The sun was beating down hard that morning, and although everyone arrived at school half-asleep, classes were suspended for a "special activity": the gym and the pool needed to be cleaned. The news spread quickly; the assignment even faster. The two selected classes were Elior's and Hina's. The commotion was immediate.
"Finally, an activity outside the classroom!" a boy shouted as he rolled up his shirt sleeves.
"Don't celebrate yet. We still have the locker rooms," another replied, resigned.
Elior worked in silence inside the gym. He swept with precision, moved benches, everything with the same calm as always, wearing the oversized black sweater he never took off. Beneath that sweater were scars he preferred not to show; that was why, no matter how intense the heat became, he never exposed his skin.
Hina, on the other hand, laughed by the pool with the girls. They gathered leaves, pulled out nets, emptied buckets. She wore a white T-shirt and sports shorts, comfortable and carefree… until fate decided to intervene.
She slipped.
The splash cut through the conversations. Laughter turned into exclamations.
"Hina fell into the water!"
At first, she laughed too. But the joy turned into panic the moment her clothes clung to her body and became transparent. The color drained from her face. Her hands flew to her mouth. She trembled.
Elior, who was nearby and heard the chaos, ran without thinking. He understood everything in a second. Without hesitation, he took off his sweater and, as Hina climbed out of the pool, placed it over her shoulders, covering her completely. He pulled a towel from his bag and handed it to her.
"Here. For your hair. It's okay."
Silence.
It was the first time people had seen him without his sweater. His torso was strong, defined, marked with scars that told silent stories. Some were surprised by his physique. Others by the scars.
Hina leaned against his chest, still soaked and flushed red.
"You exhibitionist idiot… but thank you," she murmured, laughing softly.
Her friends handed her dry clothes. Without letting go of Elior's hand, she pulled him along.
"Come with me. I'll give you your sweater back."
"Thanks for that. You were fast… like always," she said from inside the locker room.
"Just try not to fall again, dummy," he replied, a small smile forming.
When they returned to their groups, whispers spread among the students.
"Hey! Are you two dating?"
Hina turned red.
"No! We've been friends forever. He's like… my brother."
But her voice trembled slightly when one girl whispered, "Still, he's handsome."
Hina barely managed to hide her blush.
Later, Elior went to find her with an ice-cold soda.
"For you. I saw you melting today."
"Elior! You just earned yourself a week of free juice," she replied, smiling.
One of the girls approached and asked Elior for his number. He gave it without thinking.
Hina looked at him with mock reproach.
"And that 'sure' came way too easily."
"It must be something important," he replied, and she burst out laughing.
"You're hopeless."
They walked together, laughing, until they reached Elior's house. As always, Hina walked in without asking, grabbed some ice, and made fresh juice. Then they sat down to meditate.
At first, Hina couldn't stay still. She shifted, scratched herself, opened one eye.
"You can't stay still for even five minutes," Elior teased.
But after a week, she improved so much that she managed to meditate silently for twenty minutes.
"You surprise me," Elior said one afternoon.
"You didn't think I could do it?" she replied.
"It took me almost a month to achieve what you did in a week."
"That's because I have a very handsome and patient teacher," she said, laughing.
Elior shook his head and smiled.
The next day, during recess, Elior sat under a tree reading about demons. An older student from the sports team, tall, broad, and full of arrogance, approached him with the intention of provoking him.
"So you're Elior… the quiet kid everyone says is strong. Everyone keeps talking about you. But all I see is someone hiding behind a book."
Elior didn't look up.
"I'm not strong. I just try to stay at peace."
"Peace, or hiding?" the other insisted.
"I'm not going to fight you. I don't waste my energy on that. I'm just human… and I don't want to hurt humans. Words are enough."
"If it bothers you that people talk about me instead of you, that's entirely your problem. Don't drag me into your paranoia, please," he added with a polite smile.
The boy was left speechless and walked away muttering.
Hina, who had overheard everything, stepped between them angrily for a moment, then sat beside Elior.
"Sometimes you give me chills," she murmured.
"I suppose it's part of my youthful charm," Elior replied without looking at her.
They both laughed. The tension dissolved quickly.
After classes, Elior, as always, helped Mr. Aoyama in the garden. The teacher, old, raspy-voiced, and kind, thanked him with stories from his youth. Hina arrived later and joined them. They ended up covered in dirt, laughing. The teacher rewarded them with fresh tomatoes.
"These are for you, heroes of the day."
At 6:30 p.m., as every Tuesday, Elior sat in the psychologist's office. Slouched on the couch, eyes lowered, he spoke in a muted voice.
"Lately, all I feel is… anger and sadness. The anger keeps me moving. It's the only thing that gets me out of bed. I don't feel joy, not even emptiness, just pressure in my chest. Sometimes I think that disappearing would be best for everyone."
"One single night feels like two weeks. I forget most of what I do during the day, and that makes me even more irritated. I don't want to be angry all the time. It's exhausting."
