding the door open.


    Torrent followed him inside, and they made their way to the apartment. Upon entering, Torrent removed his shoes and walked further in, scanning his surroundings.


    "I want to thank you again for yesterday," Kai said, his voice earnest.


    Torrent stayed silent, his gaze drifting across the room until he noticed movement from the corner. A young girl stepped cautiously into the living room. It was the same girl Torrent had seen the day before, hiding under the table when he brought Kai home.


    The girl had timid eyes as she quickly moved to stand behind her brother. Kai turned to her with a reassuring smile before addressing Torrent.


    "I''d like you to meet my little sister, Nina," Kai said, his face beaming with pride.


    After introducing her, Kai crouched down in front of Nina and began to communicate using sign language. Torrent watched in silent surprise, realizing for the first time that this was necessary. When Kai finished, Nina''s lips curled into a soft smile, and she stepped forward to give Torrent a gentle hug.


    Kai chuckled as his sister embraced Torrent. "She''s saying thank you," he explained, "for helping me out last night."


    Torrent''s brow furrowed slightly. "Is she unable to speak as well?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.


    Kai nodded. "Unfortunately, she''s both deaf and mute," he clarified. Then, with a wider smile, he added, "But she''s still a very strong girl."


    Nina caught her brother''s smile and mirrored it back at him. She moved closer to Kai and began signing rapidly. Kai watched her hands before turning back to Torrent with a grin.


    "She says..."


    Before he could finish, Torrent crouched down in front of Nina. His imposing presence made her tense up, but Torrent raised his hands and began signing, "Thank you."


    Seeing him speak her language, Nina''s face brightened with a warm smile, which Torrent returned before standing back up. He glanced over at Kai, who was smiling even more broadly than before.


    "I think that''s the first time I''ve seen you smile," Kai remarked.


    "Well, don''t get used to it," Torrent replied, the brief smile fading from his face.


    A few minutes later, they gathered around the dining table for lunch. As they ate, Torrent noticed that the spread was more lavish than he had anticipated.


    "Isn''t this a bit much?" Torrent asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "I wanted to show my gratitude," Kai replied with a grin. "So, I went all out."


    Torrent''s expression hardened slightly. "Listen," he said firmly, "you''ve already told me about your financial situation. Just saying thank you would''ve been more than enough."


    After they finished eating, Torrent made sure to leave plenty of leftovers for them to have later. As Kai tucked his sister into bed, evening settled over the apartment. When he returned, he and Torrent continued their conversation. Kai mentioned his plans to make up for the lost income from being fired and even talked about picking up another job to fill the gap.


    "Just don''t overwork yourself," Torrent advised, his tone more gentle than usual.


    "I won''t," Kai said with a nod, earning a sigh from Torrent.


    As their conversation continued, Kai excused himself to use the bathroom. Torrent sat quietly, lost in thought until his phone suddenly began to ring. Glancing at the screen, he saw it was Sage, the God of Mind. With an irritated sigh, he quickly silenced the phone and shoved it back into his pocket.


    "Damn Sage and his nosy attitude," Torrent muttered under his breath, his annoyance evident.


    "Sage?" Kai asked as he returned to the room, having overheard Torrent''s grumble. "You mean, like the God of Mind?"


    Torrent''s eyes widened in surprise, not at being overheard but at Kai''s unexpected knowledge of Sage''s name.


    "You know about the Gods?" Torrent asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "Of course," Kai replied with an easy smile. "I studied Onyx Mythology growing up."


    Torrent was caught off guard by this revelation, and Kai''s enthusiasm only grew as he continued. "I know all about it. The stories of the monster kind living alongside humans until they started hunting us down. And how that one God, the God of War, clad in golden armor, protected humanity."


    "I''m surprised you know so much," Torrent admitted, still taken aback.


    "It was my favorite subject," Kai explained, his tone light and genuine. "And to me, it''s like a part of history."


    Torrent''s surprise deepened. "You actually believe in the existence of the Gods?"


    "It might sound strange," Kai said, "but yeah. I mean, how else do you explain humanity''s existence?"


    Torrent remained silent, listening intently as Kai shared his perspective. "People have all these different theories about how we came to be," Kai went on. "Some talk about the universe being born from a big bang or other cosmic accidents. But to me, all those theories sound just as conveniently far-fetched as the idea of multiple deities creating us and watching from above."


    Torrent found himself impressed by the boy''s reasoning. For a moment, he almost smiled. "What do you think of them, then?" he asked. "The Gods, I mean."


    "Well, I don''t know too much about them," Kai admitted. "Especially since most of what we know are from stories told by the God of War, Siege."


    "Interesting," Torrent said, his curiosity deepening. "And what did those stories say about Torrent?"


    "The God of Water?" Kai echoed, thinking for a moment. "hmmm... If I remember right, the stories say he''s hot-headed and unnecessarily aggressive."


    Torrent''s expression darkened instantly. "Is that so?" he said, his tone laced with irritation.


    "Yep," Kai confirmed. "The stories paint Torrent as a grumpy figure, always with something negative to say and constantly frustrated with everything."


    Torrent''s annoyance was evident. When Siege had descended to Main World for the monster eradication, the Gods had chosen not to interfere. Thus, they were unaware of the tales Siege had spun.


    "That damn Siege," Torrent muttered to himself, barely containing his frustration.


    "Though it also mentions that he''s the most trusted God among them," Kai added, drawing Torrent''s attention back to him. "Despite his harshness, Torrent is known for his honesty. He never holds back from telling the truth, and that''s why they trust him so much."


    Torrent hadn''t expected that turn. "Interesting," he said, doing his best to conceal any emotion at Siege''s supposed praise.


    Kai continued, enthusiastically recounting tales of the other Gods he remembered. Torrent listened with quiet amusement. Some descriptions were comically off the mark, considering he knew the Gods personally, but many were surprisingly accurate. As the conversation flowed, the topics shifted, and they continued chatting as the evening deepened.


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    "With everything you do," Torrent said suddenly, "what are you truly passionate about? What do you see yourself doing in the future?"


    Kai smiled, his answer clear in his mind. "Once I have a stable income," he began, "my first goal is to send Nina back to school so she can meet new friends and play with other kids. As for me... I want to explore the world."


    Torrent listened quietly as Kai spoke, his voice filled with a hopeful longing. "I want to see new places," Kai continued, "places I never imagined I''d get to visit. I also want to make new friends and build bonds like I did with you. You''re pretty much my only close friend right now."


    Torrent was taken aback. Kai''s naturally friendly nature made it hard to believe he struggled to make friends. As night fell, Torrent decided it was time to head home.


    "Make sure to take care of yourself," Torrent said as he rose to his feet. "And look after your sister too."


    Kai nodded, his smile broad and genuine. Torrent gave him a brief nod before stepping out of the apartment and heading home.


    Back at his house, Torrent freshened up and set about making dinner for himself. He had grown accustomed to cooking, even though Gods didn''t technically need to eat. In their current state, however, they were required to maintain some semblance of human habits.


    As he meticulously chopped peppers on the cutting board, Torrent''s expression suddenly darkened. He paused, his senses sharpening, before gripping the knife tighter. In one swift motion, he spun around and thrust the blade forward with immense force.


    "Hello, Torrent."


    At the sound of the calm voice, Torrent halted his hand mid-thrust. The knife stopped inches from the face of the figure standing behind him. It was Sage, the God of Mind. Sage''s expression remained neutral, even as the knife hovered mere centimeters from between his eyes.


    "Or should I say, Triston Rivers," Sage continued, his gaze fixed unflinchingly on Torrent.


    Torrent sighed in annoyance, pulling the knife back from Sage''s face and turning his attention back to the cutting board. "Sage," he said, his tone low and unamused, "to what do I owe this not-so-pleasant surprise?"


    "I''m merely fulfilling my duty, checking in on each of us to monitor our progress in the Demigod Project," Sage replied, stepping closer to Torrent''s side. "You would have known that if you had bothered to pick up my call."


    "So, that was you?" Torrent replied, his sarcasm obvious as he continued slicing the peppers.


    "As you were well aware," Sage shot back, his expression as unreadable as ever.


    "Well, everything''s going just swimmingly," Torrent said dismissively. "No need to worry about me."


    "Is that so?" Sage said, his voice skeptical as he moved closer to Torrent''s left. "Then where is this supposed wife-to-be?"


    "I don''t know. Somewhere in the city," Torrent replied, his tone revealing just how little he cared about the topic. "Perhaps."


    "Torrent," Sage began, letting out a sigh of disappointment, "you understand the significance of our descent, don''t you?"


    "As I''m ceaselessly reminded, yes," Torrent answered, his irritation barely concealed.


    "Then why are you choosing to ignore your mission and play father instead?" Sage asked, his frustration evident in his tone.


    Torrent paused, the knife hovering over the last of the peppers. "Of course you''d be snooping around," he muttered, resuming his cutting before turning to the pot on his right.


    "I wasn''t at first," Sage said calmly, watching Torrent add the peppers to the pot. "But you tapped into a fraction of your power yesterday to interfere in a human''s life. You know that action will cost us a few hours here in Main World, right?"


    "Only a few hours?" Torrent replied with feigned innocence as he walked over to the fridge and pulled out some carrots.


    "Torrent, you fail to realize this child isn''t yours?" Sage continued, his patience wearing thin. "Why not create one of your own like we were tasked to?"


    Torrent didn''t respond immediately, instead focusing on his task. Sage''s sigh filled the silence. "Listen," he began again, "time is running out for you to procreate and still be present for the child''s birth. Don''t lose sight of the main objective, sibling."


    The room fell into silence, punctuated only by the steady rhythm of Torrent''s knife against the cutting board. "I know," Torrent finally muttered, his voice soft, almost conceding.


    Seeing there was nothing more to say, Sage left without another word. The tension lingered, settling heavily in the air.


    The next day, while at work, Torrent''s phone rang. It was Kai. He glanced at the screen but chose to ignore it. Sage''s words had hit him harder than he wanted to admit, and he knew continuing to engage with Kai would only distract him from his true purpose. Time was slipping away, two months had already gone on Earth, and he needed to focus.


    In the weeks that followed, Torrent reluctantly set about the task of finding a wife. He went on numerous dates with various women, but each encounter felt disappointingly hollow. Most of the women irritated him with their shallow morals or seemed overly driven by a lustful desire for his attention. Torrent knew he had no real passion for this pursuit, yet he also understood the necessity of his duty.


    Days turned into weeks since Torrent last saw Kai. He had been avoiding Kai''s calls, committed to his mission, but guilt began to gnaw at him. While at work one day, a strange sensation of unease gripped him. Deciding it was time to check in, he resolved to call Kai that evening.


    When Torrent returned home after a long day, he dialed Kai''s number. But instead of Kai''s familiar voice, a stranger answered.


    "Hello?" Torrent began, his tone wary. "Who is this?"


    "Good day," came the voice of a woman, calm but unfamiliar. "I''m a nurse at the general hospital in New York."


    Confusion struck him, but as he pieced things together, his confusion swiftly morphed into shock. "Where is he?" Torrent demanded, his voice turning sharp.


    "Are you referring to Mr. Harrison?" the nurse asked. "He had a seizure and was admitted here."


    "Is he still at the hospital?" Torrent asked urgently, already grabbing his keys and preparing to leave.


    "Uhh, yes, I believe so," the nurse confirmed, sensing his urgency.


    "Where exactly is he?" Torrent pressed, his tone leaving no room for delay.


    "Last I checked, he was in ward 16," the nurse answered softly, but before she could continue, Torrent cut her off.


    "I''ll be there soon," he stated, hanging up abruptly as he rushed out of his house.


    "Wait," the nurse tried to interject, "sir, I need to..."


    But Torrent had already ended the call. He jumped into his car, started the engine, and sped towards the hospital. As he drove, a sense of dread twisted inside him, hoping desperately that the worst wasn''t the case.


    Arriving at the hospital, Torrent rushed inside, his eyes scanning the area. The receptionist looked up as he charged past. "Who are you here for?" she called out.


    Ignoring her, Torrent bolted down the hallway toward ward 16, the number etched in his mind from the call. The receptionist''s voice faded behind him as he raced down the corridors.


    Finally, he reached the ward and burst into the room. Inside, he saw a cluster of doctors gathered around a bed. His breath caught as he saw Kai lying there, pale and still.


    "What happened to him?" Torrent asked, his eyes wide with shock as he took in Kai''s frail state.


    The doctors turned, their expressions serious. One of them, a woman with a gentle demeanor, stepped forward. "Are you the one who called?" she asked softly.


    Torrent nodded, his face tense with concern. The doctors exchanged looks before the woman began to speak.


    "Mr. Harrison has been struggling with depressive disorder for several months," she explained, her voice calm but empathetic. "With all the stress in his life and no positive outlet, he eventually suffered a seizure."


    Her words hit Torrent like a blow, and he felt a heavy weight settle in his chest as he stared at Kai''s motionless form.


    Torrent stood there, his breath shallow as he stepped closer to the bed. "Will... will he be okay?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes wide with shock and horror as they fixed on Kai''s still form.


    The heavy silence from the doctors, as they exchanged glances, spoke louder than words ever could. After a few tense moments, the doctor who had spoken earlier turned back to him.


    "Mr. Harrison... sadly passed away this morning," she said softly, her voice tinged with sorrow.


    Torrent''s eyes widened, the news hitting him like a physical blow. The doctor continued, her tone filled with regret. "Unfortunately, we weren''t able to treat him in time. The seizure was severe, and he had already been affected for quite a while before the medical team arrived."


    A painful quiet settled over the room as Torrent''s gaze stayed locked on Kai''s lifeless body. For the first time in his existence, Torrent felt a deep, aching pain in his heart, a sensation that was foreign and overwhelming.


    "His sister?" Torrent managed to murmur, his voice nearly breaking. "Where is she?"


    The doctor''s eyes grew somber, and she nodded toward a chair to the right of the entrance. Torrent turned slightly, following her gesture, and saw Nina sitting there. Her eyes were wide, filled with shock that seemed too heavy for a girl her age. Dark circles under her eyes showed she hadn''t rested for a long time.


    "She was there when it happened," the doctor explained quietly. "Unfortunately, because of her condition, she couldn''t explain what was happening when she called emergency services, so it took them longer to understand and respond."


    A wave of dizziness washed over Torrent, but he stayed standing as the doctor continued. "The poor child had to watch her brother convulse on the floor until the medical team arrived," she added, her voice thick with sympathy. "She''s... not in a good mental state right now."


    Torrent''s mind swam with every horrifying detail. He slowly approached Nina, his heart heavy with each step. She looked up as he neared, and the sight of him seemed to break something inside her.


    Tears poured from Nina''s eyes, faster and more violently than before. She cried silently, her face contorted in agony, her mute condition preventing her from expressing the full extent of her grief. Yet soft, broken squeaks escaped her lips, the only sounds she could manage as she cried with silent sobs over her brother''s death.


    Torrent dropped to his knees before her, pulling her into a tight embrace. He held her close, feeling her anguish in every trembling breath and erratic heartbeat. They stayed like that for several minutes, her tears soaking into his shirt, until he finally stood and faced the doctor.


    "She... has nowhere to go," Torrent said, his voice strained with concern.


    The doctor''s face reflected her empathy as she replied, "In cases like this, she would typically be sent to an orphanage, as she has no other guardian."


    Torrent felt a surge of helplessness. He wanted to take Nina in, to care for her himself, but reality hit him hard. He wasn''t going to be on Earth much longer. And, to make matters worse, because he hadn''t taken the Demigod Project seriously, he hadn''t found a wife who could care for Nina when he returned to Higher World. His failure felt like a weight around his neck, pulling him down deeper into despair.


    Torrent felt the repercussions of his choices crashing down on him like a tidal wave. His heart ached with a deeper sorrow as the gravity of his actions in Main World became starkly clear. After a few moments of tense silence, he turned to the doctor, his face hardening with resolve.


    "Make sure," Torrent began, his voice steady but filled with raw emotion, "that she lives the best life she possibly can. Make it your mission to find her the best home. I''ll donate everything I have, just make sure it happens."


    The doctor seemed momentarily hypnotized, her eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and sympathy. She nodded after a beat. "Understood," she replied, before turning to speak to the other doctors, who were already discussing the future arrangements for Nina, still sitting in her stunned silence, her world unraveling around her.


    Torrent lingered for a moment longer, the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on him. Finally, he turned and left the hospital, his footsteps heavy with grief and regret.


    Two days later, Torrent sat alone on the couch of a small, unfamiliar apartment, far from the comfort of his previous home. The room was dim, blinds drawn and lights off, casting long shadows that mirrored the darkness within him. He hadn''t been to work since that day; none of it mattered now. His mind was consumed by guilt and regret.


    If he had been there, maybe Kai wouldn''t have sunk so deep into despair. Or perhaps it was his very presence that had been the catalyst. By getting so close and then abruptly cutting Kai off without explanation, had he unintentionally driven the boy further into his depression?


    Sitting in the suffocating silence, Torrent felt tears welling up in his eyes. At first, they came slowly, but soon they flowed freely, his shoulders shaking with sobs. It was the first time he had ever cried, and he did so in genuine pain. His head bowed, his body heaved as he mourned, the room filled with the sound of his grief.


    After a while, Torrent''s sobs subsided, replaced by a heavy, almost numb silence. Slowly, he raised his right hand and extended it forward. "Tidebringer," he whispered, his gaze still fixed on the ground.


    A weapon began to materialize in his outstretched hand; a long, sleek trident with three razor-sharp tips, known as Tidebringer from the Divine Arsenal. Torrent held it firmly for a moment, and then, as if obeying an unspoken command, water began to swirl around it, enveloping the weapon in a churning vortex.


    The water spun furiously around Tidebringer, and the weapon began to morph within its liquid cocoon after floating away from Torrent. Moments later, as the water stilled and settled, a figure emerged. It was a boy, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Kai. But unlike Kai, this boy''s hair was a deep, oceanic blue, braided down his back. He stood taller, around 6''2", and wore a single earring on his right ear with a gemstone shaped like a downward-pointing pyramid.


    "Hey, friend," the boy greeted with a warm smile. "Why do you look so sad?"


    Torrent remained silent, his eyes still cast downward, lost in his sorrow. Sensing the weight of his pain, the boy approached, wrapping his arms around him in a comforting embrace. His smile was gentle, but his eyes soon dimmed with a question that seemed to surface from the depths of his mind.


    "If you don''t mind me asking," the boy spoke softly, "do you know who I am?"


    Torrent took a moment, the weight of the answer settling in his heart. "Yes," he replied finally, his voice heavy but certain. "You are the son of the God of Water and my son. Your name... is Trent."

 #103: The Woods

    "Chase Falcon, do you take Serene to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the officiant asked solemnly, the ceremony carrying a weight that made Blur hesitate.


    For a moment, Blur stumbled over his words, uncertainty creeping in. But as his eyes locked with Serene''s, he saw something; hope, perhaps. He saw a possibility that she could change, that their future together might be different.


    "I... do," Blur finally said softly, a small, tentative smile forming on his lips, which Serene mirrored, her face lighting up in response.


    "Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the official declared. "You may kiss the bride."


    In the mortal realm, each God experienced their time on Earth differently; some found joy, others frustration. These experiences altered their perspectives on humanity, shaping them in unexpected ways. Yet among all the deities, none were as profoundly changed as Flage, the God of Hunting.


    Flage had always been distant from humanity. He wasn''t against the creation of mortal life, but he never embraced it either. Like Torrent, he rejected the idea of reproducing with mortals. In fact, Flage''s discontent ran so deep that before even descending to Main World, he used his power to create a secluded cabin deep in the forest, miles away from any human settlement.


    Upon arriving, he retreated into that wilderness, making his home far from civilization.


    Unlike his fellow Gods, Flage had no intention of participating in the Demigod Project. His disdain for humanity ran too deep, and his desire to procreate with them was nonexistent. For Flage, there was no question; he would live in isolation until the time came to return to Higher World.


    Flage was resolute in his decision. He hadn''t agreed to take part in the project, and he had no reason to see it through or entangle himself in a life he never wanted.


    In the remote forest surrounding his cabin, Flage found solace in the hunt. He had nullified his infinite divine power, reveling in the challenge of tracking and killing animals as a mortal. The thrill of the hunt was what sustained him. Whether it was small game like rabbits or squirrels, or larger, more dangerous predators like bears and cougars. No matter the creature, they were all the same to Flage: prey.


    Nearly six weeks had passed since Flage arrived on Earth. Every day followed a similar pattern where he would rise early, bow in hand, and stalk the forest for his next targets. One evening, after completing his hunt, he made his way back to the cabin, a bundle of squirrels and birds slung over his shoulder, his bow grasped firmly in his right hand.


    As he neared his home, something shifted. The air grew still, and a cool breeze stirred the leaves, their gentle rustling the only sound. Flage stopped in his tracks, muscles tensing as he carefully laid his catch on the ground. Slowly, his hand moved to his bow. He closed his eyes, listening intently to the subtle whispers of the forest around him.


    In one swift motion, he pulled an arrow from his quiver, nocking it onto the bowstring. With practiced ease, he spun around, aiming directly at a nearby bush.


    For a moment, there was only silence. Then, a woman emerged from the undergrowth, her eyes fixed on him.


    The woman had dark brown hair that stopped at her shoulders. She wore hunting clothes that, at first glance, were clearly expensive, the kind wealthy people would use for hunting. But what stood out even more was the brown hunter''s rifle she held, aimed cautiously at Flage, its quality matching that of her clothes.


    "What are you doing here?" she asked, her gun still pointed at Flage.


    Though her voice was firm, Flage remained unyielding, his bow drawn and aimed at her with certainty.


    "Drop your weapon," Flage said softly, his words carrying immense weight. "Unless you want to be killed."


    "What?" the woman replied, raising an eyebrow as she gave a slight shrug. "You drop yours. I clearly have the advantage here."


    "Is that what you think?" Flage asked, his gaze firm as he looked at her without flinching even slightly.


    A tense silence filled the air, and the woman began to hesitate. "I-I''m a good shot, you know," she said, her voice revealing a hint of panic.


    The silence persisted even longer, and Flage remained still, ready for any sudden moves. The woman stayed silent too, but for some reason, she believed his words. She couldn''t explain it, but she felt like her gun was meaningless in the face of his hunter''s bow.


    After a few more moments of hesitation, the woman finally dropped her gun to the ground, raising her hands in surrender. "Fine," she scoffed, "you win."


    Hearing her words, Flage slowly lowered his bow, but he still kept the arrow nocked, ready in case she attempted anything reckless.


    "What are you doing here?" Flage asked again, his voice revealing his curiosity despite having lived there for over a month.


    "You''re asking me that?" she responded, her tone confused.


    Seeing the seriousness in Flage''s silence, the woman let out a frustrated sigh before answering. "Fine," she said. "I come here every month. To hunt animals."


    "I''ve never seen you here," Flage replied, his words steady.


    "I should be the one saying that," the woman retorted, her gaze dropping slightly. "And could you please lower the arrow?"


    Flage stayed quiet after her request, his bow still poised, causing the woman to sigh in frustration once more. "What more do you want?" she asked, clearly irritated by his caution.


    After another moment of silence, Flage finally spoke again. "How long have you been here?" he asked, his expression unchanged.


    The woman''s eyes widened slightly at the question before returning to normal. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to sound casual.


    "You''ve been watching me all day, haven''t you?" Flage said, his tone sharp and certain.


    The woman blushed slightly, her silence confirming his suspicion. Flage sighed, understanding the situation, then returned the arrow to his quiver and lowered his bow completely. He bent down to retrieve the prey he had caught earlier, then turned and began to walk away without another word.


    "Wait!" the woman called out after a stretch of silence, following after the God. "Let me explain myself, at least."


    Flage halted in his tracks, turning to face her. His expression was dark and menacing as he spoke. "You came here to hunt," he said. "One day, you discovered someone you''d never seen before living here. So, you got curious and started spying on them."


    The woman remained silent, her expression confirming Flage''s words, unable to deny them.


    "But I don''t care about these trivialities," Flage continued coldly, resuming his walk away. "You can keep up your monthly hunting without ever interacting with me."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The woman stood still, watching him go, unsure of what else to say to change the moment. Flage continued his silent departure before she finally found her voice.


    "I''m Dawn, by the way," she said, her tone much softer than it had been throughout their exchange. "And you are?"


    Flage ignored her completely, continuing his silent retreat toward his home. Dawn smiled, noticing his silence, seemingly recognizing the kind of attitude he had.


    "I''ll get that name," she whispered to herself with a smile, picking her gun off the ground before heading in the opposite direction.


    The next morning, Flage awoke early, setting out for his usual hunt in the forest. As he ventured out, he realized that the more vicious creatures had become scarce, likely driven off by his continued presence. This left him with smaller prey; rabbits, birds, and the occasional fox, whenever he could find one.


    As he ventured deeper into the forest, Flage spotted a rare sight: a fox. Immediately, he began stalking it, moving carefully so as not to spook the creature. Catching a fox was a challenge, requiring patience and precision. He knew one wrong move could send it fleeing.


    As Flage silently crept closer, the rustling of a nearby bush broke the quiet. The sudden noise startled the fox, and it darted off in alarm.


    Flage turned toward the bush, annoyance flickering in his eyes. Dawn emerged, looking equally frustrated. "Darn it," she muttered, clearly upset. "I swear I could have..."


    But as she glanced back, Flage was already gone. "What?" she said, confused, realizing the God had vanished without her noticing.


    Meanwhile, Flage pursued the fox with lightning speed, his movements sharp and unrelenting as he navigated through the forest. Obstacles were no hindrance to him as he effortlessly chased his prey, his focus never wavering.


    As the chase intensified, Flage reached into his pocket, pulling out a small knife. In one swift motion, he hurled the blade toward the fleeing fox. The knife flew through the air, striking the fox''s leg and causing it to stumble.


    Injured and unable to run, the fox struggled in vain. Within seconds, Flage was upon it. He caught the creature effortlessly, lifting it by its uninjured leg with a single hand, his expression as calm and collected as ever.


    Suddenly, a gunshot echoed through the forest, the sound sharp and almost too close for comfort. Flage instinctively shifted his attention back to the fox, noticing that it had been shot in the torso. He turned toward the source of the shot just as Dawn stepped out from behind a tree, a rifle in her hands and a smug smile on her face.


    "See," she said with a taunting lilt in her voice, "told you I was a good shot."


    Without a word, Flage released his grip on the fox, letting it fall lifelessly to the ground, and turned to walk away. Dawn''s smile faltered as she saw his cold indifference to her actions.


    "Oh, come on," she muttered in frustration, watching him leave in silence.


    Days passed, and Flage continued his daily hunting routine, though his annoyance grew with each passing day. Dawn kept showing up, always lingering nearby. Despite her constant presence, Flage ignored her, knowing that acknowledging her would only give her the satisfaction she craved. He refused to give in, even as her persistence chipped away at his patience.


    As the sun began to set one evening, Flage was making his way home when a piercing scream broke through the stillness of the forest.


    Dawn stood frozen in terror, face-to-face with a massive grizzly bear towering over her on its hind legs, nearly nine feet tall. She barely dared to breathe, hoping not to provoke the beast further, but it was too late. The bear had already locked onto her, its powerful presence radiating menace. Panicking, she turned to run, but the bear lunged, its massive claws gripping her with ease.


    Dawn screamed, struggling desperately to free herself as the bear pinned her to the ground. Its weight pressed down, and its claws tore into her clothes, inches from her skin. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and her heart pounded as fear gripped her. "Is this really how it ends?" she thought, terrified.


    Just as the bear raised its claws for a final strike, an arrow shot through the trees, perfectly piercing the space between the bear''s eyes with deadly accuracy. In the blink of an eye, Flage appeared, leaping onto the bear''s back and gripping it by the neck.


    The bear roared in pain as it attempted to struggle for its life, but Flage''s strength far surpassed the creature''s. With little effort, he choked the life out of the massive beast, its struggles growing weaker until, at last, it fell limp.


    Flage stood, blood dripping from his hands, as he tossed the dead bear aside. Dawn lay on the ground, her chest heaving, still trying to catch her breath after the near-death encounter. The surreal nature of the moment overwhelmed her. It felt impossible, like something out of a nightmare or a story.


    "Th-Thank you," she stammered, her voice shaky. "I can''t believe that just happened. It feels... unreal, like fiction."


    Flage didn''t respond. He simply turned and started walking away, leaving Dawn in stunned silence. She stared after him, confused and surprised by his lack of acknowledgment.


    "Oh, come on," she called out, exasperation creeping into her voice. "At least just tell me your name. I almost died back there!"


    Flage stopped in his tracks but didn''t turn around. "And whose fault is that?" he asked coldly.


    Dawn fell silent, realizing he was right. She had been following him all day, distracted, and in doing so had failed to notice the bear until it was too late.


    Without another word, Flage resumed his path, heading back to his cabin. Dawn hesitated for a moment before rushing after him.


    "Wait, where are you going?" she asked, curiosity lacing her voice.


    As expected, Flage ignored her, but this time, instead of letting him disappear, Dawn decided to follow him.


    As Dawn followed Flage deeper into the woods, a sense of unease crept up on her. "Isn''t this the dangerous part of the forest?" she asked, her voice tinged with caution. "I was always warned never to go this far in."


    As expected, Flage gave no response and continued walking. They trekked through the dense forest until they finally reached a cabin, built from wood and modestly spacious, though not overly large. The area surrounding the cabin had been cleared of trees, creating a wide, open space that allowed the home to stand out against the backdrop of the wild forest.


    Dawn stared, astonished. She couldn''t comprehend how someone could build such a place and live in solitude so deep in the wilderness. While she took in her surroundings, Flage walked straight into the cabin without a word, closing the door behind him and leaving her outside in silence.


    A few more days passed. That morning, as Flage prepared to go hunting, he opened the door to find Dawn sitting quietly on the front steps. She had been doing this for days now, waiting for him. But today was different. In her hands, she held a knife and a wooden plank, carving and sharpening it with precise movements. Next to her lay a small pile of already sharpened pieces of wood.


    Flage glanced at her, puzzled by the sight. "What are you doing?" he asked, his confusion evident.


    "Sharpening wood," Dawn replied, her eyes still focused on her task. "Good morning, by the way."


    "Why?" Flage asked, still trying to make sense of her strange behavior.


    "It helps me focus and stay calm," Dawn explained, her tone soft and measured.


    A few moments of silence passed, broken only by the quiet scraping of the blade against the wood. "That sounds unintelligent and utterly useless," Flage finally remarked, unimpressed by her actions.


    "Well, I find it relaxing," Dawn continued, glancing up at him with a small smile. "And it got you to talk to me. So, I wouldn''t exactly call it useless."


    Flage paused, realizing she had a point. It was the first time he had engaged her in casual conversation since they met weeks ago. Still, without acknowledging her statement, he turned and began walking toward the wilderness. As had become her habit, Dawn rose to her feet and followed him, just as she had done for the past few days.


    Throughout the day, Flage hunted with skill, his mastery of the bow apparent as he brought down every animal that crossed his path. Dawn followed silently, observing him. By the end of the day, Flage had successfully hunted several rabbits, squirrels, and even a wild boar, an unexpected but fortunate find for the day.


    Flage carried most of his catch back to the cabin, and for the ones he couldn''t manage, Dawn quietly stepped in to help. They walked side by side in silence, but after a while, Dawn decided to speak up, her curiosity getting the better of her.


    "Why do you use a bow?" she asked, glancing at the weapon slung across his back.


    The quiet stretched between them for several moments before Flage finally responded. "It has always been effective," he said simply. "No reason to change."


    Dawn fell silent again, but she wasn''t satisfied with his brief answer.


    "But I still don''t get it," she pressed, her voice filled with confusion. "Why not just use a gun? Why stick to... primitive weapons that make hunting so much harder?"


    Flage let out a soft sigh, his disappointment evident. "Why would I voluntarily choose to make hunting easier?" he asked, his tone calm but direct.


    Dawn stopped in her tracks, momentarily stunned by his response. It dawned on her that Flage enjoyed the challenge of the hunt, something most people had long since abandoned. After a moment of reflection, she hurried back to his side, the rest of his catch balanced on her shoulder.


    As they resumed walking, the silence between them felt lighter. Dawn grinned, realizing something. "You know," she teased with a playful glint in her eye, "we seem to be pretty good friends now."


    Flage let out a small scoff, clearly amused by her remark. "We have no connection," he replied, his expression returning to its usual stoicism. "You simply just carry some of my prey and equipment. That would make you a beast of burden, not a friend."


    His words were harsh, but his tone remained soft, almost at odds with the meaning behind them. Dawn paused, processing his statement before breaking into a smile.


    "From a ghost to a pet," she quipped, her voice casual and unbothered. "Honestly, I''ll take it."


    Once again, they continued in silence after a sigh from Flage, Dawn clearly unaffected by the God''s bluntness, a faint smile lingering on her face as they walked.

 #104: Demigod Project

    Days passed, and Flage and Dawn settled into their routine. Flage continued his hunts, and Dawn accompanied him, fully content with her role by his side. Over time, Flage began speaking to her more frequently, managing a few sentences each day. Though not much, Dawn saw this as a significant improvement. However, each time she asked for his name, Flage remained silent.


    Two months had gone by since Flage had arrived on Earth. One morning, like every other, he prepared for his usual hunt. As he stepped outside, he saw Dawn sitting on the front steps of the cabin, sharpening wood as she often did. She noticed him and greeted him with a smile.


    "Morning," she said warmly. "How was your night? Oh, and did you hear about the snowstorm on the news yesterday?"


    Flage paused, a slight concern crossing his mind. "Do you not have a family that worries about your whereabouts?" he asked.


    Dawn''s smile faltered for a moment as she refocused on the wood in her hand. "I did," she said quietly, slicing the knife along the plank. "Until I found out they were scumbags running a fraudulent business my whole life."


    Flage could sense the pain in her words. "What did you do?" he asked, curious.


    Dawn stood, turning to face him with a smile that didn''t quite reach her eyes. "Since I love them too much, I couldn''t report them to the authorities," she said lightly. "So, I did what any decent person would do. I cut them off completely."


    She tossed the sharpened wood aside and smiled again. "They can both go to hell," she added, her words in stark contrast to her expression.


    "That''s not how it works," Flage muttered under his breath as Dawn turned to get ready for their outing.


    A quiet respect stirred in Flage for Dawn as she readied herself. Her story only confirmed what he had assumed from the beginning. Her origins were from wealth, evidenced by the expensive clothes she always wore. Her explanation made sense and clarified why she had been lingering in the forest, avoiding a return to the life she had left behind.


    But a new question surfaced in Flage''s mind. "So, where have you been sleeping all this time?" he asked.


    Dawn''s voice softened. "Oh, well¡­ it doesn''t really get that cold out here at night."


    She smiled, but Flage could tell it was forced. Her words only confirmed that she had been living uncomfortably ever since cutting ties with her family.


    During the long hours of their hunt, Flage suddenly turned to Dawn and asked, "Do you want to take the next target?"


    Her face lit up with excitement, a wide smile breaking out as she eagerly nodded. Dawn hadn''t used her rifle in weeks, but now she prepared it, a sense of anticipation in her movements. They ventured farther into the forest, navigating through the dense trees until they spotted a wild boar in the distance. Dawn took aim, steadying her hands, and after a moment of focus, pulled the trigger. The boar fell instantly.


    Flage watched, a slight flicker of admiration crossing his face. He was impressed by her steady hand and sharp aim. As the sun began to sink below the horizon, they made their way back home, walking in their usual silence.


    When they reached the cabin, Flage stepped over the threshold but left the door ajar behind him, an unspoken invitation for Dawn. She hesitated at first, surprised by the gesture, but before she could ask, Flage turned and clarified.


    "You can sleep on the couch," he said simply. "It''s better than staying out in the cold. I''ll get you a blanket."


    Dawn''s lips curved into a smile. "So you do care," she teased lightly. "Maybe I''ll even get your name while we''re at it?"


    "Don''t push your luck," Flage replied, disappearing into the back room.


    "Fair enough," Dawn muttered, settling down on the couch. Moments later, Flage returned with a blanket. He handed it to her without a word, but the silence was thick between them. Dawn accepted it, her smile lingering, which only made Flage sigh in mild frustration.


    "Orion¡­ Woods," he said finally, offering her the name he used on Earth.


    Dawn''s smile widened. "Nice to meet you, Orion," she said, but he had already turned away, retreating into the back room.


    In the days that followed, they fell into a comfortable rhythm. Flage did most of the hunting, with Dawn joining in occasionally. It seemed to suit them both; Flage in his silent efficiency, and Dawn, content to accompany him and take part when she could. Every morning, Flage would wake to find Dawn seated outside the cabin, sharpening wood with quiet concentration, a routine she had adopted.


    One morning, as the sun began to rise, Flage stepped outside and called, "Dawn."


    At first, she didn''t respond, too absorbed in her task. Flage called again, and this time, she turned around with a puzzled expression. "Me?" she asked. "Oh, I thought you were talking about the time of day."


    She gave him a curious look, the question forming in her mind. "Though why do you keep calling me that? Is it your nickname for me?" she asked, her smile playful.


    Flage''s face remained impassive, his eyes betraying a slight hint of disappointment. Slowly, her smile faded as she realized what he meant.


    "That''s the name I gave you, isn''t it?" she asked, her tone revealing she had forgotten.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Flage didn''t answer, but his silence spoke volumes. Dawn sighed, embarrassed by her own lapse. "I''m sorry," she said, setting the wood aside. "It''s just¡­ I didn''t know who you were at the time. I was just being cautious. Thought maybe you were some kind of predator, you know?"


    "I am," Flage responded, his voice calm as ever.


    Dawn raised an eyebrow, momentarily thrown by his reply. "I¡­ don''t think you know how people use that word these days," she said, a hint of amusement creeping into her voice. "But it''s Amy. Amy Baldwin."


    Her smile faltered slightly as she continued, more softly this time. "Though, I don''t really want to be that person anymore."


    Flage remained silent as he started down the steps toward the forest. "I like Dawn better," he muttered briefly before continuing onwards.


    His words brought a smile back to her face, and as usual, she followed him into the wilderness for their daily hunt.


    It had been over two and a half months since Flage had settled in the forest, living and hunting alongside Dawn. Over time, he found himself surprised by the connection he''d developed with her. Their routine hunts bonded them, though as the weeks passed, the forest''s wildlife grew scarce. Either they had hunted most of the creatures, or the remaining ones had fled. With the dwindling numbers, Flage had no choice but to slow down, realizing that if he continued, he''d soon have nothing left to hunt.


    Despite the pause in their daily hunts, Flage allowed Dawn to stay. They spent more time talking, though it was mostly Dawn who spoke, sharing stories of her past while Flage listened quietly, not because he particularly wanted to, but because it was part of the unspoken rhythm they had developed.


    One evening, after returning from a brief hunt, Flage''s phone rang, a sound unfamiliar in the stillness of his time on Earth. He hadn''t used his phone since arriving, having no one to call or care to reach out to. Yet, he knew how to use it, and when he saw the caller ID flash "Sage," he was unsurprised, but not particularly thrilled.


    Stepping into his room, Flage answered the call. Sage immediately inquired about the Demigod Project, asking for an update on Flage''s progress. Flage dismissed the question with a curt response, making it clear he had no interest in the project.


    "Why do some of you have to be so difficult?" Sage sighed, his voice heavy with frustration.


    Flage remained silent, letting Sage''s words hang in the air until the God of Wisdom pressed on. "Flage, I know humanity vexes you. I know you''re tired of their failures, their cruelty. But what was the point of going to Earth if you''re not going to see this through?"


    Before Flage could respond, a knock on the door interrupted him. Dawn pushed it open, entering without hesitation.


    "Yo, Orion," she called, her tone casual. "What do you want for dinner? Should I cook some deer, or just reheat that leftover squirrel stew we had yesterday?"


    As she spoke, Dawn noticed the phone in Flage''s hand, surprise crossing her face. "Wait, you have a phone?" she asked with mild curiosity.


    Flage sighed, his patience thin. "Do you mind?" he said, his voice even but pointed.


    "Right, sorry," she mumbled, retreating out of the room.


    A few moments later, Dawn opened the door again, sticking her head in with determination. "But seriously," she whispered, "deer or squirrel?"


    "It matters not," Flage replied, clearly unamused.


    "Gotcha," Dawn said awkwardly before closing the door once more.


    Sage, who had been listening to the exchange, chuckled on the other end of the line, breaking the silence that had followed. "I must admit, Flage, I may have misjudged you," he said, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. "You seem to already be making progress on the project."


    Flage frowned, his confusion evident. "What do you mean?"


    Sage laughed, the sound deep and full of knowing humor. "You isolated yourself to avoid contact with humanity," he said, amusement still coloring his voice. "Yet, you''ve still managed to attract a mortal."


    Flage''s frown deepened. "What does that have to do with anything?"


    Sage''s laughter only grew. "Ah, sibling, your disdain for mortals may have blinded you," he said, still chuckling.


    Before Flage could respond, Sage composed himself, his tone shifting as he began to ask more pointed questions about the situation.


    CONVERSATION


    Sage: This woman, does she live in the same abode as you?


    Flage: Yes.


    Sage: And she does not pay you to live there, correct?


    Flage: Yes, that is correct.


    Sage: And, if I may ask, is she the closest human to you since you arrived on Earth, perhaps?


    Sage''s words struck a chord with Flage, making him realize there was truth in them. He paused for a moment, contemplating before offering a response.


    Flage: Yes.


    Sage: Then, sibling, it would appear that you have found yourself a suitable companion without even realizing it.


    Flage remained silent as Sage''s laughter lingered for a few more seconds. "Well, it seems my job here is done," Sage said, amused, before finally ending the call.


    Irritated, Flage dropped his phone from his ear. "Pathetic," he muttered, realizing Sage had hung up. The conversation had left him in quiet frustration, but he took a moment to collect himself. With a sigh, he moved toward the door. As he opened it swiftly, he caught Dawn standing just outside, clearly attempting to eavesdrop.


    She froze, her hand awkwardly scratching the back of her head, a sheepish smile crossing her face. "I was just... looking for something," she mumbled, her eyes darting around the corridor, failing to meet his gaze.


    Flage stared at her for a moment, considering Sage''s words. As annoying as they had been, they held some truth. Despite his disdain for humans, he had grown more tolerant of Dawn than he ever expected. With that realization, an idea formed in his mind, a plan to meet the expectations placed on him without having to deal with someone he found truly insufferable.


    Flage knew that if he returned to Higher World without fulfilling the expectation to produce an heir, he wouldn''t hear the end of it. Rather than making a connection with someone else, he realized that he could achieve what Sage expected; with Dawn. While he still found her somewhat irksome, compared to the rest of humanity, she was bearable, even valuable in his eyes.


    "Dawn," he called, breaking the silence that had settled between them.


    She looked up, her guilty expression softening. "Okay, I''m sorry for snooping," she admitted. "I swear I wasn''t trying to..."


    "Let''s get married," Flage said, cutting her off with his blunt declaration.


    Dawn''s face froze in shock, her guilt quickly replaced by confusion. "I... I don''t understand," she stammered, trying to process his words.


    "It was brought to my attention," Flage explained, his tone matter-of-fact, "that we already live like we''re married. So, since that''s the case, and considering my duties, it makes sense. If I have to marry someone, it might as well be you."


    Dawn''s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, her mind racing to catch up. "D-Don''t you think that''s a bit... fast?" she managed, her voice filled with nervous excitement. "Not that I''m complaining! But there''s so much to plan. I don''t even have a dress! What about the bed? It''s kind of small for two people, don''t you think? Although, I suppose it could work if we..."


    "Dawn," Flage interrupted softly, his gaze steady and unbothered.


    She stopped, realizing she had been rambling. "Right... I''m just rambling," she said, looking guilty again.


    After a brief pause, her expression softened, and a genuine smile spread across her face. "But yes," she said quietly, "I will marry you."


    While Dawn''s heart raced with excitement over the proposal, Flage''s thoughts remained practical. To him, this wasn''t about love or romance. It was simply a solution to fulfill his duty without the hassle of someone he truly couldn''t stand.

 #105: What Love Does

    It had been just under a week since Flage had proposed to Dawn, and now they were officially together. Dawn was filled with happiness like never before, while Flage, as usual, remained indifferent about the whole situation.


    They continued living in the cabin for a few more days, but Dawn soon suggested they needed to move. She explained that if they wanted their marriage to work efficiently, they''d need to return to civilization. More importantly, she pointed out that the forest wouldn''t be suitable if they ever planned to raise a child.


    Flage resisted at first, explaining his disdain for the idea. His biggest concern was Dawn''s powerful family, whom he believed would track her down, bringing unwanted attention he couldn''t tolerate. But Dawn reassured him. She had walked out on her family, threatening to expose their secrets if they ever came looking for her. She was confident they wouldn''t interfere.


    After some back-and-forth, Flage reluctantly agreed, and the two moved into the city. Even then, they chose to settle on the outskirts, away from the crowded parts. Flage still went hunting occasionally, while Dawn found a job as a preschool teacher. A few months passed in relative peace before Sage suggested that Flage reveal his divine nature to Dawn. Reluctantly, Flage complied.


    "What?" Dawn giggled, assuming Flage was joking. "Is this some sort of prank? Though I guess it''s a good thing for all of us to see ourselves as gods, huh?"


    Flage remained calm as she laughed, but suddenly, a powerful force filled the room. Dawn froze, fear gripping her as she turned to Flage, catching a brief glimpse of his true form. He stood at eight feet, with enormous white wings unfurled and a glowing vertical halo behind him. Unlike other gods who adorned armor, Flage''s hunting clothes gave him a more menacing, raw appearance.


    As he reverted to his human form, Dawn stepped back in shock. "What in the..." she stammered. "You... weren''t kidding?"


    Moments passed as she processed what she''d just seen. "Well," she said thoughtfully, "I guess that does explain a lot. Especially considering that I''ve seen you strangle a bear to death with your bare hands like it was nothing."


    Her thoughts started racing, but one realization struck her hard. Understanding his divine nature, she fell to her knees in respect. Flage, puzzled, raised an eyebrow. "I didn''t ask for your prostration," he said curtly.


    Embarrassed, Dawn quickly stood, blushing. "R-Right, haha," she chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry."


    The weight of the revelation sank in, and Dawn realized there was so much she needed to know. "I never imagined something like this could be real. I have so many questions. How old exactly are you? How did you come to be? And more importantly, why are you here, living casually like a human?"


    Flage sighed softly. "Do not worry," he said. "I will tell you what I can."


    Though learning Flage''s true nature was a shock, it didn''t change how Dawn felt about him. She had respected and cared for him deeply since they met, and that remained the same. But for Flage, something had shifted.


    After spending so much time with her, and now sharing his secret, Flage began to feel something new. He found himself helping Dawn more often, stepping in when she was tired or unwell. He didn''t have the words for it, but he knew Dawn was unlike any other human he had encountered, though not that many.


    That feeling only deepened the day they went to the hospital. It was there that they learned Dawn was pregnant. While it didn''t surprise Flage, the joy he felt when the doctor confirmed it was something he hadn''t expected.


    As the months passed, Flage''s character had undergone a profound change. He couldn''t quite comprehend it, but the closer he grew to Dawn, the more happiness he found in his life. Even though it was rare, Flage found himself smiling more often, as if he were no longer the same person. Initially, he had married her out of convenience, but now, after months together, he knew his reasons had shifted entirely.


    Flage also decided to temporarily put his hunting on hold to spend more time at home. Knowing he would eventually return to Higher World, he wanted to cherish every moment with Dawn before that time came. He also wanted to support her more as her pregnancy started to take its toll, showing signs of strain.


    "Congratulations, Mrs. Woods. You should be expecting twins," the doctor announced with a smile after the ultrasound.


    The news took both Flage and Dawn by surprise. Dawn''s expression wavered with a mix of shock and anxiety.


    "T-Twins?" she stammered, unable to believe what she had just heard.


    But when she turned to Flage, she saw a broad smile spread across his face. "Twins," he repeated with joy, turning to her with bright eyes. "Do you hear that, Dawn?"


    She couldn''t help but return his smile, though her nervousness lingered. "Y-Yeah, that''s really something."


    Flage stepped closer, wrapping her in a warm embrace. "This is excellent news, doctor," he said, his joy almost uncontrollable.


    While Dawn smiled at his excitement, a deep-rooted fear gnawed at her. She had never expected this and felt overwhelmed, her tokophobia; the fear of childbirth; surfacing again. But seeing Flage''s unbridled happiness offered her some comfort, and she decided to set her worries aside for now.


    Life continued happily for the couple until the day of the birth arrived. At the hospital, Dawn was placed in the labor room, with Flage by her side to ease her anxieties.


    "Don''t worry," Flage reassured her, his voice steady and calm. "It will be fine."


    Dawn looked up at him, smiling despite the tension. "Look at you, cheering me on," she teased gently. "Who would''ve thought you had it in you?"


    Flage glanced at her with his usual stoic expression, causing her to second-guess her lighthearted comment. "S-Sorry," she muttered, her tone soft.


    But Flage surprised her, his expression softening into a warm smile. "Do not apologize. You are right. Before I came to Earth, I misjudged all of humanity. You helped me realize that not all humans are worthless."


    Dawn''s smile widened, but before she could respond, her eyes flickered to the side, noticing a nurse who had overheard their conversation, her face a mix of confusion and disbelief. Flage caught sight of the nurse too, locking eyes with her, his expression suddenly cold and menacing.


    "You didn''t hear anything," Flage said, his voice low, almost hypnotic.


    The nurse''s eyes glazed over as she replied in a soft, entranced tone, "I didn''t hear anything."


    As the nurse resumed her duties as though nothing had happened, Dawn couldn''t help but grin. "Okay, that is so cool," she said, her voice cheerful as the doctor finally entered the room.


    The preparations for labor were quickly completed, and the process began in earnest. Dawn pushed with all her might, just as the nurses instructed, while Flage stood beside her, offering unwavering support. Time dragged on, but there was no progress. Minutes passed, and despite her efforts, there were no signs of the babies coming.


    "I think she may be too weak to deliver naturally," the doctor finally said, concern evident in his voice.


    "So what happens now?" Flage asked, his confusion clear as he looked to the doctor for answers.


    "In this situation," the doctor began, "I would highly suggest a cesarean section. We''ll need to create an incision in her abdomen to safely deliver the babies."


    As the doctor''s words registered, a look of horror spread across Dawn''s face. "Oh no, no, no, no," she muttered in a fearful chant, shaking her head. "I am NOT doing that."


    Flage, noticing her growing distress, turned to the doctor with concern. "Is there any other option?" he asked, his voice steady but tense.


    The doctor shook his head gently. "If we continue without success," he explained, "it could be fatal for her and the babies."


    Flage''s attention snapped back to Dawn, her face pale with fear. Leaning closer, he spoke softly. "Calm down, Dawn. You''re a strong woman. I know you can get through this."


    Dawn''s eyes welled with tears as she whispered, "I''m scared, Flage."


    He remained silent for a moment, watching her, feeling the weight of her fear sink into him. He hated seeing her in such pain, and his mind raced, searching for another solution. But while he wrestled with his emotions, Dawn''s eyes met his, and she could see the concern etched deeply in his expression. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She had vowed to stand beside him in his godly duty, yet now, she was too afraid to fulfill her part. Her fear began to shift, and determination slowly crept into her features as she turned to the doctor.


    "Doctor," she said, her voice firmer than before. "How long is the process? And how painful will it be?"


    Flage blinked, taken aback by the change in her demeanor, as the doctor answered. "You can choose to have numbing from the waist down," he explained, "or we can completely sedate you if you prefer."


    "I don''t mind either option," Dawn replied with a steady nod.


    Flage, still stunned by her resolve, leaned closer. "Are you certain?" he asked, his worry clear in his eyes.


    Dawn offered him a reassuring smile, though her fear lingered behind her eyes. "My fears shouldn''t stand in the way of your plans," she said softly. "No matter how scared I am, I''ll fulfill my duty as your wife."


    Flage could see through her false bravado, but he admired her determination. She was pushing past her fear for his sake. Though he didn''t want her to take any risks, he understood that this was something they couldn''t avoid.


    "You will be fine," Flage said, his voice steady, though his heart was heavy. "I promise."


    The doctor cleared his throat gently, his expression urgent. "Sir, you''ll have to excuse us. The procedure is critical, and we need full concentration to ensure everything goes smoothly."


    Flage was about to refuse, unwilling to leave Dawn''s side, but she cut him off with a calm smile. "Don''t worry, you can go," she said, her voice soft but sure. "And the next time we meet, it''ll be with our two children."


    He hesitated but eventually nodded, returning her smile briefly before leaving the room to allow the doctors to begin the cesarean section.


    Flage found himself pacing the reception area, a storm of worry and agitation brewing inside him. Minutes ticked by slowly, each one heavier than the last. He couldn''t shake the pressure building in his chest, so after a while, he decided to step outside for fresh air. The hospital walls felt too confining, and he needed space to clear his head.


    The night sky cast a serene beauty over the city, the stars twinkling like scattered diamonds above. Flage wandered for a while, his steps slow and aimless, until he found an empty bench near the hospital entrance and sat down. Though the air was still, a sense of unease weighed heavily on him. He tried to dismiss it as overthinking, willing himself to calm down. But just as he began to settle, his instincts flared, and he turned his attention to a shadow behind him.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    A tall, imposing figure loomed in the darkness, standing with unmistakable purpose. Flage blinked in surprise before recognizing the presence of Nekro, another of his kind. Slowly rising from the bench, he addressed his fellow god with measured calmness.


    "Nekro," Flage greeted, his voice composed. "It''s been a while, hasn''t it?"


    "Indeed, it has, Flage," Nekro responded. His powerful voice carried an air of familiarity. "How has life on Earth been treating you?"


    Flage paused, considering the question. His answer came after a thoughtful silence. "I didn''t expect to admit this," he began, a hint of surprise in his tone, "but I was wrong. My time here has been¡­ far better than I could have imagined."


    Nekro''s lips curled into a faint smile at Flage''s admission. "Hearing that makes me glad," he said genuinely. "You seem happier than usual too, so I can believe your words."


    Flage nodded, acknowledging the truth in Nekro''s observation. Over the past few months, a deep sense of contentment had settled within him, something he hadn''t experienced in a long time. "I suppose you''re right," Flage murmured, almost to himself.


    The two gods exchanged brief reflections on their experiences, the conversation flowing with ease until a question formed in Flage''s mind. "So, what brings you here, Nekro?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.


    As soon as the words left his mouth, Flage''s eyes were drawn to the object in Nekro''s hands; the scythe, Banisher. "Ah," Flage remarked, attempting a lighthearted tone. "It seems your duties leave you no rest. Indeed I can''t say I envy you for that."


    Flage hesitated before continuing, a tinge of uncertainty creeping into his voice. "Though I must admit," he added, "I don''t recall hearing of any fatalities in the hospital that would require your presence."


    Nekro''s face darkened, the shift in his expression undeniable. A heavy silence settled between them as Flage''s earlier calm began to unravel. His heart sank, a creeping dread taking hold.


    "No," Flage whispered, the realization hitting him like a wave. His faint smile faltered, twisting into a frown. "It can''t be."


    "I am so sorry, sibling," Nekro said, his voice soft and laden with sorrow.


    "It''s impossible!" Flage''s voice rose in desperation, his gaze darting between Nekro and the hospital. His chest tightened, panic swelling within him. "She was fine! She said she could do it!"


    "Calm yourself, Flage," Nekro urged gently, trying to steady him.


    Flage shook his head, refusing to accept the words. He turned towards the hospital, his footsteps urgent as he moved closer. "I have to stop her¡­ before it''s too late."


    "Wait," Nekro called out, his voice heavy with regret. "That isn''t what causes it."


    Flage froze, his eyes wide with disbelief. Slowly, he turned back to Nekro, his world spinning out of control. "What do you mean?" he demanded, his voice rough with a mix of anger and fear. "What caused it then?"


    Nekro hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke, his words slow and deliberate. "Her family," he began, watching as Flage''s face contorted with shock. "They''ve been hunting her ever since she cut ties with them. She holds dangerous information about them, and they see her as a threat."


    Flage''s eyes widened in utter disbelief as Nekro''s words sank in. The shock of it all seemed too much to bear, but Nekro continued, his tone steady as he revealed the grim truth. "They paid a doctor to sabotage the fluids being administered to her," Nekro explained, his voice heavy with the weight of the revelation. "But... they infused a drug that will take her life painlessly. They still see her as their daughter, even in this."


    Horrified, Flage could barely process what he was hearing. The very idea that someone, even a human, could do this to their own child was unfathomable to him.


    "No," he muttered under his breath, his voice laced with cold fury. His gaze snapped back toward the hospital, and without hesitation, he took a step forward. "If that is true, then I will go in there and cave that mortal''s skull in."


    Before he could take a third step, Nekro''s voice rang out with urgency. "You can''t do that," he said, stopping Flage in his tracks.


    Flage spun around, rage blazing in his eyes. "Why not?" he demanded, his voice trembling with barely contained anger.


    "Because you can no longer interfere in the situation," Nekro said softly, the pain in his words matching Flage''s own. "Not now that I have told you all this."


    Flage''s breath caught in his throat as the weight of Nekro''s meaning struck him. His eyes flared with disbelief. "You expect me to just stand here while my wife is murdered by her own family?" he asked, his voice like a growl.


    Nekro didn''t answer. His silence echoed louder than any words. The quiet stretched between them, a painful acknowledgment of what they both felt. "You know I have no power to stop this, Flage," Nekro finally said, trying to soothe his friend, though his words felt hollow.


    Flage''s shoulders slumped, the strength draining from him as his legs threatened to give way. His face remained frozen in disbelief, eyes staring ahead in utter shock as the silence that persisted became oppressive.


    "It can''t be," he whispered, barely audible. "Not her. She doesn''t deserve this."


    "I''m sorry," Nekro murmured, sorrow dripping from his voice.


    Flage stayed rooted in place, his world unraveling in silence. Nekro, with a heavy heart, began to walk toward the hospital, moving past his grieving companion. As Nekro slowly passed, Flage''s hand shot out, blocking his path.


    "No," Flage said, his voice low but unyielding. Confusion flashed across Nekro''s face as the God continued. "I can not... I will not allow this."


    Nekro stared at Flage, momentarily speechless. But before he could respond, he felt a sudden shift, a tremendous force stirring in the air around them. Alarmed, Nekro jumped back in response, watching as Flage''s form began to change. His eyes closed, and when they reopened, they were devoid of pupils, glowing with a divine intensity.


    Before Nekro could react further, Flage''s body began to grow, his height increasing as massive white wings erupted from his back, unfurling between him and his massive halo that spawned with a celestial glow. The binds that had suppressed his godly essence had shattered, leaving Flage in his full, terrifyingly divine form.


    "I will not let you take her soul," Flage declared, his voice a razor-edged promise.


    Nekro stared in horror, realization dawning on him as he witnessed Flage take his natural form. "Do not do this, Flage," Nekro pleaded, his voice thick with desperation. "Do not forget the oath you swore against interfering with humanity."


    Flage''s wings flared wider, the fury in his eyes unmistakable. "My oaths," he spat, his voice brimming with anger, "can go to hell. I will not let that woman die."


    The air around them crackled with energy as Flage''s rage built, his face twisted in an expression of pure wrath. Nekro, knowing the consequences of Flage''s transformation on Earth, tried once more to reason with him.


    "Please, Flage," Nekro pleaded, "do not..."


    But before another word could be said, Flage moved faster than nearly any being could comprehend. The God of Hunting charged forward with aggression, a massive spear suddenly materializing in his hand. The force of his movement was immense, and before Nekro could even realize it, Flage struck with terrifying precision. The spear connected with a devastating blow, sending Nekro hurtling into the sky, the force of the impact propelling him upwards.


    Flage''s strike sent Nekro hurtling through space faster than he could comprehend, the sheer force of the blow propelling him beyond the solar system in an instant. The shock of it left Nekro disoriented, but as soon as he regained his senses, he teleported back toward the Earth, attempting to regain control. His wings unfurled in the skies above the city as he used them to stop himself, but the impact had still shaken him.


    Flage was already ahead of him, hovering effortlessly, his massive spear still in hand, his wings spread wide but motionless due to his use of levitation.


    "What are you doing, Flage?" Nekro shouted, his voice filled with shock. "Do you not see the error in your actions?"


    "I don''t care," Flage replied, his voice cold, unwavering. Without hesitation, he charged at Nekro.


    Flage swung his spear with unmatched force and speed, and Nekro, wielding Banisher, could do little more than block and deflect the relentless strikes. Flage''s fury was palpable, and every swing carried with it a raw, unyielding rage. Nekro held his ground, but the overwhelming power behind Flage''s attacks left him struggling to maintain his defense.


    Nekro knew that he couldn''t remain defensive much longer. Flage''s reputation as one of the most aggressive fighters among the gods was well-earned, and Nekro needed to act. Seizing a fleeting opening, he shifted to offense, managing to land a hit with the hilt of his scythe that forced Flage back, creating some distance between them.


    They hovered in silence, staring at one another. The clash had been so intense that only a second had passed since Flage''s initial attack on land.


    The quiet was broken by Nekro''s voice, filled with frustration. "It''s not too late, Flage. Please, I do not want to do this."


    Flage''s expression darkened further at Nekro''s plea. Letting out a deep breath, he released his spear, causing it to vanish out of existence. Nekro''s eyes widened in shock as Flage stretched both hands in front of him, crossing them at his wrists with his palms wide open.


    From Flage''s hands, two massive, identical black blades slowly began to materialize, summoned from the Divine Arsenal. The swords, though not long, were bulky and menacing, their dark steel adorned with intricate golden designs, giving them a royal and terrifying appearance.


    "Vanquisher?" Nekro whispered in disbelief. His heart sank as he realized how serious Flage was. "Flage, listen to me. If you keep using your divine power, you''ll shorten the time you have on Earth, along with the others!"


    "I don''t care anymore," Flage said, his voice colder than before. "There''s nothing left for me if I stop now."


    Without warning, Flage appeared beside Nekro again, swinging the heavy blades, Vanquisher, with blinding speed. Nekro barely managed to evade the first strike and block the second with Banisher. The gods clashed again, their weapons sending shockwaves through the air.


    Nekro tried to maintain his defense, but Flage''s relentless, oppressive assault left him no room to breathe. He realized that if he didn''t take this fight seriously, he would be overpowered. But he also knew what that meant. To survive this, he might have to initiate Ouroboros. The one thing he had hoped to avoid.


    Nekro barely managed to evade each of Flage''s relentless strikes as their battle raged miles above the Earth. His mind raced, trying to comprehend how things had escalated so far. How could a single mortal''s death push Flage, one of the most unyielding gods, to forsake his sacred oath? Worse still, Flage had summoned Vanquisher, a Weapon of Imperium, a move that made it clear he was beyond reason.


    Amid the chaos, Flage landed a devastating blow, the edge of Vanquisher tearing through Nekro''s armor and biting deep into his chest. Nekro staggered back, clutching his wound, the pain flashing through him like fire. Before he could catch his breath, Flage was already at his side, his assault unrelenting.


    There was no more room for hesitation. Nekro closed his eyes, taking a single, steadying breath. When he opened them again, his gaze was sharp, his resolve firm as the halo behind him began to spawn from nothingness. Suddenly, a faint, bell-like sound echoed as he raised Banisher to meet Flage''s incoming swing.


    The air around them erupted as their weapons collided. Each clash of the two Weapons of Imperium sent ripples through the very fabric of reality, cracking the sky itself. Their speed was beyond comprehension, their movements a blur to any mortal eye. With each impact, the Earth below trembled as if it sensed the gods'' fury.


    Nekro fought with calm precision, his scythe cutting through the air with focus, while Flage swung his twin blades with unbridled rage. They moved like lightning, their strikes so powerful they parted clouds, shook mountains, and sent shockwaves across the globe. The battle raged on without a care of location, their actions moving with such speed that the fight began to span through various continents.


    The Gods arrived at a location where their clash caused thunderstorms. Nekro swung Banisher with tremendous force, but Flage dodged the attack, the scythe''s momentum so great it parted the same storm clouds around them, clearing the skies in an instant. But they did not pause, not even for a moment.


    Their battle took them to the farthest reaches of the planet: a frozen tundra, where Flage''s fiery strikes from Vanquisher melted the ice beneath them despite remaining airborne. Their battle eventually found itself at a hillside, multitudes of hills and mountains littered around the scene; the same towering mountains that crumbled into dust under the weight of their blows.


    Night gave way to day, and then to afternoon, as their battle spanned entire time zones. Silent deserts, raging seas, bustling cities- these all became backdrops to the chaos as the gods clashed across the globe. Each strike tore at the seams of space itself, threatening to unravel the world with each microsecond that passed. The fight raged on, but even the fiercest battles must find an end.


    Flage swung the blade in his left hand with brutal force, aiming at Nekro. The God of Fire parried the attack with Banisher, but Flage quickly exploited the opening. His right-hand blade slashed Nekro''s left arm, cutting through the armor and wounding the god. But what Flage didn''t realize was that Nekro had anticipated this move.


    Nekro twisted his body in a sudden, unpredictable motion, deflecting Flage''s initial left-hand strike and setting up his counterattack. He readied his scythe and swung it upwards with devastating force. The edge of Banisher cut deeply into Flage''s left side, slicing from his chest and continuing upward until it reached his eye, cutting through it. With a final, brutal motion, Nekro slammed the hilt of his scythe into Flage, sending him crashing to the ground below.


    As Flage plummeted into the earth, a wave of realization hit Nekro. His eyes widened in horror as he understood the gravity of what he had just done. He had fatally struck another god. In a surge of concern, Nekro descended instantly to Flage''s side.


    Flage lay in a crater, writhing in pain, as Nekro approached. "Flage," Nekro called, his voice trembling. "Are you alright?"


    Flage remained silent, his body sprawled on the ground. As Nekro got closer, his shock deepened. Flage''s left side was marred by a horrific scar that stretched from his chest to his face, his left eye now a disturbing blood red from the cut due to its contact with Banisher. Nekro''s heart sank as he saw the pure white blood seeping from the wound.


    "Flage, I..." Nekro began, reaching out in apology.


    But Flage''s response was swift and harsh. He slapped Nekro''s hand away, his face contorted with anger. Rising to his feet, Flage glared at Nekro with a look of unrestrained fury. Nekro could only stand in silence, his own sorrow evident. Without a word, Flage turned away and stretched his wings.


    "You''re pathetic," Flage spat, his voice filled with disdain.


    In an instant, Flage used his wings to propel himself away, disappearing from the Earth and, eventually, the realm altogether. Nekro was left alone, stunned by the consequences of his actions. The weight of his mistake settled heavily on him. He had never meant to cause such harm. He simply only wanted to stop Flage.


    Nekro looked up at the sky, overwhelmed by the uncertainty of how to address the other gods about the tragedy. After a deep, calming breath, he closed his eyes and reappeared at the hospital in a single, sorrowful moment. With a heavy heart, Nekro knew what he had to do at that moment.


    He took a measured step forward, his face a mask of grief as he entered the hospital to face the task ahead.

 #106: Where is Home?

    Twins. One boy and one girl. The loss of their mother was already overwhelming for these newborns, but the sudden absence of their father made it even more devastating.


    With Dawn using an alias instead of her real name, and Flage having no known relatives on Earth, the Woods family was left without any next of kin. The tragic events leading to Flage''s battle, which caused the Gods to return sooner than expected, meant that no one could take the children in their parents'' place. As a result, there was no other choice but to place the twins up for adoption.


    Even with both parents gone, their lives were still preserved, and eventually, fate led a wealthy couple to the adoption agency. Mr. and Mrs. Brown, one of New York''s most affluent families, entered the scene.


    Mr. Brown, a prominent stock investor, and his wife, a successful broker, had amassed their wealth long before their marriage two years prior. Despite their affluence, they had faced the heartache of being unable to conceive a child. After many attempts, Mrs. Brown suggested they adopt, preferably a baby young enough that they could raise and shape as their own. Mr. Brown quickly agreed, and they both felt content with this new path.


    After months of navigating the adoption process, they finally reached the point of choosing a child. As they entered the agency, the presence of the Browns immediately caught everyone''s attention, their wealth and status impossible to overlook. But Mrs. Brown''s eyes were quickly drawn to a baby girl, swaddled in a small carriage. The girl was just a few weeks old, yet she instantly captivated Mrs. Brown with her innocent, radiant smile.


    "Oh, Jack," she whispered, eyes fixed on the baby''s glowing expression. "It has to be this one. She''s the one."


    Mr. Brown approached, feeling the same inexplicable connection. Like his wife, he was mesmerized by the child and felt an unshakable pull to protect and provide for her. Without hesitation, they decided to adopt the girl. However, the agency failed to inform them that the little girl was a twin.


    The person leading the couple around was so starstruck by their presence that they completely forgot to mention the girl''s brother. All they wanted was to cater to the couple''s wishes. So when Mr. and Mrs. Brown expressed their desire to adopt only the girl, the facilitator, in their daze, agreed and proceeded with the paperwork, never mentioning the boy.


    The girl''s life took a turn for the better, growing up in wealth and privilege as part of the Brown family. She was given everything she wanted, learning the fine arts of a refined upbringing; ballet, fencing, and most notably, archery.


    Archery became her passion. Holding the bow gave her an unexplainable sense of comfort and peace. And since it made her happy, her adoptive parents were content as well. Her life seemed close to perfect, filled with love, luxury, and opportunity.


    But while the girl thrived in her opulent surroundings, her twin brother was not so fortunate. His path could not have been more different.


    A man and his wife stepped into the adoption agency, though their reasons for being there couldn''t have been more different. The woman, heartbroken after discovering she couldn''t conceive, had begged her husband for years to adopt. He, however, was indifferent, never caring for her pleas and always shutting them down. But she persisted. All she wanted was a child to love and care for, even if it wasn''t her own by blood.


    Then, one day, after showering her husband with affection in the hopes he might soften, she begged him once more. This time, to make her stop pestering him, he reluctantly agreed.


