*King of Ystir’s Palace - Meeting Room*

  "The day of the king’s death, the kingdom was threatened... by a Nerosma named Zthur" Upon hearing these words, everyone was shocked, their eyes and mouths opening wide at the revelation.

  "Impossible! They... were all exterminated" insinuated Leader Yamile, staring at the table intently.

  "How is that possible...? Why didn’t anyone warn us!?" added the pink-haired leader, while Gladys began to think about it and bit one of her nails.

  "We’ve been reporting this for a long time, but Leader Jastify even called me crazy... It wasn’t just me, Reck also warned about this many times, but even Krief ignored it" Mei replied, disappointment evident in her words.

  "Thank you, Paladin Mei, for this warning... We will inform the Supreme Leader and the Priestess as well. Do you need military support?" Priest Yang asked with a serious expression.

  "If possible, yes, but I know you’ve had trouble containing the Macrous at the World’s Rift. I’ll understand if you can’t provide support" Mei responded with understanding.

  Priest Yang looked toward the window, and after a few seconds... "I will do my best to send at least 2 paladins and 100 knights, but... you mentioned that Jens let those people in, correct?"

  "Yes, sir. There are men from Zthur in the kingdom, but don’t worry... I have already ordered the evacuation of the people to capture them all" Mei replied with a serious and calm look.

  "Don’t you need support?" Priest Yang and Gladys stood up from their seats, and the priest placed both hands on the table.

  "I wouldn’t dare ask for it... Reck, Mern, Ann, Ririam, and Xitlari will take care of it. Now I must go organize this." Mei stood up from her chair and placed her hand on the prince’s shoulder. "We’ll leave you with Louis for whatever you wish to discuss with him. Let’s go, Lue!" The prince followed her, and both left the room.

  "Uh, wait... Miss... Mei," Louis said, trying to stop her. After they left, everyone fixed their gaze on him.

  "Don’t be nervous, Paladin Louis... this will be quick" the priest said as he retook his seat, followed by Gladys.

  Meanwhile, throughout the kingdom, groups formed by the paladins were evacuating the people as quickly as possible. Each paladin led a group under their command; Reck was in the southern zone, Mern and Mark in the eastern zone, Xitlari in the north, Ann in the kingdom’s center, and Ririam in the west. The vehicle area, every store, restaurant, or any other place, was being evacuated... The people were confused about this; some refused, but in the end, they were convinced by the paladins.

  *Magic Portal - Tai’s House*

  "This is so boring... how much longer do we have to wait?" Tai muttered, lying on the roof of the large house, looking up at the sky. "I wish I could bother Kumi..." sigh "Not even those two are here."

  A beeping sound went off, and Tai took out a round communicator. "What is it? This better be important."

  "Sir Tai, I believe something is happening in the kingdom of Ystir," replied the voice of a man through the communicator, completely devoid of emotion.

  "I’m listening." Tai sat up and stretched a little.

  "About nine days ago, the kingdom received the church leaders for the usual inspection, but today they arrived again. Unlike last time, they have been in the palace for a long time, and the kingdom has begun to be evacuated by knights and paladins," the man responded concisely and clearly.

  "Really...? (Could they have reinstated them...?) Activate the security protocol and send a notice to the base.

  " Tai then ended the call, jumped down from the roof, and entered the house. He approached one of the walls, ran his hand over it, and a small compartment opened... Seeing that it was empty, his face perfectly reflected his concern and surprise. "No way... But no one has...! Those two... Damn it!" Immediately, Tai turned around and headed for the portal, flying with one of his swords. After passing through it, he took out a box that absorbed the portal and then emerged from his hideout, which seemed to be in another part of the kingdom.

  "If I’m not mistaken, this was the tracking sign" he thought as he drew a symbol on his left palm, which turned white and emitted a faint white mist. After this, Tai headed west.

  Meanwhile, in the southern zone, Reck commanded his knights to protect and escort the people to the palace while he searched the entire southern area for a hideout. Every person escorted by the knights had received a round, blue object.

  "Alright, now that everyone’s out, I can start the search" Reck said, placing his sword on his back. He then took a square object from his armor, which opened, releasing several arms with screens displaying a map of the kingdom, the kingdom’s blueprints, and another that scanned every corner he passed through.

  The same thing was happening in the eastern, northern, and central areas of the kingdom, where Ann, Xitlari, Mern, and Mark were also searching for any hideouts of Zthur’s men. After an extensive search and venturing into several alleys, Reck finally found something... An imperfection, something that didn’t match the map and blueprints of the kingdom.

  "Boom, found them," Reck whispered, then put away the device, covered his right fist in a reddish-brown aura, and struck the ground, creating a massive impact that lifted the ground around him. Several chunks of earth flew into the air along with a huge cloud of dust.

  The ground trembled in the center, east, and south of the kingdom... Huge robots, approximately 4 meters tall, emerged; in the east, a spider-shaped robot; in the kingdom’s center, far from the water zone, an ant-shaped one; and in the south, a mantis-shaped one, each accompanied by several soldiers who surrounded Reck, Ann, Mern, and Mark without hesitation.

