CHAPTER 22.5 - Sandro vs. Restro.

  While Daniel sleeps soundly, the other members of the illegal organization are gathered around a table. Their faces, illuminated by the dim light of a hanging mp, reflect a clear seriousness that starkly contrasts with the joy and excitement they had shown earlier. This could be their st day alive, their final chance to free the country from the dictator’s grasp.

  Each of them has a reason for fighting. For love, family, friendship, rejection of senseless violence, and fear of being the next victims. If they fail, all the lives lost will have been in vain, which is why no mistakes will be tolerated. They analyze carefully, constantly discussing to share their perspectives.

  Scattered on the table are detailed blueprints of the dictator’s base. They study every line, every corner, searching for escape routes in case the pn fails, identifying weak points in the structure, calcuting the exact number of bombs needed to destroy the pce without causing colteral damage. They also study the most dangerous enemies and debate strategies to defeat them.

  Daniel will be the one to face the dictator head-on. However, to ensure Daniel can fight without being caught off guard by unexpected attacks, the organization’s members must keep the hundreds of the dictator’s subordinates at the base occupied. These subordinates are the most powerful in the country, chosen for their exceptional abilities. Can the five members of the illegal organization face so many adversaries simultaneously? Plus, they have a new member who has never fought in her life. Can she battle so many enemies?

  The answer is simple: No, they wouldn’t survive a second on the battlefield… not without drugs.

  The te founder of the illegal organization, a man known as Magnus, had foreseen this challenge and took drastic measures to ensure it wouldn’t be a problem. Magnus could enhance his own body up to five times its normal capacity. And by “his body,” that includes everything—his intelligence and senses. This ability made him a formidable fighter and a natural leader. However, Magnus knew his ability alone wouldn’t be enough to secure his organization’s victory in the long term.

  He sacrificed his own body in an act of courage and foresight. He hired a group of underground scientists and allowed them to use his body to create a series of powerful drugs. These substances, derived from his enhanced biology, were designed to temporarily amplify the abilities of those who consumed them. He endured countless experiments and unimaginable pain, all to strengthen his organization and, one day, bring peace back to his nation. His dream? That his daughters could live in peace, without fear of being raped, tortured, or murdered, with no chance of being saved or shown mercy… as had been the case with his poor mother and wife.

  The resulting drugs were revolutionary. Upon consumption, members of the illegal organization could not only increase their strength, speed, and endurance to superhuman levels but also enhance their own powers, though only for limited periods. These drugs were their only hope against the dictator’s forces.

  It’s well known, according to the scientists, that each use costs the consumer approximately one year of life due to pushing their body beyond its limits. The more they’re used, the less time they’ll live. They all know this, but even so…

  “If we take into account Daniel’s bullet resistance, we could let him take the bullets first, reducing their avaible ammunition. That would buy us enough time to destroy their warehouse and limit them.”

  “We’d need to investigate first whether Daniel is always immune or has a limit. We’d be sending him to certain death if we blindly believe he’s always immune.”

  “And we don’t have time to investigate.”

  Everyone, including Nismei, consumed the drug. She was scared, but they’d die anyway if the mission failed, so sacrificing a year of her life was a fair price to live without fear for the rest of it. They all took the drug to enhance their intelligence and devise the best possible pn, taking all of Daniel’s abilities into account.

  They know the path ahead is dangerous and that many of them might not survive, but they also know it’s their only chance to overthrow the dictator and free the country from his tyranny.

  The final battle is about to begin.

  “Lemon cake,” Daniel said in his sleep, chewing on his arm.

  ?

  ?

  The illegal organization isn’t the only one preparing for the final battle. Both Semihumans and humans are gathering and heading toward the border with Delsmo. Approximately 150,000 Semihumans and 200,000 humans are marching to the border. Everyone who can fight, including children, has joined. This battle could define the world’s future; staying idle is not an option for them.

  Pregnant women and the disabled stayed home, praying for their loved ones’ return. Among them is an ex-girlfriend of Sandro (one of his former teammates), pregnant with another man’s child. Sandro had an open retionship with them, so it didn’t hurt him, as he knew it could happen.

  Sandro watches her from a distance, saying goodbye to the future father of her child, and smiles at seeing her so happy.

  “A kid, huh? Ugh, even my man juice comes in second pce. Am I cursed or what?”

  The women tasked with caring for the pregnant are known as the “Matrons of Dawn.” Dawn is a spiritual being with thousands of years of history, known as “the guardian angel of babies.”

  The Matrons of Dawn are experts in all aspects reted to pregnancy and childbirth. Their knowledge spans biology, medicine, magic, and ancestral rituals. They are dedicated to ensuring both mothers and babies receive the best possible care for healthy and safe deliveries.

