In the marvelous and little-explored lands of the north, we find a kingdom quite secluded from the rest, where a woman with long yellow hair and red-colored eyes paced back and forth in a room within the palace of the King of Alahead. She wore golden and white armor. The room had several bookshelves, chairs, a dark wooden door, and a table with various objects and papers; the floor was covered by a green carpet with a large "T" in the center. Additionally, the room had a double window that revealed much of the kingdom and the beautiful sky with clouds of various shapes and sizes.

  Suddenly, the double window opened… and a man entered in a rather… peculiar manner, creating many green ribbons around him with green magic emanating from his right hand. His hair was short, messy, and a bright shade of green, while his green eyes reflected a mix of confidence and assurance. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt with an open collar, accompanied by a long dark vest, and his pants and shoes were a dark green color. His belt held a sort of pouch, and in addition, he had six fingers on both hands.

  The woman crossed her arms, watching his entrance. "Still doing your weird things, huh?"

  "Lin, Lin, one day you’ll understand how important it is to make an entrance with style," he said proudly, maintaining a smile on his lips as he absorbed his magic.

  "Whatever… So? How is Louis?" she asked while sitting in a chair and resting her right hand on the table.

  "Louis!? Ehmmm... Is that why you called me?" Lin's gaze became more aggressive at his response. "Well... Uh... I haven't seen him," he said nervously, touching his head and darting his eyes around.

  "What do you mean!? You said you were going to see him! What if something's wrong? And his collar?" she asked worriedly, standing up from the chair and stepping closer to Rei.

  "Calm down, calm down, don’t worry. The collar would’ve already alerted me if something was wrong, don’t think it wouldn’t... I have everything under control... hehe," he expressed, a bit nervously, trying to reassure her while moving behind her and attempting to massage her shoulders. "Don’t you think you should stop wearing your armor all the time?"

  "No, just like you love making your weird entrances, I prefer to wear my armor all the time," she responded, turning around and removing Rei’s hands from her shoulders.

  Rei thought for a moment, looking at the floor. "You're afraid it will happen again, aren’t you? Lin... I have everything under control. This phase is part of my process to become a better paladin, and believe me, Louis needs it."

  "Of course I’m afraid! I could lose him if something like that happens again, and not only that, the people of Ystir will see us as enemies. Your decision is completely irresponsible—I don’t know how the king approved it," she said with frustration, raising her voice and cornering Rei against the wall, poking him with her finger.

  "Calm down! Everything is fine, nothing has happened. Lin… you need to trust your son more," he exclaimed, a little nervous at Lin's words.

  "I trust my son, but not that magic or that collar," she replied angrily, turning her back on him.

  "I repeat, I have everything under control. I can monitor the collar; I will immediately use my magic to go wherever he is and prevent any catastrophe. But I assure you, nothing bad will happen—he controls his powers well, you saw it yourself," he said seriously, stepping away from Lin and taking a bottle from a cabinet.

  Lin crossed her arms again and looked to the side. "Even so, I don’t think it was a good idea to let him go alone."

  "Mail, kuh," said a white pigeon with a small white cape bearing a cross insignia as it flew in through the window.

  "Huh? The church..." Rei expressed, puzzled, approaching the window and taking the letter. He then opened the envelope and read it to himself. "Damn it."

  "What happened?" Lin asked, stepping closer to him, trying to see the letter.

  "Nothing, it’s just my problem, don’t worry," he commented calmly, putting the letter back in the envelope.

  Lin frowned and extended her hand toward Rei, and a small sphere of light hit him, sending him crashing into the room’s wall, causing a mess everywhere.

  "What are you doing? Are you crazy? Huh? The letter?..." he asked angrily, getting up from the floor, then panicked when he didn’t see the letter in his hand.

  "You... idiot! You put that he was only human!? And with fire magic! I knew it was suspicious that they accepted him so easily. I have to get him out of Ystir before they—" she shouted angrily, reading the letter before throwing it in Rei’s face.

  Rei created a barrier in front of Lin, preventing her from leaving. "No, you won’t do anything! I will handle this—I already have everything under control," he said seriously, standing up and taking the letter.

  "You better take this down, or I’ll tear your room apart again," she said angrily as she looked at the green barrier in front of her.

  "Calm down, Lin, remember that the king put me in charge of Louis, and I will answer for everything. I knew they would find out what I did—I just didn’t expect it this soon," he mentioned with seriousness and a hint of concern. Lin tried to hit him, but he created a barrier in front of her. The barrier cracked and immediately restored itself.

  "I swear, everything is fine. I had to do it; if the current priest discovered that we had someone with lava magic and that he was half-demon, they would have had him executed! And the king wasn’t going to reject the affiliation for your son. I have a friend I met during the war against Mayestad—though the poor guy is already dead... but his son will take over as priest and will allow Louis to live. I know what I’m doing, Lin..." he expressed seriously, looking directly into Lin’s eyes.

  Lin looked sad and lowered her head. "But… still, it’s not safe for him to be wandering the kingdoms—he could have waited!"

