Rey, who had lagged further behind, had no choice but to stop thinking about the behavior of the elders and make his presence known. Sudden flashes of light around him could be seen, followed by the shaking of his fists to wipe away the blood that covered the sharp blades protruding from his forearms.

Rey thought as he saw dents in his sharp blades, "I have struck and cut the bodies of the souls in pain who suffer in the lower circles. Also, those we met on the road, but none of them felt like these bodies. They are more solid; they have blood and flesh that is not decaying. They are definitely like the elders. Coming from the world of the living... the bounty hunters. On the other hand, it seems I'm doomed to use these weapons in a defensive capacity. The thrusts powered by the action mechs, accompanied by the swiftness of my best movement, make for triple the speed, but with consequences for the blades' edge." Looking at the serrations and indentations on the edge of his weapons, he continued, "This is the reason why a weapon should not be obtained so lightly; for now, I must take care not to break them."

On the two most advanced brothers no dead bodies fell, not even dismembered parts, only a great torrent of blood accompanied by dented weapons and pieces of armor. Fifty people were ground to pieces in the blink of an eye.

Jhades, after coughing up the blood of his enemies and wiping his face exclaimed a question, "What the Hell!"

The vampire thought it must have been one of the elders. Yes, it had to be one of the elders, but when he looked in the direction of the family's unwanted son, he had no choice but to swallow dryly. Dante lowered his head, aghast at such a scene: he could see the blood trickling like water through the roots of the trees. Pieces of fingers, ears, splintered bones, eyes, and flesh were the only solid and identifiable things on the ground. Limbs that caught the gaze of the wolf cub who could not say anything because of the lump forming in his throat. On the other hand, how could he not feel threatened if he didn't know if the hundreds of shadows that surrounded them were allies or enemies, shadows in human form that jumped from one side to the other, spread around the place like guards of Paradise that didn't want to be seen.

The answers came alone to the mind of the one who could no longer maintain a cold and calculating demeanor. "How many times did you have to cut the same individual to make him look like this?" asked Jhades as he turned his gaze to the last member of the group.

Rey didn't have time to indulge in the luxury of answering to his brothers' behavior. It was unwise in the situation, as they had their defenses down and the enemies had detected them.

(Kiinnn, Kinn, Kiinn.) Metal was heard colliding. At the same time, the last of the group disappeared and as soon as the two little ones turned quickly, they saw how their brother had reappeared in front of them while in the air still tinkled the edge of three chaotically spinning daggers. The danger had become eminent: one of the three enemies was declaring his hostile intentions from the clearing.

The armor-clad human made ten daggers appear in each hand in one movement. Using his commanding voice, he added the following words to the air, "Colonel! So there you were!!! Why would you stoop to using weapons when you can employ the defense barrier and the sorcerer grade you used to pass the low circles?"

The white eyes that could be seen from within the darkness of the forest seemed to pay attention to the words of the guy who spoke with a very heavy accent of the ancient language. "Why rely on my best skill in a combat? More so when the clan members are watching me," he said to himself.

"Oh, how long has it been since that moment we saw you fall? I guess you'll have to be more powerful, and I'll have to tread carefully. But I can't help but tell you my opinion, or our motives... Listen to this human talk. Maybe you can learn something."

Rey tried to create a shadow to move from place to place unnoticed, but another dagger went in the direction of his brother’s throat, so he had to stay in place to use his sharp blades again to counter the weapon's trajectory. Rey had realized that it was useless to use "Aura" against those opponents, and if he couldn't hide his presence, he couldn't use his strongest move either because he would be exposed and vulnerable for the time it took to charge the attack.

The imposing voice continued, "Regardless of whether you lost your memories, in your past life you created this place that condemns my people. How does it feel to have the privilege of living well? Tell me, do you... think you have the right to enjoy it? Personally, I say no. Although I don't know you at all and I know for a fact that you haven't lived long, I can assure you that your insides are as filthy as those of all the horrible beasts and people you locked up on the outskirts of this beautiful place... or am I wrong? I have questions in my head. Did you really get baptized at birth, have you not had sex, have you not eaten more than you should, do you not feel greed, do you not want to rest and do nothing while others spend their time doing something productive, are you not violent, do you not hide things, have you not betrayed? Ridiculous laws and assumptions for humans. I don't think it's fair that our race, being the weakest, should be governed by such rules. Not after all we have done in life. Why don't I see any gods? Any elves? Any lycanthropes? Any beings other than humans suffering the endless tortures of the Hell you created? It is that they, precisely because they are strong, ended up as guardians. And those who are even stronger are not even allowed to enter. It is so, this is fate, the weak must suffer..."

The three people in the clearing fixed their gazes at the leader's words.

"My heart burns, after so much progress, after so much suffering... We found you here, in this beautiful place. To which we would also have the right if we were like you. Of course, we do! I believe it... You and your brothers created the rules, that's why you keep the privilege of being the exception. Therefore, if it's up to me, this will be the end of your life... To live is heavy, but as I am the voice that represents humans, I will continue to live to make this moment the turn of those you once condemned to pass your sentence!"

The fallen on the ground shouted loudly, "The gods must die!"

Another shouted even louder, "Hell must end!"

The roar felt even louder, "And to make it possible, we will start with you, Leonel De-Ranger."

At the same time as the subject spoke, a whole cloud of daggers was fired in all directions. Only the original, who stood in front of his brothers, was able to dodge them with the movement of his hands, while the hundreds of copies that had been scattered around the site were neutralized as they had no weapons or armor.

"I don't know what this madman is talking about. I don't know who Leonel is, I only know that we must escape," was the thought that both Dante and Jhades had as soon as a dagger, whistling through the air, passed him by.

Rey looked at the faces of his enemies. He understood that there was no escape from a direct confrontation, as well as that none of the elders planned to intervene. For him the only option was to win in order to survive and he could not die or allow his brothers to perish, for he was not sure if they still had their mother's love.

The two brothers turned with the intention of escaping in the direction of the Great Wise Wizard, but another assailant made his presence known and with one swipe almost cut them in two. Had it not been for Rey, who, with quick movements, retreated, dodged, counterattacked, cut the enemy body in two, and then in four, neither the little vampire nor the wolf cub would have survived. Rey, as one who was busier than usual, said, "Dante, Jhades... try not to get in the way anymore. If you don't fight the enemy just thinking about how to escape, it will be too late to regret missing the chance to fight when you had the chance."