    "You''ll handle everything," he said dismissively. "And you''ll be the one to take care of it."


    Overjoyed, the woman wasted no time starting the adoption process. Finally, after months of effort, she had the chance to choose a child. It was the happiest day of her life as she walked into the agency with her husband at her side.


    They arrived just a few days after the Browns, the wealthy couple who had already adopted the baby girl. So when the woman spotted the male twin, she felt an instant connection. She requested to adopt him, and to her delight, the agency didn''t hesitate.


    The agency''s staff had realized their mistake with the Browns a few days after the girl had been taken home. They had split up the twins without mentioning it to the Browns, but they couldn''t bear to tell the prominent couple, especially after the generous donation they''d made. Now, seeing this new couple, they saw an opportunity. By giving the boy to them, they could cover up their blunder, hoping it would seem as if the twins had been adopted by the same family.


    When the woman locked eyes with the boy, she knew instantly; just as Mrs. Brown had felt with the girl; that he was the one. She confirmed her decision without hesitation, and the agency, eager to fix their mistake, hurried through the process. While the woman was bursting with joy, her husband''s reaction was far from the same.


    "It''s free, right?" the man asked after a while, his tone casual and dismissive.


    His words and demeanor revealed a clear lack of respect, raising concern among the agency''s staff. They worried for the boy''s future, but with the woman''s genuine joy and their own desperate need to correct their error, they felt they had little choice. There was no guarantee they''d find another adopter before the truth about the twins came out.


    And so, after stacks of paperwork and formalities, the boy left with his new adoptive parents. But unlike his sister, who was welcomed into a life of luxury, this marked the beginning of his nightmare.


    The couple lived in a semi-abandoned area, isolated from any community, with barely anyone left in the neighborhood. Over the years, the woman worked tirelessly, taking multiple shifts as both a nurse and a waitress to make ends meet for her family and new son. Her husband, meanwhile, remained jobless, unqualified for any work, and growing more bitter with each passing year.


    Though his adoptive father was cold and insufferable, the boy found solace in his adoptive mother. She loved him deeply, cared for him with all her heart, and did her best to protect him. She also loved her husband, trying her hardest to make their marriage work, even as he began exploiting her love and devotion.


    As the boy grew older, his adoptive mother continued to care for him and teach him what she could. She taught him to read, write, and basic manners, all from the confines of their modest home. Formal education was out of reach due to their financial situation, and the boy''s adoptive father refused to spend money on what he deemed a waste. So, it fell to the mother to give him the best education she could, and fortunately, she had experience. Before becoming a full-time worker, she had worked at a preschool, and teaching was second nature to her. The boy, eager and bright, absorbed everything she taught him quickly, much faster than any child she had ever trained.


    He flourished under her care, learning many things as he grew, though he remained, at heart, a curious child, curiosity that sometimes got him into trouble. His most serious missteps came when he would touch or play with his adoptive father''s belongings. These moments never ended well. The man, easily angered and lacking patience, would beat the boy for such mistakes, showing no leniency despite the boy''s tender age.


    This cycle continued, each mistake leading to punishment, until the mother, unable to stand it any longer, intervened. She confronted her husband, reminding him that their son was still just a child and didn''t deserve such cruelty. But her protest only shifted the abuse. The man, unmoved by her words, began beating her instead, claiming that he needed an outlet for his anger, and if it wasn''t the boy, it would be her.


    This became the new routine. The mother, out of love and protection for the boy, would step in each time he made a mistake, taking the punishment meant for him. It wasn''t ideal, but for her, it was better than seeing the child suffer. And so, whenever the father raised his hand, she would shield her son, bearing the brunt of the man''s anger.


    As the boy grew older, he began to understand what was happening. He noticed how his mother took the beatings meant for him, and in response, he started to avoid doing anything that could provoke his father. He became more cautious, more obedient, and with each passing year, his English and understanding of the world improved, thanks to his mother''s constant lessons.


    Despite never leaving the house or having friends to play with, the boy found comfort in his mother''s company. She was his only friend, always finding a way to smile at him, even when things were difficult. Her warmth was his only solace in a house full of tension.


    But the peace never lasted long. Whenever the man returned from his drinking sessions with his buddies, trouble followed. For months, the boy had been nothing but obedient, and his mother had avoided provoking her husband, yet this only seemed to frustrate the man further. He needed an outlet for his frustrations, for the misery of his own life, and with no real reason to lash out, he began fabricating excuses. Even the smallest, most trivial thing would set him off, especially when he was drunk. And no matter how much his wife swore she hadn''t done anything wrong, he would find a reason to raise his hand against her.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    As the boy grew older and more aware, witnessing this abuse devastated him. He knew he couldn''t stop it, not when the man constantly reminded him that he was adopted, unwanted, and unloved by him. The abuse became more frequent as time passed, with the man striking his wife once or twice a month after his drunken nights.


    One evening, after seeing the pattern repeat again and again, the boy finally decided he couldn''t stand by any longer. He stepped between his mother and his father, trying to protect her from the inevitable violence. The man, furious at being defied, turned his rage toward the boy instead, beating him mercilessly.


    When it was finally over and the man had stumbled off to bed, the boy, bruised and aching, crawled to his mother''s side. His eyes were full of worry, but he smiled through the pain, a genuine warmth in his expression.


    "I''m happy I could help," he said, his voice soft but full of sincerity. "Like how mother helped me when I was little."


    The woman, taken aback that he remembered her sacrifices for him, felt a rush of emotion. Tears filled her eyes as she pulled him into a tight embrace.


    The boy had been the only light in the woman''s dark world, the one glimmer of happiness that kept her going. On more than one occasion, she had threatened to leave the man, to run far away and never look back. But every time, her love for her adopted child anchored her to the home. He was the reason she endured, the reason she could face another day. Without him, she wasn''t sure she could keep living.


    As the boy grew older, however, he became increasingly afraid, not just for himself, but for his mother. He knew the woman loved him more than anything, and he felt the same, but the tension in the household grew more unbearable with each passing day. The man, who once drank for fun with his friends, had now grown bitter and lonely. His friends, tired of his negativity, began to drift away, leaving him to drink in solitude, not for enjoyment but out of pure self-loathing. The weight of his life''s failures made him even more irritable and violent.


    The beatings became worse. The man, frustrated with his crumbling life, took his anger out on both the boy and the woman with increasing cruelty. The boy saw the danger building and knew they couldn''t continue living like this. They had to escape. For both their sakes.


    He would bring it up to his mother occasionally, suggesting they leave and never come back, but she always dismissed the idea. She claimed she didn''t know how to live outside the home and was terrified of the unknown. The boy understood her fear, but he also saw the peril of staying. He feared for her life more and more with each passing day.


    One night, after working several shifts to keep the household afloat, the woman came home late, struggling under the weight of groceries. The man, waiting impatiently for her return, was enraged by the delay. His hunger and anger boiled over, and he attacked her, beating her senselessly.


    The boy had been asleep when she returned, but something stirred him awake; a faint grunt, barely audible. He knew his mother never screamed, no matter how hard she was hit, so that small sound sent a jolt of fear through him. It was instinctive. Something was wrong.


    He slipped out of bed and down the hallway, only to witness a sight that filled him with horror. The man stood over his mother, hitting her with unrelenting fury. Her body was battered, her skin bruised and swollen. Her eyes were half-closed in pain, her face ghostly pale. She was on the brink of being beaten to death.


    For the first time in his life, the boy felt pure, unrestrained anger rise inside him. Without thinking, he rushed forward to stop the man, placing himself between the abuser and the woman he loved.


    The man, seething with rage, turned on the boy without hesitation. His fists swung wildly, landing hard blows, but something inside the boy had changed. He moved, dodging the man''s punches almost instinctively. Then, before he knew what he was doing, the boy launched his own fist.


    With all the fury of his bottled-up emotions, his knuckles crashed into the man''s jaw. The impact was swift, and the man collapsed to the floor, knocked out cold. The boy stood there, panting heavily, staring at the unconscious figure of his adoptive father.


    His hands trembled as the reality of what he had done set in. Tears welled up in his eyes, and a wave of guilt washed over him. He had knocked out his father. What had he done? Shivering, he whispered apologies to the unconscious man, but deep down, he knew there was no going back.


    Pushing aside his fear, the boy hurried to his mother''s side. She was still conscious, though barely, her body trembling from the pain. He carefully lifted her, his heart racing, desperate to get her out of there.


    "You have to run," the woman rasped, her voice weak and labored from the beating. "If he wakes up, he''ll make you pay. I don''t know if he''ll stop this time."


    "Come with me," the boy pleaded, tears streaming down his face as he looked into her weary eyes. "Please, come with me."


    The woman smiled faintly as he helped her to her feet, but there was a sadness in her eyes. She shook her head gently, her bruised face softening in the dim light. "If I''m not here," she whispered, "who will take care of him?"


    Her words hit the boy like a blow to the chest. Even after everything, even after all the suffering, she still felt bound to the man who had caused them so much pain. She couldn''t leave him. Not out of love, but out of a sense of duty.


    Tears welled up in the woman''s eyes as she gazed at the boy, her smile soft and genuine despite the bruises marring her face. "My life is here," she whispered, resting her hands gently on his small shoulders. "But you... I know you''re destined for something greater. That''s why I chose you. To give you all the love I possibly could."


    The boy''s vision blurred as tears streamed down his cheeks. He could feel the weight of her words sinking into his heart, realizing with painful clarity that this was their final conversation. Her smile, so full of love and warmth, made it even harder to accept that he had to leave her behind with the man. The guilt twisted inside him, but he knew it was the only way to keep her safe.


    The woman hesitated, her voice catching in her throat before she added, "My only regret is... that I wish you were truly my biological son."


    "B-Bio..." The boy stammered, unfamiliar with the word, choking on his tears.


    The woman''s smile widened as she gently corrected him. "It seems we haven''t quite gotten there in your lessons yet," she said, her tone warm and full of affection. She lingered on him for a moment, finding it hard to let go. "But don''t worry, you''ll learn. You''ll grow stronger. And when you do, stay true to yourself. Be just. Achieve the greatness I know you''re capable of."


    With those final words, she pulled him into a tight embrace, her arms trembling with emotion, before placing a kiss on his forehead. The boy clung to her for a moment longer, feeling the warmth of her love even through the sorrow of the moment. Then, with shaking hands, he grabbed his small, pre-packed bag and ran.


    He ran before the man could wake, before anything could stop him.


    Tears streamed down his face as he sprinted through the night, his heart pounding with a mix of fear, guilt, and determination. Each step took him farther from the life he had always known, the home where he had been raised, and the woman who had given him love. Doubts gnawed at him; had he made a mistake? But his mother''s words echoed in his mind, reassuring him. She believed in his future, believed he was meant for something better.


    The boy ran through the night, not stopping until the first rays of dawn began to light the sky. He had never ventured beyond the isolated area where he had grown up, and the sight of the bustling streets, packed with more people and cars than he''d ever imagined, overwhelmed him. He felt lost in the vastness of it all, but he knew he had to keep moving. He couldn''t stop now.


    All day, he wandered from place to place, searching for anywhere he could rest. But luck was not on his side. The boy didn''t even know what he was truly looking for, just that he couldn''t go back. As the hours stretched on, his exhaustion deepened, but he refused to give up. The sun began to dip below the horizon, and night fell once again.


    Weariness weighed heavily on him. His legs ached from running, and his eyes stung from lack of sleep. But each door he knocked on, each person he approached, turned him away. They saw his age and quickly dismissed him. Some even threatened to call the police. Terrified at the thought of being sent back to his parents, he ran before they could make the call.


    The boy knew that if the authorities got involved, they would take him straight back to the house he had fled. And that was the one thing he didn''t want to allow. He couldn''t betray his mother''s trust, or risk putting her, or even his adoptive father, in trouble.


    After hours of desperate searching, the boy finally stumbled upon a small shelter nestled beneath a bridge. To his surprise, there was food; half-eaten, but still more than he had seen in a long time. His stomach growled in betrayal, overpowering the hesitation that told him the food likely belonged to someone else. He hadn''t seen anyone around for a while, and the pangs of hunger clouded his judgment.


    Seeing it as a small blessing, he indulged in the meal. The meager bites brought a fleeting sense of comfort, his body grateful for the brief reprieve from hunger. Exhausted from the long day of running and rejection, the boy curled up in the shelter and drifted into a restless sleep.


    But that peace didn''t last.


    It felt like only moments later when rough hands shook him awake. He shot up, startled and disoriented, only to find three men looming over him. Their clothes were filthy, faded from time and wear, and their faces reflected a life hardened by years on the streets.


    "Hey, kid," one of them growled, his voice dripping with frustration. "What are you doing here?"


    The second man, eyes darting around frantically, snapped, "And where the heck is my food?" His gaze fell on the now-empty bowl beside the boy, and a dangerous silence settled over the group as they all turned to him, anger brewing in their eyes.


    The boy''s throat tightened. He opened his mouth to speak, to explain everything; the hunger, the fear, the running away; but the sight of the three men standing over him, their anger palpable, made his words catch in his throat. He couldn''t make a sound.


    "Are ya deaf?" one of them snapped, growing impatient. "Speak, ya idiot!"


    The boy''s mind raced, but no words came. His heart pounded in his chest, and fear gripped him too tightly for him to think straight. The silence stretched on, and the men began to feel mocked by his inability to respond.


    "Think you''re funny?" One of them, taller and rougher-looking, stepped forward and shoved the boy hard to the ground.


    The boy hit the cold concrete with a thud, the air knocked from his lungs. He gasped, trying to recover, but before he could, the others descended on him, kicking him furiously.


    "Are ya trying to mock us?" one of them spat, his voice filled with rage. "Ya stupid kid!"


    Each kick sent waves of pain through the boy''s body, but worse than the physical pain was the overwhelming confusion. Why were they doing this? Why couldn''t they just listen, just let him explain? His world was spinning, and for a moment, he wondered if his father had been right all along. Was this the way the world truly was; cruel, violent, indifferent to his suffering? Was the rest of the world no better than the home he had fled?


    "Why?" he gasped out between blows, his voice barely audible, more a plea than a question. "Why is this happening?"

 #107: What is Pain?

    "Kid... Hey, kid, wake up. Are you alright?"


    The words echoed through the boy''s mind, a voice filled with concern cutting through the haze. "Those troublemakers didn''t know what hit them when they decided to mess with a little kid," the voice continued. "Can you hear me?"


    Groggily, the boy blinked his eyes open, his body aching as he tried to sit up. A stranger knelt beside him, helping him steady himself. As the boy came to his senses, he realized he had been knocked unconscious, his exhaustion only making it worse. The men who attacked him were gone, the eerie silence making it clear.


    His gaze slowly shifted to the stranger, a man who appeared to have intervened. "Are you okay, kid?" the man asked, his voice gentle, yet full of concern.


    The boy nodded, though hesitantly, which prompted a soft smile from the man. "Grand," he said, though his smile faded as he continued. "I can''t believe they did that to you. I had to threaten to report them for child abuse before they backed off. Rascals, the lot of them."


    The boy took a moment to really look at the man who had saved him. His rescuer was dressed in tattered clothes, not unlike the men who attacked him. He was thin, with a scraggly beard and a worn-out hat that sat awkwardly on his head. It was clear the man didn''t have much, yet his concern for the boy seemed genuine.


    "So... what exactly are you doing here, kid?" the man asked after a moment, his curiosity mixing with empathy.


    The boy shifted awkwardly, trying to find the right words. His throat felt dry, and it took him a moment before he could answer. "I... ran away," he stammered. "From home."


    The man''s eyes widened with surprise, clearly not expecting such an answer. "Is that so?" he questioned, trying to make sense of the boy''s words.


    A heavy silence fell between them as the man pondered what to do. The boy''s situation sounded serious, but something about him made it impossible for the man to doubt him.


    "You got a name?" the man finally asked, breaking the quiet.


    The boy hesitated, then shook his head. "Father said names are only for people that matter."


    The man winced at that, his expression twisting in discomfort. "Yikes," he muttered. "I''m starting to see why you ran away."


    He thought for a moment longer before introducing himself. "Well, I''m Oscar," he said, then smirked. "But folks around here call me Scraggy."


    Oscar, or Scraggy, studied the boy for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You look a little small, huh? How old are you?"


    The boy took a few seconds, glancing at his hands as if trying to remember something his mother had taught him about ages. "Eleven... I think," he finally said.


    "Eleven, huh," Oscar mused, scratching his beard. "Well, since you''re young, and you managed to sneak away from home..." His eyes brightened as an idea came to him. "That''s it. I''ll call you Mouse."


    The boy blinked in confusion. "Mouse?" he questioned for a moment before a smile etched on his face shortly. "Is that... my real name?"


    Oscar chuckled awkwardly. "Well... not exactly," he admitted. "But it''s your new nickname. Just something to call you for now."


    "Nick?" the boy asked, his confusion deepening.


    Oscar''s smile softened as the pieces clicked together. "Your education hasn''t been the best, huh?" he remarked gently. "But don''t worry, kid. Your old buddy Scraggy will teach you everything you need to know."


    The boy''s face lit up with a hopeful smile, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. At that moment, Oscar felt a surge of concern for him. He didn''t know why, but he felt compelled to help this boy, to protect him.


    From that point on, the boy began living with Oscar, who was also homeless but had managed to carve out a small existence in the area. Oscar had a modest tent set up near the place where they first met. Despite being homeless for several years, Oscar had figured out how to keep himself safe and alive after losing everything.


    As they grew closer, Oscar opened up about his past. He explained that he used to be a rights activist, organizing protests and advocating for people who needed help. But after making some poor decisions, he strayed from his path and eventually lost everything. He viewed his current situation as karma, something he accepted, but it didn''t destroy his spirit.


    Oscar was always cheerful, greeting each day with a positive attitude. He treated the boy not just as a companion, but like a close friend. With the time they had together, Oscar took it upon himself to teach the boy basic English, helping him understand words he had struggled with before.


    Aside from learning, they worked together to survive. Most of their food came from the leftovers of a local restaurant where Oscar was friendly with the owner. Sometimes, Oscar would volunteer as an unpaid janitor to show his gratitude.


    Oscar also rummaged through dumpsters now and then, always finding things others had discarded. "It''s not ideal," he admitted, climbing out of one. "But it''s better than the alternatives."


    "Stealing''s what a lot of folks around here do," Oscar said, brushing off some dirt. "But that''s not for me. I can''t throw away the little dignity I have left."


    The boy didn''t mind this at all. In fact, he admired Oscar''s moral stance, preferring the idea of survival without stealing. Oscar was glad to see that the boy wasn''t bothered by their hard life and, even more, that the boy shared his values. It showed the goodness in him despite everything.


    Months passed, and they grew comfortable with each other. One day, Oscar went to volunteer as a janitor again, hoping to gather food for the week. The boy stayed behind in the tent, focused on his studies, determined to master his vocabulary.


    As he lay down with his book, taking mental notes, he suddenly heard a rumbling sound outside the tent. He paused, cautious, and decided to investigate. When he stepped outside, he saw three men standing there. They were the same homeless men he had encountered when he first arrived.


    "Well, well," one of them sneered, a taunting smile on his face. "If it isn''t the brat who ate my food."


    "So, you''ve been shacking up with ol'' Scraggy, huh?" another one chimed in, his tone arrogant. "Bet you think he''s some saint, just cuz he''s too scared to get some real food."


    The boy stayed silent, uneasy in their presence. He wasn''t fond of them and still wasn''t used to multiple people paying attention to him at once. But he tried to push past his discomfort.


    "He is a good person," the boy mumbled, barely loud enough for them to hear. "That''s why he won''t steal from others."


    The men were taken aback by the boy''s words, caught off-guard by his small voice. But after a few seconds of stunned silence, they broke into laughter.


    One of the men slung his arm around the boy''s shoulder, still laughing. "You little fool," he chuckled, staring at the boy with amusement. "You think the world cares about ''good'' people?"


    His expression softened slightly as he continued. "You ain''t special, kid. No more special than any of us."


    The boy didn''t respond, unable to find the words. After their laughter died down, one of the men stepped forward, addressing him again.


    "By the way," the man said, his voice dropping to a sly tone, "ya still owe me for eating my food, don''t ya?"


    "That''s right," confirmed the man with his arm around the boy.


    The first man took another step closer, watching the boy''s growing unease. "But don''t worry," he said with a sudden smile. "All ya gotta do is a little something for me, and we''ll call it even."


    The boy''s eyes widened with a glimmer of hope. "R-Really?" he stammered, eager to atone for his mistake.


    The boy walked into a small convenience store at a gas station, his steps hesitant and his heart pounding. His face showed clear signs of nervousness as he ventured further inside. He felt out of place, but he knew he had to do this. It was the only way to make amends for eating the other man''s food. All he had to do was ask the person at the counter a few questions.


    He hurried toward the man behind the counter, trying to push his anxiety aside. His voice trembled slightly, but he did his best to follow the instructions he had been given.


    The man behind the counter, noticing the boy''s shabby clothes and anxious demeanor, seemed puzzled. It was clear the boy wasn''t from a privileged background, but the cashier wasn''t bothered by him. He answered the boy''s questions patiently, without any hint of hostility.


    Then, out of nowhere, three men burst into the store. Their faces were hidden behind masks, and they carried guns, moving with urgency. The boy froze as fear washed over him. He didn''t fully grasp what was happening until one of the men shoved him aside. That''s when it hit him; the three men were the same ones who had sent him to the store in the first place. They had used him as bait, sending him in first to lower the cashier''s guard before robbing the place.


    The cashier raised his hands, complying as the men demanded the money in the register. One of them grew impatient when the cashier hesitated, stepping forward and pointing his gun directly at the man, threatening to shoot if he didn''t move faster.


    In that instant, guilt surged through the boy, and without thinking, he lunged at the man threatening to pull the trigger. He clung to him tightly, eyes shut, his small arms wrapped around the man in desperation.


    "Stop!" the boy cried out, his voice breaking the tense silence.


    The man tried to shake him off but couldn''t dislodge him. "Do you wanna die, kid?" he snarled, glaring down in frustration.


    "Why?" the boy whispered, his voice barely audible at first. Then louder, he asked, "Why are you doing this? Why did you use me for something so bad?"


    The cashier, still holding his hands up, looked at the boy with shock and concern. "Careful, kid," he warned, worried for the boy''s safety.


    The other two robbers turned to their accomplice, visibly irritated. "Let ''im go, ya fool," one of them barked. "Unless ya want a bullet in ya head."


    But the boy didn''t back down. "I won''t!" he shouted, squeezing his eyes shut even tighter, his grip not loosening.


    "You think this is funny, kid?" the man holding the gun growled, anger rising in his voice.


    "No," the boy responded without hesitation. "But I caused all this, so I have to take accountage for it."


    One of the robbers blinked in confusion. "Accountage?" he repeated, before bursting into laughter. The others joined in, laughing at the boy''s mispronunciation, their amusement cutting through the tense atmosphere.


    "Hey, Lefty, shoot this idiot if he don''t let go!" one of the men said, grinning as he wiped tears from his eyes after laughing.


    Despite the threats, the boy remained steadfast. He didn''t budge. No amount of fear, no amount of danger, would make him let go.


    "Hey, kid," the man holding the gun said, his voice lower and more dangerous now. "This is your last chance. Let go."


    The boy tightened his grip in response, his heart pounding in his chest but his resolve unshaken.


    "Blast ''im already, Lefty!" another robber shouted, his bravado faltering as he realized their threats weren''t working.


    The man aimed his gun at the boy''s head, frustration and rage simmering beneath his mask. "I''m gonna shoot you, you stupid kid," he growled. "Let go of me, now."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    But the boy remained silent, squeezing tighter.


    "Do you want to die, you dumbass?" the man screamed, his voice trembling with fury. He cocked the gun, bringing it closer to the boy''s head, causing his accomplices to flinch.


    Suddenly, before anything else could unfold, a voice from the entrance grabbed everyone''s attention.


    "Drop your weapons and put your hands where I can see them."


    The robbers turned toward the door, their faces filled with shock. A squad of police officers had swarmed the gas station, guns drawn, and more cars pulling up outside. The officers demanded the men step away from the boy and surrender their weapons. The robbers exchanged defeated glances before complying, slowly lowering their guns to the ground.


    "Down on your knees, now!" another officer barked, and the robbers obeyed, dropping to their knees in submission.


    One of the officers cautiously approached and pulled the boy away from the scene. The boy''s breath came in shallow gasps, his heart still racing with fear. As he looked back, one of the robbers, the one he had held onto, glared at him, eyes full of anger and accusation.


    "This is your fault," the man muttered through clenched teeth.


    The boy didn''t say a word, his expression frozen, as the officer led him to safety.


    After what felt like hours, Oscar finally arrived, having rushed over as soon as he heard what had happened. He spotted the boy sitting in the back of a police car, an officer keeping watch over him.


    "Officer," Oscar called out, his voice laced with worry. "Is he okay?"


    The officer gave a reassuring nod. "He''s fine," he said. "Though, maybe a bit too brave for his own good, if you ask me."


    Oscar let out a relieved sigh, a smile breaking across his face. "That''s grand," he said, easing up as the tension in his body melted away.


    The police, curious about the boy''s background and where his parents were, began asking questions after the situation. But the boy simply told them that he lived with Oscar, deliberately not mentioning his flee from home. After a brief description, one of the officers recognized who Oscar was. The officer knew him as Scraggy, a familiar and friendly face around the area. Because of this, he decided to wait with the boy until Oscar arrived to take him home.


    Oscar gave the boy a stern talking-to, scolding him for listening to the three men and getting involved in such a dangerous situation. But once the boy explained everything, Oscar found it hard to blame him completely. He understood how easily a child could be manipulated, especially by people they thought they owed something to.


    In the aftermath of the incident, the three robbers were sent to prison for armed robbery. With them out of the picture, life for Oscar and the boy became much simpler. The two of them grew even closer, their bond more like that of a father and son. Together, they worked hard to survive, relying on each other in the harsh conditions they lived in.


    The boy became skilled at scavenging and even more adept at hunting small animals like rats and squirrels. His strange ability to hunt, as well as Oscar''s continued volunteerism at the restaurant, kept them well-fed, without the need to steal from others.


    Oscar continued to teach him English, and the boy''s curiosity for learning grew as he also learned by himself. He found discarded novels and textbooks during his dumpster dives, and every day, he studied them diligently.


    As the years passed, the boy''s education flourished, becoming remarkable for someone in his circumstances; even over those who weren''t. By the time he turned fourteen, his knowledge far surpassed what anyone would expect from a child living on the streets. His hunting skills also improved, and he started selling his catches to the other struggling people in the area. This earned him not only supplies but also friends and a sense of belonging. Because of this, he gradually overcame the anxiety he once felt around others, a change he was deeply proud of.


    One day, after a long day of hunting around the city, the boy returned home with a wide grin on his face. Over his shoulder hung a large bunch of squirrels and rats, more than he''d ever caught in one go.


    "We won''t be famished for almost a week with all this," he said, beaming with pride as he approached their tent, eager to show off his successful hunt to Oscar.


    As the boy returned to the tent, a calm smile lingered on his face. "Hey, Oscar," he called out, his voice light. "You wouldn''t believe how many..."


    But the moment he fully stepped inside, his words died on his lips. His eyes widened in horror as the bundle of animals slipped from his grasp, thudding to the ground. Frozen in place, he stared at the scene before him; Oscar, lying motionless on the floor, riddled with bullets across his chest.


    The blood pooling around Oscar''s body was already drying, the dark stains telling the boy all he needed to know. Oscar had been dead for a while. A strangled cry escaped his throat as tears welled up, blurring his vision.


    "Oscar?" he called, his voice trembling. "Oscar!"


    He knelt beside him, desperately reaching out, but couldn''t bring himself to touch the wounds. His heart pounded in his chest as grief consumed him. "No," he whimpered, his sobs uncontrollable, the disbelief of the moment suffocating him.


    Later that evening, after a few other homeless people who had been drawn by his cries called for help, a small medical team arrived from a nearby clinic. But there was nothing they could do. The boy sat in stunned silence as they tended to Oscar''s body, his mind unable to grasp the cruel reality.


    How could this happen? Oscar had been fine just that morning, laughing and talking like any other day. They had never hidden anything from each other, so who could possibly want to harm him? The thought of Oscar having enemies also seemed unfathomable.


    As the boy sat there, staring blankly at the ground, one of the homeless men who had befriended him approached, his face heavy with sorrow. "I''m so sorry, Mouse," he said quietly, placing a hand on the boy''s shoulder. "Scraggy was a good man. You don''t meet many like him around here."


    The boy didn''t respond right away. After several moments of silence, he finally spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "I just don''t understand¡­ why would anyone do this to him?"


    The man sighed, the weight of the world visible in his eyes. They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity before something seemed to click in the man''s mind.


    "Though," the man said, his voice low, as if piecing it together himself, "I heard those three scumbags across the bridge who robbed some place a few years back got out of prison last week."


    The boy''s heart sank. His eyes shot up to meet the man''s, wide with a new sense of dread. "You mean... the ones who robbed the convenience store?"


    "Yeah," the man confirmed, his tone grim. "Those guys."


    For the first time, a wave of rage washed over the boy, twisting his grief into something darker. His hands clenched into fists as his body trembled. "They killed him," he thought, fury burning deep inside.


    Without saying another word, the boy stood up, his face hardening with anger. He walked away in silence, his mind filled with only one thought; Rage.


    As the sun sank below the horizon, night settled in, casting long shadows over the city. In a shabby tent tucked away behind a cluster of buildings, two homeless men sat hunched over, eyes glued to the flickering screen of a small television. These were the same two men who had recently been released from prison, trying to find some semblance of normalcy in their lives.


    The air inside the tent was thick with silence, broken only by the occasional hum of static from the television. Suddenly, one of the men stiffened, his eyes catching movement outside. A shadow flitted past the tent. His brow furrowed in confusion, and he nudged his companion.


    "Go check that out," he muttered, his voice low.


    "Why me?" the second man asked, clearly unenthused.


    "Because I don''t want to," the first one shot back lazily, not taking his eyes off the screen.


    With a frustrated sigh, the second man grumbled as he pushed himself to his feet and stepped outside. He scanned the dimly lit surroundings, seeing nothing out of place. Just as he was about to turn back inside, his eyes met a figure that stood behind him. Startled, the man flinched but then quickly relaxed when he recognized it was the boy standing silently before him.


    "Oh, it''s just you, Mouse," the man said before growing a taunting smirk. "You''ve grown since we last..."


    But his sentence was cut short by a sudden, brutal right hook to his face. The boy''s fist connected with deadly force, nearly knocking the man unconscious in one strike. He stumbled back, dazed and barely comprehending what had just happened.


    The sound of the impact drew the other man from the tent. He stepped out to find the boy raining down a series of vicious punches on his companion who lay on the ground, each hit landing with ferocity, driving the man into unconsciousness.


    "What the hell?!" the second man shouted, rushing toward the boy in bewildered anger. He swung wildly, fists flying in confused rage, but the boy dodged every strike with an almost supernatural ease. His movements were smooth, and instinctive, like he knew exactly where the blows would come from.


    Before the man could recover from his failed attempts, the boy went on the offensive. He lashed out with a sharp punch to the man''s jaw, sending a shock of pain coursing through his body. Another punch followed, then another, each one landing with precision and power. The man''s head spun, his vision blurring as if he were being struck by a steel bat. Within moments, he was on the ground, gasping for breath.


    "A kid... a mere kid..." he thought in disbelief. "How''s he causing this much pain?"


    The boy grabbed him by the throat, holding him firmly on the ground. His grip was unrelenting, his eyes filled with a blazing fury. "You killed him," the boy hissed, his voice cold and unfamiliar, as if the anger had transformed him.


    The man''s hands scrambled to free himself, choking under the boy''s iron grip. Confusion clouded his thoughts as he struggled to understand what the boy meant. And then, it clicked.


    "W-Wait!" the man choked out, barely able to speak.


    But the boy wasn''t listening. His rage consumed him as he tightened his hold, the man''s face turning pale as he fought for air. Just then, a voice came from behind.


    "We didn''t do it, I swear!"


    The boy''s head snapped around to see the first man he had knocked down slowly regaining consciousness. The man sat up weakly, clutching his bruised face, his voice hoarse.


    "It was Lefty," he continued, coughing between words. "He was the one... he''s been hooked on revenge ever since we went to prison. Said he was gonna make ya pay. We wanted no part of it, so we split from him. We left that life behind. Please... ya gotta believe me."


    The boy froze, staring at the man, processing his words before returning his head forward. His breath came in heavy bursts as the rage still burned in his chest. Slowly, he loosened his grip on the other man''s throat and got up, allowing him to gasp for air.


    The boy stood in silence, towering over them, his eyes still dark with fury. The two men remained on the ground, battered and bruised, barely able to believe the beating they had just endured at the hands of someone so young.


    After what felt like an eternity of silence, the boy finally turned and walked away, his body tense. Neither man said a word as they watched him leave, stunned into silence. Bruised and broken, they exchanged a glance of disbelief, the fear still lingering in their eyes. They had survived, but the encounter had left them shaken to their core.


    Lefty, the last of the men, was busy setting up a new tent far from his usual spot. His face was twisted in a scowl as he moved silently, anger simmering beneath his skin. He lifted a few boxes, organizing his belongings, when a faint noise caught his attention.


    He turned sharply, his eyes widening in shock. Standing at the entrance was the boy, his face twisted in pure, unbridled rage; a fury so intense it seemed to radiate from him. Lefty instinctively stepped back, the boxes slipping from his hands and crashing to the ground. The boy advanced a step, his eyes locked onto the man who had taken everything from him.


    "You goddamn mouse," Lefty sneered, though there was an undercurrent of surprise in his voice.


    The boy''s response was immediate, cutting through the tension like a knife. "You killed him," he said, his voice low but filled with raw emotion. He wanted to hear it, needed to hear the confirmation.


    Lefty stood there for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, as if a switch had flipped, a cruel grin spread across his face.


    "You mean that idiot, Scraggy?" he said, the words hitting the boy like a slap. "Yeah, that''s right." His grin widened, malicious and mocking. "He didn''t even know what hit him."


    The confirmation was all the boy needed. In a heartbeat, he lunged at Lefty, his right fist swinging with all the fury he could muster. Lefty, however, was ready. He dodged the boy''s punch with ease and countered with a heavy blow to the boy''s torso, the impact knocking the wind out of him. As the boy staggered, Lefty grabbed him by the collar, pulling him close.


    "You would''ve joined him too if you''d been there," Lefty hissed, leaning in dangerously close. His voice dropped to a whisper by the boy''s ear. "But don''t worry, I''ll send you to him soon enough."


    With that, the fight erupted in full force. The boy, driven by rage, swung wildly, his fists fueled by grief and anger. But Lefty, hardened by years in prison, was no stranger to violence. His body was muscular, sculpted from years of intense workouts behind bars, and he easily blocked many of the boy''s strikes. They traded blows, each hit landing with the force of their hatred for one another.


    Unlike the other two men, Lefty was strong, his punches brutal. The boy tried not to back down, but after Lefty landed punch after punch, his brutal blows overwhelmed the boy. Each hit felt like a sledgehammer, and soon the boy began to falter under the onslaught. The hulking man laughed, mocking his young opponent with every swing.


    "You moronic child," Lefty sneered between punches. "You should''ve run while you had the chance. But instead, you chose to walk right into the lion''s den."


    With a final, powerful blow, Lefty knocked the boy to the ground. His laughter echoed in the small space as he kicked the boy viciously, aiming for his torso and head. Pain surged through the boy''s body, and he realized how outmatched he was against this monstrous man. Lefty''s kicks were relentless, each one threatening to send him into unconsciousness.


    "You should''ve seen his face," Lefty suddenly said, his voice dripping with sadistic glee. "I put so many bullets in him, he began to look like Swiss cheese."


    That sentence, that image, ignited a fresh wave of fury in the boy. At that moment, the rage that surged in him had far surpassed anything he had ever felt in his entire life. Before Lefty could land another kick, the boy''s leg shot out, sweeping the man off his feet. With surprising speed, the boy leaped up, capitalizing on the moment, straddling Lefty and pinning him down.


    Lefty tried to fight back, throwing a punch at the boy''s face. But the boy caught his fist mid-air, gripping it with such strength that Lefty''s eyes widened in shock. He tried to pull free, but the boy''s grasp was ironclad, impossibly strong for someone so young.


    The boy''s eyes were different now; wild with rage, nearly glowing with a blood-red intensity. And then, without warning, he started pummeling Lefty, his fists crashing down onto the man''s face like sledgehammers. Each punch was harder than the last, splitting skin and bruising bone. Lefty''s face became a bloody mess, his consciousness slipping with every devastating hit.


    In a desperate attempt to survive, Lefty reached under the mattress beside him, his fingers brushing against cold metal as he slowly pulled out a pistol. Lefty pointed the gun with haste at the boy, but before he could fire, the boy disarmed him, snatching the gun from his hand in one swift, fluid motion.


    Lefty, bloodied and broken, looked up at the boy, a sick grin pulling at his split lips as he witnessed the boy tilt the weapon toward him.


    "You... you don''t have the guts," he croaked through the pain.


    The boy''s expression was unreadable, his rage boiling beneath the surface. Then, without hesitation, he squeezed the trigger. A single shot rang out, and Lefty''s body jerked as the bullet pierced his skull.


    There was a moment of silence. But the boy''s fury hadn''t subsided. He fired again. And again. And again. Each shot a mirror of what had happened to Oscar. He emptied the clip into Lefty''s body, firing until the gun clicked, its ammunition spent. And even then, the boy kept pulling the trigger, the cold metallic clicks echoing in the night.


    He had closed his eyes, lost in the storm of his rage. But now, as the final click sounded, he slowly opened them. His breath came in ragged gasps, and he looked down at Lefty''s lifeless body. Blood pooled beneath him, the sight surreal. Trembling, the boy''s gaze fell to his own hands, still gripping the gun.


    He let it drop, the weapon falling from his grasp as though it burned him.


    His heart pounded violently in his chest. Shock replaced the fury in his eyes, and his breaths became shallow, panicked. He couldn''t tear his gaze away from the scene before him, the gruesome aftermath of what he had just done.


    In a whisper, barely audible between his ragged breaths, the boy finally spoke, his voice full of disbelief and horror.


    "What have I done?"

 #108: When is it Better?

    The wail of sirens had long faded, leaving only the quiet hum of fluorescent lights in the dim interrogation room. Two officers, a man and a woman, sat across from the boy, separated by a cold metal table. His eyes remained fixed on the ground, silent and withdrawn, as the officers exchanged glances, unsure of where to begin.


    The woman finally broke the silence, her voice soft. "Do you need anything? Water? Maybe a snack?"


    The boy shook his head without looking up, and silence settled in again until the male officer leaned forward, clearing his throat.


    "So let me get this straight," he began. "You shot a man. Multiple times. It wasn''t in self-defense¡­ but you still turned yourself in?"


    The boy nodded, his response wordless but unwavering.


    "Why did you do it?" the woman asked gently, searching his face.


    After a long pause, he found his voice. "He killed Scraggy," he whispered. "And it was my fault. Scraggy didn''t deserve to die."


    The two officers exchanged a glance, surprised at the boy''s tone. There was no trace of menace or defiance in his voice, only the hollow grief of someone who seemed as lost as they were.


    "How did you even end up in that place?" the woman asked, hoping to piece together the boy''s story. "What were you doing there?"


    The boy hesitated, his gaze faltering. "I¡­ ran away from home," he admitted, his voice barely audible. "It felt like¡­ the only option at the time."


    Another pause stretched, the weight of his words filling the room. The officers were still digesting his admission when another officer slipped in quietly, handing the woman a file before stepping back out.


    She skimmed through the pages, her eyes widening slightly as she read, then looked up, the shock evident in her expression. "You were adopted, right?" she asked.


    The boy nodded again, and as the man picked up the file, the boy''s shoulders drooped, a sense of guilt settling over him.


    "I know you''ll send me back," he said quietly. "I just¡­ I just don''t want you to hold any of this against my foster parents. They didn''t do anything wrong."


    The woman''s expression softened, sympathy mingling with confusion. The male officer turned his gaze between the file and the boy, a flicker of unease crossing his face.


    "There may be¡­ an issue with your request," he started, his voice cautious. "You see..."


    But the woman interrupted him with a sharp look. She leaned in, whispering, "You really think now''s the right time to tell him?"


    "He''ll have to know eventually," the man whispered back, his tone firm. "Better now than later."


    The woman shook her head, glancing at the boy, whose gaze was still fixed downward. "He''s already in shock," she said gently. "Why pile more on him now?"


    "Betty, he killed someone," the man replied with an unyielding edge.


    "That''s not fair," she countered, her voice softening even more. "This isn''t a typical case, and you know it."


    The man exhaled heavily, resigned. "Fine."


    Their whispered exchange was broken by a small voice. "I can handle it," the boy said quietly, causing both officers to look over in surprise. "If it''s something I need to know¡­ I want to know now."


    They exchanged another glance, taken aback that he''d heard their entire conversation from such a distance. The man looked at Betty one last time before he turned to the boy, settling into a grim expression.


    "It''s about your adoptive parents," he began, his voice steady but tinged with sympathy. "Your mother¡­ she was under a lot of strain. She took on multiple jobs and kept up the housework. But¡­ ultimately, she passed a few years back."


    The boy''s head lifted, his wide eyes searching the officer''s face as the man continued.


    "It happened at a hospital nearby," he said, hesitating before he added, "According to the report, there were indications¡­ of self-harm."


    The boy blinked, taking in the words, his gaze a mixture of confusion and growing sorrow. The man looked down briefly at the file before continuing.


    "As for your adoptive father¡­ he didn''t handle her passing well," the man said, his tone now low. "He turned to a life of crime, robbery. It ended tragically. He was shot by an officer after taking a hostage in a failed attempt."


    The silence hung heavily as the boy sat in shock, each word echoing in his mind, filling him with a grief he hadn''t expected. Tears slipped down his face, and the officers watched as he wrestled with a flood of emotions. His adoptive mother, who had always been the image of resilience, the person he''d wanted to make proud, was gone. And his father, whose approval he had longed to earn, had met a tragic end he could barely comprehend.


    It was a harsh reality, one that stripped away the hopes he had carried for so long. His dreams of returning to them, of showing them the man he''d become, had all vanished into the silence of the room.


    The two officers sat silently, watching as the boy wept quietly. After a few minutes, he steadied himself, drawing in a deep breath before he spoke.


    "What happens now?" he asked softly. "Am I going to jail?"


    "No," the woman answered quickly.


    The man cleared his throat. "We don''t know that yet."


    She shot him a look of frustration before turning back to the boy. "No matter what," she continued gently, "you''ll need a new place to stay. Possibly another foster home."


    The boy sat, taking in her words. He understood the need but dreaded the idea of moving again, fearing that his presence, with all the trouble and guilt he carried, might just burden someone else. It felt too easy to slip into a new life without facing his past. Suddenly, an idea surfaced in his mind, and he looked at the officers with a hint of determination.


    "Would it be possible," he asked, his voice steady, "for me to join the military?"


    The question stunned them both. The woman''s brow furrowed. "Are you¡­ sure about that?" she asked, her shock evident.


    The man''s expression hardened. "Don''t tell me you''re considering this," he said to his partner. "He''s not even sixteen."


    "I know," the boy said, cutting in. "But I want to atone... really atone, in a meaningful way." His gaze dropped, and his voice softened. "Everything is my fault. Scraggy was killed because of me. I beat and shot a man... and my adoptive mom¡­" His voice broke, then steadied. "Maybe if I''d been there, she''d still be alive. My dad wouldn''t have¡­"


    He trailed off, but his words weighed heavy in the air. He was opening himself up completely, revealing the pain and guilt he carried, hoping they''d understand.


    "Please," he continued, barely above a whisper, "let me atone for my sins by serving my country."


    The officers looked at him in astonishment, moved by his raw honesty and willingness to accept the consequences. For such a young boy, his words held a sincerity that felt unshakable.


    Finally, the woman turned to her partner, and then back to the boy. "I''ll see what I can do," she said, her voice firm with an edge of reassurance.


    The man stayed silent, almost surprised by his own agreement. After a pause, the two officers rose, gathering the files from the table before giving the boy a final nod and heading toward the door, leaving him alone in the quiet room.


    Months slipped by after the boy''s last encounter with the officers, and after persistent negotiations, he was finally enrolled in the United States military. Lacking a formal name, he was registered as Alex Majors, giving him a new identity for official records.


    The boy tackled every test and trial with unexpected ease, his experiences as a homeless youth and his sharpened instincts helping him glide through the rigorous training. His abilities surprised his instructors, who frequently questioned if he was really as young as his records indicated. Physically, he exceeded expectations, matching- and in some areas, outclassing- his older peers. Yet, it was his marksmanship that left the most lasting impression.


    Though he had only handled a gun once before, his aim was remarkably precise. After just weeks of training, he became an exceptional marksman, earning the admiration of his instructors, who sometimes exempted him from drills in recognition of his advanced skills. Though he insisted on participating alongside his comrades.


    Despite his standout talent and the clear respect of his superiors, the boy was popular among the other recruits. He treated everyone with kindness and respect, fostering friendships and gaining a reputation as a grounded, selfless young man. For a boy who had once felt so alone, the camaraderie was both unexpected and deeply comforting. Over the next year and a half, the boy, now fifteen, was accepted as an equal. Those few who had been skeptical of him eventually warmed up, recognizing his genuine heart.


    One exception remained, however; Jackson Shaw. At nineteen, Shaw was another of the camp''s younger recruits, a hard worker with fierce dedication to earning his own name in the military. But where others praised the boy, Shaw felt overshadowed. Though he tried relentlessly to prove himself, he resented how effortlessly the boy seemed to shine, his jealousy brewing into resentment.


    One evening, a fellow recruit stopped by Shaw''s quarters to retrieve something, surprised to find Shaw alone.


    "Shaw?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You''re not at the mess hall?"


    Shaw shrugged, feigning disinterest. "What''s happening there?"Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "It''s Majors'' promotion party," the recruit explained. "We''re throwing him a celebration for making Corporal."


    The name made Shaw''s expression darken. "Majors, huh?" he muttered, as though the word left a bitter taste.


    The other recruit gave him a curious look. "You don''t seem to like Majors," he noted. "Why''s that?"


    Shaw shifted, lying back on his bed. "It''s not that I dislike him," he said with forced indifference. "I just don''t see the need to be his friend."


    It was obvious to the recruit that jealousy lay at the heart of Shaw''s words. "I get it," the man said, "but Majors is one of the best people I''ve met. He''s always helping others, even when he doesn''t have to."


    "Maybe," Shaw replied, "but I don''t need his help."


    The recruit lingered, looking thoughtful before asking, "So, why did you join the army, Shaw?"


    Caught off guard, Shaw hesitated. "To serve my country," he replied.


    "So you joined on your own terms?" the man pressed, nodding as Shaw gave a slight nod.


    "That''s a privilege," the recruit pointed out, his tone firm. "Not everyone has that choice. Some people are here because it''s their only chance to survive."


    Shaw was taken aback, realizing the recruit was talking about the boy. He''d never considered that the boy might have had no other option. He''d assumed the boy''s constant smile was simply youthful optimism, not resilience. The recruit, having retrieved what he needed, gave Shaw a long look as he left.


    "Be grateful you don''t know if you could smile like he does after going through what he has," he said pointedly.


    His words stung, but Shaw understood. His resentment suddenly seemed petty. For the first time, he wondered if befriending the boy might help him grow stronger, both as a soldier and as a person.


    Shaw hadn''t known about the trials the boy had faced to end up here, joining the military at such an impossibly young age. It spoke volumes about his desperation, and Shaw could feel his perspective shifting. His initial resentment over feeling outclassed by the boy now seemed petty, and he felt a pang of sympathy for what the boy had endured. With a sigh, he swallowed his pride, determined to make amends.


    Later, Shaw arrived at the party, where laughter and chatter filled the air, and recruits were clapping each other on the back, enjoying the rare chance to celebrate. In the midst of it, Shaw spotted the boy and approached him.


    "Congratulations," Shaw said quietly, catching the boy''s attention. "On your promotion."


    The boy looked up, breaking into a warm smile. "Thank you," he replied. "You must be Jackson Shaw. I don''t think we''ve met formally."


    Shaw nodded, feeling somewhat awkward. The boy extended his hand. "Well, it''s nice to meet you officially. They call me Alex Majors here, though it''s more of an assigned name than anything."


    "Assigned name?" Shaw asked, grasping the boy''s hand for a firm handshake.


    "Yeah," the boy said with a shrug. "My biological parents passed before I had a real name, and my adoptive parents never gave me one. They just needed something for the paperwork here."


    Shaw felt a chill as the boy recounted this without the slightest shift in expression. It only deepened his respect and guilt. The boy seemed unfazed, though, flashing another smile.


    "Anyway, enough about me," he went on. "I''ve heard a lot of great things about you from the others. Glad we finally got to meet."


    Shaw found himself genuinely moved by the boy''s positivity. He managed a smile, nodding back. "Likewise," he said. "It''s¡­ good to have someone kind-hearted and younger than I am around."


    The boy laughed lightly. "I try," he said. "Honestly, I''m just grateful to have you guys as support."


    The two fell into easy conversation, enjoying the party. They played games, joined in the festivities, and quickly formed a friendship that grew over the coming days, brought closer by their shared youthful perspective amid a group of older recruits.


    A few weeks later, both boys were summoned by the camp commander. Inside the commander''s office, they stood side by side at attention, waiting for orders while the commander, seated at his desk, reviewed several documents.


    "At ease, soldiers," he said after a moment, not looking up from his papers. The two relaxed slightly, awaiting further instructions. Finally, the commander set down his pen and met their eyes.


    "I''m sure you''re wondering why you''ve been called here," he began.


    They exchanged glances, both equally uncertain.


    "Let me begin by asking you both a question," the commander said, turning back to the paperwork, pausing before asking. "Why did you join the army? What was your main reason?"


    Both stood quietly, sensing the importance of the question. Shaw straightened first, speaking up. "To serve my country, sir."


    The commander remained silent, signing the papers before the boy took a breath to reply. "To protect as many lives as I can, sir," he said.


    The commander gave a small, approving nod. "Excellent answer, Majors," he said. "Protecting lives is the highest duty anyone can aspire to, no matter the connection to those lives."


    He turned his gaze to Shaw. "It''s commendable to want to serve one''s country. But remember, you may face moments when your country''s choices might not align with what you believe in. When that time comes¡­what will you do?"


    Shaw stood in silence, just as the boy did, as neither could find the words to respond to the commander, who continued flipping through his documents. Without looking up, he spoke in a steady voice.


    "America has one of the largest military forces in the world," he began, his tone practical yet charged with an undertone of pride. "It''s no surprise we''re feared. But we''re also respected, and that respect allows us to create alliances when they''re needed most. One of those alliances is with Japan."


    The commander placed his pen down, rising from his chair as he turned to face the window behind him. The seriousness in his stance grew as he began to reveal the reason for their meeting.


    "Recently, Japan has been struggling with a sudden surge of mafia groups spreading across the country, concentrated particularly in Osaka," he explained. "These gangs are now at each other''s throats, and their war is causing widespread instability, civilian casualties, and unwanted public attention."


    The man''s gaze was unyielding, even though Shaw and the boy couldn''t see his expression. "Japan has requested our assistance, in utmost secrecy, to address this issue before it escalates any further."


    Turning back, the commander fixed his piercing stare on the two young soldiers. "And that''s where you two come in," he announced. "Our base has been chosen to send two of our finest recruits, those with both combat skill and intelligence, for this top-secret mission. You two were selected as representatives."


    Shaw and the boy exchanged a quick, serious glance before returning their attention to the commander. "Do you think you''re capable of the task ahead?" he asked, a silent weight in his words.


    "Yes, sir," they responded in unison, voices firm.


    "Good," he replied. "Effective tomorrow, you''ll both depart for South Korea. There, you''ll board a ship that will discreetly take you into Kyoto. Once in Japan, our specialists will escort you to a secure base in Osaka, where you''ll join the team working to neutralize this threat."


    The boy listened intently, understanding the gravity of this mission. He felt a blend of anticipation and determination. He was ready to take on this new responsibility. After a final exchange of instructions, the commander dismissed them but called out one last reminder as they turned to leave.


    "And remember," he added, his voice steely, "this is a top-secret mission of extreme importance. Do not fail."


    "Yes, sir," they replied, departing with resolve.


    That night, the boy kept quiet about the mission, unable to share a word of it with his fellow recruits. By dawn, he and Shaw were on their way to a military base for a transport flight to South Korea. Upon arrival, they were taken to a port and boarded a small, unmarked ferry that would take them to Japan. Their destination, a remote base well hidden in an isolated region, would be the headquarters for their mission.


    Entering the base, they immediately sensed the covert nature of the assignment; only about twenty personnel moved around the main room, each absorbed in their own tasks. Soon, they were brought to the commander of the facility, who greeted them as they stood at attention.


    "You''re the recruits from Fort Hamilton, correct?" the man asked, scrutinizing them with a calm yet assessing eye.


    "Yes, sir," they confirmed without hesitation.


    A smile tugged at the commander''s lips. "Good to have you both on board. This mission demands absolute precision, and I believe you''re up to the challenge."


    He spoke briefly with them before directing them to another room where they met the head of the operation. Stepping inside, they saw it was a meeting room, and standing at the front was the head of the operation; a Japanese man with an air of calm authority, surrounded by others assigned to the mission.


    As they entered, the man turned to greet them with a warm smile. "¤³¤ó¤Ë¤Á¤Ï (Kon''nichiwa). Welcome," he said, addressing the two recruits. "You must be the last to arrive for this project."


    The man offered a polite nod before returning his attention to the small gathering. "It''s a pleasure to meet you both, as well as everyone here," he said with a welcoming tone.


    Shaw and the boy found their seats as the room shared a brief but cordial smile. Once they were settled, the head of the operation continued. "I''m sure many of you are wondering why you were summoned here on such short notice," he began.


    The recruits exchanged uncertain glances, confirming their curiosity. "Don''t worry," the man said reassuringly. "I''ll explain everything now."


    Moving to a board at the front of the room, he drew their full attention. "Some of you may have been briefed on our objective prior to your departure. But the summary is that Japan''s infamous Yakuza organizations are becoming alarmingly active," he began. "A conflict has erupted among them, sparking violence that''s destabilizing Osaka and affecting all of Japan, threatening countless innocent lives."


    The boy listened closely, every word sharpening his understanding of the mission. "The issue traces back a few months ago to the main Yakuza family, the Kagutsuchi (¥«¥°¥Ä¥Á)."


    The man''s voice took on a grave note. "Their leader was recently imprisoned after interfering in government affairs and businesses. This arrest incited serious backlash. While some Yakuza factions loyal to the Kagutsuchi have mobilized to defend the clan, others question their allegiances and what the situation meant for their families. This eventually triggered a war between the Kagutsuchi and the Rokurokubi (¤í¤¯¤íÊ×); another powerful family vying for dominance."


    The boy tried to absorb the details, sensing the tension mirrored on the other recruits'' faces. The cultural and political complexity was dense, but he listened intently as the man explained.


    "This war has impacted Japan deeply, with other families joining either side depending on their views, escalating the conflict further," the head continued grimly.


    A shadow crossed the man''s expression as he lowered his voice. "And this conflict has only fueled the ambitions of the Ishin (¾SÐÂ)," he muttered bitterly.


    The unfamiliar name stirred confusion, which the man noticed. He chose to elaborate.


    "The Ishin are a mercenary group operating in Japan. They claim to want a better government, to make Japan a safer place. But they take justice into their own hands, assassinating politicians and other bodies of power they deem unworthy, all in the name of ''peace.''"


    The boy felt a chill run down his spine. "Who would kill others in the name of peace?" he wondered, a quiet unease growing within him.


    To him, it seemed contradictory, and he struggled to see any logic in taking lives to protect them. He decided to focus on the briefing for now, pushing his misgivings aside.


    "The Ishin have been taking matters into their own hands, targeting factions that have grown excessively violent," the man continued. "In fact, they''ve already wiped out three entire Yakuza families under the Rokurokubi''s influence in Kyoto, all due to the high civilian toll caused by their clashes."


    A series of shocked murmurs rippled through the room. The scope of the Ishin''s influence was chilling.


    "They are indeed a deadly force," the man went on after a pause, "but their methods are brutal and unwanted, stoking the fire instead of putting it out."


    The man paused, realizing he had digressed, and steered the conversation back on course. "But the main concern is the conflict between the two families," he said, shifting his focus to the recruits. "This is where all of you come in."


    The recruits watched as he explained their mission. "For the next few months, you''ll have access to the public surveillance cameras around Osaka, gathering intel that might help the government resolve this war without any further bloodshed," he explained. "Your task is critical, so let''s begin."


    Once the meeting concluded, the recruits were immediately put to work. The boy immersed himself in understanding the situation fully, dedicating himself to his role in achieving a peaceful outcome. He even started learning Japanese, though it wasn''t his primary focus.


    Over the next month, the facility made substantial progress in gathering intel, identifying and stopping harmful activities by smaller factions, and averting numerous civilian casualties. The boy and Shaw worked tirelessly, sharing insights and gradually forming a close friendship.


    One evening, Shaw caught up with the boy after a long day. "Hey, Majors, I heard you wrapped up your recon on the north side," Shaw said.


    "Yeah," the boy replied, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "We managed to neutralize a few threats up there."


    "Impressive," Shaw nodded, giving the boy an appreciative grin. "So what''s on your plate now?"


    "They''re having me hold off until we''re done with Osaka," he explained. "Then I might get sent to assist in Kyoto."


    "Kyoto?" Shaw''s eyes widened. "That''s huge."


    "Right?" the boy replied, a hint of excitement in his tone. "Maybe you''ll be joining me if..."


    Before he could finish, a sharp, deafening blast echoed through the building. Both boys turned in shock, watching as one of their teammates collapsed to the floor, blood pooling from a wound at the back of his head.


    Panic flashed between them as alarms blared throughout the facility. Shaw and the boy exchanged a horrified look, the weight of the situation settling over them like a cold shadow. Taking a shaky breath, the boy managed to speak.


    "We''ve been infiltrated."

 #109: Why Me?

    "We''ve been infiltrated."


    As the boy spoke, a hail of gunfire erupted across the facility. He and Shaw dropped to the ground, instinctively ducking as bullets tore through the air around them. Moving quickly but cautiously, they slid behind a nearby table, both struggling to process the chaos.


    The boy''s heartbeat pounded in his ears as he fought to control his ragged breaths.


    "Majors?" Shaw called, his voice laced with urgency.


    The boy turned, only for his gaze to freeze in horror. Lying just feet away was the Head of Operations, his body lifeless, chest riddled with bullet wounds, blood pooling around him. They shared a silent, horrified glance as the gunfire continued echoing through the facility.


    "We need to get to our weapons," Shaw whispered urgently.


    With a nod, the boy followed as they moved stealthily toward their quarters. But just as they edged toward the hallway, the main doors burst open. Figures in dark clothing and menacing masks charged in; the infiltrators. The boy''s stomach twisted with fear, but he steeled himself, focusing on their immediate goal.


    Once in his room, Shaw searched frantically, hands sliding over his belongings in the dark to avoid drawing attention. They''d grown accustomed to surveillance work, not combat, and locating his sidearm now felt painfully slow. After what felt like an eternity, Shaw''s fingers closed around a handgun buried between his luggage.


    "Drop your weapon."


    The voice behind him sent a chill through his veins. Shaw recognized it instantly. Turning slowly, he saw the boy aiming his own gun, his expression fierce, his weapon trained on a masked figure looming behind Shaw with a gun poised.


    The mask bore a twisted design; a snake-like emblem with a demon''s face replacing the creature''s head.


    "Rokurokubi," the boy realized, heart sinking. This was the symbol of the ruthless Yakuza faction they''d been tasked with monitoring. How had they discovered the facility? There was no time to consider this; he had to act.


    "Drop your weapon." His command was met with silence as the masked man''s gaze shifted to him, eyes cold and calculating behind the mask.


    Shaw took a careful step back, trying to ease away from the line of fire. Just as the boy tensed his grip on his weapon, ready to act, the intruder began to murmur, almost to himself, in Japanese.


    "¤í¤¯¤íÊפ¬Ë½¤Î×ï¤òÇå¤á¤Æ¤¯¤À¤µ¤¤¤Þ¤¹¤è¤¦¤Ë (Rokurokubi ga watashi no tsumi o kiyomete kudasaimasu y¨­ ni)."


    The words sent a chill down the boy''s spine, his mind racing with the ominous meaning. In one fluid motion, the intruder adjusted his grip, pointing his gun back toward Shaw, finger closing over the trigger and firing.


    "No!" the boy yelled, pulling the trigger on his own weapon without hesitation. His shot hit true, the force knocking the intruder back, his body dropping lifelessly to the floor.


    Rushing forward, the boy knelt beside Shaw, eyes scanning him frantically for signs of injury.


    "Shaw¡­" the boy murmured, crouching beside his friend, worry sharp in his voice. "Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine," Shaw managed, wincing as he clutched his left arm, where the bullet had grazed him. "It''s just a flesh wound, luckily."


    Shaw had dropped quickly after the shot, managing to evade the worst of it, though his arm throbbed in protest. The boy''s tense face softened in relief, fear ebbing back now that he saw Shaw was still breathing. He hadn''t been ready to lose his friend. But the reprieve was brief; they both knew the clock was ticking. They needed to escape, and fast. The sounds of gunfire would undoubtedly attract more of them.


    "Shaw," the boy started urgently, "we have to..."


    But his words were cut short by a sharp crack. He watched, helpless, as a bullet pierced Shaw''s head, the light in his friend''s eyes extinguishing instantly. The boy''s heart clenched painfully, his world narrowing to the sight of Shaw''s lifeless body, blood seeping across the floor in silence.


    "±Ë¤Ï¤½¤ÎÊËʤµ¤¨½K¤¨¤ë¤³¤È¤¬¤Ç¤­¤Ê¤«¤Ã¤¿ (Kare wa sono shigoto sae oeru koto ga dekinakatta)," sneered a voice behind him.


    The boy''s eyes stayed fixed on Shaw, numb to the world as another figure, masked just like the previous attacker, raised a gun to his head from behind him. However, as the trigger clicked, the boy instinctively tilted his head; an action faster than the bullet.


    The bullet bolted past him, embedding itself in the wall. Inhumanly quick, his movement seemed impossible, and the intruder froze, his masked face hiding his shock.


    "ºÎ? (Nani?)" he stammered, rattled by the boy''s uncanny reaction.


    After a brief moment, he dismissed it, chalking up his miss to bad aim. He adjusted his grip, steadying his gun for another shot. But before he could take aim, the boy''s arm snapped up with breathtaking speed, gun already leveled at his attacker. Without turning his gaze from Shaw''s fallen form, he fired behind him, the bullet finding the stranger''s head with deadly precision. The masked man dropped instantly, his body crumpling behind the boy in an eerie silence.


    The boy slowly rose, turning his head at last to face his fallen opponent. He revealed his pupils that were constricted, giving his stare a chilling, predatory edge. Then, as if an internal switch flipped, his gaze softened, pupils returning to normal. His chest heaved with rapid breaths, exhaustion beginning to weigh down his limbs as if from nowhere, though he hid it well with his anger.


    Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the hall. More intruders were closing in. The boy''s head snapped to the doorway as two more figures stepped into view.


    "ºÎ¤¬Æð... (Nani ga Oko...)" One started, only to stop as he took in the fallen men and the boy, standing amid the carnage.


    Realizing what had happened, they reached for their guns. But the boy was already moving, faster than a blur, sweeping up beside them. His knee struck the closest intruder''s arm with brutal force, knocking the weapon from his grip. Tears brimmed in the boy''s eyes, his face contorted in a fury he could no longer hold back.


    With lightning speed, the boy struck the first stranger with a brutal punch to the head, knocking him unconscious and fracturing his mask. The second intruder had his gun drawn by then, but before he could fire, the boy seized his arm, twisted the gun from his grip, and fired a shot straight at the first fallen man, striking him fatally through the heart.


    Keeping a firm hold on the second man''s arm, the boy wrenched it sharply, snapping bone. The infiltrator cried out in agony as the boy swept his feet out from under him, dropping him to the ground. The boy fell upon him, unleashing a storm of punches, each blow more forceful than the last, smashing through the mask and battering the stranger''s face to a bloody mess. Driven by anger, he continued relentlessly, fists pounding even after the man lay motionless, his skull fractured and bleeding. But he couldn''t stop; didn''t want to stop; until a sudden gunshot broke his focus.


    The boy froze, his blood-stained hands hovering above the man''s battered face. A warm trickle down his side alerted him to the blood seeping from his own wound, one that had just manifested. Turning, he saw a figure approaching, gun aimed and voice dripping with cold malice.


    "¾ý¤¿¤Á¤ÎÊËʤϤ¿¤ÀÒ»¤Ä¤À¤Ã¤¿ (Kimitachi no shigoto wa tada hitotsudatta)," the deep voice sneered. "¤¢¤Ê¤¿¤ÎËÀÌå¤Ï¤¢¤Ê¤¿¤Èͬ¤¸¤è¤¦¤ËÒÛ¤ËÁ¢¤¿¤Ê¤¤ (Anata no shitai wa anata to onajiy¨­ni yakunitatanai)."


    The figure stepped closer, mask identical to the others in design, but painted in an ominous, rank-signifying, deep red. The boy staggered, the realization hitting as he felt the fresh wound beneath his shirt.


    Before he could move, the red-masked man fired again, the bullet slamming into the boy''s chest. A third shot followed, sending him collapsing to the floor. His vision swam, fading as the red-masked figure glanced briefly at his weapon, seemingly puzzled by his aim, almost like he had missed where he intended to fire.


    Disregarding his concerns, the man pocketed his gun, dismissing the boy as he walked off. As he entered the main room, he pulled out his phone, speaking briefly to someone on the other end in Japanese before muttering, "¤Ï¤¤ (Hai)" and ending the call.


    Regrouping with the black-masked men who stood waiting, he acknowledged their respectful bows before leading them out of the facility. They trailed behind him in silent unison, but as the rearguard members followed behind, they suddenly paused, hearing faint, ragged breaths from behind.


    They turned, seeing a blood-soaked figure staggering from the shadows. The boy, head bowed, arms limp and trembling, gasped as he struggled to stay upright, his eyes obscured by a mess of blood-matted hair. He looked like he was clinging to life by a thread; an almost zombified version of his former self.


    One of the Yakuza, the one closest to the boy, stepped forward, gun in hand, ready to finish the job. But before he could aim, the boy moved faster, raising a hidden weapon and firing a clean, precise shot. The bullet pierced the Yakuza''s mask, right through the demon head of the snake motif, dropping him instantly.


    Chaos erupted as the remaining intruders raised their guns to take him down. The boy moved with ruthless efficiency, grabbing the fallen man''s body and holding it in front of him as a shield. Bullets tore through his cover, some grazing him, but he barely registered the pain. Driven by fury and loss, he pressed forward, his resolve unyielding, his only focus; vengeance.


    The boy dashed to better cover, pulling his gun up again as bullets flew from all sides. With each shot he fired, his bullets struck their marks, dropping one Yakuza member after another and unsettling the remaining men, who now realized he was far more dangerous than they''d anticipated. Panicked, they began preparing heavier weapons. But then, silence fell over the room.


    Into this stillness walked the man with the red mask, drawn back by the chaos he''d heard. His arrival was enough; at a single raised hand, the other members stopped, turning toward him with rigid deference and standing at attention.


    Seeing the pause, the boy seized his chance and raised his gun to aim at the red-masked man, only to hear an empty click. Out of bullets, desperation flashed through him as he surged forward, fists clenched, rage propelling him. But his charge was cut short as a shot rang out, piercing his leg and sending him crashing to the ground.


    Despite the pain, he struggled to rise, dragging himself forward. But before he could stand, the red-masked man appeared over him, striking him hard across the jaw. Darkness swallowed the boy as he collapsed.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The man crouched beside him, inspecting his unconscious form. "I aimed for his head," he thought, intrigued, "and missed... again."


    A curiosity lingered, but he chose to dismiss it, gesturing to a nearby guard. He stood, giving orders, then exited the facility as his men hoisted the boy''s limp body, carrying him out to a waiting black van.


    The boy stirred, blinking awake to a rough cloth bag over his head, hands bound tight, shirt and shoes missing as he was dragged over rough ground. Disoriented and unable to recall how he''d survived, flashes of Shaw''s last moments haunted him; the last thing he could recall.


    Eventually, his mind reeled as he was yanked up, forced to his knees. Bright light pierced his vision as the bag was removed, and he squinted, taking in the scene.


    Before him sat a man with a golden mask etched with the same twisted snake insignia that was marked on the others. This mask, though, gleamed with an air of authority, suggesting he was their leader; the head of Rokurokubi.


    "¤³¤ì¤¬±Ë (Kore ga kare)?" the masked man asked, his voice deep, hardened by years of power.


    Beside the boy, the red-masked man bowed respectfully. "¤Ï¤¤ (Hai)," he replied.


    The gold-masked man rose from his seat, approaching the boy with slow, deliberate steps. He removed his mask before arriving ahead, gripping the boy''s chin firmly, studying him with a scornful gleam in his eye. His rings dug painfully into the boy''s cheek, his scrutiny unrelenting.


    "¥¬¥­¤À (Gakida)," he uttered in confusion.


    The red-masked man nodded, agreeing quietly, "¤Ï¤¤ (Hai)."


    Silence persisted briefly before the leader turned back after a sigh, his tone dismissive as he spoke. "¤É¤¦¤» (D¨­se)," he said coldly, "±Ë¤ò¿½†–¤·,Éí´ú½ð¤È¤·¤ÆʹÓ乤ë (Kare o g¨­mon shi, minoshirokin to shite shiy¨­ suru)."


    "¤Ï¤¤ (Hai)," the red-masked man acknowledged, bowing deeper.


