"So, that just happened..." Pedro spoke, still with a perplexed expression. It was a lot of information to process, and even if they managed to process it, it was still ridiculous, pure mystical fantasy. Not only that, but they were supposed to save the universe by defeating humans who weren't really humans. "What do you guys think about this?"

The rest of the group also remained in a similar state of perplexity. Clark, Stuart, and James were the most thoughtful, while Helena was tapping her sword lightly on the ground as a nervous tic. Emily and Lysa were still hugging each other, sad, looking for any indication that they were dreaming.

"This is too much for me," commented James, scratching his beard more intensely. "We don't know anything about the enemy, we came here completely unprepared, everything is moving too fast, we don't even have time to breathe. And I still don't know what to think of that crazy story he told."

"And how about now?" Finally, after some time, John regained consciousness and got up from the ground, still a bit weak and shaky.

"Eagle-Eye, how are you?" the girls asked together, running to check on the man. He just gave them a brief, sympathetic smile as if to assure them he was fine and then returned to his usual reserved self.

"Well, I heard everything that guy said. None of it is scientific, huh... Anyway, James, you said we don't have time to breathe, so how about now? What are the facts we know?"

"Seriously, John?" Stuart asked with a look of exasperation. "Are you going to start analyzing things now?"

"This will help us have a better idea of a course of action. First, let's focus on ourselves. Who are we?"

"It seems like we're the ones who have to clean up this mess," replied Helena. The archer, however, wasn't satisfied with that answer.

"I'm not talking about you guys who were chosen, Helena. I'm talking about us who got dragged into all this. Me, Stuart, James, and Lysa—what are we doing here?"

"I asked him that," James explained. "And he just said it doesn't matter."

"He says that about everything," Lysa reminded them. "He said that nothing matters until it becomes important."

"Something I still don't understand, by the way," Pedro said comically, raising his hand to show he was still there. Helena slapped his hand, telling him to be quiet.

"But we can deduce," John commented, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "Didn't he refer to us at any point?"

"There was a moment," Clark replied. "When he asked us to hold the book, he called the priest, the hermit, the warrior, the angel, but he also called for the key, the bait, the goddess, and James."

"Well, 'goddess' is feminine, so it can only refer to Lysa," the archer explained. "James is obvious, no need to think much. That means the key and the bait are me and Stuart. Which is which, I don't know."

"I'm a goddess...?" Lysa questioned. For a moment, the girl began to think about her instincts. They did seem to be something supernatural, but she thought it was just a skill, it could only be a skill. She was human, she always had been.

"Sometimes it's not literal," Stuart explained, referring to all the names. "I'm not a key or a bait; it must be something metaphorical."

"I want to know why the old man is the only one without a nickname," said Pedro, swaying from side to side as if trying to exercise.

"Maybe the man couldn't think of one in time," Clark joked, letting out a loud laugh.

"More importantly, we need to try to understand what this means, and also awaken our powers as quickly as possible if we want to face these deceived ones," John said. Everyone fell silent in response to John's comment. They had enemies to face, with no information about them, and something was telling them that they would need more than just weapons and fists to defeat the enemies ahead. "Who among us already has powers?"

Pedro and James raised their hands. Lysa was afraid to tell the others, but Emily wasn't. The girl pointed at her friend, exposing her:

"Oh, Lysa has some magical instincts too." Lysa slapped her own forehead, showing great disappointment. Helena and Clark were the most surprised by this.

"Lysa, you have powers?" Helena asked, incredulous. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"How do they work?" Clark cut off Helena's speech, turning all the child's attention to him. This scared the girl because she always felt strange around Clark, as if she forgot who she was.

"I-I... just feel things. Sometimes they're represented as colors or the lack of them. It's hard to explain, I just... feel."

"So..." James interjected with his own reasoning. "...that thing with the book, was it your instincts?" The girl nodded, but contrary to what she expected, many of them still seemed skeptical, especially Clark.

"Your instincts told you that you would die if you touched the book, but you touched it, and you're alive. In fact, the book is the only reason you're alive now. It doesn't seem like you know how to use your powers yet, if you really have them."

"What? Clark... you don't believe me?"

"It's not that I don't believe you; I'm stating a fact. You were wrong about the book. Who's to say when you'll be right?"