  *Southern Zone of the Kingdom*

  "How brave... I don’t know what kind of creature that is, but either way..." Reck took his sword in his left hand while his right was once again covered in magic. He took his combat stance, and with a determined gaze full of confidence, he shouted: "I’ll tear it apart along with all of you!".

  *Center of the Kingdom*

  "Awww, what a cute robot!" Ann began to fly and placed both hands over her mouth, admiring the robot. Then, she extended them, and both arms were covered in yellow wind that swirled like a tornado around them. "Too bad I have to tear it to pieces" she insinuated with a determined look and a bright smile on her lips.

  *Eastern Zone of the Kingdom*

  "Poor guys, they really do have courage and confidence" Mark commented as he watched the men surrounding them.

  "They had to have something, otherwise..." Mern touched Mark, and he gained the size of the spider robot. His hands now bore two gauntlets with spikes on the knuckles. "It wouldn’t be fun!" Mern exclaimed with excitement, then created a golden Gyverna sword and armor for himself.

  *Northern Zone of the Kingdom*

  "What a shame... everyone’s already found the hideouts except me" Xitlari muttered in frustration as he continued searching, using the device in his upper right hand while his spiritual rhinoceros rested on his right shoulder. "I was looking forward to a fight".

  "Keep looking, maybe you’ll find something," the spiritual rhinoceros added, moving its head in all directions to see if it spotted anything.

  "I don’t think so..."

  *West Zone - PT Agency*

  Tai had finally arrived. He carefully checked to see if anyone was looking for him, but there was only a car parked near the agency. "Everything looks clear here. Good thing we didn't set up any hideouts in this place... Speaking of which... Looks like they already found them. I hope I have enough time to leave the kingdom... What bad luck!" he thought as he entered the agency, making as little noise as possible.

  "Come on, gentlemen, hurry up! They’ve already found Zthur’s men!" Nila shouted from the other side of the door next to the counter. Tai hid behind one of the desks and peeked out in case someone passed by the door.

  "There are still people here... Well, this won't take long" he thought. He moved toward the door and then entered the investigation room. "Hello, everyone! I'm glad to see you, even though this is our first time meeting... I believe you have something that belongs to me".

  Instantly, everyone reacted. They dropped the boxes they were carrying and hid behind the tables and desks in the room.

  "Don't make me waste my time" Tai walked toward them, and several ice grenades were thrown at him. Tai jumped onto the wall to his right, pushed off it to get closer to one of them, and kicked him in the face. The ice grenades activated, sealing the exit. Several investigators aimed magic pistols and fired immediately... Tai formed a sword with his right hand and deflected all the bullets with it, managing to get close enough to knock each of them out.

  Nila was at the back of the room, also firing. Tai threw his sword, piercing Nila's weapon... Now only she and Tai remained. "How adorable, the weak trying to defend themselves."

  "Bastard!" Nila pulled out an explosive grenade and threw it at Tai’s face... He caught it with his right hand, which was covered in mist... The grenade formed a shield around Tai to absorb the explosion, but he simply crushed it, and it exploded in his hand, creating a loud blast. "How... That’s not possible," she murmured, shocked to see him without a scratch.

  Tai walked toward Nila while dusting off his clothes. "Nice gadgets you manufacture here, but they lack..." In an instant, Tai stepped back as a massive crystal wall appeared in front of Nila. Then, large crystal spikes shot out from the wall, stopping just inches from Tai. "Clever" Tai formed another sword and shattered the spikes, then extended his hand and broke the crystal wall into pieces. He then multiplied his sword, placing each one at the investigators' necks. "Here’s how this works... You tell me where my scroll is, and I won’t kill any of them".

  "Heh, you’re an idiot" After saying that, Nila vanished like a hologram, leaving behind only a white robot—just like the other investigators.

  "What...?" Tai turned to look at the other robots, and each one expelled an ice grenade from their chest. Instantly, Tai pressed his hands together, covering his entire body in black mist... Then, he extended his hands to the left and right, releasing multiple spheres of that same black mist from his body, stopping all the ice explosions but leaving the place in ruins.

  "Sons of bitches." Tai looked at his left hand with the symbol on it and pointed around the place until, on one wall, the symbol released a much denser white mist. He then extended it and tore the wall apart, causing the scroll to levitate into his hand.

  "Perfect!" Tai crouched, then leaped, breaking through the agency’s ceiling. But outside, three knights and Ririam were waiting for him.

  "Attack!" Ririam shouted, and the three knights extended their hands toward Tai. All three launched electric magic, which, upon impact with Tai, shattered part of the ceiling, creating a thick curtain of smoke. Then, a black marble fell to the ground beside them and released a black gas.

  Jumping from the roof, Tai sprinted toward the kingdom's exit. "Hahaha, rookies!" But just before escaping, he was struck in the side by a staff, electrocuting him and knocking him to the ground, making him drop the scroll.

  Ririam picked up the scroll and tucked it into his coat. "I’m keeping this." He wore a crystal gas mask that revealed his mouth; then, he pulled out another device that absorbed all the gas.

  "Sir Ririam, I think... we inhaled a little gas," said one of the knights, kneeling beside another.

