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Chapter Text

Chapter Text

-Year 2050, Tokyo, Japan-

The world entered a crisis when the dragon and the giant fell from the sky. The world order took a heavy hit, but with the giant crumbling to dust and the dragon shot down by a jet, everything ended as quickly as it started.

Alternatively, this is what the world thought until the White Chlorination Syndrome infected people in the region of Shinjuku.

The disease was unstoppable, so building a wall to separate Shinjuku from the rest of Japan was the solution.

The disease had two outcomes, turn the infected into a statue of salt or a monster of the "Legion" led by the "Red Eyes".

The combined power of the JSDF and the US Army failed to stop the legion, so the US government opted for nuclear armament.

Shinjuku along with the "Legion" and the "Red Eyes" were destroyed, but the explosion only spread the "WCS" to the rest of the world.

"Red Eyes" survived the blast.

Research of the dragon’s corpse proved the multiverse theory along with the discovery of a particle that doesn’t belong to this world, scientists named the particle called MASO.

Scientists also discovered that The Giant's MASO caused the "WCS", this particle couldn’t be destroyed by any physical means, but thanks to MASO, the world’s technology advanced. 

Further research showed that MASO broke the law of conservation of mass, generating infinite energy. Researchers named it "MAGIC".

Organization Hamelin created Project Gestalt to combat "WCS" The process consisted of the separation of an individual's body and soul into two beings, the Gestalt, a soul without body, and the Replicant, a body without a soul.

Humanity fought several crusades against the "Legion" and the "Red Eyes" using child soldiers empowered by the drug "Luciferase" and commanded by Organization Hamelin.

Hamelin Crusaders fought the Legion all over the world, destabilizing economies and increasing the gap between rich and poor, large slums expanded across the world consequently.

"Red Eyes" died in Jerusalem during the 13th Crusade, with its leader dead, the "Legion" disorganized, becoming an easy target for the Crusaders, but the WCS still spread around the world.

The Project Gestalt gained more strength. People around the globe had their souls and bodies separated to escape the WCS, Gestalts slept, and Replicants left the labs immune to WCS and given minimal awareness to follow orders from the androids created by humans.

The Replicants worked tirelessly to send the giants' MASO back to where it came from.

However, not everyone trusted Project Gestalt, some people survived on their own, and one of these people walked Tokyo's ruined streets right now.

-Streets of Tokyo-

“Another day surviving in this city.” I spoke sarcastically to myself, walking back to my apartment. 

It was daytime but the sunlight barely passed through the dark clouds in the sky in what was left of Tokyo.

I found some food in an abandoned grocery store, but I don't know how long I can live like this. Sometimes I wonder if I should participate in the Project Gestalt.

However, I don't trust the Hamelin Organization and the Government after what they did. 

Surround the infected with a wall, and then drop a bomb on them. Now they want volunteers for a secret project. 

Not to mention, of course, the disappearances of children taken to the Organization with promises of food and shelter, just to vanish right after, I don’t want to be the next.

I looked at my reflection in a store’s glass. Messy black hair, brown eyes, and pale skin due to the lack of sunlight, I wore a gray coat, dark jeans, and black boots with a backpack on my back and held a metal baseball bat in my hand.

I smiled hesitantly, but the shaky smile on my reflection quickly turned into a frown. Damn, that was sad. Shaking my head, I left the store and walked towards my home.

I looked at the sky while walking and saw white flakes falling from the sky, covering the ground of the city; this is what happened to the people infected by WCS.

They became statues of salt and flew with the wind, enough salt to cover a city. I heard rumors that infected people heard the voice of God giving them a choice, become a statue of salt or join the legion.

Maybe whoever said that was crazy, but if it's true… I'd rather not think about it.

On my way, I couldn't shake the feeling of someone watching me, but when I looked back, there was no one there.

After some time, I arrived at my apartment, it wasn't exactly mine, but I don't think the previous owner would mind, after all, he laid across the city streets.

Wiping my boots on the carpet, I entered the apartment.

I closed the door behind me, turned on the lights and I looked around. Paintings I'd never seen before covered the walls, one looked like a white flower, another looked like a cathedral, and the last one looked like a dragon.

A table with a red sofa behind it, a brown shelf with a TV turned off, and a bookshelf decorated the living room. 

On the way, I glanced at the titles of the books on the bookshelf.

"Multiverse Theory, Parallel Timelines and Their Ramifications by Acco..." The rest was illegible.

"All Discoveries about White Chlorination Syndrome."

"The Red Dragon and the Giant."

"The Story of Midgard Part 1 Intoners."

I never read these books and I think that I never will. The only book that interested me was the one on the table.

It was a red book with golden drawings forming a maze-like shape with a circular face adorning the cover, with golden eyes making a perfect circle and lines separating the eyelids. 

A small nose stood between the eyes and a square mouth bellow it, the book was thirty centimeters long and twenty-three centimeters wide.

I found this book thrown away by the soldiers of the Hamelin Organization along with other books with faces. 

They were in a pile in the middle of the city and the soldiers burned them with flamethrowers, the soldiers called them failures, but I saved this one without them seeing.

This book gave me a bad feeling; it was as if it looked at me, following me with its eyes. 

Sometimes it seemed to move a few inches to the side, but I dismissed it as paranoia due to isolation.

Going to the kitchen, I emptied my backpack on the table, mostly canned food such as beef, sausage, millet, peas, instant food, and bottled water, a lot of water.

I didn't require any of that now, but it never hurts to have more, I made some instant noodles, and after eating them, slept in my room.

I had a strange dream. I walked through a destroyed city while talking to a floating box, but before the dream continued. I woke up with the sound of my apartment door opening followed by voices.

"Are you sure about that, what if he's still here?"

"Don't worry, it's going to be okay, we'll get the food and leave before anyone knows."

"I don't know. What if he gets mad?"

I got up and grabbed the baseball bat beside my bed. Going towards the door and opening it slowly, I walked with my back to the wall and approached the living room with the voices getting louder.

"Are you sure he lives here?"

"Yes, I followed him for quite some time."

Therefore, they were the ones following me. I approached the corner of the hallway and entered the living room, ready to bash someone's head.

"You picked the wrong house fool!"

"AAAHHH!"

I stopped upon hearing the screams. They weren't thieves; they were just two children, a boy and a girl. 

The boy must be thirteen years old and the girl must be about nine. Both had white hair and wore old winter clothes; the girl hid behind the boy as he stood in front of her protectively.

"Please sir, don't hurt us, we were just looking for food. We haven't eaten in days. When we saw that someone still lived in the city, we thought we could get something to eat."

The girl nodded at everything the boy said. I was tempted to send them away. With the world in this situation, it was every man for himself. However, after looking at their condition, I didn't dare to do it.

"Sit at the kitchen table. I'll prepare something for you."

They looked at me in surprise but did as I said.

Meanwhile, I fried some eggs and meat while asking the two questions.

"So what are you two doing here? In the city, I mean."

"Our parents are no longer here." The boy said sadly and the girl went quiet. 

"I'm very sorry. Now tell me how did you guys know I lived here?"

"We saw you a few times walking the streets and entering stores. We stayed out of your way because we didn't know if you were friendly, so we always went in the opposite direction of yours. But we ran out of food and options." The boy replied ashamed.

"I see, by the way. What are your names? My name is Alan."

"My name is Nier and this is my sister, Yonah." Nier answered pointing at the girl now identified as his sister.

"It’s nice to meet you." Yonah said shyly.

"It’s a Pleasure." I replied, placing the food on two plates.

"Do you two have somewhere to go?" I asked, setting the dishes on the table.

"No, we're just trying to survive." Nier replied, looking sadly at his plate.

I breathed deeply, thinking what I was about to do. I'm a bit greedy, I didn't want to share my resources with anyone, and simultaneously I couldn't leave two children on the streets

"I got a proposal for you two. How about you live here with me?" I asked hesitantly.

"Seriously?" They asked surprised with a disbelieved look.

"Yes." I replied, smiling nervously with my heart racing.

"Thank you!" They said happily, as Yonah got up, ran towards me, and hugged my leg. 

"Do you have any more questions?" I asked, escaping the hug.

"Can I eat more food?" Yonah asked innocently, giving me puppy eyes.

"Of course." I replied, feeling my heart melt.

I felt uncomfortable with having two strangers as roommates, but as time went on, I found myself enjoying their presence, and I would find myself missing them after what happened that day.

END OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter Text

-2053, Tokyo, Japan-

It's been three years since I invited Nier and Yonah to live with me. A barrier formed between us in the first few days, we didn't trust each other completely, and after all, we were total strangers.

They looked at me as if at some point, I would attack them, and I thought that they would run away with my supplies any moment. It was difficult, but we got closer with time, and they became younger brothers to me.

However, the good times ended. Yonah got sick with what looked like the flu, but it worsened and none of our medicines helped, so Nier and I made a difficult decision.

The three of us would go to a shelter that cared for people harmed by WCS. Hamelin Organization funded this shelter, which worried me greatly, but with no option, we prepared for the trip.

-XXXXXX-

Alan, Nier, and Yonah prepared themselves for this risky endeavor while Alan readied himself, he didn’t notice the mysterious book crawling into his backpack in the living room.

Alan hung his backpack on his shoulders and held his baseball bat, leaving the apartment with Nier and Yonah beside him soon after.

When the door closed, a mysterious person appeared in the center of the living room. With an open book in one hand and a large suitcase in the other, the stranger scanned the area curiously.

"Interesting, so this is where the anomaly lives, whatever happens from now on I can't predict." The stranger spoke, disappearing in a blinding flash.

-Streets-

While walking toward the shelter, I thought about everything that happened in the last three years. Firstly, I thought Alan cared for us because he wanted something from Yonah and me.

After our parents died, Yonah's safety became my priority, I was ready to protect her if Alan tried anything but he only helped us.

It may seem strange but he became a big brother to Yonah and me. I’m grateful for everything he did for us.

However, something bothered me. Why shouldn’t we trust the Hamelin Organization? After all, they're funding the shelter, which means they're good people, right?

-In the same street-

We walked down the street but I didn't know where Alan and brother Nier were taking me. They said we were getting medicine for me, I feel bad for being the reason they have to go through so much trouble.

When our parents died, Nier cared for me the best he could, finding food and shelter. Now Alan cared for us for years, I think I should do something to reward them. I know! Tonight I'm going to cook dinner for them!

-Shelter-

We reached the shelter. I saw military trucks and armed soldiers at the entrance. Why do they need all of that? The legion died years ago.

"Stay behind me." I said to Nier and Yonah.

"All right.” They answered simultaneously before following me towards the shelter.

However, a soldier stopped us as we approached the entrance.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"For the same reason as everyone else here, to get food and medicine."

He stared intently at me for a few seconds before sighing.

"Fine, but you'll have to leave this here." He said, pointing at my bat.

I sighed but did as he said, handing him my bat.

"You three can go now." The soldier replied, stepping to the side.

"Thanks, let's go." I thanked the soldier and called Nier and Yonah.

The number of people inside the shelter surprised us, filled to the brim you could say.

We looked around, searching for the responsible for the shelter, but something strange got our attention; the soldiers handed out books instead of food to the people.

What the hell, all those people came here searching for help and books are what they got, goddamn books!

The book cover was black with several arcs one on top of the other, descending and shrinking until it reached an oval-shaped face with large lips and a theater mask covering its eyes.

Nier, Yonah, and I received books too.

Then I heard a voice.

"Use my power."

I jumped back surprised, looking around, I saw other people around us having the same reaction, it seemed like I wasn't the only one who heard it.

"Did you hear it too?" Nier asked me scared.

"Yes." I muttered nervously.

Then the voice returned higher.

"Use my power!"

I realized the voice came from the book; it talked to me.

"Use my power, use my power, use my power..."

Suddenly all the people around us screamed, falling on the floor while shaking uncontrollably.

Then something unbelievable happened, it felt like a horror movie.

The people on the floor turned into monsters, their skin darkened, their eyes turned completely white, and their arms and legs elongated to impossible sizes with claws at the tips.

They were no longer people they looked like living shadows.

"Nier, Yonah we need to get out of here now!" I screamed scared.

We quickly ran out of the shelter. The soldier, upon seeing the commotion, threw my bat to the ground and passed us, running towards the shelter.

I picked up my bat and when I looked back, I almost vomited with what I saw.

Those monsters cut the soldiers apart, blood and guts flew everywhere, and the worst of all, they were coming after us.

"Run and don't look back!" I yelled to Nier and Yonah.

We ran through streets, alleys, and buildings, we ran until exhaustion, until we couldn't keep going anymore.

Looking around, I saw an abandoned market.

"Enter the market now!" I yelled, pointing at the building.

We ran inside it, closing the door behind us. We hid behind a shelf, but those things were out there and I knew the door wouldn't stop them; the whole front of the market was made of glass.

I saw the fear in Nier and Yonah's faces. I breathed deeply, thinking about the stupidity I was about to do.

"Stay here and away from the books!" I exclaimed, pointing at the two books on the floor, Nier's and mine.

"Wait, what are you going to do?" Nier yelled, extending a hand toward me.

"Please stop!" Yonah screamed with teary eyes.

This sight broke my heart, but I walked towards the door with my bat ready.

"Use my power!"

The book screamed, but I ignored it.

I stepped outside the market and looked around; there were ten of those things. Preparing myself, I breathed deeply and screamed.

"Listen here, you fuckers, if you want to get these two, you have to get past me first, so come at me! I'll wipe you all out and put your heads as decorations on my wall!"

The things advanced with a series of high-pitched screeches. The first one ran towards me with open arms and claws ready, it looked like a dark blur rushing towards me, but the careless advance left a large opening in its attack.

I raised my bat with shaking hands, swallowing hard and sweating profusely, I waited for the thing to get closer.

When it happened, I swung my bat with all my strength towards its head, and with a cracking noise and splash of blood, the ting fell motionless to the ground.

I laughed nervously, realizing what I had done. I was alive! However, my eyes widened when I noticed more of those things approaching.

The second one came from my left with its claws aiming at my side. I stepped out of the way, but received a cut on my side; I held back a pained scream, and glancing down, I saw blood seeping out of the wound.

I hit the thing’s belly, taking advantage of the creature's opening after its attack. The thing bent down with the blow, and quickly swinging my bat, I hit the back of the thing's neck, sending it to the ground.

For a moment, I thought I could win, but it wasn't like in the movies where the henchman came one at a time.

The instant the monsters noticed that I killed two of them, they all came at once and I braced myself as the world darkened.

I don't know what happened. All I felt was pain. My eyes opened for a moment and I saw Nier and Yonah looking at me through the market window, crying with despaired looks.

It took some time for me to realize the situation I was in. Those things surrounded me and beat me; but before I could react, the world went dark again.

"Use my power!"

That voice again. I opened my eyes and saw the book dragging itself towards me using two dark arms that came out of its sides, and it was getting closer and closer.

Know what? To hell with it, I'm not dying here!

"I want your power!" I screamed, reaching my hand towards the book.

A bright light blinded me, but when my eyesight came back, I jumped to my feet, still injured, but I felt stronger as if I could face all the armies in the world.

The monsters moved away from me while the black book floated beside me, I picked up my bat and with a furious scream, ran towards the creatures.

I massacred them. I shattered their arms and legs with each blow, their heads exploded in a shower of blood.

Nevertheless, I wasn't unscathed, there were many of them. While I focused on one, others took the chance to attack. I felt the blows but I felt no pain.

I fell to the ground when the fight ended. My vision blurred, I think I’m losing a lot of blood.

Looking around, I saw the book floating in front of me, staring at me and when I looked towards the market, I saw something that scared me.

Nier with his book also floating beside him, he accepted the power of the book.

I tried to get up to warn him, but I couldn’t.

I think it was due to blood loss, but as I died there on the floor, I was sure I heard someone singing.

A woman sang somewhere with the sound of bells accompanying it. I don’t know how, but those words came out of my mouth.

"I hear a song."

END OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter Text

The Land of Midgard is one of the deadliest places in the world. However, it wasn't always like that. From year 1 with the Birth of Jesus Christ until year 856, Midgard was a land of humans known as Europe with knights and kingdoms at war with each other.

Until the year 856 when a giant earthquake occurred in the Iberian Peninsula, bringing a mysterious city out of nowhere in one night. Other beings came along with the city like elves, goblins, trolls, minotaurs, and dragons.

Various disasters occurred in the period of nine years, dragons destroyed the Western Roman Empire, the Frankish Kingdom monarchy fell apart, and Europe lost all concept of nation and became Midgard.

Amid the chaos, nobles and intellectuals fled the ancient kingdoms and settled in the city that emerged on the night of the earthquake.

They named it Cathedral City thanks to the great building localized in its center. They also created the Pythagoras Institute dedicated to studying the Great Cataclysm and the anomalies that arose around the world.

For the first time in ten years, the gates of Cathedral City opened to the commoners, and the population of the city grew.

This only increased the power of the Pythagoras Institute, creating an oppressive government thanks to knowing how to use magic and this government lasted to this day.

-Year 993, Midgard-

Fool's March vibrated with life, people poured in and out of its gates, travelers and merchants were everywhere, blacksmiths made swords and armor for the knights, and the baker baked morning bread.

Women walked through the markets buying food, wondering what to cook for their families while merchants exhibited dresses and jewelry from various parts of the world, men worked in the fields, and in the church, and the priest preached the words of God.

However, the focus isn't on this city but on the forest in the distance.

A person lies on the ground amidst trees and bushes. This person wore strange clothes, a strange bag and metal staff stood beside him on the ground, and a strange black book floated in front of him.

-Forest-

"My Lord, please wake up; this isn't the place for you to sleep. If my lord wants to rest, let's find a place worthy of your stature."

Why is everything so dark? Who turned off the light? Where are Nier and Yonah? Moreover, why does my head hurt so much? What happened after the fight? All I remember was hearing a song and then...

"My lord."

Then...

"My lord."

Then...

"My lord."

"WHAT!"

I screamed, opening my eyes and getting up abruptly. What I saw surprised me, the black book floating and talking to me.

"AAAHHH!" I shouted surprised, picking up my baseball bat and swinging it towards the book.

"My Lord, wait!" The book exclaimed, moving out of the way.

However, I didn't stop, I tried to hit the book repeatedly, but it always floated away. Meanwhile, the book spoke nervously, asking me to calm down! As if I'm going to do it after what happened!

"How did I get here?!? I was in the town a few moments ago! What happened?!? Was it you who brought me here?!? Where are Nier and Yonah?!?" I demanded, trying to hit the book.

"I'm sorry to irritate you, My Lord; this servant humbly begs your forgiveness and will accept whatever punishment you see fit. Nevertheless, to answer your questions, you fainted after the fight due to your injuries. No, this humble servant didn't bring you here. I woke up a little before you. And I don't know who these Nier and Yonah are, so I apologize for my incompetence." The book said, bowing down.

I lowered my bat, thinking about what it said. I don't know why the book was so respectful to me, but it didn't seem to want to hurt me.

Leaving it behind I took my inventory, which wasn't much. My clothes, bat, cell phone, and backpack with water, snacks, and the red book inside it. How did it get here?

Well, there's no use staying here, I need to find someone or something. Maybe a city or any sign of civilization.

So I walked in the direction I thought was north, but looking back, I frowned upon seeing the book following me.

"You are coming with me?" I asked the book, trying to hide the distrust in my voice.

"Yes, wherever My Lord wishes to go, I'll follow." The book answered respectfully.

"By the way, what's your name? Do you have a name or should I call you book?" I asked, annoyed with the previous answer.

"This humble servant is called Grimoire Noir, My Lord." Noir said bowing down.

"It's nice to meet you, Noir! Please stop calling me Lord, call me Alan." I replied, still disturbed by the situation.

"I'll call you as you wish, Lord Alan." Noir answered.

I sighed. There's no point in arguing with it, so I just moved on.

I walked through the forest for quite some time with Noir behind me in complete silence; it made me uncomfortable so I started a conversation.

"Noir, what are you?" I asked curiously, analyzing the book closely.

"I am a Grimoire, a book made to serve those deemed compatible with MASO and worthy of becoming the Original Gestalt, Lord Alan." Noir replied respectfully and with pride in its voice.

"And what is the Original Gestalt?"

"I beg your pardon Lord Alan, but I don't have this information. I was created to serve the original Gestalt until the end of Project Gestalt; my creators saw no need to give me all the knowledge because of the fear of information leakage if the Original Gestalt didn't collaborate with the project." Noir said ashamed, lowering its head sadly.

"I see, now tell me, what do you know about this?" I said, taking the red book out of my backpack.

"Lord Alan, if I may ask. Where did you get this Grimoire?" Noir asked surprised; I think.

It was hard to tell, as the face on its cover couldn't change expression.

"I found it in a pile of the same books that were about to be burned, I saved this one." I answered.

"If I may say, you made a wonderful choice, this book is called Grimoire Rubrum, and they were considered flaws for not having great magic power. They couldn't be used in direct combat, just for support, but with it on our side, Lord Alan will be even safer." Noir said happily.

"Wait, magic exists?!?" I asked, jumping back in surprise.

This book must be kidding me!

"Of course, Lord Alan, I'm capable of using magic in direct combat, but I'm sorry to say that my powers are severely limited, I can only assist you with simple magic." Noir said sadly.

I stopped the conversation right there, too much information to process. Monsters, waking up in the middle of a forest, talking books, and the existence of magic, and of course, whatever the hell MASO, Original Gestalt, and Project Gestalt are.

What do those soldiers in the shelter want with us? What do they have to do with it? Is this part of some greater plan? I need to find Nier and Yonah before something happens again.

-XXXXXX-

Finally, we left the forest; I must have walked for what seemed like hours. There was a dirt road in front of me with wheel marks on the ground, it looked like people passed by there recently.

Looking around, I saw a city in the distance. Finally, some sign of life! Without thinking twice, I ran towards the city smiling at the sight of something familiar.

However, frowned upon seeing the silhouette of four people in the distance. I quickly stopped my run and turned to the book beside me.

"Noir get in my backpack!" I demanded.

"But Lord Alan, how can I protect you if I'm not by your side?!?" Noir said nervously.

"I believe that talking, and flying books aren't normal around here and I prefer not to draw attention, so get in the backpack!" I said, gritting my teeth.

"As you wish Lord Alan." Noir replied disappointed, entering my backpack.

Adjusting my clothes and smiling friendly, I walked calmly until I saw those four silhouettes up close.

Four men covered in dirty, poorly dressed and holding knives and clubs.

Great, I barely got there and I already encountered problems. Before I could speak something, one of them stepped forward and spoke to me.

"What do we have here? Listen here traveler, if you want to enter the city unharmed, you will have to pay us for it. Otherwise... Well... Let's just say your travel will be more difficult with broken legs." The man laughed while the other three behind him laughed too.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I've nothing of value with me. So would you be so kind as to let me pass?" I asked hopefully.

Maybe being polite would work.

"Don't play with us, those clothes of yours are too good for someone with nothing of value, you must be some nobleman's son! I bet your parents will pay good money for your rescue!" The man replied angrily, pointing at me with his club.

Well, my education didn't work, time to use ignorance.

He ran towards me with his club raised above his head. Without a second thought, I swung my bat towards his head.

You know, I wasn't an athletic person, but I wasn't a total slacker either. Surviving in the city gave me a little bit of muscle.

Therefore, I expected to hit the bandit with considerable strength, what I didn't expect were my arms moving at an absurd speed for a normal human being, what I also didn't expect was the bandit's head exploding in a shower of blood with his eyes and brain flying down the road my blow.

I stood still in surprise and fear, I couldn't believe what happened. I killed a person! Not only did I kill him, but also did it brutally! There wasn't a face left to recognize the corpse!

"Boss!"

I didn't have time to think because the second thug came at me with his knife aimed at my neck.

Strangely, he moved too slowly for a person trying to kill me, I saw every detail of his face as the knife approached in a predictable trajectory. Maybe he's not the one moving slowly.

I'll leave that for later, I ducked, quickly dodging the knife, and punched the thief's chest when I stood up.

CRACK!

His bones broke when my punch connected with his body. The thief vomited blood and fell to the ground motionless while the remaining ones looked at me scared.

I think it's the perfect time to ask some questions.

"Do you want to be next?!?" I yelled, pointing at them with my bat.

They both jumped in fear, quickly dropping their weapons and kneeling on the ground.

"Please have mercy; if you spare our lives we promise never to steal again, we'll live an honest life, I swear!" One of the thieves spoke, while both bowed down.

"I'll spare your lives if you answer my questions." I said menacingly.

"We promise to answer your questions!" The thief replied hopefully.

"Where am I? What is today's date? What is the name of the city just ahead?"

"You are in the land of Midgard, the year is 993 and the name of the city is Fool's March!" The thief answered, sweating nervously.

I stared at them for a few seconds before replying.

"All right you two can go." I said emotionlessly.

They wasted no time and ran past me, disappearing in the distance soon after.

Midgard? Year 993? Where the hell am I?

I threw up on the ground when the adrenaline wore off. I killed two people! They tried to rob me, but their deaths weren't necessary.

"Lord Alan, are you all right? Please calm down." Noir spoke, his voice coming from inside my backpack.

"You shouldn't worry about the death of these pathetic creatures. They were the ones who dared to attack you. But if I may say, we shouldn't stay here, the bodies will draw attention."

As much as I hated to admit it, Noir was right. They attacked me and I had no choice but to defend myself.

Without wasting time, I dragged both bodies into the bushes beside the road while trying not to vomit again; it wasn't hard thanks to my newfound strength.

After that, I headed towards the city with Noir still in my pack, stopping to glance one last time at where I hid the corpses, hoping that no one would discover what I did.

I finally arrived at Fool's March entrance; to say I was confused was an understatement.

What a medieval town is doing here? How the hell is this possible?

Horse-drawn carts, the clothes that the people wore, the way they talked, the architecture of the buildings. It was all medieval!

I thought about my situation. Where is Midgard located? What did the thief mean by year 993? Could it be that I'm in some isolated part of the world trapped in the medieval era?

I breathed deeply, calming myself down, I can't panic, and this isn't the place.

I passed through the gates, mingling with the people coming in and out, and explored the city. Let me tell you, the city is more beautiful on the outside than it is on the inside.

I saw many homeless people inside alleys and beggars asking for alms on the edges of the street, but as I approached the center of the city, the appearance of the streets, buildings, and people got better.

The difference between the rich and the poor was obvious. Sometimes I got weird looks from people around me, probably because of my clothes and the bat tied to my backpack but no one stopped me so far.

I walked until I entered a square with a fountain in the center, I sat on its edge and removed my coat, it was hot here compared to the Japan that I lived in. This place was full of life compared to my home.

"Noir, where do you think we are?" I asked before taking a water bottle out of my backpack and drinking it.

"Forgive me Lord Alan, but I don't know. This place is completely new to me." Noir answered from inside my backpack.

"This is exactly what I thought." I sighed.

Well, there's no use staying here all day, better keep exploring.

I passed by tailors, merchants, blacksmiths, and taverns, confirming that I was in a medieval city for sure. Did I go back in time?

While walking, I passed through shadier parts of the city. Some prostitutes offered me their services, people lay down on the streets, probably dead, and thieves walked through the alleys.

At some point, I passed in front of a brothel and I saw a girl there. She couldn't have been more than thirteen years old and she stood in a place like this.

Our eyes met as I walked down the street. She had a strange appearance, pale skin, white hair, and most notably, pink eyes.

We didn't say anything to each other, I walked past her, but I felt her gaze on my back.

I don't know why I looked back, but I saw another girl next to the pink-eyed one, a little older than her with the most distinguishing feature being her indigo eyes.

I quickly looked away without saying a word, leaving the two of them behind.

-XXXXXX-

It got dark and I faced my biggest problem until now, I didn't have money. I wasn't hungry because I ate my snacks, but I had nowhere to sleep.

Until I saw a bridge leading out of town with an arch big enough under it for me to fit, much better than nothing I guess.

I went under the bridge and lay down using my coat as a pillow, but before I slept, Noir spoke angrily.

"Lord Alan you shouldn't sleep in a dirty place like that. The people of this town should be kneeling before your presence; you are worthy to receive the title of Original Gestalt. If you allow me, I'll personally guarantee the best housing for you, even if I've to tear whoever is living there apart."

I sweated nervously. Who would have thought that the well-educated Grimoire could be so aggressive? I need to calm him down before he takes any rash action.

"No need for that Noir, I'm fine the way I am. Let's sleep and tomorrow we'll figure out what to do."

"As you wish Lord Alan." Noir replied before going silent.

I closed my eyes and slept, or at least I would, if it weren't for the noises of a horse across the bridge. If the damn horse wasn't enough, there were also people running across the bridge too.

Can't I sleep under a bridge in peace? My attention shifted as I heard the two people talking on top of the bridge.

"Indigo, who is this man? I thought we were going to run away together." A girl spoke.

"I lied; I just needed your help to carry more gold. It's nothing personal, but now I'm going to kill you." Another girl replied happily.

All the sleep left my body upon hearing the word "kill". What should I do? I don't want trouble, but on the other hand, a person will be killed. I don't want to witness another murder.

Readying myself, I picked up my bat and left the bridge, walking towards the part facing the city. Therefore, I stood behind the girls, and looking ahead, I saw a man on top of a horse.

Breathing deeply, I screamed from the top of my lungs.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT? CAN'T I SLEEP IN PEACE UNDER THE BRIDGE? I HAD A TERRIBLE DAY AND NOW YOU SHOW UP WITH THIS TALK OF GOLD AND KILL! ALL I WANT IS A LITTLE BIT OF SILENCE! SO COULD YOU SHUT UP PLEASE?!"

They all jumped surprised upon hearing my voice and quickly turned towards me.

"Who are you the fuck are you?" An indigo-eye girl demanded, pointing a dagger at me.

This surprised me; they were the girls I saw in the brothel.

The indigo-eyed girl screamed insult after insult while the pink-eyed girl looked at me scared.

Before I said anything, three men came from the city and shouted at us.

"There you are! Did you think you could get away with our money?" One of the men yelled at the girls.

"And you're working with them, aren't you? You're the one who told them to steal the gold, aren't you?" A second one yelled, pointing at me.

I thought for a minute. These two girls stole the gold from these people, the indigo-eyed girl wants to kill the pink-eyed girl, and the person on the horse across the bridge must be her accomplice.

What have I gotten myself into?

Before I answered his question, the second man advanced and punched my face; amazingly, it didn't hurt at all. It wasn't just my strength that increased.

Controlling my strength, I quickly punched the man in the jaw. His head shot backward with his jaw breaking audibly and teeth flying everywhere.

The man fell to the ground motionless but alive. The other two came soon after, one from my left and one from my right.

The one from my left tried to punch me in the face, but I ducked down and kicked him in the knee, his knee broke loudly, and he fell to the ground screaming in pain.

The other one kicked me in the stomach, but it just pushed me back a little, I took advantage of the moment he regained his balance, and I punched him in the nos. The man fell to the ground unconscious and with a bleeding nose.

If I had been more attentive, I would have noticed the indigo-eyed girl running towards me with her dagger raised, but the weapon stopped a few centimeters from me thanks to a red barrier forming in its way.

Soon the dagger broke with a red flash and the indigo-eyed flew away. Seeing no other option, the girl ran towards the man mounted on the horse and the two fled into the night.

Now it was just the pink-eyed girl and me.

She looked at me with wide eyes and trembling fearfully as I approached.

"Are you okay?" I asked hesitantly, worried about her reaction.

However, she didn't answer me; it looked like she was shocked, so I put my hand on her shoulder, making her wince, and asked again.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes." She replied quietly.

I took my hand off her shoulder and she quickly ran away from me towards the bags full of gold coins on the floor. There were four of them, she took two of them and walked away.

"Where are you going?" I asked her.

"I'm going to a place far away from here." She replied seriously.

I looked towards the mess I made here; I couldn't stay in the city anymore.

"I'll go with you." I said to the girl.

"No, I'd rather travel alone." She replied, looking at me suspiciously.

"Come on, I won't hurt you! What if you meet bandits along the way? You can't defend yourself. If anything happens, I can protect you, you've seen what I'm capable of." I smiled friendlily while pointing at the unconscious men on the floor.

She seemed to think for a moment and said before answering.

"Fine, but if you betray me, you will regret it." She replied menacingly.

"Ok, give me a minute." I answered, ignoring her menace.

I went under the bridge and picked up my coat and backpack. I saw the red book glowing inside it. The book must have been the one who stopped the dagger.

"Lord Alan, are you ok?" Noir asked worriedly from inside the backpack.

"Yes Noir, I'm fine. Good news, we're leaving town, and we have a traveling companion with us, so please stay hidden."

"As you wish Lord Alan." Noir replied.

I returned to the girl and saw her watching the bags of gold on the ground. I passed the girl and put the bags inside my backpack, making the girl look at me angrily.

I shrugged, putting on my coat, and walking away from the city with the girl beside me, still trying to pierce my head with her glare.

Well, at least I solved my money problem.

"Since we'll be traveling together, I think we'd better introduce ourselves. My name is Alan, and you?" I asked the girls, offering a smile.

"Rose." She replied emotionlessly without looking at me.

How rude!

"Nice to meet you, Rose." I answered friendly, but she didn't answer.

Therefore, we headed towards the nearest town, loaded with money and with no idea about what the future had in store for us.

If I only knew how true, those words were.

END OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter Text

In just one day, I fought monsters, woke up in a forest with two magic books with me, killed two thieves, visited a medieval town, fought three people, and saved a girl from being murdered. 

All in a day's work nothing out of the ordinary. It’s a nice history, isn’t it? 

By the way, the girl I saved didn't trust me, as she let me go ahead during our walk and stared intently at my back.

Moreover, the worst part was that I couldn't sleep at all during the night before, and now here we were, covered in sweat, tired, and walking along a dirt road towards the next town or village with the sun rising on the horizon. 

The cold morning wind blew towards us, it didn't bother me, but I saw Rose shiver. Her revealing brothel dress didn’t do much to warm her up so I took off my coat and offered it to her.

"Here, take it." I outstretched my hand, offering my coat. 

Rose stared with distrust between the coat and me. 

I don't know what she expected me to do, God only knows what she went through, but slowly, Rose outstretched her hand.

When her hand was a few centimeters away, she grabbed my coat tightly and took it from my hand. 

She stared intently at me again, but soon analyzed my coat curiously, running her hand through the fabric that didn't exist in this age. 

She put my coat on, but stared confused at the zipper, not knowing how it worked, so I decided to help.

"Let me help you." I said, bringing my hands close to hers. 

Only to be met with a slap on each one; the emotional pain was greater than the physical.

"Don't touch me; just tell me how I close this!" Rose shouted angrily, gazing at me furiously.

OK, it wasn’t the best start; maybe I was too hasty since she doesn't trust me. 

"You put the metal part on the left end into the opening on the right end, and then pull it up." I answered.

She struggled a bit with the zipper, but eventually, she closed it, and we returned to our walk in complete silence.

-With Rose-

As we walked down this road, I thought about what happened last night. I never imagined that one day I would escape from that brothel since my mother sold me to the owner of that place. It wasn’t for a large sum. 

My life became hell, but I don't blame my mom, life is hard and she raised me the best way she knew, even though that way was quite violent, until she got tired of me. I still remember the beatings.

In the brothel, the bosses didn't bother to teach me to read or write, just how to take care of my appearance and how to please the customers, there the other prostitutes gave me the name Rose.

My mother never bothered to give me a name, until one day I met Indigo and thought I finally found a friend, someone I could trust. 

We made a plan; at night when everyone in the brothel was sleeping, we would take as much money as possible and run away together. 

Those thoughts died when she revealed that she just needed someone to carry more gold and then tried to kill me, looks like she got tired of me too.

However, here comes the unbelievable part. 

A stranger came out from under the bridge and I almost died. He looked to be about twenty years old, dressed in strange but quality clothes, probably a nobleman or merchant son.

As if the situation wasn't bad enough, the brothel bosses caught up with us and accused the stranger of ordering the robbery. 

Poor thing, he showed up in the wrong place at the wrong time, now we would both die. On the other hand, that's what I thought.

Imagine my surprise when he won the fight. He received a punch in the middle of his face and barely moved, and then returned the blow, punching one of the bosses on the chin. 

I heard the sound of the boss’s bones breaking; I admit that felt some satisfaction upon seeing this. However, the other two bosses advanced towards the stranger, one from the left and the other from the right.

The one on the left tried to punch the stranger’s face, but the stranger bent down and kicked the boss in the knee, breaking it audibly and sending the boss to the ground. 

The one on the right kicked the stranger in the stomach, and again, he barely moved, and punched the last boss in the nose, smashing it and leaving him unconscious.

A relieved feeling washed over my body, but I disappeared when I saw Indigo running towards the stranger with a dagger in her hands. That is it, when Indigo finishes him off, I’ll be next. 

I don’t know what happened, but a bright red light blinded me when Indigo approached the stranger. When my vision returned, I saw the dagger split in two on the ground, and Indigo flying away. 

With no other option, she ran towards the man mounted on a horse on the other side of the bridge, the two fled into the night.

Looks like it's over, the bosses were on the floor, Indigo ran away, and best of all, the money bags were there on the floor. 

If I had taken this money with me, maybe I’d have a better life somewhere away from here or maybe not, because the stranger approached me and I was suddenly paralyzed in fear. I was next, wasn't I? 

He got closer and closer to me. What should I do? Think Rose think! He broke the bones of three grown men, what would he do to you? I'd be in a blood pool on the ground! 

Maybe if I offered him some of the money he'd leave me alone. However, what if he doesn’t want the money, what if he wants something else? Like my body.

My thoughts stopped, as he got closer. I saw how intimidating he was, he must be one meter and ninety centimeters tall, with pale skin, long black hair, and brown eyes. He looked down at me and slowly outstretched his hand. 

What will he do to me? Why didn't I scream? Why didn't I do anything? 

He said something, but I didn't hear it. 

I felt him touching me and I winced, expecting a punch or a slap, but nothing happened.

"Are you okay?" The stranger asked worriedly.

"Yes." I only realized that I had answered a few seconds later. 

He nodded, moved away, and stared at me. 

I decided not to stay here wasting time; there were four bags of gold on the floor. I took two for myself and left two for the stranger, maybe then, he would leave me alone.

I turned my back to him and walked out of town, but stopped abruptly when the stranger spoke to me again.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

Shit, what does he want now?

"I’m going to a place far away from here." I replied, trying to calm myself. 

"I'll go with you." He answered, looking around at the mess he made.

"No, I'd rather travel alone."

The conversation could have ended, but he had a good point in his next argument.

"Come on, I won't hurt you, what if you meet bandits along the way? You can't defend yourself. If anything happens I can protect you, you've seen what I'm capable of.”

He was right I couldn't fight. If any bandit showed up, I couldn't do anything. This stranger was the only way for me to travel safely. 

"Fine! But if you betray me you'll regret it." I replied menacingly.

"Ok, give me a minute." He answered, going under the bridge and coming back with a strange bag on his back.

He put the money inside his bag and now he has all the money. That could be a problem.

With that done, we left the city and walked down the dirt road, 

"I'm Alan, what's your name?" The stranger asked smiling.

Alan, so that is his name, too normal for someone so strange.

"Rose." I gave a curt reply; there was no reason to be nice.

"It’s nice to meet you, Rose." Alan spoke smiling. 

It’s nice to meet you. Hump! I wonder how true those words are. Everyone wants something, and what do you want, Alan? 

Well, that's beside the point, I wonder how long it will take before he gets tired of me and backstabs me, everyone did.

We walked for a while and I made Alan walk in front of me. If he tried something at least I would have time to run, after all, there was no reason to trust him. 

I saw the sun rising on the horizon; it was dawning and a cold wind passed by me. I shivered from the cold; I should have brought a coat when I ran away.

"Here, take it."

It was Alan; he offered me the strange coat he wore. What does he want? There was no reason to be nice to me, but it was too cold to refuse. 

I slowly brought my hand closer to the coat and I quickly took it from his hand.

I stared at him, waiting for a reaction, but he just stared back. With the lack of reaction, I changed my focus to the coat while running my hand through the fabric; it was a good quality fabric. 

I put the coat on and when I looked down, I didn’t see buttons, just two lines of a weird material that ended in metal tips. How do I put this thing on?

"Let me help you." Alan said, approaching his hands to me.

I don't know what went through my head at that moment, but I slapped both of his hands away. Shit! Damn it! Soon after, I realized the mistake I made. You idiot! You hit the person who could just beat the shit out of you and take all the money if he wanted. 

I expected a punch, a slap, even a curse, but he didn't do anything, why? Why is he being so patient, what does he want from me?

"Don't touch me; just tell me how I close it!" It wasn't the best answer, but since he was being so patient I, risked it. 

Instead of getting annoyed, Alan explained to me how to close the coat, and I did it after a few tries.

Talking about clothes looked at what clothes Alan wore. They were made of a strange material, the black boots, the pants that hugged his legs, and the black shirt. I didn’t recognize the fabric at all.

There was a strange drawing on his shirt; it was a fox holding a knife in its mouth. Was he part of some army? On the other hand, maybe he was a noble and that was his family emblem. 

It doesn't matter now, but I need to be careful, I'd rather not mess with some noble and his family.

-XXXXXX-

How long are we going to walk? My feet hurt and I need to piss! I stopped complaining when I saw two silhouettes further ahead on the road, when we got closer; I saw that they were two people, probably bandits.

Alan quickly stood in front of me. I expected a fight; it was time to see if his words back in town were true. However, the fight never happened since the bandits screamed upon seeing Alan.

"It's him!" One of them yelled, pointing at Alan.

"You two again?!?" Alan screamed back, pointing at the bandits with his staff.

Wait, does he know these people?

"Let's get out of here before he kills us too!" The other bandit screamed.

Then, the two of them ran into the woods by the side of the road. Only then did my brain register what one of them said, 'Before he kills us too.' Wait, did Alan kill someone?

I walked with a murderer all this time! SHIT! FUCK! DAMMIT! 

Worst of all, Alan slowly turned around and stared at me seriously, it looked like he was going to get rid of me.

"D-did you k-kill someone?" I asked nervously.

What am I saying? Run Rose run, otherwise, you'll be the next victim.

"Don't think about it too much, but long story short, they tried to rob me and I defended myself. Now that you know it, what are you going to do?" Alan asked, staring me in the eyes.

He's right! What am I going to do? Run, fight, or go with him? Come on Rose, do something!

"I’ll go there in the bushes and take piss." 

Seriously?!? That was the best thing you could think of?!? Of course, he's not going to fall for it!

"All right, go." Alan replied calmly, pointing at the trees with his staff.

I didn't think twice and ran towards the trees.

-On the road-

Great just great now she's afraid of me! I leaned against one of the trees by the roadside and crossed my arms, thinking about what happened. 

Now she knows I killed someone! Although it was in self-defense, what little confidence she had in me, if she had it at all, disappeared! I wouldn't be surprised if she disappeared into the woods, never to return!

"Lord Alan, are you all right?" Noir asked worriedly from inside my backpack.

"I don't know Noir. Rose found out I killed people, and now she's scared of me. I don't know what to do." I sighed, watching the clouds in the sky.

"Lord Alan, if you will allow me to advise you. You did nothing wrong, those despicable beings dared to try to rob you, and you acted in self-defense. Lord Alan gained great power, but still tried to settle everything peacefully, with your strength you could have butchered those worms, but you decided not to. That girl, Rose, she doesn't know you, don't let her judge you just by one action, give her time, and soon Rose will decide if she trusts you or not."

"Hm… You're right; I'll give her time if she ever comes back. However, speaking of power, how strong do you believe I am? And Rubrum’s magic and yours, when will it come back?"

"In terms of strength, Lord Alan is well above an average human being, but your strength will increase with time. What Lord Alan has now is only a fraction, but please be careful, you may be strong, but you aren’t indestructible, so I beg you, don't put yourself in unnecessary danger. About the subject of magic, I can feel it coming back, soon Rubrum and I will be working at full capacity, so I humbly ask for your forgiveness for not being able to help you properly, Lord Alan."

Damn, I feel bad every time Noir puts himself down like that.

"It's okay Noir, thanks for your advice, and please don't be sorry, you've been helping me."

"I am grateful for the compliments, Lord Alan; this humble servant is only here to serve you." Noir replied happily.

Therefore, it means that my strength will increase with time; I’ll need to be careful from now on not to hurt people by accident, not to mention, of course, it would be inconvenient to break doorknobs and water glasses, or everyday objects in general. 

Now I'll text my strength.

I grabbed the trunk of a tree next to me and squeezed it. The trunk cracked, and splinters flew away, I applied more strength, and gradually, the trunk broke in two. 

It was a medium tree, I doubt I could do the same with a big one, but still, it was an absurd strength, and I needed to control it soon. 

I snapped out of my thoughts when Rose stepped out of the woods and judging by the incredulous look on her face, she saw everything.

Damn it!

-In the forest-

What should I do now?!? I asked myself while running through the trees. Alan has all the money, I can't fight and I’ve nowhere to go. I can't do anything! In addition, if he tries to kill me?!? Is that why he traveled with me so that I could be his next victim?!?

I hid behind a tree, breathing deeply, trying to calm down. I need to think it over; Alan said the bandits tried to rob him, but is it true? Alternatively, is he just trying to trick me? 

I sat down and buried my face in my knee. Come on Rose! Isn't that what you wanted? Freedom? Adventure? A normal life? Your best chance is waiting for you on the road! 

What if you don't know anything about him? What if he killed someone? This world is cruel; if Alan hadn't killed the bandits, he probably would have died.

I'll go back and face this problem head-on! I don't trust him, but he's my best bet, and despite everything, he still hasn't done anything against me. 

It would be better if I returned the favor; even so, I’ll need to be careful because we don't know anything about each other. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Getting up and turning around, I got closer and closer to the road, I saw Alan just ahead, his mouth moved as if he talked to someone, but there was no one there. Is he crazy by any chance? Great, it’s one more thing for me to worry about! 

He stopped talking and put his hand on a tree beside him. What was he trying to do?

I got my answer when he squeezed the tree, cracking the wood, and by the look on his face, he put a lot of effort into it. 

Then something impossible happened, he snapped the tree in two! What the fuck! Was he that strong all this time? If he wanted to, he could have killed me with one punch! Now I’ll have to be even more careful not to piss him off!

I walked out of the woods and faced Alan while trying to hide my surprise.

"You saw it, didn't you?" Alan asked nervously.

I nodded, not knowing what to say.

"Listen, about what happened earlier..." Alan spoke hesitantly, looking away while scratching the back of his head.

"I don't know you and you don't know me. We don't know anything about each other's past. I don't ask about yours and you don't ask about mine, you got it? However, I'll stay with you, for now. You help me and I help you, do you understand?" I said seriously, cutting him off.

"Yes." Alan replied in the same tone.

"Great! And one more thing, if I find out you're going to stab me in the back I'll kill you in your sleep." I exclaimed menacingly.

"OK." Alan shrugged, which annoyed me, I hate when I’m not taken seriously.

However, I didn't understand his answer and it seemed he noticed my confusion.

"OK is a form of expression, it means confirmation. I understand what you said."

I just nodded; wondering why used such strange words. Leaving that aside, we returned to our walk, Alan still going ahead of me.

-XXXXXX-

Finally, we arrived somewhere! My feet were killing me! We arrived at the town of... of... Not knowing how to read sucks, can't read what's on the sign! 

"Hey, what's written there?" I asked, pointing at the sign at the entrance to the city.

"Welcome to the city of Cagliamola, it feels Spanish." Alan replied, reading the sign.

Cagliamola, so that was the name of the city, and what the hell is Spanish? Never mind, we entered town and looked around, it looked smaller than Fool's March, but it seemed to be in better condition. 

The streets were cleaner with fewer beggars and no dead people inside alleys. I snapped out of my thoughts thanks to my stomach growling in hunger, making me blush in embarrassment.

"Hungry?" Alan asked and I nodded. 

"Let's see if there's anything to eat over there." He said, pointing to a two-story building with a sign above the door, but I couldn't read what was written.

"El Poni Saltador, it looks like a good place." Alan spoke, walking towards the building.

I didn't answer; I just followed him as he entered the building. 

It looked like an inn and a tavern simultaneously. I saw a counter with bottles and kegs of beer behind it, and tables with people eating, laughing, and telling stories while an old woman served them. 

Alan approached an old man behind the counter and spoke to him meanwhile I overheard the conversation.

"Are you the owner?" Alan asked, leaning on the counter.

"Yeah, who wants to know?" The old man grunted.

"My name is Alan and this is Rose, we would like to rent a room and meals." Alan replied, pointing at me

"Seriously, picking someone that young?" The old man asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, it's not what you're thinking!" Alan exclaimed, with his face red.

"That's what everyone says!" The old man spoke back.

"I want separate beds!"

I sighed; leaving the two behind, this will be a long conversation. While Alan argued with the old man, I walked around the room and sat at a corner table, sighing relieved. 

What will I do now? I escaped the brothel, but I didn't know anything other than to please men and women. At least I'm not alone. If anything happens, I'll let Alan take care of it. 

However, someone called my name, taking me out of my thoughts, and it wasn't Alan.

"Rose?" A young man wearing a white shirt, brown pants, and gray shoes spoke, approaching me with a surprised smile.

Who was this man? He looked familiar.

"It's me, Louis." The man spoke, pointing at himself.

Louis? Louis? LOUIS! NO! NO! NO! He was one of the regular customers of the brothel. Now that I escaped, he shows up, what does he want?!?

"What are you doing here Rose? Why aren't you at the brothel? Did you run away?" Louis asked question after question, his smile getting bigger and bigger.

Shit! What should I say? The truth? Because I can't think of any lie that he would believe!

"You ran away, didn't you? The bosses must be after you, and you have nowhere to go, do you?" Louis asked arrogantly.

I didn't like the tone he used, especially with the smile on his face.

"So I have a proposal for you. You come with me and help me with some jobs, and in exchange, I take care of you. Give you food, clothes, and a place to sleep. So what do you say?" Louis spoke, offering his hand while smiling. 

This is too vague he hid something.

"What job are you talking about exactly?" I asked.

Louis looked around, probably checking if someone listened to us.

"You know, I'm great at picking locks, but I'm not good at fighting. When I invade people's houses to steal something of value, sometimes they're still inside. That's where you come in; I need you to kill the owners of the houses if they're inside. It's very simple, I unlock the door, you kill the owners and we both take everything of value. So what do you say?" Louis asked with his shit-eating grin.

Kill?!? I never killed anyone before! I don't know if I'm capable of doing it! I didn't want that life; all I wanted was a peaceful life. I'd rather travel with the extremely strong weirdo than this lunatic in front of me!

"No, I refuse; I don't want to become an assassin." I whispered hoping that Louis would go away.

"A pity, but I'm not giving you a choice." Louis replied, grabbing my arm and dragging me away. 

I was about to scream for help but someone grabbed Louis' arm. It was Alan.

"We're going to have a problem here?" Alan asked seriously, squeezing Louis' arm.

"Let me go, she comes with me!" Louis yelled, putting on a tough facade, but I saw the pain on his face

"I don't think so, she's my traveling companion and she doesn't want to go with you." Alan replied, squeezing Louis' arm harder, the sound of bones cracking gradually becoming audible.

Louis' face turned red, grimacing and clenching his teeth in pain, he tried to break free, but Alan's grip was too strong and he applied even more strength.

Louis trembled, starting with his arm and then the rest of his body as sweat ran down his face in rivers.

"Let me go!" Louis screamed, punching Alan in the face, but he barely reacted. 

Alan squeezed Louis' arm one last time and… 

SNAP!

His arm broke.

"AAAHHH!" Louis screamed in agony, falling to the ground as Alan let go of his mangled arm.

"You will pay for this!" Louis yelled, crawling across the floor before getting up and running away.

"Are you okay?" Alan asked me.

"Yes." I replied, smiling from ear to ear.  

"Who was he?"

"His name is Louis; he was a client at the brothel where I worked." I answered, still smiling as Louis' screams faded into the distance.

"I see is he going to be a problem?" Alan asked, looking around worriedly.

"I don't know." I replied, looking around too. 

The whole tavern looked at us, well, we weren't exactly discreet.

"What are you looking at?!? Do you want to be next?!?" Alan yelled, making everyone look away.

"Well, no need to think about it now. I'm hungry and tired. By the way, I got a room with separate beds and ordered some food." Alan said. 

In addition, he was right. An old woman approached us carrying two plates full of hot food.

My mouth watered when I smelled it. I didn't think I'd ever had a decent meal in my life until now. The woman put the plates on our table and walked away. 

I stared at the plate for a while but snapped out of my thoughts thanks to Alan speaking to me.

"Come on, you can eat." Alan smiled.

"Why?" I asked, still looking at the food.

"Why…" Alan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why are you being so nice to me? You don't know me; thanks to me, you almost died and entered two fights! Why are you helping me? You could have taken all the money and ran away!" I demanded, staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"Good question, why? I'm not going to give you a hero speech where I say ‘It's the right thing to do’ or ‘I can't stand by and see others in trouble’. I don't even know why I helped you, I suppose in the end it was because you reminded me of someone." Alan replied, looking sadly at the ceiling.

"Who?" Whom could I remind of to make him help a person like me?

"You remember me of my younger brother and sister, Nier and Yonah."  

Alan looked sad as he talked about them. However, was that why he helped me because I reminded him of his brothers?

"And where are they now?" Maybe I shouldn't have asked that, as Alan looked away with a sad look on his face.

"I hope they are safe at home, the place where we lived wasn't exactly pleasant. Look, how about we stop this sad conversation? Otherwise, our food will get cold. I want to help you but I know you don't trust me fully so I'd like to be on good terms with you. How about we start over as friends?" Alan smiled, offering his hand to me. 

Should I accept it? The last person I called a friend tried to kill me. I think if he wanted to hurt me, he would have already done it. Know what! To hell with it! I’ve nothing to lose! Therefore, I shook his hand.

"Friends?" Alan asked.

“Friends!” I replied.

"It’s nice to meet you, Rose." Alan smiled.

"It’s nice to meet you, Alan." I smiled back.

We ate our food soon after, I was starving. I wonder when the last time I smiled genuinely was. It doesn't matter now, it seems like I made my first real friend and that makes me happy. 

After finishing our food, we entered our room, it was a small room with two beds and a table with a chair in the corner, and we quickly lay down and went to sleep. 

I think I’ll finally be able to start again somewhere else. Who knows? Maybe I could finally have a normal life and a family.

-Ruins near the Cathedral City, June, Year 998-

How wrong I was. My past returned to ruin our lives; it was naive to think I deserved a normal life. I wonder where it all went wrong. Maybe it was the day I doomed my first friend. 

While I stood on these ruins with Michael by my side, I looked at the sky, preparing myself to kill my sisters. 

I wonder what Alan would think of me now. The decisions I made, the people I killed. He must be looking at me with disgust back in heaven.

-XXXXXX-

On the roof of a house next to the tavern, a girl with glasses watched Rose and Alan sleep. 

This girl carried a huge suitcase and quickly flipped through a book.

"How is this possible? He barely arrived and already changed this branch. What is he going to do with it? Make it better? Worst? I can't tell if he's a threat or a blessing, but I need to record it."

Soon in a 'flash' of light, the girl disappeared.

END OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter Text

The city of Cagliamola came to life in the morning, men worked in the fields, merchants opened their shops and prepared to travel, and vendors went to their stalls to carry out business, filling the streets with the sound of commerce. 

In an inn, two peculiar guests slept, a man wearing strange clothes and an exotic-looking girl.

-Inside the Inn-

You know, it's nice to get a good night's sleep. You wake up in a good mood and ready to take on the world! At least that's how I would have felt if I'd gotten a good night's sleep. 

Who knew that a girl so small could snore so loud? It sounded like a choking pig sleeping next to me.

I don't know how she didn't wake up with her snoring. Now I'm here, looking at the ceiling and regretting my life choices. 

Looking to the side, I saw Rose moving, it looked like she was waking up. She rolled from side to side on her bed and covered her head with a pillow, trying to block out the street noises. 

However, it didn't work very well. Muttering irritably and letting out a string of insults, Rose stood up, stretching and yawning audibly.

"Good Morning." Rose said with a smile upon seeing me.

Don't give me that good morning talk! While you slept like a rock, I had to hear your television static snores!

"Good Morning." I answered, smiling too.

We left our beds and readied ourselves for the day.

"Hey, here is your coat, you can have it back." Rose said, returning my coat.

I looked Rose up and down, analyzing her dress and frowning at how revealing it was, I think she should keep wearing my coat.

"Know what; keep the coat until we find better clothes for you." I replied, gazing away.

Rose looked at herself, blushing a little, and quickly put on my coat, looking away soon after.

It seems she understood what I meant. With that done, we went downstairs, with me carrying my backpack with Noir, Rubrum, and the money inside.

We sat at a table in the tavern and talked for a while after ordering our food. 

"Alan?" Rose asked me.

"Yes?" I replied.

"What are we doing today?"

Good question Rose. What are we going to do today? I would like to know more about this land, Midgard.

"How about we explore the city? We still have a lot of money; we can do some shopping, and visit interesting places. I, for example, would like to visit a monastery."

It's true; I would like to visit a monastery, not for tourism but for its library. If my memory serves me right, there were only three places in the middle Ages where I could find a library.

Private ones were out of option; I doubt that a noble would let a nobody like me into his library. 

University libraries were an option, but I doubt I'll be able to get into one.

This left me with one last option, the Monacal libraries developed inside monasteries and abbeys, and I hope the monks will let me in.

"I didn’t know you were religious." Rose asked annoyed; it seemed like she didn't like religion.

"And I'm not, I just want to visit the place, I'd like to make the most of my stay here, by the way, Rose, what can you tell me about Midgard?" I asked, taking advantage of the opportunity to learn more about Midgard without having to threaten anyone.

"Aren't you from Midgard? Where are you from exactly, Alan? You are well dressed, you can read, you can speak well, and use complicated words that only nobles would use. Are you a noble?" Rose asked curiously.

Well, I think it was time for her to ask some questions, I can't be mad, as I didn't exactly try to be discreet.

"For starters, I'm not from Midgard; I'm from a land located in the Far East, known as The Land of the Rising Sun. My clothes are normal where I come from, and the reason I know how to read and speak with a vast vocabulary… Well… My parents gave me a good education. I'm not a noble, but my family wasn't exactly poor either. Now I'm looking for a way to return home." 

Hope this is enough; I don't want to reveal too much about myself right now, after all, I'm in unknown lands.

"Looks like the place you come from are a lot better than here, since you answered my questions I'll answer yours, but I don't know much, nobody thought it necessary to educate me. Midgard is divided into Lands, The Land of the Sands, Land of the Seas, Land of the Forests, Land of the Mountains, and finally Cathedral City. Each of these lands is ruled by a lord except Cathedral City, these lords rule with an iron fist, raising taxes, carrying out public torture and executions of people who went against them, and they say that every lord is capable of using magic."

Great, magical lands, evil lords who rule like dictators, and more magic! What is that, an anime?!? Where did I end up?!? I think I'll be fine as long as I don't attract the attention of the Lords. 

Therefore, Rose and I talked, answering each other's questions, eventually, our food arrived, and after eating, we left the inn.

The streets were busy, full of people coming and going. It's going to be hard to get used to it, but at least it's better than the total silence of my apartment. 

As we walked, I noticed Rose looking around curiously.

"Would you like to explore a little?" I asked her.

"Yes." Rose answered smiling a little.

We explored the city for some time, seeing the various buildings and businesses, until I saw a 'Seamstress' sign hanging above a door further ahead. I think it’s time to get Rose some new clothes.

"Hey Rose, would you like some new clothes? There's a seamstress right there." I asked her, pointing at the two-story wooden building, with a sign hanging above the door.

"No, I'm fine with what I'm wearing." Rose replied hesitantly, it was obvious that she wanted a new outfit, but was too embarrassed to ask for it.

"Come on, I insist! We have a lot of money, don't we? What's the point of having all that money if you don't spend it once in a while?" I asked, slightly pushing Rose forward, she threw all her weight back but didn't do much to stop me.

We entered the store and looked around; there were several rolls of fabric and cloth mannequins scattered everywhere with ribbons and needles on a table in the corner. 

We also saw a woman sleeping on the counter with her face lying in her arms. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head, I smiled at Rose while putting my finger in front of my lips and she just gave me a confused look.

I tiptoed closer to the counter, opened my arms with open palms, and clapped, with all my strength, making a loud sound echo throughout the store.

CLAP!

"AAAHHH!" The woman screamed, falling to the floor while spilling fabric and papers that were on the counter. 

I laughed at her reaction and I saw that Rose used all her strength to not laugh too; it was good to see her having a little fun.

"What was that idea? How can you treat a frail lady like that?" The woman at the counter said with her face red in embarrassment.

"I’m sorry! You were sleeping and I couldn't resist pranking you! But going to the point, my name is Alan and that's Rose, we need new clothes for her." I said to the woman while pointing at Rose who waved slightly.

"At least you two are customers; my name is Maria by the way." Maria answered, offering a handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you!” I replied, accepting it, but being careful not to squeeze her hand too hard.

-XXXXXX-

When I walked into this store, I thought that everything would go smoothly. I would introduce Rose to the tailor, she would make Rose new clothes and we would go on our way. 

What I didn't expect was Maria, as soon as she laid eyes on Rose, hugged her as if she were a doll.

"Look at her! She's adorable, so cute! Is she your sister? Can I use her as a model for my clothes?" Maria exclaimed, holding Rose in her arms and rubbing her cheek against Rose's head. 

Rose had a blank look on her face while staring at nothing; slowly she looked at me and whispered.

"Help me."

I just laughed aloud, a villain's laugh that echoed through the city.

"Maria, make yourself comfortable."

Rose's eyes widened and she tried to escape the deadly embrace.

"With pleasure." Maria replied, smiling at me.

-Streets-

We left the store with Maria at the door waving at us.

"Thank you and come back again!"

"Leave it to me!" I replied.

"And bring Rose with you!"

As soon as Rose heard this, she grabbed my hand and ran while pulling me until we entered the town square and sat on a wooden bench. 

Rose wore white dress, black shoes, and white socks with her hair tied back by a black bow tie, better than what she wore before, and she still wore my coat.

"So did you like the clothes?"

"Yes, thank you." Rose replied, smiling brightly.

"You're welcome." I smile back.

Suddenly, a group of children approached Rose, and looking at her admiringly, a little girl left the group and took Rose's hand.

"Hey, pretty lady, come play with us!" The girls said, pulling Rose's hand.

Rose looked wide-eyed at me as if asking what to do, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't worry, Rose will play with you, won't you Rose?" I said, pushing Rose forward, and making her stumble slightly.

"Let's go, Lady." The little said happily, pulling Rose away. 

Rose looked at me, begging for help, but I just nodded and smiled, and then the two of them played with the other children as I watched.