    With chilling efficiency, the red-masked man slipped the bag back over the boy''s head and pulled him to his feet, leading him away. This was the beginning of his descent into hell.


    Soon after capturing him, they began to waterboard the boy, forcing him to the brink of suffocation in hopes of extracting information. An English-speaking member joined them, translating demands for the boy to reveal any secrets he''d uncovered during his mission. But he stayed silent.


    Some among them exchanged uneasy glances, disturbed by the cruelty inflicted on such a young captive, but they remained resolute, bound by loyalty to their clan. As hours passed without any response, they escalated their methods; twisting his fingers, piercing his skin. The boy''s screams echoed through the room, cries that no child should ever make, yet the torture continued, unrelenting.


    For two days, they dragged him through this relentless torment, pressing him for answers, but he didn''t waver. He was prepared to die, if necessary, for his country.


    When they realized he wouldn''t break, they decided to exploit him as leverage, using his suffering as a message. They halted the torture briefly, tying him to a chair, leaving his wounds exposed. Beside him, the red-masked man and a black-masked translator stepped into view as a camera started recording.


    In stark terms, they issued a threat to the United States to stay out of their affairs, and provide intelligence on their adversaries, or the boy would die. They even bluffed, claiming to have captured and tortured more soldiers who would face the same fate if their demands went unmet.


    To underscore their threat, the red-masked man approached the boy, drawing a knife and plunging it into his side. The boy screamed, his voice raw, as the red-masked man spoke in Japanese, a calm menace in his tone as the translator elaborated for the recording. He translated that if their demands weren''t met, they would dismember him piece by piece, sending fragments of his body to his loved ones.


    Afterward, they dragged him back to the torture room, resuming the assault. Days blurred into a hellish agony as they inflicted wound after wound, bruising and tearing his flesh. His breathing grew shallow and labored; his body, exhausted and starved, struggled to survive in the stale, damp air. The torment continued for nearly a week, breaking him down physically, yet his silence remained unbroken.


    One day, however, something strange happened.


    The boy awoke to the rough drag of hands hauling him across the floor, a bag over his head. When the bag was yanked off, he found himself once again in the family head''s home. The man with the golden mask watched them, an expression of annoyance flickering behind his eyes at this unexpected disturbance, though his true expression remained hidden under the mask.


    "¤Ê¤¼¤³¤ÎðI¹í¤Ï¤Þ¤ÀËÀ¤ó¤Ç¤¤¤Ê¤¤¤Î¤« (Naze kono gaki wa mada shinde inai no ka)?" he demanded, turning toward the red-masked man.


    "ʧÀñ¤·¤Þ¤·¤¿, ¤ª¤ä¤Ã¤µ¤ó (Shitsureishimashita, oyassan)," the red-masked man replied with a respectful bow. "ÒŠ¤Æ¤Û¤·¤¤¤â¤Î¤¬¤¢¤ë (Mite hosh¨© mono ga aru)." He hoisted the boy to his feet, directing the family head''s attention to his torso.


    Confused, the clan head glanced down, his face hidden behind his golden mask. "˽¤ÏºÎ¤òÒŠ¤Æ¤¤¤ë¤Î¤« (Watashi wa nani o mite iru no ka)?" he asked.


    "±Ë¤Î¹ÖÎÒ (Kare no kega)," the red-masked man replied. "±Ë¤Î¹ÖÎҤϤ¹¤Ù¤ÆÍêÈ«¤ËÖΤä¿ (Kare no kega wa subete kanzen ni naotta)."


    A stunned silence fell over the room. The family head lifted his mask, his expression one of pure disbelief as he moved closer, examining the boy with wide eyes.


    "ñR¹¤Ê (Bakana)," he muttered in shock, placing his hand on the boy''s torso.


    The boy stared back in confusion, unable to understand their language. The family head stared at the boy, processing an unbelievable truth he hadn''t noticed until now. His shock was unmistakable. Disbelief etched into his face, he stepped closer to the red-masked man, murmuring instructions. The red-masked man nodded in response, then turned back to the boy, pulling the bag over his head once more. Moments later, the boy felt the sting of sedation pulling him under, and everything faded to black.


    When he woke again, he found himself strapped tightly to a narrow bed, his arms, torso, and even his head secured in place. As his vision cleared, he saw a man standing nearby, dressed in a white lab coat, his face uncovered; the first person he''d seen not owning a mask since his capture.


    "Ah, you''re awake," the man said, smiling as he noticed the boy stir.


    The boy blinked, stunned to hear English spoken for the first time in what felt like an eternity. Though the man''s Japanese accent was heavy, it didn''t matter. Frustration swept over him, and tears welled up in his eyes, spilling over before he could stop them.


    "J-Just¡­ kill me," he rasped, his voice frayed with exhaustion and pain.


    The man''s smile widened. "Oh, come now," he replied. "Why would I do such a thing? We''re only just beginning."


    The boy gritted his teeth, frustration mixing with steely determination. After days of unrelenting torture, he was resolute. He was not willing to give them anything. If they wanted information, they''d have to kill him first.


    Turning his gaze to a table lined with syringes and various instruments, the man ran his hand thoughtfully over them, as if considering his next move. The boy felt a chill as he took in his surroundings; this setup was unlike anything they''d done to him before, and he could sense a different purpose behind it. Now that he could finally be understood, he gathered his courage and asked a necessary question.


    "Why am I here?"


    "Good question," the man replied, studying him with clinical interest. "I''ve heard an interesting rumor from my employers. Something about you being¡­ not an ordinary child."


    Confusion flickered across the boy''s face. "What does that mean?" he asked.


    The man tilted his head. "You haven''t noticed, have you?" he questioned. "That all of your wounds¡­ have healed."


    The boy''s eyes widened, and he glanced down, his heart racing as he realized there wasn''t a single scratch or bruise left on his body. The bullet wounds, the cuts, the bruises, everything was essentially gone, almost like it had never happened.


    "At least that''s what I was told," the man elaborated, watching the boy''s astonishment with a gleeful expression. "And that''s why I''m here... to see this so-called gift from the gods for myself."


    Turning to the side, the man clicked on a camera aimed directly at the boy, speaking animatedly in Japanese to the lens, explaining his intentions as though preparing for a scientific demonstration. To the boy, it felt surreal, like some twisted experiment, heightening his confusion and dread.


    Finishing his introduction, the man picked up a syringe filled with an unusual, dark serum. He held it up to the camera, saying something with a hint of excitement, then approached the boy.


    He leaned down, his smile widening as he locked eyes with the boy. "Don''t worry," he whispered. "All I need from you¡­ is to stay alive as long as possible."


    After speaking, the man injected the strange serum into the boy''s arm. He addressed the camera briefly, then left the room. Within minutes, the boy began feeling light-headed, a creeping sickness spreading through him like a poison. His body surged with pain, his vision blurring, sense of self slipping away. Each breath grew shallower, as though his organs were shutting down.


    The agony stretched on for what felt like hours, but after nearly an hour, the searing pain began to subside. His head stopped spinning, his breathing steadied, and his vision cleared. Slowly, his body seemed to recover.


    When the man returned at the hour mark, his eyes gleamed with fascination. He placed a gloved hand on the boy''s forehead, his face filling with astonishment as he repeated the touch.


    "ñR¹¤Ê (Bakana)," he whispered, before a wide smile stretched across his face.


    Turning to the camera, he continued in Japanese, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "I was gone for barely an hour," he said, looking back at the boy. "And somehow, you managed to survive an intake of cyanide."


    He laughed, a mixture of disbelief and twisted delight. "In mere minutes," he marveled, shaking his head.


    With a grin, he turned back to the boy. "My employers were right," he said with unsettling cheer. "This body of yours truly is a gift from the gods. It would be a sin not to experiment to my heart''s content, wouldn''t it?"


    From then on, the boy became a living test subject, enduring daily tortures in addition to new and crueler experiments. Fingers and toes were twisted, teeth extracted. Knives and needles pierced him, deep wounds carved into his skin. Even as the injuries healed, painfully slowly, they reappeared under fresh torment.


    Each day, his captors grew more amazed by his body''s capacity to heal. His regeneration defied explanation, and they were determined to unravel the secret. Yet, for all their fascination, every cut, break, and laceration brought him unbearable pain. They injected him with toxins and diseases, some so virulent they could threaten entire cities; they even exposed him to radioactive poisons. Every second was agony, each new trial dragging him deeper into a personal hell.


    The man in the lab coat visited daily, smiling as he reminded the boy that all he needed to do was survive. The boy''s anger simmered beneath the surface, each new experiment fueling his growing hatred.


    "I will never¡­ reveal any information," the boy said one morning, as the scientist entered for another round. "So just k-kill me now."


    His voice shook with pain and defiance. He couldn''t bear the agony that never ceased, but he refused to betray his beliefs, his principles. Even in hell, he would not give them what they wanted.


    "Your bravado is impressive," the scientist replied, his tone nearly amused, "but I already know you won''t reveal anything. That part of your situation is already over."


    The boy, confused by his words, struggled to make sense of them. "Then why¡­," he managed to ask, "do you keep doing this to me?"


    The scientist''s smile broadened, tinged with a strange pity. "You weren''t told, were you?" he said, stepping closer. "My employers sent a video to your country, using you as leverage. But it seems your officials, rather than negotiate, declined the offer outright. They didn''t even consider the false mention of multiple hostages."


    The boy''s shock was palpable, yet the scientist wasn''t finished.


    "Their response," the man continued, "was that all of you are expendable; easily replaced. Why waste valuable resources for a few unnamed soldiers?"


    The boy''s face twisted in disbelief, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Lies¡­ all lies. They would never¡­"


    The scientist''s laughter rang out, genuine amusement in his tone. "Naive, aren''t you? Did you really think your country would come to your rescue?"


    After another chuckle, he leaned in, his voice softer, more taunting. "Tell me, why would a military organization risk important connections for a child, that no one will remember, on a mission?"


    Silence settled between them, the weight of realization hitting the boy with crushing force. The scientist merely shook his head. "Well," he said, his voice calm, "talk time is over. Time to get to work."


    As he pulled on his gloves, the boy whispered, "Please¡­ kill me."


    His voice trembled with pain, his head bowed, tears streaming down his face. The strength he''d clung to shattered with the knowledge that those he trusted had abandoned him without a second thought.


    The scientist gave a mocking half-smile, barely concealing his satisfaction. "Why would I do that?" he said softly. "You''re my greatest sample, after all."


    The experiments grew harsher from then on, each session more excruciating than the last. The boy''s body bore wounds that healed just enough to be reopened, while his mind was stretched to its breaking point. He began to feel his life slipping, yearning for death to release him from the endless pain.


    As the days blurred into each other, his memories surfaced, each one haunting him more deeply. He saw the face of his adoptive mother, who had given everything despite her hardships. He thought of Oscar, who had taught him to adapt, to survive, no matter the conditions. He remembered Shaw, a friend he could laugh with despite the trauma he carried.


    He had joined the military, hoping the worst was behind him. Yet here he was, facing horrors that went beyond anything he''d ever imagined. Doubts and regrets churned in his mind, one more relentless than the rest: the night with Lefty, a life he''d taken in anger. Perhaps, he thought, this was his punishment.


    Frustration began to grow in him, bitter and sharp. Frustration for every person who had cared for him, each one gone before they could be saved. Anger simmered, too, at the country he had served faithfully, only to be discarded without a second thought. And grief, deep and unrelenting, for all the sacrifices made in his name that seemed, now, to amount to nothing.


    Tears fell silently down his cheeks as he reflected on his life, pain and regret swirling through his every thought. Yet amidst the endless anguish, as the experiments and torture wore him down, only one question echoed through his mind, growing louder as he slipped further into despair:


    "Why me?"

 #110: Who am I?

    "Stay alive¡­"


    "You cannot give up here¡­"


    "You will NOT die here¡­"


    "Your life is precious and important¡­"


    "Stay alive¡­ and I promise you will overcome this turmoil."


    The boy''s eyes flickered open. He lay weak and unmoving, barely conscious after the latest dose of poison injected into his veins. His cell had been his home for months now, a place of pain so relentless he couldn''t remember what freedom felt like. How he was still breathing, still alive, was beyond his understanding. But somewhere, somehow, he felt a force urging him to keep going.


    The pain coursing through him was unimaginable, a torment that should''ve snuffed out his life long ago. But he endured it, summoning a will to overcome each obstacle set before him. He thought of his adoptive mother, of the last words she''d spoken before he''d left. Her memory was a small light in the darkness, a reminder that part of him still held on.


    Determined, the boy forced himself to adapt. He began to explore his body''s hidden abilities, testing the boundaries of his senses. He learned to redirect pain, slowly mastering the ability to shut off feeling in one part of his body, numbing his awareness to where it hurt the most. Each time his fingers were twisted, each time his flesh was cut, he found a way to silence the suffering, to dampen the agony.


    When tortured with sound, he learned to suppress his hearing, shutting down his auditory senses. After days of practice, he found a way to dull almost any external pain. But the poisons injected directly into his blood posed a different challenge. With these, there was no singular pain to target; his entire body pulsed with their toxic effects, his organs struggling with each beat of his heart.


    As he experimented with ways to control the sensations, he began to focus on his heartbeat, attempting to slow its rhythm. Gradually, he reduced it from once every second to once every minute, then to once every hour, and finally, to once every eight hours. This took days of concentration, nearly exhausting what energy he had left, but he achieved it. The slow beat reduced the spread of toxins in his system, diminishing their grip on his nerves.


    Pain tolerance became his armor, the silence of his suffering unnerving his captors. They watched with growing alarm as he endured without a sound, his resilience forcing them to escalate their methods. But no matter how they twisted, cut, or poisoned him, he refused to break. His anger grew, swelling into a boiling rage; anger at his captors, at his helplessness, and at a world that had shown him nothing but cruelty. Anger became his fuel, giving him the strength to hold onto the last scraps of his sanity.


    He had tried his entire life to be good, to stay hopeful even when life gave him every reason to despair. But now he questioned what any of it was worth. If the only way to survive was through rage, then he would let it consume him. He would let his anger dictate his path forward.


    Time lost its meaning. Days, maybe weeks passed. His memories blurred with each round of torture. He no longer knew how long he''d been imprisoned, how long he had fought to endure. Yet, despite everything, something still pushed him to keep going.


    And that''s when it happened.


    The boy awoke to a loud, sudden noise echoing through his cell. At first, he assumed it was some accident, but then the sounds multiplied, overlapping in a cacophony of sharp bangs and heavy thuds. It sounded like gunfire, intense and close. He lay there in confusion, his mind dulled by the potent poison injected into him that morning. His body was numb, and he began to wonder if the noises were real or just illusions conjured by his weakened mind.


    Then, he heard voices, faint at first, then clearer as they approached his cell. Despite his condition, he made out fragments of Japanese, though his mind reeled with doubt. He feared he might be slipping into madness. But moments later, two figures appeared in the doorway.


    His body refused to move; he was too numb to turn and see them clearly. The figures moved cautiously, scanning the room until one of them spotted him. He expected them to be the scientist''s assistants coming to retrieve him for yet another round of torture. But something was different. These strangers broke the lock on his cell with unrestrained force, their voices rising in surprise as they approached, assessing him.


    He felt consciousness slipping away again, his strength faltering as the two strangers bent down and lifted him. Blurred moments flashed before him; a hand reaching under his arm, then the cold metal of the cage left behind, then a strange room filled with bodies. His eyes blinked open for an instant, catching sight of heaps of bodies piled around him as they carried him through. Dazed and disoriented, he struggled to understand where he was being taken.


    When he came to, he found himself laid on the floor between the two strangers, who were speaking Japanese in low, hurried tones. It didn''t sound like they were talking to each other but addressing someone ahead of them. Slowly, he raised his head and his gaze met an older man standing just beyond.


    The man had a long, graying beard and hair speckled with white. His face was severe yet tinged with sympathy as he looked down at the boy who was flanked by two other men. One wore a helmet-like mask with a skull painted across it, while the other''s face was hidden behind a silver mask resembling the tragedy mask from ancient theater.


    The old man spoke to his companions, but the boy''s heart pounded with a renewed sense of opportunity. This was his chance to escape. Rage, raw and blazing, surged within him as he fought against the poison, pushing his body to recover faster. Slowly, with gritted teeth, he forced himself up from the ground, ignoring the stabbing pain that wracked his body.


    The men stared in shock as he rose to his feet, clearly struggling, yet determined, fire burning in his eyes. The older man''s gaze softened, observing the boy''s fierce will, but his two companions became wary. They stepped forward protectively, one drawing a knife, the other leveling a sidearm in preparation.


    Before anyone could react, the boy lunged forward, moving faster than they anticipated. In a swift, fluid motion, he closed the distance to the man with the gun, slapping it out of his grasp with an unexpected strength.


    "¤Þ¤µ¤« (Masaka)," the man gasped, stunned.


    Without hesitation, the boy''s fist crashed into the man''s masked face, knocking him out cold with a single, brutal strike. The others stood frozen in disbelief at the boy''s sudden burst of strength.


    The second masked man with the knife sprang forward to intercept, but the boy was too quick. He grabbed the man''s wrist, twisting it sharply until the knife fell loose. Then, without a moment''s pause, he caught the blade and slashed upward, cutting a deep line across the man''s chest before kicking him back, sending him sprawling to the ground.


    The boy''s fury was unmistakable as he fixed his gaze on the old man, unwavering and determined to take any chance at freedom. He was ready to fight anyone who dared to stand in his way. But the old man just looked at him in silence, sorrow etched across his face.


    Unlike his captors from the Rokurokubi family, the man was unmasked, and his expression showed something the boy hadn''t seen in months; empathy. Yet, none of this registered in the boy''s mind. All he cared about was survival.


    Clutching the knife tightly, the boy charged at him, slashing wildly. The old man moved fluidly, swaying with each strike, his gaze soft and steady. Again and again, the boy''s attempts met only air, until, without warning, the man sidestepped one of his attacks and placed a gentle hand on the boy''s shoulder.


    "¤â¤¦‘餦±ØÒª¤Ï¤Ê¤¤ (M¨­ tatakau hitsuy¨­ wanai)," he said in a soft, calm voice.


    The boy felt an unexpected wave of peace wash over him. The man''s voice held no hostility, only sympathy, as if he understood everything he had endured. But the boy shook off the feeling, refusing to be fooled again like he always had all his life. With one swift motion, he raised the knife and slashed down onto the man''s hand, tearing deeply into his wrist.


    Despite the pain, the old man''s expression didn''t change. He just looked at the boy, who froze, unsettled by the man''s unflinching calm. The old man''s eyes reflected something deeper, as if he recognized the anguish and determination driving the boy. Though he couldn''t fully understand why, he felt an odd sense of kinship with him.


    Gradually, the boy''s anger began to ease as he looked around the room. Bodies of his captors lay scattered across the floor, and the masked strangers standing with the old man didn''t belong to the Rokurokubi. The realization sank in. His rage dulled, replaced by clarity, until the poison''s pain surged back, and he crumpled to his knees.


    Blood seeped from the old man''s wrist, but he ignored it, kneeling in front of the boy. "ÈÕ±¾ÕZ¤òÔ’¤»¤Þ¤¹¤« (Nihongo o hanasemasu ka)?" he asked gently.


    The boy''s silence gave away his lack of understanding. The old man nodded thoughtfully. "English?"


    The boy nodded faintly, straining to stay conscious. The old man gave him a soft smile, his injured hand steady.


    "You have endured more than anyone should," he said kindly. "But you don''t have to anymore. You''re safe."


    The boy wavered, his grip on reality slipping, yet something in the man''s words felt sincere. Trusting, just for a moment, he allowed himself to fall, sinking into unconsciousness.


    The old man smiled down at the boy before glancing at his own wounded hand.


    "ŽŸ½³ (Shish¨­)," a voice called.


    He turned to see his companion, the one the boy had struck across the chest, struggling to his feet. The man in the helmet, clutching his wound, took in the scene and bristled with fury upon seeing the boy and the old man''s injured hand. Drawing another knife, he took a threatening step forward.


    "š¢¤·¤Æ¤ä¤ë (Koroshiteyaru)," he muttered angrily, advancing toward the boy.


    "No," the old man''s voice rang out firmly, this time in English. "Bring him with us." He turned, securing his injured wrist, and walked away.


    The masked man hesitated, stunned at his mentor''s command, casting a wary glance at the boy sprawled on the floor.


    A full day passed before the boy''s cells finally neutralized the poison in his bloodstream, slowly rejuvenating his body. At last, he opened his eyes, returning to consciousness, and found the old man waiting nearby, his right hand wrapped in fresh bandages. The man began to explain what had happened that day, his voice steady as he briefed the boy on the events that had led to his rescue.


    The boy learned he had been saved by the Ishin, the mercenary group he''d heard rumors about during his time in the operation. The old man, as it turned out, was the head of this group and had taken it upon himself to explain everything.


    The man spoke of his awareness of how the United States military had been secretly aiding Japan, a situation known to the Ishin and even to certain Yakuza factions. The Rokurokubi clan, noticing a sudden decrease in their power against rival forces, felt threatened.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Seizing control by brute force, they chose to infiltrate the secret base where the boy had worked, slaughtering everyone in their path. This barbarity convinced the Ishin that the Rokurokubi''s ruthless methods had crossed a line. The clan, they decided, had to be eliminated entirely; a task they had just achieved.


    The boy was taken aback. He knew just how powerful the Rokurokubi family was, yet the Ishin had somehow managed to dismantle the clan entirely. Despite his shock, he felt little sympathy for his captors. If anything, the news only deepened the hollow ache within him. He had survived his ordeal, but the cost was a profound sense of emptiness. His country had abandoned him, and his beliefs had betrayed him. What had all his efforts at decency and integrity brought him but suffering? His survival felt owed to a relentless anger more than anything else.


    Sensing the boy''s frustration and lack of place, the old man gently spoke. "Why not join us?" he offered. "I know that you are American, but I also know that your country left you behind during this nightmare. If this betrayal weighs on you, perhaps you may want revenge."


    The boy stared, silent and contemplative, absorbing the old man''s words. After a moment, he stood and met the man''s gaze, his voice calm but firm.


    "I appreciate that you saved my life," the boy began, "and for that, I am in your debt. But I do not plan to work for you because of it, so I will decline your offer."


    The old man''s expression softened with a faint smile. "Then perhaps this will interest you," he said thoughtfully. "We could negotiate the terms in which you would follow. In return, I can give you something you might want. Or rather, someone."


    The boy''s eyes narrowed as he tried to decipher the man''s meaning. Without further explanation, the old man rose and led him down a quiet hallway to a room. Opening the door, he revealed the scientist who had tormented the boy for months, now bound tightly to a chair. Rage flared in the boy''s eyes, an urge to lash out nearly overwhelming him. But he held back, glancing at the old man.


    "I won''t work under or beside anyone," the boy declared, his voice tense. "And I don''t want the Ishin name. I will only take assignments from you. Nothing more."


    The old man nodded, a smile playing at his lips as he accepted the boy''s decision. Wordlessly, he turned and walked away, leaving the boy alone with the man he''d come to despise, fully understanding the boy''s desire to fulfill a duty.


    As the old man left, the boy slowly turned his attention back to the scientist, who sat trembling, his mouth covered by a cloth over his mask, his eyes wide with fear. The boy approached, pulling the cloth down to expose the scientist''s mouth, catching the terror-stricken look in his captor''s eyes.


    "Please," the scientist stammered, voice laced with desperation, "spare me from these brutes. You know my experiments¡­ they weren''t personal. I was just doing my job."


    The boy said nothing, his expression cold, though his eyes held an unmistakable fury. Finally, he leaned close and, in a chillingly soft tone, replied, "Don''t worry. All I need from you¡­ is to stay alive as long as possible."


    Some time later, the boy emerged from the room, blood splattered across his face and clothes. The old man stood waiting outside, his gaze catching the boy''s silent, blood-streaked figure. He didn''t ask about what had happened inside; a brief glance into the room told him enough. The walls, floor, and even the ceiling were smeared in blood, and the mutilated remains of the scientist lay in horrific disarray.


    After this grim encounter, the Ishin provided the boy with new clothes and his signature metallic mouth mask, suggesting it would be wise to keep his identity concealed in his new line of work.


    "Because of my injuries," the old man explained one day, his hand still bandaged, "I can no longer wield a two-handed weapon. So, I want you to have this." He held out a high-caliber sniper rifle, finely crafted and clearly powerful.


    The boy''s eyes flicked to the weapon in surprise, recognizing its value in an instant. "Why are you giving this to me?" he asked bluntly. "I''m the reason you can''t wield it anymore."


    The old man''s expression softened. "Because I see something in you. A potential for greatness," he replied warmly. "You may carry a dark history, but I sense good intentions beneath it. I believe you can achieve more than I ever could, even after founding the Ishin. So, I''m putting my trust in you."


    The boy paused, processing the words. "Your praise means nothing to me," he answered bluntly, his gaze steady and unmoved.


    The old man merely smiled. "That''s fine."


    Reluctantly, the boy accepted the weapon. After making modifications to the scope and fine-tuning its capabilities, he made it uniquely his own. In the weeks that followed, he quickly established himself as an effective marksman and mercenary, earning the old man''s respect with his impressive skill and focus. But not everyone in the Ishin shared this respect.


    One day, as the boy sat alone in a lounge area awaiting orders, some of the other Ishin members spotted him. Among them was the man with the helmet, who had been part of the rescue. At the sight of the boy, a bitter scowl crossed his face, and he strode over with palpable hostility.


    "¤ª¤¤,¥¬¥­ (Oi, gaki)," he sneered, his tone dripping with contempt.


    The boy remained silent, his gaze fixed downward. After calling out for the boy once more, another member muttered, "I believe he only speaks English."


    "Doesn''t matter," the helmeted man replied, voice loud and pointed. "He should know I''m addressing him, shouldn''t you, boy?"


    Ignoring the taunt, the boy continued to stare at the ground, unmoved. Frustration flashed in the man''s eyes, and, unable to contain his anger, he slammed his fist onto the table beside the boy, making a loud, jarring sound that echoed across the lounge.


    "It seems the master''s gone senile, letting an undisciplined brat like you join our clan," the man sneered.


    The boy didn''t respond, his silence and the mask he wore making his expression unreadable. His unshaken calm only fueled the man''s anger.


    "You know," the man continued, voice low and menacing, "I still owe you for the scar you left on my chest. You''d better watch your back if you don''t want to end up dead."


    Still unfazed, the boy finally replied. "Empty threats from moribund livestock," he muttered, his body remaining unshifted.


    A tense silence settled over the room. The man''s face twisted with fury as he slowly removed his hand from the table. The other members exchanged uneasy glances, surprised at the boy''s audacity.


    "˽¤òñR¹¤Ë¤¹¤ë¤Î¤« (Watashi o baka ni suru no ka)?" he yelled, his hand twitching toward his weapon. "˽¤ÎÎäÆ÷¤¬¤Ê¤¼¿Ö¤ì¤é¤ì¤Æ¤¤¤ë¤Î¤«ÒŠ¤»¤Æ¤ä¤í¤¦ (Watashi no buki ga naze osore rarete iru no ka misete yarou)!"


    Suddenly, in nearly an instant, the boy''s hand shot to his holster, drawing his pistol and firing a single shot through the man''s helmet without moving his gaze. The helmeted man, surprised by the boy''s quickness, dropped instantly, his body hitting the ground with a sickening finality.


    The room froze momentarily before the other members snapped to attention, weapons drawn and pointed at the boy, fear flickering in their eyes as they witnessed their comrade''s corpse.


    "ÎäÆ÷¤ò’ΤƤè (Buki o suteyo)!" one member barked. "Drop your weapon!"


    The boy remained motionless, calmly holstering his gun. "If you all couldn''t see that he was simply outdrawn," he said coldly, "then you''re all terrible at your jobs."


    A flicker of uncertainty crossed the members'' faces as they looked down, noticing that the helmeted man had indeed drawn his weapon, potentially even before the boy. Eventually, the founder arrived, his eyes moving between the boy and the others, his expression commanding calm as he took in the scene, noticing the corpse on the ground as well.


    The master attempted to ease the conflict, but the boy showed no emotion towards the other members in the slightest. "Do not speak to me," he said to them, his voice like steel, "unless you want your corpse beside your comrade''s in the grave."


    As the founder eventually issued him his next task, the boy turned to leave, pausing only to crouch beside his fallen opponent and claim his sidearm; a reputedly effective weapon known for its power and impact. After, he rose, examining it almost like a trophy before he departed with it, leaving the others too shaken to stop him.


    In the months that followed, the boy built a dark reputation for himself throughout Japan. He became a relentless force, wielding a brutal version of justice and slaying multitudes for its sake. Driven by memories of the injustice he had suffered, he took it upon himself to deliver that justice to others. Soon, his reach grew far beyond Japan.


    He became an international threat, moving through Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Australia. In every region, he hunted corrupt political figures, influential criminals, and anyone he deemed a perpetrator of injustice.


    Within months, he had become a legend; the deadliest man to have ever walked the Earth. The media, grasping for a way to capture the terror he inspired, gave him a name; a single letter that encapsulated his deadly precision and the solitary path he walked alone. It was a mark of fear, a symbol of his unerring aim and his relentless, unstoppable nature.


    "X."


    ..."The masked international criminal known as X has struck again, claiming the life of the minister of finance in France last night. Witnesses report that he just casually walked in during the minister''s conference, committing the murder and vanishing after walking out of sight," the news anchor announced.


    "Wow, this X guy moves quickly. Wasn''t he in South America just a week ago?" Shade remarked to Klaus.


    "No rest for the wicked, I suppose," Klaus concurred.


    "I suppose," Shade agreed, rising from his seat after completing his part in the morning routine as they readied themselves for school.


    After bidding their mother farewell and stepping out of the house, Shade turned to Klaus with a weightier question.


    "Yo Klaus, do you think his actions are justifiable, even if the minister wasn''t a good person?" His usually vibrant tone was tinged with introspection, indicating the matter was weighing on his mind.


    "I don''t know. But no matter the circumstances, taking countless lives can never be justified," Klaus replied firmly, eliciting a small smile from Shade.


    "Yeah, I guess you''re right," Shade acknowledged, the shadows of their conversation lingering as they embarked on their journey to school...


    While some viewers wondered if this was an act of pure cruelty, others reacted quite differently to the breaking news. In a lavishly decorated living room, a man sat idly, his surroundings a testament to wealth and taste; ornate fixtures, high-end furnishings, and carefully selected pieces scattered around the room.


    "That damn Dubois," the man muttered, irritation simmering beneath his calm exterior. "I told him not to go to that conference yesterday. This is what happens when you don''t listen."


    The man, an aging but powerful figure, bore signs of affluence in both his well-tailored clothes and his well-preserved living space. His hair, though thinning and white, still carried a certain dignity, and while his face was lined with age, his posture and build held strong. American by all appearances, he lounged back in his recliner, scrolling through his phone and ashing a cigar, unaware of what was about to occur.


    Suddenly, a faint sound stirred him from his thoughts. Startled, he looked to his side, his eyes widening in pure terror at the figure now seated calmly on the countertop in another room. There, in silent stillness, was X.


    The man bolted upright, a rush of fear slicing through him. He was well informed on X, having seen glimpses of him on the news, and heard stories that circulated like urban legends. But to see him here, in his own home in the United States, mere hours after hearing that he''d just been in France, was something his mind could barely process. His hands began to tremble, his gaze locked on the mercenary.


    "H-How¡­?" he stammered, barely finding his voice. "How did you manage to get in here?"


    X''s voice was low, nearly a whisper, but it carried a quiet menace that chilled the air. "You need better security," he replied. "Or rather¡­ needed."


    Rising from his perch, he took measured steps toward the man. "Not that it would''ve helped much," he added.


    Panic surged through the man as he scrambled to think of something, anything, to buy his life a few more precious moments. "W-What do you need?" he asked, desperation flooding his words. "Money? Name your price, and it''s yours. Whatever you desire in this world ..."


    X''s silent gaze, cold and unyielding, made the man shrink back. "I''d advise against that," X said, his tone deceptively calm. "It''ll only make me kill you faster."


    As he spoke, the man realized his subtle reach for the hidden gun beside his recliner had not gone unnoticed. Freezing, he withdrew his hand, recognizing the futility of resistance.


    X''s eyes narrowed, an edge of disdain in his voice. "Did you really think I wouldn''t kill you before you tried?" he questioned.


    Slowly, the man raised his hands in surrender, tears beginning to pool in his eyes. "Please," he whispered, voice choked with desperation. "I am innocent. I swear it."


    X''s gaze was cold and unyielding. "You started bargaining upon my presence," he retorted. "Do you really think I''d believe you now?"


    The man fell silent, tears slipping down his cheeks. "I''m begging you. I have a family¡­ Please, spare my life."


    X moved closer, the man''s pleas barely a ripple in his steady approach. "Killing me won''t make the world better as you think it will," the man stammered, voice rising in desperation. "Evil will still exist."


    "There will always be evil," X replied, his voice soft but unrelenting. "But you¡­ you are the ultimate evil. You MUST die."


    X had no explanation for it, but he was certain that this man had to die. The certainty in his voice left the man hollowed, a glimmer of defiance flickering in his eyes.


    Fury replaced the man''s fear as he snarled, "Then I''ll see you in hell!" His hand darted toward the hidden gun, but before he could even grip it, X''s weapon fired. One deafening shot to the heart, and it was over.


    X watched impassively as the man crumpled to the ground, lifeless. In a voice barely above a whisper, he murmured, "I hope those brief seconds of pain paid for the years you cumulatively inflicted on others."


    Within moments, guards stormed into the room, their shouts filling the air. But by then, X had already vanished.


    "Mr. Baldwin," one guard shouted as he took in the scene, his eyes wide with disbelief. Spotting the body, he yelled to another, "Call an ambulance, now!"


    From that moment on, X moved through life as a lone specter, keeping his past at a distance, even as it haunted him. His sense of self had long eroded, and discovering he was born of godly lineage had only deepened his anger instead of providing solace.


    Having lost those he once cared for, he vowed never to care for anyone or anything again, cutting himself off from both mortals and gods who''d abandoned him when he needed them most.


    But, against all his instincts, there was one individual who slowly began to command his attention. A presence that stirred in him something he hadn''t felt in years. It was a rare passion and resolve he couldn''t help but respect, though he hid it well. This mysterious figure''s name was¡­

 #111: Repercussions

    ...Klaus Walker.


    That name, alongside a select few, had echoed across humanity''s consciousness for days. The revelation of the gods from Onyx Mythology, and the existence of others wielding celestial power, shattered the boundary between myth and reality. Relief and fear intertwined in the hearts of the masses, as they grappled with a truth that reshaped their understanding of the world.


    The gods, once relegated to ancient folklore spun by early civilizations, were real. Questions poured forth in an unrelenting tide, each one burning with urgency. But the answers were not so readily available. The only beings who could provide clarity were the demigods, and they had withdrawn from the public eye after their victory over the monstrous threats.


    Shade''s eyes snapped open, the faint murmurs from outside his home clawing at his heightened sense of hearing. He sighed, his frustration palpable, and pushed himself out of bed. The morning ritual of a shower followed, though it did little to ease the tension he carried.


    Emerging from his room, Shade walked down the hallway, the wooden floor slightly creaking beneath his deliberate steps. Before he could descend the staircase, he paused, his gaze drawn to a door on his left.


    "Morning, brother," he whispered, his voice low and soft. He lingered for a moment longer, then turned away, heading down the stairs.


    The rhythmic sound of footsteps broke the quiet of the suburban street as Rose made her way toward her destination; the Walker residence. Weariness weighed on her, evident in the slump of her shoulders, but her eyes burned with unyielding determination.


    As she neared her destination, the sight of a cluster of humans stationed near the house gave her pause. Microphones and cameras were in their hands, their postures brimming with anticipation. She sighed, a flicker of exasperation crossing her face.


    "Still here, huh?" she muttered under her breath and pressed forward.


    The moment she was within range, the reporters spotted her. Their excitement surged, and they rushed toward her like a tidal wave.


    "Miss Valentine," one of them called out, thrusting his microphone toward her. "Would you care to..."


    But the words died in his throat. His hand dropped to his side, his face slack as though caught in a trance. Around him, the other reporters fell into a similar state, their eyes wide, their movements halting.


    Rose continued toward the house, her gaze fixed ahead, her eyes glowing with a vibrant pink light. It pulsed faintly, an unspoken command that silenced those who dared approach her.


    The group stood immobilized, their own eyes reflecting the same eerie pink glow. None dared to speak or move, captivated by the invisible force of Rose''s charm.


    Rose reached the front door and knocked, the sound sharp and deliberate. A voice from inside granted her entry, and she stepped in without hesitation.


    The interior of the house was quiet, the air carrying a calm that contrasted the chaos outside. In the kitchen, Natalie stood with her back to Rose, her attention focused on the object in her hands.


    Rose''s expression shifted instantly, a cheerful facade masking her irritation. "Hey, Natalie," she called out warmly, stepping into the room.


    Natalie turned at the sound of her name, her face lighting up in recognition. "Oh, good morning, Rose," she replied. "How are you today?"


    As Natalie moved, Rose caught sight of the microwave she was holding, her arms straining under its weight.


    Rose''s eyes widened. "Woah," she exclaimed, darting forward. With ease, she lifted the microwave from Natalie''s hands using only her right hand. "You don''t need to be hauling something this heavy on your own, you know."


    Natalie laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, sorry about that," she admitted, her voice light with gratitude.


    Rose set the microwave down exactly where Natalie directed, stepping back as Natalie began speaking. "You know," Natalie said with a teasing smile, "sometimes I forget you''re like them. Especially with that sleek physique and flawless skin."


    She leaned closer, her grin widening conspiratorially. "By the way," she whispered, "you HAVE to tell me your secret sometime."


    Rose blinked, flustered by the sudden compliment. A nervous laugh escaped her lips as a faint blush colored her cheeks. "Haha, well... I''m a demigod," she said, her tone light but truthful, as though that explained everything.


    Before the conversation could go any further, Shade''s footsteps echoed down the stairs.


    "Morning, Mom," he said, his voice carrying a sleepy undertone as he scratched his torso.


    "Morning, dear," Natalie replied warmly.


    Shade''s gaze landed on Rose briefly, offering a casual, "Hey, Rose," before his attention shifted to the new microwave now sitting on the counter.


    "Mom," Shade sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I told you I''d handle the microwave this morning."


    Natalie shrugged, her expression unapologetically cheerful. "But I didn''t want to bother you," she said. "You already went out and bought it, and I know how much that darkness teleportation thing takes out of you."


    "Still, you didn''t need to stress yourself over it," Shade replied, shaking his head.


    "Oh, it''s fine," Natalie insisted with a wave of her hand. "Besides, Rose was here to help."


    "Barely," Rose whispered under her breath, prompting Natalie to shoot her a playful glare.


    "You traitor," Natalie gasped, her grin firmly in place.


    The three exchanged lighthearted banter until Natalie''s attention abruptly snapped to the television. "Oh my!" she exclaimed, glancing at the clock. "It''s almost time for the new episode of ''Keeping Up with the Darienettes!''"


    She moved swiftly to the couch, snatching the remote from the table. "Oh, and honey," she called to Shade, "your food''s on the counter. Rose, yours too."


    Natalie settled onto the couch, her focus shifting entirely to the screen.


    Rose, however, approached Shade, her earlier cheer softening into concern. "How''s he?" she asked quietly. "Any luck since last night?"


    Shade''s expression grew heavy. He didn''t need to ask who she meant. "What do you think?" he muttered after a sigh, his voice low.


    Rose sighed, mirroring his somber tone. "It''s been a whole month," she said, her worry evident. "I''m really starting to get concerned."


    Shade studied her for a moment before speaking. "Is that why you haven''t been sleeping?" he asked suddenly.


    Rose blinked, caught off guard. For a moment, her composure threatened to slip, but she held her ground, her expression betraying nothing. "What are you talking about?" she asked evenly, her tone measured and calm.


    Shade frowned slightly but chose not to push further, noticing its futility. "Never mind," he murmured, brushing the subject aside.


    Afterward, Shade walked to the kitchen counter to retrieve his breakfast. His eyes caught on something familiar yet bittersweet: three plates, neatly arranged. His expression softened, knowing this was now a daily routine. Natalie had been preparing three plates for weeks, despite the reality they all faced.


    Without a word, he picked up one plate, leaving another for Rose, who followed suit. Together, they walked to the couch and sat beside Natalie, the hum of the television filling the room as they ate in quiet companionship.


    When Shade finished his meal, he stood and carried his plate back to the kitchen. After rinsing it clean, his gaze lingered on the third plate still sitting on the counter. He stared at it for a moment, his jaw tightening as he considered it, then picked it up and headed toward the stairs. He already knew why it was there.


    His footsteps were slow but deliberate as he walked down the hallway, finally stopping in front of a door, the same door he''d glanced at earlier that morning. Klaus'' room.


    Shade exhaled deeply, steadying himself. He moved closer, placing the fresh plate on a small table by the door. His hand lingered briefly before he reached for another plate sitting there, its contents untouched. The food on it was cold and stale, evidence that it had been prepared the day before.


    Shade stared at the uneaten meal, the weight of futility pressing down on him. Still, he understood. This was Natalie''s way of holding on, her way of showing love to someone who wasn''t ready, or able, to reciprocate right now. He didn''t question her actions, no matter how futile they seemed. He only wished for one thing: for things to go back to the way they were.


    Carrying the old plate, Shade descended the stairs, his mind heavy. But as he stepped onto the last stair, a voice he hadn''t heard in what felt like ages echoed in his head.


    "Hey, Shade," the voice began, clear and familiar. "Can you hear me?"


    Shade froze mid-step, his eyes widening in surprise. "Hey, Quinn," he replied silently, recognizing the telepathic connection.


    CONVERSATION


    Quinn: How''ve you been?


    Shade: I''m okay. It''s been a while, hasn''t it?


    Quinn: It really has.


    Shade was surprised that Quinn chose to communicate telepathically with him that day, raising his concern about the reason.


    Shade: So what''s up? What''s the occasion?


    Quinn: Well, actually, I''m kinda organizing a meeting at my place for those of us whose identities are public.


    Shade was surprised by Quinn''s statement and curious about her objective.


    Shade: Is there any particular reason you have in mind?


    Quinn: Sort of. I basically just want to talk about what we should do regarding the situation with humanity. If it''s not a problem for you.


    Shade: Sure, why not?


    Shade saw the potential value in addressing the situation, especially after considering the struggles it brought to his family.


    Quinn: Great. Also, since I can sense that Rose is nearby, could you please inform her as well?


    Shade: Yeah, no problem.


    Quinn: Nice, thanks.


    After Quinn''s brief message, a silence lingered for a few seconds, heavy with unspoken tension. Finally, she broke it. "Well... I guess I''ll be awaiting your arrival," she said, her voice carrying a hint of awkwardness.


    "We''ll be there soon," Shade assured her before the telepathic connection severed, leaving him alone with his thoughts.


    Shade considered the exchange carefully. Quinn hadn''t mentioned Klaus once, which likely explained her momentary hesitation. It struck him that she might already know his answer¡ªperhaps this was her way of respecting unspoken boundaries.


    After informing Rose about Quinn''s request, the two began preparing for their departure to the Atlas residence. Link soon sent them the location, and Shade took a moment to notify Natalie of his plans.


    "I''m heading out, Mom," he said. "Not sure when I''ll be back."


    Natalie glanced at him briefly before nodding, her calm demeanor unwavering. "No problem," she assured him. "Just be careful out there, both of you." With that, she returned her focus to the television, her trust evident in her casual tone.


    With everything set, Shade and Rose departed. Initially, Rose used her Love Charm ability to ward off the crowd of reporters and onlookers that had been tailing them, eager for answers. Her glowing pink eyes kept most at bay, but as their numbers swelled, the tactic became less effective. Shade and Rose refrained from using force, and the persistence of the crowd made their journey increasingly cumbersome. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Eventually, they reached their destination; a towering, ornate gate that marked the entrance to the Atlas residence. The sheer scale of the estate was daunting, with fences stretching far beyond what the eye could see. The luxurious design of the gate alone spoke volumes about the wealth and grandeur awaiting beyond.


    As they approached, the gate began to open automatically. However, before the crowd of reporters could follow, a cold, artificial voice boomed from an audio system nearby. The message was stern and unyielding, warning trespassers that entering the property uninvited would result in consequences far beyond their comprehension.


    The ominous warning worked; the crowd froze in place, murmuring nervously. None dared take another step forward. Taking advantage of the sudden reprieve, Shade and Rose stepped through the gate and followed the paved trail that wound through the sprawling grounds.


    After a short walk, they arrived at the main house, a stunning structure that seemed almost too extravagant to be real. They were greeted and guided inside, eventually reaching a spacious room where Quinn, Link, and Trent were already waiting.


    "Oh, nice," Quinn said, smiling as the pair entered. "You both made it."


    "You already knew that," Rose quipped, her tone playful as she and Shade sat on a nearby couch. Her eyes darted around the room in awe. "Also... wow. I''ve never seen a house like this before."


    "Thank you," Quinn replied with a smirk. "Even though, technically, it''s not mine."


    Shade scanned the room, noting the absence of certain individuals. "Where are Ace and X?" he asked, though he already knew the whereabouts of one missing member.


    "It''s just us for now," Quinn admitted. "I haven''t been able to reach the others."


    Shade was caught off guard, slightly confused by Quinn''s words. "Wait, I thought your telepathy had essentially infinite range?" he asked.


    "It does," Quinn explained. "But I only connect with people who are willing to be contacted. If I try and the connection doesn''t work at surface level, I don''t push further. That would be an invasion of privacy."


    Shade nodded thoughtfully. "I guess that''s fair," he said, realizing this likely applied to Klaus as well.


    "Can we start already?" Link interjected, his frustration evident even through the digital display on his mask. A digital frown flashed across the screen as he crossed his arms. "I''ve got an online tournament in a few minutes."


    "I thought you got benched because of the controversy, friend," Trent chimed in innocently, tilting his head as if genuinely curious.


    Link froze, his display flickering with a flat line of disbelief before he groaned. "Dude!" he chanted. "They didn''t need to know that."


    Quinn smirked, her sharp gaze sliding to Link. "I''ll start as soon as you stop talking, Lincoln," she quipped, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm.


    The irritation on Link''s mask shifted to an exaggerated grimace. "It''s too early for your sass, Quinn," he said after a sigh. "And also, you do remember I''m older by a few seconds, right?"


    "And for the six hundred and fourth time, I am aware," Quinn replied.


    Their banter drew a quiet chuckle from Trent, but it dissolved as Quinn''s demeanor shifted, her focus returning to the matter at hand. "Alright, moving on," she said, her voice calm but commanding.


    The room stilled as she began. "As I explained earlier, I called this meeting because we need to address our identities and what we''re going to do moving forward."


    She paused, letting the weight of her words settle. "It''s been over a month since the Human Extinction crisis. Naturally, people are far from calm about it."


    Her tone softened as her gaze landed on Shade and Rose. "But my immediate concern is the two of you," she said, stepping closer to them. "That''s why I wanted to propose something: would you both consider moving into some of the guest homes here? Bring your mothers as well."


    Shade and Rose exchanged a surprised glance as Quinn elaborated. "We have plenty of vacant guest houses around this property," she continued. "You wouldn''t be inconveniencing anyone, and we''d cover all your living expenses. Food, necessities, everything."


    Her sincerity was evident in her steady gaze. "I know your current homes aren''t as secure as ours. I don''t want to risk anything terrible happening to you or your families because of this situation."


    A heavy silence followed as Shade and Rose processed her offer. It wasn''t a bad idea, far from it. But the decision wasn''t as simple as it seemed.


    Finally, Shade broke the silence. "While I agree that the situation has been a pain," he said carefully, "it''s not that easy for me."


    Rose nodded, her tone measured but thoughtful. "I understand the logic behind your offer, Quinn. It''s generous, and I know it''s probably the best option for us. But I can''t see myself leaving my home unattended. Not right now."


    Shade glanced at Rose briefly before adding, "Same here. Especially with Klaus'' current state of mind."


    He met Quinn''s eyes directly, his voice steady but pointed. "But you already knew this would be our response, didn''t you?"


    Quinn exhaled softly, her shoulders drooping slightly as she absorbed their responses. She had anticipated this reaction but felt compelled to make the offer anyway.


    "In Shade''s case, I get that he didn''t have much of a choice," Link interjected suddenly, his tone edged with frustration. "But I still don''t understand why you, Rose, chose to step into the spotlight by associating with them publicly."


    Rose turned toward him, her expression calm yet firm. "I know you went to great lengths online to ensure every other demigod stayed incognito, Link," she began, her voice steady. "And I''m sorry that your efforts regarding me fell apart. But like Quinn, I couldn''t just sit back and watch you all carry our cross in silence."


    "Cross?" Link questioned, confused by her analogy.


    Before the exchange could deepen, Quinn raised a hand to interject. "Regardless," she said, steering the conversation back on track, "I think it''s time we consider addressing the nature of our existence; publicly, to some extent. It might help alleviate the strain you two have been under for weeks."


    "You mean... answering their questions?" Trent asked, his brow furrowed.


    "Exactly," Quinn confirmed. "Like Rose said, it''s unfair to leave everything to you and Shade while the rest of us remain sheltered."


    Shade leaned back slightly, his skepticism evident. "I get the logic, but it won''t be that simple," he said after a moment. "Every answer will just lead to another question. It could turn into an endless cycle."


    "True," Quinn admitted, "but offering them something, anything, might help. At least it''s better than total silence, don''t you think?"


    Shade remained quiet for a few beats before sighing. "I''ll give it a shot," he said, though his tone carried hesitation. "But I can''t make any promises. Those reporters camped outside my house are driving me insane."


    "Understandable," Quinn replied, her tone empathetic. She knew the enormity of what she was suggesting.


    As the conversation shifted, Quinn proposed they stay and catch up. It had been too long since the group had shared a moment like this. Shade and Rose exchanged a glance before agreeing.


    For hours, the five of them reminisced, joking and sharing updates about their lives since the crisis. Laughter filled the room, a rare reprieve from the tension that had gripped them for weeks.


    But as evening melted into night, Shade''s thoughts inevitably drifted home. His expression grew distant, drawing Rose''s attention.


    "You''re worried about Natalie, aren''t you?" she asked softly.


    "Of course," Shade admitted. "I left her there all alone."


    "Come on, you know Sol is protecting her from any possible inconveniences," Rose reassured him. "She''s fine."


    Shade nodded, acknowledging the truth in her words. Yet the unease lingered. He had been cloistered at home for weeks, grappling with humanity''s relentless curiosity and his own spiraling thoughts. This outing, brief as it was, reminded him of what it felt like to breathe.


    Eventually, night fully embraced the sky, and it was time to leave. After exchanging goodbyes, Shade and Rose began their trek back to the Walker residence. The cover of darkness helped shield them from prying eyes, though a few persistent reporters still managed to find them as they approached the house.


    Microphones were thrust toward them, voices clamoring for answers. Cameras flashed, desperate to capture even a fragment of their lives.


    Standing at the door, Shade paused. Quinn''s suggestion flickered in his mind, reminding him that offering even a small piece of information might make the relentless attention more manageable.


    After Rose entered the house, Shade lingered by the door, glancing over his shoulder at the gathering crowd. The weight of their expectant stares pressed against him, and he exhaled slowly before stepping back onto the porch.


    "I''ll try to answer a few questions," he said, his voice measured but loud enough to cut through the buzz.


    A ripple of activity surged through the crowd. Microphones and cameras were thrust toward him, flashes illuminating the night as overlapping voices clamored for his attention. The questions came in a chaotic torrent, each competing for dominance. Shade raised his hand slightly, trying to signal for order as he sifted through the barrage of questions.


    "Mr. Walker!" a voice finally rose above the others, prompting a brief hush. "What purpose were you demigods created for exactly?"


    The air stilled as others quieted, seemingly as curious as the asker. Shade froze under the weight of their anticipation, his eyes darting between faces and lenses.


    "Uh..." he stammered, shifting uncomfortably. "I''m... not exactly sure how to answer that."


    Disappointed murmurs rippled through the crowd, but another question quickly broke through.


    "What about the afterlife?" an older voice asked, drawing immediate attention. "If the gods exist, can you tell us if our loved ones, or the good ones we''ve lost, are truly in a better place?"


    The collective silence that followed was suffocating. Shade''s chest tightened as all eyes bore into him. His mind raced, but he had no answers to offer on such a profound and critical topic.


    "I..." He hesitated before continuing. "Does anyone have simpler, less morality-testing questions?"


    The crowd erupted into mutters again, frustration and disappointment palpable. After a brief pause, another voice called out.


    "Why were we attacked by those monsters? And what are you so-called demigods doing to stop it from happening again?"


    Shade tensed. Each question felt heavier than the last, their complexities far beyond what he was equipped to handle. He wanted to answer, needed to, but every word he considered felt insufficient, potentially disastrous if misunderstood or twisted.


    Finally, he sighed. "I''m sorry," he said quietly, "but I don''t know how to answer that as well."


    His words fell like a lead weight among the crowd. Faces darkened with frustration, and voices began to rise again.


    "Is there anything at all you DO know?" someone called out angrily, prompting an approving rumble from the others.


    Inside the house, Rose stood just beyond the door, her brow furrowed in concern as she listened to the escalating tension outside. Her fists clenched as she debated intervening. The crowd''s frustration was mounting, and she could hear their demands becoming more forceful.


    "We need answers!" several voices shouted in unison.


    "Maybe we should just ask someone else," another person suggested bitterly.


    The suggestion sparked murmurs of agreement. Rose''s heart sank as she realized the pressure Shade was under.


    "How about we ask the other girl?" someone in the crowd suggested, their voice cutting through the murmurs.


    "Or what about the other boy in there?" another chimed in, drawing immediate attention. "The one who hasn''t been out in weeks."


    "Yeah," others agreed eagerly. "If you don''t have anything to tell us, we''ll just ask him instead."


    Shade tensed, his head lowering slightly as he placed a hand against his temple, trying to steady his rising frustration. "You can''t," he said quietly, though his voice carried a sharp edge. "He''s not... available right now."


    Shade felt overwhelmed by the noise and constant demands from the crowd. But the crowd wasn''t satisfied. Their desperation for answers only grew, their voices rising in intensity.


    "Then how about we go inside ourselves and ask him directly?" a man in the crowd proposed, his tone bold and brazen. "Maybe that way, we''ll finally get the answers we deserve."


    Suddenly, the air seemed to shift after the man''s words. Shade''s head lifted slowly, his eyes locking onto the man who had spoken. A cold, unyielding rage flashed in his gaze, and it was so sudden, so fierce, that it silenced everyone in an instant. The crowd froze under the weight of his glare, an unexplainable dread settling over them.


    "If you," Shade began, his voice low but laced with undeniable fury, "or anyone else here... dares to step foot into this house, or so much as think about bothering my mother or brother... I promise you, it will be the last thing you ever do in this world."


    His words hung heavy in the air, the divine authority behind them unmistakable. The crowd didn''t dare move or speak. Shade''s presence, for that brief moment, seemed otherworldly, and his warning left no room for doubt.


    With a final glare, Shade turned and stormed toward the house, slamming the door behind him. The gathered humans stood in stunned silence, unable to process the encounter immediately.


    Inside, Shade leaned against the closed door, his breathing ragged as he tried to collect himself. Rose stood nearby, watching him with a mix of concern and understanding.


    "You okay?" she asked softly, her voice pulling him from his thoughts.


    Shade exhaled deeply, his shoulders easing as he softened his expression. "Yeah, I''m fine," he replied, though a trace of weariness lingered in his tone. "Where''s Mom?"


    "Upstairs," Rose said, her concern evident but choosing not to press further.


    Shade nodded, relieved that Natalie hadn''t been downstairs to witness his outburst. He made his way up the stairs to check on her, but before he reached her room, she appeared in the hallway, holding two small containers in her hands.


    "Oh, Shade, you''re back," Natalie said with a warm smile as she spotted him.


    "Yeah," he confirmed, his voice steadying as he saw her.


    "Is Rose still here?" she asked, her tone casual.


    "She is," Shade replied. "She''s downstairs."


    Natalie''s smile widened. "Good," she said, lifting the containers in her hands. " Because I need her opinion on these skin creams. Gotta make sure they''re ideal for my skin type."


    With that, she headed down the stairs, leaving Shade standing there, momentarily stunned by her lightheartedness. He blinked, then let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. Despite everything, Natalie''s spontaneous personality remained intact, and it was a small, comforting reminder of normalcy.


    However, his moment of reprieve didn''t last long. As the hallway fell silent again, Shade''s gaze slowly drifted toward the door on his right; Klaus'' room. His brief smile faded, replaced by the weight of unspoken worries as he stared at the door, unmoving.


    Shade lingered by Klaus'' door, his eyes fixed on it before they dropped to the small table beside it. The plate he had left there earlier, untouched as always, had been replaced by a fresh, steaming meal. He didn''t need to guess who had done it; his mother''s quiet act of love, one she had been repeating for weeks despite never receiving a response.


    With a soft sigh, Shade lowered himself to the floor in front of the door, leaning his back against it. The cool wood pressed against him as he stared at the opposite wall, his expression distant. For a moment, he simply sat there, letting the silence settle around him like a heavy blanket.


    "Hey, Klaus," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don''t know if you can hear me, or if you even care to, but I hope you''re okay in there."


    He fell silent, running a hand through his hair, his fingers catching on the occasional tangle. "The crowd outside... they''re relentless," he added after a beat, a faint, weary smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "They almost ate me alive out there. Barely made it back in one piece."


    The smile didn''t last long. It faded as his gaze dropped to the floor, his voice softening. "Things have been less than ideal if I''m being honest," he admitted. "Mom and I are trying, but it''s... it''s hard without you, brother."


    Shade tilted his head back, eyes fixing on the dim light above him. "I miss you, man. More than you know."


    The silence stretched again, his thoughts swirling in the quiet. Finally, Shade pushed himself to his feet. He cast one last glance at the door, his expression unreadable, before turning and making his way downstairs.


    In the living room, Natalie was seated on the couch, her attention on the glowing screen of the television. She looked over as Shade entered, her smile warm. "Calling it a night, honey?"


    "Yeah," Shade replied, pausing by the doorway. "Goodnight."


    "Goodnight," Natalie said, her voice soft. "Rose is in the dining room, by the way."


    "Okay. Thanks, Mom," Shade said, his lips twitching into a brief smile before he turned toward the dining room.


    Entering the dining room to say goodnight, Shade''s steps slowed as his gaze fell on Rose. She was slumped over the countertop, her head resting on her arms, her breathing steady. She was asleep.


    Shade''s chest tightened. The weariness in her posture confirmed what he''d already suspected; she wasn''t sleeping well. He knew her worry for Klaus was weighing heavily on her, just as it was on him. It frustrated him, seeing her so drained, but he understood all too well why she couldn''t let it go.


    Quietly, he approached and gently tapped her shoulder. Rose stirred with a startled jolt, her eyes snapping open. "Y-Yeah?" she murmured groggily, blinking up at him.


    Shade didn''t speak, his expression soft yet filled with unspoken concern. It only took Rose a moment to understand. She straightened, rubbing at her eyes as she stretched. "I fell asleep, didn''t I?" she asked, her voice sheepish.


    Shade nodded, his silence answering for him.


    "I was just... tired from today," Rose said, forcing a smile. "It''s no big deal."


    Shade didn''t press her. He knew she was trying to downplay it, and he chose not to push her into admitting what they both already knew. After gathering her things, Rose said her goodbyes to Shade and Natalie, her smile unwavering despite the exhaustion in her eyes.


    As the door closed behind her, Shade let out a quiet sigh, shaking his head. "You worry a bit too much," he muttered, his voice low. "And coming from me, that''s saying something."


    Turning away, Shade headed upstairs to his room. The quiet of the house enveloped him as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

 #112: Isolation

    The next morning, Shade was woken up in the all-too-familiar manner; by the chaotic noise of the crowd outside. This had become a daily ritual, though today it seemed even louder than usual. He frowned, suspecting the increased commotion was a direct result of his actions the previous evening. Engaging with the crowd had likely drawn more individuals, each hoping for their own moment of interaction.


    After getting dressed, Shade made his way downstairs, where Rose and Natalie were already seated at the table. He greeted them with a casual "Good morning," but his attention quickly shifted to the television. A news broadcast was playing footage of his heated exchange from the day before, complete with commentary dissecting his every word.


    "Of course they''d broadcast it for the entire world to see," Shade muttered with a sigh, shaking his head.


    Rose chuckled, clearly amused by his reaction. "Oh, it wasn''t just the news. You were trending on every social media platform all night."


    Shade raised an eyebrow, immediately picking up on the implication. "So let me guess, that meant you couldn''t sleep again, huh?"


    Rose hesitated, her playful demeanor faltering for a moment. "I mean, I only heard about it this morning, so technically..." She trailed off, her tone nonchalant.


    "Uh-huh," Shade said, smirking knowingly.


    Rose rolled her eyes, exhaling in exaggerated frustration. "Anyway," she continued, eager to steer the conversation elsewhere, "you''ve been the talk of the world for hours. Everyone''s hoping for more reactions like yesterday."


    "Well, that explains why it''s even louder outside today," Shade said, his voice tinged with resignation.


    Before the conversation could continue, Natalie interjected. "Enough chatter, you two," she said, her warm voice cutting through the banter. "Breakfast is ready. Time to eat."


    She handed Shade a plate, then did the same for Rose. Shade looked down and blinked in surprise.


    "Blueberry pancakes?" he said, a smile spreading across his face. "What''s the occasion, Mom?"


    Growing up, Shade had learned that Natalie only made blueberry pancakes when something particularly good had happened. It was her subtle way of sharing her joy, and today appeared to be no exception.


    Natalie''s smile grew wider at his question. "Well," she began, clearly savoring the moment, "a newly established company overseas reached out to me about a job opportunity. After a short interview this morning, they hired me!"


    Shade''s eyes widened with excitement. "That''s amazing, Mom!" he said, mirroring her happiness.


    "Overseas?" Rose asked, her brows knitting in concern.


    "Yes," Natalie confirmed with a nod, "but they''re allowing me to work remotely. I start tomorrow."


    Rose let out a small breath of relief. "Oh, that makes sense."


    Watching Natalie hum softly to herself, her genuine joy lighting up the room, Shade couldn''t help but feel a comforting warmth.


    "Anyway," Natalie said, setting her coffee cup down with a determined smile, "I''ll be tied up preparing files and documents for the new job all day. What about you two? Got any plans?"


    Shade remained silent, his mind drawing a blank. He hadn''t had concrete plans for weeks, a pattern that had become all too familiar. After the revelation of his divine nature, most of his high school friends had grown distant, or worse, stayed in touch only out of fascination with his powers. That disingenuous connection had driven him to cut ties, leaving Rose as the only genuine friend he kept contact with. Coupled with Klaus'' ongoing isolation, Shade had found himself stuck in a cycle of apathy, lacking motivation to do much of anything.


    Sensing his reluctance to answer, Rose stepped in. "We could figure something out, Shade," she suggested, her voice upbeat. Then an idea sparked in her eyes. "How about we visit Higher World and check in on the others? It''s been a while since we''ve gone, hasn''t it?"


    "That sounds like a wonderful idea," Natalie nodded, her smile encouraging.


    "Sure, why not?" Shade shrugged. "Though I''ll have to use Runic Teleportation to leave the house, and that ability doesn''t get any easier every time I use it."


    "I get it," Rose said gently. "But you can''t stay cooped up forever, you know?"


    Shade sighed, conceding her point. "Yeah, I suppose you''re right."


    After wrapping up breakfast, Shade headed upstairs to prepare. Once ready, he said his goodbyes before activating his Runic Teleportation, vanishing from his room to his secluded spot designated for reaching Higher World. Rose, on the other hand, exited the house normally, deftly using her abilities to dissuade any curious followers until she reached her own transport point. Within minutes, both arrived in Higher World.


    "Damn," Rose said, her face lighting up as she looked around. "I haven''t seen this place in so long, I forgot how beautiful it was."


    "Note to self," Shade muttered behind her, wincing as he pressed a hand to his temple. "Never teleport here immediately after using Runic Teleportation."


    Soon enough, the two made their way to the apartment building. Outside, Iris and Tyler were seated on a bench, deep in conversation. Iris was the first to spot them, her face breaking into a smile as she stood and approached them.


    "Ahh, mija, mijo," Iris said, spreading her arms wide as she neared them. "It''s been far too long."


    Rose sighed upon noticing Iris. "Hey, Iris," she muttered with less enthusiasm.


    "Oh, spare me the formalities, chica," Iris teased, pulling them both into a quick hug. "I''ve been keeping up with the noticias every time I''m in Main World. What you two are dealing with; it''s awful."


    Tyler joined her, his expression a mix of sympathy and admiration. "Yeah," he added, standing up to greet them. "You guys are really carrying a lot on your shoulders for the rest of us."


    He turned to Rose, his eyes glancing with concern. "I know you chose to put yourself in this situation, but how''s your mom holding up with all this?"


    "She''s a strong woman," Rose replied. "Honestly, she''s even handling everything better than I am."


    Tyler smiled softly, then shifted his attention to Shade. "And how about you, Walker? How are you guys managing?"


    Shade hesitated before answering, his voice steady but subdued. "We''ve been better," he admitted. "But we''re pulling through."


    After Shade''s words, Tyler''s expression darkened slightly. "How''s NightSh... Klaus doing?" he asked, his voice tinged with hesitation.


    Shade paused, his gaze lowering for a moment. "He''s fine¡­ I think," he replied, the uncertainty in his tone mirroring Tyler''s concern.


    "Oh, that''s right," Iris interjected, a flicker of distaste crossing her face. "I heard about what happened with that demon girl. Talk about obsession."


    "Kinda reminds me of someone," Rose faintly muttered.


    "What did you say?" Iris snapped, narrowing her eyes in mock indignation. Her feigned seriousness broke when she saw Rose''s grin. "I''ll let that one slide, chica, but only because you''re going through a lot right now."


    The group chuckled, the tension easing as they continued catching up. Their conversation drifted to sharing stories and updates since the crisis, and after some time, Iris took Rose back to the apartment building to meet with the other female demigods who were in Higher World. Shade and Tyler remained behind, catching up similarly.


    Not long after, Trent, Link, and Quinn arrived, their arrival marked by the sound of their steps. Spotting Shade and Tyler, they headed toward them.


    "Ah, cool," Tyler said, waving them over. "You guys made it too."


    "How''ve you been, friend?" Trent greeted Tyler warmly, his signature grin lighting up his face.


    "Pretty good," Tyler replied, returning the smile. "It''s been a minute, huh?"


    The group exchanged brief updates before Quinn turned her attention to Shade. "If you''re here, I''m guessing Rose is here too?" she asked.


    "Yeah," Shade confirmed, gesturing toward the apartment building. "She''s inside with the other girls."


    "Great," Quinn said with a sly smile. "Because there''s way too much testosterone out here for my liking."


    With that, she started walking toward the building, leaving the group behind.


    "We didn''t even want you here anyway," Link called after her, the digital display on his headgear displaying his indifference.


    "Oh, relax, Lincoln," Quinn teased over her shoulder. "Try not to cause any trouble while I''m gone. You''re hopeless without a babysitter."


    As she continued onward, Link''s mask lit up with an angry, pixelated emoji, its animated frown displaying his irritation. "Can you ever not be annoying?" he grumbled, his voice laced with frustration.


    "I don''t know," Quinn called back, her laughter echoing faintly as she entered the building. "You tell me."


    She waved a dismissive hand without turning around and vanished into the building. Silence lingered for a moment, the group caught between Link''s simmering irritation and the lingering echo of Quinn''s teasing.


    "She''s so hot."


    The words hung in the air for a beat too long. Slowly, as if choreographed, every head turned to Tyler. Trent blinked, Shade raised a brow, and Link visibly twitched, his headgear sparking briefly as if it were processing an error.


    CONVERSATION


    Link: I''m sorry... WHAT?


    Tyler: What? Am I lying?


    Link: Dude... that''s my sister.


    Tyler: So? I mean it''s a compliment to you as well.


    Link: Well, I don''t want that kind of compliment.


    A brief silence elapsed for a moment.


    Trent: I mean... he''s not lying though, friend.


    Link: Oh, come on. Not you too.


    Tyler: Thank you. Besides, you don''t typically get to meet a girl who hits all the five B''s on the checklist.


    Shade: I''m sorry, five B''s? What''s that?


    Tyler: You know... Brains, Beauty, Behavior, Boo...


    Link: Okayyy, Tyler. Thank you for your much-needed analogy on my sister.


    Tyler: *smirking* I''m just being real, man.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    The group lingered together, chatting about the events of the past month. Their conversations flowed easily as they wandered through the pathways of the Exalted City. Eventually, they stopped at the cafeteria, deciding to settle there for the rest of the day.


    For Shade, the company was a much-needed reprieve. The past month had been isolating, and the familiar rhythm of friendly conversation brought a sense of comfort he hadn''t realized he needed. Hours slipped by, and soon it was getting late on Earth. A glance at the time on his phone reminded Shade it was time to head home.


    Before leaving, Shade decided to inform Rose. After bidding farewell to Tyler, Trent, and Link, he made his way back to the apartment building to find her. Despite searching through several floors and common areas for a bit, Rose was nowhere to be found.


    Accepting that his search was futile, Shade resigned himself to leaving without telling her. As he exited the building, he crossed paths with Riley, who had just walked into the building.


    "Oh, hey, Shade," Riley greeted him with her usual bright smile. "Didn''t know you were here."


    "Hey, Riley," Shade replied, stopping for a moment. "Have you seen Rose around, by any chance?"


    Riley tilted her head as if thinking hard. "Nope," she said, then paused before continuing, "Oh wait, yeah."


    Shade blinked, caught off guard by her abrupt change in tone. "So... where is she?" he asked.


    "Oh, I don''t know," she admitted with a shrug. "But I did see her earlier when she came into the building."


    Shade sighed, sensing that Riley''s help would only take him in circles. "Alright. If you see her," he said, his tone resigned, "just let her know I went home early."