  "Remember that if a paladin remains inactive, they will lose their status, and if they lose it, nothing will protect them, and they will be hunted across all the lands of Lyran. Here, he does nothing because everyone hates him, but I told him he would mainly help the people of Ystir, though I think he already had those intentions. He has always wanted to help others because he watched you since he was a child and because of Elio’s teachings," Rei said, dispelling the barrier and consoling Lin while smiling at the end of his words.

  "You’d better not let anything happen to him..." she said as a tear escaped from her right eye.

  "Don’t worry… I promised Elio. Hahaha, what’s wrong? I thought you were still tough and strong," he added with a smile upon seeing Lin’s face.

  "I still am!" Lin clenched her right hand and then punched Rei in the face.

  *Kingdom of Ystir – Professor Maxwell’s House*

  "Alright, Louis, you’ll deliver all these packages. I trust you; if someone gets upset, just tell them I’ve already delivered the package and that I can leave now." The professor showed him the 50 packages he had to deliver at the entrance of the house.

  "Alright… I’ll do my best not to disappoint you," Louis said determinedly, bumping his fists together.

  Louis began delivering the packages in the eastern zone. He carried two if they were large, four if they were medium, and the small ones in large bags.

  "Shouldn’t he be using the bicycle?" Hanks asked, confused to see him walking with the boxes stacked on top of him.

  "Let’s just say the bicycle won’t be in use for a while," the professor replied, pointing at it.

  "What happened to it!?" Hanks shouted in shock upon seeing it destroyed.

  "I tried to teach him how to use it, but... he always crashed, so the poor thing ended up like this. We'll fix it later. Well, let's prepare the materials to leave after Louis finishes," the professor turned around and headed to his laboratory.

  "Alright, sir..." Hanks mentioned with regret as he followed him. "Now how am I supposed to go shopping," he thought.

  *East Zone*

  "Good morning! Delivery from Professor Maxwell!"

  "Thank heavens! I needed it urgently," said a woman upon seeing Louis with a big smile and relief on her face.

  Louis set down the ash while holding the boxes. "I apologize for the delay."

  "No, it's fine. I heard that Joel, the former delivery man, got married and moved to the Dajara kingdom. Put them over here," the woman commented while arranging some things and then showed Louis where to place them.

  "Kill her..." said a deep, dark, and resonant voice.

  "Huh?" Louis looked around, confused. "Did you hear something?"

  "Hear what?" the woman asked, confused.

  "Nothing, I think it was my imagination," Louis replied as he placed the packages in their spot.

  *King's Palace*

  In the king's palace, inside a room that surpassed luxury, was Count Jens, the current king of Ystir. His hair was gray but well-groomed, he was short in stature and wore pajamas, his eyes were gray, and he had a slight beard.

  "Ahhhh, it feels so good to be king! I finally have what I deserve, and I no longer have to follow King Shane's orders, huh? Now I'm the king... I don't have to call him that, hahaha. That old fool, now I rule here, at least for a while!" This man was Count Jens, who took the throne when the king died. He was relaxing on his giant bed, with a large table full of food to his right.

  "I have to keep my money safe; Prince Lue will take the throne when he turns 18, but I won't lose my luxuries, and with Rays helping me, everything will be perfect," he thought as he took another grape. The walls of the room were white, and there was a large window with golden frames. Additionally, the room had three doors: one to the left of the bed leading to the bathroom, and the other two for entering and exiting the room.

  "Lord Jens! I need to speak with you," said a man's voice while knocking on one of the doors; his voice was deep and resonant, with a strong tone.

  Jens took a piece of bread and chewed it. "Come in, Reck!"

  Reck entered the room and, upon seeing Jens, held back his disgust. He was a dark-skinned man, quite muscular, standing at 192 cm tall. His torso was covered by heavy black armor, which matched his pants, shoes, and gauntlets made of the same material. His hair was short and dark, and his eyes were brown. "Sir, I need to—"

  "Before you say anything, no more 'sir,' I am the King! Understood?" Jens interrupted Reck with his arrogant and shrill voice.

  "Yes... King Jens," he replied with annoyance, clenching his fist and trying not to make a face of disgust.

  "Good. Now tell me, what do you want, Reck?" Jens took an apple from the table and took a bite while lying down.

  "The level one cells need maintenance and more guards. What the hell are you doing with the knights?" he responded, trying to speak carefully to avoid angering him.

  "I do whatever I want with the knights! Shut up and just take care of the cells. And if they need maintenance, why don't you do it yourself? Aren't you the best paladin in the kingdom? Serve your King well!" he said angrily, standing up and facing him.

  "Understood..." Reck replied with an annoyed grimace and left the room. Outside, staring ahead with fury and trying to contain himself, he slammed his right fist into the palm of his left hand, causing a loud sound.

  "What the hell was that?... Eh, whatever... Alright, knights, come attend to your king!" Jens clapped, and many knights entered through the other door. The men used fans to cool him down, and the women massaged him and offered him food. "Perfect... Hmm, this is delicious!"