"HEY, don't talk to her like that!" Emily scolded, while Lysa felt even more embarrassed. Her instincts had never been wrong, so why were they wrong at that moment? Why did they have to humiliate her at that moment? She had made a whole scene for nothing, proving herself incompetent and immature. She felt more and more like an anchor holding the ship in place.

"Anyway... back to the point I was making earlier," John continued. "We have three people with powers here. If I understood correctly, we all have powers. So I'd like to know how you guys awakened yours so that we can awaken ours."

"I'll go first then..." James volunteered. "...I awakened my powers the day the creatures arrived. I got home, Helena was unconscious in the living room, her parents..." James couldn't finish the sentence, and Helena lowered her head, showing she didn't want to talk about it. "...well, you know. Then these creatures appeared in the hallway of the house, so many and so small, like goblins. They all charged at Helena together. I was still in shock from my brother, but I couldn't lose her too, I could never let that happen. And that's when my first barrier formed between Helena and those monsters."

The group fell silent for a moment as a sign of respect. For them, it was just another sad story, just a moment. But for James and Helena, it was trauma, something that came out of nowhere and turned their world upside down.

"Now you!" Helena said, pointing at Pedro. She wanted to get away from that subject as quickly as possible, and the newcomer was the perfect scapegoat.

"Me?"

"Oh my God, how slow. How did you awaken your powers?"

"W-Well... that's... actually a story... certain things had happened, let's say... I was alone in the forest... maybe I was crying a little... when the branches of the trees wrapped around me as if to console me."

"So you do more than just talk to plants?"

"Oh, yes... I can talk to animals and plants... but I can also control the plants... not the animals, they're too self-aware for that."

"That's... surprisingly more useful than I thought it would be when I first heard it," James commented before sighing. "But unfortunately, there are no plants nearby for you to use against them."

"Now, you, Lysa..." said the archer. "...How did you use your power for the first time?"

"Well... Emily and I had sneaked out of the camp. We wanted to see if we could find something to hunt and help the older ones. We kind of ended up being attacked by some monsters..."

"If it weren't for Lysa's instincts, we would never have found the right escape route to elude those things..."

"I see, so there's a pattern here," the archer began to deduce. "The powers are a reflection of the user's desire and appear in a moment of extreme need. Which means that to awaken them, we need to put our lives at risk."

"That's... a bit... extreme, don't you think?" Pedro highlighted, looking at the others with a perplexed face.

"Not if it's necessary," Eagle-Eye continued. "Look, for example, I already have an idea of what my power is. I just need a moment of need, which will probably come when I'm facing one of the enemies."

"You seem pretty confident about that." Stuart noted, and John just gave a proud little smile. The group continued talking for a while about what they could and should do before their enemies discovered their presence, but while they discuss and debate... how about we take a look at the deceived ones? See how things are going with that group.

DEN OF THE DECEIVED

In a place somewhat far from there, there was a castle, the only structure existing in the entire void, and it was in this castle where those responsible for the end of all reality resided.

It seems there are some situations unfolding here, so why don't we take a peek at them one by one? Let's start with the one that seems the simplest:

Leo was alone. Sitting by one of the castle windows, you might remember him as the bipedal lion who appeared and sat before nature. But at this moment, he looked different because the animal you see now is no longer a lion but a wolf. He was also surprised when the change occurred, but it didn't take long for him to understand what was happening.

As he stood still, staring at literal nothingness, a light began to appear at the corner of the corridor where he was. It was obvious who was coming because only one general emitted light just by existing—Orf, the one who distributed flowers to all the women in the hall.

"Leo? You look different..." the glowing being remarked. Not many had noticed this metamorphosis the man had undergone, and Leo was debating whether he should give a detailed explanation or if something simple would suffice. He hated talking; silence and peace were all he knew, and he liked it that way. Fortunately or unfortunately, an intruder interrupted the conversation from the other end of the corridor, running up to Orf—it was Octo, the humanoid octopus.

"Orf, be careful! I saw with my own eyes when this monster changed. I said it before and I'll say it again: this guy is not to be trusted."

"Octo, you're overreacting. You don't look like a human either, and yet no one discriminates against you."

"BUT I AM! Who's to say this hideous beast isn't lying?"

The wolf sighed. He wasn't going to say anything to them; there was nothing to say to them—they were just noise, just distractions.