  Their main duties are:

  Prenatal care: Providing continuous care throughout pregnancy, including regur checkups, counseling, and emotional support.

  Specialized nutrition: Preparing and supplying special foods and potions that promote the health of the mother and baby, based on magical and natural ingredients.

  Rituals: Performing protective rituals and blessings to ensure the safety of the pregnancy and delivery, preventing malformations, syndromes, miscarriages, etc.

  And not only that, they also possess unique spells only they can use.

  Paternity Spell (Veritas patris): By touching the mother’s belly and looking at the supposed father, the Matron of Dawn can determine the baby’s paternity. If the man’s face is surrounded by a bck cloud, he’s not the father; if fully visible, he is.

  Dawn’s Blessing (Benedictio Aurora): A spell that envelops the mother and baby in a golden light aura, protecting against diseases and complications during pregnancy. It’s only used in emergencies if prior treatments fail, as it uses the mother’s vital energy to protect them both. Vital energy cannot be recovered, and losing it costs days, weeks, months, or even years of life.

  Whisper of Life (Vita susurrus): An enchantment allowing the Matron to communicate directly with the baby in the womb, ensuring it’s healthy and content. It causes no harm and mainly prevents complications during delivery.

  Vision of Growth (Visio crescendi): Allows the Matron to visualize the baby’s development in the womb, ensuring proper growth and detecting anomalies early. It can also manifest as a magical hologram for parents to see their future baby.

  The Matrons of Dawn are revered and respected in society, not only for their magical abilities and medical knowledge but also for their dedication and care toward expectant mothers and their babies. Their presence is considered a blessing in any community, and their wisdom is passed down through generations, keeping this noble and crucial profession alive.

  Daughters of the Matrons of Dawn inherit their abilities, but if the pregnancy was unpnned or forced—i.e., if the mother was coerced into having the baby—the daughters inherit nothing, and the mother loses her abilities. In the past, corrupt individuals seeking economic and social power tried to seize the Matrons’ abilities, but once society realized the consequences of harming them, those responsible for such evil acts were executed. Today, they are protected by everyone, fearing Dawn’s wrath.

  Their services are completely free, as they exist to serve any pregnant woman, regardless of social status or age. Those who refuse to help a pregnant woman for selfish reasons like “I don’t like her,” “she’s ugly,” “she smells,” “she’s poor,” or “she’s rich” lose their abilities.

  “Why the long face, handsome?”

  An elderly woman dressed as a nun, but in red instead of bck, with a cigarette between her thick lips, stood beside him and offered him a cigarette.

  The elderly woman’s figure was simply striking. Yes, she was clearly an old woman. Her hair was completely gray, her skin heavily wrinkled, and her voice had that cssic old tone. She was an elderly woman, but her figure was very “hot,” so to speak. Her massive attributes stood out, especially in that tight nun outfit.

  Any man would feel aroused being so close to her, even knowing she’s an 80-year-old woman. Exactly 87, to be precise. But Sandro, one of the most notorious public perverts, doesn’t feel excited being near her. All he feels for her is gratitude, admiration, and respect.

  “Thanks.”

  He took the cigarette and lit it using hers, bringing their cigarettes together between their lips. Their faces were inches apart, and the elderly woman noticed Sandro’s eyes were slightly red and irritated, which put a proud smile on her face.

  He inhaled the smoke deeply and exhaled, recalling the good times with his old group. Their ughter, fights, sex, kisses. He enjoyed it all so much, felt alive, loved life, but gave it all up to start anew.

  “I heard that baby isn’t yours. That’s a shame.”

  “It’s for the best. After all, I don’t date anymore. At least that kid will have both parents together… Well, I hope so.”

  The elderly woman gave him a pyful elbow nudge and ughed.

  “You gave them up to be with me, huh, you rascal?”

  “Pfft. You’re not that lucky.”

  “What, you already fell for me? You’re 40 years te, my love. Hahahahahaha!”

  “I’m not into necrophilia, but thanks for the offer, old witch.”

  “That tough-guy act doesn’t fool me, and you know it.”

  “Hey, hey, I’ve got a reputation to uphold, darling. My fans love me like this. Heh.”

  “I thought Daniel ruined that. I’ve never seen him, but they say he’s drop-dead gorgeous. You should introduce me someday. Maybe he’d appreciate the experience.”

  “Being humiliated by a guy who defeated two demons in one blow, stopped a war practically single-handedly, and brought peace with the Semihumans, whose hatred has existed for centuries… Well, it doesn’t sound so bad being humiliated by someone like that. Plus, I managed to hurt him during our fight. I’m not doing too bad.”