  "Rays! You better do something, this is ridiculous!" Reck shouted in front of a man with light green, short, well-groomed hair that softly fell over his forehead. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his green eyes reflected no emotion. He wore a formal outfit with a dark green jacket over a neatly pressed white shirt, complemented by a matching green tie. Over his attire, he wore a dark brown harness that held what appeared to be technological equipment.

  "I'll try to talk to him, Reck, but honestly, I doubt anyone will escape," he said disinterestedly and tiredly, his voice cold and emotionless, as he leaned against a palace pillar.

  "Seriously, what’s wrong with you? You disappoint me..." Reck mentioned before walking away from Rays.

  "Say what you want... I don’t care anymore," he replied coldly, lowering his gaze to the ground.

  *West Zone - PT Agency*

  Mei was sitting at her desk, organizing many papers in her office.

  "Canbel! Where are the documents for the woman Mari Yoffiner?" Mei asked after finishing reviewing the papers she had.

  "Here they are, boss! I'm sorry for not handing them in earlier, it slipped my mind... I'm really sorry!" he expressed in a nervous but respectful tone as he quickly entered the office, showing his concern for failing in his task.

  "It's fine, don't worry. Take a break, okay?" Mei said in her sweet and gentle voice, taking the documents.

  "Yes, boss..." he replied as he left the room with his head down.

  "He takes it very seriously..." Mei commented after Canbel left the office. Then, Mei’s communicator rang. "Tell me, did something happen, Mern?" she asked with a small smile on her face.

  "Not at all, I just wanted to hear your sweet voice," Mern responded confidently and relaxed, with a playful tone through the communicator.

  "Hahaha, you're such a fool. Tell me, is Donquichua okay?" Mei asked, laughing sweetly, slightly blushing.

  "He's fine, he was the first one I visited. I’m almost done here in the Dajara kingdom. Tell me, did I miss anything while I was gone?" he responded happily through the communicator.

  "*Sigh* You have no idea... That bastard didn't maintain the farmers' barriers, and people died because creatures entered their zones. That damn scumbag! I have to remove him from that position as soon as possible," she expressed angrily, slamming her desk as she recalled everything.

  "I'm sorry, I should've been there..." Mern responded with regret.

  "No... This isn't your fault. Besides, we have help from a new paladin, apparently from the Alahead kingdom. His name is Louis A. Keeper. He's a good kid, but he lacks experience," Mei said more calmly as she stood from her chair and walked to the window.

  "Alahead... I think I saw that in the church news, though the last name Keeper sounds familiar..." Suddenly, another voice was heard through the communicator, interrupting Mern. "Huh? Gotta go, Mei, Diamo just arrived."

  "Alright, goodbye!" she expressed sweetly with a smile on her lips.

  "Remember that I love you!" Mern mentioned excitedly before hanging up.

  "Yeah, yeah... *Sigh* Mern..." Mei muttered with a small smile as she put away her communicator.

  Suddenly, two large explosions were heard in the distance, seemingly from the king's palace.

  "What was that? No way..." Shocked by the explosion, Mei looked out the window, seeing it came from the palace. "Damn it! What did you do now?!" Mei immediately left her office, grabbing her scimitar and waking up Clara, who was sleeping on the couch.

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  *Outside the Palace*

  "Let's go!", "Freedom!", "Hahahahaha!" shouted numerous prisoners as they ran out of the palace and its surrounding walls, while people fled in terror.

  "We have to be careful, brothers. First, we need to remove these bracelets," said Kein, running alongside his brothers, Jhin and Inock.

  "Brother, but Rubel..." commented Jhin, who looked worried while running to Kein's right.

  "We'll get him out another time. First, we need equipment, or they'll capture us easily," Kein replied to Jhin.

  "We need to find the guy with the golden mask. He's the one who caused the explosion. He must have something to remove the bracelets," Inock mentioned while running to Kein's left.

  "Alright, let's find him!" Kein expressed with determination, increasing his speed.

  *West Zone*

  "Good afternoon! Delivery for Professor Maxwell! *Sigh* I finally finished..." Louis expressed with relief upon arriving at a shop in the West. He then slightly adjusted his messy hair.

  "Oh, you must be the new delivery guy. I really appreciate it; I almost had to order from somewhere else," exclaimed the shop owner, seeing Louis approaching and taking the box.

  "Burn it..." That deep, dark, and resonant voice once again.

  "Again!" Louis thought, frightened upon hearing the voice once more, looking around.

  "Something wrong?" asked the owner, noticing his reaction.

  "It's nothing! Uh... I... I'm really sorry for the one-day delay in delivery. I had to properly learn how the entire kingdom works," Louis expressed sincerely, lowering his head.

  "Learn...? You're not from here? Well, then I wish you the best of luck," responded the owner with a smile.

  "Thank you very much, sir." Louis lowered his head again and left the place. "What the hell are those voices?"

  Two explosions echoed in the distance, their sound reverberating through the air like distant roars. The ground vibrated slightly beneath his feet as Louis looked up, uneasy, watching columns of smoke rise on the horizon.

  Louis climbed onto the top of a building. "What happened?... I don’t have my katana... What do I do?" he murmured with uncertainty, observing the panic in the streets as people fled their homes, terrified by the explosions.