  Without taking his eyes off Tai, Ririam said, "Withdraw to get treated. I'll handle this."

  "I'm fine, sir," one of the knights said, preparing to fight.

  "No, go with them. The gas could be highly poisonous. Get out of here and call for backup," Ririam ordered as Tai stood up, dusting himself off.

  "Understood!" The knight helped his companions, and the three of them left the area.

  "Hmm... You're one of the ex-paladins who broke into my hideout. Looks like they reinstated your rank... It would’ve been better for you to fall to the ground from the gas!" Tai formed a sword and made a massive leap, clashing his blade against the staff. Ririam pressed a button on the staff, and electric magic surged through Tai's sword. Quickly, Tai pushed his sword downward and then let go of it to form another, but Ririam pulled a device from his coat that pushed Tai back.

  "I don’t have time to waste. Dark Mist!" Tai touched the ground, and a vast mist spread throughout the area. Without hesitation, Ririam pulled a cylinder-shaped object from his coat and threw it upward. The object floated, opened, and illuminated the entire place. "Ahhh... You’re one of those types who fight in a very... I don’t know... what would they call it...? Dirty? Nah, I just know that people fight like that to compensate for something they lack" he remarked with disdain and confidence, making annoyed gestures with his eyes.

  Ririam and Tai ran at each other, clashing weapons at high speed. Ririam spun the staff quickly to block Tai’s rapid attacks. Suddenly, Tai covered his sword in dark mist and split the staff in half. It exploded like a flash grenade... Without hesitation, Ririam punched Tai in the face, sending him flying. Tai managed to stop himself by stabbing his sword into the ground. "He's strong... but that’s normal, he's a paladin," Tai thought as he got back up.

  Ririam then pulled out a gun and fired a single bullet, which multiplied into a massive barrage. Tai threw his sword, which also multiplied, creating sparks as they clashed with the bullets. Ririam dodged all the swords and touched each one with a single finger. Each sword was covered in green slime, preventing them from moving.

  "Annoying" Tai threw another katana at the light-emitting cylinder, destroying it, but Ririam immediately threw another and then a grenade that exploded in a straight line. Tai leaped to the right and rushed toward Ririam, but Ririam threw another device that created two ice columns... With a slight movement, Tai sliced through both columns and continued advancing—until Ririam leaped far back. As Tai passed through where Ririam had been, two devices emerged from the ground and trapped Tai, dousing him in slime.

  Ririam crouched and grabbed the rifle from his back. "ADIóS!" The bullet pierced Tai’s stomach, but he vanished, leaving only a sword in the slime... Ririam quickly stood up, but he was impaled through the back, just beside his spine.

  "Why do you move? And... what’s with that ADIóS? Is that a new language?" Tai asked with irritation, tilting his head to the left. Ririam pointed the barrel of his rifle backward, but Tai grabbed it with his left hand and bent it. "It’s clear you prepared well, but you were still lacking... Now, if you’ll excuse me" Tai extended his left hand, and the scroll flew out of Ririam’s coat, landing in his grasp.

  Ririam grabbed small thunder-shaped objects and a round one with his left hand. "I’m not done yet!" He then touched the sword that impaled him, and Tai’s entire body—except for his head—was covered in slime.

  "What an attack..." Inside the slime were the objects, electrocuting Tai as he gripped the scroll tightly to avoid losing it. Then, Ririam jumped back, pulled the katana from his body, and snapped it in two over his knee.

  Tai covered his entire body with dark mist, and all the slime was expelled. "I better keep this," he thought as he watched Ririam adjust the rifle's cannon. He tucked the scroll into his clothes, but then all the dark mist was pushed aside by a great force. Ririam covered himself as he felt a strong gust of wind... Opening his eyes in surprise, he moved his body back, extending both arms, and Ann appeared with his right foot extended in front of him. Instantly, Tai created another sword to attack Ann, but the strong yellow wind current following her pushed him... Upon impact, Ann stomped on the ground, causing it to crack massively. Then, she created a tornado with the yellow wind, trapping Tai and making him spin at high speed. It also lifted and destroyed some house windows, the slime on the ground, various objects, bricks, and pieces of the ice columns.

  Tai, annoyed by the spinning, clenched his hands, covering his entire body with dark mist. "Enough... NOW!" He then extended them and launched a large number of dark mist spheres. In response, Ann created a rapidly spinning yellow wind shield, successfully stopping the spheres headed toward her. Meanwhile, Ririam ran while covering his wound toward the shield, skillfully avoiding the spheres despite his injury.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Tai ran his left palm along the entire blade of his sword, covering it with white mist. "Phantom Dimension!" He descended quickly, gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands and stabbing it into the ground, creating a circle with various symbols; from it emerged several dark beings with rather strange and abnormal shapes.

  "That's impossible to be real," Ririam calmly suggested while looking through his sniper scope.

  "Why don't you put an patch instead?!" Ann expressed with concern, seeing him calm despite his wound. In a blink, one of the beings charged toward them, passing through the yellow wind shield without trouble... Ririam immediately struck it with the butt of his sniper rifle, knocking it down, then repeatedly hitting it with the weapon. "It seems they're real!"

