That day, people walked around fixing and decorating their homes for the great event that would take place in a few days. Feral children ran happily through the streets, under the sun that still marked midday.
A blond-haired young man walked through the city with a backpack on his back and a katana fastened at his waist. He laughed to himself, thinking out loud:
— Ah, sensei... you should have given me a better challenge than walking for an entire month without resting all the way to the Feral Kingdom. This was easier than fighting those goblin hordes or those slimes.
As he walked while looking at the sky, he kept grumbling about how all of it had been far too simple.
At the top of the city's great clock, a hooded figure, with chains attached to his neck, let out a low laugh. Then, he jumped.
He fell from a gigantic height and hit the ground standing, completely destroying the pavement below.
Panic took over the city. People screamed and ran in despair.
The newly arrived boy stopped, looked ahead, and saw the man who had just fallen from the sky. With an almost strange calm, he asked:
— Hey... didn't you break anything? Looks like you jumped from a pretty high place, huh.
The figure raised his gaze. He laughed again and began removing the chain from his neck, speaking in a sadistic tone:
— If I got hurt? That doesn't even come close to injuring me, if that's what you're worried about.
He paused and looked around.
— But tell me... I can't say the same for the people here.
The young man frowned and brought his hand to the katana, threatening to draw it.
— If you try anything against these people, I'll slice you into 1,012 pieces in three seconds.
The man burst into loud laughter. He swung the chain backward with overwhelming force and shouted:
— Then try your luck, idiot!
The chain reached an absurd speed. At the same instant, it tripled in size, destroying countless houses in seconds.
At the moment the attack was about to hit the boy's face, he blocked it with his katana. The blade scraped against one of the links, producing violent sparks.
Even so, the impact was crushing. The young man was thrown backward, passing through several houses and destroying walls until he violently collided with the rubble.
The man began walking toward him and said:
— You said you were going to cut me into 1,012 pieces... but so far, I haven't seen you trying.
At that exact moment, the shadow of the katana passed right by the man's neck. In an instant, he blocked it with the chain, sparks flying from the clash of metal. Dragging his foot backward, in a movement synchronized with the chain, he delivered a violent attack toward the boy.
The young man dodged at the last second and moved away, now with a clear expression of anger.
Without giving him time to react, the man spun his chains again, destroying even more houses around while shouting in a crazed tone:
— What is it?! You said you were going to slice me, didn't you? Then show me what you're capable of!
He launched the chain toward the boy. The young man took a deep breath and advanced, dodging and blocking devastating attacks coming from all sides. Each strike of the chain destroyed the ground and the surrounding buildings.
When he got close enough, the boy finally used his technique.
— One Thousand and Twelve Slashes!
The air around them seemed to stop. Everything moved slowly. In the blink of an eye, countless flashes filled the atmosphere and, with a thin sound, the true speed of his attacks was revealed.
Countless slashes struck the hooded man. Even so, he opened a wide smile and began swinging his chains at an absurd speed. Attacks and blocks collided nonstop, maintaining a constant and brutal rhythm.
The chains grew larger and larger, destroying nearby houses.
Then the man spoke:
— If that's all you have... then die!
In a quick movement, he stepped on the chain, making it spin toward the boy's arm. The chain wrapped around and restrained his arm. Then, he stepped on the other end, making the steel spin and wrap around his own arms, and shouted with a terrifying face:
— BRUTAL!!
With that, he delivered a devastating attack.
The young man was thrown far away, destroying several houses with the impact. He tried to get up, but his body did not respond. Shortly after, he lost consciousness.
The sound of armor echoed through the nearby streets. Guards began approaching the location.
The man laughed.
— First part of the plan complete. The second part will be the grand finale tomorrow.
He turned around and added, in a mocking tone:
— Bye-bye, weakling.
Then, he leapt at an absurd speed, disappearing among the rooftops and the destroyed houses.
— Over there, Anin! That's where those explosions happened!
Shizu said, pointing to the pile of rubble left by the battle.
As they got closer, he began observing the surroundings. Several injured residents slowly stood up among the debris. Walking a bit further, Shizu spotted a young man lying on the ground, with severe injuries all over his body.
Shizu felt anger rising. He knelt beside the boy, trying to lift him.
— Hold on... we're here to help you!
The young man opened one eye with difficulty and murmured:
— Chains...
Then, he lost consciousness again.
Shizu quickly called Anin. She ran over, analyzed the boy's condition, and asked worriedly:
— This boy is badly injured. He must have fought someone here. Do you think he ended up like this trying to stop an enemy?
Shizu looked at the young man, not knowing what to answer.
Suddenly, several feral soldiers began to appear one after another, surrounding Shizu and Anin in just a few seconds.