  “Whatever you say, sweetie.”

  Sandro sighed and scratched his head.

  “Rose stopped looking for me.”

  “That’s what you get for pying hard to get.”

  “Sara ditched me and went with Daniel.”

  “Even I would.”

  “And I died.”

  “That’s what you get for being cocky, pretty boy.”

  “Yeah, I guess so… I’ve been feeling weird tely. Like I don’t know what to do. I mean, I know what I want to do, but at the same time, I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know if I’m doing it because I want to or because I feel obligated. And I haven’t had as much sex since Daniel showed up in my life. I think…”

  Suddenly, the elderly woman burst out ughing and gave him hard pats on the back.

  “You fell for Daniel?! Hahahahahaha! You’ve got my full support! Go csh your swords!”

  Sandro turned pale as his imagination ran wild, picturing Daniel, naked, pressing against him, about to kiss him.

  He quickly shook his head and finished the cigarette in one drag, trying to calm down. Why? Because, for a second, he was on the verge of getting an erection imagining Daniel naked.

  Sandro is heterosexual, no doubt about it, but Daniel’s charm got to him. That’s how powerful his physical appeal is.

  “Pfft! Of course not! What I’m trying to say is… Ugh, I don’t know what to do with my life at this point.”

  “We don’t even know if we’ll be alive next month. Let’s just enjoy the time we have left. That’s what I pn to do.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  Sandro tossed the cigarette to the ground and stomped it out.

  “I’m going to rescue Daniel and give my life to help defeat the Demon King. Saying it out loud, it doesn’t sound half bad. I’ll die fighting a demon. Doesn’t that sound like a grand, epic death?”

  “I always pictured you dying fighting a demon, one-on-one, sacrificing your life to defeat it. Dying fighting alongside others doesn’t seem like your style.”

  “Giving my life to defeat a demon… Yeah, I definitely want a death like that. I’d go without any regrets.”

  “But your first death was from being too horny. Hahahahahaha! You ruined your death! Hahahahahaha!”

  “Haha. You’re so funny, you bag of bones.”

  Sandro started walking away from her.

  “Wish me luck, old witch,” he said without looking back.

  The elderly woman watched him, eyes narrowed, and smiled, this time with pride. To her, Sandro was still that little orphaned boy always crying, mourning everything he’d lost in life. She remembered the nights she slept beside him, comforting him, reminding him he still had a long life ahead and wasn’t alone anymore.

  He was a boy who mented being weak, bming himself for not protecting what he loved most. Every day, he lived without motivation, lying in bed. But everything changed when he met another orphan who had suffered the worst a girl could endure. She had lost everything—her family, her home, her… innocence. Seeing her in the same state as him enraged him. Why? Because he knew he couldn’t do anything to prevent such a situation. If he had a family and was attacked by bandits or monsters, he’d be powerless, and that reminded him of the helplessness he felt when “that” happened. So, he decided he’d never be a victim again.

  He trained and trained harder than anyone. He trained so intensely that by 25, he became the country’s best adventurer. Now, at 27, he’s respected, and his name is famous even on other continents.

  But despite that, she still saw Sandro as an immature boy whose arrogance only grew daily, forgetting why he became strong in the first pce: to protect the innocent.

  In the st two years, she’d seen Sandro change for the better, but he was still arrogant. Today, she no longer saw that in him.

  Now, looking at Sandro’s back, she didn’t see an immature boy but a man. A man who had faced his fears and emerged stronger. His posture was upright, his steps determined.

  The elderly woman exhaled the smoke from within, a gray mist dispersing in the air, carrying away the st traces of her worries.

  “You don’t need it,” she murmured, her voice full of calm.

  But as she blinked, Sandro appeared in front of her.

  “Huh?”

  Right after saying “need it,” Sandro leaped back toward her and hugged her tightly. His body vibrated with contained energy, like a spring ready to unleash its full force.

  In the blink of an eye, he leaped again and sped away. His speed was incredible; it all happened in less than a second. The elderly woman knew Sandro’s power, but even she was shocked to see him move so fast. It was as if the air itself couldn’t keep up, creating a barely perceptible trail of motion.

  “What the hell…?” she started to say, but her words were cut off by an explosion—or rather, an impact.

  The ground trembled beneath her feet, and a cloud of dust and debris rose where she’d been moments before. Someone had nded heavily right there, leaving a massive, deep crater in the ground. If Sandro hadn’t moved her, she’d be dead.

  The elderly woman stared at the crater, her heart pounding as she realized the situation. Stones fell, bouncing on the ground with an eerie echo. Slowly, the dust cloud cleared, revealing the imposing figure of a being staring at them.