  "Heh! Well, I'm out of here" Tai turned to escape toward the west gate, but the giant mantis robot shot out, crashing near the west gate. "I need to get out of here immediately." Tai was lifted once again by the yellow wind, along with the shadows he had created.

  "Oh no... Not again!".

  Ann created another tornado, even stronger than the previous one. This time, it tore up the ground, poles, and doors from nearby houses. "You… won't escape!" she shouted. Her body began to float, enveloped in a yellow aura spinning like the wind itself. Yellow tattoos in the shape of wind gusts appeared on her face, glowing. Then, the tornado became even faster, tearing entire sections of houses around it.

  Inside the tornado, Tai spun at high speed, colliding with various objects sucked in by the storm. "Damn it!" One of the shadows hit his face. "Aah, get off!" He pulled it off and threw it away, but another one hit his face again.

  Ann spun her hands to maintain the tornado, then extended both hands upward, and the entire tornado turned into a massive gust of wind that shot upward. She, using her magic, rose higher... The gust was about to hit her, but with a 360° spin, extending both hands, she redirected the entire blast back down, at even greater speed. "Great Yellow Gust!" The entire blast crashed into the vehicle area, shattering it... and leaving a massive crater; Ann used more magic to prevent her attack from further destroying the surrounding houses.

  Tai emerged weakly from the crater, but that wasn't going to stop him. "I must... get out of here... I've never taken a hit like that before, maybe I should've used my illusion magic and left that guy immobilized" Golden Gyverna chains shot out from the dust curtain, trapping Tai. "What's this?... I can't break it!" Even though Tai covered his body with dark mist, he couldn't escape.

  "Don't bother, it's 160% pure golden Gyverna. Good thing you got close enough to me, that way I could place the tracker on you," Ririam remarked, approaching Tai with Ann at his side.

  "What? How is that wound I gave you not affecting you?!" he shouted angrily, trying to escape.

  Ririam's image disappeared, revealing that it was also a robot. "I've been far away the whole time. Did you think I'd let you go? From the moment you decided to come for the scroll... You had already fallen into my trap. But you know, it's strange that you only just realized we had the scroll—you're careless." Once again, the robot projected Ririam's image.

  "You're fascinating!" Ann expressed with a smile on her face, hugging him.

  "You think so?" Tai's body emitted a white aura, and he managed to break free from the chains, then began levitating while creating a white sphere. His mask flew off, revealing white cracks on his cheeks. "They must've forgotten to tell you this!".

  "Ririam..." Ann took a step back, fearful upon seeing the white magic, but noticed Ririam showed no fear at all, nor any concern for her presence there.

  "Calm down, Ann, it must be illusion magic. Attack him, nothing will happen," Ririam mentioned calmly, remaining still with his arms crossed.

  In the distance, running at full speed toward the west, was Xitlari. "No! This has to be a joke... He actually has white magic!".

  "What are you talking about?... There's no white magic over there," the spiritual rhinoceros replied.

  "What?".

  "You better cover yourself, bastard! Because wherever you are, this will affect you too!" Tai shouted with a crazed smile. "Let's see how your little girlfriend turns out, hahaha!" The cracks on his face grew larger, and the entire ground trembled.

  "I... don't know if I can stop white magic," Ann admitted, terrified, unsure whether to heed Ririam's words.

  "It can't be that he has magic like that... It has to be an illusion!" Ririam thought, but seeing the white sphere growing larger and Tai's face covered in more cracks, he deactivated the robot. "Get out of here, Ann! We have to leave!" shouted the real one, emerging from his hiding spot in the distance. Before the two could flee, a voice from afar stopped them.

  "Wait, it's an illusion!" Xitlari shouted, arriving at the scene and launching one of his electric needles at Tai, which, upon hitting him, caused all the supposed white magic to vanish... revealing only him, floating with a sword, still bound by the golden Gyverna chains. In his hand, he held the scroll, seemingly tying something to it. Around him, several swords were poised to attack.

  "It's too late!" Tai threw the scroll, and it sped toward the west gate. At that moment, Tai sent all the swords toward Ann, Ririam, and Xitlari, but Ann easily stopped and destroyed them all by generating pressure with her magic. Ririam looked at the scroll through his sniper scope but simply did nothing and stepped down from the rooftop.

  Running at full speed... about to reach the scroll... there was Reck, who, with a great leap, caught the scroll effortlessly.

  "So many paladins for nothing. Don't even think you can catch that thing... Hah! And don't think you'll get any information from me, not even if you break my legs!" he said confidently, turning to look at the scroll. His eyes widened in shock upon seeing that someone had managed to grab the scroll mid-flight. "No... No way."

  Xitlari grabbed the golden Gyverna chains and yanked them with all her strength. "Get... DOWN!" Tai crashed into the ground, leaving a deep mark from the impact, which raised more dust and debris.

  "That woman... is really... strong..." he thought as his eyes slowly closed. "I failed you... Father".

  *King's Palace – Meeting Room*

  Everyone from the church was leaving the room. The last to leave were Louis and the long-haired yellow-haired leader (Leader Llowe).