    "Sure thing," Riley said, flashing him a carefree grin.


    As Shade turned to leave, confusion about the situation lingered in his mind. Riley''s odd demeanor was nothing new, so it didn''t particularly surprise him. However, he''d barely stepped away when her voice called out behind him.


    "Wait," Riley said, her tone suddenly shifting.


    Shade stopped mid-step, glancing over his shoulder as Riley continued in a quieter voice. "How''s he been?" she suddenly asked. "Klaus, I mean."


    Her words hung in the air, the playful veneer in her expression replaced with something far more serious. Shade hesitated, then turned fully to face her. "Honestly," he began, his voice heavy, "the more I answer that question, the less sure I am of what to say."


    Riley studied his face, the weight of his response settling between them. It was clear to her that Shade struggled under the burden of answering with certainty when even he felt unsure. Her eyes softened, realizing that what she''d suspected might indeed be true.


    "Let me guess," she said after a moment, her voice steady. "He''s been locked in his room ever since he left Higher World, hasn''t he?"


    Shade stiffened, surprised by her accuracy. "Was it Rose who told you that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes as he searched her expression.


    Riley shook her head. "Not really," she replied, her tone calm. "Just a hunch."


    Shade hesitated, then sighed. "Well... your hunch is right," he admitted, seeing no point in hiding the truth from her.


    Riley''s expression grew even graver, her usual cheer completely extinguished. Shade had never seen her like this, and it stirred an unexpected curiosity within him. He was surprised by how deeply affected she seemed by the news of Klaus.


    "Just... make sure he''s okay," Riley said quietly after a moment of heavy silence, her voice carrying a hint of something she couldn''t quite put into words. Without waiting for a response, she turned away.


    "I will," Shade replied, though her words left him puzzled.


    He watched as Riley walked slowly down the hall, heading deeper into the apartment. There was a restraint in her demeanor, as if she wanted to say more but held herself back. Shade couldn''t help but feel touched by her concern. He found some solace in knowing that so many people still cared about his brother.


    Finally, Shade left Higher World and returned to Main World. The quiet of his house greeted him upon entry. Natalie had already gone to bed, and Shade didn''t blame her. He knew her new job would demand her full energy the next day, so he decided not to disturb her.


    Walking softly through the upstairs hallway, Shade stopped at Klaus'' door. As had become a daily habit, he sank to the floor and leaned back against the door, gazing at the lightbulb on the ceiling in silence.


    "Hey, Klaus," Shade began, his voice carrying the weariness of the day. "Another day without you again, I guess."


    He let out a deep sigh before continuing, recounting his day as if his brother were listening. "Not much happened today. Humans are still... well, humans. The ones outside are as obnoxious as ever. But Rose and I did go to Higher World. It''s been so long since I''ve been there, and seeing everyone again was nice. Felt like a breath of fresh air."


    Shade hesitated for a moment, his tone softening as his thoughts turned inward. "They all asked about you," he added. "They care about you, you know. A lot more than you probably realize."


    The silence between his words felt heavy, almost expectant. After a pause, Shade spoke again, quieter this time. "I know you''ll find the strength to pull yourself out of this eventually," he muttered. "And when you do... just know I''ll be right here."


    Shade leaned his head back against the door, letting his eyes close. The quiet of the house wrapped around him like a heavy blanket, and for a while, he let himself sink into the stillness, lost in his thoughts. It wasn''t until a sudden knock at the door echoed through the silence that he was jolted back to reality.


    Frowning, Shade sat up, listening. It wasn''t unusual for the humans outside to pester them, but the timing seemed strange. A second knock came, sharper this time, pulling his attention fully. Frustration prickled at him as he stood and made his way downstairs, seeing the possibility that it could be Rose and not what he had assumed.


    As he opened the door, his irritation was replaced by pure shock.


    "Riley?" Shade asked, his voice betraying his disbelief.


    There she stood, wearing an oversized black hoodie with the hood pulled up, a cap peeking out from underneath as she masked her face with the night skies. She looked up at him and smiled faintly. "Hey, Shade," she said casually. "Mind if I come in?"


    "S-Sure," Shade stammered, still struggling to process her presence.


    He stepped aside to let her in, closing the door behind her as she moved into the living room. Riley lowered her hood and removed her cap, placing it beside the couch before sitting down. Shade remained standing for a moment, staring at her. His mind raced with questions. He wondered why she had chosen to come to their home during such a critical time with humanity and how risky it was.


    "I bet you''re wondering why I''m here," Riley said with a faint smile once they had settled into the quiet living room.


    "Kinda," Shade replied, his tone tinged with confusion. "You do realize that just being here could make you a suspect for being a demigod, right? That''s exactly what happened to Rose."


    "I know," Riley admitted, her smile fading as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "But... I couldn''t just leave it alone."


    "Leave what alone?" Shade asked, his curiosity sharpening.


    "Klaus," she said softly. Her answer hit Shade like a sudden gust of wind, leaving him momentarily stunned. Before he could process her words, Riley continued. "He lost someone very close to him, and now he''s been locked away for over a month. That''s why... I wanna help him."


    Shade''s shock was evident as he stared at her, trying to gauge her seriousness. "You want to meet him? In this condition?" he asked incredulously. "You realize my brother''s not exactly... approachable, especially in situations like this."


    "I know," Riley replied, her gaze dropping to the floor.


    Her quiet demeanor mirrored the weight Shade had seen on Rose''s shoulders recently. It was a shared burden, one Shade himself carried too.


    "It''s just that..." Riley began again, her voice barely above a whisper, "I can''t leave him alone like that. I wanna try to help at least."


    Shade frowned, uncertainty shadowing his features. "And you think just walking in there and talking to him is going to help?"


    Riley lifted her head to meet his gaze, her expression raw and somber. "Trust me..." she murmured, her voice laced with a quiet conviction. "I know."


    For a moment, silence filled the space between them, heavy and unspoken. Shade saw something in Riley''s eyes; a deep sorrow, but also a stubborn resolve. It wasn''t a reckless plan; it was something she truly believed in.


    Finally, Shade sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you sure you know what you''re doing?"


    Riley nodded solemnly. "Trust me," she said again, her voice steady this time.


    With a reluctant shake of his head, Shade relented. "Fine," he muttered. "I''ll take you to his room. But if this goes sideways, don''t say I didn''t warn you."


    A faint smile returned to Riley''s face as she stood, nodding in thanks. Shade led the way up the stairs, the two of them moving quietly through the dimly lit hallway.


    When they reached Klaus''s door, Riley paused, her hand hovering near the knob. The oppressive atmosphere emanating from the room made her chest tighten. It wasn''t just the weight of Klaus''s grief; it felt like the room itself held an impenetrable barrier, keeping the rest of the world at bay.


    Shade stood a few paces behind her, watching in silence. He could see her steeling herself, summoning the courage to press forward.


    Without a word, Riley knocked softly, the sound barely audible in the stillness. Then, with a deep breath, she turned the knob and pushed the door open.


    As Riley stepped into the room, she was swallowed by an oppressive darkness. The windows were tightly shut, the blinds drawn, and every trace of light extinguished. The faint glow from the hallway behind her barely illuminated more than a few feet ahead. She hesitated, her heart pounding, before taking cautious steps forward. Slowly, her eyes adjusted, and a shape began to emerge; a figure on the bed, draped entirely in a blanket, unmoving.


    "K-Klaus?" Riley called softly, her voice trembling.


    For a long moment, there was no response, just the suffocating silence of the room. A chill crept down Riley''s spine, her apprehension growing. But she steadied herself, pushing forward.


    "Hey, Klaus. It''s Riley," she tried again, her voice gentle but steady. "I just wanted to check on you... make sure you''re okay."


    The silence persisted, oppressive and unyielding. Nothing in the room moved, save for Riley herself. Yet she refused to give in.


    "Look," she said, her tone firming, though her voice quivered slightly, "I know you''ve lost someone incredibly important to you. And I know you blame yourself for what happened to humanity. But you need to know that it''s not your fault."


    She took another step forward, her resolve solidifying. But as she did, a palpable force rippled through the room. It wasn''t just in her mind, it pressed against her, heavy and suffocating, as if the very air was warning her to stay away. She faltered, her breath hitching, but she didn''t retreat.


    "I know company is probably the last thing you want right now," Riley continued, her voice softening as she battled the tension in the room, "but I also know it''s what you need. You need someone to remind you that it''s okay to hurt; that it''s not your fault. But most of all, Klaus... you need to truly grieve."


    Riley took another cautious step forward, and the force in the room surged, slamming into her like a tidal wave. Her knees buckled slightly as her body screamed at her to leave. Before she could fully register the sensation, the darkness ahead shifted. Suddenly, a being stood ahead of her in silence.


    It was Klaus.


    Klaus was suddenly ahead of Riley, standing mere inches from her, having risen from the bed without a sound; before the blink of an eye. His towering frame loomed over her, his presence suffused with fury and anguish. His hair was unkempt and longer than she remembered, framing a face that was gaunt and shadowed. His once-vivid, yellow eyes were dull, void of their usual brilliance, yet the raw intensity they emitted made her chest tighten. Even the humans outside could feel the sudden shift in the atmosphere.


    "Get out."


    Klaus''s words were spoken softly, but they cut like a blade, accompanied by his terrifying glare. The oppressive force in the room spiked to unbearable levels. Outside the door, even Shade flinched as he felt the intensity emanating from the other side. Anxiety gnawed at him as he debated whether to intervene, his concern for Riley''s well-being heightening.


    But then, to Shade''s shock, as well as Klaus''s, Riley did something entirely unexpected. She stepped closer.


    Before anyone could react, Riley wrapped her arms around Klaus in a firm, unwavering embrace. She pressed herself against him, her head barely over his shoulder. Despite the confidence in her actions, her trembling hands portrayed her fear.


    Shade''s breath caught in his throat as he watched from the door, his eyes wide with disbelief. Riley held Klaus tightly, refusing to let go even as the force in the room seemed to war against her. She shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself for whatever might come next.


    Klaus''s body was thinner than she''d remembered, his frame frail beneath her touch. She could feel the edges of his shoulders and the slight tremor in his form. It was a stark reminder of how much he had neglected himself in his isolation, but she also understood his situation all too well.


    "I know you don''t want to hear this," Riley began, her voice trembling as the weight of her own emotions surfaced. "But you need to grieve her properly. You need to let yourself feel this pain." She hesitated, her arms still wrapped firmly around Klaus, before adding, "I know because... I''ve been where you are."


    Her words hung in the air, fragile yet determined. Riley understood that in Klaus''s current state, her story might mean little to him. She could feel the overwhelming force of his emotions, and she knew full well that if Klaus truly wanted her gone, she would already be out of the room. The fact that she remained standing gave her the courage to continue.


    "She was my best friend back in middle school," Riley said, her voice growing quieter as the memory surfaced. "We decided to skip school that day, and go shopping, just the two of us. It was my idea." Her voice cracked slightly, but she pressed on. "But on the way there... we got hit by a drunk driver."


    She squeezed her eyes shut, clinging to Klaus tightly as if grounding herself in the present. "I subconsciously moved ahead and tried to shield her, tried to take the brunt of the impact instead. But somehow, I managed to survive. And she... she..."


    The room seemed to grow even quieter, save for the faint hitch in Riley''s breathing. "I blamed myself for her death," she continued, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. "I mean how couldn''t I? It was my idea to skip school in the first place. For the longest time, I couldn''t do anything without thinking about her. Without feeling the guilt pressing down on me. I couldn''t even go back to school because of it."


    She paused, gathering her strength to share the part of herself she had buried for years. "Fourteen months," Riley said softly, her voice breaking with emotion. "Fourteen months, one week, and five days. That''s how long it took me to finally leave my house again."


    Outside the room, Shade''s heart sank. He leaned silently against the wall, the weight of Riley''s words crashing down on him. He''d always known her as the cheerful, carefree one, always bringing light to those around her. Hearing her share such a deeply personal and tragic experience shook him to his core. He now understood why Riley was doing what she was and why she had stepped into Klaus''s suffocating darkness.


    "Even though I shut everyone out," Riley continued, her voice tinged with sorrow, "even my own mom... I secretly wished someone would''ve told me what I''m telling you now."


    Her tears fell more freely, streaking down her face as she kept her eyes shut over Klaus''s shoulder, his face remained shadowed in the dim room. "Klaus," she murmured, her voice raw, "I know the pain you''re carrying. I know the blame you''ve put on yourself. But you can''t keep doing this to yourself. You have to grieve. You have to mourn her. Isolating yourself... all it does is prolong the pain. And you know, deep down, that she wouldn''t want this for you. So please..." Her voice cracked again, a quiet plea slipping from her lips. "Please, instead of punishing yourself, honor her death by mourning her."


    The room fell into a still silence, broken only by the sound of Riley''s soft sobs as she clung to Klaus. She had poured everything she had into her words, leaving herself vulnerable, but determined to reach him. She could feel the rapid thrum of his heartbeat beneath her chest, the tension still radiating from his body. But slowly, something shifted.


    Riley felt Klaus''s rigid form begin to soften in her grasp. His breath hitched, his shoulders trembling as if under the weight of an invisible burden. Then, quietly at first, she heard it; a faint, broken sound that grew into unmistakable sobs.


    Klaus, the stoic and powerful figure she''d known, broke into tears.


    "She''s... really gone," he whispered hoarsely, his voice hollow as the truth he had tried so desperately to deny finally took hold.


    Riley tightened her embrace, her own tears falling freely as she held him.

 #113: Grieving

    Klaus stood in silence, his fury gradually crumbling into sorrow. For an entire month of solitude, he had been consumed by one relentless thought; that it was all his fault. The devastation caused by the monsters, Xhin''s obsessive fixation on him, Avalon''s untimely death, Klaus bore the weight of all these events as if they were his own doing. To him, the blame felt justified.


    He replayed the thought endlessly: if he hadn''t loved Avalon, if their lives had never intertwined, she would still be alive. Yet what tore at him most wasn''t just the sorrow of her loss but the suffocating regret. Instead of grieving the girl who had been the light of his life, he wallowed in remorse for dragging her into his chaotic, unnatural world.


    Amid this storm of self-loathing, Riley''s words echoed within him. She had touched a part of his pain he''d buried beneath the regret. For the first time, Klaus recognized the truth; he didn''t need to punish himself. He needed to mourn. Her voice had pierced through the darkness of his denial, pulling him back to reality. Tears began to form in his eyes, slowly trickling down as the realization of Avalon''s absence truly set in after so long.


    Klaus wept, the weight of his grief crashing down on him. The gaping void Avalon had once filled seemed larger and more unbearable than ever, making him feel as though life itself had been drained of meaning.


    "She''s... really gone," Klaus whispered, his voice cracking as the words escaped him. Riley held him close, her silence speaking volumes. She didn''t try to fill the air with reassurances or platitudes, understanding that sometimes, just being silent was enough. Tears streamed down her own face as she shared in his pain, her embrace steadfast and unwavering.


    Shade, listening from beyond the door, remained still. He heard every broken sob, every moment of Klaus'' grief, and chose to let the scene unfold without interruption. His own heart ached for his brother, but he knew this moment was one Klaus had needed for far too long.


    Minutes passed in heavy silence as Klaus remained in Riley''s embrace, her presence grounding him in his sorrow. At last, Klaus gently tapped her arm, signaling that he was fine. Riley hesitated, remaining a bit longer before finally withdrawing, her eyes meeting his.


    Klaus stared back at her, his gaze hollow yet sincere. Riley could see it all; his exhaustion, his frailty, the toll his self-imposed isolation had taken. She had felt his malnourished frame in her arms, a stark reminder of how deeply he had sunk into despair. Despite everything, Klaus managed to speak.


    "Thank you," he murmured, his voice soft but genuine.


    Riley nodded, her lips pressed together as she fought back another wave of tears. She didn''t trust herself to speak, knowing it would only break her composure. Klaus shifted his attention toward the door, his steps unsteady as he made his way toward it. Each movement seemed to require immense effort, his body struggling against the weakness born of neglect. When he finally opened the door, he found Shade waiting on the other side.


    "Brother," Shade said softly, his expression filled with relief and compassion.


    Klaus met his gaze, sorrow etched deeply into his features. The burden of everything poured out. "I''m sorry¡­" he softly voiced, "for everything."


    Before Klaus could say more, Shade closed the distance between them, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Sorry for what?" Shade said, his voice warm with reassurance. "I''m just glad you''re okay."


    The regret in Klaus'' eyes deepened. He realized how much Shade had worried for him, how his silence had only added to the strain on his brother. Klaus had isolated himself, but Shade had stayed steadfast, refusing to give up on him.


    When Shade finally released him, Klaus felt compelled to share something important. "I thought about leaving earlier," he admitted, his voice low and trembling. "Your words¡­ every day, I heard all of them. They were the only thing keeping the sanity I had left."


    A faint smile crossed Shade''s face at his brother''s admission. "Then I''m glad I could help when you needed it most," he said gently.


    Shade wanted nothing more than to leave the struggles behind, so knowing his words had reached Klaus brought him relief. Suddenly, upon concluding his words, he noticed a faint flicker in Klaus'' weary eyes. The light in them seemed to waver, as if his brother was teetering on the edge of consciousness. A moment later, Klaus'' body betrayed him and his strength gave out, causing him to slowly fall forward.


    Shade moved closer to catch his brother, bracing himself as Klaus collapsed into his arms. Concern flickered in Shade''s eyes as he held Klaus, but eventually, he realized Klaus had simply fallen asleep.


    Shade exhaled, relief washing over him before he lifted his gaze toward the doorway. There, Riley stood watching, a bright smile lighting up her face. Shade couldn''t help but mirror it, his own smile filled with gratitude. Riley had done it. She had managed to reach Klaus.


    The next morning, Klaus stirred awake, his body sluggish and numb. The sensation of sunlight on his skin felt foreign after weeks spent in darkness. As the light filtered through the open window, Klaus gazed upon it, a reminder of how far removed he had been from the world. But even with the new day, an emptiness lingered, hollow and aching.


    The realization of Avalon''s absence pressed on him. For the past month, regret had drowned out everything else, keeping true sorrow at bay. But now, with the dam broken, the weight of her loss was crushing.


    Klaus sat up slowly, his gaze roaming his surroundings. He was in his bed, though he didn''t remember getting there. Memories of the previous night were hazy, but the emotions were crystal clear.


    Turning his head, Klaus spotted Shade slumped in a chair beside him, fast asleep. It didn''t take long for him to piece together what had happened. Shade must have carried him to bed and stayed by his side through the night. Klaus felt a pang of guilt, recognizing the toll his actions had taken on his brother. He sighed softly, then rose from the bed as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake Shade.


    He moved to a drawer, pulling out a blanket. With careful hands, he draped it over Shade''s sleeping form before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.


    The shower did little to dispel the dizziness that clung to Klaus like a shroud. His body was frail, his limbs unsteady, reminding him of the toll his neglect had taken. He also hadn''t eaten in weeks; possibly not since before the human extinction crisis. The realization startled him briefly, but he dismissed it as another quirk of his divine nature. What lingered instead was the understanding of just how long he''d been lost in his isolation.


    As he showered, fragmented memories of his self-imposed exile surfaced. He couldn''t recall much with clarity, only the overwhelming rage that had burned through him like a wildfire. Every moment had stretched unbearably long, and the world beyond his anger had felt irrelevant, insignificant. The memories left a bitter taste, so Klaus pushed them aside for now.


    Once he was clean and dressed, Klaus made his way downstairs. Each step was a trial, his movements unsteady and slow. His body protested every shift, but he pressed on, his resolve quiet but firm. By the time he reached the bottom, he was already fatigued. Yet something caught his eye before he could take another step.


    In the living room, Riley lay sprawled on the couch, fast asleep. Klaus paused, his gaze softening as he took in the sight. Her presence confirmed what he''d only half-remembered from the night before; she had truly been there.


    He hadn''t been sure if what he''d seen of Riley in his room was real or a desperate projection of his mind. Though they had barely spoken before this, a solid reason why a projection of her would have been weird to him, she had come to his aid regardless.


    Klaus felt a quiet gratitude well up within him, unexpected but genuine. He also had an idea of why she''d chosen to sleep on the couch instead of leaving or returning home.


    As Klaus entered the kitchen, he pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. He paused, staring at it for a moment, realizing that his body didn''t crave it. Regardless, he tilted his head back and took a sip. One gulp was enough to leave him feeling strange, as though he''d just consumed a dozen bottles of water in one go. His stomach churned uncomfortably, almost rejecting the sensation altogether.


    The odd reaction made Klaus pause. His body had grown so accustomed to its deprivation that even the smallest attempt to nourish it felt foreign. He sighed, accepting that he''d have to ease into normalcy. It was absurd, but he wasn''t surprised; divinity often bent the rules of his body in unpredictable ways.


    Before his thoughts could spiral further, the faint sound of footsteps descending the stairs caught his attention. He turned toward the staircase just in time to see his mother, Natalie, appearing at the bottom. One hand covered her eye as she stifled a yawn, her movements sluggish in her half-awake state. Still groggy, she made her way toward the coffee machine with single-minded determination, clearly intent on starting her morning routine.


    "Morning, honey," Natalie mumbled absently, not even glancing up as she fiddled with the coffee machine.


    Klaus stood silently, watching her. A few moments passed before Natalie froze, her hand hovering mid-motion. Slowly, her eyes widened as the realization of his presence dawned on her. She turned toward him, her expression shifting from sleepy to shocked in an instant.


    "K-Klaus?" she stammered, taking a hesitant step closer as if unsure whether her mind was playing tricks on her. "Am I... am I seeing things? Is that really you?"


    Klaus gave her a small, tired smile. "Morning, Mom."


    Her shock melted into raw emotion as she rushed toward him, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. Klaus felt the warmth of her embrace as tears streamed down her face.


    "I''m so glad you''re okay," Natalie whispered, her voice breaking under the weight of her relief.


    Klaus'' expression softened, the guilt of the past month pressing harder on him. "I''m fine, Mom," he said quietly. "I''m sorry for making you worry for so long."


    Natalie stepped back slightly, her hands still resting on his arms as she looked him over. "Don''t apologize," she said firmly. "Shade told me everything. I''m so sorry you had to go through that."


    Klaus nodded slowly, his gaze dropping. "I didn''t know how to handle it," he admitted, his voice trembling. "Losing her... it felt like my life ended along with hers. I didn''t know what else to do. I''m sorry for putting you through that."


    Natalie''s heart ached as she saw the pain etched into her son''s face. "Klaus," she said, her voice tender yet firm, "you never have to apologize to me for hurting. Losing someone you love so deeply is unimaginable. But I want you to know that whatever happens, I''ll always be here for you."


    Klaus met her gaze and offered a faint, reassuring smile, even though the ache in his chest hadn''t lessened. He hated seeing the pain his actions had caused her and silently vowed to protect her from feeling it again.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    They talked quietly as Natalie moved around the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Klaus tried to help, but his unsteady hands and weak body betrayed him. Natalie gently insisted he sit instead, waving off his attempts, which he reluctantly obeyed.


    A sudden knock at the front door interrupted their conversation. Klaus barely had the energy to rise, so Natalie excused herself and went to answer it. When she opened the door, Rose swept inside, her movements brisk and purposeful.


    "Sorry I''m late, Nat," Rose began, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "The crowd outside my place was worse than usual. It''s getting more annoying to navigate through them."


    Natalie chuckled softly. "Good morning, Rose. You''re looking great today."


    "Thanks," Rose replied with a smile. "I finally managed to get some decent sleep last night after weeks, so I feel rejuvenated. But don''t tell Shade I said that," she added with a playful smirk.


    The two exchanged lighthearted banter, but Rose''s mood shifted the moment someone emerged from the kitchen. At first, she didn''t register who he was, assuming it was Shade from the corner of her eye. But when her gaze fully met Klaus'', she froze. Her smile faded into quiet shock.


    "Klaus..." she whispered, her voice trailing off as she stepped closer to him.


    Her eyes searched his face, taking in the gauntness, the weariness, the toll of his grief. Without a word, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him in a firm but tender embrace. Klaus hesitated briefly before raising his arms to return the hug, his movements slow and uncertain.


    Rose held him tightly, her silence speaking louder than words. Her concern was etched deeply into her expression as she buried her face in his shoulder.


    Klaus and Rose lingered in their embrace, a quiet moment of connection that brought a soft smile to Natalie''s face. When Rose finally stepped back, her eyes remained locked on Klaus, her expression a mix of relief and surprise.


    "It''s really you," she murmured, her voice almost disbelieving.


    "I guess," Klaus replied, his voice steady, though his usual detached demeanor remained.


    Rose studied him for a few moments longer, her thoughts visibly churning. Slowly, her expression shifted, tinged with frustration. She had been by his side for weeks, visiting daily and waiting for the moment he would finally leave his self-imposed isolation. But the one night she hadn''t been there was the one he chose to emerge.


    "What changed?" she asked softly, the frustration and confusion threading through her voice.


    Klaus didn''t answer immediately. His gaze drifted past her, settling on the couch in the living room. Rose followed his line of sight and noticed Riley still asleep, her quiet form lying on the couch. Rose''s confusion deepened, her brow furrowing as she turned back to Klaus.


    "Riley?" Rose questioned, her voice low with curiosity. "Just how much did I miss?"


    Before Klaus could respond, another voice interjected from the stairs. "A lot," Shade said, his tone light but firm as he descended. "Morning, everyone."


    Rose''s eyes snapped toward Shade as he joined them. "What the hell happened last night?" she asked, her curiosity evident.


    Shade didn''t hesitate, recounting the events of the previous night. He explained from his encounter with Riley in Higher World, to how she had succeeded in pulling Klaus from his isolation. Rose listened intently, her expression cycling between disbelief and amazement as the story unfolded.


    "I can''t believe that worked," she finally said, shaking her head. "Why didn''t you tell me sooner?"


    "I did," Shade replied matter-of-factly. "I messaged you as soon as it happened."


    Rose frowned, pulling out her phone to scroll through her messages. Sure enough, there Shade''s message was, buried beneath dozens of others. Realization of what had caused her to miss it dawned.


    "I was... asleep," she said quietly, her disappointment evident.


    After weeks of sleepless nights spent worrying about Klaus, the one evening Rose allowed herself to rest was the one she missed the emergence.


    Klaus noticed her distress and stepped in. "You don''t have to feel bad, Rose," he said, his voice steady but soft. "I know you''ve been coming here every day since I shut myself away. I know what you''ve risked, revealing your identity for my sake."


    Rose''s attention snapped to him. Klaus continued, his tone unchanging yet filled with sincerity.


    "You weren''t there," he said, his eyes meeting hers, "but I''m glad you''re here now."


    Rose''s emotions relaxed at his words. While she still felt a twinge of regret, Klaus'' calm assurance helped her focus on what truly mattered: he was here, standing before her, doing fine and beginning to heal.


    "You''re right," Rose said, exhaling softly as she let her guilt go. "Enough about me. How are you?"


    Klaus hesitated, the weight of her question evident in the silence that followed. Shade and Rose both watched him, their concern palpable as they awaited his answer. Finally, Klaus spoke.


    "I''m... not sure," he admitted, his voice low. "But I''m... trying to be fine."


    His honesty brought a flicker of worry to Rose''s face, but she didn''t press. She could see the effort it took for him to open up, and she appreciated his willingness to let them in, even a little. Klaus, sensing their concern, began to recount his experience in isolation.


    He spoke of the rage that had consumed him; a fiery hatred directed both at Xhin, who had singlehandedly torn his life apart, and at himself, for failing to prevent it. Time had become meaningless in his solitude, his days blurring together in a haze of fury and despair. Only when Shade had finally reached him had he realized just how long he had been lost in his grief; over a month.


    Shade recounted the events of the past month from his perspective, describing both his personal struggles and humanity''s collective experience. As Klaus listened, he was struck by the revelation that an entire month had passed since he isolated himself. The realization caught him off guard.


    To Klaus, the time had felt like an eternity, yet in retrospect, it seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye, a strange contradiction that he couldn''t fully grasp. Shaking off the disorientation, he chose to focus on catching up with the others, asking about their experiences while he had been withdrawn.


    By the time Natalie finished preparing breakfast, she called them all to the kitchen.


    Klaus explained that his body couldn''t handle a full meal yet due to his prolonged fast. He would need to ease back into eating gradually. Rose found this an intriguing insight into the peculiarities of their divine nature, but Shade couldn''t hide his sympathy for Klaus. Sensing his concern, Klaus reassured him that it wasn''t a big deal.


    The group shared light conversation until Rose eventually broached a deeper topic. "What do you plan to do now?" she asked gently. "Do you have anything in mind?"


    Klaus remained quiet for a moment, deliberating before responding. "For now," he began, his voice even but resolute, "I want to meet with my father. I have questions about everything. And maybe... that will help me find some closure."


    Rose nodded thoughtfully. She could see that Klaus was still grappling with his pain and anger. His resentment toward the gods had always been apparent, even before their involvement with their demigodly activities. But if meeting with Sol, his father, could help Klaus take a step forward, Rose was more than willing to support him.


    Their conversation continued as a movement from the living room occurred. Riley had woken up. She sat up from the couch, rubbing her eyes before focusing on the kitchen. Her gaze lingered on Klaus, who was mid-conversation with Shade and Rose, and a smile slowly formed on her face as she noticed his improved state. Rising to her feet, Riley approached them.


    "I''m glad to see you''re doing better," Riley said warmly, addressing Klaus directly.


    "Yeah," Klaus replied, his gaze shifting toward her, his tone neutral but not dismissive.


    Though his expression remained stoic, Riley had grown accustomed to his demeanor and wasn''t fazed. But before anyone could respond further, Klaus pushed himself to his feet, his movements slow and unsteady. Each step toward Riley seemed to cost him effort, yet he pressed on until he stood directly in front of her. His eyes met hers, and his voice softened as he spoke.


    "I really want to thank you, Riley," Klaus began, the sincerity in his voice silencing the room. "I didn''t realize how much I needed to hear what you said last night. I''m grateful for what you did. Living the way I was... it wasn''t honoring her memory."


    His words were heavy, laden with raw emotion that hung in the air. Riley, visibly moved, offered him a small, encouraging smile.


    "I''m just glad you were willing to listen," she replied. "Coming to terms with something so painful isn''t easy, but you did. That''s what''s truly impressive."


    "Regardless," Klaus said firmly, "I owe you more than I can say."


    Riley smiled again, a warm and reassuring expression, but her features shifted slightly as something occurred to her. "By the way," she began, "the reason I stayed here last night was because I couldn''t risk the attention of being seen leaving. Honestly, I''m sure it''s still not safe now. Do you think there''s a way I can avoid being outed as a demigod?"


    Rose and Shade exchanged uncertain glances, neither able to immediately provide a solution. Klaus, however, seemed to have an idea forming in his mind.


    "I¡¯ll take you home on my way to Higher World," Klaus said to Riley, his tone calm. "I¡¯ll use my Burst Speed, so you don¡¯t have to worry about being seen."


    The suggestion was practical, but concern immediately flashed across everyone¡¯s faces. Given Klaus¡¯ current state, the idea seemed unwise.


    "Are you sure?" Shade asked, his brow furrowed. "You still seem pretty worn out."


    "I¡¯m fine," Klaus replied simply, his expression unfaltering. "It¡¯s no big deal."


    Shade hesitated, his skepticism lingering. Still, knowing Klaus had already planned to head to Higher World, he ultimately let it go, though not without some apprehension.


    From the side, Rose spoke up. "I honestly forgot you¡¯ve managed to bypass the restriction of only using your light speed at night. That¡¯s pretty impressive."


    "I guess," Klaus said, his tone flat as usual.


    He chose not to elaborate on what achieving such a feat had cost him, unwilling to dampen the mood. Without further discussion, Klaus headed upstairs to prepare for his departure.


    While he was gone, Rose took the opportunity to approach Riley. "By the way," Rose began, her voice calm as she caught Riley¡¯s attention, "I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve said this yet, but thank you for helping Klaus."


    Riley blinked in mild surprise, then smiled. Rose¡¯s sincerity was evident, her expression soft but resolute as she continued.


    "I¡¯ve sensed the pain Klaus had been harboring every day I¡¯ve come here," Rose said, her voice tinged with emotion. "Even now, I can tell he¡¯s not fully okay, but the weight he¡¯s holding right now is significantly lighter because of you."


    Rose glanced down for a moment as if gathering her thoughts. "I really care about him," she admitted, her voice softer. "And I know your actions helped him in a way that, as a close friend, I couldn¡¯t. So... thank you."


    Riley¡¯s smile widened slightly at the heartfelt gratitude. "Like I said earlier," she replied modestly, "most of it was him being willing to listen. All I really did was talk."


    "Well... that was clearly enough," Rose insisted gently.


    Riley nodded, though her smile dimmed a little as her gaze drifted. "It¡¯s good that it was," she said, her tone quiet. "Because honestly, that was possibly the most terrifying thing I¡¯ve ever done. And that¡¯s saying something, considering I¡¯ve met someone like X."


    Rose chuckled softly, though there was an understanding in her eyes. The two talked for a few more minutes until the sound of footsteps signaled Klaus¡¯ return.


    Klaus descended the stairs, his usual demeanor intact. He was ready to leave, but before stepping out, he turned to Riley, briefly meeting her gaze. Without a word, he extended his arms toward her.


    "Hop on," he said flatly. "I¡¯ll carry you in my arms until we get there."


    Riley¡¯s face flushed red at the gesture. "W-Wait," she stammered, her voice rising slightly. "I didn¡¯t think you meant, like... cradle me in your arms."


    "Does it matter?" Klaus asked, his tone as indifferent as ever.


    Riley couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was overanalyzing the situation compared to Klaus¡¯ straightforward demeanor. Her cheeks flushed, and she tried to push past her embarrassment. "You really are oblivious, huh?" she remarked.


    "You learn to live with it after a while," Rose said from the side, smirking knowingly, familiar with what Riley was experiencing all too well.


    Klaus, unbothered by their remarks, effortlessly scooped Riley into his arms. She quickly pulled her hood over her head and adjusted her cap, preparing for the trip. As Shade opened the door to let them out, Klaus disappeared in an instant, a clear testament to the incredible speed at which he moved.


    At that exact moment, Klaus arrived at the location Riley had provided. He gently set her down before slumping forward, breathing heavily. Though his gasps were quiet, they portrayed his exhaustion. He realized with some concern that his body might be in worse condition than he had initially thought. Meanwhile, Riley was wide-eyed, her face glowing with exhilaration.


    "Oh my gods," she exclaimed, a thrilling grin spreading across her face. "We just traveled miles in the blink of an eye!"


    She patted herself down as though ensuring she was still in one piece, her amazement palpable. "That was... so different than I expected," she said, her voice filled with wonder. "Not as painful as I thought it might be, though."


    Klaus straightened up slightly, still catching his breath. "I guess," he muttered, unsure how to respond to her enthusiasm.


    Her curiosity began to outweigh her excitement. "How does it even work?" Riley asked, tilting her head as she studied him. "I mean, you¡¯re carrying someone, a body that possesses matter, while moving at the speed of light without harming them or even disrupting the space around you. It¡¯s... scientifically baffling."


    Klaus met her gaze, his face as unreadable as ever. He shrugged. "I don¡¯t know what you want me to say."


    "I''m guessing you¡¯ve never thought about it?" she pressed.


    "Not really," he replied. "It just... works."


    "Fair enough," Riley said, shaking her head with a chuckle. She realized she wouldn¡¯t get a more detailed answer, and that was fine. After a few more brief exchanges, Klaus finally regained his stamina.


    "I¡¯ll have to get going now," he said. "It¡¯s better so no one spots us together."


    Riley nodded, understanding his concern. "Guess I''ll see you later," she said with a warm smile.


    Klaus gave a small nod in return before vanishing, leaving Riley alone.


    Klaus reappeared at his usual transportation site, his breaths shallow as he worked to recover from the strain. After a few moments of rest, he steadied himself, placing a hand on the poster that served as his portal. The surroundings began to dematerialize before he finally vanished, on his way to Higher World.

 #114: Deflection

    Klaus opened his eyes as he arrived in Higher World, the throbbing headache from the transportation immediately making its presence known; a sensation he hadn¡¯t experienced in quite some time. Clutching his head, he acknowledged that his weakened state would require him to retrain his body back to its former condition. But for now, he had a more pressing objective.


    Standing in the epicenter of the Exalted City, Klaus scanned his surroundings with one purpose: to find XVII. If anyone could arrange a meeting with his father, XVII would have the necessary connections and information.


    Klaus wandered through the city streets, his sharp gaze sweeping the familiar yet distant sights. Along the way, he spotted Mia and Tyler seated on a bench, engrossed in conversation. Their laughter halted as they caught sight of him, their expressions shifting from surprise to concern.


    "Klaus?" Mia questioned, her shock evident. "Oh wow, it really is you."


    Her eyes immediately fell on his altered appearance; his longer, untamed hair and gaunt figure. Concern flickered across her face as she studied him.


    "You don¡¯t... look so good, though," she murmured, her voice softer now.


    "I¡¯m fine," Klaus replied, brushing aside her observation with his usual brevity. "Do you know where I can find XVII?"


    Tyler chimed in, "Last I saw, he was near the Arena of Valor."


    "Thanks," Klaus said curtly before turning on his heel, his focus fixed on the arena''s direction.


    Mia and Tyler exchanged a quiet glance, unsure of how to respond to his abruptness. Klaus saw no reason to linger; his mission was clear, and time was not a luxury he could afford. He started to walk away, but Tyler¡¯s voice halted him mid-step.


    "Hey, Klaus," Tyler called, urgency lacing his tone. "Do you mind sparing a few moments?"


    "I¡¯m kind of in a hurry," Klaus replied without looking back, his eyes locked on the path ahead.


    But before he could continue, Tyler pressed on. "Please," he persisted. "It¡¯s important."


    Klaus exhaled a frustrated sigh and turned back to meet Tyler¡¯s gaze. The seriousness in his friend¡¯s eyes gave him pause. Despite his impatience, Klaus couldn¡¯t bring himself to ignore the plea.


    "Fine," he relented, his tone heavy with reluctance.


    As Klaus approached, Tyler exchanged a silent look with Mia. Catching on, Mia rolled her eyes in exaggerated frustration.


    "Urghhh, fine," she groaned, rising from the bench. "I¡¯ll leave you two to your ''important'' talk."


    She wandered off toward the cafeteria, muttering under her breath. Tyler waited until he was out of earshot before turning back to Klaus. A moment of silence passed between them, the weight of unspoken words filling the air. Finally, Tyler spoke.


    "I wanna start by asking how you''re really doing," Tyler began, his voice steady but edged with concern.


    "I said I''m fine," Klaus replied curtly, holding firm to his earlier statement.


    "Look," Tyler pressed on, "I know the pain you''ve been going through this past month, and I get that you''re probably tired of hearing people ask by now. But I also know that no one who¡¯s asked truly understands the pain you''re carrying. At least not like I do."


    He paused, his gaze drifting ahead as he sat on the bench beside Klaus. The two mirrored each other in posture, their shared grief palpable in the quiet. "Avalon was one of my best friends," Tyler continued, his words softening but weighted with emotion, drawing Klaus¡¯ full attention. "Ever since we started Wallpaper, she was nothing but fun to be around. Her life wasn¡¯t bad, but it wasn¡¯t exactly great either. That¡¯s why she started doing graffiti; to find peace in creating art. But the day you joined us, I saw how much happier she became."


    Klaus blinked, caught off guard by the memory. He had forgotten that Tyler had known Avalon long before he did. Tyler took a breath, organizing his thoughts before speaking again.


    "She always smiled when your name came up in our conversations," Tyler said, a faint, fleeting smile crossing his face. "It was so obvious how much she liked you."


    The smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. Tyler lowered his voice. "She was like a sister to me," he murmured, almost to himself. "And I know how much you meant to her. I know how much joy you brought into her life before she..." His voice trailed off, leaving the sentence incomplete.


    Silence filled the space between them, heavy and unrelenting. Tyler¡¯s struggle to maintain his composure wasn¡¯t lost on Klaus, who recognized this moment as something deeper than the usual expressions of condolence. This wasn¡¯t just someone saying they were sorry, it was a raw, shared loss.


    Finally, Tyler turned his gaze back to Klaus, his sorrow evident. "I know you''ve probably heard this from someone else before now," Tyler said, his tone earnest. "But for what my words are worth... I want to say I¡¯m sorry for your loss."


    Klaus was moved in a way he hadn¡¯t expected. The weight of Tyler¡¯s words, coming from someone who had been as close to Avalon as he had, hit differently.


    "I could say the same to you," Klaus replied after a beat, acknowledging the mutual pain they carried. "I wasn¡¯t the only one who lost someone dear."


    Tyler nodded, his eyes lowering as they grew heavier with unshed tears. "I guess you¡¯re right," he said quietly.


    For a few moments, neither spoke. The silence wasn¡¯t awkward; it was understanding, a shared respite in their grief. Eventually, Klaus rose to his feet.


    "I still have something I need to do," he said. "But I really needed to hear your words. Thank you."


    Hearing Tyler¡¯s perspective, knowing someone else had been deeply affected by Avalon¡¯s death, eased Klaus¡¯ loneliness, if only slightly. He offered a faint nod before turning to leave.


    But Tyler wasn¡¯t finished. ¡°By the way,¡± he called out, his voice retaining a sorrowful tone, ¡°her funeral was a beautiful service, even though it was a closed casket.¡±


    The comment stopped Klaus in his tracks.


    ¡°I found peace in my mourning that day,¡± Tyler continued. ¡°And I know you¡¯re still searching for something like that. So maybe you should consider meeting with her parents. It could help you in your healing journey.¡±


    Klaus stood frozen, his heart heavier than ever. "I¡¯ll... consider it," he managed to say, his voice strained as he fought to keep his emotions at bay.


    Without another word, he turned and walked away, his steps slower and heavier than before.


    The haunting memory of Avalon¡¯s mutilated body flashed in his mind, a sight he had tried desperately to forget. He quickened his pace, forcing the image back into the recesses of his mind as he approached the Arena of Valor.


    Inside the arena, Klaus found XVII. Wasting no time, he asked if he could meet with his father, Sol. XVII nodded and assured him that he would relay the request to the gods. After a few moments, XVII instructed Klaus to head to the transportation podium, where Sol awaited his presence in the meeting room within the domain of the gods.


    Since Klaus had previously visited the domain of the gods, he was already familiar with its coordinates. After offering XVII a brief word of thanks, Klaus activated his Burst Speed ability. In the blink of an eye, he reached the epicenter of his destination, a revelation that his ability functioned just as effectively in Higher World. Without hesitation, he stepped onto the transportation podium and was immediately transported to the gods¡¯ domain.


    Upon his arrival, Klaus navigated through the pristine expanse until he arrived at the meeting room where, upon entry, his surroundings seemed to stretch into infinity; a pure white void that enveloped the entire space. At the center of the room stood Sol, his presence unmistakable. The god turned slightly, acknowledging Klaus¡¯ entry with a steady, piercing gaze.


    "Hello, Klaus," Sol began, his voice carrying a weight.


    The power in Sol¡¯s words was palpable, as expected of a god, but it didn''t cause Klaus to kneel. Perhaps it was Sol''s familiarity with the demigods or, rather, a testament to Klaus'' growing strength. Regardless of the reason, Klaus held his ground, his silence cutting through the air as he walked deeper into the room.


    The door behind him closed with a faint echo, sealing their meeting. Klaus stopped a few steps away from Sol, his sharp eyes betraying his simmering anger as he locked onto his father¡¯s gaze.


    "Hello, father," Klaus replied.


    "How have you been?" Sol asked, his tone measured, an attempt to defuse the tension radiating from his son.


    Klaus exhaled sharply, his frustration evident. "Why ask a question you already know the answer to?" he countered, his voice tinged with irritation. "Don¡¯t you see all of reality at once?"


    Sol remained composed despite the rising anger in Klaus'' words. He recognized the resentment but knew it was his responsibility to answer the questions his son carried.


    "That is not true for you and the other demigods," Sol explained calmly. "As I said during our last meeting, the gods are no longer permitted to observe any of you. Your destinies are your own, and to respect your privacies, we chose to forgo surveillance entirely."


    Klaus furrowed his brow, processing the information. He had understood this in passing, but not to the extent Sol described. Still, he kept his emotions in check.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Is that the same reasoning you used to justify not interfering during the crisis a month ago?" Klaus said, his voice now edged with anger.


    The question hung in the air, catching Sol''s attention. He glanced at Klaus, his expression momentarily unreadable. "What do you mean?" he asked.


    Klaus stepped closer, his voice gaining intensity. "The crisis that nearly wiped out the human race," he said. "If not for the few of us left on Earth, countless more lives would have been lost. And yet, you gods chose to remain idle here in Higher World."


    The anger in Klaus¡¯ voice was unmistakable now, and Sol could see the deep resentment his son held for the gods¡¯ inaction.


    "What I want to know," Klaus continued, his words sharp and unwavering, "is why the gods; the so-called protectors of humanity; chose to abandon the very beings they once saved from extinction. The ones you swore to protect."


    Sol¡¯s eyes softened as he listened, feeling the weight of Klaus¡¯ pain in every word. He was going to provide clarity but knew the answer would not be easy for Klaus to accept.


    "It¡¯s not that simple, Klaus," Sol said quietly, his tone tinged with regret.


    "Why?" Klaus demanded, his voice rising. "Why is it not simple? I need to understand why beings who claim to possess infinite power and wisdom, the pinnacle of existence, chose to stand by and watch humanity suffer."


    "Because we swore an oath," Sol exclaimed, meeting Klaus¡¯ piercing gaze. "We swore never to interfere with humanity again."


    Klaus narrowed his eyes, unimpressed by the explanation. "That still doesn¡¯t answer my question," he retorted. "There is no punishment for a god who breaks their oath. So why did you choose to uphold it? Why did you watch as humanity suffered?"


    Sol¡¯s expression shifted, his features softening with a mix of sorrow and resolve. He took a breath, his voice lowering as he began to explain.


    "Because if a god lacks morality and becomes too great to respect their own oaths," Sol said, his tone somber, "then there is no force in reality that could bind their absolute power. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. Trust me... I know."


    There was a gravity in Sol¡¯s words that Klaus couldn¡¯t ignore. The god¡¯s expression darkened, his gaze distant as though recalling a memory too heavy to share. Klaus, though unsatisfied with the answer, sensed there was more to it than he understood. Despite his frustration, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this conclusion was rooted in something far greater than himself.


    Klaus stood in silence for a while after Sol¡¯s response, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. Yet, he found himself reluctantly accepting his father¡¯s words. Despite his frustration with the gods and their perceived inaction, Klaus couldn¡¯t shake the sense that Sol was being truthful.


    He had never spent any meaningful time with his father, divine or not, and therefore had no foundation to judge Sol¡¯s character. But he understood that the gods, by their very nature, might have reasons beyond human comprehension for binding themselves to their oaths.


    Still, Klaus couldn¡¯t absolve the gods entirely. "What about foresight?" he asked suddenly, his voice breaking the silence and pulling Sol¡¯s attention back to him.


    "What about it?" he responded.


    "If I¡¯m to accept that you gods cannot interfere directly with humanity," Klaus began, "then I also know that we demigods are an exception to that rule since we share in divinity. And if gods are truly infinite in their capabilities, foresight should certainly be within your grasp, correct?"


    "That is correct," Sol affirmed.


    "Then you must have known the crisis was coming," Klaus pressed. "So why didn¡¯t you warn us? Why didn¡¯t you at least inform the demigods so we could prevent it from happening in the first place?"


    Klaus¡¯ questions hung in the air, their weight undeniable. They were the kind of questions that demanded answers. Yet Sol, having anticipated this line of reasoning, felt a pang of regret. The truth he had to offer was unlikely to bring Klaus the satisfaction he sought.


    "That isn¡¯t how foresight works," Sol said at last. "While it¡¯s true that foresight allows us to glimpse the future, it does not offer a single, definitive vision. It reveals only one possibility... one among an infinite number of outcomes."


    Klaus blinked, caught off guard. "That doesn¡¯t make any sense," he said, his voice tinged with disbelief. "If it¡¯s that unreliable, then what¡¯s the point of having such an ability at all?"


    "You¡¯re not wrong," Sol replied, nodding slightly. "The value of foresight is, at best, minimal. That is why we do not use it."


    Sensing Klaus¡¯ confusion, Sol decided to elaborate. "Time," he began, "is like a vast tree with an endless number of branches, each representing a possible outcome. Even those branches have branches of their own. The farther you ascend the tree, the more branches you encounter. Now imagine an ant starting at the base of the tree, climbing endlessly upward. The odds of another ant following the exact same path and arriving at the same branch are one in infinity. That¡¯s how foresight works."


    Klaus listened carefully, his initial frustration giving way to understanding. Sol¡¯s analogy was vivid, making the complexity, and futility, of foresight clear. Slowly, Klaus began to grasp why the gods hadn¡¯t warned them. The realization softened his expression, even if it didn¡¯t entirely ease his lingering resentment.


    Sol, watching his son closely, noticed the subtle shift in his demeanor. He understood that while Klaus might not be fully satisfied, the explanation had given him some clarity. More than anything, Sol sensed that Klaus wasn¡¯t truly seeking answers, he was looking to absolve himself of the blame he had placed on the gods for humanity¡¯s suffering.


    Breaking the silence, Sol spoke again. "I understand that you lost someone you loved," he said, his tone filled with quiet empathy.


    Klaus didn¡¯t respond, but his eyes lowered, his silence confirming Sol¡¯s words.


    "From what I can see," Sol continued softly, "you cared for her deeply... more than you care for yourself."


    Sol¡¯s expression grew pensive, his gaze distant for a moment. "I know that feeling," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "Caring so much about someone and never having the chance to be by their side again. Except in my case, I still have the privilege of seeing her, even if only from afar."


    Stepping closer, Sol placed a hand gently on Klaus¡¯ shoulder, his divine presence tempered by the weight of his fatherly concern. To see his son in this state struck him profoundly.


    "I¡¯m sorry for your loss," Sol said at last, his voice sincere, his gaze steady as he watched Klaus, who kept his eyes fixed downward in silent grief.


    The silence stretched between them, heavy and unbroken, until Klaus finally spoke, his voice trembling with sorrow. ¡°Is there any way I can see her again?¡± he whispered, his words almost inaudible. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just to say goodbye.¡±


    The question carried the weight of his lingering regret. Avalon¡¯s passing haunted him deeply, not only because of her loss but because he had arrived too late. Her final breath had escaped before he could reach her, before he could speak his heart one last time or offer her a proper farewell. The thought gnawed at him relentlessly.


    Sol studied Klaus in silence, his expression grim as he prepared to deliver an answer he knew would bring no solace. ¡°Not in any way that would be ethical,¡± Sol said softly. ¡°It would be like desecrating her grave. And trust me¡­ it¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    Klaus lowered his head, his shoulders slumping under the weight of Sol¡¯s response. He loved Avalon too much to taint her memory that way, even if it meant living with the pain of never saying goodbye.


    ¡°I know these answers aren¡¯t what you wanted to hear,¡± Sol said gently after a pause. ¡°And I wish there were a way to ease your pain. Even if you resent me and the other gods, the one piece of advice I can give you¡­ is to properly mourn her.¡±


    The words struck a chord. Klaus recalled Riley telling him the same thing, urging him to grieve instead of letting his anger consume him. If Sol was truthful about the gods no longer watching over the demigods, then it meant Riley had come to that conclusion on her own.


    Though Klaus had trusted Riley initially, a part of him had still clung to the notion that the gods were to blame. That lingering doubt had led him here, seeking closure.


    After a long silence, Klaus finally looked up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my arrogance,¡± he said softly.


    Sol¡¯s expression softened with a hint of surprise. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be,¡± he replied with a small smile. ¡°If I were in your place, I¡¯d have done the same.¡±


    The tension between them eased slightly, and the two spoke for a time. Then, a flicker of anger returned to Klaus, his expression darkened as he remembered something critical.


    ¡°What about¡­ her?¡± Klaus asked, his voice edged with simmering rage.


    Sol¡¯s gaze sharpened, instantly understanding. ¡°You mean the demon girl,¡± he said, referring to Xhin. ¡°She is currently held in a secure facility in Under World. Her actions were... peculiar. The queen decided not to make the situation public to avoid unnecessary controversy.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s still alive,¡± Klaus said, his voice low and cold.


    Sol could feel the intensity of his son¡¯s hatred, the barely restrained fury that burned within him. He spoke with measured calm, hoping to ease Klaus¡¯ ire. ¡°Do not worry, my son. Justice will be served. I promise you that. Even if it means I must intervene personally.¡±


    Though Sol¡¯s words were sincere, they did little to satisfy Klaus. The thought of Xhin still breathing, after everything she had done, was almost unbearable. Klaus had never felt hatred before, but for her, it went beyond anything he could articulate. He wanted to be the one to deliver her punishment; to end her existence with his own hands.


    But even as the thought consumed him, he forced himself to let it go, knowing it wouldn¡¯t bring Avalon back. Revenge was hollow, and deep down, he understood that; at least for now.


    After talking with Sol for a little while longer, Klaus finally prepared to leave. ¡°I still have a few things to take care of,¡± he said. ¡°And people to thank for standing by me. So¡­ this is goodbye for now.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± Sol replied with a nod. ¡°I understand.¡±


    As Klaus made his way toward the door, Sol called out to him once more, a small smile forming on his face. ¡°Say hello to Natalie for me,¡± he said, his voice warm. ¡°And tell her that her skin has never looked more beautiful.¡±


    Klaus was puzzled by the remark but chose not to question it. With a nod, he bid Sol farewell and left, the door closing softly behind him. Moments later, Klaus returned to the Exalted City.


    Upon his return, Klaus lingered in silence, lost in thought. He mulled over the events of the past month and the people he¡¯d left behind. His absence must have weighed on some of them, and he wondered if it was time to reach out and let them know he was fine. The notion of caring what others thought of him was new, and it unsettled him in its quiet way.


    Not so long ago, Klaus wouldn¡¯t have given it a second thought. Back then, the only opinions that mattered were those of his family. But now, he found himself concerned about what even the other demigods might feel, amused and perplexed by this newfound awareness. It didn¡¯t take long for the realization to hit him: this change, this unfamiliar compassion, was because of Avalon.


    Avalon had opened his heart in ways he hadn¡¯t known were possible. She had taught him how to smile, to laugh, to cherish the company of others. In her presence, he¡¯d found a version of himself he never thought existed.


    He acknowledged that Avalon wasn¡¯t the only one who had shaped him; Rose had played her part too. But with Avalon, it felt different; like she had redefined him as a person.


    Before he could dwell further, the sound of approaching footsteps broke his reverie. Turning, Klaus spotted Lance and Arthur walking toward him. They had just arrived in Higher World, and as Lance caught sight of him, a broad grin spread across his face.


    ¡°Ah, Walker!¡± Lance called out cheerfully. ¡°How have you been? I haven¡¯t seen you since the crisis.¡±


    Klaus noted the easy confidence in Lance¡¯s tone, and it was clear that he wasn¡¯t aware of the situation with Avalon and Klaus'' isolation. Lance¡¯s next words confirmed it.


    ¡°You know,¡± Lance continued, ¡°I¡¯m just glad you guys were able to save as many humans as possible and keep the casualties so low. That was impressive.¡±


    Arthur froze, his eyes widening as Lance spoke. ¡°Uhh, brother¡­¡± Arthur muttered, leaning closer to whisper something hurriedly in Lance¡¯s ear.


    Lance¡¯s smile faltered. His eyes widened in shock as Arthur¡¯s words sank in. He turned back to Klaus, his expression morphing into one of awkward remorse.


    ¡°A-Ahh¡­ my apologies, Walker,¡± Lance stammered, his tone softer than prior. ¡°I was not aware.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Klaus replied evenly, his face unreadable.


    Lance hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with his earlier statement. But before he could say more, Klaus cut him off.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel bad,¡± Klaus said firmly. ¡°You didn¡¯t know.¡±


    "Still..." Lance hesitated softly. ¡°My condolences.¡±


    Klaus gave a small nod, attempting to end the conversation. Sensing the tension, Arthur decided to intervene.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going, brother,¡± Arthur said.


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Lance agreed.


    As the two began to walk away, Arthur suddenly paused and turned back toward Klaus. ¡°We may not see eye to eye, Walker,¡± he said gruffly, ¡°but I¡¯m glad to see you standing strong.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a particularly warm sentiment, but Klaus recognized it as the kindest thing Arthur had ever said to him. He remained quiet, offering a subtle nod of acknowledgment as Arthur turned and followed after Lance.


    Klaus stood there for a moment longer, his thoughts swirling. The weight of exhaustion pressed heavily on him, the sleepless nights and endless strain of the past month during his isolation catching up all at once. What he needed now was sleep; real, uninterrupted sleep.


    With that resolve, Klaus made his way to the transportation podium, eventually returning to Earth.

 #115: Closure

    Klaus'' face went pale, drained of all color, as if his very soul had departed. His expression was devoid of emotion, frozen in sheer disbelief. Before him, a nightmare unfolded: a grotesque creature devouring Avalon''s torso with monstrous fervor.


    Avalon''s eyes, dull and distant, were fixed upward, her life slipping away. At the sound of the door, she weakly turned her head, her gaze meeting Klaus''. Their eyes locked, hers filled with agony, his with unspeakable horror. She took one final, shallow breath, but no exhale followed. Klaus could only watch, paralyzed, as the light in her eyes faded forever.


    Once the creature was vanquished, Klaus stumbled forward, every step a surreal torment. When he reached her broken body, he collapsed to his knees beside her. His trembling hands reached out, inching closer until they cradled her head with aching tenderness.


    "Avalon?" he whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of desperation. "Avalon?"


    Her bloodied, mutilated form was a sight he could scarcely endure. He clenched his jaw, fighting the tears that blurred his vision.


    "Please..." he begged, his voice barely audible. "Don''t leave me. Not like this."


    For a moment, Klaus'' grief consumed him entirely, but then something drew his attention. Slowly, he lifted his head, his tear-streaked face paling further as his gaze landed on a familiar figure standing in the shadows ahead. It was Ghost, the last remaining member of Wallpaper.


    Ghost''s eyes burned with a mix of anger and disappointment as he stared down at Klaus. "All you had to do was protect her," he said, his voice cold and accusatory. "And you failed."


    Taking deliberate steps forward, Ghost''s presence felt like a crushing weight bearing down on Klaus. "It''s your fault," he muttered, his tone seething with contempt. "She died because of you."


    Klaus'' mind spiraled, torn between agony and disbelief. His gaze darted between Avalon''s lifeless body and Ghost''s piercing glare. "No..." he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "No... I didn''t know."


    But then, a voice like a broken echo pierced the air. "He''s right," it murmured. Klaus whipped his head around, his heart sinking as he saw Avalon''s body stirring.


    Her lifeless eyes suddenly locked onto his, now alight with a twisted anger. "It''s all your fault," she hissed, her voice warped and unrecognizable.


    Klaus recoiled, tears streaming down his face as he shook his head violently. "No..." he choked, his words trembling with sorrow. "Avalon, please..."


    But her glare deepened, her voice growing louder. "It''s your fault!"


    "No!" Klaus screamed, jolting awake in his bed, his breath coming in ragged gasps.


    His chest heaved as he clutched his pounding heart, his body drenched in cold sweat. Reality slowly crept back in, and he realized it had been a nightmare. Running a hand over his face, Klaus let out a shaky sigh, the ache in his chest refusing to subside.


    It had been a week since his return from Higher World and the meeting with Sol. After arriving back, Klaus had succumbed to an overwhelming exhaustion, collapsing into a five-day slumber. His demigod body, resilient as it was, seemed to demand restitution for the relentless strain he''d put it through. Even after waking, his movements felt sluggish, and his appetite had been nonexistent. Simple acts like eating and drinking required immense effort, forcing him to retrain his body to accept sustenance.


    Rising from his bed, Klaus walked into the bathroom. After dressing and preparing for the day, he descended the stairs, his legs still heavy with lingering fatigue. As he reached the dining room, he saw Shade seated at the table, leisurely enjoying breakfast.


    "Morning, Klaus," Shade greeted with a small smile.


    "Morning," Klaus replied, his voice subdued as he stepped further into the room. "Where''s Mom?"


    "In her room, working," Shade answered between bites. "She left your breakfast on the kitchen counter."


    Klaus let out a quiet sigh. He had told his mother the previous day not to trouble herself with preparing meals for him, knowing his weakened state would make eating difficult. Yet, he wasn''t surprised that she had ignored his request. It was her way of showing she cared, and even in his weariness, Klaus found himself silently grateful.


    Upon entering the kitchen, Klaus''s eyes landed on a single slice of toast resting neatly on a plate atop the counter. He had known his mother would prepare something for him despite his insistence otherwise, but he appreciated her restraint in keeping it minimal. With a small sigh, Klaus picked up the plate and made his way to the dining room, where Shade was already seated, enjoying his breakfast.


    Taking a seat across from his brother, Klaus began to eat. Every bite was deliberate as Klaus worked to reacquaint his body with the act of eating. He could have forced his demigod physiology to adapt more quickly, but he preferred to let the process unfold naturally, finding some comfort in the gradual routine.


    After consuming about a quarter of the toast, Klaus decided to stop, his appetite still limited. He lingered in the dining room, chatting idly with Shade about mundane topics.


    Once breakfast was over, the two moved to the living room. They sat for a few moments until Shade''s phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming call.


    Shade glanced at the screen, recognizing the name as he answered. "Hey, Riley," he greeted, revealing the caller.


    For a few moments, Shade listened silently, offering brief responses as Riley spoke on the other end. Then, his gaze shifted toward Klaus.


    "Yeah, he''s here," Shade said, his words pulling Klaus'' attention.


    After another pause, Shade lowered the phone and held it out toward Klaus. "It''s for you," he said in a quiet tone.


    Klaus blinked, momentarily confused but taking the phone regardless.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: Hello?


    Riley: Hey, Klaus.


    Klaus: You were looking for me?


    Riley: Yeah, kinda. I heard you were finally awake, so I wanted to check up on you.


    Klaus: I''m fine.


    Riley: Well, I''m glad to hear that. But would you say you''re revitalized enough?


    Klaus pondered briefly, confused by Riley''s question.


    Klaus: I guess?


    Riley: Great. Which leads me to my next question...


    Klaus could sense Riley''s smile through the phone as she spoke. "I know you''ve been stuck at home for a while, and I''m sure it''s getting to you, especially with all the humans outside. So, I wanted to propose something."


    She paused, waiting for Klaus to respond. "I''m listening," he said, prompting her to continue.


    "Great," Riley said. "I was thinking maybe we could all go somewhere today. You know, clear your head a bit."


    Without missing a beat, she added, "Oh, I know. How about the zoo?"


    "The zoo?" Klaus repeated, uncertain.


    "Yup," Riley confirmed.


    Klaus hesitated. He''d never been particularly interested in animals, and her suggestion didn''t spark any excitement. "I don''t know about that," he eventually replied.


    "Come on," Riley urged. "It''ll be fun, I swear. Just a casual outing."


    Her words made Klaus pause, and for a brief moment, memories of Avalon came rushing back. He fell silent, lost in thought.


    Riley, noticing the lull, grew concerned. "Uh, Klaus? You there?" she asked over the phone.


    After a few seconds, Klaus snapped back to reality. "Y-Yeah... sorry," he muttered. "Sure, why not."


    Riley was taken aback. "Wow, I didn''t think you''d agree that easily," she admitted. "But great! We''ll meet at three this afternoon. I''ll send you the location and details."


    "Alright," Klaus replied, still processing his decision.


    "Perfect," Riley said cheerfully. "See you guys then."


    She ended the call, and Klaus handed the phone back to Shade, who was watching him with a knowing smile.


    "Wow," Shade said. "Didn''t think you''d accept that."


    "Me neither," Klaus admitted. "Honestly, I wasn''t even paying attention."


    "Well," Shade replied, "it''s good for you to get out and get some fresh air."


    Klaus eyed his brother. "What about you? Aren''t you coming?"


    Shade leaned back, making himself more comfortable. "Not a chance. I''m not in the mood to deal with those journalists. Also, it''s my day off after worrying about you for a month."


    Grabbing the remote, Shade turned on the TV and relaxed further. "Besides," he added, "you''ll be fine with Riley. She''s got you covered."


    Klaus felt a strange twinge at Shade''s words. He thought about how much Riley seemed to care about him, even going out of her way to make sure he was okay. It wasn''t something he had expected, and it caught him off guard.


    Shade, noticing Klaus''s silence, spoke up without looking away from the TV. "You''re surprised by how much she cares, huh?"


    Klaus blinked, pulled back into the moment. "I guess," he admitted softly.


    "I was too," Shade said. "At first, anyway. But once I got to know her, I realized she''s got a really kind heart."


    Finally turning to look at Klaus, Shade continued. "After you passed out from exhaustion during the crisis, when you were sent to Higher World to recover, Riley wanted to stay by your side until you regained consciousness."


    Klaus''s eyes widened in disbelief, but Shade wasn''t finished. "Rose and I suggested taking shifts instead. Eventually, Quinn joined in too, which is why she was there when you woke up."


    Klaus sat in stunned silence, processing Shade''s words. He hadn''t known they had done that for him, and in his pain at the time, he hadn''t even considered it.


    As the afternoon unfolded, Riley sat on a secluded bench, absorbed in her phone while waiting for Klaus and Shade to arrive. A light tap on her shoulder startled her, prompting her to turn and find Klaus standing beside her.


    Klaus was dressed in a black hoodie with the hood pulled up and a face mask concealing his mouth. Riley immediately understood his choice of attire; it was a clear attempt to stay inconspicuous and avoid drawing attention to either of them.


    "Hey," Riley greeted with a smile, slipping her phone into her pocket. After a moment, she asked, "Where''s Shade?"


    Klaus shrugged lightly. "Apparently, it''s his ''day off,'' whatever that means."


    Riley chuckled. "Well, that''s fine with me. The zoo''s not far from here, so let''s get going."


    The two made their way to the zoo, walking side by side. They wandered through the exhibits, observing the animals in their enclosures. The zoo was relatively quiet, with only a handful of visitors, which made their exploration more relaxed.


    Klaus wasn''t particularly interested in animals, he neither disliked nor loved them, but Riley''s enthusiasm made the outing more engaging than he''d expected. Her smile was infectious as she rattled off fun facts about each animal they encountered.


    "You know a lot about animals, huh?" Klaus remarked as they paused near another enclosure.


    "Yup," Riley replied with a grin. "I wanted to be a zoologist when I was younger. But, you know, being a demigod kind of derailed that plan."


    "I don''t think being a demigod means you have to give up on your dreams," Klaus said thoughtfully. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "I know," Riley admitted. "But for now, I think it''s better to focus on mastering what I am. Maybe I''ll revisit those dreams later."


    Her reasoning was sound, and Klaus didn''t push the matter. As they moved to the next exhibit, Riley''s eyes lit up when she spotted one of the zookeepers.


    "Hey, Tasha!" Riley called out with a wave.


    The keeper turned toward her, revealing a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties.


    CONVERSATION


    Tasha: Oh hey, Riles. It''s been forever, hasn''t it?


    Riley: It really has. How''ve you been?


    Tasha: Perfect as always. Just got a new boyfriend too about a week ago.


    Riley: Really? But I liked Matthew.


    Tasha: He was alright. But you know me... I get bored pretty fast.


    Riley: True that.


    Riley''s tone softened a bit before she continued.


    Riley: I heard about your cousin, by the way. The crisis really hit us all, didn''t it?


    Tasha: Yeah. But, you know, I have to keep pushing forward. No rest for the beautiful, after all.


    Riley: *smiling* I can imagine, haha.


    After a brief silence, Tasha¡¯s gaze shifted to Klaus, his concealed appearance sparking suspicion. "Who''s this creep?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as she studied him.


    Riley glanced at Klaus before turning back to Tasha with a reassuring smile. "Relax," she said. "He''s a friend of mine."


    "Then why''s he dressed like he kidnaps kids?" Tasha pressed, her suspicious stare unwavering as she leaned closer toward Klaus.


    "Uh..." Riley hesitated. "He¡¯s got a cold, that¡¯s all. That¡¯s why he¡¯s covered up."


    Klaus stayed silent, uninterested in engaging. However, Tasha¡¯s continued scrutiny, leaning further into his space, began to irritate him.


    "Is there a problem?" Klaus finally said, his tone calm but commanding.


    The effect was immediate. Tasha froze, her body trembling as if struck by an invisible force. Her knees weakened, and her gaze darted away, unable to meet Klaus¡¯s eyes. "Uh... n-no," she stammered. "It¡¯s fine."


    Turning her attention back to Riley, Tasha avoided Klaus entirely. Riley, meanwhile, wore a playful smirk.


    "What?" Tasha asked, frowning at Riley¡¯s expression.


    "Nothing," Riley replied, though her amusement was obvious.


    Shifting the conversation, Riley asked, "By the way, how¡¯s Leo?"


    "He¡¯s doing okay," Tasha answered. "But he hasn¡¯t been eating much lately. Since you¡¯re here, maybe you can help."


    "Sure," Riley said, her smile brightening as she followed Tasha. Turning back, she gestured to Klaus. "You too, Klaus," she insisted.


    Klaus hesitated momentarily but followed after them. As they walked, Tasha leaned closer to Riley. "So... is your friend single?" she whispered.


    Riley¡¯s eyes widened. "Whoa. Didn¡¯t you just get a new boyfriend?"


    "Yeah, but he¡¯s already getting on my nerves," Tasha admitted with a shrug. "Besides, this feels different."


    "That¡¯s a bit too fast, even for you," Riley said with a laugh. "Also, you haven¡¯t even seen his face."


    "True," Tasha conceded. "But I can tell."


    Riley glanced briefly back at Klaus before returning her attention to Tasha. Her expression softened. "I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in the right place mentally to think about that kind of thing."


    Tasha raised an eyebrow but picked up on the subtle hint in Riley¡¯s tone. "Fine," she said with a sigh. "But keep me updated."