The two brothers could not help but swallow dryly when they encountered the fury depicted on the usually calm and expressionless face of the brother without a surname. Rey shifted his focus. Having warned his brothers he realized how his hands were sweating, how his face felt after hearing the phrase "the end of your life."

 "What is this inside of me? It is not similar to the feeling of survival I had in the darkness of the cave... or fighting the proud in Purgatory. It is much more volatile, not very manipulable. My face, this expression I feel... I don't know it. They must not be stronger than the enemies I have faced so far. But it seems that, not being able to use all my sorcerer powers, since Hero would realize I have his book, and my Aura control is inefficient, I feel at a disadvantage, a disadvantage that makes those words make me feel fear, that feed the beasts that lurk at my ears. Irritating demons that by their constancy awaken a dangerous desire. Killing to live, right? As Dante himself said, I have a justification to kill, to satisfy those demons within me, but is it right? I'm getting used to taking lives... lives that will serve my aggrandizement as a warrior."

Dante couldn't ignore how surprised he felt. If it hadn't been for his brother, determined to fight saving his life, he would be dead now. "Is it so easy to lose one's life for someone invincible?" he asked himself who knew he had to fight, but he also felt fear of the three opponents, almost as much fear as he felt of the elders. He didn't know what to do, but he did know he wanted to do something.

Jhades, who was among monsters, lost control of his breathing. He found it so hard to make a decision without first knowing the outcome. "Do I go back to the Great Wise Wizard on my own or do I fight them?" was the question on his mind. He understood that he was more likely to die if he made a move alone than accompanied.

Rey did not wait for his brothers to make a decision. Expelling great threatening power and all his murderous intent, he leapt in the direction of the leader of the three subjects who dressed their bodies in worn armor, which made use of the [OEM] logo composed of letters that Rey did not understand, but also did not care about.

The wolf and the vampire saw a shadow pass between them at high speed. In the blink of an eye, Rey shot out from within the forest with the intention of circling his targets so that they would ignore his siblings. As the little hybrid ran as close to the ground as he could, he dodged the daggers that sought to stab him while trying to remain calm. White was also involved, but the feline knew that his role was to assist his partner and also to surround the targets on the opposite side with the intention that they would not lower their guards or focus all their attention on a single target.

The small, white-eyed boy, while keeping his distance, was studying his enemies without ceasing to run in circles around them. Three imposing subjects were his main concern. They were not as large as his father, but they did wear full armor whose only openings were on the back of the thighs and under the arms. The three helmets were composed of different plumes, one of red hair, one of gray feathers, and the last of red feathers. The wearer of the red-feathered plume held what appeared to be a polearm with two huge sharp ears, a dagger protruding from the middle, and before the hilt the space for vestiges of what appeared to be a flag. The wearer of the gray-feathered helmet had a leaner and more agile build. He stood erect with his right fist behind his back, and with his left hand holding aloft what appeared to be a fine double-edged saber whose guard covered the wearer's fist. The last one, who wore the helmet with red hair, the one who had been talking and throwing the knives, had a more open stance to the others, carrying in his left hand what was a sheathed rapier whose opposite end rested on the ground.

Lacking any intention of using his best cards first, Rey threw the daggers he could pick up from the ground. The knives were flying at high speed, the musket user felt the need to dodge the objects with his saber, but the other two simply covered their faces and let the hardness of their armor do the job. Several rounds in a row from Rey and more than a dozen shots. The armor of the three subjects under constant attack did not even crack, an indication that exposed just how tough they were.

The imposing voice gave to say, "Why does someone who should not fear death put so much effort into surviving!" In the absence of a response, he continued, "What, you don't know how to speak Leonel?"

Rey, aware that humans used all kinds of psychological tactics to accomplish their goals, answered loudly, still moving, "My name is Rey... not Leonel."

As soon as one of those accompanying the red-haired plume became angry, he tried to attack with his spear back at the little one who was moving so much; however, he was quickly stopped by his more experienced companion.

The imposing voice warned his companion holding the spear, "Don't try anything unnecessary! If he had tried to run away like the other two, I would have cut his head off without hesitation. But he gives us the front and has cards under his hand that he hasn't used. Although he's a kid, he clearly moves around employing a discreet fighting style... I have no doubt that he's extraordinary. Frederick, keep your guard up for this reason."

The wearer of the red feathered helmet replied in another language, "What does it have to do with him being extraordinary? This is the time to kill him before the others come."

Replied the voice, "The parents are not coming because it is not necessary. We are at a disadvantage..." Returning his sights and covering his face by lowering the visor of his helmet he continued, "He still keeps his distance, while the guardian of the place accompanying him promises to take advantage of us if we get separated. I'm afraid we won't be able to guarantee the protection of the wounded."

Making a point of speaking in another language so as to be understood by his allies and not his enemy, he acted as one who was bidding farewell as he addressed those lying on the ground. "It was an honor to come this far compatriots. Thank you for your contribution to creating a better world for humans... you are convinced that our successors will do the same. We are a voice and thus we will never die in silence!"

Laughter from among the dying bodies could be heard all over the place. They seemed to have tried to survive with all they could so far through the fire and tortures of Hell. Those who were able raised their bodies and bowed to their beliefs by raising their right hand to their chest. Others raised their fist in the air, but one raised his voice and sang what sounded like a hymn.

"Ships of steel carry our bodies. Doors open into new worlds; every field is a beginning, and every world is ours..." The subject's voice was off-key. "Soldiers, to the advance. To fight is to serve, ha. To fight is to live, ha."

One voice became two and two became three.

"Duty is coming upon our minds. Hell is present, not to sleep and to go on to the front. Oh-oh-oh. Stay strong there. To the last drop of blood. Before the wind, lightning, and thunder. Brave, to the combat in the land where silence reigns... The echo of our lives will resound in eternity. Even if our time comes and the heat leaves us, death will have to struggle. Shoulder arms, at the call of combat let us shout to the end. At the call of duty. Oh-oh-oh. Fire, forward. Oh-oh-oh...”

