Disappointment — that is your name.

In front of the entity, the prodigy rushed forward, moving with lightning speed. She tore through the ground beneath her feet as she crossed the distance between them, appearing behind the demon in the blink of an eye. Taking advantage of the opening, she attempted a diagonal slash, forcing him to dodge at the last moment, showing he too had impressive agility.

The demon dissolved like smoke, vanishing before her, carried away by a gust of wind.

"Damned bastard," she muttered, frustrated.

Her hair was thrown back by the wind burst created by the entity's acceleration, shaking the vegetation and the tree canopies. The roar of the strong wind, like a storm, spread a curtain of dust throughout the forest.

As she watched the entity materialize at a distance, to her right, she saw him reappear with open arms, reforming piece by piece.

This infernal gift… he really *is* a calamity!

She thought, her eyes narrowed and alert, as the light of dawn reflected on her blade.

I must avoid that blade at all costs!

He sensed the imminent danger when, deep in his mind, it felt as if a single drop of water had fallen into a lake — a harbinger of threat.

Yami, like a wraith, was already behind him, emerging from his shadow with an upward movement. He prepared a strike, channeling his aura into his arm, flowing like flames rising from a bonfire. Within moments, his aura became a flaming sword, while blue lightning danced around his arm, causing the entity a brief flicker of pain.

Without chanting a spell?

The demon thought, having only a second to process the situation. The exorcist then struck between the forearm and the upper arm, but the entity dissolved instantly, smirking with confidence.

These brats never leave me alone!

The strike crashed down on the ground, splitting it open and creating a deep fissure. The entity vanished again, as an explosion of red, flickering flames erupted across the forest, tearing through everything nearby. The ground lost stability, collapsing in erosion, and the surrounding trees fell, burned into blackened stumps. The air reeked of charred wood as sparks danced around the battlefield.

Damn, he's so strong…

She was stunned, feeling the same crushing presence the beast had sensed — a realization that both opponents were threats beyond itself.

I just wanted… to live in this forest! Why? Damn it, why?

"It's going to be hard to land a hit like this!" she shouted loud enough for her partner to hear, holding her blade in front of her face, scanning the area carefully.

Meanwhile, the beast materialized farther away, its eyes glowing a deep red, a black aura swelling around it like a living shadow. The creature's third eye fully opened, veins pulsing around it, radiating sinister energy.

Let's turn up the heat…

Its aura spilled out like a thick mist beneath its feet, spreading across three to four hectares of shadowy vegetation — its true calamity taking form.

"Well then," she muttered, undaunted by the power release, adjusting her stance with a heavy sigh. Her crucifix finally broke apart, shattering on the ground. She stepped firmly on the fragments, unfazed by her broken power amplifiers.

His energy is far more intense than any level three or even level four entity from the capital!

She realized, noticing how the dark energy around the being slowly leaked out, rotting everything nearby.

"Alright then, sour-face, I've got an idea," she said, before he could ask.

"Speak!"

"Let's use a little light! Got it?" she revealed, hoping he understood.

"Light? Got it…"

While the two of them talked as if they were on a stroll, the entity extended its hand, projecting the black energy sphere it had created earlier — a move that came right after launching its first attack.

The boy can leap into my shadow and even revert my technique barehanded… Fine, then I'll focus on the girl!

It decided, as both of them raised their auras to the maximum, letting the light flow around them, creating intangible sparks in the air.

She channeled the sparks into her blade, infusing it with power, while Yamasaki formed a sphere of light in his right hand, spinning it at high speed.

It's time to end this! they told their hearts… I must eliminate this girl! the entity reaffirmed to itself.

Their clash intensified, the pressure of colliding energies filling the space, distorting the air like a force field about to implode.

That conflict was physical — blows, explosions, powers colliding. But elsewhere, it was mental… internal.

In a place far from that battlefield, the cruel assassin was finally returning home after wandering in delirium. He licked his fingers, imagining the metallic taste of blood, and shoved his hand into his pants, seeking relief from the ecstasy. But when he found only emptiness, he gave up and moved on.

He climbed the stairs with some relief in his shoulders, his footsteps echoing down the narrow hallway, alerting anyone nearby. The smell of dust and rust filled the space, blending with the imagined scent of death that always followed him.

"Romero!?" Milk exclaimed as soon as he heard the footsteps, turning quickly. His eyes lit up for a moment — only to dim when the figure appeared in the doorway of the second-floor apartment to the left.

His disappointment was obvious when he realized it wasn't who he'd hoped for.

It was who he hated most…

Once again, ruining his pleasure.

The shadow in the doorway seemed to mock him — a bothersome reminder that his euphoria always ended in frustration. His jaw clenched, his fingers — still dirty from the empty touch — twitching at his sides. His breathing grew heavy, not from exhaustion, but from irritation.

Why always him? Why always here?

"He hasn't come back yet?" he asked indifferently, his eyes revealing the calm of someone not easily shaken. When the devil's flames didn't burn in his eyes, they reflected a deep emptiness.

"No… Actually, he said he'd only be back tomorrow. There are still four of us left to set everything straight, you know…" Milk replied, casting a quick glance behind before sighing.

That instant was all the messiah needed to understand the situation.

"You didn't tell him?" he asked, already passing by the boy, glancing briefly into the room and spotting Kwame dozing off with the TV on. On screen, an action movie showed an immortal protagonist doing the impossible with just a pistol.

"Romero said they wouldn't understand. Not him, not the others…" Milk added. Then, noticing the ghostly presence pass beside him, he flinched slightly.

"He's right!" the man declared, looking forward with resolve.

"By the way, Rasen, chaos is already in motion! I published the declaration of opposition and enmity toward the Order and the Empire!"

"I can imagine the mess in that meeting room. Well, let eternal chaos reign, and may the rats fall into the fire!" he proclaimed as he finished climbing the stairs.

The young man watched him with a sigh. The light filtering into the building illuminated the man's back, making him look like an angel to the boy's eyes.

"So be it… a world of light," he murmured, staring at the door with apprehension.

How much of this was real? Or rather, how much did he believe?

Ironically… in nothing.

Now we are enemies of Aija, enemies of the world… There's no turning back, no more chances…

The words echoed in his mind like an inevitable verdict. He had followed Romero without hesitation, without question. But now, faced with the reality of what they had done, doubt crept in like a whispered ghost.

Was this really a new beginning? Or just the prelude to an irreversible end?

As he pondered, images crossed his mind. Following his savior felt like following the Messiah… or the devil. Someone who promised to bring paradise back to mankind.

But how far would someone go for passion? For faith?

The boy reflected, tasting doubt for the first time after so long lost in seas of certainty.