  A great yellow wind began to spread over part of the West Zone near the North, like a soft veil of translucent hues swirling in the air. "Huh? What's that?" Louis, determined, rushed toward the explosion site.

  "Captain, please... slow dooooown! Aaaaah!" Kassie screamed as Mei drove at full speed, her gaze annoyed yet determined, making sharp turns in her car.

  Upon arrival, Mei immediately got out of her car, her scimitar in her right hand and Clara levitating on her right shoulder. "You criminals! Return to your cell, or I’ll give you a sweet and gentle beating again, to every... single... one of you!" Mei expressed, showing annoyance but still speaking in a soft manner.

  "Thank God..." Kassie got out of the car, kneeling and touching the ground.

  "Please, there are way more of us than you. It's impossible for you to defeat us," responded a man with a golden mask.

  "Don’t be an idiot, Jori! We'd better leave—she's the ex-paladin Mei," whispered the one with the gray mask, grabbing his arm.

  "There are so many of us, Tryl. Besides, if things get bad, we can just escape while she fights the others..." Jori responded confidently.

  "You, the masked ones! You're men of Zthur, aren't you?" Mei said, directing her gaze at them.

  "Oh no..."

  "You messed up..." Tryl placed his right hand against his face, though, of course, he still had his mask on.

  "You two are coming with me. We’re going to have a nice little chat," Mei took her scimitar, Clara fused with it, and then Mei ran toward them. Tryl and Jori turned and began running the instant they saw her approaching. Mei struck down each prisoner who got in her way, using her fists and her scimitar to clear a path toward them.

  A massive ice wall surrounded all the prisoners. On top of the wall stood Kassie, using her magic to immobilize them.

  "Damn it, this way, Jori!" said Tryl, spotting an alley.

  Mei saw the two entering the alley and attempted to follow them, but many of the prisoners surrounded her.

  "This has to be a joke. Raaaaays!" shouted King Jens upon seeing all the chaos in the kingdom.

  "What do you want?" asked Rays in his cold voice as he entered the room.

  "Send Reck and the knights to capture the prisoners! I don't want the people to start hating me! So... hurry up!" he expressed angrily while watching the kingdom through his window.

  "I'm on it!" Rays responded, somewhat surprised by what was happening.

  "I’m leaving the rest to you, Kassie!" Mei had finished dealing with those surrounding her and entered the alley where the men of Zthur had escaped.

  "Xitlari! Where did they go? Can you see them?" Mei asked, pulling out her communicator from her pocket while running through the alley.

  "I see them heading toward the East Zone! It looks like they’ll exit near the central bank!" Xitlari responded through the communicator.

  "Thanks." Mei put the communicator away, climbed higher, and started running across the rooftops at great speed.

  "Stop... bothering me!" Kassie was freezing all the prisoners from atop the ice wall.

  One of the prisoners used fire magic to melt the ice, causing Kassie to fall off the wall. "Get her!" the prisoners shouted, waiting for her to land. But instantly, using the same melted water, she refroze it, trapping all of them.

  "Goodbye, little girl..." The fire-wielding prisoner concentrated his magic to attack Kassie from behind. Before he could unleash his magic, he received a right hook to the face that dragged him across the ground from the impact, causing his charged magic to shoot into the sky as a massive flame.

  Kassie turned around, seeing Louis after he had knocked out the prisoner. "Huh? Louis, thanks!"

  "What happened? Why are there so many of these guys?" he asked while punching another approaching prisoner and dodging attacks from others.

  "I'm not sure, but it's probably the king’s fault!" she responded while continuing to capture the prisoners with her ice magic.

  One of the prisoners struck the ground, creating a wave of earth heading toward Louis. He jumped over it, dodging the attack. Then, the prisoner pulled a massive rock from the ground and hurled it. With a single strike, the rock shattered into pieces, and with a kick, Louis knocked the prisoner unconscious.

  Kassie looked on in amazement at how easily he had destroyed the massive rock. "Whoa! You're really strong."

  "Thanks! It’s all pure training!" he responded while taking down two more prisoners.

  "Look, brother, it's that guy," said Inock, hiding with his brothers and watching the fight.

  "We'll have our revenge soon. Let's head to the South Zone to remove the bracelets before they set up another checkpoint," Kein said, calming his anger at the sight of Louis.

  "Louis... use your magic! It’ll be easier to finish them off that way, so they’ll never commit crimes again. Make them suffer..." Once again, that dark voice resonated in Louis’ head.

  "What the hell!" Louis shouted, startled upon hearing the voice. This distraction caused him to take an elbow to the face from a very large, tall man, knocking him to the ground.

  The prisoner was about to attack with both hands but was stopped by Kassie, who pushed him away from Louis with her water magic, creating a powerful current and trapping other prisoners. She then immobilized them by freezing the water.

  "Are you okay, Louis?" Kassie approached to help him, but Louis stopped her by extending one of his hands toward her.

  Louis hid his face with his other hand as it regenerated from the blow. "I'm fine, don't worry."

