Those present widened their eyes. The news was not at all pleasant and more than justified all the trouble caused for the meeting to take place. Rey was taken by surprise when the old man mentioned his name and, oddly enough, the ones who looked at him disapprovingly were his two siblings, Katherine, and Mijan.

Ehimus, Heroclades, Maryam, and Wulfgang looked happy for some reason.

The Great Wise Wizard said, "This is not the first time such an attack has happened. With my power I can regulate the entrance of the invaders, and so the guardians of the site can take care of them until night comes, and all the alien bodies end up consumed in the infinite century of destruction. By wind, fire, snow, water, and mud, the invaders will be devoured and become the magnificent compost that keeps the site looking so wonderful."

Ehimus, with the happiness of someone who missed a good time, remarked, "Well, a bit of action! Whoo! What do you say we help the guards, so you don't have to work so hard to hold back the invaders' entrance?" she said with encouragement, more than she was used to being seen with.

The Great Wise Wizard, opening his eyes and adjusting his beard, replied, "Your help will not be amiss, but my duty is to ensure your safety. If you want to fight, it is up to you."

"Ignore the attitude of these two sourpusses," said Heroclades. "A good fight makes you forget your troubles," referring first to Mijan and Katherine, then he pointed to the wolf, the vampire, and the elf. "We insist and we need it. Besides, the ones who brought those bounty hunters from the other side were us, in the first place, so we have to solve the problem we left half-finished.”

The Great Wise Wizard, as one who gives in to a risky proposition because he trusts others, stated, "Given the insistence, I will accept your help. Although, for the second time, I must insist that I am not responsible for the safety of those who are not at this point," he said at the same time that the sky of the place was split in two and a whole gigantic arm was present.

All around, hundreds of thousands of decrepit and naked bodies invaded the sky and the plains giving a war cry. Wulfgang, baring his teeth in a grin, said, "Break formation; from now on you are authorized to do what you are accustomed to do... Fight, kill, and conquer no matter what!" he said, giving the signal to those present.

Heroclades, Ehimus, Mijan, and Katherine disappeared, but Maryam remained. That one, who was also eager to fight, stayed behind because her maternal instinct demanded it. She, well troubled, said the following words, "I must protect the little ones! I have to make sure they stay here, in the only safe place."

Dante, having found another opportunity, launched an explosive comment, "I want to go to my master! He may need me!!!"

At his son's claims, Wulfgang laid his hand on the vampire's shoulder. The wolf wanted his wife to have a little confidence in his son, as he needed to learn what real combat was. To "come down from the cloud" in which he was floating, as they had already discussed.

 Dante, as one who wanted attention to validate his point, exclaimed as he held out his hands as one who was showing something obvious, "Mother!"

Maryam retorted with an angry cry, "I will not allow it!"

The vampire, who always smiled no matter the situation, had for the first time wiped the smile off her face in front of her children and those present. That was how serious the moment was. Rey was the only one among the little ones who understood the magnitude of the trouble his brother was getting himself into simply for believing that Father had more authority than Mother.

"What do you mean no!" retorted Dante. "We can kill with justification! This is my chance to show you, Father, and the entire clan the results of my training. And that Mijan didn't hold back," he spoke almost laughing, happy for his mother's reaction, happy to be convinced of his confidence as a fighter.

A dry sound was heard. With the back of her right hand, the mother hit one of her sons in the face, more for wiping away his smile than for his disrespect. Dante was perplexed. He couldn't believe it. For him it was impossible that his mother had hit him in the face. Did it mean that she was his enemy? That she didn't love him anymore?

"This is not a game, Dante," Maryam said with ice coldness in her gaze. A cold so overpowering that it extinguished the glowing embers of burning coals that represented her wolf son's eyes.

Dante spoke through his teeth, averting his gaze at the white eyes of his brother, who so strictly looked at him and seemed unwilling to help him, though the timing was most convenient for him. "It never was. I'm not useless, I'm a fighter... I'm invincible and I'm the best. Let me prove it to you."

Wulfgang closed his eyes and denied the assertion of his so arrogant and so-like-him son. "Dante... I have tried to teach you values in this life. I have tried so hard, but I could not succeed."

Everyone's attention was diverted to the burly werewolf who spoke sadly.

"Remember when you told Mijan you wanted a sword? I made one for you and told Katherine to stop by and pretend I was lending it to you; it was all so you'd learn to take care of what isn't yours. But..."

"He left it rusting out of its sheath. He never cleaned the blood off it and ended up smashing it against a stone," spoke Jhades as one who was proud to point out other people's mistakes.

Wulfgang, unhappy with his vampire son's attitude, said, "Jhades, to you I showed that loneliness will not help you to advance, but, still, since you do not want to advance, you decided to stay alone in the same place, to the point where, like your brother Dante, you have also starved the little guardian of Paradise that Katherine sought out for you for company."