"Noir, what do you think of this place?" I asked the book inside my backpack.

"I’ve no opinion of these lands, Lord Alan. I just follow you wherever you go." Noir replied politely.

I figured he'd answer that.

"This land is livelier, people are smiling, birds are singing and there are forests everywhere. It's a nicer place than Tokyo; the city was practically abandoned with cloudy skies every day."

"Do you wish to live in this place, Lord Alan?"

"Good question, do I want to live here? I wonder if this is a place I would like to live, but there are people I care about back home, I wonder how they are." I answered, looking at the sky.

"No matter what Lord Alan chooses, I’ll follow you to the end of the world." Noir replied determinedly.

"Thank you, Noir."

-With Rose-

I was worried when the children called me to play; I had never done it before. I stood like a statue for some time, but soon I got the hang of it, I don't think I've ever had so much fun.

I stopped for a moment and saw Alan talking to himself again, weird, everything about him is weird.

On second thought, our conversation from before didn't reveal anything about him. I only got evasive answers.

However, before I continued this line of thought, one of the kids, the little girl, approached me, hiding something behind her back.

"Here, this is for you Lady." The little girl offered me a beautiful flower.

I don’t know what to say. No one gave me a flower before, but I’m happy that I someone offered me one. I accepted it with a simile and petted the little girl on her head, making her laugh.

"Thank you, I loved it, but it’s getting late, I’ve to go now." I smiled at the girl and she smiled back, but frowned upon hearing the last part.

"Do you have to go?" The little girl asked, hugging my arm, making me jump a little in surprise.

"'Yes, but we'll see each other again."

"You promise?" The girl asked with shining eyes.

"I promise."

The little girl hugged me one last time and left, going towards her friends.

"Goodbye Lady!" The girl said, waving at me.

"Goodbye." I replied, waving back.

With the child gone, I walked towards Alan and saw him smiling cockily at me.

"Have you had fun?" Alan asked.

"Yes, are we going back to the inn now?" I asked, sitting beside him.

"No, we have one last stop, the monastery; I need to get into their library."

Why does he want to go to a library?

"And where is this monastery?"

"According to the inn’s owner, there is one in a remote part out of the town. Monasteries are usually built in isolated places, but this isn’t always the case." Alan replied, getting up and walking away.

Nevertheless, Alan stopped before I followed him and turned to me.

"Give me a minute." Alan said taking the flower the little girl gave me from my hands and putting it on my hair.

"Better" Alan smiled, raising his thumb in a strange gesture.

I didn't say anything, I just punched his arm.

"Ouch" Alan screamed, rubbing his arm.

"Stop it, I doubt it hurt you. Didn't you want to go to the monastery? So let's go!" I said, walking past him in a quick step. 

That idiot, what he was thinking? However, I couldn't hide the smile on my face.

-On the road to the monastery-

Monasteries are usually far away from civilization, but this isn’t always the case. The monastery was a few minutes’ walk from Cagliamola.

We passed through a narrow dirt road, in the middle of the forest, the monastery was in a clearing just ahead. The monastery was huge, with buildings forming a stone square two to three stories high and a bell tower. 

I stopped in front of the monastery door with Rose beside me, and by the look on her face, she was impressed.

I knocked on the big wooden door but I quickly pulled my hand away when small cracks formed on it, I hope no one noticed. 

A few minutes passed until a man opened the door. He was what you would expect from a generic monk in the middle Ages, he wore brown robes and had bowl-cut hair. 

"What do you want?" The monk demanded, looking at us suspiciously.

How rude! Aren’t you going to wish me a good afternoon? At least I'm polite!

"Good afternoon my good sir, my name is Alan, and this beautiful maiden beside me is called Rose. We came here to humbly ask to use the monastery library if it isn’t a problem." I said politely bowing slightly.

I hope he falls for my Oscar-worthy performance.

"Go away!" The monk exclaimed trying to close the door, but before he could do it, I put my foot in the way, preventing it. 

It hurt a little.

"Wait, my good sir! Would you, by any chance, let us use the library if we made a small donation to the monastery?" I said smiling from ear to ear, taking four gold coins from my pocket, holding them between each of my fingers, and showing them to the monk.

I prefer that strangers not know about the money, so I put some coins in my pocket for convenience while carrying the backpack full of money with me. Let's just say I don't trust leaving the gold in a place I can't see.

The monk's eyes widened while his mouth dropped open, and then he looked around and inside the monastery.

I still don't quite understand the value of bronze, silver, and gold coins here in Midgard, but by the look on his face, the amount I offered must be absurd. 

"My vow of poverty can go to hell! Welcome to our humble monastery." The monk exclaimed accepting the coins and bowing politely right after, letting Rose and I enter.

Now the monk was being much more polite, surprising how well people treat you when you have money, right? Thinking about it… My God, I just bribed a monk and the monk accepted it! We're going to Hell!

We walked through the corridors of the monastery, where we saw monks carrying out their daily tasks. 

They took water from the well in the center of the monastery garden, wrote incessantly on sheets of paper, and prayed in sync inside a chapel. 

Rose looked around curiously until we stopped in front of a large wooden door.

"This is our library, make yourself comfortable." The monk said, opening the door for us and leaving right after. 

We saw shelves and more shelves full of books, scrolls, and parchment inside the library; I approached one of the shelves and read the book titles.

"The Great Cataclysm."

"The Bestiary of Midgard."

"The Story of Midgard."

"Maps of Midgard and Its Lands."

"The Legend of the Watchers."

"A Study about Dragons."

"Theories about the Old World."

I took all these books, put them on a table, and sat down to read. 

"Hey Rose, sit next to me, and let's read together." I said to the girl who watched me silently all this time.

She looked at me reluctantly before averting her gaze.

"Rose, can you read?" I asked calmly, trying not to offend her.

"No." Rose replied ashamed.

Honestly, I’m not surprised. This is a medieval society; education of the common people isn’t exactly a priority.

"Come here I read to you." I said, patting a chair beside me.

"Really?" Rose asked hopefully.

I nodded with a smile; Rose ran to my side and pulled out the chair, sitting down as I read the books to her.

I didn't know what to think, Midgard was Europe upside down. Take the map of Europe, turn it upside down, and you will have Midgard! 

However, according to the books, it wasn't always like that. Approximately a century ago, a huge city appeared in the Iberian Peninsula, the emergence of the city caused a devastating earthquake that shook the continent.

In addition, all kinds of creatures that only existed in stories, elves, centaurs, golems, fairies, dragons, and more, came with the city and spread across the world.

Amid all the chaos, Europe lost the concept of nation and became Midgard. Scholars fled to the city that appeared out of nowhere and called it Cathedral City, named after the giant cathedral in the center of it.

The most accepted theory is that the city came from a place called the Old World; some believe it’s the Land of the Gods. 

Scholars studied magic in Cathedral City, and thanks to this magic, they ruled Midgard as tyrants. The current Lords are descendants of these scholars.

One of the strangest things about Midgard is how the ecosystem changed. Iceland, the UK, and Scotland became the Land of the Seas, full of sea monsters and pirates, with maritime trade being the population's main form of income.

Ukraine, Poland, and Finland became the Land of the Mountains with a compact population and few places to live. Mountains that didn’t exist before appeared overnight thanks to the great cataclysm, barely leaving any flat terrain to build a house on.

Italy, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia, became the Land of the Forests, imagine all these countries taken over by a dense forest with trees of the size of buildings where most of the non-human population lives, elves, centaurs, fairies, orcs, trolls and other beings.

Elves particularly were neutral towards humans, while fairies hated them, but according to the book, fairies hated anyone who wasn't a faerie.

The Czech Republic, Germany, and France became the Land of the Sands, a desert full of ruins. Life in this land was difficult, with little water and food and being the place where the strongest monsters lived.

Finally, Spain and Portugal became the Cathedral City, a flat land with smaller towns around it, one of them being Cagliamola.

The book said that Cathedral City was full of strange buildings, a library with books that no one could read, and a great gate called the Mercury Gate. According to the book, whoever opens the gate will gain great magical power.

Great magical power, I've watched enough movies to know what will happen if someone opens the gate. 

There must be some world-destroying monster or a curse that kills whoever opens it, that would be ironic.

Maybe there's nothing inside and whoever opens it will discover that the real treasure was the friends we made along the way, but I bet on the world-destroying monster or the One Piece. 

Maybe I’ll become Pirate King before Luffy.

The last book I read was about the Watchers, the information was contradictory. They sounded like angels and demons, saviors and destroyers, servants of God, and creations of the Devil. They also could appear in various forms, humanoid, abstract, or conceptual. 

I stopped reading the book, too much conflicting information for my taste.

"So Rose, what did you think of our reading?" I asked the girl beside me, she hadn't said anything while I read to her.

"Thanks for reading to me; I didn't know Midgard was so complicated." Rose answered happily.

"You and I Rose, you and I, I'm glad that you had fun but it's getting dark, let's go back to the inn." I said, closing the book, still processing all the information.

-Back to the Inn-

We arrived at the inn where we saw a commotion inside the tavern. There were several men around a table, screaming and cheering. 

A huge man, easily two meters tall and looking like a pile of muscle, was on the side of the table in an arm wrestling match with a smaller man who was losing badly. He put all his strength into it, but the giant wouldn't budge.

Therefore, the giant man smashed the smaller man's hand against the table in just one motion, followed by the smaller man’s pained scream. 

Some of the men cheered louder, while others screamed in frustration, it seemed that there were bets involved.

A short man stepped from behind the giant, well-dressed and with a top hat on his head; he talked while collecting the money from the bets.

"Come on ladies and gentlemen; is there no one else to challenge the great Brutus?!? Is there no real man here?!? Are you going to arm wrestle Brutus and take the grand prize or are there only cowards here?!?"

The shot man said, swinging a bag full of money, probably the grand prize, but I won't get involved, I'd rather not draw attention. 

I walked towards the stairs to go to my room but stopped abruptly when I heard Rose scream.

"He can do it!" Rose said, pointing at me.

What was she thinking? I was going to refuse, but I changed my mind when the whole tavern laughed at me.

"HAHAHAHA!" 

Laughter echoed throughout the place, the worst part was when Brutus opened his mouth.

"Can this skinny boy beat me? Come on boy are you scared? Are you afraid I'll break those sticks you call arms?" Brutus mocked me with a shit-eating grin.

I breathed deeply, trying to calm down. Come on Alan, be the adult here, count to ten. One, two, three... 

“To hell with it, bring it on!” I screamed, passing Rose's side where I heard her whisper one word. 

"Revenge."

Therefore, that is for what happened at the tailor, good to know, good to know... There will be a payback, Rose, when you least expect it. 

I sat down facing Brutus and extended my left arm and he extended his right one.

"Looks like only the boy has the guts, too bad, you'll lose that arm in front of your girl over there. Hey girl, how about you come with me after I'm done with him? I promise I will take care of you." Brutus said to Rose.

Seriously, she mustn’t even be half your age! Oh, medieval society, I forgot it! 

I looked at Rose and she grinned from ear to ear, I saw the evil behind that smile. She just told me one thing.

"Fuck him up."

With pleasure Rose, with pleasure, we grabbed each other's hands, and the short man with the top hat spoke.

"I feel sorry for you boy, but since you accepted the challenge I better explain the rules. The objective is to beat the opponent's hand on the opposite side of the table, if you win, you take the prize, but I’m not responsible for the wounds you will get. Good luck." The short man said, waving the moneybag in front of my face.

Motherfucker, it won't stay like that! I want an extra prize!

"Hey shorty, when I win I'll keep your hat." I said to the short man.

"What?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your top hat, when I win I'll keep it, do you understand?" I said grinning, showing all my teeth in a smile so big it hurt my face.

"Y-yes, it's a deal, finish him off, Brutus!" The short man said patting Brutus's arm. 

"Very well, are you two ready? Three, two, one, GO!" The short man screamed.

The people around the tavern cheered as soon as the competition started.

"Come on Brutus!"

"Finish this boy!"

Poor bastards, they will lose all their money.

The arm wrestling started and Brutus was strong, he moved my arm, but I wondered what would happen if I put a little more strength, so I pushed back Brutus' arm, returning to the starting position.

Brutus struggled, his face red and with veins popping out, I just smiled arrogantly, enjoying the moment.

"C'mon Brutus, what's the problem?" The shot man demanded.

"That's right Brutus, what's the problem? Where's all that bravado? Can't you beat a skinny kid with stick arms? You know what; I'll make it easy for you. You can use your other hand." I said, mocking my opponent.

He accepted my challenge and I loved it! Now he used both hands, and my arm went downward again. I think it's time to end this.

I put even more strength, and both of Brutus' hands went down, the process was slow, I'm not going to lie, he was strong, but I was stronger.

"No Brutus!"

"Come on!"

"You can't lose, I bet all my money on you!"

The tavern screamed, what a sweet melody, this is a joy to my ears!

"AAAHHH!" I screamed slamming Brutus' hand on the table with such strength that he fell to the floor; I raised both arms in victory soon after.

"NO!" The short man screamed.

It’s time to take my prize!

"Give me the money!" I said to the short man, outstretching my hand.

The short man gave me the money with shaking hands.

"And give me your hat!"

"T-the h-hat, of c-course, here it is sir." The short man muttered, giving me his hat.

I put it on my head it fits like a glove, now let's help Brutus. I approached the fallen man and extended my hand to help him up and he accepted it.

"It was a good match, but now I’ve to go." I said, walking toward Rose.

"You are a strong boy; I hope to face you again someday." Brutus replied.

I nodded and returned to Rose who still smiled evilly.

"So what do you think of the hat? I look more stylish don't I?" I asked, striking a pose.

"To me, you still look like an idiot." Rose replied, still smiling.

What a way to end my joy.

"Come on idiot I'm starving, buy me dinner." Rose said, punching my arm playfully.

Good thing I'm the one who takes care of the money, she has the appetite of a lion.

-Room of the Inn-

We were getting ready for bed when an idea popped into my head "Hey Rose would you like me to teach you how to read and write?"

"Are you going to?" Rose asked, slowly turning towards me while looking down.

"Yes." I replied with a smile.

"Thanks." Rose answered, smiling back.

This vision warmed my heart and with that done, we went to sleep, at least today, we didn't have to worry about anything.

-Fool's March-

Louis walked through the streets of Fool’s March with his right arm visibly crooked; it seemed that medieval medicine wasn't good at taking care of broken bones.

He crossed dark alleys and streets until he reached a familiar building, a brothel. He entered the building and the prostitutes inside led him to a room at the back as if they already knew what he wanted.

There Louis found three men, one with a crooked leg in the knee area, the other with the jaw held by a cloth tied around the head, and another with his nose crushed.

"Hello gentlemen, it looks like you are in a difficult situation. You were robbed of all your money by a white-haired girl, and beaten by an abnormally strong boy, weren't you?" Louis asked smugly.

"What do you want, Louis?" The one with the crooked nose demanded.

"Gentlemen, I have a proposal for you." Louis said smiling evilly.

END OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter Text

Another day in Cagliamola and another day having to put up with Rose's snoring, maybe the merchants have some earplugs to sell. 

I sat on my bed and stamped my feet on the floor, cracking it a little, damn. This strength will become a problem in the future, won't it?

Looking to the side, I saw Rose waking up in her bed next to mine.

"Good morning!" I said while smiling.

"Good morning idiot!" Rose replied, smiling too. 

I sighed; well it looks like that's my nickname now.

"Let's get some breakfast." I said, getting ready for the day.

-XXXXXX-

As we went down to the tavern of the inn, we saw the monk I bribed yesterday! He looked horrified at me; I just nodded and smiled. Leaving that aside, Rose and I sat at the table and ordered our food.

"So what are we going to do today?" Rose asked curiously.

Well, I thought about going to the markets, but I would like to go alone, I want to surprise Rose and I would like to find a house to live in. 

I haven’t given up on finding a way back home, but I can’t do that living in an inn, I need a place to prepare myself and to come back if I need to.

"You know what, how about we part ways for today; I've just been dragging you all over town, why don't you go have some fun?" I said to Rose, giving her a small bag with some coins. 

"Are you sure?" Rose asked hesitantly, looking between the bag and me.

"Sure, go have some fun, you deserve it! We'll meet here at dusk ok?" I replied, putting my hand on her shoulder and looking into her eyes.

Rose nodded and smiled, accepting the coin bag; we left the inn right after and went our separate ways. I hope she enjoys it, now which way is the market?

-Streets of Cagliamola-

I walked through the city streets thinking about what to do. Looking left and right, I saw so many people. I never left that brothel, I just attended client after client, now I'm nervous, and I don't know where to start.

A delicious smell entered my nose as I walked the smell of roasted meat. There was a small stall on the side of the street with a man roasting meat on a skewer.

My mouth watered with the sight; well I know what I'm going to do first.

"Hello, sir!" I said, stopping in front of the stall.

"Good morning miss! How can I help?" The man said, stopping roasting the meat and smiling at me.

I opened the bag and looked at the coins, noticing a problem. I didn't have the slightest idea of the value of each one. You know what; I'll find it out now!

"How many can I get with this?" I said to the man while holding out a silver coin.

The man smiled from ear to ear.

-XXXXXX-

I left the tent smiling from ear to ear too. I held a meat skewer in my mouth and one in each hand, now that I’ve the opportunity, I’ll try the best food that this world can offer, meat, chicken, cheeses, and cakes. Hm… Cakes, I never tasted one, I wonder what it tastes like.

Another delicious smell attacked my nose. Looking at the street to my left, my eyes widened upon seeing a street full of stalls selling various types of food, I quickly ate the meat and ran towards the street.

-XXXXXX-

I rested on a bench in the street with a slice of cake in my hand, I was sure the cake would be delicious, but I believed that there was something better out there.

I finished my food and looked across the street, seeing a store with a mannequin about my size in front of it. The mannequin wore a beautiful black dress and I wanted it. Without thinking twice, I entered the store.

However, as soon as I walked in, I felt watched. Looking back, I didn't see anyone strange, just people passing by.

-Markets-

The market streets were full of shops and stalls with a cacophony of merchants advertising their wares and people haggling attacking my ears. All this noise bothered me; well I can't do anything about it.

I passed several stalls with the merchants trying to draw my attention to their wares. 

One of them offered me jewelry, but for the low price, he charged me the jewelry must be fake. 

Another tried to sell me miracle medicines that promised to cure any illness; I believe I have a greater chance of getting sick taking this supposed medicine.

Lastly, one of them tried to sell me products that promised to increase my performance in bed, not to mention, of course, the toys he displayed in his store. 

I hurried past him before he could remember what I looked like; I wasn't interested in this store's products! I sure as hell wasn't!

I finally arrived at the place I was looking for. This merchant's shop was on an empty street, a wooden counter with crates in the back with piles and more piles of books. 

Now where was the merchant?

"Help me!" A muffled voice spoke.

"Is anyone here?" I asked, looking around.

"Down here!" The voice spoke again, but louder. 

I looked inside the shop where I saw a pile of books on the floor with a hand coming out of it.

"I'm on my way!" I screamed, jumping over the counter and taking the books off the person.

A short old man was underneath the books, bald and with a long beard almost touching the ground; he wore blue robes, looking like an RPG wizard.

"Thank you, young man!" The old man smiled offering a handshake.

"No need to thank me.” I replied, accepting it and smiling too.

"Very well, young man, my name is Faust; may I know your name?" The old man spoke, stepping behind the counter.

"You can call me Alan, just Alan.” I answered, jumping the counter again and returning to the street.

"Nice to meet you Alan, but let's cut to the chase, how can I help you?" Faust said, rubbing his hands together and smiling at me.

"I'm looking for books" As soon as I said that, Faust looked around his shop and then gave me a look as if to say 'Really? Did you come to a bookstore looking for books?' 

Perhaps I should be more specific.

"I look for books to teach someone to read and write, and books on the history of Midgard as well." I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

"Of course, I have these books here. Are they for you?" Faust asked while looking for the books in his store.

"No, they are for a friend." I replied, leaning my elbow on the counter, and watching Faust curiously.

"Must be a special friend then?" Faust asked, placing four books on the counter.

"You could say so." I shrugged, looking at the books.

Leafing through it, I recognized the literacy and history books, but there was one that I didn't recognize. 

A gray book, that looked like a literacy book, but I didn't recognize the letters, they looked like squiggles, letters made of straight lines with little circles at their ends.

"Hey, what's this book about?" I asked Faust, showing him the book in question.

"This book teaches the chaos language and angelic alphabet. You see, we humble commoners speak the ancient languages of before the Great Cataclysm, languages like Portuguese, French, and Spanish, while the chaos language and angelic alphabet is the language spoken by wizards and nobles. It emerged after the Great Cataclysm; let's just say the upper class doesn't want the plebs to know about their secrets."

I see... Wait?!? That old man just called me a plebe! I'll show him who the plebe is! 

"I'll take all the books!" I screamed, slamming a handful of coins on the counter.

Faust gave me another smile and I realized that I had fallen into a trap.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, come back anytime!" Faust said, giving me the books and pocketing the coins.

Well, at least I got the books; I turned around to put the books in my backpack.

"By the way what time do you open tomorrow?" However, when I turned back Faust's shop was no longer there. 

I looked around but didn't find Faust; there was just a space where his shop was.

"Noir did you see where Faust ended up?" I asked the book inside my backpack.

"Unfortunately I didn’t see it, Lord Alan. But there was something strange about that gentleman, perhaps his sudden disappearance was for the best." Noir replied from inside my backpack.

"Maybe, but I wonder if I'll see him again he was nice." I answered, scratching my head and looking around again.

Well, in the end, it doesn't matter. Now let's go to my second goal, finding a place to live. 

I went back to the busiest streets but couldn't get rid of the feeling of being watched, it must be my impression, after all, unlike Tokyo, and this city is full of people.

-Inn-

Today was an interesting day, I said to myself as I walked back to the inn. I tried new types of food and bought new clothes, sadly, the sun was setting on the horizon and the shops were closing.

Closing to the inn, I saw Alan waiting for me at the entrance, he waved upon noticing me and I waved back.

"So Alan how was your day?" I asked him as I approached.

"Very productive, by the way, could you come with me? I have a surprise for you." Alan said, smiling playfully.

"You have a surprise for me? Where is it?" I can't lie, I'm excited about it.

"Yes I have, but I need you to come with me." Alan replied in the same playful tone.

"Right, lead the way!” I answered, jumping slightly.

We walked for some time, leaving the commercial district behind and arriving in a residential one.

"Are we there yet?" I asked annoyed.

"Just wait a few more minutes." Alan replied mysteriously.

I sighed, I hate walking.

"We're here!" Alan screamed, running ahead and stopping with open arms in front of a house.

It was an average wooden house, not too big or too small, with a ground floor and some windows.

"Alan, what is that?" I asked confused, pointing at the house.

"It's our home." Alan said, approaching me, putting his hands on my shoulders, and looking me in the eyes 

My eyes widened because I couldn't believe it! Did I hear that right? Our home, do I deserve this?

"Come on, what's the problem? You may come in." Alan said, unlocking the door.

I stopped at the doorframe. One step and I would go in, however, is it okay for me to do it? 

I looked back at Alan; he smiled and nodded at me. Looking back at the door, I stepped forward.

"It’s our home." I said.

"It’s our home." Alan replied.

-Streets of Cagliamola-

It has been a few months since Rose and I lived here, over time we know Cagliamola’s inhabitants better. 

Walking down the street, I waved at some of these inhabitants as I passed. I saw Maria inside her sewing shop, Antonio cleaning his bakery, and Faust carrying some books.

I just left my job. I did all kinds of heavy duty thanks to my super strength like working on construction sites and carrying heavy materials. 

I gained certain fame in the city thanks to that, but it wasn't just my strength that increased, my senses got better too, I saw better, heard better, and smelled better.

I stopped in front of Rose’s workplace, a flower shop owned by Miss Agatha, an old woman full of energy and with wandering hands. I lost count of how many times she tried to grope me.

"See you tomorrow Miss Agatha!" Rose said to the old woman after leaving the shop.

"So let's go home?" Rose smiled, stopping in front of me.

"Let's go." I replied, smiling too.

I looked back as we walked home and saw two men following us; they did this for a long time. 

At first, it was just the impression of someone following me, then the feeling of someone looking at me through the window of our house.

I once pretended to go to work and watched Rose at the flower shop and in the distance, I saw a man spying on her too. 

I need to do something about it, however, beating up two supposedly innocent men in the middle of the street would tarnish my good reputation in the city and I couldn't let go of the feeling that something bad was going to happen today.

We got home, and I prepared lunch with Rose helping me, we've been cooking together for a while now after Rose asked me to teach her one day, and she is good at it.

We put our plates on the kitchen table and ate our food, and then I dealt with another one of Rose's habits that bothered me, but I'm too polite to complain about it, her total lack of table manners.

Rose put as much food into her mouth as possible and chewed it with her mouth open, sending saliva and food scraps everywhere, without speaking, of course, the chewing noise. 

"What?" Rose asked stopping chewing and looking at me confused.

"It’s nothing." I replied with a disgusted face.

Rose shrugged and went back to eating, a piece of meat fell from her plate to the floor and she simply picked it up and ate it.

 I breathed deeply, it’s best to ignore it and focus on my food.

I taught Rose to read and write during the afternoon, and at her request, taught her basic math and bought some children's storybooks for her to read and practice. 

At night, while Rose slept, I studied the chaos language, the angelic alphabet, and the history of Midgard.

There was a bookcase full of books about Midgard and its people and magical creatures in our room; money well spent in my opinion, unfortunately, I didn't find any books about magic, which didn't surprise me too much; I doubt the Lords will let anyone learn magic without their permission. 

A funny thing is that I hid Noir and Rubrum among the books on the shelf, I saw them from here, Noir wasn’t explicit, but I noticed that he liked to stay out of the backpack.

Well, it's time for bed; I blew out the candle on the table and went to sleep.

-Cagliamola, night-

The streets of Cagliamola were silent that night, everyone slept inside their houses, except for a group of men. 

One of these men had an injured arm, but even so, he broke the lock of a house's front door.

The man pushed the door slightly forward and made room for another man to enter.

This other man wore dark leather clothes, a black mask that covered his nose and mouth, and a hood on his head.

The masked man walked through the living room of the house, looking around; he stopped in front of the door of a room, opening the door a little, he saw a girl sleeping in her bed. That was his target, the girl should be taken alive and the boy must die.

The man slowly opened the door and entered the room. Taking a thief's knife from his pocket, the man approached the sleeping boy, but before he could get any closer, something grabbed the man's head.

"What?!?" The man screamed confused.

His head was ripped from his body before he reacted, the skin tore exposing the muscles, and the muscles tore exposing the spine, and the spine took more work to break, so the thing twisted the man's head like a bottle cap, separating the head from the body. 

The headless body spurted blood across the room like a fountain, before hitting the ground with a wet thud splattering even more blood everywhere.

A black and red colored hand held the severed head; this Dark Hand came out of a book on a bookshelf. 

The boy in the bed moved and quickly got up, showing that he wasn’t sleeping at all. 

The book came off the bookshelf and floated in front of the boy, dropping the man's head at his feet as proof of a job well done.

"Lord Alan here is the head of one of the worms that dared to try to harm you." The book said politely with a tinge of rage.

Alan stepped back in disgust at the head so brutally ripped off.

"Good job Noir!" Alan said a little disturbed as Noir bowed down.

-Rose and Alan's House-

I breathed slowly, trying to control the urge to vomit. I know I've killed two men before but it's still not easy to see people dying so brutally. 

At least Noir did his part, It was a good idea to ask him to protect us every night; he's been doing it ever since I realized someone followed us daily.

"Lord Alan, there is a group of people outside; they appear to be this worm's accomplices." Noir said, looking outside our bedroom.

Well, there's no other option now, I picked up my metal bat from under my bed and prepared myself mentally, this won't end well; tonight I might have to kill again.

I heard a noise beside me it was Rose waking up. No! Please no! I don't want her to see this! 

I hoped to finish it all without fuss, but it seemed like there was no other way, I prepared myself to explain the situation.

"Alan, what was that noise?" Rose asked, standing up and looking around. 

She went silent with wide eyes and open mouth, looking at a headless body and Noir floating beside me. 

She saw the man's head upon looking at the floor, making her crawl back onto the bed in a panic.

I realized that she was going to scream, but before she could do that, I ran towards her and put my hand over her mouth.

"HHHMMM!" Rose tried to scream as she struggled.

"Rose, calm down! I'll explain what happened, but I need you to calm down! Got it?!? “I muttered with my face close to her.

She nodded frantically.

"Right, someone followed us for days, on the streets, at our jobs, at our house. So I asked Noir there to protect us at night." I said, pointing at Noir as he bowed slightly.

"It’s nice to meet you, Miss Rose." Noir said politely.

"HHHMMM!" Rose tried to scream again.

"SSSHHH!" I replied with a finger in front of my lips.

"Yes, this is Noir a floating talking magic book, I also have another magic book called Rubrum, which I still don't know what it does as it doesn't talk much. Both books were with me all this time, now I need you to stay in silence. I’ll take my hand off your mouth and you will not scream do you understand?"

She nodded again.

"Nice." I took my hand away from Rose's mouth and she stood up with shaking legs.

Her bare feet stepped on the body's blood making her face contort in disgust, meanwhile, I went to the bookshelf and grabbed Rubrum, hoping that my plan would work.

"Rubrum I don't know if you can understand me, but I need you to protect Rose while I solve this problem. Can I count on you?" A few seconds of silence passed and for a moment, I considered how stupid it was to talk to a book.

"Yes."  A female childish voice whispered. 

With Rubrum in my left hand, I picked up the knife on the floor and handed them both to Rose.

"Rose do me a favor and take this knife and book to defend yourself, I don't know what's going to happen out there, so under no circumstances let go of this book, do you understand?!?" I exclaimed to the scared girl.

Rose nodded quickly, accepting the knife and book.

"Let's go Noir!" I said to the grimoire before running outside.

"Yes, Lord Alan." Noir replied, floating after me.

-Outside-

The group of men outside waited nervously.

"What's taking so long?" One of them asked.

"It can't be that hard to kill a guy and bring out a girl!" Another complained.

"What the hell, I'm going in too!" One of them lost his patience and entered the house. 

A few seconds of silence passed with the men outside looking into the darkness of the house, suddenly, a scream echoed through the night.

"What in the…" One of the men spoke scared.

Then the man who entered the house flew out the door, all his teeth broken and nose crushed with blood leaking like a river. A person with a floating book beside him came out of the house right after.

"Hello there!" The person said in an emotionless voice.

-Front of the house-

Well, there were five people, not counting the one on the ground. 

"Noir what else can you do and how many of those hands can you create?" I asked the grimoire beside me.

"I can cast magic shots, and create two hands, Lord Alan. Unfortunately, my powers haven’t fully returned."

It’s better than nothing I guess.

"Hello gentlemen! It’s a good night, don't you think? However, there's a problem, you tried to hurt a friend of mine and I can't let that go unpunished. But before we start how about you tell me who hired you all?"

"Kill him!" One of the men screamed, pointing a knife at me before all of them ran toward us.

"Noir!" I screamed to the book.

"As you wish Lord Alan." Noir replied, firing magic shots towards the closest man.

The projectiles pierced him as if he had been machine-gunned, tearing chunks of flesh and leaving large bloody holes behind, his body fell to the ground with an audible noise. 

This made the other four men stop in fright.

"He knows how to use magic!" Another one screamed.

Well, the intimidation worked but I can't shoot spell after spell, there is a limit as per Noir's explanation. For example, let's say I have a mana bar, each spell spends a specific amount of mana, when that bar is empty I can't cast any more spells and I’ve to wait for it to refill.

Not to mention, of course, the physical exhaustion this causes to Noir and me, magic uses our energy and I've never used magic before.

"That's right, I can use magic! So who will be next?" I said, opening both arms and stepping forward.

The four men stood in front of me, two on the left and right. The ones on the left were further ahead and the two on the right were further back, the two who stood further ahead charged at me. 

What a bunch of idiots.

Both of them drew their knives, and I raised my bat.

"Noir, you take the one on the right!" I screamed to the book.

"As you wish." Noir replied politely, floating away.

The man on the left swung his knife towards me, aiming at my belly. I jumped back, dodging the first blow, and crouched down, dodging another one aimed at my neck. I swung my bat toward his jaw when I got up, creating another disturbing image.

I ripped off the man's jaw and he screamed in excruciating pain, the scream echoed through the night and I quickly swung my bat at his head shutting him up. 

I heard the sound of the skull cracking and saw the man's eyes popping out of his head. You need to hold the vomit, Alan! You need to hold the vomit! 

I saw him repeatedly hitting the head of the other man against the floor using one of his Dark Hands.

"Noir stop!" I screamed, not wanting to see the brutal scene anymore.

Noir stopped and tossed the man's corpse aside, the body rolled down the street repeatedly, hitting the ground like a stone bouncing off the surface of a lake, leaving several bloodstains in its path.

The two remaining men realized the situation and ran away, I breathed deeply due to the order I’d given. 

"Noir kill the one on the right and shoot the legs of the one on the left!"

"As you command."

Noir did just that, using one of his Dark Hands Noir grabbed the man on the right and squeezed him. 

I heard the man's agonized screams, breaking bones and crushing flesh, reducing him to a red paste.

Noir opened his hand and what was left of the man fell to the ground forming a red puddle of flesh. 

Only one left now.

Noir fired the magic projectiles, forming a line of holes down the street until they hit the last man in the legs, making him scream in pain.

You need to ignore the screams, Alan! You need to ignore the screams! I walked towards the fallen man, grabbed him by the leg, and dragged him towards the front of my house.

"No, please! What do you want?!? Money, information, I’ll do anything?!?" The man begged, dragging his fingers across the ground.

"Anything?" I asked, taking the opportunity.

"Yes, I’ll do anything!" The man replied.

"Very well! Who sent you, what do you want, and how many of you came here?"

"We were hired by the brothel bosses of Fool's March, they paid us very well to kill you and bring the girl! They wanted to know where the stolen money was! There were seven of us in total! Wait, where is Louis? Where is that bastard? He left us!"

Is he the same Louis from the inn? I didn't have time to think as Rose screamed inside our house.

"AAAHHH!"

Damn it, I kicked the man on the side of his head, knocking him unconscious, and ran towards our house with Noir beside me. 

I was exhausted from using so much magic in such a short time, but I needed to go on.

"Lord Alan, are you all right?" Noir asked worriedly.

I looked at Noir and saw double, no, triple, I also felt something running down my nose, putting my finger in the place; I saw that it was blood.

"I'm fine Noir don't worry and let's go!" I calmed the book and together we entered our house.

-Inside the House-

What was going on out there?!? It sounded like someone was being tortured.

CRUNCH!

CRACK!

"AAAHHH!"

I jumped back scared. What was happening outside? I approached the bedroom door, seeing the dark and empty living room with the front door open and something flying across the street.

Then someone whispered in my ear.

"Behind you."

I couldn’t explain what happened at that moment, my body moved by itself, I turned around and saw the bedroom window open and Louis swinging a knife towards me, suddenly, a bright red barrier appeared, blocking the knife and pushing Louis back.

I swung my knife at Louis' neck, slashing his throat, blood spurted onto my face blinding me and staining my clothes, for a moment I saw the surprised look on Louis' face before he dropped dead. 

I dropped the knife with shaking hands and looked at the red book in my hands.

It was you, wasn't it? Then I realized what I did, I killed someone.

"AAAHHH!"

-Inside the Room-

I entered our room and saw Rose with her face covered in blood, hyperventilating, and with tears coming out of her eyes.

"Rose!" I screamed, approaching her.

She picked up the knife on the floor and pointed it at me.

"Calm down, it's me, Alan!" I screamed, raising both hands.

Rose slowly put the knife down still shaking.

"Can I clean your face?" I asked, taking a cloth from one of the drawers in our bedroom.

Rose nodded and I cleaned the blood on her face.

"Rose, I promise to explain everything to you, but first we need to get out of here. We will spend the rest of the night at the inn, for there will be questions about what happened here and I need to think about an excuse for all of this." I said to Rose, waving around as she nodded.

We packed our things and left the house, heading towards the inn. Rose looked around and saw the dead bodies on the street and the situation they were in, crushed and torn apart.

“Let’s go." I said, extending my hand to her. 

However, Rose closed her eyes and stepped back, I don't blame her, and she knows that I did all this. She opened her eyes upon seeing that nothing happened and accepted my hand.

"Alan, are you ok?" Rose asked worriedly.

"Yes, why do you ask?" I replied confused.

"You're bleeding from your nose and mouth." I answered, pointing at my face.

I put my hand over my mouth and saw blood on my hand. How did I not taste it before? I spit a bubble of blood on the side of the street, cleaning my mouth.

"Don't worry I'm fine" I replied, smiling at her, making Rose jump back. 

I suppose my teeth are full of blood, it mustn’t be a pretty sight, as if that wasn’t enough, I saw triple again, but I kept my balance again. 

The sun rose on the horizon; soon everyone would see the corpses, we net to go now!

Fuck it! I just want to sleep!

END OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter Text

My body, everything hurts!

"Alan!"

I didn't expect that using Noir's power for the first time would be so painful!

"Alan!"

Where am I anyway? Everything is dark. The last thing I remember is fighting the assassins and that Rose killed someone.

"Alan!"

And then...

"Alan!"

And then...

"Alan!"

"WHAT!" I screamed irritated, waking up abruptly. 

I found myself face-to-face with a wide-eyed Rose after opening my eyes; she stepped away from me scared. 

I sighed after realizing what I did, mentally cursing, I looked around, realizing we were in a strange room. 

Now I remember what happened after the fight. We came to the inn, the same one we stayed in when we arrived in Cagliamola.

"I'm sorry Rose... *COUGH*, *COUGH*" I coughed mid-speech, seeing blood after taking my hand away from my mouth.

"Alan!" Rose screamed, approached me worriedly.

"Don't worry, I'm fine, using magic for the first time got to me, but I'll get better with time." I reassured her with a pained smile,

"Speaking of magic, explain it now!" Rose demanded, changing her attitude and pointing at Rubrum and Noir. Rubrum was on a table in the room while Noir floated beside Rose.

"Lord Alan! How do you feel?" Noir asked worriedly, approaching me. 

I appreciate the concern but I wish he wouldn't act as if he was my servant.

"I'm fine Noir, just tired." I said laying back on the bed and turning towards Rose who stared at me angrily with crossed arms.

"I think you want an explanation." I said to her.

"Yes! Who are you? Where are you from? How can you use magic? And what the fuck are these books?" Rose demanded, making question after question.

"Hey! Language! And don't insult Noir and Rubrum, they are my friends." I screamed back.

Rose quickly approached me and smacked my forehead with her closed fist.

"OUCH! I think I deserved it.” I said, rubbing my forehead. 

"You dare?" Noir screamed, approaching Rose and making her step away surprised.

"Calm down Noir, she didn't hurt me." I said, trying to avoid another disaster.

"As you wish Lord Alan." Noir replied, returning to his previous location.

"The way I talk is the least of our problems! Now answer my questions!" Rose said angrily, crossing her arms again and sitting down on a chair facing my bed.

"Very well, I’ll answer your questions, but for that, I’ll have to tell you about past events that happened in my homeland, better get ready because it's going to be a long story."

"I'm all ears." Rose sighed.

"Right, the events happened before I was born. One day in one of the greatest cities of my homeland a dragon and a giant monster fell from the sky."

"A dragon?" Rose asked surprised.

"Yes, a dragon. The two fought in the moment they fell from the sky, according to the rumors, the sound of bells echoed throughout the city, and white and black circles collided in the sky in some kind of fight."

"Bells?" Rose asked again, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, no one knows how, but the deafening sound of bells was heard everywhere. Eventually, the dragon won the fight and the giant turned to dust."

"And what happened to the dragon?" Rose asked curiously.

"We killed it." I shrugged.

"You killed a dragon!" Rose screamed, jumping on her seat. From the surprise in Rose's voice, it sounds like a dragon is something powerful in this land.

"Yes, it wasn't difficult, a well-aimed missile and the dragon fell from the sky and was impaled on a tower in the city."

"What is a missile?" Rose asked again.

"A weapon made to take down flying enemies." I replied, it's more complicated than that, but I don't feel like explaining modern technology right now.

"Continue." Rose said, nodding to my answer.

"Nothing noteworthy happened for a while. The government of my homeland cared for the wounded and everything returned to normal."

"Something bad happened didn't it?" Rose asked worriedly.

"Yea, a plague appeared. It seemed like a normal disease, but it spread at an absurd speed as time passed on. Medicine had no effect against it and the healers of my homeland didn’t know what the plague was exactly."

"It doesn't look that bad, I may know next to nothing about Midgard, but one thing I do know is that plagues are common around here." Rose answered, looking at me doubtfully.

"That's where you're wrong, it was that bad. The plague had two outcomes, you'd either become a salt statue or you'd become a snow-white, red-eyed monster known as a legion."

Rose went silent, thinking for some time before answering. 

"This is hard to believe, becoming a monster or a salt statue. It sounds like a horror story." Rose replied, shaken back.

"You can believe what you want Rose. The plague spread, and the government didn't know what to do, so they gathered all the sick people in one part of the city and built a wall around it."

"Did they lock up the sick in one part of town? That's simple?" Rose asked, annoyed.

"Yeah."

"The King of where you come from looks like a bastard." Rose answered with disdain in her voice.

"Yea… King… Of course… The army was unable to defeat the legion, so a nuclear bomb was dropped on the part of the city where the sick were."

"What is a nuclear bomb?"

"A magic bomb with enough power to destroy a city."

Rose stared at me wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"It is true. It seemed to solve the problem, but the plague appeared in different regions of my homeland worsening the situation and the legion wasn’t contained in one place anymore. Then the years passed."

"It just got worse from there, didn't it?"

"Yes. The plague got out of hand, the legion increased in numbers, and life for the common people worsened. The gap between rich and poor widened even more, and huge slums were built by those affected by the chaos."

"It's all going to hell. It was not?" Rose asked, looking towards the floor while speaking in a low voice.

"Yes, for a long time, but the Hamelin Organization emerged, they promised to fight the legion, passing the image of heroes. But that was a façade as they did something terrible behind the doors."

"What do you mean?"

"People disappeared, children mostly. Taken from orphanages, off the streets, and taken to the Hamelin Organization, lured by the promise of a better life just to never be seen again."

"It just gets worse and worse! What hellish place did you come from?" Rose asked, staring into my eyes.

"I think you better calm down as the story isn’t over yet." I sighed.

"Go on." Rose spoke, breathing deeply, doing as I said.

"I distrusted the Hamelin Organization when some friends of mine disappeared; they were people trying to survive in an abandoned city. They told me they were going to the Organization and after that, I never saw them again."

"Abandoned city?"

"The city where the dragon and the giant appeared before the plague spread, the city was abandoned, with groups of survivors fighting for resources and shelter. I survived there relatively well, got into fights with other survivors, but found a nice apartment to live in, it's not like the owner would care."

"You were there alone? Moreover, your family, your parents where were they? And what is an apartment?" Rose tossed question after question.

"One question at a time. Yes, I was alone in the city, as I had nowhere to go. My family was just my parents and the person who taught me how to survive, I prefer not to talk about them, and it brings back bad memories. An apartment... How to explain? Imagine a tower made of houses that touches the sky, and in each house lives a family. Apartments are very common in my homeland when we could no longer expand to the sides, we expanded upwards."

My parents, how long have I not thought about them? Not since the... I'll stop there; I don't want to bring back bad memories.

"Alan?" Rose spoke, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks for the concern; I'm just reminiscing." I replied, smiling at her but she looked back at me sadly.

"You can stop if it's bringing back bad memories."

"Now that I've started, there's no reason to stop, but thanks anyway. All the people turned to salt covering the city like snow, and the fight against the legion continued until the Organization won, but the plague still spread. One day someone followed me when I returned home and on that same day I met my new family, Nier and Yonah." I replied smiling sadly.

"Do you miss them?" Rose asked, looking away.

"Yes. And I wonder if I'll ever see them again."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room; with a weary sigh, I continued my story.

"Now I believe it's time to talk about Noir and Rubrum. I found Rubrum in a pile of books just like her, they were about to be burned by the soldiers of the organization, they said that Rubrum was a failed project, whatever they meant by that. In my opinion, Rubrum is a success; she helped us a lot so far."

As soon as I talked, Rubrum jumped a little on the table where she was, it looked like she was happy.

"Yonah got sick one day, so Nier, Yonah, and I went to a shelter that was supposed to help the survivors in the city. The problem was that the Hamelin Organization funded this shelter, and the Organization's soldiers were all over the place. I felt like something was wrong."

"And what happened?"

"When we entered the shelter, the soldiers weren’t distributing food or medicine, but books."

"Books? So you mean that Noir..."

"Yes. I received Noir from the soldiers, and Nier received a book too. There are several Grimoire Noirs."

"Is that true?" Rose asked, staring at Noir.

"Yes Miss Rose, I’m only one of many, but I serve Lord Alan, I’ll destroy all of my Lord's enemies even if it costs my life." Noir replied proudly.

"Lord?" Rose asked me, raising an eyebrow.

"Please, explain it to her Noir." I sighed.

"As you wish, Lord Alan must be treated with the utmost respect for being worthy of holding the title of Original Gestalt." Noir said in the same tone as before.

He flatters me too much, not that I don't like it; I love it when someone strokes my ego.

"And what is an Original Gestalt?"

"Unfortunately my knowledge is limited; I was left ignorant of a lot of information due to security concerns, so I can only give limited answers. The Original Gestalt is a MASO-compatible human."

"And what is MASO?"

"MASO is the element I use to cast magic. MASO is also what is making Lord Alan stronger and stronger; his power is yet to reach its peak." Noir replied, his voice getting louder with each word, happy to praise me.

Maybe I should praise him back.

"So does that mean you're going to get even stronger?" Rose asked me.

"According to Noir, yes."

"As if you didn't cause enough trouble already." Rose answered; face palming and breathing deeply.

"Hey! I'm not that bad." I screamed offended.

Rose lowered her hand and stared at me intently. 

"Maybe I’m a little bad." I replied nervously, flinching at her gaze.

"It's good that you know. Now continue your story."

"We heard a voice upon touching our books; it was Noir speaking to us. Suddenly, something I can only describe as a nightmare happened, all the people who touched Noir except for Nier and I turned into monsters!"

"Isn't this over, or is it just one disaster after another?" Rose asked, staring at me impassively with an emotionless face.

"It's been like this ever since the dragon and the giant appeared; I can't do anything about it. Continuing, the three of us fled the shelter while the monsters killed the soldiers and hid in a market, but the monsters followed us."

"And what happened?" Rose asked apprehensively, sitting on the edge of the chair and leaning forward.

"I left Nier and Yonah hidden in the market and went outside to fight, killing a couple of monsters in the process."

"So you were always that strong?"

"HAHAHA... COUGH, COUGH, No, I was just a normal person, but don't think I came out victorious like a comic book hero. The moment I killed two of the monsters, the rest surrounded me and beat me." I laughed, following it with a cough.

"I'm afraid to ask, but what happened next?" Rose said, swallowing hard.

"Noir appeared, and lent me his power, saving my life."

"I’m not worthy of such praise, Lord Alan." Noir spoke submissively, acting as my servant again.

"Take the praise Noir, you deserve it." Noir didn't say anything, but I could tell he was happy.

"What happened next is just a blur in my memory, all the monsters were dead on the ground and I was covered in wounds. I fell to the ground; bleeding to death when my senses came back, but then I heard something, a song."

"A song?"

"Yes. I probably hallucinated thanks to the blood loss, but I swear that I heard a woman singing somewhere. The next thing I know, I woke up in a forest with Noir calling me, the rest you already know. Therefore, this is my story, now I’ll ask you a question. Do you believe me?"

Rose thought for a few minutes with several expressions passing through her face, doubt, anger, surprise, and sadness, then she breathed deeply before speaking. 

"Alan, you are an idiot..." Rose said calmly.

"Hey, I'll tell you the story of my life and you…" I complained but Rose interrupted me.

"I'm not finished yet! Alan, you're an idiot, always putting yourself in danger, but still helping people! I seriously don't understand that part of you! To this day, I still wonder why you helped me, I still wonder if this is just a dream! You came out of nowhere, saved a girl you don't know, got her a home and a job, taught her to read and write, and taught her to live! You are strong enough to dismember a person, you have two magic books, and one of them speaks and treats you like a king!"

"I don't know where you want to go..."

"I haven’t finished yet!" Rose screamed hitting my forehead again.

"OUCH!"

"Until yesterday I thought you were someone unusually strong, but then I discovered these two books, and now you're telling me that you came from a faraway land full of monsters?!? Do you know how absurd that is?!? You are an imbecile! A dragon and a giant falling from the sky, people turning into salt statues, weapons that can kill dragons and destroy cities! Do you think I'm a kid who believes everything she's told?!?"

"I'm sorry..." I replied ashamed, averting my gaze.

Rose raised her fist one more time, but slowly lowered it; I think it’s better if I shut up already.

"Even so, I can't ignore everything you've done for me, not to mention, of course, the magic books of your absurd history that are right here; I don’t need more proof than it!" Rose screamed, pointing at Noir and Rubrum.

"So even with all the bullshit you said, I believe you." Rose said, smiling gently at me.

"Thank you, Rose..." I answered, smiling back.

"But, if you hide something like that from me again, I'll break every bone in your body, understood?!?" Rose screamed menacingly, pointing directly at my face.

"Yes ma'am!" I replied, smiling nervously. I don't doubt she's going to do that.

"Excellent!" Rose smiled back, with her hands on her hips.

Suddenly, someone knocking repeatedly on the door interrupted our moment.

"OPEN THE DOOR!" A male voice screamed, knocking furiously on the door. Must be the city guards wanting answers about what happened last night. 

"Noir, Rubrum under the bed now!" I screamed to the two grimoires. 

Quickly, Noir used one of his Dark Hands to grab Rubrum and float under the bed right after.

"Rose, I'm going to lie to the guard, I need you to cooperate with my lies. I can count on you?"

"Yes!" Rose said determinately.

"Then open the door for me."

Rose walked towards the door while I got up with some effort and sat on the bed. Rose stopped in front of the door and looked at me, waiting for my signal. I nodded, and Rose opened the door, letting the city guards in.

Of the three guards, the ones on the left and right wore leather armor with some metal plates on the wrists, shins, and chest; they also carried short swords and small shields. 

The one in the middle wore leather armor, but covered with more metal than the other two; he also wore a metal helmet and medal attached to his chest, probably to show his rank.

"Hello! A good day, no? How can I help you, sir?" I said politely, smiling at the guard in the middle.

"We are looking for the people known as Alan and Rose; we were informed that they were seen heading towards this inn. It's you two isn't it?" The guard spoke, staring at me intently.

Sweat ran down the back of my neck and I saw out Rose looking at me worriedly of the corner of my eye. It’s time to lie as I'd never done before.

"Yes, we are." I replied, hiding my nervousness.

"Very well, I would like an explanation about what happen last night, specifically about the bodies found on the street and inside your house. I hope you can clarify the situation." The guard said, approaching me.

Damn it! Shit! Fuck!

"Come on, I'm waiting." The guard spoke, stomping the floor impatiently.

"Of course, pardon me!" I said, doing my best poor bastard voice.

"You see my good sir, Rose and I were attacked by bandits last night, they tried to kill me and kidnap my dear sister." I said with tears in my eyes, approaching Rose and hugging her.

"We have no family, our father died from overwork, and our mother died of illness soon after. We survived with what little we had, we traveled from city to city, doing all kinds of heavy work, being underpaid and exploited by our bosses." I said between tears.

I looked at Rose and she stared back at me with a look that said 'What the fuck are you doing!' and I stared back with a look that said 'Collaborate with my lie!'

"It's true. My idiot brother cared for me for years, always looking for work and always failing thanks to his stupidity." Rose said, hugging me back.

What the fuck are you saying, Rose?!?

"I wouldn't have to look for work if you hadn't set the inn's kitchen on fire a year ago!" I screamed at her.

Rose stared at me angrily with half-closed eyes.

"Well if you weren't such a womanizer we wouldn't have to flee every town we stop at. Seriously?!? The innkeeper's daughter, the baker's daughter, the carpenter's daughter, even the priest's daughter! We wouldn't have so much trouble if you could keep your pants in place!" Rose said in a dramatic voice and with watery eyes.

So this is the game you want to play.

"I wouldn't try so hard to have fun if you didn't cause me so much stress, you get into fights with tugs, steal food from the stalls, and worst of all, you stole money from an orphanage and told the children that if they had any problems with it, they should complain to their parents. Tell me, Rose, if our parents could see us what would they think?"

I said, covering my eyes with one hand, hiding my fake tears with a vengeful smile on my face.

My smile turned into a pained face as Rose stomped on my foot with her heel using all her strength. 

I held back a pained cry, and I slipped my hand over Rose's shoulder as if to continue our embrace and pinched the side of her arm hard, but I was careful not to hurt her. Rose kept a straight face, but a tear slipped from her left eye.

"Enough! I'm not here to hear the tragic story of your lives! You were attacked last night, I believe! But that doesn't explain the decapitated body, the one with its jaw ripped off and the one crushed into a paste." The highest-ranking guard screamed, losing his temper.

"Sorry sir, we got carried away by our family ties, but to solve your doubts, we were saved by one person." I said, bowing down and forcing my hand to the back of Rose's head, making her bow too.

"A person? I doubt that one person could do all this alone." The guard asked doubtfully.

"One person did all this because she used magic." I replied.

The guard's eyes widened upon hearing my answer and he ran toward me, grabbing me by the shoulders.

"Magic, are you sure?!?" The guard asked startled, shaking me frantically.

"Y-yes, w-why the s-surprise?" I stuttered between the shakes. Seriously, why was he so scared?

"Listen to what I’ll tell you boy, and listen well! The lords who rule these lands are cruel wretches, demons in human flesh, and every one of them uses magic! Normal people don't stand a chance against them, but magic users, that's another story. The Lords feared that strong enough magic users could kill them, and that's why they enacted a law that no one can use magic without their direct permission; the Lords also recruited magic users who showed loyalty to them! If word spreads that someone used magic without the Lords' permission, Cagliamola will be destroyed, and every man, woman, and child will be slaughtered by the armies of the Lords! So tell me what this person was like. Who saved you?"

Think Alan, think of a person who doesn’t exist! I can't, I'm too nervous!

"Tell me!" The guard yelled, shaking me again.

"It was a woman!" Rose screamed, approaching the guard.

Thank you, Rose, thank you. You saved me.

"A woman, go on." The guard replied, releasing and approaching Rose.

"She was short, with short red hair, yellow eyes, and dressed like a noblewoman, wearing a red dress that covered her entire body, black gloves, and black high heels."

That's it Rose, creates someone who is the complete opposite of me!

"Are you sure?" The guard asked.

"Yes!" Rose nodded quickly.

"Very well, I thank you, citizens, for your cooperation, you are doing the city of Cagliamola a great service, the three of us are going to withdraw now." The guard said, walking towards the door.

"We didn't do much; we just did our civic duty." I replied smiling.

"Boy, are you a noble?" The guard asked, staring at me for a while

"No." I answered quickly.

The guard shrugged and walked away, leaving us alone.

"Why does everyone ask if I'm a noble?" I asked Rose.

"You speak like one; always using complicated words that I’ve no idea of the meaning." Rose replied.

"I’m just well versed in the pronunciation and writing of the alphabet of my homeland, thus maintaining dialogues for a great amount of time using various synonyms, avoiding the repetition of words. Because of my high knowledge, which is above Midgard average person, I created the misconception that I have a higher social status than a citizen of this nation does. Am I correct, my dear companion?"

I asked Rose with a cocky smile on my face, but Rose just looked back at me blankly.

"I’ve no idea what you just said. But changing the subject..." Rose said, approaching me quickly.

"ARGH!"

I screamed in pain after she stomped my foot again.

"What's the idea of pinching me?!?" Rose demanded, screaming angrily at me.

"It was because you stepped on my foot!" I screamed back, grabbing Rose’s cheeks, pulling and pinching them.

"I stepped on your foot because you told lies about me, I didn't rob an orphanage!" Rose answered, grabbing my cheeks and pulling them too.

"And I'm not a womanizer; I haven't even had my first kiss yet!" I replied and Rose laughed.

"HAHAHA! So does that mean you're a virgin?!? I knew it!" Rose laughed with tears in her eyes, escaping my grasp and running away from me.

"Listen here you little shit!" I screamed, running after her.

-Alan and Rose's House-

We returned to our house taking longer than usual because of Alan, he stopped coughing up blood but he was still in pain. We walked together with the excuse that if someone attacked us again we would be ready.

However, that was a lie; Alan needed someone to lean on but was too embarrassed to ask, so we slowly walked to our home, one step at a time.

He acted as if everything was fine, but failed miserably. He was pale, breathing heavily and with difficulty, I felt him shaking as he leaned on my shoulder, it looked like he was going to drop dead. Please don't let this happen!

We entered our home and saw that the bodies weren’t there anymore, but the bloodstains still marked the floor. I helped Alan to a chair in the kitchen where he sat down, sighing relieved.

"The house is a mess, isn't it? All these bloodstains in our bedroom and on the living room floor, I think I better start cleaning up." Alan said, struggling to his feet.

"No! You'll sit there while I'll take care of this mess!" I replied, approaching him and pushing him back to the chair.

"But..." Alan stuttered.

"No, but! You’ll sit your ass on that chair!" I screamed, pointing at the chair in question.

"Okay, can you at least bring me a pillow?" Alan sighed defeated.

Nodding, I entered our bedroom, picked up a pillow, and gave it to Alan. Alan put the pillow on the kitchen table and looked at it for a few seconds before falling with his face on it, falling silent right after, looks like he is sleeping now. 

“Now how am I going to clean this up?” I spoke to myself as I looked at the bloodstains.

"Please, allow me to help you, Miss Rose." Noir spoke, approaching me while using two magic hands to carry buckets of soapy water.

"Thank you, Noir." I replied with a smile, picking two brushes for Noir and me. 

Therefore, we cleaned the place.

"Noir, do you mind if I ask a question?" I asked the book while brushing the ground.

"No, I don’t mind, Miss Rose." Noir replied, cleaning the floor too.

"What is it like to be a book?" I asked curiously.

Noir went silent, brushing the floor slowly.

"That's a tricky question to answer. Tell me, what is it like to be human? As I recall, I was always a book from the day I woke up until now."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I wasn’t born Miss Rose but created. I couldn’t see, hear, feel and I had no conscience when I came into existence. As if I slept in a deep and dreamless slumber, but I saw a light in that void one day, and then I woke up, with the first thing I saw being Lord Alan. I suddenly knew what I should do, I should serve him, protect him, for he was an Original Gestalt, it came into my mind as an instinct, I had a goal now." Noir said in a sad tone, changing it to a happy one upon talking about Alan.

"You like Alan, don't you?" I replied, smiling slightly.

"Yes Miss Rose, after all, he is my Lord. But he isn’t the only person who I appreciate the presence of." Noir answered vaguely.

"Seriously? And who is the other one?" I asked curiously.

"It’s you, Miss Rose." Noir said gently.

My eyes widened with the answer and I couldn't look at Noir. The floor became so interesting all of a sudden.

"Thank you." I whispered to the book, however, I couldn't hide the smile on my face.

"No problem, Miss Rose. Mind if we talk some more?" 

"No, Noir. What do you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about my dreams." Noir replied, his voice changing to a serious tone.

"Dreams, you can dream?" I asked surprised.

"Yes. I work on a MASO basis, so I don't need to sleep, but I still sleep from time to time, it helps to rest my mind."

"I understand, now tell me about your dreams."

"They are horrible Miss Rose. I was in the body of a child inside an orphanage full of children, suddenly the orphanage’s door opened and soldiers entered. What happened next is just a blur; I remember screams and blood, one boy, one girl, and me."

"And what happened afterward?"

"The boy tried to protect the girl but he couldn't, thanks to me, only the boy the soldiers and I remained in the end. Therefore, the doors opened again and the soldiers took us away, but the dream ended as soon as I passed through the door. As you know I’m just one of many Grimoire Noir, perhaps the dreams I’ve are the memories of the original Noir."

Noir went silent after his explanation, waiting for my answer. What should I say? I never had this kind of conversation before, take a deep breath Rose, and speak.

"I also have bad dreams. Sometimes I wake up and I'm back in the brothel, I can't escape that shitty place and I end up spending the rest of my life there, but the truth is I'm afraid to wake up and find that the life I'm having now it's just a dream. But still, in the back of my mind, I know that this is real, that you are real, that Rubrum is real, that Alan is real, all of you are real and I'm not in the brothel anymore, I'm here now."

"What are you trying to say, Miss Rose?"

"What I'm trying to say is, we're all here now, I'm not in the brothel and you're not in the orphanage, that's the reality, our memories of the past may come back to haunt us, but in the end, they are just that, memories, we decide what to do with them. About you being a copy of the original Noir you have to ask yourself 'Does it matter?’ From what you said, you were sleeping before you met Alan, think about it, out of all the copies, you managed to wake up and get a goal. Doesn't that make you better than the original? As far as we know, he might still be sleeping. Noir you succeeded where the original failed."

"Thank you, Miss Rose; I honestly don't know what to say other than thank you, thank you for listening to the concerns of this fool book." Noir replied in a mixture of happiness and sadness, I think he would cry if he could.

"Noir, please don't call yourself a fool." I answered worried about him.

"Of course, Miss Rose, but if I may say, what you said was surprising; I didn't expect that from someone like you."

"What do you mean you didn't expect that from someone like me?!?" I demanded angrily, dropping the brush and approaching Noir.

"Don't get me wrong Miss Rose, but based on your way of acting and speaking..." Noir said nervously, floating away from me.

"So you mean you thought I was just a dirty-mouthed whore?" I said, grabbing Noir before he floated out of my reach.

"N-no Miss Rose, but I didn't expect you to be so kind." 

"So you mean you thought I was a cold-hearted bitch?!?" I asked again, approaching one of the water buckets with Noir in my hands.

"M-Miss Rose, what are you planning to do?" Noir asked fearfully.

"Well since you doubt my kindness, I’ll show you how kind I can be." I replied, smiling evilly at him. 

"Miss Rose, wait!" Noir screamed.

However, it was too late as I dipped Noir into the water bucket.

"YOU SHITTY BOOK, I FUCKING OPEN MY HEART TO YOU AND THIS IS HOW YOU THANK ME YOU BASTARD?!?"

"Miss Rose, stop! You will ruin my pages."

"AND WHO SAID THAT I FUCKING CARE?!? I TRIED TO BE NICE BUT NO, YOU HAD TO OPEN YOUR STUPID MOUTH. I CAN SAY SOMETHING SMART IF I WANT, YOU KNOW?!?"

