THUMP-THUMP... THUMP-THUMP... THUMP-THUMP...
The sound of his heartbeat echoed through his consciousness, wandering the black sea within his soul...
"Where am I?" Giyo asked, quickly recalling the final events before ending up in that place. "I see... I'm unconscious, wandering through this vast and somber realm once again."
Echoing from the depths of the void, strange footsteps splashed against a shallow pool of water...
"You seem to have grown accustomed to this world; drifting through the skies as if you were sinking into the sea," the demon said.
"I simply fell asleep; perhaps I did this subconsciously," Giyo replied. He looked around, soon descending from where he drifted to stand face-to-face with the demon.
THE VOID. The place where his soul lives alongside that entity. Here, the rules do not apply; flying, walking, running, and jumping—it all depends on your creativity. You can shift your sense of gravity, swim as if you were at the bottom of the ocean, or climb the void as if scaling a mountain. Everything depends on your perspective.
"Why haven't I woken up yet?" the boy asked, examining himself. "I remember hearing someone calling me, but..."
"You did wake up, but unfortunately, you couldn't withstand your injuries," the demon said.
"Injuries?" The boy touched his stomach, the memory of those fatal blows throbbing in his mind.
"Your body is unlike any human's I've ever known. Those flames were denser and more dangerous than you realize; they scorched your skin and destroyed your lungs," Giyako pointed to the fatal spots on Giyo's chest. "Your fingers shattered when you launched that tiny particle of my power, not to mention those whips, which demanded more energy than I anticipated."
"Wait... were you the one controlling me?!" Giyo demanded.
"I tried, but your rage and lack of control were greater than what I could dominate. Your body was fragile; currently, it cannot handle even 1% of what I have to offer. It's natural for hosts to use the abilities of the demon sealed within them, but you... something about you changed that," Giyako explained.
"What are you talking about?" Giyo asked.
As a demonstration, one of the entity's four hands rose, opening to reveal a vibrant flame.
"Do you see this? This is my power... Flames. But do not be fooled by this small ember; I can raise its temperature as much as I desire. What I'm saying is that you altered its nature. You used my demonic technique and ended up mixing the essences, creating those Black Flames."
"So you're saying that this 'Void' technique and your flames caused me to create this power?" Giyo asked.
"Exactly. You've created a new demonic technique; my congratulations," Giyako applauded, dripping with sarcasm. "This fusion of skills allowed these Black Flames to mimic my two core abilities: absorption and temperature. Not only can you absorb magic, but you can also use the flames as a weapon, increasing the heat whenever and however you wish."
"Why are you telling me this now? It makes no sense," Giyo said, suspicious.
"HEHEHE!" the demon laughed. "I'm simply entertaining myself. It's been ages since I've encountered a human as strong as you... well, a brat, actually."
Deep within their minds, the muffled sound of a female voice began to echo through that world.
"Oh, what a shame... it seems your body has recovered enough this time to regain consciousness," Giyako remarked.
"Wait a second! I still have so many questions! Why do you talk to me? Why are you here? How did you end up sealed inside me?!" the boy asked in desperation.
"Don't misunderstand me," Giyako turned his back, crossing his arms and looking over his shoulder with a cruel glint in his eyes. "I am merely preparing the body that will, in the future, be mine..."
As he raised his hand, flames erupted. Terror surged through Giyo, who suddenly jolted awake in his bed, screaming as if escaping a nightmare.
"STOP!" Giyo roared.
His startled cry, his hand thrust forward as if to block an invisible foe... it all terrified whoever was in the room beside him.
"Gi-yo?!" It was Paola. She quickly threw herself onto the boy, pulling him into a desperate hug. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO DIE!"
"Professor?! Where... where am I?" Giyo asked, still trying to anchor his mind between the Void and reality.
"You are in the Grand Church..." Her words sounded bitter, heavy with a worry that went far beyond his physical wounds. "It turns out there was a major 'accident' at your old mansion."
DAYS EARLIER... AT THE EXACT MOMENT OF THE INCIDENT:
"Chief, the incident report is ready. We gathered information from the boy named Akio; he was the only one who remained conscious for a while... but he passed out before we could finish the questioning," reported a man clad in a white hood.