Dante could not contain himself; he was not listening to his father's words. Distracted by the screams, explosions, and all the calamities that were happening in the surrounding area, the little wolf was paying attention to what he thought were unique eventualities he was missing. At a time when he could be out there, he felt he was wasting his time listening to the lectures of his father, who knew nothing.

"It doesn't make sense. I could have beaten half the enemies by now. The two of them are forcing their roles as parents... In short, they don't care if we die or live. Aren't we defective children... what...?"

Rey intervened in the matter by placing his hand on his brother's shoulder. The little, white-eyed boy saw in the vampire's eyes a growing frustration, as with a punch and her husband's lecture everything remained the same inside Dante's head. The frustration his mother had surely left her to the point of wanting to give the rebellious wolfling an ultimatum, one of those warnings like, "Either you do as I say, or you will no longer be my son." But Rey knew that she hesitated before speaking. He pondered looking at Wulfgang, in particular, perhaps because he knew the temperament of wolves when they turned on their eyes and felt trapped. They choose to go the other way, to safety, if it meant they were free, even if they faced danger.

Rey said, "Mother, Dante is not going to give in and further arguing is going to end up driving our hearts further apart. You must fear no more, for this is the time. Let this be our initiation... I will try my best not to die." Stepping forward, he continued, "On the other hand... Father is right... Dante needs to learn on his own what combat is... and we need a chance for you to love us as your children that we are. If not, you have to let us go."

The wolf cub opened his eyes, braided his body, and stuck out his chest. He didn't like the idea of the bastard with no last name saying he would take care of him, but at least it was better than nothing. Flashing a knowing smile, Dante turned his head only to meet the enraged face of the one who had defended him.

Rey continued, "Dante, those words were too much. Think better about what you are going to say before you speak. Be careful not to regret it. This time I will take it as a flaw in your personality, but you had better change."

Wulfgang knew that among the younger ones they could not form a spirit of belonging to the group if they did not take risks. Although it was obvious who was likely to get the title of leadership among the three: his white-eyed son. Rey may not have had an enthusiasm that was contagious, but he did make himself look like the tip of a spear.

Maryam looked at Rey and calmed the frustration in her eyes. Of the three children, he was the one who could be trusted the most. Besides, he also had formed values and had had the ability to figure out on his own what the initiation process was to be accepted into the pack. Dante for some reason fell silent at Rey's rebuke, something that made Wulfgang show even more sadness in his gaze.

"I'm willing to help, but not before I have a weapon," added Jhades as if downplaying the situation.

Dante narrowed his eyes and growled. He wanted to attack the one who only managed to find himself in trouble, but he held back in front of Rey. However, he understood that the vampire simply wanted to be liked, to speak for his own benefit, and complicate the situation.

At the suggestion of the little blue-eyed boy, the two parents looked at each other. Weapons, where would they get weapons to fight with? A weapon was not something a fighter could get lightly, nor was it something that could be easily created. Sure, they could ask Heroclades to claim some weapons, but the aforementioned was busy.

The Great Wise Wizard, as one who opportunely intervened with the solution to a problem, said, "I can provide you with the best of all," he added in his characteristic jocular tone. "I understand that you are still very young and that a weapon is something special. An instrument that grows in power with its user, that is acquired through hard work and a lot of luck. But in a drastic situation measures must be taken to accommodate. They have as their motive to defend the place that belongs to them, the training, and I will give them the means.”

Maryam could do nothing but hug her children and cry. She did not want to let them go. Although the mountain shook, the sky darkened, and a whole rain of enemies swarmed the place, the mother refused to let go of her children. She had a great inner fear, the fear that her children would die and that she could do nothing because she did not love them. She believed that perhaps with "reunification" she could foster the love she felt. But how could she love her children if she hadn't had enough time to be a mother?

The ligers, the site's first line of defense, fought fiercely along with the other guardians who did their best, but evidently it was not enough. The rumble of a sequence of explosions was heard. The mother realized that perhaps it was not such a bad idea to leave them. The situation was so delicate that she might not be able to protect her young. Letting them go off to fight so prematurely might be another way to lose them. But, as Rey and her husband had said in their words, it was time to let them go. "We need a chance for you to love us as your children."

Maryam, in the face of time passing slowly and all the ambient sounds that muted, decided to say, "Listen well...don't be irresponsible. If it's easy to take a life, it's just as easy to lose the one you have. Stay back and wait for us to finish with everyone. Do you hear me?! They don't belong to the group yet and I don't trust them.”

The mountain shook and trembled again until it split in two. Wulfgang flashed the smile he was holding back and after igniting his body, which doubled in size and became covered in fire armor, he disappeared ready to fight.