  "Capture them all! Don’t let them escape!" shouted a knight who arrived with many others. The knight approached, lowered his head in gratitude, and then went off to capture the prisoners. "Thank you for your help. You may leave".

  *East Zone*

  "This is your fault! You always open your mouth and get us into trouble!" shouted Tryl, annoyed, as he ran alongside Jori.

  "Don't be mad! We're almost at Boss Yeynos' place, through this alley!"

  "Where do you think you're going?" exclaimed Mei, landing in front of them.

  "Oh no...! Backwards!" Jori expressed fearfully upon seeing Mei.

  Behind them was the scimitar, controlled by Mei. Mei kicked Jori's leg, making him fall, then slammed his face against the ground and pinned his hands behind his back. Tryl tried to strike, but she stopped his punch with one hand. Mei grabbed his arm, pulled him close, and punched him in the chest. Tryl collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.

  "It hurts... That guy's punch still hurts... a lot!" he thought, enduring the pain while lying on the ground.

  "Bastar..." Jori said, interrupted by Mei as she knocked him out with a single blow. Then, she struck Tryl with the scimitar, knocking him out as well.

  "Done... Where were you two idiots headed?" Mei took her scimitar, and Clara defused from it. Then Mei sheathed her weapon and examined the area. "Hmm, I don't see anything. It's just a dead-end alley, but..." she muttered while tapping the ground and pulling out her communicator. "Nothing... Maybe they just got lost. We'll find out soon. Ann, could you come to my location? I have two guys who will be very useful. Are you done with the prisoners there?"

  "Yes! Everything is under control. The knights have arrived, and Ririam is talking to them. I'll be there right away!" Ann expressed with a cheerful and radiant voice through the communicator.

  "Perfect, I'll send you my coordinates." Mei ended the call, sent her location, and continued scanning the alley.

  *King's Palace*

  "Looks like everything is fine now... Tell me, Rays, did Reck say anything?" Jens asked while watching the knights bring the prisoners back.

  "I didn't even talk to him..." Rays replied, sitting in a chair, staring at the floor.

  "What!? Then how the hell did they capture the prisoners?" he asked, confused and annoyed.

  "Apparently, while I was looking for him, he had already gone out with everyone to capture them, forming three teams: one for the east zone, another for the west, and another for the south. He went east because it seems a level 3 prisoner managed to esca..." he said with less coldness, lifting his head.

  "You're a...!" Reck shouted furiously, storming into the king's chamber and slamming the door against the wall.

  Rays stood up and blocked Reck, positioning himself in front of him. "Stop! Don't get any closer. You're looking very hostile, Paladin Reck. You should leave."

  "You...! You're an idiot!" Reck left the room after glaring at Jens with fury.

  "Whoa... Thanks, Rays, my heart almost jumped out of my chest," Jens expressed fearfully, sitting on his bed.

  "I think you should strip him of his paladin rank. It's not safe for him to stay in the palace," Rays commented as he sat back down.

  "I can't... If people find out, they'll be scared and blame me. Reck is the strongest paladin in the kingdom, the only one who can guarantee our protection," he replied with concern, staring at the floor.

  Rays began rocking in his chair, gazing out the window. "Then stop being such a fool. At this rate, you'll lose your status in no time, though you've already amassed a lot of gold."

  "No! I need more! I don't want to lose these luxuries. I have to get serious," Jens stood up and went to take a bath, while Rays watched him coldly.

  "I just have to put up with this guy a little longer, and then I'll leave..." Rays thought as he got up and left the room.

  *Northern Zone*

  "Kassie!" Mei shouted as she flew on a cloud of yellow wind magic. "Oh, Louis..." Mei jumped off the cloud and approached them. "Louis, what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be delivering packages today?"

  "Yeah, but I started a little early and managed to finish relatively quickly, though I got lost a few times... Then I heard two explosions and couldn't help but come to help," Louis responded sincerely, warmth in his voice.

  "That's good, I'm glad. Come on, I'll take you to Maxwell," Mei said, noticing the warmth in Louis.

  "I think I'd rather walk..." Kassie commented, a bit scared of getting in the car.

  "Don't be a scaredy-cat, I'll go slow!" Mei said in a carefree tone before getting into the car. Louis and Kassie followed. "Sigh... Only Louis, Xitlari, and Ann enjoy when I drive fast," she expressed with a faint smile of amusement.

  As she drove, Mei received a voice message.

  "Mei... How much longer do I have to stay here? I want to go on a mission!" Xitlari said, annoyed, through the communicator.

  "Calm down, I'll find something for you, but remember, you were the one who suggested the cameras, and this is also because you don't work well in a team," Mei replied, sending a voice message.

  "Hey, Louis... The one who sent the voice message is Xitlari. The poor thing hasn't been on a mission for a while" Kassie whispered to Louis.

  "Oh, really? That's too bad for her..." Louis expressed, feeling sorry for her as the wind blew in through the car window.

  "What are you two talking about back there?" Mei asked, looking at them through the rearview mirror.

  "I was telling Louis about Xitlari. Maybe he should meet her," Kassie responded enthusiastically.