The psychologist listened calmly, without judgment. She told him emotions weren't bad, that anger is a compass pointing to a wound, and that pretending to be okay is tiring.
"It may sound repetitive, but you're not alone," she assured him.
The session ended on time. Elior stepped into the street with his headphones hanging around his neck, gaze unfocused. As always, each step pulled him deeper into dissociation, escaping his reality.
On his way home, he saw Hina's mother carrying grocery bags. He rushed over to help without hesitation. Grateful, she shared anecdotes and gently mentioned that Hina talked about him a lot.
"She says you're her grounding cable… though she also calls you a 'stubborn idiot.'"
"That sounds like her," Elior replied with a wide smile.
She invited him inside. They sat and talked about life. At one point, she looked at him tenderly.
"Elior, sweetheart, I know you're pretending. Don't do that with me. Those who've seen death recognize that emptiness in the eyes. You don't have to carry everything inside. It's okay not to be okay."
She cupped his cheeks warmly and firmly. He didn't know what to say. He broke, like a wall collapsing after a hard blow. Tears came without warning. She hugged him without restraint.
"I'm just overwhelmed, that's all," Elior said as he wiped his tears.
"When everything feels like it's falling apart, come to me," she said calmly.
An hour later, the door burst open. Hina rushed in like a whirlwind, tossed her backpack aside, and collapsed onto the couch.
"Finally home! That biology test destroyed me…" she complained, until she saw Elior.
"AH! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.
"I was waiting for you… turtle. Did you fail the test or fall asleep?" he replied calmly.
She laughed and threw playful complaints at him. He handed her a glass of juice.
"Ready for today? I'm not letting you sleep on the couch."
"Honestly, no. I'm more exhaustion than person," she replied, laughing.
At Elior's house, the room was dimly lit. The open window let in the cool night breeze. Hina tied her hair into a messy ponytail while Elior folded a thick blanket on the floor, turning it into an improvised mat.
"Are you going to hit me or something?" Hina asked dramatically. "Because if you do, I'm warning you, I'll faint on purpose."
"You don't need to hit someone to teach them," Elior replied calmly. "Unless you want a decorative black eye for Christmas."
Hina giggled.
"Laugh all you want. I have no experience, but I've got willpower. I'll destroy you."
"Willpower is twenty percent. The rest is technique and balance."
He taught her how to stand firmly, align her body, and distribute her weight.
"If you're too stiff, you'll fall with any push. If you're too loose, you'll fall too. You need the middle point," he corrected seriously.
"Just like in life."
Hina watched him silently. For a moment, she didn't see a boy, but someone carrying a heavier burden.
"Since when do you talk like a wise old man?"
"Since you make me cook and clean every day," he added with a smile.
"It's my way of training you, and let me tell you, you've become an expert," she replied, laughing.
They practiced basic movements. Elior was patient, repeating each step again and again.
At one point, he stepped behind her to correct her turning angle. She froze at his closeness. He gently guided her wrists.
"Like this. Use the movement. Don't fight it."
"Have you always been this good… at teaching?"
"As long as the person has patience and the desire to learn."
"I have patience… and the desire to learn."
He smiled lightly and stepped back.
"Your turn. Simulated attack. If you grab my arm, you win. Surprise me."
"Are you sure? I'm getting dangerous."
"Everyone's asleep. Don't hold back. Come at me, Hina."
She lunged. He dodged. After several attempts, she managed to trap his arm and hook her leg over his. They both fell onto the mat in an improvised draw.
"I've got you! Moral victory!"
"Did I let you win, or did you beat me?"
"Yes."
Elior laughed, confused.
"I have no idea what you just said."
They lay there, staring at the ceiling.
"Thank you for this," Hina said softly. "For letting me come a little deeper into your world."
"You sat down in it without my permission," he replied.
"But even so, I like that it's you by my side."
A comfortable silence followed.
"I'm not teaching you this so you can fight like me," Elior said. "I just want you to protect yourself if I'm ever not there."
"I know, wise old man."
"If you can avoid fighting, do it."
"And if I can't?"
"Then give it everything you have. But don't lose. Ever."
They locked eyes.
Then the phone rang.
"Elior, son!"
It was Lucía's hurried voice, the baker's wife.
"I'm sorry for calling you at this hour, but… Kael… He had an accident. He was attacked by animals. He's in serious condition, with fever and internal bleeding. He refused to go to the hospital. He said not to tell you because 'if you found out, you'd come running.' A healer friend of his is with him, but…"
"I'm leaving right now. Tell him to hold on. I'll be there in a few hours."
He hung up. His face had changed completely, framed by anguish.
He ran to get dressed. Hina stopped him at the door.
"What happened?" she asked, tense.
"Kael… He's in bad shape. I have to go to the village. Now."
"Then I'm going with you."