One of them, wielding an axe, stepped forward and shouted:
— Heroes Shizu Mark and Anin Thailor! You are under arrest for territory damage and attempted murder against citizens of this country! Kneel now and drop your weapons! You are both under arrest!
Shizu stared at the soldiers with anger and disbelief.
— What?! Why are you arresting us?!
Before they could react, they were knocked down by ferals and shackled to the ground. While lying there, Shizu still heard a voice echoing above him:
— Do not resist. Filthy beings.
After all the chaos, Shizu was imprisoned in a cell together with Anin and the young man. The three of them were chained by their arms and legs.
Sitting on the cell bench, Shizu looked around and said:
— I can't believe we took the blame for all of this... it feels like this was some kind of setup.
Anin watched the prison corridor through the bars and replied:
— I think so too. But still... why would they do something like this? It seems very suspicious.
At that moment, the blond-haired young man began to wake up. He groaned in pain because of his injuries and asked with difficulty:
— Where am I...?
Anin turned to him and answered calmly:
— We're in the prison of the Feral Kingdom.
The young man tried to get up quickly.
— What?! Why am I locked up?!
Pain shot through his body like a shock. He fell to his knees, groaning, unable to stand.
Shizu looked at him and replied:
— From what it looks like, you got involved in a fight and were defeated. Anin and I arrived later and saw you lying there. We tried to help, but were intercepted by the guards. Now we're imprisoned for destroying the city and for attempted murder against the feral people.
The young man sighed, dejected.
— Ah... so that's what happened. I'm sorry for dragging you two into this.
He paused briefly before continuing:
— My name is Sterfen Hermes Diones.
Shizu looked at him suspiciously and thought:
"That's a strange name... it doesn't seem common around here. But I'll let it slide."
Trying to ease the mood, Shizu spoke in a more relaxed tone:
— Hey... about your fight. Who did you fight against? And why?
Sterfen looked directly at him and replied seriously:
— I fought against a world-class assassin, without a doubt. His skills were not those of an amateur assassin. I don't know the reason, but he attacked me out of nowhere. So I defended myself as best I could.
Anin frowned and asked:
— Judging by how that part of the city ended up, he must have been really strong. Did you notice anything strange during the fight?
Sterfen lowered his gaze and replied suspiciously:
— He was very suspicious. He wore torn clothes and a hood that hid his face. He fought with chains that changed size and thickness.
He took a deep breath before continuing:
— And the strangest thing... is that he didn't seem to want to attack me directly. He was always trying to destroy everything around.
Shizu slowly stood up.
— Then it's true. It was a clear setup.
Sterfen looked at him with doubt.
— What do you mean, a setup?
Shizu approached the cell bars, crossed his arms, and replied calmly:
— That was a setup not only against you, but against the two of us as well. I noticed by the way that feral looked at us and by how he called us despicable. Most likely, some feral who hates humans staged all of this to drive humans out of here.
Anin raised her hand, thoughtful:
— If that's the case, why were only the three of us arrested? The two of us are recognized by the king as heroes. Wouldn't it be too risky to plan something like this?
Shizu fell silent, without an answer.
Then Sterfen asked, surprised:
— You're heroes?!
Shizu got embarrassed and stuttered:
— U-uh... yeah. We're heroes, but it's no big deal, hahaha...
Sterfen's eyes sparkled.
— Amazing. I'm standing before two heroes! I didn't even know that existed in this world. And I even managed to get two heroes imprisoned with me...
He laughed lightly.
Shizu laughed too, but a thought immediately crossed his mind:
"How so... 'in this world'?"
Suddenly, four guards appeared near the bars and made an announcement:
— You three. The king requests a face-to-face audience with you to decide the judgment. Come with us.
One of the guards pulled out a ring of keys and opened the cell, while another held the chain that bound the three prisoners, beginning to guide them toward the throne room.
As they walked, climbing the dungeon stairs, one of the guards spoke rigidly:
— During the judgment, you must never go against the word of your king. And you must always tell the truth.
Shizu, Anin, and Sterfen remained silent.
Then, one of the guards walking behind them spoke in a mocking tone:
— But obviously you won't tell the truth. After all, humans are humans, hahaha.
The other guards began to laugh as well.
Shizu clenched his fists, clearly indignant, but remained silent.
Walking while being dragged together, the guards reached the corridors of the royal palace. At that moment, Shizu began reflecting to himself:
"If this is a setup, that much I'm already sure of. But why do this to us... the heroes? This is strange. Actually, this whole world is strange, so maybe it's not something I should find so strange."
As soon as that thought passed through his mind, a voice echoed inside him, responding in an arrogant and superior tone:
— Haha... you really don't know anything about this world, do you, brat?
Startled, Shizu spoke out loud:
— What?!
The guards immediately stopped and looked at him with irritation.
— What was that? We already warned you. Don't try anything suspicious, understood?!
