Luís Clent Dinark's smile stayed on his face a few seconds longer than it should have.
It wasn't exaggerated provocation.
It wasn't explicit arrogance.
It was… natural.
As if that situation — three blood-covered monsters, a village burning in the background, and a boy cut in half, agonizing behind him — were merely the setting for a conversation he had been waiting to have for a long time.
Leonardo was the first to react.
The ring still pulsed in his hand, slowly fusing with his flesh.
— You talk too much — Leonardo said. — If you came here to die, at least try not to be annoying.
Luís tilted his head slightly, analyzing him like someone examining a rare piece.
— Hm… — he murmured. — Go ahead. Start attacking me. I'll just defend.
Azazel stepped forward, his gaze fixed, predatory.
— Leonardo… — he said in a low tone. — You sure? Don't cry later.
Kevin listened from afar.
His vision came and went. The world seemed to sink in layers. Blood kept flowing, warm, far too real to ignore.
Every heartbeat was a clear reminder:
I shouldn't be alive.
Luís didn't look at Kevin even once.
— Before we start… — he said, opening his arms again. — Let me clear something up.
The air around him changed.
There was no aura explosion.
No crushing pressure.
But something invisible spread out, making the ground creak softly beneath Leonardo's and Azazel's feet.
— I didn't come here to save anyone — Luís continued calmly. — I came to correct a mistake.
Leonardo clenched his teeth.
— And what mistake would that be? — Azazel asked.
Luís looked straight at him.
— You were never supposed to be here…
Leonardo moved first.
There was no warning, no countdown, no final word.
His body vanished from where it stood, reappearing in front of Luís in the blink of an eye.
His fist came straight in, heavy, aimed at the face — a blow meant to crush bone.
A transparent barrier appeared, absorbing the punch before it reached Luís.
Leonardo was surprised.
Before he could retreat, Azazel was already behind Luís.
A low, spinning kick aimed at his supporting leg.
Luís raised his foot at the last second and blocked it with the sole of his shoe. The transparent barrier absorbed the impact as if Azazel had kicked a concrete wall.
The ground cracked.
Leonardo jumped back.
Luís stretched his arms into the air like someone loosening up, stuck out his tongue in a mocking grimace.
The impact echoed dry and metallic.
Kevin felt it.
Even from a distance, the shockwave ran through his body and snapped the threads pinning him to the tree. He fell onto his back, the lower half of his torso almost completely regenerated.
From afar, he watched the fight — afraid.
Luís didn't move.
Leonardo forced his arm forward, teeth grinding, trying to break through the barrier. Azazel attacked at the same time, aiming for the neck.
Luís twisted his body and let both of them pass.
Their attacks crossed through empty air.
— Fast… — Azazel murmured.
They attacked again.
And again.
Punches, kicks, knees, elbows — a continuous sequence, almost impossible to follow. The air tore with every movement. Blows that could topple buildings were stopped midair by an invisible barrier, making Luís step back only half a step.
No blood.
No broken bones.
No expression of pain.
Luís yawned.
— You're good at close combat — he commented casually. — But you're forcing it too much.
Leonardo growled and increased the pace.
The next strike grazed past.
Luís turned his head…
And slowly returned it to its original position.
No mark.
No blood.
Kevin's eyes widened.
It made no sense.
Azazel stepped back.
— Enough — he said coldly.
The air shifted.
He put distance between them.
— Neo Jutsu: Sanretsu Kūkai.
In a single advance, Azazel made three cuts through the space in front of him, leaving behind three unstable dimensional rifts carved into the ground.
He retreated, stopping about four meters from Luís.
As soon as Luís turned, the three rifts activated, creating mini collapses followed by violent explosions.
Luís didn't dodge.
He vanished into the smoke.
When the dust settled, Luís stood calmly at the center.
Traces of the barrier were still visible before dissolving into the air.
No blood.
No pain.
— Nothing? — Azazel said, frustrated. — Nothing happened to him?!
A sharp pain seized his arm.
— Hm… — Luís murmured. — Interesting.
— You treat energy like brute force — he said. — That limits you a lot.
Leonardo felt something freeze along his spine.
It wasn't fear.
It was the clear realization that nothing they knew applied here.
— Azazel — Leonardo said. — Let's attack until these bodies collapse from exhaustion. Either way, we're not the ones who'll die.
Luís looked at them with contempt.
Anger.
— You're not going to kill them.