The vampire continued, "Did you hear me!" she repeated as she shook Dante to answer the question.

Dante reluctantly responded by averting his gaze, "Yes."

A gigantic hand covered by hundreds of limbs, belonging to a hideous creature, tried to attack the five individuals gathered at the top of the mountain. The Great Wise Wizard made a whole barrier that destroyed in a thousand pieces the flesh and bones that tried to attack the place. As a result, a torrent of blood bathed the sphere and isolated the place from all divine light that illuminated during the day.

Maryam drew out her immense wings and unfurled as she absorbed the shadows and, with them, covered herself with black armor. Levitating in the air, her face deformed and showed the ferocity of an animal that shot through the barrier like a bullet. The vampire raised her left hand to the sky and swallowed all the divine glow remaining in Heaven, while with her opposite hand she accumulated and solidified the blood of the creature that screamed for the absence of its hand until it was dissected. With the giant's blood, she created a thousand swords and also a sharp net that spread everywhere.

Rey could see that both his mother and the others were fighting, not to survive or protect or feel in danger, but rather as the only way they would let go of all the frustrations they had built up so far. Maryam swallowed the glow and made the darkness her strength, power, and mobility, but only as far as the violent sea of flames reached. Among the fire, moving from side to side, was Wulfgang, who set the entire forest ablaze causing the ground on the opposite side of the battlefield to turn to lava, only as far as the charred logs. Among the wood, Ehimus sat on the shoulder of one of many small giants and a whole prison of vines that ran as if they were a whirlwind, and no longer extended to the other side in white flashes. Where the furrowed earth began, Katherine, with the edge of her gigantic sword, cut through the middle and froze with black ice on the sides, even the distant trees that made up the Ever-Changing Forest. On the other side of the black ice, Mijan filled everything in his path with holes, explosions, and flashes and from the earth to the sky with a gigantic floating artifact of humanoid form, almost as big as a mountain. At the end of the circle, between Mijan and Maryam, was Heroclades, who flooded the entire area with an overflowing river of black wolves that devoured, clawed, and exploded everything in its path.

From what little Rey could see, the elders were certainly on another level. So much so that they had to separate themselves from each other so as not to harm each other indirectly. Dante trembled with fear at the sight of the seniors' devastating strength, but he still believed it was not enough to pose a danger to his invincibility. Jhades, on the other hand, gazed in fascination at all the elders as if they were the stuff of worship and idolatry.

Suddenly, in the air above the heads of the little ones, the attention of the flying beings was caught by the explosion of one of their fellows being cut in half with a sword of darkness and blood. The three little ones watched as a cloud of flying beasts chased their mother all over the place, a cloud that became a shower of blood as it slashed against the sharp spider's web almost impossible to see. More and more giants came into view on a roof that was falling apart. Screams echoed and shook the earth, yet the elders refused to stay behind.

Dante and Jhades fell to the ground at the terrifying sight of frightening beings never before seen by them. Many heads and twice as many arms peeked out from within the sky of the place to peer in, looking for a way in.

"Are you not afraid?" the wolfling asked his white-eyed brother.

Rey said aloud, as one who had already seen the beings rambling outside of Hell, "Why should I be?"

Jhades, feeling uneasy, said, "Although the elders have a lot of power, the situation does not look very favorable for them. There are hundreds of immense enemies."

Rey, confident in his words, said, "When you reach Royal rank the difference in size is not a problem, for you can put yourself at the height of any giant, if you wish."

Dante and Jhades looked at their brother in disbelief. What did it mean, "to rise to the height of any giant"? What did the word "rank" mean? Two questions assailed their thoughts. Before they could ask to remove their doubts, the two little ones saw with their eyes what they never imagined they would see or that it was possible.

Maryam, after increasing the amount of blood and darkness available to her, wrapped her body with these two materials until, after having thousands of layers one on top of the other, she reached the same size as the giants.

"The Colossus of Darkness and Blood, predominant among the vampires," said Rey before the imposing figure that stood with two immense open wings, a sword, and a whole elongated shield. "Hmmm, I see you have several variants and the training to fight both ways, up close and from afar."

The vampire took position and pointed her elongated sword to, immediately after, make a violent explosion with the tip of it and disappear the head of what was looming in the place. Blood and darkness shot out and took whatever form was desired, which burst into flames and exploded like a bomb. From among the distant trees of the Ever-Changing Forest, a whole gigantic trunk sped past the site with the intent to strike down the vampire. She, with the armor of her left arm acting as a shield, blocked the blow without much difficulty to shoot back with the tip of her sword. A giant, who threw himself from the sky hoping to take the vampire by surprise, ended up being received by the sword, which in the opposite hand of the shield became an axe that violently separated the enemy in two, whose blood served as ammunition to continue shooting.