"You can't. Your parents won't allow it. I'll go, see what's happening, and come back. You have to stay."
Hina's eyes shone.
"I don't like this, Elior…"
He softened his tone and placed a hand on her cheek.
"I know. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to take you home like I promised. Stay here if you want. But call your parents. I don't want them to worry."
She nodded and hugged him tightly.
"Be careful. And call me. If you don't… I swear I'll go."
He smiled faintly.
"Only you threaten me like that."
He ran out. Every stride was an attempt to beat time itself.
Still worried, Hina called her parents from Elior's home phone.
"As much as I know Elior and how good a boy he is—"
"You can't stay there!" her father protested.
"Dad. Elior went to Velmira because of an emergency. I'm alone. It's late. I'm not moving now, and besides, it wouldn't be the first time I stay with him," she replied firmly.
There was silence.
"All right… you're right," her father sighed. "But first thing tomorrow, I want you home."
"Yes. Thank you, Dad. Good night."
Silence filled the house. She tidied up a little and took a shower to distract herself. But the anxiety weighed heavily.
After showering, she walked to Elior's room. The door was half open. She went in. Everything was arranged with precision: books aligned by color and size, an open notebook with notes about angels, and on the wall, a beautiful photo of Elior with his family. Smiling. Radiant.
"You were so beautiful like this… happy. I hope one day I can see that smile again," she murmured.
She opened the closet and took one of his shirts. She grabbed her phone and dialed his number. No answer.
"Idiot… you probably didn't charge it. When are you going to learn?" she whispered, a mix of affection and anguish.
She lay down on his bed. His scent surrounded her. She clenched the phone in her hand, waiting for a call that never came. Until exhaustion finally won.
KAEL
The air was heavy. Darker than usual.
Kael felt it… a breach had opened again. But something was wrong. It wasn't a small tear like before. This time, it was larger. And worse… it wasn't closing.
From the shadows of the forest, three demons crossed the threshold. But they weren't uncontrolled beasts. They were different. Bigger. More imposing. Their eyes didn't reflect mere instinct, but cunning. They were organized. They had been waiting for this moment.
Kael didn't hesitate. His body, forged through centuries of battle, moved with lethal precision. His fists struck with the force of experience, and when that wasn't enough, he reached for the power he could still touch: celestial energy.
His hands ignited with a golden glow, burning the demons with every blow. But with each flash, his mortal body punished him. He was no longer an angel. And his human heart reminded him with every painful beat.
The fight dragged on. His breathing grew heavy.
A sharp pain pierced his chest.
He fell to his knees for an instant. Long enough for one of the demons to reach him, opening a deep wound in his side.
"Ahhh!" he roared, forcing himself back up.
With a final effort, he annihilated all three, consuming every last drop of strength.
But the breach was still there. Open.
Kael trembled. He tried to close it, but failed.
Blood ran down his arm, his back, his leg. His eyes began to close. The world blurred.
Until, out of nowhere, he managed to hear, "He's not here. I don't sense him."
"Elior… they're looking for him. Why?" he murmured, his voice broken.
Then he lost consciousness.
The demons retreated into the rift, since the one they were seeking was not there.
Hurried footsteps reached him.
"Kael! Kael!" a trembling voice shouted.
It was Benedicto, the village elder. He had gone out to gather herbs, but what he found was scorched earth, claw marks, blood, and Kael's battered body.
With nearly impossible effort, he lifted him onto his cart and rushed him back to the village.
Lucía and a couple of neighbors laid him on an improvised bed. They tried to stabilize him with cloths and ointments, but the fever kept rising and his pulse slowly faded.
The breach remained open, silent, at the edge of the forest.
Nothing had come out… yet.
Hours later, the train stopped with a metallic screech.
Elior was the first to get off, even before the doors had fully opened.
The village slept, but the dense air and his instincts screamed that there was no time.
He ran through the empty streets, his backpack pounding against his back. His steps echoed on the dirt ground, dodging the lampposts that barely lit the night.
Finally, he reached the house where they were waiting. He knocked hard on the door. Once. Twice. Three times.
Lucía, the baker's wife, appeared with a tired face and swollen eyes.
"Elior… he's inside. But he's not well…"
He didn't respond. He walked past her.
The house smelled of dried blood, ash, and bitter herbs.
In a room at the back, Kael lay on an improvised bed.
His chest rose and fell with difficulty. His face was pale, his body covered in soaked bandages. A dark stain kept spreading along his side.
Elior froze.
"Kael…" he murmured, his voice breaking.
He approached and knelt beside him. He gripped his hand tightly, as if afraid he would disappear if he let go.
Lucía entered with hot water, gauze, and herbs.
"Thank you… but I know how to treat him," Elior said seriously, opening his backpack.
He pulled out a small vial of grayish ointment and another with silver powder mixed with black garlic. Ancient remedies he had studied for demonic corruption wounds.