  "You have all my support. Don't disappoint me, eh? I have high expectations. Keep going!" Leader Llowe commented before parting from Louis. "Oh, hello, Paladin Lin!" After his greeting, he left with the others.

  "Son! What happened? Did they forbid you from being here?" Lin asked with concern, approaching Louis.

  "Everything's fine, Mother, but... from now on, I have to ask the church for permission if I want to travel to another kingdom. Also, it seems I'll always have a paladin watching over me in every kingdom I visit, except Alahead," Louis replied, somewhat relieved that it was over.

  "Oh, son... I'm sorry it's like this," she said lovingly, touching his cheek with her right hand.

  "It's okay. If it reassures them, I'll do it... I'll show them I'm different and that I'll be a great paladin," he expressed with determination, clenching his right fist.

  "That's the spirit! Come, let's talk outside, I want you to tell me how it's been for you here" she exclaimed excitedly, heading toward the palace courtyard.

  "Sure, I'll tell you," Louis followed his mother and began recounting everything since he arrived in Ystir. "As soon as I arrived, I was looking for a place to sleep, but no one wanted to accept my money".

  "Seriously?! Even gold?!".

  "Yes, even gold".

  *Shelter Hall*

  The shelter hall was a gigantic room. There was a massive number of rooms, each capable of housing up to eight people. These rooms were equipped with food, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a room with eight beds. This area had been built years ago by King Shane as a method to prevent the deaths of Ystir’s citizens during wars or other emergencies.

  Outside the palace, most of the people had been gathered after Tai had been captured.

  "Citizens! We are done. I ask you, please, to prepare yourselves. All of you will stay here in the palace while you wait for the war to end. You will be treated properly here. You will have a few days to remain in the kingdom, but then we will close all the entrances. I ask you to hurry and return here after gathering anything you may have forgotten at home or finishing any pending matters you need to handle," Mei spoke through a magical megaphone. It was cream-colored and had a gem inside. She stood beside Prince Lue and four knights.

  "We want to know where King Jens is!" one man shouted, as some others yelled in support.

  "Yeah! And why is there suddenly a war? With whom?!" another added, and the crowd supported him, demanding answers.

  "Is that why the church has come twice?!" a woman wearing a hat with a ribbon and a blue dress insinuated.

  "What are you talking about, woman?! The first time was to remove that demon from the kingdom," replied a man with white hair, dressed in an elegant suit and holding a golden cane.

  "Don’t call him that! He is a paladin," Marti shouted angrily alongside his family.

  "You're a sellout!" another person added.

  "You're Mother!" Marti retorted even more angrily, being held back by his wife and son to prevent a fight.

  "What did you say, you bastard?!" The man was about to hit Marti, but the other citizens stopped him.

  "Enough! Count Jens brought nothing but trouble. For over a month, the kingdom had been threatened, but Count Jens didn’t even realize it. Now I will be king as it should be, and I will have Paladin Mei Teews as my advisor," Prince Lue declared with authority and rigidity, his tone slightly aggressive.

  At the prince’s words, everyone murmured non-stop, doubting whether he could handle this at such a young age.

  "How can someone so young manage this?". "This is madness." "The kingdom will fall into ruin," some commented.

  "If it didn’t fall into ruin under Count Jens, it won’t under us," the prince replied.

  The people still had doubts about everything that had been suddenly revealed. "What is he talking about?" "Count Jens did a great job." "How could you do better than him without his experience?".

  "Count Jens was a fraud!... He stole from the kingdom, and all the time he was on the throne, he did nothing… As you may know, several paladins lost their status… and the only reason was Count Jens, because he didn’t like that we didn’t follow his orders. Today, Priest Yang came along with several leaders and a paladin to confirm this, and now Count Jens will be taken to prison."

  Everyone was shocked by the revelation. Some didn’t believe it and even looked angry.

  "This can’t be true! He built the shield". "But it is true, the proof is in how some prices have risen". "I still can’t believe it," others said. "It’s pure nonsense!".

  In the distance, a person rose using earth magic. He crossed his arms, drawing everyone’s attention. He wore a brown vest with golden embellishments, a long-sleeved bluish-gray shirt, and dark red pants. His eyes and hair were brown. "Enough about Count Jens! If he tried to steal from the kingdom, he’s already been stopped. There’s something more important to talk about, and that’s how you allow a demon who could destroy the kingdom to roam free".

  "Yes, he’s right. That thing could wipe out the kingdom". "We wouldn’t even make it to war," others added.

  "Leave him alone! He delivers several things to my library. He’s never done anything wrong, he’s a great person—I even consider him my friend!" Amelia shouted with her arms crossed as the people stepped aside to let her be seen.

  "That’s right! He saved me and my son from a werewolf when the crop barriers stopped working," Mari shouted, holding her baby as everyone moved aside to hear and see her better.

  "Not only that! The boy helped when the prisoners escaped from the castle, surely because of Jens, whom you all praised in the past," mentioned a dark-skinned citizen wearing a blacksmith’s outfit.

