‘I can’t lose him now,’ the Black Lion thought, rushing through the alleys, following the trail of blood. A cry interrupted him as he turned a corner, and he readied his blade, before seeing a young boy crying, having fallen, while a blood splatter continued past him.

“Are you okay?” the Black Lion asked, halting beside the boy, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder, sending warm healing through him.

“The man pushed me and went that way,” the boy said, pointing to the opposite side of the splatter. “He pushed me and threw his blood.”

The Black Lion noted the blood splatter, which did look to have been tossed from the side. “You are such brave young man, thank you. Quickly, head back to your house, before the demon comes back.”

The boy’s eyes went wide and his lip quivered. He began to sob again as he ran away while the Black Lion continued to follow the path away from the blood splatter, another Black Lion catching his sight before following him, while another followed the blood splatter, just in case.

The boy rushed away from the area, darting into a building, before he stopped sniffling. “Ha! Really, to think you’d have to ask me to play the fool. Kids these days, honestly.”

“I must thank you again, Master Sage.”

“That’s Death Sage to you, Death Sage, you goat of a boy!” The boy huffed out, before raising his hand, and various small clay bottled floated towards him. “Since you’ve come to find me, leading those damn kids near my home, it must be an emergency.”

The wounded Bloody Viper didn’t want to admit that he had met the figure by pure chance, especially considering he had thought the Death Sage had died, rather than having gone through the mythical procedure all martial artists strived for. Though he was going to hold these wounds for the rest of his life, at least he had managed to find the Death Sage.

Thus Fate was forever changed.

While the evening sun fell across the Iyr, Jirot tackling her greataunt’s leg, while Jarot clutched at the other.

“My Jirot, my Jarot, what brings you to me?” Gangak asked, lifting the boy and girl up.

“I missed you, nano,” Jirot said.

“I miss you too,” Jarot added.

“Yes, I missed you too,” Gangak said, lifting the pair up within each arm, showering them in kisses. “You have come to me without that annoying old man.”

“Daddy is not annoying,” Jirot said, pointing her finger up towards her greataunt. Then her lips formed a small smirk. “Daddy is annoying.” She cackled with joy.

Gangak raised her brows to Sonarot, who merely replied with a smile, before leaving the twins with their grandaunt. Gangak took the children to her own seat within her estate.

“Which story should I read?”

“Mmmm. The big story.”

“Which big story?”

“Mmmm. The boy, mmm, the snake, the big snake story.”

“I will read you a story with a big snake,” Gangak replied, sending one of the children to bring back a book.

“Nano, your hand is so big,” Jarot said, placing his hand against the back of her hand. “My hand is so small.”

“My hand is big because I am big.”

“Nano, your head is bigger,” Jirot said, pointing at the woman’s head.

“Yes.”

“It is because you are bigger.”

“That is right.” Gangak smiled.

“My heart is big,” Jirot said.

“Why is that?”

“I love so much,” the girl said, tossing out her hands as though to show the extent of her love.

“Who do you love?”

“I love nano, I love babo, I love nana, I love…” The girl thought, narrowing her eyes.

“Do you love your daddy?”

“No,” the girl said, cackling, before glancing around. She held a hand beside her mouth, as though to whisper, but she spoke the whisper loudly. “I love daddy, but it’s secwet, okay nano? It’s secwet.”

Stolen story; please report.

“I see, you love your daddy, but it is a secret.”

“No, I do not like my daddy.” Jirot glanced around again, before she placed a finger on her lips. “Ssh.”

“I love daddy,” Jarot said.

“No,” his twin stated.

“I do not…” Jarot replied, pouting slightly.

“You can love daddy, I will not, okay?” Jirot said, reaching out to brush his hair gently.

“Who do you love more? Nano or daddy?”

“I love…” Jirot thought for a long moment. “I love my Jawoh.” Jirot pointed to her brother.

Jarot smiled shyly, before he reached over to hug his sister within his greataunt’s arms.

‘Why did my children not behave this way? Should I have spoiled them?’

“I do not like nana,” Jirot said, smirking.

“Why do you not like nana?”

“It’s secwet, nano, secwet.” Jirot placed a finger on her lip.

“I see.” Gangak kissed them adoringly again. “I love you both so much. It is no secret.”

Jirot giggled and Jarot smiled, the pair embracing their grandaunt tight.

“Nano! Look!” Jirot said, revealing a stone from her pocket. “We boat it for you. It is your gift, be happy, okay?”

“It is a gift for me?” Gangak asked, smiling.

“Yes, we fand it for nano.”

“Oh, thank you.” The woman took the stone from Jirot. It was small and smooth, and clear of dirt. She continued to shower them with affection.

“Nano, look,” Jarot whispered, raising a tiny stone. “Is for daddy.”

“Oh, you found a stone for your daddy too?”

“Is nice stone,” Jirot stated.

“You are such good children.” Gangak brushed their hair gently. ‘How can my Jirot and Jarot be so cute?’