  “A demon?” the elderly woman said.

  “Get everyone out of here, now,” Sandro said, not taking his eyes off the being. A single distraction could mean his death.

  Without hesitating, she nodded and ran to get all the pregnant women to safety.

  The warriors preparing for war rushed to help Sandro in his fight, but Sandro waved his index finger, signaling no, stopping them.

  The demon—or rather, Restro—cpped a couple of times and bowed.

  “Nadia left you half-dead, but look at you, you managed to defeat a mid-rank demon, and now you’re practically in perfect shape. The advantage of recovering magical energy through pleasure, huh?”

  “I heard Daniel is the son of that demon woman. Can you confirm if that rumor’s true?”

  “Well, well, well. They made it public? I guess Daniel didn’t want to hide it, fearing they’d distrust him ter.”

  “So it’s true. That’s a shame; I really wanted to sleep with that woman. I’d rather stay alive, so I’ll forget her.”

  “You’re pretty funny, Sandro, the runner-up.”

  “Bh, bh, bh.”

  Sandro drew his sword from its sheath.

  “Shall we start?”

  “Oh, no, no, no, no. I’m not here to fight. You’ve shown incredible potential. Daniel’s a special case, but you, a mere human, reached where you are through effort and…”

  Without waiting for him to finish, Sandro lunged at him and tried to cut off his head—and it wasn’t just an attempt; he actually severed it.

  But Sandro didn’t lower his guard and immediately backed off, feeling a vibration in the ground.

  It might seem like he’d won; even the adventurers who’d come to help Sandro celebrated and shouted, filling the air with optimism.

  But he knew something was wrong. It was impossible for a demon of Nadia’s rank to die from such a simple attack.

  “Don’t py dead.”

  “You didn’t even lower your guard for a second. You’re so different from Daniel.”

  Everyone was shocked to see the head float and speak, except Sandro, who sensed the vibration in the ground starting to move away.

  His skin prickled, and he closed his eyes to focus on the vibration. His ears picked up something dragging beneath the ground, heading straight toward…

  “Shit!”

  Sandro ran as fast as he could toward the hundreds of pregnant women and disabled people fleeing to safety. Those who couldn’t walk were carried by pregnant adventurers with the strength to run while holding them.

  Restro burst out ughing at his speed.

  “I’ll definitely make you mine, Sandro!! Hahahahahaha!”

  In three seconds, he reached them but crashed into a barrier. An invisible force field stopped him from getting closer and also prevented the people from moving forward. They were trapped.

  “Eldara!!” Sandro shouted, falling into despair.

  Negative emotions flooded his being. Fear, desperation, panic, terror, guilt. Why? Because he saw people being dragged backward, meaning the force field was shrinking, and that could only mean one thing: Restro wanted to crush them to death.

  He tried every technique he knew, sshing the force field with his sword, but nothing worked. When his sword broke, he used his fists, but still nothing.

  The warriors realized the situation and tried to help, but nothing worked. Swords, hammers, arrows, spears, magic—nothing breached the barrier. They tried earth magic to dig under it, but the force field extended through the ground, like a sphere.

  Nothing was working, and the worst came. The women started being crushed slowly, and Restro, floating above, ughed, enjoying the sight below.

  Grandparents, parents, children, watching their loved ones about to die. The pregnant women cried and prayed but didn’t beg, knowing demons would never show mercy, and it would only make their deaths more satisfying for him.

  “This is a warning from my master. This is just the beginning! If you don’t want to suffer, kill yourselves! You’ll avoid more pain, and we’ll save time! A win-win!”

  Sandro appeared in front of him and struck, but it did nothing.

  “You have 5 seconds to say goodbye to them. 5…”

  Sandro kept attacking, along with the other warriors, but nothing worked. Seeing him cry, the elderly woman wept, knowing Sandro would bme himself for this for the rest of his life, even though it wasn’t his fault.

  She closed her eyes for the st time and prayed for a happy future for him.

  “4…”

  Nothing. No attack pierced his body; nothing worked against him. Even the physically strongest adventurers couldn’t harm or move him an inch.

  The gap between them was immense. After all, it was like a level 1 beginner facing a boss. Sadly, this outcome was all too realistic. Restro wasn’t an ordinary demon; he was on Nadia’s level. A high-rank demon.

  “3…”

  “Stop!!”

  “2…”

  Restro caught Sandro’s fist and smmed his face against the force field to witness what was about to happen.

  “1.”

  “Don’t do it…”

  They were already squeezed, but the force field kept shrinking, slowly breaking their bodies.