  "He’s a good kid! He delivers the packages I order, he’s very kind and gentle. He’s not a bad person!" said a woman wearing a red cap, a button-up shirt, and black pants.

  "I completely confirm!" added a man with long hair, wearing glasses, a gray cap, and a button-up shirt.

  "It’s true, the boy is very calm!" added a woman with six children and her earth magic being beside her.

  Mei fixed her gaze on the man who had risen with earth magic. "Sir, tell me! Have you ever seen Paladin Louis hurt anyone? Do anything illegal? Use his magic improperly? Destroy part of the kingdom? Or even approach you?" she exclaimed, a bit annoyed by the man’s comment. He remained silent in response and stepped down from the earth column. "Don’t be foolish, he is a paladin, he has only come to help this kingdom—you should be grateful." These words managed to calm the citizens regarding Louis, but there was still slight doubt and denial among them.

  "And what if he attacked the kingdom? Do you have measures to prevent a disaster?" mentioned a tall and sturdy man wearing a blacksmith’s outfit.

  "Paladin Louis has the church’s permission. Do you really think the church would allow someone with such magic to roam the kingdoms if they weren’t sure? There are some things to clarify about Paladin Louis because it seems some have the wrong idea, and not just about him—there are others who will soon become paladins as well, but they are mistreated despite having been in this kingdom since childhood. Even so, they have remained steadfast in their goal of becoming paladins like me. It’s time to leave the past behind. I know the war with the werewolves of a single fur color has kept you constantly worried about those who are different, but not everything different is bad. Even King Shane told you this, but you don’t listen. Look at my fairy, Clara. Do you think she could harm this kingdom just because she is different?" Mei kept her voice sweet and soft to convince the people, showing them Clara, who began flying excitedly in front of her. Everyone looked at each other and commented on this. Some were more convinced, but others couldn’t accept it and simply turned away to gather what they had forgotten at home.

  "We will trust your words, Paladin Mei! I hope you are right..." said the man with earth magic before everyone turned to fetch their belongings. Others entered the palace to settle into their temporary home.

  "That wasn’t so bad… I think," Mei hinted, moving the magical megaphone away from her mouth.

  "Let's hope this will ease that rejection a little" The prince watched the people walking to their homes with slight concern. "I hope I don’t disappoint you, Father," he thought, raising his gaze to the sky.

  "Mei!" Mern shouted, running alongside Mark toward her, while carrying something that looked like an arm in his right hand.

  "What happened? Is everything okay in the east?" Mei asked, approaching them along with the prince.

  "We've discovered something strange," Mark mentioned, raising his right hand with his index finger extended.

  "I wanted you to see it for yourself... It seems that all the men from Zthur were robots. Look, this is an arm from one of them," Mern replied, showing her the arm from top to bottom.

  After analyzing the arm, Mei was convinced of who was responsible. "Too real... Only one person could make a robot like this... Blackyn Renog, or... known as the Dark Lord, a robotics enthusiast."

  "If he's with Zthur, the fight will be even more difficult. You should inform the priest before he leaves," Mern exclaimed. Then he threw the arm toward one of the knights standing at the palace entrance. "Hey! Take this to the research center, please."

  "Yes, sir!" the knight responded, leaving with the arm.

  "Hellooooo!" Ann shouted with a smile on her face as she brought the others in yellow clouds. "Mission accomplished!" Everyone descended from the clouds, landing on the ground without any trouble.

  "In the end, white magic really was an illusion," Ririam commented with seriousness and calmness.

  "I already suspected it. It was impossible for him to have magic like that; it would be in the records," Mei said with relief and a slight smile on her face.

  "Have they already told you that they were all robots?" Ann asked cheerfully.

  "Yes, I'm already informed," Mei replied.

  "I’ll take this guy to magical confinement," Reck mentioned, heading toward the palace while carrying Tai on his shoulder.

  Ann took Ririam by the arm. "We’ll go check out the palace and fix any mess the count made," she said excitedly with a smile, while Ririam only had an annoyed expression. "Don't make that face."

  Xitlari approached Mei, doubts filling her mind. "Do I still... have to wait?"

  "Yes, still, but you already have a higher rank. One more month and you'll be a paladin!" Mei replied, trying to encourage her.

  "I won't disappoint you!" Xitlari struck her upper right fist against her chest and then headed toward the palace as well.

  Once Xitlari was far enough away, Mern said, "Do you think she's ready?"

  Mei had a brief moment of silence as she watched Xitlari walking, quite a distance behind Ririam and Ann. "We'll find out with what's coming."

  *Palace Courtyard*

  "Aaaawww! Do you really like someone!? What’s she like? Does she have long hair? Is she taller than me...? Remember, marriage comes first!" she expressed with excitement and seriousness in her last sentence.

  "Mom... keep your voice down. I think they’re back from the mission. If she hears you say that, I think... she’ll stop talking to me," Louis hinted cautiously, looking around in case someone was nearby.

  With a gasp of surprise, Lin grabbed Louis by the shoulders and shook him. "She's a paladin! Don't tell me it’s the one with yellow hair! Or the one with reddish streaks?"

  "Mom, please!" Louis said, blushing and looking around even more cautiously and nervously.