The one with the plume of gray feathers, in his language, while all sang and helplessly died one by one under the hands of the little one and the guardian, spoke as one who added basis to the words of the one who led him, "Constan, Yacer is right. His wide-open eyes detect our every move. We are being studied and the fact that he is not employing his best combat arts means he is cautious. Remember, we don't have our medications and our mech suits are not loaded. We have one chance left."

Yacer, the leader of the three, continued speaking, "Look at the strength and dexterity with which he returns the daggers thrown at him. It justifies that he may have the conscious or unconscious ability to copy his opponent's moves, adding these moves to his knowledge and thus eventually end up with an advantage over us without having to use his best techniques."

Rey would kill indiscriminately as he passed by without failing to catch the bouncing daggers and throw them again as he kept running in circles, taking care not to close the distance or stop attacking. With keen ears, amidst the clinking of metal, the little guy also longed to identify the new language the three opponents spoke in an interspersed manner. "I can't hear well. What an inconvenience. On the ground they pose no threat, but I can't afford to make the mistake of leaving someone who might harm me alive."

The chanting of the dying bodies gradually died down and more blood spilled on the ground. Yacer said in another language, "He is cunning. He kills us one at a time and, in order not to use his power, he replaces the lack of strength with intelligence. His eyes are desperate to finish the fight, and, like a beast, he will not stop moving as long as he has strength. It is not the first time we see how a non-human gets up as many times as necessary waiting for us to trust and give him a chance to connect a coup de grâce. We are not new at this. The number one rule of fighting any intelligent non-human entity is that the longer the confrontation lasts, the more likely we are to lose. But..."

With the death of the last soldier chanting, without losing his calm state, Yacer added confidently as with a single stretch of his massive left arm he grabbed the little guy by the neck and lifted him off the ground to make him disappear like the shadow he was, "If one of the other two little ones in the forest intervenes, we'll have our chance. Hostages are the weak point of anyone who seeks to protect."

With all the strength he could muster, the fellow who evidenced worn armor and a plume of red hair swung his right arm in a violent blow aimed at gouging out the eyes of the little one who attacked him again with another clone. Yacer, as if giving a battle cry, said, "Hold formation. Guard up. Let us honor the death of our fallen comrades. Let the voice prevail!"

The heads of the enemy rolled on the blood scattered on the ground. In the face of the Paradise guard's claws and Rey's attacks, the last of the wounded and dying perished, leaving only the three original enemies. "His stock of throwing knives can't be infinite," Rey thought. "That's why he still holds his sword. If I'm not mistaken, even if he still has it sheathed, he is able to draw it quickly in close-range combat. As a good swordsman, he makes sure he has no obstacles in the way of his opposite hand and the hilt of the instrument. Since I have no armor, I am vulnerable and more so in the face of a double-edged weapon that can cut in both directions. I must prevent him from drawing his sword. Neutralizing his opposite hand will do the job. An attack to the neck will be the quickest. He will have no choice but to sacrifice his more dexterous limb to cover himself..."

Rey charged the muscles of his body with energy and reinforcement incantations to take position in the ideal place. In mere seconds he created a copy of himself, one that mimicked his leaping movements and attacked using the wristband blades. Swooping in a rotational manner in a strike aimed at his opponent's throat, the edge of his movement managed to slightly pierce the armor covering his opponent's wrist.

Yacer, lacking sufficient time, barely identified the original, ignored the hilt of his sword and interposed his hand in front of his neck to defend the weak point of his armor. He wanted to drop the sword he was carrying with his opposite hand and grab a dagger to stab the little guy but realized that the latter's move had been too risky. "This little demon must be planning something."

Indeed, Rey took precautions before his enemy, pointing with his hand placed at the height of the opponent's stomach, muttering what was the recitation of a shortened incantation.

"Mark..."

Rey had just finished muttering one of the spells that Heroclades had specifically allowed him to use (dark dragon attack), and from the palm of his hand shot out a large black beam, which at the tip presented the shape of a dragon's head showing its fierce fangs. The black-scaled creature screamed in hatred. It looked ravenous, with daggers in its eyes, several missing teeth, and a tongueless mouth that when it emerged behaved like a violent thunderbolt latent with vengeance for its loss.

Recognizing the folly of holding his opponent so close, Yacer pushed back the boy's body in a desperate attempt to escape the impending blow. However, he could only interpose the blade of the still-sheathed rapier he was carrying to protect himself. Yacer cringed, covering his stomach, and seeking to hold the opposite end of the sword with his other arm. The impact was so great that it knocked him back violently, even after he had buried the tips of his feet in the ground.

The dragon's half-open mouth intercepted the sword and, after several bites, broke it into pieces and then crashed into two armor-covered forearms. Luckily, the head of the snake-bodied creature, chained by spikes, was not large enough to assimilate the body of the attacked with its open mouth. Even so, the impact was great, reaching to break the formation of the three humans. But the other two did not stand idly by. While the leader was being dragged away, Constan and Frederick turned with the intention of attacking.

White also made his move, employing an intimidating roar and his claws with killing intent. He lunged with his paws spread wide, intending to lessen his companion's charge. He attacked the pole bearer, for he understood he posed the most danger at the moment. A spear was the weapon with the longest reach that could reach his companion from behind. Without worrying about his rear, Rey returned to the ground and immediately kept running to avoid the sabers of the other opponent. Still, as soon as he could, the little guy assisted his feline companion against the more solidly built fellow carrying the spear.

Yacer, with a broken grin, spat blood from his mouth. "If there is one thing, I hate more than non-humans, it is feeling pain. Despite being a sorcerer, you can cry out with shortened incarnation. You must have been trained by someone amazing. Among humans, elders raised from newborn in this world of 'callings' are the only ones capable of merely being able to change the elemental constitutions of objects. Calling was a craft by which some individuals made a living until a day when certain non-humans made the craft a fighting style and made their way among the gods," he decided to say aloud, as he repositioned his stance and undid his hunched back in the shape of a V. "You have been able to summon a weakened version of a dark dragon with the intention of only striking me, but not keeping it present. Are you not capable of controlling your calls?"

Yacer shot out from where he was and, with a bit of anticipation, managed to surround the little guy. With energetic fury, Yacer intercalated well-practiced moves with his saber-wielding companion. Despite Rey defending himself with his guard up, the red-haired tufted fellow seized the confrontation with his bare fists. Yacer did not mind hurting himself with the sharpness of the blades if they pierced between the joints of his armor.