  Their bellies burst, letting out heart-wrenching screams. Mothers and children died with no one able to stop it.

  His ex-girlfriend looked at Sandro one st time and said goodbye with a smile, accepting her fate.

  “Stop, please!”

  Restro patted his head.

  “You’re a crybaby,” he said, touching his tears.

  The elderly woman opened her eyes and locked gazes with him.

  “Take care,” she said, her voice barely audible as her body was compressed.

  Sandro kept pounding the force field, ignoring his shattered fists, but no matter how much effort he put in, he couldn’t do anything.

  “Mmm… Yeah, that’s the limit,” Restro said.

  He snapped his fingers, and the force field vanished. Sandro started to fall and was caught by the elderly woman, who was still breathing by sheer miracle.

  The warriors rushed to rescue the survivors before it was too te. Women over six months pregnant died, their bellies burst; there was nothing to save them. But the others were still breathing. Their bodies were heavily damaged, and their babies likely dead, but they had a chance to survive.

  Some warriors cut open the dead women’s bodies, hoping to save any babies. Most were dead, but a couple were heard crying, meaning they could survive if the Matrons of Dawn acted quickly. The survivors, including the elderly woman, rushed to help the babies, dropping Sandro to the ground when she heard a baby cry.

  On the ground, he saw Restro standing over him.

  “Am I not a merciful being? Only about 350 out of 500 died.”

  “Tch. What do you want?”

  “Actually, I came to rape the women, but seeing you here, I changed pns. I heard you defeated a mid-rank demon while drunk, so I wanted to see what you’re capable of when furious. Honestly, I’m disappointed; I expected more from you. The only good thing you’ve got is your speed. But hey, don’t get discouraged; at least you’re better than Daniel in that, and you earned it through effort, not handed to you like him. That makes you special. And you know what?”

  Restro pced his hand on Sandro’s crotch, filling him with disgust.

  “I love special.”

  “I’d rather die!”

  Sandro tried to headbutt him, but Restro leaped back.

  “You need to mature a bit more. Grow healthy and strong, dear, so my wait’s worth it. Hahahahahaha!”

  Restro flew off, leaving Sandro trembling—not from fear, but disgust.

  “I’ll kill you, you son of a bitch.”

  “And I sense you will,” a woman said, standing beside him. Rose.

  Sandro first gnced at her underwear, then at her.

  “Even in this situation, you’re still a pervert. Yeah, Daniel’s definitely better than you.”

  “I just need to calm down to think clearly.”

  With Rose’s help, Sandro stood and turned around to avoid seeing the bodies.

  “Does it hurt to look?”

  “It’d hurt anyone. You’re te, Miss Rose.”

  “Even if I’d arrived earlier, there was nothing I could do. Not even Daniel could defeat that demon. I saw what happened, and I have some theories.”

  “Theories?”

  “Why do you think the demons haven’t attacked us yet? That demon could’ve easily defeated you and everyone here but settled for killing people who weren’t going to war.”

  “They’re just having fun at our expense.”

  “Or maybe they can’t because it would make the three chosen by God stronger. The more advantage they have over humans, the stronger the chosen become.”

  “Chosen…? Now that you mention it, that demon said something about Daniel being given something I earned through effort. I don’t know if it’s my speed or my power.”

  “Daniel’s definitely one of the three chosen by God. The stronger the demons, the stronger Daniel becomes. I suggest joining Daniel’s group to avoid that demon screwing you over.”

  Sandro paled and shook his head, trying to keep his imagination in check.

  “No way in hell! But… ugh, I won’t deny I want to join his group. Being near him would let me experience new things and get stronger, but he hates me. He’d never accept me.”

  “As long as you keep your libido away from his friends, Daniel will accept you. Trust me, if he accepted someone like Rem, he’ll accept you.”

  “Rem?”

  “The most useless one in his group. Good luck.”

  Rose walked off toward the elderly woman.

  “Wanna grab something to eat after this is over?” Sandro called.

  “Daniel’s got my interest now. You missed your chance,” Rose said, winking.

  Sandro sighed and smiled.

  “That’s a shame.”

  Sandro ran off, his gaze hardening.

  “You almost killed Katherin and Eldara. I’ll kill you sooner or ter, you bastard… But I can’t do it alone.”

  He remembered when Daniel killed and revived him. The fury and disgust Daniel felt toward him. Would it even be possible for Daniel to accept him in his group?

  “Little sister, wish me luck.”

  ?

  ?

  Restro arrived at the Demon King’s castle and met with him.

  “Well?”

  “The souls of the human babies were absorbed in time.”

  “Fufu. Perfect.”