"What does it matter if he is lying?" Orf's response caught both Octo and Leo by surprise. They both looked at him, curious to hear why he said that. "Who he was, who he is, I don't care at all. He's part of my family now, just like you. You're literally all I have for all eternity. We are equals, alike, even in our differences. I feel that should be enough for us... to be happy, don't you think?"

A simple speech, but one that clearly revealed Orf's strange and kind philosophy. How could such a gentle being have done what he did? Octo didn't fully understand his friend's words, so he just kept staring at him in confusion, while Leo heard something that seemed to shake the foundation of the world he knew—living with others for eternity? It sounded so stressful. Maybe he should try?

"How stupid," Uomen declared, appearing as if out of thin air, so silent and so fast. But no matter how skilled he was, his words were still heard by the trio. Leo remained silent, but Orf...

"What did you say, Uomen?"

"I said it's stupid. Equals? Watch your vulgar tongue. I am far above you. Classes exist because humans need to separate the wheat from the chaff. When they try to mix, the cosmos falls out of balance."

"Your thinking is irrational and egocentric. It disgusts me that someone like you was ever an emperor."

"But he's not wrong," Octo added. "We humans are defined by being above all other creatures on Earth. We do what we want with them, and we can face any of them, and they remain inferior."

"Octo, your view is wrong, just like Uomen's. No one is above anyone else, and that's something I cannot accept."

"Then you're an IDIOT," Uomen fumed. It was clearly something personal for everyone in that corridor. Leo continued without saying a single word to them, but within himself, a huge debate was raging. Which side was he on? Were humans elitists, classists, or something similar? Or were they all equal? Was there a hierarchy or not? What was he thinking? There was no way for him to truly know because after all, he...

"Okay, boys, that's enough," said an unexpected voice, followed by an explosion of confetti. Like a magic show, Narf, the faceless girl, appeared. "I'd better stop this before you start something you can't finish."

"Narf. I was just saying..."

"I know what you were saying, Orf, but it's not worth it. All humans are equal, but they think and feel they need to divide themselves. The beauty of humanity is that it is diverse, not divided."

"In other words, you agree with the false idealization that we're all the same. Let me guess, like him, you were also from a lower class..."

"...That... was an interesting comment... think whatever you want. Just... stop this senseless fight."

This must have been an unexpected scene—the Deceived are still getting to know each other, so it makes sense that there are things they clash over. But give them some time—they, too, have things to resolve... within themselves.

And for these five in particular, thoughts about social classes carry a lot of weight.

Moving to another part of the castle, how about we take a look in the dining hall? Not that they actually need or want to eat, but some of them like to spend their time there—it helps them relax.

As is the case with Misshapp, Tiffany's mother, and Mordame, the loose-tongued yellow nun, both were sitting at the grand dining table. The former was smiling as she stared, while the latter seemed to be saying a prayer over the table. Mordame, however, could feel the continuous gaze of the lady.

"Can I help you with something, Misshapp?" asked the nun, opening her eyes and casting an impatient look at the other woman.

"Nothing, I just think it's cute to see you pray. Don't you feel comfortable doing it in public?"

"I'm used to it, especially in front of old women who insisted on telling me how to act. Can you believe that?"

"...Mordame, far be it from me to meddle in your life, but don't you think that loose tongue of yours might harm your spiritual standing?"

"Here we go... Misshapp, understand this: God is my friend, I am His servant, and because of that, nothing can affect me. He understands that this is my way, and it's all fine."

"That's not how it works... you can't just do and say whatever you want, using your God as a shield."

"I am faithful to Him, and He is faithful to me. Simple as that."

"Then why did you destroy the virtue of life? The greatest blessing He can give to someone?"

"Because it's used by the enemy. I was just doing everyone a favor." Misshapp couldn't hide the disgust on her face; Mordame could say and preach whatever she wanted, but there was something wrong with her—her way, her speech, her morality—it was somewhat disturbing to be face to face with her.

"Mordame..." Before the elderly lady could say what she wanted, a very loud noise came from outside the room. The door then burst open, and Elaine entered dramatically in desperation. The two women were about to ask what happened when Angela and Kesna appeared right behind her.

"HEEEEEEEEEELP!" screamed the unicorn girl, jumping behind the confused lady. Angela was obviously furious, beating her wings and positioning herself in the highest corner of the hall, while Kesna watched everything with enormous curiosity on his face.