The three nodded, and Shizu returned to speaking only in his thoughts:
"Who is talking?"
The voice answered again:
— Isn't it obvious, you damn brat? It's me, Phaul Luccius. The Demon King you made a contract with, then broke, and on top of that shamelessly copied my ability.
Irritated, Shizu replied mentally:
"You bastard. You were the one who tried to steal my body. And what do you mean I broke the contract? You abandoned me to die to that damn Babadar. And what do you mean by 'copied your ability'?"
The Demon King was clearly irritated and replied harshly:
— Are you telling me you don't even know about yourself, you damn brat? After I took over your body, you managed to summon a necromancy servant just like mine. Are you saying you don't remember?
Shizu tried to search for that memory, but found nothing. Then he replied:
"I really don't know what you're talking about. Do I have some kind of ability that copies powers?"
Phaul sighed and began to explain:
— Fine. I'll explain it in a way even a five-year-old would understand. In this world, there are talents and blessings. Everyone is born with an innate blessing or talent. You are the rare type, the one who forms contracts with higher spirits and demons. In short, you're a useless coward who depends on the strength of others to survive.
Shizu immediately questioned:
"You're saying I can do that? So if I form a contract with some spirit, I get their abilities?"
The Demon King snapped back, indignant:
— What? Of course not. Like I said, you only borrow power. You can only use that power if you form a complete contract. In incomplete contracts, you allow them to enter your body and use their own techniques.
Shizu hesitated and asked without thinking:
"Then why was I able to replicate your necromancy ability?"
The demon fell silent for a moment before answering:
— That's something I want to know too. And I also want to know if you copied anything besides necromancy. But it's better to leave that alone. I don't want to see you using my powers.
Shizu continued:
"I don't know how these contracts or my powers work... but can I use this whenever I want?"
Phaul thought for a moment before replying:
— Take our contract as an example. I used your body for a few minutes and you were completely exhausted. And I didn't even use much of my power. Imagine a higher spirit entering you with its full power. Your body would be destroyed in seconds. Besides that, you need their permission for anything.
Shizu became thoughtful, but there was something he needed to ask:
"Can I ask you something? Are you on my side or against me? Because you tried to steal my body. Why did you do that?"
The Demon King laughed loudly and replied arrogantly:
— Oh, give me a break. Are you telling me you didn't even notice the absurd amount of pure energy you possess? Spare me, boy. But since you asked, I'll gladly explain. Inside you exists pure energy so vast it can be considered almost infinite. And do you know what higher spirits and demons love the most? Pure energy. You are like a divine gift, full of nutrients for those seeking a perfect body. If I had managed to take your body, I could have restored my existence in this cursed world.
Shizu replied angrily:
"So that's why you tried to steal it by force?!"
The demon laughed again, but soon his tone became aggressive:
— Of course, you idiot brat. There would be no other reason. If that wretched Babadar hadn't stood up and you weren't so weak at that moment, I would've already escaped to strengthen this body and restore my power.
He paused before continuing:
— Oh, and there's more. Inside you, there are memories and thoughts I can neither see nor hear. It's like something hidden. I feel that there is an extremely powerful ability inside you. And I intend to discover what it is. One day, we will fight for possession of this body. And every card I have, I will use to my advantage.
Shizu reflected in silence:
"So he doesn't know about my time reversal... that's great. If he finds out, he might find a way to bypass it and take my body, maybe even steal that ability. That can't happen."
The demon interrupted his thoughts:
— That's what I'm talking about. I can't hear those thoughts. You're hiding something, brat, and I'll find out one way or another. Anyway, good luck with the judgment. Don't worry, if you get the death penalty, I'll be very happy to use this body. See you.
Shizu looked ahead and saw the great door that led to the throne room. He remembered that place well, the king and the nobles. In his mind, he thought:
"Please, king... free us from this."
A soldier's voice echoed through the hall:
— Your Majesty, the prisoners have arrived: the heroes Shizu Mark and Anin Thailor, along with another individual involved in the case, for the royal judgment.
The gates opened, revealing the throne room. There were countless benches occupied by ferals. All of them stood up in unison, watching Shizu, Anin, and Sterfen.
A guard shoved Shizu and ordered them to walk. As they advanced, they were watched by everyone. Gazes filled with disgust and hatred fell upon them.
Shizu thought:
"These looks... all directed at us. As if we were some kind of monsters."
Anin and Sterfen walked with their heads down, without any expression.
They reached the central area of the hall for the beginning of the judgment. The king was seated on his throne, his hands resting under his chin, wearing a serious expression as he observed Shizu. On both sides of the hall, the nobles watched the scene with rigid expressions. Maprisius, on the other hand, displayed a slight smile.
The king stood up and announced:
— Let us begin. Today marks the start of the judgment of the two heroes and their accomplice in this palace.