Rey stepped back a little and adjusted the direction of his arms. He felt his opponent's blood splashing on his face. If the fight continued in this manner, he would not have to use any risky moves, as his opponent would die from exsanguination. "Solving a complicated situation with simple methods is much more ingenious than solving it using complicated methods," Rey recalled the philosophy by which his master and father lived by. "Clamoring in a fight as unpredictable as this one is not efficient. Not if I run the risk of ending up cursed by my own movement. I will never underestimate either the knowledge or the strength of my opponent. If I get hold of a knife, I will be able to kill all three at once. The only thing I wouldn't want is for an ally to be on the perimeter of my next attack. If so, I'd end up as ground meat..."

Again and again Yacer struck with all his might at the little guy who was certainly up to something for standing so still. Although he got to the point of hurting himself even more and bleeding all over, under no circumstances did he let his blows of killing intent wane. The flagpole bearer, while White bit the flag and dodged the edge of the tip, used a spinning kick to send the little liger flying and grabbed one of the daggers from behind his leader's back. Constan, aiming at the small chest of the opponent his leader was lunging at, fired with all his might the dagger that made Rey's eyes shine.

The calculations were perfect. Rey could not help but denote on his face that he only had to grab the knife to win the fight. Making preparations, he advanced to use "Aura." Ten shadows would be distraction enough, which would give him enough time to cry "the cutting of a thousand knives," the same cry that, together with his movement, he had used to get rid of the hunters who had ambushed his brothers.

...

On the other hand, in the forest, Jhades saw that there were only three opponents left, also that his brother was in a predicament. If he decided to escape and for some reason Rey died, the three guys would definitely catch up with him before he could reach the Great Wise Wizard. It was wiser to act and help his brother, who had already taken care of most of the work.

Dante was folding his arms. He did not see those enemies as at first, they were not so great to fear, for his brother was giving them a fight. He was also thinking, but his thoughts were not as deep as those of the vampire there. The wolf cub admired how reckless Rey was, for knowledge and for his strength, but at the same time he reproached him for going up against opponents he couldn't beat. And if he couldn't beat them on his own, why didn't he ask for help? Maybe at that point he would recognize him as a leader. "Sure, if the invincible brother has to step in, he would be submitting his position as leader. Although if I go in uninvited, he will have me to thank, also so Mother will realize I don't need anyone to look after me."

Jhades Priovam blended into the shadows and unsheathed one of the two gigantic pistols he had been given by the Great Wise Wizard and, from a distance, as soon as he took aim with his two hands, he pulled the trigger and fired a volley of bullets at the target he had chosen. The pistol was in automatic mode and, certainly, Jhades had not realized this mistake. An error that guaranteed the efficiency of the first bullet, but not of the others that followed.

...

Seeing the victorious face of his opponent and the knife halfway, Constan felt the thunder of a burst of gunfire; then he saw how the dagger he had thrown was shattered by a flash, as well as several projectiles that passed very close to him. The face of the man named "Leonel" by his boss changed. It became dark, of someone optimistic that he was losing an opportunity in front of his eyes. With the detonation of the seventh shot, one of the shoulder pads of his armor exploded into a thousand pieces, but he thought he didn't care, for, as Yacer had said, the moment the other two little ones intervened, they would have the chance.

Rey kept his eyes wide open. Despite reaching out his hand, he failed to get the dagger and canceled his "Aura" move. In addition to his opponent's blows, the little guy was also forced to dodge the metal fragments flying around, as well as the bullets his brother was firing.

"Don't interfere!!!" he said as he looked at White who was the only one who seemed to hear him.

Rey's vision ended up being clouded by a dense white smoke. He had learned that in combat it was not good to be overconfident, and the cloud of smoke left him no choice but to wait for his brothers to learn their lesson. He could do nothing but wait until he regained his vision or found an opportunity to properly channel his core energy and amplify his body's forces.

Faced with bullets, Frederick stepped in the way and, as soon as he dodged a few with his sword, disappeared from Jhades' sight behind the cloud of gas created by a grenade Constan threw. The gray-feathered fellow moved quickly until he reached the forest and jumped through the trees to fall behind the vampire who had decided to intervene.

Jhades pretended to be confused when he saw the armored fellow descend behind him, but he had calculated the situation. The vampire already had his second pistol aimed from behind his back and pulled the trigger at just the right moment that he couldn't help but hide the smile on his face. The burst of gunfire thundered through the place and even if his opponent managed to move enough so that the impact of the bullet was not lethal, Jhades could assure that he had the fight won. The small vampire turned and with his weapons tried to aim at the enemy that was moving away as he had come, with the intention of not wasting his wounds and thus eliminate the threat completely.

When Frederick was behind the blue-eyed boy, with his sword raised, he noticed the pistol and the smile of his enemy, which made him take action and move as much as he could. As soon as the detonation of the bullet blast was felt, one of the projectiles created a small hole in the front of the armor plating covering his shoulder; however, the exit was not so clean. The human felt a whole explosion of flesh and bone behind his shoulder, forcing him to back away, but not before letting goo fall from the hilt of his sword onto the little guy. Frederick barely watched as the blue-eyed bearer turned to try to shoot him again, and added in pain:

"Not so fast, you damn kid!" At the same time he triggered a detonation device on the guard of his sword, causing the explosive substance stuck to the vampire's lower back to explode.

The explosion was violent and more so on the not-so-resistant body of a child. The clothes in the area were shredded, the legs separated from the body, blood flew through the air and the intestines ended up scattered on the ground. Amidst heart-rending screams, Jhades ended up on the ground while trying to move his missing feet.

Dante, unaware that Jhades was the target of attack of one of the enemies, entered the clearing with his drawn katana, aiming at the one who had a damaged shoulder and was struggling to keep his spear from being pulled out by the tugs that the guardian of Paradise was giving with his teeth. Constan noticed the obvious attack of a second little one who had come to take advantage of his condition. With no choice but to drop his spear, he raised the guard of his still usable arm to dodge the clumsy thrusts of the little wolf. Neither the edge of the katana, nor Dante's strength, was enough to damage the skin beneath his opponent's armor. Even so, the wolf, with his fanciful idea of cutting metal with metal, increased the rhythm of his thrusts.