Rey changed the direction of his face. Among the Hellish prairies wrapped in fire and lava, a giant of flames of different colors rose up aflame and solid.

"The Colossus Rex of Fires, predominant among fire elemental users, whose flames are yellow, red, orange, blue, green, black, and white. This variant that Father uses has long arms and outstretched claws for sure to attack like a storm," said Rey.

The huge bipedal structure belonging to Wulfgang was lost from the sight of any onlooker because of how fast it moved, despite the proportions of its size. Whenever it appeared, it would strike with its claws, rather instinctively, just as a beast would strike between several enemies that cornered it. The elongated body, with the characteristics of a beast, with its tail, seemed to maintain its balance while attacking, not to mention the pointed reinforcements on its shoulders, back and chest, which it used to crash into enemies. The giant managed to split in two equal parts an individual of the same size, employing his claws, and with his tail decapitated the one who attacked him from behind.

Rey continued, "The Wood God Colossus can only be used by a God rank wood elemental user. Unlike the Royal Rank Colossus, it does not require a core, as it can be the product of all the surrounding logs, roots, and trees. It is summoning a catastrophe that will fight violently for its self-preservation against any calamity for an indeterminate period of time, without the need to be supervised or commanded by the creator."

Indeed, as if all the nature of the area served the same purposes of the elf, before the enemies that fell from the sky, that colossal only folded his arms and made huge pointed wooden stakes shoot out to meet those who descended. Those fortunate enough to evade the critical attacks of the stakes, as soon as they reached the ground, were to be met with the fury of a hammer composed of roots wrapped around a large stone, which the wooden giant carried over his shoulder with both arms. Those who turned to try to escape ended up agonizing on the ground, as if their bodies developed roots that grew and buried themselves deeper into their flesh and bones, until they came out through their mouths, eyes, ears, and noses. The elf, who ate from the flowers, kept sitting on the shoulder of the colossus who, with his slow walk, came to his victims and made them suffer to see a hammer rising above his head. And like an executioner beheading the condemned, the colossus would drop the weapon of judgment with all his might. The overwhelming sound that a head made, as it was being scalped and entered the chest cavity of the assaulted, sounded almost as often as the vampire's gunshots.

Rey continued along with the spinning of his body, "In the blizzard of shadowed frost can be seen the Black Ice Colossus, Katherine's elemental control of ice and darkness, which also has variants of the original art.”

Imposing, with a sword twice its size, it implied that its goal was to cut, strike, thrust, and frizzle everything in its path, regardless of the damage. From afar you could see how the cold froze and tore the skin of those who moved on any surface, how the pieces of flesh were stuck. The black ice that made up the sharp blade looked as solid as any metal, but with the cutting of the enemies' bones, the sword would nick and break. Once unusable, Katherine discarded her weapon, throwing it with all her might to replace it with one of the several spares that floated behind her back and served as a shield. At the very moment the vampire went to make the switch, an enemy approached... She raised her opposite hand and at high speed launched a shot of solid ice. As soon as she got hold of her new sharp blade, she pulled two blades from her feet, which, in combination of complex leg movements, showed their true potential by making more than ten heads roll.

Rey struggled to identify the hull of something that existed and hovered in the air. The same machinery opened the inside of his chest and by means of an innumerable amount of wires drew what appeared to be Mijan's body inside.

"Admittedly, among all the ‘Colossals,’ the one belonging to the De-Technologies elf is the one with the greatest mobility, maneuverability, destructive power, and defense. Among those present it is the strongest of all and it is not necessary to control any combat art or to have a Royal degree to be able to use it. It reminds me of the mechanical prototypes used by humans, although hundreds of thousands of times more advanced. I would venture to say its name is, XWZ."

What Rey had said, Jhades and Dante could see clearly. Of those present, Mijan's Colossus was the largest and the one that hovered in the air without the need for wings or physical strength. It also seemed to fall into pieces, but, up close, those pieces behaved atypically, for upon reaching the ground they moved and scattered around the site with the intention of devouring everything and producing materials to enlarge the size of the giant. Mijan, after the help of the little ones, after allowing himself to be surrounded and beaten by the enemies, made two swords appear and cut everything into an overwhelming diameter in just a flash. Although none of the thousands of pieces of flesh or blood came to fall entirely on the ground, as if they were held by the same force that floated all that immense machinery in constant evolution.

"And, lastly, we have my master who cried out to the ‘Colossal Hydra God,’ one of the hundreds of thousands of creatures in his book. The closest to a dragon that obeys him."