"Elaine..." said the angel, her beauty in no way affected by her anger; it was as if every action only enhanced her good looks. It seemed like a spell—she never stopped being beautiful, no matter how she appeared. "...how many times must I ask you NEVER to touch me? I can see through your disgusting falsehood. You're obviously jealous because you're not as beautiful as I am."

"Quite the self-esteem, huh, girl?" Something like a projectile shot from Angela's wings toward Elaine. In a quick, comedic move, the girl threw herself to the ground, dodging the attack.

"I already told you, I'm not your friend."

"Oh, oh, thessssssse two are alwaysssss ssssso restlesssss," commented Kesna as he walked toward the table and sat near Mordame.

"Kesna dear..." the nun called out. "...I don't mean to be rude, but could you please avoid talking?"

"I don't underssssstand, why?"

"To be completely honest, I worry about you, man. The others get very annoyed by it, and I'm afraid they might get violent with you at some point. But don't get me wrong—I genuinely don't mind how you speak; I even find it cute. But I feel it's better to tone it down a bit so they won't mess with you. Got it?"

"Yessss.... I underssssstood."

Misshapp just watched from the other side of the table, perplexed. It seemed that Mordame's tongue wasn't so out of control after all. Descending from the sky, Angela landed next to the lady, whispering quietly:

"Another one who exudes falsehood. She's a better viper than the snake boy over there."

"Don't even tell me. I'm afraid of the kind of influence that woman might have on the younger ones. People like her are a huge danger."

"And that look is so tacky," commented Elaine, coming out of nowhere and inserting herself into the conversation, with the other two glaring at her with disdain. Angela flew away, and Misshapp just ignored her, wishing she could be with her daughter at that moment. "What? It's so cringe, just look at that..."

Well, she hasn't left yet, so we'll have to endure her a bit longer... or not. Come on, everyone, I'll take you to another room. How about a classroom? In a more medieval style, of course.

"Okay, you bunch of clueless people, it's time to teach you how to communicate!" Chin declared. The toy was standing in front of what resembled a blackboard. He had prepared four benches with tables in front of him where Tiffany, Lalá, Nightmare, and the girl with red eyes were seated.

Aside from the doll, not much was happening. The four others were quiet—Tiffany was resting her head on her arms as if she wanted to sleep, Nightmare was as anxious as ever, fiddling with his scarf while avoiding eye contact with the others as much as possible, Lalá was messing with her hair disinterestedly, and the girl with glasses remained quiet, observing what was happening.

"Did you drag me here for this?" asked the girl with heterochromia, obviously annoyed. "I know how to communicate; I just don't want to."

"Finally, someone wise," replied the depressed one, her voice still muffled as her head remained between her arms. "I have no interest in conversation. Unlike that senile old lady from before, she talks too much."

"Why don't you just tell her that you're not her daughter?" Lalá questioned.

"It's a pain to tell the truth. Let her live in her illusion. I don't listen to half of what she says anyway."

The doll looked at the two with a proud and smiling face.

"See? We've made progress; you're talking just fine."

"Oh, you're still here..." said Lalá, feigning surprise. "I completely forgot about your presence."

"YOU WERE TALKING TO ME LIKE ONE SECOND AGO." The doll felt a pang of hurt, but another arrow came from Tiffany's mouth.

"Don't shout, man. We're trying to have a conversation here. Don't you have any respect?"

"AAAAAAAAH." The doll yelled. He then took a deep breath and whispered to himself:

"Calm down, Chin, you chose to be among introverts. You can help these kids. NIGHTMARE!"

The toy's shout startled the anxious boy, who stared with wide eyes, ready to flee as soon as possible.

"Oh, sorry. I overreact sometimes. Talk more about yourself, man. What do you like to do?"

"I... I... I like to draw... and write." The girl with red eyes gave him a look, and in his story, Nightmare interpreted it as a possible bullying. "S-S-S-Such a nerd, right? Ha... haha..."

The girl with red eyes then stood up and left the room, causing the boy to start tearing up. Nightmare was embarrassed and scared, not wanting to get beaten up or be excluded by the group.

Desperately, the boy stood up and ran out the door in the opposite direction the girl had gone.

"Damn... this didn't go as I planned," the toy commented thoughtfully.

"It's because you didn't plan," Tiffany said, finally lifting her head and preparing to leave as well. "You didn't try to gather any information about us; you just threw us in the same room and said: 'Talk.' It's no surprise it turned out this way. If you'll excuse me."