  "Oooohh... It’s the tall one, isn't it? Oh, son, I didn’t know you liked tall girls," she mentioned, covering her mouth with her right hand before lightly elbowing him in the chest.

  "Please, ENOUGH!" Louis shouted, blushing even more.

  "Oh, sorry, hehe..." Lin hugged Louis warmly. "I’m glad you can be happy here... You don’t have to go back if you don’t want to."

  A little surprised, Louis hugged his mother tightly and replied, "Someday, I’ll have to".

  "Louis!" In the distance stood Professor Maxwell, who approached them.

  Hearing his name, Louis turned. "Professor! Uh... This is my mother, Lin Keeper".

  "A pleasure, and thank you for being the first to accept my son." Lin shook Professor Maxwell’s hand and lowered her head in respect.

  "It was a great pleasure. He's a great boy, with great potential," he commented sincerely before letting go of Lin’s hand. "I can see who taught him such good manners".

  Lin smiled at the compliment. "Thank you very much, I hope he hasn’t been a burden".

  "Well... maybe a little," he replied, glancing at Louis while stroking his beard.

  "Huh? Really!?" Louis expressed in surprise.

  "Haha, no, I’m joking".

  "Oh, right..." Suddenly, Louis remembered something he needed to do. "Ah! Now that I think about it... Did they bring all my stuff?".

  "Yes, it’s in room number 6 on the third floor," he replied, pointing to the third floor with his robotic hand.

  "Great." Louis started running toward the third floor. "Stay here! I’ll be back in a moment".

  "Don’t run in someone else’s palace!" Lin scolded as she watched him go and slow down.

  Lin narrowed her eyes and turned them to the professor; her gaze shone as if she had activated a hidden plan. "Tell me everything you know".

  "Everything... I know?" the professor repeated, surprised.

  Meanwhile, Mei had found Priest Yang and the others, who were already heading to their carriage.

  "Priest, wait!" Mei shouted, running toward them along with the prince, Mern, and Mark.

  "What is it?" Priest Yang stopped in his tracks and looked at her.

  Standing firm, Mei replied, "I must inform you. They've found the hideouts of the men from Zthur, but they were all robots, with an incredible amount of detail".

  "Detailed robots...?" The priest placed his right hand on his chin, thinking about who could have done it. "Blackyn, right?".

  "It’s the most likely. The only human is Yeynos’s son, who calls himself Tai. This is the person we told you about, the one with white magic, but in the end, it was just an illusion".

  As they spoke, Clara approached the leaders and Gladys, greeting them enthusiastically.

  "I’m glad to hear that. Keep me informed of anything new you discover. Unfortunately, we must leave, as there are problems in the kingdom of Mordigan" After saying this, Priest Yang continued toward the carriage with the others.

  "Mordigan... What could be happening there?" Mei wondered with curiosity.

  "I imagine more things related to Priest Krief. Do you guys want to go eat something?" Mern commented, placing his hand on Prince Liu and Mei's shoulders.

  "I’d love to, and while we're at it, you can tell me what you’ve been doing all this time," the prince exclaimed with a smile.

  "Great idea!" said Mark, and they all headed toward the palace while the church's carriage exited through the gate.

  Inside the palace, Louis was returning to the courtyard after finally finding his room, as he had gotten a bit lost.

  "Now I must get used to this palace too... It would be embarrassing if I got lost here as well. Good thing there were knights to show me where I was," thought Louis as he ran with a flask, a metal bottle, and a card in his hands.

  Reaching the courtyard, Louis slowed down and saw Professor Maxwell talking with his mother.

  "So you know all that... I hope it doesn't unsettle you" These words could be heard as Louis approached them.

  "Mom, I want to show you this" Louis extended his arm, holding out the flask containing a light blue liquid.

  "What is that?" she asked, puzzled, tilting her head slightly to the right.

  "It's a liquid that makes things smaller, developed by a man named Donquichua," answered Professor Maxwell as Louis removed his katana from his waist.

  "Really? Incredible... Is it a new kind of magic?" Lin approached Louis to get a better look at the effect.

  "It's a magic potion, but it's not a new kind of magic," added Professor Maxwell, also stepping closer.

  Louis poured a little of the liquid onto his katana, and it shrank.

  "Whoa! How did they create something like this?" she said in surprise, her eyes lighting up. "Everything keeps advancing," she thought.

  "Could you take it with you? Donquichua asked me to speak to the king about this. Could you do it for me? Please," Louis asked, sealing the flask and handing it to Lin along with the card.

  "Of course, no problem, but... How do things return to normal?" she replied, taking the flask and storing the card in her armor.

  Louis opened the metal bottle and let a few drops of water fall onto his katana, which returned to its original size.

  "With water? Incredible! Donquichua must be a genius," Lin remarked, bringing the flask closer to her eyes to examine the liquid.

  "Ahem... He's a beginner. I could make that potion if I wanted to," the professor began making his mechanical arm perform various actions to get Lin's attention.

  "How little humble..." Louis thought suspiciously, narrowing his eyes and fixing his gaze on the professor.