"Corruption wounds… don't heal like normal ones," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. "But you, Kael… you always seem to endure everything."
His hands trembled as he cleaned and bandaged the wounds. But his eyes were fixed, cold. He couldn't afford to doubt.
"And the children?" he asked without looking up.
"At home," Lucía replied softly. "My husband stayed with them until they fell asleep. They didn't want to close their eyes from worry."
Elior clenched his teeth.
"Thank you…" he whispered as he secured the bandage.
The night dragged on slowly. Outside, the village slept. Inside, Elior never left his side.
Sitting beside the bed, with Kael breathing weakly, he silently swore he would never arrive late again.
The sun barely filtered through the curtains when Hina jolted awake. Her hand went straight to her phone.
Screen on.
Zero calls.
Zero messages.
"This can't be…" she whispered, feeling her heart tighten painfully.
She dressed immediately, grabbed her backpack, and ran as fast as she could to her house.
In the kitchen, her parents were having breakfast as if it were any other day.
"Dad, Mom… I need to go to the village. To Velmira."
"Now? Why?" her father asked, frowning.
"Elior didn't call me, didn't answer. Kael is hurt. I have to go, please," her voice broke on the last word.
Her father slowly set down his cup. He looked at her in silence, with that expression that mixed authority and fear.
"It's not that simple, sweetheart. You can't just travel alone like that. Besides, it's the middle of the week. What about school?"
"Dad," she interrupted firmly, holding back tears. "If he were here, he'd come for me without hesitation. He's always been there for me. Now… I have to do it for him."
Heavy silence. The clock marked each second like a hammer.
Finally, her father sighed and nodded in resignation.
"Alright. But I'll take you to the station. And you call me as soon as you arrive."
Hina hugged him quickly, as if time itself might suddenly end.
"Thank you."
Already at the Velmira station, the train stopped with a hard jolt. Hina got off without waiting, running. The cold air cut her face, but she barely felt it.
She knew those streets. Every corner, every stone on the path. And yet, they felt longer than ever.
She reached the house where the children were known to be.
She knocked hard.
The door flew open. Lia, her eyes swollen from crying, hugged her immediately.
"Hina!"
"How are you? What happened?" she asked, kneeling to their height.
Aramis appeared from inside, his voice trembling.
"We're scared… something in the forest attacked Kael. We don't know what it is."
Hina swallowed, feeling a knot in her throat.
"And Elior? Where is he?"
That was when the baker entered, carrying a box of cookies for the children.
"He's at my house… with Kael. He stayed with him all night. He didn't leave for a second."
"I'm going there. Can I take them with me?" Hina asked.
The man hesitated, then nodded.
"Yes… but carefully. Just for a few minutes."
The three of them nodded.
In Mr. Martin's house, the silence was unbearable.
Hina walked quickly, her heart pounding as if it would shatter her ribs.
In the back room, she saw him. Elior, sitting at the edge of the bed.
His eyes were red from exhaustion, his hands still stained with ointments and bandages. He hadn't moved all night.
Kael breathed weakly, sunk into a feverish sleep.
Hina knelt beside Elior.
"How is he?" she whispered.
He didn't take his eyes off Kael.
"He survived… but I don't know if he'll get back up the same. He was ambushed by different demons. Smarter. More organized. Something is changing."
A chill ran down Hina's spine.
"And you? Are you okay?"
Elior closed his eyes for a few seconds.
"I don't know. But the only thing that matters now is that he lives. And that the children are safe."
She placed her hand over his. She said nothing more. She just stayed there. And for a moment, the silence didn't hurt as much.
Suddenly something changed abruptly in the atmosphere, Elior straightened violently.
His face tightened, tense, as if something invisible were tearing him apart from the inside.
"Elior…?" Hina asked, alarmed. "What's wrong?"
He didn't answer. He closed his eyes, tilted his head slightly to one side. His breathing slowed, heavy.
A putrid stench struck his senses.
That same stench.
The same one he had felt ten days before the tragedy.
He opened his eyes abruptly. His voice came out deep, sharp, as if not entirely human.
"Everyone… has to leave. Now."
They looked at him in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" the baker stammered.
Elior clenched his fists.
"There's no time! Evacuate now!"
"I'm sensing the same smell as when the village was destroyed years ago. Please! You have to evacuate everyone!"
Silence turned into panic. Hina understood instantly.
Demons. They were coming.
"Are you sure?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Elior nodded, swallowing hard. The smell grew stronger. He could feel it contaminating the air, corroding the calm.
"Hina… take Lia and Aramis. Go to the house. They'll be more protected there. Or go as far away from the village as possible."
"No! I won't leave you!" Hina cried, her eyes shining with rage and fear.
Elior grabbed her shoulders, firm but gentle.
"Don't make me choose between fighting and protecting you. I need to know they'll be with you. Please…"
Hina pressed her lips together. Finally, she nodded.
"Alright… but if you don't come back…"
"I will. I promise."