The blue-skinned girl left the room as well, leaving the doll and the heterochromia girl alone.

"Looks like I have a long way to go..."

"Why do you care so much, Chin?" asked the child, as all the chairs and tables, except the one the girl was sitting on, began to move on their own to the corner of the room.

"It's nothing special; I just have a soft spot for kids."

"Hmm... ironically, you're quite kind. Did you know that?"

"Maybe. Just don't follow my example, kid. The world is too cruel for you to constantly live for others."

"...Funny, I've lived my whole life in someone else's shadow."

"That's the biggest foolishness anyone can do. Only I have permission to do that because I'm a toy. I don't have a life to take care of; I can dedicate 100% of myself to helping others."

"What's your story?"

"A toy's story... like any other."

"You're much more like me than I expected, Chip."

"IT'S CHIN!"

"Oh, sorry. I don't remember ugly names." She said with a comically playful face.

"HEY, CHIN ISN'T UGLY, OKAY? IT'S A NAME FULL OF MEMORIES." The girl started laughing loudly.

"Hey, where are the other two?" A third voice surprised the pair. The girl with red eyes was at the entrance of the room, holding a notebook in one hand and a cup full of pencils in the other. "They already left? Oh, I was so excited to have a drawing battle with the boy."

The two stared at her, confused. Her voice and demeanor were completely different from what she had previously shown.

"Sorry, but..." Chin said, staring at the strange girl. "... I believe you haven't told us your name yet."

"My name? Oh, sorry. I have a bit of difficulty introducing myself sometimes. My name is Fernanda. Do you want to see one of my drawings?"

Meanwhile, in the palace's central courtyard, another commotion was happening—Rhoj, the most insane of the generals, was getting a beating from the irritable old grump.

"Damn, I almost managed to kill you... oh, well."

"Kill? Girl, your movements are too slow. Your posture is sloppy and lacks balance. I'll give you that you're unpredictable, but it doesn't do any good to surprise an opponent who has the skill to defend themselves."

"It's not just that," said Ygritte, the armored woman sitting against the wall in a corner, watching the fighit...no, the beating Rhoj was enduring. "She really doesn't think at all; her unpredictability comes exactly from not trying to think and just attacking, like a beast."

"You keep quiet there, woman..." muttered the crazy girl, forcing herself to stand and staring intently at her opponent. Ygritte looked at her a bit offended. "...As soon as I kill this old man, you're next."

"If you're so eager to kill us, why don't you use your powers? Have you noticed that hand-to-hand combat has no effect whatsoever?"

"What's the fun in that? I want a challenge."

"Oh, oh, oh, oh..." With light steps, Gaya entered the courtyard. The swordswoman kept her eyes closed and wore a gentle smile, exuding such a soft air while at the same time being quite disturbing. Even while laughing the whole time, it was as if she could never be someone to trust. "A challenge? Ahahaha, oh dear Rhoj, I'd love to train a bit with you."

"Gaya..." Lord V'huluver lowered his guard. Ygritte got up from the ground, showing similar concern. Rhoj was the only one who still seemed relaxed.

"So, you want to play, Gaya? Okay, whoever loses their head first loses..." Rhoj launched herself at the attack, but immediately felt her body heavy, as if something was completely pushing her against the ground. It was such a powerful force that the crazy woman could do nothing but fall. "Ygritte, you said you didn't want to fight me, don't use your powers on me, cheater."

"I'm saving your life, you idiot. Gaya doesn't know how to play. If you attack her, you'll die."

Seeing she wasn't welcome there, the swordswoman turned and began to leave with her light steps.

"That woman frighten V'huluver," confessed Lord V'huluver. "It's strange that she destroyed death and still exudes such a deadly aura. The only one who scares V'huluver more than she does is the..."

"Ordep," whispered the creature into Lord V'huluver's ear. An inexplicable shiver ran down the man's body, and he saw the edge of the monster's cloak through a window. "Are you afraid of Gaya? Why? Open your eyes..." groaned the monster while placing a finger into the hole where its left eye should be. "That woman is more afraid of you than you are of her... Better said, that sweet and strong warrior is terrified of everything. Kihihihi..."

"What do you mean by that, creep show?" asked Ygritte.

"Why fear what cannot harm you? And why harm what does not threaten you? Pleasure or fear, I always see through the lenses of fear." No one understood what Ordep said, and soon after, he vanished into the shadows, as abruptly as he had appeared.