Luís's smile vanished.
Kevin felt the world grow heavier.
The air became dense.
No aura explosion.
No glow.
But Luís's body… moved.
He took one step forward.
With that single step, Azazel lost his balance.
Luís appeared in front of him and drove two fingers into his chest, exactly at the point where aura converged.
A dry impact.
— Go back, Sebastian.
Azazel was launched backward like a projectile, crashing through trees before landing motionless on the ground.
Leonardo tried to react.
He couldn't.
Luís appeared beside him and landed a simple punch to the stomach.
It wasn't fast.
It wasn't strong.
It was precise.
Leonardo spat blood.
— It's already too late… — he said with difficulty. — The village was destroyed…
— Nah — Luís replied. — A friend of mine is taking care of Ray down there.
Luís smashed a heavy punch into Leonardo's head.
Silence fell.
Before hitting the ground, Leonardo saw a figure:
A central eye surrounded by four smaller ones.
Four wings spread behind it.
Pupils shaped like shields.
— A… Cherub…? — he murmured, before blacking out.
The markings vanished from his body.
Luís stood still.
Breathing normally.
He looked at the two fallen bodies.
— They're back — he said.
He turned his back.
Kevin understood then:
Luís had never been fighting.
He had only been deciding when to end it.
Luís walked toward Kevin.
— Good thing you showed up… everything would have—
A punch to the chest cut him off.
It was Luís.
— This is the third time you've disappointed me — he said angrily. — When I said I was ashamed to call you my cousin, I wasn't joking.
— I try to do my best… — Kevin replied.
Luís: — You always play the victim. You never try to grow. Never try to learn. Never want to truly do anything.
— Are you trash, or do you just pretend to be?
— Do you think everyone gets opportunities in this cruel, bloody world, a good life like yours? Wake up. We're different people. — Kevin replied.
Luís grew even more serious.
— A good life? Be yourself. Walk your own path, without anyone's help.
— We're not important enough to seek attention, nor to depend on others. After you do that, I'll give you my answer.
He turned away, leaving Kevin on the ground, his left leg almost fully regenerated.
— Before you go… — Kevin called. — What was that barrier? That protection?
Luís answered without turning around as he walked away:
— I call it… Seinaru Mantle.
Kevin watched as his cousin picked up Sebastian and Leonardo's host boy.
Who is that kid? — he thought.
Kevin stayed lying there for a while at the foot of the tree, until his body finally regenerated completely.
— Right… — he murmured. — No pants, and my body still doesn't feel completely normal. At least this mess is over.
Footsteps began to approach.
— Whose steps are those? — he whispered.
He stood up and raised his gaze, trying to see who was climbing the hill.
Several men appeared before him.
Some blushed and looked away.
Others stared openly at his body.
— You guys came to clean up the disaster, right? — Kevin shouted. — Can you help me get back home?
Why are they staring at me like that? — he thought, feeling the embarrassment rise.
Ah… right. No pants… and my body is still a girl's.
Shame took over.
He lowered his hands, trying to cover his legs, and dropped to his knees, face completely red. He closed his eyes, trying to calm down.
Time passed.
Now Kevin was inside a carriage, already dressed, his body back to its original form.
Just him and the man driving the horse.
Kevin stared out through the small glass window.
I can't stop thinking about what Luís told me… and that "Prime" thing.
He looked at his own hands.
— My body's back to normal… but my hair… — he murmured. — It's still white.
— And Luís didn't say anything… didn't even ask. Did he not notice?
Suddenly, a strong wave of energy struck him.
Kevin's eyes widened.
Watching closely, he realized something strange.
Did that wave only hit me?
Nothing happened to the carriage… nor to the man up front.
He looked back out the window.
— We're far from the capital… everything around here was destroyed… — he murmured.
— But this aura… it's so strong… and electrifying. It's calling me. Whose is it?
— Should I go…?
His mind went silent for a few seconds.
Then Melissa's voice echoed inside his head.
— I recommend that you go. It might be something important — she said.
Kevin stood up abruptly.
— Sir, please, stop!
— What? — the man replied.
— Stop the carriage. I want to get off.
The man frowned.
— Are you sure? There's nothing but forest out here. I was told to take you to the capital.
— It's fine — Kevin said. — I need to take care of some things first.
— If anyone asks, say I was too stubborn and ran away. That you couldn't stop me.
The man hesitated for a moment… then nodded.
The carriage stopped. Kevin climbed out through the back.
