On the crimson lands of the Red Moon, a lone figure slowly moved forward.
A black sword rested in his hand.
His condition was terrible.
His body looked weak and exhausted, while his eyes carried the appearance of someone who had not slept for many nights.
That man's name was Yarika.
The same Yarika who had escaped from the hospital.
He clenched his free hand into a fist.
"Today will bring destruction," he muttered.
"I won't let Ajina get away with this."
A cold fury burned within his eyes.
"This happened because of him."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Fortunately, Torisa helped me escape from the hospital."
A moment later, he covered his eyes with one hand and took a deep breath.
Calming himself, he continued walking.
"I've already fought and freed more than ten souls."
His grip on the black sword tightened.
"And I'm not stopping now."
Not far away, countless glowing particles began gathering in the air.
The particles merged together and slowly took shape.
A moment later, three figures appeared.
Mara.
Vasuki.
And Pasito.
Pasito stretched his arms and looked around.
"It's been a long time since we came to this place."
Vasuki quietly nodded.
"Yeah."
"This place brings back memories."
He slowly closed his eyes.
For a brief moment, a memory flashed through his mind.
A sword forged from green diamond rested in his hand.
He was fighting without rest.
Day after day.
Month after month.
For an entire year.
The memory vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Meanwhile, Mara narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance.
"Is that a person?"
Pasito turned toward him.
"What person?"
Mara pointed ahead.
Far across the crimson landscape, a lone figure could be seen walking through the Red Moon's wasteland.
The figure carried a black sword.
And with every step he took, an unsettling feeling spread through the air.
"Look over there," Mara suddenly said.
"There's someone."
Vasuki followed his gaze and narrowed his eyes.
"Could it be Atura?"
Mara shook his head.
"That person is on his knees."
Pasito crossed his arms and observed the distant figure.
"He looks tall."
"And stronger than most people."
Pasito snorted.
"Atura is a coward."
"The kind of person who runs away whenever things get dangerous."
Suddenly—
A violent surge of energy erupted from the figure's back.
The next instant, enormous bat-like wings burst out behind him.
The air trembled.
All three of them froze.
Their breathing grew heavier.
Mara instinctively took a step back.
"We don't even have any weapons."
"How are we supposed to fight a monster like that?"
The distant figure slowly raised his head.
For a moment, the crimson moonlight reflected from his eyes.
And an overwhelming sense of danger spread across the wasteland.
From the left side of the wasteland, a young man slowly walked forward.
His eyes appeared wide and lifeless, and it looked as though his ribs had been broken.
A stream of blood tears flowed from one of his eyes.
No one paid attention to his slow movements.
It was as if his presence did not exist.
His hands were stained with blood.
Then he blinked slowly.
A vision suddenly appeared before him.
In that vision, Ajina placed a hand on his shoulder and said,
"You possess an Animal Soul."
His voice echoed within the young man's mind.
"An Animal Soul is born through suffering."
Ajina remained silent for a moment before continuing,
"People may call hyenas thieves..."
"But very few understand what they must endure to survive."
Hearing those words, the young man looked toward the vision.
In the fading memory, he saw himself speaking to Ajina.
"That line reminds me of a broken yet powerful villain."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"You're not that person... are you?"
The young man slowly blinked.
In the next moment, the vision became blurry and disappeared.
A gust of wind swept across the wasteland.
At last, his face was revealed.
The person whom people now knew as Atura.
Atura took a deep breath.
He looked completely exhausted, yet strangely peaceful.
It was as though he was experiencing the same relief felt by an old and weary soul finally receiving something it had long awaited.
For a brief moment, he simply stood there, enjoying that feeling.
Suddenly, Yarika slowly rose to his feet.
He drew his sword and held it firmly in his hand.
The next moment, his wings spread wide and began beating against the air.
Slowly, he ascended into the sky.
A few moments later, he pulled his blade slightly backward, as if preparing to unleash a devastating strike.
What Yarika didn't know, however, was that the three before him were far from helpless.
Mara stood in the center.
Around his hands, the spectral claws of a lion began to appear.
To Mara's left stood Vasuki.
He extended his left hand forward.
His fingers formed a strange shape, resembling the head of a snake.
Then, sharp fangs emerged from his index finger and little finger, making his hand appear even more serpent-like.
On Mara's right stood Pasito.
His eyes had turned brown.
Behind him, the upper body and head of a giant monkey-like spirit manifested, silently watching the battlefield.
For a brief moment, neither side moved.
The crimson wasteland fell silent.
A battle seemed inevitable.
Suddenly, a stream of blood burst from the man's wings and fell toward the ground like a fountain.
The next instant, he dashed forward at tremendous speed.
As he advanced, he slowly brought his sword forward, preparing for an attack.
Facing him were Mara, Vasuki, and Pasito.
Their power levels were still at what many would consider the first stage.
Yet their appearances were far from ordinary.
Mara stood with the spectral claws of a lion surrounding his hands.
Vasuki's left hand resembled the head of a serpent.
Behind Pasito, the giant monkey-like spirit remained manifested.
For a brief moment, the battlefield seemed frozen.
Despite their low power, they looked ready to face whatever stood before them.