The remaining ones wondered about Gaya and her strange, prickly nature. With light steps, she moved away from the courtyard, and with light steps, she proceeded out of the castle, wandering aimlessly.

"They're all interesting people..." she muttered to herself. "...But I have no interest in ghosts. At the end of the day, death has defeated all of us in some way. If I stop to think, my efforts were useless; in the end, everyone died, and death won. Maybe I should kill everyone else... then everything will go back to normal, except that the world will be free of death thanks to me. Maybe I'll let that girl with the glasses live too; after all, she also helped the world."

With light steps, Gaya continued, and it was with light steps that she stopped. After long minutes of walking, the woman began to hear voices. Voices which she followed until she saw an unimaginable scene: eight humans, perfectly healthy, conscious, and full of energy. And without changing her smile or opening her eyes, the woman continued walking toward them.

"Guys..." Pedro saw the woman approaching and, immediately, warn the others. "Who is that?"

"If the monk didn't lie, probably a deceived one." The archer commented while analyzing the stranger " She looks so, i don't know how to explain, it's such a relax posture but so close at the same time.

"Should I smash her face in? Helena commented. Pedro laughed and she glared at him furiously.

"Wait, are you serious? Are you going to hit her just like that?"

"Yes." The girl responded dryly.

"What? No."

"YES!"

"NO!"

"DO YOU WANT TO GET BEATEN TOO?"

"NO TO THE SQUARE"

"You two, stop." Normally when James asked people to stop, it was just a reprimand, but this time his tone of voice, along with his expression, showed something more. A certain fear and dread. It was as if the man had asked for silence because he needed to think about how to escape a complicated situation. "Don't you feel it? How this woman is not normal."

"Oh, oh, how rude of a gentleman to say about a woman." Gaya commented, stopping her walk and resting her left hand on the hilt of her sword. "Who are you all? And how exactly are you intact?"

"If I said we were immortal, would you believe me?" Clark joked, placing himself between the group and the unknown woman. The woman, with the same expression, simply said:

"Boy, if you were truly immortal, I swear I would teach you what real death is. I just want to talk; I'm curious about you." A few seconds passed, sweat began to form on Clark's forehead, his breathing became dense and heavy, and before they knew it, Clark was on the ground with his hand on his chest.

"Clark...?"

"Helena, get out of here, she... she... so much anger, so much death, so much tragedy... my heart is going to stop...."

"Oh, oh, oh... the kid tried to see my heart, didn't he? Tsk, tsk, don't climb Everest if you don't have the necessary training."

"What did you do to him?" In response to Pedro's question, Gaya did nothing, only sighed deeply.

"Of course, it's always my fault... always my fault... By the hasty action of the arrogant one there, can I deduce that you are all afraid of me? You didn't ask me who I am, which leads me to believe that you already have an idea. Don't tell me you plan to restore virtues to reality? Do you think you can kill me?"

"Guys, run." James ordered. "NOW, GET OUT OF HERE." The man invoked his transparent barrier and launched it at the woman. John, Stuart, and Pedro quickly obeyed, grabbing the girls and Clark and running away. Helena, however, did not move. "HELENA, GET OUT."

"Uncle, I'm not leaving you here to face this woman alone." Before the man could complain, his barrier was thrown back at them. With absolute control over his powers, James managed to stop it mid-air. Uncle and niece stared at their enemy, who now held an unsheathed fencing sword in her left hand.

"Uncle? You're family? That's never good news."

"I'll show you the good news here." Helena said, running with her sword unsheathed.

"That sentence didn't make sense." The swordswoman briefly commented before they began their clash. The two charged forward, strike after strike, move after move. The sound of their swords echoed through the empty space. Neither retreated because retreating meant losing, and losing meant death. Helena didn't know if it had been hours or minutes, she only knew that Gaya was skilled and a formidable opponent. No one landed a hit, but it was evident that Gaya had the upper hand. Helena was tired, and Gaya, with her smile, didn't seem tired at all. The battle was intense, but Helena really had no chance. Exhaustion made the girl make a mistake: Gaya's sword advanced towards her face. The half-redhead defended herself at the last minute, and the fencing sword grazed her left cheek, drawing a drop of blood. "You lost."

"What? No, I'm fine."

"I was talking to myself, girl. Oh, oh, look at that, how clumsy of me, I forgot something so silly."