“I will not give daddy stone because I do not like him.” Jirot smirked.

Gangak smiled, kissing her forehead. “Your daddy loves you so much.”

“Yes, I am so luvlee.” Jirot sat taller with pride.

Gangak chuckled as the book was brought, before she read the story to them and all the other Gak children within the extended estate.

While the twins were being read to, their eldest sibling played chess against her grandmother’s brother.

“You are not dado?” Konarot asked.

“Do you want me to be your dado?” Tonagek asked, pausing while it was his turn.

“You are my baba?”

“I can be your baba or your dado,” Tonagek replied.

Konarot thought deeply, but said no more. She decided not to continue the conversation, not yet understanding what it meant. Tonagek continued to play against her, though part of his thoughts were taken by what she had spoken about.

‘Is she warring with my mind?’

While the children teased their elders, their father was also teasing an elder.

Mana: 18 -> 14

Spell: Searing Smite

Attack - Wraith

D20 + 10 = 25 (15)

Omen: 20 -> 0

20 + 10 = 30

Critical hit!

Wraith: 3 -> 0

Mana: 14 -> 10

Ability: Divine Smite

4D6 + 8D6 + 12D6 + 10D6 + 9 = 127 (2, 4, 4, 5)(1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 6)(1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6)(1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5)

127 damage!

The fire engulfed the First Hope, while the chill slipped through his armour, and the holy magics flashed through his entire body. Robert had never been struck so viciously before, and not with so many elements. From fire to frost to radiance, his entire body flooded with a pain he had never had the displeasure of feeling previously.

As he swung down his blade, his body contorted, and the angle of the blade shifted, clattering against Adam’s side harmlessly. Robert held in a grunt of pain, a pained sigh slipping out as quiet as a shadow.

“Hey, Bobby boy,” Adam growled a whisper, “you better not fall down just yet, I’m not done.”

Robert’s eyes fell to the side, through his visor, and went through even Adam’s visor, to see the look within Adam’s eyes. It was a glare full of hope, hope that Robert wouldn’t step back. The look was a look of the Iyr. Robert inhaled, trying to pull up his sword to clash once more.

“Enough,” called a voice, breaking through the air.

Adam stopped. Adam allowed many voices to stop him, but there was only one from the Order of Life’s Rose which he would have stopped for, but she wasn’t the one to speak.

“Manager Vonda,” Adam said. “Isn’t it awkward to stop this duel.”

“Please stop, Adam.”

“Can I stop?” Adam couldn’t stop, not when Jaygak had put her faith in him. If he stepped back now, wouldn’t these troublesome noble priests cause even more trouble in the future. “It has to end cleanly.”

“Will you step back and consider this a draw?”

“A draw?” Adam asked, glancing back towards her. “Manager Vonda, every time things end up a draw, it’s always troublesome.”

“I’ll take responsibility,” Vonda said. She stared at Adam with the most serious gaze. Adam wasn’t certain if she was speaking as a Sister or as a Manager, but she was certainly speaking for the benefit of both sides.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop, not until one of us is clearly beaten,” Adam said. “I will accept it even if I lose.”

Vonda wasn’t sure what else to say to try and stop him. There was only one reason why she wanted him to stop, and it was because Adam wasn’t going to lose. No, not only wasn’t Adam going to lose, he was going to defeat the First Hope far too easily. Such a thing couldn’t occur even if it brought Adam and the others great honour. The consequences could ripple out into a tsunami that Aldland couldn’t handle, especially not the home which raised her.

“Have you taken a breather, First Hope?” Adam asked, unable to keep his voice from causing issues, the playfulness beating down the First Hope’s pride.

Robert stood, tall and ready, his blade pointed towards Adam. The blade which had been so sturdy and proud, shook slightly. It was not the shaking of fear, but the shaking of a body which had been battered by a young man less than half the Hope’s age.

“Even if I’m going to take pleasure in beating you, I’m doing this for the Gak family which has always treated me politely,” Adam said, clutching Wraith tight in hand.

“Will you step forward even when the children are looking at you like that?”

Vonda’s words caused Adam’s eyes to looked past the shaking blade pointed towards him towards the children, whose eyes were glued to him, with darkness across their faces. Adam’s axe lowered slightly. He had never seen any children look at him like that. The look was not that of awe, but of sheer dread. The eyes of the children poured a heaviness onto Adam’s shoulders.

‘Why are you looking at me like that? I’m doing all this for you.’

The eyes of Copper were wide. Leah was clutching at Julia’s leg. Max had grown pale, as though he had just thrown up. Even Alex had pulled back, the eyes of a boy who had been so brave, coming to speak with Adam to sacrifice himself for the rest of his siblings.

Adam was so close. One more blow and he would have beaten down the First Hope. A clean victory, the cleanest one may have ever seen. Yet, the victory, which should have been great, couldn’t feel any hollower.