Heroclades stood cross-armed over the creature's tallest and most imposing head, with hundreds of heads. The immense beast, non-humanoid in form, stood on four legs, covered with white scales from the tip of its single tail to each and every one of its heads. All the long-tongued mouths spat something: it could be fire, wind, lightning, water, earth, or acid, but none seemed to be without function. A giant from the sky fell standing on the wizard's perimeter. Immediately, the beast, which was only sticking out its hundreds of tongues, even turned to look at the slightest hint of aggression on the part of the enemy; the being let all its heads separate from its body, leaving only nine of them, and set out to attack with ferocity everything in its path. The first giant was imprisoned by its feet, coiled by two snakes that made enough pressure to shatter the bones and cut with their sharp scales the flesh of the feet. The beast used two of its heads to bite the giant's arms and, with a third mouth, spat fire and calcined the helpless creature's head. Three by three, with the help of the ninety bodies that were strewn about the ground, the three pairs of main heads exerted the same fusion again and again, while the tail split in two any individual approaching from the rear.

...

With such a scene of unparalleled destructive power, Dante was beginning to reconsider whether he should really stay and obey Mother's words. Giants were no problem if you were small. The invaders posed no threat either, but staying with the adults after the fighting was over was a problem. From the knowledge Rey proved to have, he should make him a member of his team, for it would certainly be beneficial to him. Jhades, on the other hand, thought that, if he told the elders that Rey knew of their secrets, perhaps he would receive something in return.

The Great Wise Wizard spoke, snapping the vampire and the wolfling out of the hypnotic trances they were in from watching the elders of the clan fight with such veracity and listening to Rey speak of the powers they used. "Before I forget, here are the fighting tools I promised you..." He made three weapons appear, at the feet of the little ones.

A sword with a curved blade and a long two-handed hilt, wrapped with a majestic black sheath tied to a short belt: it was a katana. Next to it sat two pistols of automatic design, with magazine in the stock, slide and recoil chamber for the recoiling shells, both identical in appearance. Even inside their holsters it could be seen that they had a large sharp blade fused with the frame and trigger guard, a specific adaptation for short-range combat. And finally, two blades of approximately sixty-two centimeters with a double serrated edge at the beginning and a pronounced curvature, pointed at one end and at the other with two handles that were fused into complex wrist guards.

With his right and more dexterous hand, Dante was the first to take from the ground the katana that the Great Wise Wizard had made appear. He had always wanted a sword that he could replenish by the missing edge of his brittle claws. As if out of a sense of competence, the little wolf cub threw himself down and protected his sharp object to put it on his waist and show it off around the place.

Jhades picked the two pistols from the ground. Although his more dexterous hand was his left, the vampire had the advantage of having been forced by his teacher to use his right hand in combat, which favored him in the situation of having to wield two pistols. He could shoot a gun in each hand quite well, with the left by natural inclination and with the right by forced education, but in combat he always found it better to kill his enemy from a distance than to have to run or fight with his body. After placing the cross-shaped sheaths on his back, he moved his shoulders to test the comfort.

Rey was left with the two large sharp blades that could only be held by wrist straps. The curved double-edged blades, once in place, protruded from the back of his forearms and over his head. By means of some mechanisms they could change the direction of the blades forward in offensive mode and backward in defensive mode. Among the combat books he had read, very little was said about these weapons, let alone an art of combat with them. Still, Rey knew that in defensive mode they served to avoid blows and at the same time wound opponents, while, in offensive mode, they became an extension of the user that can be wielded with great skill, agility, and moderate attack power. As the key to using these sharp blades was in the control of the hands, he had no problem being ambidextrous.

"Forearm Blades. In principle it is an inefficient and very difficult art to learn, but what actually makes a sword art less effective than the rest is not mastering it completely. If not used as intended, these blades will end up doing more damage than any enemy out there, not to mention being vulnerable to an opponent. The user of these arts must demonstrate a great aptitude for using the blades mounted on the arms, and more so with this design..." said Rey as he pressed his fist and made a strong lunge develop from his left blade forward, propelled by some mechanisms. "The speed of that slash was enough to cut through the trunk of a small tree. It can also rotate one hundred and eighty degrees, and best of all it is removable, eliminating the risk of me getting stuck. If I could identify a way to make them retractable like my wings, they would be perfect. I believe there are means of weapon concealment in the Book of Clamados, but for now it would be doing far more than I have to."

Both Jhades and Dante looked at their brother oddly, for he looked ridiculous and unconventional. They even came to denote a bit of pity in their looks, as well as joy that they were not the ones with those sharp blades that promised to cut their throats if they were not careful to move them.

The Great Wise Wizard said, "The weapons you carry were forged by a mighty smith and their physical presence will be permanent from now on. You may rely on them until you find better ones," he said, half-opening his eyes as he played with his fluffy white beard. "I warn you; no one will have time to take care of you if you go outside my barrier... if something happens, come back. I will protect you."