"Can you two please shut up!? I'm trying to sleep here!" Alan shouted without taking his face off the pillow.

"Lord Alan, help!" Noir screamed in panic.

"You got yourself into this problem Noir, now you're going to get out of it. Nobody told you to open your mouth. Rose, try not to ruin Noir." Alan said tiredly, with his voice muffled by the pillow and without looking at us

"You can leave it with me! We are going to spend some time together." I replied happily, giving Noir a sweet smile.

"NO!" Noir screamed from the top of his lungs, trying to escape my grasp but ignored his screams and plunged Noir back into the bucket.

"HAHAHA!" A little girl laughed, looks like Rubrum is watching us from the kitchen table, I’ll let her enjoy the show.

-A few weeks later, Land of Seas-

The Land of the Seas was Midgard's biggest trading point with ships docking every day, bringing exotic goods from all over the world and explorers setting sail in search of adventures in unknown lands, seeking to leave their names in history.

Men, women, and children walked the streets, but these were not normal people, they were nobles, aristocrats, and rich merchants, they dressed in the best clothes, full of ornaments and details.

The women wore long dresses made of the finest fabric, pearl necklaces, and bracelets of pure gold adorned with diamonds; they used the most expensive perfumes and the most beautiful makeup. The women of the Land of the Seas were the epitome of grace, beauty, and manners.

The men wore clothes that showed everyone their place in society, each of them wore a top hat adorned with bird feathers, and long coats that reached the back of their shins with the emblem of their family sewn into it.

The children wore colorful clothes of the best quality, looking like little dolls walking through the streets.

The Land of the Seas was a great place to live, at least that's what it seemed. The reality of most people of Midgard hides behind this luxury. 

The difference between rich and poor was absurd, beggars and sick people were scattered in alleys, ignored by the high society. In the seas, pirates attacked all the ships that weren’t under the direct protection of the Lords.

Soldiers who were supposed to uphold the law and protect the people extorted the common citizen by taking money and food from those who could not defend themselves.

The city of Avalon Wharf was built on a hill that descended towards the sea, the city docks were in the lower part of the city while the population houses were built up the hill.

In Avalon Wharf the difference between rich and poor was obvious, wooden shacks were everywhere, dirty water ran down the streets, and rats ran through the alleys and houses, spreading diseases.

Beggars leaned against walls asking for crumbs to survive, and families did their best to feed their malnourished children. Robberies and murders were common in this part of the city, but there was no use calling the guards if you couldn't pay the “Protection fee."

The high-class population lived even higher on the hill with extravagant and exaggerated mansions covering the top, whereas the high-class lived without caring about the problems of the world. After all, they had money and power no one could touch them.

Clothing and jewelry stores were present on every street, restaurants sold the best quality food, brand-new buildings were everywhere, and the people who lived there enjoyed the good and the best.

Whoever saw it from outside the city wouldn’t imagine that the distance between the ghettos and the high-class neighborhood was just a small street, but no one from the ghettos dared to go up the hill, after all, guards always protected the neighborhood of the high class.

A mansion bigger than all the others was at the top of the hill, it was the mansion of the Lord or Lady of the Land of the Seas, Caerula.

Caerula was a woman with purple hair and green eyes; she wore a beautiful noble dress. Currently, Lady Caerula is in her room looking for a new dress to wear with a young girl serving as a maid next to her.

"Not this one..." Caerula said, pulling dresses out of her closet.

"Lady Caerula, what do you think about this one?" The maid said, showing a blue dress to Caerula.

"Silence, you will speak only when I allow you!" Caerula screamed.

"Yes, Lady Caerula!" The maid replied, adjusting her posture, and waited for further orders.

Suddenly, a knock on her door interrupted Lady Caerula.

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

"Come in." Caerula said.

A young man dressed as a butler entered, bowing down and waiting for his master's words.

"You are allowed to speak." Caerula ordered, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"A man wants to see you, Lady Caerula." The butler replied politely.

"A man, I hope he has a good reason to interrupt me." Caerula said annoyed, hiding her expression with a fan.

"He claims to have encountered a magic user who is acting without any of the Lord's permission."

"Send him to my office." Caerula said seriously, staring at the butler behind her fan.

"As Lady Caerula commands." The butler answered before walking away.

-Office-

Caerula waited in her office at her mansion, curious about what the man had to say.

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

"Come in." Caerula said, waving her fan.

The butler opened the door and a man with both legs bandaged sitting on a wheelchair entered and stopped in front of Lady Caerula's desk.

"You can go." Caerula said to her butler who bowed down upon hearing the orders and left the room.

"I hope you have a good reason to waste my time," Caerula said menacingly to the man in the wheelchair.

"Yes, Lady Caerula! I was attacked by a magic user who doesn’t have permission from the Lords." The man replied scared, sweating profusely.

"A magic user you say? What kind of magic did he use?" Caerula asked seriously.

"He had a floating book that fired magic, filling one of my friends with holes, and then the book created hands, crushing the head of another one, as if that wasn't cruel enough, another man was crushed to a pulp by the book." The man said dramatically with fake tears falling from his eyes.

"And what did he do to you exactly?" Caerula said, looked at the man's legs.

"I tried to run away after seeing what happened to my poor friends, may they rest in peace, but the magic user ordered the book to shoot my legs, and sentenced me to a wheelchair for life." The man said, crying even more.

"Describe this magic user to me." Caerula ordered.

"It will be a pleasure." The man replied smiling.

-XXXXXX-

"And that's what they look like." The man finished describing the magic user and the girl that always accompanied him.

"Thank you for your cooperation, my butler will reward you for the information. These outlaws will have their heads on the bounty and their wanted posters will be spread all over the Lands."

"Thank you Lady Caerula, thank you!" The man said happily, joining both hands in prayer.

"Right, now stop wasting my time and get out of here! Wait, before you go, answer me a question."

The man nodded and went silent, waiting for it.

"Why did you come to me? You crossed the sea despite your condition. Why not go to the Lord of the forests or the Desert?"

"But I did it, Lady Caerula, but they ignored me. They said I wasn't worth the time."

"INCOMPETENT FOOLS!" Caerula screamed angrily, slamming her table, and cracking it slightly.

The man recoiled, turning away from Caerula.

"He will deliver your reward, just accompany him." Caerula said, clearing her throat and ringing a small bell on her table, calling her butler.

DING!

"Thank you Lady Caerula."

The butler opened the door and the man left the room while Caerula looked at her servant and ran her thumb in a slashing motion across her neck. The butler nodded understanding the order and left the room.

"Magic user, will you join me or become my enemy?" Caerula said thoughtfully, looking at her left hand aging at an alarming rate, and then she rang the bell on her table again.

DING!

In a few seconds, a maid entered the room. 

"You called me, Lady Caerula?" The maid asked.

"Yes." Caerula said, getting up and approaching the maid.

"Lady Caerula?" The maid asked confused.

Suddenly, Caerula pierced the maid's chest with her hand, grabbing her heart, the maid's body withered and Caerula's body got younger, and then Caerula removed her hands from the maid’s chest, letting the dried body fall to the floor.

"Damn it! I did it again! It's the third one this week! Too bad, she was my favorite. I'll have to get another." Caerula said, covering her face with her fan and kicking the maid's body away.

END OF CHAPTER

Chapter Text

-Year 994, Midgard, City of Cagliamola-

I walked through the markets with a shopping list in my hand, it had been a few days since the attack and Alan was recovering from using magic, so I was the one doing the chores in the meantime.

I quickly verified the bag hanging on my shoulder with Rubrum and some coins inside. Alan insisted that I take her with me in case something bad happened; I refused at first, even though Rubrum and Noir were friendly.

I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable having a magic book with me at all times. I’ve no idea how to deal with magic! Those who understand it should deal with this kind of thing!

I saw a crowd standing in front of a wall, talking nervously, as I walked. What is happening there? I heard bits and pieces of conversation as I approached curiously.

"Aren't those two…"

"Why such a high reward…"

"Poor children…"

"Who cares? I'll get the reward myself…"

"What's going on here?" I asked loudly, getting the crowd’s attention.

They all turned toward me one by one, some looked away ashamed, others widened their eyes in surprise, and a small part stared intently at me. The crowd slowly parted and what I saw in the wall nearly stopped my heart.

Wanted posters, with Alan's face and mine, I had a bounty of 250 gold coins and Alan had a bounty of 500 gold coins. I stepped back scared but stopped suddenly upon feeling someone grabbing my arm strongly.

"You, come with me!" A man screamed in my face.

"No! Let me go!" I screamed back, trying to break free, but his grip was too strong. 

Before the man could react, a red glow came out of my bag and a red bolt hit him in the chest, sending him convulsing to the ground.

"She knows how to use magic!"  One woman in the crowd screamed, pointing at me.

"Witch!"  Another man screamed.

Finally, the crowd ran away from me and I ran towards home without thinking twice, picking two wanted posters on the way.

-Alan and Rose's House-

“I'm so bored!”  I screamed mentally as I lay on my bed, reading a book. 

I don't have much to do now as Rose insisted that should I rest, I'm not as hurt as I was before, but she wasn't open to an argument. 

Putting the book aside, I stared at the ceiling, thinking about something to do. Noir slept on the shelf after watching me relentlessly for days, I ordered him to rest but promised to wake him up if I needed anything and Rubrum was with Rose.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of the front door slamming, taking me out of my thoughts. Did Rose come back early?

"ALAN!" Rose screamed, entering our bedroom and nearly knocking the door off its hinges.

"Is there a problem Rose?" I asked worriedly, getting up quickly upon seeing her scared face.

Rose ran to the bedroom window and closed the curtain, then went to the living room, closed the curtains on all the windows, locked the front door, and returned to the bedroom.

"Rose, what happened?!?" I asked, holding her by the shoulders.

"Here, Alan, check this out!" She exclaimed, handing me two papers and I couldn't believe what I read.

I read it several times, believing that my eyes deceived me, but the fifth time, I realized that it was true. 

The posters said the following.

"Wanted for the use of magic without the Lord's explicit permission, both individuals are extremely dangerous. If found, keep your distance and report to the nearest local authorities.”

-Caerula, Lord of the Land of the Seas.

"OPEN THE DOOR!" Someone screamed, bagging on our front door.

"We need to get out of here, now!" I screamed to Rose, throwing the posters away.

Rose nodded, and together we ran around the house taking just what was necessary and putting everything inside bags and my backpack.

I opened the bedroom window and helped Rose to jump it, when I had one foot out the window I realized I had forgotten something, Noir. I ran to the bookshelf and grabbed the grimoire.

"Noir wake up!" I screamed, shaking him.

"Wha… Lord Alan… What's going on?" Noir asked me, sleepily.

"YOU THERE, STOP!" A group of guards screamed, knocking on the front door and entering our house. I quickly locked the bedroom door and the guards tried to break it down 

"Noir! We need to flee now!" I screamed, running towards the window.

"Yes, Lord Alan!" Noir replied, floating beside me, and together we jumped out of the window, and ran through the streets of Cagliamola with Rose accompanying us.

"THEY ARE RUNNING AWAY!" A guard yelled, pointing at us through the window; soon there was a group of guards chasing us.

Rose and I turned right and entered the alleys of the city, left, right, right, left, left, and went straight on, but there was a problem, we reached a dead end. I have an idea; I just hope I don't get hurt too much this time.

"Noir tear down that wall!" I ordered the grimoire while pointing to the dead end.

"As you wish!" Noir replied seriously, creating a Dark Hand, closing it into a fist, and punching the wall, destroying it in a shower of stone.

I dropped to my knees breathing heavily after having my energy drained; it wasn't too bad this time.

"Alan! Why did you do that?" Rose asked worriedly, helping me to my feet.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" The guards shouted down the alleys with the sound of their steps approaching us.

"Don't worry about me, we need to run!" I yelled, pushing Rose forward.

We crossed the collapsed wall and ended up on the main street of Cagliamola with the exit straight ahead, so we ran down the street pushing people out of the way.

"Get out of the way!" Rose yelled, pushing a woman aside.

"I’m sorry!" I screamed, pulling a man back.

The exit was close but guards blocked it with the one who questioned us at the inn leading the group, making us stop as the guards behind us approached.

"I'm sorry about that boy, but for the sake of this town I'll have to arrest you!" The guard said, drawing his sword.

I looked around, analyzing our situation before speaking to Rose.

"Rose when I say it I want you to close your eyes, understood?" I asked the girl beside me.

"Yes." Rose replied, giving me a determined look.

Therefore, I breathed deeply and yelled.

"Noir, punch the ground with all your strength!"

"Yes, Lord Alan." Noir answered, creating another Dark Hand, this one being bigger than before, and punching the ground ahead of us, creating a dust cloud and blinding the guards.

"Rose, now!" I yelled.

Rose closed her eyes and I grabbed her while using my other arm to shield my eyes, I ran forward without worrying about what was in my way, I bumped into something and heard a scream of pain, but I didn't stop. 

I saw that I was outside the city with Noir right behind me when I removed my arm from my eyes,

"Rose you can open your eyes now." I said to the girl, and she did as I said.

"We escaped?" Rose asked, looking around.

"Not yet!" I replied, looking back and seeing the guards leaving the city.

We ran towards the forest around the city and kept running until we were sure that we weren't being followed.

-Forest-

We stood in a small clearing, setting up an improvised camp for the night. I made a stone circle and I put some sticks and dry leaves in the center, now I just needed to light it.

"Miss Rose, allow me." Noir said politely, floating beside me.

It seems that Noir noticed my problem as he approached the bonfire and fired a small magic shot, lighting it. Meanwhile, I took a coat from one of our bags and approached the fire to warm myself.

Looking around our camp, I saw Rubrum beside me, she hadn't done anything else since we escaped, and Alan leaned against a tree, breathing heavily with a hand on his chest.

Will he end like this whenever he uses magic? What if the moment comes when he can't take it anymore? Who will fight in his place? Getting up, I approached Alan while breathing deeply.

"Alan?" I called, stopping in front of him with my hands on my hips. 

"Yes?" He replied, looking up slowly.

"I want you to teach me how to fight!" I exclaimed, leaning towards his face.

Alan jumped back with widened eyes and open mouth.

"Where did that come from?!?" He asked surprised, looking around nervously.

"I'm tired of just watching you almost die every time you use magic!" I answered, pointing directly at his face.

"Rose I don't think…" 

I didn't let him finish.

"Don't talk to me like that, look at yourself. It looks like you're going to faint at any moment, I'm tired of being useless so teach me how to fight!" I demanded, crossing my arms and staring at him angrily.

"HAHAHA! Okay, I promise I'll teach you, but let’s rest for today, we had too many problems in just a few hours!” Alan laughed, covering his face with one hand.

"Do you think so? I didn’t even notice!" I said sarcastically.

"Here, sit by my side." Alan said, ignoring my answer and patting the floor beside him.

I returned to the bonfire and picked up Rubrum before sitting next to Alan with the magic book on my lap, Noir floated to our side right after.

"So the Lords are looking for us, and they've put a high bounty on our heads, I'll be frank with you, if someone manages to capture us, that person won't have to work for the rest of their lives." Alan said, patting my shoulder while smiling from ear to ear.

"Wow, how encouraging." I replied sarcastically while rolling my eyes.

"HAHA! Don't worry I’ve a plan! The original idea was to leave Midgard, to a place where the Lords have no influence. At first, I thought about sailing to Egypt, China, or crossing Midgard until we reached Russia."

"I have no idea what those places are."

"The Land of the Ancients, The Land of the Dragons, and the Land of the Blizzard respectively. Egypt, China, and Russia are what the people of my Land call these places."

"I understand. Why don't we go to your land?" I asked.

"Do you want to deal with people turning into salt statues or monsters?" Alan asked, raising an eyebrow.

I didn't answer and looked away ashamed, it was a stupid question.

"Also, Japan, or the Land of the Rising Sun, call it what you like, is going through the Edo period, the borders are closed to everyone, nobody gets in, nobody gets out. The only way for them to open the borders again is at the gunboat diplomacy."

"Oh! I didn't know."

"Don't worry about that. Back to the original subject, the original idea was to leave Midgard, but due to the size of our rewards, this is almost impossible. People will keep an eye out in case we show up at some port, not to mention the guards that will patrol the place. “Alan said, taking a map out of his backpack.

"So I plan to go to the Land of the Forests, where most of the non-human population of Midgard lives. The Land of the Forests is huge with plenty of places for us to hide, and most of the non-humans that live there are neutral toward humans, except for the Lord of the Land of Forests and his men. They hate the Lord. So what do you say?" Alan asked smiling.

"Well, I’ve nowhere to go. So let's go with your plan." I said smiling back.

"Nice, Cagliamola is in what was once Spain, close to Cathedral City, we are in a forest close to Cagliamola. If we go west we can cross the border between Cathedral City and the Land of the Forests, reaching the region that was once known as Italy." Alan said, dragging his finger across the map while I just nodded.

"Who knows? Maybe when we get to Italy I can show you what's left of Rome, the Coliseum must still be there. And the best part, I might end up meeting beautiful elf girls in the Land of Forests." Alan said with a dreamy look.

"Dream about it, you virgin." I said smiling and slapping his shoulder.

"Why do you have to doubt my dreams?" Alan asked giving me an annoyed look.

"Because they will never come true." I replied smiling.

"You'll see, I'm going to find a beautiful red-haired elf, we're going to live together in a beautiful house in a village full of elves, we're going to have two children, red-haired twins, I'm going to wake up next to my beautiful wife every morning to the sound of my daughters running to our room and calling me daddy."

"Dream about it." I responded again while laughing, only to choke when Alan shoved a loaf of bread into my mouth.

"Eat; you're less annoying when you're eating something." Alan said taking another loaf of bread from one of the bags we brought.

"How much food do we have left?" I asked between bites.

"We won't have to worry about hunting our food for a while." Alan replied, looking inside the bag.

"It’s not that bad, if we have to hunt I'll just let you fight a bear with your bare hands." I shrugged.

"Do you want me to die, by any chance?!?" Alan asked with false anger.

"How did you know it?!?" I sighed surprised.

We stared at each other in silence before laughing.

"HAHAHAHA!"

-Next Day-

SPLASH!

"AAAHHH!" I woke up startled with water running down my face, looking up, I saw Alan with an open leather canteen in his hand.

"Why did you do that?!?" I asked annoyed before getting up quickly.

"I've been calling you for a while, but you haven't woken up." Alan replied in the same tone.

"Why are you wasting our water?" I asked again, taking a piece of cloth from one of the bags and drying up my face.

"Don't worry, there's a river just ahead." Alan said, pointing towards the forest.

"What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"4 a.m." Alan said, looking at a black rectangular object in his hands.

"4 a.m.! Why did you wake me up so early?!? And what is that in your hand?!?"

"If you want to learn to fight we need to start as soon as possible. And that is my cell phone." Alan said, pointing the cell phone at me.

A strong light came out of the object, blinding me. I saw a small painting of myself with wide eyes when my vision came back.

"What is that?" I asked surprised, looking closer at the painting.

"It's a photo, this little device in my hands is a marvel of the technology of my land, it can record moments with photographs, play music, take notes, and communicate with people at a distance."

"So it's magic?" I asked curiously. All of this in that little box.

"Yes, it's magic. Here take it!" Alan said disappointedly, throwing me an apple. 

I quickly caught the apple and ate it.

"When you're done, we'll begin your training."

I nodded between bites.

-Forest-

"Let's start!" I said to Rose standing in front of me.

"What are we going to do first?" Rose asked.

"Punch me with all your strength." I said, approaching Rose with open arms.

"Why do I need to learn to punch? Isn't it just pulling your arm back with a clenched fist and then hitting someone as hard as you can?" Rose asked confused.

"I'll be honest with you Rose; a badly thrown punch is more likely to hurt you than your opponent. I say this from experience." I said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Seriously?"

"Come on, punch me!" I exclaimed, returning to my previous position.

"All right, if you insist." Rose said hesitantly.

Rose closed her fist, pulled her arm back as far as she could, and threw her arm forward. I easily stepped out of the way and tripped her legs, making her fall flat on her face. Rose quickly got up and glared at me.

"Did you understand what I said? Your punch was sloppy; if I were someone trying to hurt you, I would have done it by now. Let me show you how to hit someone properly."

Rose stepped away from me and stared intently at my actions while nodding to my instructions.

"First of all, the power of a punch comes from the lower body." I said, putting my right foot forward and my left foot back. Rose mimicked my movements, but it was still sloppy.

"Now I'm going to teach you how to clench your fist properly. Close your hand tightly, placing your thumb over the other fingers, and resting it over your middle finger. Squeeze your hand tight to avoid getting hurt when you punch, and keep your wrist as straight as possible." I said, doing the aforementioned movements while Rose imitated me.

"If you punch with four fingers over your thumb, you can break a bone in your hand. Ideally, hit the opponent with the knuckle of your middle finger, keep your thumb over your middle finger to protect it, and hold it in place. You got it?"

Rose nodded.

"Tell me, are you left-handed or right-handed?"

"Right-handed."

"Ok!"

"Place your dominant hand, against your chin and lift your free hand. Bend your elbows and lift your right hand, bringing it close to your cheek pointing up. With your elbow close to your ribs, raise your left hand in front of your body at the same height."

Rose repeated my moves, she learns fast.

"Okay, now bend your knees slightly to generate strength and balance. Every punch in the fight must start with a leg movement."

"Now I'm going to show you how to land a punch."

I turned my left foot and left knee inward, lifted my heel in one motion, and turned my left foot and knee toward my imaginary opponent, rotating my hips and chest toward the opponent. 

I stretched out my fist and, swung it inward as I struck and let my left arm follow the movement, hitting the imaginary opponent with the joint of my middle finger.

"Now it's your turn, start!" I said to Rose, stopping in front of her, and raising both hands with open palms.

Moreover, she did just that, the punches were slow and sloppy, but she would learn in time.

"There's something important I need to tell you, nothing is stopping us from fighting dirty. What do I mean by that? We're not heroes and we're not in a martial arts tournament so there's no reason not to cheat. So if you want to get the upper hand in a fight, hit your enemies in their weak spots, kick a man in the balls, punch a person in the throat, stick your fingers in someone's eyes. You got it?"

"Yes!" Rose said with a determined look, puffing out her chest.

"Okay, let's continue!" I replied, returning to the position with open palms.

"Start!" I regretted saying those words, as Rose decided to take my advice seriously and kick me in the balls.

"SON OF A BITCH!" I yelled, bending my knees and grabbing my family jewels in pain.

"HAHAHA!" Rose laughed from the top of her lungs.

"Let's see if you like this!" I placed the index and middle fingers of my left hand in a V position and stuck them in Rose's eyes. 

She stopped laughing and screamed in pain, rolling on the ground with her hands covering her eyes.

"AAAHHH!" Rose screamed.

"HAHAHA!" I laughed tasting my sweet revenge.

-On the Next Day-

"Lord Alan, are you sure about it?" Noir asked me worriedly.

"I don't know, Noir." I replied, shaking my head in doubt.

"Can't we walk around it?" Rose asked, looking to the source of our worries.

We found ourselves in a difficult situation, as we hid among the trees, looking at the city ahead, Fool's Marsh. 

If we crossed the city we would reach the border between Cathedral City and Land of the Forests faster, but we run the risk of being found, if we go around the city and take another route the chance of being found will be lower, but it will take us longer to get to the border.

"Lord Alan, isn't this the town where the men who hired the criminals to capture Miss Rose live?" Noir asked surprised.

Noir you had to open your mouth! You fucking… I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself, and looked at Rose, who stared at me with anger and disbelief.

"Explain it now!" Rose demanded, pointing at the city ahead.

"Well, do you remember when I made up the excuse to the guards that the bandits wanted to take you away?" I asked, measuring my words thanks to the touchy subject.

"Yeah." Rose replied, crossing her arms while stomping the ground.

"It wasn't completely a lie, the brothel bosses hired the tugs to kill me, and take you and the money back." I said hesitantly, worried about Rose's reaction; I didn't want her to think it was her fault.

"They did what?!? And why didn't you tell me anything?!?" Rose demanded, approaching and staring me directly into my eyes with burning anger.

"Rose, we were attacked; you saw a man's severed head, met two magic books, and slit a man's throat, all of this in just one night. You would have liked it if I told you the reason why they were there?"

"No." Rose replied, averting her gaze.

"Just as I thought, we're going to camp here. Tomorrow we'll decide what to do." I answered, picking out things up and walking away with Rose beside me.

Therefore, we went deeper into the forest and set up camp, Rose was quiet all this time and this worried me.

-XXXXXX-

I woke up with a bad feeling, looking around didn't find Rose anywhere, and my baseball bat was missing too. 

I quickly got up and ran toward Noir and Rubrum who slept together next to a tree.

"Noir, Rubrum! Wake up!" I shouted, shaking the books.

"Lord Alan! Are we being attacked?" Noir screamed, floating immediately with Rubrum shining red beside him.

"No, Rose disappeared, I think she went to Fool's Marsh, we need to find her!"

"You can count on this humble servant, Lord Alan!" Noir answered politely, floating beside me. Rubrum's light intensified, it looked like she wanted to help too. 

I quickly packed our things, leaving everything unnecessary behind, and ran towards Fool's Marsh with Noir beside Rubrum and me inside my backpack. Looks like we'll have to cross the city.

-Fool's Marsh-

I ran through the alleys of Fool's Marsh, thinking about what I was about to do. I know it's stupid, but since Alan told me the truth, I couldn't sleep peacefully. On the way, I couldn't help but wonder.

Why? Why did my mother sell me? Why did the bosses go through so much trouble to find me and bring me back? Why can't they leave me alone? Why can't I have a normal life?

Here it is… I stopped in front of the three-story building too big to be a normal brothel. If I remember correctly, the rich frequented it. I walked to the front door and knocked.

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

One of the bosses opened it, specifically the one with the crushed nose. He quickly widened his eyes upon seeing me.

"You!" The boss screamed, raising his fist.

"Yes. Me." I replied emotionlessly.

I immediately swung the metal club that Alan always carried toward the man's balls with all my strength; I heard a wet noise and the boss bent over screaming in pain. 

I didn't stop there, I swung the club again, hitting him on the side of his head, and throwing him to the ground.

I approached him slowly, dragging the club across the floor. I put my foot on his chest and raised the club with both hands, bringing it down on his head with all my strength.

I didn't stop and kept hitting him, blood splashed on my face, but I didn't stop, the club was smeared with blood, but I didn't stop, teeth flew out of the boss's mouth, but I didn't stop.

"Please stop!" The boss screamed amidst all the knocked-out teeth, swollen lips, and blood running from his mouth.

BUT

I

DIDN'T

STOP

I beat him for a long time until the boss stopped moving, I put my ear close to his chest, and I didn't hear his heart beating, great.

I stopped to look at the dead man with his face smashed in. Was this what tormented me for so long? He died so pathetically, killed by a little girl. I’m disappointed.

Looking around for the next boss, I saw a counter full of liquor bottles with a shelf full of bottles behind it right at the entrance of the brothel. 

I saw my reflection in one of the bottles. You know, I never looked at myself in a mirror, I never considered myself beautiful, but most of all, I was ashamed. Ashamed of what would be looking at me on the other side of the mirror.

Well, today for the first time in my life, I saw my reflection and I regretted doing it.

A girl with messy white hair, empty pink eyes, and a bloodstained face stared back at me, pathetic. I also saw the reflection of someone behind me, the boss with the broken jaw.

He grabbed me by the back of my shirt and threw me towards the counter; I hit the shelf right behind it, breaking wood as bottles fell beside me towards the floor.

The boss ran around the counter and came towards me. Looking to the side, I saw that the club was out of my reach, but there was something else I could use as a weapon.

The boss grabbed me by the collar and lifted me to his face, looking at me angrily, and I returned the glare with an emotionless one.

He pulled his fist back, ready to punch me, but before he did that, I took out the broken bottle I hid behind my back and slashed his throat.

The boss let go of me and panicked, trying to cover the cut with his hands, but it wasn't enough, and soon he fell to the ground choking on his blood.

"What's all that noise?!?"

The last boss showed up, the one with a broken leg, he tried to run when he saw me covered in blood and the two dead men, but he couldn't go far due to the crutches he used.

I calmly walked towards him and kicked each of his crutches, making him fall flat on his face. He started to crawl away, but I grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him towards me.

"Wait!" He screamed scared for his life.

I lifted the broken bottle with my right hand and pierced his left eye.

"AAAHHH!" He screamed from the top of his lungs, echoing through the brothel.

I removed the bottle from his left eye and stuck it in his right one.

"AAAHHH!" Once again, he screamed. 

I ignored the screams, and I kept stabbing until he stopped moving, he must have died some time ago, but for some reason, I didn't stop.

"AAAHHH!"

A female scream interrupted me; one of the prostitutes came out of her room, probably to check the source of the noise. Suddenly, the doors of the other rooms opened too.

"What did you do?!?" She asked backing away scared. 

I approached her with the bloodied bottle raised and more people left their rooms. Will I have to kill them too?

"ROSE!" Someone screamed behind me.

It was Alan; he entered the brothel, opening and closing his mouth while looking at me. I couldn't identify the emotion in his eyes. Worry? Rage? Disgust? Happiness? I can't say it.

"Rose? Are you okay?" Alan asked worriedly while approaching me carefully. 

I didn't answer and just approached him. Suddenly, Alan ran past me and hit someone behind me.

Turning around, I saw one of the brothel customers on the ground with a broken nose and a bottle in his hand. Probably to hit me on the head.

Alan then turned to the prostitutes and customers in the hallway and screamed.

"Get out of here now!" Alan demanded, pointing at the exit.

No one moved, probably too scared to react, Alan then approached the counter, raised his fist, and yelled as he hit it.

"I SAID NOW!"

The central part of the counter was smashed and the left and right sides were ripped off the floor. The clients and prostitutes ran past us and out of the brothel with this show of strength.

Alan then picked up one of the bottles that were still whole, uncorked it, and gulped it down, and then he dragged the bodies towards the counter and spilled drinks on it, the bodies, and on the floor of the brothel, keeping the remaining bottles in his backpack.

"Noir, can you come over here for a minute?" Alan said towards the exit of the brothel.

"Yes, Lord Alan." Noir replied, coming through the door.

"Noir, shoot there please." Alan answered, pointing at the counter.

Noir did just that, and soon the drink caught fire; spreading through the bodies and would soon spread to the floor.

"Rose, let's go." Alan said seriously, leaving the building.

I didn't answer and I picked up the metal club along the way, offering it to Alan.

"Keep it; you need it more than I do."

I nodded and the three of us walked out the door, locking it behind us.

We walked away from the brothel and watched through the windows as the fire spread. Alan then turned toward me and gazed at me emotionlessly with part of his face lit by the fire. I returned his gaze with the same tone.

"Do you know what you did today?" Alan asked.

"Yes."

"You regret it?" He asked again.

"No."

We stared at each other in silence.

"Do you want a hug?" Alan asked, opening his arms.

"Yes." I replied, hugging him.

"Please don't do this again." Alan whispered worriedly.

I didn't answer I just hugged him harder.

"MY GOD!"

"FIRE!"

"BRING OUT THE BUCKETS!"

People screamed in the distance.

"We need to get out of here! Noir, Rose let's go!" Alan said running away, and I followed him soon after.

In the end, we crossed the city and only stopped running when the sun rose.

-XXXXXX-

"Here." Alan said offering me one of the liquor bottles he took from the brothel.

"You? Offering me a drink? Weren't you the one who said I couldn't drink until I was older?" I asked, uncorking the bottle and sipping it. Great, it’s cheap booze, my favorite!

"Considering what we did today, drinking alcohol is the least of our problems." Alan replied, opening his bottle and sipping it too.

"Rose, what happened? Why did you do that?" Alan asked after drinking.

"I was tired. I wanted to run away from that hell, until I finally did it, only for them to come after me. I just wished they would leave me alone, so I decided to get over with it." I replied.

"And how do you feel now?"

"I don't know. It's like a weight left my shoulders, but at the same time, I can't believe what I've done. I wondered if I would be able to kill someone, today I found out that I can." I replied, drinking again.

"Me too. I discovered this when I arrived in Midgard."

"Alan? Will this get any easier? Kill, I mean."

"Pray it doesn't. I recommend not thinking too much about it, but remember, you aren’t alone in this." Alan said, pointing at himself, then Noir and Rubrum who rested near a tree.

"Thanks." I answered giving a small smile.

"You're welcome." Alan replied smiling back.

That night we ate and drank until we fell asleep. What I didn't know was the consequences of our actions that day.

-Land of the Seas-

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

"Come in." Caerula replied, putting on makeup in front of a mirror. Caerula saw that it was her butler by the reflection in the mirror.

"Lady Caerula, the criminals have been spotted in the town of Fool's Marsh." The butler said, bowing politely.

"Yes and…" Caerula asked with disinterest.

The butler then gulped before answering. 

"Well Lady Caerula, they set fire to the brothel in Fool's Marsh that was financed by you."

"They did what?!? Increase their bounty, but I want them alive, do you understand?!?" Caerula screamed, turning abruptly towards her butler.

"Yes, Lady Caerula!" The butler said, quickly bowing and leaving the room.

"Those bastards, they destroyed one of my 'Fountains of Youth'!" Caerula complained to herself, looking at her left hand, which aged slowly.

Caerula then rang a bell and a maid entered her room.

DING!

"Yes Lady Caerula?" The maid asked, bowing down.

"Come closer!" Caerula ordered, covering her face with her fan.

The maid did as her Lady said, but unfortunately, she didn't notice the cruel smile that Caerula hid behind her fan.

END OF CHAPTER

Chapter Text

-A few weeks later-

"Get down!" Alan yelled. 

I ducked and a person flew over me, hitting the man I fought, sending the two rolling down the road. 

Getting up and looking around, I saw several men scattered across the ground, bleeding and with broken bones. Were they dead? I don't know. I stopped caring a long time ago.

One of them was getting up, but before he could do that; I ran toward him and raised the baseball bat. According to Alan, this metal club is called a baseball bat. What is baseball anyway?

The man raised his eyes only to see me bringing the bat down on his head, swinging it with all my strength, and sending him to the ground, bleeding and without moving.

Looking to the side, I saw Alan hitting a man's head against a tree near the road, only stopping when the man didn’t move anymore.

"This is the second group of bounty hunters we've encountered so far, if it continues like this I'll have to start using magic." Alan said, leaving the man behind and approaching me with Noir beside him.

"Lord Alan, if you allow me, I’ll finish off everyone who gets in your way." Noir said angrily, quickly floating in front of Alan’s face.

"Thanks, Noir, but we attracted too much attention in Fool's Marsh, if we destroy everything in front of us with magic, the situation will worsen."

"I understand, Lord Alan." Noir replied disappointedly, floating away.

"So, how is Rubrum doing?" Alan asked smiling.

I patted the bag hanging on my shoulder, verifying if Rubrum was still there. She helped me during some fights; let's say blows I couldn't dodge were stopped by a red magic barrier.

"She's fine, a little quiet, but she seems to be happy." I replied, smiling too.

"That's good to hear. Let's continue our journey; we are almost at the border." Alan answered, patting my shoulder and pointing to the path ahead.

-Near the border-

"This is worrisome, extremely worrisome!" Alan said nervously, and rightfully so.

There was a city ahead of us, nothing wrong with that, the problem was what we saw from the city gate. Bodies wrapped in pieces of cloth piled through the streets, placed on carts and buried in communal graves.

People covered in dirt, wearing rags sat on the floor, begging for help either from people or from some God, but no one helped.

A man passing by convulsed, then he vomited on the floor and passed out on top of his vomit. Another man came to his side and put a hand on his neck, he shook his head negatively and called two more men, together they wrapped the corpse in cloths.

A woman came out of an alley, knocking several people down; she was extremely pale, with blood pouring out of her mouth and nose. The woman scratched her body furiously, tearing her dress apart, revealing a body covered in blisters and pustules, each one of them bursting and spilling pus on the floor.

I stepped back, horrified by the sight, and jumped surprised when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Rose let's go." Alan said seriously, pointing to the trees near the city. 

We walked deep into the forest, making sure we didn't catch the disease, and sat down in a clearing, facing each other in an overwhelming silence.

"Lord Alan, Miss Rose, are you all right?" Noir asked worriedly, floating between us and breaking the silence.

"I don't know, Noir. Those people… so many bodies…" Alan replied tiredly, joining both hands in front of his face while looking at the ground.

"I heard about plagues before, but never saw one personally, that was…" I couldn't finish, the words died in my mouth as I averted my gaze.

What should we do? We're so close to the border, but the plague is spreading like wildfire. It's going to be a matter of days before it spreads to the rest of the land.

"What will happen now?" I asked Alan.

"First of all, a large number of deaths, with such a large part of the population dead, wages will rise in response to the shortage of labor. However, worst of all are the persecutions, driven by religious fervor and fanaticism, various groups such as Jews, friars, foreigners, beggars, pilgrims, Muslims, lepers, sodomites, and gypsies will be targets of persecution and found guilty of spreading the plague. Surely many will believe that the plague is a punishment from God." Alan replied.

"But none of these people are guilty, are they?"

"No, but they will still be persecuted as the authorities and the church have no idea how to cure the plague."

"And you know how to?"

"No, but I know how to increase our chances of not getting sick." Alan answered in a happier tone, smiling weakly at me.

"How?" I asked surprised.

"Well, for starters, we should take regular baths and wash our hands, we could also get thick leather gloves, and thick fabric masks, and social distancing also helps. After all, these were some of the measures taken when the plague spread across my Homeland.”

"But that still doesn't solve our problem, how are we going to get to the border?"

"We need to go around the big cities if we want to avoid the plague, travel on less used roads and through forests, but this will delay us a few weeks. It's better than getting sick, isn't it?" Alan said, taking the map out of his backpack and showing me the planned path.

"Yes, I can’t deny it!" I replied, analyzing the map.

"We will stop in a small town on the way, maybe the news of us being wanted didn't reach there and we can ask a seamstress to prepare the clothes necessary to survive this plague."

"I hope it doesn't end up like the last time we went to a seamstress." I said, shuddering when the horrible memories came back.

"Come on, Maria wasn't that bad..." Alan complained.

"Lord Alan! People are approaching!" Noir screamed, quickly opening his pages and turning to the tree line.

SNAP!

I heard the sound of a branch breaking near us followed by footsteps. Several men wearing leather armor and carrying swords came out of the trees and surrounded us. I counted ten in total.

One of them, probably the leader, stepped out of the group and approached us, resting a sword on his shoulder while smiling cockily.

"Look at what we found here! Midgard's most wanted criminals! You know, I expected you two to hide harder since your rewards increased!" The man said arrogantly, throwing two wanted posters toward us.

The wanted posters fell at our feet, Alan and I quickly read their contents, and my bounty increased to 500 gold coins and Alan's to 750.

"Tell me, isn't there a way we can solve this peacefully?" Alan asked politely, approaching the leader of the group with open arms.

"Yes, just surrender!" The man replied, pointing his sword at Alan, making Noir shake furiously.

Alan sighed, turned back, and sat down on a rock, lowering his head with both hands together on his forehead.

"Noir?" Alan asked emotionlessly, without looking at the book.

"Yes, Lord Alan?" Noir replied with barely contained anger.

"Finish them."

"As you wish." Noir answered politely.

Suddenly, two hands came out of Noir and grabbed two men by the legs, repeatedly smashing them against the ground and throwing their broken bodies toward two other men with enough strength for me to hear the bones breaking.

Then, Noir spun in an arc while firing magic projectiles, piercing three more men and filling their bodies with holes. 

Noir created two hands right after, grabbing the two men on the right and left side of the leader of the group, and smashing their heads together in a shower of blood. 

It was a massacre, and now only the leader remained. 

"P-please spare me, I p-promise to l-leave and never come b-back." The leader begged, falling on the ground and dragging himself backward until he hit a tree.

"The last time I let someone go, we became wanted criminals. I won’t repeat the same mistake twice. Noir!" Alan ordered, pointing at the man on the ground.

Without saying a word, Noir created a hand and punched the leader's head, smashing it against the tree, and splitting the tree in two.

Alan then got up and packed our stuff in the camp, meanwhile, Noir absorbed the blood of the dead men.

"Alan, are you okay?" I asked worriedly, grabbing his arm.

"Yes. I'm getting better at using magic, it barely hurts anymore." Alan replied tiredly without looking at me.

"That isn’t what I meant." I answered, letting go of his arm and stopping in front of him.

"I… I don't know… Let's put it this way, I don't like killing, the problem is that it's getting easier. Remember the conversation we had a few weeks ago? About if killing would become easier. Unfortunately, killing is getting easier. I had Noir kill all these men and it doesn't bother me that much anymore." Alan responded, opening and closing his hands repeatedly while looking at me scared.

"I feel the same way, I don't mind anymore when I kill the bounty hunters who chase us." I replied, giving him a comforting hug.

"We need to be careful Rose, who knows when we'll do something we'll regret." Alan whispered, hugging me back.

I thought about what he said, who knows when we'll do it?

-Forests- 

I stood among the trees near a town while waiting for Alan to find a tailor to make what he called 'protective equipment'.

"Noir?" I asked the book out of boredom.

"Yes, Miss Rose?" Noir replied politely, turning towards me.

"Can we talk?"

"Of course we can." Noir answered, waving slightly.

"Tell me Noir, do you still have those dreams?"

"Yes." Noir said in a sadder tone.

"Has anything about them changed?"

Noir went silent for some time before answering.

"Many things, one constant is that there is always a boy, a girl, and me. Things change from there, our ages, the place where we fight, and finally the weapon we use to kill each other, sometimes it's knives, our own hands or…" Noir stopped before saying the last part.

"Or?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Blank grimoires, sometimes we use Grimoires to kill people, only for them to be absorbed by the Grimoire. I’m afraid, Miss Rose, afraid that my purpose isn’t just to protect Lord Alan, but something more sinister." Noir said worried as he shuddered visibly.

"How do you feel about your purpose?"

"At first I thought it was just to protect Lord Alan, but as time went on I started to have my doubts, there must be something else. All I know is that I must serve Lord Alan until the end of something called Project Gestalt. However, what is the Project Gestalt? I was never told what I should do after finding the Original Gestalt, only that I should protect and serve him."

"I’ve no idea what this Project Gestalt is, but I hope you find the truth about your purpose." I replied, giving Noir a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, Miss Rose." Noir answered relieved.

"You are welcome Noir." I said, patting the cover of the book.

"Guys I'm back!" Alan yelled, stepping out of the trees and scaring us a little.

"Well Rose, here's our protective gear." Alan said, approaching and handing me a pair of leather gloves and a fabric mask with straps on the sides.

"Try it." Alan said.

I put on gloves and a mask.

"Rose the mask isn’t a chin guard." Alan said annoyed.

I adjusted the mask.

"Rose, you also have to cover your nose." Alan said sighing disappointedly.

"But I won't be able to breathe!" I exclaimed, removing the mask. Suddenly Alan shivered and placed a hand on his forehead after hearing my answer.

"Please don't let Rose be that kind of person. Rose, we will have a conversation about masks, the importance of vaccines, and the reasons why the Earth isn’t flat."

I didn't understand what he meant by that, but the conversation that followed was quite enlightening. I learned about viruses, vaccines, and pandemics, and for some reason, Alan was determined to hammer in my head that the Earth is round.

-Surroundings of a City-

"We're going to have to do this aren't we?" I asked.

"Yes." Alan replied.

There wasn’t any other option; we needed to cross the city ahead of us. The Lords got tired of waiting for someone to capture us and sent their men after us, trained men using the best equipment possible. Alan feared that a mage was among them.

Going around cities wasn’t an option anymore. The plague spread to even the most isolated places, and the Lords' soldiers patrolled the forests we hid. We needed to cross the border as quickly as possible.

"Noir, get in my backpack." Alan spoke to the floating.

"Yes, Lord Alan." Noir replied, doing what Alan said.

"How is Rubrum?" Alan asked me.

"She's in my bag." I said, patting the bag in question.

"Nice let's go!" Alan replied and together we entered the city gate and walked down the streets, doing our best to avoid the sick.

"Ouch!" I screamed slapping my wrist and seeing a dead mosquito squished on my glove. 

I hope that it doesn’t become a problem.

-Unknown location-

How did it end up like this? I thought as I threw up in a bucket beside my bed, we crossed the town without problems, but I felt sick a few days later, with a cough and fever. Then it worsened, I coughed up blood, had headaches, dizziness and now vomit.

Alan and I found an abandoned cabin inside a forest and stopped our travel; we were so close to crossing the border! Damn it, I'm going to vomit again!

The bucket floated beside me with a red light around it and I threw up inside it.

"Thanks Rubrum!" I said to the red book on a table beside my bed.

"You're welcome." A soft voice came from the book.

"Miss Rose you need to escape!" Noir screamed, suddenly barging into my room, almost ripping the door off its hinges.

"Noir! What happened?" I asked surprised while trying to get up with difficulty.

"There is no time to explain Miss Rose, you..." Noir spoke nervously, but a series of screams interrupted him.

"CATCH HIM!"

"LET'S GO, HE'S ONLY ONE!"

"MY ARM, MY ARM!"

"WAIT! STOP! AAAHHH!"

"They found us, Miss Rose! Take Rubrum and get out of here! If you ever return to this place, Lord Alan buried all the money under the apple tree at the back of the house!" Noir exclaimed before floating away from me.

"Noir wait!"

However, Noir ignored me and quickly left the room.

I got out of my bed, picked up Rubrum, and saw the outside through a window where crushed, punctured, and ripped-apart bodies surrounded Noir and Alan.

Noir created a hand, grabbed a handful of stones, and threw them towards a group of men at great speed, tearing apart the men and the trees behind. However, more men came out of the trees, and more, and more, and more…

Suddenly, Alan turned around, spotting me through the window, and screamed.

"Run!"

A mage left the group of men and cast a spell towards Alan and Noir. Noir fell without moving and Alan fell to his knees where one of the soldiers slammed the pommel of his sword into Alan's head, knocking him out.

I jumped out of the window and ran around the house. I ran, I ran for hours with Rubrum in my arms, I ran until I was out of the trees and I ran until I couldn't take it anymore. 

From that day on, I became a horrible person; people called me the Pink-Eyed Witch. What is the reason behind it? Well, I had a magic book and I became an assassin.

I killed everyone who got in my way, men, women, children, and the elderly, if they had something I wanted I would get it. If I needed money, I would kill a merchant; if I needed food, I would kill the owner of an inn. Hell! I even killed a nun for food; she was pretty, with long blonde hair. 

Rubrum stopped talking to me after that, I don't blame her, and I deserved it. One day I broke into a house while searching for food and killed a family in front of their daughter. Before killing their daughter, she asked me

"Why?"

Good question, why? Then I realized! There was no “why”. At first, I killed because they were after me, then I killed for fear of the person I robbed snitching me to the guards or wanting revenge, in the end, I killed for no reason. 

Killing became easy, I killed because it was the easiest solution, and I killed a whole family to get some food.

They found me eventually. I did my best to kill everyone and hide the evidence, but it's hard to do that when the number of people you killed is in the triple digits. 

The plague also took all my energy, so the knights surrounded me, tied me up, and took me to Cathedral City. I don't know what happened to Rubrum but she must be better off without me.

-Midgard, Year 995, Cathedral City-

Now here I am, tied to a metal pole on a stone platform in the center of Cathedral City! Beautiful accommodations, right? I wonder when they will serve me my... I mean... Our dinner!

What do I mean by ours? Well... there were five girls beside me; they were being punished for committing serious crimes, just like me! 

They were the daughters of noble families who revolted against the Lords. What a bunch of idiots! They were handed over by a traitor before the revolt even started!

Unlike them my torture was much lighter, I was whipped for every person I killed, I didn't feel anything anymore, a mixture of the plague with the wounds on my back, and I also couldn't feel the rain falling on top of me.

I looked at the girl beside me, she had needles stuck in her eyes, burned hands, and rotted feet. I can't say why, but unlike me, this girl had a great sense of justice, after all, she led the revolt.

"So that's my story, from the fateful day on that bridge to the events that brought me here." I said to the girl next to me, I couldn't help but laugh at how sad the situation was.

"Please don't cry." The girl next to me mumbled.

"I'm not crying, I'm laughing!"

The girl went silent for a few seconds.

"Thanks." The girl said weakly with a tinge of happiness in her voice.

"Thanks for what?" I asked confused.

"For chat with me a little bit. So thank you, Rose." The girl smiled. 

"Don't call me Rose, that's not my real name, I was born without one, I’ve no name, I’ve nothing. No money, no home, no family, no… friends... I’ve nothing, nothing at all. All I’ve is a life that is about to end. I ended up as a zero." I laughed again.

"Please don't cry…"

"I already told you I'm laughing." 

However, the girl didn't answer, she stood there with her head low and a sad smile on her face.

"Hey!" I screamed, but there was no reaction, looks like I'm the last one now.

The Lords decided that the last one to survive would be burned alive with the bodies of the other five. 

The first of the group bit her tongue when she heard it, the second died when they were dragged into the square. The third died before the rain and the fourth during the massacre, leaving the girl who just died and me.

Good luck burning me with this weather, maybe they'd try to bury me alive with them instead. 

At least we can all take comfort in the fact that she wasn't the last to leave, it wouldn't have been right if the only girl who showed compassion to others until the end died in the worst possible way.

How I hate this fucking world! 

The rain got heavier causing my hair to cover my face, suddenly; I was brought out of my thoughts by a cacophony of frightened screams.

"RUN!"

"HE WILL KILL US ALL!"

"WHERE ARE THE GUARDS?"

The screams came from a building at the end of the street, if I remember correctly, this was the Magic Institute. 

The institute doors opened and a crowd of mages and researchers came out running for their lives, but stakes came out of the ground and pierced them before they could go too far.

"FORWARD!"

"CALL ALL OUR MEN!"

Several soldiers and knights passed around the platform and ran towards the institute. Looking better, there weren’t only knights, but archers, mages, and cannons too. They all surrounded the institute front. What the hell was happening?

Suddenly, a red light flashed through the windows and a gigantic hand destroyed the front of the institute, sending pieces of wood and stone flying and crushing the people below.

That hand was familiar…

Don't tell me that...

A smile formed on my lips, and I couldn't help but laugh with all my might.

"HAHAHAH!" I laughed! I laughed like there was no tomorrow! Because for me there wouldn't be, but at least I'd die seeing a good show! I laughed even as blood came out of my mouth!

Suddenly another hand came out of the institute, this one through the roof, and then another, and another, and another…

There were five gigantic hands in total, all of which could easily bring down the great towers of Cathedral City!

"HAHAHAH!"

The hands crushed everyone in their path! Someone wasn't going to die without a fight!

However, something in the corner of my eye caught my attention, a flower with pink petals, pink like my eyes. I wanted to touch it, I received a flower once in my life, and I never wished for one, nevertheless, I loved this flower.

"FIRE!"

The cannons fired shot after shot.

"SHOOT THE ARROWS!"

The soldiers screamed in fear.

I didn't know what was happening, but a soldier's upper body landed beside me, however, I didn’t care, all that mattered was the flower.

It was so beautiful... My life may have been wasted, but this wasn't such a terrible thing to see. As its growing petals filled my field of vision, I greeted the flower with a quiet smile.

I heard the footsteps, and between the petals that covered my vision, I saw an angel. 

The angel had rock-gray skin, with his body covered in bright yellow and red lines similar to an intricate tattoo, his arms legs, and hips were black in color, covered in a mass of darkness.

The angel had long black hair that reached down to his back, a pair of glowing yellow eyes, and a pair of wings made of darkness coming out of his back, also covered in lines like the rest of his body.

The angel also carried a large double-bladed ax, the weapon being larger than he is and two books floated beside the angel, a black book, and a red one.

"HAHAHA!" I couldn't stop laughing! I'm hallucinating! The situation was too good to be true, flowers and angels! As if I'm going to heaven after I die!

The angel raised his axe. Looks like I'm right, you are here to take me to hell!

Isn't it true, Alan?

The angel lowered his ax, and all I saw was a white light followed by the sound of an explosion.

END OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter Text

-Midgard, Cathedral City, Year 994-

SPLASH!

I woke up surprised and shivering thanks to the icy water poured on me. I tried to move my hands around my body to try to warm myself, but I couldn’t, something stopped me.

Looking around, I saw that someone chained me to the wall in some kind of dungeon composed of a small square room made of grey stone, a large wooden door with a small opening blocked by bars and a small opening blocked by bars in the wall behind me, lighting the cell.

I tried to use my strength to break the chains, but red symbols glowed on it, making an agonizing pain run through my body as if something electrocuted me.

"AAAHHH!" I screamed, incapable of holding back the pain, and fell on my knees, where between my blurred vision and painful breath, I saw a man staring at me through the opening of the door.

"Lady Caerula, the prisoner is awake." The man spoke.

I heard high heels clicking down the hall while the man opened the cell door and stepped aside, letting a beautiful woman wearing noble clothes accompanied by heavily armed guards enter. 

The woman looked me up and down with a serious and analyzing look, covering part of her face with a fan.

"Leave us!" The woman ordered the guards behind her, without taking her eyes from me. 

Without question, all the men left the cell, leaving me alone with the woman.

"Hello! I hope those brutes treated you well. I'm sorry for their attitude; it's so difficult to find employees with good manners these days." The woman said politely, lowering her fan and smiling as she approached me.

"Don't worry about it, I love being woken up in dungeons by a bucket of cold water." I said sarcastically, waving around the best I could.

"I'm glad to hear it, but it's a strange custom, if I may say." Caerula replied, stopping in front of me.

"Who are you exactly?" I asked squinting my eyes and analyzing her facial features.

"Oh! I didn't introduce myself properly, did I? My name is Caerula, Lord of the Land of the Seas, and the person who placed the bounty on your friend and you." Caerula said too happy for my liking, as she hid a smile with her fan.

My eyes widened at the information and I felt a boiling anger forming inside me. I quickly stepped forward, aiming for Caerula's neck, it would be so easy to break it, but the chains held me back, sending pain coursing through my body again.

"AAAHHH!" I screamed as I fell again.

"Don't bother trying to break out of these chains; they were made to trap magic users like you, a beautiful piece of art made by the mages of Cathedral City. Or you can keep trying; I believe it would be a great source of entertainment." Caerula said, running her hands through the chains.

"What do you want?" I asked, getting up with shaking legs.

"I want many things, the most beautiful dresses, the most valuable jewels, the most impressive mansion, the most powerful army, the most beautiful men and women fulfilling my every desire, but at the moment, I want you." Caerula said, placing her hand on my chin and lifting my face towards hers.

"What?!?"

"HAHAHA! I'll be honest with you, it's hard to find someone competent these days, my men and the other lords became arrogant due to our government. The soldiers became drunkards, perverts, and idiots who abuse their position and harass the commoners with loyalty depending on the amount we pay them, and that causes us problems."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I want you to join me; you possess great magical and physical power, not to mention, of course, the two magical books and you are a competent person with a good head over your shoulders, I can see it in your eyes.”

"Why should I?"

"Think of what we can do together! We can get whatever we want! You can get whatever you want! What do you want, women, men, money, political power, greater magic power? I can give it all to you. All I ask in return is that you swear allegiance to me and become my left-hand man."

"Why can’t I be the right-hand man?" I asked curiously.

"Sorry, but Bartas already occupies that position." Caerula said with false sadness in her voice.

"What if I decline your proposal?"

"Well, modesty aside, I'm the most competent lord in Midgard. Bass, that disgusting pig, would rather stay locked up in his castle building his 'dolls', if something doesn't interest him Bass will completely ignore it. Gray, that pretentious pervert, prefers to spend his time with every woman he sees, and when he's not fornicating with some random whore, Gray wastes his money on parties and fancy clothes. I don't know if you noticed, but he's not very smart."

"It looks like…" Caerula put her index finger in front of my lips, silencing me before I finished.

"SHHH! I'm not finished yet. Finally, we have Shaxor, Gray’s “son” if you know what I mean. The spoiled brat would rather spend his day torturing fairies and elves from the Land of Forests than taking care of his lands, the funniest part is, that he isn’t even Gray's son. I don't blame the poor woman who gave birth to the boy, it doesn't surprise me that Shaxor's mother searched for someone better, but if Gray found out the truth, she would be executed along with her child. So what did she do? She told Gray that Shaxor was his son. In addition to the best part, He believed it, even though the two didn't look alike at all!"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I want to show you that I'm your only chance to get out of here. All the other Lords would let you rot in this cell or torture you for fun. However, I saw untapped potential in you and unlike the other Lords, I’ve plans and I would like you to be a part of it. So what do you say? Will you join me?" Caerula finished her speech and looked at me expectantly.

I'm not stupid, being stubborn and saying I would never join her will worsen my situation, Caerula is my best option to get out of here and find Noir, Rubrum, and Rose.

Although I'm not comfortable with the kind of people I'll have to serve, it's still better than staying locked up here.

"Before I give my answer, could you answer some of my questions?"

"Hm… All right, ask."

"Where are the magic books and the girl who accompanied me?"

"The books are kept in a safe here at the Institute, while the girl is locked in a cell in the Cathedral City prison. If you join me, I promise to return the books and set the girl free."

"Okay, so I…"

"Lady Caerula!"

Suddenly, a guard knocking on the cell door, calling out for Caerula interrupted us.

"What's it? Can't you see I'm busy?" Caerula replied menacingly, turning to the guard and making him wince.

The soldier gulped and continued. 

"The other Lords just arrived in Cathedral City, and they wish to see you."

"Let them know I'm on my way." Caerula sighed, fanning herself.

"Yes, Lady Caerula." The guard said before running away.

"We'll continue our conversation later. Don't go anywhere." Caerula said playfully, blowing me a kiss and leaving the cell soon after. 

Hump! As if, I’ve anywhere to go.

-In a laboratory at the Institute-

I opened my "eyes" and looked around, seeing some kind of laboratory composed of a big square room with shelves full of books, potions, vials with strange liquids, and glass containers with organs inside them.

I was on a wooden and metal table with various papers full of notes and several tools beside me. It doesn't matter! I need to find Lord Alan! When I find him, we'll go after Miss Rose and Rubrum.

I tried to "get up", but I couldn't. This is weird, I tried to use my magic, but I couldn't either. What's happening? 

Suddenly, a large metal door on the other side of the room opened, and a group of men entered, five in total.

They wore a white metallic mask, a large brown shirt that reached down to their knees but split in half at the hip area, a long white coat with a black turtleneck over the shirt, red pants, brown boots, and gloves.

"Who are you?" I asked, analyzing each one of them.

"It can speak!" One of the men screamed in surprise.

"It’s a unique specimen!" Another exclaimed, raising his finger in the air.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves! We are the mages of Cathedral City; we are at the service of the Lords to study you, and for this, The Lords made available all the resources of the Institute of Magic." A third man said, bowing down politely.

"We were also told to use any means necessary." A fourth one completed, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"But seeing that you are capable of speech and rational thought, why don't you just tell us what we want to know?" A fifth asked, leaning on the table.

"And what would you like to know?" I asked.

"We want to know everything! What is the source of your power? How do you work? How do you use your magic? Think of the progress we could make with your help! The magic we could discover! The weapons we could create!"

"I refuse to collaborate with your insane goals!" These men are crazy! 

"Poor book, we will get what we want one way or another. And it's no use trying to use your magic, we took precautions against it." One of the mages said, pointing at something on the table.

Looking better, I saw that I was inside a circle drawn on the table with bright and strange symbols. Therefore, that was what kept me from using magic.

"Let's start?" One of the mages asked, approaching me.

"You won't be able to take anything from me!" I screamed in defiance.

"That's what we'll see." The mage replied, his hand glowing red with magic.

-Alan's cell-

Where is Caerula? It has been a long time since we last saw each other, so far, I've only been chained in this cell, eating moldy bread and drinking dirty water. Well, time to go right back to what I was doing, counting numbers in my mind.

"Nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-seven, nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-eight, nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine, a thousand…”

BOOM!

Suddenly, an explosion shook the entire building. What was happening?

"ALL MEN, ATTACK!"  A voice screamed outside my cell.

I glimpsed two groups of people fighting through the small window in my cell, one of them being guards and the other unknown to me.

The chains were long enough that I could hold the bars and see the street outside but the cell was underground, so I saw what was far away and the feet of people nearby.

A massacre happened in the streets with the guards killing people from all sides, it was extremely one-sided. 

While the guards were well-equipped and organized, the unknown group used everything they had in their hands, shovels, pickaxes, and pitchforks, but the guards spared no one.

Suddenly a man dropped dead directly in front of my cell window, making me fall back in fright, and for a moment, I saw the look of fear and despair on his dead face.

I sat just below the window and thought. Would I have to be a part of it if I joined Caerula? Kill people who weren't even able to fight? I don't want to be a part of it!

However, no matter how hard I focused on my thoughts, I couldn't ignore the screams; this continued throughout the day, and Cathedral City was silent when dusk settled.

-XXXXXX-

I woke up to the sound of screams coming from the street, again. I leaned on the bars and looked around, searching for the source of the screams, and what I saw made me sick.

The guards dragged a group of girls through the streets towards a platform, one of the girls fell to the ground, bleeding from the mouth, another tried to run but the guards beat her until she stopped moving, the remaining two were tied to poles on the platform.

Moreover, hours of torture followed next, the screams of the girls echoed through the city, while a group of people watched in fear, shame, pity, and disgust.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the hall and the cell door opened letting Caerula in.

"Hello, it's been a while." Caerula said, waving at me.

"But it wasn’t enough." I replied angrily.

"Why the cold attitude, I thought we were getting along?" Caerula smiled with false sadness.

"Could you tell me what happened a few days ago? What was the fight that happened in the city?"

"That one, that was a revolt, at least it would be one. We crushed the revolt before it happened thanks to a traitor within the group, the rebels tried to take over the Institute in an act of desperation, but the mages made short work of them. However, that's in the past. Have you thought about my proposal?"

"What about the girls being tortured? Who are they and why are they there?"

"Why the sudden interest in…"

"Please answer my question."

"Noble families organized the revolt; these girls are the daughters of each family that revolted, they now serve as an example of what will happen to those who go against us."

"I see… I decline your proposal."

"What?"

"I decline your proposal."

"Could you repeat? I don't think I heard it right." Caerula said, approaching me.

"I said… AAAHHH!" I couldn't finish as Caerula punched me in the stomach with an absurd strength, making blood and spite fly out of my mouth toward the floor.

"You bastard, I tried to be nice! However, you spat at my generosity! What do you think you will get out of this? I'm your best chance to get out of here! So why do you refuse to join me?"

"Because… I don't want to… go down to your level." I replied, trying to catch my breath.

Caerula gave me a murderous look and without saying anything; she raised her hand and punched me in the face.

CRACK!

"AAAHHH!" My nose just broke.