"What?"

"Sorry, I forgot that I'm right-handed." She kept smiling while moving her sword from her left hand to her right hand. "Now, shall we fight seriously? Are you sure you didn't mix up your hands as well? Your strikes were so weak."

"Are you mocking me?" The general gave a slight smirk.

"I wouldn't dare; nature did it for me."

" HOW DARE YOU?'Helena shouted, raising her sword and charging at her opponent. Gaya showed no concern; it was as if she knew that even if the half-redhead attacked her a thousand times, all those thousand times would fail.

James tried to use that as a possible opening and launched a barrier sphere at the general, but smiling and calm as always, Gaya rebounded the attack like a baseball and, with her light steps, dodged Helena's assaults.

"Impressive." The older man said, watching in intrigue. "My barrier is made from the most resistant and hard material I've ever seen in my life. For your sword not to have broken in a direct confrontation, I assume it is also not made of normal material."

"That makes me very happy." The opponent admitted. "It's the first time I've used this in battle. I was a bit scared when I saw that I couldn't cut through your barrier. But it's a relief to know that it's not my blade that is weak; it's your barrier that is strong."

"Another thing I wanted to ask you... are you blind? I don't recall seeing your eyes open at any point."

"Oh, oh, you focus on such insignificant details, don't you? I don't need my eyes open to see you, sir. However, the moment I do open them, well, let's save that fun for later, shall we?"

With a light step, Gaya advanced towards James, almost seeming to fly in his direction, as if the ground had no friction to stop her, but no, she was just walking smoothly.

Startled, the man raised a wall between them and advanced it against his opponent. Gaya extended her sword, and its blade stopped the object mid-way. A huge wall advancing at great speed, halted by the simple touch of a slender sword.

"She... stopped?"

"It is indeed somewhat problematic that my sword can't cut through your barrier. However, in fencing, you never use the sword to cut. It's just a light... thrust." Gaya then thrust her arm, and the sword pushed the barrier as if a giant had punched a building. The object came back at James faster than he expected, sending him flying backward, breaking his nose.

"UNCLE!" Before Helena could help him, with another light step, Gaya advanced against him. It was as if she walked with the wind; she was too fast. Fifteen punctures appeared on the man's torso, arms, and legs. "STAY AWAY FROM HIM!"

She swung her sword, but in vain, as the woman easily dodged.

"He's not going to die from these simple attacks yet."

"It doesn't matter." Helena said while continuing to run and pursue the enemy. "You made my family bleed; come back here, you viper."

Another attack missed the mark, and another, and another, while Gaya's blade kept striking Helena every time, leaving a wound on her arm, another on her stomach, another on her cheek. They were small injuries, but they were accumulating, causing fatigue, pain, and, worst of all, mental stress. With each movement, Helena knew that if she didn't change the situation, she and her uncle would end up dying.

And that enraged her... she had lost her parents... she didn't remember what happened, just that one moment they were there, and then both were on the ground, leaving a girl alone and all dirty. As a child, Helena would cry every night missing them, and her uncle patiently listened to every tear. She never, ever, wanted to see that scene again, but she didn't have the strength to face Gaya as she was; that swordswoman was on a level far above hers. She needed power, needed to destroy, power to disintegrate that woman in front of her until nothing was left.

Her fury then materialized into energy, not electricity, a pure red energy formed around her blade, a devastating energy that consumed Helena's strength quickly. Realizing this, the swordswoman decided to give everything she had in that strike, even if instinctively, and launched that power at her opponent.

- Oh, oh, oh...

A cloud of dust rose where the power had passed. Helena, weakened, fell to her knees on the ground, her sword's blade had completely disintegrated. The dust settled, and nothing but destruction could be seen, but that was because Gaya was behind her, completely intact.

"Damn it."

"If that had hit me, there's no doubt I would have been killed by now, but fortunately for you, I escaped."

"Fortunately...?"

"My dear, didn't you understood? I am the one who destroyed the Virtue of Death. If you had killed me and replaced my virtue, all humans affected by its absence would have died." The swordswoman sheathed her sword and began walking back the way she came.

"You... won't kill us?"

"Maybe another time." Gaya replied. "At the moment, you might end up being useful to me, and no one will be able to say it's my fault."

With light steps, Gaya departed, and with heavy eyes, Helena lost consciousness.