Constan, taking advantage of the opportunity, kicked the wolf cub hard in the face, breaking his nose, some of his teeth, and causing him to recoil with shredded lips. Uncontrolled by the pain of a broken nose and the loss of several important teeth, Dante continued with the sabers, but being blinded by the impotence of not being able to cut his enemy in two, much of his movements lost even more precision as had happened when he broke his first sword against a stone. Although the basic movements and the correct way of thrusting had been explained to him, the wolfling held the katana with only one hand at the bottom of the hilt, while the thrusts intercepted the target with the beginning of the edge that started just after the guard. Dante would even raise his weapon above his head or thrust the top of the hilt with the intention of taking advantage of the arched edge, or step forward to employ the energy of his own body. He relied solely on his mediocre strength, without any technique or grace.

In control of the combat, the experienced soldier took advantage of the small wolf's temperament by jumping and leaving his opponent even more bewildered. Dante, forced to oxygenate his lungs through his mouth, realized that the enemy intended to strike him from the air. Regaining his composure, he placed his sword in a dodge position and at the same time granted a second purpose to one of his claws. With the side of his sword, Dante blocked and dodged his opponent's attack. Then, using his free claw, he managed to considerably penetrate one of the uncovered parts of the armor on his opponent's leg.

Seeing that it was easy to cut his opponent, even being at a disadvantage, the wolf cub began to laugh adding the following words so characteristic of him, "I am invincible, the poison of my claw will soon take effect.” And he took a step forward.

A sound made Dante turn his attention to the ground; when the wolf cub returned his gaze, Constan was the one who was laughing last. Helpless in the absence of knowledge, the explosive on the ground detonated in a flaming burst that engulfed the wolf cub's body. Not only was the sword ripped from Dante's small hands, but the violent explosion ripped away garments, burned skin and left muscles and even some bones of the sturdy body exposed. Plunged in pain, the little boy tried to wipe his face so that he could see and continue fighting, but he could not. He just fell to the ground, barely able to breathe or speak.

...

As soon as the smoke cleared, Rey was still dodging his opponent's suicidal attacks. He had heard the two almost simultaneous explosions but had no idea what he was about to encounter. Out of the corner of his eye, Rey saw the shattered bodies of his two brothers. "From the looks of them and from what I heard, they were hit by explosions. The smoke didn't let me see how the detonations were carried out. That must be the strongest card of these guys. If both the guy with the gray-feather plume and the one with the red feathers could make an explosion, why hasn't this one made his move? Something doesn't add up. Rey put his hands to his neck and found a foreign object attached; as soon as he identified the unusual event, he tried to tear it off. "What was splashing on me was blood combined with this slimy stuff that was pooling on my body."

Yacer, seeing the look and gestures of the little boy, stepped back. "I mustn't give him time to figure out a way to escape," he said to himself in a hurry, while, from inside his mouth, he let out a kind of black plaque that he bit until it split in two.

The fluid that covered Rey's hair, neck, face, arms, clothes, and surroundings ended up detonating in an explosion. The sound was terrifying, and the earth also rose up in a small cloud of dust. Rey ended up kneeling on the ground, his face all burned and unrecognizable. He was still breathing, not through his nose, but through his open neck. With his jaw disassembled and no hands, he refused to fall or lose his balance even with his guard up.

...

Yacer, Frederick, and Constan walked badly wounded to gather around the dying bodies. The three of them made use of a knife they hid among the compartments of their armor. A weapon that, it seemed, was special because it came with a strange container of yellow liquid embedded in the blade, a liquid that began to drip and bathe the blade with its presence.

Frederick's words to Jhades were given to be heard, "It's a pity you can't continue to suffer in Hell after this... This substance is designed to counteract the immortality of the likes of you."

"Don't waste your damn time talking and neutralize the target, now!!!" claimed Yacer, who among the flames was walking to approach Rey.

The human looked pale, short of breath from losing so much blood. As soon as he stood before the kneeling little one, he saw how he himself followed him with the eyes he had just regained. White eyes that petrified him and made him swallow dryly.

"My life belongs to no one but me. I will live as I want and where I want to live. I will die when I want to die! And I have decided that this is not my time, but it will be yours!" said Rey on his knees with his gaze, for with his mouth he could not say anything.

"So... Is it mercy to kill someone so they won't suffer? I'm just resting, but it's good to know that's all I'm going to lack before I end your lives," added Dante. "I'll tear your body apart because it will be fun for me to tear it apart... take responsibility for the instinct you awakened."

"They lost the opportunity to kill. You lost the opportunity to live. You judges, you sentenced yourselves the moment you came seeking your deaths," said Jhades. "Now, I will fight because it is my wish!"

With the little time his opponent had left him and ignoring the pain his body felt, Rey finished the improvised procedure of channeling his core energy to strengthen his skin and with this also transform. Ascending to the advanced rank in transformation and regeneration, Rey changed his form without having to be angered like his brother and regenerated the missing flesh without having to follow Jhades' procedures.

Yacer performed his stuccoing of his knife straight to the temple of his target, but his arm ended up stopped midway and then snapped in two until his bones popped out through the metal.

Rey grew, enlarged, and changed the constitution of his muscles, bones, skin, and flesh. It was not the body of a lycanthrope, but had bestialized into another. Rey went from wearing white fur with stripes to having the skin and size of an adult Paradise guardian.

The first thing the not-so-little one did at the conclusion of his transformation was to give an imposing roar with ferocity over the face of Yacer, who was screaming from the fracture of his right arm.

White recognized the body she was seeing; it was the body of her father modified with human features. A body that brought her not very good memories and much suffering.

Constan by the roar of a beast turned his face in the direction of the big cat that began to stand on two legs and saw how this beast, with its open mouth, bit and tore off the helmet of its leader to, immediately after, project a hook to the stomach of the same and launch him to fly through the skies.

Rey was left with his opponent's limb. Opening his claw, he dropped him to the ground and proceeded to lift his face.

"Damn you!" shouted Constan with all his might.

Dante, with his remaining strength and having regained some of his vision, took advantage of his enemy's carelessness and, enraged with pain, transformed his right hand. With one swipe, the lycanthrope pierced with his transformed claw, beyond the elbow, between the legs of his enemy.

Returning his gaze to the boy, Constan spat blood through the helmet covering his face. He tried to strike with his poisoned dagger but could not. His lungs did nothing but try to breathe while his legs trembled. "A deadly oversight," he said to himself ruefully.