Another punch came right after.

CRACK!

"AAAHHH!" I think I lost some teeth.

Caerula raised her fist once more, but the punch never came, Caerula took a deep breath and slowly lowered her shaking fist.

"If you want to do it the hard way then so be it, after all, you still haven't lost your usefulness. That book of yours hasn't collaborated with us, and the mages are getting frustrated, so I want you to tell me how you got the book and how to use it. "

"I will never say it!" I screamed, spitting blood and some teeth on the ground.

"That's what we're going to see." Caerula left the room and returned a few minutes later with a man beside her.

The man wore a black hood and a long gray shirt with a brown leather apron over it; he also wore gloves, boots, and a belt full of tools.

"I want him to talk." Caerula said to the man while pointing at me with her fan.

"Is there any limit?" The man asked with disturbing happiness in his voice.

"As long as he's still alive and can talk, then no, there’s no limit." Caerula replied.

"As you wish." The man answered, bowing down.

Caerula then left the room and I heard her talking to one of the guards.

"This prisoner will not receive food or water until further notice!"

"Yes, Lady Caerula!"

"And don't enter the cell, no matter how much the prisoner screams!"

"Yes, Lady Caerula!"

Then the sound of footsteps faded down the hall.

"You and I will become best friends." The man said with sadistic happiness while rubbing both hands together.

The man approached me as he took a pair of pliers from his belt. I tried to fight back, but the chains electrocuted me again.

"AAAHHH!"

"Please save your screams for when I start." The man said, putting the pliers on my right index fingernail and pulling it.

"AAAHHH!" All I could do was scream as I tried to endure the pain.

-Midgard, Cathedral City, Year 995-

“How long have I been here?” I said to myself as I leaned against the wall of my cell, I didn't have the strength to stand. 

On the bright side, today was one of the days I didn't have to spend time with my "best friend" so to speak.

The moonlight shone through the window of my cell, the cold wind made me shiver, and they didn’t give me anything to warm myself, not even a rag. Amid the cold, I thought about my situation.

He pulled out my nails, broke some of my fingers, and ripped some of my teeth; I was also whipped, burned by hot irons, and pierced by metal thorns. When he didn’t torture me, he left me starving and thirsty, feeding me just enough to not die.

It was hell! I looked awful! I was covered in wounds and scars, and I'm sure I have a few broken bones besides my fingers. There was also a particularly large scar on my left wrist. 

A mage came to my cell one day, wanting my blood for some reason.

The mages came in search of another source of magic since Noir didn't cooperate with their experiments. The magic in my body, the MASO, that's what the mages want, they hope to get it with my blood.

A particularly cold wind made me shiver profusely, snapping me out of my thoughts, I quickly rubbed myself, trying to warm myself as my teeth chattered. It's no use thinking about it now let's try to sleep tonight.

-XXXXXX-

I woke up thanks to the noises coming from the street once again; I dragged myself to the window with difficulty and looked around, what I saw left me devastated. Rose is being whipped furiously while tied to a pole on the platform.

I tried to rip the bars off but it was useless, the damn chains electrocuted me again. All I could do was lie on the floor while covering my ears, trying to ignore the sound of the whip.

-XXXXXX-

The cell door opened, and Caerula entered accompanied by someone. 

A tall man, approximately forty years old, with blond hair and fair skin, he wore a black cloak with pieces of armor on his chest and shoulder, his most notable feature was his left metal arm.

"Hello! How is your stay here in Cathedral City?" Caerula asked, smiling playfully.

"Room service is horrible, I ordered a sandwich two hours ago and it still hasn't arrived, the maid didn't clean my room and the shower ran out of hot water. Where's the manager? I would like to talk with him." I replied in the same tone.

Caerula didn't like my joke; she kicked me in the side of the head.

"Still resisting, I'm seriously considering killing you, the mages seem to have gotten what they wanted with your blood, so you and your books will soon lose your usefulness. I wonder how I should kill you. Burnt alive, stoned or let you starve to death?"

"What do you think about the guillotine?" I asked as the world spun around me.

"What is it?" Caerula asked curiously.

"Forget it; I'd have to give you a history lesson for you to understand." I replied smiling.

"Let's see how long you go on like this. Come with me Bartas!" Caerula ordered the man.

Therefore, this is Bartas, Caerula's right-hand man. He was silent during the entire conversation and just stared at me intently.

"Bartas!" Caerula screamed, but Bartas ignored her and approached me.

"Are you strong?" Bartas asked, leaning down and staring me in the eyes.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Are you strong?" Bartas asked again.

"I believe so; I’m not at my best. I’m hungry, thirsty, injured, and tired, these chains weaken me, and I’m without my magical books. So you don't have to worry about me leaving." I replied sarcastically, waving at all my wounds.

Bartas stared at me for a few more seconds, looked at the chains, and then turned around and followed Caerula out of the cell.

What a strange man. What does he want?

-XXXXXX-

It had been a few hours since Caerula and Bartas left, and the moonlight shone through my cell window, showing the arrival of dusk. Suddenly, my cell opened and Bartas entered, staring at me with the same intently as before.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Bartas asked me.

"What?"

"Do you want to get out of here?" Bartas asked again.

"HAHAHA! Of course, I want to! I also want a lot of gold, a mountain of food and drinks, and the most beautiful woman to serve me! But as you can see, I'm not getting any of that anytime soon!" I laughed desperately, shaking the chain that tormented me.

"I can get you out of here." Bartas said emotionlessly.

"HAHAHA! What's the catch? Did Caerula send you to speak to me? Give me false hope?"

"There's no catch, I'm here of my own free will."

"Seriously? So let's suppose that what you say is true. What do you get with it?"

"Fun." Bartas replied seriously, but I saw the corner of his lips raising a little.

"What kind of fun?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A fight."

"A fight?"

"Yes, a fight, I help you escape, in exchange I want you to fight me the next time we meet, a fight to the death." Bartas said, his smile widening a little.

"Know what? Fuck this shit! I accept it! Better to die fighting than die rotting here." I replied, offering a handshake.

"Good." Bartas said, ignoring my handshake and leaving my cell.

"Where are you going? Weren't you going to set me free?" I asked.

"And I’ll." Bartas said, disappearing down the hall.

Will he keep his end of the bargain? All I have left now is to wait.

-Laboratory-

"AAAHHH!" I screamed in pain as one of the mages tried to open me and read my pages. 

They tried to discover my contents, but I held them back with all my might, the mages tried everything from spells to tools, but I held my ground with Rubrum doing the same inside a magic circle beside me.

One day the mages came with Rubrum in their hands and since then, they experimented with us. 

I need to find a way to get us out of here! However, I couldn't; this magic circle cancels all our powers. I couldn't help but worry, where are Lord Alan and Miss Rose? Are they safe?

"AAAHHH!" Another wave of pain interrupted me; the mages kept trying to open me with their spells.

"Hm… I think that's enough for today, tomorrow we will continue our experiments." One of the mages said before withdrawing from the room with his group.

I wonder how long I can go on… 

“Hummm, hummm.”  A female voice sang, relieving my pain.

"Thank you Rubrum." 

Rubrum didn't respond and just sang.

Minutes passed with us enjoying the song before we heard footsteps coming towards the room, a man with a metal arm opened the big metal doors and entered the lab, moving towards us.

The man then brought his metal arm closer to the magic circle and pressed his thumb against it, cracking the circle and breaking the spell; the man did the same with Rubrum and left the room.

I felt it, and my magic slowly returned! I could tell that Rubrum felt the same, but it was taking too long, we needed to speed up the process! We need more power! 

I failed Lord Alan once because I was too weak; one spell knocked me down! I won't repeat that mistake ever again! We need more power! I need more power!

We are in the Institute of Magic, aren’t we? This place must be full of magic items. I'll take this magic for myself!

"Rubrum, do the same as me!"

"Yes!"  Rubrum replied.

I "closed" my eyes and concentrated. I felt it in various rooms of the institute, on this same floor, above and below, rooms and more rooms full of magic items. I want that power! I need that power! Therefore, with effort, I absorbed the institute's magic.

-XXXXXX-

Something strange happened inside the Institute of Magic; all magic objects lost their power. Magic weapons rusted, magic books crumbled, potions turned into a disgusting black slime, organs of magical beings that retained their power even after their owner's death rotted and mages died of weakness. 

All the magic of the institute was being absorbed into a single place, including the magic of a certain pair of chains.

-Alan's cell-

I felt something different as if I was a little stronger, it must be my impression, and Bartas probably abandoned me here. The cell door opened, snapping me out of my thoughts and my "best friend" came in.

"Hello, my friend! Unfortunately, I’ve bad news! It seems our time together has ended. Lady Caerula got tired of waiting, so she ordered me to execute you. But don't worry, I’ll keep all the good times we spent together in my memory, if it's any consolation, you lasted longer than the others." The hooded man said, approaching me with a dagger.

Well, it’s over, this is the end; I couldn't help but think about everything that happened to lead me to the current situation. Meet Nier and Yonah, wake up in Midgard, and meet Noir, Rubrum, and Rose.

Rose… Thinking about her makes me sad, I hope her suffering ends soon, maybe when we die we will find ourselves on the other side, or in whatever awaits us after death.

Death, I never thought about it, to die in Shinjuku was always a possibility, whether from hunger, thirst, illness, or getting into a fight with other survivors, I didn't worry about it, after all, who would care if I died?

I had no friends or family, maybe I'd be stabbed to death in an alley or starved to death in my apartment, just another corpse in that damn city.

That thought changed when I met my new family. I cared, there would be someone to miss me if I died, and now I’ll never see them again. Know what, it was good while it lasted.

Suddenly, the entire institute shook the moment the hooded man tried to cut my throat, he fell to the ground and I stumbled forward, snapping the chain that held my right wrist.

I widened my eyes while opening and closing my right hand. I pulled my left wrist forward, snapping the chain too, and giving a strong pull with my legs, I broke the chains that held me by the shins and I ripped the metal cuffs on my wrists and shins right after.

"What was that?" The hooded man said as he stood up, but stepped back frightened upon seeing me free.

"Wait!" He screamed, extending both hands.

However, I didn't let him finish. I raised my right fist and punched his face, exploding his head in a shower of blood with pieces of eyes, brains, and bones flying across the cell.

I opened and closed my right hand surprised, something changed, I was strong, but not to the point of blowing someone's head off. Let me try something, I approached the cell door, lifted my left leg, and kicked it.

The door flew off its hinges with my footprint on it and hit a guard on the other side, smashing him against the wall in the hallway, and cracking the stone.

I winced in pain and looking at my hand, I saw something that worried me. It was as if my skin cracked; the tip of my right index finger fell to the ground, disappearing in red particles.

There was a black-colored finger where the skin used to be as if I dipped my finger inside an oilcan and red ran from my hands up to my biceps.

Leaving that aside and stepping forward, I felt something falling to the ground, it was a piece of my foot. There was the same black color where the skin used to be with red lines going from my foot up to my hip.

"What is that?!?" Someone screamed.

Looking to the side, I saw a group of five guards coming towards me. I quickly ran in the opposite direction.

"Stop!" The guards yelled.

I ran through the stone corridors of the Institute of Magic, dodging groups of guards, turning corners, and entering corridors, until I saw a set of stairs leading up. Going up the stairs, I came face to face with a group of guards going down.

The guards looked at me surprised, but before they could draw their weapons, I grabbed the first guard by the head and smashed it against the wall in an explosion of blood.

The guards behind him jumped back frightened with their faces covered in blood, I quickly grabbed the closest guard by his armor, sinking my fingers into the metal.

"AAAHHH!" The guard screamed in pain. 

I saw blood coming out of the place where my fingers sank; it seemed I pierced the flesh. Shrugging, I lifted the guard over my head and threw him down the stairs towards the group of guards below.

Therefore, I went up, killing all the guards I found in the way until I entered a corridor with a door at the end.

I ran towards the door and punched it with all my strength, sending it flying and kicking up a dust cloud upon hitting the wall on the other side.

I saw a line of blood and crushed bodies when the dust settled, all of the guards wearing armor, carrying swords and shields. 

What was going on? I just escaped, how did the guards get here so fast? Unless they're not after me. They probably came after what made the institute shake.

Suddenly, the institute shook once more; the chandelier hanging on the ceiling fell in the hallway, followed by more tremors and screams.

"What is this?"

"Somebody stop that book!"

"Where are the mages?"

Noir, Rubrum! I ran towards the screams, ignoring the guards on my way, and crossed hallways decorated like a mansion, with golden chandeliers, red wallpaper, and stained glass windows.

"Call more men!"

"Raise your shields!"

I turned left, heading towards the screams, but received a strong blow to my face after entering another hallway. I grabbed my face in pain and saw something falling to the floor after taking my hands away, it was the skin of my nose. 

Looking forward I saw the source of the blow, a guard wearing heavy armor and carrying a spear and shield.

The guard tried to pierce my heart but dodged to the left, grabbing the spear and pulling it toward me; making the guard lose his balance and fall forward. 

I raised my left fist and punched his head as he fell, his helmet sank into his skull, making blood pour out of the helmet, nose, and eyes, and then the guard dropped dead to the ground.

I left the body and ran away, knocking down a pair of double wooden doors in my way and entering a large square room decorated with marble pillars and a large golden chandelier.

A set of large wooden doors on the other side of the room, probably the exit, opened and guards carrying swords, shields, spears, halberds, and bows entered and ran toward me.

Looking around, I saw doors to my right and left, but I doubt I'll get to them before the guards reach me. Well, I just needed to fight, but I don’t know if I'll make it, the guards outnumber me.

"So who will be the first?" I asked, assuming a fighting stance.

One of the guards stepped forward, but the institute shook again before we fought. Dust fell from above and looking up, I saw the ceiling cracking. 

The institute shook again, suddenly, a large black and red hand destroyed the ceiling and smashed several guards right below. 

I jumped back, avoiding the falling debris and the double-bladed great ax that fell at my feet with one of its blades stuck in the ground. 

Raising a curious eyebrow at the weapon, I gripped the ax handle with both hands, lifting it. Despite being bigger than I am, the ax felt light as a feather in my hands.

"Lord Alan! Are you okay?"

I couldn't help but smile when I heard a familiar voice coming from the hole in the ceiling. I waited a few seconds and saw Noir and Rubrum floating in front of me as the dust settled.

"Noir! Rubrum!" I screamed as I ran towards them.

"Lord Alan!" Noir and Rubrum replied, circling me.

"Are you okay? What did they do to you? When I find these worms, I’ll…" Noir exclaimed, but I interrupted him, hugging both books.

"I'm fine Noir! I'm fine!" I said smiling.

"Lord Alan I…" Noir mumbled surprised.

Sadly, the floor in the center of the room cracked and gave away, interrupting our moment. 

A gigantic skeletal hand came out of the hole, followed by another; both hands grabbed the edges of the hole and a giant body came out of it. 

I gripped the handle of the ax tightly, my eyes widened, and my mouth dropped at what I saw.

Then the thing in front of me roared.

"RROOOAAARRR!"

-A few minutes ago-

Rubrum and I absorbed the institute's magic. Suddenly, the lab’s door opened and the group of mages entered.

"What are you doing?" One of the mages demanded, casting a spell.

Rubrum cast a magic orb aimed at his head, creating an explosion as it hit the mage; his body fell to the ground without his upper half, spilling blood and organs on the floor.

"How is that possible?" Another mage asked, stepping back frightened.

I didn't answer and cast Dark Spear toward his heart; the magic projectile pierced his chest and stuck his body in the wall. Now there were three left. 

Rubrum enveloped one of the mages in a magic bubble and shrunk the bubble's size, crushing the mage, a ball of flesh fell to the ground when Rubrum finished. Two left. 

I made a stake come out of the ground, impaling one of the remaining mages, but the last one ran away screaming while I used my new spell.

"PREPARE WEAPON NUMBER 16!"

Weapon number 16, what is that? It doesn't matter, I floated with Rubrum beside me and together we moved toward the exit.

"Rubrum, we need to find Lord Alan and Miss Rose!"

Rubrum nodded vigorously.

I created a Dark Hand and punched the door of the laboratory, crushing the metal and sending it away, crushing everything in its path.

"FIRE THE ARROWS!"

A volley of arrows shot toward us, Rubrum quickly floated in front of me and created a red barrier, blocking the arrows. 

I cast Dark Execution while Rubrum protected us; making stakes come out of the ground, piercing all the archers in our way.

"Rubrum let's go!"

Rubrum nodded, and we floated down the halls of the institute. A group of guards came out from the end of the hall; I cast a Dark Hand and punched the group, sending them flying away.

Rubrum and I moved forward, descending a set of stairs and finding more guards on the floor below.

"STOP!" One of the guards yelled, raising his sword as they ran towards us. 

Rubrum created a magic barrier, blocking the guard's blow and breaking his sword into several pieces, and fired a magic orb at the guard's chest right after, the explosion throwing the guard across the hallway.

However, the rest of the group snapped out of their surprise and advanced after Rubrum’s exhibition. 

I cast another spell, Dark Whirlwind, magic sigils appeared around me and spikes came out of them, and then the circles rotated at great speed, turning it into a saw. Therefore, I advanced towards the guards. 

They realized the danger of the situation and tried to turn around, but they weren't fast enough and were shredded by my spell, blood and guts stained the windows and walls as the spikes drew a straight line across the walls.

Rubrum and I entered a room when my spell ended. The room looked like a museum, armor decorated the walls, wooden stands with artifacts lined the room, and paintings depicting historical scenes hung on the walls.

There was a great ax inside a large glass box in the center of the room; made of black metal with golden ornaments on its handle, representing soldiers marching. The soldiers marched towards the blade of the ax, adorned with dragon designs on both sides.

A red color "dripped" towards the ax handle through the edge of the ax blades, giving the impression of blood stains, and the adornment of a flower blooming with a metal spike coming out of it stood at the end of the ax handle, between the two blades.

There was something written on the handle of the ax.

“Charlemagne Vincens Victoriam, Victoria certa sit iis qui ultimi imperatoris securim feriunt.”

I would like to explore the room, but I didn't get the chance due to the large number of soldiers entering through all the doors inside the room.

"Rubrum get ready!"

"Yes!"  Rubrum replied.

I cast a big Dark Hand, raising it until it hit the ceiling, and then lowering it toward the floor, destroying the ground beneath us and only stopping on the floor below. 

The soldiers retreated to avoid falling into the hole, while objects around the room fell, including the ax.

Rubrum and I went down the hole and what we saw filled us with joy. It was Lord Alan! However, he changed, his skin "cracked" with red and yellow lines covering his body and a dark mass appearing beneath the cracks.

"Lord Alan! Are you okay?"

-Present-

How did the situation get so bad? I was scared and I couldn't deny it! I wasn't sure I could fight the thing in front of me.

A giant skeleton, about five meters tall, stood in front of us. Its feet, legs, hips, torso, arms, and hands were shaped like a human skeleton, but the most disturbing part was its head, a gigantic sphere disproportional to the body with a permanent smile stretching from ear to ear, and two round eyes glowing red above it.

"Behold the fruit of our experiments!" A man wearing a metal mask screamed on top of the monster's shoulder.

"What is this thing?!?” I demanded, raising my ax.

"Hm… You must be Alan. I would like to thank you, thanks to your books and you; we developed the most powerful weapon!" The man screamed madly while raising both arms.

"So you mean… My blood!"

"Yes, your blood! Thanks to the magic in your blood, we created the ultimate weapon, but due to your group going around killing everyone at the institute, I’ll have to kill you all, unfortunately! Weapon 16, finish them off!" The man ordered, pointing at us with his left hand shining red with magic.

The creature shook intently, the red light in its eyes intensified and the thing let out a deafening roar.

"RROOOAAARRR!"

Then the creature ran towards us at an absurd speed, each step of its hunched form cracking the ground and creating a small earthquake. Something that big shouldn’t move that fast!

"Noir, shoot the mage!"

"Yes, Lord Alan!"

Noir fired magic projectiles toward the mage on the monster's shoulder but a magic barrier blocked the shots.

"Is that all? If that's the extent of the power of your books then I shouldn't have wasted so much time trying to open them!" The mage bragged.

The monster then closed the distance, raised its left hand, and tried to crush us at blinding speed. The monster's hand blurred and I barely had time to jump away before the blow hit the ground, creating a large hole followed by a shock wave that threw us away.

I screamed in pain as I hit the ground repeatedly, I stuck the ax blade into the ground, stopping my advance, and stood up alongside Noir and Rubrum. Together we faced the monster that advanced with thunderous steps.

"Rubrum shot that thing in the head! Noir, we need something stronger to take down the mage!"

Noir and Rubrum nodded before acting, Rubrum fired red orbs at the monster's head, creating a series of explosions and stopping its advance, making the monster roar in pain as it tried to protect its face with its hands. 

Noir opened his pages and accumulated magic in them. With a magic burst, Noir fired five large magic projectiles toward the mage.

Due to Rubrum's attack, the monster stepped back in pain, causing Noir's attack to miss the mage. However, the projectiles turned around midflight and hit the mage, the magic barrier blocked the attack but cracks formed in it.

"How?!? Number 16, kill them!" The mage screamed as his hand shined red again.

Number 16 screamed in pain as bolts of magic electrocuted its body, and then the monster opened its mouth and jumped toward me. 

I rolled to the right, avoiding the bite, and Number 16's head sank into the ground as the monster opened a large hole in the floor with its bite. 

I cut Number 16 with my ax, taking advantage of its head being close to the ground, and struck two l blows forming an X on the left side of its head.

However, before I struck a third blow, I felt a searing pain in my chest, as if something burned me and fell on my back with the strength of the attack. 

Lifting my head, I saw the mage staring at me with fury in his eyes and an outstretched shining hand.

"I’ll have to interfere, unfortunately." The mage spoke seriously before casting spell after spell toward me. I ran across the room dodging fireballs, lightning, ice spears, and more.

"Noir! Rubrum! Don't stop shooting!" I screamed between my dodges.

Noir and Rubrum nodded and kept their attack, damaging Number 16 and cracking the barrier even more.

Number 16 then stood up, taking his head off the ground, and looked around, focusing on Noir and Rubrum. The monster raised its right fist and tried to smash Rubrum, but the book quickly floated out of the way while firing orbs at the monster's head.

Suddenly, Number 16 jumped, hitting the ceiling with its head, and created red shock waves that spread across the room upon falling on the floor. 

This looked like the attack of a video game boss, so I jumped over the first wave, and stepping back, jumped over the second and third.

Number 16 lay on the floor, probably confused with the hit on his head, and with its rib cage exposed to me, so I ran toward the monster and pierced the center of its ribcage with the spike at the tip of my ax.

"RROOOAAARRR!"  Number 16 roared, struggling on the floor while I sunk the spike deeper into its body.

"Number 16 what are you doing?!? You are the ultimate weapon, start acting like one!" The mage's hand glowed again and Number 16 screamed.

Number 16 opened its mouth and spat a flurry of red magic orbs towards me; they moved at great speed, like a wall of red blurs, and due to my proximity to Number 16, there would be no time for me to dodge.

"Lord Alan!" I heard Noir scream.

Noir quickly put himself between the attack and me while its pages opened and four barriers formed around us. The barriers absorbed the approaching magic orbs and created four magic circles that spun around us like a top, forming a gigantic magic orb

"Noir shoot the mage!"

"As you wish!"

Noir turned toward the mage and fired the gigantic orb, I saw the mage’s eyes widen behind his mask as the orb approached the barrier, then…

BOOM!

"AAAHHH!" The mage screamed as he flew across the room, hitting the ground repeatedly, and rolling for a few seconds before stopping upon hitting a wall.

"Noir go help Rubrum! I’ll deal with the mage!" I ordered as I approached the mage.

"I understood Lord Alan." Noir replied, and then floated to Rubrum's side, and together they fought Number 16.

Well, time to do my part.

"You…you…you are going to pay for this! I’ll not allow myself to be killed, not when I have the ultimate weapon ready!" The mage exclaimed furiously between gasps, getting up and taking two metal rings from his back.

The rings glowed red before he threw them towards me. I ducked, dodging the rings, and ran toward the mage with my ax raised, strangely, the mage didn't try to fight back; he just stood there with both hands outstretched.

Suddenly, my instincts screamed for me to get out of there, I felt something approaching quickly behind me. I jumped to the left, barely dodging the two rings that passed by me, leaving cuts on my right arm and hip.

The skin on my arm and hip fell, revealing the same black color. What was happening to me?

The mage then did an acrobatic jump grabbed both rings midflight, and then made another tricky leap before throwing both rings at me again.

I think I saw this movie before.

I jumped to the right, dodging one of the rings, and ducked, dodging the second, the mage outstretched his hands again and the rings returned, I stopped my attack once more to dodge it.

This won't get me anywhere; I need to change my strategy. Once again, the mage jumped and threw his rings.

I saw the rings approaching thanks to my heightened senses, they were fast, but they didn't compare to Number 16's attacks, so I raised my ax and swung it like a bat, throwing the rings away.

The mage called the rings back and threw them towards me, and again, I deflected them with my ax, the process repeated itself several times, but slowly, one step at a time, I closed the distance to the mage.

I swung my ax towards his neck but the mage quickly ducked down and tried to trip me, I jumped over his leg, dodging his attack and I brought the ax down towards his head while falling, unfortunately, the mage rolled to the right, dodging the blow.

I jumped back dodging the ring aimed at my neck and ran towards the mage before he threw the second.

I tried to cut his stomach, but the mage stepped back, narrowly avoiding my attack, and advanced right after, trying to cut my head open with one of the rings.

I raised my ax, blocking the ring with its handle and making the blow bounce off, throwing the mage’s arm back. Taking my chance, I kicked the wizard in the chest making him fly away.

"AAAHHH!" The mage screamed in pain as he slid across the floor with blood oozing out of his mask.

"I’ll not be defeated that easily!" The mage outstretched his hands again. 

I threw myself on the ground, knowing what would happen, and let the ring pass over me again.

I ran toward the mage soon after and he returned the gesture with a ring in each hand, then we closed the distance between each other and exchanged blows. 

The mage tried to cut my eyes with his left ring; I quickly leaned back, barely dodging the attack and receiving a cut above my nose. 

Recovering my balance and spinning around, I swung the ax diagonally from bottom to top, trying to cut the mage in two, but the mage jumped back, dodging the blow. 

Taking advantage of the moment, I stepped forward and lowered the ax toward the mage's head, and again he jumped back, dodging my attack and throwing his rings.

This is getting annoying, time to end this fight! I raised my ax and slammed it against the ground with all my might when the rings closed in creating a dust cloud that took over the place.

The mage looked around scared when the dust cloud dissipated and he couldn't find me, then he outstretched his hands, calling the rings back, moving fast, I grabbed both of his arms by the biceps and kept them in place.

"Hello!" I screamed behind him.

The mage turned his head to the side upon hearing my voice and widened his eyes after seeing me.

I forced the mage's arms open in a T-pose while the mage looked ahead, seeing the rings he called approaching.

"Let me go!" The mage screamed, trying to escape my grip.

I sunk my fingers into the mage's flesh as he screamed in pain, drawing blood and tightening my grip. Soon the rings hit the mage and the expected happened.

"AAAHHH!" The mage screamed in agony as both of his arms flew away and fell on the ground behind us.

Then, I released the mage, dropping him to his knees while blood sprayed out of his stumps.

"You bastard, it can't end like this! I’ll not let my research be in vain. I’ll not die here! Not when I was so close to being the greatest mage in the world!" The mage screamed, trying to get up, but his legs failed him.

"Of course, of course, keep dreaming." I said mockingly, raising my ax and preparing to chop off the mage's head. 

Unfortunately, Number 16 flew past me, and hit a wall on the far side of the room, interrupting me.

"Lord Alan!" Noir yelled as Rubrum and he approached me.

-With Noir and Rubrum-

The creature in front of us roared, spiting a shower of magic orbs toward us. I used Dark Gluttony to absorb all the orbs and form a gigantic one, but Number 16 raised its right fist, trying to punch me before I completed my spell.

Rubrum then flew in front of me and blocked the punch with a magic barrier, but Number 16 threw punch after punch, cracking it with each blow and slowly pushing Rubrum back.

"Rubrum hold on a little longer!" I screamed as the magic orb grew while Number 16 readied another punch.

"Rubrum get out of the way!"

Rubrum did just that and moved away as the barrier broke, the orb flew toward the monster's disgusting face, and…

BOOM!

"RROOOAAARRR!"

Number 16 grabbed its face in pain, covering both eyes with its hands, but I saw a purple light shining between its fingers. 

Suddenly, Number 16 took its hands away from its eyes and fired two magic purple beams toward us, sending us toward a wall across the room. 

Then Number 16 jumped towards us with its mouth open, trying to bite us, luckily, Rubrum and I managed to get out of the hole in the wall in time and the monster ended up getting its head stuck in the wall.

I cast Dark Spear, creating five magic spears around me and firing them towards Number 16.

The spears pierced Number 16 in its torso, but the monster didn’t seem to care and removed its head from the wall. 

Its eyes glowed again, but before it could fire another beam, Rubrum created a magic bubble around her and flew toward Number 16 at high speed, hitting the monster’s chest and pushing Number 16 across the room.

It wasn't enough to stop Number 16's attack, but it was enough to make it miss. The magic beams pierced the ceiling, reaching the upper floors and splitting the clouds in the sky, letting the rain enter the institute.

Rubrum dissipated the bubble and floated away from Number 16, but she wasn't fast enough and ended up slapped away by the monster. 

Number 16 then ran towards me with both hands outstretched, I created two Dark Hands and held its hands, stopping its advance.

So I created a third Dark Hand and punched Number 16 in the chin, Number 16 stepped back due to the blow, this allowed Rubrum to create another magic bubble around herself and hit Number 16 in the side.

Number 16 flew across the room until it hit a wall near where Lord Alan fought the mage; however, I saw Number 16 eyes shine again as it tried to remove its body from the wall.

Not this time, I created two Dark Spears and fired them toward Number 16's eyes, piercing them; Number 16 roared in pain, stepping forward with shaking legs before finally falling motionless to the ground.

-With Alan-

"Noir! Rubrum! Are you okay?" I asked the two approaching books.

"Yes, Lord Alan! And you?" Noir asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Noir, thanks for asking!" I replied as the two books floated around me.

"No, no, no!" The mage screamed, getting up with hesitant steps.

"You should be the ultimate weapon! You shouldn't be defeated by anyone! You useless piece of junk, stand up now!" The mage yelled as he approached Number 16.

Number 16 stood up too fast for something so badly beaten and sniffed like a dog, but instead of following the mage's orders, Number 16 grabbed the mage with its left hand and opened its mouth.

"Stop!" The mage screamed as he tried to escape Number 166 grip, but it was no use.

Then Number 16 bit the mage in the waist.

"AAAHHH!" The mage screamed in pain as Number 16 chewed him, Number 16 then pulled the mage's legs, cutting him in two and devouring the legs.

Blood trickled between Number 16's teeth, making its permanent smile even more disturbing, and then Number 16 sniffed again, turning his head toward us.

"RROOOAAARRR!"  Number 16 roared as it ran towards us.

Rubrum created a magic bubble around us; but Number 16 head-butted the bubble furiously, cracking it with each blow.

"Noir I know this isn't the best time to ask, but how did you and Rubrum get so strong? How did I get so strong?" I asked nervously, trying to find an exit to our situation.

"Rubrum and I absorbed the magic of various items around the Institute." Noir replied in the same tone.

"Hm… Is there any magic left in the institute?" I asked again, formulating a plan.

Noir seemed to concentrate for a few seconds before answering.

"Yes."

"Then absorb it all, every single drop of magic in the institute!"

"As you wish." Noir said hesitantly.

Noir absorbed the institute's magic and I felt something different. A tingling that grew into a searing pain, the red lines across my body increased and my skin cracked more and more.

I felt something coming out of my back, were those wings? The pain worsened and I could only scream.

-Midgard, Cathedral City, 995, Institute of Magic-

Weapon Number 16 tried to break the bubble that protected Alan, Noir, and Rubrum, the red grimoire used all her strength to hold the monster back, but the bubble cracked with every blow.

Suddenly a strong red light shone inside the bubble. Number 16 delivered one last hit before shattering the bubble and pulling its head back; preparing to deliver the final blow, but it never came.

A gigantic hand came out from the red light and grabbed Number 16’s head, crushing it completely, and then Number 16 crumbled into red particles, which were absorbed into the books.

More hands came out of the red light, destroying the institute's ceiling until they reached the heavens while another of those hands flew forward and destroyed the entrance of the institute.

An angel stood inside a crater when the light disappeared, the angel held a large black ax as two magic books floated beside him.

The doors around the institute opened and its terrified researchers came out of it, the researchers tried to run through the destroyed entrance of the institute upon seeing the angel, but they didn’t go far. 

The angel raised his right hand and stakes came out of the ground piercing the researchers. The angel then walked out of the institute and outstretched his hand while looking up, feeling the rain running down his body.

The angel saw something that caught his attention, a white-haired, pink-eyed girl tied to a pole on a stone platform.

The angel walked towards the girl, killing all the guards on his way, they were no match for him.

The angel saw the girl surrounded by flower petals upon reaching the platform while a flower stood at her feet. 

The angel felt several things when seeing the flower, curiosity, flaming anger, revolting disgust, and an overwhelming hunger. 

The angel raised his ax and brought it down towards the flower. In the end, the angel saw a white light followed by an explosion.

END OF CHAPTER

Chapter Text

-Midgard, Cathedral City, Year 995-

Cathedral City was in chaos, a normal day for its inhabitants became a nightmare. Everything went as it should, the successful capture of the criminals known as Alan and Rose, the crushing of the revolt led by noble families, but the Institute of Magic suddenly entered a state of emergency.

One of his prisoners escaped along with two new magic specimens, seeing that the soldiers would not be able to contain the fugitives, the institute's head mage used weapon Number 16, but even then, it was not enough, the head mage died and Number 16 was destroyed.

The accounts of the few survivors of the disaster shone some light on the happening.

A being named "Angel" accompanied by two magical books came out of the ruins of the Institute and killed all the guards in his path. Amidst the heavy rain, the "Angel" approached the execution platform where the criminal known as Rose awaited her end.

From here, the reports become harder to believe, the "Angel" stopped in front of the criminal and raised his axe, probably to execute her, but a mysterious explosion stopped the angel at the last second.

The survivors reported that the cloud from the explosion formed the shape of a giant flower that pierced the heavens.

A huge crater formed in the place where the "Angel" and the criminal stood previously, the authorities of Cathedral City declared the death of the two due to the size of the explosion.

-XXXXXX-

What happened? Why everything is so dark? Moreover, why does my body hurt so much? What is that noise, rain? I need to get up! However, I could not; there was something heavy over my body.

I heard the sound of something moving, suddenly, I saw a light.

"Lord Alan..." A muffled voice spoke while the light shone brighter.

"Lord Alan..." The voice was familiar.

"Lord Alan..." I saw Noir and Rubrum floating above my face through my blurred vision while my ears rang incessantly.

"Noir, Rubrum, what happened?" I asked confused, struggling to my feet while the world spun around me, I leaned on the rocks beside me to avoid falling on the ground.

"Lord Alan! You shouldn't get up; you were at the epicenter of the explosion!" Noir said worriedly as Rubrum and he floated around me.

"What explosion?" I asked again while looking around, my vision slowly returning to normal.

We were inside the parking lot of a half-collapsed building and I saw an entrance hole in the shape of a body in a wall upon looking up. Did the explosion send me here?

I slowly climbed the pile of rubble that led to the hole, but I noticed something strange, I recognized the outline of my body, but it had wings for some reason. However, since when do I have wings?

Never mind! My head was killing me; I walked through the hole, left the parking lot, and felt something falling on my body. Looking up, I saw a sky covered with dark clouds without a single ray of sunlight pouring torrential rain on me.

Looking around I saw that I stood in a ruined city with crumbling buildings, destroyed ground, and a big crater in the center of all this destruction.

I passed a large piece of glass stuck to the floor as I walked, probably a piece of a window. My eyes widened with what I saw when I looked at myself in the glass, I could not help but scream.

"AAAHHH!" I fell to the ground and dragged myself backward, trying to get away from that thing.

"Lord Alan, what is happening?!?" Noir and Rubrum quickly floated towards me.

"What is that thing?!?" I yelled, pointing at the glass.

Noir and Rubrum went silent but I heard the black book take a deep breath.

"Lord Alan... That's you." Noir said hesitantly.

"Me?" I saw that the thing in the glass imitated my movements when I got up, it was my reflection and I was that thing.

What happened to me? I remember escaping my cell, finding Noir and Rubrum, and fighting the mage and Number 16 shortly after, Number 16 went out of control and tried to crush us.

Therefore, I ordered Noir to absorb the entire institute's magic, which he did. Then it became a blur, I remember fighting soldiers, a flower that gave me a weird feeling, and then... Rose... Rose? ROSE!

Where is she? That was a huge explosion! We survived it but Rose is completely human!

"Rose!" I screamed, running into the crater.

"Lord Alan, wait for us!" Noir yelled after me, but I did not stop.

"ROSE! ROSE!" I screamed as I ran through the rubble and ruins.

I searched for her until I saw a hand sticking out from under a pile of rubble.

"ROSE!" I screamed again, running towards the pile, dropping to my knees and removing the rocks.

"ROSE! HOLD ON!" I screamed, removing the rubble.

"Miss Rose, don't worry, we're here!" Noir yelled, stopping beside, creating two hands and removing the rubble too. Rubrum did the same, enveloping the stones with her magic and throwing them away.

Noir lifted a large rock that stood on top of Rose and I pulled her out, I laid Rose on the floor with my right hand keeping her upper torso raised.

I did not know what to do with the number of injuries on Rose's body, her legs were crushed, and I doubted she would be able to walk again; her left arm was crooked, probably broken in several parts.

Blood oozed out of her closed left eye, without speaking, of course, about the several cuts and wounds covering her body.

Suddenly, Rose opened her remaining eye with a gasp for air and looked around confused while trying to move, then she looked at her legs thanks to the lack of result. I immediately held her chin, making her look at me.

"Don't look! Look at me instead!"

Her eye widened in surprise as she struggled, trying to escape my arms. I must not be a pleasant sight.

"Rose, please stop!" I screamed, but she struggled even more.

"Miss Rose, please stay still, you are severely hurt!" Noir said, trying to calm Rose down while Rubrum tried to do the same.

Rose's remaining eye stared at Noir, then Rubrum, and finally me.

Rose closed her eye slightly, trying to focus her vision, and raised her other hand towards my face, touching my cheek. I placed my left hand over hers, trying to comfort her.

"A-alan?" Rose stuttered with a pained voice.

"Yes, it's me, Alan!" I said smiling at her.

Rose smiled weakly; suddenly she coughed up blood.

"COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!" Rose coughed and blood flew from her mouth with each cough.

"ROSE! ROSE!" I screamed in desperation but Rose kept coughing. I looked around, searching for something to help.

"ROSE! DON'T WORRY, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE, STAY WITH ME!"

My pleas did not help, with one last smile, Rose's eye closed and her hand dropped to the side.

"ROSE!" I screamed, shaking her, but there was no answer, she was dead.

I saw something dripping on Rose's face, was it rain? No, I felt something running down my face. Was I crying? Yes, I was. I stayed there with Rose's body in my arms for a long time.

Noir went silent beside me while Rubrum cried.

"Lord Alan, we need to go." Noir said putting a hand on my shoulder.

I hate to admit it, but he is right, we escaped. Who knows how long until the guards, or worse, the Lords will take to get here?

"You're right, but first let's give Rose a proper burial." I said, slipping my left arm under Rose's legs and carrying her in my arms.

"I couldn't agree more, Lord Alan." Noir said sadly.

Rubrum floated in front of us as she watched Rose's body.

Then the four of us left Cathedral City together through the rain, and I could not stop crying on our way out.

Suddenly, I felt something grabbing my leg, looking down; I saw one of the Cathedral City guards.

"Help me." He said weakly.

"Don't worry, I'll help you." I answered emotionlessly.

I swung my leg, escaping his grip, and I lifted my foot, stomping his head right after, leaving a red pool of blood and flesh on the ground. Humph, as if any of you deserve any help!

Therefore, I walked away from Cathedral City.

-XXXXXX-

Where I am? Am I dead? Did the angel cut my head off? Alternatively, was it all a dream? I tried to open my eyes, but I could not, I tried to get up, but something heavy on top of my body stopped me.

I could not feel my legs; I could not feel one of my arms. Is the afterlife a void where you feel nothing and cannot move?

"ROSE..." A muffled voice spoke.

"ROSE..." Once again the voice called me, it sounded familiar.

"ROSE!"

I heard it this time, someone called my name. However, who owned that voice?

I felt the weight on my body gradually disappear and I saw a light. Moreover, what was that noise, rain?

The weight disappeared and I felt something pulling me forward, laying me on the floor and lifting my back.

Breathing deeply, the cold air made me shiver but I felt a little relieved when the air entered my lungs, I tried to open my eyes, but I could only open one, so looked around, analyzing my surroundings.

What the hell happened here? I stood amid rubble and ruins with torrential rain pouring down on me. Where did that flower go? It was so beautiful. No use worrying about it, I survived! It is better to escape this city before the guards arrive!

I tried to get up but I could not feel my legs, there was something wrong with them! Therefore, I slowly lowered my gaze towards them. Oh, that is why I cannot get up they are crushed! Oh, fuck, they are crushed!

I did not know what to do, I did not feel any pain, but the sight was not pretty. My breathing quickened as a panic attack formed in my mind.

I felt something grab my chin and change the direction I looked before I continued my line of thought.

My heart speeded up at what I saw. What was that thing? The thing said something, but I could not hear it, an incessant ringing in my ear muffed everything.

Fuck it! I need to get the hell out of here! I do not want to find out what this thing will do to me! I tried to escape the thing's grip, but it only held me tighter. Let me go! Stay away from me! I cannot die like this!

Suddenly, two familiar figures floated next to that thing, my vision alternated between the three, if those were Noir and Rubrum then that meant this thing holding me was...

Slowly and with a lot of effort, I raised my hand towards the thing's face. Its face looked familiar but I needed to make sure it was who I thought, I managed to put my hand on the thing's cheek and the thing put one of its hands over mine.

"A-alan?"

The thing smiled when I said that name, so I was right. I could not help but smile back. Who would have guessed? Were you an angel this whole time? Thinking about everything that happened so far, it kind of does not surprise me anymore.

You appeared out of nowhere wearing strange clothes, talking strangely, carrying two talking magic books, and being weirdly strong.

You showed up when I needed the most, you saved me and cared for me, and now you are here by my side in my last moments, you are truly a guardian angel, my guardian angel. Thank you for everything.

My vision dimmed and Alan said something but I could not hear it, I just smiled at him. Goodbye, I doubt that I will go to heaven but if by some miracle this happens, I hope to meet you again.

Soon everything went dark.

-XXXXXX-

"Well Rose, we're leaving now." I spoke to the grave in front of me.

We stood in a forest far from Cathedral City, where I buried Rose's body in a clearing in the middle of a flower field, Rose liked flowers. I put a makeshift cross just above the grave; I wish I had done something better.

"I talked to Noir and Rubrum; we concluded that we're going to stick with our original plan. We are going to the Land of Forests." There was no answer, just the sound of the wind blowing in my ears.

"The Land of Forests is where most of the non-human population lives, I think Noir, Rubrum, and I will be able to fit in there." I said, looking at my hands.

"There were so many things I wanted to show you, we could have seen the Coliseum in Rome, and then maybe we could have left Midgard and see the rest of the world, Egypt, Greece, China… But that's just a dream now." I took a deep breath as tears streamed down my face.

"I think that's it, goodbye Rose, and thanks for everything." I said before leaving.

"Goodbye, Miss Rose." Noir said bowing in front of the grave while Rubrum placed a flower on top of it using her magic, and then the three of us left the flower field.

I came across something that left me confused while walking among the trees. My backpack stood under a tree in front of me.

I outstretched my hand towards Noir and the book opened its pages, revealing the handle of a weapon, pulling the handle, I removed my ax from inside Noir. I approached my backpack with the ax in both hands, looking around for any sign of whoever had left my stuff there.

I kicked my backpack lightly, but nothing happened, so I crouched down and opened it.

In addition, to my surprise, I found the clothes I wore when I arrived in Midgard and some of my personal belongings, my boots, jeans, black shirt and gray coat, my cell phone, and my map of Midgard.

"Lord Alan, how did it get here?" Noir asked.

"I have no idea." I replied, picking up the clothes.

I walked behind a tree and put on the clothes, technically, I had been naked this whole time, but a kind of darkness covered my private parts, luckily, my "member" between my legs was still there, I checked it.

I hung my backpack on my shoulders and put my cell phone in my pocket when I finished changing, it brings back memories.

I felt something in my pocket when I stepped forward; it was a piece of paper. I unfolded it and saw that it was some kind of note.

"A gift from an observer, I thought you'd need it due to your condition, maybe we'll meet in the future."

Signed: Accord'

Observer, do I have a stalker now? Moreover, who the hell is Accord? I looked around for this person, but there was no one there, great!

"What was written in the note, Lord Alan?"

"Nothing Noir, let's go." I sighed, crumpling the paper and throwing it away.

Noir, Rubrum, and I walked through the forest until we reached a road, I felt my face and hands burn in the sunlight when I emerged from the shade of the trees.

"AAAHHH!" I screamed, jumping back in pain.

"Lord Alan, are you okay?" Noir asked worried while Rubrum floated around me, looking for wounds.

"Yes, I'm fine." I put my hand out of the shadows and smoke came out of it as it made contact with sunlight.

Great, does that mean I became some kind of vampire? I hope not, I do not want to turn into a bat and thirst for blood.

I put the hood over my head, my hands inside my pockets, and walked down the road with my head low with Noir and Rubrum by my side.

-Rose's Grave-

A long time ago, there was a girl, this girl never knew her father and was never loved by her mother, one day her mother sold her to a brothel, and from then on, this girl started to hate the world.

Why of all the people in the world, did she have to suffer? Why was the world so unfair? Why she could not have a normal life?

However, the girl made a friend amid this hell, a girl with indigo eyes. Therefore, the girl named her Indigo and Indigo named her new friend Rose because of her pink eyes.

One day Indigo and Rose decided to run away, they stole all the money from the brothel and fled through the streets. Unfortunately, Rose had her remaining faith in the world and its people destroyed upon reaching a bridge leading out of the city.

Indigo was not her friend, she just needed someone to help carry the gold, and now Indigo needed to get rid of the only witness to the crime. Rose's life would have ended that night, but fate had other plans.

A person, a total stranger, appeared out of nowhere as if by magic. He wore strange clothes, spoke strangely, and had no idea where he was, all he knew was that he needed to find a way back home.

This stranger helped Rose, scaring Indigo away and getting rid of the brothel bosses who chased them.

Together, the stranger and Rose left the city with the stolen money, and the stranger introduced himself as Alan, Rose did not trust him, after all the last person that she trusted tried to kill her.

A bond formed between the two as time passed. Alan and Rose lived a relatively normal life, unfortunately, this normality did not last forever as Rose's past came back to haunt her.

One night a group of men invaded their house, the brothel bosses hired them to kill Alan and take Rose and the money back.

Seeing no other option, Alan revealed his secret, the two magic books known as Noir, the ever-loyal black book, and Rubrum, the red book with the spirit of a child.

Together they killed every man except one who begged for his life, this piety would prove to be a mistake in the future. The man revealed to the Evil Lords who ruled Midgard Alan's secret, the magic books.

Alan and Rose fled their home, but eventually, the Lord's forces captured them and took them to Cathedral City where they tortured Rose for her crimes while Alan and his books became the target of experiments by the mages of the Institute of Magic.

Rose had accepted her fate while cursing the world she lived in, Alan, on the other hand, made a deal with a mysterious man named Bartas.

Alan escaped with his books, but they fought Number 16, a weapon created from Alan's blood, and the institute's head mage, upon arriving at the institute's doors.

To kill an uncontrolled Number 16, Alan ordered Noir to absorb all the magic of the institute, Alan lost his human form thanks to that but gained great power.

Free, Alan searched for Rose, finding her on an execution platform surrounded by petals and with a beautiful flower at her feet.

For Rose, that flower was the most beautiful thing she saw in her entire life, for Alan, that flower was the most disgusting thing he saw. With great fury in his being, Alan tried to destroy the flower, but a huge explosion stopped him.

Due to his new form, Alan survived the explosion almost unharmed, but Rose had no such luck. With a dead Rose in his arms, Alan left Cathedral City and buried her in a field of flowers where Rose could finally have the peace that she wished.

At least that is what he thought, this cruel world was not over with Rose, and the flower had just begun its march toward the end of the world.

The earth in Rose's grave shook, and soon a small flower came out from inside it, the flower grew and grew until it was taller than a person was.

A noise came out of the flower.

"AAAHHH!"

This noise got louder as the flower grew.

"AAAHHH!"

Suddenly, a bloody arm came out of the flower.

"AAAHHH!"

Little by little, a body came out of the flower, the body of a naked girl covered in blood, with a flower in one of her eyes and screaming from the top of her lungs.

"AAAHHH!"

Soon the girl's body came out of the flower while the flower she just emerged from dissolved into black and red smoke.

The girl stepped forward with trembling legs, she looked frantically left and right without understanding what happened, after all, she had died a few minutes ago, and soon the girl passed out due to the shock.

Moreover, due to being unconscious, the girl did not notice the black mud coming out of the flower in her eye or the black mud taking the form of five little girls.

END OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter Text

What happened?

"One, what will we do? She's covered in blood!"

I had a strange dream.

"Sister Rose isn't moving! Is she dead?"

There was a flower and Alan was some kind of angel.

"We need to get help! SOMEONE HELP US PLEASE!"

I do not know if that was real or a hallucination.

"How we are in the middle of a forest!"

Suddenly, the memories of what happened came back, it was all true, and most of all, I died.

"WWWAAAAHHH!"

"HELP!"

"SISTER ROSE, PLEASE DON'T DIE!"

However, if I died, how am I thinking right now? Another question, where am I exactly? In addition, who the hell was crying? It is annoying!

"WWWAAAHHH!"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, getting up abruptly. 

However, to my surprise, I came face-to-face with five little girls who looked at me with widened red eyes. The little girls stared at me for a few seconds before all of them, except for one, ran toward me and hugged me.

"SISTER ROSE!" The little girls screamed happily.

Sister? I do not have sisters! Who are these children? Moreover, what are they doing here in the middle of the forest?

"Sister Rose, we thought you were dead!" The girl with the brown hair tied in twin tails said.

"You were covered in blood and not moving!" The blue-haired girl spoke right after.

"For a moment I thought you were going to leave us!" The girl with long purple hair said.

"I can't imagine what would become of us without you!" The girl with blonde hair spoke this time.

However, I did not pay much attention to the girls since the world around me spun to the point of becoming a blur, and I felt like I would fall backward. I think I got up too fast.

"Sister Rose." The last little girl, the one who had not hugged, spoke hesitantly, catching my attention. 

She had light blonde hair, and red eyes and approached me slowly. The others stopped hugging me and gave space for the red-eyed girl to approach.

The girl stopped in front of me and stared me intensely in the eye while I returned the gaze, suddenly, tears formed in the corner of her eyes and she hugged me.

"I am glad that you are fine, Sister Rose." The red-eyed girl said between sobs.

I didn't hug her back, there were a lot of wrong things here, I don't have sisters, I don't know where I am and I don't know who these girls are. I need to know what is going on! Therefore, I stepped back, out of the red-eyed girl's embrace.

"Sister Rose, is something wrong?" The red-eyed girl asked confused as she approached me while I stepped back again.

"Don't approach me!" I yelled, making her flinch in her path.

"Sister Rose, what happened? Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry for hugging you without your permission!" The red-eyed girl said worriedly as she tried to get closer.

"Stop, just stop calling me sister! I don’t have sisters!" I said, raising my hand to shut her up. Fuck, my head is killing me! I need time to think!

"Sister Rose, are you okay? Did you hit your head? We are your sisters remember? I am One the second eldest, one of your sisters." One said politely, pointing at herself.

"I am Two the third eldest!" The blue-haired girl, now known as Two, exclaimed while bouncing around me happily.

"I am Three, the fourth eldest." The purple-haired one spoke, Three then yawned loudly before falling asleep on the floor.

"I am Four the fifth eldest." The twin tails girl said, Four then stopped in front of me next to One.

"And I am Five, the youngest of us all." The blonde-haired girl said, striking a pose before her stomach rumbled audibly.

"You wouldn't have any food, would you?" Five asked, looking away with her face burning red in shame.

"Five, please behave yourself! Can't you see Sister Rose is not feeling well?" Four said angrily, reprising Five.

"I'm just asking! It's been a while since I ate something." Five replied in the same tone while crossing her arms.

"Hey, Sister Rose, look, look, look!" Two yelled, trying to get my attention as she jumped around me.

"Sister Rose, I think you should wash up the blood off your body and find something to wear." One said blushing while averting her gaze.

I looked at myself and saw that this girl was right; walking around covered in blood would only get me into trouble. There must be a river here somewhere; I hope to find it before the blood dries up. 

I walked among the trees, tripping on every root and rock in my path with every wave of dizziness that attacked my head. 

Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. Looking back, I saw all the little girls following me in a line, starting with One and ending with Five.

"What are you all doing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We will go with you." Two said, pointing at me.

"We can't let our sister walk through the woods alone." Four spoke, looking around worriedly.

"What if you get attacked by someone?" Five asked.

"Frankly, we are lost and have no idea where to go." Three shrugged.

"Where are your parents? Why not go back home? They must be worried." I asked. I just wanted to rid myself of these kids and find out what happened to me.

"Sister Rose, our parents are long gone, Five was just a baby back then. You cared for us ever since." One said worriedly.

Parents, I have no idea who my father is and my mother barely bothered to take care of me, let alone five other girls! If this is a joke, then it is not funny!

"Seriously, you said you were the second eldest, right?!? Then who is your older sister?!?" I asked, crouching down to One’s height.

"What a strange question sister Rose, you are." One replied, pointing at me while smiling.

I wanted to laugh at this situation, this must be some kind of bad joke, and it is the only possibility. These five girls should have been playing in the forest and are pranking me after seeing me lying unconscious on the ground.

"Okay, I have another question. What do our parents look like?" Let us see what their answer will be this time.

"Sister Rose, are you okay? You are asking many weird questions, our parents look like… like… like… ARGH!" Suddenly, One grabbed her head in pain before finishing her answer.

"I can't… I cannot remember what our parents looked like. Two, Three, Four, Five, do any of you remember what our parents looked like?" One asked her sisters.

"Of course, One, our mother looked… her eyes were… ARGH!" Four grabbed her head as well.

"If I remember correctly, our mother had red colored… and she liked… AAHH!" Two got the same result.

"Our dad worked at… he had… and a voice… AH!" Three had the same reaction.

"What's going on with you guys? Our dad… he liked… ARGH!" Five had a similar reaction.

"Can anyone remember what our parents looked like?" One asked worriedly. 

They all nodded negatively, sharing the same scared look as One.

"Sister Rose, what's going on, why can't we remember our parents?!?" One screamed, approaching me with quick steps.

"Are we going to forget about other things too?!?" Three asked too.

"I don't want to forget about you!" Two screamed.

"What if we forget about each other?!?" Four asked as she approached too.

"Sister Rose, what shall we do?!?" Five asked me.

Soon, all the girls surrounded me while asking question after question simultaneously. I could not take it anymore I needed silence to think!

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, slamming my hand against a tree. I expected to get hurt, but to my surprise, the tree snapped in two.

The girls moved away and stared at me in alarm when I looked back at them. Then I heard a noise.

SNIF!

No…

SNIF!

Please do not…

"WWWAAAHHH!"

Suddenly, they all cried. What situation did I get myself into? I am naked, covered in blood, in the middle of a forest, and with five girls crying in front of me!

If anyone shows up here, I doubt I can explain it. What should I do? What would Alan do? Yes, Rose, what would Alan do? He had a way with those things.

Slowly, I approached my supposed sisters, crouched down until I stood at their height, and smiled gently at them.

"I'm sorry for yelling, I'm confused and a lot happened recently. So how about we calm down and try to figure out what is going on? Firstly, let me wash off this blood and find something to wear, and then we can stop at a town or village to see if anyone knows your parents."

This seemed to work, as all five girls stopped crying, wiped their tears, and smiled back.

"Thank you, Sister Rose!" All of them shouted simultaneously.

"Great, then let's go! There must be a river somewhere." 

Crisis averted, but now I have to stop somewhere to ask about the parents of these brats. They lined up behind me again and accompanied me with smiles on their faces.

As I walked, I looked at my hands while opening and closed them. What I did before was not normal. What happened to me?

-XXXXXX-

Finally, I found a river and felt relaxed when entering the water. I leaned against the bank and stayed there with my eyes closed for a few seconds, enjoying the sensation of the water on my body.

When was the last time I bathed myself? I lifted my arm, sniffed my armpit and my face contorted in disgust, looks like it was a long time ago. 

I was going to get some water in my hands to wash my hair, but when I tried to do that, I saw my reflection in the water and almost screamed at what I saw.

There was a flower sticking out of my eye, a pink five-petal flower stood in the place of my right eye. 

I saw the same flower on the execution platform. What was it doing here? Was it the flower that brought me back to life?

Slowly, I brought my hand toward the flower, but I had a bad feeling when I touched it, the feeling that I touched something disgusting, bad, and evil, I quickly removed my hand from the flower. 

I will worry about that later, focus on relaxing Rose. I leaned against the bank again and closed my remaining eye.

"CANNON BALL!"  A childish voice screamed.

Wait, what?!?

Something threw itself into the water in front of me, splashing water in my face. The thing revealed itself to be Two, wearing her clothes and everything while laughing at me.

"HAHAHA! I got you, Sister Rose!" Two exclaimed, slamming both hands into the water and splashing even more at me.

"Stop it you brat! What are you doing?!?" I screamed, shielding my face with my hands.

"I’m playing with you!" Two replied as she continued splashing water.

"And where are your sisters?"

"Three is right there!" Two pointed to something floating in the river.

Three had her face inside the water as she floated without moving, she looked like a corpse. I also saw bubbles coming out rhythmically from under the water next to her. Was she sleeping?

"Aren't you supposed to help your sister?" I asked raising an eyebrow; I do not want someone to see me next to a drowned child's corpse.

"Don't worry, Three does this all the time, she can sleep anywhere. Remember that time she fell asleep on top of the stairs at our house and you ended up tripping over her and falling down the stairs?" Two asked happily.

"No, I don’t" I replied drily. 

Once again they insist I am their sister and talk about things that never happened.

"Oh, no problem, this happened a long time ago, let's keep playing!" Two answered, returning to splashing water on me.

"You brat!" I screamed as I hit the water, splashing water on Two. 

"HAHAHA!" Two laughed, shielding her face.

"I see you are having fun." A person spoke beside me.

Looking to my side, I saw Five sitting on the bank of the river.

"Unfortunately I will not participate; I don't want to get my hair wet." Five said, smoothing her hair.

Sadly, Five did not notice Four approaching her from behind with a devious smile on her face, and then Four pushed Five inside the river.

SPLASH!

"AAAHHH!" Five screamed as she fell into the water.

"HAHAHA!" Four laughed as she pointed at Five. 

However, Four did not notice Five jumping out of the river, grabbing her leg, and dragging her into the water too.

SPLASH!

"AAAHHH!" Four screamed as she fell this time.

Then Four and Five fought in the river, one trying to sink the other under the water. 

Now there was only one sister left. Where is she? Looking around, I saw One hiding behind a tree as she watched us.

"Hey, you come here!" I called her. 

One jumped in surprise and tried to hide better, but I already saw her.

"There's no point in hiding, I saw you. Come here please." I said calmly.

One came out from behind the tree, approached me with shy steps, and sat down beside me on the bank of the river.

"How can I help you, sister Rose?" One asked politely with her head low, without looking at me.

I still do not believe they are my sisters, but I do not have the energy to argue about that right now.

"Why aren't you playing with your sisters?" I asked, pointing to the girls in question.

"I can't, as the second oldest sister; it's my responsibility to take care of them. What if something happens when I'm distracted?" One answered, raising her head and giving me a determined gaze.

"I see... You have a great sense of responsibility." I replied, closing my eyes and nodding in recognition.

"Of course I have! You taught me that the older sister must take care of the younger ones!" One said with a smile.

I never said that just as I never had sisters before.

"But nothing will happen now, so why don't you have some fun?" I said again, smiling from ear to ear.

"Sister Rose that isn't… AAHH!"

SPLASH!

I did not let One finish as I put my hand on her back and pushed her into the river; One came out from under the water soon after and stared at me irritably.

Nevertheless, Two splashed water on her face before she said anything, and One returned the gesture in the same coin, and soon the two girls started playing. 

Now that all the children were distracted, I could relax again.

-XXXXXX-

"Are you sure about this, Sister Rose?" Two asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I am." I replied, focusing my gaze in the distance.

"But stealing is wrong!" Four exclaimed, crossing her arms and fixing me.

"I don't know if you noticed, but I need clothes." I replied, looking down at her while opening my arms.

"Sister Rose is right; a real lady shouldn't walk around naked." Five said smugly, making Four blush and look away.

"There will be problems if one of us gets caught." Three muttered sleepily.

"That's why I want only one of you to go there." I replied.

"That's enough, I'll go Sister Rose, but I want you to promise that we won't steal again. We should get clothes with our money!" One demanded, stomping the ground and fixing me.

"Fine, I promise!" I sighed, rolling my eye.

"Thank you." One smiled before walking away,

The girls and I found a village on the outskirts of the forest after washing the blood in the river, the only problem is that I was naked and I had a flower in my eye, but there was a solution to that problem.

We hid among the trees, facing the back of a house with some clotheslines with clothes hanging on them. I just needed one of the girls to go there and get the clothes for me, and One volunteered to do it. 

Moreover, she did it! One ran back to us with the clothes in her hands and there was no angry peasant after her.

"Here it is." One said as she handed me the clothes.

"Thank you." I replied as I walked behind a tree to get dressed.

-XXXXXX-

The girls and I stood in front of the village’s entrance, judging by the distance between this place and the forest; these girls must have come from here.

Now I wore a white long-sleeved shirt, brown pants, brown boots, and a brown cloak with a hood, I put the hood over my head and turned to the girls.

"We are going to enter the village, stay close to me, and don't cause trouble, we will speak with the villagers to find out if any of them know your parents." I said to the sisters.

"Don't you mean our parents?" Four asked confused.

"No, I don’t." I replied drily, making her look down sadly.

I took a deep breath, frustrated with the situation. Calm down Rose, remember that you are a wanted criminal, and let us not draw unnecessary attention.