A flaming creature crashed through the barrier and fell to the ground. As soon as it regained consciousness and identified prey to devour, with a roar it tried to attack the little ones, but Maryam, with the edge of her colossal sword, cut the body in two.

The vampire looked straight at the weapons held by her three little ones, clenched her fists, and averted her gaze. "I fear the worst is yet to come," she said to herself knowing that her current size made her unable to reach down and take the weapons they held from her children. Employing her inherited "bloodline" ability, she brought the creature she had cut back to life. The vampire caused the once aggressive revived to submissively crouch in reverence as a show of respect for its new mistress. Behind the first revived, countless shadows appeared from the ground surrounding the barrier before the feet of the Giant of Darkness and Blood.

Maryam's ghostly voice spoke through one of the revived bodies, "This place is safe... Stay together and do not leave. Use your weapons only if necessary..."

Dante was frightened as he watched the bodies of different creatures rise up and all looked in the same direction, between their hands. They seemed to share his mother's thoughts. Still, the little wolf hid his new acquisition behind his back, eager to test how sharp the blade of his katana was and what better test subject than a real enemy. With the new weapon, Dante believed himself even more invincible, so much so that he ignored the elder's display of power and was convinced that he couldn't miss the opportunity to try to escape to avoid their punishment. "With the size they are, they wouldn't be able to see me escape," thought the wolf cub. "If with this katana I can make everything possible, now, the only drawback are the shadows that Mother has created. They won't let me leave..." Dante turned around and fixed his gaze in the distance. "Between Katherine and Mijan lies the perfect spot. The trees are still intact, and they reached all the way to the Ever-Changing Forest... I only ask for one last chance," said the wolf cub, as if armed with courage and boldness.

As if it was a divine sign at Dante's whispered request to the wind, another gigantic, armored creature fell on the barrier and, at the same time with its claws, tried to break through it to crush the old man. More and more beasts appeared on the spot, all around, above and below, causing the elders and the guards to triple their efforts. And the path became visible.

Rey saw the look on his brother's face and could deduce what was next. As when you open the door of a bird's cage, it could not resist the call of freedom. But could a bird that in all its life had had safety, food, and guaranteed water survive in the face of the cruel freedom it did not know existed out there? "The cruelest place is the place where everyone is free to be," Rey said.

Dante, after taking a deep breath, as if inhaling courage, clenched his fists, held his katana, and sent himself running, calling out to his feline companion with a cry of, "Now or never!" Jhades was forced to follow the wolf cub, as if he had been taken by surprise. Already his white-eyed brother was shadowing Dante. With only a difference of seconds in their reaction period, the enemies were swarming the only clear path. However, Jhades was able to slip away and jump where his brothers and the felines jumped. From the tip of the cliff towards the void, the blue eyes witnessed a whole place ruled by chaos.

The Great Wise Wizard broadened the smile on his face, as the armored giant charged at him, and Maryam's shadows defended the barrier.

...

In free fall, the three little ones turned their bodies using the best means they could find in order not to end up crashing to the ground. Dante positioned his hands and legs first to cushion the impact. Jhades opened the feathered wings that had been sleeping on his back, allowing himself to fall gracefully. Rey also spread his wings for a second to land on his feet and hide them, leaving only a pair of black feathers swaying in the air. Unharmed, the brothers looked up and sharpened their instincts in search of threats.

Although nearly a dozen giants were fighting on the sides, the violent stormy forest at the foot of the cliff promised shelter to the little ones who listened to a whole orchestra of war cries, explosions, and thunder. Not only flying beasts that seemed to transform into a rain of blood, but also burning balls and blocks of ice were scattered about the place. Still, no matter how much blood, organs, dismembered bodies, fire, ice, and poison there was, Paradise did not lose its divine glow.

For fear of losing the lead, the wolfling whose senses were more alert than usual, brought the hilt of his unsheathed katana to his mouth. Making sure to bury his four claws in the ground to ensure the grip that a powerful tear away needed, Dante ran on all fours, straight into the thicket provided by hundreds of trees whipping at each other from the endless storm of explosions. Jhades, taking a deep breath and with a bitter face, followed his brother, regretting the promise he had made to his mother to protect him just because he wanted to make a good impression. Rey waited for White to finish his descent. Noticing the poor muscular performance of the other two little ligers, he could not leave without first preventing them from losing their lives in a crash to the ground.