At that moment, the baker and a neighbor entered with an improvised stretcher. They carefully lifted Kael onto it.
"We'll take him to your house, Elior. He's still holding on."
"Do it fast. Spread the word. Say it's an emergency. What's coming… you can't face it."
His words froze everyone's blood.
Elior knelt before Lia, who hugged him while crying.
"I don't want to leave you alone!"
He gently stroked her head.
"Your mission is to take care of Kael, okay? I need you to be strong."
Lia nodded through tears. Hina took her hand, Aramis walking beside her.
Little by little, the village began to empty.
Silence was replaced by hurried footsteps, whispered fear, and the certainty that something dark was about to fall upon Velmira.
With no one left nearby, Elior stopped in the middle of the plaza. The sky was beginning to cloud over, though the sun hadn't fully set.
He opened his backpack quickly.
He took out his black combat suit.
He put it on with firm, fast movements, as if his body knew exactly what to do.
He wrapped his hands with thick bandages.
He put on a dark mask that covered him from the nose down.
He took out his curved daggers, shining like obsidian, marked with hand-carved symbols.
For the first time in a long while… he felt ready.
But something was different this time.
His heart beat not only with fear, but with restrained rage.
"If they come for us… I'll receive them."
In the forest, the shadows moved.
Sounds of claws. Breathing and guttural screams.
They were coming.
And Elior… smiled.
Everything burned.
Wooden houses were reduced to ashes.
The ground trembled.
Shadows twisted like deformed beasts.
And at the center, there he was…
Elior.
Covered in blood.
His face hidden behind his mask.
His eyes injected with rage.
"What do you want from me?!" he screamed, daggers clenched, his body trembling with adrenaline.
From the mist, a figure emerged.
A demon with a semi-human appearance.
Almost beautiful face. Sharp smile. Empty eyes.
Skin stained black, yet humanoid in shape.
"We want… to eat you," it said with a smile as calm as it was sick.
"What?"
"Your body. Your blood. Your power.
That's what we are. What we desire.
You are a miracle…
One that should not exist."
Elior didn't wait.
He lunged.
Like lightning.
Daggers forward.
Jumping through ruins.
Taking down other demons in his path without even looking at them.
The battle began.
Demons fell like flies.
Elior spun, stabbed, tore.
Each movement was precise, lethal, fast.
Black blood splattered the ground and his body.
One leapt straight for his neck.
Elior dodged by millimeters, twisted his arm, and snapped its neck with a dry crack.
"You want my blood?!" he screamed between gasps.
"TAKE IT FROM MY CORPSE!"
Others attacked him in groups.
They surrounded him.
They shoved him toward walls, toward flames.
Elior bled. But he didn't fall.
His legs burned.
His ribs were broken.
His eyes burned with rage.
And still… he continued.
Like an animal.
Like a condemned man.
Like someone who couldn't afford to die.
While in the village
"What was that noise?" an old woman asked nervously.
"Can we go back already? My son is there!" another shouted.
"No one moves!" Hina cried desperately.
Everyone looked at her.
"You don't understand… you don't understand!
The ones who hurt Kael were demons!
And now there are more out there!
And Elior is fighting them all alone!"
Tears fell.
Her body trembled with helplessness.
Her soul burned inside.
No one spoke.
Then, a voice was heard.
"They're… coming for him."
Everyone turned.
Kael.
Unconscious just moments ago, he tried to rise.
"You… can't leave him…
You don't understand… they want him…
They're going to kill him…"
"If he fights them, they'll kill him! I HAVE TO GO HELP HIM!"
And then it happened.
"LIA!" Aramis screamed. "LIA ISN'T HERE!"
Everyone turned.
The girl had run toward the village.
"No, Lia!" Hina screamed.
The baker, Hina, and several neighbors ran toward the village entrance to look for her.
Back in Hell
Elior could no longer see.
Only feel.
Every muscle burned.
Every wound ached.
Every breath was a battle.
The demons multiplied.
But he did not yield.
He moved like a storm.
Dodged with grace. Struck with fury.
And when one fell, three more took its place.
It was an ambush.
A hunt.
And he… was the prey.
Then something happened.
A demon rammed him from behind.
Elior crashed violently into the ground.
He coughed blood.
He slowly turned.
"Tired already…?" the demon whispered with a twisted smile.
"I told you… we're going to eat you… slowly…"
Elior gasped.
His body trembled.
But his eyes burned like fire.
He stood.
"Then… come.
COME ALL OF YOU!"
The ground thundered.
The air was thick.
Smoke covered the entire village.
Elior gasped, bleeding, his body covered in wounds.
The semi-human demon laughed with a deep, psychotic tone.
He had him immobilized.
"Come on, insignificant being… stay still."
He placed his foot on Elior's neck.
And without another word, plunged a black sword into Elior's left leg.
"AAARGHHH!" Elior screamed, writhing in pain.