    Riley chuckled. "Will do," she replied as they continued walking.


    Though Klaus trailed behind them, he could hear every word of their conversation. Riley was aware of this as well. However, Klaus chose to ignore it, accustomed to such remarks.


    After a short walk, they arrived at an enclosure. Tasha unlocked the gate and gestured for Riley to proceed, opting to stay outside.


    "Come on, Klaus," Riley called, stepping into the enclosure.


    Klaus hesitated, eyeing the area. The jungle-like environment, dotted with trees and tall grass, hinted at the presence of potentially dangerous animals. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.


    Riley turned back, stepping closer to him with a sly grin. "Come on, Walker," she whispered. "You¡¯ve fought monsters more vicious than anything on this planet. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared of some zoo animals."


    With a resigned sigh, Klaus acknowledged the truth in her words. Even so, he wasn¡¯t fond of the idea of facing an animal attack, even one he could easily survive. Letting Riley take the lead, he followed her into the enclosure.


    As they ventured deeper into the enclosure, Klaus heard a low growl behind him. He turned sharply, his eyes locking onto a full-grown Barbary lion. Its dark brown mane and sharp teeth were impossible to miss, and its predatory stance sent a jolt through him. The lion advanced with slow, deliberate steps, prompting Klaus to instinctively back away.


    "Hey, Leo," Riley called out cheerfully, stepping past Klaus and walking directly toward the lion.


    Klaus stared, baffled, as Riley approached the massive creature without hesitation. "How¡¯ve you been?" she asked, her voice light and familiar. The lion¡¯s growling ceased, its aggressive posture softening.


    Kneeling beside the animal, Riley reached out and began stroking its mane. The lion dropped onto its side with a deep purr, its demeanor transformed into one of complete contentment. Klaus stood frozen, struggling to reconcile the dangerous predator before him with the way Riley handled it like a house cat.


    "I''m so lost right now," Klaus muttered under his breath.


    Riley continued petting the lion, nodding slightly after the animal made a growl. "Yeah, I¡¯m sorry for that," she said softly. "It¡¯s been a hectic month."


    Her words left Klaus puzzled until a realization dawned on him. "Wait," he said, his tone incredulous. "Can you¡­ understand it?"


    "Him," Riley corrected. "And yeah, I can. Part of the whole ¡®nature¡¯ package."


    "To understand animals?" Klaus echoed, still processing.


    "And talk to them too," Riley added. "It¡¯s not just animals, though. Like how I understand plants, I can communicate with any living creature."


    "You can understand plants?" Klaus asked, startled. He had always known about her ability to manipulate plants but didn¡¯t realize her connection extended this far.


    "Yep," Riley replied with a smile. "Guess there¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know about me." She returned her attention to the lion, continuing to respond to its low growls and gentle sounds.


    Klaus stood quietly, watching Riley interact with the lion as if they shared a language. "What am I even doing here?" he wondered silently, the absurdity of the situation dawning on him.


    "Klaus," Riley called suddenly, breaking his train of thought. "Come here."


    He raised an eyebrow, unsure of her intent. When she stepped aside and gestured toward the lion, her smile widened. "Come on, try petting him."


    "You want me to pet a live, full-grown lion?" Klaus asked, skepticism thick in his voice.


    "Pretty much, yeah," Riley said casually, her smile unwavering.


    "Your smile isn¡¯t making this any less dangerous," he pointed out.


    "I know," she admitted with a grin. "But don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be good. Right, Leo?" She looked at the lion with a playful tone.


    The lion growled softly in what seemed like agreement. "See?" Riley said. "He¡¯s a good boy. I trust him."


    Klaus sighed in frustration. Logically, he knew he had faced far worse threats, but the idea of willingly walking up to a predator still felt unnatural. Reluctantly, he stepped forward.


    "This looks way easier in movies," Klaus muttered to himself, cautiously closing the distance. The lion¡¯s amber eyes stayed locked on him, its head still and upright.


    Klaus extended a hand, hesitating briefly before letting his palm touch the lion¡¯s thick mane. He moved slowly, stroking the creature¡¯s fur with care. The lion remained calm, showing no signs of aggression.


    "See?" Riley teased with a cheeky tone.


    Suddenly, the lion let out a loud, thunderous roar. Klaus flinched, instinctively dropping into a defensive stance. For a moment, the air was thick with tension, until Riley burst into laughter, almost like she was aware this would happen.


    "Don''t worry, he was just joking," Riley managed between giggles. "He wasn''t going to hurt you."


    Klaus exhaled sharply, lowering his guard. "I was more concerned about me hurting it," he said dryly.


    "Him," Riley corrected again. "And fair point."


    After spending a bit more time with the lion, Riley stood and bid it farewell. As they left the enclosure, Klaus couldn¡¯t stop his curiosity from bubbling over. He asked Riley about her powers, and she eagerly answered, walking him through her unique connection to the natural world.


    CONVERSATION


    Klaus: So your powers... How exactly can you communicate with animals?


    Riley: I can''t really explain it. It''s almost like a feeling. Like I''m communicating not with sounds and vibrations, but rather with the creature''s life energy. That''s why it works with plants too.


    Klaus: So with that logic, you can communicate with other humans who don''t speak English too?


    Riley: Yup. Just like with Leo, I just speak English or German and the person can understand me, even if they don''t understand the language. And vice versa with me comprehending too.


    Klaus was caught off guard by Riley''s statement.


    Klaus: Hold on, why would you speak German?


    Riley: I mean... I am part German, after all.


    Klaus: Wait, what?


    Riley: Isn''t it kinda obvious? Don''t you hear the accent?


    Klaus raised an eyebrow at Riley''s claim.


    Klaus: You don''t have one.


    Riley: Fine, I don''t. But I could''ve had one.


    Klaus: But you don''t.


    Riley: Damn it, you''re right. I just need to change my "th''s" to "z''s" more.


    Klaus found himself quietly impressed. He hadn¡¯t realized just how layered Riley¡¯s abilities and personality were. Reflecting back, he recognized that he didn¡¯t know much about her at all. Her life, her hobbies, or the smaller details that made her who she was. But the more he learned, the more he admired her.


    After spending a few more hours wandering the zoo, they eventually settled on a bench in a quiet corner. They talked casually, the hum of distant visitors and the occasional animal calls creating a backdrop. But mid-conversation, Klaus¡¯s expression shifted subtly, a softer, faraway look crossing his face as a thought resurfaced in his mind.


    "I think I¡¯ll have to call it a day here," Klaus said, his voice unusually subdued.


    Riley, not catching his tone at first, waved him off playfully. "Come on, we haven¡¯t even checked out the crocodile enclosure yet!" she exclaimed. "And there¡¯s still plenty of time before..."


    She paused, her teasing faltering as she caught the grave look on Klaus¡¯s face. His gaze was fixed somewhere ahead, unmoving, and his silence weighed heavy between them. Riley¡¯s cheerful demeanor dimmed, her smile fading as she realized there was something more pressing on his mind.


    "You have somewhere you need to be, don¡¯t you?" she asked softly.


    Klaus turned to her, his quiet nod confirming her suspicion.


    "That¡¯s fine," Riley said, her tone understanding. "Go take care of what you need to. I¡¯ll be fine on my own, don''t worry."


    Klaus stood slowly as he prepared to leave. For a moment, he hesitated, glancing back at Riley. His posture softened slightly as he spoke.


    "I had a lot of fun today," he admitted, his voice low but genuine. "And¡­ thank you. For everything. I know we barely knew each other, but you¡¯ve helped me more than I probably deserve."


    Riley¡¯s smile returned, gentle and reassuring. "Oh, don¡¯t worry about it," she replied. "As long as you¡¯re doing okay, that¡¯s all that matters to me."


    Klaus lingered for a second longer, then allowed himself a faint smile in return; the first he¡¯d shown since the monster crisis. With a quick glance around to ensure no one was nearby, he finally bid her goodbye. In an instant, he disappeared, his Burst Speed leaving Riley alone on the bench.


    A quiet moment passed as Riley stared at the now-empty spot where Klaus had stood. She leaned back, a small grin tugging at her lips. "Gods, that is so cool," she murmured to herself, still marveling at his ability.


    As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, Klaus arrived at the steps of a modest house. He climbed them slowly, each step feeling heavier than the last. At the door, he paused, staring at it with a mixture of determination and dread. Finally, he pressed the doorbell, his heart pounding faintly in his chest.


    A muffled voice called out from inside. "Just a moment," a woman said.


    Moments later, the door unlocked and swung open, revealing a woman. She was wiping her hands on a kitchen towel, her eyes moving up to meet Klaus¡¯s face.


    "Sorry, I was in the kit..."


    Suddenly, her pleasant expression froze, her smile fading as recognition dawned. The woman was Avalon''s mother, and Klaus had made his way to the Smith residence.


    "You!" she gasped, her voice trembling as tears welled in her eyes.


    Klaus stood still, his posture neutral but his eyes filled with unspoken remorse. He didn¡¯t react as the woman¡¯s tears began to spill, nor as her sorrow quickly gave way to anger. Without warning, Avalon''s mother raised her right hand and struck him hard across the face.


    The sharp slap echoed in the quiet doorway. Klaus¡¯s head turned with the impact, but he didn¡¯t react otherwise. Slowly, he straightened again, meeting her gaze with the same sorrowful silence, aware of the pain she was potentially feeling after seeing his face again.


    "You have some nerve," she hissed, her voice breaking. "How dare you show your face here after what you did?"


    Her hands trembled as she fought back sobs, but her anger burned brighter. Once again, she struck him, the second slap just as fierce.


    "All you had to do was protect her!" she cried, her voice cracking under the weight of her grief. "But now she¡¯s gone. She¡¯s dead because of you. Because of you!"


    Avalon¡¯s mother¡¯s voice cracked and trembled with fury, her grief pouring out in raw, erratic bursts. She stepped closer to Klaus, her fists clenched tightly, and began pounding against his chest, each strike a physical manifestation of her anguish. Tears streamed freely down her face as her cries echoed in the stillness.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± she sobbed, her voice shaking with rage. ¡°I hate you! I hate you!¡±


    Her cries grew louder, the weight of her words heavy in the air. The commotion drew Avalon''s father rushing down the stairs. He skidded to a halt at the sight of his wife, her fists raining down on Klaus¡¯s unmoving form. ¡°Honey,¡± he called out, his tone filled with concern, ¡°Honey, stop. Please, calm down.¡±


    Gently, Avalon''s father wrapped his arms around her, pulling her away from Klaus. She struggled for a moment, her cries unrelenting, but his firm embrace eventually steadied her trembling form. ¡°It¡¯s okay, my love,¡± he murmured softly. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Even as she calmed slightly, tears continued to spill from her red, sorrowful eyes. She turned her gaze back to Klaus, her expression etched with bitterness and despair. ¡°She wasn¡¯t even supposed to be here,¡± she said, her voice quieter but no less venomous. ¡°She had her acceptance letter. She was supposed to be at her dream college weeks before. But she stayed back, all because of you.¡±


    Klaus stood in silence, his face a mask of sorrow. Her words cut deep, yet he didn¡¯t flinch or argue. He bore the weight of her grief willingly, knowing he deserved it.


    ¡°My daughter is dead because of you,¡± Avalon''s mother spat. ¡°And I don¡¯t care what kind of divine being you are. I will NEVER forgive you.¡±


    Avalon¡¯s father¡¯s shoulders slumped, the sadness in his eyes deepening as he listened to his wife¡¯s words. He gently guided her toward the doorway, his hands steady on her trembling arms. ¡°Come inside, honey,¡± he urged quietly. ¡°Let¡¯s go back inside.¡±


    As they moved toward the house, Avalon¡¯s mother cast one final, scornful glance at Klaus. ¡°I never want to see you here again,¡± she said coldly before disappearing into the house with her husband.


    The door clicked shut, leaving Klaus standing alone in silence. Her words had struck him like a blade, each one cutting deeper than the last. Yet he remained still, accepting her wrath as the penance he¡¯d long known he owed.


    The revelation weighed heavily on him. He hadn¡¯t known Avalon had stayed behind for his sake. It explained so much, the fleeting moments of distraction, her mother¡¯s disdain, the sacrifices she¡¯d made without telling him. She had chosen him over her future, a decision that filled Klaus with equal parts of sorrow and guilt.


    He stayed rooted to the spot, his heart heavy with the burden of the past. But just as he was about to turn and leave, the door creaked open again. Avalon¡¯s father stepped out, his expression weary but less hostile. He regarded Klaus for a long moment before a faint, bittersweet smile crossed his face.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Avalon''s father said, gesturing over his shoulder toward the house. ¡°Come with me. Let¡¯s talk in the backyard.¡±


    Klaus hesitated but eventually nodded, following the man around the house. They reached the backyard, a quiet space bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. Avalon''s father sat on a weathered bench, motioning for Klaus to join him. They sat in silence for a while, the rustle of leaves and distant chirps of birds the only sounds between them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to blame yourself,¡± Avalon''s father finally said, his voice gentle. ¡°I don¡¯t hold any resentment toward you. Because I know¡­ I know you must have done everything you could to save her.¡±


    Klaus kept his gaze fixed on the ground, his fists clenched tightly in his lap. Shame hung over him like a storm cloud, and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to look the man in the eye.


    ¡°The monsters took us all by surprise,¡± Avalon''s father continued, his voice tinged with melancholy. ¡°I remember we were on a trip at the time. We barely made it to safety ourselves.¡±


    Avalon''s father paused, his gaze drifting toward the garden ahead. ¡°Did she know?¡± he asked, his tone curious. ¡°About you being a...¡±


    Klaus shook his head silently. The answer seemed to surprise Avalon''s father, but it also brought a flicker of understanding to his face.


    "I know how much Avalon loved you," he said, keeping his head forward and glancing upon the garden. "She was trying to get a job so she could stay back. Because she wanted to be with you. And if she didn''t know about you, then it means she must have truly loved you."


    Klaus felt his chest tighten, his breath hitching as the emotions he¡¯d been holding back threatened to overflow. Tears welled in his eyes, and this time, he couldn¡¯t stop them from falling.


    ¡°I loved her,¡± Klaus said at last, his voice breaking. The tears streamed down his face, and he didn¡¯t bother to wipe them away. ¡°I loved her more than anything. I couldn¡¯t imagine a world without her. I still can¡¯t.¡±


    Avalon¡¯s father¡¯s own eyes glistened with unshed tears as he placed a comforting hand on Klaus¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know,¡± he said quietly, his voice heavy with shared grief.


    Klaus¡¯ tears streamed freely, unchecked and unrelenting; a vulnerability he had seldom shown in his life. ¡°I miss her so much,¡± he whispered, the pain raw and unguarded in his cry.


    Avalon¡¯s father, his own composure faltering, nodded through his grief. ¡°Me too,¡± he replied, his voice thick with emotion as tears spilled from his eyes as well.


    Together, they sat in heavy silence, mourning the loss of Avalon as the sun dipped lower on the horizon, its fading light casting long shadows across the garden.

 #116: Human Struggles

    The alarm blared, signaling the start of a new day. A hand shot out from under the covers, silencing it with a press of a button.


    A woman stirred, letting out a soft yawn as she climbed out of bed. She made her way to the bathroom, freshening up before stepping into the shower. Afterward, she dried off, dressed in a form-fitting outfit, and carefully applied her makeup.


    Once ready, she headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Sliding a couple of slices into the toaster, she rummaged through a cabinet.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± she muttered. ¡°Forgot to refill again.¡±


    Sighing, she opened the fridge, grabbed a jug of orange juice, and poured herself a glass just as the toaster popped. She ate quickly, grabbed her handbag, and headed out.


    Before work, she stopped at a coffee shop. Joining the crowded line, she eventually reached the counter.


    ¡°Welcome to Moonbucks. What can I get you today?¡± asked the cashier.


    ¡°I''ll have a grande iced shaken espresso,¡± she said. ¡°No decaf, light syrup.¡±


    With her order placed, she found a table and pulled a tablet from her bag, scrolling through notes while she waited. After a few minutes, the barista called her name.


    ¡°Crawford.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± she replied, gathering her belongings and retrieving her drink.


    Her next stop wasn¡¯t the office but another address. Following directions on her phone sent by a friend, she arrived at a quiet building. Inside, she found herself in a room with chairs arranged in a circle, the atmosphere heavy yet welcoming. People sat quietly, waiting for the session to begin. She took an empty seat, silencing her phone.


    This was her first group therapy session. Nervous but resolute, she recalled her friend¡¯s encouragement to attend. When the instructor started, introductions went around the circle, with everyone giving their experiences since the monster crisis. Finally, it was her turn.


    Standing, she took a deep breath. ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± she began, her voice wavering. ¡°My name is Taylor. I¡¯m a journalist with Channel Nine News.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Taylor,¡± the group responded in unison.


    Taylor hesitated, steadying herself. ¡°Like some of you, I¡¯m a victim of the monster crisis. A friend recommended I come here to work through... everything.¡±


    Her voice faltered as she continued. ¡°I... uhh... lost my fianc¨¦ that day. We were on a date when it happened. We ran for our lives, but we didn¡¯t know where to go. It all felt so surreal, like a nightmare I couldn¡¯t wake up from. One moment, I was holding his hand, and the next¡­¡±


    Her words broke off, her head bowing as tears spilled. ¡°A monster attacked us. It devoured him... right in front of me. I couldn¡¯t move. I just stood there, watching as the love of my life, the man I was supposed to grow old with, was eaten alive.¡±


    The room remained silent, the weight of her pain palpable. Taylor¡¯s voice cracked as she continued. ¡°I stood there in horror, awaiting my fate. But suddenly, in a blur, I was pulled away from the scene before it could reach me. After processing what had happened, I noticed that a boy had saved me. He looked back, asking if I was okay.¡±


    Tears streamed down her face as she finished. ¡°I still hear his screams every time I close my eyes. But¡­ things are getting better. I¡¯ve started sleeping through the night. And I¡¯ve been going back to work. The process is slow, but I want to heal and overcome this excruciating pain. Thank you.¡±


    Taylor sat down, her chest heaving as she wiped her tears. The room responded with quiet applause, their smiles encouraging. It was the first step in a long journey, but she had taken it.


    After the session ended, the instructor approached Taylor with a gentle expression. "Are you okay?" she asked.


    Taylor managed a faint smile. "I''m getting better," she said, her voice tinged with lingering sadness. "Even though it¡¯s really difficult."


    "I know it¡¯s hard," the instructor replied empathetically. "But as humans, we have to keep moving forward for a better tomorrow."


    Taylor nodded, offering a quiet thank-you before waving goodbye. Turning her phone off silent mode as she left, she noticed several missed calls from her boss and a series of messages urging her to come in immediately. Realizing how late she was, she hurried to work.


    When Taylor arrived at the bustling office, she was struck by the flurry of activity. Colleagues rushed around with determined urgency, leaving her momentarily confused.


    "Crawford!" a sharp voice called out. "You¡¯re late."


    Taylor turned to see her boss approaching. "I¡¯m so sorry, ma¡¯am," she said quickly. "I had something important to attend to."


    Her boss studied her for a moment before sighing. "Well, it¡¯s too late now. I already assigned Keller to the task."


    "What task?" Taylor asked, her brow furrowed. "And why is everyone so frantic today?"


    Her boss raised an eyebrow. "You haven¡¯t heard? That explains a lot."


    "Heard what?" Taylor pressed, her curiosity mounting.


    After a pause, her boss finally explained, "The demigod kids have agreed to meet with reporters and journalists to address the situation with the gods, among other things."


    Taylor¡¯s eyes widened, disbelief etched across her face. "That¡¯s impossible," she whispered.


    "I thought the same," her boss admitted. "But once I confirmed it was real, I secured a slot at the meeting for our channel."


    Taylor stood frozen, the weight of the revelation sinking in. Then, an urgent realization struck her. "Please," she said, her voice trembling. "Let me go instead."


    Her boss sighed. "I already assigned Keller. It¡¯s too la..."


    Before she could finish, she noticed the tears welling in Taylor¡¯s eyes. Taylor stepped closer, her voice desperate. "Please, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll do anything to cover this. I¡¯ll even work overtime. Just let me go."


    Her boss hesitated, startled by Taylor¡¯s uncharacteristic plea. Taylor¡¯s emotions weren¡¯t just professional, this was personal. The crisis had left her with questions that demanded answers. Her resentment toward the demigods lingered, rooted in the belief that if they had acted just seconds faster, her fianc¨¦ might still be alive. She needed closure.


    "Please," Taylor repeated, her voice breaking. "I need this."


    After a long moment, her boss exhaled deeply. "Alright, Crawford," she said. "I¡¯ll call Keller and tell him to return."


    Taylor¡¯s face lit up with gratitude, tears spilling over. "Thank you so much," she said, wiping her face quickly.


    "But," her boss added firmly, "you¡¯re representing this channel. Stick to the brief, no going off script."


    "Understood," Taylor agreed.


    At her desk, Taylor quickly prepared for the assignment. She reviewed the briefing, memorizing the approved questions. While she wouldn¡¯t get to ask her personal ones directly, she held onto the hope that someone else might and that the answers, regardless of which ones, would finally bring her some semblance of peace.


    After completing her preparations, Taylor headed to the location of the much-anticipated event. Upon arrival, she was immediately struck by the sheer magnitude of the gathering. Reporters, journalists, and newscasters from all over the world, not just the US, crowded the area. The international presence underscored the scale of this event; likely one of the most significant in recent history.


    The gravity of the situation dawned on her as she took in the setting. This wasn¡¯t just another press conference; it was a live broadcast addressing the entire world, with people demanding answers about the recent crisis and the revelation of the gods¡¯ existence. Taylor felt the pressure mounting, the enormity of it all pressing heavily on her shoulders.


    As she entered the conference room, she found her designated seat among the front rows reserved for journalists with assigned questions. These seats were few, but behind them stretched a sea of others filled with influential figures from across the globe, all invited to witness this unprecedented meeting.


    Taylor sat, nerves gnawing at her as she scanned the room. The buzz of voices hushed as anticipation grew. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, a man, likely the event¡¯s organizer, stepped onto the stage and began the proceedings. His voice carried authority as he introduced the speaker: one of the demigods.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Shortly, a young boy, around his late teens, stepped forward. He had long black hair and a slim build, much different from what Taylor had witnessed. Yet, she recognized him instantly. It was Klaus Walker.


    Klaus had been one of the leaked demigods, captured on video saving people during the monster crisis. Footage from Times Square had shown him radiating a brilliant aura, marking him unmistakably as the son of Sol, the god of light. Seeing him in person, however, was an entirely different experience. Despite his youth, he exuded an aura of authority and menace that sent a chill through the room.


    As Klaus approached the front of the stage, silence fell. His piercing gaze swept over the audience, and even without speaking, he commanded the attention of everyone present. The organizer broke the quiet from the sidelines, signaling the start of the questioning.


    "The questioning sequence may begin now," he announced.


    But before anyone could speak, Klaus raised his hand slightly, commanding silence. "Before we begin," he said, his voice steady yet powerful, "I want to make something clear. We demigods are not the property of the United States. Our presence here does not elevate this country above any other, nor does it make the United States any stronger. We are not their weapon, and they are not our holster. This is simply where we reside. Nothing more."


    The room remained still, absorbing his words. The declaration was firm and left no room for debate. After a moment, the organizer gestured for the first journalist to begin.


    A reporter rose and introduced themselves before asking, "What exactly are the gods, and how did the demigods come to be?"


    Klaus turned his attention to the journalist, his expression unreadable. "The gods are the pinnacle of power in all of reality," he began shortly. "They created existence and reside in a divine realm called Higher World. To preserve mortal belief and provide protection without direct interference, they initiated the demigod project. This project involved reproducing with humans to create beings capable of bridging divinity and mortality."


    His explanation was concise yet profound, leaving the audience in silent contemplation. The journalist nodded and sat down, yielding the floor to the next.


    The second journalist rose and posed a pointed question: "If the gods exist, why do people still suffer? Why don¡¯t they simply make life better for everyone?"


    Klaus listened carefully, taking his time to think before responding. "Would you truly desire a life of luxury and comfort if it came at the cost of your sentience?" he asked rhetorically. "The gods want humans to write their own stories. Interfering in choices would undermine the privilege of free will they have granted. True sentience cannot exist if it is manipulated or controlled."


    His answer stirred murmurs among the crowd, sparking unspoken questions, though the structured format of the event discouraged tangents. The journalist, satisfied for now, took their seat, and the next in line prepared to ask their question.


    "What about the afterlife?" the journalist asked abruptly. "Is there truly a place where good people go and another for the wicked?"


    The question hung in the air, heavy and loaded. It was one of the most sensitive topics imaginable, one that countless people around the world yearned to understand. The room fell utterly silent, all eyes fixed on Klaus as if the entire planet collectively held its breath. The answer he gave could soothe or ignite a storm of panic, and Klaus was acutely aware of the precarious position he was in.


    He knew the truth, but he also understood that revealing it would serve no one. To speak honestly would risk throwing the world into chaos. Yet, Klaus refused to outright lie. He had anticipated this question, prepared for it, and now he spoke with the deliberation of someone treading on thin ice.


    "Do you truly want such an answer, or do you only think you do?" Klaus asked, his voice calm yet charged with gravity. "The mystery of the afterlife is unnecessary. If I were to confirm a paradise for the innocent and a purgatory for the guilty, this life could lose its value for some. Those who struggle might decide to abandon their lives, hoping for something better without the effort to change their present. And if I were to deny the existence of an afterlife entirely, reality itself would become far more horrifying, potentially driving people to despair. So, I ask again: do you truly want such an answer?"


    The weight of his words reverberated through the room. The collective curiosity of humanity clashed with an even greater fear of the truth. Slowly, the journalist who had asked the question sat down, their voice silenced by the enormity of what Klaus had implied.


    The session continued, question after question, with Klaus maintaining his measured responses. He balanced his answers between satisfying the public''s demand for clarity and mitigating any potential fallout. But then, the topic shifted, and a new journalist raised a question that caused Klaus to pause.


    "What exactly caused the crisis?" they asked. "What happened to bring it about?"


    Klaus hesitated. This was the question he dreaded most. The truth behind the crisis was too absurd, too damaging, to share openly. He could not tell the world that their lives had been upended by the jealousy of a demon girl. Taking a steady breath, he formulated a response that, while not a lie, softened the harsh edges of the truth.


    "A demon resented humanity and felt threatened by its existence," Klaus began. "She enacted judgment that was not hers to pass, releasing monsters back into Main World, on Earth. Many of you may already know the ancient stories of how humans once coexisted with these creatures millennia ago. This crisis was an echo of that time, a disruption we were not prepared for."


    His words sent ripples of unease through the audience. The murmurs grew louder as his explanation sunk in. Concern and fear etched themselves onto the faces of those gathered, their collective unease rising like a tide.


    Klaus raised a hand, his commanding presence silencing the room. "Relax," he said firmly, his golden eyes scanning the crowd. "The crisis caught all of us off guard, but I assure you, it will not happen again."


    He wanted to believe his own words, even if he couldn¡¯t guarantee them. Still, his mention of the demon girl stirred a new wave of questions, this time bordering on panic.


    "Does that mean demons exist?" someone randomly asked, their voice sharp with fear.


    "Yes, they exist," Klaus replied evenly, "but they reside in Under World, a realm entirely separate from this one."


    The clarification did little to assuage the crowd''s growing anxiety. More questions came in a flurry, overlapping and unmoderated. The tension in the room was palpable, a boiling pot ready to spill over. Klaus did his best to keep up, attempting to calm the storm he had unwittingly created.


    Amid the chaos, Taylor sat silently, her anger simmering beneath the surface. She had been sent to ask a specific question: whether undisclosed demigods still lived among them. But in that moment, her mission felt meaningless. All she could think of was the loss she had endured. If the demigods had been faster, if they had done their duty better, her fianc¨¦ might still be alive. The pain, long buried beneath her professionalism, clawed its way to the surface.


    Finally, unable to contain herself any longer, Taylor rose abruptly. Her voice cut through the noise with raw emotion. "You were supposed to protect us all!" she shouted, her hazel eyes blazing. "You claim you¡¯re tasked by the gods to safeguard humanity, but why did you fail? Why did we have to lose so many people? Why weren¡¯t you fast enough to protect the ones we love?"


    The room fell silent, her words ringing out like a bell. Suddenly, Klaus turned to her slowly, his piercing golden eyes locking onto hers. At that moment, an overwhelming force radiated from him, filling the room with pressure so immense that Taylor staggered back, collapsing into her chair. Her heart pounded as she felt the weight of his presence; unyielding, unearthly, and undeniably powerful.


    The pure rage etched into Klaus¡¯ face was unmistakable as he glared at Taylor, his silence sharper than any words. The room mirrored his stillness, every eye fixed on him. The weight of his fury struck Taylor like a blow, and she immediately regretted speaking. Shame gnawed at her, curling in her chest.


    ¡°It is our duty to protect humanity,¡± Klaus began at last, his voice cold and cutting, ¡°but we are not obligated to do so. And the more I listen to some of you, the more disgusted I become.¡±


    The silence in the room deepened, his harsh tone slicing through the air. Klaus¡¯ burning yellow eyes remained locked on Taylor, who shrank under their intensity. ¡°All you people care about is yourselves,¡± he continued, his words dripping with disdain. ¡°Nothing else matters to you; not the bigger picture, not the sacrifices we¡¯ve made. As long as your questions are answered, or your loved ones are spared, that¡¯s all you care about.¡±


    The anger in his voice was unmistakable, each syllable cutting deeper than the last. He paused, his gaze leaving Taylor and sweeping the room, his frustration directed at everyone present. ¡°We did everything in our power to defend humanity,¡± he said, his voice rising slightly, ¡°despite our inexperience, despite our youth. And yet, you have the audacity to blame us for every unfortunate loss, for not being ¡®fast enough¡¯ to save YOUR loved ones.¡±


    His piercing glare swept across the crowd, his fury expanding. ¡°You¡¯re all selfish,¡± Klaus declared, his words strong. ¡°You only care about yourselves, and nothing else. I¡¯ve tried to be selfless, to give everything I had, but now I see that it wasn¡¯t enough. And because of that, I can no longer care less. I don¡¯t care if you lost your best friend. I don¡¯t care if you lost your family. I don¡¯t care if you lost the love of your life. If you can¡¯t appreciate that your measly lives were saved, then I have no reason to waste another second answering your petty, self-serving questions.¡±


    The room was utterly still, his rage a palpable force that no one dared challenge. Fear coursed through the crowd like an unspoken wave. Klaus¡¯ voice softened, but his tone remained dangerous as he spoke his final words.


    ¡°And let me say this,¡± he added, his voice low and arrogant, ¡°if any of you dare inconvenience us or our families like you have these past months, you¡¯ll find that the monsters were the least of your worries. And you do not want to make enemies of your protectors.¡±


    The words hung in the air, heavy and inescapable. Klaus took one last look at the stunned audience before his expression softened, the anger retreating behind a cold mask. ¡°This session is dismissed,¡± he said flatly. And then, without warning, he vanished, disappearing into thin air before anyone could react.


    For a long moment, the room remained frozen, the weight of what had just transpired rendering everyone speechless. The raw power of Klaus¡¯ words and presence lingered, an echo of his divine heritage.


    Taylor sat motionless, her thoughts a tangled mess. She had known of the demigods¡¯ supernatural abilities, but witnessing Klaus vanish like that, feeling the sheer force of his rage, was something else entirely.


    Minutes passed before the organizer emerged from the sidelines, his face pale and voice hesitant. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± he stammered awkwardly. ¡°With that, I believe this meeting has¡­ concluded.¡±


    The room buzzed with muted confusion as people slowly rose from their seats. Cameras clicked off, and the live stream ended with an abrupt finality. Taylor, feeling the weight of Klaus¡¯ words more acutely than she anticipated, stood and began to make her way out, her footsteps heavy.


    Klaus¡¯ tirade echoed in her mind, not as a source of anger but as a mirror reflecting her own failings. She had lashed out, blaming the demigods for her pain, yet his words revealed a truth she had refused to consider; they, too, had suffered. They were young, overwhelmed, and expected to bear the impossible weight of protecting an entire world.


    As she walked, guilt settled over her like a storm cloud. Tears pricked her eyes, and before she could stop them, they fell freely, warm streaks of sorrow running down her face. The memory of her fianc¨¦ surfaced, sharp and piercing, reigniting her grief. But now, intertwined with that pain was the knowledge that her anger had been misplaced.


    Perhaps things were not as simple as she had believed. Perhaps, in her grief, she had failed to see the humanity in those who bore divine blood. And perhaps¡­ she owed them more than blame.

 #117: What is Owed

    "A Trident?" Klaus chanted, his tone laced with shock.


    The people in the dining room giggled at Klaus'' astonishment, the sound echoing warmly through the Walker residence. Even Trent, the subject of Klaus'' bewildered question, chuckled heartily. Klaus remained frozen in his seat, his surprise evident as the others, both the Walkers and the Atlas'', continued to giggle at his reaction.


    Dinner had been Shade¡¯s idea, a chance for the two families, the ones publicly known as families with demigods, to bond. The Atlas'' had eagerly accepted the invitation, and now the group sat together, sharing a meal and deep in conversation.


    "But seriously," Klaus asked after a moment, his gaze narrowing at Trent. "Are you okay?"


    Trent smiled, his demeanor as steady and calm as ever. "I''m fine, friend," he replied. "It doesn¡¯t change who I am."


    Trent¡¯s reassurance put Klaus somewhat at ease, though the idea of someone being a divine Trident wielded by Torrent still felt surreal. He resolved to set the thought aside for now, unwilling to dwell on it too deeply.


    In the living room, Natalie and Jade Atlas, Quinn and Link''s mother, were lost in conversation, their voices blending with the hum of the evening. Meanwhile, the demigods; Klaus, Shade, Link, Quinn, and Trent; remained at the dining table, deep in their own lively discussions.


    Klaus, though less enthusiastic than the others, was still engaged. He ate sparingly and spoke even less, but he was still firmly present in the conversation. "So it was Link who ensured the other demigods¡¯ identities stayed hidden?" he eventually asked.


    "Yeah," Shade confirmed. "And it¡¯s made things a lot easier for them. They don¡¯t have to deal with what we¡¯re facing from the public."


    Link leaned back theatrically, the digitalized smile on his mask growing wider. "Well, you know me," he began. "Just your typical, capeless savior. Always one step ahead."


    "Right," Klaus said, raising an unimpressed brow. "Except when you got outplayed and lost to Tyler in the Divine Tournament."


    The table erupted into soft laughter, all eyes turning to Link, who visibly bristled at the jab.


    "Okay, dude," Link said, his mask displaying an exaggerated look of annoyance. "I won''t hear it from the guy who thought the gods weren¡¯t real while literally having superpowers."


    Shade and Quinn chuckled quietly, their mirth adding fuel to Link¡¯s mock frustration. The digital face on his mask shifted to an exaggeratedly irritated emoji, displaying his current emotion.


    The evening stretched on, filled with stories, banter, and shared memories. Nearly a week had passed since Klaus had met Avalon¡¯s parents, and though he didn¡¯t openly admit it, he felt lighter, less burdened. Shade had noticed the shift in him too, observing how he seemed more present, even if only slightly.


    Once dinner was over, the demigods lingered at the table, their conversation shifting to the changes they¡¯d faced and the weight of being revealed to the world. Klaus participated, but after a while, he excused himself and rose from his seat, heading upstairs.


    After he climbed the stairs, his steps slowed, and instead of retreating to his room, he turned his gaze to the attic door. Moments later, he found himself on the roof, the cool night air brushing against his skin. He lay back, his eyes fixed on the endless expanse of stars above, lost in thought.


    "You know," a voice said suddenly, breaking the quiet, "staring at them won¡¯t bring the stars any closer."


    Klaus turned his head to see Quinn stepping onto the roof, her silhouette framed by the soft light spilling out from the attic¡¯s entrance. She approached and settled beside him.


    "You wouldn¡¯t know until you tried," Klaus replied, his gaze shifting back to the sky.


    They lay there in silence, the world around them falling away as the stars glittered above.


    "I can tell you¡¯re feeling better," Quinn said softly after a while.


    Klaus remained silent briefly, his eyes never leaving the skies. "Can we not talk about that right now?" he muttered.


    "Sure," Quinn said, her voice light and understanding. "But I¡¯m still glad you¡¯re okay."


    Klaus let out a soft sigh before choosing to respond. "I guess," they both suddenly murmured in unison.


    Klaus turned to look at Quinn, catching the playful grin spreading across her face.


    "I figured you¡¯d say that," Quinn teased, her tone laced with gentle humor.


    Klaus returned his gaze to the stars, the stillness stretching between them. After a while, he broke the silence. "Link seems to be on good terms with your mom now," he remarked casually.


    Quinn turned her head toward him, her eyebrows rising in surprise before a teasing smile spread across her face. "So you do care," she said, her tone playful.


    "Not exactly," Klaus replied, keeping his expression neutral. "Just an observation."


    "If you say so," Quinn said, her smile unwavering, clearly not buying his deflection. "But yeah, since the crisis, he¡¯s been stopping by the main house more often. They¡¯ve been talking; a bit more than they used to, at least."


    "They hadn¡¯t talked for years," Klaus added. "Any amount of conversation now would automatically qualify as ''a bit more,'' don¡¯t you think?"


    "Fair point," Quinn admitted with a small laugh.


    They let the quiet return, the minutes slipping by as they both stared at the night sky. Then Quinn spoke again, her tone light but curious. "So... why did you secretly call me up here?" she asked.


    Klaus didn¡¯t react outwardly, but her question didn¡¯t surprise him. She had heard his telepathic call earlier when he left the dining room, and her arrival had been intentional.


    After a moment, Klaus answered. "What do you think happens next?" he asked.


    "Next for humanity, or for us?" Quinn asked, turning her head to glance at him.


    "You already know, don''t you?" Klaus said, shifting his eyes toward her.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Quinn sighed, understanding his unspoken meaning. "We tried, you know," she began, referencing Shade¡¯s earlier attempt to address the humans gathered outside their home. "But it¡¯s not that simple."


    Klaus returned his glance, his silence speaking volumes. There was something brewing in his mind, something he had been mulling over since he met with Avalon¡¯s parents. He had realized the necessity of giving people the clarity they needed to move on, even if it wasn¡¯t what they wanted to hear.


    "I need you to do something for me," Klaus said finally, his voice steady, redrawing Quinn¡¯s attention. "I want you to arrange a meeting for me, with all the broadcasting channels you can get in contact with."


    Quinn blinked, caught slightly off guard. "A meeting?" she asked.


    Klaus sat up, his eyes locking onto hers. "We owe humanity that much, don''t you think?" he said. "If we don¡¯t answer their questions, some of them may never be able to move forward from their grief and confusion."


    Quinn stayed quiet, considering his words. She had felt the same way initially, which was why she had suggested that Shade attempt to address the crowd, but the hostile reception had made her doubt that humanity even wanted the truth.


    "Are you sure about this?" she asked softly.


    "I saw it firsthand," Klaus replied. "Even if the answers aren¡¯t what they want, they need to hear them. Also, if it starts going sideways, I¡¯ll just leave without answering anymore."


    Quinn sat up beside him, her brow furrowed as she thought it over. "Do you really want to be the only one speaking, though?" she asked.


    "Our presence in abundance might overwhelm them," Klaus explained. "Besides, I have the most knowledge of the situation. I know what to expect and how to respond. I think it¡¯s better this way."


    Quinn exhaled slowly, her decision made. "Fine," she surrendered. "I¡¯ll see what I can do. But I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s a formal setting as well so it can be more civilized."


    "That''s fair," Klaus said, his gaze softening as it lingered on her. "Also... I asked you specifically because I knew if it wasn¡¯t a good plan, you¡¯d have told me. So I''m glad it is."


    Quinn¡¯s smile returned after hearing Klaus'' words. "Glad to know I¡¯m your voice of reason, Light Boy," she teased.


    "Don¡¯t let it go to your head, nerd," Klaus quipped, a rare smile breaking across his face.


    With the plan settled, they returned inside, joining the others. The group talked for a while longer, their conversations a mix of different topics, until the time came for the Atlas family, and Trent, to head home.


    Everyone walked outside, accompanying their guests to their limousine parked in front of the house. "You must visit me sometime, Nat," Jade said with a smile.


    "I''ll try to make it happen whenever I''m off work," Natalie replied, smiling back.


    After exchanging farewells, Klaus, Shade, and Natalie headed back inside, unfazed by the humans lingering near their home.


    The next morning, Klaus was woken by his phone ringing. Reaching for it, he saw Link¡¯s name on the screen.


    "What do you want, Link?" Klaus asked after answering.


    "It¡¯s Quinn," came the response from the other end.


    "Oh," Klaus replied, slightly puzzled.


    "I tried reaching you telepathically, but you were asleep," Quinn explained. "I didn¡¯t have your number, so I borrowed Link¡¯s phone."


    "Got it," Klaus said, getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth.


    "Anyway... just wanted to let you know that I¡¯ve set up the meeting," Quinn informed him. "It¡¯s scheduled for this Friday; three days from now."


    "Wow, that was fast," Klaus said, surprised by how quickly Quinn had acted.


    "Yeah," she continued. "I also requested they gather as many international journalists as possible to ensure global coverage."


    "Sounds good," Klaus replied, his voice slightly muffled as he brushed.


    "That¡¯s all for now," Quinn concluded. "It''s a Q and A session so I doubt it''ll take any of your time. Also, I¡¯ll send the details and location once everything¡¯s finalized."


    "Thanks, Quinn," Klaus said.


    "Anytime," she replied before ending the call.


    The next three days passed quickly, and it was the day of the live broadcast. Klaus prepared alongside Shade, who insisted on accompanying him even if he wouldn¡¯t appear on stage. Natalie, tied up with work, couldn¡¯t join them even though she wanted to. Once ready, Klaus and Shade left for the venue.


    "Be careful," Shade advised as they made their way to the venue. "These people can be annoyingly relentless."


    "I¡¯ll be fine," Klaus said. "This is a more formal setting compared to your experience. And if things get out of hand, I¡¯ll leave."


    At the venue, staff directed Klaus and Shade to a waiting room. The two chatted briefly before Klaus was moved to another area to prepare for the broadcast.


    After being prepped, Klaus sat alone, passing time on his phone. He noticed a message from Riley wishing him good luck and responded with a quick thank you. As he scrolled through his contacts, his eyes landed on Avalon''s name.


    Clicking on it, he saw their last exchange from just days before the crisis:


    "Love you."


    "Love you too."


    A faint smile formed on Klaus¡¯ face as he stared at the screen, warmth spreading through him as memories of their time together filled his thoughts.


    As Klaus sat in silence, staring at his phone, a voice broke through the stillness behind him.


    ¡°Klaus?¡±


    Klaus turned to see a man he didn¡¯t recognize, a stranger he had never met before.


    ¡°Klaus Walker?¡± the man asked, stepping closer, his face lighting up in awe. ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s really you.¡±


    ¡°Do I know you?¡± Klaus asked, his tone neutral but wary.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± the man admitted, clearly excited. ¡°But I have so many questions I need to ask you.¡±


    Klaus immediately grew cautious. He recognized the man as just another civilian who had likely seen him on the news.


    ¡°I saw you on TV before,¡± the man continued. ¡°A real demigod... That¡¯s incredible! So, you¡¯ve met the gods, right? What do they look like? Are they... are... the...¡±


    Before the man could finish, his words began to slur. His eyes slowly fluttered shut as if he were losing consciousness on the spot. Then, without warning, he collapsed to the floor.


    Klaus stared in confusion briefly until a familiar voice called out.


    ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± Quinn asked, stepping into the room and glancing at the unconscious man. ¡°That was pretty weird, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Did you do that?¡± Klaus asked, his eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Quinn said, her gaze shifting back to him. ¡°He was bothering you, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°How the hell did you manage that?¡± Klaus asked, his curiosity piqued.


    Quinn smirked. ¡°Long story short," she began, "I simply forced his brain to produce a massive amount of melatonin. So it made him fall asleep almost instantly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... kinda scary,¡± Klaus muttered, though his interest was evident. ¡°Could you do the same to another demigod as well?¡±


    Quinn¡¯s smirk widened. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe,¡± she teased


    Before Klaus could press further, Link and Trent entered the room.


    ¡°Hey, friend,¡± Trent said cheerfully. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to let you know you¡¯re up in five minutes. Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Klaus replied, rising to prepare himself.


    Minutes later, Klaus was called to the stage. He informed the others where Shade was so they could regroup after the session. Taking a deep breath, Klaus was directed toward the platform.


    ¡°Hopefully, this will help bring everyone some peace,¡± Trent said, watching Klaus disappear from view.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Link replied.


    After that, the rest of the demigods made their way to the room Shade was in. As they continued onward to meet Shade, Trent accidentally bumped into someone hurrying toward the meeting hall.


    ¡°Oh, apologies,¡± Trent said politely, glancing at the person he¡¯d run into.


    The woman, appearing to be in her late twenties with long black hair and a dark blue pantsuit, exuded an air of importance. She had likely been one of the select few granted access to the meeting.


    But as her eyes locked with Trent¡¯s, her expression changed. The soft smile she¡¯d worn gave way to shock, her gaze fixed on him as if she were seeing a ghost.


    The woman remained silent for a brief moment, her astonishment still present before suddenly, without warning, she leaned forward and embraced Trent, surprising everyone. Tears welled in her eyes as she held him tightly.


    Trent, though bewildered, didn¡¯t pull away. Something about her presence felt oddly soothing despite having no memory of who she was.


    Moments later, a man quickly approached and gently tapped the woman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Miss Harrison,¡± he said softly.


    The man''s voice was soft, but it seemed to have been his tap that had caught her attention instead. The woman stepped back, retracting from her hug and turning to the man. To the group¡¯s surprise, the man began communicating with her in sign language. After a bit, she nodded in response to the man''s signs, her smile returning as she wiped her tears.


    After the brief exchange, the woman looked back at Trent, placing a hand on his shoulder. Her smile widened, and she nodded softly before turning away and following the man into the hall where Klaus had already begun speaking.


    Trent stood frozen along with the other demigods as they processed the interaction. The woman never spoke throughout the encounter, but her actions were memorable regardless.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Quinn asked, stepping closer.


    ¡°Y-Yeah,¡± Trent replied, though his voice wavered.


    ¡°Do you know her?¡± Link asked, his confusion evident.


    "I''m... not sure," Trent replied, his mind swirling with thoughts that didn''t feel like his. "But... I think so."

 #118: Homage

    A few days had passed since Klaus¡¯ meeting with humanity. His appetite had begun to return, though it would still take a while before it fully normalized. During this time, Klaus kept himself busy by helping his mother with household chores, aiming to ease her workload while she worked in her room.


    As Klaus neared the end of his tasks for the day, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he glanced at the caller ID and froze momentarily. It was a name he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time: Karma.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Klaus answered, his voice neutral.


    ¡°Hey, Klaus,¡± Karma, or specifically Tyler, answered. ¡°How¡¯ve you been?¡±


    ¡°Fine... I guess,¡± Klaus replied, his tone as nonchalant as usual. ¡°What¡¯s up? It¡¯s rare for you to call.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got a good reason,¡± Tyler said, pausing briefly before continuing. ¡°I know things have been... different these past few months. But I wanted to ask if you¡¯d be up for doing something as Wallpaper this evening. Kind of a final piece, for Avalon.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Klaus said without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d like that a lot.¡±


    Tyler smiled on the other end of the line, touched by Klaus¡¯ immediate agreement. ¡°Yeah,¡± he muttered softly. ¡°I¡¯ll be at the hideout later to meet up.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Klaus replied. ¡°Just let me know when.¡±


    They exchanged a few more words before ending the call. Klaus resumed his chores, finishing up before deciding to rest until the evening.


    While Klaus relaxed, Natalie seized the opportunity to send him on a few errands. Though she was hesitant to ask for his help, not wanting to use his abilities for her gain, Klaus was more than willing to assist.


    Once he returned home, he headed to his room, took a quick shower, and got ready for the meet-up. Shortly after receiving Tyler¡¯s message that he was ready, Klaus used his Burst Speed to travel to the hideout.


    Arriving at the building in an instant, Klaus stepped inside, immediately catching Tyler¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late,¡± Klaus said. ¡°Had to run an errand for my mom first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Tyler replied easily. ¡°I spent all day doing the same for mine since it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been back on Earth.¡±


    As Tyler spoke, Klaus glanced around the room, a question surfacing in his mind. ¡°What about Ghost?¡± he asked, noting the absence of their final member.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Tyler said hesitantly, his tone softening. ¡°I tried calling him, but he didn¡¯t pick up. To be honest, he hasn¡¯t answered any of my calls since the incident. The last time I saw him was at the funeral.¡±


    Klaus felt a pang of guilt, understanding Ghost¡¯s potential frustration. Ghost had cared deeply for Avalon, and after learning that Klaus was a demigod, still failing to save her despite this, it might have potentially deepened the wound of her passing, pushing Ghost to sever ties with Wallpaper altogether.


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s just the two of us, then,¡± Klaus said after a pause.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Tyler replied, mimicking Klaus¡¯ typical tone with a small, teasing smile that earned a sigh from him.


    Before they could head out, Tyler called Klaus¡¯ attention. ¡°Uh, aren¡¯t you gonna put on your NightShade attire?¡±


    ¡°Is there really any point?¡± Klaus retorted.


    ¡°Yeah, come on,¡± Tyler insisted. ¡°It¡¯s kind of the whole point of being Wallpaper, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Klaus sighed, recognizing he wouldn¡¯t win the argument. ¡°Fine,¡± he said before disappearing in an instant.


    Though Tyler had expected Klaus to use his Burst Speed, the sheer immediacy of it still caught him off guard. After a few minutes, Klaus returned, now clad in his NightShade attire.


    ¡°See?¡± Tyler said with a grin. ¡°Now you look the part.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Klaus replied flatly, his tone dismissive.


    Soon after, Klaus and Tyler set off for their chosen destination. Tyler had selected a place with deep personal significance, the spot where he first met Avalon, long before Wallpaper was even an idea. This location had always been special to him, and he felt it was the perfect setting for their final graffiti piece, a tribute to her memory.


    Tyler took charge of managing the location, leaving the artistic design entirely to Klaus. He trusted Klaus implicitly, knowing he was the one closest to Avalon and best equipped to create something worthy of her.


    Klaus worked in focused silence, his pencil gliding over the sketchpad with precision and purpose. He poured every ounce of his affection for Avalon into the design, determined to make it his most extraordinary work as NightShade.


    The sketch took shape as a vibrant collage of the things Avalon loved most; sealife, popcorn, and even a subtle nod to her love for bowling. These elements intertwined in a complex yet harmonious tapestry of art, all brought together with her signature violet hue, the color she was known for as Aura.


    After a long time of meticulous effort, Klaus finally set his pencil down. The design was complete, a heartfelt masterpiece befitting Avalon¡¯s memory. Tyler took a look at the completed sketch and couldn¡¯t hide his amazement at how incredible it looked. With their plan finalized, the two set to work.


    Spray cans in hand, Klaus and Tyler moved in perfect sync, just as they always had during their days as Wallpaper. Klaus covered the intricate details while Tyler filled in the bold, sweeping sections. Their movements were seamless, as if they shared a single mind. The synergy between them turned the process into something almost meditative, their focus unbroken as the piece came to life.


    Time passed in a blur, and at last, they stepped back to admire their work.


    The final piece was breathtaking. It radiated energy and emotion, a vivid and intricate homage to someone they both cherished deeply.


    For a long while, they stood in silence, absorbing the sight. Finally, Klaus stepped forward, shaking a spray can. With deliberate care, he painted the Wallpaper logo onto the corner of the mural. But instead of adding his own NightShade mark, he used Avalon¡¯s unique emblem; the one she had always signed her work with as Aura.


    Tyler glanced at Klaus with a smile, understanding the gesture without needing words. After, they lingered in quiet reflection for minutes, the weight of their shared memories palpable in the air as they drowned in thoughts.


    Eventually, Klaus broke the silence, a thought entering his mind. ¡°I think I have somewhere I need to go,¡± he said, his voice soft.


    Tyler turned to him, noting the faint dip in his mood. ¡°You alright?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry,¡± Klaus assured. ¡°It¡¯s just something personal.¡±


    They briefly exchanged farewells, and in the blink of an eye, Klaus vanished.


    When Klaus reappeared, he had arrived at a familiar spot; the cliffside overlooking the city, the place Avalon had once called her special sanctuary.


    As he walked closer to the edge, a flood of memories washed over him. This was the place where he had first told Avalon he loved her, a moment etched deeply in his heart. The faint hum of distant traffic blended with the rustle of leaves, creating a serene backdrop as Klaus approached the weathered bench near the edge.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Sitting down, he let the memories envelop him. Unlike before, there was no sharp pang of grief, no overwhelming anger or regret. Instead, there was love; an enduring, quiet appreciation for the time they had shared, no matter how short it had been.


    It had been three weeks since Klaus emerged from his isolation, and over two months since Avalon¡¯s passing. Though he still missed her dearly, he had finally made peace with her loss.


    Avalon had changed him, even if he rarely showed it outwardly. Her presence had left a lasting mark on his life, and as he sat there, he reflected on the people who remained; people who cared about him despite his less-than-ideal demeanor, people he respected secretly, and others he could genuinely call friends.


    Pulling out his phone, Klaus scrolled through his contacts, his thumb hovering over names he had added in recent months. For someone who had lived most of his life as a loner, the list felt almost overwhelming.


    As he continued to glance, one name caught his eye, and he paused, staring at it in thoughtful silence, almost appreciating the idea of having them in his life. Finally, after a bit of thinking, he tapped the call button and held the phone to his ear.


    The line rang several times before it went to voicemail. Klaus considered trying again but decided against it, understanding they might be busy. Just as he was about to put his phone away, his gaze landed on another name; one listed immediately above the one he had previously called.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he dialed the number as well. The phone rang for a few moments before the person finally picked up.


    ¡°Uh... hello?¡± Riley¡¯s voice sounded, surprised. ¡°Klaus, is that you?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Riley,¡± Klaus said softly, his tone mellower than usual. ¡°Hope I didn¡¯t wake you.¡±


    Riley was completely caught off guard by the moment. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± she replied quickly. ¡°I¡¯m just... shocked, is all. Never thought I¡¯d get a call from you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± Klaus asked, his brow quirking slightly.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Riley said, her surprise giving way to a small, warm laugh.


    Though the call had been unexpected, Riley welcomed it wholeheartedly, grateful for the rare moment of connection.


    CONVERSATION


    Riley: So... how''ve you been? Anything new?


    Klaus: Not really. Though I just finished a piece with Tyler as Wallpaper if that counts.


    Riley: Wallpaper?


    Klaus: It''s a graffiti thing.


    Riley: Hold on. Like THE Wallpaper?


    Klaus: I wouldn''t exactly say it like that.


    Riley began to put everything together, the realization hitting her fast as shock filled her expression.


    Riley: Wait. You''re NightShade.


    Klaus let out a sigh, realizing Riley''s awareness of his alter ego.


    Klaus: I guess.


    Riley: Damn, that''s so cool. I hear about you guys from time to time, but I would''ve never guessed that it was you.


    Klaus: Why is that?


    Riley: I dunno. Guess I never thought someone like you could take part in vandalism.


    Klaus: It''s not vandalism. It''s art.


    Riley grinned playfully at Klaus'' assertion.


    Riley: Uh huh. Sure, buddy. I''m sure the cops would agree with you completely.


    Klaus: *smiling* I''m sure they will.


    A brief moment of silence went by.


    Riley: Wait, I just realized that you said ''with Tyler.'' So does that mean he''s Ghost?


    Klaus: He''s Karma.


    Riley: *whispering* Damn, I lost the coin flip.


    Klaus: A pretty obvious one as well, don''t you think?


    Riley: *grinning* Okay, okay. I get it.


    After a moment of reflection and realization, Riley¡¯s voice broke the silence once again, her tone hesitant. ¡°So, that would also mean that Aura was¡­¡± she started but stopped herself.


    A brief moment went by before Klaus finally responded. ¡°Yeah,¡± he murmured softly.


    The air grew still between them for a few heartbeats, the unspoken weight palpable. Sensing the heaviness of the moment, Riley quickly pivoted the conversation.


    ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± she began, her tone brightening, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about heading back to Higher World to get back into training. I¡¯ve been on Earth for way too long, and I¡¯ve definitely been slacking. You should join me.¡±


    Klaus raised an eyebrow, skeptical. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Riley replied confidently. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun.¡±


    ¡°Training isn¡¯t supposed to be fun,¡± Klaus deadpanned.


    ¡°Okay, buzzkill,¡± Riley quipped with a playful edge. ¡°But seriously, it¡¯ll be good for you. You haven¡¯t trained in weeks, and you¡¯re clearly not at your best. Think of it as, I don¡¯t know, rejuvenation training.¡±


    Klaus hesitated. The idea of training with someone else felt foreign to him. Apart from IV, his personal trainer, he¡¯d always preferred solitude in these matters.


    But Riley wasn¡¯t about to let him off the hook. ¡°Come on,¡± she urged, her voice coaxing.


    With a resigned sigh, Klaus finally relented. ¡°Fine.¡±


    A triumphant cheer rang through the phone. ¡°Nice!¡± Riley exclaimed. ¡°Let¡¯s start tomorrow, if that works for you.¡±


    ¡°Sure... I guess,¡± Klaus replied, his tone neutral.


    After a few more minutes of casual conversation, Klaus said his goodbyes and hung up. He remained seated on the bench, gazing at the cityscape in the distance as his thoughts wandered. Eventually, after lingering in silence, he stood and vanished from the spot in an instant.


    The next morning, Klaus prepared to depart for Higher World. He informed his mother about his plans beforehand, explaining that the training would help him fully recover and regain his strength. Natalie was supportive, understanding the importance of him returning to his natural physique.


    Once ready, Klaus texted Riley to let her know he was on his way. Her reply came soon after, explaining that she¡¯d be a bit late since she had errands to run for her mother before leaving. But Klaus didn¡¯t mind waiting for her to begin.


    After arriving at the transportation point, Klaus departed for Higher World.


    As Klaus regained his consciousness upon arrival, he headed toward the apartment building where he and Riley planned to meet. Finding a bench near the entrance, he sat down, his gaze drifting as he waited.


    A few minutes passed before he noticed someone approaching from the direction of the Training Facility. The figure drew closer, and Klaus recognized the blonde hair with pink highlights tied back in a scrunchie. It was Rose.


    Her posture was slightly slouched, and her breaths came in slightly heavy, deliberate intervals; clear signs of exhaustion. She must have been training for hours, Klaus noted despite the distance.


    As she neared, Rose spotted him and broke into a smile. ¡°Hey, Klaus,¡± she greeted, raising a hand in a casual wave. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Rose,¡± Klaus replied. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been about three weeks. How¡¯ve you been?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine,¡± Rose said, her smile unwavering despite her evident fatigue. ¡°Just been really busy training here in Higher World since the day I found out you finally emerged from your room.¡±


    Klaus nodded, Rose''s words confirming her current state. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s why you look so worn out,¡± he remarked.


    Rose chuckled lightly, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face. ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± she admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve been training non-stop lately, so much that I haven''t been in touch with anyone for so long. It¡¯s been exhausting, considering I have to train both physically and mentally, but I¡¯ve been getting the hang of it.¡±


    Rose''s words confirmed a silent assumption from Klaus, but he chose not to address it. "That¡¯s quite impressive, Rose," he eventually said with a small smile, impressed by the determination that shone through her exhaustion. "I¡¯m glad to hear that."


    ¡°So, what brings you to Higher World?¡± Rose asked after a moment, her voice casual yet warm.


    ¡°The same as you, honestly,¡± Klaus replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t been in good shape since the crisis, so I¡¯m here to get back on track.¡±


    Rose nodded, her expression brightening with encouragement. ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll bounce back in no time.¡±


    As she spoke, an idea sparked in her mind, and her face lit up. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got it! We should train together,¡± she suggested, her enthusiasm evident. ¡°It¡¯d be a win-win. You could work on getting back into form, and I¡¯d have a sparring partner to push me further. Besides, we¡¯ve sparred before already, so it¡¯d feel natural. What do you think?¡±


    Rose¡¯s excitement was infectious, but it only made Klaus¡¯ response harder to give. Her hopeful expression weighed on him as he prepared to answer.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± he began carefully, ¡°but I¡¯m already training with Riley. She¡¯s actually the one I¡¯m waiting for right now.¡±


    Rose¡¯s bright energy dimmed just a touch, though she tried to mask it with a small smile. ¡°Oh,¡± she murmured, her voice softening. ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rose,¡± Klaus said, his tone apologetic.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize,¡± Rose replied, her smile steady, even if slightly forced. ¡°It¡¯s fine, really. I¡¯m used to training on my own anyway, so it¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    An awkward silence hung between them for a moment before Rose broke it. ¡°Well, it was nice catching up with you,¡± she said, shifting her attention to the apartment building. ¡°But I should get going. I¡¯ve been training for hours, and I seriously need some sleep.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Klaus replied, offering a nod. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll see you around.¡±


    Rose turned toward the building and began to head inside. ¡°Later, Dream Boy,¡± she playfully called over her shoulder, waving casually as she entered the building.


    Klaus watched her go, sensing the hint of disappointment she¡¯d tried to hide. He sighed softly but knew there wasn¡¯t much he could do. A few more minutes passed before Riley finally arrived.


    ¡°Hey, Klaus!¡± Riley greeted, her grin wide as she approached. ¡°Ready to get intense?¡±


    Klaus raised an eyebrow, his silence speaking volumes on his confusion.


    ¡°Okay, not my greatest moment,¡± Riley admitted after noticing the awkwardness.


    Before they could head off, she paused, a thought striking her. ¡°By the way,¡± she said, turning her head towards Klaus, ¡°are we using your training room or mine?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Klaus asked, his tone neutral.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Riley admitted with a shrug. ¡°But I still need an answer, though.¡±


    Klaus sighed before responding. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll use mine,¡± he said, not particularly eager to adapt to a new setup, despite saying it didn''t matter.


    With that settled, the two began making their way to Klaus'' training room, ready to start their session.

 #119: Rejuvenation Training

    Klaus and Riley stepped into the training room, the infinite expanse of white light illuminating the space as the door closed behind them. The room felt both endless and contained, an unchanging void designed for honing their skills. As they entered, Klaus called out for IV, his personal android instructor crafted by the gods.


    Moments later, IV began to materialize. His form slowly emerged, solidifying into a strikingly familiar figure. The humanoid android was nearly a perfect replica of Klaus, though with a slight mechanical appearance. Metal replaced flesh, and his joints were hinges instead of organic ones, giving him a distinctively synthetic look.


    "Welcome back, Klaus Walker," IV greeted, his tone and demeanor eerily similar to Klaus'', though tinged with a digital undertone.


    "Whoa," Riley said, eyeing IV with wide-eyed curiosity. "He looks just like you, Klaus."


    "That''s the whole point," Klaus replied, his expression unamused. "Doesn''t your instructor look like you too?"


    "Well, yeah," Riley admitted, tilting her head, "but it''s still kinda weird."


    "Hello, Riley Greene," IV said, turning his gaze toward her.


    Riley''s eyes widened further. "Woahhh. He knows my name?" she said.


    Klaus sighed, pressing a hand to his face. "Of course he does," he began. "It''s their job to have information about us."


    "Oh yeah," Riley said before suddenly recalling something. "You used that advantage a lot during the tournaments, didn''t you?"


    "More or less," Klaus muttered.


    He turned back to IV, who stood silently, waiting for orders. "How may I assist you today?" IV asked.


    "I haven''t kept up with my training for a while," Klaus began, "and things have been rough lately. I need to retrain my body and get it back to its optimal state. Also, Riley and I want to refine our abilities together and master our capabilities."


    After hearing Klaus'' words, IV scanned Klaus with an intense, glowing gaze, his eyes trailing over Klaus'' form as he gathered data. "I understand," IV replied. "Your physical condition has indeed deteriorated significantly since your last session. Your nutrition levels are also alarmingly low, and your overall fitness is suboptimal."


    Riley winced at the blunt assessment, but IV wasn''t done. His glowing eyes brightened momentarily before he completed the scan. "However," he added, "your raw power has increased dramatically. In fact, with the exception of the gods themselves, I can confidently say that you are now the most powerful source of light energy in Higher World. And that is no small accomplishment."


    "Whoa," Riley muttered, clearly impressed.


    Klaus, while already aware of his capability to move at light speed during the day, a feat he had only recently achieved since the crisis, felt as though IV''s confirmation only made this achievement feel even grander.


    "I can also sense the infuriating rage you needed to surpass your limits and achieve this feat," IV continued softly. "Additionally, I can detect that the minimal enhancement bestowed upon you by the gods of Order may have assisted slightly."


    "Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Riley said.


    "Same," Klaus admitted, the memory only now surfacing.


    With Klaus'' assessment complete, IV shifted his attention to Riley, his glowing eyes scanning her from head to toe. Riley fidgeted slightly under the scrutiny, her awkwardness palpable. "Uhh... hello to you too," she muttered, attempting to break the silence.


    Moments later, IV retracted his gaze, his glowing eyes dimming slightly. "Your power is extraordinary, Riley Greene," he stated, his tone clinical but still managing to shock them both. "Based on my data gathered during the Divine Tournament, your current full power likely surpasses that of most other demigods."


    Riley''s jaw dropped. "Wait, seriously?" she questioned.


    "However," IV added briefly, "like Klaus, you share a critical weakness. Neither of you possesses consistent emotional control to maintain a calm mind during combat."


    Klaus and Riley gave IV their undivided attention as he began detailing their weaknesses. "For Klaus," IV started, "your issue lies in allowing anger or frustration, or both, to take over during combat. While these emotions can provide an adrenaline boost to your limits, they also disrupt your focus, preventing you from performing optimally. This uncontrolled aggression makes you sloppy and leads to significant errors at critical moments."


    Klaus silently acknowledged the truth in IV''s words. Managing his emotions in battle had always been a struggle, and he understood how much it hindered his progress as both a fighter and a demigod.


    "For Riley," IV continued, "your problem is the opposite. You tend to underestimate your own abilities and approach battles with less seriousness than required. This underestimation causes you to hold back and ultimately underperform."


    Riley was left speechless. She knew IV had hit the nail on the head; she often didn¡¯t push herself as hard as she could. "Damn, he''s good," she whispered to Klaus.


    "You both need to focus on achieving mental clarity and balance during battle if you want to reach your full potential," IV explained. "And I am here to help you accomplish that."


    Determined to improve, Klaus and Riley committed themselves to IV¡¯s guidance, ready to confront their shortcomings. Over the next few hours, they followed IV¡¯s instructions rigorously, training until the day ended. Afterward, Klaus continued his rejuvenation regimen, working to restore his body to peak condition according to IV¡¯s recommendations.


    The days that followed became a steady routine. Klaus and Riley trained together tirelessly, refining their techniques and addressing their weaknesses with precision. After each session, they¡¯d unwind at the cafeteria, sharing meals and conversations before calling it a day.


    This cycle repeated as they trained for seven straight days, splitting their time between intense sessions and moments of rest and conversations. Occasionally, Rose would join them for a brief chat at the cafeteria, but Riley remained the most prevalent presence in Klaus¡¯ life during this period.


    Though he wouldn¡¯t say it out loud, Klaus began to enjoy training with Riley. Her dedication kept him motivated, and her lively personality made their time together engaging. He found himself enjoying their conversations after grueling sessions, intrigued by the new things he learned about her every day.


    For Riley, the feeling was mutual. Klaus wasn¡¯t much of a talker, but he was an attentive listener and always straightforward in his observations. His honesty, though blunt, was refreshing to her, a trait not many people appreciated. She respected his sincerity and how genuine he always was, clearly never harboring ill intent in his words. She could tell that Klaus cared deeply about those close to him, a trait not many recognized.


    Riley also noticed how much Klaus cared about his family. Whenever his brother or mother were brought up, his expression would soften, and he¡¯d grow momentarily distant, lost in thought. She found it endearing how easily his emotions surfaced in those moments, betraying his otherwise stoic demeanor.


    "You miss them, don¡¯t you?" Riley asked one evening as they sat in the cafeteria after their eighth day of training.


    "Huh?" Klaus blinked, brought back to the moment by her question.


    "Your family," she clarified. "You seem to zone out whenever they¡¯re mentioned."


    "Oh," Klaus replied lightly. "My bad. I didn''t notice."


    Riley smiled warmly. "No, it¡¯s fine," she affirmed. "It''s cute seeing you care about others."


    Klaus shot Riley a look, but her grin didn¡¯t falter, causing a small sigh of defeat from him. "If you say so," he muttered.


    Riley laughed at Klaus'' reaction. "See? Cute," she teased.


    "Whatever," Klaus replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he chose to ignore her teasing.


    "We could go back, you know," Riley said after a moment. "To Earth, I mean. It¡¯s been a week, and I wouldn''t mind going back to say hello."


    "Are you sure?" Klaus asked.


    "Yeah," Riley nodded. "My mom¡¯s been asking about me too, so it¡¯s a good chance to help her out a bit before we return."


    "Sounds good," Klaus agreed.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    With their plan set, they parted briefly to freshen up from their training, then regrouped to make their way back to Main World together.


    As they reached the Epicenter, where the transportation podium was located, Riley spoke up. "By the way," she said casually, "since it¡¯s already past midnight on Earth, we could hang out a bit before heading home."


    "We just did that," Klaus replied, his tone calm and even.


    Riley gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her mouth. "Does that mean you¡¯re already tired of my company?" she asked, her sarcastic tone unmistakable.


    "I didn¡¯t say that," Klaus replied, not catching on to her teasing.


    "I know," Riley continued with a grin. "I just wanted to hear you say it¡¯s not what you meant."


    Klaus sighed, running a hand over his head. "Just give me the coordinates," he muttered, earning a soft giggle from Riley.


    Once Riley provided the destination coordinates, the two transported back to Earth.