  "Seeing this reminds me of what we found in the kingdom. It's a great energy source," Lin exclaimed.

  "Really? What kind of energy is it?" The professor stepped closer, touching his beard with his mechanical arm.

  "I don't know much, but remembering that also reminds me that I must return to the kingdom. I have to go now," Lin looked at Louis with sorrow; she wanted to spend more time with her son.

  "It's okay, Mom. I understand that you have to go... But don't think I won't return" Those words soothed Lin, making her shed a tear, which she quickly wiped away with her hand.

  At the palace entrance, Louis and Professor Maxwell bid farewell to Lin.

  "Take care of him, please," Lin said, bowing her head completely.

  "Mom..."

  "Hahaha, he's not a child, Paladin Lin. He can take care of himself," the professor said with a laugh, crossing his arms.

  Louis approached her, giving her one last hug.

  "Remember to make your prayers... You must not stray from God," Lin whispered while holding Louis tighter.

  "I'll try..." he replied with a sigh, without much conviction.

  "Goodbye" Lin moved away from Louis and climbed into her carriage, and the driver set the metallic horses in motion. "Say everything you feel when you confess your love!" Lin shouted, sticking her head out of the carriage window.

  Louis placed both hands over his blushing face. "No... Mom, why?"

  "Do you like someone? Why didn't you tell me?" the professor asked with a smile on his lips.

  "I was ashamed to tell you... I told her by accident," he replied, still covering his face.

  "Hahaha, don't be embarrassed, it's natural. Come on, let's go find Mei," he said cheerfully and naturally, turning to enter the palace again. Louis followed him, removing his hands from his face.

  "Did you know that next month a meteorite will be visible from Earth?" the professor commented, causing Louis to lose his blush, filling him with excitement.

  "Really?! And will we be able to see it from here?!" he exclaimed enthusiastically as they entered the palace.

  "Of course, we'll be able to see it from here," the professor replied, pleased with Louis' excitement.

  "Amazing! The last time I saw one, I had to carry it to a volcano".

  The professor fell silent as they continued walking through the palace. "Seriously?".

  "Yes, it was part of my training".

  *From the Lands of Lyran*

  Many kilometers away from the kingdom of Ystir... there was a well-guarded place; here, factories produced various black pieces of different sizes and shapes. This place also had an ancient castle made of stone, surrounded by a large number of giant warehouses.

  Inside the castle, in a room with an old table and several chairs, sat Yeynos and the Dark Lord... Both were observing a towering silhouette. His body appeared human but almost translucent, covered in a layer of dark and reddish energy, revealing his neck, abdomen, and part of his arms. His spiky dark hair rose backward, with flashes that seemed to mix with blue and reddish hues due to the energy emanating from his body. His face was Also almost translucent; he had no mouth, or nose, only two red eyes. He wore a war cloak that left his muscular abdomen exposed, and it seemed that his clothing had fused with him, as if made of a corroded material. He wore gauntlets covering his entire hands and half of his forearms. His legs appeared to be covered by black pants and his feet by matching black shoes. He wore a waist cape with a belt over it. His body generated dark-colored fragments that detached from him and then disappeared, like flames separating from a fire and instantly extinguishing.

  "Complications are beginning... Tai and all the machines in the kingdom were a good card, too bad we also lost the scroll," Zthur gazed outside the castle, standing before a balcony. His voice was deep, soft, and controlled, with a slight echo.

  "I'll go find it, I assure you I'll fix all of this," Yeynos said, rising from his chair.

  "Of course, he's your son, I'm not going to forbid you, but be careful, losing your card as well... would be disastrous." Zthur sat down and shuffled some cards that seemed to have images of various people. "But I hope you now understand why I don't want your men knowing anything about the plan. They are the weakest, and a little torture will make them talk".

  "Still... it's as if you don't trust them, they are... my people," Yeynos exclaimed.

  "I'll give you credit that Tryl and Jori weren't from your village, but... this is how Mortikal taught me to do things, and this is how I'll execute them... go and save your son" With his final words, Yeynos left without another word.

  Yeynos lifted his head towards the Dark Lord, and even though the latter had no eyes, he knew he was being watched. "Renog, accompany Yeynos and help him in any way you can. Also, take the opportunity to visit the werewolf camp to see if they accept the offer".

  "Why me? Why are you pairing us together again? You know we don't get along, and pretending to be calm doesn't please me" the Dark Lord expressed, displeased, slouching in his chair.

  "I imagine it helps you get along better; don't ruin it, control that temper of yours, please" Zthur commented respectfully while continuing to shuffle the cards.

  "I'll try, but I promise nothing" The Dark Lord stood up and left the room to follow Yeynos.

  "Perfect... soon the kingdom of Ystir will be in ruins, and I'll be one step closer to fulfilling my mission," Zthur said as he placed the cards in a specific order on the table. "These humans... need to see reality, they shouldn't think any of them will be spared... sorry, Yeynos... I'll do my best" After finishing arranging the cards, Zthur suddenly stood up, knocking over the chair and placing his hands firmly on the table. "The ones above will fall, and the ones below will rise! Mordigan... you will be the NEXT!".

  End of the chapter