In the path of the boy who was in first place and saw the world as a predator, some individuals appeared who were labeled as enemies just by the clothes they were wearing. Dante's fierce eyes stabbed the target before the claws or sword in his teeth. Enraged as a storm, the wolf cub for a moment felt what it meant to become an adult, the weight of killing, which led him to think, "This is war. Death is justified. This is my escape route... on the other side is the Ever-Changing Forest, which I must reach. It is no use telling who is good from who is bad. I don't know their faces. Nor their clothes, but something else is giving me the answer. They smell of the same thing I smell now: blood. They are just like me. No, I didn't become just like them. No longer a child, I am now a predator. Their eyes show murderous intentions, like my brother. Also airs of superiority, as in Jhades... Now I am like them, and even if I am not first or in Mother's lap, I feel I cannot help but feel in danger. I cannot control, feel threatened, feel afraid. Father is wrong..." Between screams and rage, the wolf cub added, "The fear that runs through my veins is the force that drives me! It manipulates my movements, makes me faster, more adaptable, more lethal, more... invincible! Father is wrong! The fear in me represents the intentions I have to live... to destroy!"

The garments that the wolf cub wore, created by Mijan, protected him from all the cuts of any object that tried to penetrate him, which were many, but not from the blows or the stumbles. Dante was fighting against people who also adapted to the situation and had the ability to defend themselves or at least give a last attack before perishing. About to slow down in the face of adversity, Dante continued, "I must hold my ground and keep moving forward. Let each blow I take ignite my fury and fade the pain... feel wilder. More free... more lethal. Die!"

The agitated wolverine began to lose his human form, as well as the logic that encapsulated the fighting styles of the same species. It was no longer with his katana, but with his teeth and mouth already protruding, Dante bit the neck of any opponent and ripped his head off, then used his body and jumped in the direction of the next one.

Given the fight that the giants were carrying out, the trees of the place, which lashed everywhere, became detached from the ground. Violently uprooted, the trunks flew out of the ground. Even so, the three little ones advanced rapidly, ignoring the conditions of the forest and at the same time killing anyone who got in their way. Confusion among the aggressors turned to panic, for they faced a beast in rage, driven by fear of the unknown.

Under the protection of Rey, snarling, biting, or clawing with his huge claws, Dragonids (the guardian of Paradise belonging to Dante), Regres, (the feline guardian accompanying Jhades) and White behaved no differently than the young man with the surname Lobato. They were finishing off the enemies who, dying, were left after getting in the way of the one who was in the lead.

Rey was being cautious; leaving someone alive who could attack them from the rear would be the worst mistake anyone could make.

Jhades, who was in the middle, was forced to slow down and even stop relying on his wings to keep moving forward. The splashes of blood and limbs that Dante sent flying in his wake were more violent than the gusts of wind and energy caused by the elders. The flesh of the shredded enemies came to hit him and, unlike the leaves, branches, dirt, and stones, this one smeared his clothes that he was so careful not to soil.

Coldly, the boy who saw the world in the same way that expressed the color of his eyes, opined, "Disgusting."

Using his forearm, the vampire wiped his face after tasting the flavor of the red liquid.

"To stoop to such behavior is simply disgusting. If Father behaves this way when he fights, I would be ashamed of him. The form of our bodies has two purposes, to create and to feel. If you turn into another organism for the purpose of being stronger, you are simply showing your weakness, your inability to know how to create ‘the destruction’ of something.”

Dante's fur and clothing became insufficient covering for the edge of the objects that sought to harm him. Rationally crazy behavior brought him consequences and, with this, carelessness almost lethal to his own life.

Rey, finally, set out to absorb the blood of the enemies and try to imitate his mother's skills while analyzing the situation. He noticed that the enemies were getting stronger and stronger as they advanced, as if those in front were simply cannon fodder, sacrificial pawns. Between an exchange of glances with his companion, with one leap White took the lead and with his front claws cut into nine pieces an opponent that fell on Dante's blind spot.

On the other hand, Dante was even more out of it, to the point that he had even forgotten how to speak and only roared for every time he was saved. Exhaustion made him careless.

"Why don't you order your damn garter to get out of my way! I don't need any help! I've got it all under control," he growled the next words to Rey as one who wanted to prove that they still maintained superiority in combat.

Jhades couldn't keep quiet and threw his opinion into the air, "Don't get agitated. Far from finding safety, we could find ourselves in more danger. Something far more powerful than these beings, who serve only to soil the ground with blood and for you to degrade your pride, could be waiting for us ahead."

"Pride? You're wrong... You don't eat pride. Such a thing lives in your head. It doesn't cover you from the cold, much less help you when you're on the verge of death," Dante vociferated even more angrily. "What, without pride there is only dishonor left? Don't make me angry anymore, fine boy. Living is justification enough to credit the means."

Almost walking, the white-eyed boy with the strange symbol in the middle realized that he could neither imitate his mother's skills nor create a blood slave. It was not yet his time nor did he have the necessary skills. Giving up trying, Rey still kept his distance so that his brothers would not realize that he was only using the situation to seek to become stronger.