    The moment Klaus opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of a breathtaking night sky stretching over the city. They had arrived on the rooftop of a towering building, the view of the sparkling skyline and stars leaving him momentarily in awe.


    "It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?" Riley said softly, standing beside him with a smile.


    "It really is," Klaus murmured, his gaze lingering on the horizon before shifting briefly to her.


    After a few more moments of admiring the view, Klaus and Riley began to make their way off the rooftop. As they moved, Klaus suddenly heard a voice.


    "Klaus?" the voice called telepathically, revealed to be Quinn.


    "Quinn?" Klaus questioned in his mind, surprised.


    "Who else," Quinn replied smoothly before continuing. "I just sensed you arrived on Earth."


    "Are you stalking me?" Klaus asked, a hint of confusion lacing his tone.


    "It¡¯s not that," Quinn replied, her tone calmer than expected. "I noticed you¡¯re in the southeastern region of the city."


    "Yeah?" Klaus said cautiously, his concern beginning to grow.


    Riley noticed Klaus'' sudden silence, her expression shifting as she quickly deduced he was likely communicating telepathically with Quinn.


    "Well, that area is around the same vicinity as where Ace lives," Quinn explained. "It¡¯s been two months since I last heard from him, and I¡¯m starting to get worried."


    Klaus felt a bit of uncertainty washing over him. "Why didn¡¯t you just contact him telepathically instead of me?" he asked.


    "That¡¯s the thing," Quinn said, her voice tinged with unease. "When I first tried a few months ago, I couldn¡¯t establish a connection at surface level so I assumed he was just unwilling. But as time went on, I got curious and tried searching deeper to connect directly. However, I couldn¡¯t find his consciousness at all."


    "Maybe he¡¯s somewhere in Higher World," Klaus suggested, hoping his assumption was potentially correct.


    "That¡¯s the thing," Quinn said firmly. "I can sense the presence of every demigod at any moment in time because of my established connections. This is different. It¡¯s like he¡¯s no longer present in reality."


    Klaus¡¯s expression shifted, a flicker of shock crossing his face as he processed her words. Riley, watching him closely, began to grow concerned.


    "Maybe it¡¯s nothing," Klaus said telepathically after a moment, hoping to ease the situation. "Ace is incredibly fast. I doubt anything could happen to him."


    "I hope you¡¯re right," Quinn replied, though her tone remained uncertain. "But I still wanna ask you for a favor."


    "You want me to check his place and see if he¡¯s there, right?" Klaus guessed, already anticipating her request.


    "Can you do that for me?" Quinn asked. "You can go with Riley as well since you''re both there."


    "Sure," Klaus said. "Just tell me the address."


    After Quinn provided the address, Klaus refocused on his surroundings, noticing Riley''s concerned expression.


    "Everything okay?" Riley asked, studying his face. "That was Quinn, right?"


    "Yeah," Klaus confirmed. "She¡¯s worried because she hasn¡¯t been able to contact Ace for a while."


    "Same here," Riley said, her brow furrowing. "I haven¡¯t seen him in months either."


    "That¡¯s why she asked if we could check on him," Klaus explained. "His place isn¡¯t far from here."


    "That¡¯s fine," Riley replied casually, showing no hesitation about accompanying him.


    The two quickly set off for the location Quinn had shared telepathically.


    Since the human extinction crisis had ended, Link had taken measures to wipe the addresses of all known demigods from public records, ensuring their safety. While this was largely irrelevant for someone as famous as his family, whose last name was already widely known, it provided a layer of anonymity for Ace, whose whereabouts were kept secret.


    When they arrived at the apartment building, Klaus and Riley made their way inside, following Quinn¡¯s detailed directions. They eventually stood before Ace¡¯s door, marked with his room number. A small pile of unopened mail sat near the entrance, confirming their suspicions that Ace hadn¡¯t been home in a while. Exchanging a silent glance, the two hesitated briefly before deciding to continue.


    Klaus knocked on the door and called out Ace¡¯s name, waiting for a response. After a few moments of silence, he knocked again, but there was still no reply. Eventually, Riley reached for the doorknob.


    "It¡¯s unlocked," she murmured, turning it and slowly pushing the door open.


    They stepped cautiously into the darkened apartment. The faint glow from the hallway illuminated a few feet inside, but Riley squinted, searching for a light switch. When she couldn¡¯t find one, she paused.


    Klaus, however, had no trouble navigating the darkness. His enhanced vision allowed him to see clearly, even in minimal light. After overcoming his limit, he was also able to see perfectly without having to use contact lenses anymore.


    Using his power, Klaus manipulated photons around the room to amplify his sight, his eyes faintly glinting like a flashlight as he scanned their surroundings. Seeing this, Riley decided to follow his lead.


    As they ventured deeper into the apartment, Klaus confirmed that it was empty. He recalled that Ace had mentioned living alone, so the lack of any presence at all made sense.


    In the living room, they noticed the television still on, its dim light casting an eerie glow. It gave the impression that Ace may have left in a hurry. Klaus relaxed his powers since the screen¡¯s glow provided enough visibility, and Riley began to look around for anything that could hint at where Ace might have gone.


    Klaus, clearly uncomfortable with having to search the home uninvited, wanted to leave as soon as possible. "Are we really going to snoop around in someone else¡¯s home?" he asked, watching as Riley scanned through the room.


    "We¡¯re here to find clues," Riley replied without looking up.


    "We¡¯re not the mystery gang, Riley," Klaus muttered after a sigh. "If Ace isn¡¯t here, then he¡¯s somewhere else. Poking through his stuff isn¡¯t going to tell us where."


    "Who knows, maybe he ran out to a convenience store," Riley said, her eyes still roaming the room for hints.


    "For two months?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "What?" Riley replied, turning to him with a playful grin. "Maybe it¡¯s a really far convenience store."


    Klaus groaned, placing a hand over his face in exasperation. Riley chuckled softly at his reaction.


    CONVERSATION


    Riley: Oh, come on. That was pretty funny. You know... cuz he''s fast?


    Klaus: I don''t think I''d call it that.


    Riley: *mumbling* Well, I thought it was pretty good.


    Klaus: It''s definitely not your best, that''s for sure.


    Klaus'' words caused Riley to return her gaze to him, growing a grin.


    Riley: So you do think I''m funny.


    Klaus: I never said that.


    Riley: *smiling* Aww, don''t be like that. I''ve made you laugh a few times, haven''t I?


    Klaus: Why does this even matter?


    Riley: It matters to me. You wouldn''t get it since you''re such a buzzkill.


    Klaus: What? I can be funny sometimes.


    After Klaus made his statement, a moment of silence passed before Riley erupted in laughter.


    Riley: Okay, that was funny.


    Riley laughed hysterically, clearly amused by Klaus¡¯ insistence, wiping a tear from her eye. Klaus watched her silently at first, then a small smile crept across his face despite himself.


    "You know, you can be really annoying sometimes," he remarked, his tone dry but his expression soft.


    "Yeah?" Riley shot back, her grin widening. "Well, it¡¯s better to be annoying than to be a buzzkill."


    "I¡¯m not a buzzkill," Klaus countered, though his smile lingered.


    Riley stepped closer, the teasing glint in her eyes growing more playful. "Are too," she quipped, leaning in slightly as her grin challenged his claims.


    "I¡¯m not," Klaus replied, standing his ground and looking down towards her with a similar smile.


    "You don¡¯t even believe that," Riley said softly, her voice dipping to a near whisper as her gaze held his.


    "Yes, I do," Klaus murmured, his voice mirroring her softness.


    "No, you don¡¯t," Riley muttered, her words barely audible now.


    "Yes, I do," Klaus repeated, their eyes still locked as the silence between them stretched and thickened.


    The teasing smiles on their faces began to fade as something unspoken lingered in the air. Their expressions softened, and for a brief moment, the world around them seemed to fall away. Riley leaned in ever so slightly, and Klaus instinctively did the same, lowering his face to the level of hers. Their foreheads touched, their breaths mingling in the delicate space between them.


    "Yes... I do," Klaus whispered, his voice almost a caress.


    Slowly, both of them began to close their eyes, the moment inching toward something inevitable, something neither had planned nor fully understood as they tilted their heads sideways. But just as their lips were about to meet, a loud, startling crash shattered the silence, causing both of them to flinch and whip their heads toward the source.


    The sound had come from the dining area. Without hesitation, they rushed toward it, finding a baffling sight waiting for them. Something, or someone, had slammed into the wall beside the table.


    As Klaus approached, his sharp eyes quickly identified the figure. "Ace?" he called out, his tone a mix of disbelief and concern.


    Ace had slammed into the wall, appearing as if from nowhere. The sheer suddenness of it left Klaus momentarily stunned; his senses should have picked up the movement, yet they hadn¡¯t. He and Riley instinctively moved closer, their concern etched plainly on their faces.


    The dim light made it difficult for Riley to discern the full scope of what had happened. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked, her voice carrying both confusion and genuine worry.


    Klaus, however, noticed something almost immediately; there was someone else. His eyes locked onto the figure in Ace¡¯s arms as they approached. Ace, crumpled against the wall and clearly in pain, was clutching a girl tightly. Her presence drew Riley¡¯s attention too as she stepped nearer, both of them now staring in bewilderment.


    The girl was utterly unfamiliar. She appeared to be around their age, perhaps a bit older at around her early twenties. Her features were refined and strikingly serene. Her long, snow-white hair cascaded down to match a flowing white dress, creating an ethereal, almost ghostly appearance. Her beauty was otherworldly, but it was marred by her unconscious state.


    Ace¡¯s breaths were ragged, a harsh contrast to the calm, playful demeanor he usually exuded. The strain on his face, the way his chest rose and fell as he struggled to breathe; it was a sight neither Klaus nor Riley had ever associated with someone like him, someone who was incapable of exhaustion.


    ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± Riley muttered, her tone reflecting the turmoil in her thoughts.


    Meanwhile, Klaus remained silent, his expression suddenly shifting as realization struck him. His shock was palpable. Ace wasn¡¯t exhausted or winded; he was terrified. Klaus stared at his friend¡¯s face, and for the first time, he saw something he had never imagined he would: raw, unfiltered fright.


    Ace was trembling, his eyes wide and unfocused, as if haunted by something unseen. His entire demeanor screamed of someone who had just escaped a nightmare. Klaus couldn¡¯t fathom it. He had never seen a demigod feel fear like this; especially not someone like Ace. Yet here he was, shivering as if the very essence of his being had been shaken.


    ¡°What... the hell is going on?¡± Klaus whispered, his voice carrying the disbelief and unease that gripped him. He couldn¡¯t tear his gaze away from Ace, whose terror told a story they had yet to understand; one that felt far darker than either of them was prepared for.

 #120: Nitro

    Klaus stood frozen, his mind racing as he tried to process the scene before him. His voice broke the silence, low and filled with urgency. "What the hell is going on?" His gaze locked on Ace, who was gasping for air in desperation.


    It was a sight Klaus had never witnessed before, a moment that defied everything he thought he knew. Ace, a demigod who had been immune to exhaustion, was struggling to breathe. Klaus shifted his eyes to Riley, who returned his gaze, her expression mirroring his shock and confusion.


    Taking a step closer, Klaus crouched beside Ace. His tone softened, though concern weighed heavy in his words. "Ace, are you okay?" he asked.


    But Ace didn''t respond. His gasps continued, frantic and unrelenting, his wide eyes staring ahead as if caught in some invisible nightmare.


    "Ace!" Klaus called again, louder this time, hoping to pull him back from whatever state he was in.


    At last, Ace''s eyes flicked toward Klaus, though they remained filled with an unnerving emptiness. "K-Klaus?" he stammered, his voice trembling, barely audible.


    "Are you alright? What''s going on?" Klaus pressed, leaning in closer.


    But before Ace could answer, a sharp knock resounded through the apartment, shattering the fragile tension. Klaus and Riley turned toward the door in unison, their alarm deepening.


    "Hello?" a firm voice called from the other side. "Is anyone home? We received complaints about a loud noise and need to investigate."


    "Damn it," Klaus muttered under his breath, immediately realizing the implications.


    The knocking resumed, followed by the voice again, more insistent this time. "Is anyone home? If no one responds, I''ll have to use a spare key to ensure everything is alright. Please, open the door."


    Klaus glanced at Riley, his mind racing. They had no time and no good options. He was far too recognizable as a publicly known demigod and if whoever was outside saw him, explanations would spiral out of control. Ace, though not as well-known, was still a person who could easily complicate matters further as well.


    "We can''t be seen," Klaus whispered urgently to Riley.


    Riley''s eyes darted between Klaus and the door. "Then what do we do?" she asked, her voice strained with worry as another knock reverberated through the room.


    Klaus clenched his jaw, his mind working furiously. The sound of jangling keys sent a jolt through him, signaling that the person on the other side was preparing to enter. Time was slipping away.


    "Ace," Klaus said sharply, turning back to him. "Can you run?"


    Ace remained unresponsive, his breathing ragged, his mind seemingly stuck in the haze of whatever trauma had brought him to this state. Klaus leaned closer, his voice rising with urgency. "Ace! Can you run?"


    Ace blinked, his eyes flickering with faint recognition, but as he began to process the question, his expression shifted. A flicker of terror crossed his face, and his breathing quickened again as a certain memory flashed in his head. "I¡­ can''t," he finally whispered, his voice barely audible, his body slumped as though weighed down by an invisible force.


    The metallic sound of the keys turning in the lock snapped Riley''s attention back to the door. "Klaus," she whispered, her voice tight with panic. "We''re out of time."


    But Klaus didn''t reply. There was no more time left.


    The official stepped cautiously into the apartment, his initial hesitation giving way to professionalism. He moved deeper into the space, scanning for anything out of place. The only sound was the faint hum of the television, which he promptly turned off before continuing his search.


    The apartment appeared deserted. He wandered into the dining area, his eyes briefly catching on a hole in the wall near the table. It piqued his interest, but without context, there was no way to determine how long it had been there or whether it was significant. With no signs of activity and no one home, the official concluded his investigation and prepared to leave.


    Meanwhile, at the Walker residence, Klaus stood near his bedroom door, holding Riley in his arms. His breaths were faintly audible, evidence of the extraordinary feat he had just accomplished. Moments earlier, he had relied on his Perfect Precognition ability to perceive the world at the speed of light, effectively freezing time and giving him the opportunity to think for a while before acting.


    When the official entered Ace''s apartment, Klaus had only seconds to execute his plan. Realizing the critical nature of the situation, he decided to relocate everyone involved; Ace, Riley, and the unconscious girl; to his house. It was the safest place to regroup and assess the situation without interruptions.


    Klaus quickly calculated his moves. Knowing he couldn''t carry everyone simultaneously, he resolved to transport them one by one, concerned about the potential risk of dropping anyone at such immense speeds. He deactivated his ability just as the official entered the apartment and used the brief window to begin his operation.


    First, he carefully picked up the strange girl, cradling her in his arms. With less than a whisper of motion, Klaus sprinted across the city to his home at the speed of light, stopping only long enough to unlock the doors between Ace''s apartment and his room. Then, he returned for Ace before finally returning to retrieve Riley.


    The entire process, spanning miles across the city, took barely over two seconds. Klaus moved with such precision and silence that the official remained oblivious as Klaus sped past him multiple times.


    By the time Klaus returned with Riley, his breaths were measured but audible, a testament to the strain of the feat. Riley''s senses slowly caught up to what had transpired. She blinked, her surroundings coming into focus. Recognizing Klaus''s room, she pieced that he had used his Burst Speed to get everyone out with haste.


    Klaus'' breathing slowly began to even out as a brief silence began between them. Their eyes met briefly, and a flicker of awkwardness passed between them as Riley realized she had been in his arms. Klaus, sensing the same, averted his gaze and set her down softly.


    "N-Nice save," Riley muttered, her voice quieter than usual as she avoided his gaze.


    "Thanks," Klaus replied, his tone matching her awkwardness.


    The moment passed quickly as their attention turned back to Ace and the unconscious girl. With no interruptions, Klaus focused on assessing the situation. He crouched beside Ace, whose breathing had steadied but whose expression remained distant, haunted.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Ace," Klaus called softly, attempting to bring him back to the present.


    Ace''s eyes fluttered, his mind still clouded by whatever ordeal he had experienced. It took a moment, but Klaus''s call finally regained his attention. His breathing slowed, though his fear lingered.


    "Are you okay?" Klaus asked gently, his concern clear.


    "I¡­ I''m not sure," Ace managed, his voice faint and unsteady between breaths. "I... think so."


    Klaus glanced at Riley, who stood nearby in silent contemplation. Her expression reflected his own growing unease. Whatever had happened to Ace and the strange girl, it was more troubling than either of them had anticipated.


    Ace''s breathing finally began to even out, the erratic gasps fading as his body slowly relaxed. His reddened eyes flickered, scanning the room in a haze. "Where... are we?" he asked, his voice faintly.


    "We''re at my house," Klaus answered, his tone calm. "We had to leave your place quickly."


    Ace blinked, his mind piecing together fragments of memory. The tension in his posture began to ease as he processed Klaus''s words. "Did I... manage to return from there?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.


    "Return?" Klaus echoed, leaning closer.


    "Is everyone... okay?" Ace asked again, his tone softening, his eyelids fluttering as exhaustion weighed on him.


    Klaus hesitated, noticing the weariness etched into Ace''s face. He felt like it wasn''t the time for questions; not yet. "Yes," he said, his voice steady. "Everyone is fine."


    A faint smile crept onto Ace''s face, fragile but genuine. "I''m... glad," he whispered, his head tilting forward as his eyes finally closed.


    "Ace?" Klaus called gently, leaning forward in concern.


    Riley quickly knelt beside Ace, placing a hand over his face. "He''s still breathing," she confirmed, her tone reassuring. "He''s probably just asleep."


    Klaus exhaled in relief, his tension easing. Both he and Riley turned their attention to the girl lying nearby. Neither of them recognized her, yet her striking beauty left an indelible impression. Her delicate skin, long white hair, and inexplainable presence made her seem almost otherworldly. Riley checked her pulse and confirmed she was also alive, though unconscious.


    The two sat in silence for a moment, trying to make sense of the situation. But as the quiet stretched, they became uncomfortably aware of their earlier interaction before Ace''s arrival. Neither could meet the other''s gaze, the awkwardness from the unspoken tension still lingering between them. Klaus came to understand his action during the moment and felt unsure of how to address it.


    Finally, Riley broke the silence. "Uh... Klaus?" she ventured hesitantly.


    Klaus glanced her way, his posture stiff. "Yeah?" he stammered.


    She hesitated, but before she could speak, the door to Klaus''s room burst open. Both turned sharply as Shade strode in, his expression tight with concern.


    "Klaus," Shade called, his voice urgent. "Are you okay?"


    Klaus gave a slight nod. "I''m fine," he assured his brother, though confused by the urgency in his voice.


    Shade''s sharp gaze swept the room. "I felt your emotions through the shadow I created for you," he explained. "It woke me up immediately, so I had to check up on you."


    Klaus nodded in understanding. "Don''t worry," he assured once more. "Everything''s fine... I think."


    Shade''s attention shifted to Ace, lying unconscious on the bed. "Ace?" he asked, his voice softening. But before he could say more, his eyes caught sight of the girl beside him.


    Shade froze, visibly struck by her appearance. "Who''s... that?" he asked, unable to tear his gaze away. "And what''s going on?"


    Klaus took a deep breath and began recounting the little they knew, explaining Ace''s sudden arrival and the events that had unfolded. When he finished, Shade''s confusion mirrored their own.


    "So, what did Quinn say about this?" Shade asked.


    "She hasn''t responded," Klaus replied. "I tried reaching out telepathically, but I think she''s asleep."


    Shade sighed, his worry evident. "Then we''ll have to wait for Ace to wake up. He''s the only one who can explain what''s going on."


    "Yeah," Klaus said before turning toward Riley. "You can go home and rest if you want. We''ve got this."


    "It''s fine," Riley replied firmly. "This might be bigger than we think. I''m not bothered with staying."


    The three settled into the room, their eyes drifting back to Ace and the unconscious girl. They spoke in low tones, catching up on other matters to pass the time, but the weight of the situation kept the conversation brief. Eventually, they fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they waited for answers that only Ace could provide.


    As the hours stretched on, the first rays of dawn filtered through the curtains, painting the room in soft hues of gold. Klaus and Riley sat side by side, the closeness between them unspoken yet palpable.


    Despite the passing of time, neither dared to meet the other''s gaze. The memory of their earlier moment lingered heavily, and Klaus, unsure of how to address it, avoided the topic altogether. He was unaccustomed to navigating situations like this, his usual confidence faltering under the weight of uncharted emotions.


    The silence was broken by a sudden, sharp inhale. Ace''s eyes snapped open, and with a jolt, he sat up straight, his chest heaving. Klaus was on his feet in an instant, his concern mirrored by Shade and Riley as they moved closer.


    "Ace," Klaus said, his voice steady but edged with worry.


    Ace''s wide eyes darted around the room before settling on Klaus. "Klaus?" he murmured, placing a trembling hand over his chest. His breathing was rapid, his body visibly tense.


    "You''re okay," Klaus assured him, stepping closer and resting a reassuring hand on Ace''s shoulder. "You''re safe now."


    Ace''s breathing began to slow under Klaus''s calming presence, the panic in his eyes giving way to a semblance of relief. As the tension eased, Klaus finally voiced the question weighing on everyone''s minds.


    "What happened to you?" he asked, his tone both gentle and probing. "And how did you just... appear like that?"


    Ace''s brow furrowed as he searched for the right words. "I''m... not entirely sure," he admitted. "I''m still trying to make sense of where I was."


    "Where you were?" Riley echoed, her curiosity piqued.


    Klaus stepped in to provide context to Ace. "Quinn said she couldn''t track you for two months," he explained.


    "Two months?" Ace''s head snapped up, his shock evident. "That can''t be right..."


    The disbelief in Ace''s voice only deepened Klaus''s concern. "Does that mean you weren''t on Earth?" Klaus pressed, trying to piece together the puzzle.


    Ace hesitated, his expression shifting as he recalled the experience. "I was," he said slowly. "But it was... different."


    "Different how?" Shade asked, leaning forward.


    Ace took a moment before responding, his voice low and uncertain. "As I said, I''m not entirely sure," he admitted. "But it felt like... I was in the future."


    The room fell into stunned silence. Shade''s eyes widened in disbelief. "That''s... impossible," he murmured.


    "You''re not making sense," Riley added, her skepticism clear.


    "I know it sounds crazy," Ace replied, frustration flickering in his tone. "But if I had to make an educated guess, that''s the only explanation that fits."


    Klaus remained quiet, his mind racing. Ace''s words were alarming enough, but it was the fear still lingering in his eyes that struck Klaus the most. If Ace was telling the truth, then whatever future he had glimpsed must have been far from hopeful. Yet there was still one pressing question.


    "How did you even manage to end up there?" Klaus asked, his voice steady but insistent.


    Ace lowered his gaze, his expression darkening. "If I had to guess..." he began, "I''d say I accidentally used my ability on the single worst person I could have."


    The confusion in the room only grew. Riley tilted her head, her brow furrowing. "Isn''t your ability just... speed?" she asked.


    "Yeah," Ace nodded. "But that isn''t the only power I have."


    Klaus''s eyes narrowed. "What ability exactly are you talking about?" he asked, his lack of knowledge evident.


    Ace glanced at Klaus, a flicker of realization crossing his face. "I never got to tell you what it was, did I?" he said.


    Klaus remembered a moment during the Cosmic League when he had asked Ace about the nature of his power. At the time, Ace had mentioned that Quinn had advised him to keep it a secret and not share it with anyone. Reflecting on it now, Klaus realized he had completely forgotten about that conversation until this very moment.


    Klaus'' silent expression made it clear to Ace that he truly had no knowledge of the truth. Deciding there was no reason to withhold it any longer, Ace took a steady breath and began to explain.


    "After the human extinction crisis," he started, his tone low but firm, "I accidentally activated my unique ability on someone. And my abilities... it''s not just moving fast."


    He paused briefly, locking eyes with Klaus before concluding his words. "I also have the power to duplicate and multiply a person''s maximum top speed upon physical contact."

 #121: The Girl in White

    "As a token of our gratitude, we offer you this honorable item, as a symbol of your triumph."


    Zenith''s voice resonated through the grand room, his tone solemn yet warm. Stretching his hand outward, golden medals materialized and draped themselves over the necks of the present demigods: Klaus, Shade, X, Ash, Trent, Quinn, Link, and Ace. All the gods stood tall, a radiant assembly of power and authority, their gazes fixed on the group who had fought valiantly to protect humanity. Zenith, at the forefront, wore a gentle smile.


    "Congratulations once again, demigods," Zenith said. "If there is anything at all that any of you desire, do not hesitate to ask."


    With those words, the ceremony concluded, and the demigods were dismissed. The group began their slow departure, their steps heavy with the weight of all that had transpired. X had left on his own, his usual ignorant demeanor intact. Ash lingered, awaiting further instruction from his father, leaving the others to walk back together.


    Klaus, Shade, Ace, Link, and Quinn made their way to the transportation podium in silence. The atmosphere was thick with tension, unspoken emotions hanging heavily between them. Only ten days had passed since the Human Extinction Crisis, a span that felt both impossibly short and agonizingly long. Klaus, having just woken from his unconscious state, walked with a hollow, soulless expression that none of them could ignore.


    "This doesn''t really feel like we won, does it?" Ace finally said, breaking the oppressive silence.


    "Yeah," Shade replied softly. "But we did everything we could. Even if we couldn''t save everyone... we managed to save a lot."


    "Right," Link added, though his voice carried the same weight of uncertainty.


    Their eyes drifted toward Klaus, seeking a response, but his expression remained unchanged; absent, and distant. Klaus had been this way throughout the meeting, since the moment he awoke. As the demigods neared the transportation podium, a voice suddenly called out.


    "Ace."


    The group turned to see Blur, the god of Speed, standing a short distance away. Ace froze for a moment before stepping forward. Blur''s presence carried a strange gravity, his expression unreadable.


    "You did well," Blur began, his voice steady but tinged with emotion. "Your actions saved more humans than any other. Your speed, your dedication, you were extraordinary."


    Ace noted the strain in his father''s voice, the guilt that seemed to linger in his words. Yet, it didn''t bother him. He had long since made peace with the circumstances of his upbringing.


    Ace had never harbored resentment toward his father for abandoning him as a child, even before learning that Blur was a god. He didn¡¯t hate his mother either, but over time, he had come to understand that there might have been hidden complexities behind his father''s departure, especially when considering his mother¡¯s behavior. She had never shared why his father left, and when she, too, eventually abandoned him, Ace chose not to dwell on bitterness. Instead, he moved forward, carrying no malice in his heart.


    However, Blur¡¯s voice broke through the haze of the past. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, my son,¡± he said, his deep, soothing tone striking something profound within Ace.


    Ace¡¯s eyes widened, the words washing over him with a weight he hadn¡¯t expected. For years, he had been alone, scraping by on his own. He had learned to survive without guidance or support, making ends meet however he could. School had long become a distant memory after his mother¡¯s departure, and genuine friendships were scarce. Yet Ace had endured.


    He had cultivated an image of resilience, always smiling, always joking, ensuring those around him never saw him as vulnerable or in need of love. He gave freely, even when he received so little in return. But Blur¡¯s words felt different. They reached a part of him Ace rarely let anyone touch, a part that yearned for acknowledgment.


    In those simple words, Ace heard something deeper: an unspoken recognition of his silent struggles, the battles he had fought in solitude, and the strength he had shown through it all. Blur¡¯s pride felt like it wasn¡¯t just for the hero Ace had become, it was for the boy who had survived and thrived despite everything.


    A small, genuine smile broke across Ace¡¯s face as Blur extended his hand. It had been so long since Ace felt this kind of warmth, this kind of connection. Tentatively, he lifted his own hand, ready to meet his father¡¯s gesture. But that was when the unexpected happened.


    In that moment of heightened emotion, Ace¡¯s unique ability, an ability he called Nitro due to its nature, activated unintentionally. This was the power to duplicate and amplify another¡¯s maximum speed upon contact, temporarily making it his own.


    As their hands met, the ability triggered, syncing with Blur¡¯s divine speed in an instant without the awareness of either of them. The moment they shared was brief but heartfelt, a rare connection between father and son.


    After exchanging a hug, a few more words, and heartfelt goodbyes, Ace stepped away, his emotions still a mix of joy and warmth as he returned to the other demigods.


    Walking back, Ace noticed that only Link and Trent had stayed behind. "What about the others?" he asked as he reached them.


    "Klaus and Shade went back together," Trent explained. "And Quinn seemed to have returned to Exalted City as well."


    "What about you two?" Ace asked. "Got any plans?"


    Link sighed before responding. "I''ve been here at Higher World for the last ten days," he said. "I''m already getting bored, so I''ll probably head back to Earth for a while."


    "I thought it was because you wanted to check on your mother?" Trent asked, looking puzzled.


    Link shot him a sharp look, his digital mask portraying his annoyance. "Dude!" he exclaimed. "Can you not be that guy right now?"


    "Apologies," Trent replied with a smile, Ace chuckling as well. "I didn¡¯t know you wanted to keep it private."


    Link let out an exasperated sigh. "Whatever, man. Let¡¯s just go."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "What about you, Ace?" Trent asked after a moment.


    "I guess I¡¯ll head back too," Ace confirmed. "And thanks to me not being stupidly famous, wiping my address online actually works."


    "Was that aimed at me?" Link asked, raising a digital eyebrow. "Because I can still undo those changes anytime, you know."


    Ace and Trent laughed at Link''s words, and the three, soon enough, began their journey back to Exalted City and eventually to Main World.


    Ace, Link, and Trent traveled back together, engrossed in their conversation. Upon arriving on Earth, they continued walking and talking, their banter keeping the mood light.


    Eventually, Link decided to part ways, heading home to avoid drawing unwanted attention. His high profile made it difficult to remain unnoticed, unlike Ace, whose swift movements during his rescues kept his face largely unknown, and Trent, who had essentially no Earth records due to his nature.


    After Link left, Trent chose to accompany Ace, whose home was nearby. The two chatted as they walked, their conversation carrying them to Ace¡¯s apartment building. After a bit, Trent said his goodbyes, and Ace entered the building.


    Once alone, Ace found his thoughts drifting to memories of his father. A subtle sense of satisfaction filled him, leaving him reflective as he walked to his apartment instead of using his usual speed. The small crowd outside also provided a backdrop for his contemplation.


    Walking inside his apartment, Ace microwaved some leftover food and turned on the television, planning to watch a movie while eating. The microwave beeped moments later, just as the movie started to draw him in, but rather than pausing, Ace chose to use his movement ability to grab the food and return quickly. But as he moved, something unexpected occurred.


    The moment Ace took a step forward, the world around him began to distort. Reality itself felt like it was unraveling. Before he could process what was happening, darkness consumed his surroundings, and everything familiar vanished.


    When the disorientation faded, Ace found himself standing in what could only be described as a wasteland. The evening had been replaced by impenetrable darkness, and his apartment was gone, replaced by ruins and devastation. Shattered buildings and broken roads stretched as far as he could see. Though it resembled Earth, it was far from the world he knew.


    Confusion filled Ace¡¯s eyes as he tried to grasp the situation. The vividness of the experience made it feel too real to be a dream. He scanned the desolate environment, the eerie silence and hollow emptiness fueling his growing unease.


    "What caused this?" Ace muttered to himself. "Where even am I?"


    Ace began to wander, searching for any sign of life or explanation. Minutes passed with no success. The oppressive darkness made it difficult to see far, and the lack of answers deepened his anxiety. His heart pounded as he tried to make sense of it all.


    Just as he considered using his speed to explore faster, a voice interrupted his thoughts.


    "Who are you?"


    Ace swiftly turned toward the source of the voice, his eyes landing on a strange girl. She sat on the ground, her white hair perfectly complementing the flowing dress she wore, enhancing her ethereal beauty. At a single glance, Ace could not help but think she was the perfect girl he had ever seen.


    "How did you get here?" the girl asked, her voice tinged with concern.


    Ace, however, was more focused on her condition than her question. She appeared as though she had fallen and was struggling to rise.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, stepping closer and crouching beside her, his worry evident.


    The girl hesitated before responding. "I-I''m fine," she said, her soothing voice easing some of Ace''s concern.


    Ace took a moment to scan the desolate surroundings, the devastation only amplifying his unease. "What is this place?" he asked urgently, fear creeping into his tone. "Do you know where we are?"


    The girl remained silent for a moment, her expression thoughtful as she processed his question. "I''m... not sure myself," she admitted softly. "But you need to go back to wherever you came from."


    Her urgency only deepened Ace''s worry. Though the strangeness of the situation had already filled him with unease, her words added to his dread. "I don¡¯t see anyone else around," he said, trying to piece together the puzzle. "Is anyone even here?"


    The girl¡¯s gaze remained fixed on him, her mind a swirl of newfound thoughts and emotions. After a moment, she finally spoke. "Nobody is alive," she said quietly. "There is nobody left but Him."


    Ace¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief at her words, his mind struggling to process the implication. "I don¡¯t¡­ understand," he stammered, his voice trembling with fear.


    But before he could say more, the girl¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. "He knows you''re here," she whispered, fear flickering across her face.


    She struggled to stand, her movements revealing just how weary she was. Ace quickly stood, stepping back to give her space. Once she managed to steady herself, she moved closer to him.


    "However you managed to get here," she began, her voice firm despite her fragile state, "you need to return to where you came from."


    "I don¡¯t know how," Ace replied, panic rising within him. "What¡¯s going on?"


    Before either could say another word, a colossal force rippled through the area, its presence oppressive and overwhelming.


    "He''s coming," the girl muttered softly, her fear intensifying. "If He finds you, you¡¯ll be killed."


    She paused for a brief moment, her thoughts racing, then turned her gaze back to Ace. Her expression shifted as she noticed the sheer terror etched across his face.


    Ace stood frozen, his entire being overwhelmed by the force''s oppressive nature. His breaths came in rapid gasps; a sensation he could barely recall the last time he experienced.


    What Ace felt at that moment was beyond comprehension. The terrifying weight of the force defied words, and as it bore down on him, he could feel himself beginning to lose his grip on reality and his sense of self.


    The girl noticed Ace¡¯s deteriorating state and knew she had to act quickly. "Look at me," she called firmly, her voice cutting through the chaos in Ace¡¯s mind as he teetered on the brink of madness. "You have to do what you did to get here. That¡¯s the only way you can survive."


    But Ace was paralyzed, the overwhelming force still gripping his soul. His knees trembled, and his body shivered uncontrollably. He was on the verge of complete collapse, unable to muster the strength to act. The girl saw this and realized she had to help him.


    Without hesitation, she reached out and clasped Ace¡¯s trembling hands in her own, her gaze locking with his. "You can do this," she said softly, her voice calm yet resolute as her deep, black iris met Ace''s light brown ones. Her words broke through the fog in Ace¡¯s mind, and for the first time since he felt the tremendous force, he refocused on her.


    "I... can do this," Ace repeated slowly, as if her words were the anchor he needed. "I can return home."


    But even as she encouraged him, the girl¡¯s strength began to fail. Her fatigue became evident as she slumped forward, eventually collapsing onto Ace. He caught her instinctively, confusion flooding his mind, but one thing was clear; he couldn¡¯t stay here any longer.


    A surge of clarity swept over Ace, and he suddenly understood what he had done to arrive in this place. Though it made no sense to him, he suddenly felt certain he knew how to return. Holding the unconscious girl in his arms, he hesitated for a moment. He couldn¡¯t bear to leave her behind in such a desolate, terrifying place.


    Resolving to take her with him, Ace adjusted his hold on the girl and prepared to act. But as he readied himself, his fears surged back, more intense than before, and the force he had felt earlier grew closer. The oppressive sensation threatened to immobilize him again, but Ace refused to give in.


    Summoning his courage, Ace activated his Accelerate ability, but moved backward this time, with the girl in his arms. As he did, the world around him began to distort once more, reality seeming to tear apart under the strain of his motion. The immense speed at which he moved caused him to lose his footing, and he slammed into what felt like a solid wall.


    Ace gasped for air, his chest heaving as the oppressive fear finally caught up to him. He could barely comprehend what had just happened; his perception of reality had almost entirely unraveled. Dazed, he lay against the wall, the muffled sound of voices slowly breaking through his disoriented state.


    "Ace!" someone called, their voice cutting through the haze.


    Through blurred vision, Ace saw two figures approaching him. These figures were Klaus and Riley. They rushed toward Ace who had suddenly slammed onto a wall in his apartment, concern etched on their faces as they took in the scene. Ace had managed to make it home, and perhaps just in the nick of time.

 #122: Confrontation

    "And that''s all I can remember," Ace murmured, his voice subdued as he sat on Klaus'' bed in the Walker residence.


    He had only regained consciousness a few minutes prior, and after finally managing to steady himself, he took the time to recount his entire experience to the other demigods present; Klaus, Shade, and Riley. The weight of everything still clung to him, the events feeling surreal as he struggled to fully grasp what had happened.


    "It still feels like the same day of the meeting with the gods to me," Ace admitted, his expression distant. "But you said it''s been..."


    "Two months," Riley confirmed after a brief hesitation. "Yeah."


    Ace¡¯s face tensed slightly, his mind racing to process everything. Two months. The realization unsettled him further. Meanwhile, the other demigods absorbed his words, each of them grappling with their own growing concerns. Ace¡¯s account had raised more questions than answers, but one thought in particular stood out to Klaus; likely the same one lingering in the others'' minds.


    "How the hell did this happen?" Klaus muttered, his disbelief apparent.


    "I''m not sure either," Ace admitted, his voice steady but laced with unease. "But I am almost certain that what I saw was the future. And there was nothing but destruction everywhere."


    Shade turned toward Klaus, his expression reflecting the same concern that weighed on them all. "That would mean¡­ that the future is in jeopardy," he said, his voice grave as he acknowledged the severity of the situation.


    Klaus took a deep breath, attempting to remain composed despite the implications. "This is all happening too fast," he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration.


    The thought of Ace witnessing the future was already unsettling, but what disturbed Klaus more was the sheer devastation Ace had described. What could have possibly caused such a catastrophe? And more importantly, who was the mysterious girl Ace had saved?


    "We need to tell the gods about this revelation," Riley suddenly suggested, her concern mirroring the others''.


    "We can''t," Klaus responded immediately, his tone urgent as he turned to face her. "Based on Ace''s explanation, I highly doubt that such a future could be determined by any mortal being or even a demigod. That would mean the only way such a fate could occur..."


    "Is if a god was the one who caused it," Shade finished, his eyes widening as the realization dawned on him. "Are you saying..."


    "That there is a possibility that one or more of the gods were responsible for this future," Klaus clarified, his voice heavy with certainty. "And if we choose to reveal this information to the gods, we risk exposing it to the very one who may have caused it, potentially accelerating whatever events lead to that destruction."


    Even though it was merely a possibility, Klaus'' words sent a chill through the room.


    "I can''t believe it," Riley muttered, shaking her head.


    "Think about it," Klaus pressed on. "From Ace¡¯s account, it¡¯s clear that the gods were somehow completely absent from the entire situation. And it would be impossible for a demigod to cause such devastation because Dominion-over-Creation from any of the gods would immediately put a stop to it."


    "So that only leaves the possibility that a god, or more than one, was behind it," Riley reasoned.


    "Exactly," Klaus confirmed.


    "But that would mean there''s, at the very least, a treacherous god among the pantheon," Shade pointed out, his voice tinged with both disbelief and unease.


    A heavy silence fell over the group as the weight of that conclusion settled in. Klaus let the thought linger for a moment before finally speaking.


    "There''s a possibility," he admitted. "But there¡¯s also a chance that this future never comes to pass."


    "But how is that possible if Ace just saw it?" Shade questioned.


    "Because, according to what Sol once told me," Klaus explained, "foresight only allows you to perceive one of an infinite number of possible futures. And even though it wasn¡¯t exactly foresight that Ace used, there¡¯s still a chance that the same principle applies."


    "Regardless," Riley interjected, her tone firm, "even if there¡¯s only a fraction of a chance that this will happen, the idea of a god betraying the realm, especially one powerful enough to cause such destruction, is not something we can afford to dismiss as just a ''slight possibility.''"


    "You''re right," Klaus agreed.


    The mere implication of a treacherous god was beyond comprehension, sending a wave of unease through the demigods. The weight of such a thought was suffocating, leaving them momentarily speechless as they struggled to process it.


    "Regardless of what we come up with," Shade finally broke the silence, his voice steady but firm, "the only person who can give us a real explanation of what happened and how to handle it... is her."


    His gaze fell upon the unconscious girl in white, his finger pointing directly at her. The others followed suit, understanding the gravity of her presence.


    Klaus silently agreed. Ace had somehow managed to pull this girl back with him, anchoring her to their timeline. That alone raised a flood of questions for him. It was a reckless, unprecedented act, and yet, so far, there had been no signs of dire consequences. Even so, Klaus could only hope that they hadn¡¯t just invited something far worse into their world.


    Still, the girl¡¯s very existence presented a mystery. Klaus wondered how she was the only one left alive in such a future. And after hearing Ace¡¯s description, he found himself even more unsettled, wondering how she had managed to remain so composed in the face of the mentioned overwhelming force when Ace had nearly lost his mind to it.


    Another concern gnawed at him: how far into the future had Ace truly ventured? It could have been decades ahead, or merely a week. But considering that Ace had experienced two months passing in what felt like a moment, Klaus suspected this future was much farther away than they would have assumed.


    With these uncertainties looming over them, Klaus, Shade, Riley, and Ace deliberated, attempting to form a strategy. They discussed possibilities, analyzed scenarios, and weighed their options. But just as they began to piece together a plan, an unexpected voice echoed in Klaus¡¯ mind; one he hadn¡¯t anticipated.


    "Klaus Walker."


    The voice resonated telepathically through his consciousness. Klaus stiffened, realizing that this wasn¡¯t Quinn. It was XVII. Shock rippled through him as he processed the situation, a cold weight settling in his gut.


    "Your presence is required in Higher World," XVII continued. "Sol has summoned you. Please make your way to the Arena of Valor as soon as possible."


    Klaus remained motionless, his eyes wide with disbelief, and his reaction did not go unnoticed. Shade and Riley turned to him, concern flickering in their expressions.


    "Klaus?" Shade asked cautiously. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "I''ve..." Klaus hesitated, still trying to grasp the weight of the message. "I''ve been summoned by Sol."


    The room fell into a heavy silence.


    "No way," Shade breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.


    "It''s... too late," Riley murmured under her breath, her hands balling into fists. "They already know."


    Panic threatened to set in. The realization that the gods may have already discovered what had happened sent a wave of dread through the group. But Klaus wasn¡¯t entirely convinced.


    "I''m not so sure," he muttered, his mind racing.


    The others turned to him, waiting for the explanation he seemed to have.


    "When I last met with Sol," Klaus began, his voice measured, "he told me that the gods had stopped watching over us and surveying our lives. If that¡¯s true, then they wouldn¡¯t be aware of what¡¯s been happening around us, including this situation."


    Riley frowned, slightly unsure of Klaus'' words. "Tearing through time is a massive disruption to reality," she argued. "Are you really certain that something this significant wouldn¡¯t catch their attention?"


    "If that were the case," Klaus countered, "then they would have already known about it two months ago when Ace first crossed into the future."


    Riley faltered, her lips pressing into a thin line as she absorbed his words. "Fair point," she conceded.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Shade, however, was still wary. "Then why are you being summoned?" he asked.


    "I''m not sure," Klaus admitted, his brows furrowing in deep thought. "But I have to go. If I refuse or delay, that alone could make things look suspicious."


    A tense silence filled the room shortly after Klaus''s words.


    The gods were not just their creators; they were also their fathers and their family. And yet, now, the possibility that one of them, perhaps even their own parent, was the cause of the devastation Ace had witnessed cast a long, dark shadow over everything they thought they knew.


    Being a demigod had always felt surreal to Klaus ever since he first awakened his powers. At first, the weight of his new existence had been overwhelming, but over time, he had learned to accept it. The feeling had become familiar, no longer something that left him in constant awe or uncertainty. But this feeling; this was something he never wanted to feel.


    The thought of looking upon one of his creators and seeing an enemy was unbearable. And if that enemy was Sol, his own father, Klaus wasn¡¯t sure how he would even begin to face such a reality.


    Before departing, he turned back to the others, his expression resolute. "Make sure that at least one of you stays near the girl at all times," he instructed. "She could be the key to everything. If the gods don¡¯t know about her yet, it¡¯s likely because of our proximity to her. So we can¡¯t take any chances... someone has to be with her at all times."


    Shade, Riley, and Ace exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. They understood the significance of Klaus¡¯ warning.


    "I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can," Klaus assured them.


    "Please... be careful," Shade said quietly, his concern evident.


    Klaus offered a nod in return before making his way to his transportation point. Placing his palm over the poster, he activated the sigil, and soon enough, he was transported straight to Higher World.


    Upon arrival, Klaus wasted no time heading toward the Arena of Valor, where he expected to find XVII. Based on the message he had received, he assumed that XVII would be the one to escort him to the domain of the gods. However, as he stepped into the arena, scanning for the instructor, his footsteps faltered.


    Klaus'' breath caught in his throat. Standing at the center of the arena was not XVII, but Sol.


    The god of Light stood in waiting, his beautiful, white wings unfurled at his sides, his presence as radiant as ever. He had only just arrived, but from Klaus¡¯ perspective, the stance he held, the strict glare in his eyes, felt unnervingly prepared.


    Klaus¡¯ heart slammed against his ribs. To him, Sol wasn¡¯t merely standing, he was poised. Battle-ready. The thoughts that had plagued him earlier returned with brutal intensity. If Sol truly was the god responsible for the future Ace had witnessed, then what was this meeting for? Had he summoned Klaus because he already knew what had happened? Had Sol brought him here to eliminate him first? Or... did he just want Klaus to join him in his sinister plans?


    The possibilities spiraled in Klaus'' mind, but before his panic could take root, Sol¡¯s piercing gaze lifted after meeting Klaus¡¯ own. His father''s hardened stare softened, and his wings folded back as he raised a hand in greeting.


    "Hello, Klaus," Sol said, his voice calm.


    Klaus remained tense, his body unwilling to relax just yet. Noticing this, his father¡¯s expression shifted, concern flickering behind his eyes.


    "Is something wrong?" Sol asked, his voice genuine.


    Realizing that making his caution too obvious wasn¡¯t wise, Klaus decided to ease his tension, especially since Sol didn¡¯t seem aware of anything. He knew he couldn¡¯t let his guard down completely, given that Sol was a god, but for now, he chose to appear more relaxed.


    "Yeah," Klaus finally said. "Everything''s fine."


    After a brief pause, he asked, "You called for me?"


    "That is correct," Sol replied, his expression shifting. "I summoned you on short notice to inform you of some good news."


    Klaus'' expression shifted slightly. "Good news?" he asked in confusion.


    "Precisely," Sol confirmed before explaining. "I spoke with Nekro regarding the demon girl and her actions, and I requested that you be involved in the matter."


    Klaus'' eyes widened as Sol continued. "Since you were a major target and key factor in the crisis, I argued that you deserved to have a say in the verdict. And I was able to convince Nekro."


    Klaus could hardly believe it. Sol had secured him a real opportunity; a chance to finally take part in deciding the fate of the one who had destroyed his life.


    "I don''t believe it," Klaus muttered. "Thank you."


    "I gave you my word," Sol replied with a smile. "So I made sure to keep it."


    Klaus felt conflicted. He had approached this meeting with extreme caution because of the situation with Ace, but now, hearing Sol''s genuine words, his emotions were entirely different. He couldn''t put into words how grateful he was.


    "So when can I go?" Klaus asked.


    "You can leave any time today," Sol confirmed. "Her trial concluded yesterday, and the final decisions will be made by tomorrow. There are also a few proceedings happening later today that you can attend."


    "That''s fine," Klaus said, his expression softening. "I''ll head there immediately."


    "I¡¯ will inform Nekro of your arrival in Under World," Sol affirmed.


    Klaus was relieved to have this chance and wanted to be as involved as possible. Going immediately made sense to him since he didn''t want to miss anything. However, as he prepared to leave, the thought of Ace¡¯s warning and the possible threat to the future resurfaced in his mind.


    Despite his gratitude toward Sol, Klaus knew he couldn''t reveal what he had learned. The risks were too great. But if the gods were truly unaware, the least he could do was ask questions and gather any information that might be useful now or later.


    "One more thing," Klaus said after a brief silence.


    Sol turned his attention back to Klaus as he hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I''ve had a question on my mind for a while," he began. "It¡¯s a bit off-topic, but I couldn''t help but wonder."


    "Go ahead," Sol said. "What is it?"


    Klaus took a deep breath. "The gods are considered infinite beings, or rather, beings with infinite capabilities, correct?" he asked.


    "That is correct," Sol affirmed.


    "Well, I was wondering," Klaus continued, "if that¡¯s the case, how does such a situation work when faced with another similar power? If a god has infinite capabilities and abilities, then their powers are expected to be absolute. But what happens when two absolute abilities clash? Like if one god wants to split an object while another wants to keep it whole. Wouldn''t that be an unstoppable force meeting another unstoppable force?"


    Sol took a moment to consider Klaus¡¯ words, allowing them to settle. Klaus remained silent as well, his concerns growing with each passing second. He hoped the question hadn¡¯t inadvertently revealed anything about what he was trying to keep hidden.


    "That is a good observation," Sol finally said. "You are correct that two infinite beings clashing could contradict the expectations of absolute power. But that exact situation is why the Ouroboros exists."


    "The Ouroboros?" Klaus asked, unfamiliar with the term.


    "That is correct," Sol confirmed before explaining. "When two beings of infinite power clash, either one can invoke a divine rule known as the Ouroboros. When this happens, all absolute abilities are nullified for both parties, causing their unstoppable forces to cancel each other out. At that point, they are left only with their personal capabilities, giving the stronger individual the advantage."


    Klaus was stunned. It wasn¡¯t just the existence of such a rule that shocked him, but something else about Sol¡¯s explanation struck him as strange.


    "So does that mean all gods aren¡¯t on the same level of power?" he asked, surprised by the implication.


    "That is correct," Sol confirmed once again. "A god can always refine and further master their own skills and abilities. Just as our power is infinite, so is our potential for growth."


    "But that doesn¡¯t make sense," Klaus argued. "If gods have infinite power, why can¡¯t they just reach the strongest possible level instantly?"


    "That... is not how infinite power works," Sol replied.


    "Why not?" Klaus pressed, genuinely intrigued by Sol¡¯s explanation.


    Sol was surprised by Klaus¡¯ enthusiasm on the topic, but he chose to elaborate. "The term ''infinite power'' is not the same as ''maximum power,''" he stated. "Instead, it describes an unexplainable, incomprehensible level of power."


    Seeing that Klaus was still trying to fully grasp the concept, Sol decided to clarify further. "Imagine the numbers 1 and 3," he began. "What would you say if I asked how many numbers exist between them?"


    Klaus paused, slightly confused, before answering. "I¡¯d say there¡¯s only one; the number 2."


    "While your response isn¡¯t wrong," Sol acknowledged, "that would only be true if I had asked about whole numbers. If we include fractions, numbers like 1.5 also exist between them."


    "I think I see what you mean," Klaus said, his mind working through the idea. "So similarly, there would also be numbers with two or more decimal places. That means you could keep adding numbers behind the decimal point infinitely, and they would still count as numbers between 1 and 3."


    "Exactly," Sol said. "However, even though you can add an infinite amount of numbers within that range, there are still numbers outside of it, like the number 4. No matter how many numbers you insert between 1 and 3, the number 4 will never be included. This is because, despite the infinite range between 1 and 3, there is still a defined boundary, making it a finite set in representation."


    Sol¡¯s explanation was clear to Klaus. It was complex, but the analogy made perfect sense.


    "Nothing is TRULY infinite," Sol finally concluded. "It may seem paradoxical, but even ''infinite'' is finite."


    Klaus was blown away by the complexity of absolute power among the gods. He had understood their vast potential at face value, but Sol¡¯s words gave him a deeper understanding of how divine power truly functioned.


    "I get it now," Klaus finally said, prompting a satisfied smile from Sol.


    "I''m glad I could educate you a bit," Sol remarked.


    After some time, it was finally time for Klaus to head to Under World. "I better get going," he said to Sol, not wanting to waste any more time absent from the situation concerning Xhin.


    After receiving the necessary coordinates to his destination, Klaus gave Sol a brief wave before turning away, preparing to head toward the transportation podium.


    "I can sense your bloodlust, Klaus," Sol suddenly said, his soft words causing Klaus to freeze in place. "Relax."


    Silence settled between them. Klaus remained still, his back facing Sol. Though Sol couldn''t see his face, he could feel the sheer rage radiating from him at the mere thought of Xhin.


    "I understand that there are things in this existence that cannot be pardoned," Sol continued, "and certain acts of evil that can never be forgiven. But I must give you this one piece of advice... do not let your emotions drive you to do something you will regret for the rest of your life."


    Another moment of silence passed. Klaus'' rage was overwhelming as he recalled everything that had happened during the Human Extinction crisis that Xhin had caused. The fact that she had attempted to take his mother¡¯s life, and had succeeded in taking Avalon¡¯s, was something he would never forgive. He wanted to make her suffer. He wanted to kill her.


    But he also knew that his father was right.


    "I understand," Klaus finally said, his voice even. He didn¡¯t turn back as he resumed his steps, leaving the arena.


    Klaus walked for a while, his mind clouded with countless thoughts. Eventually, he pulled out his phone and called Shade. He relayed the information he had received from Sol regarding the gods, as well as the opportunity he had been given to partake in Xhin¡¯s trial. However, he carefully avoided mentioning anything about their situation with Ace over the phone, a precaution they had agreed upon to keep their plans as secretive as possible.


    "I''m going to Under World for a bit," Klaus said. "So I¡¯ll be absent for a while."


    Shade understood. He knew that while their situation with Ace was pressing, Klaus¡¯ urgency to go to Under World had to take priority.


    It was only natural for Klaus to go. If he had refused, it would raise questions from Sol and the other gods, giving them a potential reason to survey his actions, something they wanted to avoid. And beyond that, Shade knew that, regardless of the larger implications, Klaus likely just wanted to put this chapter of his life to rest.


    "Be safe," Shade finally said after a pause.


    "I will," Klaus replied before ending the call.


    After a brief walk, he arrived at the transportation podium. Memorizing the coordinates Sol had provided, he activated the podium and was finally transported to Under World.

 #123: Grievous Return

    Klaus'' eyes fluttered open as he arrived in Under World, his gaze sweeping across the familiar surroundings. He quickly recognized the location; he spawned in the same place he had arrived months ago during his first visit.


    Above him, the vast expanse of Nyxia''s night sky stretched endlessly, its presence surging through him, amplifying his power to its peak. He inhaled deeply, memories of his last visit resurfacing. Back then, he had not been in the right state of mind, and this time was no different.


    Before he could linger too long in his thoughts, movement from the corner of the alleyway caught his attention. A group of demons emerged, their strides deliberate as they closed the distance between them and Klaus.


    "Hello, Klaus Walker," one greeted, bowing respectfully.


    Klaus merely lowered his head slightly, not out of acknowledgment, but to avoid offering even a hint of kindness. His previous experience had taught him better than to extend goodwill so freely.


    It wasn''t that he resented the demon race as a whole because of Xhin''s actions, but his last visit had made one thing clear: most of them looked down upon humans. Previously, he had been willing to engage, to challenge their prejudices. Now, he simply didn''t care anymore.


    The demons began to relay information, but Klaus barely listened. Instead, he walked past them, his voice devoid of patience.


    "Let''s just go," he said, exiting the alleyway.


    The demons hesitated momentarily before following him.


    As they traversed the streets, Klaus realized that he was unfamiliar with the exact location of the facility from his current position. During his last visit, they had relied on the teleportation device at the hotel they had stayed in. He had a vague sense of where to go, but not enough to confidently head there himself. That was the only reason he hadn''t simply used Burst Speed to reach his destination immediately. Instead, he gradually slowed his pace, allowing the demons to overtake him and lead the way.


    Minutes passed before they finally arrived at the facility. Klaus came to a halt before the entrance, staring at the door as conflicting emotions churned inside him. He had never expected to return to this place, not after what had happened.


    After stepping inside, the demons ushered Klaus into a secluded room. "Lord Nekro will be with you shortly," one of them informed him.


    With synchronized bows, the guides departed, leaving Klaus alone in the silent chamber.


    Klaus sat still, his mind refusing to settle. Though he was physically in Under World, his thoughts remained tethered to Main World, back to Ace and the others. Time was slipping away from them, and every passing moment felt like another lost opportunity. But at this moment, there was nothing more he could do. Finally, after a bit of patience, the door creaked open.


    Klaus instinctively lifted his head, his gaze locking onto the figure stepping inside. Immediately they locked eyes, his breath caught. It was Jhin, Xhin''s twin brother.


    Shock flickered across Klaus'' face as his mind raced with a flood of emotions. But as quickly as his surprise came, it twisted into something darker. Rage.


    The memories of his encounters with Jhin resurfaced: the demon''s unwavering hatred for humanity, akin to his sister''s. And if Xhin had been capable of orchestrating something as catastrophic as the Human Extinction crisis, who was to say her twin brother hadn''t played a role as well?


    "You," Klaus seethed, his voice laced with fury as he pushed himself up from his chair.


    Jhin stepped further into the room, his expression unreadable. But Klaus had already closed the distance between them, his anger burning hotter with each step. However, before he could say another word, Jhin''s eyes changed.


    Tears welled upon the demon''s eyes, brimming at the edges before spilling down his face. In one swift motion, Jhin dropped to his knees before Klaus.


    Klaus froze in slight confusion as Jhin bowed his head low, shame and regret evident in the way his shoulders trembled.


    "Klaus Walker¡­" Jhin''s voice was barely above a whisper, cracking under the weight of his emotions. "I¡­ I¡­ I''m so sorry¡­ for my sister''s actions."


    Klaus remained still, caught off guard by the raw anguish in Jhin''s voice.


    "She acted completely on her own," Jhin continued, his words dripping with pain. "I don''t know what came over her. She never told me anything, never once mentioned anything about such monstrous plans. And yet¡­ she still had so much anger inside her. And despite being her brother, I failed to see it. I failed to stop her."


    Klaus listened, his mind processing every word. Jhin''s sorrow was real, his regret tangible. If he truly hadn''t known about Xhin''s plans beforehand, then it made sense why he wasn''t in chains right now. And perhaps, contrary to what Klaus had assumed, Jhin had never stood by his sister''s side in the first place, despite his hatred for humanity. And yet, the rage inside Klaus refused to dissipate.


    A weighted silence settled between them, stretching out before Jhin finally spoke again.


    "I know my words must mean little to you," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "And I will never ask you to forgive Xhin for what she did. But what I can say, with everything I am, is that I am truly sorry."


    The silence thickened, pressing against the walls of the room. Then, at last, Klaus broke it.


    "I don¡¯t care," he said, his voice sharp with restrained anger. He had no patience to entertain the discussion anymore. "Where is Nekro?"


    Jhin hesitated for a brief moment, his gaze still cast downward before he finally answered. "His majesty sent me to retrieve you," he said, rising to his feet and composing himself. "Please, follow me."


    Without another word, Klaus followed as they made their way out of the room, their footsteps echoing through the dimly lit corridors where demons moved around in scarcity. Eventually, they arrived before an imposing, massive door, one that Klaus immediately recognized. This was the very room where he had first met Nekro.


    The doors opened, revealing the god of Fire seated upon the grand throne at the center of the chamber. His divine presence filled the space, pressing against the very air as if the room itself acknowledged his authority. As Klaus and Jhin stepped inside, Nekro stirred, rising to his feet.


    Jhin immediately dropped to his knees in reverence for the god''s action.


    "He is here, your majesty," Jhin announced, his head bowed low. "The son of Sol, the god of Light, Klaus Walker."


    Nekro¡¯s piercing gaze fell upon Klaus, his voice carrying its usual weight of authority. "Welcome back, nephew," the god finally muttered.


    The moment the words left Nekro¡¯s lips, an unseen force pressed down upon Klaus, driving him to his knees. His muscles tensed as he fought against the overwhelming presence, a power he hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time.


    Realizing what had happened, Nekro immediately eased his aura. "My apologies," he said, his tone calm but sincere. "I still seem to struggle with softening my power around you. I keep maintaining the same level of presence that I do with my son."


    Klaus slowly rose to his feet, Nekro¡¯s words lingering in his mind. If the force he had just felt was what Nekro typically exerted in Ash¡¯s presence, then the gap between them might have been even greater than he had assumed despite all his training.


    Pushing the thought aside, he watched as Nekro turned to Jhin. "You may leave us," the god commanded.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Jhin stood, offering one final bow before taking his leave. As the doors shut behind him, Nekro¡¯s expression softened, his gaze meeting Klaus''.


    "I regret that we must meet under such somber circumstances," Nekro began. "The actions of my former assistant have brought great shame, and my absence from the Facility created the opportunity for such a heinous act to take place. Humanity suffered such terrors once again because of it, and for that, I am ashamed."


    Klaus remained silent, though he knew that Nekro was not entirely to blame. "You don¡¯t have to say all that to me," he said at last. "Your role as a god takes precedence. I know that your absence was likely warranted. And from what my brother told me, the only reason the crisis was even averted was because of you and your son¡¯s interference."


    Klaus knew he wasn¡¯t the only one who had suffered from Xhin¡¯s actions, a truth he had realized after speaking with Tyler. In truth, he felt undeserving of Nekro¡¯s apology.


    "You couldn¡¯t have known something like this would happen," Klaus continued. "And I can imagine how it must feel to see someone you trusted betray you like that. It just¡­ sucks that this is the reality we live in."


    Klaus'' words were carefully chosen, and they rang with sincerity. Nekro was momentarily surprised by his assessment before his lips curved into a small smile.


    "I am still truly sorry for everything," he said again. "But I am glad to see you no longer harbor resentment toward us gods."


    Klaus didn¡¯t respond. He wasn¡¯t sure how to. Nekro was right that he no longer held hatred in his heart. But at the same time, he wasn¡¯t sure if that was his own doing or something dictated by Dominion-over-Creation. The gods¡¯ very existence had the power to influence those beneath them, and Klaus had long since stopped questioning if his emotions were truly his own. There was no answer to that question, so there was no point dwelling on it anymore.


    After a moment, Nekro shifted the conversation, filling Klaus in on the developments regarding Xhin¡¯s case. He explained that she had been charged with multiple felonies under both Nyxian and Earthly law, doubling the weight of her crimes. The ones handling the case were taking it with the utmost seriousness, ensuring that justice would be served.


    This was not a simple matter. The trial had taken longer than expected because of the complexities surrounding it, and efforts had been made to keep it out of the public eye.


    Nekro was well aware of the tensions between demons and humans. The former had long resented the latter, seeing them as the gods'' favored creation. If news of the crisis spread too widely, it could stir unnecessary controversy among the masses. His wife and the Queen, Shynx, had advised him to keep the situation contained for now.


    Finally, Nekro revealed that the judge was in the final stages of making a decision and that there would be one last meeting to deliver the verdict later in the day.


    "If you wish to be involved in the final proceedings, I will ensure that you are present," Nekro offered.


    Klaus appreciated Nekro''s gesture of making sure he was involved. "I¡¯d like that," he replied.


    "Excellent," Nekro nodded. "I will inform my son and wife to meet us here before the meeting begins."


    At the mention of Nekro¡¯s son, Klaus muttered under his breath, "Ash, huh¡­"


    Ash Brimstone. The son of Nekro and widely regarded as the most powerful demigod among them all. Even among the elites, his power was both feared and respected.


    Klaus hadn¡¯t seen Ash or Drake since the Cosmic League. He had no idea how much stronger Ash had grown since then. But regardless of time and distance, that respect remained.


    As the silence stretched between them, Nekro began to sense the thoughts stirring within Klaus, recognizing the curiosity in him on the unspoken questions about Ash, someone Klaus had barely exchanged words with. A bit of silent shock persisted upon the god briefly, but he immediately turned it into a smile.


    "You know what?" Nekro spoke suddenly, breaking the quiet. "Would you be willing to head over to the house yourself to inform and retrieve them, Klaus Walker?"


    The suggestion caught Klaus off guard. It wasn¡¯t that he was opposed to the idea of interacting with them, but he had never been one to go out of his way to engage with others. His descent to Under World was already not something he had been particularly eager about, and this only added another layer to it.


    After a brief pause, he gave a small shrug. "I guess," he replied, recognizing there was no real harm in it.


    "Excellent," Nekro said, his tone carrying a hint of satisfaction. "Then I will have Jhin accompany you to the residence."


    Klaus¡¯ expression soured slightly at the mention of Jhin, and Nekro immediately took notice.


    "Or would you prefer to abstain from his presence?" the god asked gently.


    Klaus exhaled, shaking his head. "No, it¡¯s fine," he muttered. "It¡¯s just¡­ hard not to associate him with his sister after everything I know about them."


    "I understand," Nekro said, his voice calm. "But I assure you, Jhin is not his sister. I know that he harbored resentment toward humanity in the past, but he has changed."


    Klaus remained silent as Nekro continued.


    "After the incident," the god explained, "I personally reviewed every single individual working at the Facility, anyone who might have shared a similar mindset regarding harming humanity. I made sure to remove those who had the potential to even so much as entertain the thought, whether they realized it or not. And despite his past words, despite his connection to his sister, Jhin was not among them."


    A moment passed before Klaus finally spoke. "Sure," he muttered. "I believe you."


    Without another word, Klaus turned toward the door, preparing to leave. "I¡¯ll let him know about your assignment," he added before he began to head out.


    As Klaus moved to depart, Nekro watched him with quiet satisfaction. Though Klaus¡¯ words carried little emotion, his actions spoke differently from the last time he had been in Under World. He was listening to the gods now; trusting them, even if only slightly. It was a change Nekro was glad to see.


    Just before Klaus reached the door, Nekro called out one final time.


    "One more thing," the god began, causing Klaus to halt and glance back. "My son is a person of few words," Nekro said. "But please, make sure to get along with him."


    Klaus hesitated before giving a simple response. "I¡¯ll try," he muttered.


    With that, Klaus stepped through the doorway, the massive doors shutting behind him on their own.


    For a brief moment, Nekro smiled at his nephew¡¯s departure, but then, slowly, that smile faded. His expression darkened as he reached a hand beneath the armor he wore, his fingers brushing against the pendant around his neck. His mind swirled with thoughts left unspoken.


    Klaus turned the corner shortly after leaving and found Jhin seated in silence, awaiting further instructions. The sight of him stirred a flicker of annoyance, but Klaus quickly pushed the feeling aside. Nekro¡¯s words were true, Jhin did not deserve to bear the weight of his sister¡¯s sins.


    Wasting no time, Klaus relayed Nekro¡¯s orders. Jhin acknowledged them, and without another word, the two set off toward the Queen¡¯s residence.


    The walk was long, and the silence between them was heavier than the air around them. They didn¡¯t glance at each other, their steps measured and distant. Jhin led the way, but his posture was rigid, his face portraying the toll the situation had taken on him.


    "I just want to say that I¡¯m not mad at you," Klaus suddenly said.


    Jhin glanced at him, his expression unreadable as they continued to walk.


    "If I am to trust Nekro¡¯s words, which I¡¯m trying to, then I¡¯d say I was more to blame for Xhin¡¯s actions than you were," Klaus admitted. "And considering that she¡¯s your twin, I would say you were betrayed by her more than I was. So¡­ I¡¯m sorry for taking my anger out on you earlier."


    Jhin stilled for a moment, the weight of those words settling over him. Then, he bowed his head slightly.


    "Your words move me deeply, Klaus Walker," he said, his voice carrying a sense of emotion. "And I promise to assist you to the best of my abilities while you remain in Nyxia."


    There were no words that could fully express Jhin¡¯s sorrow. Even if Klaus was right, even if he truly wasn¡¯t responsible for Xhin¡¯s crimes, the love he had for his sister remained. Knowing what she had done, knowing that the person he had cherished most had committed such an act, left a wound that nothing could ever mend, and he felt responsible because of that.


    After several minutes of silent walking, Klaus and Jhin finally reached the sprawling estate. The towering gates loomed over them, and as they stepped through, the path to the main house stretched ahead. It was then that a certain memory, or rather a certain presence, resurfaced in Klaus¡¯ mind, striking with undeniable urgency.


    Klaus'' heart lurched as the ground beneath them rumbled. Then, from the distance, a massive shape surged forward, closing in with terrifying speed. A goliath of a creature, a dragon, raced toward them, its presence unmistakable. Klaus had met this beast before, during his last visit to the Queen¡¯s residence.


    Its deep red scales shimmered beneath the dim Under World sky, its powerful wings partially unfurling as it charged. The creature''s jaws parted, revealing rows of fangs, each nearly the size of Klaus himself.


    Instinct took over and Klaus flinched, his body tensing as he dropped into a defensive stance. His heart pounded in his ears. He had no desire to find out whether he was strong enough to fight a dragon of this magnitude, especially one that exuded such raw hostility.


    "Easy, Droxys," Jhin finally called out, his voice calm but firm. He lifted a hand in a slow, deliberate motion as the dragon loomed over them, flames simmering in the depths of its maw. "Easy."


    The dragon hesitated, his massive golden eyes locking onto Jhin. Recognition flickered across the beast¡¯s face, and gradually, his aggressive posture eased. The fire in his throat dimmed.


    A long exhale left the dragon¡¯s nostrils, sending a wave of scorching air over them. Then, without another sound, he turned away. His heavy steps shook the ground as he moved back toward the main house, settling himself beside the entrance with a low, grumbling huff.


    As Klaus and Jhin finally passed the dragon, Klaus couldn''t help but notice the way the creature watched him. The beast¡¯s sharp gaze followed his every step, filled with suspicion, as though waiting for an excuse to strike.