Jhades, largely regaining control of his emotions, made the place a sphere of darkness that trapped his opponent's body. The vampire's upper half appeared behind Frederick biting him through the neck while stabbing him in the back with the knives that were fused to the tips of his pistols, not to mention that he also pulled the trigger and fired several times, absorbing blood at the same moment he unloaded numerous bursts of shots through his opponent's heart to make sure his opponent didn't shake.

Frederick felt how with each shot the pistols tilted their angle, making the bullets much more lethal, not to mention that the bullets that pierced his chest also cut his other arm at the wrist. With no choice but to watch his hand fall to the ground, the soldier could do nothing but drop his body.

Rey, still on the ground, seeing that his brothers were fending for themselves, spat out the helmet in his mouth and jumped with incredible power. He intended to take to the skies faster than his opponent. In the face of giants, the little transformed one saw only one target, his enemy. Although Yacer tried to stand on his back, he did not realize that Rey was waiting for him.

The white-eyed youth wrapped his fist in black flames and announced, "Mark of a thousand black wolves!"

The two bodies collided with each other, but only the powerful blow by the boy reversed the upward course Yacer was still experiencing.

The sharp descent of the armor-covered human body broke the sound barrier. The air dismantled each and every piece of the already broken armor with the acronym [OEM]. Embraced by the pain caused by the flames of violent air friction, the subject was imminently driven into another impact that promised to be less severe than the previous two.

The ground, receiving the body, now uncovered, broke through and caved in, forming an entire crater two kilometers in radius. A wave of wind was unleashed, so violent that trees within ten kilometers were blown down, and all trees over thirty kilometers were toppled by the earthquake that followed the entire series of events.

In comparison, the shockwaves caused by the older ones were a hundred times more violent. Although Dante and Jhades suffered from the violent event, they did not even move from the spot thanks to the fact that their bodies were welded against the ground, along with their opponents who did not move from the site. In a whirlwind effect, the trunks that were once expelled returned to the site as a result of the other energy currents coming from the surroundings.

Stunned, on the ground, Yacer opened his eyes and saw that the beast was still falling at the same time as he positioned himself to strike with his closed hand at great speed and destructive power. As fast as he could react, that man tried to get up, but how could someone with no healthy bones in his body, a shattered brain, and bleeding from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears move? "In the end... what do I care so much about?" " he said to himself. "Having touched him was enough... All in all, I am human after all. The weaker race... I should have run when I had the chance."

Rey, a few meters before falling on his opponent motionless on the ground, with his power at maximum, felt his time running out and, as a consequence of his improvised move, he lost consciousness. The energy in his hands became unstable, but he unconsciously expelled it forward so as not to suffer side effects. The large beam fell on the ground, right next to his target, disintegrating the latter's arm and leaving another huge hole in the ground.

"No!!! It would be an injustice to stop doing everything I can to ensure a good future for the generations to come, I am the voice of all humans; therefore, I cannot die, nor be forgotten," Yacer thought as soon as he opened his eyes again.

He was disappointed that he had not died and had the obligation to continue, thus adding aloud, "Humans, you have seen what Hell was like! The sacrifice of my soldiers will not be in vain. Though there is no hatred left within me, I, Yacer De-Mars together with Frederick De-Fobos and Constan De-Deimos, under the orders of Red Arjos De-Mars and all alike in combat, made a god bleed and gave our voice. May the successors of mankind not lose courage and move forward."

Controlling and putting to work the energy that flowed through his body, part robotic, that man was able to replace the functions of his skeleton and bloodstream only with his mind. Breathing because it commanded him to, recovering because it commanded him to, moving because it commanded him to, speaking because it commanded him to.

"Damn you, you, who called yourself a judge once. Say 'hello' to those you condemn as lord. This is my last attempt, my final cry..."

Rey, still unconscious, fell to the ground like a stone.

Frederick said after losing the sparkle in his eyes, "Vampire at last... such a dishonorable and morally devoid act can only be executed by your kind. No matter. Stay close to me... as close as you can... I too have no honor in combat and never came with the hope to stay."

Jhades threw out a question, worried, as worried as he was amazed to see someone whose heart wasn't beating keep talking, "Are you even human at all?"

He had no choice but to finish regenerating his missing limbs in order to escape. The smile that lit up on Frederick's face answered the question the vampire had asked, which caused Frederick to back away as fast as he could.

Dante withdrew his arm from his opponent's body and saw something he was familiar seeing when he was with his master, circuits and wires. Certain of what would happen, he could tell that some of that guy's blood didn't smell like anything, and added, "I'm invincible. Bets like this are fun from time to time. Whether it's Rey who dies first, whether it's me, whether it's Jhades, whether it's you... it'll all be the same. We would only be bringing forward the inevitable. As my master says, ‘Avoid worrying too much and I guarantee you'll suffer less.’"

The red-eyed wolfling, before turning his back on the situation, grabbed his katana and ran with all his might leaving behind the brother without a last name lying on the ground.

Yacer, reddened and with yellow eyes, crawled closer to the little one who was returning his body to normal. Using his remaining hand, he grabbed the little boy by the hair and said, "Lest you can use your defensive barrier at the last instant, you have no escape..."

From the bushes, with a mighty roar and the violence of a storm, White came out and tore off the subject's remaining arm with a shake of his head. As hard as he could, the feline grabbed the body of his companion to run in the opposite direction and pass the other two small guardians of Paradise who had remained hidden until now.

The flesh of the three bodies lit yellow ceased to exist, and the energy exploded violently. The explosion of light combined with the earth, the wind, and the few remaining trees on the site until they collided with Katherine's black ice or flooded much of the center of the only area that held vegetation. The noise, like thunder, encompassed the entire Heaven. The shockwaves with their heat scorched the rest of the vegetation, while the remaining smoke, dust, and heat promised to kill with their poison and toxicity.

No matter how fast they ran, the six little ones ended up engulfed in the chaotic experience. Dante, Rey, White and the other two ligers lost control of their feet as they were pushed violently forward. Using evasive maneuvers, the five avoided crashing into the larger objects, while the smaller fragments of rocks and wood hit them in the back, buried themselves in their flesh, and even pierced through them.