"Listen, I'm trying to understand what's going on, I don't know who your parents are. In addition, you, for some reason, cannot remember anything about them. There's something wrong here, until then we won't assume anything, do you understand?" I asked.

"Yes, sister Rose!" They responded simultaneously while smiling.

I wanted to slap myself in the face. Did they not hear what I just said? Never mind! "Let's go!"

So we entered the village, it was a medium-sized village with streets made of dirt and stone, and wooden houses.

I saw small businesses here and there, a sewing shop, a bakery, a blacksmith, and a carpentry shop. I also noticed the villagers staring at us, probably because we were outsiders, or because I hid my face with five children accompanying me.

"Sister Rose, I don't like the way they are looking at us." Four said worriedly while averting her gaze.

"Just ignore it, if they try anything I'll make them swallow their teeth." I replied, keeping my head low.

"That wasn't nice to say, Sister Rose!" Two scolded me.

"Merely don't give attention, in the possible future they decide to take some aggressive action due to our presence; I will take action for them to consume their teeth. Is it better now?"

"Yes, it is." Three replied, laughing slightly.

"Three! Sister Rose, please do not take such aggressive actions, the people in this village are just suspicious. We will not harm them." One exclaimed.

"Fine, but be careful."

"Yes, Sister Rose!" One replied.

"Sister Rose, I am hungry." Five spoke, pulling my cloak while her stomach rumbled again.

"I don't have any money at the moment Five; you will have to wait a little bit."

"Okay." Five said, looking down while holding her stomach.

Great, another problem, I do not have a single penny on me! I know how to solve this, but not now. Let us see if we can find anything about the parents of these children.

-XXXXXX-

The result was not good. We spent the whole day walking around the village, but no one heard of these children and their parents. It did not help that the five sisters in front of me could not even remember their parents' names. What have I gotten myself into?

RUMBLE!

I heard a noise near me; looking to the side, I saw Five with her face red with embarrassment.

"Are you still hungry?" I asked.

"Yes." She nodded ashamed.

"Is anyone else here hungry?" I asked the sisters around me.

"I'm hungry." Two said.

"And I'm thirsty." Four spoke.

"I'm tired." Three told me right after.

"And you One?" I asked the girl who stood silent.

"You don't have to worry about me Sister Rose, I'm perfectly fine…"

RUMBLE!

The growl of her stomach interrupted her; One’s face turned red with embarrassment while I laughed a little at that.

"Stay here, I'll be right back. One you will be responsible for taking care of your sisters.”

"You can count on me, Sister Rose!" One said, straightening her posture and puffing out her chest.

"Good." I said as I walked away. It is time to get some money.

I walked through the village with the sun setting and its inhabitants returning to their homes after a long day at work. Perfect, they were so tired that they did not pay attention to me when I passed by their side.

Thanks to that, I took their coin bags unnoticed, bronze, silver, but no gold. After a few minutes, I had enough money to buy a meal; it was time to go back.

The sisters were in the same place where I left them, and they ran in my direction upon seeing me.

"Sister Rose!" They screamed and hugged me but I quickly got out of the hug.

"So who would like some food?" I said, tossing the bag of coins up and down.

"ME! ME! MEI!" They all screamed, jumping up and down.

-XXXXXX-

We entered a tavern and sat down at a corner table and it did not take long for the food we ordered to arrive. 

The sisters ate in a hurry as if they were going to die of hunger. Pieces of food flew out of their plates and mouths as they chewed loudly with their mouths open.

The noise bothered me. Was this how Alan felt when we ate together?

"Eat slowly and with your mouth closed!" I scolded them.

"Yes, sister Rose!" They all said in unison and ate slowly with their mouths closed.

I ate my food too and sharpened my hearing, trying to understand the conversations around us; this is a great place to get interesting information. There seems to be a conversation going on right now.

"Did you hear the latest news?"

"No, I don’t which news?"

"Much of Cathedral City was destroyed!"

"I don't believe that!"

"It's true, the Institute of Magic is gone, most of the soldiers are dead and there's a giant crater in the middle of the city!"

"How did this happen? That place is a fortress!"

"There are many strange stories, they say that the Institute of Magic was experimenting on an angel, but the angel managed to escape and unleashed his divine fury on the city, others say that a huge explosion happened out of nowhere and the explosion took the shape of a flower."

"Like one with the wings and the halo on the top of their heads?"

"I'm not sure, according to the survivors it looked more like an angel from hell."

"What about the flower-shaped explosion?"

"Probably a hallucination caused by panic."

"How did the Lords let this happen?"

"None of them were in town at the time, but one thing they assured, two of Midgard's biggest criminals died in the chaos."

"Which criminals are we talking about?"

"Rose, better known as the Pink Eyed Witch, and the magic user known as Alan, they did not find a single piece of them, probably reduced to ashes by the explosion."

"Hm… Well done, two less criminals to worry about."

I turned my attention back to my food. So does that mean they think I am dead? Good to know, it is less trouble for me. Moreover, Alan… He probably went back to heaven.

Who knew he was an angel? He was too weird to be a normal person. What is he doing now? Probably trying and failing to get some angel girls into his bed, damn virgin.

Wait a minute, can angels fuck? Does he even have what it needs? Well, that would explain why he never tried to get a girlfriend, poor guy.

"We are done!" The sisters said, smiling at me with their mouths full of crumbs.

"Great, then let's go." I paid for our food and we left the tavern, heading towards the village exit.

"Sister Rose, aren't we going to stay overnight?" One asked confused.

"I don't, but you will." I replied without looking back.

"Sister Rose, what do you mean?" One asked worriedly.

We arrived at the village exit; I stood outside while the sisters stood in front of me side by side.

"Listen, I can't take you with me. Midgard is a dangerous place and I can't take care of you all."

The sisters widened their eyes with tears forming in the corners.

"Why you can’t?" Five asked, stepping forward.

"Did we do something wrong?" Four asked hesitantly.

"You don't love us anymore?" Three spoke, breaking her bored expression and sowing more emotion than before.

"You're not going to leave us, are you? Two asked, looking away.

"Sister Rose, please explain to us! Why are you saying these mean things? Did we do something to anger you? Are you tired of us? We can change and behave better! If the issue is money, we can get a job to help you!" One spoke while the other sisters nodded in agreement.

"That's not the problem!" I answered.

"So what's the problem? Tell us, we can help!" One demanded while approaching me.

"I'm a bad person, okay! I stole and killed innocents because I thought my friend died! I killed hundreds of people for the stupidest of reasons! I should be dead! I deserved to be dead! I have no idea who you are or why you consider me your sister! However, I am the worst person to have as a sister! You deserve someone better!"

It is over. I said it! Now that they know the truth, they will leave me, it's better this way. Suddenly I felt something colliding with my body. It was One. What was she doing?

"This isn't true!" One screamed with tears in her eyes while all the other sisters hugged me.

"You were always the kindest person in the world." Four said.

"You told us stories!" Three spoke.

"You sang to us until we fell asleep!" Five continued.

"You always played with us!" Two responded.

"You cooked the most delicious food for us! You sewed the best clothes for us! You put together the best toys for us! You…" Moreover, the sisters continued, they spoke of how amazing I was.

Nevertheless, I knew that none of it was true, it was fake, a lie. The Rose these girls know and the real Rose could not be more different.

However, would it be so bad to act like the Rose they imagined, to pretend that I always had sisters? Maybe there is no harm in showing a little bit of kindness. A kindness someone showed me a long time ago.

"Fine, you can come with me." I sighed.

"Seriously?!?" One asked as she stopped hugging me.

I nodded in response.

"Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!" The sisters screamed repeatedly.

"Now wipe those tears, we have a place to go." I replied, turning around and walking away from the village with the sisters following me soon after.

"Where are we going, Sister Rose?" One asked.

"We are going to hunt for treasure."

"A treasure?!?" Two screamed and I nodded.

"It is a pirate's treasure?" Four asked.

"No, it’s not." I replied.

"It is s treasure full of jewels and precious stones?" Five asked.

"No." I replied again.

"It is a cursed treasure?" Three asked.

You did not hear what I just said, did you?

"What kind of treasure are we talking about, Sister Rose?" One asked.

"It is a lot of coins." I hope it is still there under the apple tree.

This seemed to cheer the girls up.

"I'm going to buy lots of food and dresses!"

"I am going to buy several dolls!"

"I'm going to buy a sword!"

"I'm going to buy a ship!"

"And you One? What will you buy?" I asked the last girl.

"I’m going to buy a book." One replied embarrassed.

"It is a good choice One." I smiled.

We walked down the road for a while; suddenly I felt One pulling my shirt.

"What’s it?"

"Sister Rose, can I hold your hand?" One asked with pleading eyes.

"Yes, you can." I sighed. 

Slowly One held my hand with a small smile on her face.

"Thank you, Sister Rose." One replied happily.

Rose? I feel like this name does not suit me anymore. Rose died in Cathedral City; I am a new person now, but whom?

I looked at the sister who accompanied me, One, Two, Three, Four, and Five, each of them had a number on their forehead, I, II, III, IV, V, but I had none, 0, zero, Zero.

"One?"

"Yes, Sister Rose?"

"You can call me Zero."

END OF CHAPTER

Chapter Text

It was a busy day in the small village of Generisches Dorf; its inhabitants went about their day-to-day. Soon noon arrived and everyone went to his or her homes or to the tavern, to have lunch. 

A person wearing strange clothes and with a backpack walked among the men and women in the streets, with his head down, hands in his coat pocket, and a hood covering his head.

The person received suspicious looks from the people around him, after all, he was a strange figure in the small village, but the person did not pay attention to it and just walked towards the tavern. 

The sounds of conversation soon stopped when he opened the tavern door, all the men and women stopped talking and watched the stranger.

The stranger walked around the tavern, ignoring the stares sent at him, and sat down at a table in a dark corner with his back to the wall, but with a view to the tavern door. 

The stranger placed his backpack on the floor next to his chair, and put both hands on the table with intertwined fingers and with his head down, the stranger then waited.

"Hello, good day! What will you have today?" A woman, a server at the tavern, asked politely the stranger.

"A bowl of soup, please." The stranger replied emotionlessly without raising his head.

"Leave it to me; your soup will be ready in a few minutes." The server replied before walking away.

After that interaction, the gazes of the tavern regulars left the stranger and everyone went back to their usual conversations. A few minutes later, the server returned with the stranger's soup. 

"Here is it, a nice meal to you!"

"Thank you." The stranger replied.

As the server walked away, the stranger stirred his soup with the spoon, lifting his head slightly; the stranger removed the spoon from the bowl and brought the steaming soupspoon to his mouth, blowing it lightly. 

However, before the stranger could eat his soup, someone kicked the tavern’s doors, almost knocking it off its hinges.

It was a group of guards wearing leather armor with metal plates, there were five in total, and a better-equipped one led the group. 

Everyone looked away, trying to look as small as possible while the leader of the group approached the counter of the tavern, sat down on a stool, and without saying anything, knocked on the counter.

The man on the other side of the counter, presumably the tavern owner, nervously handed a mug of ale to the leader of the group; the leader sipped it, looked around at the startled people in the tavern, and spoke.

"Wow, what silence! I wonder where all that excitement from before went. Well, it doesn't matter at the moment." The leader said with joyfully, and then he got up and walked around the tavern.

"I think you all must be wondering why my friends and I are here. Well, gentlemen, our dear Lords need your cooperation, starting today there will be an increase in taxes."

The eyes of everyone in the tavern widened and their mouths fell open, but no one dared to speak.

"I know; worrying news, but understand this is for your protection, with your tax money the Lords will be able to invest in your safety. Just imagine, more well-equipped guards walking the streets and protecting your homes and families from monsters and criminals!"

"You mean protection against you, that is!" One of the tavern customers exclaimed angrily and this encouraged the other customers.

"That's right! We already pay enough taxes!"

"You are the real threat here!"

"More guards on the street mean more control the Lords have over us!"

This angered the leader of the group and he unsheathed his sword, silencing the tavern.

"Fine, if that's how you fuckers want to play, then so be it, we'll start collecting taxes now! Spew everything you have! And don't even think about disagreeing; imagine what would happen to this small village if I reported your lack of cooperation to the Lords!" The leader said with a smile.

With a nod from their leader, the group of guards collected all the money from the tavern's customers; no one reacted because they knew what happened to people who tried to revolt. 

Eventually, one of the men approached the stranger sitting in the corner of the tavern.

"Spew all you got." One of the guards in the group demanded, waving a bag at the stranger’s face.

"I don't have a lot of money at the moment, just enough to pay for my food." The stranger replied.

"It does not matter! Give me everything you have and you better have more when we come back for the next collection!" The guard demanded once more.

"As I said before, I only have money for this meal, if I give you my money; I won't be able to pay for my food, which means I would have to leave without paying, and that would be a crime, isn't that right, sir guard? Moreover, that means you would have to arrest me, would you? But judging by what you and your friends are doing at the moment, I believe you are not good at your job." The stranger said sarcastically.

"Listen here, you…" The guard grabbed the stranger's arm and forced him to get up, but soon fell silent thanks to the two glowing yellow eyes staring back at him.

"M-mons… AAAHHH!" 

The guard never finished, as the stranger used his remaining hand to grab the guard by the back of the head and smash his face against the wooden table, breaking it in two while the customers jumped back, startled by the display.

"What do you think you're doing? Get him!" The leader of the group ordered, pointing at the stranger with his sword.

The three remaining guards drew their swords and advanced. One of them ran towards the stranger, but the stranger grabbed the chair he sat on earlier and smashed it on the side of the guard’s head.

The guard flew away with wood splinters covering his face before hitting a table where two customers sat, crushing it, and throwing food and drink to the ground. The guard stood there unconscious, probably.

Now there were two guards and the leader left.

"So who will be next?" The stranger asked, assuming a fighting stance.

With a scream of rage, the two remaining guards charged toward the stranger. The first one delivered several slashes toward the stranger, but the stranger moved unnaturally fast and dodged them all, then the stranger punched the guard in the stomach, making him spit blood and saliva. 

The stranger then grabbed the guard by his back, sinking his fingers into the armor due to his strength, and forced the guard to bow down; the stranger then pulled his right leg back and threw it forward, kneeling the guard's nose.

CRACK!

"AAAHHH!" The guard screamed in pain.

The sound of the guard's nose breaking echoed through the tavern as blood flowed like a river from his now crushed nose.

"You fucking bastard!" The last guard shouted as he raised his sword and charged.

The stranger upon seeing this lifted the guard above his head and threw him towards the advancing one. 

The two flew away until they hit a wall and slid to the ground, the guard recovered from the blow, but the last thing he saw was the sole of the stranger's boot heading towards his face before everything went dark.

"You are the only one left now." The stranger said to the leader of the guards as he approached with slow steps.

"Stop, you know who I am?" The leader demanded, but the stranger still approached.

"I am a loyal servant of the Lords! Do you know what they will do if something happens to me?"

However, the stranger kept coming closer.

"That's right; they'll tear this place apart until there's nothing left! And soon they will come after you!" The leader said with a desperate smile on his face.

"They will only destroy this place if they find out what happened here. I doubt the Lords will believe that one person beat the guards, but perhaps they will believe you because you are of a higher rank. That means all I have to do is shut your mouth, permanently." The stranger replied.

The leader understood what the stranger meant, so he looked around for something to get him out of this situation. 

The leader then saw the server from the tavern close to him and faced her with a cruel smile as the scared server tried to walk away, but the leader grabbed her by the arm and put her in front of himself with a sword on her neck, using her as a shield.

"Stop or I'll finish her off!" The leader screamed while smiling confidently.

The stranger stopped, considering his options.

"That's right, stay still, now surrender!" The leader shouted, but he failed to notice something.

The stranger's backpack in the corner of the tavern slowly opened and a hand came from inside it. The hand sneaked through the tavern unnoticed as it moved through the shadows and slowly approached the leader holding the server as a hostage.

"Didn't you hear what I said? Surre… AAAHHH!" 

Suddenly, the hand grabbed the leader's leg with strength and pulled it to the side, almost breaking it, causing the leader to lose his balance and let go of the server. The hand then retreated to the backpack before anyone noticed it.

Seeing that the server was safe, the stranger rushed forward at great speed, grabbed the leader by his face, and smashed the back of his head against the tavern counter. 

The strength of the blow was such that the left and right parts of the counter rose from the ground and the leader’s head became a red paste in the end.

"Looks like its over." The stranger said as he looked around. 

The tavern went silent as everyone looked at him in fear, wondering what will be his next action.

The stranger walked around the tavern, picking up the bags of coins that the guards used to collect taxes. There were four bags in total, filled with coins forcibly taken from the people in the tavern, the stranger placed three bags on the counter and took one for himself.

"Do you mind if I have one?" The stranger asked the people in the tavern.

Everyone quickly shook his or her heads.

"Thank you, I'm grateful for that." The stranger replied, bowing in gratitude.

The stranger then picked up his backpack and walked out of the tavern, handing some bronze coins to the server he saved.

"Thanks for the soup, it was delicious." The stranger said as the server nodded in thanks.

The stranger opened the tavern doors and backed away slightly as the sunlight hit him; the stranger looked out of the tavern from left to right, then lowered his head and walked away.

-XXXXXX-

Damn it, all I wanted was to travel without attracting attention, now look what happened! Why I cannot go five minutes without anything bad happening? 

It does not matter now, what is done is done; now I just need to reach the next town or village without causing problems.

"Lord Alan, are you well?" Noir asked as Rubrum and he floated out of my backpack.

"Yes, I am, why the question?" I replied without paying much attention.

"It is not that I'm questioning your actions, but I've noticed certain changes in your behavior. You became more aggressive, quiet, and impatient, and the recent actions in the tavern confirmed my assumptions. You did not hesitate to use violence and kill, and you took one of the bags containing the coins taken from the village population. I will ask one more time, are you well?"

I took a deep breath as I thought about what Noir just said, and he was right.

“I don't know Noir." I whispered back.

"I'm sorry, Lord Alan, but I don't understand. Could you repeat it?" Noir asked politely.

"I don't know." I whispered again.

"I don't understand, Lord Alan." Noir spoke again, leaning in my direction.

"I DON'T KNOW, FINE? I DON'T KNOW!" I screamed in rage, quickly turning towards him while stomping the ground, cracking it and creating a dust cloud.

Noir and Rubrum floated away from me, scared by my reaction, and I soon realized what I had done.

"I'm sorry. Noir, Rubrum, I'm sorry." I muttered ashamed while averting my gaze.

"Don't be sorry Lord Alan; I am the one that should apologize. I touched a sensitive subject due to my boldness. I will remain silent for the rest of our journey if you allow me." Noir said, bowing down while Rubrum nodded.

"Wait, Noir… I… I… I do not know exactly what is bothering me… There is a feeling of frustration burning inside me… A feeling of emptiness… I know this is due to Rose's death, but still, the feeling will not go away. This anger I have because of everything that happened… I do not know what to do with it. Should I forget it? Accept or embrace it? Instead of going to the Land of the Forests, should I seek revenge on the Lords? Revenge for Rose's death? I do not know what to do Noir… I don't know what to do…"

Noir created a hand and put it on my shoulder; I raised my head to look at him.

"Lord Alan, I won't dare say I have the solution to your problem, I won't dare say I know what you're feeling, but please, understand what I am about to say. I also feel outraged by everything that happened; Miss Rose did not deserve that. But please, don't seek revenge, we need to rest after everything that happened, let's go to the Land of Forests to get some peace and then we'll see what to do from there."

Rubrum then threw herself against my chest. Was she trying to hug me? I do not know if that is it, but I returned the gesture, embracing her.

"Thank you, to both of you. Come here Noir." I said, opening one of my arms and inviting the black book in for a hug.

"Lord Alan, I am not worthy of…" Noir stammered, but I did not let him finish and pulled him into my embrace.

"Shut up and enjoy the moment." I replied.

"I… I… I'm glad you're feeling better, Lord Alan."

"Thank you, to both of you, again." I replied.

We left the hug and walked down the road again, and our journey took us to a familiar place full of memories.

-XXXXXX-

I never thought I would return to this place, I thought as I looked at the entrance of the city of Cagliamola. The city had not changed at all. 

I entered the first alley I found as soon as I passed through the gates. It is better this way, we would have serious problems if someone found out who I am, although it would be difficult due to my new appearance, but I prefer not to risk it.

"Lord Alan, where do we go from here?" Noir asked from inside my backpack.

"Let's take a little break from our trip, Noir. It's getting dark, and I'd like to go to a certain place." I replied.

I walked through the alleys, seeing some people walking through the streets going about their lives, and I heard some interesting snippets from these people.

"…Did you hear what happened in Cathedral City…"

"…An angel… Giant flower…"

"…The two were presumed dead…"

So does that mean I am dead? This is perfect! Moreover, do they think I am an angel? Honestly, I look more like a monster. 

I stopped listening and walked away until I got to where I wanted to be, our old house.

I looked around, it was late and there was no one on the streets, so I put my hand on the doorknob and to my surprise, it opened. I removed my hood and stepped forward.

"I am home." I said but no one answered.

I looked around and saw that someone ransacked our house, probably the guards who came to arrest us. I took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, this will take so much time to clean.

I lifted the kitchen table and put it in its correct place, but I saw something in my fingers when I took my hands off it. I dragged my index finger across the table and then rubbed it on my thumb.

"Dust, how long has this place not been cleaned?" I put my backpack in a corner of the kitchen, went to a closet, and pulled out a broom and a cleaning rag.

"Lord Alan, where are we? Oh!" Noir asked as he floated out of my backpack with Rubrum beside him.

"Yes, Noir, we are back. Can you guys help me clean this place up?" I asked sadly, giving the two books a nostalgic look.

"Yes, Lord Alan." Noir answered and Rubrum nodded in confirmation.

Firstly, I removed the dust and cobwebs from the ceiling of every room, meanwhile, Rubrum used her magic to float the cleaning cloth and remove dust from the furniture while Noir washed the dishes.

Then I swept the dust on the floor while Rubrum cleaned the windows and Noir took out the garbage. The house was sparkling clean when we finished, and now only one thing remained. 

I entered our old bedroom, running my hand nostalgically over the table where I studied and the empty shelf where I kept my books until I sat down on my old bed.

"Noir, Rubrum, we will stay overnight." I said with a noticeable tone of sadness and longing in my voice.

"Lord Alan, you have…" Noir did not quite finish. 

I just stared at him and Noir went silent, I do not know what kind of look I had on my face, but Noir did not question me further.

"As you wish, come on Rubrum, let's rest." Noir said as Rubrum followed him. The two floated towards the bookshelf and took their usual spot.

I took off my boots, lay down on the bed, and stared at the ceiling. Seconds passed, minutes passed, and when an hour passed, I realized something, I could not sleep, I was sleepy but I could not sleep, that feeling of emptiness did not allow it. 

I do not know how much time passed, but after tossing and turning in bed, I finally fell asleep.

-XXXXXX-

I woke up to the sound of people walking through the streets, better get up soon and prepare breakfast, I do not want to be late for work, so I got up with a long yawn.

"Good morning Rose!" I said while looking at the bed across the room, but no one answered, there was no one there, and then I remembered everything that had happened.

I lowered my head and saw something dripping on the sheets, so I brought my hand to my face and saw that I was crying. 

Take a deep breath, Alan, this is not the time to cry, Rose is dead and nothing will change it, you need to move on.

I threw my feet out of bed only to feel an excruciating pain, my feet burning to the sunlight streaming in through the window.

"AAAHHH!" I jumped back on the bed with a pained cry only to slam the back of my head against the wall.

I shook with rage, take a deep breath Alan, and take a deep breath… I HAD ENOUGH! 

I quickly got out of bed, cringing in pain as the sunlight hit my body, and paced left and right, not knowing what to do.

"Lord Alan, has something happened?" Noir asked, Rubrum and him waking up thanks to my agitation.

"I AM TIRED OF THIS! EVERYTHING WENT WRONG; A BUNCH OF TUGS ATTACKED US DURING THE NIGHT! I SHOULD NOT HAVE LET THE ONE THAT SURVIVED GO AWAY; I SHOULD HAVE STEPPED ON HIS HEAD UNTIL THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT! NEXT, ROSE AND I BECAME WANTED CRIMINALS AND THE GUARDS CHASED US OUT OF OUR HOUSE AND ALL OVER MIDGARD! THEN ROSE CAUGHT A DEADLY PLAGUE AND THEY TOOK US TO CATHEDRAL CITY, WHERE WE WERE BOTH TORTURED DAILY BY ORDER OF THE LORDS! THE LORDS! THAT IS IT! WHEN I LEAVE, I WILL GO AFTER EACH ONE OF THEM! I WILL RIP OFF THEIR HEADS AND PUT THEM ON PIKES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CATHEDRAL CITY!"

"I understand, but then what?" Noir asked me.

"AND THEN, AND THEN, I… I… I… AAAHHH!" I punched the wall next to me in frustration, shaking the house and leaving my fist imprint on it.

"I don't know Noir; I just want to go home now. Nier and Yonah, they are one of the few things I have left now, but I have no idea how to get back and even if I did, look at me. Would they recognize me? Am I still considered human, Noir?" I asked as I turned toward Noir and Rubrum.

"Lord Alan I…" 

I raised my palm in front of Noir, interrupting him.

"Sorry if this might sound rude Noir, but I don't want to talk right now, I need time to think. I just want you to know that you did nothing wrong, thanks for trying to comfort me."

"If that's what you want. I won't question it but don't keep these matters to yourself, Rubrum and I are here if you want to talk." Noir said as Rubrum nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, now let's go." I replied with a shaky smile.

I put on my boots, Noir and Rubrum entered my backpack, and together we left our house. I closed the door behind me and gave a last goodbye to this place; I will probably never come back here.

I walked through the alleys of Cagliamola again, slowly approaching the exit of the city, but someone bumped into me when I left the alleys followed by the sound of something falling.

Looking down, I saw a short man, slightly fat and wearing quality clothes, but not to the point of looking like a noble, there was also a wooden box lying on the ground next to him.

"I am sorry, here, let me help." I said, holding out my hand to him.

"Thank you, young man." The man replied, accepting my help, but his eyes widened for a moment when he looked at my face.

"Is there a problem?" I asked, helping the man to his feet.

"Your eyes are scary." The man said bluntly, but he realized what he had said and apologized right after.

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant…" The man stuttered but I did not let him finish.

"Do not worry, I understand." I said as I picked up the wooden box and handed it back to him.

"Thank you, young man, if it's not a bother, can you help me get the other boxes into my wagon?" The man asked, pointing to his wagon next to the exit of the city.

Looking to my right, I saw a typical old west wagon, the ones with the white fabric canvas on top, better known for appearing in cartoons.

"Hm... I am fine with it.” I shrugged.

"Thank you very much!" The man replied happily.

Therefore, we put several wooden boxes on the back of his wagon.

"Tell me, young man, what is your name?" The man asked in the middle of our work.

"Hm... My name is K. Josef K. at your service!" I replied after a few seconds of silence.

"Nice to meet you, Josef, my name is Augusto!" Augusto spoke, bowing slightly.

"It is nice to meet you, Augusto! If you don't mind me asking, where are you taking those boxes?" I asked, returning the gesture.

"Oh, there is no problem with it! I'm a merchant you see, so I am taking these boxes with my products to try to sell them in the Land of Forests."

I almost fell to the ground with that statement.

"Are you serious? Tell me, would you mind taking me with you?"

"Young man, I appreciate you helping me carry the boxes, but I'm not the most appropriate person to take someone on a trip. Not to mention, of course, that we just met."

"I can pay for the trip." I said, showing him the bag of coins I got from the tavern.

"Hm... Three gold coins!" Augusto exclaimed, raising three fingers.

"I will give you one gold coin!" I replied, raising my index finger.

"Two gold coins!" Augusto answered, approaching me.

"I will give you one gold coin and one silver coin!" I replied, approaching too.

"One gold and three silver coins!" Augusto approached again.

"One gold and two silver coins!" In addition, I returned the gesture in the same coin until we were face-to-face.

"Done!" Augusto screamed, smiling and offering a handshake. I accepted it, shaking his hand vigorously while returning the smile. 

So together, we made our trip to the Land of Forests.

-XXXXXX-

Nothing interesting happened during the trip to the Land of Forests, Augusto and I spoke a little, and at one point, he asked why I wanted to go to our destination. I said that I was a land surveyor hired by the Lord of the Land of Forests and that I headed towards his castle.

Augusto didn't ask me what a land surveyor was, in fact, he hardly spoke to me when I said I served of a Lord, I think it's better that way, the less I have to say about myself the better.

Eventually, we reached the Land of the Forests and the books did not lie about this place, trees the size of buildings, dense foliage that blocked out the sunlight, and thanks to my improved senses I saw things moving among the trees, little dots of light floating far, they must be the fairies.

According to Augusto, we are in a region of the Land of Forests, formerly called Italy. Hm... Maybe I will pay a visit to Rome. Suddenly, I snapped out of my thoughts thanks to the strong smell of smoke attacking my nose.

"Augusto, what is happening?" I asked, poking my head out of the wagon.

"It must be another attack!" Augusto replied worriedly.

"An attack from what, can you tell me?" I asked again, raising an eyebrow.

"From the Lord of the Land of Forests, he orders attacks on villages of elves and other non-humans to drag them to his castle, these people are never seen again." Augusto finished in a somber tone.

"Hm... Thank you for everything Augusto, but I believe we must depart here!" I said politely while giving him his payment for the trip, jumping out of the wagon and running towards the smoke.

"Wait, what you are doing?" Augusto screamed, but I did not stop.

I am tired of just running away and reacting, maybe if I finally take the initiative things will get better, and maybe I can find the answers to what bothers me so much.

-XXXXXX-

The village of Lyllenas burned in flames as the forces of the Lord of the Land of Forests killed everyone in their path. 

Some elves fought back using their superior speed to dance among the soldiers and slash them with their daggers while others climbed the trees and used their extreme precision to rain arrows from above toward the soldiers below.

However, that was not enough. What the elves had in skill the soldiers had in numbers. The Lord's forces slowly overwhelmed them with elves dying on all sides.

An elf carrying her daughter escaped the village amid the chaos, but two soldiers chased her through the woods. 

Suddenly, she fell to the ground upon hitting something. Looking up, the elf flinched at what she saw, two bright yellow eyes staring down at her.

"There you are… AAAHHH!" One of the soldiers chasing the elf spoke before a Dark Spear pierced his heart, courtesy of the black book floating on the right side of the yellow-eyed stranger.

"Who are you… AAAHHH!" The second soldier never finished as the red book on the stranger's left side fired a red magic orb at the soldier’s head, blasting it away.

The elf hugged her daughter tighter and crawled away from the stranger after seeing this display of power; however, the stranger approached the two and extended his hand.

"Are you two okay?" The stranger asked gently.

The elf tilted her head to the side, confused by the stranger's question.

"Are you two okay?" The stranger asked once more.

"Yes, we are." The elf replied as she accepted the stranger's hand and stood up.

"Great, go find somewhere safe, I need to solve this inconvenience." The stranger replied as he walked past the elf. 

The book on the stranger's right side opened and a weapon's handle came out, the stranger pulled the handle, revealing a great ax. The stranger held the ax with both hands and approached the elf village.

"I hope this works; I haven't had the opportunity to figure out how these things work."

Suddenly, two bulges formed underneath the stranger's clothing, increasing until the back of the stranger's clothing ripped open, revealing a pair of dark wings.

"Shit, those clothes were new!" The stranger screamed in frustration.

“It's like having a second pair of arms. Are you two ready?" The stranger said, lightly flapping his wings and asking the books beside him.

"Yes, we are ready." The black book answered while the red book nodded.

The stranger flapped his wings after hearing the answer and launched himself upward, disappearing into the dense foliage above.

-XXXXXX-

"Forward men, wipe out these disgusting elves and take the survivors back to our Lord!" The human male wearing the most ornate armor or the group ordered.

The other soldiers behind him raised their swords in the air with a war cry while some threw torches towards the elves' tree houses, burning them to the ground.

The cornered elves, those who stayed to fight, could only buy time for the others to flee.

The commander of the soldiers then raised his sword while looking towards the skies, ready to inspire his men.

"Advance, victory will be… What?" The commander stopped when he noticed something strange in the sky, a shadow formed in the foliage, slowly growing more and more. 

The commander's eyes widened when he realized that this was not just a shadow, it was a person, and that person fell in his direction.

"Enemy attack… AAAHHH!"

CRASH!

The commander was unable to order his men, as a metallic spike stuck between the blades of a great ax pierced his head, crushing it against the ground. The blow cracked the ground and raised a large dust cloud; everyone saw what had happened when it dissipated.

A stranger wearing a hood and with two wings coming out of his back held the ax. The stranger took off his hood, revealing his gray-skinned face, night-dark hair, and piercing yellow eyes. 

The stranger removed his ax from the commander's corpse with a wet sound of blood and ripping flesh.

"So, who will be the next one?" The stranger asked as two books slowly floated down from the sky and stood beside him.

END OF CHAPTER

Chapter Text

“Sister Zero, is this the place?” One asked me as we stopped in front of an old shack.

Dried blood stained the grass in front of it and with several destroyed trees behind us, signs of the fight that happened here in the past.

"Yes." I replied, opening the shack door and accidentally ripping it off the hinges due to my newly gained strength.

“Sister Zero, what have you done? The owners of this shack will be furious!” Four said worriedly, looking at what remained of the door in my hands.

“Don't worry, I know the owners, they won't mind.” I replied, throwing the door away and entering the shack with my sisters following me.

“This place needs cleaning.” Five said, dragging her finger across a table and frowning at the dirt on her finger.

“It looks haunted.” Two spoke, looking around scared.

"I think we shouldn’t be here, we broke into someone's house." Four spoke worriedly in the doorway.

I walked towards the bedroom, ignoring the girl’s comments, and opened the door, finding a small room with a small bed and a chair beside it.

“Sister Zero, why are we here?” One asked, entering the room and stopping beside me.

“I just wanted to see something.” I replied, approaching the bed and seeing the dried vomit stains on the floor and sheets. I frowned at the sight, but quickly shook my head, sending the thoughts away.

"What happened here?" One asked again.

“A sick person lived here a long time ago, she died.”

"Who was that person?"

“It doesn't matter, that person died a long time ago. Come, we need to find the treasure.”

One looked dissatisfied with my answer but followed me anyway. We found Three staring at us intensely as we walked out of the room

“Two souls bound together by fate, this was their place of death, but it led them to their place of rebirth.” Three said emotionlessly.

Okay, I am scared now; I did not know kids could be so creepy.

“Right…”  I said hesitantly.

“Three, what do you mean by that?” One asked confused.

Three stopped staring at me, walked towards me, and hugged my leg.

"Carry me, I'm tired." Three said as if nothing happened.

I shrugged, sighed, and sat Three on my left arm while she laid her head on my shoulder, wrapping her arms around my neck right after. I also noticed that One stared at Three angrily.

"What, are you jealous?” I smiled.

"N-no, of course not, I'm too old for that!" One said, looking away in shame.

“HAHA! If you say so, all of you come with me!” I called all the girls.

My sisters and I left the shack and went to its backyard where we saw a big apple tree.

“Listen, this is the spot.” I said, pointing to the ground in front of the apple tree. The sisters' eyes widened and they jumped with excitement.

“Now all I need is your help digging…” I did not finish, as Two ran past me and dug with speed and strength a child should not have, throwing chunks of dirt everywhere.

"I found it!" Two screamed walking away covered in dirt while Five and Four ran towards the dug hole, pushing each other along with Two.

"I want to see it!/Where are the coins?/I dug the hole, so I’ll see the treasure first!” The three screamed simultaneously.

"One, please hold your sister for a minute." I said, handing Three to One, who almost fell backward with her sister's weight.

"Excuse me." I said, walking past Five, Four, and Two.

Looking into the hole, I saw three bags full of bronze, silver, and gold coins, everything seemed to be there. Therefore, I walked away from the hole with the bags in my hands.

“So this is the treasure?” One asked.

“Yes, have a look.” I said, crunching down and opening one of the bags for my sisters to see, and her eyes widened at the sight.

"This is a lot of money!/We are rich!-Think of all the things we can buy with it!” Five, Four, and Two said respectively, as One looked concerned.

“Sister Zero, are you sure we should take this money? It seems dangerous to walk around with all that.”

“Don't worry One, if anyone tries to rob us, they'll end up with broken bones.” I smiled smugly.

“Sister Zero!” One scolded me.

"Sister Zero doesn’t need to worry, One, she has us to protect her after all." Four said proudly, putting her hands on her hips while puffing out her chest.

“That's right, if anyone tries to get their hands on our big sister, they'll have to face me first! YAH!" Two screamed, punching the apple tree.

To my surprise, the apple tree shook with the strength of Two's punch; apples fell to the ground as the imprint of her fist stood on the wood. They are not normal kids.

“Did you see that, Sister Zero? I can protect you!” Two said happily, flexing her arms.

“Sister Zero, I give you my word that I will protect you, I will not allow any harm to come to you.” One said, approaching me with a determined look

“Thanks One, but you shouldn't worry about that kind of thing, you're just a kid." I said, petting her head.  One pouted, flushing in embarrassment.

“I am not a child!” One exclaimed, crossing her arms and looking away.

"HA! Of course, you are not." I laughed, taking Three from One's arms.

“Sister Zero, where are we going now?” Five asked.

“Hm… Let me think."

This is a good question. Where should we go, to any of the Lands of Midgard? No, I am a criminal, even though they declared me dead. I will be in trouble if anyone sees my face, and the flower in my eye does not help.

Traveling long distances is not an option, especially with five kids accompanying me. I think we will stay in the Cathedral City region, which is not ruled by any Lord, but in a border town. If something goes wrong, we can quickly flee to another Land.

"We'll travel a little, Five."

"We will travel, to where?" Five asked.

“Yes, we will search for a place to live. So come on, all of you, let’s find a home!” I said, walking away from the shack with my sisters following me.

"Yes, that's right! We’ll live in a big house!" Five said.

“We will live in a house with a big garden for us to play in!” Two continued.

“We will live in a house overlooking the sea!” Four finished.

Three still slept while One held my free hand.

“And you One? How would you like our home to be?” I asked the girl.

“I don't care as long as it's a quiet place.” One replied.

"I see... A little bit of peace would be nice. You don't like noise, do you?"

One shook her head.

"Don't worry, we'll find a quiet place to live." I smiled at One and she returned the smile.

We walked through the forest towards the dirt road, a comfortable silence forming around us, while the girls observed with interest the forest and animals that occasionally passed by.

However, I noticed something wrong. One searched for something with a confused look on her face.

“One, is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing, Sister Zero.” One said, pretending everything was fine.

“One, you're not fooling anyone. What's wrong?"

“Well, Sister Zero, I don't know how to say this without worrying you, but…” One hesitated.

"But?"

“Don't you get the feeling someone is missing?” One asked.

"Someone missing, all of our sisters are here." I said, looking at Five, Four, and Two who accompanied us.

“I know, Sister Zero, they're not the ones I'm talking about. It’s someone else who is missing.” One exclaimed.

“Who is missing, exactly?”

"I don't know and that is the problem! We do not remember anything about our parents, and as if that was not enough, now I have the feeling that someone else is missing. What is happening?" One asked worriedly.

“I don't know One. I recommend that you do not pay attention to it. You may not remember these people, but I’m still here with you, am I not?” I smiled at One, trying to comfort her.

“I think you're right, thank you.” One smiled back.

"You're welcome."

Therefore, we walked in silence again. Someone missing, the only person I can think of is... No, it must not be possible; they have never met him. They must be talking about someone else.

Probably a friend of their supposed parents, I do not think it is impossible, after all, they consider me their older sister for some reason.

These girls become a bigger mystery every day, but that does not matter now. What matters is finding a safe place for us to live, and maybe I can have a little normality in my life that way.

-XXXXXX-

We found a place to live, near the port town of Doveport. It was a two-story wooden house with a front porch, located away from the town and on a grassy plain overlooking the sea.

Someone abandoned the house, and it took some time, but we got it in better condition, going to Doveport just to buy food or essentials for everyday life.

The girls looked amazed when we went to the city for the first time; they asked one question after another about the city and its inhabitants.

Four wanted to see the ships in the harbor, Two wanted to play with the other children, Five wanted to visit all the restaurants and patisseries in town, and Three and One wanted to visit different shops and merchant stalls in search of books.

Three also asked me to buy her a doll; she clung to the thing as if the doll were her daughter.

All seemed fine for a while until a problem arose. Money, we could not live with our "treasure" forever, and the taxes increasing every day only worsened the situation, fucking Lords.

I got desperate until One came up with a suggestion.

“We could sing for the people.” One said happily.

"Sing, since when can you sing?” I asked.

“Sister Zero, we always knew how to sing.” Four replied.

“After all, it was you who taught us.” Three said, hugging her doll.

“I don't remember teaching you that.”

“Oh! Sister Zero, how forgetful you are, you always sang to us and taught us how to, when we grew up.” Five said.

“How about we show you?” Two continued.

Then they did something that surprised me, they sang, they sang like it was something natural to them like they had sung for years, not one of them was out of tune.

They all sang in harmony, and I sang too for some reason. I do not know how it happened, but it felt right and natural to me.

Therefore, I put on my hooded robe and we went to Doveport together. We stopped in the town square and sang. People crowded in front of us immediately.

They threw coins into a small wooden box that I placed next to us. Everyone applauded and asked for more in the end. It worked like magic every day.

-XXXXXX-

Time passed and new challenges arose, the first being my increasing strength, speed, and senses. It was hard to do everyday chores, but I managed to control my strength after weeks of breaking doorknobs, cups, and plates.

The second challenge... Well, let us just say I learned how to take care of five children the hard way.

“Get in that bathtub now!” I screamed, forcing a mud-covered Two into the wooden bathtub.

It rained and Two thought it would be a good idea to jump in all the muddy puddles she found outside.

"I don’t want to!" Two screamed, spreading her arms and legs and holding on to the edge of the bathtub, preventing herself from falling into the water.

"Come on!"

"No!"

That was not working, so I changed my strategy and tickled Two's sides.

"HAHAHA!" Two laughed, losing her grip and falling into the water.

"Nice, now let's get on with your bath." I said, grabbing a soap bar and a brush.

"Damn it!" Two screamed.

"Language!" I said rubbing Two's back.

Eventually, the bath ended and I turned to get a towel, but there was no one there when I turned to the bathtub.

“Two?” I asked, looking around. I saw a series of wet footprints on the floor and the bathroom door opening and closing.

“TWO!” I screamed, running out of the bathroom, only to see a naked Two sticking her tongue out at the end of the hall.

“Come back here you brat!” I screamed, running after her with a towel in my hands.

However, Two was not the only one that gave me trouble.

-XXXXXX-

“Come on Five, open your mouth.” I said, bringing a spoon with medicine toward Five's mouth, but she covered her mouth with both hands and shook her head.

“Come on, the medicine isn’t that bad.” I said, tasting it to show my point, but my face contorted in disgust. I tried to hide it from Five but she noticed and shook her head again.

“Fuck it!”  I pinched Five's arm with my remaining hand.

"AH!" Five screamed and I immediately shoved the spoon into her mouth. Five's face contorted in an expression like the one I made before.

"See, it wasn't that bad." I smile sarcastically.

-XXXXXX-

"How did this happen?" I asked Four.

The kitchen was a mess, with pasta strewn all over the place and a horrible burning smell coming out of a pan.

“I tried to make a cake. I’m sorry sister Zero.” Four said, looking away.

“The important thing is that you're okay. How about I teach you how to bake a cake?” I sighed.

"Seriously?" Four asked with sparkling eyes and I nodded.

Therefore, we spent the afternoon in the kitchen, making a cake for all of us. It was delicious, not bad for the first cake she made.

-XXXXXX-

“Sister Zero?” Three asked, opening my bedroom door.

“Yes Three?” I answered, closing the book I read.

Three entered my bedroom, looking nervous about something while she hid both hands behind her back. Three looked from side to side and slowly removed her hand from behind her back, revealing her doll in one hand and its button eye in the other.

"Did your doll's eye come loose?" I asked and Three nodded.

“Give me the doll.” I said, holding out my hands. Three handed me the doll and the button eye.

I think I can sew it back. I went to a drawer in my bedroom and pulled out a ball of thread and a needle, what followed was one of the biggest challenges I have had in my life.

Getting the thread through the hole of the needle, since the flower in my eye sent my depth sense to hell. Two hours later, I sewed back the eye and returned the doll Three.

"Thank you, sister Zero!" Three smiled, hugging the doll and running out of my bedroom.

-XXXXXX-

One was the easiest to take care of. She was the one who helped me the most with the housework and taking care of our sisters.

That does not mean she did not give me work occasionally, but it was not due to the mess she made, but because One wanted to be by my side at all times.

While I prepared the food.

“Sister Zero, may I help?” One asked as I cooked lunch.

While I went to buy food.

“Sister Zero, I’ll go with you!” One said, putting on her shoes and holding my hand as I prepared to leave the house.

While I used the bathroom.

“Sister Zero, do you need help?” One asked, knocking on the bathroom door.

"Get out of here!" I screamed.

“Okay, just call if you need me.” One said as I heard her footsteps walking away.

One, like Three, was a curious child. Always asking questions and not liking when I did not know the answer.

Nevertheless, I taught my sisters some things, like reading, writing, and basic math. I taught One and One helped me to teach our sisters.

With that, time passed again.

-Spring-

"HAHAHA!" My sisters laughed, running in front of the house through the blooming flowers while I sat on a chair on the porch, watching them. Five then came towards me with something hidden behind her back.

“What do you have there Five?” I asked.

"It is a surprise! Close your eyes and lower your head!” Five said happily.

I did what she asked and felt something in my head. I saw Five smiling in front of me when I opened my eyes and touched the thing on my head. Was that what I thought?

“Is that a wreath?” I asked Five.

"Yes, did you like it?"

“If I liked it? Loved it." I smiled petting Five’s head.

-Summer-

“Sister Zero, look at me!” Two screamed, swimming in the sea.

I took my sisters to the beach near Doveport due to the heat; Four, Five, and One built a sandcastle while Three rested beside me in the shade of a tree.

"I'm watching Two, you swim very well!" I yelled back.

-Fall-

We were at home due to the rain. I gave the girls some paper sheets and colored pencils to draw and pass the time. Four came towards me with a drawing in her hands.

“Sister Zero, look!” Four said, showing me the drawing.

It was a child's drawing, the six of us holding hands in front of our house with the sun in the corner and a blue sky with white clouds, green grass, and flowers on the ground.

However, there was something strange. A person stood under a tree at the back of the drawing, a black being with wings coming out of its back and two books floating beside it.

There are no more doubts now. Somehow, these girls know about him. However, many of my questions went unanswered despite the time we lived together.

How did I come back to life? Why do I have this flower in my eye? Where did these girls come from? Why do they have false memories about me? Moreover, how do they know about him?

“Four, who is this person?”  I asked, pointing to the figure under the tree.

“I don't know, I don't remember drawing that person. But did you like the drawing?” Four shrugged.

“Yes, I like it, do you mind if I keep it?” I asked.

"Of course, I do not mind, sister Zero." Four smiled, took another sheet of paper, and drew in it.

I walked among my sisters scattered around the room and looked at their drawings without them noticing.

In addition, there was that black figure hidden in some corners in all of them. I need to ask them about it at some point, and maybe find out what is going on here.

-Winter-

It snowed outside, One, Two, Four, and Five played in the snow, making snowmen, and throwing snowballs at each other. Except for Three, who stood in front of me as I put winter clothes on her.

“Sister Zero, I think that’s enough.” Three said, her voice muffled by the many layers of clothing I put on her, with only her eyes being visible through it.

“Just one more scarf.” I replied, wrapping another scarf around Three's neck.

“Okay, you can go now.”

Three walked slowly through the snow, only to immediately fall flat on her face.

“I can't move.” Three spoke and I sweated nervously; I think it has better help her.

-XXXXXX-

This life was not that bad in the end,

It was night and I put my sisters to sleep. There were two beds in their room, a big one where Five, Four, and Three slept and a small one where One and Two slept.

"Very well, it is time for you to sleep." I said, placing each one on their bed.

“But we are not sleepy.” Two said.

“Can you tell a story?” Three asked.

“Okay, what story?” I answered.

One then got out of her bed, grabbed a book under it, handed it to me, and went back to her place.

“That story.” One said, covering herself.

“I hope you guys sleep after this one.” I sighed, sitting down on a chair between my sisters' beds and reading the story.

-XXXXXX-

 “…And the end. There, the story is over, time for you to sleep.” I said, closing the book.

“What about our goodnight kisses?” Five asked.

Groaning, I kissed each of my sister’s goodnights on the forehead and headed toward the door.

“Sister Zero?” Four asked.

"What?" I replied irritably.

“Did you look under the beds to see if there are any monsters?”

"Yes, I did." I responded, opening the door.

“And did you find any?” Four asked again.

I stopped for a second, half my body outside the bedroom. I turned toward Four and answered.

"Yes."

SLAM!

I closed the bedroom door behind me and waited outside.

"Three two one…" I counted.

"AAAHHH!" Screams came from inside the bedroom.

"HAHAHA!" I should probably apologize tomorrow, or maybe not, they gave me so much trouble, but I guess it does not hurt to have a little fun.

-XXXXXX-

Everything seemed fine until the day we discovered our power.

We were in Doveport; ending one of our performances. I talked to some of the adults who attended it while my sisters played with some children. Everything was quiet until I heard screaming.

“Let it go, you will break it!”

“Give me that!”

Looking at the source of the noise, I saw Three arguing with a boy. The boy tried to take Three's doll out of her hands and Three pulled it back.

"She is mine!" Three said, raising her fist.

My eyes widened at that. Three will kill the boy with her strength. I ran towards Three and grabbed her fist but with one last pull from the boy…

SNAP!

…The doll split in two. Tears formed in Three's eyes, she opened her mouth and suddenly.

"AAAHHH!" A deafening scream echoed throughout the square.

Windows shattered, the ground cracked, and people grabbed their ears trying to block out the noise, but soon they fell unconscious.  It did not stop there, I saw One, Two, Four, and Five covering their mouths with their hands, but…

“AAAHHH!” Each of them let out a deafening scream. I felt something in my throat; it was as if something crawled up in it, so...

“AAAHHH!” I screamed too, a word popped into my mind during those screams, Intoners.

I do not know how much time passed, but my sisters fell unconscious, so I grabbed each one of them and ran towards our house.  They seemed to be fine; I placed each of them on their beds and went to my room.

What the hell was that? That screams. Where did so much power come from? I wish I had continued my questions, but my vision darkened and I fell onto my bed.

-XXXXXX-

“Sister Zero!”

I woke up to someone calling me; I jumped back on my bed at what I saw as I got up. A small monster covered in purple hair and with arms and legs sticking out from the inside.

“Sister Zero, it’s me, Three.” The monster said.

"Three?" I asked, parting the monster's hair and seeing Three looking back at me.

“Sister Zero, something is wrong with us!” Three said again.

"With us?" Looking around, I saw that all the sisters were in my room and that something was wrong with them.

Four's fingernails were huge, Two held the doorknob of my destroyed door in her hands.

There did not seem to be anything wrong with One and Five. Well, In Five’s case, let us just say a child should not develop that fast, I will need to buy her new clothes.

After seeing this, I could only say one thing.

“What the fuck?!?”

END OF CHAPTER

Chapter Text

-Midgard, Land of the Forests, Village of Lyllenas-

A few seconds had passed since I asked the question; the soldiers around me stared silently as if they had not slaughtered a village a few minutes ago.

Finally, one of the soldiers recovered from his shock and rushed towards me, letting out a war cry and raising his sword.

I quickly severed the arm holding the sword with a swing of my ax and before the soldier registered what happened, I landed a second blow, decapitating him.

This roused the other soldiers; they immediately drew their swords and raised their shields, letting out a series of furious screams.

"FORWARD!"

“AVENGE OUR COMMANDER!”

“KILL THAT BASTARD!”

The first soldier tried to cut me in the chest, I stepped to the side, dodging the attack, and slashed him in the hip, ripping a chunk of flesh, then swung my ax over my head, slashing the soldier in the chest with a spray of blood and sending him to the ground.

A second soldier approached right after. I slashed at him while he raised his shield, but that did nothing to protect him as my blow split his shield and arm in two, then I swung my ax upwards, slicing him from the groin up to the neck.

Two more soldiers approached this time. I lowered my ax on the soldier coming from the right, but he stopped in time, while the soldier on the left advanced, and avoided the blow that split the ground.

Applying more strength, I dragged my ax across the ground while grunting in effort, ripping pieces of earth and throwing them towards the soldier on the left, blinding him.

My show of strength surprised the soldier on the right, paralyzing him with fear. I took this opportunity, advanced towards him, and sank my fingers in his armor.

“AAAAHHH! LET ME GO!" The soldier screamed as I lifted him above my head.

“If that is what you want.” I replied, throwing him at the blinded soldier and sending the two rolling across the ground.

“Noir, take care of the soldiers far away, I will deal with the close ones!” I ordered the book beside me.

“I will do as you wish, Lord Alan.” Noir replied, creating a series of Dark Spears and firing at the soldiers in the distance, piercing them and sending them flying away.

However, more soldiers approached. This was not close to ending, so I ran towards them and slashed everyone I saw in my way.

A soldier tried to cut my head off, so I crouched down and swung my ax low, cutting the soldier's legs off, and stuck my ax in his back when he fell to the ground.

Another soldier approached behind me, so I put my foot on the head of the dead guard, ripped my ax from his back, and pushed the ax handle back, piercing the approaching soldier’s neck with the metal spike in the ax's butt.

Three soldiers bearing great shields rushed at me, trying to bash me while forming a metal wall in my path. I slashed at them, but the shields endured my blows, leaving only slits in the metal.

“Noir, give me a hand here!”

"You can count on me, Lord Alan.” Noir replied, creating a Dark Hand and punching the shield wall.

The punch threw the soldiers off balance, putting their shields out of the way and allowing me to slice through all three soldiers simultaneously.

Five soldiers joined the fight now. I cut two of them in half while Noir pierced another with magic bullets and Rubrum blew the remaining two to pieces with her magic orbs.

However, the soldiers kept coming, ten soldiers this time.

Before I did anything, Rubrum created a magic bubble around her and threw herself toward the soldiers, crushing those that could not dodge in time.

“DIE... ARGH!” Someone screamed behind me.

I stepped back; scared by what I saw when I turned around. It was a perfect copy of myself, with his fist raised and with a red line on the ground connecting the copy to me.

The copy turned around and stared at me, waiting for something.

“Noir, is this your thing?” I asked hesitantly.

“Yes, Lord Alan, this is called Dark Phantasm, a perfect copy of you, capable of helping on the battlefield.” Noir said proudly.

“Hm… I have a Stand now, I'll think of a name for it later."

Now how do I control this copy? Maybe if I concentrate? I focused on making the copy fight and it did just that.

The copy shot towards the soldiers, the red line connecting it to my body stretching as it moved.

The copy punched a soldier in the face, knocking him out, and shot in a different direction, repeating the process of punching soldiers and moving away.

Then copy returned to me at high speed, colliding with my body and disappearing right after. I touched my chest, searching for the copy, but nothing happened, it looked like everything was fine.

“HE IS A MONSTER!”

“HE CAN USE MAGIC!”

“WE DON’T HAVE MAGES HERE?!?”

The remaining soldiers screamed in panic. Most of them retreated, but there were still those wanting to fight.

I cut two soldiers in half with one swing and spun my ax right after, cutting two more in the chest; finally, I raised my ax above my head and brought it down on another soldier's skull, almost splitting his body in two.

I do not know how long I fought, but I kept cutting and cutting. Arms and legs flew everywhere while Noir and Rubrum absorbed the blood.

The books helped me with their magic too, spears cut the air and red spheres exploded the soldiers' bodies. Screams of pain and fear echoed through the forest as the soldiers ran away.

“RUN!”

"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!"

I slammed both of my hands against the ground, using one of Noir's spells, and making several stakes rise from the ground, impaling the fleeing soldiers. Only the furthest away escaped unharmed.

I heard footsteps approaching behind me, so I turned around with my ax raised and saw a soldier, but an arrow came from above and pierced his head before I finished him off.

I saw one of the elves waving at me upon looking in the direction the arrow came from, so I returned the wave, it seemed that the battle was over.

Looking around, I saw that I stood in the center of the village with dead and sliced soldiers scattered on the ground. A few seconds passed with nothing happening and then Noir and Rubrum came to my side.

“Lord Alan, are you injured?” Noir asked worriedly.

“No, Noir, I'm fine, thanks. And you?" I asked back.

"I'm fine, Lord Alan, I just need a moment to restore my magic." Noir replied tiredly.

I nodded in understanding and focused on the other book.

“And you Rubrum are you hurt?” I asked to the red book.

Rubrum floated happily around me; I think she was okay.

Nobody showed up yet and the soldiers left, I guess I should go too as I drew too much attention.

However, an arrow pierced the ground in front of my foot as soon as I took a step forward. I stopped and looked around, gripping my ax harder while Noir and Rubrum readied their spells.

“Get ready, someone is watching us.” I replied said to both books.

I saw something running behind a house out of the corner of my eye, then through the trees, into the space between two houses, and the branches above me.

Four elves holding daggers in each hand appeared around me in the blink of an eye, surrounding me as a few more appeared in the trees, aiming their arrows at me.

I held my ax with both hands as magic flowed through Noir and Rubrum’s pages, looks like I will have to fight my way out of here.

I stepped forward, simultaneously; the elves raised their daggers and pulled their bowstrings, however, a scream interrupted us before we killed each other.

“STOP THIS ALREADY!”

An old and short elf, with white hair and walking with the aid of a cane screamed.

Several elves, male, female, children, and elderly, accompanied him as they entered the village, I also saw the elf I had saved among them.

"But Chief Elyon, you saw what that thing did to the soldiers. What stops us from being the next ones?” One of the elves holding daggers asked, fixing me with distrust.

“And what stops him from killing all of you like the soldiers? What exactly can you do to stop this man?” The chief of the elves, now known as Elyon, said as he pointed at me with his cane.

The elves surrounding me eyed each other hesitantly until they finally lowered their daggers, but the elves in the trees held their ground, ready to fire.

“Please, young man, put your weapon down and let's talk.” Elyon said politely as he approached me.

I did what he asked, is best to avoid animosity between the elves and myself, so I thrust my ax towards Noir and my weapon disappeared within its pages.

“Well, would you mind joining me for a walk?” Elyon asked with a small smile as he nodded his head further into the village.

I nodded back and waited for his reply.

"Perfect, follow me, please." Elyon answered happily.

We walked through the village and the view was not pretty, the trees and houses became piles of ashes, and dead elves and soldiers covered the streets.

The elves disposed of the soldiers' bodies without any kind of care, staring at them with hate, but they cared for the bodies of their friends and family.

Elves rummaged through what remained of the village, collecting everything of value while other survivors gathered and met with their families, exchanging hugs and tears.

However, my presence drew unwanted attention as the elves stopped what they were doing and stared at me as I passed; giving me looks of fear, admiration, distrust, and curiosity, but they immediately looked away when I stared back.

For a moment, I glimpsed the elf I saved and her daughter meeting with a male elf, probably her husband.

“Tell me young man, what is your name?" Elyon asked without looking at me, breaking the silence.

“It is Josef.” I replied, without paying much attention.

“Young man, were you never taught that lying is bad?” Elyon laughed.

“And how do you know I'm lying?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Please, I'm a centuries-old elf. I experienced enough to know when someone was lying to me. So, would you mind telling me your name?”

"Damn it, I wanted to keep my cover! My name is Alan.” I sighed defeated.

“That is it, just Alan?” Elyon asked confused.

"Yes, just Alan, is there a problem with it?” I asked back, crossing my arms.

“No, not at all, and my name is Elyon. Elyon Quintus Pontius Caletus, it is nice to meet you, Alan.” Elyon said, offering a handshake.

“It is nice to meet you too, Elyon.” I replied, accepting the handshake.

“Look at that, what a polite young man, much better than that brat, Nero.” Elyon said sadly.

"Who is Nero?"

“Nobody, forget what I said.” Elyon replied, waving his hand as we returned to our walk.

We walked until we stopped in front of a tree house, bigger than all the others in the village, and far enough away to stay untouched by the fire.

Looking up, I could not see where the tree ended, but saw that the tree had glass windows on its trunk and a wooden door with a welcome mat in front of it.

“Please enter.” Elyon said, opening the door and stepping to the side.

"Excuse me." I said back, wiping my boots on the mat and walking into the house with Elyon closing the door behind us.

It was a comfortable house, with a living room with shelves full of books, a small coffee table with a tea set on it, and two rocking chairs near the shelves.

“Thessalia, are you here?!?” Elyon screamed with a hand on his mouth’s side.

I heard footsteps coming from a wooden staircase that spiraled upwards, built into the walls inside of the tree. An elf, old and short, with hair as white as Elyon, and carrying a pair of daggers came running from that staircase.

“Elyon, you are alive!” The old elf screamed, doing her best to run towards Elyon and hugging him.

“Yes, I am, thanks to this young man and his magical books. They defeated the soldiers and stopped the attack.” Elyon replied, returning the hug.

“Thanks for saving our village and thanks for saving my idiot husband.” Thessalia said, leaving the hug and bowing with difficulty.

My heart almost stopped upon seeing an elderly woman trying so hard

“Please stop, there is no need for that, a thank you is enough.” I said as I ran towards Thessalia and helped her to her feet.

“Oh! What a well-mannered young man." Thessalia said, trying to pinch my cheek, but she could not reach it, and smiling at me.

“Thessalia, don't bother our guest, we have a lot to talk about. Please sit down." Elyon said, leading me into the kitchen where I saw a table with four chairs around it, I pulled one out for Elyon to sit down.

"Thank you." Elyon replied as he sat down, sighing relieved.

“I'm going to make some tea.” Thessalia spoke, walking past us.

She picked up a kettle, opened the lid, and muttered something. A magic sigil appeared above the kettle and poured water inside it, and then she placed the kettle on top of a wood stove made of stone.

“Honey, could you light the stove?” Thessalia asked Elyon.

"Yes, of course dear." Elyon pointed his cane at the wood inside the stove and muttered words that I did not understand.

Another magic sigil appeared at the tip of his cane and a small fireball hit the wood in the stove, igniting it. With the stove lit, Thessalia made tea while Elyon and I talked.

“I guess I should introduce myself properly, you already know my name, but I'd rather try again now that we're in a more comfortable place. My name is Elyon Quintus Pontius Caletus, the chief of the village of Lyllenas, and the beautiful elf standing beside us is my wife, Thessalia Quintus Pontius Caletus.”

“Oh, you flatter me too much.” Thessalia replied as she placed a kiss on Elyon's cheek.