The demon only laughed harder.
"Come on… weren't you the prodigy? The chosen one?
You're just a lucky human."
At that moment, at the village entrance… Lia arrived.
The girl froze.
For the first time, her innocent eyes saw true hell.
She saw Elior covered in blood, screaming, being torn apart like an animal.
Hina and the others arrived seconds later.
Everyone froze.
The scene was impossible to process.
"E… Elior…" Hina whispered, in shock.
The semi-human demon noticed them.
"Fresh meat…" it said with a twisted smile.
"Eat them," it shouted to its demons.
The creatures lunged toward them.
Lia and Aramis screamed desperately:
"ELIOR!"
"BROTHER!"
And then… something happened.
Elior heard those voices.
His sister's voice… but not only Lia…
He saw Liora's face. His dead sister.
His soul exploded.
Rage surged through him like pure fire.
A rage born not of hatred, but of love.
With an inhuman roar, he shattered the demon's leg with a brutal kick.
He broke free, rose like a black shadow, and ran straight toward Lia.
The demon tried to pierce her with its sword.
But Elior stepped in front of her.
The blade sank between his neck and his left shoulder.
"ELIOR!!!" Hina screamed, her cry tearing through the air.
Elior's body trembled…
But he did not fall.
He slowly raised his head and smiled at Lia.
"It's okay… I'm fine.
Go back to Hina, alright?"
Lia ran, tears streaming down her face, into Hina's arms.
And then… everything changed.
Elior's eyes darkened.
Several strands of his hair turned white.
He tore the sword out of his body as if it were a splinter.
And screamed.
A primal, painful, inhuman roar.
Blood covered his entire body.
The demon barely had time to turn around when Elior split it in half with a single strike.
Reduced it to dead flesh.
He crouched down, picked up his daggers, and the true slaughter began.
One by one.
The demons were torn apart, stabbed, destroyed without mercy.
There was no technique. Only fury.
The ground was blood.
The walls, bones.
The screams were echoes of death.
And when only one remained…
The semi-human demon.
Wounded.
Exhausted.
Still smiling.
"You are… incredible," it gasped.
"But they will come for you…
You don't understand… this is only the beginning."
Elior did not answer.
The embers still burned in what remained of Velmira. Smoke scorched the lungs, and every corner reeked of blood and ash.
Elior could barely stand, but his eyes burned with the same fury as the flames.
The demon watched him with a twisted smile. Its skin was covered in wounds, yet a spark of arrogance still shone in its gaze.
"You're panting… but you won't fall," it laughed hoarsely.
"Every time you bleed, you grow stronger. What the hell are you?"
Elior spat on the ground, fists clenched tightly around his daggers.
"I am human!" he roared.
"And that is what will destroy you!"
He lunged like an unleashed beast. The clash was brutal: steel against flesh, bone against bone. Elior slammed the demon to the ground and straddled its chest, raining down punches and stabs.
"This is for Kael!" he shouted, plunging a dagger into its shoulder.
"For Lia and Aramis!" another stab pierced through, black blood splashing his face.
"For every innocent you touched!"
The demon coughed blood, smiling madly.
"Kkhh… you're more of a beast than I am…"
A sudden flash.
The hidden blade in its wrist sank into Elior's side.
A sharp, unbearable pain.
"AAAHHHH!!" Elior's scream tore through the air.
The blade remained embedded, burning his flesh like liquid poison.
"Too late…" the demon whispered, spitting blood, smiling grotesquely.
"It's already running through your veins…"
Elior grabbed it by the neck, swaying, eyes blazing with fury.
"I don't care! You won't escape this!"
With a brutal motion, he drove his sword through its throat. The blade burst out the back of its neck in an explosion of dark blood.
"Die…" Elior whispered, breath ragged.
"Like what you are: filth."
The body crumbled into ashes in his hands.
The silence was so sudden it hurt.
For the first time in centuries, a human had killed a high-ranking demon.
And that echo would not go unanswered.
Elior staggered toward the forest, limping, blood pouring uncontrollably from his side. The rift still pulsed, dark, like a frantic heart.
"Kael…" he whispered weakly.
"How was it…?"
He tightened his grip on the daggers. Remembered the ancient words.
"Kaltarem… suul nohn… entrave…"
The earth trembled.
"Return… to your origin…"
A silvery glow wrapped around the blades. The rift screamed as if alive, and with an explosion, it sealed shut.
Elior barely managed a smile.
"I… did it…"
His body collapsed to the ground.
Silence swallowed everything.
Darkness.
Smoke still rose from Velmira, forming black columns that merged with the clouds.
High above, hidden within the glow of the sunset, several figures watched in silence.
Angels.
Motionless. Untouchable. Like statues suspended in the air.
Their gazes were fixed on the boy bleeding out beside the forest.
One of them, clad in golden armor radiating sacred light, spoke first.