  "Haha, you know Xitlari isn't very social. She barely even talks to you, let alone anyone else," Mei remarked, knowing Xitlari wouldn't be interested in meeting Louis.

  "Someday, she has to stop being so solitary. But she talks a lot with you."

  "Yeah, but I'm a special case... We'll see when Louis meets her. And just in case I forget, Louis, don't get scared when you see her, or she'll hate you forever, got it?" Mei commented with a mischievous smile and a warning tone, keeping her eyes on the road.

  "Okay... I think," he responded, puzzled by the warning.

  After a few minutes, Mei dropped Louis off at Professor Maxwell's house and then headed to the PT agency. Louis knocked on the door until Hanks opened it and let him in.

  The professor was sitting on the stairs with two bags that seemed stuffed with things. "Louis! Finally, I need you to take care of the house while I'm working on my project. Hanks, take the red bag; I'll carry this one. How did the deliveries go?"

  Louis took a moment to recall the day's highlights. "Well... One lady was very upset, but I followed her instructions and left after delivering the package, though I got lost several times."

  "Haha, I can already guess who it was, but no worries. You'll learn and stop getting lost in the kingdom. Besides, you helped Mei, right?" he said while searching his pockets.

  "Yeah, apparently, a lot of prisoners... escaped from the palace," Louis replied, concerned as he remembered the blow he had received.

  "Hmm, I heard about it on the news and from the two explosions. Take this, press the button when we leave. We'll be back at 6:30 PM," the professor handed him a silver remote with a single purple button.

  "What's this?" he asked curiously, examining it.

  "I'm glad you asked... This device activates the invisible shield, which is perfectly aligned with the house. The shield is made of invisible magic and the finest protective magic, accumulated in an amethyst crystal," he responded enthusiastically after clearing his throat.

  "That's incredible... I'll take good care of it," Louis stored the device in his coat.

  "Per...fect! Let's go, Hanks... Maybe we'll be back earlier. Eat whatever you want, and don't burn down the house!" the professor mentioned before walking out the door.

  "Understood!" Louis closed the door, pressed the button on the remote, and put it away again. "Now... What do I do?... I don't know where that voice is coming from, but it's annoying to hear it," he thought as he walked to the kitchen to prepare a cheese sandwich. Louis finished preparing his meal. "Thanks for the food." Louis clapped both palms together. After eating, he began meditating and exercising until he fell asleep sitting on the entrance stairs.

  Half-opening his eyes, he quickly woke up and went to check the time on the clock on the second floor. "It's almost time for them to come back."

  Meanwhile, outside the house... "So this is that professor's house? I expected it to have lots of defenses and stuff," she said, disappointed as she looked at the house. The woman had black hair tied in a ponytail with two bangs on each side of her face. Her eyes were white. She wore a dark, tight outfit that included a cape and light armor, with a katana at her waist. She was short, and her face reflected that she was very young.

  "But, Kumi... We're in a kingdom; it's obvious that no one is going to have their house filled with thousands of traps and defenses," one of the four hooded figures with her mentioned.

  "Whatever... Let's finish quickly and go see my father... Huh?" Kumi bumped into the invisible shield and tried to touch it with her hands.

  "Is something wrong?" one of the hooded figures asked.

  "How annoying... It looks like there's an invisible shield. What can we do about it?" She crossed her arms and looked at the four hooded figures.

  "Nothing..." the four instantly replied.

  "What do you mean 'nothing'?! Find a solution!" she shouted angrily.

  "Be quiet! I want to sleep!" an old and raspy voice yelled.

  "Aww... It's too early to sleep," Kumi said after hearing the old lady.

  "She's an old woman, Kumi..." one of the hooded figures mentioned.

  "Hey, you! What are you doing?!" Louis asked as he looked at them from the second-floor window.

  "Huh? Who is this boy? Hmmm," Kumi thought. "Hello! I'm Professor Maxwell's daughter. I came to bring some things I forgot before going on a trip," she said, smiling and clasping her hands together.

  "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard, miss," one of the hooded figures said.

  "Shut up, clown!... Could you let me look for my things? Please," Kumi used her sweetest and kindest voice, making puppy eyes.

  "He never mentioned having a child... And if you were his daughter, you wouldn't have to ask me for permission, don't you think? But it's obvious you're not, so get out of here!" Louis instantly detected the lie.

  "Oh, idiot," she whispered after hearing his response.

  "I think we can't do anything. We should tell Lord Yeynos," one of the hooded figures mentioned.

  "Not happening!" Kumi unsheathed her katana and started striking the shield. "I promised... that I would bring him... the... piece!" Kumi kept hitting the shield non-stop while the hooded figures also began striking it.

  "Hmmm, how long will it take them to break it... Maybe I should take care of them before the professor returns," he thought as he watched them hitting the shield non-stop and headed toward the stairs.

  "Yes... Why don't you get rid of them? It would be easier, and they would never cause any problems again!" Once again, the dark voice echoed in Louis' mind.

  "Again?! Who the hell are you, and how did you get in?" he desperately asked upon hearing the voice, looking around.