“But it is true.” Elyon replied as he kissed Thessalia back.

I stared at Noir and Rubrum, giving them a questioning look and they both stared back at me.

"If I'm interrupting something, I can come back later." I said nervously to the elf couple, ready to get up from my seat.

“Oh, I am sorry about that! Sometimes we get carried away by emotion.” Elyon said embarrassed while coughing on his hand.

"Don't worry about it, actually I'm glad to see how close you two are, it feels like you've been together for a long time." I replied, waving both hands.

“Two hundred years to be precise.” Elyon replied.

"Two hundred and ten, and do not forget it again!" Thessalia cut him off, pinching his cheek.

"Two hundred and ten and I will not forget it again." Elyon corrected himself tiredly.

“Excuse me if I am being rude Mr. Elyon, but why am I here?” I asked, going straight to the point.

"We will get there; you have to be patient young man. Can I ask you a few questions?”

"Of course you can."

“I know this will seem like a rude question but what are you, Alan? I lived for centuries and met many races in and out of Midgard, but never saw something like you.”

“You may not believe this but I used to be human.”

“Hm… This is hard to believe. How did you get like this?”

"I don't know how to explain it, but it has something to do with Noir and Rubrum here.” I said, pointing at the books.

“Lord Alan took this new form because of us.” Noir said politely with a sad tone in his voice.

"The book can speak!" Elyon screamed as Thessalia and he looked at Noir in surprise.

“Noir can do much more than that, Rubrum can talk too but she rarely does that.” I shrugged.

Rubrum floated around the kitchen and looked at Elyon and Thessalia curiously after I spoke.

“Life does not cease to surprise this old elf, but that still doesn't answer my question.” Elyon said.

“To answer your questions, Mister Elyon, Lord Alan assumed this form when Rubrum and I absorbed as much magic as possible to free him.” Noir replied.

“You're crazy, you don't mess with magic like that, it's a miracle the boy is still alive. And what do you mean with ‘to free him?’”

“Noir, Rubrum, a friend of mine, and I became prisoners in Cathedral City by order of one of the lords.” I replied, flinching when the painful memories came back.

“Poor boy.” Elyon and Thessalia said in horror.

“What happened to your friend?” Thessalia asked worriedly, gripping Elyon’s arm.

I did not answer and looked down in silence.

"I'm very sorry." Thessalia replied, putting a hand on my shoulder.

PPPSSSFFFHH!

Fortunately, the kettle whistling interrupted us, breaking the somber mood.

“The water is ready; do you prefer mint or chamomile tea?” Thessalia asked with a nervous smile, holding a pot in each hand.

“Anyone is fine with me.” I replied, giving her a shaky smile.

“I want chamomile, please.” Elyon replied, sighing tiredly.

Then Thessalia made the tea while Elyon and I talked again.

“Can you tell me what happened next?” Elyon asked, giving me a sympathetic look.

“I escaped my cell thanks to Noir and Rubrum, but we arrived too late to save my friend.”

“Then you are the one responsible for the destruction in Cathedral City.”

“Do you know what happened?”

“The news takes a while to arrive here, but from what I've heard, an angel killed most of the cathedral city's forces and a flower-shaped explosion opened a crater in the middle of the city, you must be that angel.”

“You are right, but I have no idea about the flower.”

"Fair, now tell me Alan, what brought you to Lyllenas?”

“It wasn't my intention to come here, I wanted to escape to a location where the lords wouldn't find me, and so I came to the Land of Forests where I spotted smoke coming from the trees during my trip and decided to investigate. I found the village being attacked, so I decided to help.”

“So it was by chance, we were lucky to have you here.” Elyon said with a dark look, which disappeared with Thessalia’s return.

“The tea is ready!” Thessalia said, holding a series of saucers and cups.

"Let us help you, Miss Thessalia.” Noir said, creating three hands and placing the porcelain saucers and cups on the table while Rubrum used her magic to make the teapot float and poured tea to us.

"Thank you, dear." Thessalia said as she sat down at the table.

 “It’s delicious.” I smile after blowing on the tea and drinking a little.

“I'm glad you liked it.” Thessalia said, returning the gesture.

“Thessalia has a knack for it; no one can make tea better than her.” Elyon said proudly, making Thessalia laugh and blush.

We drank our tea for a while; a pleasant silence took over the kitchen as a light breeze blew through the windows while the noises of the village muffled in the distance until Elyon broke the silence with a sigh.

“Young man, I don't know how to ask you this, you helped us a lot today and have no reason to stay here. We owe you a lot, but…” Elyon suddenly stopped.

“What my husband is trying to ask is if you could stay in the village and help us.” Thessalia said, exchanging a hopeful look with her husband

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Young man, you saw what happened today, we elves surpass humans in skill, but the forces of the lord surpass us in numbers, we would all be dead if it weren't for you. If my wife and I were a few centuries younger we could finish off the soldiers using our magic but that is no longer possible.” Elyon said, extending a hand to his wife.

“So we wondered if you could stay in Lyllenas and help protect the village, I know we have no right to ask that after what you've done, but we're out of options, we won't survive if another attack happens.” Thessalia said as she held her husband's hand tight.

I placed my cup on the table and looked up in thought. Stay here and defend the village? This is not what I want to do in the Land of Forests; I want to find a place where I could get some peace.

I did this village a great favor, however, the way that Elyon and Thessalia look at me hopefully, the way they loved each other… Who knows what would happen to them if I left?

I looked out the window and saw some elves working on rebuilding the village, this is their home and they will die to protect this place. I wish I had that kind of determination.

I then looked at Noir and Rubrum to see if they had anything to say, but they went silent. I guess they expect my answer; these two will follow me wherever I go.

Taking a deep breath, I gave my answer.

"I'll stay here."

The two's posture rose as their eyes widened and they smiled happily.

“But I would like something in return.”

The smiles on their faces diminished with that.

“Something in return… Of course… You will be risking your life for us; we can't expect you to do this for free.” Elyon muttered, averting his gaze.

“What do you want, exactly? We don't have much, but I think if we make an effort we can give you what you wish.” Thessalia completed as she looked worriedly at Elyon.

“I don't want much; but I would like a few things, a haircut, a bath, some food, and a place to live here in the village.” I replied, leaning back on my seat and crossing my arms.

Elyon and Thessalia looked at me in confusion.

"Do you want just that?" Elyon asked.

“We expected something worse.” Thessalia completed.

“There is one more thing I would like to receive.” I replied, raising a finger.

"And what it is?" Elyon asked suspiciously.

“Could you teach me how to use magic?” I asked bowing and joining both hands in a prayer gesture.

Elyon and Thessalia sighed relieved.

“And why do you ask that? You and those books are quite capable of using magic from what I saw during your fight.”

“Yes, but I feel that there is still more to learn. We waste too much magic using spells and do not have a good understanding of magic itself. I also do not know what I can do with my new form. So, could you two train me in how to use magic?”

Thessalia and Elyon looked at each other and then nodded.

"We accept it!" They responded simultaneously.

“Great, then it’s a deal!” I replied, quickly drinking the rest of the tea.

“The tea was delicious! Noir, Rubrum, come on, we have a lot to do!” I said, running towards the door with the two books accompanying me.

"Please wait a moment!" Elyon and Thessalia called me, but I ignored it. I left their house and ran through the village, stopping in its center.

“Noir, Rubrum, let's help the elves rebuild their homes. Noir, can you create more of those copies?”

“Yes, I can, Lord Alan.” Noir replied before creating two more copies that appeared beside me.

"Excellent, Rubrum, I want you to use your magic to move the rubble and help transport building materials!”

Rubrum nodded her head happily.

“Well then, let's get started!” I spoke to the two before approaching a group of elves moving the partially burnt remains of a tree house.

“Hey, let me help!” I said to the group.

The elves looked hesitantly at each other.

"This is not necessary; you've done enough for us." One of the elves answered politely while waving his hands.

“Nonsense let me help you. Where do I put this?” I asked picking up a large piece of wood.

Therefore, Noir, Rubrum, and I spent the afternoon helping rebuild the village. It was tiring but worth the work, helping these people took my mind off the emptiness I felt.

-XXXXXX-

I stayed further away from the crowd of elves in front of me; it would be rude to intrude on what happened. Right now, the elves hold a funeral for those who died during the attack.

The elves wept and prayed in front of the graves of their loved ones. A wooden symbol that I could not identify with any religion I knew stood above each grave as the elven equivalent of a cross.

Elyon gave a speech, but I did not pay attention to what he said, this funeral brought back some bad memories about her death. I shook my head as I sighed, you need to get over this Alan and you cannot let this bother you forever.

"Excuse me." Someone called me out, catching my attention.

I turned around and saw the elf I had saved holding her daughter in one arm while hugging her husband's arm with the other.

"Can I help you?" I replied as Noir and Rubrum paid attention to the funeral.

“I would like to thank you for saving my wife and daughter.” The male elf replied, bowing politely.

“It was no big deal, no need to thank me.” I answered embarrassed, returning the gesture.

“You do not need to be so modest, you did something great today.” The female elf spoke.

“I still don't think you need to thank me so much. By the way, I do not know your names. My name is Alan, and yours?”

“My name is Kesefeon Arruns Sabucius Sosius.” The male elf replied.

“And my name is Sarioch Arruns Sabucius Sosius.” The female elf spoke right after.

“And you little girl, what is your name?” I asked the elf hiding her face in her mother's chest.

I bent down to look at her but she flinched in fear, my face must be scary for a child.

"Come on, you don't have to be afraid, say your name to Mr. Alan." Sarioch said, patting her daughter’s head.

“I am called Narioch, Mr. Hero.” Narioch answered shyly.

“Sarioch, Narioch? Is this a tradition within your family?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, the female side of my family has the tradition of giving their daughters similar names, my mother was called Tarioch and my grandmother was called Karioch.” Sarioch replied.

“And when I have a daughter I will name her Arioch.” Narioch smiled.

“Arioch, it's a good name.” I replied, smiling back.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Hero.” Narioch answered happily.

Hero, I guess I would not mind being one, but it is weird to hear someone calling me that, heroes are something my world needed.

“I heard from the chief that you are going to help protect the village. Is that true?" Kesefeon asked.

"Yes, that's part of the deal I made with him."

“That's good to hear, I look forward to working with you in the future.” Kesefeon replied.

“Are you part of the village defense?”

"Yes, I am." Kesefeon replied proudly.

“Can you give me some advice on how to defend the village?”

“I recommend keeping your eyes and ears open; soldiers have a habit of attacking at night.”

“Night huh… Tell me, do you know any tailors?”

"Yes, I know, why the question?" Kesefeon asked confused.

“I would like to order a special outfit.” I said while smiling from ear to ear.

-Village of Lyllenas, forest, night-

A small group of soldiers walked through the forest towards the village of Lyllenas; they carried a few torches to light the path in front of them. This group sought to deliver a surprise attack on the village while everyone slept.

However, a shadow darted across the group and swept one of the soldiers away as they walked through the woods.

“AAAHHH…” A dreadful silence cut the soldier’s scream.

"What was that?" One of the soldiers asked scared.

“Where the hell did he go?” Another soldier asked. However, none of them saw the shadow that took their friend away.

“We shouldn't have come here.” One of the soldiers spoke, backing away until he hit his back against a tree.

Unfortunately, the soldier did not notice a pair of hands approaching the sides of his head.

“What… AAAHHH!” The soldier screamed as something pulled him up toward the treetops where he disappeared.

The remaining soldiers formed a circle, torches in hand and swords drawn.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?"

“THIS FOREST IS HAUNTED!”

"WE DON'T… AAAHHH!" The soldier never finished as something grabbed his legs and dragged him away toward the darkness.

However, he was not the last one.

"NO!"

"HELP!"

“AAAHHH!”

The soldiers disappeared one by one, hands came from above and pulled them to the treetops, something grabbed their legs and dragged them into the bushes while a large shadow passed by the group and took a soldier away.

Only one soldier remained in the end, the soldier looked around, panicked until he saw something watching him between the trees.

The thing looked like a tall man, wearing a type of dark and quality suit that helped him camouflage among the trees.

“AAAHHH!” The soldier screamed as he ran and hid behind a tree.

He felt something brushing his hair as he leaned against the tree, jumping away, the soldier saw a sheet of paper with a pencil drawing of the creature he saw with word writhen beside it.

“Don't look… Or he'll take you.”

The soldier saw the creature approaching out of the corner of his eye.

“AAAHHH!” The soldier screamed again as he grabbed the sheet of paper and ran through the woods where he found another sheet of paper stuck in a rock.

"HELP ME!"

Unfortunately, the soldier did not have time to think, as he heard footsteps behind him. Quickly, the soldier grabbed the sheet paper and ran away.

Moreover, this happened for a good part of the night, the soldier would run away from the monster and find more sheets of paper with cryptic messages, but the monster would become more aggressive to the point of seeming to multiply with each sheet acquired.

Finally, the soldier acquired seven sheets and found the eighth as he fled through the forest.

"Behind you…"

The soldier shivered as the sound of footsteps closed in, turning around, the soldier saw the monster approaching through the trees.

“AAAHHH!” The soldier screamed as he tried to run left, but the monster stood on his left, so he tried to run right, but the monster stood on his right, so he tried to run forward, but the monster stood in front of him.

No matter where he looked, the monster stood there, getting closer and closer, the soldier closed his eyes and everything went silent. A few minutes passed in total silence, the soldier hesitated for a few seconds until he opened his eyes…

Only to see two glowing yellow eyes staring back at him.

“AAAHHH!”

The soldier screamed one last time before his torch went out and the forest fell silent.

END OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter Text

-Doveport-

“Sister Zero!/What is happening?/Why did my nails grow so long?” My sisters screamed simultaneously.

"Hang on, let me think!" I screamed back, rubbing the sides of my head in frustration.

My sisters went silent immediately while I got up from my bed, rubbing my eyes sleepily. Fuck, it is too early for that and I feel a headache coming!

“Can you girls tell me what happened?” I asked, sighting while holding the bridge of my nose.

“Sister Zero I…/I woke up and.../I don't know how, but..."

"Speak one at a time, damn it!"

My sisters went silent again and exchanged a hesitant look before One stepped forward.

"Sister Zero, we don't know how this happened, I remember something happening in Doveport and us falling unconscious. Suddenly, we woke up like this today." One spoke, gesturing to her sisters and herself.

“That's right, something happened to Three and then to all of us!” Four continued, jumping in her place.

“All I remember is a boy taking my doll away from me, and then…” Three muttered, scratching her hair-covered body confusedly.

"Let's all calm down and then we'll find out what happened. Firstly we'll solve the problem with Three's hair and Four's nails." I replied, still trying to figure out what the hell happened.

“Yes sister Zero!” My sisters answered in a chorus.

Therefore, I held Three in my arms, preventing her from tripping over her own hair, left my bedroom with my sister following me, and sat Three down on the kitchen chair.

“One, can you bring me a pair of scissors?” I asked the red-eyed girl.

“Of course I can, Sister Zero!” One said happily, as she ran away in search of the scissors.

"Don't run with scissors in your hand!" I screamed before she disappeared into a corner.

-XXXXXX-

One returned with the scissors a few minutes later, and then I opened a cupboard in the kitchen, picked up a bowl, and placed it on Three's head.

“I’m just letting you know that I have never cut someone else’s hair before.”

"It is okay, I just want to see where I'm going." Three replied without caring too much.

“If you insist, don't complain to me later.” I shrugged.

Therefore, I cut Three's hair, covering the floor with long purple hair as time passed.

“Look, I have a mustache!” Two laughed as she held a lock of Three's hair under his nose.

“And I have a beard!” Five laughed back as she held a bunch of hair to her chin.

“You two, stop playing with your sister’s hair!”

“Sister Zero, can you cut my nails now?” Four asked ashamed, showing me her enormous nails.

“Of course, sit here.” I nodded, taking the bowl off Three's head and letting her get up.

“How did your nails grow so long?” I asked as Four sat in the chair.

"I don't know sister Zero; I woke up like this, with these big nasty fingernails." Four replied, looking at her nails with disgust while I cut it.

"It's not that bad, you just need to cut them regularly." I answered, holding her hand with care while smiling gently at the girl.

However, I squinted my eyes at the sight when I cut Four's nails, it was barely noticeable, but I am sure that Four's nails grew a little bit right now. I shifted my focus to Three and noticed that her hair was a little longer too.

There is something wrong here, the events in Doveport and my sisters waking up like this are related somehow. I have ignored weird things happening long enough.

-XXXXXX-

I made breakfast for everyone after cutting Four’s nails, but One grimaced upon tasting her food.

"What's the problem?" I asked worriedly, running to the girl's side and placing a hand on her shoulder.

“It is too salty.” One answered with a shaky smile, she tried to swallow the food in her mouth, but her face contorted even more and she spat out her breakfast onto her plate.

Too salty, but this is the same food I prepare every day. I did not do anything different.

"Fine, I ignored this long enough, we have to talk now!” I exclaimed, slamming my hand on the table and making my sisters jump on their seats in surprise.

"What do you mean by that?" One asked confused, wiping her mouth.

"One, you're not stupid, there's something wrong here." I answered, squinting my eye.

One nodded slowly while giving me an understanding look.

“Your memories that don't match reality, your unusual strength, what happened in Doveport and now that? No more pretending that this is normal!”

“But what do you plan to do, sister Zero?” Five asked.

"For now, I will have an honest conversation with all of you. First of all, I don't know where you girls came from, I never had sisters and I never had parents, I don't know which parents you're talking about, but they sure aren’t mine!”

“Sister Zero, that was mean!” Two screamed, pointing at me with a shaky finger.

"I don't care! I am telling the truth, I am a brothel bitch, serial killer, and a criminal who caught the plague. Then I was tortured and executed in Cathedral City. I should be dead, I remember dying, but for some reason, I am here with this flower in my eye! This flower… In my… Eye..." I murmured the last part, reaching my hand towards the flower as I made the connection in my mind.

Damn it, how the fuck did I not think of this before? I saw a mysterious flower before dying and now the same flower is in my eye!

Without speaking, of course, about the five little girls that call me sister and our superhuman strength. Was this flower responsible for everything?

"This is not true!" Four screamed, slamming both hands on the table, almost splitting it in two.

“You must not be feeling well sister Zero, it is better to rest, you are delirious.” Three said worriedly.

“No matter what I say; you won't believe me, will you?” I asked, disappointed with the lack of results.

“I don't know why you are telling such mean lies, Sister Zero, but we know who you are and who we are, we are sisters and we always will be.” One replied happily.

“Tell me something else; do you know someone named Alan?”

My sisters were silent as they stared at each other.

“I feel like I should, that name sounds familiar." One said, deep in thought.

“Who is this person?” Four asked confused.

“Is this the person we feel is always missing?” Five asked as well.

“Hm… He is a mysterious person, a shadow, a blurred memory, yet familiar to us all.” Three muttered cryptically.

"I can't help but feel something when I hear the name." Two said between bites of her breakfast.

“This person, Alan, we lived together for years. And if he were here, he could confirm that what told to you all is true.”

“And where is he?” One asked curiously.

I sat on my chair and leaned back while placing a hand on my forehead and staring at the ceiling.

"I don't know. Please, forget what I said, and let's finish our breakfast.”

My sisters looked at me worriedly before they spoke in unison.

“Yes, Sister Zero.”

CRACK!

Looking towards the source of the noise, I saw Two holding half of a spoon with the other half on the table.

“OPS!” Two said nervously.

“All of us will train in the future, we need to get used to our strength.” I said, tired of this bullshit.

“Yes sister Zero!” My sisters replied again, as if nothing wrong happened.

-XXXXXX-

We spent a few days at home, waiting for things to calm down in Doveport, but we had to go back to work eventually, we needed money after all.

Therefore, we walked around the city backstreets in case someone in the main streets tried something due to what happened, surprisingly, nothing weird happened, until now.

The people in the square applauded us as we finished our usual performance, but something was wrong, people stared at us with huge smiles, and wide eyes and clapped furiously with exaggerated praise.

"BRAVO, LONG LIVE OUR MUSES!”

“WHAT DIVINE MUSIC!”

“PLEASE, GRACE US WITH MORE!”

The people watching us deposited everything they had in my box when we asked for money.  

It started with bronze coins, then silver coins, then gold coins. They handed over their valuables upon running out of coins, necklaces, earrings, and rings; the children even gave their toys to my sisters.

“Please stop, this is not necessary!” I shouted to the audience, but they did not stop.

“OUR MUSE DESERVES ONLY THE BEST!”

“THIS IS A GIFT FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL LADY!”

The audience roared with their big smiles.

Enough, we need to get the hell out of here!

“Thank you for your kindness, but we need to go, we'll be here again tomorrow at the same time!" I said nervously, closing my box, grabbing my sisters, and running out of there.

However, I noticed the audience's gaze following us as we ran, their heads turned in our direction with fixed gazes and big smiles. I felt relieved when we turned a corner and a house blocked the audience's view.

“Sister Zero, what was that?” One asked with a trembling voice, disturbed by what happened.

"I don't know." What the fuck was that? What happened to those people?

“I didn't like the way they looked at us, it was scary!” Two muttered, shaking in my hands.

"I know, Two." Did we cause this? Does this have anything to do with what happened?

"We're not coming back here tomorrow, are we?" Five asked scared while holding my leg.

Good question, will we? That people freaked me out, but we will lose a source of income if we stop coming here.

Looking down, I saw all my sisters looking at me worriedly. Come on; think of something to get out of this situation!

“Listen, how about we put this aside and get something to eat?” I asked softly, bending down and offering a reassuring smile.

"Are you serious?" Three asked with a slight sparkle in her eyes.

“Can we have cake?” Four asked hopefully.

"Of course we can!" I said, patting Four head and making the girl blush ashamed.

Then I took my sisters to the bakery or pastry shop, whatever it was, I just wanted to stop to understand what happened.

-XXXXXX-

We found a place that served cakes and pastries and sat at a corner table. I thought about what happened while my sisters ate without a care in the world.

“Aren't you going to order something?” The server asked, raising an eyebrow

"No, I am not hungry." I replied, without paying attention.

“You seem to be lost in thought.” The server pressed on, giving me a mischievous smile.

“You can say so.” What the hell does she want, fuck me?

“Care to say what you are thinking about.” She continued, leaning on the table.

“About a group of strange people I met.” I sighed, having no energy to argue.

“Was it the people from the square?” The server asked, pointing in the general direction of the square with her thumb. Now she has my attention.

“Do you know about them?” I asked, hoping she would know something useful.

"If I know, everyone in Doveport knows about them!” The server exclaimed, throwing her arms upward before slamming them on the table.

“Can you tell me what happened to those people?”

"I cannot, exactly." The server shrugged.

"Now you've lost me, you get into the subject of the weird people in the square and now you can't tell me anything about them. Where are you going with this?"

“All I know comes from hearsay. A series of deafening screams echoed through the city a few days ago and people came running to the source of the noise when they stopped, finding only several people unconscious on the ground. These people asked about a group of muses when they woke up, but no one knew who these muses were, we just assume they went crazy.”

“And what happened next?”

“Not much, almost all the windows in the city exploded, and those who were in the square or nearby asked about the muses and returned to the square daily. But fell into a deep sadness when the muses did not appear again, while those who were far away from screaming, like me, just got an earache.”

“I see, thanks for the information. How much do I owe you for the food?” I asked, reaching my hand toward my coin bag.

“Two silver coins.” The server responded, holding up two fingers while closing her left eye.

“Two silver coins? I don't remember it being that expensive!” I exclaimed, almost having a heart attack at the absurd price, I resisted the urge to knock out the server and run away with my sisters.

"Unfortunately, we raised the price; everyone did it due to the Lords' absurd taxes that increase every day." The server said sadly, her happy attitude disappearing.

“Who are the Lords?” One asked curiously, interrupting our talk.

Glancing at One, I saw that she had taken a bite of her cake and nothing else.

“Why didn't you eat your cake?”

"Too sweet, but can you answer my question? Who are the Lords?” One asked again, looking at us seriously.

“They are not important.” I replied, hoping she would drop the subject, just like every time I asked about her past.

“The Lords are the cruel rulers of Midgard; they abuse the people with increasing taxes and kill anyone who goes against them.” The server spoke dramatically, leaning back in her seat while covering her face.

Shit, she had to open her mouth! I am more and more tempted to rip her tongue out with every passing second.

“Is there no one to face the Lords?” One asked, with determination and I knew very well what she thought.

“I wish, little one, but everyone who tried became a grim example. There is no justice for us less fortunate ones.”

“Justice, you say?" One asked, looking at the table deep in thought.

This went too far.

“Here is your money!” I paid the server and left with my sisters before she put dangerous ideas into their heads.

Training came up next, time to find out what we could do.

-XXXXXX-

I was not expecting that, on second thought I should have expected that. Intoners, the word that popped into my head like a natural thought. I do not know what an Intoner is, but they use the song as a form of magic for some reason.

I took my sisters to the forest one day, to practice our skills in a place far from prying eyes.

I did not know where to start, so I asked my sisters to try to do the same thing that happened in Doveport. Nothing happened at first, but my sisters said they felt something different as they tried. Eventually, something happened.

My sisters sang a harmonious, beautiful, and magical song. How do I know it was magic? It becomes easier when you live with a person accompanied by two magic books. Moreover, the floating colored symbols and sigils that appeared in the air helped too.

I tried to do the same, and who knew? I can use magic too! Take that, Alan! Now we need to figure out what we can do with that magic.

-XXXXXX-

As the days passed, we discovered that each of us could do something different with our magic. We all had natural superhuman strength, resistance, speed, stamina, reflexes, and senses; but each of my sisters could summon something different.

Five could summon a golden disk that fired powerful magic beams, Four could summon green magic shields, and Three could summon purple magic threads while Two could summon gigantic magic hands.

One, on the other hand, could use her magic to make herself temporarily faster, stronger, and invulnerable. I could do something similar to One; I could sing and become stronger, practically indestructible.

Intoner mode is what popped into my mind when I found out what we could do. However, this magic did not come without drawbacks; each of my sisters had something that kept growing.

Five's breasts got bigger every day, making me adjust her clothes constantly; Four's nails grew without stopping, and now she prefers to fight using punches to break her nails.

In Three's case, it was her hair; I taught her how to cut it, as it would be inconvenient for her to trip over her hair when I wasn't around to cut it.

Two's strength became absurd for a child; she could lift large rocks and snap tree trunks in two. This strength turned into a problem, so I taught her how to control it or she would tear our house down.

As for One, she had the least noticeable problem, her senses became stronger with each passing day, her sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, and they increased to the point where One became uncomfortable with almost everything.

I prepared food especially for One, adding too much salt or sugar and the food would become unpalatable. One also wore clothes that covered her entire body, except her head, to protect her supersensitive skin.

Then came the physical training, nothing too dangerous for a kid, I just taught my sisters how to throw a punch, dodge, and handle a fight. It may sound strange but my sisters and I seemed too good at fighting.

It was like something natural. In addition, natural for kids who never fought and for me, trained in 'street fighting' as Alan called it.

-XXXXXX-

Problems arose, but nothing directed at us. Taxes got too high for us to buy everything we needed, which is why we were here, in the forest, hunting for food.

I hid among the foliage, watching the deer in front of me. The animal focused on eating the grass while I slowly drew my hunting knife and stepped forward.

CRACK!

However, I stepped on a branch.

The deer raised its head and looked around until its eyes focused on me and it tried to turn to run away, but I did not allow it. I shot forward with a burst of speed and cut its neck fluidly.

The deer struggled a bit but fell dead due to blood loss, I placed the animal on my shoulders and waited for my sisters, they should have been here by now.

“AAAHHH!”

I had my answer when Four ran past me with a large boar chasing her while Three rode on the boar’s back with One, Two, and Five running after her.

“Four get out of the way!” Three yelled.

"I am trying!" Four yelled back.

“Wait for us!” One screamed after them.

Four ran circles around a boulder with the boar chasing her while One and Five climbed onto the boulder, waiting for the right moment before jumping on the boar's back.

“So how do we stop this thing?!?” Five asked.

"I don't know!" One replied.

“Leave it to me!” Two screamed as she jumped in front of the boar and punched its head.

Five, Three, and One flew forward due to the sudden stop, and an exhausted Four fell to the ground while the boar lay dead next to her.

"Are you all finished?" I asked my sisters.

“Yes, we are, sister Zero!” Two replied happily, as she dragged the boar across the ground while One staggered towards me with Five and Three carrying Four by the arms and legs.

“Then let's go home!” I smiled at them before walking away.

-XXXXXX-

“Sister Zero?” One called me as we walked out of the woods.

"Yes?" I asked, noticing her hesitant expression.

"Can we…" One spoke.

"No, we cannot!" However, I interrupted her, knowing what she wanted.

"But…" She insisted.

"No, and that is it!"

Therefore, she went silent while looking at the ground as we walked.

This happened for days now. One researched about Midgard more and more since she heard about the lords, whether by asking me questions with occult meaning or reading books about Midgard’s history.

One concluded that we should help the people of Midgard; her argument is that we can defeat the lords with our strength and magic. However, I tried my best to get One to give up on this stupid idea.

“Listen One, fighting the lords is a good way to commit suicide, they have armies and mages at their disposal, each of the lords can use magic and they aren't afraid to massacre an entire city to kill one person. Please don't try to ruin your life by pursuing some dumb dream, do this not just for me, but for us, your sisters.”

I begged sincerely as the memories of Cathedral City came back to haunt me. I do not want to see my sisters in the same situation, tied to a pole on a platform, suffering torture and awaiting an execution.

“Yes sister Zero.” One whispered ashamed, averting her gaze toward the ground.

"Thank you." I smiled gently, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Nevertheless, I leaned on One to avoid falling to the ground when the strength in my legs shortly disappeared.

“Sister Zero!” One screamed worriedly, helping me to stand up.

"Do not worry, I'm fine." I replied with a shaky smile. One looked at me worriedly, but she did not insist.

I put a hand to the flower in my eye, this is getting frequent, and there is something wrong with this flower. I get a bad feeling every time I touch it; it is as if something corrupted my body.

My mind got lighter and my consciousness has slipped recently. Sometimes I wish to lie down and close my eyes, but I feel like something bad will happen if I do it.

I hope it is just my head playing tricks on me, because if it is not...

-XXXXXX-

I stood in the ruins of Cathedral City, collapsed buildings covered the horizon, the mountain of corpses in front of me painted the streets red with their blood, and the sky shone red with a massive flower floating above, a white giant stood in that flower and that giant was I.

I sang a song of death, a song of destruction, a black song; I felt this song entering my head.

I screamed in pain, grabbing my ears, and trying to block out the horrible noise. Suddenly, I heard a flapping of wings and saw a dragon falling from the sky.

Then I woke up.

-XXXXXX-

I sat up in my bed, breathing heavily and covered in sweat. What the hell was that? That flower, that damn flower! You are the cause of all this! I will finish you off, I do not know how, but I will!

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

“Sister Zero?” One's voice came from the other side of my door.

"Come in." I replied.

One opened the door to my room and walked in accompanied by our sisters.

“Sister Zero I… We had a nightmare.” One stuttered.

"All of you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

All my sisters nodded.

“Do you want to sleep here with me?” I asked, already knowing what they wanted.

"Yes, we want!" They responded simultaneously.

"Come here." I answered, lifting my blanket a patting my bed.

My sisters climbed in and it was difficult, but we managed to fit six people in one bed.

"Goodnight to you all." I said to them before closing my eye.

“Good night sister Zero.” My sisters responded sleepily.

Yes, good night…

-XXXXXX-

I waited until my sisters slept and left our house. I walked until I reached the forest and stood there, thinking about what I was doing.

I raised my right hand and faced the knife I held, seeing my reflex on the metal, in addition, just like before; I did not like what stared at me from the other side.

I was the same broken and disgusting girl as always, confused, full of hatred for the world, and ready to ruin other people's lives. Strangely, I was not bothered by what I intended to do, I felt relief.

Well I think that is it, I hope my sisters will be all right, there's enough money in the house and One is smart, she'll manage it.

In the end, I enjoyed all the moments we spent together, all our fights and arguments, moments of difficulty, happiness, and sadness, I felt like I had a family again, a feeling I felt a long time ago.

Holy shit, what the hell am I doing?!? Am I throwing all this away? However, I am a danger to everyone, my mind is deteriorating, and I am sure the flower in my eye is to blame.

Come on Zero, you can do it! Do what you should have done a long time ago and rid the world of a horrible person. All of you, I am so sorry! One, Two, Three, Four, Five, I am sorry! Your big sister let you all down!

So I pointed the knife at my chest and...

-XXXXXX-

“AAAHHH!” I screamed as I got up. What the fuck happened?

Standing up and looking around, I realized I was naked, covered in blood, and inside the woods.

“Shit!” Looking back, I almost fell to the ground at what I saw; it was me, wearing my pajamas, with a knife in my heart and a huge flower sticking out of my eye.

The flower and the other me disappeared in black and red particles, leaving only the knife and my clothes.

“You won't let me die, will you?” I demanded, guiding my hand toward the flower.

"No, I won’t." An emotionless and monotonous voice inside my head answered.

"Shit, what are you?"

“I am The Black Flower.” The voice responded as if it were obvious.

"What do you want?"

“I want you to destroy the world.” The voice spoke again as if were the most normal thing in the world.

“Destroy the world? Fuck it, I don't want to do that, I hate this world, but not to the point of destroying it!”

“But you will.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Then they will.”

"They, you mean…"

"Yes, it will be you or them.”

“I will not allow this, I will fucking kill you!”

"That is impossible."

“As if, that's what we'll see!”

“You won't last forever; your mind won't last forever.”

I ignored what the flower said, put on my clothes, picked up the knife, and left the forest until I stopped in front of my house. Why are you standing there, Zero? You have done this before. What are five more kids? My hand shook, I swallowed hard then stepped forward, bracing myself for what I intended to do.

END OF CHAPTER

Chapter Text

Nier, Yonah, and I walked through the salt-covered streets; we searched for food as our stock in the apartment was running low, so we decided that it was better to get some food now than to wait until it was too late.

However, it was hard to find anything that was not expired or that other groups of survivors had not looted yet.

“ACHOW, It's getting colder every day.” Nier said as he wiped his nose.

"I'm not surprised by that, it was expected with the amount of nukes detonated around the world, but I expected a nuclear winter by now." I replied, looking up and seeing the cloudy sky with few rays of sunlight shining through it.

“I think it will get better with time. The sky won't stay dark forever, will it?" Yonah asked with infantile curiosity.

"No, but it's better to stay wrapped up so you don't get sick." Nier said worriedly, adjusting Yonah's coat.

“You can't say anything about it. What is the point of telling Yonah to wrap up if you do not? You should take care of your health too.” I said to Nier, lifting the hood of his coat and pulling it down, covering his eyes.

Nier stumbled forward while trying to get the hood out of his eyes and stared at me seriously when he managed to do it. I stared back, and we stayed like that for some time until we could not keep up the facade anymore.

"HAHAHA!" We both laughed.

“Just take better care of yourself, Nier.” I said, patting his shoulder.

“I know, but I can't help but worry about Yonah.” Nier replied, glancing at his sister.

"Me too, but you won't be able to take care of her if you become sick with a cold."

“Hey, don't talk about me like I'm not here! I am not a child; I can take care of myself!” Yonah squealed, stomping the ground while crossing her arms adorably.

“But of course you can.” I smiled, patting Yonah’s head.

“It makes me happy that when I'm old and gray I can count on my big strong sister to take care of me.” Nier replied playfully, teasing Yonah and poking her cheek.

Yonah's face turned red as she puffed out her cheeks.

“Stop teasing me!” Yonah screamed red in shame as she slapped our hands away.

Nier and I held our hands with sad faces and pretended to be hurt, but we laughed slightly as we looked at each other. Yonah, on the other hand, crossed her arms and looked away from us.

"Are you mad at me?" Nier asked with false sadness but Yonah ignored him.

“I don't think she will ever speak to you again, Nier.” I said in the same tone, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder while Nier grabbed his heart and pretended to faint from grief.

"But you'll keep talking to me, won't you?" I asked Yonah, leaving Nier to his despair, but Yonah spun her body away from me.

I covered my face with my hands, pretending to cry. However, opened my fingers and saw Yonah turning her head and looking at me from the corner of her eyes.

“Will you talk to us if I give you candy?” I asked, getting her attention.

“What type of candy?” Yonah asked with interest, looking at me with a gleam in her eyes.

“How about chocolate we give you some?” Nier suggested, getting up from the ground.

"Chocolate?" Yonah asked again, a small smile forming on her face.

“Yes, as much as you like." I completed Nier's suggestion.

“I think I can talk to you again if you give me a chocolate.” Yonah replied, pretending to be angry again.

“Did you hear that Nier?” I said happily, grabbing Nier's shoulders.

“I heard it, Alan!” Nier replied, smiling at me from ear to ear.

“So what are we waiting for? Let's go find some chocolate, I'm sure there's an abandoned market here somewhere!" I spoke, grabbing Yonah under the arms.

"What are you doing?!?" Yonah asked surprised, but I did not answer and placed her on my shoulders.

“I am taking you to the chocolate.” I replied but noticed Nier staring at me.

"What, do you want me to carry you on my shoulders too?” I asked, teasing him.

"No!" Nier replied, looking away in shame.

“Meh! It's your choice, I think it is better this way, and you’re heavy anyway.” I teased again before running away.

"Hey! I'm not heavy!" Nier screamed, running after me.

I ran until I reached the market, but my eyes widened with the thing in front of me when I walked through the door. It was a dark creature with wings and carrying a great ax, the thing raised its ax and brought it down towards me.

Then I woke up...

-Midgard, Land of Forests, Village of Lyllenas, Year 998-

“Gasp!” I woke up searching for air.

Getting up quickly and looking around, I noticed that was in my bed, in my bedroom, inside my house, it was all just a dream. I covered my face with my hands and let out a long sigh, it was all just a dream.

“Lord Alan, you will be late!” Noir said worriedly as he entered my room with Rubrum beside him.

“I will be late for what, Noir?” I asked, lying down again and covering my face with my blanket.

“You will be late for your job.” Noir replied.

Job, what job? Since when do I work? Wait a minute… I have a job!

“Noir, what time is it?" I asked, jumping out of bed.

“Seven fifty in the morning.” Noir replied.

"Damn it, I need to be there at eight!” I sank to the floor, turning into a mass of darkness, and slid into my closet.

In addition, I slid under my bedroom door on my way out, going down the hall and the stairs until I reached the kitchen.

I wore formal brown clothing with a small black cape draped over my shoulders when I returned to my physical form. Therefore, I ran around the kitchen, preparing my breakfast.

“Lord Alan, your bag.” Noir said politely, handing me a small brown bag. I took the bag and slung it over one of my shoulders.

"Thanks, Noir… Hump!" Rubrum cut off my speech by shoving a piece of buttered bread into my mouth.

Wasting no time, I turned into a mass of darkness again and left our house with Noir and Rubrum following me, and bolted towards Lyllenas, as we did not exactly live in the village, but in a house nearby.

This is due to the damage caused by the attack; many tree houses burned beyond recovery and were cut down.

The elves could build new ones, but the process of hollowing out part of the tree without killing it is slow and precise, so some preferred to live in conventional houses, which is my case.

I advanced until I reached Lyllenas; it did not take even five minutes. I saw the elves getting out of my way as I passed through the streets, or from their point of view, of the mass of darkness that slid across the ground at high speed.

I could not help but think how I got to this point; I would not have reached this level of magic without Thessalia and Elyon's help.

-XXXXXX-

“Very well, sit down.” Elyon said as we stopped in a clearing in the forest, luckily the trees blocked out the sunlight.

"Okay." I said, sitting down in the lotus position on the floor.

“Now we will begin your lesson on magic, first of all, there are many types of magic, some of which are not known even to us elves, who have lived for centuries. So I cannot guarantee that what I will teach you will work.” Thessalia continued.

“This training is not just for you, but for your books as well. So we expect you to work hard.” Elyon completed.

"Yes, Mr Elyon!" Noir exclaimed beside me while Rubrum nodded in confirmation.

“Let's start with you, Alan, close your eyes and concentrate.” Thessalia said.

"What do I do now?" I asked after doing what she said.

“Now try to feel the magic within you.” Elyon spoke like some wise anime sensei.

Feel the magic within me. It sounds like an anime cliché, but they are the experts here, not me, so I did as the old elf said.

“I don't feel anything different.”

"You need to focus or there will be no result!" Elyon replied, hitting the ground with his cane.

“But you also need to relax!” Thessaly spoke right after in a gentler tone.

Concentrate, but relax! This contradictory! However, I did what the elves said, and again, I did not feel anything different, only my body getting lighter.

“Alan!” Elyon shouted, but his voice sounded muffled.

“Alan!” It was Thessalia this time, her voice muffled too.

“Lord Alan, open your eyes!" Noir screamed.

Open my eyes? Looking around, I noticed that I stood in complete emptiness with darkness surrounding me. Where was everyone?

“Lord Alan!” It was Noir, his voice coming from above me.

“Looking up”, I saw the elves and the books staring down at me. Therefore, I got up, but my point of view changed when I did so.

I was not seeing them from a low point of view anymore because I was back in the forest with everyone looking at me worriedly.

"What happened?" I asked confused.

“Lord Alan… Your body… Look down.” Noir muttered.

Looking down, I saw that my body was a mass of darkness dumped on the ground from the waist down.

“AAAHHH! What happened?!?" I jumped while screaming in surprise, making my body return to normal as I did so.

“Well, is this new?” Elyon asked, scratching his head in confusion.

“Try it again!” Thessalia said with an excited smile.

I gave Noir and Rubrum a hesitant look and the books returned with an encouraging nod.

Breathing deeply, I stepped forward and felt my right foot disappearing, sinking into the ground, so I took another step and the same happened to my left foot.

I looked at Elyon and Thessalia with concern, waiting for their opinion on the matter.

“We know what you will do today, you will transform into this darkness until you can do it without thinking.” Elyon spoke.

"Are you sure? I don't think making parts of my body disappear is good for my health.”

"Don't worry; do you think this silly husband of mine became so good at fire magic without blowing himself up now and then?" Thessalia asked playfully as she pinched Elyon's cheek, making the old elf blush in embarrassment.

I wanted to protest against it, but I had no choice since there was no one like me in Midgard to teach me. I spent the day training this new skill and the day turned into weeks.

Then, we switched training when I could change shape without thinking, accuracy training, and magic conservation.

-XXXXXX-

We stood in some kind of shooting gallery with several elves lined up, carrying bows and arrows, and firing them at straw targets ahead of them.

“Today we will learn how to use the necessary amount of magic for the task at hand.” Elyon said beside me as the other elves stared at us.

“Hit that target.” Thessalia completed, pointing to the nearest straw target.

"Easy enough, are you ready Noir?” I asked the black book.

"Yes, Lord Alan." Noir replied

“And you Rubrum?”

The red book nodded.

"So let's go! Noir, create a Dark Spear!”

Noir's pages opened and magic flowed across the sheets as a large magic spear floated in front of him.

"Fire!" I yelled, pointing at the target.

The spear flew like lightning, cutting through the air and hitting the straw target, destroying it and knocking down a series of trees right behind it, only stopping when it hit a large rock, leaving a hole in the stone.

“How about you try it, Rubrum?” I asked to the red book, with a shaky smile and sweat running down my face.

Rubrum opened her pages with magic flowing through the paper. A red orb formed in front of the red book as Rubrum shot this sphere toward another straw target.

The sphere flew at great speed and hit the target.

BOOM!

Creating a big red explosion on the impact and leaving a scorching crater behind.

“HEHE!” I laughed nervously as I looked around and noticed the scared look that Elyon, Thessalia, and the other elves gave me.

"Well... How about using less power in the next attack?" Elyon suggested, approaching his index and thumb together.

“I think… I think you're right.” I muttered, averting my gaze and scratching the back of my head.

“I also think it would be good for your books and you to practice using magic without waiting for orders. The time you waste ordering a spell is the time you are most vulnerable.”

“You… You are right. Noir, Rubrum, let's try again!"

“Yes, Lord Alan!" Noir exclaimed with Rubrum following right after.

Therefore, we trained and trained. Eventually, and by that I mean months, controlling how much magic we put behind a spell became easy. Let us just say that there were fewer trees in the forest when we were done.

However, that was not the only precision and control training we did.

-XXXXXX-

“Hold it in one of those giant hands.” Thessalia said as she held up a glass bottle.

I looked at Noir and Rubrum while shrugging; I did not see any problem with it. Therefore, Noir and I created a Dark Hand.

"Think fast!" Thessalia screamed as she threw the bottle in our direction and we quickly grabbed it with the Dark Hand.

CRASH!

Only for the bottle to shatter as the hand closed around it.

"That's what you and your books will do from now on; magic needs to be controlled so it doesn't damage something fragile like glass or people." Thessalia said in a serious voice.

“So, the three of you will try to grab these bottles without destroying them.” Elyon continued as he threw another bottle toward us.

We grabbed it with the Dark Hand.

CRASH!

In addition, it broke.

Thessalia threw two more bottles toward us; we created two more Dark Hands and grabbed them.

CRASH!

CRASH!

Only for them to break again.

"Better make yourself comfortable, because we're going to be here for a while." Thessalia said as she used her magic to create a water whip and hit me in the leg.

“OUCH!”

CRASH!

Noir used a Dark hand to smash another bottle I did not see coming.

“Better pay attention.” Elyon spoke as he pointed his cane at me and conjured a fireball.

BOOM!

Luckily, Rubrum got in front of me and blocked the spell with a red barrier.

CRASH!

CRASH!

CRASH!

Moreover, Noir smashed three more bottles thrown by Thessalia.

“Today we will also see if you three can work as a team. We will only leave when you three manage to grab the bottles without breaking them.” Thessaly spoke happily, swinging her whip.

"But we won't make it easy for you, you will find yourself under constant pressure at some point and you have to keep your mind calm and focused. The moment you fail to cast a spell is the moment you die." Elyon continued in the same tone, casting another fireball.

I will not lie; I thought they were trying to kill me as they enjoyed it too much for my liking. Although, there were moments when I wondered if, they were training me or taking advantage of the array of spells I have.

-XXXXXX-

“Don't forget to wash the dishes.” Thessaly spoke.

“And don’t forget to hang the clothes on the line.” Elyon said right after.

“Is this training?" I asked confused, running around the living room.

"Yes!" The elves responded in unison.

Noir, Rubrum, and I were at Elyon and Thessalia's house, with several copies of myself running around the house and doing different chores.

Sweeping the floor, removing cobwebs from the ceiling, preparing dinner, and much more, Rubrum also helped using her magic to levitate furniture and heavy objects.

The excuse the elves gave me us that this is magic control training. I highly doubt it, but I cannot deny the usefulness of the copies as I can say with certainty that I can multitask.

-XXXXXX-

However, only I could take care of other problems.

I sat down on a rock in the middle of a clearing, with my legs crossed and my eyes closed as the sunlight burned my shirtless body.

I want to know how long I can stay here, it was just a nuisance at first, then an itch, then a burning, and then it felt like I burned alive, I also heard a hissing like something frying.

Until I could not take, it anymore and I transformed into darkness and slipped into the safety of the shade of a tree.

“How long did I stay there?” I asked Noir.

"Five minutes." Noir replied.

Five minutes, it is longer than I expected, good to know.

Unfortunately, Elyon and Thessalia could not help me with other issues.

-XXXXXX-

"I'm sorry, but there's no one here who can teach you how to use this thing." Elyon said as he pointed at my ax with his cane.

“I doubt anyone here can lift that thing.” Thessaly spoke.

“Are you sure there is no one who can help me?” I insisted.

I would like to learn how to use my ax better, as I got it from the Institute of Magic but I still do not know what it does, the Lords would not lock a normal ax in the institute.

“Well, it is not a person, but a place.” Elyon said hesitantly as he looked away.

“Honey you don't mean… But that place is dangerous!” Thessalia exclaimed worriedly, grabbing Elyon's arm.

"Place, what place?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I am talking about The Coliseum." Elyon sighed.

-XXXXXX-

It was night, the only time I did not have to cover myself from head to toe. I feel relieved now that I am out of those warm clothes.

“Lord Alan, are you sure what we are going to do?" Noir asked as he floated beside me.

“Yes Noir, I am.” I replied as we flew above the trees, advancing toward our objective, but I felt Rubrum looking at me worriedly.

Eventually, we spotted a light coming from a large building in the distance as the sound of fights and screams echoed through the night.

The Coliseum of Rome, this huge building was still up and running with fights taking place inside it. Someone known as the King of the Coliseum organized it all.

We landed in front of the coliseum's main entrance, surprising the inhabitants of the Land of Forests around us, like Elves, Fairies, Elementals, Goblins, and more.

We ignored their gazes and entered the coliseum, passing through corridors lit by torches, following the screams and fighting sounds until we entered the arena where everything went silent.

I do not think they have ever seen someone like me.

“WHY SO QUIET, DIDN'T YOU ALL COME HERE IN SEARCH OF A GOOD SHOW? SO WHO WILL BE MY OPPONENT?” I shouted to the crowd, opening my arms as Noir and Rubrum stood beside me.

“SUCH BOLDNESS, WHO ARE YOU TO INVADE MY COLOSSEUM?” A squeaky voice shouted from the emperor's podium.

Looking up at the podium, I saw a small green goblin wearing knight armor and carrying a short sword.

"AND WHO ARE YOU?!?" I asked back.

“I AM THE KING OF THE COLISEUM!” The goblin replied as he stomped the ground angrily.

“That saves me the time! My name is Alan, those books accompanying me are called Noir and Rubrum, and we would like to fight in your Coliseum!”

“If that's what you want, then so be it! You better put on a good show for the crowd or I'll turn you into troll food!" The King of The Coliseum shouted.

"I promise I won't let you down!" I shouted, bowing to the crowd.

“Release the centaurs!” The Coliseum King shouted again, waving his arm.

The gates on the other side of the coliseum opened and large statue-like creatures came out of it. They were completely white with a humanoid upper torso and a horse's lower part; they also carried twin blades and bows.

“Are you two ready?” I asked for the books and they nodded in confirmation.

There were four centaurs in total, two carrying twin blades and two carrying bows.

One of them fired a series of huge arrows in my direction but Rubrum blocked them all with a magic barrier, while a twin-blade centaur approached at great speed.

Noir opened his pages and the handle of my ax came out of him. I grabbed the handle, took the ax out of Noir, and swung it at the approaching monster, slamming the centaur's blade against the ground, cracking it and creating a dust cloud, making the crowd roar.

The centaur leaned down so that the blade did not escape his hands, I took the opportunity and raised the ax, cutting the centaur in the chest and making it recoil in pain.

The centaur spun its blade above its head and tried to strike me from the left, but I blocked the blow with the handle of my ax as sparks filled the air and my feet sunk into the dirt.

The centaurs with the bows rode left and right, circling us while firing several arrows. Noir created four Dark Hands and grabbed four arrows between his index finger and thumb while Rubrum used her magic to hold three more arrows in the air.

Then, the two books launched the arrows back to their owners; hitting the centaur on the left in the side of its horse body and the centaur on the right in its shoulder.

The centaur in front of me stopped forcing its blade against my ax and tried to cut me in the right, but I swung my ax again, deflecting the blow and delivering a low cut to the monster’s front legs right after.

The centaur recovered from the blow and brought its blade down towards my head.

I held my ax horizontally, blocking the blow, but the centaur forced me down, so I transformed into a mass of darkness and slid across the arena, letting the blade hit the ground.

I approached the centaur and returned to my physical form, slashing its front legs, and forcing the monster to its knees. I swung my ax towards its neck now that the centaur was down, but the monster put its blade in the way, blocking the blow.

Applying more strength, the centaur pushed my ax away and tried to pierce me in the chest with the tip of its blade but I turned into darkness again, leaving my ax stuck in the ground.

Then, I “stepped” forward, returning to my physical form, grabbing my ax and swinging it at the centaur's neck, decapitating the monster.

I heard a gallop behind me, so I turned around and saw another centaur riding in my direction. I created a copy of myself holding an ax and sent it toward the centaur, and then the copy traded blows with the monster, stopping its advance.

Meanwhile, Noir and Rubrum faced the other two centaurs, Rubrum fired a series of red orbs toward one of the centaurs, but the monster galloped at high speed, leaving the orbs behind, while firing arrows toward the red book.

Rubrum stopped her attack to hold the arrows in the air with her magic, but the centaur took the opportunity and fired even more arrows at the book. Suddenly, Rubrum sent the arrows she held back to the centaur, hitting the incoming ones in mid-air with an audible crack.

Then Rubrum enveloped herself in a magic bubble and shot towards the centaur while it fired arrows at her, but the bubble protecting the book destroyed them all while Rubrum advanced.

Unfortunately, the centaur did not have time to dodge and Rubrum crushed it against the arena wall.

Noir, on the other hand, accumulated magic on its pages and fired a series of magic projectiles that chased the centaur, but the centaur was faster and each projectile exploded in the air before reaching its target.

So Noir used a different spell, magic circles appeared on the ground in the centaur's way and a series of long stakes came out from each of them, but the centaur did not stop its run and swerved and leaped out of the way.

Noir increased the intensity of his attack and more and more stakes came out of the ground, until finally piercing the centaur and pinning it in place.

Noir approached the centaur while the monster shot arrows at him, but Noir easily moved out of the way and fired a Dark Spear, piercing the centaur's heart and dissipating the stakes right after, letting the monster fall dead in the arena.

Now only one centaur remained, the one fighting my copy. Cuts covered the centaur and the copy as the two kept fighting, but the centaur endured the attack and stood up on its hind legs, crushing the clone with its front legs during an exchange of blows.

The centaur let out a snort of anger and advanced towards me, it was time to test a new trick I learned.

I pointed my finger at the ground in front of the centaur and a magic projectile formed on the tip of my finger, so I fired it.

A black and red circle formed on the ground for a second, but a burst of magic in the shape of a pillar came out of the circle, hitting the centaur when it approached.

I flapped my wings and darted towards the centaur as it recoiled in pain, intending to cut its head off, but the centaur recovered from my attack and blocked my blow.

Suddenly, the centaur took one of its hands off its blade and punched my back, throwing me to the ground.

The centaur raised one of his hooves and tried to crush my head, but I turned into darkness and moved out of the way, sliding under the centaur.

There, I “pointed” my finger upwards and fired another magic burst, the centaur screamed in pain when my magic burned its belly.

I returned to my ax, grabbed it, and threw it toward the centaur, simultaneously transforming into darkness again and advancing toward the monster.

The centaur moved out of the ax's way, but I slid under the monster and materialized again, jumping, grabbing my ax, and swinging it toward the centaur.

Suddenly, a red light covered my ax, making its bloodstained blades glow. The centaur turned around, trying to block my blow by putting its blade in the way.

However, the blade did nothing since my ax shattered it like glass, hitting the monster's neck right after, and then the centaur's head rolled across the arena.

I stopped in the center of the arena, breathing heavily with sweat pouring down my face while Noir and Rubrum approached me.

“Good job, you two.” I said to both of them while patting their “heads”.

"Thank you, Lord Alan." Noir replied, embarrassed by the praise. Rubrum, on the other hand, rubbed herself against my face.

Looking around I saw that the crowd went silent; watching me with wide eyes and open mouths.

“Are you not entertained?!? Are you not entertained?!? Is this not why you are here?!?" I shouted to the crowd, opening my arms and staring at them.

"HAHAHA, that’s what I call a good show! I will watch your career with interest!” The King of the Coliseum shouted happily from his podium.

This drove the crowd wild and Noir, Rubrum, and I bowed amidst cheers, applause, and rain of flowers. This was the beginning of my career as a gladiator. I also got good pay for the fight, I did not know there was a reward for winning.

I repeat what I did with my ax during the last centaur and I discovered what it does after a few days of practice.

The ax itself is not magic, but whatever material composes it is a good conductor for magic. I can cover the ax with my magic, making its blades stronger and hit harder or making them more resistant, perfect for blocking attacks.

-XXXXXX-

Elyon and Thessalia invited me to dinner with them after a few days of going back and forth to the arena. I took my clothes from Noir's inventory and put them on mid-flight, landed in front of the elves' house, and knocked on the door.

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

"Come in!" Elyon screamed from within his house.

I opened the door and noticed that a soft light and a wonderful smell came from the kitchen. Noir, Rubrum, and I entered the kitchen and found Elyon and Thessalia cooking together.

“Oh, you three have arrived, please take a seat!” Thessalia said happily, smiling at us briefly, before focusing on the food.

I pulled a chair and sat next to the kitchen table with Noir and Rubrum floating beside me.

“Dinner will be ready in a minute!” Elyon spoke as he set the table.

“Let us help.” I said to Elyon as I got up.

Noir and Rubrum followed me right after and we helped Elyon set the table. Then, with everything done, we dinned together in a wonderful mood.

“So Alan how was the coliseum?” Thessalia asked worriedly.

“Not that impressive, Miss Thessalia, we only fought a few fights, but we won thanks to what Elyon and you taught us.” I replied, puffing out my chest and flexing my arms.

"I'm glad to hear that, but you don't have to be so formal I'd like you to call me Grandma Thessalia." Thessalia laughed, looking at me expectantly between squinted eyes.

“Miss Thessalia I don't think…” I spoke nervously, my cheeks burning with shame.

However, the killing intent I felt interrupted me. I saw Thessalia smiling innocently at me with her eyes half closed. Nevertheless, a nudge to my side caught my attention.

“PPSSHH! Do as she says, or we won't get out of here alive!" Elyon whispered with a panicked look.

“Would you like more food?” Thessalia asked politely, keeping her smile.

“Yes… Grandma Thessalia.” I replied, looking at the table and sweating profusely.

“That's great, but please, eat some more, you're so skinny, you look like a toothpick.” Thessalia said, putting more food on my plate. I do not know if I will be able to eat all of this.

“And you two too.” Thessalia continued, setting a plate for Noir and Rubrum.

“Miss Thessalia, this is not necessary.” Noir said, creating two hands and waving them negatively.

Meanwhile, Rubrum opened her pages and sucked up the food in front of her like a vacuum cleaner, literally, and then opened and closed her pages as if chewing.

"I give up." Noir sighed defeated as he picked up a fork with one hand and ate his dinner.

Then we finished our food as time went on.

“So who wants more?” Thessalia asked, holding the handles of a steaming pot.

“Thanks, but no, I'm full.” I said quickly.

The killing intent came back.

“I mean, I would like more food, Grandma Thessalia.” I said scared, holding my plate with shaky hands.

-XXXXXX-

“AAAHHH!” I groaned in pain as I leaned back in my chair and clutched my full belly.

“I… I can’t… eat.” Noir grumbled as he lay down on the table.

PLOF!

Meanwhile, Rubrum fell face-first into a plate of food. Elyon, on the other hand, was in the same situation as me.

“What did you think of the food?” Thessalia asked, putting the dishes in the sink.

“It was delicious! / Wonderful! / I never ate anything like that!” We all answered.

“I'm glad you liked it.” Thessaly smiled, rubbing her red cheeks thanks to the praise

Well, I think it is time to touch on a subject that bothered me for some time.

“Elyon, Thessalia?” I called both elves.

"Yes?" They replied simultaneously.

“Listen, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me, but I feel like I'm taking advantage of your kindness, so I wanted to ask. Is there any job I can do here in the village? I am not talking about defending it, but an official job, with payment and all. I cannot depend on your goodness forever.”

“Well, actually there is one, but it can be quite tiring.” Elyon said, looking away while scratching the back of his head.

“What kind of job?”

Elyon told me about the job and I thought for a while. It was not what I expected, but I decided to take it.

Therefore, we spent the night talking, laughing, and telling funny stories about our lives until it was time for us to leave.

"Wait, we have a gift for you." Thessalia said as she handed me a bag.

Opening it, I saw a long trench coat with long sleeves, a high collar, and a pair of gloves, all in an impeccable white color.

"I... I don't know what to say..." I stuttered, holding the coat in front of me.

It was long enough to reach just below my knees, the sleeves covered up to the wrists, and the collar should reach to the height of my cheeks.

“It's to protect you from sunlight. Did you like it?" Elyon asked.

“Yes, I loved it!” I exclaimed, lifting the two elves off the ground and hugging them.

“Young man... Can you put us down? You are crushing us.” Elyon groaned in pain.

"Sorry!" I screamed as I put them both on the ground.

-XXXXXX-

Today was another day at work. It took a few weeks to get used to the routine, but it all ended well.

Noir, Rubrum, and I stopped in front of a two-story wooden building as I changed to my physical form, opened the door of the building, and entered wishing a good day to the elves in my way as they responded mutually.

Then we walked through a hallway full of numbered doors on both sides, opened a specific door to our left, and entered the room, stopping behind a table and turning to the people in front of us.

"Good morning class!" I smiled while waving at them.

“Good morning Teacher Alan!” The little elves in front of us responded happily, returning the smile.

That is right; I am a teacher, of history, to be specific.

“How about we start today’s class?” I asked, grabbing some chalk and walking toward the blackboard.

“What are we going to learn about today, Teacher Alan?” A small elf asked curiously, raising his small hand.

“How nice of you to ask, today we will learn about dinosaurs and the Mesozoic era.” I said as I wrote the name of the era on the board and its duration.

“What is a dinosaur?" Another elf asked with a gleam in her eyes.

“That is what we will learn today.” I smile at the elf.

-XXXXXX-

"I'm dead!" I screamed at the books as we walked home, my bag in one hand and my brown shirt slung over my shoulder.

"It can't be that bad Lord Alan, they're just children." Noir said beside me.

“You only say that because you are not the teacher, at least Rubrum had fun.”

The red book opened her pages, revealing the drawings made by the children.

"I don't want to go through that again." Noir shuddered, remembering the children scribbling on his pages.

“My only consolation is the chocolate cake Thessalia made for me; it is waiting for me at home.” I licked my lips, remembering the wonderful sweet on top of my table.

Finally, I got home! Throwing my things in a corner, I went towards the cake that waited on the kitchen table, cut a big slice, and ate it. It was delicious! Therefore, I bathed quickly and went to take a nap after that.

-XXXXXX-

CRASH!

I jumped to my feet immediately upon hearing the sound of something breaking.

“Two, what did you do?!?” A voice shouted.

"Sorry!" Another voice answered.

"The owner of the house will be angry! Three, please stop spreading hair all over the floor! Five, do not eat that cake! We can't trespass on someone else's property and go messing around like that!"

I looked at Noir and Rubrum, woken up by the noise. I nodded to both of them and the books nodded back.

Then, I opened the door of my bedroom and walked with my back to the wall as Noir's pages opened and I grabbed my ax. I walked down the hall and stopped near the stairs, as the voices grew louder.

"What's the problem? It would be a shame to leave that cake there for the flies to eat.”

“Don't you have an education? You don't eat other people's food without asking!"