"Speak. What happened at that mansion?" ordered another hooded figure.
At that moment, the Church's servants had already seized the site. Countless knights were clearing the charred debris, searching for answers amidst the ashes. Those two men, who appeared to hold the highest authority, wore veils that completely covered their faces, keeping their identities and intentions hidden beneath the shroud of faith.
"We have four victims: two children between the ages of ten and eleven, and two teenagers between seventeen and eighteen. From what we've gathered, this Akio boy told us that a being covered in flames appeared and began to attack," the servant reported, kneeling to trace a trail of ash left on the floor. "A black sphere shrouded in dark flames; that was the attack that completely leveled this mansion. We are assuming it was a 'Demonified' being."
"This is not good. An attack capable of destroying an entire mansion... and worse, caused by a Demonified!" The servant followed the trajectory of the strike; the hole left by the potential sphere indicated an overwhelming power. "Cases are becoming more frequent. The famous Doppelgänger is active, the Witches of Sin are still alive, and a so-called 'Blood-Covered Demon' is out there..." The man sighed, weary. "With every passing day, we draw closer to the end of our own freedom."
Kneeling and looking toward the heavens, he joined his hands and began his prayer:
"Oh, Your Majesty, Our Lady... please watch over us and grant us protection. Oh, Governess of this world, our leader, owner of the throne that controls the Earth, we beg for Your mercy."
BACK TO THE PRESENT...
"I see... so I was the one who did all that..." Giyo was in shock, staring at his hands as if seeing a different version of himself reflected in them.
"This is not your fault. They were the ones who brought out the worst in you," Paola said, trying to comfort him gently.
The boy remained silent. The shadow of his hair hid the darkness growing in his eyes. At that moment, the silence was shattered by the loud bang of a kick against the room door.
BOOM!!!
"GIYO! WE'RE HERE TO SEE YOU!" Asuna shouted, bursting in.
"Come on, Asuna, keep it down. He's probably not even awake yet," Kirio said. But as soon as his eyes landed on the boy sitting up in bed, his true feelings and concern took over: "HOLY CRAP, MAN! YOU'RE ALIVE!"
Everyone filed into the room: Asuna, Kirio, Petra, and Hiro.
"How is the kid doing?" Hiro asked, his tone steady.
"He seems physically fine, though a bit shaken by what happened," Paola placed her hand over her heart, showing her deep concern. "He is blaming himself for everything..."
"I see..." With a sigh, Hiro approached the boy, sitting in a chair beside the bed. "Giyo, it seems you understand well enough what happened."
"THAT WASN'T ME!" Giyo punched his own legs in anger; the bed shook, and an abnormal aura seemed to flicker around him. "That demon, that being... it took control of me! I remember being furious. My brothers hurt my sister, and the only thing I could do was cry..."
The boy gripped his face, pressing hard enough to leave finger marks, revealing the agony within his thoughts.
"My mother was laughing, my brothers were mocking me, and I was... crying... In that moment, I swore to myself: my weakness, my innocence—all of it ends here for the sake of my family and those I love!" The boy clutched the necklace he wore, looking at his teacher with a spark of pride. "All of that stays in the past. I will become as strong as I can, and I will take everything seriously from now on!"
In that moment, everyone understood. The change in his demeanor wasn't a descent into darkness, but a display of pure determination. Asuna wore a wide grin, her face flushed with admiration; Kirio couldn't help but laugh at the boy's new resolve; Petra sighed in relief, nervously twirling her hair. Paola and Hiro stepped forward and placed their hands on his shoulders, showing their full support.
"In that case, you'd better get ready for the Grand Tournament," Hiro said.
"Tour... nament?" The boy looked confused for a second, then it hit him. "HOLY CRAP, I COMPLETELY FORGOT!"
"The tournament is a week away; you have only that much time to prepare. Asuna went to the Vermilion clan and acquired a skill that will surely bring victory to your class. Kirio has improved his stance technique and is now more experienced. Petra has unlocked a power that no one will be able to surpass... all that's left is for you to show us something new, kid," Hiro said.