"A human… just sealed a Gehenna rift."
His voice sounded disbelieving, as if each word were blasphemy.
Another, in white robes with sharp eyes, frowned.
"Not only that…" his gaze hardened.
"He killed a noble demon."
The silence grew heavier.
Their wings barely stirred, as if the air itself feared what they would say next.
"Is he the hybrid we've heard so much about?" asked a figure in dark armor, venom dripping from its tone.
The golden angel slowly shook his head.
"I don't know…"
He lifted his gaze toward the horizon.
"What we just witnessed is worse. It is impossible."
A cold murmur passed among them.
"Then… the balance is broken."
They looked at one another, as if the thought itself burned them. Finally, one spread his wings and commanded solemnly:
"Inform the Council immediately. Everything that has occurred. Something is not right. Go. Let all know."
When he appeared at the entrance of Velmira, the murmur of the people became a collective cry.
Neighbors, children, elders… all stared as if a ghost had returned from hell. Covered in blood, makeshift bandages soaked through, clothes in tatters, Elior stood firm.
All afternoon he refused help from Hina and those who tried to tend to him.
"I'm fine…" he said hoarsely, avoiding their eyes.
"Take care of the others."
He remained standing, watching, alert to every shadow, as if expecting another attack at any moment. The hours dragged on endlessly.
The entire village feared even breathing too loudly.
Finally, when Kael was moved somewhere safer and the children were secure in Hina's arms, the heavy air began to ease.
Elior looked around.
He saw Lia and Aramis, still trembling but alive.
He saw the neighbors, exhausted but unharmed.
Then his eyes found Hina. She watched him, heart in her throat, hands clenched against her chest.
Elior smiled weakly. A broken smile, but sincere.
"I can't… stay standing anymore…"
The words barely left his lips before his knees gave way.
His body fell forward.
"ELIOR!!!" Hina screamed, running to catch him.
She held him tightly as blood soaked everything.
The boy who had defended the entire village… had finally fallen.
That night, no one slept.
The village was no longer innocent.
And Elior… was no longer just a scarred child.
The village still smelled of ashes.
Even a week after the confrontation, Geheris was no longer the same. Houses were being rebuilt, streets were being cleaned, and children tried to play again… but the heavy air said it all.
It was a different kind of silence.
A reverent silence.
In the temple, Elior lay unconscious.
His body was covered in bandages, his chest rising and falling with effort, as if every breath were another battle.
Everyone knew it.
He had saved their lives.
In the plaza, while the villagers worked together repairing walls and roofs, their conversations mixed with restrained tears.
"When he was a child…" an elderly woman murmured, bringing her hands to her face, "he used to say that angels and demons destroyed the village and murdered his family… And I… I just thought he had gone mad."
"We all did…" another replied, eyes glassy. "And yet, he protected us. All by himself…"
"He is a saint! A chosen one!" an old man exclaimed, his voice trembling.
But someone whispered in fear:
"What if Kael was right? What if more come… for him?"
Silence seized everyone until a young man stepped forward.
His voice was firm, though trembling with emotion.
"Then no one outside the village must know what happened. No one.
That boy tore himself apart for us. Now… it's our turn to protect him."
There was no argument.
Everyone nodded, their hearts in their throats.
Inside the temple, Hina never left Elior's side.
She slept leaning against his arm, her eyes swollen from crying so much.
The children, Lia and Aramis, rested in an improvised little bed at the back, clinging to each other as if the world would shatter if they let go.
Kael, still weak but conscious, watched in silence from the corner.
He had never seen Elior so wounded.
Nor so human.
The days passed like an eternity.
And even though Elior did not respond, Hina never stopped talking to him.
She told him what was happening in the village, what she dreamed about, even what she hated about waking up early… as if every word might call him back.
On the eighth day, after returning from the city, Hina sat beside him once more.
She held his hand tightly and, with a broken voice, begged:
"Please, Elior… wake up…
I'm the only one allowed to sleep this much. You can't leave me alone."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Then, a weak, hoarse voice broke the stillness.
"I suppose you haven't moved from that chair, huh…?
You smell bad, sleepyhead…"
Hina's eyes widened.
For a second, she didn't breathe.
Then, without thinking, she threw herself onto him, hugging him with all her strength as tears streamed uncontrollably.
"Idiot! You woke up! Idiot!" she shouted between laughter and sobs.
"Ouch…" Elior complained, barely smiling. "Don't jump on me so hard… they're trying to kill me, you know?"
They both laughed, though Elior's laughter was mixed with pain.
Hina, her heart overflowing, wiped her cheeks and ran out like a whirlwind.
"He woke up!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Elior woke up!"
And that night, for the first time in a long while, the entire village cried in relief.
Aetheris, the City of the Sky
At the heart of the heavens, the white towers of Aetheris vibrated with rumors.
An emergency meeting had been called.
Several high-ranking angels, some with golden wings, others with blinding eyes, sat in a great circle.