“Dear Four, you worry too much.”

I ran down the stairs, ready to cut in two whoever stood in front of me, and screamed with all my strength.

“You picked the wrong house fool!”

“AAAAHHH, MONSTER!” A chorus of children's voices shouted.

Looking around, I saw five little girls scattered around my house, each of them with different hair colors and hairstyles, and clothes that were not common in the Land of Forests but matched their hair colors.

What is that, an anime? Strangely, I had the feeling of Deja Vú. Therefore, I sighed and lowered my ax.

"Listen..." I immediately raised my palm to block a punch strong enough to create a shock wave from the blonde-haired, red-eyed girl who jumped towards me. This was not a normal child, but I saw her eyes widen as I blocked her blow.

Then I closed my hand around her fist, keeping the girl in the air as she tried to punch me with her other hand, but kept her away, kicking the air and trying to hit me.

"ONE!" The blue-haired girl screamed as she jumped at me.

I did not have time to dodge and she grabbed my face, blocking my view and slamming her fist repeatedly into the top of my head.

“RELEASE MY SISTER!”

I struggled, trying to get the girl out of my face. Simultaneously, I heard someone singing and felt something wrap around my legs, throwing me to the ground.

“GET HIM!”

I yanked the girl out of my face, only to see the brown-haired girl falling towards me with an elbow drop; slamming me down in the stomach.

“GASP!” I felt the air leaving my lungs as the girls punched and kicked me across my body, but it was more irritating than painful.

Is this serious?!? A bunch of kids is beating me?!? I did not fight every kind of horror in Midgard to end up like this!

"ENOUGH!" I flapped my wings, throwing myself to my feet but a series of purple strings wrapped around my body.

I forced my wings to open and flexed my muscles, snapping the strings,  and heard another of the girls singing, this time the blonde-haired one.

Golden metallic disks appeared in the air and fired magic lasers toward me, but Rubrum blocked the lasers with a barrier, surprising the girls.

The blue-haired girl sang and a portal appeared above her and a big blue hand tried to punch me.

I pulled my arm back as a Dark Hand came out from Noir and thrust it forward; the two fists collided and the Dark Hand destroyed the blue hand, scaring the girls.

“You tore away my door, broke into my house, attacked me…” I looked to the side.

“…And ate my cake!”

"It was her!" The blonde-haired girl squealed as she licked the chocolate off her lips and pointed at the brown-haired girl.

"It was not me, it was her!" The brown-haired girl screamed, pointing to the blonde-haired one while giving her a betrayed look.

"Listen, how about we all calm down and discuss what's going on here?"

CRASH!

“FUCK! SON OF A…” I screamed as the blue-haired girl smashed a chair into my back.

“Two!” The red-eyed girl screamed, scolding the blue-haired one.

"I am sorry!" The blue-haired girl yelled as she ran away from me.

“AS I WAS SAYING, how about we talk like civilized people?” I asked again, lowering my ax as Noir and Rubrum floated beside me.

The red-eyed girl looked at me suspiciously and analyzed her surroundings, probably looking for a trap or escape route.

“You will introduce yourself first.” The red-eyed girl demanded in a serious tone.

"Fine, my name is Alan and the books are Noir and Rubrum.” I answered tiredly while pointing at the books in question.

"Greetings, it is a pleasure to meet you all." Noir replied politely but he was a little irritated, probably because of the girls attacking me. Rubrum, on the other hand, gave a simple wave.

Strangely, the girl's eyes widened and she approached me with slow careful steps, staring directly into my eyes.

“Alan, is that you?” The girl asked hesitantly as she outstretched her hand and held my right hand.

"Yes, do I know you?" I asked suspiciously. Something is wrong here.

"It's you..." The girl whispered. Her eyes widened as realization slowly appeared on her face.

"Yes... It is me... What do you mean by that?" I stuttered, creped out by the situation.

"It's you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It is you! It's you!"

The girl yelled repeatedly with a wide smile on her face as she jumped up and down while holding my hand.

Okay, now I am scared. What the hell is she talking about? Is this girl crazy?

“ALAN!” The other girls suddenly screamed as they ran towards me and hugged me.

"What is happening, who are you?" I demanded, confused by the situation. Who are those girls? How do they know me? WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!

“You don't remember us? It's me, One!” The red-eyed girl spoke happily, smiling and pointing at herself while jumping.

“Don’t forget about me, Two!” The blue-haired one said, punching my leg lightly.

“The shadow no longer exists or always existed, just out of our reach. Now, the blurred image becomes clearer and the familiarity is explained. I'm Three, by the way." The purple-haired girl spoke enigmatically as she hugged my other leg.

“Mister Alan, it's me Four! Where have you been? It has been so long since we last saw each other, but I have behaved as you said." The brown-haired one spoke politely, grabbing the edges of her skirt and bowing.

“Glad to see you again, hope you haven't forgotten about me, good old Five. How about an apology kiss for the time you've been gone?" The blonde-haired girl flirted, blinking at me as she held my other hand.

I looked around expecting the FBI to show up tearing down the walls. However, when the men in uniform and carrying guns did not show up, I could think only one thing.

WHAT THE FUCK?!?

END OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter Text

Enough, this is weird! I escaped the girls' grip and noticed the sad look they gave me when I did that. My heart ached with this sight, but I needed to focus on the important matter here.

I stepped back with Noir and Rubrum looking at me, probably wondering why I had done this.

“Who are you?” I asked, half-closing my eyes in distrust.

The girls looked at each other worriedly.

“Please, say that you remember us! Tell us you don't have the same problem as our sister!" One exclaimed as a despaired expression appeared on her face, clasping her hands together and approaching with shaky steps.

“I've never seen you all in my life and I don't know which sister you're talking about.”

The girls looked at each other again, exchanging an unspoken message but it looked like they were going to cry.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to control the situation before any problem arose. I do not want the elves barging into my home and seeing five children crying, as I do not know how to explain the situation and doubt they would believe me.

“Listen, this is so confusing, you guys broke into my house and act like you know me. I don't understand what's going on, so how about we calm down and talk about it?” I suggested, pinching the bridge of my nose while smiling hesitantly.

My words relieved the girls, as they whipped their tears and smiled at me with a hopeful gaze. Therefore, I got them some chairs, other than the one that Two broke on my back.

We all sat around the kitchen table, with Noir and Rubrum beside me, and the girls on the other side, shifting nervously on their seats while looking at me expectantly.

"Well, for starters, your names are One, Two, Three, Four, and Five, right?"

I received a chorus of affirmative answers.

“Well, whoever your parents are, they're not creative with names. What kinds of parents name their kids with numbers?”

“We… We don't know.” One replied, looking down ashamed.

“What?” I asked surprised, raising an eyebrow.

"We have no memories of our parents." Four continued, averting her gaze while rubbing her hands together, where I saw her big nails.

“It's like a blur, whenever we try to form a face, the image disappears.” Three replied cryptically, waving her hand like a magician.

“But you're not going to disappear, are you?” Two asked worriedly, staring directly into my eyes with a sad gleam.

“No Two, he would never do that!" Five scolded her sister, slamming both hands on the table.

“Well, we have a problem here, I don't know who you are, you don't know who your parents are, but you know me. Is this not strange to you?”

I received another chorus of confirmation.

“For a long time, we've wondered what's wrong with our memories.” One said.

"But in the end, we learned that it didn't matter, as our sister was there to take care of us.” Two spoke with a shaky smile, but judging by her expression, there was something wrong.

“That until… until what happened a few months ago.” Four stuttered, rubbing her hands even harder.

“What happened to your sister?” I asked curiously but regretted it thanks to their answer.

“Sister Zero has gone mad!” Five exclaimed, throwing both arms upward.

“Five!” Four shouted to her sister.

“What, it’s true!” Five screamed back.

“But you don't yell that kind of thing around!”

Then Four and Five argued, but One interrupted them.

“Four and Five, that is enough!” One scolded her sisters as the two went red and silent with embarrassment.

“Can you tell me more about this sister Zero?” I asked, resting my elbow on the table and my head on my hand while taping my finger on the wood.

“Sister Zero is the oldest of us all, she always treated us well, taught us, trained us…” Three muttered, her voice getting lower and lower until it became a whisper.

“… But in one night, she appeared different, she… she…” Two did not finish as tears came out of her eyes.

“… She tried to kill us.” One finished with seriousness filling her voice.

Then she looked down with her hair covering her eyes as she gripped her tights with strength.

I stiffened upon realizing the seriousness of the situation; they were not lost children playing a trick on me but something worse.

“Do you girls have any clues on why your sister's suddenly changed?” I asked, taking a cloth from my pocket and offering it to Two.

“Thank you.” The girl replied shyly, before drying her tears.

"No, we were hoping you would know, after all, you knew her." Four spoke, returning to a calmer stance and putting a reassuring hand on Two's shoulder.

“Sorry, but I've never met a girl named Zero.” I replied and the stare they gave me almost broke my heart.

Way to go Alan! You can cut down a bunch of centaurs but cannot deliver some bad news

“I… I understand.” One whispered. Tightening her grip on her legs as an uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Excuse me Miss One, if it's not a problem, could you tell us more about Lord Alan and your sister's relationship?" Noir asked politely, speaking with a gentle tone.

This cheered the girls up a bit. Thank you very much, Noir!

“Of course, we can Noir." One replied. Raising her head a smile slowly appeared on her face.

“Oh, do you know who I am?” Noir asked surprised.

“Yes, you are Grimoire Noir, the magic book that always accompanied Alan along with Grimoire Rubrum. We remember you!” Five continued, jumping on her seat.

“And what else can you tell us?” Noir asked playfully.

“Well, we don't know much, after all, Sister Zero and you knew each other long before we were born. But according to our sister, you saved her from the bad men in one night…” Five explained crossing her arms and looking up in thought.

“…Then you accompanied her to our parents' house, they were surprised to see a person with two magic books, but after Sister Zero explained what happened, our parents were grateful…” Four continued, a nostalgic smile appearing on her face.

“…Time passed and Zero and you grew closer, she always had difficulty getting along with other people, you all were her first friends. So, as time passed, we were born and you were always there, helping us, playing and taking care of us, together with Sister Zero, but then…” Three completed.

“…Then more evil men arrived, they broke into our house and tried to take Sister Zero away, but you saved us, we don't know what happened to our parents, everything seemed to be over…” This time Two spoke.

“…But the bosses of the bad men put a bounty on you, and Sister Zero and you got separated. They took you all to Cathedral City while we fled to the forest with our sister. After that, we took some hidden treasure and went to Doveport, where we lived until the day our sister lost her mind.” One finished.

"Lord Alan, do you know what that means?" Noir asked with surprise in his voice while Rubrum stared at me in silence.

"Yes Noir and it's impossible, we saw her die and buried her. Whoever that sister Zero is, it can't be Rose." I replied seriously, tapping my fingers with enough strength to crack the table.

“Young ones, do you mind answering more questions?” Noir asked.

“No Noir, you may ask.” One replied.

"Thank you very much. First, who are we? Moreover, by that I mean, do you know where Lord Alan, Rubrum, and I come from? What did we do before reaching Midgard?"

“Alan is a mage from a distant land called Japan, which is suffering from various disasters, the main one being an illness. You all came to Midgard by accident and now are looking for a way to return home, to find Alan's siblings. Or at least that's what you told us.” One said.

“And why do you say that?” Noir asked again.

“Well, Alan's appearance says otherwise.” One spoke hesitantly, looking at me and letting out a nervous laugh.

"Explain please." I demanded, crossing my arms and frowning. I swear I will kick them out if she insults my appearance.

“Alan claims to be a mage, but he looks very different from what we remember. He looked more… more…” One hesitated to answer.

“He looked more human?” Noir asked.

“Yes, human…” One looked at me worriedly.

"Don't worry, I'm not offended." I sighed, calming down the girl. Well, I expected worse.

"Continue, please." Noir spoke.

“Okay, with Alan's new appearance, I guess he's something else…”

"What, he is exactly?" Noir asked curiously.

"He is an angel." One said in wonder that only a child could say, with her eyes shining like stars.

"HAHAHA!" I laughed at that statement, making One look offended by my reaction.

"Sorry, sorry, I have nothing against being called an angel, I take it as a compliment, but I'm not one, I honestly have no idea what I am." I shrugged.

"You can only be an angel, what else would you be?" One asked.

"You have wings!" Two spoke.

“You can use magic!” Three continued.

“You always show up at the right time!” Four said.

“And you are handsome as one!" Five flirted, blowing a kiss that I dodged like a bullet.

The last statement surprised me; I would like to see if she would say the same thing if I looked like a biblically accurate angel.

“Okay, okay! I'm an angel, there's no need for us to discuss that.” I replied, waving both hands and closing the matter.

“Well, now I just want to ask one last question. Your sister Zero, what does she look like?” Noir asked.

"She has fair skin, white hair, pink eyes, and a flower in her eye." One spoke.

Noir, Rubrum, and I faced each other again. I do not know what face I am making, but I believe that if Noir and Rubrum could, they would widen their eyes and open their mouths.

“Lord Alan, this is not possible.” Noir exclaimed in shock.

“I know Noir, or Rose has come back to life or there's someone out there pretending to be her, I'm willing to believe the latter. But what does One mean by a flower in the eye?”

“Yes, Sister Zero has a flower in her eye, she always has!” Four spoke.

Magic is involved, for sure.

“You know, this conversation cleared up a lot of my doubts, but it also created new ones. Like, why are you here? Not at my home, I mean, but in the Land of the Forests.” I asked the sisters.

“This… This… This has to do with our sister.” One murmured.

“Listen, you don't have to tell if it's something painful to remember.”

“No… Since Sister Zero and you know each other, I think you need to know… Of all my sisters, I have the most acute senses so one night I woke up to the sound of footsteps… It was Sister Zero, covered in blood and staring at me with a knife in her hand. I did not understand what I saw, it could only be a nightmare, that is until Sister Zero grabbed me and tried… And tried to kill me…”

One said with difficulty, her voice low and full of sadness, but she continued her story.

“…I screamed, using my magic without care, and threw Sister Zero away. I do not know how I knocked her unconscious; Sister Zero was always the strongest of us all… My screams woke up my sisters too. I did not stop to explain; we grabbed our things and ran away from home. We wandered around for some time, trying to understand what happened, my sisters did not want to believe it… But I managed to convince them of what I saw…"

“…We walked through Midgard and saw the cruelty of the Lords and the injustice that the people suffered. So we used our powers for something good, we turned bandits over to the authorities, we stopped soldiers who abused the people, we killed monsters that attacked villages, but it never seemed to end, so we decided to…”

“…We have decided to defeat the lords!” The other sisters screamed in unison.

"WHAT?" I yelled in surprise.

Noir and Rubrum backed away as well upon hearing what these kids planned to do.

“Sisters, you don’t give out that kind of information all at once!” One scolded her sisters.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Are you crazy? Facing the Lords, you know that each of them has an army, don't you?"

"Yes!" They answered.

“Do you all know that they also have Mages?”

"Yes!"

“And Golems?”

"Yes!"

“And tamed monsters?”

"Yes!"

“That every Lord knows how to use magic?”

"Yes!"

“Then why the hell do you want to face them?”

“To save the people of Midgard!” They all replied.

“And what makes you think you have any chance of winning?”

“If we work together, we are sure we will win!” Two said, punching the palm of her hand.

“And with your help, no Lord will stop us!” Five spoke, pointing at me.

"Hang on; I didn't say anything about helping you girls!"

The sisters went silent, surprised by my answer.

“Sisters, calm down and let me finish. As I was saying, we decided to defeat the Lords, the closest to us being Bass, the Lord of the Land of Sands. We decided to cross the Land of Forests to get to him, but we stopped here after hearing the stories of a monster terrorizing the place. ”

"What stories?" I asked, having an idea of what she was talking about.

“We heard stories about a monster dark as night that lurks among the trees and attacks anyone who enters the forest.” One spoke.

Damn it! My method of driving the soldiers away created some rumors.

"You don't need to worry; I've already dealt with this monster." I replied, smiling while puffing my chest.

"Serious? That's good to hear.” One sighed in relief.

Then the awkward silence returned.

“So… Will you help us?” One asked.

"No." I replied.

All the sisters gave me a look of betrayal.

"Why not?" One asked.

“Fighting the Lords is a mistake, you better go home.” I replied.

“But people are suffering, we cannot ignore it, it is our duty to help them!” Four screamed.

"All the people who fought the Lords died horribly, I don't want the same to happen to you."

“But if we all fight, we can make it!” Two said.

“This is not an anime; the power of friendship doesn't work here.”

“What is anime?” Three asked curiously, raising her hand.

"Something the people of Midgard are not ready to know."

“But you've faced the Lords before! Why not do it again?” Five asked.

“I did that once and look how I ended up.” I said, running my hands beside my face.

“But…” The sisters tried to speak, but One interrupted.

"Enough! He made his choice, the only thing we can do is respect it. We have our mission; we cannot force Alan to participate.” One replied, getting up from her chair and approaching me.

One stared at me, despite trying to keep a smile on her face; I saw sadness in her eyes. Looking at the sisters, they were not doing well in hiding their feelings and averted their gazes from me.

“After everything that happened, I'm glad to see you again, I hope someday you'll remember us.” One gave me a quick hug and walked away.

The other girls followed One right after.

“Goodbye Mister Alan… I hope we can meet again.” Four spoke.

“Send a letter if you want to talk.” Five said.

“Please try to remember us.” Two continued.

Three approached and stopped in front of me “A fallen angel, the past still haunts him, but he still seeks the light. Until we meet again, Alan.”

With their goodbyes done, the sisters left my house. Two tried to put the door in place on the way out, only for the door to fall again. Giving me a nervous look, Two ran to her sister's side.

Now the house was silent, I leaned on the table and rubbed my eyes. I am not good at this kind of thing; the drama only makes me more nervous. When I stopped, I saw Noir and Rubrum staring at me.

"What?" I asked the books.

“You will go after them, don't you?” Noir asked as Rubrum leaned to the side.

“No, why would I?”

“Because they asked for your help?” Noir replied.

I crossed my arms and leaned myself in the chair “I have nothing to do with this, if they want to die that much then let it happen.”

“I expected more from you, Lord Alan, leaving five helpless little girls to wander this cruel world.” Noir said mockingly while Rubrum quickly nodded at Noir's statement.

"I know what your game is and you're not going to convince me." However, Noir and Rubrum kept staring at me.

“You will go after them, don't you?” Noir asked again.

Letting out an irritated growl, I ran after the girls and found them walking towards the village.

“Wait!”

The girls turned towards me and I saw a smile forming on their faces.

-XXXXXX-

“So how do I look?" I asked the girls, showing them my new clothes.

I wore my long white trench coat, white gloves, brown pants, my old black boots, and my gray backpack.

“Hm… It looks good, but something is missing…” Five said in thought, walking around me.

"…I know! You need a hat!" Five exclaimed, snapping her fingers.

"A hat?"

“Yes, one that matches your coat, am I right, sisters?” Five asked her sisters.

“Yes/Absolutely/You bet/I agree.” The sisters responded.

"Well, if that's what's missing then let's go to Lyllenas. There are a few things I'd like to sort out before we leave."

With a series of confirmations, we walked towards the elves' village. Looking back, I saw the girls forming a line behind me, starting with One and ending with Five, adorable.

We received looks from the elves on our way when we arrived in the village.  Some laughed at the sight; others gave curious looks. The girls, on the other hand, looked admired at the villagers.

“So, what did you think of the village of Lyllenas?”

“It’s interesting/I like this place/Do you live here?”

“I like this village too, and I don't exactly live here, but I have a job as a teacher.”

Our first stop was at the school, where I talked to the principal. I am not resigning, I just asked for a few days to resolve some “family issues.”

The next stop was Elyon and Thessalia's house. The elves had different reactions to seeing me with a group of children; Elyon almost had a heart attack while Thessalia spoiled the girls.

“Look at them, they are so cute! Where did you find them?" Thessalia asked, pinching One's cheeks, stroking Two's head, and hugging Four while Five ate some snacks that Thessalia prepared and Three slept in a corner.

“Young man, I know I joked about you giving us some grandchildren, but you didn't have to bring five kids here!” Elyon exclaimed, sitting on his rocking chair while clutching his heart.

“They are not my daughters, they are the sisters of a friend of mine, and they were separated during a monster attack and ended up in the Land of Forests. I will take them to their home in the Land of Sands.”

“I see, so will you be gone for a while?”

“Yes, but I intend to return when everything is solved, so no need to worry.”

“But we are going to defeat the Lor… AAAHHH!” Two yelled as Four stomped her foot, cutting her off.

I sweated nervously as Elyon looked at Thessalia, seeing that she was distracted.

"Are you going to do something dangerous?" Elyon asked, rocking on his chair while looking at the ceiling.

"Yes, I am." I replied embarrassed.

"Please take care of yourself." Elyon sighed, his eyes shining with worry.

"Leave it with me." I smiled, reassuring the old elf.

Then, we left the house of the elves, giving our goodbyes to each other; it took a while to get the sisters out of Thessalia's arms.

Now all that remained was for me to find a hat. We stopped at a tailor store and found what I searched for, a white hat with two feathers, one black and one red.

“Is everyone ready?” I asked the girls, putting on the hat after paying for it.

"Yes!" The sisters replied in unison.

With our business here finished, we used an old cart that the sisters found near the village to transport the girls, so they all got on it and waited for the start of our journey.

“Noir, you pull the cart.” I said to the black book.

"Why me?" Noir asked despaired.

“You will do that because it was your idea for us to take on this endeavor.”

Lowering his head and sighing, Noir created two hands, grabbed the wooden bar in front of the wagon, and pulled it while Rubrum played with the girls.

I checked my backpack supplies, food, money, map, water, and extra clothes, the sisters also had a few things, mainly their money and water canteens.

Well, it is not that bad after all. Maybe this trip will be fun in the end. I thought as we walked out of the village.

END OF CHAPTER

Chapter Text

I was never so wrong in my entire life! I screamed mentally as I pulled the cart for Noir to rest.

“Are we there yet?” Two asked.

"No." I replied quickly, trying to hide my annoyance.

“Are we there yet?”

"No."

“Are we there yet?”

"No."

“Are we there yet?”

"Yes." I replied, turning my head and smiling at her.

"Seriously?"  Two asked happily, returning the smile.

"No."

“Oh! Are we there yet?” Two spoke disappointed but returned to her happy mood and questions right after.

I breathed deeply, keeping myself from screaming. As if that was not enough, the other sisters found their unintentional way of annoying me.

"I am hungry!" Five screamed, her stomach grumbling audibly.

"Well, why don't you eat some of the food you brought?"

“I already ate it!” Five complained dramatically as if she would starve while her stomach roared like a lion.

“I need to go to the bathroom!” Four exclaimed right after, jumping anxiously on her place with her face red in shame.

“Why didn’t you go before we left?”

“I didn't want to before!” Four replied, widening her eyes as sweat rand down her forehead.

"Why is the sky blue?" Then, there were Three's incessant questions.

“Because of the spectrum of sunlight reflected by the particles that make up the atmosphere, the blue we see is the light being reflected.”

“What are particles?” Three asked innocently, oblivious to my angry tone.

“A very small portion of matter, everything in the universe is made up of particles, including you and me.”

“Can I see a particle?”

“Not to the naked eye.”

“Can I touch a particle?”

“Technically, you are doing this right now.”

“What is a light spectrum?”

“It is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum whose radiation is composed of photons capable of sensitizing the human eye of a normal person.”

“What is the electromagnetic spectrum, radiation, and photons?"

This is going to be a long trip! I thought as I answered Three's questions.

One was the only one who did not cause trouble as she involved herself in a conversation with Noir and Rubrum.

-XXXXXX-

We stopped in a clearing, to rest and eat, but One surprised me with a request.

"Could you repeat it? I don't think I heard it right." I asked surprised, cleaning my ear in disbelief.

“I want you to fight me.” One replied, giving me a determined look. However, her sisters looked uncertain at her request.

"Why?" I asked, finishing my dried meat with a few bites and leaning on the tree behind me.

“Sister Zero is the strongest of all of us, if she ever returns, I need to be able to face her, and I have to get stronger for that. So please fight me, I want to know how far I am from her level. ” One asked again, stepping forward with fire in her eyes.

I looked at Noir and Rubrum, and we shared a feeling of hesitation.

"Are you sure?" I asked worriedly, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I am." One nodded, staring directly into my eyes.

"If you're that determined then I guess we can try but nothing too serious, I don't want you to get hurt." I spoke, getting up and dusting off my clothes.

"I'm not a child; you don't have to worry like that!" One exclaimed. Stomping the ground as her face turned red with embarrassment.

“That's what we'll see.” I joked.

Therefore, One and I walked to the center of the clearing and stopped opposite each other, waiting for who would move first.

“Lord Alan, please try to hold back!” Noir exclaimed worriedly as Rubrum floated back and forth nervously.

"Don't worry Noir, I'll take it easy." I reassured them, giving a thumbs up.

“One, are you sure about this?” Two asked.

"This is dangerous! What if you get hurt?” Four exclaimed.

"Better stop this before something goes wrong." Five added.

"I'll bet you a bronze coin that One will die." Three spoke sleepily, scratching her belly and yawing right after.

“Three!” The sisters scolded her.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Three asked innocently, tilting her head in confusion.

“One, whatever happens; we won't hold a grudge against each other, right?” I asked the girl.

“Yes, but I ask that you treat me like an enemy, I need to get stronger to protect my sisters, that will never happen if I am not challenged.” One spoke seriously.

Hm… She is determined, but this talk of getting stronger bothers me. How many times did I see the “I need to get stronger” trope in anime? It rarely ends well.

One assumed a fighting stance and I did the same, I raised my fists and waited for her to make the first move.

“Will you not use your ax?” One asked confused.

"No, no offense, but I don't need to." I answered, smiling gently at her.

One gnashed her teeth in frustration and ran towards me, her speed impossible for a normal person to keep up with, but for me, she moved like a turtle.

One performed a big jump and pulled her fist back, trying to punch me in the face, but I transformed into darkness, surprising her and making her pass right by me.

I reformed and grabbed her by the leg before she landed and held her upside down in front of me.

"I won." I smiled while bopping her nose.

“Put me down and let me try again!” One exclaimed frustrated.

Shrugging, I threw One backward. She flew over my head and re-orientated herself midair, landing safely on the ground.

“You got this, One!” Two cheered.

“Please, fight safely!” Four shouted worriedly.

“You were amazing, One!” Five spoke.

“Break his legs, One!” Three screamed.

“Three!” The sisters scolded Three again.

One gazed at me analytically, shifting into a crouching stance and advancing at great speed again, trying to leg-sweep me when she approached.

I flapped my wings, dodging the attack, launching myself into the air and landing behind One right after, where I lifted her from the ground by the back of her shirt.

"Let me try again!" One screamed angrily. Therefore, I put her down and we returned to our starting positions.

“You are not taking me seriously.” One complained, half-closing her eyes.

“Of course not, I would kill you if I did.” I shrugged.

“If you will not fight seriously then I'll make you do it.” One said irritably and sang, using her magic.

This caught my curiosity, so I watched it unfold. From what little I saw, each of the sisters does something different with their song magic; I wonder what One is capable of doing.

I had my answer when One finished her song and magic bands with strange symbols warped her arms and legs. Giving me a determined look, One assumed a fighting stance and advanced.

What came next surprised me. One rushed at an absurd speed, her initial momentum leaving a large crack in the ground.

One tried to kick my chest when she approached, but I turned into darkness again, making her pass straight by me. I tried to grab One by the leg when I reformed, but she moved faster and avoided my grip.

"Not this time!" One yelled, somersaulting away and turning towards me when she landed.

The girl approached again, jumping and trying to punch me in the jaw, but I leaned back, dodging the blow. One spun in the air and tried to kick the side of my head; I blocked the blow with my left arm and the impact of the attack released a small shock wave.

One and I glared at each other with seriousness; it was time for me to go to the offensive, so I slammed the palm of my right hand onto One's stomach.

The girl grimaced as she released a pained scream before flying away. One rolled across the clearing before planting her hands on the ground and getting back to her feet.

"Are you ok?" I asked worriedly, I hope I do not hurt her.

“*COUGH* Yes, are ready to fight seriously now?” One asked, catching her breath.

“I admit that what you did was impressive, but you are nowhere near defeating me, however, I think I can turn up a notch.” I pointed my left index at One as magic gathered in my fingertip and fired a magic projectile.

One widened her eyes as my attack approached; she barely stepped out of the way before my projectiles hit the ground, creating an explosion followed by a magic pillar. One rolled across the ground again, before recovering and running towards me.

I pointed my finger at her and fired a series of projectiles in her way. One did her best to dodge, but each blast knocked her away, covering her body in dust and scratches.

One flew back thanks to the last explosion, and without giving her time to recover, I fired more projectiles in her direction.

One, upon seeing the approaching projectiles, took a deep breath and let out a deafening scream. I grabbed my ears, trying to muffle the noise, and for the first time, my improved senses became a problem.

The scream exploded my projectiles mid-air, creating a smoke cloud. Meanwhile, I shook my head, trying to clear the buzzing from my ears now that she stopped screaming.

I glimpsed One jumping out of the smoke cloud. I pointed my left hand at her, a projectile forming at the tip of each finger, and fired at the ground in front of her, forming a wall of pillars and blocking her path.

One stomped the ground, stopping her advance. I quickly flapped my wings, propelling myself forward before the pillars disappeared, and raised my fist, closing the distance when the pillars finally dissipated.

I saw One widen her eyes in fear as I approached, and then I landed my blow. In addition, by that, I mean that I hit One on the top of the head as if I scolded Nier for doing something stupid.

One's magic dissipated and she returned to normal. One rubbed the hit spot and faced me with tears in her eyes and her face red with embarrassment.

"OUCH! Why?" One asked between tears.

“Because you need to stop before you do something stupid! Look at you, what would happen if you were seriously injured? Because I do not know, any healing magic and we are miles from the nearest village! And besides, your sisters are worried.” I scolded her, hitting One on the top of the head again.

“I'm sorry for worrying you all. I just wanted to get stronger to protect you." One muttered, looking at the ground after noticing how worried they were. Meanwhile, the sisters approached One and hugged her.

“It's okay One, we understand.” Two spoke.

“You can count on us if you want to talk about it.” Four said.

"Just don't try to do it all alone, we're all in this together." Five continued.

“That was dangerous. Can I have your stuff if you die?" Three asked, running their wholesome mood.

“Three!” The other sisters screamed.

“See, your sisters care about you. Please, do not go around putting yourself in danger just to get stronger. You're young, you still have a lot of time ahead, play with your sisters, enjoy the time you still have together, eat properly and someday you'll be big and strong like me. But I don't know if the last part applies to you, you're too short for a child.” I provoked One.

“I am not short!” One responded, crossing her arms and puffing out her cheeks.

"Yes, you are." I replied, crouching and poking her cheek mockingly.

"I'm not short, you that are too tall!" One replied, pointing at me.

“Why don't you say it to my face? Wait, you can't!” I answered, smiling from ear to ear.

One blushed with embarrassment and tried to punch me, but I put my hand on her head, keeping it in place. Simultaneously, One punched the air, uselessly.

"Let me go and I'll show you who is short here!"

“And what will you do, bite my shins?”

“AAAHHH!” One screamed in frustration, repeatedly punching the air.

“But One is not the only culprit here. You all are too." I pointed to the other sisters.

"We are?" The sisters asked confused.

“Yes, you all saw that One had difficulty facing me, but you all watched instead of helping her. Moreover, if One were in real danger, what would you do? You cannot wait for One to tell you what to do all the time.

The sisters went silent and looked away ashamed.

“That's why I have a proposal for you all. All of you will fight me, thus learning teamwork and not depend on One's orders. What do you all think?"

They shared a hesitant look, which soon changed to determination and each one of them stepped forward right after. I smiled at the result and let go of One, causing her to stumble forward.

The sisters gathered in a circle on the other side of the clearing and whispered among themselves; sometimes one of them lifted their heads and glanced in my direction.

“Lord Alan, are you sure about this?” Noir asked.

“Maybe, I need to get One out of her mentality of getting stronger alone. They are children, children who almost died to her sister; they need to learn to work together, especially if they will face the Lords.”

“I just hope everything ends well.” Noir spoke as Rubrum watched expectantly.

The sisters finished their discussion and assumed fighting stances while I did the same.

Five acted first, singing, creating metallic disks above her, and firing magic beams towards me. I flapped my wings, propelling myself in different directions and dodging the shots that knocked down trees and opened holes in the ground.

I tried to close the distance, but Three sang and purple threads appeared around me, trying to envelop my body. I quickly turned into darkness and the threads closed in the air.

I kept advancing, but Five pointed her disks downward and fired, forcing me to reform and back away.

Suddenly, I felt my back hitting something. Turning my head, I saw a large, green magic wall behind me. Looking back to the sisters, I saw Four singing.

Then, Two sang and a big blue magic hand shot towards me, fist closed and ready to smash me against the wall. Simultaneously, Five aimed the discs at me and fired again.

I flapped my wings as the attacks approached and flew upwards. Flying over the clearing, I saw a large smoke cloud where stood previously, so I returned to the clearing, stopping a few meters above the ground behind the sisters.

“Did we get him?” Two asked.

“I'm not sure, I can't see him.” Five spoke.

“I don't know, maybe yes, maybe no.” I laughed, landing behind the sisters.

They tried to turn around in surprise, but I moved faster. I tripped Three, knocking her to the ground as Five pointed her discs at me, but I grabbed her by the shirt and threw her towards the approaching Two.

Four sang and two magic walls appeared on my sides, closing in and trying to crush me. I flapped my wings, propelling myself forward, and slammed my palm into Four's chest, throwing her back.

“Well, great teamwork, but you guys need more practice. You lost sight of me and were too slow to react when I approached and… Wait! Where is One?” I looked around, realizing that a sister disappeared.

I heard the rustling of leaves above me and looking up, I saw One falling towards me.

I put both arms in front of my face, blocking a kick. One used my arm as support, throwing herself backward, somersaulting, and landing on the ground while her sisters returned to her side.

“Congratulations, you almost hit me, good teamwork.” I cheered while clapping my hands, congratulating the sisters.

"But we failed, we couldn't defeat you." One replied, disappointed.

"And did you expect to get it the first time? You do not get strong overnight, you need to try, improve your skills, and learn to work as a team until you all work in sync or can hold your own in a fight. Because no matter how long you all stick together, you never know when you'll have to fight alone."

“But Lord Alan, you became strong overnight.” Noir spoke confused.

“SSSHHH!” I put my finger in front of my lips, silencing Noir.

Rubrum checked the sisters for injuries and circled them happily upon seeing that they were fine.

"Are you girls ready to try again?” I asked.

I received a chorus of confirmation.

“Then come on, assume you fighting stances!”

We spent some time training, and the sisters got better at using their magic creatively with each attempt and then, we continued our journey.

-XXXXXX-

“Are we there yet?” Two asked.

"No."

“Are we there yet?”

"No."

“Are we there yet?”

"No."

“This is taking too long!” Two exclaimed.

“Well, I'm sorry that we didn't take the bus!” I replied sarcastically.

“What is a bus?” Three asked, pulling my trench coat.

“It is a large, four-wheeled collective vehicle powered by a combustion engine, which travels along a predefined route.”

“What is an engine?”

“It is a device that produces force to move machines or other devices.”

“Hm… How do you know about all these things?”

“What can I say? I am a well-educated person.” I spoke proudly.

“Are you a scholar?”

"You can say so."

“So, teach me.” Three spoke with a tinge of determination in her voice.

"Why?" I asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

“You know a lot of things I've never heard of, and that interest me. Teach me.” Three spoke again, her sleepy demeanor disappearing and giving place to a curious smile.

“What do you want to be taught about?”

"Everything." Three said, her eyes shining in amusement.

"Okay, it all started fourteen billion years ago, in the beginning, there was nothing except for an extremely dense particle that exploded violently..."

-XXXXXX-

“So the big bang is what it took for all the events that have occurred to date to happen, including the birth of all of us. Do you have more questions, Three?”

I noticed that the purple-haired girl was strangely silent. Stopping the cart and looking back, I saw Three with her mouth open, eyes empty, and looking in different directions.

Looking at her sisters, I saw that each one had different degrees of the same reaction.

“Three?” I lightly touched the girl on the forehead and she fell back like a cut tree.

Rubrum floated above the girl, watching her worriedly. Using her magic, Rubrum opened Three's canteen and poured water in her face and it worked. Letting out a breath of air, Three came back to life, awakening her sisters too.

“So you mean it all came from this big explosion?” Three asked.

"It's the most accepted theory."

“And that other planets exist?”

“Yes, from the closest to the sun to the farthest, not counting the earth, we have Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. There are diverse systems in the universe, each with its planets and stars, there are also other galaxies.”

“What about universes, are there other universes?”

"Probably yes." I said thinking about the events that led me here.

"How is that possible?"

“Well, what happens in our reality is happening simultaneously in other alternate realities out there. Universes where the difference is that you chose to go left instead of right, and completely different ones where a cataclysmic event happened and changed the course of history.” I replied, using all my comic books, movies, and manga knowledge.

“Do you take apprentices?”

“How about you enroll in Lyllenas' school when our little journey is over? I am a teacher, so you can learn more there.”

“No, I want to learn directly from you.”

"Come on Three, that would be cool, we can make new friends, learn new things, and we can wear matching uniforms." Two said excitedly.

“And think of all the cute elven boys we might meet.” Five said with a dreamy look.

"Of course, that's all you'd think about! Don't you have a little dehiscence in that hollow head of yours?" Four complained to her sister.

"It's not my fault you don't have the assets the boys like." Five teased.

“Perverted bitch.” Four muttered, turning aside while covering her chest with her arms

“Alan, what do you know about Cathedral City?” One asked, interrupting her sisters, but I noticed that they watched me intensely… Weird…

“I know the basics. That the city came out of nowhere alongside monsters and destabilized the world, that the Lords are descendants of the scholars who fled to the cathedral and learned magic, that the city's Institute of Magic was funded by the Catholic Church, and about the disaster that ensued, destroying the institute and part of the city.”

“What do you know about the Mercury Gate?” One asked again in a serious tone.

“I know it's a big mysterious gate that no one knows how to open and what's on the other side, but there are stories that whoever opens the gate will get absolute magical power. But I do not believe it.”

"Why not?"

“Don't you think this is too convenient? Absolute magical power waiting on the other side of a gate that nobody knows anything about. If there is, a thing that Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark have taught me is that there is a good reason hidden treasures stay hidden in the first place. There must be a curse or world-destroying monster, or something like that, behind that gate”

"I understand." One said before falling silent, looking away deep in thought while her sisters pretended that nothing happened, but I noticed some of them glancing at me.

Hm… They are hiding something.

-XXXXXX-

We continued until night, so we stopped again to eat and sleep. Rubrum lit a fire with a blast of magic and I skewered some meat on a stick to roast.

“Well, it will take a while for the food to be ready.” I said sitting on a rock near the fire.

The sisters sat across from me and looked at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked, surprised by their reply.

“Tell us a story with monsters!” Two said excitedly.

“And adventures!” Four said.

“With romance!” Five spoke.

“And mystery!” Three completed.

“A story that makes us think about it for a long time!” One finished.

“I'm not very good at telling stories…” I said looking away and scratching the back of my neck.

"You all don't need to worry, Lord Alan will tell a story with all these themes." Noir spoke to the sisters.

I glared at Noir angrily. Is this because I made him pull the cart? Looking back at the sisters, I saw that Rubrum had joined the group and watched me too.

“A story with monsters, adventures, mysteries and that makes us think? Come closer children, because I will tell you the story of a young man who invaded a forbidden land to revive his beloved, a young man who, guided by the light of his sword and accompanied by his faithful steed, will face the giants that inhabit lands full of ruins, temples, mountains, and deserts."

So I told the story and the sisters looked at me in amazement, never diverting their attention.

-XXXXXX-

After dinner, the girls slept next to the fire to warm themselves up. I, on the other hand, sat down, leaned against a tree, and watched the children sleeping. A small smile appeared on my face until I realized that Noir and Rubrum were staring at me.

"What?"

“You like the presence of these children, don’t you?” Noir asked playfully.

"No, I honestly find it annoying how they keep talking, arguing, and asking questions all the time.” I complained while looking away, but Noir and Rubrum stared at me again, looked at each other, and then laughed.

"What’s so funny?"

"Your actions contradict your claims, Lord Alan." Noir said with a hint of happiness in his voice.

“Okay, I admit it, I like having them around! It's good to have someone to talk to and have fun with, not that you guys aren't nice to be around, of course!”

"Don't worry, we're not offended, are we Rubrum?" Rubrum nodded repeatedly.

"I am happy to hear it."

“But what will you do with the girls when the Lords are defeated?”

"If the Lords are defeated, I would like the girls not to continue with their goal, it will only end in tragedy. I also hope that I can get that mentality out of their heads when we are done with Bass.”

Noir and Rubrum went silent, thinking about what I said.

“But, I'd like to find a place for them in Lyllenas, I don't get paid much as a teacher, but I think I'll be able to take care of them if I cut some expenses, and besides, there's the big sister, Zero. If she is that strong as they say, so the girls do not stand a chance. Maybe I can get Zero to change her mind, or in the worst case, to stop permanently.”

“Lord Alan, do you think Zero is Miss Rose?”

“I don't know Noir; if she is then we'll have a problem. I cannot imagine why Rose would want to kill the girls who call her sister, but if she is an imposter, well, let us just say that heads will roll for anyone daring to pretend to be Rose.”

"We saw Miss Rose die, we saw her body and we buried her, it can't be her." Noir replied but Rubrum waved negatively at Noir's statement.

“What is that Rubrum? Do you think Zero is Rose?” I asked and Rubrum nodded.

"I hope you're wrong, for the sake of my sanity." We returned to silence and I tipped my head back, ready to sleep, but music interrupted me.

“All our times have come.”

“Here, but now they're gone.”

“Seasons don't fear the reaper.”

“Nor do the wind, the sun, or the rain.”

My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. I quickly looked at the girls and they still slept. I knew this song and it came from my backpack. Opening it, I grabbed my ringing cell phone.

How is this possible? How does this thing even have a charge and signal? In addition, who called me?

I read the name Accord on the screen, the same person who left my stuff in the woods after the events of Cathedral City. Therefore, I accepted the call.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Accord speaking, may I speak with Alan?” A female voice answered happily from the other end.

“You are talking to him.”

“Oh, it is nice to meet you, Mister Anomaly! I watched you for some time and I must admit; you impressed me with the changes your presence created in this branch.”

"Hang on, one thing at a time! What the hell is an anomaly and branch, and how come you watched me?" I asked, taken back by her reply.

“This would be a long conversation. I just wanted to check if everything was ok and to say that we will meet in the future, where we will have a formal conversation.”

"Please, answer my questions!" I demanded.

“I'm sorry but I can't do that right now, as I said before, we will have a formal conversation in the future in a private place. But I would like to thank you.”

"Thank me for what?"

“For making this branch a little better.” Accord spoke, assuming a gentler tone.

"You're welcome?" I replied hesitantly.

Therefore, an awkward silence took over the conversation.

“So what are you wearing now?” Accord flirted.

I immediately ended the call. Accord huh... Therefore, she watched me all this time. I have so many questions now.

“Lord Alan, who was it?” Noir asked surprised.

“It was my stalker.”

“Should we be concerned?”

“I don't know Noir, I don't know...”

Then, I closed my eyes with sleep weighing on my mind, hoping that Accord would answer my question when we met.

-XXXXXX-

We arrived at the city of Sandpoint after a few days of travel. The city is located on the border of the Land of Forests and the Land of Sands, becoming the place where travelers stop for supplies before entering the dangerous deserts.

I asked the books to hide in my backpack before someone saw us and stopped the cart at the entrance of the city, letting the girls jump out of it.

"Everyone listen, we're in Sandpoint, the last place where supplies are guaranteed before entering the Land of Sands! From here, we will head straight to Bass's castle! I want you all to stay here while I buy supplies, and Four, you're in charge!” One said to her sisters with a serious expression.

“You can count on me sister One!” Four responded proudly while puffing out her chest.

"What about me?" I asked playfully, raising one hand.

“Could you stay here and help Four?” One asked, her expression softening.

“Are you sure you want to go alone, what if something happens?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“Don't worry; I can take care of myself. And Four, do a good job.” One replied, smiling at her sister before walking through the streets of Sandpoint.

“I will make you proud Sister One!” Four shouted waving at One as One waved back.

"Listen, everyone, sister One has entrusted me with the duty of looking after you, we will make sure that she can trust us, so behave and do as I say.” Four spoke to her sisters, hands on her hips and a determined look in her eyes.

However, the sisters were not paying attention, as they focused on One who disappeared around a corner while Four spoke.

“Well, she is gone.” Two spoke hesitantly.

“And it will take some time for her to come back.” Five replied, a smile slowly forming on her face.

“That gives us a lot of free time." Three completed, a devilish gleam shining in her eyes.

Then, the three sisters stared at each other.

“Wait what you girls…” Four said.

“YYYAAAHHHYYY!”

However, the three sisters' squeals of joy cut Four short, as each girl ran off in a different direction, disappearing through the streets and among the crowds.

"Wait, Two, Five, Three, listen to me, sister One trusted me!” Four yelled, holding out her hand in the vain hope of reaching her sisters, and then, she dropped to her knees on the sandy road.

Four stared at the floor with her head down. I noticed she shook visibly; I thought she was going to cry.

“Four, are you okay?” I asked bringing my hand closer to her shoulder, but recoiled at the explosion that followed.

"HAHAHA! So this is how you treat me?!? Fuck it! Sister One trusted me, but no! You always have to screw it up! Know what?!? Fuck you Five, you and those fat cow tits of yours; I hope they fall off so you will know how I feel! Alternatively, should I rip them off?!? Yes, I should do it; I would like to see your face after that!”

“Fuck you Three, you fucking weirdo! I honestly wonder if you have some kind of retardation! Always speaking in riddles and acting scary, that is why no one likes you! Not to mention, of course, that annoying hair of yours that you keep cutting, you know the damn work I have to clean up the mess you leave behind?!? I should pull that hair out of your head to give both of us less trouble! Yes, I will rip your hair off along with your head and that pretty face of yours!”

“Fuck you Two, you and your cute act! You go around showing all the goodness of your heart without noticing people taking advantage of you! As if that were not enough, there is your absurd strength that only serves to destroy everything you see, if you were not a walking disaster maybe people would get closer to you! I should kill you and thus stop your trail of destruction!”

“Yes, I will kill Five, Three and Two! I will kill you all! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!"

I flinched at the profanities that came out of this girl's mouth, things I never thought a child would say.

My eyes widened and my mouth opened but no sound came out, I did not know what to do and I admit that I felt a little scared.

Eventually, Four finished her outburst. Taking a deep breath, she looked around and her face changed to one of shock and surprise upon seeing me.

“Oh... Were you here the whole time? I... I... can explain... That was... That was just... It is not what you think... It was just a slip! That is a slip! We are close to the desert; the heat is not doing me so well... It made me a little stressed you know..." Four stammered looking away nervously as sweat ran down her face.

"What was that?" I asked slowly and seriously, saying it word after word while staring at Four.

Four looked at me and around herself, opening and closing her mouth while trying to come up with an answer.

"I am waiting." I crossed my arms while stomping the ground.

I had my answer when Four's face turned red, her eyes filled with tears and she sobbed.

“WWWHHHHAAAA!” Four cried from the top of her lungs.

"I'M SORRY!" Four screamed on her knees, crawling towards me, hugging my leg, and burying her face in my coat.

"I... I did not want to say this... However, I am tired... I am tired of not being taken seriously by my sisters." Four screamed in between her cries.

However, I saw a line of snot coming out of her nose and connecting to my coat every time she pulled her face out of my coat to speak

I shuddered in disgust. Looking around, I noticed that people stared at me in anger or disappointment. I went red with embarrassment; better defuse this situation before it got worse.

“Listen Four, I'm not angry, just surprised.”

"Seriously?" Four whispered hopefully with swollen eyes.

“Yeah, how about you calm down? We can talk about it if you want.”

“Yes… Please…” Four replied but not before blowing her nose into my coat, sniffling and red-eyed, she waited for me to say something.

“Listen, how about we talk while we look for your sisters? Better find them before One comes back, no?” I suggested, still thinking about what to do.

"Yes, you're right." Four replied, looking away.

"Excellent!" I held Four under her arms and sat her on my shoulders.

"Mister Alan, you didn't have to..."

"I insist." I replied, cutting her off, and together we walked the streets of Sandpoint in search of her sisters.

“So… Do you want to start?” I asked Four.

“I hate this...” Four replied in anger.

“You hate what?”

“I hate everything about me, I hate my face, my hair, my voice, my body, and the way my sisters don't respect me, but mostly, I hate my nasty fingernails.”

“You hate your nails, why?”

“Due to our magic, my sisters and I have something in our bodies that keeps growing. One has her senses, Two has strength, and Three has her hair. Five, well I think you noticed how tight her clothes are on the chest area.”

"Yes, I noticed."

“In my case, I have these huge fingernails that keep growing. My nails crook and stuck everywhere, as if that was not enough, I am the least interesting of my sisters. Three has the prettiest face, Five has the best body, Two has the best personality, and One has the best mind, but I... I have nothing... and I hate myself for it.”

The situation is more complicated than I thought; this girl has problems and psychology does not exist here in Midgard.

“But you are only focusing on the negative side. How about you focus on your positive points?”

"Like what? There is nothing positive about me.”

“Of course there is, just look for it. How about how helpful you are?”

“Any of my sisters could be helpful if they wanted to.”

“But do they?”

“No, they are always causing problems, and I am the one who has to solve them.”

“We found a positive about you, how much you enjoy helping and caring for your sisters.”

"I don't like them that much; honestly it would be better if I left them to their problems."

“But you never did that, did you?”

"No."

“No matter how much you deny it, deep down you still care about your sisters, don't you?”

“You're right, but they never appreciate how much effort I put into taking care of them, all I wanted was a compliment, a thank you, especially from One.”

“Then how about you do something worthy of praise?”

"Like what?"

“Well, what do your sisters like?”

“Five likes clothes, jewelry, and food. I honestly do not think there is anything she does not like. Three likes dolls, riddles, and horror stories. Two likes to play and things she thinks are cute, and One likes to read or to stay silent, I think she likes peace in general.”

“Then how about you spend some time with your sisters? Doing what they like and knowing them better? If you do that, I believe they will do the same for you.”

"Do you think this will work?"

“Yes, you can't just focus on the negatives, either your sisters or yours. They love you despite how annoying you think they are. However, do not do it just to get compliments, do it because you care, because you want to become a better person. Love your sisters and they will love you back.”

“I think… I think I can try. But will you help me?”

“Of course, but you need to take the initiative.”

"Thank you, Mr. Alan."

"You're welcome."

Well, this was not the best interaction, but I am not a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Four needs the help of a qualified professional, but since they do not exist here in Midgard, I can only be supportive and try to point her in the right direction.

We heard a commotion nearby. Looking in the direction of the noise, we saw that it came from a tavern; I also glimpsed long blonde hair inside the building among the people entering and leaving.

It looks like we found Five. Entering the tavern and ducking for Four to pass, we faced an impressive sight.

Five sitting at a table with piles of plates around her, the little girl ate her food one plate after another like a vacuum cleaner.

We quickly approached the table, gently pushing aside the people who watched in awe.

“Five! What are you…” Four exclaimed.

"Four, remember what we talked about.” I interrupted the girl.

Four took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

“Five, why did you leave us behind? Sister One trusted us to behave. Please, stop what you're doing, and let's go back before One returns." Four asked.

“You have nothing to worry about dear sister; One won't even notice we're gone. Would you like to sit down and eat some food? Maybe that will make your assets grow.” Five teased as she grabbed one corner of my coat and used it as a napkin.

Four and I shook with rage for different reasons. I think it is time for me to be an adult here.

“Five, have you thought about how Four feels about what you girls did?” I firmly asked the girl, doing my best impression of my dad.

"But what is the problem?" Five asked confused.

“The problem is that One entrusted Four with your care and the first thing you did was run away. Have you ever thought about how Four feels? Did you ever think you were going to end up getting her in trouble?”

"But…"

“No buts, answer the question.” I replied, crossing my arms and fixing her.

“No…” Five lowered her head.

“If One came back and didn’t find you there what would she think?”

“She would think that something bad happened?”

"Yes, and she would be worried. Do you want to worry One?”

"No, I don’t."

“I'm glad you understood. So what do we say when we do something wrong?”

"I'm very sorry."

"But it's not me you should apologize to." I replied, pointing to the girl sitting on my shoulders.

Five got out of her chair with her hands together and approached us with timid steps. Lifting her head, she apologized to Four.

"I'm sorry for causing trouble Sister Four, it won't happen again."

“And what do we say when someone apologizes to us?” I asked Four.

"It's okay Five, I accept your apology. But please, be more responsible next time."

“Four is right, you need to think about your actions and the result of them before you act, you may be the younger sister but that's no excuse to be reckless. And Four, you can't just boss your sisters around and expect them to do your bidding, you need to respect them too." I lectured the sisters.

"Okay, we understand." The sisters responded.

“Great, but I have a question for Five before we go. Do you have the money to pay for this food?”

The blond girl stiffened, widening her eyes and averting her gaze nervously.

“You don't have the money, do you?” I asked deadpanned, looking at her disappointedly.

"No, I don’t." Five whispered, blushing in shame.

“Where is the owner of this place? Let’s be responsible and try to solve this situation with him.” I asked, searching for the person in question.

I saw a man approaching us, and judging by his clothes, he must be a chef.

“Are you responsible for these girls?” The chef asked, crossing his arms and looking at me irritably.

"Yes, I am."

"Here is the bill." The cook handed me a piece of paper.

I almost fainted when I saw the value. It should not be possible for a child to eat that much! I will not be able to pay it with my teacher's salary.

“Thanks… Just give me a minute…” I stuttered, pretending to dig through my pocket for money as I walked over to Five's table. Then, I grabbed a plate full of food and threw it at the chef's face.

"RUN!" I yelled to Five.

Without thinking twice, the blonde-haired girl put a chicken leg in her mouth and ran beside me out of the tavern. I held Five under my arm like a sack of potatoes and heard the chef's screams as we ran through the streets.

“COME BACK HERE AND PAY FOR THE FOOD!”

“Mr. Alan, shouldn't we be responsible like you said?” Four asked.

“Be responsible, but don't be an idiot, Four! I will not pay that absurd amount!” I replied.

“At least I managed to eat a little. Can we get dessert later?” Five asked between bites.

“Five!” Four and I scream.

We ran for a long time until the chef lost us. Catching my breath, we returned to our search. Suddenly, I heard someone crying.

“WWWAAAHHH!”

Entering a street to my right, I found Two crying.

"Two!" The three of us yelled, approaching the blue-haired girl.

“Two what happened?” I asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

The girl hugged my leg, staring at me with teary eyes as she made incomprehensible noises and pointed down the street, where I spotted a man running and pushing people out of the way.

I see… I threw Five upward and I caught her by the back of her shirt when she fell.

"Alan, what are you doing?" Five asked surprised.

“I am recovering stolen money, Five go!” I yelled as I hurled Five towards the thief.

“AAAAHHHH!” Five screamed as she flew down the street at great speed.

Honestly, I cannot judge the thief for stealing; after all, I have stolen too. However, it is one thing to steal from those who have money to spare; it is another thing to steal from a child.

Eventually, Five hit the thief, landing a head-butt on his back. The two rolled across the ground and stopped when they collided with the wall of a house. I ran after the two and saw Five slapping the thief's face while she screamed when I approached.

“That is for robbing my sister! That is for not breaking my fall! That is for…”

"Five it's enough, I think he learned his lesson." I replied, holding her arm in the air.

I stopped the girl before she killed the man. The person’s face was red and swollen with Five's handprints covering his face. Searching through the thief's pockets, I found Two's coins, and the girl in question walked over to me while sniffling.

"Here it is." I handed the bag to Two.

"Thank you." Two muttered, drying her tears.

“Two, isn't there something you'd like to say to a certain girl on my shoulders?”

“I'm sorry for running away and I'm sorry for not paying attention to my surroundings. The thief was too far away by the time I realized he robbed me.” Two apologized to Four.

“Four?” I asked the girl.

“It's okay Two, just pay more attention and be more careful next time.” Four replied.

We searched for Three now that the sisters reconciled. I carried Four and Two, each girl sitting on one of my arms, while Five sat on my shoulders.

"MOM!" A child screamed.

Letting out a long sigh, I ran towards the screams. Follow the screams and you will find one of the girls, which seems to be the rule.

I found Three and a boy sitting on a stone bench, the two held hands together, but it was clear that the boy did not want to be there. As I approached, I heard the two talking.

“Have you ever wondered how far the human intestine can stretch?” Three asked emotionlessly.

“Please let me go!” The boy begged.

“What about human bones? Have you ever wondered how much they can bend before breaking?”

"What do you want, money? My father has plenty, just let me go!”

“Have you ever wondered how many clothes can be made from the skin of a grown man?”

"Help!"

“And the eyes, do you know how far they can be pulled out of their sockets without impairing vision?”

I think that is enough.

“Three, we need to go back.” I said to the purple-haired sister as I approached.

“Okay, it was fun talking to you; I hope we can meet again my friend.” Three said as she let go of the boy's hand.

"MOM!" The boy screamed, crying, and running down the street.

Well, I am not responsible for this kid so it is not my problem. Three approached and stared at us, honestly, I expected some kind of problem to solve.

“I'm sorry I ran, Sister Four, it won't happen again.” Three spoke politely, bowing down.

"I accept your apologies Three. But I'm always available if you want to talk to someone that badly." Four replied.

"Thank you, sister Four." Three answered with a small smile.

-XXXXXX-

Now I carried Two on my shoulders, Three sleeping in one arm, Four sitting in the other, and Five hanging on my left leg. Oh! This whole search did not take an hour, and I already felt like a tired middle-aged parent.

We made it back to Sandpoint's entrance and the cart was still there. Luckily, One returned carrying a few bags of supplies as soon as the girls released me, except for Three who still slept.

“Is everyone ready to continue our trip?” One asked happily.

"Yes, sister One!" All the sisters responded.

"I suppose there was no problem." One said to Four.

“No Sister One! They all behaved perfectly!” Four replied with her hands on her hips while the sisters sighed relieved.

"Good work Four.” One responded as she patted Four on the top of her head. Four's face turned red and she grinned from ear to ear.

“If there is no problem then we will move on.” One spoke with determination.

Therefore, we did. Noir and Rubrum got out of my backpack as we walked away from the city while the sisters stayed in the cart. We followed a cracked and dry dirt road with dunes around us.

I am in a dilemma, the sun beating down on my body made me sweat like a pig and the clothes I wore did not help, but I would die in the sunlight if I took them off and there was no shade nearby.

The sisters were not doing better; they sweated profusely, constantly drinking water or spilling it over their bodies, with One suffering the worst.

“Noir, give us a hand here.” I asked the black book

“Yes, Lord Alan.” Noir responded, creating a large Dark Hand above us, blocking the sunlight and creating a shade.

We spent half the day traveling until we reached a more vegetated area, with the occasional patch of grass and trees. We saw our objective in the distance, the castle of Bass, Lord of the Land of Sands.

END OF CHAPTER

Chapter Text

-Land of the Sands-

"It looks like we've arrived." I said to the sisters, stopping the cart and observing the landscape in front of me.

We left the desert sands behind; giving way to a green plain that replaced the dry and cracked dirt road, with some lonely trees in the distance. In addition, a large gray stone castle stood at the end of this pleasant landscape, a clear contrast to the environment around us.

“So this is Bass Castle?” One asked, leaning on the edge of the cart.

“It looks like it, if not then this whole trip was a waste of time and money.” I shrugged.

“I don't like this place; it gives me a bad feeling.” Two spoke, frowning as she stared at the castle.

“We will enter the beast's lair. What awaits us inside? Pain, sadness, happiness, or will we discover something about ourselves?” Three muttered one of her cryptic messages.

“It is time to bring the Lord of the Land of Sands to justice!” Four exclaimed, punching her palm.

"This place needs to be redecorated. No, it is better to tear it down and build something new on top. I don't say that just because this place is ugly." Five spoke, trying to disguise the seriousness in her voice.

I narrowed my eyes and analyzed the castle, and then, I realized what Five meant.

Thanks to my heightened senses, I saw several things hanging from the castle walls, corpses in different states of decomposition, and all adults and half-eaten by vultures.

“Girls, if you all want to go back, the time is now.” I said to the sisters.

The six went silent and stared at each other. Nodding, the six girls gave me a determined look.

“We won't go back now that we've come this far. We started this journey to overthrow the lords that oppress the people of Midgard and one of them is just ahead. If we go back now, it will all be for nothing.” One spoke seriously.

"Nice words, let's see if you'll keep them." I replied tiredly, pulling the cart and heading towards the castle, with an uncomfortable silence taking over us.

“Lord Alan, what are we going to do exactly?” Noir asked me.

"I don't know, entering through the front door would be stupid, maybe I can fly into the castle and open some passage from the inside." I replied, looking at the fortification thoughtfully.

“It might work; I'm just worried if the sisters will allow it. They can be quite impulsive.”

“Congratulations Noir! You are learning how difficult it is to take care of children!” I smiled at the book.

“Is that what you felt while teaching?” Noir asked deflated.

"You can bet it is!" I exclaimed, staring at Noir tiredly.

The Dark book sighed as Rubrum chuckled and our walk continued for some time, until Two's shout interrupted us.

“Stop here!”

I stumbled in shock, coming to a screeching halt. I stared at Two, trying to find something wrong with her.

“Two, what happened?” Four asked worriedly.

"There's someone over there!" Two yelled, pointing at a tree in the distance.

Moreover, she was right, a person sat under a tree up ahead next to us. Quickly, Two jumped out of the cart and ran towards the person.

“Two, wait for us!" We all screamed but Two kept running. She picked some flowers that were on the way, making a small bouquet as we ran after her.

We saw Two stopping in front of the person and offering the bouquet, we also took a good look at the person, and it was an old woman. She accepted the flowers with a mixture of joy and sadness.

"Thank you, little one." The old woman spoke gently.

“Two, don’t run off like that!” One scolded Two, pinching her cheek.

“I'm sorry…” Two mumbled.

"I'm sorry about my sister's attitude." One bowed to the old woman.

“It's okay, thank you very much for the flowers. What are your names, darlings?” The old woman asked.

“My name is One; this is Two, Three, Four and Five.” One introduced her sisters, each one waving at their names.

“And they are called Noir, Rubrum, and Alan." One pointed at us.

"Greetings miss." Noir spoke, bowing politely while Rubrum floated back and forth in front of the old woman.