"If it's something new you want... how about this?" From the flesh of his arms, a black substance emerged following a spark of his flames, molding itself into shadowy tentacles. "You know, after all that trouble at the mansion, I acquired this skill. While I was unconscious, I was in a strange, isolated place—it was like another dimension. Up, down, left, or right... gravity completely ignored those concepts. I'm going to call this ability... BLACK WHIPS!"
MEANWHILE, IN THE GRAND CHURCH...
In the highest room on the top floor, before the lavish throne of the kingdom's religious leader:
"The Doppelgänger case, the mansion accident, and the blood-covered demon... how much further will these disasters go?" The old man spoke to himself, taking sips of wine from a golden goblet. He wore a white cloak, richly detailed with precious minerals.
Emerging from the shadows, the same man who had taken charge of the mansion case approached, bowing in a sign of reverence and respect.
"Pope Greiton, I, Seraphiel, have obtained something rather interesting..." Drawing a small diary with strange inscriptions on the cover from beneath his cloak, he continued: "It seems the one we granted the title of Captain Number One had a peculiar 'adventure' a few years ago."
"Adventure? What are you talking about?" Greiton asked.
"The Cherry Blossom Kingdom, the Fairy Kingdom, the Witch Kingdom, the Sky Kingdom, and the Eclipse Kingdom... does that ring a bell?" Seraphiel inquired.
"The cases of intense battles across other islands and countries? I confess I heard that story only once, at the meeting of the Grand Leaders. A red-haired man carrying two blades, with power enough to rival the Grand Imperial Sword," Greiton replied thoughtfully. "But why are you bringing up these cases now?"
"My lord, deciphering the language of this small diary is proving difficult. However, with the information I already have, I can guarantee you: the famous Jack Sun is not from this kingdom." Seraphiel's gaze rose, steady and fixed. "Accounts of battles, conquests, and survival... this diary tells exactly what the world's great leaders fear: the rise of the one who will unbalance the world."
The words shocked the Pope. Seraphiel pressed on:
"Hair spiked toward the heavens, glowing like a great flame. His eyes take a shape abnormal for any living being. This is the legend that has circulated since I became faithful to our leader; cases of the 'Demonified' are becoming more frequent and closer than we think..."
"SILENCE!" Greiton roared, hurling his golden goblet at the servant. The wine splattered like blood across the floor. "That is impossible! How could that 'Impure God' be real? These are nothing but rumors and a lack of coherent evidence. What we must do for now is hunt down every infidel and enemy of our church. EVERYONE WHO THREATENS THE LEADER MUST DIE!"
"Yes, my lord. I will do my utmost to deploy the troops and hunt down these cursed infidels," Seraphiel replied, bowing.
As he retreated into the shadows, the Grand Pope was alone in the hall once more. He sat back on his throne, staring at the small diary lying on the floor as if the object were a ticking bomb.
ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD... AN UNKNOWN FOREST.
"Huff... huff... huff..." she panted heavily. "I can't believe that little brat ruined my plans... I can't stay like this. I need to prepare to conquer that kingdom once again."
That woman... do you recognize her? Indeed, she had fled right after the incident at the mansion. Through trees and thickets, she left the kingdom behind and is now wandering, carrying two strange diaries, not even knowing what to do with them.
Climbing the hills, seething over every humiliation, her mood shifted instantly as she reached the summit.
"Hehe... If I can't take Valhalla back for myself, then I'll take another kingdom."
Her eyes landed on a primitive, royal figure in the middle of the forest: villages scattered around a great wall. That was the Animal Kingdom, a place that welcomes everyone, regardless of race.
"LOOK AT ME, MY ANCESTORS! HERE I AM, FORGING ANOTHER KINGDOM IN THIS SHITTY ERA!"
After all... who are we? Humans? Elves? Mortals? Gods? A question whose answer might seem obvious, but what makes it so impactful is the need to understand a single point:
Who are you?
From the throne of the Church, from the bed of a simple room, and from the top of that hill, the answer echoes:
"I AM HOPE!"