On that day, television programming was abruptly interrupted. The news broadcast appeared on the screen, and the man presenting it kept his eyes fixed on the ground. His hands trembled, sweat ran down from his forehead until it stained his suit. He took a deep breath before announcing:
Faller and Victoria are incapacitated. Aurora is in an unknown condition due to the lack of access to her armor. Ferinish, Shaphira, and the Assassin of the Century are missing. General Elisa is dead. Brazilovia has disappeared from the map, and the people of that region have been completely annihilated.
The news struck people like a tightness in the chest. There was no more security, no more heroes. Only despair remained. The population descended into panic. The leader of Libretãnhya walked to his altar with a band across his forehead and asked everyone to remain calm, but his plea was not accepted.
Upon returning, the nurse looked at him with concern, questioning what the next actions would be regarding the man she called Zen. He replied that there was nothing to be done except try to take care of the Pillars, adding his doubts about their state of health. She was direct. The situation was extremely grave. The Renkai Energy was intense within their bodies. No one knew how they had not yet transformed into demons, but they were trying to remove the energy in every possible way.
Zen nodded and asked for a moment alone. Sitting by himself, he observed the map of Libretãnhya, murmuring about the need to increase military power to face any adversity. And now, with no one strong at the level of the Pillars, the scenario was changing.
It was the perfect moment to conquer territories.
In IceStorm, rescuers carried their queen in haste, crossing corridors crowded with patients. A boy followed them, claiming to be the queen's brother and demanding to see her, but he was stopped.
He stopped in front of the door, touched the glass, and looked at the woman's body while his heart beat in an irregular and painful rhythm.
Demons moved away from Libretãnhya, begging humans not to approach. Men questioned their intentions, but were ignored, unable to understand how they had lost their mistress.
The humanoid Renkai Creatures ran through the forest like loose animals. The animalistic forms flew or advanced on four legs toward an unknown destination.
The days passed. Those who had once served in the army were summoned again. Scientists were ordered to create weapons, and older disciples were forced into intense training. Before everyone, with a firm voice, Rito Zen Heng publicly declared that, to prevent the world from becoming vulnerable to the dangerous Renkai Creatures, it was necessary to expand military power. And he made it clear that he was not seeking alliances. He wanted to dominate. He demanded that all regions surrender or suffer attacks.
The declaration was received as an act of madness. People attacked him on social media, while other regions reacted with outrage. Everyone was facing critical situations, and yet one man intended to subjugate the entire world. For many, that was pure cowardice.
While walking through the courtyards, watching men being beaten during training, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He answered and brought the device to his ear. A female voice, calm, with the sound of rain in the background, asked him to reconsider his decisions. Zen refused. He was determined. He warned that if he were disturbed again, the country she governed would be the first to be invaded.
She responded by calling him weak, accusing him of depending on an army to feel powerful. She said that if he abused that power, she herself would imprison him.
Zen laughed on the phone. He said he did not care about her or her strength. He stated that even if she tried anything, she would be killed by her own soldiers. On the other end of the line, after a deep sigh, she simply warned him. It would be the world against Libretãnhya, and the people would suffer because of their leader's poor choices.
The call was ended.
Rito resumed walking, proud.
***
In the deepest part of hell, a female figure was imprisoned in chains. Two Destroyers emerged from the shadows, preparing to touch her. Suddenly, another voice echoed, asking to speak: turning Shaphira into an Animalistic Destroyer may cause true chaos. Underestimating the daughter of the man whom they killed was a mistake.
Hades acknowledged it, however he cared little. In his words, he was now under the command of a more powerful voice and would not disobey. Mara looked at the Creator of Truth, saying that her participation was no longer necessary: Slady will never leave the Eternal Library and, by great luck, Ferinish escaped, but his fate is unknown.
And behind Truth came the diabolical voice, ordering her to return to her god and announce his return. She saw the body that had once been her home, dominated and controlled by evil itself. The contempt in her voice was palpable, she said that Krythos was not worthy of abusing luck.
As she moved away, she watched them awaken. The screams, the pleas for help. The malevolent energy entered her being intensely, yet controlled. It was as if they wanted to ensure that she absorbed as much as possible before everything was lost.
That was no longer balance before her eyes, it was allowing evil to happen, not by choice, but because her creator needed evil to exist.
And she turned her gaze away, disappearing into the air.
***
In the room protected by countless bands, the machines worked fervently, ensuring that the body under the protection of an armor received the ingredients for life. The sound of his heartbeats, reduced to beeps, echoed deafeningly.
However, the machines turned as they saw the chest plate of the armor open, with smoke and a foul smell escaping from its compartments.
Then, from between the edges of that protection, robotic fingers emerged.