"Hello." I waved at the woman.

The old woman got scared upon seeing us and hit her back against the tree when trying to get up.

“Please calm down, they won't harm you. They are our friends.” One tried to calm the old woman down.

Clutching her heart and taking a deep breath, the woman smiled and apologized.

"I am sorry, the floating books and your friend's intimidating eyes surprised me. I am relieved that the six of you are accompanied, it is dangerous for children like you to travel alone here.” The olden woman spoke relieved,

“And why do you say that?” I asked, already expecting the worst. The old woman gave me a sad look and then looked away.

“Several children from the Land of the Sands were taken to Bass Castle; they were never seen again, and the parents who went to the castle in search of their children were made an example.”

Hm... That explains the corpses on the walls. The sisters, the grimoires, and I shared a serious look.

“We have to go now.” One said to the old woman and walked towards the cart, the sisters following shortly after.

“I would stay away from the castle if I were you; it might end up collapsing soon.” I said to the old woman and then walked towards the cart.

“Wait, it is dangerous!” The old woman shouted at us but we just said our goodbye and moved on.

“Lord Alan, we are going to take down the castle, are we not?” Noir asked me.

"Probably yes."

“You seem strangely calm.”

"Sincerely, I'm a little happy to be so close to a lord, the chance of decapitating one with my ax fills me with joy." I replied, clutching my chest while smiling.

“Lord Alan...”

“You know, I never forgot what the lords did to us, even though we found a home in Lyllenas. Now one of them is just ahead.”

“Please don't do anything rash.” Noir begged.

"I'm not going to do it Noir, but I can't say the same for the sisters."

Glancing back, I saw the looks the sisters gave to the castle; it was a mixture of disgust and anger. I will control myself when I meet the lord, but the sisters... I am not exactly responsible for their actions.

Eventually, we arrived at the castle gates; the sisters left the cart and stopped beside me. Together we stared at the large stone building.

It was ugly. That is the best word I could find to describe what stood in front of me, a large gray stone castle with cracked walls, showing a clear lack of maintenance.

The castle was in the shape of a square and built on top of a rocky hill surrounded by dead trees. A large tower stood at each point where the walls met and I saw the roof of the main building inside.

We approached the large wooden gate leading inside, but a commotion stopped us in our tracks. A young woman argued with two guards in front of the gate.

“Please return my daughter!” The woman screamed as she approached the gate, but the guards blocked her path with their spears.

“What an annoyance, another one of you!” One of the guards muttered nervously, trying to push the woman away.

“Listen, I think you already know what happens to those who come to plead to Lord Bass.” Another guard spoke, pointing up.

Everyone looked where the guard pointed and saw the corpses hanging from the walls, all adults, parents of the children taken to the castle.

I opened and closed my fist repeatedly.

“Listen, I'm saying this for your wellbeing, so go away!" The first guard pushed the woman away.

I saw the sisters passing me and stopping in front of the gate.

“Leave it to us! We will defeat Bass and return the kidnapped children to their homes!” One shouted to everyone.

"That's right! Kidnapping them is wrong!” Two screamed.

“Bass killed the parents of these children; a real leader should not do these atrocities!” Four exclaimed.

“This is why I hate stubborn brats! Go away; I'm tired of seeing horrible things in this job!" The second guard yelled.

“Two.” One said to her sister.

"Leave it with me! If you don't want to get hurt, better duck." Two said to the guards and sang right after.

The guards stared at each other in confusion; turning to surprise as a magic portal loomed above Two and a massive magic hand punched the wooden gate, smashing it to pieces.

The guards fell to the ground, startled by the display as the magic hand disappeared and Two sighed relieved.

"Let's go!" One spoke to everyone.

“Well, through the front door then.” I shrugged, taking my ax from Noir and resting it on my shoulder as I followed the sisters.

“Wait!”

We looked back and saw the young woman calling us.

"My daughter... She's younger than you girls and she's wearing a rosary around her neck!" She pleaded, hands clasped in prayer.

“I see, leave it to us, we will find her!” One replied, smiling at the woman.

The woman looked at us hopefully and we entered the castle with a final goodbye.

"Hang on, magic books? You…” One of the guards spoke surprised, pointing at me.

"Yes. Me." I responded, kicking each guard in the face, knocking them unconscious with some teeth missing.

Therefore, we walked down a long dusty stone corridor lit by old torches.

“What do you think the lord has for us?” I asked everyone.

“Generic soldiers.” Four said.

“Monsters.” Three spoke.

“A dragon!” Two screamed.

Suddenly, screams up ahead interrupted us. A group of guards came from a hallway to the left and stood in our way.

"What is that, an enemy attack?!?”

Well, it looks like Four was right.

“More weaklings stand in our way.” Three spoke emotionlessly, advancing towards the guards and using her song. A series of magic purple threads wrapped around the guards and pinned them to the ground as we passed.

“This was too easy, don't you think?” I asked everyone.

“I admit that what we have faced so far was disappointing.” Noir spoke.

“Perhaps the lord has fled?” Five asked.

“I highly doubt it. Evil leaders wouldn't let someone invade their castle without consequences." Four replied.

We reached a large hall adorned with statues and tapestries of children, with a large model showing the map of Midgard inside a wooden support in the center of the room.

"What is that?" Five asked, approaching the model.

“A map of the world, we are in the Land of the Sands, next to the Land of the Mountains, north of here is the Land of the Forests and the last one is the Land of the Seas. Each land is ruled by a lord.” One replied, analyzing the map.

“What about this one?” Four asked curiously, pointing to a large boulder in a part of the map.

“The Cathedral City…” One replied as she stared intensely at that part of the map.

“Hey, where's Three?” Two asked, looking around.

We stopped our conversation and searched for the purple-haired sister; we found her standing in front of another model, this one representing a chessboard with dolls representing the pieces.

Three held a soldier representing a pawn.

“Oh, cute!" Two picked up the horse doll and played with it.

One approached the board, picked up another pawn, and watched it curiously, a distrustful look passed over her face as she sniffed the doll. Suddenly, she widened her eyes and threw the pawn away.

“This smells like a human! This was made with human skin and bones!” One screamed.

"Disgusting!" Two yelled, hurling the horse away, Three stared at her pawn while Four and Five covered their mouths, horrified at what One discovered.

“Is that made of people too?” Five pointed to the statues and tapestries on the wall. Looking closer, I realized what they were made of.

"The children were killed and stuffed. It looks like all the decorations were made with the bones, skin, and hair of the kidnapped children." Five continued.

“That's so…” Four muttered.

"This is horrible!" Two screamed.

“Noir, Rubrum, help me here.” I said to the books.

Nodding, Noir created a large hand, crushing the chessboard and destroying the pieces while Rubrum floated to the center of the hall and fired a hail of magic projectiles, destroying the hall's "decoration".

“Alan?” One called me.

"Do not worry, I'm fine. I just wanted to respect the memories of the children.”

One nodded and walked towards a wooden box in the hall, taking a sword and walking towards another corridor.

“Let's go to where the lord of this castle is! Then we will face the one who brought destruction to this world!” One said with determination, her sisters accompanied her.

Together they advanced through the corridors of the castle, except for Three. I noticed that Three hesitated as she hid something behind her back.

“Three, what are you hiding?” I asked.

Three looked away and showed me what she hid with trembling hands, one of the pawns made of human flesh and a book made of skin.

“Three, why did you hide these things?”

“I was curious, curious how these dolls were made.” Three said scared.

“Three, are you scared of me?”

"N-no." Three looked away, but I knew she saw the destruction I had wrought in the hall.

“Three, listen, what Bass did here is beyond wrong. He turned children into dolls and decorations; do you think that this is right?"

“N-no, but…” Three stuttered.

"But?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“But I can't help myself; there are so many things I want to know. How humans function inside and out. Why do humans live? Why do humans die? I need to know!" Three exclaimed happily, jumping in her place.

I noticed something wrong shining within her gaze as a disturbingly wide smile formed on her face. My God, what is wrong with these girls?

“Three, there is something called science. Have you heard about it?” I asked, trying to hide the fear that I felt.

"Science?" Three asked confused.

"Yes, while it has often been unethical, there is a more ethical side to science, one that does not involve stuffing people. I can teach you what I know if you wish. I can teach you a better way to discover how the world works without killing other people.”

"Seriously, are you going to teach me?” Three asked, approaching me with shy steps.

“Yeah, remember when you said you wanted to learn from me? I am willing to teach you.”

Three's smile widened even more and the disturbing glint in her eyes grew stronger. Three immediately threw the book and pawn aside and ran towards me, hugging my leg.

I returned de hug, slowly patting Three’s back while staring emotionlessly at the wall, lost in my thoughts.

"Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!" Three said repeatedly.

I looked at Rubrum; the red book understood my message and destroyed the skin book and pawn with a magic blast.

“I am happy for you, but we are falling behind, we need to go after your sisters.” I said, pushing Three away from my leg.

"Right!" Three replied, grabbing my hand and pulling me down the hall. Soon we caught up with the other sisters.

“What took you so long?” One asked.

“Three and I got lost in conversation, didn’t we?” I asked, glancing at the girl in question.

"Yes." Three replied, swinging back and forth as if nothing happened.

Nodding, One led the group until she suddenly stopped.

“I hear grunts, probably monsters.”

One was right, a series of monsters entered the corridor and I do not know how to describe them.

They looked like a vaguely humanoid patchwork with a bare human torso, goat parts from the waist down, deformed arms ending in bone spikes, and a jaw that opened sideways, revealing a large tongue and horns on the head.

Quickly, Five jumped in front of us while using her song and fired a magic beam, killing two of the monsters.

"Wait, that smell... Stop, these things are human!” One screamed.

“If these things are human then we better give them some relief!” I exclaimed, swinging my ax and cutting one of the things in two. Then I walked down the hall with Noir and Rubrum following me.

One of the monsters tried to pierce me with one of its spikes, but I stepped aside, dodging the blow, and cut its arm off and then its head right after.

Two more leaped towards me, but Noir fired a magic spear and Rubrum a magic orb, killing the two creatures.

Swinging my ax overhead, I cut other creatures in half at the waist while more creatures crawled across the ceiling and fell towards me. I pierced one in the chin with the spike of my ax, the tip protruding from the other side of the head.

Noir smashed two of these monsters into the wall, using a Dark Hand; unfortunately, more monsters appeared at the end of the corridor. Rubrum enveloped herself in a magic bubble and shot toward the monsters, smashing them against the wall at the end of the hall.

I waited a few more minutes, but no monsters appeared. Noir and Rubrum returned to my side and I saw the sisters staring at me in surprise, or in One's case, disgust.

"Why did you do that?!? They were human!” One yelled angrily.

“Humans turned into monsters; I put them out of their misery.” I replied calmly.

"You could have immobilized them!"

“Yes, but then what? What would I do with them? Let them roam the desert or make them my pets?” I asked, crossing my arms.

"No but..."

“Do you know of any way to make them human again?”

"No." One looked away disappointed.

"Me neither, moreover, we don't have time to figure that out. Your sense of justice is admirable, but the world is not fair. One, you will have to make difficult decisions in the future, not everything can be solved in a way that everyone will be happy in the end.”

One went silent at my words.

“Do you think it was right to kill them?”

I put a hand on One's shoulder.

“No, but it is better than letting them suffer like this. If you want to blame someone for this then blame Bass, he is the one responsible for these people's suffering.”

One stared at me for a few seconds, various emotions passing through her face. Then she breathed deeply and determination returned to her gaze.

“Are you ready to continue?” I asked the girl.

"Yes." She replied.

We continued forward, passing through a door and down a set of stairs until we arrived at the castle courtyard. The place was empty, perfect for a trap. Suddenly, the ground shook and cracked.

“Stand back!” One screamed.

We stepped away from the center of the courtyard and a large form burst out of the ground. We saw a stone face with two glowing eyes staring at us, then the form rose until it stood at full height.

It was a large stone and metal golem, its arms and legs floated disconnected from the body. The golem had three fingers on each hand while Bass sat on its head.

“Tada~ Lord Bass, ruler of the Land of Sands makes his entrance!”

I got a good look at Bass. He was a fat man with a fat face and bowl-cut dark hair, and he wore noble green clothes with a big white collar around his neck. His face was pretty punchable too.

“How cute, each of you is adorable, One, Two, Three, Four and Five!” Bass exclaimed, watching us from the top of the golem with a spyglass.

“Do you know who we are?” One asked.

"Of course, I've been watching you since you entered my castle! In addition, you, you are the angel! You are the one who destroyed the Institute of Magic, the mage accompanied by two magic books!” Bass pointed at me.

“Yes, is there a problem with that?” I asked.

“You don't interest me! My business is with these lovely girls, so I am willing to let you leave my castle!”

“Unfortunately I cannot do that, you disgust me and these girls have matters to settle with you.”

“Then I will crush you and deliver your broken corpse to the cathedral mages!” Bass responded, making the golem march forward.

“I would like to see you try.” I replied, approaching the golem, but the sisters stood in my way.

“Let us handle it!” One spoke.

“That's right; we'll show you that we can work together!” Two said.

"When we are done with this, I'll be waiting for your lessons, Teacher." Three said between laughs.

“We will not let you down, Mister Alan.” Four continued.

“And when we're done, I'll be waiting for my reward~” Five flirted.

“If that's what you all want.” I lowered my ax and walked away towards a corner of the courtyard while Noir and Rubrum glared at me.

“Lord Alan?”

"Let them fight Noir, let's see if the little training I did with them yielded any results." I responded to the book.

Seeing that I would not participate in the fight, the sisters turned to Bass.

"Hahaha! It is a pity, but I will have to crush you. Don't worry; I'll turn you into a beautiful decoration on my walls!” Bass yelled, trying to punch the sisters.

Two leaped to the front of the group and sang, summoning another magic hand and punching the golem's fist, creating a shock wave that shook the castle.

Simultaneously, Five sang, shooting a magic beam toward the golem, but Bass made the golem's torso float, dodging the beam that hit the wall of the courtyard right behind.

One advanced, drawing her sword, and leaped towards Bass, intending to finish him off, but Bass put the golem's remaining arm in front of himself, blocking One's strike.

“Nice try, all of you! But now it's my turn!" Bass screamed. The golem's chest opened and magic surged in the opening.

Three summoned her threads, pulling One and Two away from the golem while Four placed herself in front of the group, summoning her magic barrier.

“BASS CANNON!” Bass yelled, launching his attack.

A powerful magic beam shot towards the girls, colliding with Four's barrier. Luckily, the barrier withstood the attack and deflected the beam upwards, hitting one of the castle's towers, the tower right above me.

Looking up, I saw the tower falling towards me. I pulled my arm down, closed my fist, and punched upward. A large Dark Hand came out of Noir and hit the falling tower, destroying it.

"Hey! I am not participating in the fight, pay attention!”

"Sorry!" Four screamed.

Bass prepared for a second shot, but Five fired another magic beam before he did that. Bass tried to dodge again, but Three held the golem in place with her treads as the beams hit the golem, pushing it back and opening a hole in its body.

Two created a magic hand soon after and punched the golem in the chest, throwing it across the courtyard until it hit its back against the wall, leaving its body imprint on the stone.

"Looks like they've got it under control, Noir, Rubrum, let's go!" I said, walking out of the courtyard.

“Lord Alan, where are we going?” Noir asked.

"Let's explore the castle."

“But what about the sisters?”

“Don't worry, they will win. Do you want to explore the castle, Rubrum?”

The red book nodded repeatedly.

“So what are we waiting for? Let’s search for the treasure room!”

Moreover, in search of the treasure room, we went, walking through the castle halls and killing guards and monsters that stood in our way, until we stopped in front of a big metal door.

I pulled my fist back and punched forward. A Dark Hand came out of Noir and knocked down the door, and what we found on the other side left us speechless.

We saw mountains of gold and treasure with chests full of gold, silver, and bronze coins, gems, and much more.

“Noir, are you hungry?”

“I am incapable of being hungry, Lord Alan.”

"Too bad, as you'll have to eat a few tons of treasure."

"What?"

Wasting no time, Rubrum opened her pages and floated through the treasure room, vacuuming everything in sight and placing the treasures in her storage.

“Oh! Of course…” Noir replied emotionlessly.

The black book opened his pages and created two Dark Hands, grabbing handfuls of treasures and putting them in his storage.

"We'll send most of that gold to Lyllenas; Elyon will have a heart attack at the sight of this." I spoke to myself, rubbing both hands together in anticipation.

Suddenly the whole castle shook and I leaned on the wall to keep from falling. I hope the girls are okay.

Returning to stealing the treasures, I saw something that caught my attention, a simple rosary, something that did not match the treasures in this room. I put it in my pocket; I think I already knew whom it belonged to.

-XXXXXX-

“Stand still!” Bass yelled, lifting both of the golem's arms and slamming them against the ground, but the sisters jumped back, dodging the blow.

One advanced towards the golem with her sword ready, but Bass blocked the blow with one of the golem's arms, receiving a big cut in the end.

Five targeted the golem with a series of magic blasts, ripping off chunks of stone and metal. Bass backed away, but Three used her treads to trap the golem's legs as it retreated, sending it falling onto its back.

Two ran towards the golem and jumped, summoning a magic hand and trying to punch the golem in the chest as she fell.

Panicking, Bass fired the golem's magic cannon; Four acted faster and enveloped her sister in a magic barrier, protecting her from the shot.

Which gave Bass time to punch Two away. The golem's powerful strike hit the barrier surrounding Two, cracking it and sending the girl flying.

Three undid the treads surrounding the golem’s legs and used them to grab Two midair, placing her safely on the ground as Bass made the golem stand up and face the sisters again.

"This is wonderful! The anger on your beautiful faces fills me with joy, you will make beautiful dolls!” Bass yelled, firing the cannon again.

“Sisters, let’s end this!” One shouted to her sisters. With a chorus, the sisters prepared themselves.

Bass fired the magic cannon, but Five returned the attack with her own, the two beams met mid-air, creating a large smoke cloud.

One sang, activating her Intoner mode, and advanced towards the golem. Bass saw One advancing when the smoke dissipated and tried to crush the girl with one of the golem's arms, but Two held the arm in place with a magic hand.

Bass tried to use the other arm, but Three’s treads wrapped it, so Bass despaired when he saw One advancing.

One jumped towards the golem, it did not look like she would make it, but a magic barrier appeared beneath One’s feet thanks to Four. Using it as a springboard, One reached the golem.

“AAAHHH!” With a scream of fury, One plunged her sword into the golem's core which also served as a cannon.

"No, don’t hit it!” Bass screamed.

However, One ignored the lord and punched the magical artifact repeatedly with her other hand. With a final blow, the core shattered and the golem fell backward and stood motionless without its energy source.

“Damn it, I need to get out of here!” Bass screamed, crawling across the ground, but he came face-to-face with One giving him a deadly gaze.

“AAAHHH!” Bass yelled. Crawling away until his back hit a wall.

"Forgive me, pardon me, please!" Bass prostrated himself in front of One.

Nevertheless, the Intoner did not answer. She walked towards the lord and grabbed him by the hair, lifting his head.

"It's just that all these children... They would grow up to be worthless anyway and..." Bass said through tears, all of his courage disappearing.

“Don't waste your time with excuses.” One responded, smashing Bass's head against the wall and creating a large crater. The lord's head exploded in a shower of blood as eyes and brain splattered everywhere.

Stepping away from the lord's corpse, One let out a tired sigh.

“Hooray, we did it!” The other sisters cheered.

Suddenly, One fell to one knee, holding her injured hand.

“Sister One, are you hurt? You shouldn't have tried so hard!” Four screamed.

One was about to answer her sisters but stopped when she heard someone approaching thanks to her enhanced senses.

"Who's here?!?" One screamed.

“Don't worry, it's me! And I'm not alone, I found this guy trying to escape the castle.” Alan exclaimed, walking out of one of the castle's hallways while dragging someone by the leg.

He was a fair-skinned young man with white hair, wearing glasses, noble clothes, and carrying a sword. Mysteriously, his glasses were broken and one of his eyes was purple and swollen.

Alan, accompanied by Noir and Rubrum, approached the sisters. Looking around, he whistled impressed upon seeing the destroyed golem but grimaced when he saw the headless lord.

“I see that you finished your work here. Now that everything ended, let's head back to Lyllenas.” Alan spoke. However, the sisters went silent.

"Is there a problem?" Alan asked.

“We will not return to Lyllenas.” One spoke, approaching Alan.

“And what do you intend to do now?” Alan asked suspiciously.

“We are going to Cathedral City to open the Mercury Gate!” Two screamed happily.

“Two!” The other sisters scolded her while Alan fixed One with a serious gaze, making the girl wince.

"Is that true?" Alan asked, approaching One.

"Yes." One looked away ashamed.

"Are you going to open the gate, even though I warned you that you won't find what you're looking for?"

“Yes…” One replied, lowering her tone.

“Hm… I will be honest with you, this is a stupid idea, a bad idea, and you all are putting all of your lives in danger with this. Will you continue anyway?”

"Y-yes." One stuttered, waiting for more scolding.

Alan went silent, his gaze darting in different directions. Then letting out a long sigh, Alan spoke.

"I'm coming with you, even if it's just to say 'I told you so' when things go wrong."

One raised her head, surprised by the answer.

"I don't approve of what you intend to do, but it is better if I go along."

"Thanks!" One smiled.

"Don't thank me yet, you might regret it later."

“Did you say you are going to Cathedral City?” The man Alan dragged by the leg spoke.

"Yes, why are you interested?" Alan asked suspiciously.

“I am a mage; the secrets of Cathedral City can help me advance my studies.” The man replied nervously.

“That's one reason we can't take you. Didn't you work for the lord? It would be better to finish you off here and now.”

“Mister Alan is right! This is very suspicious; it’s obvious that you were the lord’s accomplice!” Four screamed.

"Wait, I was forced to work for that monster!” The man screamed back.

“This is too convenient!” Alan replied, lifting his ax with his other hand.

“Sister One, let’s finish him off!” Two yelled, punching her palm.

"Stop, I can help you with my skills, I know healing magic!” The man screamed in fear. This made Alan stop while everyone looked at the injured One.

“Show me what you can do and I might let you live.” Alan said menacingly, letting go of the man's leg.

"Thank you very much! My name is Partition, by the way.” The man bowed politely as sweat ran down his face.

“Alan.” Alan replied coldly.

“I heard Bass talking about you, the criminal mage who was presumed dead, but I see the rumors were untrue.” Partition continued, slowly digging his own grave.

“Stop stalling and heal the girl.” Alan demanded, raising his ax again.

"Of course, of course!" Partition spoke, walking towards One and kneeling in front of her.

Partition extended his hand towards One, but the Intoner hesitated, not trusting the man in front of her.

Partition gave One a charming smile, making the girl blush despite the sore eye the man had, so One held Partition's hand while he used the other one to cast a healing spell.

A magic sigil appeared above One's hand, healing her wounds while all the girls looked in awe.

“Is this proof of my innocence?” Partition asked, getting up.

"Yes definitely!" Two screamed.

"None of us know healing magic..." Four said worriedly, biting her fingernails.

“That's very convenient...” Three spoke.

“Let's take him with us! Now we are surrounded by cute boys~” Five exclaimed.

"Well, it's settled, welcome to the team, Parti!" Two screamed again.

“Yes, I will be honored to be your companion wherever you go.” Partition spoke, adjusting his broken glasses.

Suddenly, Partition jumped when he felt a hand with a bone-crushing grip on his shoulder, making him groan in pain. Partition sweated nervously, knowing who held him. Then a voice whispered in his ear.

“Welcome to the team, Partition, I hope you don't cause any trouble, it would be a shame if I had to kill my new friend.” Alan spoke with sadistic glee in his voice.

“Of course, I'm happy with that!” Partition stammered in fright.

With the Lord of the Land of Sands dead, everyone left the castle except for Alan. Therefore, the sisters and Partition waited outside.

“What is Alan doing?” Four asked.

"Just wait." One replied.

Suddenly, the hill where the castle stood shook violently.

"What is happening?" Two asked.

The blue-haired girl had her answer when a gigantic Dark Hand destroyed the roof of the castle, hurling wood and stone everywhere. The hand curled into a fist and descended towards the castle right after.

Another tremor shook the hill, the sound of breaking wood and stone echoing through the place, as more hands appeared, knocking down towers and walls.

The hands punched, pushed, and smashed, leaving and returning inside the castle. The destruction continued for minutes until the foundation of the castle gave out and it collapsed.

The fall of the castle created a large dust cloud, blocking the sunlight. Then something came out of the wreckage, flying towards the people watching the destruction. That something turned out to be Alan, Noir, and Rubrum.

“Is everyone ready to continue our trip?” Alan asked the awestruck spectators.

“That was awesome!” Two yelled, running towards Alan and throwing punches in the air.

“The angel showed his divine wrath. Would anyone be able to stand in his way?” Three muttered.

“Mister Alan did the right thing; this place does not deserve to exist.” Four spoke.

"I never get tired of seeing his strength; I wouldn't mind being held in his arms~" Five flirted.

"So much power..." Partition whispered in surprise, adjusting his glasses.

Everyone prepared to head towards the Cathedral City, but the young woman from earlier interrupted them.

“Wait, what about my daughter? Did you find her?”

The sisters, Alan, and the books exchanged a sad look. Alan approached the woman and removed the rosary from his pocket. Tears came to the woman's eyes as she accepted the rosary with shaking hands.

"I'm very sorry." Alan said as he walked away from the castle ruins.

The sisters gave one last saddened look to the crying woman and followed Alan shortly after while Partition shrugged and followed the group.

-XXXXXX-

Well, I did not expect that Partition was useful for something after all. We stood on a ship powered by a mix of technology and magic, sailing towards Cathedral City.

The ship belonged to Bass. Luckily, he did not have to sweat his head with his ship suddenly disappeared.

The sisters were in different places on deck, One and Two watched the scenery, Four cut her nails, Five sunbathed on a piece of cloth while Three and Partition pestered me with endless questions.

“So you mean you got those magic books by chance?” Partition asked in surprise.

“Yes, I found Rubrum and certain people had given Noir to me.” I answered.

"That's hard to believe, magic books aren't just found!"

"That's the truth, Lord Alan only found us due to strange circumstances." Noir replied.

“What are the laws of physics?” Three asked me, interrupting Noir.

Simultaneously, I taught Three about science, chemistry, and biology, which I can remember anyway. I just hope she does not do anything similar to the Cathedral City mages.

“AAAHHH!”

Someone screaming interrupted our conversation. Looking towards the source of the noise, I saw a tentacle dragging One across the deck and towards the water.

Holy Shit, I have watched things I am not proud off enough to know what will happen!

I quickly ran towards One. Suddenly, another tentacle wrapped around my leg and dragged me into the water.

“One/Alan!” The sisters and book screamed, but I lost sight of them when the ocean enveloped me.

-XXXXXX-

“AAAHHH!” One and I screamed as we stomped the giant squid.

"You bastard!"

"You son of a bitch!"

We caught our breath when the thing stopped moving and looked around; we stood on a rocky beach in the middle of nowhere.

"Where are we?" One asked.

"I have no idea." I replied.

“Can you fly us to the ship?”

“Yes, if I know which way to go.”

We heard a noise behind us, the squid was still alive, and it sent a tentacle towards us. However, the attack never came as a gigantic purple dragon dove from the sky and crushed the squid with one of its paws.

The dragon faced us while One retreated scared. I immediately put myself between One and the Dragon. Unfortunately, I did not have my ax with me now.

“Who are you, soggy girl and false dragon?” The dragon asked in a female voice.

“You can speak?!?" One screamed surprised.

“Yes, I understand human language and if you underestimate a dragon again; I WILL SPIT FIRE ON YOU, YOU DISGUSTING BRAT!” The dragon screamed in our faces, blowing our hair and clothes.

“But this little conversation is not why I came here, you two have strange presences. What you two are?" The dragon asked, looking at us curiously.

“I am an Intoner.” One replied.

“And I'm a Gestalt, I guess.” I spoke.

"I have a few questions to ask, so what are an 'Intoner' and a 'Gestalt'?"

“Intoners are human beings who use magic through song.” One replied.

“And I have no idea what a Gestalt is, just that I am something called the 'Original Gestalt' and that I am important to a 'Project Gestalt'.” I shrugged.

“Hm… A false dragon who does not know what he is. You are a shame to dragons with your imitation of our power. Moreover, you, soggy girl. Song, does that voice of yours have power?”

"Yes, and we must use that power to protect the world."

"But the monster that has a similar presence to you doesn't seem interested in protecting the world."

One's eyes widened and she shuddered in fear with that information.

“And where is this monster?” One asked.

“In that direction, she is violent and aggressive. Is she your friend?” The dragon pointed towards the ocean with its head.

"NO!" One screamed scared.

“What is the reason for such a reaction?” The dragon asked.

“That monster is my older sister, Zero, the traitorous Intoner." One replied, looking away in shame.

“So, your big sister is nearby? Excellent, I would like to talk with her!” I said to One, trying to calm the girl.

"You can’t do that! Zero is too strong, she will kill you!” One screamed.

“Well, I think it's better to run away for your safety.” The dragon spoke without care.

“I WILL NOT RUN AWAY!” One screamed.

"I know how you feel, but you don't stand a chance against that monster. The false dragon, on the other hand, is on par with your sister." The dragon responded, staring at me.

“I know I can't win against my sister, but I will get even stronger and protect this world and my sisters!” One said with determination.

One and the Dragon faced each other, but a hail of arrows that hit the dragon interrupted the moment. The dragon roared in pain as the arrows pierced its body.

Looking at the source of the arrows, I saw a group of small orcs holding bows and coming towards us. However, they did not last long as the dragon took a deep breath and spat a sea of flames at the orcs, reducing them to ashes.

"Hey! Hey! You cannot trust orcs! They became bacon in seconds!” A childish voice said in a mocking tone.

A small ball of light floated through the flames, it was a fairy, and I saw a familiar man following that fairy, his most distinguishing feature being his metal arm.

Then the man faced me.

“Alan.”

“Bartas.”

“I hope you haven't forgotten about our deal.” Bartas spoke.

“I could never forget it, after all, it was thanks to you that I got this far.” I answered.

“Hump! I'm happy to hear it." Bartas said, walking towards me.

“Oh! You are approaching me? Instead of running away, you’re coming right to me?”

“I can’t beat the shit out of you without getting closer.”

"Oh, Oh! Then get as close as you want.” I walked towards Bartas.

ゴゴゴゴ

TO BE CONTINUED

Chapter Text

Today was a beautiful day!

A bright yellow sun shone in a cloudless blue sky, illuminating this beautiful beach with a pleasant warmth and light, not too hot, not too cold.

The sea was calm, a big bright blue blanket reflecting sunlight, as the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing against the rocks and sand calmed me down, giving me a certain feeling of peace.

Which was welcome, the recent days have been hectic! I would love to nap and rest in this wonderful setting.

Would I risk dying by sunlight without realizing it? Yes! However, how many times will I have the chance to visit such a marvelous place?

Noir, Rubrum, and the sisters would love this place. I can imagine us swimming and playing next to the water and working together to build a big sandcastle.

Speaking of the sand, it was soft and slightly wet from the waves; my boots sunk and rose with little resistance, leaving a trail of footprints behind.

Today is a beautiful day and nothing could ruin that! Except, of course, the smell of burning flesh coming from the flaming remains of corpses next to me, victims of the purple-scaled dragon that standing behind me.

I cannot blame the dragon, the first impression we had of her might not have been the best. Being arrogant, yelling at One, telling her to run, and calling me a false dragon, but I feel like she is not that bad.

One watched me confused by what I was doing. What must be going through her head? I imagine some questions like ‘Who is this person with the metal arm? How did he and Alan meet?’ Alternatively, something like that.

Why did you and your sisters have to get involved in this kind of thing? You are still young and have a long life ahead of you.

Children should play and learn, not fight cruel dictators and their armies or try to open legendary magical gates. I think it is too late now; we are heading towards Cathedral City, and it is too late to turn back now.

Changing the subject, the man walking towards me right now. Bartas, a man seven feet tall, about forty years old with fair weathered skin, long pale blond hair combed back and reaching the back of his neck.

He wore a large brown cloak that covered the upper half of his body but did little to hide his lower half, where I saw he wore the standard armor of the lords' soldiers.

However, his most striking feature was his large metallic right arm. Made of black metal, the arm had metal spikes on the knuckles. In addition, the tip of each finger ended in claws.

Do I need to say what his weapon of choice is, do I?

Despite promising a fight to the death against him, I do not know anything about Bartas in the end. Caerula had good opinions about him, but I question his loyalty to the lords, as he helped me escape Cathedral City.

So what makes Bartas different from everyone I have faced so far? He looks confident he can take me on.

Are you strong? He asked that question to me so long ago. I hate unknown elements!

What makes him so confident? Magic? Physical ability? Some OP anime skill? Everything together? Well, it does not matter. He is in front of me and I only see one way to find out.

“Alan, what are you doing? Who is this man?" One yelled behind me.

"Don't worry, One! I know this man, his name is Bartas, I made him a promise a long time ago, and today I intend to fulfill it!" I answered without turning around.

“What kind of promise?” One asked with noticeable worry.

“I promised that we will fight to the death! One of us will not get out of here alive!"

"What?!? Let me help you!” One exclaimed.

I heard the sound of footsteps behind me, but a loud crash echoed across the beach, pushing back some of the waves and creating a sand cloud that passed over me.

Turning my head, I saw the dragon using her tail to block One's path.

"What are you doing?!?" One yelled at the dragon.

“I'm not stopping you for your safety. I want to see what the false dragon is capable of, I want to know if he is worthy of carrying even a fraction of the power of our proud race. And even though he's a false dragon, he still has a bit of a dragon in him, dragons are proud beings, and we don't like other people meddling in our fights.” The purple dragon said to One with amusement in her voice.

I noticed One looking at me worriedly from behind the dragon's tail, her gaze flickering between the dragon and me.

I gave her a reassuring smile, which I think only made her more worried. Meh! I cannot do anything at the moment but return to my advance.

“If it serves as consolation, I have no problem with the girl or the dragon. I had orders to kill her along with her sisters, but I can ignore that as long as she doesn't meddle in our affairs.” Bartas said, approaching me, his armored boots leaving footprints on the beach with loud creaks.

"Don't worry; you won't even get the chance to do that.” I said, cocking my head to the side while closing my eyes and smiling amiably at Bartas. A smile that went from ear to ear, showing all my teeth.

“Hump! You seem confident that you can defeat me.” Bartas replied, cracking his knuckles and making his metallic arm glint in the sunlight.

“There will be nothing left for the funeral when I am done with you” I cracked my knuckles too, making the yellow lines on my arms glow brighter.

“Oh! These are brave words for someone about to die! But you wouldn't be the first to say that to me." Bartas replied, stepping closer.

“Believe me, I'm serious! Nevertheless, I would like you to answer a few questions before we start killing each other. Why did you help me escape even though you served Caerula and why do you want to fight me so badly?”

Bartas looked up, pondering his answer.

“If you are expecting a monologue or the story of my life then you will be disappointed, as there is no complex reason for me to serve Caerula or fight you. I just want to fight because it makes me feel something and makes me happy. I only followed Caerula because she is the person who found me and I hopped to find someone who would give me a challenge. I wonder if you are that someone.”

“I promise not to disappoint.” I bowed playfully.

"I hope so."

Therefore, we kept approaching but I could not help but laugh when a thought crossed my mind.

"Hahaha!”

“Oh! What's so funny?" Bartas asked with a curious smile.

"Nothing, it is just the thought that until today I've never hit someone with all my might. I wonder if you can handle it.”

Bartas and I stood face-to-face less than six feet apart.

“Why don't you come over here and find out? Ready to have your wings plucked angel?” Bartas asked with a cocky grin, pulling his fist back.

“Better take it easy old man; you might end up hurting your back.” I returned the smile with my own as I pulled my fist back.

We delivered our attacks, two punches moving with blinding speed, tearing the air in two dark blurs.

Our blows met in the center of the beach, Bartas's metallic fist colliding against mine. A powerful metallic crack echoed across the beach, creating a gale and blowing up a sand cloud.

"You are alive? Maybe it won't be so disappointing in the end.” Bartas smiled lightly in surprise.

"I could say the same; you didn't turn into a red stain on the ground." I responded with a smile.

We pulled our fists back again and traded blows, creating a barrage of punches, each strike becoming almost invisible to the normal human eye, but I was not human and I was not normal.

Our fists looked like blurs that collided repeatedly in the air, each blow generating a bang accompanied by a shock wave, throwing sand and forcing the sea waves away.

This exchange continued for quite a while, neither of us got an advantage as we always blocked each other's blows.

“Not bad, but how long can you go on like this?” Bartas asked, stomping the ground and raising a sand cloud with a shock wave.

I covered my eyes but I glimpsed a metallic fist crossing the sand cloud and heading towards my face.

I immediately transformed into darkness, dodging the punch that created a whirlwind, and slid across the floor toward Bartas. It seemed he did not notice me, so I returned to my physical form next to his feet and landed a hook on his chin.

Bartas' eyes widened in surprise before my fist collided with his jaw, knocking his feet off the ground, and making a loud bone-crunching noise echo across the beach.

However, I did not stop my attack. I landed another punch to the center of Bartas’s face as soon as he touched the ground, his jaw hanging loosely with blood running from his mouth while his nose broke with little resistance.

Bartas flew to the other side of the beach, repeatedly slamming against the ground until he hit his back against the rocks. Slowly, Bartas slid down until he sat on the ground with his jaw almost severed from his head; nose crushed and blood pouring all over his face.

Bartas stood there in total silence without moving. I won, did he die? Hm… That was too easy and there is something wrong here.

“Bartas! What are you doing standing there?!? Stop playing and get up! Take this guy seriously!” The fairy accompanying Bartas shouted across the beach.

However, Bartas did not react.

"He won?" One, still held back by the dragon, asked as a relieved smile appeared on her face.

"Not yet. I can hear that man breathing.” The dragon answered.

I focused on Bartas' chest after hearing what the dragon said. I saw it rising and falling. Therefore, he is still alive. Better, get this over with.

I pointed my right index finger at Bartas as magic built up in my fingertip and then fired a magic projectile toward him.

The black and red projectile sliced through the air before hitting Bartas' head, creating a huge explosion accompanied by a shock wave, leaving only a smoke cloud.

Know what? It is better to be sure!

I created another projectile on my fingertip and fired before the smoke cloud dissipated and showed me what was left of Bartas. A second explosion occurred, and I fired again repeatedly.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Projectile after projectile created explosion after explosion. I thought it was enough after a good few seconds of non-stop shooting.

Therefore, I turned away and walked towards One and the Dragon. I saw both of them giving me surprised looks with open mouths and wide eyes.

"What?" I asked, opening my arms.

“Don't you think you overdid it a bit?” One asked hesitantly with sweat trickling down her forehead.

“Not bad, false dragon. Perhaps you are not a disgrace to all dragons after all.” The purple dragon said with an amused smile while chuckling.

"What can I say? I'm glad I didn't disappoint.” I shrugged while smiling slightly. However, my smile died as soon as I heard a gruff voice behind me.

“Hey… Where are you going? This fight… This fight is not over…”

Holy shit!

Turning around, I saw Bartas, or what remained of him, walking out of the smoke. His right arm was gone, leaving only a ragged stump of skin, muscle, and bone sticking out as it sprayed blood, staining the sand red.

The left side of his face disappeared, revealing his bloodstained white skull with one eyeball hanging out of its socket, but it fell to the ground a few seconds later.

His hair burned away, leaving only scorched strands on a head covered in burned skin.

His robe and part of his chest plate melted, revealing the inside of his ribcage, showing rows of broken ribs and pierced organs. The remains of the organs oozed towards the ground in a red, fleshy mess.

The only part of Bartas that appeared to be unharmed was his metal arm. What the hell was that thing made of?!?

“How are you still alive? Know what? It does not matter! I saw enough strange things in this world and I should not be impressed. Anyway, that is enough, Bartas, look at you, you lost." I spoke to the walking corpse in front of me.

“No… It only ends… It only ends when one of us is dead…” Bartas said with difficulty, slowly walking towards me.

“Hm… If that's what you want.” I pointed my finger at Bartas again, this time aiming for his head.

“Bartas! What happened to you?!? Stop it and regenerate already!” The fairy screamed.

Regenerate? Like anime regeneration?

To my surprise, I saw what the faerie meant. The best way I can explain it is that steam rose from Bartas's wounds and slowly, very slowly, his wounds closed.

The bones grew and connected in the right places, and the organs rebuilt and pulsed with life, blood, veins, muscles, and skin all returned to their place. Skin and muscle covered Bartas's skull in a burst of steam as a new eye popped within his socket.

The eye rotated in its place before focusing on me. Bartas' hair grew back and the burned skin healed, as if my magic never burned it. Finally, his right arm grew too, similarly to the rest of his body.

It did not even look as if Bartas almost died earlier, and his destroyed armor was the only sign that he received any damage.

"You bastard, I didn't know you had the power of a dragon! This just got interesting!” Bartas yelled with a maddened look and a toothy smile before charging towards me in a burst of speed, his metallic fist gleaming in the sunlight.

I fired more projectiles toward him, but Bartas slapped each one away with his metal arm, creating explosions in the sand and water in the distance.

Bartas leaped as soon as he got close and dove towards me, trying to punch me in the head. I immediately revealed my wings and flapped them, taking flight and dodging Bartas' blow.

The entire beach shook and a crater formed where the punch hit as sand flew in all directions. Wasting no time, I accumulated magic at the tip of each finger and fired a shower of projectiles toward the crater.

The projectiles fell in a rain of magic similar to shooting stars as dozens of explosions occurred when they hit their target.

Everything went silent for a moment until the smoke cleared and a blur jumped out of the crater, heading towards me. It was Bartas, his body mangled but already regenerating.

Bartas jumping that high and fast surprised me, so I reacted slowly when he grabbed my head with his metallic arm and held me towards the ground as we fell.

"Hahaha! What else can you do?!? Show me!" Bartas shouted with a maniacal smile.

This man is crazy! Although I cannot judge, after all, I cannot consider myself completely sane after everything I have been through.

I saw the ground approaching out of the corner of my eye. I transformed into darkness, escaping Bartas' grasp as soon as we stood a few feet from the beach.

Bartas’ face contorted in confusion as I disappeared from his hands. He landed on the beach with a bang, creating a big hole in the ground while I landed safely behind him.

I returned to my physical form before Bartas got up and created a projectile on the tip of each finger of my right hand. Then I grabbed Bartas by the back of his neck and dug the fingers of my right hand into his back, firing the projectiles.

Bartas screamed in pain as his body swelled, his flesh expanded outwards, forming large blisters and a strong light shone beneath his skin, being visible to everyone.

His body swelled until his flesh could not hold it anymore, then...

BOOM!

Bartas' right side exploded in a shower of blood and guts, half of his torso, and his entire head disappeared, leaving only his metallic arm, hip, and legs intact.

What remained of the body fell to the ground with a wet thud, but steam seeped out of the wounds. I saw the bones and organs slowly returning to normal, but they regenerated slower than before.

Excellent! I am dealing with a homunculus from a certain alchemy anime! How many times do I have to kill this guy before he stops regenerating?

Moreover, the worst part is, that I do not have anything here to destroy him. Should I bury him in the sand? Crush him with rocks? Drown him in the sea? I doubt this will work! I can only rely on my fists and magic!

I kept shooting projectiles at the regenerating body, ripping off even more flesh and bone. The wounds closed right away, but they regenerated slower and slower. I could not get past his regeneration yet but made some progress.

Suddenly, Bartas' body got up and shot towards me. I continued my attack with a mixture of surprise and disgust, but Bartas' body regenerated in the middle of his advance.

Smiling widely, Bartas threw a powerful punch in my direction. I crossed my arms in front of my face, blocking the bone-shaking blow, but flew backward due to the strength of the attack.

I spread my wings, stopping my flight, but stayed open for Bartas's next strike. I saw doubled for a moment as I received a hard punch to the side of the head. It looked like there were several Bartas in front of me, unfortunately, I could not recover in time to dodge or block the next blow.

I felt my hat flying off my head and the sunlight burning me. Great, now I am on a time limit!

A series of punches hit me in the head and my face burned. Left and right, left and right, punch after punch as my head turned sideways. I felt blood trickling down my mouth and some teeth coming out of place.

I flapped my wings, throwing myself backward and away from Bartas. I had a few seconds of freedom to recover when I felt my feet on the ground. Slowly, my vision returned to normal, just in time to see Bartas's punch coming towards my face again.

I moved faster this time and ducked under the punch, grabbing Bartas's arm, throwing him over my head, and slamming his body against the ground. I heard his bones crack upon impact, but still holding his metal arm; I threw him over my head and slammed him repeatedly against the beach.

The outline of Bartas' body formed on the sand next to a bloodstain and his bones broke loudly with each impact. Blood dripped from his mouth as I used him like a doll.

With a final swing, I stomped on his head, cracking Bartas’ skull as blood spurted from his eyes and ears. Therefore, still stepping on his head, I grabbed Bartas’ metallic arm with both hands and pulled it with all my might.

The metal creaked and popped as I applied more strength. I had a theory; if Bartas has a metal arm then it means he cannot regrow his left arm, which means something in this world can stop his regeneration. In addition, I would like to deprive him of his weapon of choice.

With another pull, I felt something loosening, and to my surprise, it was not the arm breaking apart, but coming off from Bartas' body. What the hell is this thing made of?

Blood gushed from the area where the arm connected to the body; I also realized that the metallic arm included a chest plate above Bartas's heart. I kept pulling and slowly, the arm started to come off.

"NO!" With a scream of rage, Bartas' eyes widened underneath my boot as he grabbed my leg with his remaining hand.

It felt like my leg would break in his bone-crushing grip as he pulled me sideways, causing me to free his arm.

“That was dangerous, but fun.” Bartas muttered before slamming me repeatedly against the ground.

I became the rag doll this time, it felt like my bones would break with each blow. With a final swing, Bartas slammed my face against the ground. Then I felt a foot on my back and two hands gripping my wings, meanwhile, the sunlight still burned me.

“Mind if I return the favor?” Bartas asked before pulling my wings. The pain was horrible; it was the worst thing I felt in my life.

“Hey, Bartas! Take it easy! We have to get the girl and him alive to the Lords!” The fairy screamed.

“I don't mind taking the girl! However, this person, we will only stop when one of us is dead!” Bartas shouted with disturbing.

He enjoyed this very much! Is he one of those anime characters addicted to fighting? I felt Bartas pull my wings even harder and I could not hold back a pained cry.

"Enough!" One screamed.

I saw the red-eyed girl giving me a worried look, she wanted to help, but the dragon stopped her.

The dragon, on the other hand, looked at me doubtfully, I think. It sounded like a mixture of pride and disappointment. Did the dragon expect me to do something?

“Give it up, girl! Bartas loves fighting strong people, the only thing that makes him smile! Once it starts, it only stops when the opponent is dead!” The fairy screamed.

One flinched at that statement, her gaze switching between the dragon and me. Damn it, what have I gotten myself into? I should have stayed in Lyllenas. Well, One is worried sick and the dragon seems to expect something from me, better get it over with. I still have one more trick that I have not tried.

I morphed into darkness, breaking out of Bartas' grip, and slid beneath his feet, Bartas looked at me in confusion before lifting his feet and trying to stomp me.

I “pointed” both of my hands upwards; accumulating magic on each fingertip then used a similar but more powerful attack than the one I used in the Coliseum.

I showed the result of all that time training when I fired a gigantic blast of magic toward the heavens. A huge pillar of black and red energy pierced the clouds and Bartas stood at the center of it.

“AAAHHH!” Bartas screamed as his body burned amid my attack.

His armor melted into bright orange goo that oozed down his body while his skin burned, revealing scalded muscles, his hair caught fire until nothing remained; his eyes melted from their sockets as his lips incinerated, leaving only his charred teeth.

Bartas stood static, letting out a low and repetitive hiss when I stopped my attack. I thought he would fall to the ground until steam came out of his body again, so I continued my attack.

Bartas raised his fist, trying to hit me in my dark form, but I sent a second magic blast skyward.

“AAAHHH!” Bartas screamed again.

His muscles faded away, revealing the bones beneath it, his armor became shreds clinging to his body while his blood evaporated as soon as it left his veins.

I stopped my attack again, it got hard to continue, I used too much magic, and soon I would have to go back to using my fists. However, Bartas regenerated again.

Attack after attack, blast after blast, I slowly turned Bartas' body into ash; my magic consuming his form with each strike, burning his flesh away.

I continued my attack again...

Again...

And again...

Finally, I scrambled out from under Bartas and slid close to One and the Dragon, keeping them behind me.

I returned to my physical form while breathing heavily. That is it, I could not use my magic anymore, and I could not manifest my wings, transform into darkness, or launch projectiles. I do not know what to do if this guy has one more trick up his sleeve

What remained of Bartas stood still like a statue, he looked like a skeleton covered in charred pieces of flesh, but that damned metal arm was intact.

"Hey... Why... Why did you stop... I am still... I'm still standing..." Bartas mumbled, slowly walking towards me as his body barely regenerated.

"Standing? Look at you, you can barely walk.” I replied, trying to recover.

"It doesn't... It does not matter... I want to continue... Nevertheless, tell me... What are you?" Bartas murmured.

“I am a Gestalt.”

“Gestalt? Gestalt... Gestalt... That word is familiar to me... Project Gestalt... Where have I heard that name before? I do not... I cannot remember... What the hell... It does not matter... Let's continue...” Bartas advanced.

“Are you sure? Because I am sure that, I did something, right. You are regenerating slower and slower, I think you won't return if I continue.”

"I... I am also surprised... No one... No one has ever hurt me like this... Tell me... What's your name?"

“Alan.”

“Alan? Such a common name... I will remember you... Alan..."

"You say that like you're going to beat me."

"That is because I will beat you!" Bartas screamed in fury, charging towards me with heavy steps that shook the ground and threw sand in the air.

Maybe it was one last power boost, but Bartas regenerated faster as he ran toward me, he almost looked like new.

I charged Bartas without wasting time. Therefore, we returned to where it all started, the center of the beach. Our fists collided again, creating a shock wave, but weaker than before, I think we are both near the end.

The sleeve of my coat blew away, revealing my skin to the sunlight; steam escaped my arm as it burned. I clenched my teeth in pain, but I had to endure it.

Bartas spun his body, trying to kick me on the side of the head, but I blocked the blow with my right arm.

Then grabbed his leg, spinning him above my head and slamming him against the ground, creating a crater and making blood fly out of his mouth, but Bartas laughed with a bloody grin.

I tried to stomp Bartas's head, which smile pissed me off, but he rolled out of the way and tripped me, knocking me to the ground. Then I felt a weight on my chest, Bartas sat on top of me, using his legs to trap my arms.

Then he delivered a series of punches on my head, each blow felt like a sledgehammer trying to crush my skull. My teeth loosened and my nose almost broke as blood trickled out of my mouth and my vision blurred.

“AAAHHH!” With a scream of fury, I used all the strength I had left to get up and head-butt Bartas in the chin, taking him off me.

I saw Bartas playing with something inside his mouth, and then he spat something on the floor, half of his tongue.

Bartas opened his mouth, showing me the steam coming from the wound site, but as I noticed before, it got slower, almost stopping.

Bartas tried to get up, but I threw myself against his chest, knocking him to the ground and landing a series of punches on his face, sinking his head into the ground.

Nevertheless, Bartas laughed, even though a barrage of punches hit him, and that frustrated me.

"Why are you laughing?" I screamed in his face.

"Hahaha!" Bartas laughed from the top of his lungs, his manic laughter echoing through the beach.

"What is so funny?!?" I demanded through my blows, each punch knocking out teeth and crushing Bartas's skull into a bloody mess.

"Hahaha!" However, he did not stop laughing.

Gritting my teeth in rage, I stopped my attack and pulled Bartas up, leveling his face with mine.

"Listen here, you bastard! I am about to kill you! Do you want to die like that?!? Why are you doing this? What is so funny that you can't stop laughing?!?” I screamed into Bartas' face as I shook him.

The smile on Bartas' face disappeared for a moment, and a thoughtful look came over his face. Then Bartas gave me an answer that surprised me.

“I am doing it because I have nothing else to lose.” Bartas said seriously, his madness disappearing while a void took over his eyes.

"Nothing?" I asked.

"I don't have friends, family, home, or anything like that. I do not have any memory of my parents or my homeland... I have nothing... The only thing that makes me feel anything is fighting... Fighting until something kills me... And apparently, I'll get what I always wanted.” Bartas replied with a sad smile.

“Do you feel emptiness in your chest? Do you feel lost, not knowing what to do?” I asked Bartas.

“I feel it every day of my life.” Bartas replied.

Damn it! I stared into Bartas' eyes for a while, and it was like looking into a mirror. Was this what I almost became?

"Well, it looks like you'll get what you've always wanted, indeed..." I raised my fist again, preparing my final attack.

Bartas's smile widened in anticipation.

Therefore, I launched my attack...

“BARTAS!”

BOOM!

“AAAHHH!”

“ALAN!”

I cannot say what happened. I heard the fairy screaming, I saw a bright light coming towards me and felt a sharp pain followed by an explosion sending me away.

SPLASH!

I felt my back hitting the sea and the water enveloping me, luckily, I stood in the shallows, but the sunlight made my body boil. I saw the fairy who accompanied Bartas stop beside him while yelling in panic.

“Come on Bartas! Do not just stand there! Get rid of him while you can!”

Slowly, Bartas stood up and looked around in confusion, before his startled eyes focused on me. Steam covered Bartas' body as he returned to normal, and then, he stood there, looking at his hands in horror.

That is until he laughed.

“Hahahaha!”

Bartas laughed as if he had heard the best joke in the world.

"Hahaha! I was... I was so close... Everything I ever wanted... I could already see the other side!” Bartas screamed.

“Bartas! Stop laughing and...”

However, the fairy never finished, as Bartas squashed him with the palms of both hands as if he were a mosquito.

“THIS IS YOUR ENTIRE FAULT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS?!? A WORTHY ADVERSARY?!? WHEN WILL I GET THE NEXT CHANCE?!?” Bartas shouted down at the faerie's crushed remains in his hands.

"Enough!" One screamed, and then the red-eyed girl appeared in my field of vision, running towards Bartas.

“Hey, are you strong?” Bartas asked emotionlessly as he turned to One.

Shit! I tried to get up, but I felt a sharp pain in my right side. My vision darkened and I saw flashes.

Bartas punched One away, the girl got up, trying to punch Bartas, only for him to grab her fist, punch her in the stomach, and throw her away to the ground where she stood without moving.

“How shameful, an adult hitting a little girl!” The dragon screamed.

It became difficult to understand what happened, I bordered on unconsciousness. I felt the whole beach shaking while the sounds of fighting hammered my ears.

I saw Bartas punching the dragon's head, breaking one of its fangs, the tip falling next to One.

Everything went dark again, and when my vision returned, I saw One covered in magical energy and with completely white eyes, stabbing Bartas with the dragon's fang.

Then everything went dark.

END OF CHAPTER

Chapter Text

"Hey wake up!" A voice shouted.

Holy shit, what happened?!? It felt like a truck had hit me!

“False dragon, wake up!” The voice shouted again.

Everything hurt! I am tired of waking up like this.

“WAKE UP OR I’LL DEVOUR YOU!” The voice returned in a deafening boom.

I stood up immediately and abruptly but winced in pain as my vision darkened at the corners, so I sat down to avoid passing out.

“Hump! Take it easy, you just woke up, it would be rude to pass out again after all the time I wasted taking care of you.” A female voice said next to me.

Looking at the source of the voice, I saw the purple-scaled dragon staring at me with its huge eyes. I stepped back at the unexpected sight until my back hit a wall, which did not help my current condition.

"What, how?" I murmured in surprise, holding back a pained cry.

"What's the problem? Did Bartas hit your head so hard that you became retarded?” The dragon asked amused.

I sighed irritably as I calmed down. Looking around, I realized that I lay on a straw bed inside a cave with an unconscious One next to me.

“One!” I shouted, holding the girl by the shoulders and shaking her lightly, but there was no response.

“Don't waste your time, I've tried to wake the girl several times, but I haven't been successful in the two weeks you've been here.”

"Two weeks?!?" I asked surprised, gently laying One down on the bed.

"Yes, I brought you two here after the fight against Bartas. The girl tried to fight the man after the fairy attacked you from behind. She got her ass kicked, so I intervened. That man was a monster.”

Looking at One, I noticed some injuries on her body, bruises, cuts, and scratches; I will have to take care of those later.

“But judging that we are alive, you must have killed Bartas.” I said, returning to my previous position and sitting on the straw bed.

"In truth no, the girl did it.” The dragon responded, pointing its head towards One.

“One?” I asked, following the dragon's gaze.

"Yes, even unconscious, the girl fought like a beast with her magic uncontrolled, tearing Bartas' body apart. Then she used one of my fangs that I lost previously to finish the man, leaving only his metal arm, surprisingly, he didn't regenerate.”

“Hm... Is there any reason for this?" I asked, crossing my arms, deep in thought.

“Dragon magic.”

"What?"

"Are you deaf? Dragon magic is the natural magic that all dragons have and that you possess, for some reason! The natural magic that runs through our blood, bones, and scales! Bartas is weak against it, his regeneration became weaker with each hit, you must have noticed during your fight."

"Yes, you are right. Fortunately, we won’t have to worry about him anymore.” I smiled relieved.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” The dragon laughed.

"What do you mean?" I asked, fearing the answer.

“Bartas is still alive.” The dragon smiled sadistically.

“But you said...” I muttered surprised, sweat running down my forehead as my heart raced.

“I know what I said! Don't you dare question a dragon! Everything seemed to be over when the girl reduced Bartas to just a metal arm, until steam came out of the arm and Bartas returned as a child.”

"A child?"

"Yes, a child. Not unlike the foolish girl here.”

“What happened next?”

"Bartas tried to kill us with a magic blast. I used my body as a shield to protect the girl and you, nothing I couldn't handle, but when the dust settled, Bartas was gone."

I sighed again at this news. That lunatic is still running out there. However, if what the dragon said is true, I'm that guy's natural enemy. I need to find Noir and Rubrum, so if Bartas shows up again, we'll finish him off easily... I hope...

"Thanks!" I said to the dragon, bowing slightly.

“Hump! I'm glad you know you're only alive thanks to me. You could praise me a little too.” The dragon said arrogantly as it puffed out its chest.

"Dream about it. I hope you don't mind me staying here for a while, I need to heal my wounds and wait for One to wake up.”

“You abuse my generosity, but stay as long as you wish; it’s been a while since I’ve had some company.”

"Thank you again!" I smiled at the dragon as it laughed amusedly.

Standing up with some difficulty, I leaned on the cave wall and walked towards its entrance, half-closing my eyes at the bright light coming from outside. I immediately retreated into the shadow when the sunlight burned me.

Looking around, I spotted my hat next to the straw bed. Putting it on, I hid my uncovered arm inside my coat and walked outside.

I saw a large grassy plain, a green sea flowing by the wind, creating waves that stretched to the horizon with a blue sky filled with large white clouds, while the sun shone in the distance.

With a pained groan, I sat down on a rock next to the cave entrance and surveyed the landscape. It was so peaceful; it gave me a good feeling, a serious contrast to my previous situation.

Crossing my legs and resting my head on my hand, I closed my eyes and took a deep, slow breath, thinking about what I should do next.

I do not know where I am; I do not know where the sisters and the grimoires are; Bartas is alive and wandering around, One and I are injured, and Partition is alone with the girls.

Damn it, so many problems in so little time! I don't even know where to start! Calm down, panicking will not help you in anything. Firstly, I need to know where we are.

Unfortunately, my growling stomach interrupted my thoughts.

RONC!

OK! The second item on the list, finding food! I am in the middle of nowhere with no animals in sight, but there is probably a village or forest nearby, I just need to look for it; nothing that a few minutes of flying cannot solve.

The third item on the list, take a shower because I stink! I hope to find some lake or river during my search.

Well, I think I have a plan in the making, better get it started. I stood up from my seat and revealed my wings, but the dragon came out of the cave with heavy steps before I took flight

"Are you leaving already?" The dragon asked, tilting its head.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back, I just ask that you take care of One for a little while longer.” I responded as I flapped my wings, wincing slightly at the stabs of pain I felt.

“Hump! Don't think you can demand things from me, but I'll take care of the foolish girl, she interests me, just like you, false dragon.”

“When I get back, I would like an explanation as to why you call me a false dragon.”

“You will have your explanation, but I hope you answer some questions as well.”

“Then it’s a deal, see you later!” Finishing our conversation, I ran to gain speed while flapping my wings. Then I propelled myself upwards, but I had some difficulty staying in the air due to my injuries, but I got used to it.

Looking back, I saw the dragon watching me, but I could not discern any expression on its face due to the distance. Leaving that aside, I flew in a random direction, trying to identify some landmarks.

I didn't have to fly for long to find the sea, it didn't seem to be the same beach where I fought Bartas, and I doubt I'll find the ship with the girls because of the time I spent unconscious, they must have reached their destination.

Flying in a different direction, I grimaced at what I saw on the horizon, I can recognize these buildings anywhere, as they did not fit in with the current era.

The Cathedral City was just ahead, with its great stonewalls surrounding the ruined skyscrapers. Clenching my fists tightly, I took a deep breath, trying to avoid finishing what I started a long time ago.

Well, at least I know where I am. Besides that, I did not find anything worthy of note, the Cathedral City region was as the books said, covered in plains.

I saw dirt roads, and some houses where farmers tended their cattle and herds, but other than that; I didn't find any cities or towns. Eventually, I flew far enough to find a forest. I landed in a clearing and wandered around, looking for something to eat.

Moreover, it did not take me long to find it, as a deer eating grass stood just ahead. I assumed a crouched position while taking slow, light steps.

I opened my wings when I got close enough, this action caused the deer to look my way, but it was too late.

I flapped my wings, propelling myself forward, and grabbed the deer by both sides of the head before it turned to run.

"I'm very sorry."

SNAP!

The deer's body went limp and fell to the ground with a fluid movement of my hands. I put the animal on my shoulders and prepared to return, but stopped as soon as I saw something in the trees.

Hm... I think some fruit would be good.

-XXXXXX-

“You took too long!” The purple dragon complained as I landed in front of the cave.

Looking up at the sky, I saw that the sun disappeared over the horizon in an orange light; it took me longer than expected.

“At least I’m back. So how is One?” I asked, throwing the deer to the ground.

“Hump! Still sleeping like a princess, the brat better wake up soon before she dies of hunger or thirst.” The dragon grumbled.

“I'm glad we share the same concern, but I'll prepare my dinner now, if you don't mind” I replied, taking out some sticks from my backpack and building a bonfire.