One of them, visibly agitated, raised his voice.
"He sealed a demonic breach as a human! He killed a noble demon with human weapons!"
Another, colder, spoke next.
"He has closed multiple breaches in Geheris. It is clear that he possesses a special connection…"
"A hybrid?"
"A chosen one?"
"An accident?"
Opinions were divided.
One of the oldest angels struck his celestial staff and spoke with authority.
"Whatever he is, we must observe.
We must not act without knowledge.
We must infiltrate among the humans."
Everyone knew it.
Only one was capable of reading a soul with a single touch.
Aurora's daughter, one of the right hands of the Celestial Council.
A young woman with a serene gaze, brown hair, and beautiful blue eyes tinged with green stood up without a word.
That beautiful girl had been born with an unparalleled power, one lost for millennia.
"Your mission is clear," the elder said.
"Follow her.
The red-haired girl.
The only visible connection to the demon slayer."
That was the name he now bore.
She simply nodded.
"Understood…"
For some reason, they were unable to discover who the boy truly was, and no one had the courage to approach him to find out.
More than a week had passed since the battle.
Although houses were rebuilt and children ran again, something had changed. The silence was no longer innocent. It was reverent.
In the temple, Elior rested.
Covered in bandages, breathing calmly.
And yet, those who cared for him witnessed the impossible.
His wounds, deep and mortal, healed far too quickly.
Cuts that should have taken months closed in days.
Scars that should have marked him forever… vanished as if they had never existed.
Kael, leaning on an improvised cane, watched him in silence.
That boy… something is healing him.
But I don't know whether it's a blessing or a curse.
In the plaza, some villagers whispered as they lifted planks and cleared debris.
"When he was a child, he swore that demons had destroyed the village and killed his family… and I thought he was crazy…" an old woman covered her face in tears.
"We all thought so… and yet, he protected us. All by himself…"
"He's a messenger of God!"
"Or… what if Kael was right? What if more come… for him?"
A young man, his voice firm, cut through the fear.
"Then no one must speak of this outside the village. No one.
That boy gave his life for us. Now it's our turn to protect him."
No one dared argue.
One morning, before the sun warmed the village stones, some neighbors saw him.
Elior was atop the temple.
Sitting cross-legged, torso still bandaged, eyes closed.
His body, though marked, remained steady.
And at dawn, a golden ray fell upon him.
The silence became sacred.
"Everything will be fine… as long as he is here," they all thought.
Early the next morning, Hina, who had gotten up to use the bathroom, noticed that Elior's bedroom door was open.
When she entered, she realized he was gone.
"Elior…?" Hina's voice echoed through the empty house.
She ran through every room. Nothing.
She rushed into Kael's room, desperate.
"He's not here! I can't find him!"
Kael barely managed to sit up when a neighbor burst in.
"He's at the temple! Up there, meditating!"
Hina ran like lightning, climbed the steps, and saw him there, wrapped in light like a statue.
"What are you doing here?! You're going to get sick, idiot!" she snapped, standing in front of him.
Elior didn't even open his eyes.
Nothing.
"Elior!"
Silence.
Hina clenched her teeth, leaned in, and mercilessly pulled his ear.
"OW! OW! Hina, that hurts! Stop!" he complained instantly, falling backward.
"Then don't meditate half-naked and fully bandaged at six in the morning!"
She gently shoved him inside and threw a shirt over him.
"Rest. Or I'll tie you down."
Elior sighed, laughing weakly.
"Alright, alright… I surrender."
By the afternoon, the air no longer felt so heavy.
Kael walked better.
The children laughed.
And Elior, though hurting inside, played with them in the plaza, wearing a sincere smile.
"You have to save me, Elior! The monster is coming for me!" Lia shouted, laughing as she hid behind a tree.
"I'm coming, Princess Lia!" he replied dramatically, wielding a stick like a sword.
Hina watched from a bench, smiling softly.
As evening fell, Elior sat beside the children, gently patting their heads.
"Guys… tomorrow I have to go back to the city. I've missed too much school."
Both of them looked sad.
"You're leaving…?"
"I'll be back soon. I promise. And this time, with lots of sweets."
As dusk settled, several villagers and children walked them to the station.
Kael watched with his arms crossed, firm, pride shining in his eyes.
"Take care," he said calmly.
"See you soon, Kael," Elior smiled.
Before boarding, Lia ran up and hugged him with all her strength.
"Don't die, okay?"
Elior crouched and stroked her hair.
"Not yet. I still have too many things to do."
They boarded the train.
Hina rested her head against the window, watching the village grow smaller in the distance.
Elior glanced at her.
"Thanks for dragging me out of the temple, by the way."
"You're welcome, half-naked zen master," she replied with a teasing smile.
They both laughed as the train carried them away from Velmira.
The return journey had begun…
But what awaited them in the city would be far darker than any wound.