    "It hates me, doesn¡¯t it?" Klaus muttered, his own stare unwavering as he moved past.


    "I doubt it¡¯s personal," Jhin replied. "It¡¯s possible he just isn¡¯t used to seeing another being who looks like Prince Ash."


    "''Prince Ash,¡¯ huh," Klaus mumbled under his breath, the title still settling strangely in his mind despite his awareness.


    The thought lingered as they reached the entrance and without hesitation, Jhin knocked once.


    Almost immediately, the large doors swung open. A group of housemaidens stepped forward, bowing their heads in greeting.


    "Welcome, demigod," one of them said, a hand directed into the house. "The Queen awaits your presence."

 #124: Ashes

    The housemaidens greeted Klaus and Jhin upon their arrival at the Queen''s residence, their presence acknowledged with courteous bows before they were guided into the grand estate.


    Though Klaus had visited before, the sheer opulence of the interior still managed to strike him. As they moved through the hallways, his gaze swept over the intricate carvings along the walls, the luxurious tapestries, and the gleaming artifacts that lined the passage. Each detail spoke of an ancient yet refined taste, and he couldn''t help but wonder: if just the hallway was this breathtaking, what did the rest of the house look like?


    Upon reaching the designated waiting area, Klaus and Jhin settled into their seats while the maidens moved ahead to announce their arrival to the Queen and Prince. Moments later, one of the maidens returned.


    "The Queen will see you shortly," she informed Klaus with a polite bow. "However, Prince Ash is currently preoccupied. If you wish, I can escort you to his location."


    Klaus exchanged a brief glance with Jhin, slightly surprised that he was being given the option. He hesitated for only a second before responding.


    "I guess," he muttered.


    The maiden nodded gracefully. "This way, please." She gestured toward a door leading deeper into the estate.


    Leaving Jhin behind, Klaus followed her through the lavish corridors, his eyes lingering on the many paintings and ornate relics that adorned the walls. Each piece carried an air of history, a silent story etched into its form.


    Eventually, they arrived at a spacious room, and as the door eased open, Klaus took in his surroundings. The room was vast, filled with various pieces of equipment, and though their designs were slightly different from what he was used to back on Earth, their purpose was unmistakable. It was a home gym, but the size was unlike anything he had expected.


    His gaze traveled across the massive space until it locked onto a figure in the far corner of the room. There, moving with unwavering focus, was Ash Brimstone.


    Klaus recognized him immediately, his striking silver hair making him impossible to mistake. Ash was in the middle of an intense workout, his body lowering and rising with rapid precision as he powered through a relentless set of push-ups.


    Beside him stood another demon, one who seemed to be observing closely, likely a personal trainer. The demon''s sharp eyes tracked Ash''s movements, waiting for the exact moment to speak.


    "That is enough, my Prince," the trainer finally said, his voice firm. "You have completed your thousand reps."


    At the words, Ash eventually halted, smoothly rising to his feet. Klaus took note of the demigod''s attire, or rather, the lack thereof. Ash wore only a pair of sleek black joggers, his upper body left bare, revealing a physique sculpted from sheer discipline. His muscles, lean yet powerful, carried an effortless strength.


    Without a word, Ash placed his left palm over his right shoulder, letting out a quiet sigh as he tilted his head, stretching out the tension from his workout.


    Klaus remained still, saying nothing. It was faint, but he could feel it: the sheer presence that Ash carried. The force emanating from him was unlike any of the other demigods.


    Eventually, Klaus shifted slightly, his gaze flickering to the maiden beside him. To his mild amusement, she was frozen in place, utterly mesmerized by Ash''s form. The moment she noticed Klaus watching her, she immediately straightened, regaining composure before stepping forward.


    "M-My Prince," she addressed Ash, her head lowered in respect. "Your attention is needed."


    Ash turned his gaze toward her, his dynamic, smoky pupils locking onto her with an unreadable, almost detached expression.


    "It appears we have a guest," she continued, carefully keeping her gaze averted. "Sent by your father."


    With that, she motioned toward Klaus, and for the first time, both demigods'' eyes met.


    Klaus and Ash had never directly looked at one another before. Their only encounter had been through the battlefield of the Cosmic League months prior. Now, standing in the same space, Klaus realized just how much weight Ash''s presence carried up close.


    A quiet moment stretched between them before Klaus finally spoke.


    "Hey, Ash," he said, his tone casual, his expression as relaxed as always.


    Ash''s gaze lingered for a few seconds longer, unreadable as ever. Then, in a voice hollow of emotion, he spoke.


    "Who are you?"


    The words hit harder than Klaus expected. For a brief second, he nearly faltered. It was a simple question, yet it carried the weight of an unspoken truth: Ash had no idea who he was. Though they had never officially met before, Klaus had fought in the Cosmic League against Ash. But it seemed like all his actions hadn''t been enough to leave an impression on the demigod.


    Still, Klaus didn''t flinch. He had no intention of faltering in front of another demigod, especially not Ash. "I''m Klaus Walker," he stated firmly. "I''m a demigod, just like you."


    "I know," Ash finally said, his gaze shifting away from Klaus to a neatly folded shirt resting atop a nearby piece of equipment. "I can tell."


    His words were blunt, but Klaus could sense no malice behind them, just a simple statement of fact. Silence settled between them as Ash picked up the shirt, sliding it over his defined frame with fluid motions.


    Klaus had half-expected Ash to continue speaking, perhaps to question him further or acknowledge him in some way, but the demigod remained as silent as ever. His demeanor was unreadable, and for a moment, Klaus felt like his presence had been all but dismissed. Still, he refused to let the silence deter him.


    "Your father sent me here to retrieve you and the Queen for important matters," Klaus stated, keeping his tone steady.


    "I see," Ash responded, his voice as soft and detached as before.


    Without another word, Ash turned to the demon beside him, giving him a brief glance as if awaiting his input. It took a moment for the demon to register that Ash was expecting a response. When he did, he stiffened with an awkward jolt before he abruptly dropped to his knees.


    "Uhh... Y-You may take the rest of the training session off, my Prince," he stammered.


    Ash exhaled quietly, the faintest hint of disappointment threading through his breath. Without acknowledging the demon further, he turned his attention toward a door at the far end of the room.


    "I''ll be out shortly," he muttered before striding away, disappearing beyond the doorway.


    Klaus remained where he stood, unsure of what to make of the brief encounter. Had their first interaction gone well? He had no idea. But he quickly dismissed the thought since he felt there was no use in overanalyzing. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was a good first impression or not.


    As he turned slightly, his eyes landed on the maiden who had accompanied him. Once again, she was frozen, her gaze fixed on the door Ash had just exited through. This time, however, she lingered even longer in her trance, her breath barely perceptible.


    After an agonizingly long pause, she finally blinked herself back into reality. Realizing that she had been standing there in silence, she quickly adjusted herself before speaking.


    "Uhh... M-May I assist you back to the waiting room to await his presence?" she asked, her voice betraying her flustered state.


    Klaus arched a brow at her reaction but shrugged. "I guess?" he muttered, choosing not to address it.


    With that, he followed her back, eventually settling into his seat beside Jhin. The two waited in silence as Ash prepared himself. Soon, the doors opened, and Ash reappeared, this time walking alongside his mother and the Queen, Shynx.


    Even though Klaus had seen Shynx before, her presence never failed to command awe. Her beauty was nothing short of ethereal, her silver hair cascading over her shoulders like strands of starlight. The dress she wore was also breathtaking as it shimmered ever so slightly upon her movements with grace.


    With their preparations complete, the group finally began their departure.


    Klaus, Ash, Jhin, Shynx, and a select few of the Queen¡¯s escorts and maidens made their way toward the exit of the grand estate. As they stepped outside the home, they were met with the sight of the massive dragon still resting near the side of the house.


    Ash soon approached the creature. Without hesitation, he stretched out a palm, pressing it lightly against the tip of the dragon¡¯s snout. The beast¡¯s eyes slid shut at the touch, a low, rumbling growl vibrating from its throat, a sound not of aggression but of acknowledgment.


    Klaus watched, his unease suddenly escalating as a thought crept into his mind.


    "We''re not going to fly there on its back, are we?" he asked, his voice carrying a thin edge of concern.


    Jhin, who had been observing the interaction, scoffed slightly. "Of course not," he replied. "Why would we ride the Prince¡¯s pet to our destination?"  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Klaus opened his mouth to respond but hesitated.


    However, after a moment of contemplation, Jhin''s curiosity seemed to get the better of him. "Perhaps it is a human custom to ride their pets?" he mused, turning toward Klaus with genuine intrigue.


    Klaus blinked. "...Not exactly," he admitted, realizing how absurd his assumption must have sounded.


    Content with Klaus'' answer, Jhin let the matter rest. With the dragon left behind, the group finally set off toward the Facility.


    As they walked, Jhin took it upon himself to explain their chosen method of travel. "Walking is our preferred form of transport, as the Queen favors it," he said. "Most individuals in Nyxia opt for teleportation instead, which means fewer people occupy the streets."


    It made sense. Klaus had always noticed how empty the roads seemed in Nyxia compared to what he was used to on Earth. But he wasn¡¯t particularly bothered by the walk since he didn''t tire easily under the world''s night skies.


    As they moved, Klaus found himself positioned beside Ash, just behind the Queen. Their escorts and maidens flanked them on either side, with additional guards ahead and behind. The formation felt heavy, weighted with importance.


    Klaus had never been part of something quite like this before. The gravity of their presence, the silent authority they commanded as they walked through the world, was overwhelming in a way he couldn''t fully grasp. He tried to imagine what it would be like to live this way every day, but he simply couldn''t.


    As they walked along the path, Klaus was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by a voice echoing telepathically in his mind.


    "Klaus?"


    He recognized it immediately.


    "Quinn?" Klaus responded.


    "You really need to stop asking something so blatantly obvious all the time," Quinn quipped before continuing. "I can sense your presence in Under World."


    "Yeah," Klaus admitted. "I was summoned to attend the trial for the demon responsible for the monster crisis."


    "Don''t worry, I know," Quinn replied. "Shade already filled me in."


    "Then why are you contacting me?" Klaus asked, trying to understand her intent.


    "Well, I just wanted to update you on everything you''ve missed while you were gone," she explained. "As you''d have expected, I''ve been in contact with Shade, Riley, and Ace, and they brought me up to speed on everything. They also told me about the decision to withhold the information from the gods for now, which I fully agree with."


    "So what exactly did I miss?" Klaus asked, keeping his pace steady as he walked alongside Ash in silence toward the facility.


    "Well," Quinn began, "I''ll start by confirming your theory: what Ace experienced was indeed one possible future. But after hearing his explanation, I¡¯ve developed some theories on how the future works and how his ability interacted with the flow of time."


    Klaus listened intently as Quinn launched into her explanation.


    "Time," she began, "is like writing a book. There are three crucial points in this process. The first is the infinite number of words and sentences the writer could potentially write; this represents the future. The second is the exact moment the writer is currently in, which I call the Occurring Timeline. This is critical. But the first important part for our discussion is the third, the portion that has already been written. The past."


    Klaus remained silent, letting her continue telepathically, though he could already feel her tendency to over-explain creeping in.


    "My first theory is that time cannot rewrite what has already been written, no matter what," Quinn continued. "Ace''s experience confirms this. When he tried to return to the exact moment he leapt into the future; he couldn¡¯t. Instead, he reappeared two months from his original point of motion. My hypothesis is that because time is relative, moving at such an abnormal speed displaces a person from the Occurring Timeline, ejecting them from the flow of time before anchoring them to one of the possible futures."


    Klaus found himself struggling to balance walking normally while processing the dense information Quinn was throwing at him, but he did his best to keep up. He knew there had to be a reason she was telling him all this.


    "While displaced," Quinn continued after a brief pause, "the individual experiences a possible future, one that feels real but is instead disguised as the Occurring Timeline. However, when they attempt to return, the same displacement phenomenon that had ejected them happens again, which readjusts them back into the Occurring Timeline, but at a different point in time since said timeline remains in motion despite their absence. That¡¯s likely why Ace didn''t return to the exact moment he left."


    Klaus considered her words carefully before posing a question. "If that''s the case, why didn¡¯t Ace return just a few minutes from when he first left? Why did it take two whole months?"


    "Excellent question," Quinn said, clearly pleased with his reasoning. "That leads me to my next theory: The process of being displaced to and from the Occurring Timeline and a falsely occurring future timeline operates in a fixed cycle, specifically thirty days of the true timeline in either direction. This theory is supported by the fact that Ace used his ability twice, once to jump forward and once to return, resulting in a total of sixty days missing, exactly the amount of time he was gone. And once again, since time is relative, this lost period wasn''t experienced by him, but rather, the Occurring timeline."


    Even if her explanation was still a bit vague, and overexplained, Klaus was starting to see the logic in it. "You came up with all this in just a few hours after learning the details?" he asked, genuinely impressed.


    "I mean, at the end of the day, it''s just speculation," Quinn admitted. "They''re just theories."


    Klaus gave a small scoff. "And when have your theories ever been wrong?" he asked, the weight at which he held her words evident.


    "You never know," Quinn replied with amusement in her tone. "Still, there are things I haven¡¯t figured out yet, like how Ace was even able to return just by running backward. Logically, it doesn¡¯t make sense, considering it¡¯s the same motion, just reversed. But I guess that¡¯s one of those minor details that don¡¯t matter in the grand scheme of things."


    "I guess so," Klaus muttered before shifting the conversation forward. "Is that all you needed to tell me?"


    "For now," Quinn confirmed. "I¡¯m still analyzing everything, but our best bet at a real answer is waiting for that strange girl to wake up."


    Klaus raised an eyebrow. "I guess that means she¡¯s still unconscious?"


    "Yeah," Quinn replied. "But I¡¯ll keep in touch if anything changes or if I have another epiphany."


    "Sure."


    Quinn''s tone brightened slightly. "See, this is why I like talking to you. You actually listen."


    "It¡¯s not like I have anything better to do," Klaus said flatly.


    They exchanged light words before preparing to cut the connection. But just as Quinn was about to sever the telepathic link, she hesitated.


    "By the way," she began, her voice carrying a note of curiosity. "You and Ash have been walking side by side in silence for nearly half an hour. Isn¡¯t that¡­ kinda awkward?"


    Klaus exhaled sharply, an almost imperceptible sigh. "I guess," he admitted, though he had no interest in addressing the matter further.


    "Well¡­" Quinn lingered for a moment before finally muttering, "See ya."


    And with that, the telepathic connection faded, leaving Klaus alone with his thoughts once more.


    Klaus pondered Quinn¡¯s final statement, his thoughts drifting toward Ash and his life.


    He found himself wondering what it must have been like for Ash, growing up as a demigod in a world populated solely by demons, his very appearance an anomaly. The isolation must have been suffocating, a quiet loneliness pressing in at all sides. It explained why Ash rarely spoke, his silence forming a stark contrast to his more vocal and expressive demon counterpart, Drake.


    But what struck Klaus as even more unexpected was how Ash was seemingly the more prominent presence between the two beings despite their residence in Under World. It was an irony he hadn''t fully considered before.


    As he reflected on Ash¡¯s life, Klaus gradually began to question why he even felt sympathy for him in the first place. Their experiences were not so different. Though Ash had instead been born into isolation, Klaus had chosen it, voluntarily distancing himself from others, speaking less, and living in solitude. If anything, his lifestyle mirrored Ash¡¯s in ways he hadn''t considered before. So why did it feel different? Why did he feel bad for Ash when he himself had willingly embraced a similar path?


    As he wrestled with the thought, a quiet realization settled within him. Perhaps this was his subconscious way of acknowledging something he had long refused to admit: that his chosen solitude may not have been the best path after all. That deep down, he was less content with his decisions than he had believed. Maybe, even, he regretted them.


    His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as they finally arrived at the Facility.


    Upon entering, Klaus and the others were led to a designated room, where they awaited the trial¡¯s proceedings. The atmosphere was quiet, with only the occasional murmuring between Shynx and her maids breaking the stillness. Klaus sat beside Ash, and considering their personalities, the silence between them felt almost expected.


    After several minutes, Klaus glanced around briefly. "How come Nekro isn''t here yet?" he muttered softly to himself.


    "Father does not interact with mortal life," Ash responded suddenly, his gaze remaining fixed ahead, away from Klaus. "The only exceptions are his assistants and we demigods."


    Klaus turned to him in mild surprise. Regardless of how Ash had even heard him, this was the most he had ever heard the demigod speak in a single breath. His voice was low and subdued, yet strangely soothing in an eerie way. Even so, his explanation made sense: if Nekro followed the same rules as the other gods, then his absence was expected.


    Klaus had always assumed Guardian Gods had the privilege of interacting with the mortals they oversaw. If that were the case, Nekro would naturally have contact with his wife, the Queen. But recalling his own father¡¯s words about no longer being able to see his mother in person, Klaus realized this situation mirrored that as well. The thought left him with an odd sense of melancholy for the gods.


    Klaus and Ash fell back into silence as time stretched on until, at last, they were called to proceed to the meeting chamber.


    As they moved deeper into the Facility, Klaus couldn''t help but be struck by its sheer size. He had explored parts of it during his last visit, but as they descended further, he began to notice new passageways and chambers he hadn''t seen before. The underground layers of the Facility were intricate and expansive, a maze of corridors that only grew more complex the deeper they went.


    Finally, they arrived at a grand room, one that bore an uncanny resemblance to a courtroom. Its architecture was unique to Under World, but its purpose was unmistakable. The chamber was scarce, which made sense given the confidential nature of the trial.


    Shortly after entering, the Queen was guided to a special section alongside her maidens and guards. Ash was expected to join them, but he did not comply.


    "It''s fine," he said softly, turning his gaze away from his mother towards Klaus and Jhin. "I''ll sit with them."


    His words caught Klaus off guard. Ash¡¯s choice to sit apart from the royal section, instead positioning himself beside Klaus and Jhin, was unexpected, especially considering how little they had interacted.


    As they settled in, waiting for the proceedings to begin, Klaus found himself wondering. Ash¡¯s actions suggested something deeper than mere preference. It almost felt as though he didn''t particularly enjoy his role as the Prince of Nyxia. This unspoken distance had been noticeable throughout their time together, but now, Klaus was beginning to wonder if it ran deeper than he had assumed. He wondered if this was the case or if he was merely overthinking it.


    Before he could dwell on the thought, a demon approached the Queen, bowing respectfully.


    "My Queen," she announced, "the judge will be here shortly."


    Shynx gave a small nod of acknowledgment, prompting the demon to bow further before retreating.


    Once again, silence settled over the chamber as they waited. Klaus exhaled subtly, his patience beginning to wear thin. He understood the need for composure, but knowing what he knew about a possible grim future, waiting idly was proving to be far more difficult than he had anticipated.


    Suddenly, the door behind them creaked open. Klaus instinctively turned his gaze, watching as a man and a woman strode into the room with effortless confidence, flanked by several guards.


    It took only a glance to recognize that they were no ordinary demons. Their presence carried weight, their attire dripping with wealth and status. The way they moved, their heads held high, spoke of influence. They were among the select few privileged enough to be granted access to this trial.


    Klaus¡¯ attention shifted when he noticed Jhin, whose eyes had darkened into an intense glare the moment the couple entered. The shift in demeanor piqued his curiosity.


    "Who are they?" he asked quietly.


    Jhin hesitated, his gaze lingering on the pair before he finally responded.


    "That man is Hoax," he began, his tone measured. "The greatest Games of Champions warrior to ever live and the previous titleholder before Hex. And the woman by his side is his wife, Syx."


    A strange weight clung to his words, and Klaus could sense that there was something more behind them. But before he could ask, Jhin exhaled and added to his words, catching Klaus off-guard by the revelation.


    "And they are also... my parents."

 #125: Verdict

    Hoax.


    One of the most influential figures in all of Nyxia, a name etched into history as the greatest champion the Games of Champions had ever seen.


    His legend was built upon an unparalleled record of eleven victories, a feat that secured him recognition as the second greatest fighter to ever exist in Nyxia. Across the world, his name carried weight, nearly as revered as the Queen''s, given how deeply the Games of Champions resonated within the demon race.


    During his prime, Hoax was unstoppable. Yet, to the world''s surprise, he made a decision that no one saw coming: He retired. He stepped away from the arena, choosing instead to dedicate himself to raising a family. But Hoax was not the kind of man to simply let go of his ambitions. If he could no longer fight, then he would ensure that his legacy endured through his bloodline. His goal was clear: to mold one of his children into a warrior greater than himself, someone who would one day surpass his own legend and perhaps even beyond that.


    But as the years passed, his vision began to fade. His children, Jhin and Xhin, had once shown interest in following his path, but that desire waned with time. Eventually, they abandoned the dream entirely when they were offered one of the highest honors a Nyxian could receive: an invitation to serve directly under Nekro, the Guardian god of Under World. Only a handful in all of demon existence were ever granted such a privilege, and as tradition dictated, they left their family behind to live at the Facility, dedicating themselves wholly to their god''s service.


    To the rest of Nyxia, their appointment was a far greater honor than any championship title. But for Hoax, it was a failure. His lifelong ambition had not been fulfilled. He had not created the greatest fighter Nyxia had ever seen.


    Hoax entered the courtroom beside his wife, Syx. His presence alone commanded attention, his importance unquestionable, especially considering that it was his own daughter standing trial. Yet, despite the weight of the situation, he wore a smile.


    As Hoax strode deeper into the room, he made his way directly toward Klaus, Jhin, and Ash, with his wife and a group of escorts following in his wake. His eyes, however, remained locked on one person: his son, Jhin.


    "Greetings, Father," Jhin muttered, his expression already clouded with frustration.


    Hoax halted before him, staring down at his son with a piercing gaze. A brief silence passed before he finally spoke.


    "Jhin." His voice was very deep and unwavering. "It seems time has made you forget to rise when addressing me."


    The words were laced with authority, a demand disguised as an observation. Yet Jhin didn''t move. He remained seated, his expression unreadable, showing no intention of giving his father the response he sought.


    For a moment, the tension was thick. Then, suddenly, Hoax chuckled.


    "A jest, my son," he said, though his tone was sharp. "It has been far too long, yet it seems your time beside Lord Nekro has made you lose your sense of humor."


    Jhin remained unmoved. If anything, his silence only reinforced his disinterest in the exchange.


    Klaus, watching from the side, said nothing. He didn''t need to, considering the interaction spoke volumes.


    Shifting his focus, Hoax''s gaze then landed on Ash. The demigod sat still, his posture relaxed, but he never once looked in Hoax''s direction. His eyes remained forward, detached from the moment.


    "My Prince," Hoax greeted smoothly. "I am glad to see you well and as strong as ever."


    "That so?" Ash replied, barely reacting. He rested his head against his knuckle, his tone indifferent.


    Another pause followed before Hoax continued. "My offer to coach you into becoming the next champion still stands," he said with a self-assured smile. "I can make you a legend as well."


    "Of what value is that to me?" Ash retorted before he finally turned his attention towards Hoax, his silver eyes fixed upon the demon as he continued. "Or rather... of what value is that to him?"


    Ash wasn''t fooled by the Hoax''s intentions, aware that Hoax wasn''t speaking to him. He knew the demon had no interest in him but rather in his demonic half, Drake.


    Hoax, however, remained unfazed. "Regardless of who I am addressing," he mused, "I would still be honored to create the next true champion. Instead of that buffoon, Hex, who somehow remains undefeated."


    Ash exhaled and turned his gaze away from Hoax upon hearing his words, his interest in the conversation clearly nonexistent. "We''re not interested," he replied, accounting for both he and his counterpart.


    But Hoax only chuckled, a knowing smirk curling at his lips. "Well¡­ there is still time for you to think about it," he added, though his words went unanswered.


    Finally, Hoax''s gaze fell upon Klaus, the last of the three.


    The moment their eyes met, Klaus immediately sensed the shift in Hoax''s demeanor. The easygoing smile was gone, replaced by something colder and hostile.


    "And this must be the boy," Hoax sneered, his voice dripping with disdain, "The human who cost my daughter everything."


    As soon as Klaus heard Hoax''s words, his eyes widened in shock before quickly turning into rage. Klaus stood up almost immediately, his anger intensifying as he focused his gaze on the demon.


    "Excuse you?" Klaus remarked, his voice burning as the other demons around turned towards the encounter.


    Hoax remained composed, though his gaze never softened. If anything, Klaus'' reaction only seemed to heighten his irritation.


    "Honey?" Syx''s voice suddenly cut through the moment, calm but pointed. "Not in front of the Prince and Queen."


    Hoax''s eyes flickered briefly toward the rest of the room as he witnessed the small crowd watching them. Slowly, his posture eased, and his smile returned.


    Smoothly, he turned to the gathered onlookers and bowed his head. "Apologies, ladies and gentlemen," he said with practiced charm. "Everything is fine."


    After only a few moments following Hoax¡¯s words, the doors opened once again, and a woman entered the room. Her presence, accompanied by her appearance, made it clear that she was the judge of the case.


    Klaus, however, barely acknowledged her arrival. His eyes remained locked onto Hoax, his anger still burning beneath the surface despite the demon¡¯s ever-present smile.


    As the judge made her way to the stand, Hoax turned slightly toward his wife as they moved toward their seats. ¡°You would think someone acclaimed to be a demigod would be more... behaved,¡± he murmured, his expression returning to its previous, irritated state as they walked.


    Klaus still couldn¡¯t look away. Hoax¡¯s words echoed in his mind, stirring something raw. It hadn¡¯t even been a full interaction, yet a deep hatred had already settled within him.


    A light tap on his arm pulled him from his thoughts. ¡°Klaus Walker,¡± Jhin called softly from beside him. ¡°The meeting is about to begin.¡±


    Klaus took a slow breath, forcing himself to relax as he finally sat down, his anger ebbing little by little.


    ¡°Apologies for my father,¡± Jhin muttered. ¡°As you can probably tell, his perspective on anything outside of fellow demons is... less than ideal. Just ignore his attempts to provoke you.¡±


    Klaus remained silent, unwilling to dwell on it any longer, as the judge approached the front of the room.


    As she took her position, Shynx stood, prompting the small audience to rise as well. Realizing it was custom, Klaus followed suit, standing alongside them.


    The room remained silent as the judge stepped forward and bowed deeply before Shynx.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± she began, her voice carrying across the chamber. ¡°May I have permission to proceed with this meeting?¡±


    ¡°You may,¡± Shynx responded.


    At her approval, the judge bowed lower before making her way to the stand.


    Raising a hand, she began to recite an oath. ¡°I swear to speak only the truth. I swear that all verdicts and decisions reached are determined solely in the pursuit of justice, free from any possible bias. I swear that no external influences have played a role in this process, ensuring that every conclusion has been made to the best of my and the board¡¯s capabilities and knowledge. I swear this on the honor of Her Majesty, the Queen, and the memory of all the other Queens prior.¡±


    Klaus listened carefully, but something in the wording caught his attention. ¡°Other Queens?¡± he asked under his breath.


    ¡°All the others who ruled before Her Majesty,¡± Jhin whispered in response.


    ¡°But why tribute only the Queens?" he asked in confusion. "What about the previous Kings?¡±


    "Kings?" Jhin asked. He glanced at Klaus, momentarily puzzled, before realization dawned on him.


    ¡°Well, we have never had a King in Nyxia,¡± he stated, his tone direct. ¡°I assume this is different for humans, but for us, on average, females possess greater intellectual capabilities and stronger mental fortitude, while males are physically superior and adept. That¡¯s why most champions in the Games are male, but most rulers across the world are female.¡±


    Klaus hadn¡¯t expected Jhin''s words. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a genetic reality or simply a cultural foundation, but either way, it was vastly different from what he knew of humanity.


    Still, he pushed the thought aside as the judge concluded her vow and finally took her seat, signaling the true start of the meeting.


    The judge began by establishing the key points of the trial, ensuring that all present were aligned on the matter at hand. ¡°Xhin,¡± she announced, ¡°daughter of Hoax and Syx, has been charged with multiple offenses, including the threat of an entire species for the sake of her own personal goals and ideals.¡±


    She continued listing the charges leveled against Xhin, explaining that both human and demon laws had been taken into account in an attempt to reach a fair and unbiased verdict.


    ¡°We understand that humanity also has a rightful stake in this matter,¡± the judge acknowledged. ¡°However, since travel between worlds is strictly forbidden, with the only demons permitted such a privilege being those who serve as assistants to a Guardian god, there was no feasible way to include human representatives in this trial. As such, we have thoroughly analyzed general human legal principles and incorporated them into our considerations.¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The reasoning was sound. It was only fair that humans had a say in the trial, given that they were the victims in this case. However, the laws of world travel made direct involvement impossible.


    ¡°Still,¡± the judge continued, ¡°this situation was particularly complex, as the events that transpired were entirely unprecedented. Another crucial factor we had to assess was Xhin¡¯s intent, particularly through the lens of human structures. While the charges themselves suggest an act of clear malice, extensive cognitive and psychological evaluations have revealed no signs of the murderous intent that was initially assumed to be present.¡±


    Klaus¡¯ eyes snapped up, disbelief flashing across his face at the judge¡¯s statement. He struggled to comprehend how such an outrageous claim could be spoken with such composure.


    "According to the results of all tests and scans," the judge continued, "while Xhin did harbor deep resentment toward humanity, particularly a stronger hatred for an individual named Avalon Smith, she shockingly displayed no murderous intent. Instead, her actions stemmed from emotional turmoil, a distorted perception of justice in which she believed she was rectifying a wrong imposed by the gods regarding the monster race.¡±


    Klaus couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. He found it absurd that Xhin''s plan, one that she had called the Human Extinction Life Project, was something the judge was claiming to have been initiated without intent to kill.


    He remembered Jhin mentioning during his last visit that demons had not harbored murderous intent for eons, but that explanation did nothing to change his mind. He could recall the moment vividly, the monsters Xhin had sent to Avalon and his mother. He knew she had meant to kill them.


    A heavy weight settled in his chest as the direction of the trial became clearer. He had assumed this would be an obvious verdict, but now he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore. Regardless, he forced himself to wait, to not jump to conclusions before the final ruling was given.


    The judge flipped through a small file before speaking again. "Despite the complexity of this case and the difficulties of applying human laws, especially given the societal variances across their world, every path still led to the same conclusion: That the board still holds Xhin accountable for the loss of life and the motive to create conflict based on her statements. Furthermore, she will be severely punished for violating the sacred oaths she swore upon becoming Lord Nekro¡¯s assistant."


    The tension in the room grew as the judge turned to the final page in her file. Silence filled the space as every individual present awaited the moment they had gathered for.


    Clearing her throat, the judge began the final announcement. "After two and a half months of assessment," she stated, "and considering the unprecedented nature of this case, the verdict that has been reached is as follows: Xhin will face a life sentence with no possibility of bail. She will be held under constant restraint and surveillance for thirty years. Following this period, she will be transferred to a psychiatric facility, where her brain will be studied for the remainder of her life. During this time, she will have access to a designated space and limited interaction with immediate family members only."


    Jhin''s expression softened as his eyes filled with tears. The weight of his twin sister¡¯s fate settled heavily upon him. He would likely never see her again, at least not as the person he once knew. It hurt more than he was willing to admit, but deep down, he knew this was necessary.


    However, as he turned to his side, he was met with a completely different reaction. Klaus'' expression was nothing short of furious.


    "You¡¯re kidding, right?" Klaus said sharply, rising from his seat, his dissatisfaction palpable.


    The judge hesitated before responding. "Uhh... I assure you, Klaus Walker, this is the conclusion we reached after thorough deliberation."


    Klaus'' voice was laced with pure anger. "So you''re telling me that the person responsible for the deaths of countless lives on Earth still gets to draw breath? And for many more years at that?"


    "Please try to understand our perspective," the judge urged. "This is an incredibly rare case, and there was no textbook verdict to follow. We had to establish one. While taking her life would certainly be a form of justice for the deceased, we ultimately determined it was not the wisest course of action. Additionally, considering she was not the direct murderer, as the monster race are living, sentient entities, the situation became even more complex."


    Klaus clenched his fists. "And that is supposed to justify letting her live?" he questioned.


    The judge faltered. "W-Well... a minor factor behind our decision was the true motive we uncovered behind Xhin¡¯s actions," she revealed. "Rather than being driven by spite or rage... her actions were fueled by love. Love for you, Klaus Walker."


    Klaus'' entire body tensed. His anger flared even higher, his eyes darkening with fury.


    "Don''t you dare try to feed me that bullshit," he spat, his voice low but brimming with rage.


    From the side, Hoax exhaled in clear irritation. "Of course the human has no sense of decency," he muttered.


    Klaus slowly turned toward the demon, his anger reaching its boiling point. "What did you just say?"


    "You ruined my daughter," Hoax stated, his voice filled with venom. "Everything she did was because of you. And yet, you stand here unsatisfied, condemning her to imprisonment while you walk free, unpunished."


    "Unpunished?" Klaus retorted, his voice sharp and laced with incredulity. "You have the audacity to blame me for your daughter''s crimes? When you were the one who raised her to think with such primitive beliefs?"


    "Primitive?" Hoax snapped, rising to his feet. "You, a half-human, dare to call my daughter''s beliefs primitive?"


    "Gentlemen, please," the judge interrupted, raising a hand in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. "I understand how sensitive this topic is, but I ask that you both try to understand where this..."


    "Oh, I understand it perfectly," Hoax cut in, turning toward the judge as a taunting smirk grew onto his face. "It¡¯s this... child who refuses to accept the reality that my daughter gets to live while his precious deceased lover does not."


    As Hoax¡¯s words concluded, silence began to fill the room. Klaus¡¯ eyes widened even further, yet they were almost devoid of expression, hollow in their shock. Then, before anyone could react, before a single word could be spoken, Klaus had seized Hoax by the throat with his left hand, his gaze locked coldly onto the demon.


    He had traversed the distance between them in a fraction of a second using his Burst Speed, lifting the demon off his feet with ease despite Hoax being a few inches taller than him.


    "What... did you... just say?" Klaus asked, his voice lower than it had ever been, his tone chillingly flat.


    Suddenly, light particles began to gather around Klaus as he kept Hoax suspended in the air, wrapping his body in a dim glow, slightly similar to when he had fought Xhin during the crisis, but not as bright.


    Klaus¡¯ grip was tight, and the demon could barely breathe. Yet, even as the air was squeezed from his lungs, Hoax managed to smirk. "Typical... primitive... human," he rasped between strained breaths.


    The room remained still, but uncertain murmurs began to rise from the onlookers. Some demons shifted in their seats, torn between concern and hesitation. Syx, seated beside them, wanted desperately to stop Klaus from harming her husband further. However, there was a certain force that warned every fiber of her being not to intervene. Because of this, she remained frozen in place, paralyzed by an unshakable fear.


    Others in the room also stirred, some demons rising slightly from their seats, uncertain of what to do. But as the tension thickened, as seconds stretched unbearably long, a voice cut through the stillness.


    "Klaus."


    Ash¡¯s voice, despite its soft tone, cut through the noise like a blade, reaching through the growing hostility. "Relax."


    The moment the final word left his lips, an even greater force washed over the room, enveloping everything in an unseen pressure. Klaus couldn¡¯t explain what he was feeling, but as time progressed, the raw, burning rage inside him suddenly began to ease. Eventually, the Photonic Aura surrounding him flickered before it gradually dissipated. Slowly, he loosened his grip and lowered Hoax back onto the ground.


    The silence that followed was absolute. All of it, the suffocating presence, the tension that had nearly reached a breaking point, had been dispelled by two simple words from Ash. Finally, the demigod rose from his seat, his movements deliberate as he began walking toward Klaus.


    Klaus knew his reaction had been reckless, that his actions had been far from ideal. But still, he felt no remorse for what he had done. He also couldn¡¯t ignore the strange feeling creeping over him, the unsettling weight in his chest as Ash slowly approached him.


    Yet, as Ash drew nearer, he didn¡¯t stop in front of Klaus. Instead, he walked past him, coming to a halt before Hoax, who still bore a faint smile.


    "Apologies for the scene, my Prince," Hoax said, mockery lacing his words. "It seems our guest is..."


    "Hoax."


    Ash¡¯s voice was sharper this time, cutting through the air with undeniable authority.


    Hoax¡¯s smirk vanished in an instant. His body stiffened, his knees weakening as an invisible force bore down on him. The weight of Ash¡¯s gaze alone sent a shudder through him, stripping him of any remaining confidence.


    "Speak that way again," Ash continued, his tone unwavering, "and I swear to you... that you will join your daughter in solitude."


    Hoax had no response. He had no clever remark or smug retort left. "I... understand, my Prince," he finally managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper.


    Without another word, Ash turned away, walking back across the room, his attention now shifting toward Shynx. Reaching her, he stopped before his mother, then lowered himself onto one knee, bowing his head.


    "Forgive the intrusion, Mother," Ash said, his eyes closed. "I take full responsibility for allowing such an inconvenience to occur."


    "Do not worry, my dear," Shynx replied gently, placing a warm hand on his shoulder, causing him to rise. "I am not offended by their passion. I understand where they are coming from."


    Shynx then rose to her feet and turned to Klaus, her expression softening. As she approached him, the room remained still. Then, to the shock of every single demon present, she bowed her head before him.


    A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Even Klaus himself was stunned. The Queen of Nyxia, the most revered mortal in Under World, was bowing her head to him. Everyone present was stunned, with the sole exception being Ash, his expression as neutral as ever.


    "I am deeply sorry that the verdict was not what you had anticipated," Shynx began, her voice sincere. "I know you wished for a different outcome, to seek justice for those who lost their lives. If I had the power to change it, I would, for I, too, am shocked by the ruling. But I ask you, as the Queen of Nyxia and as a mother to a fellow demigod like yourself..." She took a steady breath. "Please, find it within yourself to accept this result, even if only by the smallest margin."


    Klaus remained silent. Shynx was pleading with him, something he had never expected. He had witnessed how others treated her, the unwavering respect she commanded. And yet, here she was, lowering herself before him. It made him falter a bit.


    "Please, raise your head, Queen Shynx," Klaus finally said, his voice calm. "You don¡¯t need to do this for me to understand."


    Shynx lifted her head, watching him in silence.


    Klaus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I¡¯ll admit..." he began, "I¡¯m still not content with this verdict. And I doubt I ever will be, knowing that she still draws breath."


    After a pause, he continued. "But..." His jaw tightened slightly. "I also can¡¯t say with certainty that I would have felt any different even if she didn¡¯t."


    Klaus felt conflicted. He knew there would never be a solution that could truly satisfy him, not as long as Avalon remained dead, along with the millions of others who had been taken from their loved ones. No verdict, no ruling could bring them back. But after witnessing what had just transpired from both Ash and the Queen, he understood that, for now, there was nothing more he could do but accept it, at least for the time being.


    "I will try my best to find peace with it," Klaus finally said. "But I can''t say how long that will take."


    Shynx remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "Still, I am sorry you had to experience such dissatisfaction," she said.


    With that, the meeting gradually returned to order. Everyone took their seats once more as the judge made the final announcements, officially bringing the case to a close. Afterward, the judge stood and bowed, marking the end of the proceedings. The Queen and her escorts soon followed, rising to depart and return home.


    Klaus remained seated for a while, his thoughts still clouded with frustration. He tried to ease them, but it wasn¡¯t easy.


    Hoax and Syx also stood to leave. Though Hoax had remained silent for the rest of the meeting, Ash¡¯s words still echoed in his mind. Even so, it didn¡¯t stop him from casting a venomous glare in Klaus¡¯ direction before finally departing with his wife and their escorts.


    Before leaving himself, Klaus bid his farewell to the Queen, then turned his attention to Jhin, who was still seated beside him. Jhin¡¯s expression was heavy with sorrow, his pain clear to see. And Klaus understood why. Xhin had been his twin sister, the person who had been by his side for as long as he could remember. Losing her, hearing her fate so definitively sealed, must have been devastating.


    Klaus felt a twinge of guilt. He had spoken such harsh words about Xhin, and though he meant every one of them, he still felt bad for saying them in front of Jhin, who was already suffering enough.


    After a brief silence, Jhin finally stirred, as though pulling himself back to reality. "S-Sorry for my absence, Klaus Walker," he muttered. "It''s just..."


    "It''s fine," Klaus interrupted. "You don¡¯t have to explain anything. I get it."


    Jhin¡¯s eyes welled with tears, but he quickly wiped them away. "Let¡¯s head back to Lord Nekro," he said.


    "Sure," Klaus replied.


    "I''ll go as well," a voice suddenly said from the side.


    Turning toward the speaker, Klaus noticed Ash still standing near the door. Unlike his mother, he had not yet left for home. He remained where he was, leaning casually against the doorframe on his side, watching Klaus and Jhin with his usual unreadable expression.


    Without another word, the three of them departed together, heading toward the chamber where they typically met with the Guardian god. Upon entering, they found Nekro seated in silence upon his throne at the far end of the room.


    Jhin and Ash immediately dropped to one knee, bowing their heads in a display of respect.


    "Good day, Father," Ash said quietly.


    "How are you, Ash?" Nekro asked, briefly extending his hand to signal for them to rise.


    "The same as always," Ash replied as he stood, his curt response unsurprising to anyone.


    Nekro then turned his attention to Klaus, who remained silent. "I can tell that the verdict was not what you had hoped for," he observed.


    "Yeah," Klaus admitted. "But it''s fine. I guess I''ll learn to live with it somehow."


    Nekro was silent for a moment, as if in thought, before speaking again. "Well," he said, "if it would bring you even the slightest bit of solace, would you like to see her one last time before returning to Main World?"


    Klaus¡¯ expression shifted, his eyes widening slightly as he processed what Nekro was saying. "You don¡¯t mean..." he murmured, trailing off as he sought confirmation.


    "The person this was all about," Nekro affirmed. "Xhin."

 #126: Devil

    "You''re saying I get to see her?" Klaus asked Nekro in shock.


    "That is correct," Nekro confirmed. "She is currently contained in the Facility''s prison until further notice, and I will grant you the necessary clearance to see her."


    Klaus was taken aback, not because he had gained such access from Nekro, but simply because he was actually allowed to.


    "But are you sure?" Klaus asked, his expression growing somber. "I''m not certain I can guarantee that I won''t harm or kill her if given the chance."


    Klaus knew well the deep hatred he harbored for Xhin and how unpredictable that anger could be. He understood that he could not be trusted to keep his composure in her presence.


    "That is fine," Nekro eventually replied, his words surprising Klaus. "I have faith that you will do the right thing, whatever that may be to you."


    Klaus was surprised by the confidence Nekro placed in him, especially since he himself lacked that faith. He wondered if accepting Nekro''s gesture was even the right decision, as he did not want to end up doing something he would regret later. But ultimately, he saw it as a final chance to put this part of his life to rest completely; a sentiment he had been saying to himself for some time.


    "I accept," Klaus finally confirmed.


    "Excellent," the god replied.


    After his words, Nekro turned to Jhin with the intent of giving the demon further instructions. However, a single glance told him how much pain Jhin still harbored regarding the topic of his sister.


    "You know," Nekro began, "perhaps Ash should guide you to your destination instead. Jhin, I am relieving you of your duty to assist my nephew until further notice. You are free to take a break and process everything that has happened regarding your sister."


    Jhin''s attention was immediately caught by Nekro''s words, but he did not seem inclined to accept the instruction.


    "Forgive me, my Lord," Jhin said softly after bowing, "but please, may I still be reassigned to aid Klaus Walker?"


    Jhin''s request took both Klaus and Nekro by surprise as he continued, "I understand that my feelings are mixed on this matter, and I know I have not been performing my duties to the best of my ability. However, I still recognize my duty above my emotions, and I swore to Klaus Walker that I would assist him to the best of my ability while he remains in Nyxia. So please... allow me to fulfill that promise."


    Nekro was silent for a moment, unsure of what to do, knowing that Jhin still carried a great deal of pain despite his precise and impressive words. Before Nekro could speak again, Klaus immediately interjected.


    "It''s fine," Klaus said to Nekro. "Jhin can accompany me. I would prefer that."


    Jhin was caught off guard by Klaus''s agreement, but he was relieved that the demigod was not opposed to his request.


    Noticing Klaus''s words, Nekro decided to let the matter rest. "Then you are reassigned. You both can head there immediately, and when you have finished, you may return here."


    Klaus nodded, and Jhin offered a small smile. Soon enough, the two departed for the prison.


    Upon their exit, Ash remained in his father''s domain, his gaze fixed on the door for a brief moment.


    "You''re intrigued by him as well, aren''t you?" Nekro suddenly asked, catching Ash''s attention.


    Ash turned his eyes toward his father, his silver gaze unchanging. "Perhaps," he admitted, his tone as calm as always.


    As Klaus and Jhin continued walking in silence, Jhin''s voice eventually broke through. "Klaus Walker," he began, "I want to thank you for sticking up for me back there."


    Klaus paused before replying, "You don''t have to. I know how it feels to want to atone for something, even if you don''t owe me anything."


    Klaus understood Jhin''s feelings, sensing that he would do the same if he were in his place. That was why Klaus had chosen to defend Jhin''s request earlier.


    "And by the way," Klaus added after a moment of silence, "it''s just Klaus. You don''t have to use my last name all the time."


    "Oh," Jhin muttered, slightly surprised. "I had assumed the whole name was collective. Apologies if I offended you."


    "That''s not the case," Klaus clarified. "It just means you don''t need to be formal when talking to me."


    "Oh," Jhin said again, a small smile forming as he understood Klaus''s gesture. "Understood."


    Eventually, the two made their way to the prison, which was located at the lowest levels of the Facility, deeper than the meeting room they had just left.


    As they arrived, numerous guards were stationed at the entrance, forming a barrier as they approached. When they reached the front, Jhin directed his attention toward one of the guards who had stepped forward.


    "We have clearance from Lord Nekro to meet the convicted," Jhin explained.


    The guard observed them for a moment before moving aside. Klaus stepped past, but just as Jhin began to follow, the guard held up his palm to stop him.


    "Not you," the guard said, his face and expression hidden by his helmet. "Your connection with the prisoner prevents you from crossing this boundary."


    "That''s absurd!" Jhin exclaimed, raising his voice. "As I said, I have been given clearance by Lord Nekro."


    "I''m sorry," the guard replied, "but it is still too risky to let you pass."


    Jhin''s anger began to flare, but Klaus turned to him. "Don''t worry," he said quietly. "I''ll be quick."


    Hearing Klaus''s assurance, Jhin fell silent, ultimately conceding with a subdued, "Fine," after a calming sigh.


    Klaus continued onward, guided by various guards as he moved deeper into the facility. With each unlocked door, different guards replaced the previous ones. Given how secure the process was, Klaus could understand why they chose to keep Jhin away from his sister; security was taken very seriously. This became even more apparent when the guards eventually stopped accompanying Klaus, leaving him to proceed on his own.


    After several doors were unlocked from the control room, Klaus finally arrived at the massive, vault-like door that separated him from Xhin. The door, made of solid metal, appeared to be perfectly sealed.


    Klaus stood silently before the door, his thoughts swirling with the anticipation of seeing her again: the girl who had taken everything from him. After a few moments, the door was opened remotely from the control room, and Klaus was instructed to enter.


    As the door fully opened, Klaus stepped inside, and his eyes immediately met hers. Xhin. There she was, at the center of the expansive room, seated in a chair, bound by a straitjacket. Multiple chains, originating from various corners, secured her to her spot.


    Despite her strict confinement, Xhin''s head remained uncovered, and her eyes and mouth were free. Her hair was messier than usual, and only a single horn protruded from beneath it, a detail that made sense, considering Klaus had broken her other horn during his outburst months earlier.


    As Klaus entered and took in Xhin''s presence, even though her gaze remained fixed downward, an inexplicable rage ignited within him. He recalled the moment of the crisis, the last time he had seen her, a day he considered the worst of his life.


    Clenching his fists in anger, Klaus felt his teeth grind as he stared at the one who had stolen his happiness. His eyes burned with fury at the mere sight of her.


    Xhin, however, raised her head upon hearing the door open and sensing someone enter her cell. Her expression shifted from hollow sorrow to one of tentative cheerfulness as she recognized Klaus standing before her. "M-My love?" she began with a smile. "Is that really you?"


    Hearing her words only intensified Klaus''s rage. The fact that she would taunt him by calling him that, despite everything, irritated him deeply. Yet before he could react, he remembered Nekro''s words and chose to restrain himself.


    "Don''t call me that," Klaus said firmly after a brief silence.


    "Is something wrong?" Xhin asked in confusion. "Perhaps you have forgotten about our love after such a long time apart?"


    Klaus''s irritation blazed. He couldn¡¯t tell if Xhin was deliberately trying to provoke him, but after a few tense seconds, he managed to control his temper and ignore her attempt at taunting once more.


    "Xhin," Klaus finally began, "I do not ''love'' you, and I never have. You took so much from me, yet somehow you still look me in the eye and assume I care about you."


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Because I know you do, my love," Xhin replied softly, her voice tinged with slight fatigue. "I mean, if you didn''t, you wouldn''t be here."


    Her smile persisted, but Klaus knew that allowing his anger to grow further would only encourage her behavior. He took a deep breath and spoke in a controlled tone.


    "Look, Xhin," Klaus said softly, "I want you to understand the truth about how I feel. I hate you. You are the only person in my life that I genuinely hate. I don''t care about the feelings you have for me. They are not, and will never be, mutual."


    Klaus made sure his words were sharp and direct. Despite this, Xhin''s smile widened slightly.


    "Don''t worry," she said after a bit of silence. "No matter what you say, it will never change the way I feel about you or how glad I am to see you again. You can call me all the most heinous names, but nothing will ever outweigh the warmth I feel every time I see you, think about you, or even breathe the same air as you."


    Xhin¡¯s desperate words echoed in her mesmerized eyes as she glanced at Klaus. But instead of fueling his anger, they made Klaus wonder.


    "How can someone hailed as a rare genius among geniuses be so psychotic?" Klaus asked softly, his voice laced with concern.


    Xhin looked at Klaus, and for the first time since his arrival, her smile wavered. "I¡­I admit my mind hasn''t been in the best shape for the past few years," she muttered. "I suppose it''s the result of having no friends or loved ones except Jhin in this line of work."


    Her hollow expression lingered for a moment before she snapped back to reality, forcing a smile. "Still, it''s always better to keep the facade and make people around me believe everything''s fine," she teased. "After all, being Lord Nekro''s assistant is the greatest honor imaginable, so I guess none of that mattered, right? Haha."


    Klaus silently regarded her, torn between pity and anger. It was evident she struggled with abandoning her previous life to serve Nekro, and the toll it took on her was apparent. After meeting her father, Hoax, he understood that she had likely been pressured into these duties.


    "You''re a deranged individual, Xhin," Klaus finally said, his tone measured yet firm.


    "You think so?" Xhin asked, genuine curiosity tinting her voice. "Maybe I was before, but after meeting you, my life changed. And I¡¯ve never felt such tranquility."


    Xhin''s face lit up with a broad smile that suddenly faltered as her expression turned sour, a frown crossing her face for the first time since their conversation began. She remembered something, causing her to turn downward and mutter a few words.


    "But you just had to go and utter those three sacred words to that whore, Avalon."


    Klaus''s eyes widened at her remark. His face remained impassive as he stared at her in silence for a few seconds. Eventually, he slowly began to walk towards her, his gaze burning with fury as his left hand stretched toward her.


    Suddenly, a voice from a speaker at the edge of the room interrupted. "Please do not come in contact with the prisoner," the voice requested urgently.


    The command made Klaus freeze in his tracks. He stood there, his hand still outstretched in palpable rage. He struggled to contain his fury, unsure if he even wanted to control himself anymore.


    "The only reason I chose to see you," Klaus began through gritted teeth, "was the faint hope that, after everything, you might finally recognize the error of your ways and take responsibility for the countless deaths. Yet here you sit, showing no remorse for the horrors you¡¯ve committed."


    "But why would I?" Xhin asked, genuine confusion in her tone. "All I did was remove a weed and a few pests from our garden of love."


    Klaus¡¯s anger escalated; ''Rage'' hardly described what he felt. At his age, admitting such hatred was difficult, but in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to kill her with his bare hands. There was nothing between them, and he knew that if he chose to act, no one present could realistically stop him.


    He was aware that only Ash and Nekro could potentially intervene, but he also knew that once committed, nothing could undo his actions. The loss of their respect would be the cost to the justice he sought. But then again, when did he ever care about others'' opinions? And Xhin¡¯s entrancing gaze only fueled his fire further.


    Klaus wondered why this had to happen to the one person he once cared about so deeply. Why did Avalon have to suffer because of him? He knew that if he had the choice to sacrifice his life, he would do so without hesitation. But after reflecting on it all, Klaus finally managed to calm himself. In the end, he had made up his mind, and Xhin''s words had only confirmed it.


    After what felt like an eternity, Klaus turned away from Xhin, tired of engaging with her any longer. "I hope you rot in hell after your death," he hissed. "Because that''s where a soul as tainted as yours belongs."


    Xhin''s expression dimmed as she absorbed his words, clearly hurt, but after a moment, she forced her smile back into place.


    Watching Klaus depart, Xhin''s excitement began to build. "I cannot wait until the next time we meet again, my love," she said, gazing at him in awe before giggling with excitement.


    As Klaus exited the room, he stood in silence, his expression unreadable to the guards at the control room. Noticing his exit, they began to close the vault-like door behind him.


    The door slowly began to shut as Klaus remained motionless, Xhin''s giggles still echoing faintly. Then, abruptly, the laughter ceased, before the door finally closed. Klaus stood for a few more seconds before letting out a deep sigh and beginning his journey back.


    As Klaus made his way out, he returned to the entrance where he found Jhin waiting patiently for his return. "You''re back," Jhin stated.


    Klaus continued walking in silent frustration. "I guess," he muttered as he passed by Jhin.


    Jhin stood for a moment in silence, understanding that his sister''s behavior had likely provoked Klaus after noticing his expression. After catching up to Klaus, Jhin fell into step beside him.


    "What did she do?" Jhin asked quietly.


    "Exactly what I expected," Klaus replied. "Everything except showing any remorse."


    Jhin remained silent, knowing there was nothing more to add. Finally, after a long, wordless walk, they reached the entrance to Nekro''s room.


    "I''ll wait out here until I''m needed again," Jhin said.


    "That''s fine," Klaus replied as he continued into the room.


    Inside, Klaus encountered Ash and Nekro, who were engaged in conversation. Noticing his arrival, Nekro turned toward him.


    "Ah, you''re back," Nekro said. "How did it go?"


    "I don''t want to talk about it, if you don''t mind," Klaus said softly.


    "That''s fine," Nekro replied with a smile. "With that, you should have completed everything you set out to accomplish here in Under World, correct?"


    "Yeah... I guess," Klaus muttered.


    Klaus felt discontent with everything that had happened, but he knew he had no time to dwell on it; more important matters awaited him back on Earth. He chose not to focus on the inconveniences, especially since he felt he had finally gained some closure over Avalon''s passing.


    Determined to put this chapter behind him, Klaus began preparing to depart from Under World.


    "Although," Nekro suddenly said, catching Klaus''s attention, "there is one more thing I would like you to do; if you''re willing."


    Klaus glanced at Nekro in silence, unsure of what the god meant. Nekro then shifted his attention toward Ash before returning his gaze to Klaus.


    "How would you like a sparring session with my son?" Nekro asked, his words catching Klaus by surprise.


    Klaus was taken aback by Nekro''s proposal and hesitated. "Uhh..." he stammered. "Would that actually be possible?"


    Klaus turned his attention to Ash, who, unsurprisingly, maintained a neutral expression. "We are not opposed to it," Ash replied, speaking for both halves of himself.


    Klaus was at a loss for words. He couldn''t tell whether he was stunned by fear or anticipation. If there was any demigod whose true power he was curious to witness, it was Ash, and he recognized that this might be his best chance.


    Klaus recalled the scale of the battle between Lance and X during the Divine Tournament and wondered if Ash measured up to that level, or perhaps exceeded it. Coupled with the recent rejuvenation training he had undergone, Klaus found himself questioning just how strong he had become and how he would fare against such an opponent.


    "I wouldn''t mind it too," Klaus finally said, maintaining his composure despite his inner curiosity.


    "Excellent," Nekro remarked. "Then we can proceed to the training room a few floors below, where you two can spar."


    Klaus had not anticipated sparring with Ash during his preparations to enter Under World, but the prospect of such a fight both agitated and intrigued him. He began to leave the room alongside Ash when, unexpectedly, Nekro immediately disappeared. Klaus felt momentarily confused, but he understood that Nekro was bound by his duty not to interact directly with other demons; explaining why he couldn''t accompany them on the way. As Klaus pieced things together, it also made sense why he always met with the god in that particular room; a detail Ash had briefly mentioned earlier.


    After leaving the room, Klaus explained the new arrangement to Jhin, who chose to tag along. The three of them made their way toward the training room, and as they continued, Klaus couldn''t help but steal glances at Ash, his curiosity piqued.


    Klaus wondered how strong Ash truly was on his own, without the influence of his other offensive half. He had always seen Ash as the shield half, with Drake serving as the sword, yet he could still tell that Ash possessed tremendous power independently.


    As they continued along the corridor, Klaus recalled something critical that might hinder their brawl, but he chose not to mention it at that moment as they reached the room.


    Jhin produced a key card from his pocket and swiped it over the magnetic frame, granting them access. Once inside, Klaus began to take in the room. It was a massive, narrow space with white walls and bright lights. The room had four corners, but a large glass enclosure occupied most of the center, about seventy percent of the area, almost like a room within a room.


    Moving closer, Klaus noticed a larger, deeper space beyond the glass, accessible by a small staircase that led from their current room. After a moment of thought, he understood that they were in the observation room, and the area beyond the glass was where the sparring session would occur. The depth of the second room was clearly designed to protect the glass from any impact during the spar.


    "Welcome," a voice suddenly called from beside them.


    Klaus turned to see Nekro standing in a corner of the room, having arrived earlier and waiting for them. After a short moment of preparation, Ash and Klaus were instructed to proceed into the sparring room.


    The two descended the stairs and entered the second room. Klaus noted that the room was far more spacious than he had expected, with walls darker than those above.


    Through the glass, Nekro and Jhin watched as Klaus and Ash stood facing each other, awaiting further instructions.


    "Although this is just a sparring match," Nekro finally began, "you are both expected to fight at your strongest."


    At the sound of Nekro''s words, Klaus realized his earlier concern might have been valid. "I have a complaint about that," he spoke up. "I''m not sure if doing that would be fair considering I can move at the speed of light?"


    Klaus knew full well that Ash was powerful, but he also recognized that his own incredible speed would unbalance the fight and make it neither fair nor entertaining. However, it seemed Nekro had anticipated this.


    "That is fine," Nekro stated. "Which brings me to my next rule for the spar. To make the match more engaging for both participants and observers, you will refrain from using your ability to move at the speed of light. You will still be able to use all your other abilities, including your enhanced perception at that speed."


    Although the restriction made sense, Klaus still felt it was somewhat unfair. Limiting one¡¯s abilities made the fight seem a bit trivial. But Nekro wasn''t finished.


    "Similarly," Nekro suddenly continued, "Ash will also be restricted from using a certain power that would otherwise give him an overwhelming advantage. These restrictions are intended to highlight the fighting prowess you both possess, without ending the match in mere seconds."


    Klaus struggled to grasp Nekro''s explanation. Was the god trying to comfort Ash, or was he suggesting that Ash possessed a power even more terrifying than Klaus''s Burst Speed? Klaus wondered if that power was connected to Drake, or if it was something even more devastating. In any case, he began to suspect that the restrictions might have actually favored him instead.


    Back in the observation room, Nekro snapped his fingers. "Now I have stripped you both of the aforementioned abilities," he announced.


    Klaus felt a small surge ripple through him. Moments later, he sensed the absence of the power that had been taken away. He was shocked at how effortlessly Nekro could remove it, an impressive display of Dominion-over-Creation. It made him wonder just how powerless he would be if he ever truly fought a god.


    "Are you both prepared?" Nekro finally asked.


    "Yes, Father," Ash confirmed.


    "I am," Klaus replied, shifting into a combat-ready stance.


    After a few seconds of silence, Nekro continued, "Then... you may both begin the sparring session."

 #127: Ultimate Defense

    "Are you both prepared?" Nekro asked.


    "Yes, Father," Ash confirmed with his usual calm demeanor.


    "I am," Klaus affirmed, adjusting his stance into a combat-ready posture.


    For a brief moment, silence filled the room, thick with anticipation. Then, Nekro''s voice echoed once more.


    "Then... you may both begin the sparring session."


    As soon as the words left Nekro''s lips, Ash shifted his stance. His hands relaxed, his breathing steadied, and his eyes closed as if he were preparing for something crucial. Klaus instantly recognized what Ash was about to do and quickly decided to intervene.


    "Wait!" Klaus called out, making Ash pause and open his eyes. "Before you do that, would it be okay if I spar with you specifically?"


    Ash stood still, considering the request as Klaus continued.


    "I know Drake is your offensive half, which is why you were just about to switch places with him," Klaus pointed out. "But would it be fine if I fought you first?"


    It wasn''t often that someone specifically asked to fight Ash instead of Drake. Most challengers sought out the latter, drawn to the raw aggression of his offensive style. Yet, despite the rarity of the request, Ash remained unfazed.


    "That''s fine," he finally agreed.


    Klaus nodded. "Then we can begin now." He sank back into his stance, muscles tensing in preparation.


    The two warriors locked eyes, each analyzing the other. A stillness settled between them, an unspoken exchange of strategies unfolding in their minds. Then, in the span of a single heartbeat, Klaus launched himself forward.


    Even without Burst Speed, Klaus moved with staggering velocity, covering the distance between them in a single second. His approach was direct, his left fist cutting through the air in a powerful arc aimed at Ash''s head. Yet, just as his attack was about to connect, Ash simply leaned back, evading the strike with effortless precision.


    Klaus wasted no time recovering. His body twisted, unleashing a rapid succession of punches. But Ash remained unshaken, his arms folding as he shifted from side to side, dodging each attack with almost insulting ease.


    Klaus had expected Ash to be formidable, but this was something else entirely. Even with all his recent training, his blows weren''t landing. Ash''s movements were impossibly smooth, as if he were predicting Klaus''s every move before he even threw it. The way he weaved through each strike reminded Klaus of the fight he had once witnessed between Ash and X in the Cosmic League.


    Determined, Klaus pressed on, studying Ash''s movements, searching for a pattern, an opening, anything. He needed to break through his opponent''s formidable defenses. Gathering power into his left fist, he prepared to unleash a devastating blow. But suddenly...


    The world stopped.


    Klaus''s mind reeled. His body remained motionless, yet his consciousness remained active. He knew this sensation all too well; his Perfect Precognition had activated, warning him of imminent danger.


    Focusing on his surroundings, Klaus suddenly noticed that Ash''s left fist was just inches from the right side of his face. He was completely baffled; only a fraction of a second earlier, Ash¡¯s hands had been folded in a defensive stance.


    Despite his impressive perception, Klaus had missed the exact moment when Ash switched from defense to offense, a clear testament to his opponent¡¯s incredible speed. Klaus chose not to dwell on it too long, aware that maintaining his Perfect Precognition was draining his energy.


    He deactivated his Perfect Precognition, and the world around him resumed its normal flow. Ash¡¯s fist continued its trajectory, but as it neared Klaus¡¯s face, it began to phase through him. Klaus had activated his Phantasmal State to evade the blow, knowing that it was nearly impossible to dodge the attack by conventional means.


    As Ash''s fist passed harmlessly through Klaus¡¯s head, Klaus saw an opportunity to counterattack. Deactivating his Phantasmal State, he swung his prepared left fist. However, before his strike could connect, the world suddenly froze again.


    Baffled, Klaus shifted his focus downward and noticed that Ash had swung his other fist from below. This sudden, unexpected movement only served to irritate Klaus further.


    "Just how fast is he?" Klaus wondered silently.


    Within only a few encounters and seconds in combat, Klaus had determined that, without any ability enhancements, Ash was potentially the fastest demigod he had ever battled, a title only narrowly contested by X.


    After deactivating his Perfect Precognition once more, Klaus used the same method as before to evade the second strike and then retreated from his opponent. He backed away, realizing he needed to reassess the situation after witnessing the frightening speed of Ash¡¯s attacks.


    Klaus understood that Ash was not solely defensive; his speed was even more impressive than anticipated. This meant that Klaus needed to adopt a more tactical approach. Initially, his main concern had been landing a single hit on an opponent with such impenetrable defense. Now, with Ash¡¯s offensive capabilities also warranting caution, Klaus knew he had to fight on his own terms, relying on his destructive potency.


    Recognizing the one area where he might have an advantage, Klaus rushed back toward his opponent, extending both palms as he closed in.


    Meanwhile, in the observation room, Jhin was visibly awestruck by what he was witnessing. Everything that had happened had taken only a few seconds, yet he could barely comprehend the rapid sequence of actions.


    "Amazing," Jhin muttered in shock. "So this is what a battle between two demigods looks like?"


    Nekro observed the fight with a smile, impressed by the strength and skill displayed by both combatants.


    As Klaus advanced toward Ash, two orbs of light began to form in the center of his outstretched palms, rotating and gathering photons with intense speed. Before long, Klaus had created two first-grade Solar Balls, one in each hand.


    Klaus swung the Solar Ball in his right hand with immense force at Ash, but his opponent simply stepped backward, evading the attack. Then, Klaus raised his left hand over his head and pointed the ball of light toward Ash. By compressing it further, he managed to detach it from his grasp, something that was normally impossible with the first-grade of the attack.


    This maneuver, reminiscent of his fight with Rose, allowed Klaus to launch the attack. As the ball of light struck its target, it exploded, pushing Klaus back several meters as the intense light engulfed the room for a moment.


    After regaining his footing and as the light faded, Klaus observed a thick fog of grey smoke forming exactly where Ash had been when taking the blow. Yet, his opponent was nowhere to be seen. Klaus stood silently until the dense smoke began to swirl and gradually take shape, eventually coalescing into a figure. In moments, Ash reappeared, his expression unchanged and not a scratch in sight.


    "This ability, huh," Klaus muttered to himself.


    He recalled Ash''s previous fight with X, where Ash had turned his body into particles of smoke faster than his opponent could activate True Accuracy. It was the same tactic he had just employed to evade the Solar Ball. Ash stood silently, his calm expression only deepening Klaus''s frustration as the battle resumed.


    As their fists clashed, Klaus couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by Ash¡¯s nimbleness. Ash moved with significant ease, as if he bore little to no weight, and maintained a defensive stance throughout the encounter, a fact that was not surprising. However, Klaus struggled to land a single hit on his elusive opponent.


    Though Ash was also unable to connect his strikes, the situation differed markedly. Ash¡¯s speed and agility meant that he was virtually untouchable, while Klaus had to rely on his Phantasmal State and Perfect Precognition to avoid every attack.


    These abilities, though extremely beneficial, drained Klaus considerably, each use costing him as much energy as required to create a Solar Ball. Given the pace of the battle, Klaus knew he couldn¡¯t depend on them indefinitely if he wanted to endure.


    Klaus was also very aware of Ash¡¯s seemingly infinite energy reserves, as evidenced by his previous fights. Analyzing his strikes, Klaus concluded that Ash¡¯s stamina was nearly limitless since the demigod never appeared fatigued during the Cosmic League. Consequently, Klaus realized he needed to conserve his own energy. Assessing the situation, he decided to switch tactics once more; close combat was clearly not working for him.


    After evading another attack, Klaus leaped backward, creating space between them. He then extended his hands and summoned two new Solar Balls, which expanded until each reached a second-grade level. Seizing the opportunity, Klaus hurled the two large orbs at Ash.


    Anticipating the attack, Ash instantly transformed his body into a cloud of smoke and used his ability to dash away, evading the trajectory of the orbs. However, Klaus had anticipated this move.


    Following Ash''s evasion, the Solar Balls collided, triggering a massive explosion that engulfed the entire battlefield in a burst of blinding light.


    Jhin flinched, unable to see anything beyond the observation room. "This light ability is pretty annoying," he muttered, frustrated by his inability to witness the aftermath of the attack.


    Within the blinding light, Ash appeared stunned by the massive cloud of light particles that engulfed the room. His vision was heavily impaired, and his movements became somewhat sluggish as Klaus seized the opportunity to launch his assault. Yet, despite these disadvantages, Ash continued to evade every attack Klaus sent his way.


    Klaus pressed on relentlessly while the blinding light filled the space, his own vision clearly unaffected by the glare. His ferocity increased as he recognized this rare, brief window before Ash''s vision could recover and adapt. Klaus knew he couldn''t rely on his blinding light for long since all the demigods shared a universal ability to adapt, and sooner or later, Ash would eventually adapt to it. But despite his clear advantage from the temporary loss of vision, Klaus still found himself unable to land a decisive blow on his opponent.


    After several seconds, the light gradually began to dissipate. Klaus moved away quickly, and as the brightness faded, he realized why Ash had managed to evade his strikes. Klaus observed that Ash had enveloped a small area around him in a faint smoke cloud. Each time Klaus swung an attack, it would first come into contact with the smoke, alerting Ash to the direction of the blow and allowing him to dodge effortlessly within its confines.


    Klaus exhaled softly; his relentless assault had drained more of his energy than he had anticipated. Conjuring two second-grade Solar Balls and maintaining the blinding light effect for an extended period was energy-intensive. He knew he could no longer afford such gambles.


    Meanwhile, Ash had regained his vision and could now clearly see the battlefield. Standing silently without remarking on Klaus'' desperate attempts, Ash''s calm demeanor only served to frustrate Klaus further.


    "Is he just going to remain silent throughout the fight?" Klaus wondered to himself, irritation mounting.


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    Klaus felt tense and worried that he might never match his opponent''s might. He was aware that close combat, after numerous trials and errors, had become a losing proposition. Ash was a seasoned fighter, reminiscent of Lance and X, likely with years of training and experience, a fact that made sense given the cultural reverence demons held for battles.