  "Louis... Louis! I don't need to get in here; I've always been with you... Since that moment... The most glorious moment of our lives," it responded, and many images and memories flashed through Louis' mind at great speed.

  "No! Stop!" he screamed in desperation, putting both hands on his head as he walked near the stairs.

  "Come on! I just started insisting!" it shouted furiously, making the image of a man's skull appear in his head, causing Louis to fall down the stairs due to the pain of remembering the past.

  "Get out of here...!" he said, beginning to breathe in and out deeply, managing to calm himself.

  "I still don't have enough strength, but soon, I will take what is rightfully mine," the voice mentioned, disappearing from Louis' mind, leaving him at peace.

  Louis looked at his hands, which were trembling... He stood up and realized the remote had broken from the fall. "Oh no..."

  With a kick, the barrier opened, slamming against the wall. "Ha, ha! I told you it would work. Not even an invisible shield can stop me," she then looked at Louis, whose hair was messy. "Oof... What happened to you? Did you fall down the stairs?"

  "What... What do you care?! You won't take anything from Professor Maxwell!" Louis fixed his hair, embarrassed, and then unsheathed his katana.

  "Kumi, we will take care of him while you search for the piece. That way, we can get to your father sooner," one of the hooded figures suggested.

  "That's an incredible idea! Then, let's go!" Kumi shouted excitedly.

  Two of the hooded figures surrounded Louis while spinning chains they then threw at him. Immediately, Louis dodged them and rushed toward Kumi, but the chains still managed to capture him. "Huh? How did they do that?" he thought as he watched Kumi jump over him and head toward the professor's office while wearing a lens on her right eye.

  "No way!" Louis melted the chains and followed Kumi...

  "White Mist Union!" the other two hooded figures said, clapping their palms together and creating two hands that grabbed Louis, preventing him from following Kumi. Then the hands disappeared, but Louis couldn't get away from the four hooded figures.

  The hooded figures threw smoke bombs and carefully attacked Louis in turns, managing to wound him and tear his coat. Louis heated his katana and, when the next one approached... he cut through their sword and then kicked them in the stomach, sending them crashing into the stairs. The others hesitated for a moment but then decided to attack all three at once.

  Louis managed to block their attacks with ease and, with all his strength... he cut through all three swords in a single movement. Then he launched another kick, which two dodged just in time, but one took it, crashing against the wooden wall, which cracked from the impact.

  "Damn, this guy is really good!" one of the two remaining hooded figures said while stepping back.

  Louis jumped onto the stair railing and then kicked one of them in the face, sending them flying through the left wall's window toward the entrance. Then he punched the other in the back, making them fall and crack the floor upon impact.

  "Perfect! Now burn them, hahaha," the dark voice said again, appearing.

  "No! Don't bother!" Louis shouted, furious at the words he heard in his head.

  Suddenly, a light white mist filled the place, and a man with long hair tied in a thick braid that fell down his back attacked Louis... He managed to block the attack, but it still pushed him back several meters. This man was wearing a white haori (a type of traditional Japanese jacket), open over a light white armor that protected his shoulders and chest. Beneath the haori, a kimono or yukata in light tones was visible, cinched with an obi (sash). His pants were wide and dark, similar to hakama (a type of pleated trousers worn by warriors and martial artists). Additionally, a white bandage covered his eyes, and he wielded a white katana as a weapon. The sleeves of his clothing fluttered in the wind, evoking the flow of the mist itself.

  "What are you doing here?" Kumi asked, surprised.

  "Correcting my mistake..." he responded in a serene voice, as ethereal as the mist, launching himself toward Louis... And as if he were mist, he was difficult for Louis to distinguish, and in an instant, the man disarmed Louis and then appeared behind him like mist. With impressive speed, he covered Louis' back in cuts, shredding his clothes in the process... Louis fell to his knees, and as he lifted his head, the man was in front of him again. He removed the bandage from his eyes and looked directly into Louis' eyes, filling them with white mist; after that, it was difficult to notice that his eyes were different from each other. Louis lost consciousness, and the wounds on his back did not heal.

  "You didn't trust me... did you?" Kumi said, disappointed in herself.

  "Of course, I did... But Zthur didn't..." he replied as he put the bandage back over his eyes. "He was not wrong... But I was. You were not ready," he expressed with serenity, pointing his katana to pierce Louis' heart.

  "Wait! Don't hurt him, Yeynos!" Professor Maxwell shouted, approaching with Hanks to his right.

  "Jonathan!... Ha, it's been a long time," he said, his voice filled with nostalgia and surprise.

  "Don't do anything to him, and I'll give you the piece you asked me for..." the Professor expressed with seriousness and concern.

  "But I have the piece!" Kumi lifted and showed the arcane box.

  "That one is fake... I have the real one," he added, making his mechanical arm transform until it produced a medium-sized piece, like a sphere with an "S" inside. He pulled it out and then made his hand turn into a cannon.

  "Is that it, Kumi?" Yeynos asked, unable to see anything.

  "Yes, father... That’s the one..." she replied in disappointment, throwing the arcane box to the ground after seeing the piece through the Dark Commander’s lens.