The light meant that Jhades had no shadows in which to hide. Of those present, although he was not hit by any object, the vampire was the most affected by the light that burned his flesh and melted his eyes. The shockwave caused their ears to pop, and they all coughed up blood.

White's cries woke Rey, who, still dazed, was flying, and slamming into his surroundings. Unable to hear anything or see anything, the little guy reached out his arm and as soon as he felt the soft fur of his faithful companion, he made his core expand as much as possible, locking himself and everything in the place, including his siblings and the other two ligers. The little guy with no last name set out to resist as long as he could. The sphere cracked on several sides, the cracks got bigger, and the barrier almost broke completely. The energy of the explosion passed, and the event reached its conclusion.

...

From the middle of the battlefield, on the highest point of the site and where the Great Wise Wizard stood, stood the Colossus of Darkness and Blood fighting against enemies that seemed to never end. Though she fought with ferocity and skill, she created a third hand that pointed in the direction of where the explosion occurred, and her little ones were.

…

In the middle of the battlefield, Rey was the only one breathing and able to move, but he was not far from dying from the radioactive poison that devoured his insides. Instead, under the black rain, Dante and Jhades lay dead. It was a good thing Rey could not see, for death was not pretty when the internal organs of your brothers were scattered on the ground. Mangled bodies, missing limbs, unrecognizable faces, flesh, bone, and blood combined with the rocks in the open.

Rey's ignorance did not last long, for suddenly, along with a violent vomiting of blood, his vision returned. Despite being burned all over and unable to use his body's regeneration, he felt better and also saw his two brothers return to how they were before.

Turning his face, Rey saw his mother. It was she who was bringing him back to life and healing the wounds. She was using a lost elemental control, control that had certain limits and among those limits were not the three Paradise guardians. "So my brothers passed the initiation process... I was missing. Perhaps if I had died, I could rejoice in this situation and all the others," thought Rey. "This is what they call radiation... I am poisoned. Eventually, without treatment or outside help, maybe I will die. I don't think it could get any worse," he said to himself. Rey opened his eyes, no longer seeing as cloudy as before, and between his hands he could identify something. Tears from between the raging eyes, it was a torrent of water that seemed not to stop. "No, no, no... you can't do this to me."

Maryam picked up her hand and continued to struggle, but she was worried and couldn't hide it. What she feared most happened and, despite being so far away, she could hear for the first time the desperate cry of the one who had not cried at birth. The concern of a mother who felt the pain of one of her children almost knew no bounds, and the other two cubs were about to wake up. "How would they react if they found out that their toys were broken too?" she wondered. "Maybe, not as bad as Rey is doing. They died and came back to life... they learned what it's like to rest in peace. Still, loss is a hard thing to bear at any age."

The Great Wise Wizard, who through the sky paced with his hands behind his back, made a stop beside the vampire and spoke to the pained mother who pressed her hands to her chest and let the tears fall to the ground.

"You don't have to make room for worry in your mind. That is the life you have been dealt and you have the weapons you need to defend it and be able to live it... I understand that you can't do anything for the guardians, but maybe I can."

Maryam, causing the Colossus to stick out teeth and tongue to devour its opponents, added, "Worry! A word so related to responsibility... Isn't it?" she asked dismembering the opponent. "Aaaah! So many times a mother and I still don't learn to let go of these feelings. I always regret it when I hear them cry... My chest tightens and my blood twists."

Changing her words with a more stern and scolding tone, she said, "You are just broken toys. Learn your lesson..."

Returning to her mournful intonation, "I would like to tell you. But this remorse I feel for having let my whims run free, for the future I have brought my children into, for the life I gave them, for having forced them to live a struggle they simply did not ask for, does not allow me to be so harsh."

Addressing the patiently waiting old man, she said, "Great Wise Wizard, I ask you to please help them."

After nodding his head, the old man with his hands folded behind his back descended walking in the direction of the little ones.

The vampire kept the following words to herself, as she recalled the past, "This remorse I feel despite having lived so long..." Maryam felt guilty. "A bond is not the solution to escape from forbidden habits and temptations. A friendship would not correct the damaged bond. A relationship would not fix our friendship. One marriage was not going to repair our relationship and one child would not save our marriage, let alone three... I knew it! I always knew it and yet I did it because it was my chance!"

She also wept inside the giant as she remembered that other vampiress who had conquered Wulfgang's heart. "I hope, my child, that you can forgive me. That you can forgive this mother who kept for herself your most precious treasure." Slashing as many enemies as she could with her sword, she continued to talk to herself looking at her husband. "This marriage was the price of my freedom. Oh! Another compromising word, isn't it, Wulfgang? I who always longed to be free, am the biggest hypocrite in this story."

After smacking her cheeks with her open hands, she changed her gaze, wiped away her tears and puffed out her chest; she continued speaking as if reminding herself of something important. "Maryam! There is no value in emotions; love, trust, happiness, and friendship are just useful tools to use and manipulate. I am not allowed to repent. They can't point out my mistakes either, not now that they are the kind of weapon needed to be able to survive in a world that would celebrate their deaths, a world where, if necessary, they will have to kill the people they love the most before they kill them. Now that they have known what it is to die, the alteration, the commotion, the restlessness, the exaltation, the uneasiness, the fear... now that they have gone through the initiation, let those who dare to stand in the way of my children be prepared. I hope that humans will choose a god they think is the most just if they want to wage war."

...

The three little ones stood up. Jhades and Dante, glad to have survived, ignored the fact that they had died for a few seconds. More than ignoring, they had learned that death was nothing special to them. To die was simply to rest in peace. In a life where pain translates into suffering, death had represented to them the absence of pain, so it also resulted in the absence of suffering. Rey, on the other hand, with bated breath from crying, was hugging against his chest something somewhat fleshy, covered in soot and ashes, what he assumed to be a fur. That one who never had the chance to leave life, did not understand his brothers. Perhaps for that very reason he felt so guilty about what was happening.

The more the white eyes saw, the more the mind ignored everything in the surroundings and plunged into an abyss of darkness. Inside Rey, a solitary mirror reflected the boy's mood, a neutral one; eyes open, observant of all that was happening. The falling of this delicate reflective object where there was no floor coined the permanence of the damage being caused. Another noisy sound of breaking glass ensued, another and another and another. One for each new feeling that could exist in the personality of someone emotionally unstable. Colorful negatives became the image that reflected the little one, images that no longer reflected the same face. Within each and every one of the hundreds of pieces, there was now a reflection of its own, independent of the others. As many pieces as expressions could make a face. Expressions manipulated by emotions that became chains that momentarily clamored as a prisoner to the body and will of Rey, who refused to let go.