    Unlike Ash, Klaus had only a few months of training under his belt. Though he had taken sparring lessons when he was younger and engaged in gym and parkour training during his time as NightShade, he knew that his skills were no match for Ash''s. With that in mind, Klaus concluded that close combat was no longer an option, especially since he needed to conserve his Phantasmal State, which he had already overused.


    Recognizing his predicament, Klaus decided that his best strategy was to rely on his Solar Balls. Not to blind his opponent, but rather to force Ash into using his smoke ability, thereby depleting his energy. This approach would give Klaus a chance to see and capitalize on any opening while managing his own energy consumption by choice.


    It was a risky plan, but Klaus was aware that Ash¡¯s only significant threat was his incredible speed since he had a lack of offensive abilities in his arsenal. After what felt like an eternity condensed into mere seconds, Klaus raised his left hand again, summoning the photons necessary to create another Solar Ball.


    "He''s doing the ball thing again?" Jhin questioned from the sidelines.


    "He has no other choice at the moment," Nekro explained with a knowing smile as he observed Klaus''s struggles.


    Klaus continued to grow the Solar Ball in his palm, preparing to use it for an attack. However, before he could launch his assault, something surprising happened. Ash, noticing Klaus''s plan, took a deep breath and performed a long exhalation toward Klaus. A thick smoke, laced with ash particles, erupted from Ash''s mouth and pierced through the air, directed precisely at the Solar Ball.


    The streamlined smoke cut swiftly through the space, colliding with the ball of light before Klaus could utilize it. The interference between the two abilities disrupted the photon compression, causing the Solar Ball to explode while still in Klaus''s grasp.


    The explosion of light was instantaneous, and moments later, as the brightness subsided, Klaus was seen on one knee, gasping for breath and placing a palm on the floor in exhaustion. Ash''s tactic to neutralize Klaus''s attack had worked, but although Klaus was visibly affected, he did not appear seriously harmed.


    "What just happened?" Jhin asked from the observation room. "He isn''t hurt, but he clearly seems affected by the Prince''s attack."


    "It¡¯s because he had to use his ability for objects to phase through him once again," Nekro confirmed. "But after using it so many times, he''s starting to feel the strain."


    Jhin pressed on, "But how was the ball attack even stopped in the first place?"


    "Because when Ash''s smoke contacted the ball of light, it obstructed the photons that Klaus normally creates to envelop and compress the rest. Smoke absorbs light as any opaque material would, which is precisely why Ash opted for a thicker version of his smoke," Nekro explained.


    "Ah, I see," Jhin responded. "Apologies for needing the explanation, my Lord. My vision is still recovering from all that blinding light, so I couldn¡¯t fully perceive the smoke¡¯s properties."


    Klaus took several deep breaths. He knew he could no longer sustain his Phantasmal State ability, so he chose to deactivate it, a feat he had been unable to accomplish before his rejuvenation training. Disabling the ability left his body more vulnerable, but he decided that enduring a few punches was preferable. As his panic grew and the chances of winning seemed almost nonexistent, he noticed something crucial.


    For the first time, Klaus saw Ash exhale briefly from exhaustion. Although it was only a fleeting moment, it meant that even Ash¡¯s supposedly infinite energy reserves were, in fact, finite.


    A small smile crossed Klaus¡¯s face as he recognized that he still had a chance. "If he can get tired," he thought, "then this is simply a battle of stamina."


    From a distance, Ash noticed Klaus¡¯s smile and realized that his opponent had detected his own fatigue. Capitalizing on the success of his last attack, Ash devised a new tactic. This idea would cost him significantly more stamina than he had already used, but it would also prevent further unnecessary energy expenditure. Tactically, he believed this was the best way to secure his victory.


    Agreeing to act on his plan, Ash suddenly extended his palms to his sides. "Apologies, Jhin," he muttered softly before taking a deep breath.


    Instantly, particles of smoke and ash burst from Ash''s palms, rapidly covering the area around him and extending further into the room. Klaus¡¯s eyes widened as he watched his opponent envelop the entire training room in a semi-thick cloud of smoke and ash.


    This move baffled Klaus since it was clear that such an action would drain a tremendous amount of energy from Ash. Recalling Trent¡¯s fight with Arthur during the Diving Tournament, Klaus recognized that Ash was using a similar technique, transforming the surrounding air into his natural element. The similarity in ability made sense, given that both were second-generation demigods.


    As Klaus contemplated why Ash had chosen this tactic, his shock grew. "No," Klaus muttered in disbelief. "He''s trying..."


    "...to stop Klaus from compressing his light anymore," Jhin muttered softly in the observation room.


    Jhin observed the unfolding battle and quickly deduced Ash''s plan, a testament to his intellect as a demon. "Because the dark smoke absorbs light, Klaus can no longer compress the photon particles as he used to or have access to a large amount, effectively nullifying his range and destructive advantages."


    Jhin stood in awe, fully grasping Ash''s decision in mere seconds. "Impressive as always, my Prince," he murmured, "though it''s a bit annoying since I''m the only one who can''t see how the fight continues."


    Jhin then turned his gaze to Nekro, who continued to survey the battle, clearly unbothered by the thick smoke that now filled the training room.


    Klaus realized he was in serious trouble. He attempted to gather enough photons to form a Solar Ball, but he was unable to do so. He knew he could try something similar to what Ash had done, transforming the surrounding area into light particles, but that would take even more energy, as creating light was far more exhausting than merely manipulating it.


    As Klaus pondered his next move, Ash suddenly appeared beside him. Before Klaus could fully register his opponent¡¯s presence, Ash delivered a devastating kick directly to Klaus¡¯s head, sending him hurtling to his right and slamming him against the wall.


    The attack was so powerful that Klaus nearly lost consciousness; he had let his guard down while overthinking. After a few seconds of disorientation, Klaus managed to pull himself back up.


    Despite the thick smoke still blanketing the room, Klaus could barely make out Ash¡¯s form due to his enhanced vision, a benefit granted by Nyxia''s lack of sunlight. Nevertheless, Ash maintained a clear advantage within the smoke.


    Ash charged at Klaus once more, blending with the smoke and ash as he closed in and launched another strike. Klaus barely evaded the attack by leaping backward, creating a crucial gap between them.


    Klaus took a deep breath, shocked that Ash was moving even faster than before. It felt as if all hope was lost, but he knew he had to keep fighting; he couldn¡¯t give up.


    Klaus believed he still had a chance because Ash was expending an enormous amount of energy, far more than he was. If he could endure his opponent¡¯s relentless onslaught a little longer, he might eventually gain the upper hand. It was the same tactic Ash had used against him earlier in the fight.


    Ash continued to launch swift, lethal strikes. Klaus dodged some but still took several devastating hits. Yet Klaus pressed on, convinced that if he could remain standing long enough, Ash¡¯s stamina would eventually wane. But despite expending little energy in his movements, Klaus found himself panting from exhaustion.


    Klaus was baffled by how drastically he was getting fatigued by the second before it finally dawned upon him. "The smoke!" he thought. "It''s wearing me out."


    Klaus realized that the dense smoke, filled with ash particles, was irritating his lungs and reducing his oxygen intake, making each breath a struggle. The lingering ash also stung his eyes and skin, diminishing his combat effectiveness. With Ash''s relentless strikes in play as well, Klaus barely had time to think or strategize.


    Klaus knew he was outclassed, and it was only a matter of time before he would be defeated. Yet, he was not done fighting.


    As Ash continued his relentless flurry of attacks, the world around Klaus suddenly froze. Klaus had activated his Perfect Precognition once more, not to dodge an attack but to give his mind a brief moment to think. Although this ability drained a great deal of energy, Klaus recognized its necessity at the moment. With the toxic air no longer affecting his breathing during this state, he was granted what felt like an eternity to strategize.


    When he deactivated the ability, the world snapped back to normal, and Klaus resumed evading Ash''s strikes. However, as he stepped back to create distance, Klaus suddenly took a deep, massive breath, inhaling the thick smoke that filled the arena.


    Ash was puzzled by Klaus''s unexpected action, but without altering his expression, he dismissed his thoughts and charged at his opponent once again.


    After drawing in the smoke, Klaus held his breath and closed his eyes, attempting to steady his mind. Meanwhile, Ash continued to swing his fists, and for a few brutal moments, Klaus found himself on the receiving end of every attack, each blow leaving him bleeding. Then, something shifted; Klaus managed to calm his racing thoughts.


    He recalled the sensations from his previous fight with Jhin and Xhin: the gentle flow of air, the dance of light particles on his skin, and most importantly, the tranquility he had felt in that moment. Drawing upon that memory, Klaus placed a palm in front of him and suddenly grabbed Ash¡¯s arm, intercepting an incoming strike. Klaus had successfully countered the attack, but that was only the beginning.


    After retreating a short distance, Klaus exhaled deeply, his eyes remaining closed as calm returned to his mind. Although Ash continued to launch several more strikes, this time, something was different. Despite his superior speed, Ash failed to land a single hit on Klaus. With his eyes closed, Klaus evaded every attack with remarkable precision.


    From the sidelines, Nekro offered a broad smile. "Truly remarkable," he commented, clearly impressed. Nearby, Jhin let out a frustrated sigh, annoyed that he was the only one unable to observe the unfolding battle.


    Ash noticed that despite the ongoing pressure, Klaus was now breathing normally, clearly unaffected by the smoke that had once choked his lungs.


    Earlier, after Klaus had inhaled that dense smoke, it had critically strained his breathing, but this was what he had wanted: to force his body to rejuvenate and adapt. The toxic air forced his lungs and the rest of his body to adjust and fortify themselves rapidly against the harmful particles. Although this adaptation was a risky idea at first, Klaus had observed Ash¡¯s own ability to adapt to his light earlier, and that realization gave him hope.


    Klaus wasn¡¯t entirely immune to the smoke; its foreign compounds still irritated him. But he no longer felt the fatigue and irritation as before. Having trained to fight with his eyes closed before, he also avoided risking damage to his vision from the ashes in the smoke by keeping them shut.


    Despite Klaus''s best efforts, a few of Ash¡¯s attacks began to land. Klaus knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Ash under these conditions, but that had always been his plan: to survive long enough for Ash to exhaust a lot of his energy. Indeed, Ash¡¯s strikes were noticeably slowing compared to earlier in the fight when he had spawned the smoke.


    After several intense minutes of combat, Ash eventually realized he was in an unfavorable position and paused his assault. He backed away, and slowly the thick smoke dissipated, reverting to clean, normal air. Klaus had observed that Ash required energy to maintain the smoke, and when he became exhausted, the air returned to normal, much like what had happened to Trent during the Cosmic League.


    As the room became clearer, Jhin let out a soft sigh. "Finally," he muttered, frustrated at having missed so much.


    When Jhin finally looked upon the fighters, he saw them both gasping for air, visibly fatigued. Ash had expended an immense amount of energy, and Klaus had done the same to keep pace.


    For a few long moments, both stood in silence, barely able to use their abilities. Ash was clearly exhausted, perhaps more than he had ever been in his life, and his respect for Klaus¡¯s endurance grew. Determined not to give his opponent any further opportunities to catch his breath, Ash charged again.


    But as Ash advanced, Klaus raised his hands. "Wait!" Klaus called out, halting Ash in his tracks. "That''s enough."


    Ash stood in silence, clearly confused and surprised by Klaus''s words, yet Klaus continued to explain immediately.


    "I can tell you''re not going to quit," Klaus began. "The same goes for me. I''m sure you''ve noticed, our stamina is almost identical, and if this battle continued as it has, it could go on for days before we find a victor."


    Ash relaxed his posture, acknowledging that Klaus was right. Even though Klaus hadn''t landed a single hit on him, they were both equally exhausted, and if the fight continued, they would simply alternate between offensive and defensive stances.


    It was a cycle: Klaus would overwhelm Ash with destructive power, forcing Ash to stay on the defensive until he could gather enough energy to recreate the smoke around them, then use that to launch a barrage of physical strikes. Klaus would then be unable to retaliate effectively due to the lack of photon availability, forced back into defense until Ash''s energy ran low.


    Ash understood why Klaus had chosen to cease his assault. The loop was destined to continue because of their unyielding nature. But both recognized that, given the circumstances, Klaus had little chance of eventually winning, making the prolonged battle simply not worth the gamble.


    After a moment of silence, Ash finally responded, "I understand," his quiet words belying the thoughts swirling in his mind.


    They both took time to recover, regaining their strength. Klaus still bore wounds, though none severe enough to require medical attention, and some had already begun to heal from remaining in constant combat.


    "So the match has already ended?" Jhin asked from the observation room. "What a letdown. I barely saw less than half of it."


    Jhin was frustrated at missing most of the fight, yet he remained impressed by what he had witnessed. However, the battle was not over.


    "That''s not the end," Klaus suddenly said to Ash, regaining his opponent''s attention. "If you wouldn''t mind, I''d also like to fight Drake."


    Klaus''s words caught Jhin completely off guard. "Despite his fatigue and wounds," Jhin began, "he still has the strength to challenge Drake? These demigods are truly formidable."


    "Would that be alright, Ash?" Klaus asked, his neutral expression contrasting sharply with his underlying thirst for battle.


    After a brief silence, Ash replied softly, "That''s fine."


    Following his words, Ash relaxed his stance completely, closing his eyes to clear his mind. Then he took a deep breath, and as he exhaled, his features began to change: his skin took on an ashen hue, horns emerged from his forehead, his signature silver hair darkened from root to tip into a deep crimson, and his nails morphed into sharp claws.


    In a single deep breath, Ash''s human-like appearance transformed into something distinctly demonic. When he finally exhaled and opened his eyes, they revealed a black sclera with yellow vertical pupils, much like those of other demons.


    From a single glance, Klaus knew this was no longer Ash; he was now in the presence of Drake.

 #128: The Strongest

    Drake. The offensive, demonic half of Ash and one of the most feared demigods. Klaus had witnessed his power firsthand during the Cosmic League when Drake fought Lance. Shade had also informed Klaus that Drake was present alongside Nekro when they stopped Xhin during the crisis. That was enough for Klaus to know just how strong Drake was.


    However, Klaus noticed something unusual as Drake stood silently ahead. Drake did not carry the same demeanor that Klaus remembered from the Cosmic League.


    "Greetings, Klaus Walker," Drake began, his voice menacing yet surprisingly calm.


    Klaus couldn''t help but ask, "You''re not as... flamboyant as I remember."


    "That is unsurprising," Drake replied, his gaze briefly shifting toward the observation room. "I cannot afford to disgrace myself in front of Father, after all."


    Klaus''s brief interaction with Drake was not what he had expected, but he knew it was too early to judge based on one encounter. "That''s fair... I guess," Klaus muttered.


    Then, Klaus remembered another point he needed to ask about. "Another thing bothers me," he began. "Last time Ash switched to you during the Cosmic League, he appeared to be in pain. But now, that didn''t seem to be the case. Why is that?"


    "He was not in pain," Drake explained. "That was merely my method of using the transformation to catch my opponents off guard and gain an advantage."


    Drake''s words made sense, and they shocked Klaus with their clarity. Still, Klaus chose not to dwell on it any further.


    "Regardless of my past endeavors," Drake continued, "are you certain you want to spar with me in your current state? You realize this won''t be any easier for you."


    Klaus remained silent for a moment. He knew he was still somewhat fatigued, but his curiosity about how much he could actually fare against the half-demon was strong; this might be an incredibly rare opportunity for him.


    "I guess you''re right," Klaus finally replied, taking a fighting stance. "But I also have a hunch that you share the same levels of exhaustion as Ash, so the same goes for you, doesn''t it?"


    Drake looked at Klaus, a smile slowly spreading across his face, clearly impressed by Klaus''s determination. "Is that so?" he said, assuming a fighting stance of his own. "Careful, Walker... or you might get burned."


    "I doubt it," Klaus replied, maintaining his stance as he prepared for the battle.


    The room fell silent as the fighters and spectators alike awaited the commencement of the duel. Klaus knew this fight was going to be incredibly difficult; if he had struggled so much against Ash, facing Drake would be no different. Suddenly, as they stood in silence, Drake shifted his stance, a smile still playing on his lips.


    Drake straightened up and pointed his right index finger at Klaus, mimicking a gun stance with his gaze locked on his opponent. Klaus immediately recognized what was coming; Drake was about to use his ability to generate explosions.


    Instinctively, Klaus raised his forearms to shield himself, hoping to lessen the damage from the anticipated explosion. But that was not Drake''s intention.


    Instead of the attack coming from in front of him, Klaus suddenly felt a massive explosion from directly behind him. The force hurled him forward, and he darted toward his opponent with uncontrolled speed.


    As Klaus closed in, Drake raised his right foot to launch a devastating kick aimed directly at Klaus''s head, the strike faster than a speeding bullet. Just as Drake''s foot neared its target, it began to phase through Klaus. Klaus had activated his Phantasmal State, allowing him to barely evade the attack.


    Drake''s foot passed completely through Klaus while Klaus continued his forward momentum. Noticing that the attack had gone through him, Klaus planned to use the remaining momentum to launch a counterattack. But before he could, another explosion occurred.


    Turning his attention to his right, Klaus saw that Drake had caused a small explosion at the tip of his right foot after it phased through him, sending it ricocheting back toward Klaus''s head.


    Everything happened so fast, and this attack was even quicker and more devastating than the last. It would have knocked Klaus out instantly if it had connected. Fortunately, thanks to his Perfect Precognition, Klaus had seen the strike coming and managed to reactivate his Phantasmal State once more, causing the blow to phase through him again.


    Everything had happened within a single moment. With the momentum from Drake¡¯s initial explosion, Klaus was propelled forward until his body reached Drake, his Phantasmal State allowing him to phase through the demigod before he finally halted his motion.


    Now directly behind his opponent, Klaus swung a hook with his right fist as he spun around. But when he turned to face Drake, he realized his opponent was no longer there.


    Startled, Klaus suddenly felt a palm on his back. Somehow, Drake had maneuvered behind him without his noticing.


    Instantly, deep red flames ignited from the palm Drake had placed on Klaus''s back. The flames burst forth, propelling Klaus forward; he was hurled several meters before managing to stop himself from slamming into the wall. A noticeable section of the back of his shirt was also burned by the attack.


    Klaus stood in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened. "How the hell did that attack connect?" he asked, concern in his voice. "And how did my Perfect Precognition fail to activate?"


    Drake''s latest attack made little sense to Klaus, and he began to wonder. But there was no time to think; when Klaus turned his head toward his opponent, he saw that Drake had already closed the distance without wasting a moment.


    Drake now stood directly ahead, his expression focused as he stretched his right arm toward Klaus¡¯s head. This time, Klaus managed to react, shifting his head to the left to avoid Drake''s vicious claws. But as he evaded, Klaus suddenly heard a small explosion on the left side of his cheek.


    The force caught Klaus off guard, and once again, his ability failed to activate, causing the explosion to hit his left face. The impact forced his head to jerk back to the right, where Drake''s hand, which he had previously evaded, still remained.


    Capitalizing on the outcome of that explosion, Drake altered his hand''s motion, tilting his claws toward Klaus¡¯s face as he advanced. Fortunately, Klaus activated his Phantasmal State just in time, phasing his head through Drake¡¯s claws. Although the explosion still impacted his face, Klaus managed to extricate himself, backing away immediately.


    Klaus was baffled. He couldn¡¯t understand why his ability failed to activate at critical moments yet worked at others. He pondered briefly, but before he could collect his thoughts, Drake closed the gap once again and resumed his attack.


    "Prince Drake is truly formidable," Jhin muttered from the observation room, watching the battle unfold. "He isn''t giving his opponent any room to breathe or think."


    "That is the goal in battle," Nekro responded. "Drake has mastered his offensive capabilities, ensuring his opponent has minimal time to strategize. And he knows Klaus is a strategic thinker, something he had observed during the fight with Ash, so now Drake is simply keeping him off balance."


    "Ah, I see," Jhin said. "That explains why Klaus seems to be caught off guard so often."


    "Indeed," Nekro added, "and also because the ability Klaus relies on... does not work against sudden, instantaneous attacks."


    Klaus continued to evade Drake¡¯s rapid flurry. After a brief moment of assessment, he began to understand why his Perfect Precognition had failed: Drake''s combustion attack and his ability to spawn flames occurred so instantaneously that Klaus¡¯s senses had literally no time to trigger his ability automatically. Consequently, Klaus realized he could no longer depend on it heavily. While it was beneficial against Drake¡¯s normal attacks, it was taking too heavy a toll, much like in his battle with Ash.


    However, Klaus had no time to dwell on this or decide whether to turn the ability off entirely. He was being overwhelmed by Drake in a way unlike any fight he had experienced before.


    Drake''s offensive pressure was insane, and his speed was equally terrifying. While his speed was roughly on par with Ash''s, his fighting style made it seem far more overwhelming. Unlike Ash, who gracefully switched between defense and offense, mostly maintaining a defensive stance until an opening appeared, Drake fought in an erratic, impulsive manner.


    Drake''s attack patterns were unpredictable and wild; he swung his body in a crazed fashion that left his moves nearly impossible to anticipate. Klaus managed to evade a few of these attacks, but he had to rely on his Perfect Precognition to dodge up to ten swings in under seven seconds. Drake''s intense focus and ferocity baffled Klaus, who found himself struggling to compare the half-demon''s relentless assault with what he had expected.


    Klaus knew the situation was dire. Maintaining a purely defensive stance against someone like Drake was a losing battle, and he was rapidly losing steam. Yet, the brief moments when his Perfect Precognition activated allowed him to strategize, leading him to conclude that his best chance against an unstoppable force like Drake was to match that same relentless nature.


    After evading an attack, and before Drake could launch another punch, Klaus fixed his gaze on his opponent. His eyes gathered over billions of light particles, which he released in a burst to create a Solar Flash. The blinding light provided him with a brief opening, and for the first time, Klaus had a chance to strike.


    He swung his left fist toward Drake, landing a blow directly on his opponent''s head. However, when the strike connected, Klaus realized that Drake barely flinched. Shocked, Klaus backed off as the light around them dissipated.


    But as Klaus retreated, Drake raised his hand, seizing the moment. Immediately, another explosion erupted directly behind Klaus, propelling him forward once more. As Klaus drew nearer, Drake positioned himself and delivered a lethal uppercut to Klaus''s jaw.


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    The strike was so severe that Klaus''s vision blurred, and he was thrown upward and away from his opponent. During that motion, yet another explosion occurred near the nape of his neck, forcing his body back toward Drake. As Klaus returned to face his opponent, he was met with a devastating right arm lariat that sent him flying at immense speed before he crashed against a wall.


    In the observation room, Jhin flinched in shock. "Oh my gods!" he exclaimed. "Is the Prince not going a bit too far?"


    "Klaus knew what he was getting into," Nekro explained calmly. "You don''t have to be overly concerned about his well-being."


    "Even so," Jhin added, "if this keeps up, he''s going to get himself killed."


    Nekro glanced back at the training room. "You give Klaus Walker far less credit than he deserves," he muttered, convinced that the fight would not remain one-sided forever.


    Klaus lay unconscious in a dented hole in the wall for a few seconds before snapping back to reality. His body ached with pain, and for a moment, he feared he had died. The fact that he was knocked unconscious was the only reason Drake had paused his vicious onslaught for the first time in the fight, a brief uncertainty as to whether Klaus was truly out. After a while, Klaus managed to pull himself up, his body clearly in agony as he grunted in pain.


    "Don''t quit on me, Klaus Walker," Drake said calmly. "That last assault couldn''t have been too much for you."


    Klaus slowly rose to his feet, head bowed and consumed by rage, the anger of being utterly overpowered in the brawl. The anger of being unable to land a single attack upon his opponent. He knew he was outclassed, yet he refused to lose in such a disgraceful manner without giving it his all.


    Then, as a flood of anger and frustration surged within him, photon particles began to gather around Klaus. A radiant glow enveloped his body, forming a luminescent aura reminiscent of his battle against Xhin during the crisis. Klaus finally lifted his head to face his opponent, his yellow eyes glowing with clear, unbridled rage.


    Recognizing that Klaus was ready to continue, Drake smiled slightly. "That''s more like it," he said, his tone carrying a hint of approval.


    Not wanting to waste any more time, Drake immediately lunged toward Klaus, preparing to punch. Moving at an incredible speed, Drake landed a devastating punch directly onto Klaus¡¯s chest. Yet, despite the impact, Klaus remained standing firm and swung his left fist at Drake without delay, landing an attack of his own.


    Neither attack caused either combatant to flinch significantly, but Klaus managed to forcefully push Drake away from the wall before charging forward again. Drake''s mind briefly wondered why his attack had felt underwhelming, a thought that quickly vanished as Klaus unleashed a flurry of furious strikes.


    Klaus and Drake exchanged rapid punches and kicks, each landing significant blows on the other. Internally, Drake questioned, "He''s much faster than before?" but then realized, "No... he just isn''t holding back anymore."


    Drake noticed that Klaus was performing much better than he had a few minutes earlier. Unlike before, Klaus no longer prioritized his defenses; he was entirely on the offensive, even keeping his defensive abilities deactivated. This aggressive approach mirrored Drake''s own style throughout the battle, where he focused solely on offense and left no time for his opponent to strategize.


    The two continued their exchange. Although Klaus wasn¡¯t landing as many hits as Drake, he was matching his opponent''s assault somehow. Moreover, while Drake''s attacks were more frequent, they seemed to have a diminished impact on Klaus compared to earlier moments, and were somehow even less devastating than the blows Klaus was delivering. This realization puzzled Drake for a moment until he quickly understood the reason.


    Because of the aura of light surrounding Klaus, the trajectory of his punches was slightly altered since he was compensating for the extra inches of light covering his body. This subtle adjustment meant that Drake''s attacks, which relied on pinpoint precision, were less accurate.


    Additionally, the light around Klaus provided him with two distinct advantages. First, due to its nature, the light slightly disrupted Drake¡¯s visual precision, preventing his sight from being completely accurate. Although the effect was minimal, it was precisely why Drake''s eyes were not forced to adapt to it, making the ability effective against another demigod.


    Second, within the thin layer of light around Klaus, photon particles moved in a specific pattern. These particles, carrying momentum, constantly traveled outward from Klaus¡¯s body to the edge of the aura before circling back. Though this might seem insignificant, the sheer number of photons meant that any incoming object with mass directed toward Klaus would be slowed down by this momentum, diminishing the effectiveness of Drake¡¯s strikes in this instance.


    These combined benefits, along with Drake¡¯s initial miscalculation issue, gave Klaus a slight but evident advantage in the fight.


    Noticing this, Drake smiled, recognizing that Klaus had now exceeded the minimum expectation he had originally set for the demigod. With renewed determination, Drake ramped up his ferocity, intensifying his offensive strikes.


    Using his Explosive Step ability, Drake closed the distance between them and swung a devastating punch that landed squarely between Klaus¡¯s chest. The force of the blow sent Klaus flying several meters; he instinctively placed his palm against his chest as he slouched momentarily from the strike, but he did not yield.


    Without wasting a moment, Klaus charged back into the fight, matching Drake¡¯s similar forward momentum. The two continued to exchange heavy blows, though it became increasingly clear that Drake held a significant advantage.


    Realizing he was beginning to be overwhelmed, Klaus quickly retreated before conjuring a Solar Ball in his left palm. He charged at his opponent, swinging his left hand with haste in an attempt to land his attack, but Drake proved too nimble. Despite this, Klaus continued to hurl the ball of light at him.


    As Drake continued to dodge, he suddenly noticed that the Solar Ball was expanding dramatically; it was rapidly evolving into a second-grade ball and growing even beyond that. Knowing that any sudden contact might trigger its detonation, Drake realized he needed to limit his movements, but by then, it was too late.


    Klaus had already elevated the ball to its next grade, a feat he had only accomplished once before, during his fight with X in the Divine Tournament. He gasped for air as he held the attack up in the sky, clearly strained by the immense energy required to create a third-grade Solar Ball.


    Even though Klaus was visibly exhausted, Drake hesitated to capitalize on the opportunity, understanding that the sheer destructive power of Klaus¡¯s attack was formidable, especially considering how much force even a first-grade Solar Ball could generate.


    Klaus paused to catch his breath, but Drake, determined not to let his opponent charge such an attack again, made a mental note to avoid that situation. Drake knew he could use his flames or explosions to detonate the ball while Klaus wielded it, yet he also understood that would be counterproductive because Klaus¡¯s Phantasmal State rendered him immune to the explosion, a benefit Drake did not possess. Still, Drake knew he had to do something.


    "Is he insane?" Jhin commented from the observation room in shock. "If he detonates that attack, it could destroy both the training and observation rooms."


    "Calm down," Nekro replied, his eyes fixed on the ongoing fight. "You''ll be fine."


    Though Jhin still had concerns, he trusted Nekro''s words.


    Determined to force Klaus to detonate the ball from a distance, Drake chose to retreat, acting quickly before Klaus could further increase its size. But his retreat was exactly what Klaus had anticipated.


    As Drake fell back, Klaus detonated the Solar Ball himself. However, the resulting explosion was not what anyone had expected.


    Before creating the Solar Ball, Klaus had suspected that landing his attack in its first-grade form would be nearly impossible given Drake''s speed and reactivity. To mask his true intention, Klaus made it seem as though he intended to land the attack immediately. In reality, Drake was unaware that the Solar Ball Klaus held was merely a decoy.


    Using this strategy, Klaus continued to grow the attack while still swinging it at Drake, knowing that constant pressure would allow him to build up its power. He also ensured his actions were perceived by his opponent as blind, irrational rage rather than deliberate strategy.


    With this in play, Klaus deliberately failed to gather the necessary photon particles required, creating a decoy third-grade Solar Ball instead, which was simply a massive, hollow ball of light. His feigned exhaustion only emphasized his performance, even though the energy expended was equivalent to about one and a half Solar Balls.


    With his plan in place and his opponent beginning to back off, Klaus detonated the ball. Instead of a devastating explosion, it was focused to produce an intensely bright flash that filled the entire room, giving Klaus a temporary advantage.


    Seizing the moment, Klaus charged at Drake and swung a powerful left fist punch at maximum force. Although he knew his physical strikes were barely effective against Drake, given the demon race''s renowned resistance to damage, he had another plan.


    As he swung his fist, Klaus generated a miniature Solar Ball about three inches in diameter at the tip of his left elbow and immediately detonated it. The explosion propelled his left arm with tremendous speed, delivering a deadly blow to Drake¡¯s head and sending the demigod reeling backward before he crashed into the wall behind them.


    The impact was unmistakable, even as the room remained bathed in blinding light. When the light finally began to dissipate, the aftermath of the attack was revealed.


    Klaus knelt on the ground, clutching his left arm as he grunted in pain. His last action had sent a tingling shock through his entire hand and left his elbow badly bruised. The force from the Solar Ball and the impact with his opponent had clearly taken its toll as he struggled to regain feeling in his left arm.


    Drake managed to rise from the debris despite the force of the attack. But as he came into view, his face revealed a fresh bruise with blood beginning to drip from his forehead, with one of his horns even broken off.


    Drake glanced at Klaus, shock evident on his face, before a daring smile slowly crept in, and giggles began to escape his lips. "Impressive, Klaus Walker," he spat, his tone louder than before. "Show me more of that."


    His giggles soon morphed into maniacal laughter before abruptly ceasing. Drake''s smile faded as he shifted his gaze toward the observation room and then back to Klaus. He cleared his throat briefly, restoring his expression to normal.


    After a moment, Drake resumed a focused stance."No more games," he muttered, his piercing gaze fixed on Klaus.


    Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted behind Drake, propelling him toward Klaus at an incredible speed. Drake swung a right hook at his opponent, and although Klaus managed to evade the attack, it was only just.


    Drake continued unleashing a flurry of attacks, his ferocity more intense than before. Klaus was forced to maintain a defensive posture and had to resort to his Phantasmal State to dodge several blows. He attempted to jump away and break free from a purely defensive stance, knowing it was futile, but Drake refused to give him any room to maneuver.


    After Klaus leapt backward, Drake charged forward and placed a palm on Klaus''s chest. Immediately, a burst of bright orange flame erupted violently from his palm, engulfing Klaus''s upper body as it roared around the room.


    "Oh my gods!" Jhin exclaimed in shock from the observation room, watching as Drake unleashed the violent flames on Klaus.


    Jhin then turned his attention to Nekro, noticing that the god remained silent and focused. This observation calmed him, and he returned his gaze to the fight.


    Following his burst of flames, Drake suddenly witnessed Klaus stretch out his hand from the lingering fire to form a Solar Ball. Recognizing his opponent was momentarily immobile, Klaus swung the Solar Ball at Drake, and the attack landed directly on Drake''s chest, forcing him back several meters.


    The bright light that filled the room was brief, as the Solar Ball Klaus created was smaller than usual. This was also why Drake had managed to withstand the attack, although his shirt suffered damage from the direct hit. But what surprised Drake even more was that Klaus had been able to create the Solar Ball in the first place despite having been burned moments before.


    Drake watched as Klaus stood tall and steady while the flames covering his upper body began to dissipate. Although parts of Klaus''s shirt were burning away, he simply tore off the remaining fabric, leaving his upper body exposed.


    As the flames died down, his radiant aura remaining, it became clear that Klaus had sustained no damage from the attack. His expression remained stoic, his skin unmarked by burns, and not a single hair on his head showed any sign of having been affected.


    "He is unharmed," Jhin muttered. "How is this possible?"


    "Klaus Walker possesses a very interesting ability," Nekro explained. "He doesn''t just have the power to manipulate light; he also adopts its properties. This includes allowing objects to pass through him, moving at its exact speed..."


    "And resistance to heat," Jhin added in shock and understanding. "Incredible."


    Klaus stood tall, shirtless, yet completely unharmed by Drake''s assault. "That won''t work on me," he said softly but menacingly.


    Drake''s irritation grew as Klaus''s advantages became more apparent. Frustrated, he stretched his hands out and placed them a few inches ahead of his hips, his fingers pointing upward.


    Orange flames erupted from both palms before suddenly intensifying into a bright yellow glow, burning more aggressively than any previously equipped flame.


    "Everything burns eventually," Drake said softly, his tone low and serious as he wielded a hotter version of his previous flames. "I''ll show you."

 #129: Infernal

    The intensity of the battle was heating up.


    Drake¡¯s expression revealed a level of focus far surpassing his earlier demeanor, and Klaus shared the same look of determination, knowing that the fight was only about to get tougher. In an instant, the two fighters charged at one another, their speed exceeding even their previous limits.


    Klaus and Drake exchanged heavy blows, their ferocity unmistakable. Jhin, still watching from the observation room alongside Nekro, was completely awestruck as he took in the spectacle.


    Drake swung his fists while wielding a hotter variant of natural flames, which blazed with a bright yellow glow. Every punch he threw left a scorching trail in the air, the heat radiating like a miniature sun. Klaus, for his part, glowed more brilliantly than ever, his strength increasing by the second as his rage fueled his blows.


    As Klaus launched his attacks, all he could think about was victory. Although he landed fewer punches than his adversary, he somehow managed to keep up in the brawl.


    Neither fighter adopted a defensive stance, so Klaus stepped back, extended his left hand, and within seconds, formed a Solar Ball before diving back into the fight. Recognizing this strategy, Drake mimicked the move by stretching out his right hand as well.


    "Oh no, you don''t," Drake muttered swiftly.


    Suddenly, a scorching sphere of fire materialized in the palm of Drake''s right hand as he moved closer to Klaus. Its bright yellow, burning appearance and size were nearly identical to Klaus''s Solar Ball.


    Both fighters charged. The instant their attacks collided, an explosive force erupted between them, sending a burning shockwave that flung them apart, arm first. They paused for a moment before launching back into combat without wasting any time or giving their opponent a chance to recover.


    "Just when you think the fight couldn''t get any more impressive," Jhin marveled from the sidelines, "they both suddenly elevate their power even further. I know I''ve said it before, but these demigods are genuinely remarkable."


    "I agree," Nekro concurred. "Even I hadn''t anticipated the battle reaching such heights. I''m pleased to see how far they''ve both come over the past few months."


    After his words, Nekro''s expression slowly dimmed as he fixed his gaze on Klaus, who was still fiercely engaged in the fight. For a moment, his eyes revealed a distant thought before he spoke.


    "I may have to leave soon. Something may require my attention."


    Jhin glanced at Nekro in silence, sensing that the god was troubled, but before he could ask, an explosion in the training room caught his attention. Turning back, Jhin saw Klaus emerge from a cloud of smoke, having barely evaded another explosive strike from Drake.


    Klaus pressed forward, launching additional swings at his opponent, his eyes burning with focus. Unlike Drake, Klaus knew his hand-to-hand techniques were not perfect, and he realized that relying solely on matching his opponent''s brute force would eventually lead to his defeat.


    For that reason, Klaus began interweaving defensive moves between his attacks, switching his stance as needed. He kept his defensive abilities off unless absolutely necessary, planning to last as long as possible in the fight.


    With the few advantages he had, Klaus felt he was in a relatively decent spot. Drake''s ferocity was unmatched, but his fire had no effect on Klaus, and Drake¡¯s precise strikes were slightly off their optimal accuracy due to the intense glow radiating from Klaus¡¯s body, making the fight less favorable for Drake. And yet, Drake still dominated.


    Both fighters swung their left fists at one another, landing deadly blows on each other¡¯s faces. They remained impassive, keeping their arms pressed against one another¡¯s cheeks. But as Drake locked eyes with Klaus, he noticed Klaus''s eyes glowing brighter than ever.


    Already aware of Klaus¡¯s Solar Flash ability from his fight with Ash, Drake prepared for the attack by closing his eyes and shifting his stance to avoid it. And that was exactly what Klaus had planned.


    Anticipating his opponent''s awareness, Klaus concentrated photons in his eyes as a distraction while using his right hand to form a Solar Ball. Seizing the opening, Klaus hurled the Solar Ball directly at Drake, landing the attack swiftly.


    As the light dissipated, it became clear that Drake had crossed his forearms at the last moment to absorb most of the impact. Despite this, the sheer power still forced him back a few steps.


    Drake¡¯s fury began to boil over as he grew frustrated, not because he was losing, but because the fight was slipping out of his control and drawing closer than he had anticipated.


    Drake kept his forearms crossed as he paused briefly. Then, he raised them slightly over his head before forcefully slamming them back to his sides, his fists clenched. In that instant, the bright yellow flames covering his fists instantly turned pure white, their intensity and ferocity increasing dramatically.


    Klaus was momentarily caught off guard by the true white flames. He had never seen such flames before, and although he knew he couldn¡¯t be burned by them, their overwhelming presence made him more cautious.


    Drake immediately returned to the fight, swinging his burning fists at Klaus. Klaus shifted fluidly between offense and defense, having grown somewhat accustomed to his opponent''s style, but he never stayed on the defensive for long. Yet every time Klaus attempted to create space, Drake used his combustion to force him back into the fray.


    Drake was even more vicious than during his previous assault, and Klaus began to feel increasingly exhausted as the battle progressed. He had already overextended himself, but as they clashed punches, his fatigue became secondary to his drive for victory.


    Klaus was knocked down several times by Drake¡¯s brutal strikes. Despite the interference of the glow affecting the precision of Drake¡¯s attacks, they remained devastating, leaving Klaus with multiple bruises and making it difficult for him to keep up. Drake seemed to anticipate and counter most of Klaus¡¯s tactics as well, his demonic intellect evident in every move.


    At one point, Klaus considered surrendering, but he quickly dismissed that thought. If he were to lose, it would have to be by being knocked out completely. His stubbornness forced him to continue, even if the fight seemed unwinnable.


    However, before Drake could land another blow, he suddenly hesitated and froze in place, an action Klaus had never seen during their brawl. Seizing the moment, despite hesitating briefly, Klaus stepped forward without hesitation.


    He stretched both hands out to his sides and created two first-grade Solar Balls before slamming them directly into Drake¡¯s chest. Drake remained frozen in place as the attack connected swiftly, the burst of signature light and the sheer energy required to produce both attacks forcing Klaus to recoil and collapse to the ground.


    For the first time in the battle, Klaus had a few seconds away from active combat, allowing his body to return to a semblance of normalcy and to register his overwhelming exhaustion. He coughed heavily, spitting blood as the adrenaline subsided.


    Klaus couldn¡¯t explain what he was feeling; his vision was hazy, and his head dizzy. The strain of exerting so much energy was finally catching up with him. Yet, despite his struggles, Klaus had landed a significant hit, one that should have knocked Drake down and secured the win.


    Or so he thought.


    As Klaus lifted his head, his eyes widened in disbelief when he saw Drake still standing strong. Drake had slouched forward after taking a direct hit to the chest, but the Solar Ball¡¯s force had only pushed him back a few meters, not even enough to force him against a wall.


    Drake¡¯s chest was bruised and bleeding slightly, and a massive hole was torn across the front of his shirt. He had absorbed two Solar Ball attacks head-on, a feat only a few could manage. What shocked Klaus, however, was not Drake¡¯s physical state but his mental one.


    Drake¡¯s head was bowed, yet a smile lingered on his face as he remained silent for a moment. Then, small giggles escaped his lips before they escalated into laughter.


    "Yes, Klaus Walker," Drake began, his tone different than before. "Show me the power of the demigod of Light."


    Drake slowly straightened his slouched posture, and as he did, a manically crazed expression replaced his earlier calm demeanor. He spread his fingers wide and tilted his face upward, his laughter continuing even as blood trickled down his chest.


    Klaus was frightened by the transformation. "What the hell is happening to him?" he wondered silently, confused by the scene.


    Immediately, Klaus¡¯s gaze darted to the observation room, where he saw Jhin glancing toward its entrance. But the demon was all alone; Nekro was no longer watching the fight. Judging by Jhin¡¯s attention, it appeared the god had just departed, meaning Drake no longer needed to maintain his composure.


    Klaus refocused on the fight and immediately noticed that Drake had already closed the distance between them. In an instant, Drake slammed his right foot into Klaus¡¯s body while Klaus was still on his knees. The force was unbelievable, sending Klaus crashing into the wall behind him within seconds.


    Klaus flinched in excruciating pain. He had been too slow to react to the attack and had also failed to activate his Phantasmal State ability at that critical moment. As he regained his focus, he noticed that Drake¡¯s flames had changed once again.


    Now standing tall, Drake wielded deep blue flames in each hand, the color nearly reaching a violet hue. The flames were so intense that even though Drake managed to keep them confined to his fists, they still burned the sleeves off his shirt.


    Drake tilted his head to the side in a crazed manner, a massive grin plastered on his face as he looked at Klaus. "We don''t need to keep the theatrics anymore, Klaus Walker," he said menacingly. "Now it''s time to fight with everything we have left... until we can no longer feel anything."


    Drake looked like a being straight out of a nightmare. Klaus was already nearing his limit; the glow around his body began to soften, and his heavy pants were clear. Yet somehow, Drake still maintained a relentless drive.


    Klaus began to understand why Drake was considered the ultimate offensive force. For a moment, he regretted challenging the demigod, but his stubbornness prevented him from quitting.


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    Rising to his feet again, Klaus remained strong despite the pain. The light in his eyes flickered slightly, and after closing his eyes briefly to steady himself, he took a deep, measured breath and exhaled slowly.


    With that exhalation, Klaus cleared his mind, letting go of every fear, every ounce of anger, and every last strategy. All that remained was his unwavering desire for victory. Then, after opening his eyes with renewed determination, Klaus and Drake charged at one another once more.


    The battle reached its climax as both fighters exchanged fierce, rapid blows. Klaus landed a solid jab to the side of Drake''s head, but Drake merely grinned before retaliating with a swift punch of his own. Drake¡¯s attack reached Klaus¡¯s head faster than a speeding bullet, and almost in slow motion, his fist began to phase through its target. Klaus managed to activate his ability just in time.


    Tilting his head against the direction of the strike to deactivate his ability earlier, Klaus then raised his right hand and grabbed Drake''s lone horn. With a powerful pull, Klaus forced Drake''s head downward and drove a knee into his opponent''s forehead. Still, Drake barely flinched, quickly regaining his stance and continuing his relentless onslaught.


    Drake''s movements became wildly unpredictable as he fought, confusing Klaus before landing a punch onto Klaus''s head. The blue flame powering his attack increased its speed unexpectedly, sending Klaus''s head flying backward a few feet before a sudden explosion behind him forced him to recoil back toward Drake.


    Using the explosion''s force, Drake propelled Klaus back toward him and then landed yet another strike on Klaus''s head. Soon after, Drake generated yet another explosion, repeating the maneuver a third time as Klaus tried to recover his guard. Before the third blow could land, Klaus managed to regain himself and phased through Drake''s fist.


    Klaus was clearly exhausted, an exhaustion that Drake somehow did not seem to share. He landed a strike on Drake''s face, only to receive a knee to his gut in return. Klaus flinched from the impact as Drake began swinging a series of flaming punches, each heavy blow striking his opponent''s body. Then, Drake stretched out his right hand and launched his claws directly at Klaus''s face.


    Drake''s claws sliced upward through Klaus''s head, all four nails digging through from Klaus''s left cheek to his left eye. After that, Drake raised his foot and drove it directly into Klaus''s head, kicking him away with brute force.


    Klaus managed to prevent himself from flying too far, but the intense pain in his face was overwhelming. He collapsed to the ground as blood seeped from his injuries; he could no longer feel or even open his left eye, suggesting it was completely damaged. Yet, despite the excruciating pain, Klaus forced himself to stand again; he had experienced death before, so this pain was not the worst he had ever felt.


    Watching Klaus slowly rise back to his feet, Drake began to giggle manically. "Yet you still rise," he said with amusement. "Incredible. Show me that spark. Show me that determination."


    Klaus¡¯s left face was drenched in blood that dripped down his chin, yet he stood upright. Drake charged forward with an attack, but Klaus managed to evade the swing, countering with a heavy blow to Drake¡¯s head that proved he was still in the fight.


    Klaus then launched a series of rapid punches at his opponent, but after just a few, Drake retaliated with a punch to Klaus¡¯s chest. As Klaus recoiled in pain, Drake closed the distance, stretched his fingers out for a chop, and landed a heavy strike on the side of Klaus¡¯s left hand, his dominant one.


    The force of the strike, amplified by the burning flames, hit the joint between Klaus¡¯s bicep and forearm, snapping his hand almost instantly. Before Klaus could recover, another heavy blow struck his jaw, sending him hurtling back as he slammed against the wall before ultimately falling unconscious.


    Drake glanced at his right hand, noticing fresh blood from the last strike, and his own face bore minor marks from the exchange. Amid this, he stuck out his tongue and licked a small drop of blood that dripped from his forehead, savoring its taste.


    A manic smile spread across Drake¡¯s face as his eyes widened. "Yes," he muttered. "This is what true battle is meant to be. Thank you for that experience, Klaus Walker. Though it had to end, this is a fight I will never forget."


    Yet as Drake took a moment to revel in his victory, his eyes suddenly snapped back to Klaus, who, against all odds, began to rise to his feet once more.


    Drake¡¯s smile faltered in confusion as he stared at Klaus. His expression became nearly unreadable, and for a split second, a trace of fear crossed his features. How was this possible? How was Klaus still conscious? What kind of being is he? Drake had so many questions as he watched the scene unfold. Despite his confusion, a smile returned to his face, and his uncontrollable laughter resumed.


    Drake stretched out his hands and laughed hysterically, his eyes blurred and the blood on his head slightly impairing his sight, yet he still found the spectacle amusing. "Yet he still rises," Drake repeated, his voice filled with excitement. "It¡¯s like he¡¯s immortal or something."


    Suddenly, Drake¡¯s gaze shifted, as if an idea had struck him. "Perhaps we could test that theory," he added softly in curiosity.


    Drake retracted his hands, fixing his gaze on Klaus, who had started moving closer. Klaus¡¯s breaths were audible, and he glared at Drake with one open eye. Gradually, his walk turned into a jog, and soon, he was rushing toward his opponent.


    Klaus swung his right fist at Drake, his left arm out of commission in the brawl. Drake swiftly evaded the incoming blows, maintaining his smile as he studied Klaus, almost scheming.


    Klaus¡¯s punches, though weaker, were persistent enough to eventually land a strike on Drake¡¯s head. Drake flinched, his head recoiling from the hit. But before anything more could occur, his smile grew wider.


    "Gotcha," Drake suddenly exclaimed.


    Immediately, he placed a palm over Klaus¡¯s chest. Deep blue flames erupted from his hand, engulfing Klaus within seconds. The flames then shifted color, deepening to violet before transforming into a heavy gold that swiftly covered Klaus¡¯s entire body.


    The flames were so ferocious that they filled the room with intense heat, shattering the glass between the observation and training rooms due to the thermal stress and hurling Klaus away from Drake.


    The sound of shattering glass made Jhin flinch in shock as an overwhelming heat wave followed. The intensity forced the demon to retreat to the edge of the room near the door, perhaps to save himself.


    The flames completely enveloped Klaus as he lay on the ground a significant distance from his opponent. Drake began to laugh uncontrollably at the spectacle, finding pure bliss in the intensity of the fight.


    But suddenly, Drake¡¯s laughter turned to incredulity as his eyes widened. "Are you insane?" he blurted out, as if speaking to himself.


    Drake stepped back slightly, then grabbed his head. Soon, he grunted audibly as his hair gradually shifted back to a silver hue and his single horn receded into his head. His skin began to change, and his dark sclera turned white as smoke reformed the remaining non-white areas around his eyes.


    Within seconds, Drake had switched places with Ash, whose concern was evident. "What is wrong with you?" Ash demanded. "Why would you use Celestial Flames?"


    Ash¡¯s attention immediately turned toward Klaus, who lay a few meters away, still engulfed in golden flames. As Ash moved closer with concern, he noticed something unusual.


    Klaus had flinched slightly before beginning to rise to his feet. The flames still covered his entire body, but Klaus stood, his expression as resolute as ever.


    "He''s not... burning," Ash said softly, watching Klaus rise.


    Klaus remained silent, his entire body cloaked in golden flames. One eye stayed open while his left arm hung limply, yet despite the raging flames, Klaus showed no signs of being burned.


    "Yet he still rises," Ash whispered in astonishment.


    Swiftly, Ash snapped back and then inhaled deeply through his mouth with purpose. After a few seconds, he exhaled forcefully, and a thick cloud of heavy smoke surged from his mouth, blanketing Klaus¡¯s body and extinguishing the flames.


    Soon, the smoke cleared, leaving Klaus free of the scorching fire.


    Klaus stood in silence, gasping for air as he covered his left side with his right hand. His body slumped, the aura of light that had once surrounded him now gone, and his eyes were dimmer than before.


    "Are you alright?" Ash asked.


    Klaus took a moment to gather himself; his labored breaths gradually eased as his adrenaline subsided.


    "I''m... fine," he replied, turning his gaze toward Ash, whom he now noticed had switched with Drake. "That''s... the most expression... I''ve ever seen you make," he added between gasps.


    Ash was caught off guard by Klaus''s comment, puzzled that despite Klaus clearly being in pain, his attention was fixed on someone else. "Is that so?" he eventually said, his gaze returning to normal, relieved that Klaus appeared alright.


    Soon, Ash''s eyes were drawn downward, noticing that Klaus''s clothes had completely burned away. "Uhh..." he said softly.


    Klaus followed his gaze, then realized he was completely naked and adjusted his body accordingly. "Oh... right," he muttered.


    "We can get you a new pair once we head back," Ash said.


    "Sure... I guess," Klaus responded, before collapsing to the ground in exhaustion.


    Klaus''s labored breaths made it clear that the strain of battle was taking its toll. His body ached, he was drenched in blood, and his skin was covered in bruises and injuries. While Ash also showed signs of fatigue, sharing the same level of exhaustion as Drake, he displayed far fewer signs of weariness.


    They both took a moment to catch their breaths before returning to the observation room. When they reached the door, Jhin, panting at its edge after the intense heat wave, moved closer to them.


    "Are you both alright?" he asked with concern.


    "We''re fine," Klaus replied. "I just need new clothes."


    "I can see that," Jhin noted. "I''ll see to it immediately. But Lord Nekro instructed that I let you both know he will be awaiting your presence in his chamber."


    "Alright," Klaus said before turning to Ash. "I''ll meet you there once I get a new pair of clothes and maybe a shower. For now, I''ll wait here."


    "Sure," Ash agreed.


    After about half an hour, Klaus was provided with a fresh pair of clothes that fit perfectly, along with access to a shower to clean his wounds. He was also given an arm sling for his broken arm, though he chose to leave his wounded left eye uncovered. Once prepared, he made his way back to Nekro''s chamber.


    When Klaus opened the door, he was met by Ash, Jhin, and Nekro, all awaiting his arrival. Jhin stepped closer.


    "I hope the clothes are to your liking," Jhin asked.


    "They''re fine," Klaus replied.


    "I''m glad," Jhin said with a smile before turning his attention back to Nekro.


    Nekro approached Klaus, his gaze examining the demigod. "I heard about the fight with Ash and how gruesome it got," he began. "You are truly a formidable demigod. You should be proud of how far you''ve come."


    Klaus''s expression darkened slightly upon hearing Nekro''s praise. "I don''t think so," he murmured. "I was clearly going to die if the fight had continued the way it did. Our current state speaks volumes."


    Klaus was the most severely injured among them; while Ash had only a few bruises and scratches, Klaus bore much heavier wounds.


    "That is true," Nekro said after a pause. "But considering your battle experience isn¡¯t on the same scale as theirs and given your limited training, I would say you did a spectacular job regardless."


    Klaus sighed softly. "I guess," he said, seeing the truth in Nekro''s words.


    "With that being said," Nekro continued shortly, "would you like me to tend to your damaged eye and wounds?"


    "That''s okay," Klaus replied. "I''ll be fine healing them over time."


    "Alright," Nekro agreed.


    And with that, Klaus had finally completed his duties here in Under World.


    "That would conclude your goals here, correct?" Nekro asked.


    "Yeah," Klaus replied.


    Realizing that he could now focus entirely on the issues back on Earth with the girl in white, Klaus began to say his goodbyes to his companions.


    Jhin turned to him, his expression softening as he began, "I am sorry you had to go through so much because of my sister, Klaus Wa... Klaus. But despite everything, I''m glad to have known you. You made me see things about humanity that I had never noticed before. I''m thankful for that."


    "It''s no problem," Klaus said with his usual reserve. "Even though I didn''t care at first, I''m glad I was able to help."


    Jhin smiled and extended his hand for a handshake. "I hope we get to cross paths again in my lifetime," he said warmly.


    "Likewise... I guess," Klaus replied.


    With that, Jhin was dismissed of his duties and returned to his chamber.


    Klaus then turned to Ash, aware that they were also expected to share goodbyes. "Well..." he began, "I guess I''ll be seeing you around."


    "I guess," Ash replied, his expression unchanged as he started to depart.


    Klaus glanced awkwardly. "Still a person of few words, huh?" he whispered to himself.


    Immediately, Klaus remembered something important and chose to speak up. "By the way," he began, "the other demigods respect you a lot. You should consider getting to know them more."


    Ash continued toward the door. "Is that so," he said, without turning back.


    Before he could exit, however, Ash stopped. "If they''re anything like you," he added, "then I wouldn''t mind getting to know them either."


    After that, Ash finally departed, the door closing behind him. Klaus stared at the door for a moment, absorbing his experience with Ash and the complex life he lived as an isolated demigod, before finally turning back to Nekro.


    "I guess this is goodbye for now," he said to the god.


    "Perhaps," Nekro replied, his expression suddenly shifting. "Though, there''s one more thing I wanted to ask you."


    It was the third time Klaus had heard Nekro mention this, but he didn''t mind; he knew he needed to hear the god out. With other pressing matters, if it required him to stay longer, he might have to decline.


    "Sure," Klaus said. "But it might have to be quick since I need to attend to something back on Earth."


    "Don''t worry," Nekro assured him. "That''s precisely what I want to ask."


    Nekro''s words confused Klaus for a moment, but as the next few serious words left his mouth, Klaus''s eyes widened in shock and horror.


    "Who is the unconscious girl in your room?"

 #130: Treacherous Deity

    Klaus''s eyes remained wide in disbelief as he absorbed Nekro''s words. Somehow, the god knew about the girl in white, the one Ace had brought back from the future, something Klaus had desperately hoped to keep hidden from the gods.


    "How does he know?" Klaus wondered silently.


    A flood of questions overwhelmed him, and his heart raced with fear. What if Nekro was the one? What if he was the treacherous deity?


    Without hesitation, Klaus assumed a defensive stance, holding his only uninjured arm out in front of him. "How... did you find out about that?" he finally asked, his expression steeled.


    Nekro turned his gaze toward Klaus, his look the most serious Klaus had ever seen. "Ever since you arrived in Under World, you''ve been burdened by a certain thought," Nekro began. "At first, I believed it was simply grief for the one you lost. But as it persisted, I realized it was something much more critical; something that might require my intervention. And that is why I scanned your thoughts at surface level."


    Klaus''s eyes widened in realization. He had been so careless since arriving that he had forgotten about that risk; a risk he had been wary of during his meeting with Sol.


    Keeping his guard up and his composure in check, Klaus stood before Nekro, whose eyes were fixed on him with a menacing glare.


    "I ask you once more, Klaus Walker," Nekro suddenly continued, extending his right hand, "who is that unconscious girl in white?"


    As soon as Nekro finished speaking, a weapon began to materialize in his outstretched hand. Slowly, it took shape; a massive scythe with a razor-sharp edge, towering over Klaus at about eight feet.


    Klaus could hardly believe his eyes. Nekro was serious about extracting this information. He understood the stakes: if he gave the wrong answer, or the required one, his words had the chance to threaten all of existence.


    Klaus also knew he was in no condition to battle a god. With everything he had seen Nekro do, including stripping him of his light speed, he realized he had little chance against any god, especially the god of Death and Souls. Yet, he knew he had no choice but to fight, for reality itself was at stake.


    "Klaus!" a sudden voice called out in his mind.


    "Quinn?" Klaus wondered, uncertain if he was imagining things.


    "Tell him everything you know," Quinn immediately added, her voice resonating telepathically. "And calm down."


    Klaus froze, unsure if the voice was a figment of his imagination urging him to reveal the information. Seeing his confusion, Quinn quickly explained, "If there were any risk that Nekro might be the treacherous deity, why would he confront you directly about the girl''s existence? Also, you''re misinterpreting the situation. You''re being cautious about his aggression, when in reality, he''s only maintaining his aggression because you''re being cautious."


    "Isn''t that right... Lord Nekro?" Quinn added.


    Still confused, Klaus refocused his gaze on Nekro.


    After a moment of silence, Nekro sighed. "Smart girl," he finally said, letting go of his weapon before it dematerialized. "It seems there has been a misunderstanding."


    Klaus was uncertain of what was happening, yet he remained silent from sheer fear. Noticing his hesitation, Nekro decided to explain further.


    "My caution toward your intentions stemmed from the fact that you showed no signs of disclosing any information," Nekro explained. "I was concerned that you were withholding potentially dangerous details."


    "But why go so far as to show such aggression?" Klaus managed to ask, his body slowly relaxing from the earlier tension.


    "You retained information to ensure that no god would learn of it," Nekro replied. "Isn''t that, in itself, a cause for concern?"


    Klaus recognized the truth in Nekro''s words. "I guess you''re right," he conceded.


    Soon, Klaus''s attention shifted to Quinn, who had been present telepathically during the encounter. "How did you even know what was happening?" he asked her telepathically.


    "Shade had me check up on you," Quinn explained. "He said that the shadow he gave you relayed that you were in mortal danger, and he didn''t want to transport to you without knowing what was going on. When I checked, I realized you were only sparring with Ash at that point, so I chose not to intervene. I''ve been on high alert ever since, and when I sensed a change in your emotions, I decided to investigate further."


    Quinn''s explanation, though lengthy, was sound, so Klaus decided not to press further.


    "Still, I''m lucky I did so," Quinn continued, "or you might have gotten yourself killed for no reason."


    "I would not have harmed him, Quinn Atlas," Nekro suddenly interjected out loud. "Even if there was a potential threat, I''m not certain I could do that to any of my nieces or nephews. I''m glad it didn''t come to that."


    "I know that," Quinn confirmed, her voice echoing in Klaus''s mind. "My concern was Klaus doing something reckless instead."


    Klaus was utterly confused. "Wait, how can you hear her?" he asked aloud, puzzled by how Nekro could pick up and respond to Quinn''s telepathic communication.


    But as Klaus voiced his question, he quickly recognized its triviality. "Never mind," he muttered immediately, realizing it was simply a god''s prerogative. "I guess that was a dumb question."


    The sensation Klaus had just experienced was unsettling, but once he regained his composure, he relayed everything to Nekro, from Ace¡¯s sudden disappearance to the emergence of the girl in white.


    "According to Ace," Klaus explained, "she was the only sign of life left in a world that could only be described as a total wasteland."


    "That''s impossible," Nekro replied, shock evident in his tone. "Despite the oaths we swore, we gods would never allow humanity to collapse upon itself like that, even if a demigod were involved."


    "That''s the thing," Klaus elaborated. "The way Ace described it, the way the girl had addressed him, suggests that she was the only life form left... including the gods."


    Nekro''s eyes widened in disbelief. "What?" he exclaimed softly, clearly finding Klaus''s statement inconceivable. "You understand the gravity of your words and what they imply, don''t you?"


    "Yes," Klaus confirmed. "It implies that the only thing capable of causing such a future... would be a god."


    Nekro paused for a good amount of seconds. He understood that for Klaus to say such a thing meant that he was certain enough of his words.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    After a long pause, Nekro finally asked, "You haven''t told any other god about this, have you?"


    "No," Klaus replied. "We didn''t want to risk alerting the one god who could trigger such a future and possibly accelerate the process."


    "A wise decision," Nekro assured, now understanding why Klaus had been so troubled by the matter.


    "Also," Klaus added, "before the girl lost consciousness, Ace mentioned that she warned him not to interact with a certain presence, and it was a presence unlike anything he had ever felt. It nearly drove him to madness."


    At once, Klaus finished his explanation, and Nekro''s expression shifted instantly; the shock on his face was unlike anything Klaus had ever seen in a god.


    "I-Impossible," Nekro muttered, his gaze fixed on Klaus. "Are you absolutely certain about this?"


    "Uhh... that''s what I was told," Klaus replied, surprised by Nekro''s reaction.


    Nekro fell silent for several moments, lost in thought. When he finally spoke again, his tone was resolute.


    "For now, you demigods must keep this information from the other gods," he advised. "I will investigate on my end to ensure that such a future never comes to pass. I will also monitor multiple possible futures to ensure that the worst do not materialize. But... once that girl awakens, gather as much information as possible about this future. Her presence in what you call the Occurring Timeline is already an anomaly."


    Nekro''s stern reaction only heightened Klaus''s worries. Initially, Klaus had doubted whether to hide the situation from the gods, but now that Nekro strongly advised it, Klaus began to feel uneasy.


    "You may return to Main World, nephew," Nekro finally said. "But keep me updated on any new information regarding this matter."


    "Sure," Klaus replied after a pause.


    As Klaus headed toward the door, Nekro suddenly called out, "Before you go..." stretching his hand toward Klaus.


    Klaus felt a brief surge of energy flow through him. "I had to return the power I stripped from you during your spar," Nekro explained.


    "Oh yeah," Klaus said. "I forgot about that."


    After concluding his conversation with Nekro, Klaus finally made his way back. As he left Nekro''s chamber, Quinn spoke to him telepathically one more time. "Wow, you really don''t know how to handle these situations, do you?" she teased.


    "Oh, shut up," Klaus retorted.


    "Woowww," Quinn continued in a teasing tone, "I save your life, and that''s all I get for it?"


    With that, Klaus departed, and the door closed behind him.


    Nekro kept his gaze fixed on the door, watching as Klaus departed, his mind consumed by what Klaus had just revealed. He knew this situation could not be taken lightly and that drastic measures, far beyond what anyone might expect, were required.


    After a long pause, Nekro shifted his gaze and suddenly called out, "XVII."


    Almost immediately, a voice responded telepathically, "Yes, my Lord?"


    "Connect with the demigod known as X," Nekro continued. "Tell him that his presence is urgently needed here in Under World by me."


    "Understood, my Lord," XVII replied. "I will contact him immediately."


    After severing the connection, Nekro sighed and straightened his gaze before leaving his chamber. The god strode through the Facility, his presence completely imperceptible to the demons roaming the building; no one could see or interact with him as he made his way toward a specific location; deeper than any of the explored floors.


    Nekro continued downward for several minutes, passing the last set of guards until he finally reached the lowest, most restricted floor. With a serious expression, the final doors opened for him, and he slowly entered the room.


    The room itself was small and shrouded in complete darkness, with pitch-black walls on every side and a single dim light in the center that activated almost on command as Nekro entered.


    When the light came on, it revealed a massive block of glass dividing the room in half, separating the entrance from something, or rather someone, on the other side.


    Through the glass, Nekro glanced upon a being completely encased in chains; nearly every part of its body was bound by shackles, with chains emerging from nearly every wall section. This being was no ordinary mortal. Though it possessed a human-like form, its height exceeded that of any other mortal at around eight feet, evident even while it sat bound tightly on the ground.


    The being¡¯s head hung downward, its eyes completely hidden behind a massive shackle connected to a chain that hooked onto the wall. Additional shackles covered its mouth and neck, rendering its face nearly invisible. The only visible feature was its long black hair, cascading over the metal that obscured its face and falling just past its shoulders.


    As Nekro advanced further into the room, the being slowly lifted its head, acknowledging the presence of a guest. "Ah... Nekro," the being intoned, its voice resonating through the space as it communicated using its mind.


    Its voice, undeniably masculine, betrayed a nature more male than one might have assumed. "Who would have imagined you''d visit me more than once in a decade?" the being continued.


    Nekro''s expression remained impassive as he moved closer to the glass, his stern gaze fixed on the unknown prisoner. "You already know why I am here... Limbo."


    Klaus opened his single eye as he materialized at his normal spawn location back on Earth. The vast night sky, reminiscent of Under World, made it clear that it was already the middle of the night.


    He had chosen to return directly to Earth instead of going to Higher World, prioritizing checking on the situation with the girl in white first. The transportation process had hurt him a bit, his arm was still in a sling, but after a few moments, he managed to steady himself.


    Taking a step, Klaus arrived at the door of his home in a fraction of a second. There were only a few humans outside at that hour, making it easier for him to enter without drawing attention.


    Once inside, Klaus quickly ascended the stairs and made his way to his room. There, he was greeted by Shade, Riley, and Ace, who were seated around the room and near the bed where the girl in white still lay unconscious.


    Noticing Klaus''s arrival, the group turned toward him. "You''re back," Shade said.


    As Riley fixed her eyes on Klaus, they widened in shock when she saw his battered state. "Oh my gods!" she exclaimed in concern. "What happened to you?"


    "I''m guessing it''s from your fight with Ash?" Shade asked.


    "Drake as well," Klaus explained. "Actually, more from him than the other."


    "Damn," Shade murmured.


    "Some spar that was for leaving you looking like this," Riley added, worry evident in her tone.


    "I''d say you should see the other guy, but..." Klaus continued, his tone hinting that the beatdown was one-sided. "Regardless, I''m fine. So don''t worry about it."


    "Still," Shade said, "considering it was an all-out brawl, it''s crazy that you''re even still alive."


    "I guess," Klaus replied.


    Soon, Klaus''s attention shifted to Ace, who sat in a corner with his gaze fixed on the ground, appearing emotionless. Klaus''s expression softened as he noticed how low Ace was.


    "You''re usually more lively than this, you know," Klaus said, catching Ace''s attention.


    Ace looked up at Klaus. "O-Oh, my bad, haha," he muttered, forcing a smile.


    Klaus felt a pang of regret. He had never seen Ace without his usual smile or in a good mood ever since they met. But after Ace''s brief encounter with the future, Klaus''s fears only grew regarding what the demigod had witnessed.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to get some rest?" Klaus asked Ace.


    "Nah, I''m fine," Ace assured him. "I already got enough rest that moment after I returned."


    Ace''s expression grew even more subdued as he added, "Though... I''m not sure I even can, knowing what I felt in that moment."


    "Don''t worry," Shade interjected. "It''ll take some time, but I''m sure you''ll adapt. We always do."


    "This time might be different," Ace said softly. "But... I hope so."


    "While we''re on the topic of rest," Riley interjected, "you should also get some sleep, Klaus. I''m assuming you hadn''t rested in Under World, so the last time you got any sleep was during our training session."


    Klaus knew Riley was right, but like Ace, he felt he couldn''t close his eyes with everything he knew weighing on him. Still, all his reasoning faded when he suddenly met Riley''s warm, cheerful smile as they exchanged glances.


    After a brief silence, Klaus quickly diverted his attention from her. "I-It¡¯s no big deal," he stammered. "Also, I still have things I need to do right now."


    Klaus then walked away from Riley''s gaze, leaving her looking slightly confused.


    "What do you still have to do?" Shade asked from the side, his tone filled with concern.


    "I... still have to go to Higher World," Klaus explained. "I have to meet my dad and thank him for all his help. I rushed here immediately to make sure everything was okay, but I¡¯d feel terrible if I didn''t go and thank him."


    Shade raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you sure?" he asked. "You were the one who mentioned the risks of staying around a god. Are you sure you want to take said risk?"


    Klaus remained silent, his eyes never meeting Riley¡¯s, who stood by his side. "It''ll be fine," he finally said as he began to exit the room. "I''ll be back soon."


    "A-alright," Shade stammered as he watched Klaus close the door behind him. He then turned to Riley briefly. "That was weird, right?"


    "Yup," Riley agreed. "Also, is it just me, or do his clothes look different from when he first left?"


    Klaus made his way out of the house and toward his transportation area using his Burst Speed. He leaned against a wall and sighed heavily, gazing up at the night skies above.


    "What is wrong with me?" he muttered softly.


    Leaving again felt unfair. Klaus regretted not being there to help watch over the girl once more and having to burden them with the task. But for some reason that he couldn''t explain, he felt like he just couldn''t stay there.


    Gathering himself, Klaus finally placed his palm on the poster and activated his transportation, eventually moving to Higher World.