  "Well... I will give you the chance to take it yourself, daughter," Yeynos said upon hearing the sound of the arcane box hitting the ground.

  "Stop! Give me the boy first."

  "Of course not... After killing him, it will be you and your friend," Yeynos pointed his katana once again toward Louis' heart.

  "You think so?" A great blue light began to illuminate the Professor's arm. This light emanated from a crystal embedded in the Professor's mechanical arm.

  "Dad... It's like a piece of plumorium," Kumi mentioned, surprised to see it.

  "Plumorium?" the Professor thought, unaware of that material.

  "What? Where did you get that?" Yeynos asked, surprised and slightly nervous.

  "I have my sources," the Professor replied, aiming his arm at Yeynos and Kumi. "Here’s the deal: I give you the piece, and you let the boy go."

  "Ha, I could kill you easily. You are not a threat."

  "Want to bet? I assure you that a shot from this thing will tear apart a section of the kingdom; you and your daughter won't escape, and you won’t have the piece," he expressed coldly, as if he didn't care about anyone else.

  "You're still insane!" Yeynos responded, irritated. "Very well, I accept." Yeynos sheathed his katana, moved Louis slightly closer, and then stepped back, hiding his left hand, with which he was signaling Kumi.

  "When I fire, we will move toward Louis," the Professor whispered, and Hanks nodded.

  "To avoid trouble, we will make an oath, like in the old days." Yeynos made black mist surround the Professor and himself. "I swear not to harm this boy." The Professor hesitated but ultimately accepted. "I promise to give you the piece you seek." Then the mist surrounding the Professor and Yeynos merged, both turned white, and then disappeared.

  The Professor fired the piece, and at that moment, he activated his arm, moving toward Louis with Hanks. Yeynos drew his katana to attack them, but the Professor’s arm created a blue force field. Meanwhile, Kumi immediately went for the piece after the Professor shot it far away.

  "You bastard! You were going to kill us!" the Professor shouted angrily, sweat on his forehead.

  "And you're an idiot! You tricked me!" Yeynos exclaimed, frustrated, as he struck the force field with his katana.

  "Maybe I exaggerated a little... But my technology is the best." Yeynos was struck by a large current of blue light that shot out from the shield, slamming him against a house wall. Many people watched from their windows, frightened by the sound of the impact.

  "Ha, ha, ha, ha, is that all you can do? With your... technology? Maybe I won’t kill the boy, but you... you die today," Yeynos stood up effortlessly and moved toward them again.

  "I'd recommend you go after your daughter. There's a woman who drives like a madwoman, and she'll be here soon. But not just her..." the Professor mentioned confidently, preventing Yeynos from attacking the shield again.

  "Bastard..." Instantly, Yeynos ran in the direction Kumi had gone.

  "Ririam! Do you have her in sight?" Mei asked while driving at full speed, with Kassie on the verge of vomiting in the back.

  "I have her now," replied a man with very dark brown hair and glasses, in a deep and serious voice.

  Ririam fired his sniper rifle at Kumi as she took the piece. Yeynos immediately appeared, using his white katana. "I'll return it to you!" he said serenely, raising his voice slightly. The bullet had been sent back, and when Ririam saw it coming through the scope, he used the rifle as a shield, managing to stop it.

  "We have to go. We need to deliver the piece to Zthur," Yeynos instantly jumped onto a house roof and ran alongside his daughter at high speed.

  "But my friends!" Kumi said worriedly as she handed the piece to her father.

  "We'll have to get them out when the time comes. I'm very sorry... But delivering this piece is the priority," Yeynos replied, taking the piece and storing it in his clothing.

  A massive yellow gust of air was approaching them. "Damn it, quickly!" Yeynos grabbed his daughter in his arms and increased his speed.

  The yellow air was closing in fast, but Yeynos managed to get close enough to the kingdom's exit. With a great leap, he turned into mist and passed over the wall, successfully escaping.

  "Jonathan! Is he okay?" Mei asked as she arrived in her car, while Kassie got out with great relief.

  The Professor deactivated the shield on his arm and revealed Louis' condition. Quickly, Mei carried him into Professor Maxwell’s house. A while later, Mei came down the stairs after checking on Louis.

  "He'll be okay, right?" the Professor asked with concern after seeing one of the hooded figures.

  "Din says he just needs rest, and he'll be fine by morning or in two days," Mei replied, approaching one of the hooded figures and beginning to inspect him. "Do you think we should notify his kingdom?" Mei pulled some kunai hidden in the hooded figure’s clothing.

  "No... This morning, I spoke with him... when I was teaching him how to ride the delivery bike, and after he crashed many times..." he said, recalling the disaster. "He told me that... in this kingdom, he can be himself, and he doesn’t have to pretend or hide... and that no one judges him or treats him like trash," the Professor replied while surveying the damage to his house.

  "I see... but—" Mei said, interrupted by the Professor.

  "I think I'll move near the agency, for safety. Could you help me find a house?" the Professor commented, determined and with a slight smile after remembering something.

  "Of course, I'll help you!" Mei expressed in her sweet and soft voice, recalling the last time he asked her that.

  End of the chapter.