— Good luck, kid! — the man shouted. — May God bless your path!
Kevin smiled.
The carriage rolled back onto the road.
— Melissa… — Kevin said, taking a deep breath. — Now it's just you and me. Let's see whose aura that is.
Kevin's eyes glowed faintly green.
In the next instant, he vanished into the woods, swallowed by the forest.
---
In a dark room, lit only by the faint yellow glow of lamps, Frederin was suspended in the air, bound by blue chains that rose from the floor and the four walls. At the center of the cell stood a figure.
Fred: — You told me everything that happened, but you didn't tell me your name.
The answer came immediately.
— Sorry, Fred. My name is Luís Clent. Luís Clent Dinark.
Fred: — So you're related to him?
Luís: — Of course. But I'm stronger.
Fred: — Now that I'm Leonardo Dinark's host… what's going to happen to me?
Luís: — Like I told you, Leonardo's soul was divided into eight rings. You already have two. The Warriors' Agency has two more. That makes four. If you help us find the last four rings, we can kill you — and the being inside you will die as well.
Fred: — I was liking this until the part where you kill me. There isn't a second option?
Luís: — There is. There always is. You can choose to die right now… though that would be a waste. I think you've got talent, kid.
Frederin looked visibly shaken. He didn't answer — his gaze turned vacant.
The chains vanished, dropping him to his knees.
Luís started walking toward the door. Before leaving, he spoke:
Luís: — I'll give you two days to decide. If you don't choose by then, I'll have to kill you.
He left.
Frederin stared in shock as the door closed.
He sighed.
Outside the room, the Second Sentinel waited, leaning against the wall.
2nd Sentinel: — So, how's it gonna be?
Luís: — He hasn't chosen yet. I decided to give him two days.
2nd Sentinel: — There's not much he can do. One way or another, he's going to die.
Luís: — True. By the way… have you seen my cousin around, Augusto?
2nd Sentinel: — Kevin? Haven't seen him in days. Why?
Luís: — It's been three weeks since the fight against Leonardo and the others ended, and he just vanished. I'm worried he might be dead.
2nd Sentinel: — Did you do something to make him disappear?
Luís: — Don't be ridiculous. Keep an eye on the kid. I've got things to do.
He walked down the corridor.
The Second Sentinel watched Luís leave, adjusted his hood, and sat on the floor with a smile on his face.
---
The hall was far too large for so few people.
White stone walls, polished enough to reflect the soft light of chandeliers hanging high above. At the center, a long oval table.
No religious symbols.
No banners.
Only raw, organized power.
Five figures sat around the table.
None spoke.
The only sound came from a crystal floating above the center, projecting unstable images: burned houses, destroyed streets, bodies being removed in haste, smoke rising like an eternal veil.
— Final report from the Eastern Sector — said the metallic voice from the crystal. — Village classified as a lost zone.
One of the figures interlaced their fingers, showing no reaction.
— Casualties?
— Approximately nine hundred and thirty-seven. — a brief pause. — Estimate inaccurate. Many bodies were not recovered.
Silence.
— Threat? — asked another voice, far too calm for the situation.
The crystal flickered.
— Demons identified: Leonardo Dinark, Ray, Azazel.
A soft sigh ran around the table.
— Threat status?
— Neutralized.
No surprise.
No comment.
— Who responded first? — someone asked.
— An unofficial group of Light Bearers — the crystal replied. — All eliminated.
Still, no reaction.
— And after that?
The image changed.
Now it showed a distorted silhouette of a boy walking through flames.
— An unidentified individual — said the crystal. — High risk classification.
One figure tapped their fingers on the table once.
— Name?
— Unknown.
— Then keep it that way.
Another figure tilted their head slightly.
— And the missing boy?
The crystal took a second longer to answer.
— Kevin Dinark. Survived. Current status: missing.
A pause.
— File him as what?
— Witness — replied the same calm voice. — Nothing more.
That was when the figure seated at the center finally spoke.
The king's voice.
The hall grew… a little colder.
— Prepare the official version — he said gravely. — Isolated attack. No structural failure. No active threat.
— And if this happens again? — someone asked.
The answer came without emotion.
— Then we repeat the report.
The crystal went dark.
The lights in the hall dimmed.
As the figures stood and began to leave, one last sentence echoed through the space, low, almost casual:
— The problems are already resolved. Let's wait for Luís's response regarding Leonardo's host.