Rey shook off the blood that had accumulated in the palm of his hand, and then he analyzed in depth the behavior of his brothers in a battle, whom he had not seen in such a long time. Practically two strangers with whom for a short time he had once interacted. They were trained by different masters, so, to survive so far and pass the training, they had to have at least one decent move. Something easy to learn in a short time, a move that could turn the tables.

"I'm half vampire, half lycanthrope and share the affinity of the two bloodlines. But where to begin?" wondered Rey as he realized he was faced with something he hadn't expected. "To my siblings... as far as I have observed so far, those around me have a slight mix of behaviors, exclusively varied in their personalities. Neutral, a word with which I would frankly describe the Great Wise Wizard, I could also say that his demeanor is somewhere between alive and cold, not seeking to feel, but not wanting it either. Silvia, on the other hand, always uses an interested demeanor, a state of curiosity ready to explore everything. Mijan, easily irritable, reacts to everyone with fury. My mother, I always see her smiling, unlike my father, who seems to hide a huge depression in his eyes. My teacher, most of the time, is fascinated. Katherine has a constant dislike. And finally, the fearful Ehimus. I came to believe that my siblings would be more like me. We were all three born on the same day at the same time. If they weren't like me, they should at least behave like some of those I mentioned before, but they don't... If I could describe them, Dante is more like a fire afraid of being put out, and Jhades is ice afraid of melting."

Before including himself in his own thoughts, Rey set out to be as self-critical as possible.

"Maybe I'm not so different. I feel the need to be worthwhile to others, to be accepted by those who depend on me... I seek strength with the desire and feeling to protect. Now that I think about it better, Mother when irritated is stronger, and Father when happy is more violent. Hmmm! Dante's fear is what makes him stronger, makes him shape-shift, but Father doesn't have to become enraged to shape-shift. Father controls the art..." Looking at his arm, Rey could understand something basic. "On the other hand, Jhades has more delicate skin, but he can regenerate damage quickly without having to take blood. Total body transformation, fast regeneration, they're both Advanced rank in those areas, while I'm Intermediate rank, but now that I see them I can get a better idea of how to move up a rank if I use my emotions as a catalyst..."

Rey sensed something alarming that forced him to cut off his thoughts. Using his "Black Aura" control, the little guy disappeared, but not before leaving a copy of himself in his place. The moment Jhades had foreseen arrived. In front, the three young men could see a clearing which they did not hurry to reach, for if they went out into the open, they would lose the protection of the forest they knew so well. At the same time, they felt an overwhelming pressure from several beings with hostile intentions. To be more exact, there were three of them; the rest were just dying bodies looking to recover, although they all had the same garments.

In the wide space crowded by the war-wounded stood three subjects with intimidating height, looks, and physiques. The new enemies were beings of flesh and blood who maintained an organized formation. They were not flaming beasts, or rotting bodies like the others, but were human. They looked a bit tired but did not seem to have serious injuries despite having advanced so far. They were warriors, you could tell they had fought because in the surrounding area, among the bases of the trees, were piled multiple bodies of Paradise guardians, a Heroclades serpent, and dismembered Mijan machines. Those signs definitely made them look dangerous.

The violence in the combat of the giants against the giants subsided somewhat. Still, the little ones cautiously halted their advance. Dante, like a keen hunter, watched the target that promised to get in the way. He had no need to fight or take unnecessary risks. He could perfectly well follow the advice his mother had given him, but he was intoxicated with violence and given the reduced movement of the older ones, he felt that he was running out of time to escape.

Rey, on the other hand, was aware that the clan elders had become aware of the situation at the same time they were fighting. They had never failed to keep a watchful eye on their children. The question, for the little one without a last name, was why don't they interfere?

Jhades, as one who did not want to be heard by the enemy, said, "They won't harm us if we don't confront them. Let's march in the opposite direction from this one, of course. Let's go back to the Great Wise Wizard..." He looked in Dante's direction. "If not, the hunter could end up hunted," he warned with the purpose of changing his brother's intentions.

At that precise moment, over the tops of the tall trees, several dozen assailants jumped on top of the two most advanced little ones with the intention of preventing them from escaping. Armed with swords and knives, the assailants hoped to accomplish their goal: To kill any inhabitant of Paradise out of sheer malice. In their looks, they had hatred, undead who had left life; they seemed to be envious of the good life of the little ones and all those who enjoyed living in the circle under the Nine Heavens.

Too late to escape, Jhades and Dante screamed at the top of their lungs as they turned their weapons on their enemies. Screams of two small ones that were devoured by the roar of fifty undead whose bodies were covered by vestiges of different garments. The three persons in the clearing focused their attention on the commotion provoked by the Ghouls.