One of the two floating balls appeared inside Rey; it also rang in the echo of so many crystals to ask, "How to react?"

It was Melody. She, in the young man's ear, whispered a whistle with the intention of calming while holding some pieces of broken mirrors.

"This is just the first experience of many more," said someone, a male voice, as he turned around and turned his back on the matter.

The other floating ball made to appear and also threw out a question: "How to be able to show that you care?" It was Memory, who floated the memories of the past.

Returning to the reality of the outside due to the commotion of the fight between giants, Rey could not control his hands from shaking. Still in a state of shock, his breathing accelerated as denial banished the disbelief that ended up strangled by the young man's teeth that gnashed under the pressure. Confusion left and in its wake literally greeted anger and indignation, being the ones that manifested on that little face. Rey, broken down in tears, said, "Why? This was my fight, it was mine. I told you not to interfere... Why!?"

Dante, without the usual energy in his demeanor, his eyes flooded with tears, rested his hand on Rey's shoulder. The wolf acted as one who had let his mate go, for to let go of life was good in a sense. The wolf, repentant, admitted that he had been wrong, that it was no fun to gamble in situations that were under no one's control. He also apologized for leaving without looking back and added cynically that they should continue their escape. No matter how much he spoke and no matter how much he tried to be empathetic, Dante grew tired and said in a shout, "Enough!" At the same time he expelled all the remaining air in his lungs. "Father said it's not right to cry over something that served its purpose... it makes you look less invincible."

Rey, filled with rage, regardless of what his brother might think of him, removed his hand from his shoulder and barely stood up with aggressive intentions, speaking as one trying to remain calm, "Anything? Invincible? Do you even have any idea what you're talking about?!"

With a clenched fist, Rey punched his brother in the face, to continue. "Think before you speak. I told you already, Dante, so that your good intentions don't end up causing greater evils. If you see me crying it's because I lost someone of value, not ‘something.’”

Rey was right. Deep in his heart, Dante understood that going against his brother would be worthless, and if he was crying, why should he hold back. With that, tears of pain left the red eyes that had stopped caring about maintaining any semblance of appearance. Looking to the side was the dead body of his companion, that little furry kitten who was always happy to see him and accompanied him everywhere trying to be as strong as he was, naïve and innocent who, despite all his faults, admired him. The face shattered by crying was reflecting before the bearer of the white eyes the way the little wolf was manifesting what he was feeling inside.

Conversely, indicators of the sadness he was suffering, the series of expressive mechanisms within the vampire let out an off-key ironic laugh. For someone of a selfish nature, it was normal for him to suffer with the welfare of others, more so if this welfare was death itself. The offensive noise from the vampire made the two brothers turn their faces away. Jhades was no different. Between his hands he tightly embraced the remaining part of the body of his companion, who was also dead, crushed between two stones.

…

Melody in Rey's ear, whispered the following words: "Crying and laughing... expressive behaviors working as catharsis. Everyone is in the same situation. They don't know how to act, how to make the world understand that the situation really matters to them and that they don't want to accept the death of a loved one. To free yourself in tears if necessary to get rid of that which weighs so much inside you, which alters your mental equilibrium."

Another voice, totally different, added, "Be very careful with what you feel inside. It is what makes you imperfect and, in many cases, what will lead you to make wrong decisions."

...

Dante, surrendering to stand up, said, "If we are not going to escape, what are we going to do?"

Suddenly, at the wolf cub's question, someone else began to burst out laughing. Not quite at ease, the three little ones paid a little more attention to their surroundings until they managed to identify where it was coming from. Yacer was still alive. Lying in the middle of the crater, without skin, flesh, or bones, alone, there remained a metallic skull of a mechanical eye.

The little vampire changed his ways as he realized that one of the causes of the pain he was feeling was still alive. For the first time for Jhades, the existence of a person was itself provoking the rejection that was created within him. The negative feeling not only plagued the vampire's insides but also contaminated like a swarm the little wolf and the unwanted child. Antipathy, dislike, resentment, loathing, contempt, and rage were all that the hatred was making those young men feel for the life of the one who at the moment was laughing. Jhades assumed the appearance of the beast that slept inside him and launched himself mercilessly in Yacer's direction. As soon as he was right in front of him, he pointed the pistol at his head and said, "Damn you, you don't know how much I'm going to enjoy this..."

One after another were the bullets that came out of the mouth of the smoking gun. One after another, the shots that, no matter where in that skull they hit, did not extinguish the irritating laughter. Yacer, with no facial expressions to make, said, "Blessed, am I? Yes, blessed to die I am. Damn you, doomed to live and feel the most powerful poison of mankind... my voice is still being made, without giving in or dying," he said even after the skull was partially destroyed.

What was speaking was a kind of square horn, which is why the voice sounded so distorted. Jhades ran out of bullets, but he continued to see how the strange creepy eye moved and focused on him with its small lens. The vampire wanted to stomp the piece of bone to dust with his heel, but before he continued, something stopped him.

Within the sky that still looked black, but behaved as if the invasion was coming to an end, the words spoken by the Great Wise Wizard echoed through the place: "Missionary of a thousand souls."

The old man who walked through the air without a care in the world, with his clamor made the black sapphire stone throne appear. Upon the throne sat the figure of a rotting corpse, one that one could well see had been a beautiful, graceful, and elegant woman. Of burnt garments and flesh, cold and lifeless, the creature seemed to take a deep breath to rise. Spreading shadows wherever it walked, the terrifying presence tugged at the chain around its waist, a chain that held a countless number of beings without solid colors, nor essence of life or hints of matter.

Ching, ching, shuiiiing, shuiiiing, trink, trink! The chains moved.

"Aaaah! Get to work," said the creature between ruddy-eyed whispers. "Aaaah! Snatching relief and bringing pain."

The creature's neck turned one hundred and eighty degrees, the sound of dismantling bones took place, and finally... the indecipherable gaze of that pain-provoking being focused on the three little ones.